San Diego CityBeat • Mar 30, 2016

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January 6, 2016 · San Diego CityBeat · 1

2 · San Diego CityBeat · March 30, 2016

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March 30, 2016 · San Diego CityBeat · 3

Up Front | From the editor

The folly of oversized hotel tax hikes

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hile waiting for the overdue ofwould have no benefit for the tourism industry.”

Why? Meeting and convention planners shop ficial draft of a ballot initiative that’ll around. A 4 percent increase means a large associaattempt to pave the way for a new NFL stadium, it was time to turn to tion has to pay that much more to house its people the tourism industry—that niche market some beduring an event. And it means a rise in the price for attendees to stay in a group’s room block. That adds lieve can and should be saddled with a hefty portion up. And if costs to send somebody to an exhibition of the financial subsidy for Dean Spanos’ downtown become prohibitive, fewer people go. That’s lost revdream arena.

One reality that’s been lost in San Diego’s East enue and disincentive to book a city. Yes, we’re perVillage stadium shuffle is the effect a proposed 4 petually sunny-and-72 San Diego. But bottom line is percent increase in hotel tax could have on incoming bottom line. convention business. It could be disastrous.

Terzi supplied two letters from past San Diego Nope, not a problem, opined veteran San DiConvention Center clients who express regret that ego Union-Tribune sports columnist Nick Canepa, they’ve outgrown the space but would come back if a known for his folksy boosterism contiguous expansion came online jmi realty and unending supply of sentence (a whole other point of expansion fragments. He’s not alone within contention). local sports media in espousing Both letters signaled concern about the proposed tax. “A signifithat there’s no ill in any corporate cant increase of 4 percent could welfare for Mr. Spanos-tastic. cause significant impact in our But Canepa’s March 24 column, “Visitors Help Foot the Bill, ability to ‘sell’ the destination to We Get A ‘Convadium,’” was an our potential attendees,” wrote absurd pièce de résistance. The Lenay Gore, senior director of A new stadium rendering premise: Bumping up the city’s meetings and tradeshows, for the American Public Transportation Association. tax on hotel stays by 4 percent is a pain-free panaAnother group recently confirmed conferences cea for filling a funding gap for a $1.8 billion, hybrid in San Diego in 2028 and 2034—on the belief that a stadium-convention space project. Boosting the tax contiguous expansion would be completed, and that from 12.5 percent to 16.5 percent will have no local if not, it will diminish exhibits and revenue potenrepercussions, unless you do a staycation. Only then tial. Regarding the tax: “While we appreciate the would hotel tax funneling ding San Diegans. Othvalue and importance of San Diego’s commitment to erwise, tourists will just keep a-coming. Because nobody looks at the hotel bill until it’s too late. To a keeping the Chargers in town, our concern is about sunbaked tourist, a hefty hotel tax is fair exchange the proposed increase in hotel tax,” wrote Eileen J. O’Neill, executive director of the Water Environfor beach time, bottomless mugs of craft beer and an ment Federation. “The increased cost of participatendless supply of fish tacos.

Er, but what about convention attendees? For ing and staying in San Diego will weigh heavily on number-crunching meeting planners who keep track companies and visitors…” of such things, a 4-percent increase is a big jump (24 Finally, to local sports boosters who think hotel percent!). taxes are manna from heaven, there is the classic “Typically, such a tax increase is done more inexample of New York City. In 1990, The Big Apple crementally than that,” said Thomas Hazinski, manwas hit with a 5 percent hotel tax increase. Meeting aging director of HVS, the company that compiles planners around the country protested. A boycott the definitive list of U.S. cities’ Transient Occupancy caused the city to lose 32 conventions and $100 milTaxes. lion in delegate spending the next year. The tax was A leap from 12.5 percent to 16.5 percent vaults San repealed in 1994.

Diego from 104th to 17th on the list.

That Canepa column concluded: “Big time. Small San Diego Tourism Authority president and CEO time. Your choice. But remember, visitors pick up the Joe Terzi said the proposed boost has no positive check.” impact. “I question the wisdom of funding the tax to Unless they decide not to visit. that level,” he says. “That would be a big play by the

—Ron Donoho Chargers to support a stadium with tax money that Write to rond@sdcitybeat.com This issue of CityBeat is dedicated to Alaska’s Pavlof Volcano, whose hot spewing has substituted nicely while Congress is on break.

Volume 14 • Issue 34 Editor Ron Donoho Music Editor Jeff Terich Arts Editor Seth Combs Web Editor Ryan Bradford Art director Carolyn Ramos editorial assistant Torrey Bailey Columnists Aaryn Belfer, Edwin Decker John R. Lamb, Alex Zaragoza

Contributors David L. Coddon, Beth Demmon, Andrew Dyer, Tiffany Fox, Michael A. Gardiner, Glenn Heath Jr., Peter Holslin, Jessica Johnson, Scott McDonald, Jenny Montgomery, Susan Myrland, Jim Ruland, Ben Salmon, Tom Siebert, Jen Van Tieghem, Amy Wallen editorial Intern Elizabeth Pode Production Manager Tristan Whitehouse MultiMedia Advertising Director Paulina Porter-Tapia

Senior account executive Jason Noble Account Executives Beau Odom Mark Schreiber Jenny Tormey Accounting Kacie Cobian Sharon Huie Linda Lam Human Resources Andrea Baker

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San Diego CityBeat is published and distributed every Wednesday by Southland Publishing Inc., free of charge but limited to one per reader. Reproduction of any material in this or any other issue is prohibited without written permission from the publisher and the author. Contents copyright 2016.

4 · San Diego CityBeat · March 30, 2016

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Up Front | Letters

BERNING THOUGHTS

The situation is reversed in my household [“Still feeling The Bern,” March 23]. The old guy is enthusiastic about Senator Sanders for President. My 19-year-old daughter was initially dismissive. She disliked the word socialist.

I have tried to convince her that Bernie isn’t radical, and won’t be able to pass anything drastically different.

I thought Bernie was at his best on CNN. Whether Sanders or Clinton wins the nomination, either one will require an Obamalike turnout in November. I didn’t make the grade with CityBeat. The editor of The Star News likes me better. Something else I wrote will appear in next week’s issue of The Star News.

Every Monday morning at the Norman Park senior center, I moderate a discussion group on world affairs. Starting in April, every Thursday evening I’ll run a discussion group on books. My featured selection each week will alternate between fiction and nonfiction. After I talk about the first book, the others can mention whatever they have read recently.

Bernie may need to persuade some superdelegates to win. The Democrats will beat Trump or Cruz. The Chargers have a Chatsworth option till January. Norman Mailer once wrote about Democrats, “We may yet win. The other side is so stupid.”

This guy is a liar and an idiot [“Bruce Lightner, city council party crasher,” March 23]!

He has no idea what he is talking about when it comes to Ray Ellis! He can’t even get the name of the town Ray lives in right.

You have no idea how Ray has taken care of all of his nieces and nephews and paid for their college and given them a roof over their heads! He came from a dirt-poor, messed-up family and made something of himself! Which, by the way, he created many many jobs! Stop the lying and stop shaming people for being successful. Last time I saw, [Lightner] lives in a big mansion in La Jolla! However, he has not created one job!

ktclapp,

via sdcitybeat.com

Walking home after work the other evening, I had an epiphany; a solution to keeping the Chargers in San Diego and relocating them to a dream downtown location [“Putting the ‘aid’ in a convadium,” March 2]. I was walking on Seventh Avenue next to Petco Park when it hit me: Stack ‘em! Build the Chargers a stadium on top of Petco Park!

Now, before you guffaw at this suggestion, let’s consider the possible schematics. Humans have a nuclear powered drone on Mars. Humans have walked on the moon. Coronado Bridge. The London Bridge is in Arizona. We can build it, man!

One problem is that football stadiums are

#SDCityBeat

Cover The beer-goggled cover girl—resplendent in her growler gown and “beer me” necklace—was created by art director Carolyn Ramos. The sudsyglassed gal seems almost introspective (as well as buzzed) about the growing industry that includes and envelops the San Diego brewhouse scene. Our special section draws on the insights of CityBeat’s knowledgeable he-said/ she-said beer columnists, Andrew Dyer and Beth Demmon, as well arts editor Seth Combs. Find out if San Diego is overbrewed, where our local expertise is imported, who has the best logos and labels and other brewing information about… brewing.

Deuel Woodward, Chula Vista

IN A DIFFERENT LIGHTNER

AN “EPIPHANY”

On the

much larger than baseball stadiums. However, if you look at the area that Petco Park encompasses, including the field, seating area, park area and surrounding buildings, it may be more than large enough to act as a foundation for a football stadium. Also, an overhead above Petco may cut out that early inning glare in the outfield during day games.

The most important thing to consider is that, to my knowledge, this has never been done before. It would be the modern equivalent of a Roman Coliseum in today’s world of sports. Even cities vying for a chance to host the Olympics haven’t come up with anything this insanely grand to entice that non-partial committee.

And parking? Parking! Ha, ha, ha! What the? I forgot about parking!

Benny A. McFadden, Downtown San Diego

CITY VERSUS COUNTY

In response to Kirk Mather’s letter to the editor [“City Versus County,” March 9], California has the only State Constitution that makes cities, and not counties, responsible for housing the poor. This creates a further problem in that federal money is appropriated to counties, and not cities. This is one reason that California has, arguably, more homeless than the other 49 states combined.

Dr. John Kitchin, Publisher, San Diego Homeless News

March 30, 2016 · San Diego CityBeat · 5

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UP FRONT | NEWS

Generation Y should I vote?

A few reasons why millennials aren’t looking at local elections

by Torrey Bailey

THE 2016

PRIMARY ELECTION TUESDAY, JUNE 7

REGISTER AT: REGISTERTOVOTE.CA.GOV DEADLINE: MAY 23 MORE INFO: SDVOTE.COM

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WENTY-TWO-YEAR-OLD KAI PEDERSEN, a lifelong San Diegan and the newest club president of Point Loma Nazarene University College Democrats, doesn’t know which city council district he lives in.

Can he give a thoroughly executed explanation of his “Bernie Sanders Wildcard” theory? Yes. Can he spit data about millennial voter turnout nationwide? You bet. But, when it comes to knowing who’s competing for his mayoral vote—nada.

Asking millennials about “the election” unleashes either a full-fledged verbal assault on Donald “Small Hands” Trump or a fist pump with a side of “Berning up” puns.

But, when interrupting them and clarifying that the question refers to the local primaries, mostly silence ensues.

One glance at the line wrapped around the convention center last week shows there is no shortage in millennial attention toward the grandstand. Even San Diego State University senior Miguel Locsin, 22, who shows pointed disinterest in the presidential horse race, still knows the skeletal facts because of the candidates’ nearly Internetbreaking presence. While presidential elections are bursting millennial eardrums, local primaries are barely just politely tapping them on the shoulder.

“I literally hear nothing ever about what’s going on locally,” Locsin said. “I don’t read the newspaper, and that shit doesn’t show up on Yahoo. So, how am I supposed to know about it?”

Sorry, San Diego political beat writers.

Millennials’ low interest in local politics can be chalked up to a few things, and media coverage is a recurring response, even across generational lines.

“There is simply less old-fashion professional journalistic media out there to cover a much bigger city, a much bigger government, much bigger happenings,” said Carl Luna, political science professor at both the University of San Diego and San Diego Mesa College. “So the focus tends to be on the ratings war, on the eye visits to the page,

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Supporters (including Tad Tobar, bottom foreground) wait for Bernie Sanders at the San Diego Convention Center. the clicks on the website and the attention that can get the biggest bang for the buck.”

On a given day, local broadcast stations list the latest GOP debates among their top stories, while a headline on a county supervisor re-election falls several scrolls farther down the page. Political news sections are often fully dedicated to the presidential drama. So, are millennials placing the blame accurately? Local CBS San Diego news producer Louis Weiner admitted the coverage of local versus national politics is heavily skewed, but doesn’t let millennials off the hook so easily.

“They’re not watching a lot of local television news, but they get most of their news from social media like Snapchat or Twitter or Facebook, and they’re not seeing those local topics,” Weiner said. “But if they watch enough local news, they’re going to get that information. To say that it’s not there is unfair. “ He said that until about a month before the election, the station will continue to cover local news, which may include events where the mayor and council members are involved, but not the races themselves.

Generation Y eyes are on social media, much more so than television, but most potential candidates don’t necessarily go there. Mayor Kevin Faulconer has just shy of 1,100 followers on Instagram. Comparatively, his 11,230plus likes on Facebook sounds like a hefty load, yet the city over which he governs has more than 1.3 million people living in it. Meanwhile, Anthony Bernal, who’s running for city council in District 3, has his team spending two to three hours per day shaping a social media presence but is still struggling to break through to the mainstream feed of San Diego youngsters.

By skimming over the gusto of social media, an entire

generation of potential electoral support faces neglect.

However, even when millennials use these various platforms to get involved, there is dismissal of such a non-traditional take on political engagement.

“Instead of writing a letter to a representative, they will see a video on YouTube and forward that to a friend,” PLNU’s Pedersen said. “A lot of people don’t think of that as being politically engaged, but it is. You’re furthering the national discussion, even in a way that’s small, it’s a way that’s pushing it forward.”

According to a study by Pew Research Center, 44 percent of millennials use social media to promote political material.

But SDSU’s Locsin disagrees on its efficacy.

“Someone can justify clicking the “like” button as showing their view on it, but to them that’s taking the action,” Locsin said.

“That’s their action of making a difference, but what they don’t realize is that that does absolutely nothing.”

Whether or not “likes” are sufficient in the national race, the lack of local content circulating the Internet blocks that discussion from taking place in the San Diego setting—even though millennials admit to knowing these decisions will affect their everyday lives, including their standard of living, their neighborhood, their home and their job more than their presidential pick.

Even with this in mind, Mesa College student Tad Tobar, who anxiously awaited the arrival of Bernie Sanders Tuesday night, said he leaves locals to the last minute.

“Before I vote, I read about every candidate, but I sit down for 30 minutes and just read through really quick and get an overview of what they say because a lot of the focus is on the national,” Tobar said.

March 30, 2016 · San Diego CityBeat · 7

Up Front | opinion

john r. lamb

spin

cycle

john r. lamb

Lorena Gonzalez zips into the Sacramento power lane Being a woman is a terribly difficult task, since it consists principally in dealing with men.

—Joseph Conrad

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he scheduling requests to meet with state Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez have grown considerably since her recent appointment as head of the Assembly’s mega-powerful Appropriations Committee.

“Exponentially, yes,” Gonzalez said Monday with only a hint of a sigh.

The 80th District representative was running 20 minutes behind schedule that day as she was whisked from a session on the Assembly floor to a meeting with members about the big Sacramento news of the week, a proposal hatched by Gov. Jerry Brown, a handful of legislators and labor

leaders to raise California’s minimum wage incrementally from $10 an hour to $15 by the year 2022.

The fast-tracked plan, unveiled Monday, gets its first legislative hearing—where else?—before Gonzalez’s newly gained Appropriations Committee, which holds influence on any legislation involving the expenditure of money.

“Three quarters, somebody told me, of all bills come through Appropriations,” Gonzalez said.

“It’s a great committee, a unique committee. You see a large number of bills.”

Never mind that her first hearing as chairwoman will be to shepherd through a historic minimum-wage hike that opponents loathe with all their might as a proverbial “job killer.” Taking on her detractors seems to be part of

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what makes Gonzalez tick.

When Spin Cycle asked a Republican insider to rank Gonzalez on the local GOP’s Enemies List, the answer came quickly: “Number one.” Which probably explains why so few calls of congratulations on her new appointment— despite its purse-string prowess— came from her opponents.

