San Diego CityBeat • Mar 29, 2017

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FEBRUARY 22, 2017 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 1

2 · San Diego CityBeat · March 29, 2017

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March 29, 2017 · San Diego CityBeat · 3

UP FRONT | FROM THE EDITOR

Don’t feel bad for the Dunc

I

“

Hunter practically drooled on himself in excitement. ’m starting to feel bad for Duncan Hunter.”

“Because this is going to save America,” he exThose are eight words that I never thought I’d utter. Well, perhaps “I’d really like to go to Burning claimed, as if the state of health care was the only thing threatening American sovereignty and not, let’s Man” would be slightly less likely, but I digress.

I said this at a recent lunch with a friend just before see, I don’t know… Russian interference in the demothe American Health Care Reform Act—which Hunter cratic process? He went on.

“To put it simply, it is Obamacare, which is failvigorously championed and defended—went down in flames before even coming to a vote in the House. I’ll ing, or it is this. This is a good bill. Gonna save people talk more about that in just a bit, but this had to feel money.”

We’ll give the raging conservative Bolling credit like insult to injury for Rep. Hunter. After all, just a day before, he learned he was being criminally inves- in that even he seemed unconvinced by Hunter’s iltigated by the Justice Department for spending over logical endorsement. When asked about the Congressional Budget Office’s dire $60,000 of his campaign numbers showing that funds on things like video 24 million people would games, vacations to Italy lose their insurance and and, my favorite, a $600 that the cost of healthcare plane ticket for his kid’s would rise dramatically, bunny rabbit.

Hunter was like that “ain’t Yeah, our old vaping nobody got time for that” punching bag from the fire lady.

50th district has had a hell “What you said is not of a time lately. To think, going to happen, I don’t this is the same guy whose think,” Hunter said. name was once floated to You don’t think, Dunc? be Trump’s Secretary of Rep. Duncan Hunter vaping Seems like yet another Defense. It seems Hunter thing that you may want thought he’d heard the last of this since he and his wife paid back the cam- to look into a bit, along with your personal finances.

But look, let’s give Duncan some credit in that, unpaign funds. No harm, no foul, right?

“I fixed it,” barked Hunter at a restless crowd of like Issa, he sticks to his conservative guns. He clutchRamona constituents earlier this month. “And as far es his nonsensical ideas and alternative facts like, say, a child would clutch a pet rabbit close to their chest. as I’m concerned, end of story.”

Well, no, Dunkie, that’s not how any of this works (to What’s more, Hunter can afford to do this because paraphrase that lady from the Esurance commercial). he’s in a reliably red district.

So what can our North County readers do? First, And to paraphrase The Dude, there are rules, man. You can’t just rob a bank, say you’re sorry and then pay the buy an online subscription (or, better yet, print delivery) of the Union Tribune. A lot of these stories about bank back once you realize you can’t do that.

And how likely is it that Hunter’s superfluous the misappropriation of campaign funds never would spending was, as characterized in a statement from have come out if it weren’t for the work of reporters his attorneys, “inadvertent and unintentional”? Well, like Morgan Cook.

Second, join the 200 or so protestors who gathered it’s certainly possible, but we’d like to think that a Rep. who has characterized himself as a fiscal conservative in Escondido last week with signs that read “Dunwould be a little more responsible with his money, no? can Hunter Must Go.” Join the Ramona, Escondido But back to the health care bill. While fellow Re- or Alpine chapters of Indivisible and learn about the publican Rep. Darrell Issa talked out of both sides pro-active things you can do to keep the pressure on of his mouth—telling constituents he wouldn’t sup- Hunter. If, indeed, the Justice Department investigaport the AHCA in its current form while telling his tion leads to federal charges, readers can expect me to colleagues that he would—Hunter was all in when it no longer feel bad for him, but to echo the same “must came to the bill. He made the softball question rounds go” sentiment. on Fox News, sitting down with anchor Eric Bolling last week to say little to nothing about the bill oth —Seth Combs er than it was “good.” When asked why it was good, Write to seth.combs@sdcitybeat.com This issue of CityBeat dedicated to Ted Koppel, who finally told Sean Hannity what we’ve all been thinking for years.

Volume 15 • Issue 35 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

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CONTRIBUTORS Matthew Baldwin, David L. Coddon, Beth Demmon, Andrew Dyer, Tiffany Fox, Michael A. Gardiner, Glenn Heath Jr., Lizz Huerta, Lara McCaffrey, Scott McDonald, Sebastian Montes, Jenny Montgomery, Kinsee Morlan, Jim Ruland, Ben Salmon, Jen Van Tieghem, Amy Wallen, Ian Ward

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4 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · MARCH 29, 2017

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UP FRONT | LETTERS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

GETTING IT RIGHT

Finally someone got into all the details (“Last call,” March 15). Other media and press have only said that bars may go til 4 a.m. and that’s it. From your piece I learned the local community decides, local politico Joel Anderson supports it, choice between 2 a.m. to 4 a.m., etc. Good work.

Sam Chammas South Park

LOVE AND MARRIAGE

Call me old fashioned, but it is my belief that the choice to marry should only be made when two people feel that they are ready to commit their lives to one another. It is a decision that should come after careful thought and consideration, and should not be forced or rushed. Yet as a small business owner with a pre-existing condition, I worry that with the repeal of the Affordable Care Act [“Playing both sides,” March 15), marriage may become my only option if I want to keep my business and still have health coverage.

Though I love my boyfriend and do think we will spend our lives together, I would really like it if our decision to get married could be based on our readiness and love for one another—and not on my need for health insurance.

ALMOST THE BEST FOR LAST

Lindsay Tiers Litt le Italy

I have read CityBeat for many years, and usually get through all my important highlights—the editorial, letters, opinion columns, then finish with film reviews—leaving the music news for the millenials to peruse. Much to my utter surprise a few weeks ago while recycling, I noticed the very last page

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of City Beat. Amazing! This is an advice column like none other I’ve read. The Advice Goddess takes relationship issues seriously, and gives you the sassiest, snarkiest, solid suggestions on how to proceed—all backed-up by valid research and opinions from noted psychologists on the current issue at hand. It’s absolutely refreshing to read and may put a smile on your face or jolt you with an attack of reality. Either way, it’s a cool (new?) column for all readers to enjoy from our treasured CityBeat.

Donna Shanske Bankers Hill

NATIONAL DISGRACE

Thank you for your essential editorial (“JDLR, Part 2,” March 1). It becomes a national disgrace that San Diego City Council ignores recommendations to combat racial profiling. Hopefully that your continued opinions wake up the somnambulant.

Bart Ziegler Golden Hills

WE WANT FEEDBACK 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.

UP FRONT From the Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Spin Cycle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Backwards & In High Heels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Well, That Was Awkward. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

4 5 6 7 8 9

FOOD & DRINK The World Fare. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Anatomy of a Cocktail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 FEATURE: The Beer Issue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-30

THINGS TO DO The Short List. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Calendar of Events. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-14

ARTS & CULTURE Theater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Seen Local. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Film. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33-34

MUSIC FEATURE: Bosswitch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Notes from the Smoking Patio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 If I Were U. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Concerts & Clubs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38-41

LAST WORDS Advice Goddess. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

MARCH 29, 2017 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 5

UP FRONT | NEWS

JAMIE BALLARD

Still threatened

The ACA is safe for now, but changes to health care access would hurt San Diego’s homeless the most

By Jamie Ballard

W

hen Jim Toner first noticed his leg starting to swell, he was naturally worried.

“I was bit by a spider or something like that, and my leg, I don’t know if it got infected or whatever, but it was swollen almost all the way up to my knee,” he said.

Toner lives in the Bishop Maher Center, a transitional housing facility that is part of Father Joe’s Villages. When he realized he was having a medical crisis, he went to the Village Family Health Center, where he said the staff quickly sent him to a hospital.

“Thank God they did that, otherwise...I don’t know. I would have had to get to a hospital somehow, the infection was really bad,” he said.

Under the Affordable Care Act, people like Jim Toner are able to seek medical treatment, thanks to the ACA’s Medicaid expansion program. People whose income is below $15,800 annually are covered, where previously Medicaid had only covered children and pregnant mothers.

This is especially significant for the homeless population, where the highest demographic is the single male, according to Ruth Bruland, the chief program officer at Father Joe’s Villages.

Although the American Health Care Act—which would have severely impacted Medicaid funding —was scrapped on March 24 after House leadership decided not to vote on it, the repeal of the ACA remains a top priority for Republicans.

“ObamaCare will explode and we will all get together and piece together a great healthcare plan for THE PEOPLE. Do not worry!” said President Trump on Twitter the day after the House GOP scrapped their bill.

While the ACA isn’t in the process of exploding, there are now reports that a repeal is back on the table, as well as articles that indicate that the President and House Republicans could chip away at the ACA. Medicaid reform is one such way and the future of the program’s funding remains a serious source of concern for the homeless advo-

6 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · MARCH 29, 2017

A homeless encampment set up on Imperial Avenue cates in San Diego.

“The early indication is that the Medicaid expansion component of the ACA, which made health insurance available to most of the homeless population, is at risk,” said Bruland in an interview before the AHCA was pulled.

If the Medicaid expansion loses funding, the effects could be calamitous for many people, but the homeless population is particularly vulnerable. In San Diego, where homelessness continues to be a chronic issue, the threats to affordable healthcare could not have come at a worse time.

JAMIE BALLARD

Jim Toner is one of thousands of people who relies on the clinic at Father Joe’s Villages for medical care “Bizarrely insensitive” is how Dr. Jeoffry Gordon, who works with Family Health Centers of San Diego in a downtown location connected to a homeless shelter, described the Republican healthcare plan. “It lacks anything caring or sensitive or compassionate. It’s created by numbskulls who have never seen a suffering person.”

Both Bruland and Gordon emphasized the necessity of Medicaid in treating the homeless population.

“If Medicaid expansion can no longer be funded in California, the largest pool of people who are homeless will no longer be insured,” Bruland said.

Before the ACA went into effect, Bruland reports that about 20 percent of their

patient population had insurance, often through other programs that insure the elderly or disabled populations. That number has since skyrocketed to 80 percent under the Medicaid expansion, but Bruland said that number could decrease if Medicaid funding is reduced.

Without Medicaid expansion, the ability of a homeless person to get care often depends on a physician willing to work without pay, which Bruland said is “really really challenging.”

Gordon shared a story about a patient who, like many, could have died without access to critical medical care.

“I treated this guy, a real smart gentleman. He came into the clinic with blood pressure of 180 over 120. That’s strokelevel blood pressure. He came in because he had just been released from prison three days earlier, and just let loose without any medicine or access to care. Because of the ACA, we were able to make sure everything went alright.”

Mental Health programs are also at risk.

Gary Rotto, senior vice president of government and community affairs at Borrego Health and health policy lecturer at San Diego State University, said that if the AHCA had passed, federal funding in California could have decreased by about 12 to 17 billion.

That could “devastate” the state’s ability to offer important mental health programs targeted at the homeless population, Rotto said.

The issues of mental health and substance abuse are also ones that Father Joe’s Villages and Family Health Centers of San Diego have been working to address through various health initiatives.

Bruland said the behavioral health programs were ones that the clinic had been “desperately been wanting to grow with the direction health care seemed to be going under ACA.” And now?

“If the growth of behavioral health fund-

By the numbers: 215: The number of votes that would have been needed to pass the AHCA. Trump says they were “very close” but CBS News reported there were 35 Republicans who would have voted against the bill.

12,000: The number of visits to the Village Family Health Center in 2016.

80 percent: The approximate number of people who visited the clinic and have insurance under ACA. $7.3 million: The amount private donors contributed to Father Joe’s Villages in 2016.

ing isn’t included in whatever the final form of healthcare reform is, more will need to be done with less money available,” she said.

“This is bad timing for San Diego, when our homeless street population is increasing,” she continued.

Rotto said that the county has also been working on a program that addresses mental health issues in the homeless population, along with other concerns.

Given the relative uncertainty of how healthcare reform or Medicaid will pan out, Bruland remained cautious when speaking about which specific aspects of the clinic might suffer, emphasizing that homeless healthcare providers will have to be strategic and perhaps do more with less.

“I think all health care providers right now are strategizing how they can keep care at the level we know it needs to be at,” Bruland said. “Will it be harder? Yeah.

“Whatever happens next, if it’s done with a scalpel, maybe (we can continue our plans).

If it’s done with a hatchet...well, anything that’s done with a hatchet tends to have more repercussions.”

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UP FRONT | OPINION

SPIN

CYCLE

JOHN R. LAMB

April fool’s gold Indecision may or may not be my problem.

—Jimmy Buffett

N

ew research suggests that two earthquake zones snaking along Southern California’s coastal waters actually make up one long fault system capable of unleashing a magnitude 7.4 temblor region-wide. Finally, something the cities of San Diego and Los Angeles can share!

But hey, let’s not get all panicky about the Big One. After all, researchers note that a simultaneous triggering of the seismic components of this mega-fault hasn’t happened in 11,000 years, which would date back to the Conan the Barbarian era, and we are not heading back to… well, let’s not go there.

The more likely seismic activity in San Diego will arrive some time in mid-April, when Mayor

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Kevin Faulconer releases the city’s proposed budget for the coming fiscal year, the first in the era of President Donald “Slash and Burn” Trump.

The annual unveiling—required by the City Charter to occur

by April 15—has been a relative breeze for Faulconer in previous years when the budget numbers were good. This time around, however, all indications suggest that the smiles and back patting of the past will be infrequent and possibly non-existent.

Just how big the deficit will be is anybody’s guess at the moment, but figures ranging from $40 million to $50 million have been bandied about. The San Diego City Council has busied itself rearranging the deck chairs on the sundappled old lady, clearing the way to dip into reserves to weather the choppy waters.

Faulconer, a member of the San

Diego Yacht Club, fancies himself a man of the smooth, open seas in pursuit of endless spectacular sunsets. But when the swells rise and ominous clouds form, this mayor seems to flounder.

He talks compassionately about housing the homeless, but then seems OK when jagged rocks are installed under freeway overpasses while overseeing daily police sweeps of encampments. Faulconer recently noted that homelessness is a state issue, thereby simultaneously downplaying local responsibility while keeping his 2018 gubernatorial ambitions—said to ebb and flow almost daily—in play.

Even his pronouncements against Trump’s proposed border wall seem mired in some political eddy. Traveling to Mexico City this week with a gaggle of local political and business leaders, Faulconer danced around questions about a proposed 20 percent border tax to pay for the wall.

“We want to make it easier for trade,” the San Diego Union-Tribune quoted him saying Monday.

“We want to continue our shared growth... We do not want to have policies that would put that in jeopardy.”

Well no shit, sheriff. “Obviously, there’s a conversation at the national level,” the mayor told KPBS, making the obvious seem

JOHN R. LAMB

Upcoming budget woes might have Mayor Kevin Faulconer pining for his bull-run days. downright sedate. “It’s important for us as local leaders to talk about what’s working on the local level and the fact that we have such strong ties.”

Yes, it’s a marvelous thing that city elites can travel to our southern neighbor’s capital to pose for pictures and shoot the shit about cross-border collaboration, particularly about the literal shit that shoots north of the border anytime our region gets significant rainfall.

But these utterances from the mayor have become so typical that it makes one wonder if Faulconer has run out of ideas. The quotes from Mexico were even a near carbon copy of those he offered a Los Angeles Times reporter back in February for a story that led with Faulconer’s youthful bull-run experience in Pamplona, which he recalled as “probably one of the most exciting, terrifying 45 seconds that I can remember.”

The episode seems incongruous with the 50-year-old version of Faulconer that leads San Diego today, considering the stampede of crises that are piling up in our neck of the woods. From a housing crisis that shows no hint of abating to an infrastructure meltdown recently highlighted by a city lawsuit settlement awarding nearly $5 million to an injured bicyclist, no amount of photo-ops or boosterism will solve these problems.

