2 · San Diego CityBeat · april 4, 2018
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April 4, 2018 · San Diego CityBeat · 3
4 · San Diego CityBeat · april 4, 2018
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April 4, 2018 · San Diego CityBeat · 5
UP FRONT | LETTERS
LEAVE MUSIC TO THE MUSICOLOGISTS Just got a copy of the March 14th issue [Local Music Issue]. Now I know why I’ve never sent a CD of any band I have been in to this snotrag for appraisal. And I know that no member of Pharmacy ever sent a copy of our only CD Wrack and Roll to Shittybeat. However you obtained a copy of a CD that we sold totally out of is a complete and utter mystery. It’s not just that Pharmacy as a band has been defunct for over three years and you wasted however hours writing a review of a record that nobody can ever buy or hear for a band that nobody will ever see ever again, but that you were too lazy to do it yourself and you had to get “Carolyn Ramos” to do it for you. That’s the problem these days, isn’t it? People totally unqualified for the jobs they hold, all the way up to Cheeto-in-Chief. An Editor should edit, not review music. And an Art Director should stick to directing art. Thank Ghod, Ba’al and Mithras that neither of you hold a job in any field where people would depend on you for their lives, like a medical profession. Leave Musicology to actual Musicologists. Yes, there is an actual area of study called Musicology, and most magazines who do Music, hire people who have been trained in this field. Your annual “Write really nasty crap about every band in San Diego” feature is something we should all avoid if we want an honest appraisal of any of these bands’
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work. It’s not just the Pharmacy review, something we really don’t care about any more, even though we appreciate being called a T-Rex cover band, although you are too inept to realize that we do not sing with shaky voices like Marc Bolan, so pulling a TRex comparison out of your arses must have been a stretch for you. Here is our review of Shittybeat: IRRELEVANT.
Name withheld
[Edit note: That CD was, indeed, sent to us for the local music issue so we’re not sure where that came from. Everything else is too stupid to reply to, but then again, I probably asked for it on this one. We’re also not sure why they chose to put “Carolyn Ramos” in quotes]
HOW ABOUT NO GUNS?
“Those who live by the gun, die by the gun.” Welcome to USA. Land of Fear and Home to Gun Violence. [“Empty pages are empty statements,” Feb. 21] Every gun is a potential magnet for another gun. Gun owners, if you are so afraid of being killed/maimed by a gun, then you, or a family member, quite possibly will be. (Selffulfilling prophecy). As beautiful Gabby Giffords and many other gun owners have discovered, you probably won’t have your gun with you when the
time comes anyway. The magnet is still activated, in line with you and your intent. How about doing what sane countries do? Let’s invest in arts and education (soul food) and great mental health programs instead of war and weapons of mass destructions. Let’s start getting our priorities right. Republicans have failed our youth. Kids shouldn’t have to be instructing us to “Vote Them Out”. Adults should have done that years ago. We are not a free country. We are an international disgrace.
Anna Bowen-Davies University Heights
THE DEHUMANIZATION OF HOMELESS PEOPLE I have witnessed firsthand the mistreatment and abuse of the homeless by cops here in San Diego—Mayor Kevin Faulconer, the City Council and Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman along with her officers should be ashamed of themselves [“Acknowledge their humanity,” Jan. 31]. Now we know why the Chargers left town, why we had a Hepatitis A crisis and why Amazon refused to build its HQ2 campus in the city. Mayor Faulconer’s ineffective administration is a dismal failure and will continue to be so. Maybe he should read Proverbs 28:27. Jacob Regal Downtown
UP FRONT From the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Letters to the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 News / CityWeek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Sordid Tales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 At The Intersection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
FOOD & DRINK World Fare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Final Draught . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Revenge of a Beer Nerd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
THINGS TO DO The Short List. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Calendar of Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-15
ARTS & CULTURE Theater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 FEATURE: The Beer Issue . . . . . . . . . . 17-26 Thank You For Staring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Film. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28-29
MUSIC FEATURE: Soccer Mommy. . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Notes From The Smoking Patio . . . . . . . 32 The Spotlight: Chromeo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 If I Were U. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Concerts & Clubs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34-37
IN THE BACK Astrologically Unsound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 CannaBeat. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
APRIL 4, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 7
8 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · APRIL 4, 2018
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April 4, 2018 · San Diego CityBeat · 9
UP FRONT | OPINION
EDWIN DECKER
SORDID
TALES
Are atheists the most arrogant, ignorant, dangerous people on Earth?
