San Diego CityBeat • Mar 21, 2018

2 · San Diego CityBeat · march 21, 2018

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UP FRONT | FROM THE EDITOR

Storage wars

A

few weeks ago, I had a conversation with a nearby homeowners and parents. And I agree with colleague about how Mayor Faulconer has Councilmember Chris Ward when he said that this fahandled the issue of homelessness over the cility would help San Diego’s homeless citizens. Howyears. We agreed, for the most part, that there was en- ever, Alvarez is absolutely correct that that this facility tirely too much foot-dragging and inaction over the was decided on without the community’s input.

“Not only were their voices not heard, they were years, but we both felt that he’d turned a corner when it came to the issue. I think the only point that we ignored,” Alvarez said, going further to call the decidisagreed about was how the mayor came to turn that sion “an example of institutionalized racism.”

And while I don’t agree with many of the concerns corner. Personally, I believe that if it weren’t for the public health crisis surrounding the Hepatitis A out- of the residents, one resident pointed out that a solubreak, I’m not sure the city would have dealt with the tion “has to include all of us” and that they weren’t “brought to the table” to discuss this facility. Other homeless crisis at all.

But once the mayor did begin to address it, the city residents felt that the City Council’s stance was oswas in emergency mode. A plan had to be put together tensibly “Brown kids don’t matter as much,” referring quickly, and it had to be something that would pre- to the decision to put the facility in a largely Chicano vent the further spread of Hepatitis A. In the process, neighborhood.

I feel for these residents. I really homeless citizens were displaced do. The woman who has lived in the and spread out all over the city. neighborhood for 50 years and said Some neighborhoods complained she picks up trash around her house that homeless were suddenly showby hand. The priest who spoke for over ing up in their neighborhoods, while 10 minutes that the memo promising other neighborhoods welcomed the the community that the city would fact that encampments were being address any concerns wasn’t actuforcibly moved and the streets were ally given to residents, but released finally being cleaned.

by Councilmember Alvarez an hour The three temporary bridge shelters, approved by the City Council in Councilmember David Alvarez before the session. One student from Our Lady’s School chuckled when he November, have had mixed results, but they were always meant to be temporary, a bridge suggested that the city place the facility in La Jolla or between homelessness and finding permanent hous- Escondido, as if he knew how unlikely such a scenario ing. There are after all, no quick fixes when it comes to would be. And while much of the people who came to this issue, and the concept of temporariness has been speak against the storage facility made valid points, emphasized over and over by city officials almost as if there were just as many spouting hateful rhetoric, speculative misinformation and the same old homeless steto say, don’t worry, this will all be over soon.

I admit that after the mayor’s State of the City reotypes that have largely been disproven.

While this is still the time for decisive action, that address, I was all for the idea of a storage facility for homeless citizens. I still do support it. However, as action cannot come at the expense of an entire neighthis issue was going to press, the City Council was borhood’s concerns. I understand the saying that “a hearing public testimony from residents of Logan camel is a horse designed by committee,” and I underHeights, Sherman Heights and Barrio Logan, the com- stand the idea of community sacrifice for the greater munities that will most be affected by the proposed good of the city, but to place a centralized facility in a storage facility at the corner of 20th and Commercial community that has already been historically exploitstreets. While some came out in support of the facil- ed is not a fair process. ity, more than 200 people came out to ask the council As I was finishing this note, the council approved that they do not place the facility in their community. the facility with certain amendments. Councilmember While the Union-Tribune supported the idea of the Georgette Gómez summed it up best when she relucfacility in a Sunday editorial, I can no longer fully sup- tantly endorsed the storage facility: “We have put an port the idea as it was originally proposed and agree underserved community against another underserved with Councilmember David Alvarez who railed against community… This is not right, but we have to make the facility being placed in his district. The sad fact is decisions.” that there aren’t many plots of land in the city where

—Seth Combs a facility like this could be erected without upsetting This issue of CityBeat is dedicated to State Sen. Toni Atkins, who made history by becoming the first woman and first lesbian to be elected leader of the State Senate.

Volume 16 • Issue 31 EDITOR Seth Combs MUSIC EDITOR Jeff Terich WEB EDITOR Ryan Bradford ART DIRECTOR Carolyn Ramos ASSOCIATE EDITOR Torrey Bailey COLUMNISTS Aaryn Belfer Edwin Decker Minda Honey John R. Lamb Alex Zaragoza

CONTRIBUTORS Christin Bailey, David L. Coddon, Beth Demmon, Andrew Dyer, Rachel Michelle Fernandes, Tiffany Fox, Michael A. Gardiner, Glenn Heath Jr., Lizz Huerta, Lara McCaffrey, Scott McDonald, Rhonda “Ro” Moore, Kinsee Morlan, Jim Ruland, Ben Salmon, Jen Van Tieghem, Amy Wallen, Ian Ward EDITORIAL INTERNS Alex Noble

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MARCH 21, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 3

UP FRONT | LETTERS

LEAVE IT TO THE STATES The ideas you espoused in your editorial “Empty Pages” [Feb. 21] on how to change things so that massacres like the one at the M.S.D. High School in Florida can be prevented in the future seem insightful and thought provoking. Much talk is taking place between the administration and both parties on some of those very topics.

I would like to suggest a different approach: Make gun regulation solely a state issue, not federal.

Every state is different. Population, topography and culture. I think gun ownership should be regulated the same way automobile ownership is conducted: age limited, training, annual registration and liability insurance.

The institutions to perform these functions already exist. The DMV in each state can perform registration functions and collect fees. Automobile insurance companies can provide liability insurance for gun ownership based upon the profile of the gun owner just as they do for automobiles. Gun ranges can be certified by the state to provide training.

Apply this scenario to Nicholas Cruz.

Do you think Cruz could have gotten weapons training for an AR-15 without raising a few red flags? Could he have gotten insurance to purchase an AR-15?

How about the high volume magazine and ammo? What do you think his insurance

4 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · MARCH 21, 2018

company would have done if it were alerted that he was trying to buy this stuff?

This system could be applied in various forms in each state. Each state would be a laboratory for what works and what doesn’t. No one size fits all.

These are my thoughts, what are yours?

D.K. Fields

Point Loma

SCRATCHING MY HEAD Ms. Bry’s “recusal” from voting on changes to the S.D. housing code, as stated in this week’s issue of CityBeat [“Whole lotta housing love,” March 7], leaves me scratching my head wondering why she would vote in that manner on this hot button topic. I assume this was reported correctly... so, can you please explain her reasoning for her vote? I do note that the vote was 7 to 1, so it appears that the changes that were proposed, as stated in the CityBeat editorial, were overwhelmingly supported but yet Ms. Bry chose to dodge the issue.

I’m still wondering where all this “affordable housing” will be built. I look forward to your feedback when you have a few moments.

Lou Cumming La Jolla

UP FRONT

WE WANT FEEDBACK Did you read a story in San Diego CityBeat that made your blood boil, or caused you to laugh so hard you pulled a stomach muscle? If something inspires you to send us your two cents we welcome all letters that respond to news stories, opinion pieces or reviews that have run in these pages. We don’t accept unsolicited op-ed letters.

Email letters to editor Seth Combs at seth.combs@sdcitybeat. com, or mail to 3047 University Ave., Suite 202, San Diego, CA 92104. For letters to be considered for publication you must include your first and last name and the part of town where you reside.

Note: All comments left on stories at sdcitybeat.com will also be considered for publication.

From the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Letters to the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 News / CityWeek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 There She Goz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Sordid Tales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

FOOD & DRINK World Fare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Final Draught . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

THINGS TO DO The Short List. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Calendar of Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-13

ARTS & CULTURE Theater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 FEATURE: Melissa Cody. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Thank You For Staring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Film. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-18

MUSIC FEATURE: King Woman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Notes From The Smoking Patio . . . . . . . 20 The Spotlight: Sir Mix-A-Lot. . . . . . . . . . 20 Concerts & Clubs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24-26

IN THE BACK Astrologically Unsound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 CannaBeat. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

@SDCITYBEAT

NEWS | OPINION

HAM OF THE WEEK

By Torrey Bailey and Seth Combs

THE ISSUE: San Diego’s recent influx of dockless bike-sharing options has become a

point of contention, with many residents complaining that the sidewalks are now overrun with bikes.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING: “Caught off guard, the Gaslamp Quarter Association and the Board of Directors have been working hard all week to communicate our neighborhood’s unique challenges to each of the new operators.”

—Gaslamp Quarter Association

One would think that the 2016 SDSU analysis proving racial bias in San Diego Police Department traffic stops was enough to let officers know they needed to keep it clean. Now, just a few weeks into Police Chief David Nisleit’s tenure, ABC 10News broke a story about a points system (aka a bounty or rewards system) where officers in the Southern Division would get “rewards” for drug arrests in “lower income neighborhoods.” Chief Nisleit almost immediately launched an investigation and said the system was never implemented, but this is not the best way to start things out.

SO, WHATEVER HAPPENED WITH…

“The City is proactively contacting the various dockless bike vendors to inform them of our policies and requesting they pick up their bikes immediately.

Failure to respond in a timely manner may result in bikes being impounded.”

–Coronado Mayor Richard Bailey, to the Coronado Times

“There exists on the app Nextdoor a loooooong thread about the dockless bikes around San Diego. So much pearl clutching about having to ‘walk around’ and even ‘see’ lots of bikes on the sidewalks. People are so hilarious.

I personally don’t like seeing a lot of car exhaust pipes. Also, I don’t like seeing a lot of people who are mad at bikes. Thank you very much.”

—Terrie Best, via Facebook

OUR TAKE: Well, that honeymoon didn’t last long. Some prominent neighborhood

groups are now complaining about the bikes and Coronado took a shot across the handlebars by announcing it will begin impounding dockless bikes. Hindsight is 20/20, but the city has to address the issue immediately before it gets out of hand. San Diego can be a bike-friendly city, but there needs to be clear guidelines for bike-sharers. The first potential solution might be legislation to address penalties or tickets for “dumping” bikes. Another solution would be to work with the bike-sharing companies to better educate riders on where they’re allowed to park the bikes. For now, we’ll second what Colin Parent (Circulate San Diego) and Betsy Brennan (Downtown San Diego Partnership) said in their U-T op-ed on the matter: “As with any disruptive technology, a period of adjustment and learning is expected and, quite frankly, necessary.”

NEWSY BITS 3/14

In a nutshell, not much. Back in June, when City Attorney Mara Elliott discovered the leak, she remarked that the leak was an “egregious breach of public trust” and that the person responsible should “resign their positions with the city.” Once Cate (R-District 6) admitted to being the leaker in October, San Diego District Attorney Summer Stephan passed the criminal investigation (and the buck) to the state Attorney General’s office, but that was over four months ago. Cate was fined $5,000 in December for city ethics violations, but it’s been pretty quiet up until recently when District 6 candi-

date Matt Valenti has been handing out fake newspapers at campaign stops with the headline, “Chris Cate under investigation!” He also wrote an op-ed last week that, once again, calls for Cate’s resignation. There’s also a GoPetition page that aims to somehow recall Cate.

Meanwhile, Cate is making money moves, as Cardi B so eloquently put it, by scoring some big corporate donations for his district and to his campaign.

Honestly, barring California Attorney General Xavier Becerra bringing down the hammer, the District 6 voters will likely be the ones who decide Cate’s fate.

3/16

3/17

3/18

3/19

Local company HeartCore Leadership purchases $6,000 worth of Domino’s Pizza to feed San Diego’s homeless in downtown.

Councilmember Georgette Gómez introduces HireSD, a proposal for a community workforce development program that would ultimately lead to higher wages for skilled and trained construction workers.

FML

… Councilmember Chris Cate being investigated for leaking a confidential city memo to SoccerCity boosters?

All the seriousness, silliness and stupidity of the past week

3/15

BEST DAY EVER!

Rancho San Diego man found after four days missing in Joshua Tree National Park where he had to drink his own pee to survive.

SDSU men’s basketball team drops like a bad habit in first round of NCAA tournament.

Star freshman forward Jalen McDaniels later confirms he’s declaring for the NBA draft.

inewssource investigation finds owner of local nonprofit HiCaliber Horse Rescue spent thousands of donated funds for bar tabs, fast food, Weight Watchers and more.

@SDCITYBEAT

Chief David Nisleit

L.A. Times story reports U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested 115 people in San Diego area in a three-day period that began when President Trump visited.

A 27-yearold dies in a Gaslamp bar as a result of playing the “punching game” with another man.

Did anyone else know that there was something called a NOOD Regatta on this day and it did not involve nakedness?

Lame.

High-speed chase in Escondido ends in officers shooting and killing suspect in front of Valley View Casino & Hotel

City Council rejects proposal to give themselves a salary increase. Mayor Faulconer says he would have vetoed it even if they had passed it.

Union-Tribune story reveals Massachusettsbased Clean Harbors Environmental Services overcharged city for work related to Hepatitis A cleanups.

3/20

San Diego Sierra Club files two lawsuits challenging San Diego County’s Climate Action Plan, claiming the plan’s emissions reductions are reached through carbon credits, not actual reductions.

Kevin Towers to be inducted into the Padres Hall of Fame.

Mustachioed legend Michael Turko announces retirement from KUSI after 20 years of pointing out all that ain’t right in San Diego.

MARCH 21, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 5

UP FRONT | VOICES

THERE SHE

ALEX ZARAGOZA

GOZ

Young, bright and pissed

W

hen I was a teenager, a dance teacher called me blasphemous. There I was, doing my step-ball-change and box-stepping my little heart out in preparation for my high school’s production of Oliver! when the dance instructor walked up to me, pointed her finger at my jacket and let me have it.

“That’s blasphemous,” she muttered flatly, as though she finally saw an example for a word she recently learned. It was like when a baby sees a ball and says “ball,” or when a dead-eyed contestant on The Bachelor visits one of the Seven Wonders of the World and drops a monotonous “wow.”

She turned and continued to teach the rest of the teenage theater dweebs to high kick. I stood there a bit frozen, annoyed that this adult felt the need to call me out in front of my classmates.