What if these issues are unsolvable, you might wonder. That’s a real possibility, given San Diego’s local-leadership penchant for overpromising and underperforming. Faulconer seems to be setting himself up for yet another of these moments as he pushes for a November ballot measure to boost the local hotel tax to pay for what his political benefactors consider a top priority: expanding the downtown convention center.

He says the measure would also provide additional revenue to help tackle the city’s mounting infrastructure-repair backlog and get homeless folks off the streets, but nothing on how exactly all these things get accomplished has emanated from the mayor’s office as of yet.

Activist attorney Cory Briggs smells a coming shell game.

“Seems pretty sleazy, even for KF [Faulconer], to use non-existent breadcrumbs for housing and homelessness as the carrot to get voters to approve a conventioncenter tax,” Briggs told Spin.

The mayor is also reportedly serving as the mediator between proponents of a mega-development proposed for the Qualcomm Stadium site that potentially could include an MLS soccer stadium and officials with San Diego State University, Faulconer’s alma mater that envisions a different future on the property.

Several media reports have used the word “impasse” to describe that situation, so it appears that there is little smooth water ahead for Faulconer.

Perhaps Faulconer and Trump are not so far apart, save for the temperament issue. Kevin’s a nice guy, the thinking goes, while Don’s a schmuck. You catch more flies with honey (Faulconer) than vinegar (Trump). But in the end, results will be all that matters.

Maybe all this region needs is a good shaking. Let’s just hope it’s the civic engagement kind and not some massive seismic activity.

But at least then Faulconer could blame Mother Nature for that problem. The others? Those are on his plate, and no amount of jetsetting or pining for higher office will make those go away.

Spin Cycle appears every week.

Write to johnl@sdcitybeat.com

MARCH 29, 2017 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 7

UP FRONT | OPINION

AARYN BELFER

BACKWARDS & IN

HIGH HEELS

Reggie and The System, Part I

W

hen I met Reggie Harmon for the first time, it was over the phone and through a pane of glass at the George F. Bailey Detention Center in Otay Mesa. The district attorney’s office chose to bring a felony charge against 32-year-old Reggie, a black man with a documented history of bipolar disorder, for verbally threatening a clerk at a 99 Cent store last year. The DA gained a quick conviction this past January by a jury of Reggie’s so-called peers (11 white jurors, one black) and, as a result, Reggie is facing 13 years in prison. Seriously. He remains at Bailey today awaiting sentencing.

I had never been to any prison before that warm Monday afternoon a few weeks ago and though my anxiety was under control for the first time in four months—thanks to having seen my psychiatrist in the preceding week and having my medication adjusted—I admit to a swell of big feelings as I drove south on state route 125.

Listening to “Mad” by Solange and following GPS voice commands that I have yet to figure out how to silence, I took the split toward the toll road and quickly found myself alone out there, cruising along a wide, pristine highway that crested, then veered, then declined to reveal a breathtaking scene.

Ahead of me were rolling hills of the brightest green I’ve witnessed in San Diego in Idon’t-know-how-many years.

It was the green that comes after a winter of big rain storms, of pre-drought golf courses.

Clumps of dark green bushes speckled the landscape rolled directly into the the sky which, wouldn’t you know it, offered not a single cloud marring the perfection. It was the blue of sno-cones and Louie-Bloo Raspberry Otter Pops. Of possibility and freedom.

The scene was straight out of a child’s board book, and if that wasn’t enough, as I contemplated the dissonance of what I was seeing and where I was headed, a hawk soared, wings spread, past my view. Clichés abound.

I thought of Reggie then as I imagined him to be, and wondered how often—and then whether—he gets to see the sky. I wondered if he had a window in his cell. I wondered how lack of light and nature might affect his mental health.

I arrived at Bailey planning to meet my friend, Bob, who had gone through the first-timer’s experience one week earlier and was going to hold my hand; I was grateful for that. I decided to skip the up-front parking spots in favor of one less obvious. I didn’t want to be the entitled white person rolling in to take up space front and center like we so often do, like another visitor that day who got out of his classic Toyota Landcruiser and set his stack of papers on the hood of the car parked next to him in which two Hispanic women were waiting to go in for visiting hours.

I didn’t want to be that guy.

I wanted to disappear or, barring that, at least look like maybe I’d done this before. It was pretty obvious, though, that I hadn’t done this before as I found myself among a string of other visitors—including two children, one teenager—who obviously had.

When it was time to go in, the small group of visitors that had gathered in the waiting area walked through a metal detector first, and then a turnstile where a sheriff’s deputy double checked our IDs and directed us to follow a specific colored line painted on the floor, each leading like breadcrumbs to a different housing unit. Soon, it was just Bob and me on the yellow line, walking in silence up a staircase, down a hallway, through a number of turns until the yellow line ended at a metal door.

During this journey inward, the hallways seemed to expand out in front of me and contract again. I imagined walking toward that door, going through it and never being able to come back out. I became tense. I began sweating. I felt sick to my stomach.

I took a breath, swallowed my nausea and Bob opened the door to a space we’ve all seen in movies: There in the joyless room in a joyless place was a glassed-in room divided into ten partitions with a countertop and relic telephone on either side. Each partition had a pair of stainless steel stools bolted to the concrete floor. Bob took his seat at our assigned partition and I sat at the partition next to him. We waited together.

Within minutes, Reggie was sitting before us in his dark blues dialing a code into his phone. Bob spoke first then handed me the receiver, and I immediately forgot all of the questions I wanted to ask. What do you say to someone you’ve never met as you meet them in prison, viewing his humanity through a glass wall?

So I just said hello. I just said, I’m so sorry for what’s happened to you. Or something like that. He thanked me for coming, for caring, for getting involved in his case. I put my hand on the glass and he put his up to mine. And then we started to talk, one person to another. And as he talked graciously, openly—about his son and his daughter and his mom, music he likes, what he’s reading—I thought about Brock Turner, the Stanford swimmer who was caught in the act of raping an unconscious woman who served three months in jail. I thought of Ethan Couch, the Texas teenager who killed four people and seriously injured several others in a drunken driving incident in 2013. He got 10 years probation due to “affluenza.”

Then I asked Reggie, “Do you have a window in your cell?”

He shook his head, “No.” To Be Continued...

I wondered if he had a window in his cell. I wondered how lack of light and nature might affect his mental health.

8 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · MARCH 29, 2017

Write to aarynb@sdcitybeat.com.

Backwards & In High Heels appears every other week.

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UP FRONT | OPINION VOICES

RYAN BRADFORD

WELL THAT WAS

AWKWARD

Raiding an evangelical’s house

T

he waiter puts a steaming plate of chickenfried steak, eggs and potatoes in front of me.

Jesus. It’s heaven. A heaven that—I’m fairly certain—is going to give me diarrhea.

My friend Drew Andrews sits across the table from me, seemingly impervious to the similar mess in front of him. Some people are gifted with ironclad stomachs. Blessed, you could say.

“Would you like some of our handmade salsa?” the waiter asks.

“Yeah, man. That would be great,” Drew says.

Good Lord. Toilet-Deathville, population: me.

The waiter is kind when he delivers my gastronomical death. A little too nice. God’s people, I think. Salt of the Earth. Sure, it’s a condescending way of thinking about the wait staff of Janet’s Montana Diner in Alpine, but certain divine circumstances have brought us out from the godless metropolis of San Diego, and it’s a little difficult to think in secular terms.

A couple nights prior, I received a text from Drew asking if I wanted to come with him to the estate sale of the late Tim LaHaye—famed evangelical Christian minister and co-author of the post-apocalyptic Left Behind series.

“He and [co-author] Jerry Jenkins created the biggest, best-selling End Times fiction in history,” Drew texts. “Jenkins was the writer and LaHaye created the frame work of doctrine that all conservative Christians lean on.

“He’s like Jesus-Stephen King,” Drew adds, putting it in terms that a non-evangelical like me can understand. And, yeah, Drew’s right: Everyone I ask who’s even remotely aware of evangelical Christianity has heard of the Left Behind series.

Now, eating a breakfast that will undoubtedly spell End Times for my stomach, before raiding the estate sale of an End Times author, Drew talks about modern Christianity’s obsession with the end of the world.

“It all started with a book called The Late, Great Planet Earth by Hal Lindsey,” Drew says. He explains that that book was the first to align Biblical prophecies with current events: famines, wars, political turmoil and a European Union that paralleled the Biblical notion of a revived Roman Empire, which Hal Lindsey described as being ruled by the Antichrist.

LaHaye, Drew says—in addition to many other evangelical writers—used Lindsey’s book as a basis for his own integration into pop culture.

Having known Drew for a couple years, I’m acutely aware of his own religious background—including time spent as a youth pastor—and his subsequent fall from God’s grace (hell, it’s practically the main subject of Drew’s super dark book, The Shepherd’s Journals). Because I have a similar history with Mormonism, we often find ourselves chatting about religion

when he’s tending bar at the Whistle Stop, after the partiers have gone home.

We pay our bill. I take one last look at the empty ramekin that formerly contained the handmade salsa—the same salsa that, against all good judgment, I used to saturate my eggs.

Lord, give me strength, I think.

We drive the winding, wooded streets of Alpine until we end up at a dead end feeding into Tim LaHaye’s gated estate. “Compound” is a more apt description. A crowd of early-morning estate salers gathers just on the driveway, lined up according to their ticket number. It’s not the frenzy of religious fanatics that Drew anticipated, but definitely the kind of older enthusiasts that would shank me if I cut in line. Beyond the gate, the woman in charge of organizing the sale watches us like a prison guard, making sure we follow her rules.

“Some people came last night to get their numbers,” she says. “We just want it to be fair.”

There are only, like, 15 people in line, but whatever.

They open the gate, and we swiftly walk to the godly merchandise that awaits us. I briefly consider sprinting ahead to stoke Black Friday-style pandemonium—because, man, how funny would that be? We haven’t even slowed pace before the woman in front of me calls out, “Where’s the jewelry?”

Despite the religious-military complex quality of the property (including a golf cart to navigate between the house, the guest house and some barn-like structure), LaHaye’s house is quite modest. Almost boring. I don’t know what I expected—something bonkers like gold-plated crucifixes as furniture, maybe—but the sterile blandness and outdated TVs could belong to anyone’s grandparents.

We raid the dead man’s belongings: silverware, cleaning supplies, exercise equipment that hasn’t been used in three decades. His personal library is stocked with his own books—no first editions of Left Behind, but I find a book called The Act of Marriage: A Christian Guide to Sexual Love, which he co-wrote with his wife Beverly LaHaye. Hello! I’ve found what I’m buying today.

Drew buys an official Tim LaHaye Bible Trivia game, plus a couple old books from LaHaye’s collection.

“My mom’s going to be stoked,” he says.

Before we leave I take one last look around LaHaye’s bland mansion. Is this what it’s like to achieve spiritual enlightenment, a calm acceptance of the rapture? The opposite of stimulating? Granted, I have not succumbed to my breakfast yet, so maybe he had the right idea.

I find a book called The Act of Marriage: A Christian Guide to Sexual Love…

Hello! I’ve found what I’m buying today.

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Write to ryanb@sdcitybeat.com.

Well, That Was Awkward appears every other week.

MARCH 29, 2017 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 9

UP FRONT | FOOD

BY MICHAEL A. GARDINER

THE WORLD

FARE

It’s not all about the beef

N

orth of the Rio Grande River, Brazilian food’s reputation is all about the beef. You can blame chains like Fogo de Chão for that. Who wouldn’t want all-you-can eat premium meats carved tableside? But all Brazilian food isn’t just churrascaria anymore than all American food is hamburgers. For a taste of what else Brazil has to offer, try Brazil by the Bay (3676 Kurtz Street) in the Midway district.

Brazilian food, like many New World cuisines, is defined by the crashing together of disparate cultures. In Brazil’s case, the clash happened among the indigenous Indian cultures, colonial Portuguese and African slaves (as well as subsequent waves of immigration). The sheer size of the country, its diverse geographies and impenetrable jungles, and the ways in which these factors served to preserve regional dishes and sub-cuisines are also hallmarks of Brazilian food. The result of all this is that there is no single Brazilian cuisine.

But if Brazil does have a “national dish” it would have to be feijoada, a stew of black beans with multiple cuts of pork and beans tracing its origins back to Portugal. It’s a classic example of a food that resulted from poverty, using beans to extend whatever bits of meat—often non-glory cuts, sausage and offal—happen to be on hand. Brazil by the Bay uses none of the later but several different sausages and fresh cuts (six of pork, two of beef) accompanied by rice, collard greens and farofa (manioc flour toasted in fat) for texture. It is a deeply soulful dish that makes time slow even if you’re eating it at a business lunch.

The best dishes at Brazil by the Bay, however, may be the appetizers. Coxinha is mock chicken legs made of shredded chicken, onions and cream cheese coated in dough and molded into a cone

10 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · MARCH 29, 2017

before deep-frying. It may only vaguely resemble a chicken leg, but it is delicious. Brazil’s vinegary molho apimentado hot sauce (malagueta peppers in vinegar) cuts the richness of the dish perfectly. Risoles (fried turnovers really) of hearts of palm are nearly as good. The kibe, North African-influenced deep fried balls of ground beef, wheat and onions, though, were dry and almost inedible.

Moqueca is Brazil’s classic version of fish stew (and a dish I was anxious to try): mild-flavored fish simmered in coconut milk, palm oil and various peppers. It sounded delicious and it looked delicious, with an almost Technicolor yellow hew. Unfortunately, it was bland. Perhaps that’s the best to be expected from Tilapia.

But, truth is, Brazil really does do beef well.

Their favored cut, picanha (rump cap) is covered MICHAEL GARDINER

Risoles, Coxinha and Kibe with a wonderful fatty layer that bastes the beef as it cooks. Brazil by the Bay’s version may not be at the level of dedicated churrascaria spots, but it certainly is good: rich, flavorful, savory and a dip in that molho apimentado brings it to another level.

Brazilian beef is good. There’s a reason we tend to think of it as synonymous with Brazilian food. But it is well worth it to visit Brazil by the Bay to try the broader flavors Brazilian cuisine has to offer.

The World Fare appears weekly.

Write to michaelg@sdcitybeat.com.

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UP FRONT | DRINK

ANATOMY OF A

BY IAN WARD

COCKTAIL SCENE #2: Getting passionate at Sycamore Den

Q

uite often the roads where tradition and innovation meet are muddy.

Bolognese in a bell pepper? Why? What were they thinking? What was the point?

I can think of several Sycamore times when I found myself Den’s at such a crossroads covered Crime of in mud from head to toe. In my Passion experience this seems to be the case even more so in the cocktail world than in that of cuisine. Chefs and cooks tend to come from years of arduous training that lends them the good sense not to mess with tried and true recipes.

However, there is that rare occasion when the new and inventive version of an otherwise traditional recipe turns out to be a perfectly paved road. The “Crime of Passion” at Sycamore Den is such an occasion. In its uninterrupted state, it is a cocktail known as an Army & Navy cocktail, which is a combination of gin, fresh pressed lemon and orgeat syrup. But when the Army & Navy’s traditional components are shaken with a touch of passionfruit and cayenne, they create a slightly tart and spicy, but smooth libation. This has a lot to do with the cocktail’s creator, Sycamore Den’s Jesse Ross, who used to work at Noble Experiment. For those unfamiliar with Noble Experiment, it’s possibly the bar equivalent to those years of arduous training that chefs have to endure.