I
find it to be a source of endless milk-snorting hilarity whenever religious folk erroneously claim to know the inner-workings of atheists. Such is the case with Christian author/activist, Anthony DeStefano, whose recent book, Inside the Atheist Mind is not just off the mark, it’s way off the mark—as in, planelanding-on-orphanage off the mark. In his Foxnews.com book adaptation, DeStefano declares, “Atheists today are the most arrogant, ignorant and dangerous people on Earth,” then builds his case in three sections, which I will now demolish with the wrecking balls of logic. 1. Atheists are Dangerous: “[Atheists] are incapable of supporting any coherent system of morality other than ruthless social Darwinism.” Wow. Ruthless social Darwinism? Does DeStefano believe Darwinists advocate the euthanizing of anyone who contaminates the gene pool? You know, the sickly, the disabled and people who believe in astrology? This is beyond fatuous. Atheists believe in evolutionary Darwinism. It is a theory of how species evolved, not an ethical principle about how to improve modern society, ya nimrod! “Atheists don’t believe in God, so they don’t believe in any transcendent, objective moral law.” Christ on a bike! Every atheist I have ever known believes in objective moral law. We just don’t think it comes from deities. Certainly not from deities who give the thumbs up to slavery; nor the ones who destroyed entire civilizations because a few people did too much nakey-touchey stuff; nor the gods who get all butt-hurt if you don’t blubber about them enough. What a crock. I could invent a supreme being in 60 seconds that would out-morality any of those genocidal egomaniacs. In fact, here, meet my god: Baloo the Holy Weregrizzly. He roams the planet in human form giving out bear hugs and Xboxes to the righteous. But beware murderers, rapists and astrologers! For Baloo will get all grizzly up in your grill if you try any of that garbage. Now pray with me children, “Baloo be with you. And also with you. Bearmen.” 2. Atheists are Ignorant: “Atheists believe that the vast majority of human beings, from all periods of time, have been wrong about [God]…” Sounds like DeStefano has been dipping into the Jesus blood again. Had he taken only five minutes to, um—what’s that thing people do before espousing declarative theories about our complicated existence? Oh yes, they think about it a little. So yes, had he taken the time to think about it, he would have realized that everybody’s beliefs contradict the beliefs of the majority of people “from all periods of time.” Even the notion that the world is round is a minority opinion when factoring every person who has ever lived. Case in point: There are 7.5 billion people alive today, most of whom believe in a spherical Earth. However, most of the 107 billion now-dead people did not, so, by DeStefano’s logic, the world must be flat.
“…They dismiss this vast majority as being either moronic or profoundly naïve.” Well sure, but again, so does everyone even when we’re factoring only the living. For example, Christians comprise approximately 30 percent of the global population. The other 70 percent are of different religions or irreligious. Given that Christians don’t believe what Jews believe, or what Muslims believe, or Buddhists, Hindus, secularists etc., it stands to reason that Christians dismiss the beliefs of 70 percent of the world’s population—the non-Christian majority—as being “moronic” or “profoundly naive.” 3. Atheists are Arrogant: “We’ve all seen how these pompous prigs get offended by the slightest bit of religious imagery in public. . .” Atheists are not “offended” by religious imagery in public, nor do we even oppose it. Not in the way DeStefano means “public,” which is to say, out in full view. Nay, we oppose placing religious imagery on public property (read: property owned by the government) because it constitutes the type of religious “establishment” prohibited in the First Amendment. Agree or disagree, it’s not that we’re offended. We just strive for all worldviews to be freely exercised, which is hardly an act of arrogance. “…[atheists] are mortified if even a whisper of ‘Merry Christmas’ escapes the lips of some well-meaning but naïve department store clerk during the ‘holiday season.’” Horse dongles! You could tell an atheist to, “Have a Merry Weregrizzly Day” and the closest thing to mortification you will receive is a polite attempt to stifle laughter. Besides, everyone who doesn’t have a bag of soggy Eucharist wafers where their brains should be knows it was Christians who originally freaked out over this stuff. They’re the very same people whose eyeballs combusted before calling a boycott on the handful of stores that voluntarily switched to “Happy Holidays” greetings. Conversely, there were no atheist boycotts against any “Merry Christmas”saying businesses. Why? Because businesses can greet customers however they choose! And also because atheists have fewer icicles shoved up our asses. I know what you are thinking. You’re thinking, Hey Ed, the insulting tone of this column confirms DeStefano’s point. Atheists are arrogant. Wrong, asscicle! The tone of this article—arrogant as it is—is not a symptom of my atheism. It is a symptom of my personality. Ditto DeStefano whose condescension is informed by his personality. Neither of our worldviews are inherently arrogant, evidenced by the fact that the planet is brimming with humble believers and unbelievers. DeStefano and I are just two insufferable snotwads who think we are right. The only difference is, I actually am. What’s his excuse? Baloo be with you.
In fact, here, meet my god: Baloo the Holy Weregrizzly. He roams the planet in human form giving out bear hugs and Xboxes to the righteous.
10 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · APRIL 4, 2018
Sordid Tales appears every other week. Write to edwin@sdcitybeat.com.