Granted I was wearing a jacket that had an upside down American flag covering the entire back of it. And yeah, sure, on that flag I had written “we’re all a bunch of fucking sheep” in big, scratchedlooking black Sharpie. Adults always had a problem with it, and adults are fucking sheep. So I stared at her, raised an eyebrow and mumbled, “I don’t care.”

And I kept dancing.

There were a lot of things I fought for as a rebellious teen with an activist streak. All that Rage Against the Machine I listened to had taught me about anger and injustice, and how to use my voice and body to stand up for what’s right. I handed out pamphlets on incarcerated Black journalist and activist Mumia Abu-Jamal. On occasion, I shoplifted from evil corporate stores as an act of rebellion against them. Those socks I stuffed down my pants at Walmart meant something. I still go into Anthropologie just to crop dust it, but mostly because it annoys me.

When an annoyed math teacher berated our class, bellowing out, and I quote, “You all just sit there like a bunch of village idiots saliva-ing all over yourselves,” well I wasn’t having it. I let him know it’s salivating, not “saliva-ing” and if he’s going to disrespect us, and our intelligence, then he should learn to speak correctly. I then started a petition to have him reprimanded by the school.

The school dress code didn’t allow spaghetti strap tank tops. If girls wanted to wear a tank, the straps had to be at least an inch thick. It was a strictly enforced rule. A walk to my locker often resulted in a trip to the main office because my Express tank, paired with my powder blue Dickies and a studded belt, were just too sexy it created a distraction for the male Limp Bizkit fans at my school. I started a petition about that also.

While teachers eventually lightened up, girls were still targeted for their clothing.

There were countless other moments in my formative years where I caused a bit of a stir, and it set the foundation for the adult I’d grow up to be. But never, in those teen years where I was beginning to learn how messed up the world can be, did I ever think I’d have to fight for my life at school. Even after watching the horrific shooting at Columbine unfold on TV as a freshman, and two years later seeing another shooting go down just 35 minutes away at Granite Hills High School, it still seemed like an anomaly. I never thought that I’d have to fight grown-ups so they’d look out for my life. Surely, they would defend us and protect us.

But as we’ve seen in the nearly 20 years since Columbine, and the 146 school shootings that followed, and the 158 lives taken as they sought their education, and the trauma left behind for countless families and survivors, and the major implications it has on our society and culture, they aren’t willing to do that.

It’s disheartening, disappointing and enraging. Adults have proven they can’t be trusted, but thankfully there’s an army of teenagers that are fighting back, and it’s filled me with pride and hope for this generation of activists. These kids were raised with Harry Potter putting his life on the line to fight pure evil and Katniss Everdeen leading a national rebellion against a corrupt superpower. The girl in the “blasphemous” jacket that still lives inside me saw herself when students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High railed into Marco Rubio on live TV about his stance on gun control, and then went on to rally kids of all ages nationwide to march for their lives.

These kids aren’t alone. Young activists have led the charge for change for decades. The brave Black youth leading the Greensboro sit-ins to fight racism and segregation set the path, as did the youth protesting the Vietnam War, the Little Rock Nine who faced unfiltered hatred to desegregate education, the Dreamers now crusading for immigrant rights, and so many others.

In the coming years, as young activists become voters and leaders in their fields, I have no doubt that our world will be better. The only thing I hope for them is that when they do become adults, they don’t lose that same passion and drive to make change; that they never lose touch with the kid in them that was part of a revolution. But if they should forget, even for a moment, there will be a new generation of kids fighting that will remind them.

Adults have proven they can’t be trusted, but thankfully there’s an army of teenagers that are fighting back, and it’s filled me with pride and hope for this generation of activists.

6 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · MARCH 21, 2018

There She Goz appears every third week.

Write to alexz@sdcitybeat.com.

@SDCITYBEAT

UP FRONT | OPINION

EDWIN DECKER

SORDID

TALES

Trump makes me long for George W. Bush… not!

C

hatting with friends as we shoot warmup baskets at the YMCA, the subject turns to President Trump.

“I gotta admit,” says Tim, as I launch a 10-foot brick from the baseline, “The guy makes me long for when George Bush was in office.”

We all snicker in agreement as the ball clunks off the rim and rolls to the far side of the other basketball court on the other end of the gymnasium. With a huff, I embark on the relatively long trek to retrieve the ball.

This is not the first I’ve heard this sentiment. In 2017 Nancy Pelosi famously griped, “I never thought I’d pray that George Bush was still president.” Other politicians and pundits have similarly opined. I’ve seen it on T-shirts. W. himself is reported to say it occasionally. And most of my friends tend to agree— when compared to Donald Trump, Bush seems like a cruise ship where we all fell overboard and now the ship is but a speck on the horizon as we hopelessly tread in the cold, stormy ocean.

But it occurs to me—as my journey to the other side of the gym leaves me alone with my thoughts— that, actually, no. George Bush was not a better president than Donald Trump. And I need only four words to make the case: 1. The. 2. Fucking.

3. Iraq. 4. War. Make no mistake, just about everything President Trump says, does, proposes, thinks and tweets makes me want to pack my bags and visit Canada. No, I’m not going to move there. It’ll take a lot more than an egomaniacal, blowhard with a fetish for superlatives to make me leave Ocean Beach. But you get my point—I do not like the man. That said, there is nothing Trump has ever said, done, proposed, thought or twaught (past tense of tweet) that amounts to the damage and horror of The Iraq Fucking War (TIFW).

Donald Trump wants to ban Muslims? Atrocious!

Donald Trump wants to build a wall? Unacceptable!

Donald Trump moshes on women? Eww, gross. Donald Trump feuds with celebrities on Twitter? Infantile and unnecessarily time-consuming. Donald Trump is contemptuous of the press? Worrisome, anti-American. Even if it turns out that Trump seditiously colluded with Russia (which I doubt), it’s still not as bad as one good day of The Iraq War. Why? Because it was a straight up crime against humanity. It cost more than a half-million lives, two trillion dollars and threw the world into chaos thanks to a perfect storm of the three worst leadership foibles: incompetence, stupidity and malice.

Incompetence: For starters, there was the disregard of intelligence that allowed 9/11 to happen, the intelligence discrediting Iraq’s assumed intention to attack the U.S. and the inability to anticipate the bloody quagmire of the war’s aftermath.

But of all the things that scream “incompetence,”

it was Bush’s response to 9/11. For those too young to remember, the President was visiting an elementary school when a Secret Service agent entered the classroom and whispered that the country was under attack. What did our Commander-in-Chief do? He remained on his stool for seven minutes. Seven minutes!

While who knows what radioactive projectiles were inbound from who knows what radioactive totalitarian, our President sat for seven minutes, dumbstruck, like a kid who stepped on his pet hamster and too horrified to look down.

Stupidity: The decision to invade Iraq in the first place still takes the stupidity cake. Yes, more stupid than the premature “Mission Accomplished” celebration. More than the ignorant belief that we would be welcomed with open arms. And yes, even more than inexplicably diverting focus from the more sensible task of finding and crushing Al Qaeda and dismantling the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Malice: The Bush administration’s true motives for war may never be known, but it was never about 9/11. It was justified by a smorgasbord of lies, cooked up by Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld and served to us on a platter with the help of Powell and Rice. There were far too many lies to list, but they can be summed up in five words: The. Downing. Street. Fucking. Memo.

TDSFM was from a secret meeting with British Prime Minister Tony Blair and other senior British officials. The memo, leaked by The Sunday Times, revealed that Bush decided to invade eight months prior and that “the intelligence and facts were being fixed [by the U.S.]” in order to sell the war. So no, we’re not talking about the kind of lies like, “I have the best words,” or, “There’s nobody who respects women more than I do,” but lies to justify mayhem, torture and death.

That’s what I’m thinking, anyway, on my journey to retrieve the ball. And as I pick it up and dribble my way back to the guys, I am struck by the question, “Why?” Why is it so easy to believe that Trump is worse than Bush when he is so clearly not? The answer came as I lined up another set shot. It’s their personalities, I think. Because when we consider them superficially, which is to say, when we focus on charisma rather than political words or deeds, Trump has the personality of a drooling orange troll lurking under a sorority row bridge while Bush conjures the kindly grandpa with a mischievous grin who cracks mildly inappropriate jokes at Thanksgiving dinner. In the end, personality is what we remember, and Bush’s charm made us forget what a stupid, incompetent, malicious sumbitch he was at the core… and swish!

Even if it turns out that Trump seditiously colluded with Russia (which I doubt), it’s still not as bad as one good day of The Iraq War.

@SDCITYBEAT

Sordid Tales appears every other week.

Write to edwin@sdcitybeat.com.

MARCH 21, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 7

UP FRONT | FOOD

BY BETH DEMMON

BY MICHAEL A. GARDINER

FINAL DRAUGHT

THE WORLD

FARE I

“I really want to be careful—not expand too fast, not go too far,” says Van Horne. “[But] cost reduction, debt reduction and continued growth in our quality of beers ocial media snafus can break are my short term goals.” Banking on that businesses in a matter of hours. short term success, Van Horne will work Sometimes it’s a political take or to max out his brewing capacity of 1,000 an insensitive joke, but sometimes it’s or so barrels of beer per year. If all goes just an honest misunderstanding. Just well, a second location may follow. ask Alex Van Horne, owner/brewer of In the meantime, new and established Intergalactic Brewing Company (9715 Intergalactic fans can visit the still-open Carroll Centre Road #107) in Miramar. brewery during their Grand Last year, Van Horne “Re-Opening” party on publicly disclosed that the Saturday, March 24. Other brewery’s current business upcoming events include model was unsustainable Intergalactic’s first Industry and that he was “exploring Night (March 27), its fifth all options, including, but anniversary (April 20) and of not limited to, putting the course, its annual Star Warsbusiness assets up for sale.” themed “May The Fourth He went on to admit that he Be With You” shindig on, had “no definite direction” naturally, May 4. and invited people to “say All these grand plans goodbye to the brewery as you come with a price tag. Even have known it.” However, with the planned costIntergalactic despite his gloomy prediction, cutting measures, Van Horne Brewing Company Intergalactic never actually still plans to use equity closed. and apply for traditional business loans “Unfortunately, the wording of the to raise the capital he needs. He admits statement made people think we were just finding the right financial partners has closing,” explains Van Horne. “[That was] proven tricky. far from my intention. I had hoped in being “A lot of these private investors want honest with people that instead of giving quick returns, which I just don’t think are up on us, they might rally. I was wrong.” there anymore unless you want to spend The uncertainty of the past eight millions of dollars to start,” says Van months have taken their toll on Van Horne. Regardless of who he decides to Horne, both financially and emotionally. rely on for future funding, he has plenty to But the award-winning brewer finally say to those who flaked on him in the past. has a path forward. By cutting spending, “It really sucks to have a bunch of focusing on workflow efficiency and people say they believe in you… then consolidating the brewery's footprint when it comes time to put money down or from 2,500 square feet to 1,400 square follow through, they just vanish and make feet, Van Horne hopes to cultivate the excuses. All the deals that have fallen leverage he needs to reconnect with through or the people who decided not to customers. He describes his vision to take a risk with me give me fire to prove relaunch Intergalactic's Mug Club, push them wrong.” private events and even host a Strong Ale Fest in June—all in an effort to revitalize Write to bethd@sdcitybeat.com. Follow her his space-themed brewery. on Instagram at @thedelightedbite.

S

BRE WI NG CO MPAN Y

8 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · MARCH 21, 2018

Intergalactic, Episode II: A new hope

INT ERG ALACTI C

Friendly’s version, that’s for sure. They wouldn’t want the foldable crusts or the tasty little oil slick on top (though they might like the perfectly balanced red sauce). I love all of it. Devoid of fanciness? Check. So unfashionable it’s fashIt feels good ionable? Yeah, maybe. It’s everything you want in a New York-style pizza with t’s pretty much the place everyone in nothing you don’t.

San Diego’s food and beverage indusThe pepperoni pizza, a great testing try wants to go before his or her shift. platform, shows all of that: foldable crust Its reputation in the industry is so big that that doesn’t crack without real effort. The one local foodie who knew he was in legal white pizza with olive is simple, but it has trouble, just had to go there right before that olive’s funk and might have been my he was arrested. His final pre-incarcera- favorite. The meat lover’s pizza seemed a tion Facebook post went up just moments bit over the top and at The Friendly, that’s before the deed went down. saying something.

The place? It’s The Friendly (4592 The Friendly’s specials change fre30th St.) in North Park, and it straight up quently. There is an occasional deparfeels good.

MICHAEL A. GARDINER ture from the mantra The idea that chefs of “simple food done crave “cheffie” food well” formula: the Oh when they’re off work is Mommy Burger spelargely a myth. In realcial with foie gras was ity, off-the-clock chefs instantly mythical aftend to want comfort ter it went away. Ivan’s food. That is, simple Smoked Pork Shoulder food done well. It’s not Sandwich managed to that they don’t apprecapture everything that ciate complex stuff but was wonderful about The Dirty Flat Top the dirty flat top burger that doesn’t tend to be Cheeseburger but with a couple cheftheir first choice. That’s where The Friendly comes in. It looks like fie flourishes: great smoked pulled pork a ‘50s diner and feels like one too. It’s and cranberries that echoed the color of about burgers and pizza and simple food traditional red cabbage and managed to done right. cut the richness of the pulled pork much At the core of what The Friendly does in the same way. is the Dirty Flat Top Cheeseburger. It’s On any given trip to The Friendly it’s exactly what it sounds like: a two-patty not unlikely to see some of San Diego’s hamburger on a standard-issue bun with top chefs. Hanis Cavin (Carnitas Snack less-than-extraordinary cheese and mayo. Shack) and Phillip Esteban (Research & However, it is so much more than the sum Development Chef of CH Projects) were of its prosaic parts. The whole thing comes spotted when I ate one of my meals. But together as a glorious trip to a nostalgic there is one foodie you’re unlikely to see time and place. A place where we had ze- at The Friendly in the near future. And, ro-fucks-to-give when it came to things for the record, that last, pre-arrest Facelike whether the beef had too much fat. A book photo post was of the The Friendly’s time when beef actually was what we ate take on a Stromboli sandwich. He gushed for dinner. If that place ever existed. about it as “ridiculous.”