“Steve Cushman told me he’s really proud of me. How’s that?” the former local Labor Council leader said with a chuckle. Gonzalez once referred to Cushman, Mayor Kevin Faulconer’s right-hand man on the forever-meandering San Diego Convention Center expansion saga, as the “king of the San Diego 20,” a murky reference to the small clique of perceived city power brokers.

But what about the mayor himself? Faulconer, after all, handed Gonzalez her last election defeat in 2005 for the city council seat he eventually left to become mayor.

“No, the mayor did not reach out.

Go figure,” she said.

It was that defeat that solidified in her mind that Sacramento is where the action is. “I always thought that state government is where things get done. Still believe it,” she insisted.

With Faulconer’s rumored interest in a 2018 gubernatorial run,

Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, first Latina head of the influential Appropriations Committee, is ready to rev. one must wonder what would have been the harm in a quick note of best wishes. Maybe Faulconer found the idea awkward.

That would be fitting, considering that the mayor did find time to mention Gonzalez and her personal relationship with former mayoral candidate Nathan Fletcher during the recent roast speech he delivered to his pals at the Downtown San Diego Partnership, or as he called it, the “Employment Office for Former Jerry Sanders’ Aides.”

“Now, I know people are going to want Chargers jokes tonight,” Faulconer said in the joke-filled speech. “Not gonna happen. The talks are too sensitive. Making Chargers jokes right now…it would just be awkward. Kinda like, I don’t know, Nathan and Lorena flirting on Twitter awkward. And that’s pretty awkward.”

To be fair, the mayor followed that line with glowing praise of his wife, Katherine, who he noted “doesn’t suffer fools easily…which is why I spend so much time outside of the house.”

Gonzalez said she found the crack “kind of funny” but added, “I’m sorry Kevin feels that a relationship is awkward. It’s not like Nathan and I tweet at each other.

We just tweet when we go to dinner or something every once in a while because people talk shit about us. So we just say, ‘Yeah, we were at dinner.’

“If I have to be in a fishbowl for third grade, then I’m going to be like, ‘Yes, you did see us.’”

Perhaps there’s a bit of jealousy that Gonzalez feels comfortable in her own shoes while Faulconer has to “Shhhh!” people when they mention he’s a Republican. “I have nothing real to hide, so who cares?” she said.

Gonzalez said she even has— shock!—befriended Republicans in the Assembly, one of whom also receives considerable hate mail.

They joke together that some day they’ll do their own version of “Mean Tweets,” where the recipient reads the vitriol of the sender.

When her chief of staff glares

at her, indicating she is now 25 minutes behind schedule, Gonzalez hints she must end the conversation. But she points out that, as opposed to the tendency of opponents in San Diego to remain in their own comfort corners, in Sacramento, “Everybody tries to talk—even the ones who know you’re not going to be with them.”

Gonzalez, whose South County constituents are far removed from the power structure, hedges on whether her new power appointment will mean greater attention for San Diego and its woes.

“I know there are those who believe that San Diego matters only for what matters downtown,” she said, “and I obviously have a different area than downtown that I worry about.”

Her progressive legislative conquests—from diapers to paid sick leave—have leaned heavily in favor of the underserved and struggling, those with little power. That, she promised, will not change. “I’ll continue to focus on issues that I’ve always focused on,” she said.

“You know, is it good for working and middle-class families? Is it something that helps people become more self-sustainable? Is it empowerment not charity?”

The $15-an-hour debate, however, could be a crowning achievement, even as it pushes opponents to invest in diapers. “It kills business,” she laughed. “Giving businesses seven years to get to $15 will kill them, apparently.”

Her latest push, to give independent contractors in the “gig economy” the ability to unionize, will likely make Republican heads explode. Lincoln Pickard, a perennial candidate seeking to unseat her, said she should leave these workers alone and focus on funding more highway projects.

Probably not going to happen.

As the new Appropriations Committee chairwoman noted about priorities, “If SeaWorld wanted a corporate tax break, I doubt they’re going to get it here!”

Spin Cycle appears every week.

Write to johnl@sdcitybeat.com.

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Up Front | Opinion

Aaryn Belfer

Backwards & in

high heels The Lincoln High boys are our children

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incoln High fight leads to dispute over discipline.”

That is the headline of a somewhat lengthy story published recently by The San Diego Union Tribune. A photo accompanying the story affirms the media’s—and the larger public’s—bias.

The photo could have been, but is not, the San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) Superintendent Cindy Marten, who seems interested in learning about how to stop the school-to-prison pipeline destroying lives, particularly those of black and brown boys. The photo also could have been, but is not, that of the many beautiful, high achieving students, great teachers and committed community leaders who gathered for prayer and healing on the Monday after a so-called fight resulted in the pepper spraying of numerous students, the tasing of another and a police officer taken to the hospital with an injury.

No. Photos like those—that create ideas of other possibilities, that prize humanity over fear—don’t serve the narrative to which we are so addicted. Instead, the SDUT editors trudged the well-worn path and featured a uniformed Jesus Montana, president of the San Diego Unified Police Officers Association.

Montana is standing in front of a row of blue lockers, badge pinned to his chest, with a faraway gaze that makes him seem non-threatening. And to me, he is relatively non-threatening. As a white person, I know that I’m nearly guaranteed to walk away unharmed if I find myself in any sort of interaction with a police officer. And this is true for most white people.

This is not an experience internalized and shared by people of color, particularly black people, including those who attend Lincoln High School.

Details of precisely what happened on February 23 are unclear. But those that have been reported by news outlets have had the effect of simultaneously garnering unquestioning sympathy for the injured officer and effectively demonizing not just the kids involved in the incident, but the entire Lincoln High School community and Southeast San Diego.

Now, three teenagers face numerous felonies and a justice system designed specifically to put them in cages. No doubt, the trajectory of their young lives has been changed. But can it be changed again, with a more hopeful outcome?

It could be. It can be if the charges against the boys are dropped. They should be dropped. But this will require that you and I and anyone in this city who may not relate to the circumstances facing communities of color to imagine what it must be like for a black kid—who sees via media—people who look just like

him being killed and assaulted by police on a nearly daily basis; and to watch his friend get tased by a cop and twitch on the ground. This is trauma and fully developed frontal lobe or not, that shit might just inspire some unpredictable reactions not so easily conveyed in a newspaper story or a ticker feed.

Sadly, predictably, this is all lost on Officer Montana and his organization—and presumably the SDPD and the DA’s office—which do not support dropping the charges.

“These are not children,” Jesus Montana says.

“These are young adults who knew what they were doing. Some in the community, the NAACP, want to treat them like 7-year-olds and not 17-year-olds.”

Now, no disrespect to Officer Montana or anything, but last I checked, kids are considered kids until they are 18 years old. Furthermore, neuroscience has proven that the brain of an adolescent isn’t fully developed until her/his mid-20s.

This is not an excuse but a scientifically proven reality that provides an alternative argument that “young adults” don’t really know what they’re doing.

The Lincoln High School fight—or whatever it was— absolutely did not happen in a vacuum. There is a longstanding record of over-policing in the Southeast community targeting generations of families.

It should go without saying, but chronic experiences with law enforcement do not foster a sense of safety and trust, and it’s doubtful that those teens had much trust for the officer on campus. Which is problematic in and of itself.

Look. It really doesn’t matter who did what to create this bonfire. No critical-thinking person—no civic leader or school board member or educator who gives half a shit about the children our society purports to value—thinks these kids should be given a pat on the head and a beach day. Well…maybe I think they should be given a beach day; I think all kids should be given a beach day.

But felonies? That is cause for public outrage.

Nothing—nothing—these kids did warrants putting them in jail, warrants taking away their civil rights.

The SDUT puts restorative justice in quotes, a clever way of diminishing the proven-to-work policy that could change the future for these boys and spare the devastation that is coming. Yet, that is precisely what is called for here. Restorative justice is another way out of this, and being vocal supporters of its use in this circumstance is the way we show these boys that we care about them and their futures.

“

There is a longstanding record of over-policing in the Southeast community targeting generations of families.

“

#SDCityBeat

Backwards & In High Heels appears every other week. Write to aaryn@sdcitybeat.com.

March 30, 2016 · San Diego CityBeat · 9

Up Front | Food

by michael a. gardiner

the world

the dish. Again, the $14.50 price didn’t enter the equation.

As appetizers gave way to tacos, though, the story began to change. The carnitas taco was moist and rich but it also wasn’t anything special.

The chicken adobo taco was worse. What flavor It’s not all about the price there was came more from everything except the at Galaxy Taco chicken itself. Crema added moisture and richness but didn’t take it over the top. Perhaps it was the lengua taco that drove the point home. Fatty, moist rom the moment Galaxy Taco (2259 Aveniand delicious, it was everything you’d ask for in a da De La Playa) debuted in mid-2015, discusbeef tongue taco. The probsion of price seemed to Michael A. Gardiner lem is that there was nothing dominate the dialogue. “We exceptional, nothing surprishave officially entered the era ing about it. of the $5 taco,” announced The story was different one piece. Another concludfor Galaxy’s sweet potato and ed it was “pretty pricey for a jack cheese taco. The roasted beachside taco shop.” Somesweet potato sat in a blanket times the food seemed lost of melted cheese with arugin the shuffle. Perhaps there ula providing a peppery note was a reason. and a chile de arbol salsa some It seems remarkable heat. Rich, sweet, peppery, to discuss a Trey Fosheespicy with textural contrast, helmed restaurant and not Grilled octopus tostada this was Galaxy’s best taco I focus on the food. Foshee’s tasted. It never occurred to resume is beyond reproach Michael A. Gardiner me to check the price tag.

(Santa Monica’s late lamentIf Galaxy offered taed Röckenwagner, a Food & cos that were “out of this Wine Magazine “America’s world”—and, contrary to fact, Best New Chef” designation, attentive service rather than CIA training). So is the food the snobbish indifference I he puts out at George’s at the experienced twice—perhaps Cove. Expectations of Galaxy far fewer would leave wantTaco were high. ing to talk about the $5.50-$6 A meal at Galaxy is likeprice per taco. Instead of the ly to start well. Michelada problem being that the tacos steamed mussels are a woncost so much it may be they derful cross between the Belfailed to meet the expectagian steamed mussels classic Michelada steamed mussels tions of Foshee-led restauand Mexico’s beer cocktail. rant. To be fair, from the The tomato-and-beer broth, start he clearly stated Galaxy cilantro and spices combine with perfectly would “not be a gringo highbrow interpretation” steamed mussels to make a great dish. Pink of tacos.

But perhaps the price tag drowned out pickled onions took it over the top and woodthat statement of intent.

It is hard to charge $6 grilled bread was there to sop it all up. Price did for a taco and not be expected to deliver one that not enter my mind. does a jig on the plate.

The grilled octopus tostada was much the In the end it’s not all about the price. It’s about same: a good take on a regional classic. Black the value. bean purée was a perfect bed for octopus that

fare

F

was tender with a burnt orange-habanero salsa underlining a perfect char. Slices of ripe avocado and obscenely sweet cherry tomatoes completed

10 · San Diego CityBeat · March 30, 2016

The World Fare appears weekly.

Write to michaelg@sdcitybeat.com.

#SDCityBeat

Up Front | Food

by james vernette

dishing it

Whole Foods, Bed Bath & Beyond and Dean & DeLuca, among many other places. Although he’s national, Antonorsi is supportive of other local chocolatiers and believes the chocolate community can learn from the craft brew industry.

“I absolutely love how our community has Chocolatiers hope for sweet success become a mecca for craft beer lovers. It’s so much fun to see other makers live out their passion, and it would be a beautiful thing for that to continue n the last 20 years, San Diegans have largely with fine chocolate as well,” he said. “So, is switched from mass-market brews to regionchocolate going to make San Diego melt with ally brewed craft beers. Now, local chocolatsheer deliciousness? Let’s say yes. It could only iers hope the same sort of sweet success comes be a good thing!” their way.

As hopeful as Antonorsi is, others like Rygie William Gustwiller, owner and executive chef Dy, head pastry chef at Bottega Americano in of Eclipse Chocolate in North Park, believes East Village, say it may take a while before the city is ready to have its chocolate become as America’s Finest City becomes America’s recognized as its beer or tacos.

Chocolate Capital.

“Over the past few years, San “I think, if given the opportunity, Diegans have cultivated a strong yes, [San Diego] can be,” Dy sense of taste and community,” said. “It may take years [before] he said. “We all want to see San San Diegans are willing to let Diego’s cuisine scene rise to themselves indulge in something number one nationally, and we considered a ‘sweet.’” won’t settle for less—whether Eclipse Chocolate’s Dy worries that people who that’s in our beer, our restaurants, exotic salted caramels want chocolate tend to stick or, yes, chocolate!” to the tried-and-true rather than a flavor like But local chocolatiers aren’t looking to cardamom rose petal chocolate. create the next Reese’s. Gustwiller says Eclipse “At least, they wouldn’t want to pay for it just is heavily influenced by Mexican, Peruvian, to try it,” he said.

Japanese, Korean and Chinese cultures.

But there is reason for foodies to be “For example, one of our latest Drinking optimistic.

Chocolates is Ginger Green Tea, which is a “There are plenty of chefs who create their beautiful, silky-soft chocolate with a vivid own chocolates from scratch using cacao beans. green color that comes from using fresh matcha They are roasting them, they are turning them powder,” he said. into sweet confections of very complex flavors,” Isabella Knack, who owns Dallmann Fine Dy said. “It is a craft in itself much like the beer Chocolates at the Headquarters at Seaport scene here. I wish San Diego had more of a sweet Village, is another chocolatier who wants to spice tooth than spending most of their time eating things up. cardboard so they can be skinny.”

“The current trend is salted, but I would love Lachlan Oliver, the owner of Heaven Sent to see the next trend really be herbal,” she said.

Desserts in North Park, has a simpler dream.

“Ever seen a curry chocolate? We sell it, and “I grew up in Europe, so these ‘Texas-sized’ it is amazing. I would love to see a burgeoning desserts bother me,” he said. “A great quality trend of all things herb and spice related, since dessert can be just like drinking a good scotch. chocolate works in such harmony with so many It’s about holding the flavor in your mouth and unexpected flavors.” pausing; not just eating bite after bite. You’re Chef Michael Antonorsi, founder and master missing the best part. … The pause.” chocolatier of Chuao Chocolatier, a locally based (Verdict: Chocolate still has a way to go before chocolatier who introduced the idea of adding spicy it’s the new beer, but there is some evidence that the chilis to gourmet chocolate, understands this. city is developing a locally made sweet tooth.)

Chuao is the most nationally recognized local chocolate company. Its products can be found at Dishing It Out appears every other week.

out I

#SDCityBeat

March 30, 2016 · San Diego CityBeat · 11

EVENTS

SHORTlist

ART

the

THREE YOU HAVE TO SEE

1

COORDINATED BY

SETH COMBS

WILD WEST

ing their signature mix of classical, world-music and jazz fusion. The show is free, but an RSVP is For almost two decades, the New West recommended at martinlawrence.com Electronic Arts and Music OrganiHowever, the Modern Masters show is but a zation Festival (nweamo.org) has been a labor warm-up for the fest itself, which takes place Friof love for founder and artistic director Joseph day, April 8 (8 p.m.), and Saturday, April 9 (6:15 Waters (aka Jozefius Vaatierz Rattus). Undeni- p.m.), at the San Diego Central Library Auditorium ably under-the-radar, the (330 Park Boulevard). WaCOURTESY OF THE ARTIST NWEAMO Fest has conters promises a concert sistently offered a more that intertwines audio intimate, experimental and visual performances and one-of-a-kind expeand tapped renowned artrience. ist Mark Kostabi (some “I felt that there was readers may remember a need for a festival that his album covers for Guns really focused on taking ‘n’ Roses’ dual Use Your performers from really Illusion LPs) to play new different musical worlds piano works and to proand putting them onstage vide accompanying visutogether,” Waters says. als for some of the perfor“The idea was to create a mances. There will also be communication between music from violinist Lynn the artists and also create Bechtold, blues pianist a dialogue with the pub“THE MYTH OF THE MUSE” by Mark Kostabi Bonnie Lee Bluestone, lic that they don’t need to experimental opera duo get stuck listening to just one genre of music.”