I was sent in the direction of Ross after asking some trusted bartender friends for their favorite riffs on Tiki-inspired cocktails. The last column I wrote centered around a delicious Tiki-esque cocktail called “The Hunter S. Thompson” at Lion’s Share and, out of curiosity, I was searching for another cocktail in this town with a similar flavor profile. Jesse Ross kept coming up as did the high regard for the cocktail menu at Sycamore Den (3391 Adams Ave.). The Army & Navy cocktail is

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easily one of my favorite drinks and it turned out it was one of Ross’ favorites from working at Noble Experiment.

“When you think tropical flavors like passionfruit, a lot of people tend to go the rum route. I was exploring other avenues with passionfruit and was curious how it would pair with gin,” Ross said when I asked him how he came to create the cocktail.

This curiosity inevitably collided with tradition and the “Crime Of Passion” was born. For me, it was a version of an Army & Navy that maintains the integrity of the original while adding some tropical tartness, not to mention it comes accented with an orange slice sprinkled with Tajin. And for those worried about the presence of cayenne, it is hardly the dominant flavor. The cocktail menu at Sycamore Den is about to change, but Ross says the “Crime Of Passion” will remain on the menu due to popular demand.

Anatomy of a Cocktail Scene appears every other week.

Write to ianw@sdcitybeat.com

“CRIME OF PASSION” as found at Sycamore Den

• 1 ½ oz. of Beefeater Gin • ¾ oz. of Fresh Pressed Lemon Juice • ¾ oz. of Passion Fruit Syrup with a touch of Cayenne •½ oz. of L’Orgeat Combine all ingredients in a shaker tin filled with ice. Shake and strain into a double rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish with a slice of orange dusted with Tajin.

MARCH 29, 2017 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 11

SHORTlist

EVENTS

ART

the

THREE YOU HAVE TO SEE

COORDINATED BY

SETH COMBS

POINT LOMA

1 BORDER BLISS

While some San Diegans may not siasts, collectors and gallery owners can enjoy a think to extend their appreciation for Latin cul- number of diverse works that aim to strengthen our ture further than half-priced margaritas, there’s an heritage and sense of belonging in this important abundance of art, music and culture that awaits us and strong border region.”

COURTESY OF THE LATIN AMERICAN ART FESTIVAL Patrons will be able south of the border. to take in all this art Still, traveling the from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. world to see all this on Saturday, April culture could get pric1 and Sunday, April ey and that’s where the 2. In addition to the the Latin American rows upon rows of viArt Festival comes in. sual art rom hundreds The annual fest—held of artists, there will at the Liberty Station also be plenty of other Arts District (2825 things to see, do and Dewey Road)—started consume. There will three years ago with be food at a Chefs of a simple mission: to Latin Cuisine showbring the best of Baja Latin American Art Festival case, a Mexican beer arts to San Diego.

However, Casa Valencia Galería assistant Danya and wine garden and a variety of live performances Ramos says the festival has expanded its mission to including music from violinist Marilú Salinas and dance from Folkloric Peruvian Dance. Finally, there include all of Latin America.

“We wanted to give a base to all of Latin Amer- will be a series of talks and conferences beginning ica,” Ramos says. “Last year, we had 60 exhibitors Wednesday, March 29 and happening throughand this year we have 82 so it gets bigger every out the weekend on topics such as “Marketing for Artists” and “What do Museums Expect from Latin year.”

“This is the only Festival of its kind in South- Artists.”

While the food, drinks and discussions range in ern California,” adds festival co-founder Alejandra Enciso. “Our goal is to showcase the artistic expres- price, the fest and performances are free. See the sion of the Latin American community. Art enthu- full lineup at latinamericanartfestival.com.

GASLAMP

GASLAMP

2 VIVA VICE!

Love and comedy are brought together in Filipino comedian Vice Ganda’s comedy concert “Pusuan Mo si Vice Ganda sa America” (You Have to Heart/Like Vice Ganda in America), but not in the cheesy rom-com way where two people hate each other in the beginning of the movie but end up falling in love by the end. More in a truly funny way where observational comedy, situational irony and sarcasm are used to take jabs at human sexuality. As a comedian, actor and recording artist, Ganda will not only be doing stand-up comedy but is also including a musical number in his show. This concert will be held at the Civic Theater on Friday, March 31 at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $58 to $125 at sandiegotheaters.org.

3 GENDER BENDING

We’ve been huge fans of artist Noé Olivas ever since he was chosen for a Creative Catalyst grant back in 2015. Since then, much of his focus has been on his Untitled Space art truck, but his new solo show at the SDAI Project Space inside Horton Plaza (141 Horton Plaza) is just as compelling. Titled la/el/ellas/ellos/ usted quinceañera/o, the exhibition will focus on gender and stereotyping via quinceañera dresses constructed out of atypical materials like burlap and lace. The result is a highly provocative statement on the regression of gender roles and machismo within the Mexican and Latin American community. The exhibition opens Friday, March 31 from 6 to 8 p.m. and will be open Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. through April 30. sandiego-art.org

COURTESY OF THE ARTIST

HRandom Thoughts at Athenaeum Music & Arts Library, 1008 Wall St., La Jolla.

San Diego artist Steve Gibson will be showing abstract paintings and drawings from the past seven years. Opening from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, March 31. Free.

858-454-5872, ljathenaeum.org Hchronicles... a solo art exhibition at City Hall Gallery, 505 S. Vulcan Ave., Encinitas. Artist Michelle D. Ferrera will showcase raw snapshots of loved ones and strangers created with a number 2 pencil on wood. Opening from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, March 31. Free. mdferrera.com Hla/el/ellas/ellos/usted quinceañera/o at SDAI Project Space, 141 Horton Plaza, Gaslamp. Local artist Noé Olivas will present new work that focuses on gender and stereotyping via quinceañera dresses constructed out of atypical materials. Opens from 6 to 8 p.m Friday, March 31. Free. sandiego-art.org HDiverge / Convene: Contemporary Mixed Media at San Diego Art Institute, 1439 El Prado, Balboa Park. The group exhibition highlights artists of all media working in the liminal spaces not easily defined by traditional collage or assemblage work. Artists include Wick Alexander, Jessica McCambly, Eva Struble and dozens more. Opening from 6 to 8 p.m.

Saturday, April 1. $5. 619-236-0011, sandiego-art.org HTabula Rasa at Quint Gallery, 5171 Santa Fe St., Suite H, Bay Ho. A solo exhibition for San Francisco Bay Area artist Chris Thorson, who casts everyday objects, sometimes destroying the original, recasts them and then paints them realistically. Includes a music performance from the band Floodflower. Opening from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday, April 1. Free. 858-4543409, quintgallery.com HLatin American Art Festival at Liberty Station Arts District, 2825 Dewey Road, Point Loma. The annual fest will feature dozens of exhibitors from Baja and all over Latin America. Also includes food, a beer garden and panel discussions throughout the week. From 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, April 1 and Sunday, April 2. Free. latinamericanartfestival.com

BOOKS HNeil Gaiman at the San Diego Civic Theatre, 1100 Third Ave., Gaslamp. The fantasy writer will discuss his career as well as his new book, Norse Mythology. At 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 29. $25. 619570-1100, sandiegotheatres.org Estelle Gilson with Elio Schaechter at Warwick’s Bookstore, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. Schaechter will discuss and sign her translation of Umberto Saba’s Ernesto. At 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 30. Free.

858-454-0347, warwicks.com Dan Negroni at Warwick’s Bookstore, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. As part of Warwick’s ongoing Weekend with Locals program, Negroni will sign and discuss his self-empowerment book, Chasing Relevance. At noon Sunday, April 2. Free.

858-454-0347, warwicks.com Elizabeth Letts at Georgina Cole Library, 1250 Carlsbad Village Drive, Carlsbad.

The New York Times bestselling author will be speaking about her book, The Perfect Horse, which recounts the full story of the horses seized by Hitler to create an equine war machine. At 2 p.m. Sunday, April 2.

Free. adventuresbythebook.com

DANCE Dancing with Our Stars at California Center for the Arts, 340 N. Escondido Blvd.,

Vice Ganda 12 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · MARCH 29, 2017

Noé Olivas

H = CityBeat picks

Escondido. The second annual fundraiser uses local community and business leaders to mimic the popular dancing reality TV show. Plus, a silent auction and post-show party. At 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 1. $27$175. 800-988-4253, artcenter.org

MUSIC The New Bach Trio at Athenaeum Music & Arts Library, 1008 Wall St., La Jolla. The threesome will present a special “Bach Birthday Celebration,” with cellist Dmitry Kouzov, pianist Tao Lin and violinist Wanchi Huang performing solo, duo and trio works by J. S. Bach. At 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 30. $45. 858-454-5872, ljathenaeum.org HSongs for a New Year at Museum of Photographic Arts, 1649 El Prado, Balboa Park. The Prosecco Players, a new performance troupe, kicks off their inaugural season with an evening of works by famed American musical theatre composer Jason Robert Brown. At 7:30 p.m., Friday, March 31. $5 suggested donation. 619238-7559, mopa.org Max Raabe and Palast Orchester at Balboa Theatre, 868 Fourth Ave., Downtown. The Berlin-based singer and orchestra channel big band cabaret from central Germany during the ‘20s and ‘30s. At 8 p.m. Friday, March 31. $23-$73. 619570-1100, sandiegotheatres.org Russia and Paris at Copley Symphony Hall, 750 B St., Downtown. A program presenting a crossover between Russian and French composers including Debussy, Stravinsky, Shostakovich and Ravel. At 8 p.m. Saturday, April 1 and 2 p.m. Sunday, April 2. $20-$96. 619-235-0804, sandiegosymphony.org HMariachi Festival at California Center for the Arts, 340 N. Escondido Blvd., Escondido. The fourth annual festival returns with music by The First Ladies of Mariachi, Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles and more.

An earlier VIP reception offers tequila and tacos. At 3 p.m. Sunday, April 2. $20$75. 800-988-4253, artcenter.org HVive la France! at The Auditorium at TSRI, 10620 John J Hopkins Drive, La Jolla.

A dedication to French composers, including Philippe Gaubert, Jean Françaix and Maurice Ravel, as part of the Chamber Music Series. At 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 4. $35. 619-235-0804, sandiegosymphony.org 1st Marine Division Band at California Center for the Arts, 340 N. Escondido Blvd., Escondido. Camp Pendleton’s finest musicians play a wide selection of music during their annual performance. At 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 4 and Wednesday, April 5. Free. RSVP required. 800-9884253, artcenter.org

PERFORMANCE HVice Ganda at Civic Theatre, 1100 Third Ave., Downtown. The actor and comedian presents a concert about loving, healing and moving on in Pusuan Mo si Vice Ganda sa America. Translation: You Have to Heart/Like Vice Ganda in America. At 8 p.m. Friday, March 31. $23-$125. 619570-1100, sandiegotheatres.org HBrain Candy Live at Balboa Theatre, 868 Fourth Ave., Downtown. TV personality Adam Savage and YouTube star Michael Stevens team up for an interactive performance using three tons of toys and tools in mind-bending demonstrations. At 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 5. $39-$77.

619-570-1100, sandiegotheatres.org

POETRY & SPOKEN WORD HVAMP: Lost in Translation at Whistle Stop, 2236 Fern St., South Park. So Say

EVENTS CONTINUED ON PAGE 14 @SDCITYBEAT

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March 29, 2017 · San Diego CityBeat · 13

AFTER DARK: ABOUT LAST NIGHT

EVENTS COURTESY OF THE ARTIST AND QUINT GALLERY

Culture vultures

“When it moves to the point of making fun of, it’s offensive,” says Jack. However, she also advises t this point, most readers are woke enough to against assuming that all trends bastardize culture. know that a headdress is unacceptable music “You have to be really careful thinking that physifestival fashion. But in the absence of Native cal dress in itself is a personal statement for dissing American tribal wear, East and South Asian-inspired another culture or community.” trends sprouted. Throughout the past few festival The responsibility of avoiding cultural approseasons, more people have taken to traditional Chi- priation should be proactive, starting with designers nese garb, cooled off under the ARLENE COLLECTIVE who need to be sensitive when shade of a parasol and have behandling cultures that aren’t gun accessorizing with bindis. their own.

“When does it become culOften, the respectability of tural appropriation?” asks JoAnn an homage depends on whether Jack, who taught at the Fashion trends are a celebration or misInstitute of Design and Merchanrepresentation of culture, dedising’s San Diego campus for 10 manding research as part of the years and who struggles to find a design process. But companies clear answer. like Forever 21 and Zara thrive As Fordham University Law on cashing in quickly on rapidlyprofessor Susan Scafidi explained changing trends and are therefore to Jezebel, cultural appropriation CRSSD Festival 2016 unlikely to have conversations is “taking intellectual property, about what is potentially disretraditional knowledge, cultural expressions or artifacts spectful, Jack says. from someone else’s culture without permission.”

“It’s about what does a trend source say, how fast Jack agrees, but also think that trends can go too can I make it, I’ll go ahead and present it and make it, far when there’s a movement created. and I’ll ask for forgiveness later,” Jack says.

In 2015, the hashtag #reclaimthebindi surfaced With the fashion industry too busy worrying and scorned Coachella-goers for appropriating the about profits, the liability falls on the shopper and Hindu tradition. But, the internet has been relative- those around who need to keep the festival scene in ly calm about the rise of Japanese kimonos in pop check, if need be. culture, except for bursts of outrage regarding Katy “It is on the consumer and those attendees or Perry’s geisha-inspired performance in 2013 and fans to kind of police this,” Jack says. “If it’s wrong, the Boston Museum of Fine Art’s Kimono Wednes- go out and say it’s wrong.” days in 2015.

—Torrey Bailey

A “Tabula Rasa (Do Not Bite!)” will be on view at Tabula Rasa, a solo show opening from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, April 1, at Quint Gallery (5171 Santa Fe St., Suite H) in Bay Ho. We All’s monthly storytelling night features stories about the varying ways in which we don’t understand or when someone else doesn’t understand us.

From 8:30 to 10 p.m. Thursday, March 30. $5 suggested donation. 619-2846784, sosayweallonline.com

SPECIAL EVENTS San Diego Tartan Day Festival at International Cottages, 2191 West Pan American Road, Balboa Park. A celebration of the culture, food and music of Scotland.

Food and desserts at reasonable prices, clan and vendor booths, pipe bands and dancing. From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 1. Free. 619-234-0739, sdhpr.org

HA Celebration for the Animals at basileIE Gallery, 2070 Logan Ave., Barrio Logan. The Humane League’s gala will feature the best-selling author and animal activist Kathy Freston. VIP includes a plant-based dinner with the speaker at Kafe Sobaka. From 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, April 1. $75-$550. 831-331-3072, thehumaneleague.com

SPORTS HTurista Libre: Tijuana Toros Opening Day at Turista Libre Meeting Spot, 727 E. San Ysidro Blvd., San Ysidro.

Join Turista Libre and cheer on the minor league baseball stars of the Liga Norte de Mexico. Round-trip transportation included. At 6 p.m. Friday, March 31. $25.

858-754-9406, turistalibre.com

14 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · MARCH 29, 2017

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March 29, 2017 · San Diego CityBeat · 15

THEATER A cure for Depression

DAREN SCOTT

T

he exclamation point in the title of the great Clifford Odets’ Awake and Sing! is fitting. On the surface, this Depression-era play appears to be the story of a struggling Jewish family in the Bronx, but it’s really an exhortation of self-determination. When Grandpa Jacob (Eric Poppick), a dedicated Marxist with a ferocity for justice, inspires grandson Ralph (J. Tyler Jones) to rebel against the Berger family order and in particular matriarch Bessie (Sandy Campbell), the already-tense household is throttled.