The pizzas are much the same. The official certifying agency for Neapoli- The World Fare appears weekly. tan pies want nothing to do with The Write to michaelg@sdcitybeat.com.

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march 21, 2018 · San Diego CityBeat · 9

EVENTS

SHORTlist

ART

the

THREE YOU HAVE TO SEE

COORDINATED BY

SETH COMBS

DOWNTOWN

FIGHT OF THEIR LIVES

We usually reserve this space for more control laws is at a record high of 66 percent accordfun, apolitical events that everyone can agree on. ing to a recent Quinnipiac University poll. That’s That’s not to say we’ve never included a political or a jump of 20 points since December 2015. There’s advocacy event, but we’ve always saved our more even more support for a ban on assault weapons.

This is in no small part due to the efforts of the stuopinionative columns for the appropriate section.

However, the local version of the March For dents/activists/survivors of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High massacre, as Our Lives seems like someKARL SONNENBERG / SHUTTERSTOCK well as the student activists thing that most CityBeat that have popped up all over readers could agree is worthe U.S. to keep gun control thy of attending. Yes, there in the news. are certainly other ways of The agenda and demands spending a Saturday, but it is for the March For Our Lives as important as ever to stand aren’t complicated or unreabehind local young people, sonable: federal legislation and that means showing up. to close the loopholes on “Since Sandy Hook in background checks and a ban 2012 and all the mass shooton assault rifles and high-caings we have endured since— pacity magazines. And while not to mention the daily avCalifornia is at the forefront erage of 90 a day lost to gun violence—there has still been March For Our Lives of such laws, it’s as important as ever to show solidarity in no action at the federal level,” says Carol Landale, Vice President of the San Diego the March’s core message: passing legislation that County chapter of the Brady Campaign to Prevent will “protect and save children from gun violence.”

Gun Violence. “Since Parkland, the dialogue has That’s a message we like to think everyone can changed. The students are keeping up the pressure agree on.

The March For Our Lives takes place on Saturon legislators and the majority of the country has day, March 24 at 10 a.m. at Waterfront Park (1600 been supporting their efforts.”

She’s not exaggerating. Support of stricter gun Pacific Hwy.)

SAN DIEGO

DESIGNING MINDS Home to iconic landmarks and hidden gems alike, San Diego is a haven for admirers of unique architecture. Spanning the vibrant neighborhoods of Downtown, Bankers Hill, Barrio Logan and Point Loma, the San Diego Architectural Foundation is hosting its biggest Open House San Diego yet from Saturday, March 24 to Sunday, March 25. Visit a diverse selection of 84 architectural destinations new and old, from Moniker Commons to the Santa Fe Train Depot. Be sure to snap your favorite spots because there will be photography contests in the categories of exterior, interior and detail design. First and second place winners for each category will receive both cash and gift cards to Nelson Photo. Although the event is free, a $3 donation is encouraged to keep it that way. Visit sdarchitecture.org for a comprehensive list of participating sites and hours.

SOLANA BEACH

POSTER CHILD For years, North County artist Scrojo has decked out Belly Up Tavern’s walls with his colorful rock concert posters. While they’re certainly iconic, Scrojo himself is a bit of a mystery. But filmmaker Brian McHugh is about to lift the veil. His new short format documentary, Scrojo: Scoundrel, Charlatan, Savant is a record of the artist’s legendary career and contributions to the concert hall’s enduring success. The film is making its world premiere at (where else?)

Belly Up Tavern (143 S. Cedros Ave.) on Wednesday, March 28 at 7 p.m. In addition to the film screening, there will be a Q&A with Scrojo and the filmmaker, plus live music by Shake Before Us, Schizophonics Soul Revue and Shane Hall.

Tickets run from $8 to $14. bellyup.com COURTESY OF THE ARTIST

COURTESY OF OHR SHALOM SYNAGOGUE

HeXit pARTy > Up for Auction at Museum of Contemporary Art—Downtown, 1001 Kettner Blvd., Downtown. An evening of experimentation and imagination with handson activities, performance art, cocktails and more. From 7 to 10 p.m. Thursday, March 22. Free-$25. 858-454-3541, mcasd.org

HDame Life Zine Release at Little Dame Shop, 2942 Adams Ave., University Heights. The release of a new zine that acts as a visual memoir of being young female business owners. Includes artist interviews and more. Free beer with purchase. From 6 to 10 p.m. Thursday, March 22. Free. littledameshop.com

All Things Good at Bluefoot Bar & Lounge, 3404 30th St., North Park. A pop-up art show curated by Thumbprint Gallery under the theme of good vibes.

Includes music by resident DJs Habitat and Hevrock. From 7 p.m. to midnight.

Thursday, March 22. Free. facebook. com/events/173349950136180

HWendy Rouse at Women’s Museum of California, 2730 Historic Decatur Road Suite 103, Point Loma. Rouse will discuss her new book, Her Own Hero: The Origins of the Women’s Self-Defense Movement, which details the emergence of the women’s self-defense movement that paralleled the women’s suffrage movement in the early 1900s. At 5:30 p.m. Saturday, March 24. $5. womensmuseumca.org

HTourists Taking Selfies at Alexander Salazar Fine Art, 225 W Market St., Downtown. A solo exhibit of the work of Jessica Ling Findley, who paints classical-style pieces but unconventionally includes selfie sticks within them. Opening from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, March 23. Free. 619-5318996, alexandersalazarfineart.com HEmbers of Life: A Science-Art Journey to the Finnish Arctic at Art Produce, 3139 University Ave., North Park. New works that are the result of an artistic collaboration between painter Kim Reasor and microbial ecologist David Lipson and which explores landscapes on a macro and micro level. Opening from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, March 23. Free. artproduce.org HTendrement at San Diego Art Institute, 1439 El Prado, Balboa Park. A pop-up group exhibition that includes performance art, immersive installations and an end-ofthe-world dance party. Artists include Mauro Doñate, Echavox_06668801, Elsoldelrac and more. Opening from 7 p.m. to midnight.

Saturday, March 24. $10. sandiego-art.org Wakanda Forever! at Subterranean Coffee Boutique, 3764 30th St., North Park. A group fan art show based on the comic book-turned-movie Black Panther. More than ten artists will show their work. Opening from 5 to 10 p.m. Saturday, March 24. Free. facebook.com/ events/103357447163537 HGloria Muriel: Beyond the Eyes at Sparks Gallery, 530 Sixth Ave., Downtown.

This new exhibit will feature 22 pieces by the artist, who is known for murals and installations that depict the beauty of nature.

Opening from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, March 24. Free. 619-696-1416, sparksgallery.com HAn Evening with Anna Stump at Sparks Gallery, 530 Sixth Ave., Downtown. The artist will do a live figure painting performance in conjunction with her solo exhibit that’s currently on display, Nudes. From 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 27. Free. 619696-1416, sparksgallery.com MCASD Art Auction at Museum of Contemporary Art—Downtown, 1001 Kettner Blvd., Downtown. The biennial live and silent auction will have approximately 100 works available for purchase, including by artists John Baldessari, Liza Lou and more. At 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 28. $125-$275. 858-454-3541, mcasd.org

BOOKS

10 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · MARCH 21, 2018

Scrojo: Scoundrel, Charlatan, Savant

Jasmin Darznik at Warwick’s Bookstore, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. The New York Times bestselling author will sign and discuss her new novel, Song of a Captive Bird. At 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 21.

Free. 858-454-0347, warwicks.com

The heART of Hillcrest: March Art Competition at Uptown Tavern, 1236 University Ave., Hillcrest. Hanalei Artworks hosts this monthly neighborhood art competition in which residents vie for bragging rights for winning “Best in Show.” From 6 to 10 p.m.

Thursday, March 22. Free. 607-349-9599, facebook.com/events/972089942943386

HKimberly Dark at Whistle Stop, 2236 Fern St, South Park. The release show for the local writer and storyteller’s new book, Love and Errors. There will also be performances from Jimmy Jazz, Sharon Elise, Michael Klam and Lizzie Wann. From 7 to

Ohr Shalom Synagogue

10 p.m. Wednesday, March 21. Free. 619284-6784, punapress.com

H = CityBeat picks

HMichael Gaulden at Warwick’s Bookstore, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. As part of Warwick’s ongoing Weekend with Locals program, Gaulden will sign and discuss his nonfiction book, My Way Home: Growing up Homeless in America. At noon.

Sunday, March 25. Free. 858-454-0347, warwicks.com Robin Oliveira at Warwick’s Bookstore, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. The New York Times bestselling author of My Name is Mary Sutter will sign and discuss her new novel, Winter Sisters. At 7:30 p.m.

Monday, March 26. Free. 858-454-0347, warwicks.com HLuis Alberto Urrea at Warwick’s Bookstore, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. The Pulitzer finalist for his nonfiction book The Devil’s Highway will sign and discuss his new novel, The House of Broken Angels.

At 7:30 p.m. Monday, March 26. Free.

858-454-0347, warwicks.com HJonathan Maberry at Mysterious Galaxy Book Store, 5943 Balboa Ave., Ste. 100, Clairemont. The local writer will sign and discuss his latest thriller, Glimpse. At 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 27. 858-268-4747, mystgalaxy.com

COMEDY Jim Jefferies at Spreckels Theater Building, 121 Broadway, Downtown. The Australian stand-up comic and actor is known for his biting wit and political jokes. At 7 p.m. Saturday, March 24. $49-$147. 619235-9500, spreckels.net HJohn Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous at Copley Symphony Hall, 750 B St., Downtown.

The star of Mulaney and former Saturday Night Live writer shares his brand of observational humor during his fourth stand up tour. At 7 p.m. Sunday, March 25. $39.

619-235-0804, sandiegosymphony.org Stand-up Comedy at Whistle Stop, 2236 Fern St., South Park. Jesus Trejo will be headlining with support from Jay London, Steven Randolph, Jimmy Callaway and more. From 8 to 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 28. $5. 619-284-6784, whistlestopbar.com

DANCE HThe Ride: Malashock @ 30 at Lyceum Theater, 79 Horton Plaza, Downtown.

Malashock Dance celebrates 30 years with a new show featuring choreography set to the work of composers Matthew McBane, Judd Greenstein and Leos Janacek. At 7:30 p.m.

Friday, March 23 and Saturday, March 24 and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, March 25. $15-$45.

619-260-1622, malashockdance.org

EVENTS CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 @SDCITYBEAT

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march 21, 2018 · San Diego CityBeat · 11

BOOKS: THE FLOATING LIBRARY Spring broke

C

“

ome sailing with us,” they said. “It’ll be fun,” they said.

While visiting her mother in California, Elsa Fisher allows her old college friends to talk her into a trip to Catalina, the island 22 miles off the coast of Los Angeles that is also the name of Liska Jacobs’ impossible-to-putdown debut novel.

Elsa has it all: fabulous looks, an impeccable sense of style and a great job at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. She’s envied by her friends and desired by seemingly every man she meets. There are few situations Elsa can’t talk her way out of, which is a good thing because Elsa has a problem. Actually, she has lots of problems. Her thousand-watt smile is fueled by a steady diet of pills, coke and whatever alcohol is on hand. And once Elsa starts, she’s incapable of stopping.

“I think maybe I’m sick. This isn’t a hangover; I’m actually sick. Something serious and oldfashioned, like tuberculosis. God, does that sound nice.”

Elsa’s sense of humor buys her just enough time to get her out of whatever scrape she finds herself in and into the next one. And with a ship’s crew that

EVENTS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

FILM HSinging Our Way to Freedom at AMC Fashion Valley, 7007 Friars Road, Mission Valley. Paul Espinosa’s revealing doc centers on the life and influence of local musician Ramon “Chunky” Sanchez. At 1 p.m. Sunday, March 25. $11.

2018.sdlatinofilm.com HScrojo: Scoundrel, Charlatan, Savant at Belly Up Tavern, 143 S. Cedros Ave., Solana Beach. Filmmaker Brian McHugh will screen this new short format documentary about the elusive North County artist best known for his iconic concert posters. At 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 28. $8-$14. bellyup.com HFrom Haarlem to Harlem at Museum of Photographic Arts, 1549 El Prado, Balboa Park. The premiere of the documentary short about local photographer Alanna Airitam, who is best known for her portrait series, The Golden Age. The screening will be followed by a post-show discussion

12 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · MARCH 21, 2018

includes her ex-husband and his new girlfriend, there’s plenty of awkwardness to go around.

But every time Elsa looks in the mirror she is reminded of her secret: She isn’t on vacation, but has fled New York in shame after being unceremoniously fired by her married boss with whom she was having a torrid affair.

“In the bathroom I put my mouth right on the faucet. I drink like I’m in grade school, gulping it down. When I’ve had my fill, I look up, into the mirror. My makeup is smeared, the eyeliner over my right eye has wilted, and my left eye looks like I tried to wash it off completely. It’s terrible business being a girl.”

Maybe so, but following Elsa’s attempts to outrun her past while doubling down on her dysfunctional behavior is a great deal of fun—until it isn’t. Eventually the drugs run out, as they always do, forcing Elsa to consider a course correction. Catalina is a propulsive read, one that is filled with outrageous scenes that Elsa may not remember, but the reader will never forget.

—Jim Ruland

The Floating Library appears every other week.

with Airitam and the film’s directors. At 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 28. $10-$15. mopa.org

FOOD & DRINK HBankers Hill Art & Craft Beer Festival at The Abbey on Fifth Avenue, 2825 5th Ave., Bankers Hill. The sixth annual event features a range of San Diego breweries and Bankers Hill restaurants alongside pop-up galleries of local artists’ works. From 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, March 23. $30. bankershill.ticketleap. com

MUSIC HJazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra with Chick Corea at Copley Symphony Hall, 750 B St., Downtown. 22-time Grammywinning pianist and composer Chick Corea joins forces with the world-renowned Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. The program includes renditions of jazz classics. At 8 p.m. Sunday, March 24. $30-$75. 619235-0804, sandiegosymphony.org

Schubert’s Swan Song at Irwin M. Jacobs Qualcomm Hall, 5775 Morehouse Drive, Sorrento Valley. The first of a threeconcert exploration of the late works of composer Franz Schubert. Includes piano sonatas and a selection of the composer’s chamber music masterpieces. At 8 p.m.