Tribal Baroque, and many more. The fest is free but This year’s “Music & Myth”-themed fest begins there is a $10 suggested donation. with a preview art show and concert on Saturday, “The overarching theme is the idea that we reApril 2, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Martin Lawrence ally live in a world that is so multicultural and that Gallery (1111 Prospect St.) in La Jolla. The art reaching out beyond our own little pocket of what show, appropriately entitled Modern Masters, will we understand is so critical,” Waters says. “Plus, feature works from Picasso, Chagall and Dalí; and it’s also fun.”

Waters’ own band, SWARMIUS, will be perform-

2 COLOR ME BAD

As CityBeat columnist Ryan Bradford awkwardly witnessed, third eyes are blasting off thanks to adult coloring. Now, the craze is activating some other body parts too.

Local coloring book artist/author Rachel LaBarre is titty-twisting this once G-Rated activity up a notch with her latest work, The Very Adult Coloring Book Vol. 2: Home & Garden, which features drawings of adults doing household chores…wearing only a smile. The COURTESY OF THE ARTIST book will expose itself at a launch party at the Porto Vista Hotel (1835 Columbia St.) on Thursday, March 31, where attendees can “Lauren is Stress Eating buy it, grab Tonight” by Rachel LaBarre a drink and color from 6:30 to 10 p.m. Tickets run for $25 and include either the Very Adult Coloring Book Vol. 1 or Vol. 2 and a drink ticket. Supplies will be provided, but colorers can bring their own materials. 1805gallery.com/tickets

12 · San Diego CityBeat · March 30, 2016

3 A STAR IS BORN

Readers who’ve marveled over the Do Ho Suh show at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego already have a sense of his accomplished artistry, but this isn’t the South Korean-born, New York-based artist’s first visit to San Diego. “Fallen Star,” completed in 2012, perches precariously atop UCSD’s Engineering Building and is a curious, rubbernecking addition to the campus’ Stuart Collection of public art. While the sculpture looks as if it has landed effortlessly where it is (possibly by a tornado?), it took years of planning, engineering and construction, which are now documented in Fallen Star: Finding Home. The new film, directed by Vera Brunner-Sung, will have free screenings on Tuesday, April 5, at 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. in the Atkinson Auditorium at Calit2 (9500 Gilman Drive) where Do Ho Suh himself will be in attendance. stuartcollection.ucsd.edu DO HO SUH STUDIOS

HDiagrama de dependencia at UCSD Visual Arts Facility Gallery, Russell Dr. and Lyman Ave., La Jolla. UCSD MFA candidate Dominic Paul Miller presents his thesis exhibition, a collection of cooperative drawings produced through a two-month workshop with the Tijuana-based labor rights collective Ollin Calli. Opening from 6 to 10 p.m. Thursday, March 31. Free. visarts.ucsd.edu An Archaeologist’s Eye: The Parthenon Drawings of Katherine A. Schwab at Timken Museum of Art, 1500 El Prado, San Diego, Schwab’s experimentation with graphite and pastel result in a unique collection of more than 30 drawings celebrating the Parthenon’s sculptural legacy and ancient Greek culture. From 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday, April 1. Free. 619239-5548, timkenmuseum.org HI Want the Wide American Earth: An Asian American Pacific Story at New Americans Museum, 2825 Dewey Rd. Suite 102, Point Loma. This traveling exhibition explores how Asian Pacific Americans have shaped and been shaped by the course of our nation’s history with compelling stories and images. Opening from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Friday, April 1. Free.

619-756-7707, newamericansmuseum.org Oceanside Art Walk at Downtown Oceanside, Pier View Way and Tremont St., Oceanside. Over 20 businesses throughout downtown Oceanside transform into galleries to showcase local art.

From 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, April 1. Free. oceansideartwalk.org HBody 1.0 at Bay Park Press Gallery, 4138 Napier St., Bay Park. An exhibition of new work by paper artist Bhavna Mehta, who uses a knife to cut paper into beautiful, delicate forms to tell visual stories.

Opening from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Saturday, April 2. Free. bayparkpress.com HBrueghel to Canaletto: European Masterpieces from the Grasset Collection at San Diego Museum of Art, 1450 El Prado, Balboa Park. This new exhibition features 40 masterpieces from the leading Dutch, Flemish and Spanish still-life painters of the 17th century. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 2. Free$12. 619-232-7931, sdmart.org Continuum at Sophie’s Kensington Gallery, 4186 Adams Ave., Kensington. A group show celebrating National Autism Awareness Month that includes guest artist Sara Millett and Sophie’s artists showing off new drawings and paintings. The first 50 customers will receive a free copy of The Secret Night World of Cats by Mark Rimland. Opening from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, April 2. 619-534-8120, kensingtongallery.org HFire! at Helmuth Projects, 1827 Fifth Ave., Bankers Hill. Wendell M. Kling creates an exercise in live immersive abstract cinematic performance using an array of kinetic sculptures, overhead projectors, homemade film loops and more. Opening from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, April 2. Free.

619-265-6842, sayingtheleastandsayingitloud.com Mingei of Japan: Treasures New and Old from the Museum’s Collection at Mingei International Museum, 1439 El Prado, Balboa Park. This new exhibition brings patrons back to the Museum’s roots and features recent gifts and purchases along with iconic permanent collection pieces. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Saturday, April 2. Free-$10. 619-2390003, mingei.org Connie Samaras: Speculative Landscapes at UCSD SME Building, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla. The L.A.-based photographer showcases work from her Edge

Fallen Star: Finding Home

H = CityBeat picks

of Twilight series, which focuses on modest utopian communal visions. From noon to 4 p.m. Monday, April 4. Free. visarts. ucsd.edu

BOOKS HChristopher Scotton at Warwick’s Bookstore, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. The debut novelist will discuss and sign The Secret Wisdom of the Earth, about a teenage boy who witnesses a terrible act of violence in a small Appalachian town. At 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 30. Free.

858-454-0347, warwicks.com HHelen Simonson at Warwick’s Bookstore, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. The bestselling author of Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand will discuss and sign her second novel, The Summer Before the War, about classism and scandal in a small British town just before World War I. At 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 31. Free.

858-454-0347, warwicks.com Robert J. Sawyer at Mysterious Galaxy Book Store, 5943 Balboa Ave., Ste. 100, Clairemont. The thriller author will sign and discuss Quantum Night, about an experimental psychologist who develops a flawless technique for identifying previously undetected psychopaths. At 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 31. Free. 858268-4747, mystgalaxy.com HThe Very Adult Coloring Book Vol. 2: Home & Garden at Porto Vista Hotel, 1835 Columbia St., Little Italy. Local coloring book artist/author Rachel LaBarre will be promoting her new adult coloring book. Tickets include a copy of either the Very Adult Coloring Book Vol. 1 or Vol. 2 and a drink ticket. Thursday, March 31. $25. 619-544-0164, 1805gallery.com Matthew Quirk at Mysterious Galaxy Book Store, 5943 Balboa Ave., Ste. 100, Clairemont. The former reporter for The Atlantic will be promoting his his third work of military fiction, Cold Barrel Zero.

At 2 p.m. Saturday, April 2. Free. 858268-4747, mystgalaxy.com Scott Sigler at Mysterious Galaxy Book Store, 5943 Balboa Ave., Ste. 100, Clairemont. The dystopian fiction writer will sign and discuss the second entry in his Generations Trilogy, Alight. At 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 2. Free. 858-268-4747, mystgalaxy.com HJoe R. Lansdale at Mysterious Galaxy Book Store, 5943 Balboa Ave., Ste. 100, Clairemont. The acclaimed author of Cold in July and Bubba Ho-Tep will be promoting the release of his latest Hap and Leonard title, Honky Tonk Sumurai. At 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, April 5. Free. 858-268-4747, mystgalaxy.com Joyce Maynard at Warwick’s Bookstore, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. The New York Times bestselling author will discuss and sign her new novel, Under the Influence.

At 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 5. Free. 858454-0347, warwicks.com

COMEDY HWhitney Cummings at American Comedy Co., 818 B Sixth Ave., Downtown. The Los Angeles based comedian, actor, writer and producer is the co-creator of the Emmy nominated CBS comedy 2 Broke Girls. At 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. Friday, April 1 and Saturday, April 2. $35. 619-7953858, americancomedyco.com

FILM HFallen Star: Finding Home at UCSD Calit2 Atkinson Hall Auditorium, Voigt Dr. and Equality Ln, La Jolla. The new film, directed by Vera Brunner-Sung, documents the creation and installation of “Fallen

EVENTS CONTINUED ON PAGE 14 #SDCityBeat

THEATER KEN JACQUES

Sean Murray (left) and Danny Hansen in The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Rocky still rocking

T

wenty-five years after playing the inimitable Frank ‘N’ Furter in Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show at the San Diego Rep, Sean Murray is reprising the role—with a bang—at Old Town’s Cygnet Theatre, of which he is also artistic director. What’s more, Murray is directing this fiercely energetic staging of a campy, gender-bending show that never gets old.

Rocky Horror isn’t old but at least middle-aged, having debuted in 1973 in London. But if ever there was a

#SDCityBeat

musical possessing the exuberance and rebelliousness of youth, this is it. What happens in this often-produced tale of two squeaky-clean visitors to Frank ‘N’ Furter’s “castle” is of no matter. Their presence is just a pretext for all the outrageous and still audacious song-and-dance numbers, with practically everybody in makeup, drag or underwear. Part of the fun of the Cygnet production, as at movie houses when the film screens, is that the audience is very much involved: shouting out lines, hurling insults, singing along, dressing in theme—in short, doing all the things you aren’t allowed to do at 98 percent of live theater.

Murray’s the centerpiece of this spectacle, but he has talented accomplices: Bets Malone, playing dual roles and lustily belting out “Science Fiction,” the tune that opens and closes the show; Jacob Caltrider and Amy Perkins as the unsuspecting pair who fall under Frank’s spell; the nattily dressed Jim Chovick as the show-narrating Criminologist; and absolutely Andrew Hull’s scenic design, Jennifer Brawn Gittings’ costumes, David Brannen’s choreography and a suitably loud band.

Rocky Horror’s second act drags (yeah, bad pun) and its ballads barely rise above standard Broadway hokum.

But numbers like “Touch-A Touch-A Touch Me,” “Sweet Transvestite” and, of course, the signature “The Time Warp” sizzle with staying power. It’s worth wondering where The Rocky Horror Show might be playing in another 25 years and if Sean Murray could still get into a corset and pink sequined heels.

Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show runs through May 7 at the Old Town Theatre. $46 and up. cygnettheatre.com *** Catch it f you can: fruitlessmoon theatreworks’ imagi-

native production of Waiting for Godot, through April 10 at White Box Live Arts in NTC Liberty Station, Point Loma. performingartslive.com

—David L. Coddon Theater reviews run weekly.

Write to davidc@sdcitybeat.com.

OPENING: Silence is Not Golden: A staged reading of the play by awardwinning local playwright Anita Yellin Simons about domestic violence and the dangers of not speaking up. It happens at the First United Methodist Center on March 30. fumcsd.org HONK! Jr.: The Hans Christian Andersen-inspired musical about a duckling named Ugly who’s learning to find his true worth. Presented by the Theatre School @ North Coast Rep, it opens for six performances on March 31 at the North Coast Repertory Theatre in Solana Beach.

A Little Night Music: The Stephen Sondheim musical centers on an enchanting actress who invites her male admirers, as well as their jealous wives, for a weekend in the country. It opens April 1 at the Coronado Playhouse. coronadoplayhouse.com Skin Deep: A witty, overweight woman goes on a blind date with a fella who doesn’t think before he speaks. Hilarity ensues, natch.

Written by Jon Lonoff, it opens April 1 at the Scripps Ranch Theatre. scrippsranchtheatre.org Last Angry Brown Hat: A staged reading of the award-winning play about a former “Chicano Power” activist coming to terms with his radical past. Presented by Amigos del REP, it happens April 5 at the Lyceum Stage in the Gaslamp. sdrep.org

For full theater listings, please visit “T heater ” at sdcitybeat.com

March 30, 2016 · San Diego CityBeat · 13

EVENTS EVENTS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12 Star,” the now iconic piece of public art that is perched atop UCSD’s Engineering Building. At 12:30 and 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 5. Free. stuartcollection.ucsd.edu

FOOD & DRINK Re:Source: Unwasted Food Popup Dinner at Red Door Restaurant, 741 W. Washington St., Mission Hills.

Local chefs employ their creativity to transform ignored or un-coveted food that would otherwise become waste into a multi-course dinner. From 5:30 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, April 6. $60. eventbrite.com/e/resource-an-unwastedfood-dinner-to-benefit-sd-food-systemalliance-tickets-21594858804

MUSIC HStar Trek: The Ultimate Voyage at San Diego Civic Theatre, 1100 Third Ave., Downtown. Five decades of Star Trek music featuring performances from a live symphony orchestra and international solo instruments while the most iconic Star Trek film and TV footage is simultaneously beamed in high definition to a 40foot wide screen. At 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 31. $30-$95. broadwaysd.com Midori Plays Tchaikovsky at Copley Symphony Hall, 750 B St., Downtown.

Guest conductor Rory Macdonald and violinist Midori lead a concert featuring selections from Dvorak, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff and more. Part of the San Diego Symphony Jacobs Masterworks Series. At 8 p.m. Friday, April 1 and Saturday, April 2, and 2 p.m. Sunday, April 3. $20-$96. 619-235-0804, sandiegosymphony.com Music and Memories: A Concert to Benefit Poway’s Tony Gwynn Memorial at Poway Center for the Performing Arts, 15498 Espola Rd., Poway. This concert event will kick off the fundraising for the Tony Gwynn memorial and will feature performances from Tim Flannery with his band the Lunatic Fringe, as well as Steve Vaus, Glen Erath, Eve Selis, and more.

From 8 to 11 p.m. Friday, April 1. $60$100. 858-748-0505, powayarts.org HPatty Griffin, Sara Watkins, and Anaïs Mitchell at California Center for the Arts, 340 North Escondido Blvd., Escondido. Grammy Award-winner Griffin joins forces with Watkins and Mitchell for a special “singers-in-the-round” style show that features all three artists on stage together. At 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 1. $20-$45. 760-839-4190, artcenter.org Route 78 Rotary Club’s Mariachi Festival at California Center for the Arts, 340

North Escondido Blvd., Escondido. The third annual fest will feature performances from Grammy-nominated Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles (the First Ladies of Mariachi), as well as Mariachi Garibaldi from Southwestern College, Ballet Folklórico Tierra Caliente and more. From 3 to 6 p.m. Sunday, April 3. $20. 760-8394190, missionfed.com/events Jeff Berkley at Rancho San Diego Library, 11555 Via Rancho San Diego, El Cajon. Award-winning San Diego singer/ songwriter presents a free concert, part of the San Diego County Library’s Acoustic Showcase series. From 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, April 5. free 619-6605370, sdcl.org/locations_RD.html HAudio Books at Verbatim Books, 3795 30th St., North Park. The first edition of a new concert series featuring performances from literary musicians like Gary Hankins, Tara Rita Castro and Evyn Oliver. At 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 6. Free. 619501-7466, facebook.com/verbatimbooks/

PERFORMANCE HHead over Heels at Calit2 Auditorium, Atkinson Hall, UCSD campus, La Jolla.