New Village Arts’ production of the 82-year-old Awake and Sing! is, ����������� according to the Carlsbad-based company, its San Diego professional premiere. Kristianne Kurner directs an exquisite complementary cast, which this ensemble play absolutely demands. As Awake and Sing!’s philosophical adversaries, Poppick and Campbell are equally commanding and transcend the play’s occasional heavy-handedness, which sometimes undercuts characters like Ralph and the Bergers’ war-vet boarder Moe Axelrod (Max Macke). Also quite affecting in this interior drama is Anna Rebeck as daughter Hennie who, like her brother Ralph, is yearning to breathe free.

Awake and Sing runs through April 16 at New Village Arts Theatre in Carlsbad. $36; newvillagearts.org

16 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · MARCH 29, 2017

OPENING: Into the Beautiful North: The world premiere of Karen Zacarías’ new play about a young Mexican who travels to the U.S. in hopes of finding men who will help him fight the banditos taking over his town. Presented by San Diego Repertory Theatre, it opens March 30 at the Lyceum Stage in the Gaslamp. sdrep.org First Date: A musical comedy about a blind date where the two main characters’ inner issues are manifested into the patrons at the restaurant. Presented by San Diego Musical Theatre, it opens March 31 at the Horton Grand Theatre in the Gaslamp. sdmt.org

Sandy Campbell and J. Tyler Jones in Awake and Sing!

I

n the unwritten manual on how to tell a deconstructed, revisionist story of the American West��������������� , it must specify that the either the atmosphere or the characters be grim, even lurid. Beth Henley’s Abundance, set in the Wyoming Territory in the late 1860s, doesn’t fully embrace its melodrama until the second act, but when it does, it does so in startling ways. Before then, though, it serves up two unsavory homesteaders, one unrelentingly mean (Francis Gercke) and the other one-eyed and bloodless (Brian Mackey). But the two mail-order brides who arrive on the scene, plucky Macon (Jacque Wilke) and naïve Bess (Jessica

John), are, in different ways, sympathetic from the start. Henley’s tale of the cruelty of misguided unions and the fruitlessness of dreams in the Old West is humbling, but the Backyard Renaissance production gives the play a kind of tenacious lyricism. Even better, moving performances

by Wilke and John put a human face on a terrible landscape.

Abundance runs through April 2 at Moxie Theatre in Rolando. $15-$30; backyardrenaissance.com

—David L. Coddon

Theater reviews run weekly.

Write to davidc@sdcitybeat.com.

Flemming (An American Thriller): In Sam Bobrick’s dark comedy, a broker sells his firm to become a detective only to find his first case hits a little too close to home. Presented by Scripps Ranch Theatre, it opens March 31 at the Legler Benbough Theatre in Scripps Ranch. scrippsranchtheatre.org The Geeze and Me: The world premiere musical centers on the pitfalls of aging. Presented by Rag Lady Productions, it opens March 31 at the Tenth Avenue Arts Center in Downtown. thegeezeandme. com South of the 8: An interview-based new work based on the lives and experiences of five diverse locals. Directed and co-written by Sara Zatz, it opens for three performances March 31 at the City Heights Performance Annex. lajollaplayhouse.org Finding Neverland: The Broadway musical about real-life playwright J.M. Barrie, whose relationship with a widowed mother and her children inspire him to write Peter Pan. Presented by Broadway San Diego, it opens April 4 at the San Diego Civic Theatre in the Gaslamp. broadwaysd.com

For full listings, visit “Theater” at sdcitybeat.com

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TORREY BAILEY

CULTURE | THEATER

Phil Johnson, Will Cooper and Ruff Yeager hil Johnson and Ruff Yeager have been down this road before, raising money and putting up their own to bring a shared dream to fruition. In 2015, just two years after their genre-bending play She-Rantulas From Outer Space in 3D wowed audiences at Diversionary Theatre in University Heights, Johnson and Yeager marshaled the resources to take their baby to the prestigious off-center New York Fringe Festival in Manhattan, where, again, She-Rantulas was a critical hit.

Now, with the same brand of initiative and entrepreneurship, Johnson and Yeager are launching a new nonprofit San Diego theater company and calling themselves the Roustabouts. There’s also a third Roustabout: playwright Will Cooper, who’s based out of both Chicago and San Diego and whose piquant drama Jade Heart was a highlight of local Moxie Theatre’s 2014 season.

“We’re three pals making theater,” says Johnson, sitting down with his co-founders recently in Diversionary Theatre’s lobby.

“We all have our own perspective. I think it’ll make a delicious stew.”

The Roustabouts, who will open their inaugural season on April 15 at Horton Plaza’s Lyceum Theatre with the world premiere of Cooper’s Margin of Error, are the latest in a growing number of ambitious new theater producers on the San Diego scene. The last three years alone have seen the arrival of New Fortune Theatre Company, Backyard Renaissance Theatre Company and the reboot of the bygone Sledgehammer Theatre. Like the others, the Roustabouts

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will, for now, operate without a permanent venue to call their own. Following Margin of Error’s Lyceum run, the Roustabouts’ summertime repertory pairing of Johnson’s and Omri Schein’s Withering Heights and Jane Wagner’s one-woman show The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe will be staged at Diversionary.

While they might not have a theater home to call their own, the Roustabouts triumvirate say they’re much more interested in being a home to San Diego’s talented actors, directors, playwrights and designers.

“We’re interested in nurturing local artists,” says Yeager, a longtime playwright, director and actor in San Diego who will star in Margin of Error. “That’s someplace where our community is lacking. There’s still kind of a stigma about ‘I’m from San Diego.’ There are a lot of important voices here. We have valid things to say. San Diego theatre can be a bit insular. We can go beyond that. How can we affect the national conversation?”

The Roustabouts’ mission is to produce new works as well as “fresh takes” on classics, Yeager says, but he added that there’s more to it than that.

“It’s not just new work, but work for artists in our community.” Margin of Error’s production team, for example, will include director Rosina Reynolds, set designer Sean Fanning and sound designer Melanie Chen, all San Diego fixtures.

“We have a great theater scene here,” says Johnson, who has been a popular figure on that scene for nearly 20 years. “We plan to look into local people, who are great.”

Even with well-known artists such as Johnson and Yeager, along with the wellrespected Cooper, at the helm, the launch of a new theater company in town is a bold and even risky proposition. Yet the trio is undaunted.

“Many playwrights would love to have a home and want to develop and present things,” says Cooper. “I know that Phil and Ruff have the talent and experience to make it work. So I jumped at the chance to be involved. I really came into this because we share a vision and we want to fulfill ourselves creatively. We’re supporting each other and assuring each other’s goals are met.”

Yeager is mindful of the economics of the Roustabouts’ undertaking. They all are.

“By doing smaller plays,” Yeager says, “like Phil’s Withering Heights, we can afford to produce and to build writers’ reputations.”

As for attracting audiences this initial season, Johnson says, with a smile, “We have a nice circle of people who will come to almost anything we do.”

The Roustabouts are confident that will be the case with the suspenseful drama Margin of Error.

“We had a reading of it at Moxie and I was totally wiped out by it,” Johnson says.

“I wanted it on stage right then. It packed a big fat wallop.”

“It’s going to be the kind of work we (the Roustabouts) do,” adds Yeager. “It’s intelligent. It’s dynamic. It’s theatrical. And it requires excellent actors, designers and a director. It sets a high bar for us.”

All three Roustabouts are excited to have as the production’s director Rosina Reyn-

olds, who Cooper praises for having “just the right insight” into his play and who Johnson says “has such a grasp of the emotional— and she’s an incredibly smart person.”

“She’s also very honest,” Yeager chimes in. “New work needs honesty.”

That honesty is something these three, all of them writers at heart, aim to inject into the Roustabouts’ plays.

“For me, being a writer and an actor and a director has been such a gift in understanding storytelling,” Johnson says. “It’s always about communicating. I don’t think there’s anything better than what we do: understanding. I love understanding what makes people think.”

Yeager recalls his childhood in the Ozarks and how it influenced his creativity.

“I grew up around storytellers,” he says.

“That’s how we used to spend Sunday afternoons after dinner. I would sit there in rapt attention listening to my great-grandfather ‘lie’ to us. They were fish stories.

“Now I’m at a point in my life where, as a writer, I’m ready step up to the plate and say some important things.”

Sounding humble about the weightiness of his work, Cooper says, “I don’t consider myself to have a particular ax to grind. I just want to tell good stories.”

Stories that endure, too.

“I look forward to the plays having a life beyond this,” says Johnson. “We want to provide new material that you’ll be hearing about, things that are provocative and well done. Watching each other come up with something and it becoming real is what’s exciting, and frightening, and fantastic.”

MARCH 29, 2017 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 17

CULTURE | ART SETH COMBS

SEEN LOCAL TO SEE OR NOT TO SEE: UCSD OPEN STUDIOS 2017

S

ome people look forward to Christmas. Some people look forward to new iPhones. For me, however, one of the highlights of my year is when UC San Diego grad-student artists open up their studios to show off what they’ve been working on for the past year. The Open Studios showcase (ucsdopenstudios.com) has consistently been a unique opportunity to view up-and-coming talents. I’ve discovered some of my favorite artists there (Stefani Byrd, Morgan Mandalay, Audrey Hope and Kara Joslyn, to name a few recent examples) and it also offers patrons a rare window into the artistic process. Of the 19 or so artists who showcased this year, here are just a few that stood out to me and who, I hope, will be making art in San Diego long after graduation.

Yasmine K. Kasem: I found Kasem’s work to be both startling and candid in its statements on religion, culture and, especially, femininity. An EgyptianAmerican from, of all places, Kokomo, Indiana (often credited with being one of the places where the Ku Klux Klan started), Kasem uses materials such as fabric, stone, bronze and steel to create sculptural pieces and busts of women in traditional dress such as hijabs, burkas or niqabs. The results are both engaging and intimidating; a rebellion against western notions of what womanhood is supposed to look like, as well a rejection of what Islamic art is and isn’t supposed to be. Kasem is proud to be of mixed-race descent and said she wants to “embrace being a first-generation” American. However, she’s doing this by confronting the stigmas and misconceptions of both cultures and we’re all better for it. yasminekkasem.com SETH COMBS

Works by Corey Dunlap Trevor Amery: To be honest, I was already familiar with Amery’s work before the Open Studios event.

I had seen his “Cactus to Clouds” piece at a recent group show at the San Diego Art Institute and had a conversation with him about his recent “Baidarka” performance and photography piece that included a roadtrip to Alaska to launch a bairdarka kayak into the waters of Alaska. It would be convenient to classify Amery as a maker and sculptor whose primary medium is wood, but his work also attempts to convey complex narratives about humanity’s relationships with nature via something that more resembles performance art. Case in point: In his studio he showed me sculptural woodcuttings that illustrated a recent near-death experience he had during a recent show in Miami when his kayak overturned in the ocean. The

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Yasmine K. Kasem pieces were still incomplete but one could still make out the ominous wave-like patterns and the calm, smooth surface underneath, both appearing to be equally dangerous. trevor-amery.com Corey Dunlap: I saw Dunlap’s work at the 2016 Open Studios and went from being strangely fascinated then to decidedly enamored this year. Taking hints from grid artists Sol LeWitt and surrealists like Dalí, Dunlap’s work is, quite literally, guttural in nature.

“The main inspiration is the body,” Dunlap said, of the digitally rendered print pieces of brightly colored tracts splayed on the prints like intestinal offerings to a pastel god. There is a level of playfulness to the pieces, which often incorporate geometrical torus shapes as well, and the choice of colors harkens back to ‘80s pop art movements like the Memphis Group, but make no mistake, Dunlap is a serious artist who deserves local and national attention. coreypatrickdunlap.com Paolo Zuñiga: Zuñiga used to play in a couple of my favorite local bands (Irradio and Marquez!), and while I could write an entire paragraph on how the latter band never got the attention they deserved, it’s nice to see Zuñiga focusing primarily on filmmaking after seeing some of his early music videos. In his studio, I enjoyed snippets and excerpts from a work-in-progress documentary called There’s Only One Me, which centers on Félix, a U.S. military vet who was deported and now lives in Tijuana. It was hard to look away from the footage and I found myself mesmerized by Félix’s tangential, bizarre and sometimes enlightened worldview. “The idea is to turn this into something that flows between fiction and non-fiction,” said Zuñiga, adding that he’d like to create visuals to accompany Félix’s stories. I’m very much looking forward to seeing the finished product. paolozuniga.com Lisa Korpos: Anyone who knows me knows that I love animals. Korpos had the distinction of being the only artist who had live animals (in this case, rats) in her studio as part of her work. On the surface, it would appear as if Korpos was simply incorporating the rats into fantastical sculptural work, but a deeper look reveals an artist who is incorporating a background in cognitive science to make engrossing statements on sentience and sensory capabilities. Traversing the line between scientific and artistic experimentation, Korpos dubs her work as “transpecies art interventions” that will incorporate video, sculpture, installation, performance work and, yes, animals. Some may see it as cutesy, but I found it to be one of the more enlightening experiences of the day. lisakorpos.com

—Seth Combs @SDCITYBEAT

onestly, what more is there to say about beer? Our city loves it and seems to have an unparalleled and insatiable appetite for anything hoppy. We love it so much, we’ll wake up at dawn on a Saturday just to go wait in line and just so we can get a taste of a limited edition keg. We love it so much, that places like L.A. and Denmark are poaching our brewers. We love it so much we’ve won more medals than Michael Phelps and have more tasting rooms than Napa. We love it so much we’re building a freakin’ beer hotel!

Beer: it’s what we do and we do it well. And just when we think we’re living in a proverbial beer bubble that’s about to burst, a fresh face will break into the scene with some mind-blowing concoction that further cements our reputation as the beer destination. Still, we’ll leave the fluffy listicles and PR-driven drivel about the beer scene to other publications. This issue isn’t just about beer. It’s about the trends, the people and the behind-the-scenes actions that make us proud to live in what has truly become America’s Finest Beer City.

Sorry Portland. Sorry Milwaukee. Sorry Germany. Kiss the ring.

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—Seth Combs MARCH 29, 2017 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 19

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March 29, 2017 · San Diego CityBeat · 21

huck Silva was the brewmaster at Green Flash Brewing Company for over a decade, but he is so much more than that. He’s the creator of Green Flash’s iconic West Coast IPA, as well as his namesake Silva Stout and Great American Beer Fest gold medalwinning Belgian imperial IPA Le Freak.

He’s also an all-around local brewing legend and left a void in the San Diego brewing scene when he ventured northward to the heart of wine country in order to open Silva Brewing (525 Pine St., Suite B, Paso Robles). The brewery shares a space with the independent craft beer bar The Pour House.

Paso Robles is better known for its vineyards and rolling hills than for being a craft beer destination, despite the 21-year presence of renowned brewery Firestone Walker Brewing Company, the company behind Velvet Merlin oatmeal stout and many other award-winning releases. With a smattering of other microbreweries and the addition of Silva Brewing, Paso Robles isn’t exactly poised to become the next COURTESY OF SILVA BREWING

Chuck & MJ Silva at Central Coast Distributing

big beer city, but the quaint Central Coast town has already welcomed the former San Diegan and his business partner/wife MJ into the fold.

“MJ and I are living the dream—which I have to remind myself sometimes because what we’re doing definitely isn’t easy, even with the experience we both have,” says Silva, who originally hails from San Luis

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Obispo. With merely two employees and a modestlysized facility (1,500 square feet includes both the tasting room and brewhouse), plus a 1,000 barrel per year capacity, their focus on small-batch offerings reflects the small, but growing craft beer scene in San Luis Obispo County.

“There is a burgeoning craft beer scene [in Paso Robles] that is also surrounded by a wine culture, which more closely resembles the craft beer scene in San Diego,” Silva says. “The small-town vibe is pretty nice and the tourism in Paso adds a fun element as people seek out local beer, wine and distilled spirits.”