Sunday, March 24. $30-$80. 858-4593728, ljms.org HMariachi Festival at California Center for the Arts, 340 N Escondido Blvd., Escondido. Jose Hernandez’s four-time Grammy nominated band Mariachi Sol de Mexico will perform at the fifth annual fest.

There will also be performances from the Ballet Folklórico Tierra Caliente dancers, plus a pre-concert tacos and tequila tasting reception. At 3 p.m. Sunday, March 25. $20-$85. 800-988-4253, artcenter.org Lessons in Fragility at San Diego Museum of Art, 1450 El Prado, Balboa Park. Art of Élan presents a special gallery concert that begins outside with a special musical prelude linked to the outdoor sculp-

EVENTS CONTINUED ON PAGE 13

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EVENTS EVENTS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12 ture “The Watchers” and also features works from John Luther Adams and Dmitri Shostakovich. At 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 27. $45-$50. 619-232-7931, artofelan.org

PERFORMANCE Cirque du Soleil: Crystal at Valley View Casino Center, 3500 Sports Arena Blvd., Point Loma. Cirque’s first-ever experience on ice features world-class ice skaters and acrobats performing amazing feats on a new frozen playground. Various times. Wednesday, March 21 through Sunday, March 25. $90-$100. cirquedusoleil.com/crystal HFlorencia en el Amazonas at San Diego Civic Theatre, 1100 Third Ave., Gaslamp.

Daniel Catán’s Spanish-language opera about a woman who ventures on a boat down the famous river in order to find the lover she left behind when she left to become an opera singer. At 7 p.m. Friday, March 23 and 2 p.m. Sunday, March 25. $25-$243. sdopera.org Adam Trent at Balboa Theatre, 868 Fourth Ave., Downtown. The star of The Illusionists, the bestselling magic show in the world, will perform a family-friendly act that combines magic, comedy and music. At 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 24. $32-$97.

619-570-1100, sandiegotheatres.org Cesar Millan at California Center for the Arts, 340 N Escondido Blvd., Escondido.

The famed dog trainer from the TV series Dog Whisperer hosts a live show during which he will perform training demos and share tips with pet owners. From 7:30 to 10 p.m. Saturday, March 24. $34-$90.

800-988-4253, artcenter.org

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POETRY & SPOKEN WORD HPuerto Rico Rising Fundraiser at San Diego City College Saville Theater, 1313 Park Blvd., East Village. The closing performance of the fourth annual San Diego City College Social Justice and Education Conference features readings by Denice Frohman, Shihan and more. Proceeds benefit Puerto Rico through the Maria Fund. From 7 to 9 p.m.

Thursday, March 22. $30. 619-388-3676, facebook.com/events/916045458571502

POLITICS & COMMUNITY HMarch for Our Lives San Diego at Waterfront Park, 1600 Pacific Hwy., Downtown. Join others in the nationwide movement and march in favor of legislation regarding gun control and protection against school shootings. Includes speakers and live performances. At 10 a.m. Saturday, March 24. Free. facebook.com/ events/1803971256330095 HMarch for Clean Water at Portwood Pier Plaza, 10 Evergreen Ave., Imperial Beach. The Surfrider Foundation hosts this second annual march that aims to bring attention to the ongoing sewage spills that have plagued local beaches in IB. From noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, March 24. Free. sandiego.surfrider.org

SPECIAL EVENTS HChamorro Cultural Festival at Cal State San Marcos, 333 S. Twin Oaks Valley Road, San Marcos. The annual festival features food, crafts and live entertainment from dancers, musicians and comedians, all in celebration of the cultures of the Micronesia, Polynesia and Mariana Islands.

From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, March 24. Free. 760-750-4000, chelusd.org HOpen House San Diego at various locations. The San Diego Architectural Foundation hosts this annual tour of 84 architectural destinations new and old, from Moniker Commons to the Santa Fe Train Depot. See website for a comprehensive list of participating sites and hours. Various times. Saturday, March 24 and Sunday, March 25. $3 suggested donation. sdarchitecture.org HTijuana Market Hop at Virginia Avenue Transit Center, 415-499 Virginia Ave., San Ysidro. Tour the city’s longest-running flea market and Mercado Miguel Hidalgo, the city’s oldest open-air farmers market in Zona Rio. Tickets include round-trip border transport and complimentary pan dulce and coffee. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Sunday, March 25. $35. turistalibre.com

SPORTS HClub América vs. Club Tijuana at SDCCU Stadium, 9449 Friars Road, Mission Valley. Mexico City’s Club América will face the Club Tijuana Xolos in a friendly match and first match of this year’s Tour Águila. At 4:30 p.m. Saturday, March 24. $29-$150. ticketmaster.com

TALKS & DISCUSSIONS HAn Artist’s Perspective: Carolina Caycedo at The LOT, 7611 Fay Ave., La Jolla.

The artist lends her expertise in drawing, photography and video to illustrate issues of social activism. In this lecture, she will explore her artistic process and its relationship to advocacy. From 6 to 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, March 20. $20. 858-454-3541, mcasd.org

MARCH 21, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 13

THEATER

ERIC WOOLSEY

A Jewish Joke

No laughing matter

A

manual typewriter, a rotary telephone and a stack of file cards of “Jewish jokes” on the desk; that’s all that long-suffering screenwriter Bernie Lutz has for company just hours away from the biggest night of his life. That big night is the Hollywood premiere of a movie written by him and his partner, Morris Frumsky. His and the absent Morris’ tuxedos await in zipped garment bags, but before Bernie can change clothes and meet his destiny, his little office at MGM Studios begins to close in on him.

So does the scourge of 1950s Hollywood: the House Un-American Activities Committee.

Marni Freedman and Phil Johnson’s one-man show A Jewish Joke (starring Johnson as the fictitious Lutz) is a telling reminder of the infamous era of Joe McCarthy, the Hollywood Blacklist, and the “pinko-commie”-seeking witch hunt that tried to, and in many cases succeeded, ruin careers and lives. A Jewish Joke was conceived a few years ago in the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center’s 5-Minute Play Festival. Now a one-act production, it is slated to open Off Broadway in early 2019.

For now, A Jewish Joke is kicking off the Roustabouts Theatre Company’s second season.

Johnson is one of the Roustabouts’ founders, along with actor/director/writer Ruff Yeager and playwright Will Cooper. The play, directed by David Ellenstein, who is artistic director of North Coast Repertory Theatre, has already toured regionally in cities including Chicago and St��������������������� . Louis. The weightiness of this re-creation of a shameful, paranoid chapter in American history is undeniable. But A Jewish Joke succeeds largely due to ������������� Johnson’s anguished portrayal of a mensch who’s fought for every little victory in life and done so with no more than his punch lines and an unflagging refusal to quit.

For 90 minutes Bernie frantically works the phone trying to save his and Morris’ dream when he learns that his partner is not only a Communist sympathizer, but an organizer as well. When he is asked to turn in Morris as a means of saving his own career, Bernie must fight again, this time with his conscience. Johnson’s performance is indefatigable and heart-rending. He somehow manages to wring laughs, mostly from the obvious one-liners that Bernie resorts to as he feels his world slipping away.

14 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · MARCH 21, 2018

A Jewish Joke runs through April 8 at Moxie Theatre in Rolando. $38; theroustabouts.org

—David L. Coddon

Theater reviews run weekly.

Write to davidc@sdcitybeat.com.

OPENING: Beachtown: Based on the play Beertown, this interactive and immersive musical centers around a town trying to decide what goes into a time capsule. Presented by San Diego Repertory Theatre, it opens March 22 at the Lyceum Theatre in the Gaslamp. sdrep.org DNA New Works Series: See stripped down performances of four new plays from up-and-coming writers at this annual showcase of new talent. It starts March 22 at the La Jolla Playhouse. lajollaplayhouse.org American Mariachi: A world premiere musical set in the ’70s about a young girl who attempts to start an all-female mariachi band, much to the disapproval of friends and relatives. Written

by José Cruz González, it opens in previews March 23 at the Old Globe Theatre in Balboa Park. theoldglobe.org Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery: Ken Ludwig’s clever adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic Holmes tale, The Hound of the Baskervilles. Presented by Scripps Ranch Theatre, it opens March 23 at the Legler Benbough Theatre in Scripps Ranch. scrippsranchtheatre.org King Charles III: Mike Bartlett’s futuristic vision on what takes place after the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the subsequent reign of her son Charles. Directed by Tyler Richards Hewes, it opens March 23 at the Coronado Playhouse. coronadoplayhouse.com Men on Boats: The regional premiere of Jaclyn Backhaus’ funny reimagining of the Powell Geographic Expedition of the Southwest U.S., but with an all-female cast. Directed by Melissa Coleman-Reed, it opens March 23 at the New Village Arts Theatre in Carlsbad. newvillagearts.org Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street: A youth production of Stephen Sondheim’s dark musical about a barber who murders his customers. Directed by Laurissa Rudgers, it opens March 23 at the Patio Playhouse in Escondido. patioplayhouse.com Love Never Dies: Andrew Lloyd Webber’s sequel to The Phantom of the Opera takes place in New York city 10 years after the original. Presented by Broadway San Diego, it opens March 27 at the San Diego Civic Theatre in the Gaslamp. broadwaysd.com

Find more theater listings at sdcitybeat.com

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CULTURE

e are in Leupp, Arizona, a small community on the Navajo Reservation 45 miles northeast of Flagstaff, waiting in the parking lot across from the gas station where several dogs drowse in the shadows.

My wife, artist and educator Nuvia Crisol Guerra, and I are waiting for Melissa Cody, a fourth-generation Navajo weaver and rising talent in the art world. Her work has been widely exhibited and received numerous awards, including the 2018 National Artist Fellowship from the Native Arts & Cultures Foundation, and we have come to visit her studio at her parents’ ranch at No Water Mesa.

Right now, however, we’re just sitting in a dusty lot with an old man selling hamburgers and tamales out of a trailer while clouds drift across the mesa, plunging pockets of semi-arid scrubland into shadow.

A late model Tacoma pick-up truck rolls into the lot and Melissa jumps out wearing a denim jacket, leopard print pants and catseye sunglasses. Though she has just turned 34, she looks much younger.

We follow Cody’s truck down a dirt road and it’s immediately clear why she drove out to Leupp to meet us: The roads aren’t marked, the GPS doesn’t work, and we would have gotten hopelessly lost without her guidance. Twenty-five miles and 45 minutes later, we reach the ranch, which is home to three humans, two dogs, several horses, a head of cattle and a large number of sheep.

Cody’s mother, Lola, who is also an award-winning weaver, joins us for the tour.

They take us into the enclosure where the Codys raise their own churro sheep. Nuvia holds a baby lamb that is just a few hours

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old. The sheep are raised for their wool, which the Codys spin into yarn and color with vegetable dye, just as their ancestors have been doing for hundreds of years.

According to the legend, Spider Woman wove a map of the universe and taught the Navajo women how to weave. Like a spider web, traditional Navajo rugs are made from the inside out. A weaver marks the midpoint of the design and ties off the strings in the center of the weave. In traditional Navajo weavings, all four quadrants are symmetrical and mirror images of each other.

But Cody is more than a traditional Navajo weaver, which becomes immediately clear as soon as we enter her studio.

The walls are crammed with shelves and covered with art, declaring her love of punk rock music and tattoo culture. It’s not a large space and there’s just enough room for a desk where she does her printmaking.

The loom (the hand-operated contraption that weavers use) sits on the floor by the window. Here the space above the floorboard is covered with photos, including those she took of her grandmother, the weaver Martha Schultz. These images inspire her while she sits on the floor atop a pile of cushions and works at her loom for hours at a time.

“Sometimes I’m like, ‘Why can’t I have a bigger place to work?,’” Cody says before glancing up. “But then I look at that picture [of my grandmother] and she’s working outside in a shack… So what am I complaining about?”

With her mother’s guidance, Cody made her first rug when she was five years old. She learned everything she could from her, mastering the techniques of Navajo textile arts.

So when she felt the call to experiment, she conferred with her elders.

“My career as a weaver has never been my career. It’s always been my family’s.”

Cody began making rugs that broke with tradition. She created asymmetrical designs, incorporated images and texts, and made use of bright colors that strayed from the traditional color palette.

“If you’re Native American and you’re a painter, nobody expects you to make your own paints and pigments… With Navajo weavers, even during competitions, [the judges want to know] if its hand-spun wool, hand dyed.”

For Cody this was a double standard that made her push back even harder, for these weren’t just artistic choices but political statements. She references the forced relocation of the Navajo people to Bosque Redondo during the Long Walk of 1864, where the people were given rations.

“Within those rations,” Cody explains, “were blankets made with wool that had been made in Germantown, Pennsylvania. So what they did was the weavers unraveled them and then rewove them into their own designs.”

In addition to using brightly colored Germantown yarn, Cody often incorporates the whirling log symbol, infamously appropriated by Germany’s Nazi party. The symbol fell out of favor after the United States’ entered World War II, but she’s been using it in her work and showing it in a North American indigenous context.

“You need to take a couple of steps back and really make sure that the work you’re putting out there is a positive reflection not just on Navajo weavers but of your personal story.”

Recently, Cody has been dividing her time between No Water Mesa and Long Beach, California. She has been making appearances around the Southwest, including a recent demonstration of her work at the Heard Museum in Phoenix, Arizona.

Next week Cody and her mother will be coming to San Diego’s Mingei International Museum to discuss Weaving a Path, the Mingei’s exhibit of Diné (Navajo) textiles from the museum’s permanent collection.

“They have some really interesting, outof-the box pieces that have a lot of character.

You can really see the weavers’ individuality shining through.”

In addition, Cody and her mother will be conducting a demonstration, providing an opportunity to see “two generations of weavers and learn how we came into the weaving circle.” The discussion will take place on Thursday, March 29 at 6 p.m. and the weaving demonstration on Friday, March 30 at 11 a.m.

It’s a lot easier than driving 550 miles to No Water Mesa, and a great opportunity to see how Cody expresses herself through her designs.

“The work that I’m making is a reflection of everything that I’m experiencing.”