A performance piece from Grady Kestler exploring interaction between performers and technology. Choreographer Anne Gehman and saxophonist Steven Leffue will perform with AIIS, an intelligent electronic system developed for improvisatory composition. From 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, March 31. Free. ideas.ucsd.edu HThe Amazing Acro-cats at Diversionary Theatre, 4545 Park Blvd., University Heights. The traveling one-hour show features over a dozen felines (all former orphans, rescues and strays) walking tightropes, pushing carts, skateboarding, jumping through hoops and more. Runs from Thursday, March 24 through Sunday, April 3. Various times. Thursday, March 31 through Sunday, April 3. $25$30. 619-220-0097, circuscats.com Dr. Bill Thomas: The Age of Disruption 2016 Tour at Joan B. Kroc Theatre, 6611 University Ave., Rolando. Aging expert Dr. Bill Thomas and musical guest Nate Silas Richardson offer an entertaining and highly disruptive exploration of aging via a “non-fiction theater” performance. At 2:30 and 7 p.m. Friday, April 1. $15-$30. 619269-1550, drbillthomas.org HFaust Fest at The Casbah, 2501 Kettner Blvd., Midtown. The 11th annual Fest celebrating the life of puppeteer Jacob Faust, who was killed by S.D.P.D. 12 years ago.

Local musicians The Keepers, Tribal Baroque and Pall Jenkins perform followed by a puppet show by Marcel Zooey. At 9 p.m. Sunday, April 3. $10. 619-232HELL, casbahmusic.com/event/1115601san-diego-guild-puppetry-san-diego/

14 · San Diego CityBeat · March 30, 2016

COURTESY OF THE ARTIST

HJohn Leguizamo: Latin History for Dummies at La Jolla Playhouse, 2910 La Jolla Village Drive, La Jolla. The actor and comedian’s new one-man show delivers a comic take on 500 years of Latin History spanning the Aztec and Incan Empires to World War II. Plays from Tuesday, April 5 through Sunday, April 17. Various times.

Tuesday, April 5. $29-$59. 858-5501010, lajollaplayhouse.org/

POETRY & SPOKEN WORD HThe Foundry: A Reading Series at Soda & Swine Liberty Station, 2750 Dewey Rd. #104, Point Loma. A new literary reading series with writers, known and unknown, performing fiction, non-fiction, poetry and more. The inaugural reading includes works from Adrian Van Young, Lizz Huerta, Lauren Becker and CityBeat’s Ryan Bradford. From 8 to 10 p.m. Tuesday, April 5. $5 suggested donation. 619501-9989, sosayweallonline.com

SPECIAL EVENTS Festival of Fools at Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum, 2030 N. Santa Fe Ave., Vista. The three-day steampunk festival includes fashion shows, vendors, a science fair and performances from Frenchy and the Punk and The Velveteen Band. From noon to 10 p.m. Friday, April 1 and Saturday, April 2, and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, April 3. $10-$50. 760941-1791, festivaloffools.org Club O: It’s A Mod Mod World! at Oceanside Museum of Art, 704 Pier View Way, Oceanside. The fundraising party includes music, dancing and casino games combined with delicious ‘60sinspired nibbles and libations. Benefits OMA and its programs. From 7 to 10 p.m.

Saturday, April 2. $75. 760-435-3720, oma-online.org San Diego Tartan Day Festival at House of Pacific Relations International, 2191 West Pan American Rd., 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 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 2. Free. 619-234-0739, sdhpr.org HEast Village Opening Day Block Party at Petco Park, Park & Imperial, Downtown. Kick off baseball season with this block-party event with live entertainment from local bands, a beer garden, food trucks and more. On J Street between 6th and 10th Avenues. From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, April 4. Free. eastvillagesandiego.com HDorkbot #3 at Whistle Stop, 2236 Fern

“Heart” by Bhavna Mehta will be on view at Body 1.0, a solo exhibition opening from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Saturday, April 2, at Bay Park Press Gallery (4138 Napier St., Bay Park).

St, South Park. An international event featuring artists, musicians, experimentalists, educators, students and inventors presenting their work. This show will feature experimental music art from Aren Skalman and Margaret Noble. From 7 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 6. Free. 619284-6784, whistlestopbar.com

SPORTS HTurista Libre: Tijuana Toros Opening Day at Turista Libre Meeting Spot, 727 E. San Ysidro Blvd, Tijuana. Join Turista Libre and cheer on the minor league baseball stars of the Liga Norte de Mexico as they take on the Tamaulipas Broncos. Round-trip transportation included. At 6 p.m. Friday, April 1. $25.

858-754-9406, turistalibre.com San Diego Growlers at Balboa Stadium, 1405 Park Blvd., Downtown. Get in on some American Ultimate Disc League action as the the Growlers play a pre-season match against the San Francisco Flamethrowers. From 5:30 to 9 p.m. Saturday, April 2. Free-$12. sdgrowlers.com

TALKS & DISCUSSIONS San Diego Opera Listening Tour at San Diego Natural History Museum, 1788 El Prado, Balboa Park. The first in a series of community discussions with S.D.

Opera General Director, David Bennett, to explore how the Company can best serve its citizens as it looks toward its next 50 years. At 6 p.m. Thursday, March 31.

Free. 619-232-3821, sdopera.orgn Climate Change at the Crossroads at Geisel Library, UCSD, La Jolla. A new lecture series featuring Scripps Institution of Oceanography Climate Scientists.

Professor Veerabhadran Ramanathan will lead a discussion entitled, “Bending the Curve of Climate Change: Why Do We Need an Alliance Between Science, Religion & Policy?” From 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 6. Free. climate-change-at-the-crossroads-april6. eventbrite.com

WORKSHOPS Breaking into Travel Writing with Maggie Espinosa at The Ink Spot @ Art Center Lofts, 710 13th St., Ste. 210, Downtown.

Learn how to access editors, decipher editorial guidelines, compose a query, negotiate contracts, qualify for press trips, find unique story angles and much more. From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, April 3. $45$54. sandiegowriters.org Printmaking Workshop at Oceanside Museum of Art, 704 Pier View Way, Oceanside. Mono printing, collographs and relief printing will be utilized to create unique prints in single and multiple editions. From 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday, April 5. $30-$40. 760-435-3720, oma-online.org

#SDCityBeat

Culture | Art a facility with the technology,” Baker says. “As I’ve become a better programmer I’ve been able to accomplish more things artistically.”

The Linda Vista resident grew up in Oregon playing violin and originally had dreams of becoming a classical violinist before discovering computer music in 2001, while a student at the California Institute of the Arts. This eventually led him to UC San Diego espite a title that sounds like a college town in 2008 to pursue a Ph.D. in computer music. There reggae festival, Sweet Gongs Vibrating he says he was playing improdan allen might be the San Diego vised music with other musiArt Institute’s most engaging cians while also developing his exhibition since introducing its own music software.

Curator-in-Residence program “When I was doing this solo more than a year ago. Amanda music, it usually involved sound Cachia has assembled a fine seas well as some kind of visual ellection of local and regional artement,” Baker says. “Things like ists whose work extends beyond animated wave forms or video the usual ocular-centric medisignals that were designed to ums. Whether it’s Brian Goeltcreate musical tones.” zenleuchter’s sweet smelling One of his first works, suitably olfactory works, Stefani Byrd’s entitled “Car Alarm,” was essen“DIVA: ReDux” video installatially a car alarm kit and a cargo tion or Aren Skalman’s circular van taillight that Baker fashioned wooden noisemakers, the show into a sampler-style musical inis filled with art where simply Cooper Baker and “Giant Spectrum” strument. The seven-foot “Giant seeing it is almost secondary.

Meter” from 2010 could be seen The standout of the show, however, has to be Cooas a precursor to “Giant Spectrum.” Seven recycled per Baker’s “Giant Spectrum,” a nearly four-foot alustoplight bulbs, stacked vertically, light up as the sound minum and plastic light sculpture that responds to in the room increased. Still, the piece now seems quaint the noise of the room. Stand next to it silently and it compared to the 49 lights of “Spectrum.” will pick up the viewer’s slightest movements. Make “I’ve always thought it would be so neat to have a bunch of noise and the plastic, vacuformed lights a big thing on the wall that showed the spectrum of start to sporadically flash. For Baker (cooperbaker. sound,” Baker says. “This show was a great opportucom), who uses computer coding in his works to nity to do it and by this point, I had learned what I achieve these interactive effects, “Giant Spectrum” needed to do to program microchips and weld alumihas been a piece he’s envisioned doing for years, but num and all the things that came together to make it was limited by both technology and his own comhappen. For me, it’s a satisfying thing to see it hangputer skills. ing there.”

“Part of it is definitely the technology or more of —Seth Combs

Seen LocaL

cries of the machines

D

craft shoot: black phoebe In this semi-regular column, we profile local crafters whose wares we love.

W

hen it comes to functional art, ceramicists get little respect. Craft a bulbous sculpture of a person or a face and the viewer might stop and gawk. Craft a bowl or a pot and sometimes the best you can hope for is someone saying, “Oh, that’s nice.”

Heather Rae Morton is as sociable and congenial as any South Park shopkeeper.

The owner of Black Phoebe Ceramics (blackphoebeceramics.com) doesn’t automatically expect people (including this writer) to know just how long and arduous the process of making the items in her store can be, but she’s quick to respond when asked about it.

“I spend a lot of time just researching the chemistry.

It takes testing and each glaze can take hours and rounds and rounds of testing to get it right,” says Morton, who named her business after a breed of bird that she found nesting in her studio. “People who know about pottery will always ask me, ‘Wow, how did you do this?’”

The difference is, indeed, in those glazes. The time spent perfecting the mix and the application has resulted in pieces that look both rustic and con-

#SDCityBeat

temporary. To create just a few of her bowls and mugs involves constantly monitoring the kiln, as well as a multi-step slow-cooling process. Since moving to San Diego from Philadelphia in 2010, she’s been commissioned to do more commercial work like the cups at Little Lion Cafe in Ocean Beach and working with local design team Bells & Whistles to create custom ceramic lampshades for the Broken Spanish restaurant in Los Angeles.

A lot of her business at seth combs the Black Phoebe store (1931 30th St.) comes from moms picking their kids up at the neighboring preschool or from patrons waiting for a table at Big Kitchen Café. She’s made enough of a name for herself that almost as soon as she creates something it usually sells. She’s hoping to hire more help in order to streamline the production process Heather Rae Morton and create more batches of the items. Still, she says she’ll always do the glazing herself and that the items will always be artfully limited.

“Before I even have time to put something on the website, I’m getting messages on my Instagram from people asking how they can buy it,” Morton says.

“Each one is totally different. Even if it’s part of a set, they’re all one-of-a-kind.”

—Seth Combs March 30, 2016 · San Diego CityBeat · 15

Culture | Voices

ryan bradford

well that was

awkward

The sensuous chill of watching Yanni in 2016

I

n hindsight, I guess I owe a lot to Brianna Contreras, the con artist.

A little back-story: for the past year, Contreras has attempted to get into multiple concerts under the guise that she works for San Diego CityBeat. She does not. Hear that, music promoters and venues?

BRIANNA CONTRERAS DOES NOT WORK FOR CITYBEAT. We found out about Brianna’s latest con a couple weeks ago, when a publicist from Missing Piece Group let us know that Brianna was all set up to go to Yanni.

Yanni.

Now, if you’re trying to use CityBeat’s cred to score concert access, at least have good taste. Maybe I’m being judgmental, as I’ve never really listened to Yanni, but who under 80 years old has? For me, at least, the musician has been the ubiquitous epitome for New Age (aka bad) music, a punchline, and cursed to the annals of awkward family holiday parties and elementary art classes for eternity.

We told the publicist that Brianna didn’t work for us. She thanked us and then replied: “PS: You wanna come see YANNI?” Now, a free concert is a free concert. Not only would I be benefiting from Brianna’s attempts to undermine our paper, but maybe—just maybe—I’d learn to be less prejudiced against Yanni* (*cue shitty sentimental music** [**Yanni]).

Flash forward to the week of the show. I’m sick.

Like, sicker than I have been in years. I’ve descended to the Vicks VapoRub level of grossness (which I affectionately refer to as “The Rub”). I pass the illness on to my wife, who quickly harbors resentment. Not a sexy time in the old Bradford house, Dear Readers.

With all this downtime, I’m able to do a little research. Turns out that Yanni’s a pretty interesting guy. He’s an entirely self-taught musician who’s become famous by making the music that he wants to make, eschewing popular trends, radio and MTV in the process.

He’s also released an album this year, in the year of our lord 2016, called Sensuous Chill.

“Ew,” my wife says, when I tell her the name of the album.

I give it a listen. Sensuous Chill has track names such as “Thirst for Life” and “Rapture” and other words I bet Sting has whispered huskily during the throes of tantric sex. It’s not bad, just perfect in a forgettable way.

I’m not entirely sure what the dress code for a Yanni show is—it’s at the Civic Theater, which commands a level of formality, so I decide wear a collared shirt, tucked in, but with the top button open as to convey my own sensuous chill. Compared to the previous days of feeling like a garbage human, the outfit feels downright sexy. Plus, the open collar allows The Rub to breathe.

Yanni’s audience is the most well-dressed I’ve ever seen. Everyone looks like they could hire someone to kill someone else. It’s also a packed house.

I mean, not to belabor the point, Brianna, but our seats are amazing: center, about 7 rows up. Easily worth more than $100 each.

The lights dim. Members of the orchestra take their positions. And then, Yanni emerges. He jaunts across the stage. He wears a black turtleneck and pants. Classic Yanni attire, I think. His hair appears well-conditioned and flowing, thereby living up to all my expectations. His movements are like that of Pinocchio on the verge of becoming a real boy: bouncy, aloof, playful.

“Did he just frolic?” My wife whispers.

The stage lights shift to blue. This is the chill that we’ve all been waiting for. He opens with a soft, sultry number—foreplay, I guess, because I realize now that everything Yanni does on stage is vaguely sexual. The crowd goes nuts. I count no fewer than five women over 50 years old recording with their phones, which will stay out for the majority of the concert (remember this next time you feel the urge to bash millennials for being The Worst).

After the foreplay, Yanni kicks it into high gear. He spends the concert alternating between heavy, pulsing songs and delicate piano compositions. His likability is infectious, even when he’s thrusting between two synthesizers assembled like a command console on a spacecraft. It’s clear that his orchestra absolutely loves Yanni, and they treasure the moment when he calls upon them to perform a solo. He’ll orchestrate with obscene hand gestures—coaxing the performance out, pushing the musician’s limits, finger blasting the air until the performer is depleted of song. Then he allows them to take a seat, and he looks at the crowd with a smile, a “Did I do that?” earnestness.

“Would you love me more if I could shred on the harp?” my wife asks after watching the harpist lift his instrument and scratch it with the ferocity of a feral cat.

“No doy,” I whisper.

He bows between every song, out of breath and flinging the sensual energy from his fingers.

“WE LOVE YOU, YANNI!” someone from the audience calls out.

“I love you too,” he says, faux-bashfully.

“BREATHE, YANNI, BREATHE!” “I’m breathing.”

After the concert, the crowd stands outside and talks about their favorite songs. I realize it’s one of the most diverse groups I’ve ever seen in San Diego.