Despite a similarly heavy reliance on tourists stopping by their 333-square-foot tasting room for the bulk of their service, Silva recognizes the stark differences between the San Diego and Paso Robles craft beer industries.

“I still regard San Diego as ‘Beer Mecca’ with the sheer number of breweries and the diversity of beer offerings,” Silva says. “[However], it does seem that the area is saturated with breweries and competition has elevated, especially when you see breweries opening additional tasting room locations that compete with the local craft beer bars. I’ve also noticed there have been closings, which I suppose is inevitable when competition becomes more fierce.”

Silva Brewing officially opened its doors in December 2016 and has released 10 different recipes to date. In the future, fans can expect a continuously rotating list of brews, including iterations of his signature West Coast-style IPAs, barrel-aged options and a smoked porter brewed in collaboration with Colby Chandler from Ballast Point. This particular collaboration will be available at Ballast Point Little Italy at the end of March, but Silva also confirmed he’d like to explore more collaborations in the future as well as increase his output.

“We intend to expand, doubling in size. We’re still soul searching regarding how big we want to be overall,” Silva says.

Although Silva Brewing beers aren’t officially distributed in San Diego (yet), an unofficial keg run to Round Table Pizza (6110 Friars Road, Suite 111) earlier this month was the city’s first introduction to their offerings. Thirsty locals can also look forward to Silva Brewing taps appearing at beer-centric bars such as Hamilton’s Tavern (1521 30th St.), Small Bar (4628

CHUCK SILVA CONTINUED ON PAGE 30 @SDCITYBEAT

he craft beer industry has transformed a lot in the months since CityBeat first covered the San Diego hazy IPA trend. Now it seems it’s all anyone can talk about. Local breweries such as Pure Project, Mikkeller and Abnormal have die-hards lined up for hours to get their hands on the latest “Northeast style” IPA. Modern Times has also been releasing a series of the beers via its website.

These beers, unlike traditional West Coast-style IPAs, are not bitter and feature a soft, pillowy mouthfeel that distinguishes them enough to get people to sacrifice their Saturday mornings to wait in lines.

But just as with many trends, there has been a backlash. The hazy appearance of these beers has some brewers, long taught that clarity was important, scratching their heads.

“Overall I see the trend moving in a direction that’s scary,” says Cosimo Sorrentino, a well-respected local brewer who recently left his long-time gig at Monkey Paw and South Park Brewing.

“All the sudden it’s not about the quality anymore,” he says. “It’s about how the beer looks in a glass and how the can looks that it comes in.”

Brian Mitchel recently opened his own brewery, Pariah Brewing, in North Park. He has been an outspoken critic of the trend, and agrees with Sorrentino’s criticism. “[People] are buying more for aesthetic rather than taste, aroma or cleanliness—things we associate with quality beer.”

Sorrentino doesn’t think the beers should even be called “IPA” at all.

“They have nothing to do with India,” he says. “I’d prefer they were called ‘hazy oat pale ales,’ or ‘Vermont style oat ales.’”

Sorrentino says he enjoys some examples of the style, but thought some breweries were taking advantage of the trend just to make a buck.

“There’s people pushing it too far and throwing a bunch of flour in, putting it in a can and taking a bunch of pictures then selling it for $20 a four-pack,” he says. “It’s beer that isn’t very good to start with and isn’t going to be good in a week. That’s not cool.”

Brewers adding flour to beers has long been a topic on social media and rarely taken seriously, but Sorrentino says he’s seen people do it.

“I won’t tell you who,” he says, “but I have been in breweries when they’ve done it. There are absolutely people adding flour into the boil—straight into the fermenter—and packaging it just to get some more protein and more haze. It’s appropriate if done the right way and you get it to stay in suspension. That’s very different than picking it up and being able to see chunks separate out and then when you’re done there’s slime on the bottom of your glass.”

Daniel Drayne, head brewer at Half Door Brewing, is one of the local innovators of the style.

“People are going to make good beer or bad beer,” he says. “If the beer tastes good and you’re adding flour to it, that’s cool. The haze doesn’t matter much to me but people want it right now.”

For Drayne, it’s more about having educated consumers.

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“Things travel very fast online and people listen to their friends—especially if they’re passionate about it,” he says. “It’s like any other hobby.”

Mitchel, however, has his own take on the style.

Pariah is releasing a double IPA on April 1 and calling it “Clearly Juiced,” an obvious clapback to the haze trend.

“We’re using all the same processes a lot of these guys are using, but we’re not going to package it cloudy,” he says, noting that the things people enjoy about these beers’ flavor had nothing to do with haze.

“It’s coming from the water profile,” he says.

ANDREW DYER

Effective Dreams, a collaboration beer from Modern Times and Portland’s Great Notion Brewing Drayne argues that it’s a bit more involved.

“It’s not one thing, but water is a big one,” he says.

“There’s layers.”

Drayne goes on to say that there is a flavor difference—a beer that has tropical and fruit notes might taste more citrusy after being cleared up. He says consumers could tell a good hazy IPA from a bad one by the way the beer coats the tongue.

“A good batch stays with you after you’re done,” he says. “(The mouth) is coated and oily and a minute later you can still taste it and you want another sip.

It’s almost addictive.”

But San Diego isn’t the only place where people are lining up for these beers.

“I went out to Treehouse Brewing on the East Coast and stood in line,” says Drayne of the brewery in Monson, Massachusetts. “Everybody was hanging out in the parking lot, trading beers and telling stories. People enjoyed it, it was like a little community.”

But Mitchell says he doesn’t like the fact that brewers are making customers jump through hoops just to get a taste of these beers.

“Why do I have to cut someone’s arm off to get a can of this beer?” he jokes. “I think the hype, the exclusivity and the cool kids club is going to be damaging to the industry as a whole. I hope people don’t get too jaded.”

The Beerdist appears every other week.

Write to andrewd@sdcitybeat.com

MARCH 29, 2017 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 23

24 · San Diego CityBeat · March 29, 2017

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March 29, 2017 · San Diego CityBeat · 25

26 · San Diego CityBeat · March 29, 2017

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n the last Sunday morning in February, roughly 30 volunteers gathered at the Iron Fist Brewing Co. tasting room in Barrio Logan to assemble brownbag lunches and decorate them with artwork and inspirational messages. They then spent several hours walking the streets of the surrounding neighborhoods, handing out the meals and engaging one-on-one with the homeless people they encountered.

It’s part of a new monthly outreach initiative at the brewery spearheaded by Cesar Torres, Iron Fist’s San Diego Regional Manager, working in conjunction with the 501(c)3 charitable giving foundation #HashtagLunchbag (hashtaglunchbag.org).

Returning to Iron Fist in December 2016 after a stint with Mike Hess Brewing, Torres was struck by the large percentage of homeless concentrated in Barrio Logan and adjoining areas and wanted to do something about it. Having volunteered at previous #HashtagLunchbag events, he thought they would be a perfect fit for the brewery.

“I was really struck by the uniqueness of it,” he says of those previous experiences with #HashtagLunchbag, “of the great synergy of people coming together to contribute. One of the biggest issues with these events is finding space to operate out of.

This tasting room offers the perfect solution for that.” Plus, he believes the outreach is perfectly in keeping with Iron Fist’s established portfolio of charity work.

Eve Sieminski, one of the founders and owners of Iron Fist, agrees, though she also acknowledges this is the brewery’s first homeless-related program.

“We’re a little sheltered up here,” she says of Iron Fist’s principal Vista location where homelessness isn’t a day-to-day sight.

“When we opened the Barrio Logan location, I couldn’t believe what we were seeing.”

With Sieminski’s approval, Torres coordinated the first event, creating flyers and

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social media campaigns, and even fronting the initial money to cover lunchbag supplies, which he says he “mostly” recouped from later volunteer donations.

As laudable a goal as feeding the homeless is, #HashtagLunchbag’s approach isn’t above criticism. With slogans like, “by feeding others you’re helping yourself!” and “reap the fruits of your deed!” the organiza-

ture” (the spokesperson declined to identify themselves, and subsequent inquiries have gone unanswered). So while they repeatedly state the importance of creating awareness, they also neglect to provide event coordinators any advice on how to direct that awareness once they have it.

More broadly, there’s a larger issue faced by outreach programs such as this. That MATT BALDWIN

Cesar Torres of Iron Fist Brewing Co. tion’s website strongly emphasizes the social and emotional rewards reaped by the giver, not the recipient. Noticeably absent are any testimonials by those whom the outreach events are intended to help.

When asked about this discrepancy, #HashtagLunchbag issued a boilerplate statement via email: “Unfortunately, we don’t currently have testimonials from our recipients to share with you but this is something we’re looking to collect in the near fu-

is, they inherently treat the symptoms of homelessness, not the disease. Critics would argue that while providing food to the hungry is always a good thing, a lunch isn’t going to address someone’s mental health or addiction issues, and all of the positive messages in the world won’t get someone off the street without follow-up.

“This is what’s called ‘basic needs outreach’,” says local homeless advocate Michael McConnell, who runs the Homeless-

nessSD Facebook and Twitter pages. He notes that while basic needs outreach is seldom harmful, it frequently isn’t intended as a step towards systemic change, and encourages charitable givers to clearly define what their goals are. “If they want to enact systemic change, they need to connect with professional outreach providers working to take the homeless off the street.”

For his part, Torres is aware of these issues and is working on them, though he hasn’t arrived at a solution yet.

“That’s something I don’t have the answer to, and I want to have the answer to it,” he says, acknowledging that Iron Fist’s initiative has a learning curve to navigate around. “Moving forward, I want to see how we can grow this into something larger. How do we tackle the big issues and make sure we aren’t just going out and doing something that makes us feel good for the day?”

To that end, he’s exploring means to bring Iron Fist’s existing charity relationships to bear, as well as reaching out to other organizations. Though the program is still in the early phases, he feels confident with the level of ongoing engagement he’s already seeing from volunteers, many of whom are pursuing further opportunities for helping the homeless.

“Everyone was really engaged, and really dove in,” says Danielle George, a participant in Iron Fist’s first #HashtagLunchbag event.

“Afterwards people were asking Cesar how they can get more involved, and brainstorming ideas for the next event.”

By holding monthly events, Torres and Iron Fist hope to foster ongoing direct personal connections between the community and the homeless they’re helping, which McConnell claims is a crucial step in getting the homeless of the street.

IRON FIST CONTINUED ON PAGE 32

MARCH 29, 2017 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 27

BETH DEMMON

he news of another brewery opening in North Park seems so comically commonplace. It’s easy for even the most rabidly enthusiastic beer fans to gloss over it in order to focus on the latest juicy industry rumors.

However, despite the presence of tasting rooms and brewhouses on nearly every corner (most of which are worth a visit), hearing that Carmel Mountain-based Second Chance Beer Company (15378 Avenue of Science, #222) plans to open a second location smack-dab in the middle of 30th Street across from celebrated beer bar Toronado (4026 30th St.) later this year caught my attention.

Why take notice? Simple—Second Chance isn’t just another brewery opened by a couple of schmucks with a bit of capital and cliché taste in design. The one-and-a-half year old award-winning brewery has consistently churned out high-quality releases like Seize the IPA, Coco Rasa coconut porter, Festa Imperiale oatmeal stout and the 2016 Great American Beer Festival gold medal-winning Tabula Rasa toasted porter.

The attention to quality paired with a dedication to reusing materials when it comes to décor (thus their “second chance” moniker) makes the suds-saturated North Park a sensible choice for Second Chance. Virginia Morrison, cofounder and wife of brewmaster Marty Mendiola, affirms the decision to expand on the 30th Street Beer Corridor.

“North Park is becoming the epicenter in San Diego for craft beer. The neighborhood continues to foster a great

28 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · MARCH 29, 2017

atmosphere for San Diego’s ever growing and collaborative culinary and brewing communities. We’ll feel right at home.”

The 1,820-square-foot future tasting room will also include a 180-square-foot outdoor patio with 24 taps to start, although its current license restricts them from brewing on-site. However, Morrison confirms that guests can expect a number of releases to be exclusively available at the North Park location on a regular basis.

Second Chance doesn’t plan to stop with this second location. Construction to double its brewing capacity has already begun at its original brewhouse, and Carlsbad’s North 40 Urban Farm project (tentatively launching in 2019) plans to host a third Second Chance outpost. In the meantime, upcoming events at its current tasting room include an April Fools’ Day “Fool Me Twice” event from 3 to 8 p.m., which will feature a blind tasting flight of its Imperial IPA, each featuring a different dry hop.

Although North Park doesn’t boast the same number of breweries as other areas such as Miramar, it remains a hugely attractive location to breweries who hope to attract foot traffic from locals as well as tourists who may not make the trip to an off-the-beaten-path tasting room in places like Carmel Mountain. And even with a plethora of options already readily available, North Park residents are poised to embrace this new

Future home of Second Chance Beer Company, North Park arrival when they open their doors in Fall 2017.

“Having another tasting room is a chance to be a part of the community: [to] serve them, give back, be part of their lives,” promises Morrison. “Beer isn’t just an end for us—it’s a means too.”

Write to bethd@sdcitybeat.com, check her out on Instagram at @thedelightedbite, or via Twitter at @iheartcontent.

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March 29, 2017 · San Diego CityBeat · 29

COURTESY OF SILVA BREWING

CHUCK SILVA CONTINUED FROM PAGE 22 Park Blvd.) and Fathom Bistro, Bait, and Tackle (1776 Shelter Island Drive) in the next few weeks.

Silva’s September 2015 announcement of his departure sparked rumors that Green Flash was on the cusp of selling to a macro beer conglomerate, but those whispers turned out to be unfounded—and will hopefully stay that way. Still, Silva wasn’t the first local beer bigwig to leave San Diego and he won’t be the last. Recent departures include Monkey Paw’s Cosimo Sorrentino to Copenhagen, Alpine Beer’s Bobby Mat-

30 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · MARCH 29, 2017

Chuck & MJ Silva of Silva Brewing thews to Europe and Mike Hess Brewing’s Mike Beebe to Los Angeles to name just a few. With these San Diego beer talent exports, locals have the opportunity to experience a taste of home nearly everywhere in the world. And for San Diegans who find themselves on the road through Paso Robles, Silva says the invitation to experience his labor of love is always open.

“Please stop in on your travels through the Central Coast of California to taste the Silva Brewing lineup and take a growler or two with you on your journey.”

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March 29, 2017 · San Diego CityBeat · 31

— THE BEER ISSUE — MATT BALDWIN

IRON FIST CONTINUED FROM PAGE 27 “Sustainable relationships are important, even if it’s just being a friend and providing a social support network which can continue once they get into housing,” McConnell says. “Often, what people need more than just food is someone to sit down with.”

It’s this sort of personal interaction Torres is aiming for, and already shows initial signs of achieving.

“You get a chance to see the people, to look them in the eye and hear their story.”

Torres also knows he faces a hard truth: No one

32 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · MARCH 29, 2017

Cesar Torres of Iron Fist Brewing Co. person or organization can enact change by themselves, and when faced with those odds, servicing basic needs remains important even though it may seem inadequate. Ultimately, if a small act of kindness is all you can do, then it’s the thing most worth doing.

“There were people crying, just from seeing that someone cared enough to do this,” he says of the homeless he and his volunteers met while distributing their brown bags. “It’s amazing, the impact a simple lunch can have.”

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CULTURE | FILM

Foolish me

Song To Song

Terrence Malick’s Austin-set melodrama is a backstage pass to the wonder

by Glenn Heath Jr.