MARCH 21, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 15

CULTURE | VOICES

RACHEL MICHELLE FERNANDES

THANK YOU FOR

STARING

Class not dismissed, part 1: Fighting the good fight

A

rts education is crucial. It transforms and even saves lives, a fact to which I can personally attest. If I hear one more conservative talk about how math and science takes precedence when it comes to school budgets, I’m going to scream. And I have a loud scream.

For those wanting to avoid hurting their vocal cords, there are plenty of resources online to draw from for shutting down any dummy who downplays the importance of arts funding in schools. For instance, a 2009 Johns Hopkins University Summit report, Neuroeducation: Learning, Arts, and the Brain, as well as a relatively new (2015) report from the National Endowment for the Arts, How Creativity Works in the Brain, both talk about the importance of arts education and the need for further scientific research on its neurological effects.

“There is abundant national interest in so-called creative economies and the distribution of creativity in communities, cities and countries,” the NEA report states. “How students are engaged, how the creative class is defined, and who can access creativity and thrive from it are all questions with profound practical implications for schools, government, and industry.”

In other words, the arts shouldn’t be reserved for students whose families happen to be rich.

However, there is powerful work being done here in San Diego to promote artistic learning, especially in low-income and underserved communities. In this new series of columns, I plan on investigating how the local arts community is feeding its young, so to speak, and creating opportunities for kids who can’t afford fancy art camps and private schools.

First up, I’d like to talk about teaching artists such as the extremely active Rizzhel Javier. After earning her MFA from San Diego State in 2012, the now 35-year-old artist/educator has amassed an impressive roster of accomplishments. She currently teaches audio/video classes at Cal State San Marcos and darkroom photography at City College. Actually, Javier has taught at almost every college in the county. She also leads the Pacific Arts Movement program Reel Voices, teaching the nuts and bolts of documentary filmmaking to high school students, many of whom are lowincome or even homeless (via a partnership with the Monarch School).

“I like the college level students, but I also like working with high school kids because I get to catch them before they go to college, which is personally important to me,” says Javier, who is first generation Filipino-American and the first in her family to obtain a higher education. “I had really good teachers that made me realize that I should go

to school and I want to pick up those students that are kind of falling behind.”

For Reel Voices, Javier helps students learn the craft of documentary storytelling and production, introduces them to influential mentors, and shows them how to eventually package and send the films to festivals. Three of the program’s students currently have films in the San Diego Latino Film Festival (running through March 25th) and others have used their works to earn scholarships to film school.

What’s especially remarkable about Javier is how she manages to maintain her own art practice with such a full teaching schedule. Last year, she received an Emerging Artist Award from the San Diego Visual Arts Network (she’ll be showing her work with other awardees at the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library in May) and has recently exhibited at San Diego Art Institute and the Instituto Tecnológico de Tijuana.

“I like the idea of thinking side by side with my students,” notes Javier. “A lot of my assignments or what we’re discussing in class are things that I’m open to talking about myself, especially if it’s something really personal, like cultural identity.”

For Javier, cultural identity is one of the driving forces behind her work. Just after her 30th birthday, she decided it was important to visit the Philippines, explore where her parents grew up and connect to her heritage. Since then she’s been back three times to work on projects.

“I feel like I’d always been uncomfortable talking about my ethnicity until I actually went to the Philippines. That gave me the permission,” says Javier.

Now Javier is using her experience to give Vietnamese youth in City Heights the opportunity to explore their collective cultural identity. For the Little Saigon Mobile Museum project, Javier brought in friend (and former student) Johnny Nguyen, an accomplished photojournalist and first generation Vietnamese-American, to help students learn documentary photography skills.

“When I was in school, I learned the most from hearing guest speakers or seeing working artists in real life,” says Nguyen. “To show Vietnamese students that there are working artists like me out there and to be able to be present with them is a really cool opportunity.”

“I want to encourage [the students] to build this dialogue with each other so that they leave class with their own voice and not my voice,” says Javier.

“They help me stay at the root of why I make art and teach art: to help people figure out what’s on their mind.”

The arts shouldn’t be reserved for students whose families happen to be rich.

16 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · MARCH 21, 2018

Thank You For Staring appears every other week.

@SDCITYBEAT

CULTURE | FILM

Shock corridors

Unsane

Steven Soderbergh’s sleazy new asylum thriller is a total blast

by Glenn Heath Jr.

W

anton men aren’t the only predatory forces tion increases, so does the intensity of the composistalking poor Sawyer Valentini (Claire Foy) tions. By the end, her face is practically pressed up in Unsane—privatized mental health facili- against the right or left corner of the frame. In the ties that trick vulnerable patients like her into admit- most extreme example, Soderbergh uses superimpositing themselves are equally worrisome. Steven Soder- tion to simulate the mind/persona splitting like atoms bergh’s nasty new lo-fi thriller conducts a dual reck- as powerful hallucinogens go to work.

Operating under sleazy genre guidelines akin to oning for both malicious individuals and institutions that objectify women for very different reasons. In this Cinemax’s sexy heyday, the film remains salaciously regard, the film couldn’t be more relevant to the ongo- meaty throughout, matching Foy’s barnburner of a ing public discourse regarding abuse of power and sex. performance. Late in the film, style and performance perfectly cohere inside the padded walls of solitary Oh, and it’s also a total blast.

Cloaked in blue tint, Unsane begins inside the mind confinement when Sawyer destroys David’s pipe dream of a madman. Floating dreamily through the forest at with vindictive glee. There will be no absolution, just night, a creepy voice fills the space as if unnatural in- one man’s false sense of purpose neutered for good.

Unsane breaks the spell of masculine delusion with fatuation could gust seamlessly like wind in the trees.

Seconds later Soderbergh’s white-collar heroine exits the best of them. It’s the equivalent of cold water beher office building being tracked meticulously by the ing dumped on the heads of men who appropriate female bodies and call it adoration. camera. Opening credits play over It’s a swift kick to the nuts of forthis beautiful uninterrupted pan profit businesses that take advanto the right, which mushes backUNSANE tage of powerless people looking ground into foreground with the Directed by Steven Soderbergh for help. It’s also an affirmation of power of a sharp telephoto lens.

Starring Claire Foy, one woman’s desire to break free Sawyer’s stuck in a new city, all Joshua Leonard, Juno Temple from her messy entanglement with alone with persistent traumas. At and Jay Pharoah continuous distress. this point, her cubicle may as well Rated R Soderbergh’s previous genre be her coffin. Tinder dates only remarvel, the southern caper romp mind her of David Strine (Joshua Logan Lucky, promoted the virtues Leonard), the bearded creeper she just moved cross-country to avoid. Every man who of familial connections. Unsane strips those notions comes within striking distance bears a striking resem- away for good. Yet, Saywer’s isolation morphs from blance, until he doesn’t. Faces have a tendency to blur being something damaging to empowering. Instead together in this prescription drug-induced haze, and of letting David violently prop her up on a pedestal, she climbs up herself and reclaims the higher ground. so do all the important details.

When Sawyer reaches out to a local behavioral sci- Fear can be a gift, the great motivator.

As for those private institutions out to make ence center for help, she gets involuntarily committed.

Once there, she shares enough dark thoughts to get money off of mental illness, their moral indictment is hospital administrators salivating over filling another more causal than personal. But still, Soderbergh purbed and collecting insurance premiums. That’s when posefully amps up the necessity for transparency and David’s face begins appearing again, but it quickly accountability to almost absurd levels by the film’s becomes clear this is no illusion. Soderbergh doesn’t end, marking Unsane (which opens Friday, March 23) try to play mind games, instead opting to confront the as the deliberately raucous cousin to One Flew Over very real dread of being swallowed up by crazy for both the Cuckoo’s Nest. But in this asylum, there’s no room for cozy sentiment. profit and one man’s warped fantasy fulfillment.

Shot entirely on an iPhone, Unsane looks like a cramped plastic nightmare come to life. Textures and Film reviews run weekly. colors are amplified and dreary. As Sawyer’s despera- Write to glennh@sdcitybeat.com

@SDCITYBEAT

MARCH 21, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 17

CULTURE | FILM OPENING Cómplices: In this comedy from the Dominican Republic, an expert seducer helps a young man to become successful with women. Opens Monday, March 26, at Digital Gym Cinema in North Park.

Flower: Zoey Deutch stars as a rebellious teenager who forms a surprising friendship with her mentally unstable stepbrother. Opens Friday, March 23, at Angelika Film Center—Carmel Mountain.

Itzhak: A look at the life, career, and heritage of violinist Itzhak Perlman. Opens Friday, March 23, at Landmark Hillcrest Cinemas.

The Death of Stalin

Next in line

W

hen the cat’s away, the mice will shoot each other in the head.

Such an idiom could describe the nasty power struggle that ensues in Armando Iannucci’s The Death of Stalin. When the demigod General Secretary suddenly dies in 1953, his conniving highlevel subordinates try to fill the leadership vacuum by outmaneuvering each other. What begins with cordial jabs and passive jockeying quickly degenerates into a desperate sprint for governmental control.

As head of the Interior Ministry, Chief of Soviet Security Lavrentiy Beria (Simon Russell Beale) knows where all the bodies are buried. Stalin’s demise inspires him to mobilize his shock troops in the NKVD, the Soviet Union’s version of the Gestapo.

Stalwart politician Nikita Khrushchev (Steve Buscemi) counters these moves by coordinating support from other members of the Council of Ministers. Caught in the middle is Stalin’s lawful, but clueless successor, Georgy Malenkov (Jeffrey Tambor), who couldn’t distinguish a coup from a military exercise.

18 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · MARCH 21, 2018

Casual viciousness spews out of every barbed conversation, most of which end in compromising quid pro quo agreements.

Threats are made and fates are sealed, all in the name of Stalin himself. These betrayals are staged like an epic dance, with multiple partners lobbying for just the right position to cut in. As one motivated character states, “Act fast or be dead.”

Iannucci relishes the anxiety permeating through political intrigue. His previous film In the Loop and HBO show Veep provide copious examples. However, whereas those works exist within democracies, The Death of Stalin (opening Friday, March 23, at Landmark Hillcrest Cinemas) takes place inside the machinations of a dictatorship, which gives the wheeling and dealing an added volatility and ruthlessness.

Lost in the shuffle is the Russian proletariat, who are discarded, murdered, raped and disappeared without a second thought. In Iannucci’s scathing satire, Stalin may have died but his punishingly inhuman legacy lives on.

—Glenn Heath Jr.

Leaning into the Wind—Andy Goldsworthy: Thomas Riedelsheimer’s second documentary on Andy Goldsworthy looks at how the famed artist uses landscape to create new ways of looking at the world. Opens Friday, March 23, at the Ken Cinema.

Midnight Sun: In this melodrama, a 17-year-old girl suffers from a condition that prevents her from being exposed to sunlight, which poses a problem when she meets a new hunk.

Pacific Rim: Uprising: In this big-budget sequel to Guillermo del Toro’s 2013 fantasy film, the next generation of Jaeger pilots must fend off a new supernatural enemy.

Sherlock Gnomes: Gnomeo and Juliet recruit their garden gnome friend Sherlock Gnomes (yes, this is an actual movie) to find some of their missing ornament friends.

The Death of Stalin: When Soviet General Secretary Joseph Stalin dies suddenly in 1953, his conniving subordinates try to fill the power vacuum. Opens Friday, March 23, at Landmark Hillcrest Cinemas and Angelika Film Center—Carmel Mountain.

Tuya, Mia... Te la Apuesto (Penalty Kick): How far does a soccer fan go for his beloved national team? Mariano Cárdenas (Adrian Uribe), a married man and a civil servant, shows us that crossing the line when supporting the national team is a must. Opens Monday, March 26, at Digital Gym Cinema in North Park.

Unsane: Steven Soderbergh’s newest thriller stars Claire Foy (The Crown) as a woman who is involuntarily committed after being ruthlessly stalked by an exboyfriend.

For complete movie listings, visit Film at sdcitybeat.com.

@SDCITYBEAT

ROB WILLIAMSON

MUSIC

Clockwise from top: Peter Arensdorf, Joey Raygoza, Kristina Esfandiari and Colin Gallagher ristina Esfandiari has been making music for more than a decade, but she’s still in the process of learning some things the hard way. The frontwoman for San Francisco-based doom-gaze outfit King Woman hasn’t stopped moving for much of the past few years, in large part because the band has been on tour in support of their 2017 debut album, Created in the Image of Suffering. It’s the band’s first release for heavy music superlabel Relapse, which earned them critical praise as well as prominent appearances at festivals such as Hopscotch and Desert Daze. From the outside, it probably seemed like everything a band could ask for.

Yet Esfandiari found herself pushed to the limits by the end of 2017, realizing that she had perhaps been doing too much. Too much touring. Too many interviews. Too little time spent living a life away from the stage. With some time off before the band’s next tour, she’s had a change of attitude about what it means to be a professional musician. Just because an opportunity comes up, she says, doesn’t mean you have to take it.

“I’m a human, I can’t run on empty,” she says. “You have to learn these things along the way. I’m allowed to say no to things. I don’t have to do things the way people want me to.

And I don’t have to feel like ‘oh my god this is such a good opportunity.’ Maybe I don’t feel that way, so no. Saying no was a huge lesson for me this past year. It felt really good to start doing that and take better care of yourself.”

King Woman never expected to reach this point so quickly. The band—comprising Esfandiari, guitarist Colin Gallagher, bassist Peter Arensdorf and drummer Joey Raygoza—rushed into the recording of their 2015 EP Doubt after being approached by label Sargent House. The result was four songs of diverse, tuneful and supremely heavy doom metal with elements of dream pop and psychedelia.

When it came time to record Created in the Image of Suffering, the band didn’t do much planning ahead, either, though the result is a much bigger and eclectic sounding

set of music. Opening track “Utopia” crackles with feedback before exploding into a Sabbath-style dirge, while “Manna” has a spacious, shoegaze vibe steeped in delay effects. And the epic closing track, “Hem,” has an eight-minute build up into one of the band’s most cathartic songs. Theirs is a singular sound, which is all the more remarkable when Esfandiari admits the band had to figure it out along the way.