People speak in European languages that I don’t recognize. Elderly people take selfies underneath the marquee. I’m not cured of the sickness, but it’s the first time in awhile that I don’t feel disgusting. I mentally thank Brianna for the date before my wife and I walk into the sensuous and chill night.

“

Turns out that Yanni’s a pretty interesting guy.

“

16 · San Diego CityBeat · March 30, 2016

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Culture | Film

Coming Home

Mountains May Depart

Drama looks at China’s ongoing march toward individualism

by Glenn Heath Jr.

P

et Shop Boys’ rousing anthem “Go West” plays and traditional by comparison. It does clearly adhere over the beginning and ending sequences in to the cause and effect of bad decisions. Yet there’s Jia Zhang-ke’s Mountains May Depart. It’s a a sense that the plot itself matters far less than the strangely perfect music choice for a beguiling de- feelings of those people experiencing it, which are cade-spanning drama infused with the contradiction always in flux. inherent to fading memory. Lyrics like, “Together, The melodramatic undercurrents eventually spill your hand in my hand…Together, we will make our out into the foreground during the film’s final act. plan” initially complement the rosy nationalist pic- Tao’s grown son Dollar (Dong Zijian), now comfortture of China’s recent global success. But eventually ably displaced with his father in Melbourne, begins a these words take on an ironic quality, contrasting love affair with his college professor (Sylvia Chang), greatly with the sobering reality of forlorn charac- herself an ex-pat from Hong Kong. Their misguided ters set adrift by selfishness and time. tryst is supposed to be a reaction to China’s increasShot in three different aspect ratios and taking ing transnationalism, but it’s tonally at odds with the place in 1999, 2014 and 2025 rerest of the film. The sappy diaspectively, Jia’s triptych examines logue is especially uncharacterisChina’s transition into the 21st tic of Jia’s best work.

Mountains century by way of a small town love Still, this portion is critical May Depart triangle. The first segment centers to the film’s overall impact. One on Tao (Zhao Tao) as she prepares could argue that the plasticity and Directed by Jia Zhang-ke for the New Year celebration in listlessness of Dollar’s experiencStarring Zhao Tao, Fenyang. Fireworks scurry and es are byproducts of the growing Zhang Yi, Liang Jingdong scream into the sky, while large freedom his parents were affordand Sylvia Chang crowds gather to celebrate the ed by the emergence of increasing possibility of what lies ahead. Vyopportunity. Without any sense of Not Rated ing for her affection are two very national origin and family heridifferent young men. Arrogant and tage, he’s left without an ideninsecure businessman Jinsheng tity and cultural compass. These (Zhang Yi) has wealth and community stature, while themes are overtly stated but are nonetheless escoal miner Liangzi (Liang Jingdong) rides on the sential to the film’s ambitious assessment of China’s laurels of hard work and character. shift from Communist principles to capitalist-driven Both suitors represent aspects of China’s formi- individualism. dable past and potential future.

Jia ultimately believes that China’s future may Tao’s eventual choice in marriage creates narra- be clarified through endurance, wisdom and a retive vibrations that ripple throughout the rest of the silient connection with the past. Tao ultimately emfilm. Recurring symbolic images express the passage bodies this dynamic combination. Mountains May of time in subtle ways, while Jia delicately handles Depart, which opens Friday, April 1, at the Digital the inevitability of decay and regret. It all culminates Gym Cinema, respects many lives she’s led, and in a clunky third chapter set in Australia that speaks the many she failed to. Despite the film’s focus on to China’s increasing disconnect with its own heri- yearning and separation, it expresses a belief that tage and culture. all aspects of Chinese life can be aligned yet again, Jia has known to experiment with narrative like a perfect dance routine choreographed to the structure before. A Touch of Sin splits into four dis- right song. In a world where a son’s whisper to his parate genre parts that loosely overlap, while Still mother can travel thousands of miles in a second, Life plays with time and perspective as two love sto- anything is possible. ries unfold in the same sprawling city destined to be submerged by the Three Gorges Dam project. At Film reviews run weekly. first, Mountains May Depart might seem more linear Write to glennh@sdcitybeat.com.

#SDCityBeat

March 30, 2016 • San Diego CityBeat · 17

Culture | Film

Vintage opportunity

L

andmark’s Ken Cinema has made it a recent tradition to spend an entire week showcasing classic films. From Friday, April 1 through Thursday, April 7, San Diego’s favorite vintage theater offers an impressive program spanning from the silent era to the 1980s.

Some choices are your typical film canon fodder. Michael Curtiz’s Casablanca (April 5), starring the great trio of Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman and Claude Rains, remains one of Hollywood’s most popular melodramas. Mel Brooks’ Blazing Saddles (April 1), a subversive spoof Western with Gene Wilder, Cleavon Little and Slim Pickens,

18 · San Diego CityBeat · March 30, 2016

restored version of Orson Welles’ Chimes at Midnight (April 3) also looks at the power play between royalty, namely Henry IV, whose cunning actions led to the War of the Roses and later insurrections in early 15th century Britain.

Finally, the piece-de-résistance of this latest Ken Cinema week of classics is Stanley Kurbick’s Barry Lyndon, arguably the great filmmaker’s ultimate masterpiece.

Starring Ryan O’Neil as an ambiBarry Lyndon tious Irishman who climbs up the ladder of English aristocracy any makes regular appearances on way he can, it’s one of the most TCM as well. Both are worthy of beautiful films ever made, distheir reputations. mantling the arrogance and enThe rest of the programming titlement of social hierarchy one is more adventurous. Seeing Fritz lavish detail at a time.

Lang’s genre-defining silent film Metropolis (April 4) on the big

—Glenn Heath Jr. screen will be a treat. Its influence on the modern sci-fi and horror genres cannot be underestimated.

Opening Terry Gilliam’s dystopian gonzo thrill ride Brazil (April 7) can I Saw the Light: Tom Hiddleston stars also claim iconic status thanks to as Hank Williams in this biopic that traverses the life of the iconic country music its dynamic set design and razor singer. sharp critique of power run amok.

Ken Classics: Seven classic films, rangThe film will be presented in its ing from the silent sci-fi Metropolis to the uncut European version.

1980s head trip from Terry Gilliam titled Roman Polanski’s early career Brazil, will screen beginning Friday, April version of Macbeth (April 6) of- 1 through Thursday, April 7. fers viewers a deeply disturb- Lolo: Directed by Julie Delpy, this roing and dark vision of the classic mantic comedy concerns a newly happy Parisian couple whose bond is tested by Shakespeare tragedy. A newly an angry teenage son. Screens through

Thursday, April 7, at the Digital Gym Cinema in North Park.

Marguerite: A wealthy socialite in 1920s Paris thinks she’s a good singer, that is until she performs in front of an audience that’s not her friends and family.

Mountains May Depart: Beginning in 1999, a young Chinese woman decides to marry a wealthy industrialist rather than a blue-collar coal miner, a decision that ripples through segments set in 2014 and 2025. Screens through Thursday, April 7, at the Digital Gym Cinema in North Park.

One Time Only Ferris Bueller’s Day Off: A snarky teen (Matthew Broderick) plays hooky and convinces a few friends to do the same, much to the chagrin of his authoritarian principal. Screens at 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 30, at The Pearl Hotel in Point Loma.

Man For a Day: Katrina Peters’ documentary follows activist Diane Torr as she leads a seminar in Berlin about masculinity and gender identity with a large group of female participants. Screens at 8:00 p.m. Thursday, March 31, at The Loft at UCSD. Infinitely Polar Bear: Mark Ruffalo plays a manic father who suddenly finds himself in charge of his two feisty daughters once his wife decides to go back to school.

Screens at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, April 1 and 2 at Cinema Under the Stars in Mission Hills.

For a complete listing of movies, please see “Film Screenings” at sdcitybeat.com.

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oinciding with the arrival of the world’s most famous roaming brewer (Mikkeller’s Mikkel Borg Bjergsø), San Diego has lost one of its native sons to the call of gypsy brewing in Australia. Wade Hurley, former brewer at Coronado Brewing Company, has headed to Sydney to brew for a number of months before settling down at the yet-tobe-established Capital Brewing Company in Canberra, the up-and-coming craft beer capital of Australia.

“The best part [of going to Australia] is it’s exactly what I want to do,” said Hurley. “One day I want to start my own 20-barrel brewery, so now I get to do it with someone else’s money. There are only two other breweries in Canberra: Wig & Pen and BentSpoke, and they’re both tiny, so Capital is going to come in and be the biggest in the area.”

The opportunity came about when Australian investors contacted Beau Schmitt (owner of Hillcrest’s The Brew Project) to find local brewing talent that could help establish a craft brewery on a continent that hosts a fraction of the breweries compared to San Diego alone, and is known almost exclusively for its macro beers. Cue a phone call to Shawn DeWitt (director of brewing operations at Coronado Brewing Company) and the next thing you know, Hurley was on his way across the globe, bringing his brewing chops and a San Diego reputation with him.

When asked why they wanted someone from San Diego specifically, Hurley reflected, “They wanted someone who’s brewed in the San Diego brewing scene—someone who knows how to brew an IPA and who’s already established. They researched and found that San Diego is the best place for beer, and when I flew out there to meet them and brought some Coronado beers, they were really impressed.”

Besides the beer itself, it’s the talent and reputation that’s attracting global attention to San Diego. And Hurley isn’t

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BETH DEMMON

Wade Hurley the first export. In 2014, Stone Brewing Company announced its new facility in Berlin—the first U.S.-owned brewery in Europe—and recently opened a new East Coast venture in Richmond, Virginia.

“It just goes to show how great the San Diego beer scene is,” said Hurley. “The beer coming out of here is awesome.

There are over 100 breweries in the city itself, and there’s a bar with craft beer on every corner. It’s like a revolution.

People come here, see what’s happening, and they want to do it, too.”

Having San Diego on your brewing resume continues to increase in value, and while Hurley is one of the first to be poached for his credentials, he’s likely not going to be the last. Breweries in development looking to emulate San Diego’s success will continue to pull from one of the greatest pool of talent in the world. Alternatively, established brew outfits looking to expand will likely be tempted to add their products to the local lineup.

The only thing that’s for sure? Hurley will be back again.

“I’d come back to Coronado for sure,” he said. “It’s the best place I’ve ever worked in my life.”

March 30, 2016 · San Diego CityBeat · 19

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#SDCityBeat

March 30, 2016 · San Diego CityBeat · 21

n artist, a writer and a branding expert walk into a bar…

But seriously, it’s no secret that beer is big business in San Diego and nothing can make or break that business more than the logo. It helps brand the product, establish name recognition and hopefully draw customer eyes to the tap.

Don Hollis, Kiran Umapathy and Matt Stallings are big beer fans, but what’s more, they all know what a good logo should look like. Hollis is the founder of Hollis Brand Culture (hollisbc.com), a local branding company specializing in hospitality, technology and lifestyle. Stallings (mattstallings.com) is a local artist and illustrator nationally known for his portrait paintings of pop-culture icons that often incorporate iconic logos. Umapathy is a writer and editor at Holiday Matinee (holidaymatinee.com), a San Diego-founded blog specializing in creatively inspired products and media.

We asked each of them to look at six beer logos—three from established local breweries and three rookies—to tell us what works, what doesn’t and what that logo ultimately conveys to the beer-buying populace.

cates strength to me.

Stone Brewing Hollis: They’re one of the first wave of craft breweries, and I’ve been a fan for a long time of the thirsty gargoyle. I think what’s cool about it is that they’re almost saying “fuck you” to all the big beer companies. It’s bold, strong and defining. The gargoyle almost looks like he wants to be left alone to enjoy his beer.

Hollis: I like that they incorporated their tagline into the logo. There’s been a nautical theme throughout the history and this updated logo is much better crafted. There’s a nostalgic feeling to it, but they’ve owned it and done a good job.

Stallings: It’s clean, tight and reads very well. You know that it’s an artifact of the sea even if you don’t immediately get the iconography. The colors are nicely balanced and the red font reads really bold and commands attention when you look at it. ballastpoint.com

Umapathy: Not my favorite logo in the world, but it does serve its purpose because there’s a sense of strength conveyed in the gargoyle and typeface. It feels respectable and let’s people know it’s not a wimpy brand.

Stallings: I love this logo because it’s authentic, and they haven’t updated it too much from when they first started. The gargoyle with the beer is a staple. stonebrewing.com

Green Flash Umapathy: The green flash is a good local phenomenon and all, but this logo makes me think cannabis leaves. The weed thing isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

It’s nice, clean and has a minimalist feel.

Hollis: It’s bold, simple and clean, but I’m not sure how deep the roots go after that. I want to know more. I guess it works, but I think there’s room for a little more personality to be expressed in that one.

Ballast Point Umapathy: It carries strength because of the ship theme, but not in a preppy way. To me, the square and hard angles of the typeface communicate “classic.” I also dig the colors and the typeface communi-

22 · San Diego CityBeat · March 30, 2016

Stallings: I love their beer, but I’m also a graphic designer and that’s always been a logo where I’ve felt that they really needed to update the font. I’ve never been a fan of the typography. greenflashbrew.com

beer logos CONTINUED ON PAGE 24 #SDCityBeat

#SDCityBeat

March 30, 2016 · San Diego CityBeat · 23

beer logos CONTINUED from PAGE 22

Belching Beaver Brewery

Belching Beaver Stallings: I liked this from the first time I saw it. Even when they apply it on their beer, it’s very front and center. Some beers put the logo in the background and put their name up front, but when your name is borderline sexual and offending, you need to let people know you’re a fun brand.

Umapathy: A little too cutesy, but it might be that I’ve just seen it too much. Might be a personal

thing, but I’m tired of anything that’s trying to be cute.

Hollis: I think this logo does what a craft beer logo should do in developing their own voice. I think it’s cool to love what you do and not take yourself too seriously at the same time. belchinbeaver.com

Pure Project Umapathy: Ugh. It seems like a water charity or nonprofit to me

p r o j e c t [Note: Pure Project does donate a portion of its sales to water-based charities]. I’m not against that, but I’m drinking a beer here. I saw the hops with the water drop, but that doesn’t jump out immediately. You have to examine it be-

fore you see it so that doesn’t work for branding.

Hollis: If you don’t know what they’re all about you might not get it. The logo itself has a nice modern take on the hop and it looks good alone on a beer glass, but the type is kind of a trainwreck.

Stallings: It’s very confusing. I would never have known that this was a beer label. purebrewing.org

Fall Brewing Hollis: I like it a lot. I think its super well crafted and it stands out really well in a crowded space. I like the simplicity of it, and they’ve found their own voice.

Umapathy: The thumbs up might gross me out if it too closely resembled an emoji, but it’s different enough and actually reminds me of this gas station logo I saw in India. For the typeface, it’s almost there, but just isn’t all the way there.

Stallings: One of my favorite breweries and the logo has this throwback record label look to it.

It takes it back to the late ’90s, early ’00s type of branding with car culture, album cover art and rock show posters. fallbrewing.com

24 · San Diego CityBeat · March 30, 2016

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he latest tally of brewhouses in San Diego County is 121, with another 26 planned or in the works. As with so many other industries that are prone to boom-and-bust cycles, it’s only natural to wonder if San Diego is entering a bubble.

Vince Vasquez, senior policy analyst at National University, doesn’t think so. In fact, he said there is room to grow.

“Through the end of the decade it’s looking to be a good business proposition to open a brewpub in San Diego County,” he said.

One factor to consider is the county’s changing demographics. “Millennials are now the largest percentage of the American workforce, but these jobs are mostly entry-level,” he said.

Census Bureau statistics confirm Vasquez’s numbers. Millennials now also outnumber Baby Boomers in population. As the millennials’ earnings increase, Vasquez said, they will consume more craft beer.