A

ll love stories come to an end. Terrence Ma- Malick’s camera ping pongs around mosh pits, inside lick has spent his entire career surveying the trippy dance clubs and through a series of interiors weight of this inevitability, creating deeply felt that range from posh to poor. Faye falls into the arms films about forlorn couples tumbling toward heart- of a beautiful French woman (Bérénice Marlohe), break at the speed of a racing pulse. So much beauty while BV seduces an older socialite (Cate Blanchett). exists in the slow breakdown of emotions that the Cook momentarily fancies (and marries) a naïve waitcamera rarely stops surveying for new details. Recon- ress played by Natalie Portman, setting the stage for ciling this formal vitality with deeply felt melancholy his own demise.

“You get used to drifting,” BV confesses in painful is an essential part of experiencing the filmmaker’s voice over that sums up the entire film. These charackinetic world-view.

Song to Song, Malick’s monumentally moving new ters are ultimately slaves to their own bad decisions, melodrama set against the Austin music scene, shifts and Malick provides a backstage pass to their tortured focus to examine the beginnings of a modern love yearning. Older characters look on from the periphery with wise eyes. Each has experistory that refuses to be defined enced the loss of a loved one, unby technology or nostalgia. Like derstanding the cumulative power moons circling the same planet, BV SONG TO SONG of collecting moments and memo(Ryan Gosling) and Faye (Rooney Directed by Terrence Malick ries. That respect begins to inspire Mara) have been drifting through a Starring Rooney Mara, the possibility that BV and Faye specific milieu from different perRyan Gosling, might meet once again. spectives. When the young musi“Mercy was a word I never cians finally do lock eyes at a pool Michael Fassbender thought I needed.” Faye’s revelaparty, they can hardly handle the and Natalie Portman tory words preside over Song to instant attraction. Without utterRated R Song’s gorgeous finale, undermining a word, their bodies momening everything Cook comes to reptarily collide, drawn to each other resent—illusion, greed and trivialby an unseen magnetic pulse. It’s the beginning of a condensed but powerful courtship ity. Harmony is not something earned through persistence; it is earned through forgiveness. What makes that radiates energy and possibility.

But the origins are based on a lie. The philander- Malick such an essential artist is his ability to connect ing music producer Cook (Michael Fassbender) or- these types of feelings resonating onscreen with those chestrates the entire meet-cute just to play with his fueling those viewers open to his magic.

Punk rock icon Patti Smith shows up in only a few prey. He’s the film’s puppet master and devil figure, someone who consumes talent and contorts reality scenes of Song to Song, but her sage words send ripples for fun. Faye describes him aptly: “His hands were in throughout this hypnotic melodrama. “We had a life.

It was beautiful and difficult,” she says, remembering everything.”

During a surreal trip to Mexico that involves her marriage to deceased musician Fred Smith. Faye drunken brawling and a bird prophet, the three char- listens intently, feeling the ghostly weight of an enacters form parts of a skewed love triangle that is des- shrined relationship coming back to life. The entire tined to collapse. Song to Song’s false utopia tricks its exchange goes by in a flash, but in that instant Malick young lovers into thinking they are standing on solid offers enough proof that love can transcend time.

Song to Song is currently playing at Angelika Carground. When the proverbial shoe finally drops, the couple begrudgingly separates as quickly as they con- mel Mountain Cinemas and Landmark Hillcrest Cinjoined in the first place. But the sting lingers. Faye in- emas. stantly knows what she’s lost. “Foolish me.”

Yet Song to Song specializes in beginnings that ap- Film reviews run weekly. pear like endings, moving forward at a furious clip. Write to glennh@sdcitybeat.com

@SDCITYBEAT

MARCH 29, 2017 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 33

CULTURE | FILM

Staying Vertical

Standing tall

N

ot since Spike Jonze and Charlie Kaufman’s Adaptation has a film unpacked the mind of a screenwriter quite like Staying Vertical. Alain Guiraudie’s confounding and enchanting modern fable takes place in a French prairie region still populated by flocks of sheep and stalking wolves.

The vast landscape leaves plenty of room for mystery and surrealism to flourish, unbound by the restrictions of urban life.

Léo (Damien Bonnard) traverses the picturesque countryside

34 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · MARCH 29, 2017

claiming to do research for his next film project, but seems more interested in seducing locals than crafting new story ideas. Upon meeting Marie (India Hair), a second-generation shepherd who has taken over the family business from her father, the writer willfully ignores his professional responsibilities to start up an intoxicating affair.

Their sudden tryst eventually results in the birth of a child.

Guiraudie tethers the film to wistful dream logic even when bad decisions result in tangible consequences. After Marie and her two older children abandon Léo

and the newborn for life in the city, Staying Vertical embraces the nomadic sensibility of a wandering narrator unsure of where to take the story next. Subplots pivot without warning, from the travails of a gay teenager and older recluse to a spritely organic world upriver where Léo finds momentary solace and rejuvenation.

Sex functions as the core mode of communication no matter the circumstances. For these characters, chasing (and experiencing) orgasm resorts in varying levels of consciousness. It can either reinforce a connection to nature or severely limit it, much like Guiraudie’s equally sublime Stranger by the Lake.

Yet Staying Vertical is ultimately an altogether different beast. It calls out Léo’s manipulative and disingenuous tendencies as an artist by turning him into a vagabond culprit adrift in a series of disconnected fantasies. Only in the delirious and haunting final scene does he finally seem ready to stand tall and embrace the dangers of real responsibility.

Staying Vertical opens Friday, March 31, at Digital Gym Cinema.

—Glenn Heath Jr.

OPENING Contemporary Color: This documentary follows legendary musician David Byrne as he stages a celebration of the Color Guard and their synchronized dance routines at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. Opens Friday, March 31, at Digital Gym Cinema in North Park.

Ghost in the Shell: In this remake of the classic Japanese anime, a young woman is saved from a terrible crash and re-enhanced to be a perfect soldier devoted to stopping the world’s most dangerous criminals.

Julieta: Pedro Almodovar’s lovely melodrama about a woman searching for her long lost daughter returns for a limited engagement. Screens through Thursday, April 6, at Digital Gym Cinema in North Park.

Staying Vertical: In Alain Guiraudie’s surreal fable, an aimless screenwriter wanders into the French countryside and becomes permanently entangled in the lives of locals. Opens Friday, March 31, at Digital Gym Cinema in North Park.

The Boss Baby: There’s a baby, and it’s the boss. Need we say more?

The Zookeeper’s Wife: During the German invasion of Poland in 1939, two zookeepers rush to help save thousands of people and animals.

For a complete listing of movies, visit our F ilm section in C ulture on sdcitybeat.com.

@SDCITYBEAT

TIM FEARS

MUSIC

BOSSWITCH LIVES TO TURN IT UP

BY JEFF TERICH

here’s always a chance that things are going to get a little crazy at a Bosswitch show. The band’s music, a hook-laden blend of stoner metal and straight-up rock ‘n’ roll, is the kind of sound that can get people feeling raucous and rowdy on a Saturday night. It’s loud, catchy, unpretentious fun. Sometimes, it’s even unintentionally destructive.

At a recent show in Arizona, the San Diego trio of bassist Tom Lord, guitarist Justin Cota and drummer Ryan Schilawski were having a particularly good night when the spirit of rock ‘n’ roll compelled them to take a turn for the reckless at the end of their set.

As Cota explains in an interview at Coffee and Tea Collective in North Park, the neck of his Gibson Les Paul ended up a casualty of their thunder.

“It was a Friday night, just toward the end of our set, and it was shaping up into a good show,” he says. “The crowd was responsive.

We were having a good time. I was doing some leads and whammied too hard, and my guitar was out of tune. So I set it down by the stage, all irresponsible and...I grab my backup guitar. At the very end of the song we all went ridiculous.

Ryan did the Dave Grohl pushing-the-shit-awayfrom-me thing. His cymbal went flying in my direction.

It didn’t hit me, but when I went back to my guitar the cymbal stand was on top of it. And it was broken.”

The occasional broken instrument is an unfortunate if inevitable side effect when these three musicians get together. Their music is engineered for letting loose and casting inhibitions to the wind, pairing the punchy riffs of Queens of the Stone Age with the low-end fuzz of Death from Above 1979. It’s easy to hear in a song like “Born to Death” just how much

@SDCITYBEAT

of an uproarious presence they have, with Lord laying down a hypnotic fuzz-bass pulse before Cota unleashes a tornado guitar riff.

There’s a similar immediacy in “Transparency,” which fuses Torche-like crunch with the catchiness of Nirvana.

There’s certainly a shared love of all things heavy between the three musicians, but their intent isn’t to make music that’s highly conceptual or pretentious. Their shared influences tend to lean more toward the bong-smoke riffs of Fu Manchu or Red Fang—in other words, party metal.

“I think it’s important not only to grab a listener’s attention, but also to have fun with it while you’re playing,” Cota says. “You don’t have to just stand there like a statue.”

“It’s kind of funny that we write stoneresque music, because none of us actually smoke pot,” Schilawski adds.

It’s because of the three musicians’ shared tastes in grunge and stoner rock (and, less obviously, Primus) that Cota says their formation was a “long time coming.” Schilawski and Lord had been performing together for a long time as Badabing, while Cota was performing in bands such as Deep Sea Thunder Beast and Gloomsday.

They ended up finding a good excuse to finally share the stage together when a few opportunities to play a couple of cover sets came up. And after just one jam session, they unexpectedly became a real band with real songs—without actually trying to—and played their first show in early 2016 at The Tower Bar that ended with, as they describe it, some epic Metallica karaoke.

“Ryan and I used to do a Nirvana show every Halloween, then we asked Justin to play bass for one of them. Then, for a friend’s going away party we covered some Red Fang

From left: Ryan Schilawski, Tom Lord and Justin Cota songs,” Lord says. “After that, we decided to try to jam, and that turned into just writing songs automatically.

“I thought, I don’t need a new project,” he continues. “Then after that practice it was like, ‘fuck, I’m in another band’.”

The shared enthusiasm in the band led them to hit the ground running, playing about two-dozen shows in less than a year, including two long weekends in Arizona. Though they do admit to having some differences in opinion from time to time. Schilawski jokes that his taste leans toward “Wal-Mart metal” bands such as Lamb of God and Meshuggah, and Lord subjected his bandmates to Korn on tour (“It really added to the desert scenery,” Cota says). This never gets in the way of songwriting, which the band members collectively say happens almost automatically, as if the songs seem to will themselves into existence. That being said, Schilawski says when he channels his Wal-Mart metal favorites and starts shredding on his double-bass pedal, it

can elicit a cringe from Cota.

“Every now and then I’ll use it inappropriately in rehearsals and just the look on his face,” he says, to collective laughter. “So upset. He’ll keep playing the song—he’s not a quitter. But that face…”

Neither Korn nor double-bass pedal abuse can stop the momentum of Bosswitch.

The band has already recorded more than enough material for a debut full-length, and they’re still working on getting those songs mixed. In the meantime, the sheer joy of playing some noisy rock ‘n’ roll together is enough to fuel more mayhem onstage. Cota did get his guitar repaired after the band returned from Arizona, though he admits that in the cloud of chaos, he’s still not exactly sure what the culprit was.

“It could have been [Ryan’s cymbal stand], it could have been me over-whammying,” he says, laughing. “We’ll never know.”

Write to jefft@sdcitybeat.com.

Follow him on Twitter at @1000TimesJeff

MARCH 29, 2017 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 35

MUSIC

NOTES FROM THE SMOKING PATIO LOCALS ONLY

T

hrash metal trio Beekeeper have released their debut album. It’s titled Slaves to the Nothing, and it’s been a long time in the making. The band—which comprises drummer Dylan Marks (also of Eukaryst), guitarist/vocalist Ally Marks and bassist Adam Wollach—has been playing shows since as early as 2012, but recently ramped up their activity, recording their first album in late 2015, which is now seeing the light of day.

In a phone interview, Marks says that the band’s music ultimately came out of a shared love of vintage metal between himself and Marks.

“We both were definitely into the same music—’80s metal like Judas Priest, Slayer and Sepultura,” he says.

“We’ve been friends for a long time so one day we just started taking it super seriously. And eventually we told Wally, ‘you should play bass for us.’”

Slaves to the Nothing is more immediate and catchy than Marks’ other band, Eukaryst, though it shares a common intensity. Ultimately, however, the band’s old-school influences shine through, given a modern update via contemporary production techniques. For Beekeeper, there was never any stated objective to stick to any particular style of music, though Marks says you can definitely hear the bands they love in their own songs.

“I’ve never been the kind of person to say ‘I want to be in this kind of band,’” he says. “But also, we’re all heavily influenced by stuff like old Sepultura, so

Beekeeper the stuff that inspires you, it’s gonna come out in your music.”

Though Marks has played and continues to play in other bands, Beekeeper is a special project to him because he provided the bulk of the songwriting for the album.

“I’ve always been really excited about all the projects I’ve done, but they’ve never been mine, exactly,” he says. “I definitely did the majority of the songwriting on this album. It’s my baby.”

Beekeeper are playing a San Diego Metal Swap Meet after-party at Brick by Brick on Saturday, April 29.

—Jeff Terich

WHAT’S NEW ON BANDCAMP?

I

f you search for albums tagged “San Diego” on Bandcamp, you’ll find some interesting stuff. In this semi-regular report, we sift through recent postings and relay the findings.

Down in New Orleans, Dr. Funkberg: Dr. Funkberg is funky. Five of the tracks on this album have “funk” in the title, so you know it’s true. But it’d also be true if he didn’t advertise. All of the 11 tracks on this collection are New Orleans-style R&B jams that bring some deep grooves in the vein of The Meters, Lee Dorsey or the Neville Brothers. It all ends with an instrumental cover of Dr. John’s “I Walk on Guilded Splinters,” which is, naturally, pretty funky. drfunkberg.bandcamp.com Mescaline, The Dirty Sun: It takes only a few seconds for this three-track EP to explode into an intense mess of distortion and synthesizers. The Dirty Sun plays a particularly fucked-up style of synth-punk that comes across a bit like the Knight Rider theme song as covered by an ‘80s industrial group. I’m feeling it. thedirtysun.bandcamp.com Ginger Cowgirl, Ginger Cowgirl: The cover art depicting a woman playing an organ and drinking a glass of wine did not adequately prepare me for the ’60s and ‘70s-style honky-tonk and country sounds on this two-track single. Ginger Cowgirl does classic Western sounds with lots of gorgeous vocal melodies and pedal steel. San Diego has certainly produced decent Americana in the past, but this turned out to be a pleasant surprise. gingercowgirl.bandcamp.com Inner Journey, A Z U R E S A N D S: This chilledout collection of synth-driven meditation music basically confirms something I’ve suspected all along: Vaporwave is just new age music for millennials.

36 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · MARCH 29, 2017

Ginger Cowgirl A Z U R E S A N D S describes this release as a “must have for spiritual seekers of every stripe,” which is perhaps hyperbole, but whether you’re a 4Chan-trolling edgelord or a yogi-in-training, this will likely have some appeal. azuresands.bandcamp.com Demo-itis, Pussy Eaters: I mean, I had to review a record by a band called Pussy Eaters, right? It’s actually pretty decent punk through a noisy filter, recalling the likes of Parquet Courts or The Intelligence. Their songs are catchy and just fucked-up enough to seem a little off. pussyeaters101.bandcamp.com

—Jeff Terich @SDCITYBEAT

MUSIC

JEFF TERICH

IF I WERE U A music insider’s weekly agenda WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29

PLAN A: Wire, r beny @ The Casbah. If you missed my feature on Wire last week, make sure to go back and read about this legendary post-punk band who are celebrating their 40th year together. They’ve released a long list of amazing, influential records, and they’re still going strong. PLAN B: Methyl Ethel, Vorhees, Exasperation @ Soda Bar. Australia’s Methyl Ethel are a recent signing to 4AD Records, and they have a little of that long-running label’s dream pop sound in their blood. They also recall more recent psych-pop groups like Tame Impala, all of which combines into something trippy and fun.