“We really didn’t know what we were doing,” she says. “A label approached us on our second show and was like ‘we want to sign you’. So that was kind of weird for us, honestly. People kept hitting us up, saying ‘when are you going to record again?’ and we just said ‘fuck it.’ We had three or four solid songs done, so we’re just like... let’s go in and see what happens. It just came together the way it did. I don’t think we thought ‘this record has to be super heavy’ or anything like that.”

Created in the Image of Suffering is heavy, but in more ways than one. It’s musically dense, loud and even crushing at times, but it’s also emotionally heavy. Esfandiari channeled her troubled experiences growing up in a cult-like Christian sect on many of the album’s songs. On “Worn,” she laments her lost youth (“I wish somebody would have told me/Because the past you can’t get back”), while expressing concern for her own family on “Deny” (“I pray my mother/ Won’t you ever find a cure?”). These are some intense feelings to channel, especially when they’re part of a nightly live set list. Still, Esfandiari says they fade over time. Now her concern is the physical toll of the band’s powerful live performances.

“When you’ve done it enough times, it just turns into something else,” she says. “I can be thinking about one thing that’s really heavy, but if I had a bad day or something, I can channel that into a song. Or maybe I’m really happy in life and I still have to channel some type of intensity. I’ve performed the songs so many times, I don’t want to say it loses its meaning, but it’s heavy on my body. I have a lot of aches after I perform. I’m putting all of my energy into it and throwing my body around and yelling. Especially on tour, it’s really intense and I need to take care of myself, because my body gets really jacked up after the first night. Like, time to stretch, otherwise I’ll feel like shit the next day.”

King Woman’s music doesn’t fade into the background.

It’s a sound that’s meant to be engaged with, which means it can be a pretty exhausting experience for both the band and the audience. Yet at the end of the day, it’s meant to be something that can potentially appeal to anyone, whether they’re metalheads for life or entirely new to heavy music.

“I like our shows because there’s not just metalheads there, there’s older people and really young kids, and people who listen to rap and hip-hop,” she says. “I just want it to be really universal, and I think people can connect to that. That’s all that I care about.

I don’t want to make people feel excluded from what we’re doing. I want it to be a great, expressive thing and a positive thing. I don’t want it to be something that causes division.”

Write to jefft@sdcitybeat.com.

Follow him on Twitter @1000TimesJeff

MARCH 21, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 19

MUSIC

NOTES FROM THE SMOKING PATIO

BY RYAN BRADFORD THE

SPOTLIGHT

LOCALS ONLY

A

good rehearsal space can be a tricky thing to find for a band with limited resources. Ideally, it should be a place that’s secure, doesn’t require a long drive to get to and doesn’t run the risk of disturbing neighboring residents or businesses. But with several spaces having closed recently, options are narrowing for local bands. This year alone, a number of rehearsal space complexes have closed including K St. Recorders in Grant Hill, which is still recording bands but no longer offering rehearsal space. Another office complex in Miramar, which was being used by a half-dozen bands including Weight of the Sun, also shut down recently when the building was sold.

Garage-punk trio Sixes were also evicted from a space they shared with Teenage Burritos in Bankers Hill.

“We were in our space for about a year before we got the boot,” says Sixes singer/ guitarist John Wanser.

The space was located behind a design studio and neighbored other businesses, though Wanser says the band took care not to play during hours that might upset other tenants. Eventually, however, they had to leave the space after a nearby tenant made noise complaints to their landlords. The band has since relocated to a new spot, but Wanser says that it’s hard to find a space that’s not only centrally located, but one where they can feel safe about leaving their gear.

“Before we were in a room that we had to share with 15 other people,” Wanser says. “People were just disrespectful.

I’d find ashes on my amp. And it’s just hard to cram into

a room with a bunch of other people’s gear, and you don’t know the other people that well. You don’t know what kind of condition everything’s going to be in.”

Wanser’s concerns have been echoed by other musicians.

Singer/songwriter Heather Nation says that her band Meadow has been having trouble finding a space, either because the options available to them are too expensive or because of geographical hurdles.

“It’s our biggest hurdle as a band,” says Nation. “As the DAVID MEAD main songwriter of the band, I’m able to spend time individually perfecting the song arrangements and chord charts, but that only goes so far without really being able to open up as a band, volume and expression wise.”

Timothy Joseph, owner of Studio 350/ Phaser Control, has been renting rehearsal rooms for more than a decade, and he says his own experiences have contributed to how he runs his business. He’s played in complexes that had people sleeping in them, using meth or weren’t kept in sanitary conSixes ditions, which he says drives tenants away.

“If you’re paying $500 a month, the facilities should be clean and comfortable to be in,” Joseph says. “It’s hard to be creative in a space where everything’s icky to touch.

“With big complexes, you can’t really police them,” he adds. “Weird shit gets out of hand. I vet everyone who comes in here. I’m looking to create a community environment.

That’s what keeps tenants here. The more comfortable a band feels, the better.”

—Jeff Terich

ALBUM REVIEW DJ Pnutz Play That Beat Mrs. DJ (Bulabeats)

Note: This release was excluded from our Local Music Issue due to technical difficulties. I’m making up for that by reviewing it here.

I

f DJ Pnutz has proven anything in the past couple years, it’s that she’s one of the best beatmakers in San Diego— if not the best. Following up on The Good Wife’s Guide to Beatmaking and 16 Psyche from last year, Pnutz has issued a pair of excellent new tracks as a teaser to another upcom-

20 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · MARCH 21, 2018

ing full-length set. “Play That Beat Mrs. DJ” is as good as theme music gets, finding the turntablist weaving together layers of drums and percussion, building up a solid set of disco funk with an irresistible recurring horn hook. Its flipside, “Stereo Gymnastics,” doesn’t let up on the funky drum breaks, but overall it has a more laid-back sensibility, with soulful Hammond organ, twinkling keyboards and a hypnotic bassline. As this is just a teaser single, there’s no doubt a lot more good stuff where this came from, but based on these two songs alone, Pnutz is moving up to a whole new level of funk.

—Jeff Terich

Sir Mix-A-Lot

I

was roughly six or seven when Sir Mix-A-Lot’s “Baby Got Back” hit the radio—arguably the best age to be alive when that song came out. I was too young to pick up on the conflicting body positivity and objectification, and I wasn’t anywhere close to understanding the overt sexuality of the song. All I could think was: Someone finally made a song about butts. To a young lad, there were few things funnier than a butt. Twenty-six years later, they’re still funny!

It’s easy to overlook the impact that Sir MixA-Lot has played on modern culture. Although he never achieved that sort of status again, he has kept himself busy with bizarre, yet cool left-field projects.

Like, remember his collaboration with Mudhoney for the Judgment Night soundtrack? Or providing a voice for the super-dark and hilarious cartoon, Bojack Horseman? Or even releasing a one-off single on YouTube (“Carz”) two decades after his heyday and still garnering over a million views. (Turns out, dude likes cars almost as much as he likes butts).

And let’s not forget Nicki Minaj’s megahit “Anaconda,” which sampled “Baby Got Back” and was released the the same year that Kim Kardashian “broke the internet” with her ass and J-Lo put out “Booty” with Iggy Azalea.

That’s not to say that the more current RenASSance (sorry) was built solely on Sir Mix-A-Lot’s song, but(t) it’s a theory that I could get behind.

Sir Mix-A-Lot plays Saturday, March 24 at Music Box.

@SDCITYBEAT

@SDCityBeat

march 21, 2018 · San Diego CityBeat · 21

MUSIC

JEFF TERICH

IF I WERE U

doctorate, they must be pretty damn funky.

BACKUP PLAN: RJD2, Pigeon John, Scarub, DJ Open Optics @ Music Box.

SATURDAY, MARCH 24

PLAN A: Spooky Cigarette, Los Shadows, Splavender, Former @ Helmuth Projects. Spooky Cigarette and Los Shadows—a couple of great local indie rock bands—are launching their West Coast tour at this show.

Before they bless other cities with their fun somewhere between jazz, post-rock and En- tunes, check them out in this intimate galnio Morricone’s film scores, and they’re amaz- lery space. PLAN B: L.A. Salami, Cat Clyde ing. PLAN B: Ex-Girlfriends, Soft Lions, @ The Casbah. The L.A. in L.A. Salami doesn’t stand for Los AngeOf Ennui @ The Merrow.

DUSTIN CONDREN les—it stands for Lookman Brooklyn’s Ex-Girlfriends Adekunle. He’s actually from have a dark, fuzzy take on inLondon, and the singer/songdie rock that’s worth keeping writer has an acoustic sound an eye on. Make sure to show that recalls English folkup early for Of Ennui, twosters from the ’60s and ’70s. time honorees of an “ExtraBACKUP PLAN: The Freaks SpecialGood” distinction in of Nature, Los Sweepers, our Local Music Review.

Thee Allyrgic Reaction @ Lucy Dacus Tower Bar.

A music insider’s weekly agenda WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21

PLAN A: Lucy Dacus, And the Kids, Adult Mom @ The Casbah. Lucy Dacus’ new album Historian is one of my favorite albums of the year so far. It’s beautiful, devastating and remarkably mature for a songwriter just barely in her twenties. PLAN B: Royal Thunder, Pinkish Black, Beira @ Brick by Brick. Royal Thunder’s evolution over the years has been an interesting one. At first they were a bluesy metal band, but they’ve evolved into something a bit like a heavy Fleetwood Mac, which they pull off impressively. BACKUP PLAN: Crumb, Combo Chimbita, Max Gardener @ Soda Bar.

THURSDAY, MARCH 22

PLAN A: Montalban Quintet, The Color Forty Nine, Red Fox Tails, The Shantyannes @ The Casbah. The Montalban Quintet—featuring San Diego vets who’ve played in No Knife, Sleeping People and various other bands—is one of the best bands in San Diego that not enough people have heard. They’re

FRIDAY, MARCH 23

PLAN A: Birdbath, John Meeks, Mittens, The Havnauts @ Soda Bar. Local janglepop outfit BirdBath are holding a record release show, and it’s stacked with a bunch of great bands in town, so don’t be late.

PLAN B: The Main Squeeze, Desi Valentine @ The Casbah. This is going to be a pretty funky week in San Diego, and I mean that literally. The Main Squeeze is one such group laying it down. In fact, they even have a song called “Dr. Funk,” so if they earned a

22 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · MARCH 21, 2018

SUNDAY, MARCH 25

PLAN A: The Go! Team, Skating Polly @ The Casbah. The Go! Team has been playing music that sounds like a live band playing an eclectic DJ set for almost 20 years. And while I would never have guessed that they would last this long, they have and they’re still super fun. PLAN B: Rhett Miller, Matthew Ryan @ Soda Bar. I’ll admit that I haven’t

kept up with Rhett Miller in recent years, but as the frontman of Texas alt-country outfit Old 97’s, he’ll always have a special place in my headphones. PLAN C: Fucked and Bound, Hours, Deep Sea Thunder Beast @ SPACE. There’s so much good stuff tonight, I’m also suggesting this Seattle hardcore band, who are both activist minded and a lot of fun. “Zero Fucks” is an anthem.

MONDAY, MARCH 26

PLAN A: Russian Circles, King Woman @ Brick by Brick. Read my feature this week on San Francisco’s King Woman, who blend doom metal with shoegaze and emotionally draining lyrics. They’re opening for instrumental metal dynamos Russian Circles, who also rule. PLAN B: Butcher Brown, Bomb Squad @ Soda Bar. Butcher Brown brings the funk. The Richmond, Virginia group plays soul-jazz with some flashy fusion elements and more than a trace of Prince. It’s all groove.

TUESDAY, MARCH 27

PLAN A: Usnea, Un, Sixes @ SPACE. For even doomier doom, seek out Usnea, who play epic, heavy AF dirges with lyrics about dystopia that are pretty relevant to the present day. It’s gnarly shit. PLAN B: Triathalon, Inner Wave, L. Martin @ House of Blues Voodoo Room. Triathalon’s name is spelled wrong intentionally—there’s a French ska band already called Triathlon (wrap your head around that for a second).

But Triathalon is a synth-laden indie soul group that has some cool grooves.

@SDCITYBEAT

@SDCityBeat

march 21, 2018 · San Diego CityBeat · 23

MUSIC

CONCERTS HOT! NEW! FRESH!