“(We are) still in the exact same jobs, the exact same roles,” he said.

Part of the concern over the blurring of lines is that 10 Barrel will be brewing in San Diego, allowing it to claim to be crafted in San Diego. Wales said the brewpub would be “brewing local beer.”

Vasquez said beer could look to a similar industry for solutions. Napa and Sonoma Valleys enacted conjunctive labeling laws to protect the branding of their wine, with certain requirements for a bottle to claim to be from either region on its label. No similar law exists in the U.S. for beer labeling. Vasquez sees it as a potential solution to an issue permeating the craft brewing industry nationwide.

“It’d be a big industry coup if we were the ones to figure out how to solve this issue,” he said. “People will be looking to San Diego as a leader.”

Omar Passons, a land-use and construction attorney who does community development work, said in an email response that conjunctive labelandrew dyer ing is something local breweries should consider. “[It] has been very significant for other industries and has merit,” Passons said. “I think identifying the product as both San Diegan and independent would be a good idea, but that’s a call for the SDBG.” Conjunctive labeling would not only benefit brewers in the local market, but also out of state, said Vasquez.

“It took Napa years to have conversations, to have everybody in the room,” he said, noting that outside of California, people are not aware of how robust the brewing scene is in San Diego.

Current SDBG president Mike Sardina said conjunctive labeling was an interAttorney Omar Passons proctored the San Diego esting idea, but soured on importing too beer forum on March 6 at Mission Brewery. much from the wine industry.

“Wine has kind of always been a little “San Diego is growing as well,” Vasquez added. more pretentious and unapproachable,” he said.

“Fifty thousand people move (here) every year. As Another issue mentioned by Sardina was the San Diego grows, craft beer is going to be part of that. alienating effect staunch localism could have in the You’re going to see more demand, not less,” he said. eyes of other beer communities.

This year two breweries, Twisted Manzanita and “If we want other markets to appreciate and realURBN, ceased brewing operations. Vasquez said ly love San Diego we just need to keep making great these failed ventures were outliers. “I don’t think beer,” he said.

San Diego is over its love affair with craft beer,” he As the San Diego brewing industry continues said, noting consumption statistics in the county. its transition from garages to boardrooms, and “At last measure, [craft] was 35 percent of all beer craft’s footprint expands, Vasquez said locals consumed in San Diego,” he said. “If you look at should consider a new approach to the challenges Portland [OR], they’re closer to 50 percent. At some ahead, especially when it comes to fears about big point, we’re going to get to that point, if not this year, beer. maybe next year.”

“I get the anxiety, I get the frustration, but at One issue that has dominated discussion locally some point the conversation has to shift,” Vasquez is the impending opening of Anheuser-Busch owned said. “But I’m not sure that means it should be used 10 Barrel Brewing in East Village. The San Diego as a justification for a cultural war.”

Brewers Guild has expressed concern over the blurA recent industry forum at Mission Brewing was ring of the lines between macro-owned faux-brands an important step in bridging the divide in the inand genuine craft beer. dustry. “I heard the audio from Cosimo (SorrentiAt a February meeting of the Downtown Com- no’s) forum,” Vasquez said, adding that the industry munity Planning Council, SDBG president emeritus needed solution-based ideas.

Kevin Hopkins talked about the Guild’s concerns.

“Long term, how do we manage these problems?”

“We don’t want a wolf in sheep’s clothing,” he said. he asked. “Not with anger.”

Garrett Wales, co-founder of 10 Barrel, said he Vasquez said he thought the forum was an imunderstood local concerns but that his brewery had portant first step. “I think we need more of them,” he said. not changed since the buyout.

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March 30, 2016 · San Diego CityBeat · 25

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zombiesquirrels / flickr

beth demmon

LiveWire

Hamilton’s Tavern British-inspired menu will satiate even the hangriest drunks.

greeing to compile a roundup of just five San Diego dive beer bars is akin to asking to be crucified. I could fill a column simply naming the best brewery tasting rooms (AleSmith, Mike Hess, Bagby), beer bars (Toronado, Tiger!Tiger!, Encinitas Ale House), brewery restaurants (Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens, Pizza Port, Karl Strauss Brewery Gardens) or loveable dives (Cherry Bomb, Star Bar, Pac Shores), but there’s no way to spotlight them all in 500 words.

Instead, here’s a snapshot of the greatest dives that are as heavy on craft beer as they are light on your wallet. And if your favorite is missing, just go down there and complain about it over a pint.

Lancers, University Heights (4671 Park Blvd.)

Billiards, pinball, cheap cocktails and an insanely good craft beer

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selection. Bottles and cans range from local favorites such as AleSmith and Stone all the way to Duvel, Russian River, Ommegang and, of course, Bohemia and Budweiser. Soak up your boozefueled experience with a burrito from El Zarape—conveniently located across the street.

Hamilton’s Tavern, South Park (1521 30th St.) Look up “dive beer bars” in the dictionary and you’ll find a picture of Hamilton’s. Don’t miss its Firkin Fridays or Deer Hunter wings (if you dare). If you get overwhelmed by its continually rotating tap list, head next door to South Park Brewing Company for a smaller, but equally palatable selection of local brews.

O’Brien’s Pub, Kearny Mesa (4646 Convoy St.) What this iconic lounge lacks

Live Wire, North Park (2103 El Cajon Blvd.)

Where else will you get drunkenly in interior design, it more than served pints of Consecration and makes up for with hard-to-find still stumble out with money in beer on draft and an extensive your pocket? Plus, Live Wire’s bottle list. Plus, its seemingly non- jukebox is tied for first place stop events like tap takeovers, with Hillcrest’s Alibi, and if its keep the glass nights and even a Christmas lights decor and sexy Wet Hop Festival means that if you’re heading to Convoy for some food and just end up drinking your dinner at O’Brien’s, you won’t be the first.

vinyl booths are too hipster for you, you can take the classiness down a peg or two across the street at Gilly’s, the only karaoke bar my generally well-behaved husband has ever been thrown out of.

(Honorable mention: The Regal Beagle/Regal Seagull in Mission Hills/Encinitas, Fathom Bistro, Bait & Tackle on Shelter Island and Main Tap Tavern in El Cajon.)

Churchill’s Pub & Grille, San Marcos (887 West San Marcos Blvd.)

North County is home to a ton of San Diego’s brewhouses, but it tends to lack noteworthy watering holes.

However, Churchill’s consistently boasts one of the best tap lists worth traveling for.

Local offerings from Societe, Lost Abbey, Mother Earth and more are regulars on its draft lines, and while it might not be quite as divey as others on the list, its

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the

by andrew dyer

beerdist A beer backwater no longer

W

hen I moved to Chula Vista in early 2010, one of the first things I did was Google search for the nearest brewery. There was only one within 20 miles; the soon-to-be shuttered Brew House at Eastlake. Six years later, things are finally looking up. Way up. The city of 250,000 is on the cusp of a craft beer renaissance.

Two breweries and a taproom are slated to open on Third Avenue in downtown Chula Vista, and the city is actively courting more, said Scott Donaghe, principal planner for the city.

andrew dyer

“I think the thing that’s different about Chula Vista is from the mayor and city manager on down there’s an open-arms policy towards these kinds of businesses,” he said.

“Not just craft beer, but craft businesses.”

Third Avenue has one taproom already, Third Avenue Ale House (319 Third Ave.), which opened last October. Co-owner Kendell Manion said the city was easy to work with.

“Our experience has been nothing but supportive,” she said, noting that a permit for an outdoor patio was recently approved.

3 Punk Ales (259 Third Ave.), which currently brews on contract at Butcher’s Brewing in Santee, is aiming for a September opening of a brew house and tasting room one block north of Third Avenue Ale House. Co-owner Steve Garcia also praised the city as willing partners.

“So far, it’s been epic,” he said. “They’re backing us on a lot of issues.”

On the same block, Chula Vista Brewery (294 Third Ave.) will also be open by the end of summer. Owner Tim Parker said loans have been approved and its brew tanks ordered. He also praised the process with the city.

“It’s been pretty easy,” he said. “Scott Donaghe has been helpful.”

#SDCityBeat

Donaghe’s name comes up frequently among the members of the newly formed South Bay Beer Business Guild, an organization spearheaded by La Bella Pizza (373 Third Ave.) general manager Dr. Gonzalo Quintero.

Quintero’s brother-in-law, Tony Raso, is opening the Biere Café (415 Third Ave.) this fall.

“Scott (Donaghe) has kind of been my point guy in planning,” he said. “Even the mayor is really supportive.”

Raso’s family owns La Bella Pizza, a Chula Vista institution that has been open for 61 years. Since Quintero introduced a craft beer program business at La Bella’s has picked up, he said.

Raso, who also works at Fall Brewing in North Park, said part of his job is to check for identification for drinking age and that he has noticed a trend.

“There’s a bunch of kids from Chula Vista who come to North Park to drink beer,” he said. “I’d say one out of five or The next 30th Street six I check are from Chula Vista.”

Not just the young trek north for beer.

“We see even old people like me driving to North Park for the beer and we ask, ‘Why?’” said Donaghe. “We’re the second biggest city in the region. I think we’re doing more than anyone right now to reach out to the craft beer business.”

“Once everything opens, we can create something that’s a draw as a neighborhood,” said Raso. “You can just walk or Uber in really cheap and enjoy your hometown instead of driving 20 minutes or Ubering $50 to get home.”

Quintero is optimistic for what a fully realized redevelopment of Third Avenue will look like.

“I don’t like to say it, but it could be like the next North Park,” he said. “[But] a more family-centric beer destination. There’s dense family housing in the area. Schools.

It’s already walkable. We’re going to have world-class bars, breweries and amazing restaurants.”

Attempting to rival North Park might seem a herculean task, but for the people who live in the South Bay, it is a worthwhile endeavor.

Donaghe stressed the ongoing efforts of the city to develop Third Avenue.

“We’re open for business,” he said.

March 30, 2016 · San Diego CityBeat · 29

30 · San Diego CityBeat · March 30, 2016

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#SDCityBeat

March 30, 2016 · San Diego CityBeat · 31

32 · San Diego CityBeat · March 30, 2016

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final

by beth demmon

draught

beth demmon

Brewing ‘round the clock

A

round-the-clock production means that you must be brewing something right. But with beer output of that magnitude comes the need for process synchronization. Production manager Tim Kamolz and special projects brewer and QC lead Andrew Schwartz at Modern Times sat down with me (and some fresh pints of Orderville) to talk about their crazy schedule and some challenges of brewing for 24 hours straight. Full disclosure: I occasionally work with Modern Times during special events and releases.

Is 24-hour brewing rare for craft breweries?

Tim: “A lot of production breweries like Coronado are on 20-hour brewing schedules. They come in at 3 a.m. and leave at midnight.”

Andrew: “Hangar 24 has been doing 24 hours for a long time, and Stone is running their bottling line 24/7. We’re brewing 24/5, so not most weekends except for some specialty brews.”

When do you think you’ll truly be brewing nonstop?

Tim: “If our sales continue at the rate they are, likely in the next few months we’ll have to. One of the huge drivers of us going to 24-hour brewing is the launch of our three new year-round 22-ounce bottles: Orderville, Fruitlands and City of the Dead.”

What are some misconceptions about this level of production?

Andrew: “There’s a romance about craft beer.

People think it’s this thing that’s handmade and each batch is crafted by a certain brewer. But the best beer is made exactly the same way every time.

It’s a scientific process. It doesn’t take away from the artisanality of it, but it means that we have to be more precise about what we’re brewing, who’s brewing it and the knowledge they have.”

Who’s brewing now?

Tim: “The full-time brewers are Kyle Weigh, Keith Shaw and Vicki Rubenstein. We asked Kyle and Keith if they wanted us to hire an overnight-only brewer, or if they wanted to add an equal member to the team and rotate. They chose rotate.”

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Andrew Schwartz and Tim Kamolz What are the benefits of brewing around the clock?

Andrew: “It’s an efficiency thing. You could stop brewing, but then you’d have to re-heat the mash tun.”

Tim: “Before we hired a third full-time brewer, Kyle and Keith were working extended hours and Andrew and I were filling in the middle of the day. Now it’s a lot more structured. By doing this, we never have a lag period.”

Challenges?

Andrew: “When you have to wait for the canning and bottling lines, it backs you up. So when the new lines get here at the end of April, we’ll catch up and do even more.”

Tim: “There’s zero downtime. If someone’s sick or something breaks, it affects everyone. Plus the expansion of the barrel program has put more pressure on the brewhouse to fill hundreds of barrels.”

How do you do it all?

Tim: “We couldn’t do this without our awesome people. Brewing, cellaring, packaging, sales…that’s the only way it happens. I’m just blown away at how much beer is going out the door.”

Andrew: “We’re young, we’re learning, and we’re interested in improving. It’s a great team. Literally every person here is doing a good job and is dedicated to Modern Times.”

March 30, 2016 · San Diego CityBeat · 33

Andrew piccone

Pinegrove stereotype of rock ‘n’ roll from exact experiences. But at the same time, they absolutethat existed many years ago was ly influence the feeling and the mood and the texture.” that of a non-stop party. Playing Autobiographical or not, Cardinal—released in Februmusic for a living meant being re- ary via Run For Cover—is a record that feels incredibly inwarded with backstage trysts with groupies and cocaine, timate. It’s not necessarily a quiet record, at least not all and brandy glasses full of brown M&Ms. Of course, it’s the time. There are big guitar sounds, and distortion pedusually much less glamorous than that. Long hours, sleep als kick into gear when Pinegrove really gets going. But deprivation and malnutrition can make the touring life- much of the songs feel like a conversation from Hall to a style a hard slog. And then there’s the loneliness. confidant.

Pinegrove, a band that hails from Montclair, New Jersey, On “Visiting,” Hall taps into themes of distance and knows a thing or two about loneliness. Their new album vulnerability, asking “After the drugs have worn off, and Cardinal pretty exclusively tackles a complex emotional we’re brittle in the light, will you still be there for me?” web of friendship, interpersonal connections and the in- And in “New Friends,” the final track and companion track to “Old Friends,” there’s hope evitable distance that grows between people. “Old Friends,” the album’s in his words: “I fucked up, so I’ll start leadoff track, is a somber acknowlagain/ What’s the worst that could edgement of the passing of time, and happen?”

From the beginning, Hall says, there the toll that it takes on relationships wasn’t necessarily a grand blueprint to with friends and significant others. write an album about friendship and “Maybe I should have gone out insecurities. But once those themes a bit more, and you guys are still in town,” sings frontman Evan Stephens arose, he let them guide him. pinegrove.bandcamp.com Hall. “I got too caught up in my own “For me, songs happen in two main ways: really slowly or really shit—it’s how every outcome is such quickly,” he says. “The ones with a lot of lyrics in them tend, a comedown.”

It’s a fairly universal feeling that Hall touches upon— for some reason, to happen pretty quickly. They’ll just pour that people sometimes just grow apart, and it happens de- out...if I’m tapped into a particular train of thought that I spite our best intentions not to let it. In a phone interview want to pursue, that’ll happen pretty easily. from Tennessee, as the band was making its way to SXSW, “When I figured out what the songs were about, which he says no specific personal incident inspired the song, but sometimes is really totally cart before the horse—writing that his own experiences act as a catalyst for exploring it and then me deciphering it...once I figure out what the broader ideas in his songwriting. song is trying to tell me, I’ll edit it with that in mind to “I write more clearly when I’ve experienced something make the song clearer, or more trenchant,” he continues. similar to what I’m writing about,” he says. “I usually have a “So I guess I saw an opportunity there. The album is a lot specific circumstance or situation in mind, but it’s more like about friendship. We decided pretty early on that ‘New drawing a line around the thing rather than saying what that Friends’ would be the last song on the album, and then we thing is. I don’t feel a...very direct responsibility to report built the sequence from there.”