THURSDAY, MARCH 30

PLAN A: Tinariwen, Dengue Fever @ Belly Up Tavern. Tuareg band Tinariwen have been making rhythmically complex and groove-heavy desert blues for decades, though they’ve only found a Western audience fairly recently. And for the past decade,

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BACKUP PLAN: Mild High Club, Frankie and the Witch Fingers @ The Hideout.

ic Garage, On Drugs, American Blood @ Soda Bar.

FRIDAY, MARCH 31

SUNDAY, APRIL 2

PLAN A: Bosswitch, Mrs. Henry, Mission Creeps, Strawberry Moons @ The Casbah. Read my feature this week on Bosswitch, who play a super fun style of heavy rock ‘n’ roll that sometimes results in broken instruments. That’s just the price of partying. PLAN B: Dog Party, Lovely Bad Things, Buddha Trixie @ Che Cafe. If this were an actual dog party, it’d definitely be worth putting on your calendar. But this particular Dog Party is a California garage punk duo with their share of catchy tunes that are just as much fun.

SATURDAY, APRIL 1

Tinariwen they’ve been delivering consistently amazing records that have a surprisingly universal appeal, despite the language barrier.

PLAN B: Why?, Open Mike Eagle @ The Irenic. Why? is the odd group that doesn’t really fit into either hip-hop or indie rock very neatly, instead fusing both into a surrealist, poetic fusion. It’s good, weird stuff, however, and if you need to do some homework beforehand, listen to 2008’s Alopecia.

PLAN A: Delicate Steve, Body Song, The Lucy Ring @ Soda Bar. I cringe at the name Delicate Steve every time I read it, but the dude makes some highly enjoyable rock music, regardless of how un-rock his name is. His album This is Steve is full of mostly instrumental power pop and rock ‘n’ roll jams that are a blast to listen to.

MONDAY, APRIL 3

PLAN A: Richard Ashcroft @ Spreckels Theatre. Richard Ashcroft has some pretty good solo records, but if I’m being totally honest, I’m recommending this show because he was the frontman in British neopsych group The Verve. Their catalog holds up great after more than two decades, and he’s been known to break out highlights such as “Sonnet” and “Lucky Man.” PLAN B: Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears, Dams of the West @ The Casbah. Austin, Texas’ Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears are too much fun. They play rock music with a touch of blues and funk, and their live shows never fail to be a total blast. BACKUP PLAN: Agent Orange, Chango’s Psychot-

PLAN A: Festival of Dead Deer, Silent, Micelves, Planet B DJs @ Blonde. Three One G has been kicking ass with its new Planet B night at Blonde, and the next installment is looking pretty incredible, with the return of early ‘00s noise-punk outfit Festival of Dead Deer, and one of my favorite bands of the moment, Mexicali noiserock group Silent.

TUESDAY, APRIL 4

PLAN A: The Coax, The Fresh Brunettes, Bad Kids @ Soda Bar. Minneapolis’ The Coax are dark, druggy, disorienting and weird. They’re definitely the bad-trip kind of psychedelic rock, with a touch of goth and raucous punk for good measure. They get weird in a good way. BACKUP PLAN: Gayle Skidmore, Dani Bell and the Tarantist, Joe Marson @ The Casbah.

MARCH 29, 2017· SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 37

MUSIC

CONCERTS HOT! NEW! FRESH!

Fuel, Marcy Playground (BUT, 5/9), Twin Forks (Irenic, 5/14), Pallbearer (Casbah, 5/16), Marty Stuart (BUT, 5/17), DIIV (Casbah, 5/18), Ann Wilson (BUT, 5/21), Melissa Etheridge (Humphreys, 5/24), Dana Carvey (Humphreys, 6/2), Bag Raiders (Observatory, 6/2), In-Ko-Pah 4 w/ Mattson 2, Zig Zags, Mrs. Magician, Birdy Bardot (Desert View Tower, 6/3), Sheryl Crow (Humphreys, 6/6), Brian Setzer’s Rockabilly Riot (Humphreys, 6/7), TajMo (Humphreys, 6/11), Ziggy Marley (Humphreys, 6/12), King Crimson (Humphreys, 6/19), Maxwell (Valley View Casino Center, 6/23), Gordon Lightfoot (Humphreys, 6/23), Blind Pilot (Humphreys, 6/25), The Temptations, Four Tops (Humphreys, 7/13), Maxi Priest (BUT, 7/30), Huey Lewis and the News (Humphreys, 8/1), Rag’n’Bone Man (Observatory, 8/9), America (Humphreys, 8/12), The Alarm (Casbah, 8/15), Bryan Ferry (Humphreys, 8/23), Pink Martini (Humphreys, 8/26), The Gipsy Kings (Humphreys, 8/27), The Doobie Brothers (Humphreys, 8/30), Indigo Girls (Humphreys, 9/13), Steve Winwood (Humphreys, 9/14), The Beach Boys (Humphreys, 9/23), Bill Maher (Humphreys, 9/24), Carla Morrison (Humphreys, 10/22), Keali’i Reichel (Humphreys, 10/29).

GET YER TICKETS The Damned (HOB, 4/7), Kristin Kon-

38 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · MARCH 29, 2017

trol (Hideout, 4/10), Mount Eerie (Irenic, 4/10), Cage the Elephant (California Center for the Arts, 4/10), Power Trip (Casbah, 4/10), A Perfect Circle (Open Air Theatre, 4/11), 21 Savage (HOB, 4/11), Father John Misty (Humphreys, 4/12), Lupe Fiasco (Observatory, 4/13), Local Natives (Observatory, 4/17), Toots and the Maytals (BUT, 4/17), Snoop Dogg, Cypress Hill (Open Air Theatre, 4/18), Mitski (Irenic, 4/19), Beach Slang (Casbah 4/20), Lil Wayne (Open Air Theatre, 4/20), Lee Fields and the Expressions (Music Box, 4/20), Cold Cave (SPACE, 4/21-22), David Crosby (Humphreys, 4/23), Chance the Rapper (Valley View Casino Center, 4/24), The 1975 (Open Air Theatre, 4/25), Kings of Leon (Mattress Firm Amphitheatre, 4/28), Face to Face (Casbah, 5/6), Flaming Lips (Observatory, 5/7), At the Drive-In (SOMA, 5/9), Com Truise, Clark (BUT, 5/12), Conor Oberst (Observatory, 5/14), Brother Ali (Observatory, 5/15), Chris Stapleton (Mattress Firm Amphitheatre, 5/18), Thundercat (Observatory, 5/19), Rodriguez (Humphreys, 5/23), Paul van Dyk (HOB, 5/26), Modest Mouse (Open Air Theatre, 5/30), NKOTB, Paula Abdul, Boyz II Men (Viejas Arena, 6/1), Little Hurricane (BUT, 6/2), Lady Antebellum (Mattress Firm Amphitheatre, 6/4), Justin Townes Earle (Music Box, 6/4), Valerie June (BUT, 6/8), The Anniversary (Irenic, 6/10), Toby Keith (Del Mar Fairgrounds, 6/10), Earthless (Casbah, 6/10), ‘91X XFest’ w/ Phoenix, Empire of the Sun (Qualcomm Stadium, 6/11), Def Leppard (Mattress Firm Amphitheatre, 6/16), Boston, Joan Jett (Mattress Firm Amphitheatre, 6/18), Morbid Angel (HOB, 6/18), Korn (Mattress Firm Amphitheatre, 6/20), The Revolution (HOB, 6/22), Supersuckers (Casbah, 6/24), Nick Cave

and the Bad Seeds (Civic Theatre, 6/26), Cat Power (Observatory, 7/1), Deftones, Rise Against (Mattress Firm Amphitheatre, 7/7), Natalie Merchant (Copley Symphony Hall, 7/18), Hall & Oates, Tears for Fears (Valley View Casino Center, 7/19), Seun Kuti and Egypt 80 (BUT, 7/21), Taking Back Sunday (Observatory, 7/28), Metallica (Petco Park, 8/6), Diana Krall (Humphreys, 8/8), Incubus, Jimmy Eat World (Mattress Firm Amphitheatre, 8/11), Steve Martin and Martin Short (Open Air Theatre, 8/12), 311 (Open Air Theatre, 8/20), Sylvan Esso (Observatory, 8/26), Florida Georgia Line (Mattress Firm Amphitheatre, 9/9), George Benson, Kenny G (Humphreys, 9/10), Goo Goo Dolls (Open Air Theatre, 9/12), Green Day (Mattress Firm Amphitheatre, 9/13), Sublime With Rome, The Offspring (Mattress Firm Amphitheatre, 9/26), Alison Moyet (Music Box, 9/26), Depeche Mode (Mattress Firm Amphitheatre, 10/6), Coldplay (Qualcomm Stadium, 10/8), Luke Bryan (Mattress Firm Amphitheatre, 10/27), Mogwai (Observatory, 11/20).

MARCH WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29 Methyl Ethel at Soda Bar. Crystal Fighters at Belly Up Tavern. The Dollyrots at The Hideout. Wire at The Casbah.

THURSDAY, MARCH 30 Tinariwen, Dengue Fever at Belly Up Tavern (sold out). Why? at The Irenic.

Electric Six at The Casbah. Dead Man Winter at Soda Bar. Mild High Club at The Hideout. Trouble in the Wind at Music Box.

FRIDAY, MARCH 31 Nashville Pussy at Brick by Brick. The Old 97s at Belly Up Tavern (sold out). The Orwells at The Irenic. Dog Party at Che Café. Kane Strang at Soda Bar. Bosswitch at The Casbah.

APRIL SATURDAY, APRIL 1 DJ Quik at Observatory North Park.

Squirrel Nut Zippers at Music Box. Richard Ashcroft at Spreckels Theatre.

Leftover Salmon at Belly Up Tavern.

Agent Orange at Soda Bar.

SUNDAY, APRIL 2 Chronixx at Belly Up Tavern. Delicate Steve at Soda Bar. Passenger at House of Blues.

MONDAY, APRIL 3 Tiffany at Belly Up Tavern. Festival of Dead Deer, Silent at Blonde. Chris Shiflett at The Casbah.

TUESDAY, APRIL 4 Billy Bob Thornton at Belly Up Tavern. gnash at Observatory North Park. Shinedown at House of Blues. Gayle Skidmore at The Casbah.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5 Mac Sabbath, Metalachi at Brick by Brick. William Singe at Observatory North Park. The Slants at Soda Bar.

MUSIC CONTINUED ON PAGE 40

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@SDCityBeat

March 29, 2017 · San Diego CityBeat · 39

MUSIC CLUBS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 38 THURSDAY, APRIL 6 River Whyless at The Casbah. Acid Mothers Temple at Soda Bar. Los Master Plus at Music Box. Jeezy at House of Blues.

FRIDAY, APRIL 7 The Damned at House of Blues. Hirie at Belly Up Tavern. Chris Botti at California Center for the Arts. Clean Bandit at Observatory. Teenage Bottlerocket, The Mr. T Experience at Soda Bar.

SATURDAY, APRIL 8 Andy McKee at Poway OnStage. The Maine at House of Blues. Green Day at Valley View Casino Center. STS9 at Observatory North Park. Dreams Made Flesh at The Casbah.

SUNDAY, APRIL 9 Desiigner at Observatory North Park.

Aaron Neville Duo at Belly Up Tavern (sold out). The Head and the Heart at SOMA.

MONDAY, APRIL 10 Power Trip at The Casbah. Cage the Elephant at California Center for the Arts.

Of Montreal at Music Box. Kristin Kontrol at The Hideout. Mount Eerie at The Irenic. Generationals at The Casbah.

Larry and His Flask at Soda Bar.

TUESDAY, APRIL 11 A Perfect Circle at Open Air Theatre.

Subhumans at Observatory North Park.

Katchafire at Belly Up Tavern. 21 Savage at House of Blues.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 12 Broods at Music Box. Father John Misty at Humphreys by the Bay. Susto at Soda Bar. Grace Mitchell at The Casbah.

THURSDAY, APRIL 13 Suicide Girls Blackheart Burlesque at Music Box. Banks at Humphreys by the Bay. Banks at Humphreys by the Bay. Lupe Fiasco at Observatory North Park.

Ape Machine at Soda Bar. Preservation Hall Jazz Band at Belly Up Tavern. Preoccupations at The Casbah. Dayshell at Brick by Brick.

FRIDAY, APRIL 14 Tiger Army at Observatory North Park.

Vanessa Carlton at The Casbah. The Last Waltz 40 Tour at Harrahs SoCal.

SATURDAY, APRIL 15 Pond at The Casbah. La Escalera Fest 6 at various venues.

SUNDAY, APRIL 16 Little Dragon at Observatory North Park.

Downtown Boys at Soda Bar.

MONDAY, APRIL 17 Local Natives at Observatory North Park.

Steely Dan at Humphreys by the Bay. Toots and the Maytals at Belly Up Tavern. Tech N9ne at House of Blues. PC Worship at Soda Bar.

TUESDAY, APRIL 18 Coheed and Cambria at Observatory North Park. The Wild Reeds at The Hideout. Snoop Dogg, Cypress Hill at Open Air Theatre. Steely Dan at Humphreys by the Bay. Simple Plan at House of Blues.

40 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · MARCH 29, 2017

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19 Blossoms at The Casbah. Kaleo at Belly Up Tavern (sold out). Mitski at The Irenic.

Spiral Stairs at Soda Bar.

THURSDAY, APRIL 20 Lila Downs at Humphreys by the Bay. Reverend Horton Heat at Belly Up Tavern. Twin Peaks, Hinds at The Irenic.

Califone at The Hideout. Lee Fields and the Expressions at Music Box. Beach Slang at The Casbah. Lil Wayne at Open Air Theatre. Assorted Jellybeans at Soda Bar.

FRIDAY, APRIL 21 Trap Them at Brick by Brick. Ab-Soul at Observatory North Park. Cold Cave at SPACE.

SATURDAY, APRIL 22 Bayside, Say Anything at House of Blues. The Wailers at Music Box. Ghost Bath, Astronoid at Soda Bar. Cold Cave at SPACE.

SUNDAY, APRIL 23 Free Salamander Exhibit at Soda Bar. The Unlikely Candidates at The Casbah.

Taj Express at Poway OnStage. David Crosby at Humphreys by the Bay. State Champs at Observatory North Park.

rCLUBSr

710 Beach Club, 710 Garnet Ave., Pacific Beach. Fri: The Moves Collective, Finnegan Blue. Sat: Wordsauce, Chris Youmans & The Sound Agency, Taurus Authority. Tue: Niu Roots.

American Comedy Co., 818 B Sixth Ave., Downtown. Thu: Bryan Callen. Fri: Bryan Callen. Sat: Bryan Callen.

The Bancroft, 9143 Campo Road, Spring Valley. Thu: TRAVLR, Waefare, Emree Franklin. Fri: Heir Gloom, Michael John Seal, Dragon Dragon. Sun: Nowhereland USA, SUPERCASETTE, Lesser Strays.

Bar Pink, 3829 30th St., North Park. Wed: Thug Life DJs. Thu: DJ Old Man Johnson.

Fri: Gaby & La Buena Onda. Sat: Lorraine Castellanos. Sun: ‘Rat Sabbath’.

Bang Bang, 526 Market St., Downtown.

Fri: Krane. Sat: Latmun.

Beaumont’s, 5665 La Jolla Blvd., La Jolla. Thu: Funk Shui Planet Duo. Fri: Greasy Petes. Sat: Rolling Heartbreakers.

Sun: Ariel Levine.

Belly Up Tavern, 143 S. Cedros Ave., Solana Beach. Wed: Crystal Fighters, Machineheart. Thu: Tinariwen, Dengue Fever. Fri: Old 97s, Ha Ha Tonka (sold out).