KRS-One (Observatory, 4/3), Snoop Dogg, Warren G (Observatory, 4/5), Birdy Bardot (Soda Bar, 4/20), Face to Face (Brick by Brick, 4/26), Kinky (HOB, 5/3), Colouring (Soda Bar, 5/24), Turnpike Troubadours (BUT, 6/10), Shelter (Soda Bar, 6/20), Seu Jorge (BUT, 6/24), Shakey Graves (Observatory, 6/24), Aaron Neville Duo (BUT, 6/27), We Are Scientists (Casbah, 7/13), Neurosis, Converge (Observatory, 7/14), G-Eazy (Mattress Firm Amphitheatre, 8/1), Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson (Mattress Firm Amphitheatre, 8/24), Lady Antebellum, Darius Rucker (Mattress Firm Amphitheatre, 8/25), Boy George and Culture Club (Open Air Theatre, 9/25), Courtney Barnett, Waxahatchee (Observatory, 10/3),

GET YER TICKETS Titus Andronicus (Soda Bar, 4/2), Ty Dolla$ign (HOB, 4/5), Matt and Kim (Observatory, 4/9), Frankie Cosmos (Quartyard, 4/10), Chromeo, Phantoms (Humphreys, 4/10), Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox (Humphreys, 4/13), The Soft Moon (Casbah, 4/14), Murder City Devils (Irenic, 4/14), Fleet Foxes (Humphreys, 4/15), Jungle (Observatory, 4/16), Miguel (Humphreys, 4/17), Dashboard Confessional (HOB 4/18), HAIM (Observatory, 4/19), Jessie Ware (BUT, 4/19), alt-J (Humphreys, 4/19), Big K.R.I.T. (Music Box, 4/20), Japanese Breakfast

(Irenic, 4/20), Unwritten Law (Observatory, 4/21), Los Lonely Boys (BUT, 4/22), ‘Welcome to Night Vale’ (Observatory, 4/25), Art Garfunkel (Balboa Theatre, 4/27), Bunbury (HOB, 4/29), John Doe and Exene (BUT, 5/2), Baths (BUT, 5/3), Joey Bada$$ (SOMA, 5/3), Meshell Ndegeocello (Music Box, 5/8), Built to Spill, Afghan Whigs (Observatory, 5/9), Poptone (BUT, 5/10), Hot Snakes (Observatory, 5/11), Weird Al Yankovic (Humphreys, 5/12), Dirty Projectors (Music Box, 5/12), Andrew McMahon and the Wilderness (Humphreys, 5/13), Kendrick Lamar, SZA (Mattress Firm, 5/13), Nada Surf (BUT, 5/14), Trash Can Sinatras (Casbah, 5/16), Earth, Wind and Fire (Harrah’s SoCal, 5/18), Godspeed You! Black Emperor (Observatory, 5/22), The Head and the Heart (Open Air Theatre, 5/22), The Wonder Years (HOB, 5/22), Rufus Wainwright (BUT, 5/24), Madeleine Peyroux (BUT, 5/28), Xavier Rudd (BUT, 5/29-30), Lord Huron (HOB, 5/31), Ray Lamontagne, Neko Case (Open Air Theatre, 6/2), Iceage (Casbah, 6/5), Kesha, Macklemore (Mattress Firm, 6/12), Sunflower Bean (Che Café, 6/13), Donavon Frankenreiter (BUT, 6/20), Kenny Chesney (Mattress Firm, 6/21), Warped Tour (SDCCU Stadium, 6/22), Belle and Sebastian (Observatory, 6/22), Paramore (Mattress Firm Amphitheatre, 7/19), Brad Paisley (Mattress Firm Amphitheatre, 7/20), Wye Oak (Soda Bar, 7/20), Thirty Seconds to Mars (Mattress Firm, 7/21), Logic (Mattress Firm Amphitheatre, 7/24), Joe Bonamassa (Humphreys, 7/26-27), The Decemberists (Humphreys, 7/30), Weezer, The Pixies (Mattress Firm Amphitheatre, 8/11), Chris Stapleton (Mattress Firm, 8/16), Dispatch (Open Air Theatre, 8/18), Charlie Puth (Mattress Firm Amphitheatre, 8/20), Avenged Sevenfold, Prophets of Rage (Mattress Firm, 8/21),

24 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · MARCH 21, 2018

Church of Misery (Brick by Brick, 8/21), Punch Brothers (Observatory, 8/25), Smashing Pumpkins (Viejas Arena, 9/1), Rebelution (Mattress Firm, 9/8), The Eagles (Petco Park, 9/22), Ozzy Osbourne (Mattress Firm, 10/9), D.R.I. (Brick by Brick, 10/20), Joan Baez (Humphreys, 10/30).

MARCH WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21 Royal Thunder at Brick by Brick.

Queens of the Stone Age at Observatory North Park (sold out). Lucy Dacus at The Casbah. Sonreal at House of Blues.

Crumb at Soda Bar. The Paragraphs at Belly Up Tavern.

THURSDAY, MARCH 22 Montalban Quintet at The Casbah. The Night Game at Soda Bar. Queens of the Stone Age at Observatory North Park (sold out). Phillip Phillips at Belly Up Tavern (sold out).

FRIDAY, MARCH 23 Tribal Theory at House of Blues. Mako at Observatory North Park. RJD2 at Music Box. Phillip Phillips at Belly Up Tavern (sold out). The Main Squeeze at The Casbah. BirdBath at Soda Bar.

SATURDAY, MARCH 24 Brett Dennen at Belly Up Tavern (sold out). Pale Waves at SOMA. Dogwood, No Innocent Victim at Brick by Brick.

L.A. Salami at The Casbah. Durand Jones and the Indications at Soda Bar. Skeletal Family at SPACE. Through the Roots at Observatory North Park. Sir Mix-A-Lot at Music Box.

SUNDAY, MARCH 25 Brett Dennen at Belly Up Tavern. Rhett Miller at Soda Bar. Lil Xan at House of Blues. The Go! Team at The Casbah.

Umphrey’s McGee at Observatory North Park.

MONDAY, MARCH 26 Russian Circles, King Woman at Brick

by Brick. Butcher Brown at Soda Bar. Jake Bugg at Observatory North Park.

Nick Bone and the Big Scene at The Casbah.

TUESDAY, MARCH 27 Triathlon at House of Blues. Quinn XCII at Observatory North Park (sold out).

Lovelytheband at Music Box.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28 George Clinton at House of Blues.

Schizophonics Soul Revue at Belly Up Tavern. Sisu at The Casbah.

THURSDAY, MARCH 29 Galactic at Belly Up Tavern. The Garden at Soma. KOLARS at Soda Bar. Missio at House of Blues. Declan McKenna at Music Box. 3Teeth, Ho99o9 at Brick by Brick. The Casket Lottery at The Merrow. J Boog at Observatory North Park (sold out).

FRIDAY, MARCH 30 Lindi Ortega at Soda Bar. Senses Fail at Observatory North Park. ‘Wacken Metal Battle - Round 2’ at Brick by Brick. Ella Vos at The Casbah. Yonder Mountain String Band at Belly Up Tavern. Whiskey Myers at Music Box.

SATURDAY, MARCH 31 Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark at House of Blues. Lido Pimienta at The Casbah. Slothrust at SPACE. The Mother Hips at Belly Up Tavern. Roy Wood$ at Observatory North Park. The Oh Hellos at Music Box. Spice Pistols at Brick

by Brick.

APRIL SUNDAY, APRIL 1 Kelly Lee Owens at Soda Bar. Los Tres Tristes Tigres at House of Blues. Mint Field at Blonde.

MONDAY, APRIL 2 Moose Blood at Quartyard. Titus Andronicus at Soda Bar. Dumbfounddead at SOMA.

TUESDAY, APRIL 3 The Dickies, Queers at The Casbah.

Neighbor Lady at Soda Bar. Arlo Guthrie at Belly Up Tavern. Falsifier at Brick

by Brick. KRS-One at Observatory North Park.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4 Moonchild at The Casbah. The Goddamn Gallows, Koffin Kats at Soda Bar. Brian Fallon at Belly Up Tavern. Jaden Smith at Observatory North Park.

THURSDAY, APRIL 5 Electric Six at The Casbah. Ty Dolla$ign at House of Blues. Stanton Warriors at Music Box. Hell or Highwater at Soda Bar. John 5 and the Creatures at Brick

MUSIC CONTINUED ON PAGE 25

MUSIC MUSIC CONTINUED FROM PAGE 24

by Brick. AJ Froman at Belly Up Tavern.

Snoop Dogg, Warren G at Observatory North Park.

FRIDAY, APRIL 6 Autograf at Music Box. Chrome Sparks, Machinedrum at House of Blues. Sadistic Intent at Brick by Brick. Luke McCombs at Observatory North Park (sold out). Agent Orange at The Casbah.

Lincoln Durham at Soda Bar. Circles Around the Sun at Belly Up Tavern.

SATURDAY, APRIL 7 Courtney Marie Andrews at Soda Bar. Jefferson Starship at Belly Up Tavern (sold out). Joshua Radin at Music Box. J.D. Wilkes and Legendary Shack Shakers Unplugged at The Casbah.

What So Not at Observatory North Park.

SUNDAY, APRIL 8 Protest the Hero at SOMA. Kontras Quartet with Branford Marsalis at Music Box. Mud Slide Slim at Belly Up Tavern. Prong at Brick by Brick. Sloth and Turtle at Soda Bar.

MONDAY, APRIL 9 Matt and Kim at Observatory North Park.

Kevin Morby at The Casbah. Soccer Mommy at Soda Bar.

TUESDAY, APRIL 10 Frankie Cosmos at Quartyard. Kweku Collins at The Casbah. Chromeo, Phantoms at Humphreys. Hannah Wicklund and the Stepping Stones at Soda Bar.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11 Hayley Kiyoko at Observatory North Park. Yungblud at The Casbah. BlinkFest at Soda Bar. The California Honeydrops at Belly Up Tavern. Bilal at Music Box.

THURSDAY, APRIL 12 Kate Nash at Observatory North Park (sold out). Angel Olsen at Music Box (sold out). Sacri Monti at The Casbah.

Lou Rebecca at Soda Bar. Inspired and the Sleep at Belly Up Tavern.

FRIDAY, APRIL 13 Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox at Humphreys by the Bay. Whores., Helms Alee at The Casbah. The Steely Damned 2 at Music Box. Yamantaka// Sonic Titan at Soda Bar. Common Sense at Belly Up Tavern. Grupo Codiciado at Observatory North Park.

SATURDAY, APRIL 14 In This Moment at House of Blues. Jon Foreman at Balboa Theatre. Murder City Devils at The Irenic. Pine Mountain Logs at Belly Up Tavern. Teenage Burritos at Soda Bar. The Soft Moon at The Casbah. Fruition at Music Box.

SUNDAY, APRIL 15 Fleet Foxes at Humphreys by the Bay. War on Drugs at Observatory North Park (sold out). Sheer Terror at SPACE. Psychotica at Soda Bar. The Chairman and the Board at Belly Up Tavern.

MONDAY, APRIL 16 Jungle at Observatory North Park. Ryley Walker at Soda Bar. Dale Watson at The Casbah. Ibeyi at Belly Up Tavern

TUESDAY, APRIL 17 Miguel at Humphreys by the Bay. Boogarins at The Casbah. Hey Ocean! at Soda Bar. Tank and the Bangas at Belly Up Tavern. Kali Uchis at Observatory North Park.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18 Tash Sultana at Observatory North Park (sold out). Alvvays at Music Box (sold out). Dashboard Confessional at House of Blues. Moonwalks at Soda Bar. The Bronx at The Casbah.

rCLUBSr

710 Beach Club, 710 Garnet Ave., Pacific Beach. Wed: Open mic. Thu: Karaoke.

Fri: Stray Monroe, Lads Holiday, Pocket Hole. Sat: Zazoomba, Soul Ablaze. Sun: Karaoke. Tue: Electric Elms.

Air Conditioned Lounge, 4673 30th St., Normal Heights. Wed: ‘Hip Hop Wednesday’ w/ MC Kahlee. Thu: DJ Junior. Sat: ‘Juicy’ w/ Mike Czech. Sun: ‘Radar’ w/ DJ Tyler Detweiler.

American Comedy Co., 818 B Sixth Ave., Downtown. Thu: Greg Proops. Fri: Greg Proops. Sat: Greg Proops.

The Bancroft, 9143 Campo Road, Spring Valley. Wed: Karaoke. Thu: Corey and the Tribe, The Toads. Fri: Sunday Scaries.

Sat: Anachronism, Steeltoe, Hanz Krypt, Masked Jackal. Sun: Sleepwalker’s Station.

Bar Pink, 3829 30th St., North Park. Wed: Hey! Ho! Let’s Go! Thu: Jason Hanna and the Bullfighters. Fri: Goldettes, Lost Balloons, Mike Donovan, Lars Finberg. Sat: Comedy Kumite. Sun: Stephen Rey, Crew

D’etat Brass Band. Mon: ‘Church’ w/ DJs Mikey, Andrew. Tue: The Garners.

Bang Bang, 526 Market St., Downtown.

Fri: Marco Faraone. Sat: Infinity Ink. Beaumont’s, 5665 La Jolla Blvd., La Jolla. Thu: Doug Benson. Fri: Westbourne.

Sat: Fish and the Seaweeds.

Belly Up Tavern, 143 S. Cedros Ave., Solana Beach. Wed: The Paragraphs, The Ha, The Bad Vibes. Thu: Phillip Phillips, Ballroom Thieves (sold out). Fri: Phillip Phillips, Ballroom Thieves (sold out). Sat: Brett Dennen, Dean Lewis. Sun: Brett Dennen, Dean Lewis.

Black Cat Bar, 4246 University Ave., City Heights. Fri: Fresh Veggies, Abnormal Mammal, Rally Club. Sat: Keepers, Sixes.

Blonde, 1808 W. Washington St., Mission Hills. Wed: ‘Dance Klassique’. Thu: ‘Trap vs. R&B’ w/ DJs Artistic, DuneKat, RT, Yo Colombo. Fri: ‘Dance Punk’. Sat: ‘Through Being Cool.’ Mon: The Gift/ Curse, Justin Linn and the Rotation, Braggers. Tue: ‘T is 4 Techno.’

Boar Cross’n, 390 Grand Ave., Carlsbad.

Thu: Twisted Relatives, O.S.S. Fri: ‘Club Musae’.

Brick by Brick, 1130 Buenos Ave., Bay Park. Wed: Royal Thunder, Pinkish Black, Beira. Fri: Dirkschneider, Elm Street, Helsott, Warpath, Alchemy. Sat: Dogwood, No Innocent Victim, Bossfight, The Beautiful Mistake. Mon: Russian Circles, King Woman.

The Casbah, 2501 Kettner Blvd., Middletown. Wed: Lucy Dacus, And the Kids, Adult Mom. Thu: Montalban Quintet, The Color Forty Nine, The Red Fox Tails, The Shantyannes. Fri: The Main Squeeze, Desi Valentine. Sat: L.A. Salami, Cat Clyde. Sun: The Go! Team, Skating Polly.

Mon: Nick Bone and the Big Scene, The Dodges, Weasel Dust. Tue: Everything Is Terrible: The Great Satan.

Dirk’s Nightclub, 7662 Broadway, Lemon Grove. Fri: Granite Hills. Sat: Wild Rumour.

Dizzy’s, 4275 Mission Bay Drive, Bay Park. Fri: Ellington Jazz Ensemble. Sat: Joshua White.

F6ix, 526 F St., Downtown. Fri: DJ Shadowman. Sat: DJ Vision.

Fluxx, 500 Fourth Ave., Downtown. Fri: Murphi Kennedy. Sat: Don Cannon.

Hooley’s, 5500 Grossmont Center Drive, La Mesa. Fri: Raney/Butler. Sat: Ron’s Garage.

House of Blues, 1055 Fifth Ave., Downtown. Wed: Sonreal. Thu: Public Access TV, Soft White Sixties, Future Feats. Fri: Tribal Theory, Eli Mac, Lea Love, CRSB. Sat: El Chicano, Tierra, Jorge Santana.