Pinegrove April 3 The Irenic

34 · San Diego CityBeat · March 30, 2016

Within the sonic approach that Pinegrove develops on Cardinal, there’s a fair amount of diversity for an album that’s only around 30 minutes long. “Then Again” is a highenergy rock song, with pedal steel adding a touch of twang to some blazing guitar riffs. Meanwhile, that same steel guitar provides a weeping, melancholy tone to a more spacious and gently gritty song like “Aphasia,” and some rootsy banjo plucks back up the emo-revival surge of “New Friends.”

What they all have in common, however, is a warm, even comfortable feel. The rich production of the album, paired with the occasional unpolished vocal take or Hall sometimes shouting his lyrics away from the mic, makes it feel like you’re sitting in on a casual session with the band, rather than a professional studio. Hall confirms that this is an intentional strategy.

“We have developed particular recording strategies, and we’ve adopted these strategies because they mimic what we want to talk about in our songs—like that homespun or approachable quality is in the recordings,” he says. “I try to mimic the casual lyrical tone, and...we try to be as accessible and human as possible. I think that the recording process, with all the incidental sounds in it, I guess I consider that an honest approach to recording, and thatBrian seemsEllis to be in line with other aspects of how we do the band.”

Warmth, honesty and emotional engagement are all essential parts of who Pinegrove are as a band. And though theirs isn’t a radical reinvention of rock’s foundations, there’s something uniquely unpretentious about it all. Hall says that he wants people to connect with the music, and maybe even take something away beyond a catchy melody.

“To me, the process is extremely cathartic, and the point is to help myself work through these issues, or just things I’m thinking about,” he says. “And if that can help someone else, then I’ve done my part. I hope it moves people” Write to jefft@sdcitybeat.com or follow him on Twitter at @1000TimesJeff

#SDCityBeat

MUSIC

NOTES FROM THE SMOKING PATIO B

you can’t do that!’ The guys in the band have wanted to do it for the last couple years. Eventually, one of our songs came up on one of my daughter’s iPad playlists, and the idea just kind of struck me—let’s book a show.”

In March, the band released a new song titled “Chorea,” as a preview of sorts for the show. For the time being there are no other shows planned. Joseph says the band is slowly wading in and will weigh possible future shows after this one.

“We just want to do this to see how it feels,” he says. “We released a new song, with a video for it, just to generate some interest. There’s a lot of questions to be asked.”

One thing Joseph stresses is that the band is getting back together because people wanted to hear the music. He says it’s mostly for the benefit of fans, and if people enjoy the show, then it’ll be worth it.

“I’m not the guy who I was Buckfast Superbee when I wrote those songs,” he says. “But I don’t want to take The Palace Ballroom. In a phone interview, Joseph anything away from people. The band sounds great, says that people have been asking when the band and we’re excited to play the show. Music is attached would play again for a long time, but he only recently to a time and place, and a lot of people are excited to hear it again. I want people to engage with the music started taking the idea seriously.

“I don’t want to pretend that we made a differ- and have a good time.” ence in people’s lives,” he says. “But ever since we

—Jeff Terich broke up people would come up to me and say ‘No, uckfast Superbee are playing a reunion show after seven years apart. On April 30, the punk band will perform at The Casbah with Furious IV (who are also reuniting after more than seven years) and Diamond Lakes. The lineup includes original members Timothy Joseph, Derek Dutt and Kevin Stram, along with drummer Danny King of

The Verigolds For Margaret (Self-released)

A

lot of what passes for indie rock today is tinted with a distinct shade of beige. In the aftermath of beach indie and chillwave, a lot of underground, guitar-based bands (or synth-based, it’s not an exclusive trait) have settled into a comfortable and polite valley where everything sounds nice but nothing really leaves much of an impact. You can call it post-National if you like, or KCRW-core, neither of which is an official name by any means but should give you some idea of what I’m getting at.

I was a little worried that’s what I’d be getting into when listening to The Verigolds’ For Margaret. The leadoff track from the album, titled “Gloom,” is a perfectly pleasant track, juxtaposing male and female vocals, jangly guitars and a lot of reverb. The production is crisp and pristine, and its hooks catchy enough. But I’m left to utter the same lament I have been about a lot of indie rock of late: It just doesn’t leave that much of an impact.

None of For Margaret is all that loud or heavy, but the initial disappointment I had with “Gloom” is

#SDCityBeat

remedied not long thereafter. “All the Same” finds the band adopting some unexpectedly vintage-sounding synthesizers a la early Depeche Mode, which blend interestingly with the song’s slow-burning progression and light psychedelia. Jenna Cotton takes the helm on vocals, and her ethereal delivery seems better suited to the somewhat weirder, atmospheric sounds than Eliot Ross. Now we’re getting somewhere.

The more The Verigolds experiment with arrangement, the better the results. “Skypipe” finds an unusual mixture of acoustic guitar, mandolin, violin and vibraphone, and it’s absolutely gorgeous, once again made even stronger due to Cotton’s vocals. And the sixminute “Desert Song” showcases one of the band’s best melodies, layered over with barroom piano, synth and Hammond organ, wrapping this space rocker in keyboards upon keyboards.

The Verigolds work best when giving their songs some room to breathe, which better highlights their idiosyncrasies. They have good songs—many of them—on For Margaret, but they could also stand to get a little weirder. For a self-described “Neo Psych/ Alt/Indie/Folk Gaze Wave” band, The Verigolds have nothing to lose by fucking things up a little.

—Jeff Terich

March 30, 2016 · San Diego CityBeat · 35

Music

Jeff Terich

If I were u PLAN A: Quantic, Xenia Rubinos, DJ Jon Wesley @ Music Box. British beatmaker Will Holland, aka Quantic, has been combining downtempo rhythms and jazz influences for a decade and a half. Make your way to this show to get your weekly dose of vibes. BACKUP PLAN: Grim Slippers, New American, Sundrop Electric, Lucky Keith @ Soda Bar.

Thursday, March 31 PLAN A: Head Wound City, Keepers, Prissy Whip, Teach Me! @ The Casbah.

Punk supergroup Head Wound City, featuring members of The Locust, Blood Brothers and Yeah Yeah Yeahs, reunited last year after more than a decade of inactivity. This year they’re finally releasing a proper album, and to support it they’re wrecking stages all over, including right here in San Diego. PLAN B: Cool Ghouls, The Bad

Saturday, April 2

PLAN A: Mothers, Sego, Saba @ Soda Bar. I’m not embarrassed to say I got a little choked up listening to Mothers’ “It Hurts Vibes @ Whistle Stop. Cool Ghouls offer Until It Doesn’t,” which singer Kristine a fun variation to the oversaturation of ga- Leschper wrote about her own lost cat. It rage rock these days, blending a breezy gui- doesn’t hurt that it’s a pretty song, of course, tar jangle with a splendid touch of horns. and maybe you should bring a hanky is all BACKUP PLAN: Weatherbox, Prawn, I’m saying. PLAN B: Absu, MICTLANEnemies @ Soda Bar. TECUHTLI, Volahn, Noxious Anathema @ Brick by Brick. Or, you know, Friday, April 1 instead you could rage at this show headlined by O.G. North American PLAN A: Alex G, Porches, black metal troupe Absu. They’ve Your Friend @ Che Cafe. I been delivering blast beat rage first caught Alex G last year since before you knew what opening for Speedy Orcorpse paint was. BACKUP tiz, and he was awesome.

PLAN: White Denim, Emotionally charged Sam Cohen @ Belly Up indie rock tunefulness Tavern. at its best. PLAN B: Deep Sea Thunder Sunday, April 3 Beast, KATA, Garth Algar @ The MerPLAN A: Into It. row. Darken your Over It., The World weekend with a Is a Beautiful Place triple dose of loand I Am No Loncal heaviness. Deep ger Afraid to Die, Tinashe Sea Thunder Beast

A music insider’s weekly agenda Wednesday, March 30

is one of the best metal bands in town, while KATA blends a roaring power with post-rock grace. BACKUP PLAN: Birdy Bardot, The Midnight Pine, Rebecca Jade and the Cold Fact, Dani Bell and the Tarantist @ Music Box.

36 · San Diego CityBeat · March 30, 2016

The Sidekicks, Pinegrove @ The Irenic.

Read my feature this week on Pinegrove, whose new album Cardinal is a warm, feelgood indie rock delight. They’re opening for two excellent bands with pretentious names and unnecessary punctuation. But they’re still great.

Monday, April 4 PLAN A: Tinashe @ House of Blues.

I fell hard for Tinashe’s debut album Aquarius in 2014. It’s a heady, dreamy and frequently infectious blend of R&B and electronic sounds that indicates a strong direction for the future of music. Bet on it. PLAN B: Part Time, Velvet Club, The Slashes, Astral Touch @ The Office. Los Angeles outfit Part Time have a sound that pulls heavily from classic, early ’80s new wave, with a little bit of contemporary weirdness for good measure. Either way, you’ll be dancing.

Tuesday, April 5 PLAN A: Cryptic Languages, Beira, Blow Me Down @ The Merrow. Cryptic Languages play heavy, and they play loud (and so does Beira for that matter). Their songs are long, epic slices of stoned, psychedelic metal and it’ll leave one hell of an impact on your Tuesday night. BACKUP PLAN: Splavender, Arms Away, Two Moons Merging @ The Casbah.

#SDCityBeat

Music

Concerts HOT! NEW! FRESH!

Dilated Peoples (Observatory, 4/23), Aesop Rock (BUT, 5/13), Pennywise (Observatory, 5/13-15), Dreams Made Flesh (Hideout, 5/21), Father (Observatory, 5/21), The Obsessed (Brick

by Brick, 6/4), B-Side Players (BUT, 6/10), Arbor Labor Union (Casbah, 6/10), Ringo Starr and His All Star Band (Humphreys, 7/1), Toad the Wet Sprocket, Rusted Root (Observatory, 7/9), Slapshot, Poison Idea (Brick by Brick, 7/16), Psychedelic Furs, The Church (Humphreys, 7/19), Super Diamond (BUT, 9/9), Dierks Bentley (Sleep Train Amphitheatre, 9/11), The Specials (HOB, 9/26), Aaron Lewis (Humphreys, 9/28), Ani DiFranco (BUT, 10/2), ZZ Top (Humphreys, 10/4), Kamasi Washington (Humphreys, 10/7).

GET YER TICKETS Amon Amarth (HOB, 4/7), The Darkness (HOB, 4/10), Jay Electronica (Music Box, 4/13), Steve Miller Band (Humphreys, 4/14), Silversun Pickups (Observatory, 4/19), The Damned (BUT, 4/19), Deafheaven (Casbah, 4/21), Deerhunter (Observatory, 4/22), Thao & the Get Down Stay Down (BUT, 4/28), Immortal Technique (Observatory, 4/29), Puscifer (Copley Symphony Hall, 5/1), Tortoise (BUT, 5/3), Kool Keith (Casbah, 5/4), Beach Slang (Casbah, 5/6), Explosions in the Sky (Ob-

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servatory, 5/3-4), Fear Factory (Brick

by Brick, 5/5), So Hideous, Bossede-Nage (The Merrow, 5/7), Four Tet (Music Box, 5/8), X, Los Lobos, Blasters (Observatory, 5/8), The Residents Present Shadowlands (BUT, 5/8), Charles Bradley and His Extraordinaires (Observatory, 5/12), Beyonce (Qualcomm Stadium, 5/12), Andrew Bird (Music Box, 5/13), Joseph Arthur (Music Box, 5/17), Wreckless Eric (The Hideout, 5/19), Titus Andronicus, La Sera (Che Café, 5/20), The Thermals (Soda Bar, 5/20), Frightened Rabbit (BUT, 5/21), Jewel (Humphreys, 5/21), Pentagram (Brick by Brick, 5/25), Big Black Delta (Casbah, 5/29), Refused (BUT, 5/30), The Cure (Sleep Train Amphitheatre, 5/30), Leon Russell (BUT, 5/31), Modern Baseball, Joyce Manor (HOB, 6/1), Voivod (Brick by Brick, 6/1), Yeasayer (Observatory North Park, 6/2), Brian Jonestown Massacre (BUT, 6/2), ‘X-Fest’ w/ Offspring, Cheap Trick (Sleep Train Amphitheatre, 6/5), PUP (Soda Bar, 6/11), Case/Lang/Veirs (Humphreys, 6/22), Brian Wilson (Del Mar Fairgrounds, 6/30), Lady Antebellum (Del Mar Fairgrounds, 7/5), Widespread Panic (Civic Theatre, 7/12), Phish (Sleep Train Amphitheatre, 7/23), Brand New, Modest Mouse (Sleep Train Amphitheatre, 7/26), The Wailers (BUT, 7/29-30), Julieta Venegas (HOB, 7/30), Sublime with Rome (Sleep Train Amphitheatre, 7/30), Weezer, Panic! At the Disco (Sleep Train Amphitheatre, 8/3), Burt Bacharach (BUT, 8/21), Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo, Melissa Etheridge (Open Air Theatre, 8/23), Ben Harper (Humphreys, 8/23), Dave Matthews Band (Sleep Train Amphitheatre, 8/26), Jackson Browne (Humphreys, 8/29), Journey, The Doobie Brothers (Sleep Train Amphitheatre, 8/30), Mana

(Viejas Arena, 9/9), Ray Lamontagne (Open Air Theatre, 9/13), Jethro Tull (Balboa Theatre, 10/17), Peter Hook and the Light (HOB, 11/8).

March Wednesday, March 30 Quantic at Music Box.

Thursday, March 31 Head Wound City at The Casbah.

April Friday, April 1 Alex G at Che Café. Redwoods Revue at Music Box. TV Girl at The Hideout.

Tyler the Creator at Observatory North Park. Peter Murphy at The Irenic (sold out).

Saturday, April 2 Dan Padilla at The Casbah. Geographer at The Irenic. Absu at Brick by Brick. White Denim at Belly Up Tavern.

The Killers at Harrah’s Resort.

Sunday, April 3 Into It. Over It., The World Is a Beautiful Place and I Am No Longer Afraid to Die at The Irenic.

Monday, April 4 Tinashe at House of Blues.

Wednesday, April 6 Basement at Lamppost Warehouse.

clubs CONTINUED ON PAGE 38

March 30, 2016 · San Diego CityBeat · 37

Music clubs CONTINUED from PAGE 37 Spencer Moody at The Casbah.

Thursday, April 7 Elvis Costello at Balboa Theatre (sold out). Amon Amarth at House of Blues.

Friday, April 8 Third Eye Blind at Observatory North Park. Cullen Omori at The Casbah. The Shrine at Music Box. Seth Bogart Show at The Hideout.

Saturday, April 9 The Schizophonics, New Kinetics at Til-Two Club.

Sunday, April 10 Operators at Soda Bar. The Darkness at House of Blues. Steve Vai, Zakk Wylde at Humphreys by the Bay.

Monday, April 11 DMX at Observatory North Park.

Tuesday, April 12 Diarrhea Planet at Soda Bar.

Wednesday, April 13 Lord Huron at Belly Up Tavern (sold out).

Chvrches at Observatory North Park (sold out). Spencer Moody at The Casbah. Jay Electronica at Music Box.

Thursday, April 14 NOFX at House of Blues (sold out). Steve Miller Band at Humphreys by the Bay. Bone Thugs N Harmony at Observatory North Park. Dwele at Music Box.