Sat: Leftover Salmon. Sun: Chronixx, Jesse Royal, Max Glazer. Mon: Tiffany, Kathryn Dean. Tue: Billy Bob Thornton and the Boxmasters.

Black Cat Bar, 4246 University Ave., City Heights. Fri: Raymond the Sparrow, Tasmanian Brain Exchange.

Blonde, 1808 W. Washington St., Mission Hills. Wed: ‘Dance Klassique’. Thu: Part Time, Drinking Flowers, Heavy Hawaii, Minor Gems. Fri: ‘Through Being Cool’. Tue: Radiohead live tribute.

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

Fri: ‘Club Musae’.

Brick 15, 915 Camino del Mar, Del Mar. Sat: Derren Raser.

Brick by Brick, 1130 Buenos Ave., Bay Park. Thu: The Grindmother, Pissed Re-

gardless, Sergulath. Fri: Nashville Pussy, Zeke, Spitfire Torpedo. Sun: ‘World Autism Day Benefit’ w/ Andever, A Hero Within, Everything Undone, In The Midst 777.

Mon: ‘Metal Monday’. Tue: Jackyl, Bred Dogs, DiVad. The Casbah, 2501 Kettner Blvd., Midtown. Wed: Wire, r beny. Thu: Electric Six, Residual Kid, The Secret Samurai. Fri: Bosswitch, Mrs. Henry, Mission Creeps, Strawberry Moons. Sat: Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears, Dams of the West.

Sun: Generationals, Raindeer. Mon: Chris Shiflett, Brian Whelan. Tue: Gayle Skidmore, Dani Bell and the Tarantist, Joe Marson.

Che Cafe, UCSD campus, La Jolla. Wed: Andes, Sea of Trees. Fri: Dog Party, Lovely Bad Things, Buddha Trixie. Sat: Lanterns, The Spirit of the Beehive, Slushie, WAS. Sun: The Buttertones, Wild Wing, Cameron Royce & the Lizards.

Dirk’s Nightclub, 7662 Broadway, Lemon Grove. Fri: Serious Guise.

Dizzy’s, 4275 Mission Bay Drive, Downtown.

Fri: Josh Nelson Quartet. Sat: Rob Thorsen with Hugo Suarez & Richard Sellers.

The Field Irish Pub, 544 Fifth Ave., Downtown. Wed: Fiore. Thu: Tweed Deluxe.

Fri: Chrome Domes. Sat: The Get Down Party. Sun: Joseph Carroll. Mon: Andy Mauser. Tue: Chris del Priore.

F6ix, 526 F St., Downtown. Fri: Craig Smoove.

Fluxx, 500 Fourth Ave., Downtown. Fri: DJ Homicide. Sat: Kyle Flesch.

The Hideout, 3519 El Cajon Blvd., City Heights. Wed: The Dollyrots, Go Betty Go, The Two Tens. Thu: Mild High Club, Frankie and the Witch Fingers. Sat: Nothington, The Bombpops, Western Settings.

@SDCITYBEAT

MUSIC

SPOTLIGHT I feel that it’s an insult to society when restaurants offer food items that are embarrassing to order.

Same thing goes for bands, and those that came out of the late ‘90s swing revival were some of the worst offenders. However, Squirrel Nut Zippers were the least offensive of the bunch. Mostly known for semi-hits such as “Hell” and “Put a Lid On It,” the Zippers were pretty decent. Plus, the band gave Andrew Bird his start, so it’s difficult to hate on them too much. Squirrel Nut Zippers play Saturday, April 1 at The Music Box.

—Ryan Bradford The Holding Company, 5046 Newport Ave., Ocean Beach. Wed: Big B, Adrienne O. Thu: Otherwise, Dead Poet Society, The Leo & Anthony Show, DJ Ofier. Fri: Raggabond, DJ Green T. Sat: Clint Westwood, Coral Bells, Shoot Dang, John Underwood, Rachel Miles, DJ Ofier & OREN. Sun: Sweet Myths, WonderDogs, Brian Collins, Farm Truck, Nathan Stickman.

Tue: Inhale, Ben Palmer.

Hooley’s, 5500 Grossmont Center Drive, La Mesa. Fri: Sick String Outlaws. Sat: Little Kings.

House of Blues, 1055 Fifth Ave., Downtown. Wed: Excision, Cookie Monsta, Party Thieves, Barely Alive, Dion Timmer.

Thu: Robert Randolph and the Family Band. Fri: Badfish—A Tribute to Sublime.

Sat: Moderatto. Sun: Passenger, The Paper Kites. Mon: Shinedown, As Lions, Cold Kingdom. Tue: Shinedown, As Lions, Cold Kingdom.

Humphreys Backstage, 2241 Shelter Island Drive, Shelter Island. Wed: Jerome Dawson. Thu: Fabulous Undertones. Fri: Beta Maxx, Sara Petite. Sat: Strunz & Farah. Sun: B.I.G. Mon: Mercedes Moore.

Tue: Missy Andersen.

Nathan Fry. Thu: Ria Carey and Rick Rutti.

Fri: Janice & Nathan. Sat: Tori Roze and the Hot Mess. Sun: Ria Carey and Don L. The Merrow, 1271 University Ave., Hillcrest. Wed: Lavish Rascal, Miklo, Weird Neighbors. Thu: The Screamin Yeehaws, The Kenneth Brian Band, The Brian Jones Rock ‘n’ Roll Revival. Fri: The Major Minus, Ned and the Dirt, Blackcherry Lightnin’. Sat: Ruines Ov Abaddon, Mictlantecuhtli, Greenskull, Sicarius, Morphesia.

Sun: ‘Back Alley’. Tue: Nate Hess, Nina Francis, Matthew Phillips.

Mother’s Saloon, 2228 Bacon St., Ocean Beach. Thu: DJ Dub B. Fri: Black Levee.

Sat: DJ Green T. Music Box, 1337 India St., Little Italy.

Thu: Trouble in the Wind, Big Bloom, Oh Spirit. Fri: Strangelove. Sat: Squirrel Nut Zippers, California Feetwarmers.

Numbers, 3811 Park Blvd., Hillcrest. Fri: ‘Uncut’. Tue: Karaoke Latino.

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

Wed: The Kinks Under Cover. Thu: ‘No Limits’ w/ DJ Myson King. Fri: ‘Cool Party Bro’. Sat: ‘Strictly Business’. Sun: ‘Uptown Top Ranking’. Mon: ‘Metal Monday’.

Lovaas. Fri: Kane Strang, Riel, Some Kind of Lizard. Sat: Agent Orange, Chango’s Psychotic Garage, On Drugs, American Blood. Sun: Delicate Steve, Body Song, The Lucy Ring. Mon: Paper Void, WINE. Tue: The Coax, Fresh Brunettes, Bad Kids.

SOMA, 3350 Sports Arena Blvd., Midway.

Fri: The Browning, The Last Ten Seconds of Life, Blessing a Curse, Our Second Home, Petrichor. Sat: Coyote, The Casualists, Opt Out, Espresso, Test. Tue: Mayday Parade, Knuckle Puck, Milestones.

Spin, 2028 Hancock St., Midtown. Fri: Tribe Out West. Sat: Carl Craig.

Sycamore Den, 3391 Adams Ave., Normal Heights. Wed: ‘Dreams’ w/ DJ Gabe Vega. Thu: Burlesque Boogie Nights.

Sun: ‘Too Sad to be Mad’.

Til-Two Club, 4746 El Cajon Blvd., City Heights. Fri: Mittens, Daydream Machine, Souvenir Driver. Sat: Glass Spells, Soft Lions, The Kathys, 8IM. Sun: Pants Karaoke. Tue: Scheisse Minelli, The Wasted Ones, Bossfight, Modern Enemy.

Tin Roof, 401 G St., Downtown. Wed: Shane Hall Trio. Thu: James Taylor. Sat: Keep Your Soul. Mon: ‘Beats & Booze’.

The Irenic, 3090 Polk Ave., North Park.

Thu: Why?, Open Mike Eagle. Fri: The Orwells, The Walters.

OMNIA Nightclub, 454 Sixth Ave., Downtown. Thu: Shaun Frank. Fri: Deorro. Sat: Ashley Wallbridge.

Tio Leo’s, 5302 Napa St., Bay Park. Thu: Rockin’ Aces. Fri: The Reflectors. Sat: Full Strength Funk Band. Tue: Mercedes Moore.

Kava Lounge, 2812 Kettner Blvd., Midtown. Wed: Slick Shoota. Thu: Generik, Tall Can, George Ortega. Fri: ‘Sonar’. Sat: ‘Ascension’. Tue: Symphonic Frequencies.

Panama 66, 1450 El Prado, Balboa Park.

Fri: Euphoria Brass Band. Sat: Miss Erika Davies and the Men.

Tower Bar, 4757 University Ave., City Heights. Wed: Roman Watchdogs, Making Incredible Time, Midnight Track, ABortz. Fri: Japanese Baby-A Tribute to the Cure. Sat: The Walking Toxins, Gentroside, The Brass Cats.

Kensington Club, 4079 Adams Ave., Kensington. Fri: Once and Future Band, Sacri Monti, Birth.

Lestat’s Coffee House, 3343 Adams Ave., Normal Heights. Wed: Thu: Fri: Spencer Dugan, The Clean Cut Hippies.

Sat: Strictly Skunk. Sun: Speed Control, Nick Africano, Steve Baxter.

Loft @ UCSD, Price Center East, La Jolla.

Tue: Masego, Khary, Lege Kale, Olu Bliss.

Mc P’s Irish Pub, 1107 Orange Ave., Coronado. Wed: JG Duo. Thu: Three Guys Will Move U. Fri: Mystique.

Martinis Above Fourth, 3940 Fourth Ave., Hillcrest. Wed: Andy Anderson and

@SDCITYBEAT

Parq, 615 Broadway, Downtown. Fri: Jerzy. Sat: Grandtheft.

Rich’s, 1051 University Ave., Hillcrest.

Wed: DJ John Joseph. Thu: DJ Moniq.

Fri: DJs Kiki, Will Z. Sat: DJs K-Swift, Taj. Riviera Supper Club, 7777 University Ave., La Mesa. Wed: ‘Boss Jazz’ w/ Jason Hanna. Thu: Brennan Orndorff. Fri: Elements. Sat: Baja Bugs.

Seven Grand, 3054 University Ave., San Diego. Wed: Ed Kornhauser Organ Trio.

Thu: Jimmy Ruelas. Fri: The Go Rounds.

Mon: ‘Makossa Monday’ w/ DJ Tah Rei. Soda Bar, 3615 El Cajon Blvd., City Heights. Wed: Methyl Ethel, Vorhees, Exasperation. Thu: Ryan Montbleau, Cody

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

Wed: DJ Freeman. Thu: ‘Thursdaze’. Fri: DJ Junior the Disco Punk. Sat: DJ Bacon.

Tue: ‘Boom Bap Sweet 16 DJ Tournament’.

Whistle Stop, 2236 Fern St., South Park.

Wed: ‘Open Oscillator’. Thu: ‘Vamp’. Fri: The Widows, The Kabbs.

Winstons, 1921 Bacon St., Ocean Beach.

Wed: Das Rebel, DJ Carlos Culture. Thu: Band of Gringos. Fri: Moonalice, Cubensis. Sat: The Verigolds, Grizzly Business, King Washington.

MARCH 29, 2017 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 41

LAST WORDS | ADVICE

AMY ALKON

ADVICE

GODDESS Loot Conquers All Nobody expects a free meal from a restaurant. So what’s with wedding guests who think it’s acceptable to give no gift or just $100 from two people?

My understanding is that you are supposed to “cover your plate”—the cost of your meal (at least $100 per person). If you can’t, you shouldn’t attend. I’m planning my wedding and considering not inviting four couples who gave no gift at my two siblings’ weddings. Upsettingly, most are family members (and aren’t poor). I’d hate to cut out family, but if they won’t contribute, what else can I do?

—Angry Bride

If gift price is tied to meal price, it seems there should be a sliding scale. Uncle Bob, who’ll single-handedly suck down 16 trays of canapes and drain the open bar, should pony up for that Hermès toaster oven. But then there’s Leslie, that raw vegan who only drinks by licking dew off leaves. Whaddya think… can she get by with a garlic press and a handmade hemp card?

This “cover your plate” thing is not a rule. It’s just an ugly idea that’s gained traction in parts of the country—those where bridezillas have transformed getting married into a fierce social deathmatch, the wedding spendathalon. What gets lost in this struggle to out-lavish the competition is the point of the wedding—publicly joining two people in marriage, not separating their friends and relatives from as much cash as possible.

And though it’s customary for guests to give gifts, The Oxford English Dictionary defines “gift” as “a thing given willingly”—as opposed to “a mandatory cover charge to help fund the rented chocolate waterfall, complete with white mocha rapids and four-story slide manned by Mick Jagger and Jon Bon Jovi.”

But because you—incorrectly—believe that guests owe you (more than their company), you’ve awakened your ancient inner accountant, the human cheaterdetection system. Evolutionary psychologists Leda Cosmides and John Tooby describe this as a specialized module the human brain evolved for detecting cheaters—“people who have intentionally taken the benefit specified in a social exchange rule without satisfying the requirement.”

Identifying and punishing freeloading slackers was especially vital in an ancestral environment, where there weren’t always enough grubs to go around.

These days, however, maybe you have the luxury to do as I advise in Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck: refuse to let a few (apparent) Stingy McMingies shape “who you are—which is cre-

ated through… how you behave.” Instead of grinding down into tit for tat, you can decide to be generous.

It’s a thematically nice way to start a marriage—in which 50/50 can sometimes be 95/“Hey, don’t I at least get your 5 percent?” It also makes for a far less cluttered invitation than “RSVP… with the price of the gift you’re getting us—so we know whether to serve you the Cornish game hen at the table or the bowl of water on the floor. Thanks!”

Hello Hath No Fury Though my boyfriend is loving and attentive, he’s bad at responding to my texts. He’s especially bad while traveling, which he does often for his work.

Granted, half my texts are silly memes. I know these things aren’t important, so why do I feel so hurt when he doesn’t reply?

—Waiting

The Oxford English Dictionary defines “gift” as “a thing given willingly”—as opposed to “a mandatory cover charge to help fund the rented chocolate waterfall.

42 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · MARCH 29, 2017

You’d just like your boyfriend to be more responsive than a gigantic hole. (Yell into the Grand Canyon and you’ll get a reply. And it isn’t even having sex with you.)

What’s getting lost here is the purpose of the GIF of parakeets re-enacting the Ali/ Frazier fight or the cat flying through space on the burrito.

Consider that, in the chase phase, some men text like crazy, hoping to banter a woman into bed. But once there’s a relationship, men (disproportionately) use texting as a logistical tool—“b there in 5”— while women continue using it as a tool for emotional connection. That’s probably why you feel so bad. Feeling ignored is also not ideal for a relationship.

In research psychologist John Gottman did on newly married couples, the newlyweds who were still together six years down the line were those who were responsive toward their partner’s “bids for connection”—consistently meeting them with love, encouragement, support or just attention.

Explain this “bids for connection” thing to your boyfriend. (That mongoose in a dress is just memeese for “Yoo-hoo! You still there?”) However, especially when he’s traveling, a little reasonableness from you in what counts as a reply should go a long way. Maybe tell him you’d be happy with “Ha!”, “LOL,” or an emoji. You’d just like to see more than your own blinking cursor—looking like Morse code for “If he loved you, he’d at least text you that smiling swirl of poo.” (c)2017, Amy Alkon, all rights reserved. Got a problem?

Write Amy Alkon, 171 Pier Ave, #280, Santa Monica, CA 90405, or e-mail AdviceAmy@aol.com (advicegoddess. com).

@SDCITYBEAT

@SDCityBeat

March 29, 2017 · San Diego CityBeat · 43