Sun: Lil Xan. Tue: Triathalon, Inner Wave, L. martin.

Humphreys Backstage, 2241 Shelter Island Drive, Shelter Island. Wed: The Emergency Exit. Thu: Kim Jackson. Fri: Detroit Underground, Fabulous Ultratones. Sat: Stanley Jordan. Sun: R:Tyme, Mercedes Moore. Mon: Sue Palmer. Tue: Michele Lundeen.

Kava Lounge, 2812 Kettner Blvd., Middletown. Thu: ‘The CBD Party’. Fri: ‘Low FreQ’. Sat: ‘Minimal Sessions’. Sun: ‘Constant Elevation’.

Lestat’s Coffee House, 3343 Adams Ave., Normal Heights. Thu: Hearts Like Lions, Elk Grove, Mainsail. Fri: The Chonks, Former, The Gnars, Panther Hollow. Sat: Gregory Page. Sun: Robin Henkel Band.

MUSIC CONTINUED ON PAGE 26

MARCH 21, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 25

BY CHRISTIN BAILEY

ASTROLOGICALLY UNSOUND Weekly forecasts from the so-called universe ARIES (March 21 - April 19): You will undergo a great transformation this week, and whether it will be good or bad will depend entirely on whether or not you think you look good with singed off eyebrows.

LIBRA (September 23 - October 22):

TAURUS (April 20 - May 20): It’s

important to learn to live in the moment.

That is, the infinitesimally small liminal space between then and the other then, which you are trapped in eternally—no escape in sight.

SCORPIO (October 23 - November 21): Don’t fool yourself: Playing with weighted dice is still gambling, except now the stakes are that you might lose your kneecaps if anybody finds out your grift.

GEMINI (May 21 - June 20): Take some inspiration from the lifespan of the fly: that it is absolutely fine to spend every hour as a pest so long as you don’t overstay your welcome.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 December 21): If horoscopes are so “fake,” then how come I know that someone is hiding in your closet right now? No, it’s not cheating just because it’s me.

CANCER (June 21 - July 22): Don’t look

CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 19): This week your sun goes one way and the moon goes another, and this planet transiting to the red boy (Mars) who’s transiting… uh oh, looks like you’re in penalties.

LEO (July 23 - August 22): There are so many species of undiscovered animals in the rainforest; does it ever scare you to imagine how many might have better eyelashes than you?

AQUARIUS (January 20 - February 18):

VIRGO (August 23 - September 22):

PISCES (February 19 - March 20): There is no time to waste this week, as time is a construct and the concept of “wasting” it is a fiction of capitalism designed to transform working into a virtue in order to exploit labor from you.

now but—oh my god, I just said don’t look.

You never listen to anything I say. No, now I’m not telling you. You embarrassed me.

Just leave me alone.

Do you ever look upon the vastness of space and feel small? Really? Your “extraordinary smallness”? Get over yourself! Think of something better!

You might end up soaking in a hot tub cauldron with some nefarious types slicing carrots into the bubbling water. If that happens it’s OK to leave even if it might seem “rude” to you.

You have to “do you.” If that means hitting snooze one more time, so be it. If that means breaking into Fort Knox, well, you gotta follow your heart there, buddy.

Astrologically Unsound appears every week. Follow Christin Bailey on Twitter at @hexprax.

MUSIC CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25 Mc P’s Irish Pub, 1107 Orange Ave., Coronado. Wed: Jackson and Billy. Thu: Fish and JG. Fri: Pat Ellis and Blue Frog Band. Sat: Never 2L8. Sun: Stilettos.

Martinis Above Fourth, 3940 Fourth Ave., Hillcrest. Wed: ‘Comfy’ w/ Jeffrey Scott Parsons. Thu: ‘Soul Sessions’ w/ David Hernandez. Fri: Janice and Nathan. Sat: Sophia Alone. Sun: Ria Carey and Don L. Mon: Andy Anderson and Nathan Fry. The Merrow, 1271 University Ave., Hillcrest. Wed: Zigtebra, Syntax, Battery Point. Thu: Ex-Girlfriends, Soft Lions, Of Ennui. Fri: Domico, Anna Takeuchi, Prankroom, Rude-(alpha). Sat: The Debonaires, Chainska Brassi, Mochilero All Stars, Night Doctors. Sun: ‘The Playground’ w/ DJ Heather Hardcore. Tue: Funk Manifesto, Ben Powell, Mutima.

Mr. Peabody’s, 136 Encinitas Blvd., Encinitas. Thu: Wildheart Country. Fri: Ristband. Sat: Stoney B Blues Band, Mark of the Blues. Sun: Tony Ortega jazz jam.

Music Box, 1337 India St., Little Italy.

Wed: Shadowplay, Los Duques. Thu: Moon Hooch, The Accidentals, DJ Mancat.

Fri: RJD2, Pigeon John, Scarub, DJ Open Optics. Sat: Sir Mix-A-Lot, Kim Jackson & the Routine Players. Sun: ‘Tom Gun Live!’.

Tue: lovelytheband, Almost Monday.

The Office, 3936 30th St., North Park.

Wed: ‘1,2,3’ w/ DJ EdRoc. Thu: ‘No Limits’ w/ DJ Myson King. Fri: ‘After Hours’ w/ DJs Kid Wonder, Adam Salter. Sat: ‘Strictly Business’ w/ DJs Kanye Asada, Gabe Vega. Sun: ‘Uptown Top Ranking’ w/ Tribe of Kings. Mon: Blondie Under Cover.

OMNIA Nightclub, 454 Sixth Ave., Downtown. Fri: Morgan Page. Sat: DJ Five.

Parq, 615 Broadway, Downtown. Fri: Jermaine Dupri. Sat: Crooked.

Proud Mary’s, 5550 Kearny Mesa Road,

26 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · MARCH 21, 2018

Kearny Mesa. Wed: Eric French. Thu: Tomcat Courtney. Fri: Geno and the Lone Gunmen. Sat: Bonneville Band.

The Rail, 3796 Fifth Ave., Hillcrest. Fri: ‘Hip Hop Fridayz’. Sat: ‘Sabado en Fuego’. Mon: ‘Manic Monday’ w/ DJ Junior the Disco Punk.

Rich’s, 1051 University Ave., Hillcrest.

Wed: ‘Mischief With Bianca’. Thu: ‘LEZ’ w/ DJ Moody Rudy. Fri: ‘Electro-POP’.

Sat: ‘White Party’ w/ Karina K. Riviera Supper Club, 7777 University Ave., La Mesa. Wed: ‘Boss Jazz’ w/ Jason Hanna. Thu: Mimi Zulu. Fri: Johnny Tarr.

Sat: Lex & the Jewels.

Rosie O’Gradys, 3402 Adams Ave., Normal Heights. Wed: Karaoke. Fri: Joey Harris and the Mentals. Sat: The Upshots.

Mon: ‘Jazz Jam’ w/ Louis Valenzuela.

Seven Grand, 3054 University Ave., North Park. Wed: Chee Koo Trio. Thu: Jimmy Ruelas. Fri: Dani Bell and the Tarantist.

Sat: Jake Pinto. Mon: ‘Makossa Monday’ w/ DJ Tah Rei. Tue: Garth.

Soda Bar, 3615 El Cajon Blvd., City Heights. Wed: Crumb, Combo Chimbita, Max Gardener. Thu: The Night Game, The Band Camino. Fri: BirdBath, John Meeks, Mittens, The Havnauts. Sat: Durand Jones and the Indications, Sure Fire Soul Ensemble (sold out). Sun: Rhett Miller, Matthew Ryan. Mon: Butcher Brown, Bomb Squad. Tue: Dan Andriano & Dave Hause, Bad & The Ugly.

SOMA, 3350 Sports Arena Blvd., Midway. Fri: YBN Nahmir. Sat: Pale Waves, Inheaven.

SPACE, 3519 El Cajon Blvd., City Heights.

Wed: ‘Wet’. Thu: Dave Parley, Rituals. Fri: ‘Meaning of Love’ w/ Josexxx. Sat: Skeletal Family, Bell Tower Bats, Blood Ponies.

Sun: Fucked and Bound, Hours, Deep Sea Thunder Beast, The Gay Agenda.

Mon: ‘Eloteria’. Tue: Karaoke.

Spin, 2028 Hancock St., Middletown.

Thu: ZZ’s. Fri: Gari Safari, Joyce Muniz.

Sat: Butch.

Sycamore Den, 3391 Adams Ave., Normal Heights. Thu: Tyler Edwards, Levi Dean and the Americats. Sun: An evening with The Garners.

Til-Two Club, 4746 El Cajon Blvd., City Heights. Fri: ‘Louder Than Bombs’. Sat: Christ Killer, Rom Bars, Artowar, Flaunt, No-Knock Raid. Sun: Pants Karaoke.

Tin Roof, 401 G St., Downtown. Wed: Kenny and Deez. Thu: Keep Your Soul Duo. Fri: Keep Your Soul, Kenny and Deez. Sat: Kenny and Deez, Coriander.

Sun: Keep Your Soul Duo. Mon: Kenny and Deez. Tue: Corey Gray.

Tio Leo’s, 5302 Napa St., Bay Park. Thu: Johnny Deadly Trio. Fri: Gruvmatic. Sat: Colour.

Tower Bar, 4757 University Ave., City Heights. Wed: War Cloud, Holy Grove, Motorbabe. Thu: Karaoke. Fri: Howling Wolfmen, Straight Shooter, Clint Westwood Band. Sat: Freaks of Nature, Los Sweepers, Thee Allyrgic Reaction. Mon: All Beat Up, Gaffer Project, South Beacons.

U-31, 3112 University Ave., North Park.

Wed: ‘Just Friends’. Thu: ‘Boom Boxx Thursday’. Fri: DJ Freeman. Sat: DJ Junior the Disco Punk. Sun: African Postman, Rockaway Kings.

Whistle Stop, 2236 Fern St., South Park.

Thu: Birthwaters, Fermentor, New Crimes.

Fri: ‘Black Friday’ w/ DJs Vaughn Avakian, Mario Orduno, Javi Nunez, Camilla Robina. Sat: ‘Booty Bassment’ w/ DJs Dimitri, Rob. Mon: ‘Electric Relaxation’.

Winstons, 1921 Bacon St., Ocean Beach.

Wed: Kindred, DJ Carlos Culture. Thu: Tory T, DJ R2, Ric Scales. Fri: Electric Waste Band, Shakedown String Band.

Sat: Aloha Radio, Tape Heads. Sun: Karaoke. Mon: Electric Waste Band. Tue: Devil’s Due, Scott Grace and the Slumpbreakers.

IN THE BACK

CannaBeat California cannabis has appeal in Mexico

C

alifornia cannabis has found a new consumer base in Mexico, as cannabis culture and advocacy from California is making its way south of the border.

Cannabis activists are hoping that recent legalization will help shift Mexico’s politics.

As more U.S. states legalize cannabis, the flow of cannabis from Mexico moving north has begun to slow and is now even reversing as more middle-class Mexican citizens and American citizens living in Tijuana are crossing the border to sample some of the famous California cannabis.

Binational cannabis advocates are hosting events in Tijuana about its medical benefits, hoping to increase support for policy changes on the plant.

Medical cannabis has been legal in Mexico since last year and while recreational cannabis is still illegal, support for full legalization is growing. Recent polls have found that Mexico is slowly tilting in favor of legalization, with one-third of citizens showing support in 2016, up seven percent from 2008.

Poway-based Medical Marijuana Inc. is the only company Mexicans can get permits

to legally import cannabidiol or CBD products with a doctor’s prescription. HempMeds Mexico, the company’s subsidiary, was launched in 2016 to lobby for broader medical cannabis regulations in the country.

Jaime Andrés Vinasco Barco, a Ph.D. student at El Colegio de la Frontera Norte in Tijuana who has been studying the crossborder cannabis phenomenon, explains that the rise of cannabis exported from the U.S. to Mexico is a twist on the traditional idea of bringing cannabis across the border. Vinasco also said there’s a specific type of consumer from Tijuana that seeks California cannabis.

“They aren’t just sick,” he said. “They aren’t criminals. They aren’t the marginalized consumers that we are accustomed to thinking about when we talk about the consumers of cannabis in Mexico.”

—Tyler Shultz

Arizona to honor California medical cannabis recommendations

W

hile highway patrols in some states prey on drivers with outof-state licenses from states with legal medical cannabis, Arizona officials will now recognize California-issued medi-

cal cannabis recommendations. According to The Associated Press, on March 15, a three-judge panel in Arizona’s Court of Appeals ruled to allow patients with a valid California doctor’s recommendation to have legal access to medical cannabis while they are in Arizona.

SHUTTERSTOCK

It began with a 2016 traffic stop involving Stanley Kemmish Jr., a California resident who received a doctor’s recommendation for medical cannabis. According to prosecutors, Kemmish’s physician’s letter doesn’t equate to having a valid Arizona medical cannabis ID card. The Court of Appeals, however, ruled that having an outof-state doctor’s recommendation makes Kemmish a “visiting qualifying patient” under Arizona law.

The panel upheld a La Paz County Superior Court judge’s dismissal of drug possession charges against Kemmish. Kemmish

was awarded legal immunity from Arizona laws that typically don’t offer reciprocity to doctor’s recommendations from other states.

The ruling means that other out-ofstate medical cannabis patients qualify for legal immunity while they are traveling through Arizona. According to the ruling, Kemmish is a California resident, but La Paz County online court records provided an address in Laveen, Arizona.

The Arizona Department of Health Services Division of Public Health Licensing offers medical cannabis cards for Arizona residents. Patients are then stored in a state registry.

States with reciprocity laws to accommodate medical cannabis patients from other states also include Nevada, Maine, Michigan, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania. Having reciprocity laws, however, doesn’t always mean that patients can purchase cannabis in those states at dispensaries.

Arizona’s latest ruling opens up the doors to card-holding tourists from California, Nevada and other neighboring states with medical cannabis programs.

—Benjamin M. Adams

For the latest cannabis news and lifestyle trends, please pick up our sister magazine CULTURE every month or visit culturemagazine.com.

MARCH 21, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 27