38 · San Diego CityBeat · March 30, 2016

Friday, April 15 Beach House at Observatory North Park (sold out). Wild Wild Wets at The Casbah.

Saturday, April 16 L.A. Witch at The Casbah.

Sunday, April 17 Acid Mothers Temple at Soda Bar. James Bay at Humphreys by the Bay (sold out). Foals at Observatory North Park.

Monday, April 18 The Front Bottoms at Observatory North Park. Protoje at Belly Up Tavern.

Tuesday, April 19 The Damned at Belly Up Tavern. Silversun Pickups at Observatory North Park.

Wednesday, April 20 The Big Pink at Soda Bar. The Arcs at Observatory North Park.

Thursday, April 21 Deafheaven at The Casbah.

Friday, April 22 Deerhunter at Observatory North Park.

Mac Sabbath at Music Box. Prong at Brick by Brick.

Saturday, April 23 Ellie Goulding at Viejas Arena. Dilated Peoples at Observatory North Park.

Wednesday, April 27 Har Mar Superstar at The Casbah.

Thursday, April 28 Thao & the Get Down Stay Down at Belly Up Tavern.

Friday, April 29 Immortal Technique at Observatory North Park. Body of Light, High Functioning Flesh at The Hideout.

Saturday, April 30 Flatbush Zombies at Observatory North Park. 36 Crazyfists at Brick by Brick.

Joe Mande at The Casbah.

May Sunday, May 1 Chris Stapleton at Humphreys (sold out). Puscifer at Copley Symphony Hall.

Tuesday, May 3 Tortoise at Belly Up Tavern. Kid Congo Powers and the Pink Monkey Birds at Soda Bar. Explosions in the Sky at Observatory North Park.

Wednesday, May 4 Crystal Bowersox at House of Blues.

Explosions in the Sky at Observatory North Park. Kool Keith at The Casbah.

Thursday, May 5 Mariachi El Bronx at Belly Up Tavern.

Fear Factory at Brick by Brick. Givers at The Casbah.

Friday, May 6 Violent Femmes at Humphreys by the Bay (sold out). Beach Slang at The Cas-

bah. Jim Bruer at Observatory North Park. Voodoo Glow Skulls at Soda Bar.

rCLUBSr

710 Beach Club, 710 Garnet Ave., San Diego. Pacific Beach. Wed: The Dark Matter Turtles. Thu: Karaoke. Fri: Seedless, Tatanka, Lions Roar. Sat: Stone Horse, Township Rebellion. Tue: Setback City, Hot Mustard.

98 Bottles, 2400 Kettner Blvd. Ste. 110, San Diego. Little Italy. Thu: Dashboard Cassette. Fri: Johnny Tarr Quartet. Sat: Mark Allen Fenton. Sun: The Matt Smith Neu Jazz Trio.

Air Conditioned Lounge, 4673 30th St., San Diego. Normal Heights. Wed: ‘Lanlord Jims Reunion’ w/ DJ Buddah. Thu: Libertine, ‘Libertine’ w/ DJ Jon Wesley.

Sat: ‘JUICY’ w/ DJ Mike Czech. Sun: ‘Chvrch’ w/ DJ Karma.

American Comedy Co., 818 B Sixth Ave., San Diego. Downtown. Thu: Brandt Tobler. Fri: Whitney Cummings. Sat: Whitney Cummings. Sun: Anna Akana.

Bang Bang, 526 Market St., San Diego.

Downtown. Fri: DOSEM. Sat: Attlas.

Bar Pink, 3829 30th St., San Diego.

North Park. Wed: ‘Notorious BIG tribute’ w/ Monument.

Beaumont’s, 5662 La Jolla Blvd., La Jolla. Thu: Michael LeClerc.

Belly Up Tavern, 143 S. Cedros Ave., Solana Beach. Wed: Anders Osborne, Sister Sparrow & the Dirty Birds. Thu: Ocelot, Gene Evaro Jr., Tommy Mitchell

clubs CONTINUED ON PAGE 40

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#SDCityBeat

March 30, 2016 · San Diego CityBeat · 39

Music clubs CONTINUED from PAGE 38

Mc P’s Irish Pub, 1107 Orange Ave., Coronado. Wed: Harmony Road.

Diego. Normal Heights. Thu: Levi Dean and the Americats, You Knew Me When.

Show. Fri: Eric Hutchinson, Tess Henley.

Sat: White Denim, Sam Cohen. Tue: The Wild Feathers, The Shelters, The Palms.

Moonshine Flats, 344 7th Ave., San Diego. Gaslamp. Thu: ROCK ON to Stagecoach: Line Dancing Contest . Fri: Scotty Alexander, Scotty Mac Band. Sat: Scotty Mac Band.

The Bancroft, 9143 Campo Rd., Spring Valley. Wed: Karaoke. Sat: Whatever68 Radio 4 Year Festival. Tue: Karaoke.

Boar Cross’n, 390 Grand Ave., Carlsbad. Fri: ‘Club Musae’.

Brass Rail, 3796 Fifth Ave., San Diego.

Hillcrest. Sat: ‘Sabado en Fuego’ w/ DJs XP, KA, K-Swift. Mon: ‘Manic Monday’ w/ DJ Junior the Disco Punk.

Brick by Brick, 1130 Buenos Ave., San Diego. Bay Park. Sat: Absu, MICTLANTECUHTLI, Volahn, Noxious Anathema.

Sun: Nekrogoblikon, Psychostick, Ashen Earth, Eukaryst. Mon: ‘Metal Monday’.

Dirk’s Nightclub, 7662 Broadway, Lemon Grove. Lemon Grove. Fri: TNT. Sat: DJ Hurricane Andrew.

Dizzy’s, 4275 Mission Bay Drive, San Diego. Mission Bay. Fri: Charlie Chavez, AFROTRUKO. Fluxx, 500 Fourth Ave., San Diego. Downtown. Wed: Duke Dumont. Fri: ‘Glamour and Glow Neon Party’. Sat: ‘Festival Fashion Show’ w/ Chachi.

Gallagher’s, 5040 Newport Ave., San Diego. Ocean Beach. Thu: 7 Seal Dub. House of Blues, 1055 Fifth Ave., San Diego. Downtown. Wed: The Struts. Sat: ‘80s vs. 90s Mashup’ w/ Biz Markie. Mon: Tinashe. Tue: Robin Henkel.

Kava Lounge, 2812 Kettner Blvd., San Diego. Midtown. Wed: ‘Static’. Fri: ‘Soul Work’. Tue: ‘Tribe Night’.

Ki’s Restaurant., 2591 South Coast Highway 101, Cardiff-by-the-Sea. Fri: Robin Henkel & Whitney Shay.

40 · San Diego CityBeat · March 30, 2016

Music Box, 1337 India St., San Diego.

Little Italy. Wed: Quantic. Fri: Redwoods Revue. Sat: Vaud and the Villains, Groovesession, Con Brio.

Numbers, 3811 Park Blvd., San Diego.

Hillcrest. Thu: ‘Wet’. Fri: ‘Uncut’. Tue: Karaoke Latino.

Patricks Gaslamp, 428 F St., San Diego. Downtown. Wed: The Upshots.

Thu: Len Rainey’s Midnight Players.

Rich’s, 1051 University Ave., San Diego.

Hillcrest. Wed: DJ John Joseph. Fri: DJs dirty KURTY, Will Z. Sat: DJs Taj, K-Swift.

Sun: DJ Cros.

Riviera Supper Club, 7777 University Ave., La Mesa. Wed: ‘Boss Jazz’ w/ Jason Hanna. Thu: Fanny and the Atta Boys. Fri: Sleepwalkers. Sat: Baja Bugs.

Soda Bar, 3615 El Cajon Blvd., San Diego. City Heights. Wed: Grim Slippers, New American, Sundrop Electric, Lucky Keith. Thu: Weatherbox, Prawn, Enemies.

Fri: Sick of It All, Bl’ast, Authentic Sellout, DJ Heather Hardcore. Sat: Mothers, Sego, Saba. Sun: Slow Death, Old Vices, Western Settings, Santa Ana Knights.

Mon: Cory Wilkins Band, The Jefferson Jay Band, Chasing the Fall. Tue: XO, Channel, Teenage Wrist.

SOMA, 3350 Sports Arena Blvd., San Diego. Midway. Fri: The Snykes, Jara, The Bash Dogs, Essex Class, Opt Out. Sycamore Den, 3391 Adams Ave., San

The Casbah, 2501 Kettner Blvd., San Diego. Midtown. Wed: Bleached, No Parents. Thu: Head Wound City, Keepers, Pussy Whip. Fri: Matthew Logan Vasquez, Reverend Baron, Dustin Lovelis. Sat: Dan Padilla, Vena Cava, Turkish Techno, Prince, Too Many Daves, Toys That Kill. Sun: ‘Faust Fest’ w/ Marcel Zooey and his Turkish Circush, Keepers, Pall Jenkins. Mon: Girls Guns and Glory, Casey Hensley Band, Jimmy Ruelas.

Tue: Splavender, Arms Away, Two Moons Merging.

The Che Cafe, 9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla.

Fri: Alex G, Porches, Your Friend.

The Hideout, 3519 El Cajon Blvd., San Diego. City Heights. Wed: Allan Rayman, Sophia Black. Fri: TV Girl, Wizard Woes, Spooky Cigarette. Sat: Honduras.

The Irenic, 3090 Polk Ave., San Diego.

North Park. Fri: Peter Murphy (sold out).

Sat: Geographer, The Crookes. Sun: Into It. Over It., The World Is a Beautiful Place and I Am No Longer Afraid to Die, The Sidekicks, Pinegrove.

The Loft @ UCSD, Price Center East, La Jolla. Wed: Angles 3. Sat: José James.

The Merrow, 1271 University Ave., San Diego. Hillcrest. Wed: Karina Frost & The Banduvloons, Tacky Little Hat Shop, Mark Steuer. Thu: Let’s Face It, Punchcard, Midnight Track, Making Incredible Time. Fri: Deep Sea Thunder Beast, KATA, Garth Algar. Sun: East Cameron Folkcore, The Gift Machine, Ash Williams. Tue: Cryptic Languages, Beira, Blow Me Down.

The Office, 3936 30th St., San Diego.

North Park. Wed: ‘Grand Ole Office’.

Thu: ‘No Limits’ w/ DJ Myson King. Fri: DJ Monsieur Turbeau. Mon: Part Time, Velvet Club, The Slashes, Astral Touch.

The Tin Roof, 401 G Street, San Diego.

Gaslamp. Wed: J. Liberio. Thu: Shake & Shout. Fri: Groove Factory, Chad & Rosie, Thomas Ranieri. Sat: Coriander, Charlie Rae Band, Modern Day Moonshine. Sun: The Flies, Stephanie Love, Skyler Shibuya & Alyssa Walker, The Just Intervols. Mon: Chuck Prada. Tue: Kenny & Deez.

Til-Two Club, 4746 El Cajon Blvd., San Diego. City Heights. Thu: Gutter Demons, Gutter Demons, Rotten Maniacs, The Decomps. Fri: Davey Tiltwheel, Jeff Brawer, Dan Padilla the Man, J Wang.

Sat: Bastard Suns, Oceanside Sound System, Roman Watchdogs, Hocus.

Sun: Gemorrah, Morphesia, Greenskull.

Tio Leo’s, 5302 Napa St., San Diego.

Bay Park. Thu: Billy Watson. Fri: Giovana. Sat: Colour.

Tower Bar, 4757 University Ave., San Diego. City Heights. Thu: Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Born Rivals, Aim for the Engine. Fri: ‘Hip Hop vs. Punk Rock’. Sat: The Atom Age, The Widows, Kids in Heat, Batlords.

Ux31, 3112 University Ave., San Diego.

North Park. Thu: ‘Throwback Thursday’.

Fri: DJ Bodyrawk. Sat: DJ Kid Wonder.

Whistle Stop, 2236 Fern St, San Diego.

South Park. Thu: Cool Ghouls, Bad Vibes.

Winstons, 1921 Bacon St., San Diego.

Ocean Beach. Wed: Something Like Seduction, DJ Carlos Culture. Thu: Marco Benevento, Mikaela Davis, Wyndham Boylan-Garnett. Fri: Wise Monkey Orchestra, The Stooges Brass Band. Sat: Spafford, Bomb Squad. Sun: Karaoke.

Mon: Electric Waste Band.

#SDCityBeat

last words | Advice

amy alkon

advice

goddess

We’ll Always Have Parasite

When I got remarried, I inherited a stepdaughter. At the time, I was happy about this. Though she and my husband had been estranged for many years, I was instrumental in getting them to reconcile. I’ve come to regret this. She is a rageaholic, spendaholic party girl. She has three DUIs and an extravagant lifestyle that’s financially draining her dad and me. Though I have no problem cutting her off, my husband can’t say no to his little girl—which has us on opposing ends of a bitter battle.

—Stressed-Out Stepmother If you had the traditional kind of parasite, you could just put a lit match to its butt.

Welcome to the bottomless hole of wrongheaded empathy—the daddy guilt version of that “bottomless cup of coffee” that (if you ask politely) the Denny’s waitress will keep refilling until you finally die in the booth. Obviously, your husband means well. Unfortunately, he’s engaging in what’s called “pathological altruism.” The primary researcher on this, Dr. Barbara Oakley, explains it as an intention to help that actually ends up doing harm (sometimes to both the do-gooder and the do-goodee).

Enabling can feel so right in the moment, Oakley explains—in part because we get something out of it: activation of the same regions of the brain that “light up” from drugs and gambling. (Say hello to the “helper’s high.”) Refusing to “help,” on the other hand, is uncomfortable and tends to lead to ugly interactions, like screaming matches if Daddy says no to putting his retirement money into retiring last season’s Versace for this season’s Vuitton.

Being judiciously helpful takes asking the feel-bad questions, like “What’s the likely result of consistently attaching a garden hose to our bank account and washing away any consequences from Princess Partyhardy’s actions?” That’s a question that should get answered before she gets her fourth DUI—possibly leading to a need for somebody to pick up not only the cost of the fancy DUI lawyer but the pieces of some cute 5-year-old from along the side of the road.

You can keep telling your husband this until your teeth fall out, but because of his emotional ensnarement—along with the fear and anger that you’ll try to stop him—he’ll probably just fight harder to go along with her little-girl-voiced shakedowns. And though, with your emotional distance, you have a clearer eye on how your step-sponge is playing her dad, there are surely a few rationality-eating emotions bubbling up in you. There’s got to be anger (because your money’s getting tossed down the drunken-spendy princesshole) and some fear (that you’ll end up on a street corner, begging people to drop change into your “World’s Greatest Stepmom” mug).

Advice columnists tend to squawk like parrots, “Therapy! Therapy!”

(Like that option wouldn’t otherwise occur to anybody.) However, in your situation—because you two can’t seem to dial down the “bitter battle”—there is an intermediary you should consider engaging: a mediator. (Look for a marital one at Mediate.com) Mediation is dispute resolution. It’s issue-focused, so it’s worlds faster than therapy. (The mediator won’t take a month to figure out how you really felt when you were six and you didn’t get that cookie.)

Still, it’s important to recognize that every problem isn’t perfectly solvable. What’s essential, however, is the “C-word”—compromise: understanding that you ultimately win by being willing to lose a little.

This means accepting that you won’t always get the exact outcome you want—which, in this case, would probably involve picking up a time machine at Best Buy so you could go persuade your stepdaughter’s mother to have a purse dog instead of a child. (c)2016, 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

March 30, 2016 · San Diego CityBeat · 41

42 · San Diego CityBeat · March 30, 2016

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#SDCityBeat

March 30, 2016 · San Diego CityBeat · 43