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CULTURE | VOICES
MINDA HONEY
AT THE
INTERSECTION
Always, At the Intersection
H
ey San Diego, this is a Dear John letter. By the time you read these lines, I’ll be gone. Life goes on. Two years ago, San Diego CityBeat asked me to write a piece about Beyoncé. I had less than 24 hours to do it. My dream guy was in town from New York City, and I told him I had this opportunity. He totally got it. He put on his headphones and edited a video at my desk, while I sat on my bed carefully choosing the exact right words to explain Bey’s influence on my life. We both sipped from mugs of tea as we worked. It was one of the most right feelings of my life. It was a moment I intensely wanted to become my everyday reality. I was still in grad school. I’d given up a lot for the privilege of living with three roommates and riding the bus in 110-degree heat while getting sleazed on by scumbags. I was wearing raggedy bras I couldn’t afford to replace. All that because I wanted to become a writer. And the closer I came to graduation, the more anxiety I had about whether or not I’d actually ever feel like I was a legitimate, professional writer. San Diego CityBeat was the first sign this shit might work out for me. Based on the strength of that piece, I was offered a column. It was the first time I could pay a bill every month with my writing. Well, it was just my phone bill, but still, a bill is a bill. It gave me the confidence to start pitching pieces to editors. Then, a few months later, I moved back home to Louisville, Kentucky. I basically just didn’t mention it to anyone that I’d left California. Even if it had become known, I’d been doing such a good job at this column that it was a non-issue. Now, I pay all my bills with writing. I’ve been published dozens of places and written hundreds of articles, essays and blog posts. And every month the deadline for this column sneaks up on me. It feels like another to-do that I have to frantically cross off my list. That ain’t right. The reason I was offered the Beyoncé piece was because the much-loved and intensely dope Alex Zaragoza was asked to write it and she declined, saying a Black woman should be the one to pen the piece. She stepped aside. She created an opportunity for me. And now, it’s my turn to step aside. It’s my turn to create an opening for another San Diego writer (hopefully another Black woman or, at the
least, a writer of color) to write to their city about their city. I want this column to go to a writer that feels honored to write it every month. That feels that kiss of magic every time they see their words in print. Thank you San Diego for being a home for my words for the last two years. For being a place to put my heart when I woke up in shock on election day. For letting a Black woman be real about The Struggle. And thank you for making a column about watermelon as a symbol of racism way more controversial than it needed to be (I’M STILL NOT SORRY FOR SAYING IT). I’ve been sending you these missives from the South where I’ve been writing a relationship advice column for my local alt-weekly (a column I felt bold enough to ask for because I already had a column with this alt-weekly), all while enduring the stifling, dangerous politics of the state that gave the nation Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul. I’m building a steady business writing content for startups and teaching writing workshops in the community. I’m a working writer in every way you can imagine. It’s exactly where I saw myself the night I sat down to write that Beyoncé piece. Well, the guy I mentioned in the piece is missing because apparently figuring out how to become a paid writer is a whole lot easier than figuring out how to spend your life with the right guy. Welp. Any who, it’s a busy, all-over-the-place life that’s left me desperate for time to work on my memoir. This book is so ready for the world. This is the year I get it done, so that means this is the year I have to sacrifice some other things to make that possible. Don’t take it personal, San Diego. It’s not you, it’s me. It’s always been me. And I’ll still be around. Nobody ever disappears anymore in the age of social media. You can follow me at @mindahoney. You can check in on my dusty, outdated website, mindahoney.com, from time to time. I’ll still be publishing new pieces every month and I’ll be sure to tweet out links to those pieces. I’ve got a six-part series I’m writing for Longreads on the gap between our politics and our love lives. And someday, when I finish writing An Anthology of Assholes, you’ll be able to find me everywhere books are sold. Until then, you’ll always have my “At the Intersection” archive. See ya around, San Deezy.
And thank you for making a column about watermelon as a symbol of racism way more controversial than it needed to be (I’M STILL NOT SORRY FOR SAYING IT).
APRIL 4, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 11
UP FRONT | FOOD
BY MICHAEL A. GARDINER
THE WORLD
FARE
A different bowl of noodles
I
t’s easy to fall into the trap of ordering the same thing every time we’re at a particular kind of restaurant. A friend of mine calls it “ordering right.” I call it boring. For example, some might simply order phở if they’re at a Vietnamese restaurant. Well, there’s no phở on the menu at Mi Quang Mien Trung (4745 El Cajon Blvd.), a new Vietnamese spot in Little Saigon, and it definitely isn’t boring. The usual descriptors for Vietnamese cuisine tend to focus on the French influences, proximity to China or a generalized reference to Southeast Asia. Yes, all of those factors play a part, but none of the three fully paints a particularly accurate portrait or quite captures the essence of Vietnamese food. Perhaps it’s the latter of the three that comes the closest. Take, for example, the dish for which the restaurant is named: mi quang. Sometimes called “Vietnamese turmeric noodles,” the base of the dish is indeed wide phở-style rice noodles boiled with turmeric powder. The noodles are topped with fresh vegetables, chiffonade banana blossoms and shredded (nearly ground) pork and chicken, along with shell-on shrimp, roast peanuts and crowned with a sesame cracker. It was gorgeous. The dish is finished at the table with a pour of flavorful pork broth. The proteins, it seemed, had been cooked in the broth, taking on the almost fluorescent color of the fat from the shrimp’s head. The star of the dish, though, were those perfectly cooked yellow turmeric noodles. Mi Quang Mien Trung should not be confused with Mien Trung in Kearny Mesa, as they have different owners and a different menu even if both focus on the food of central Vietnam. That region’s most famous dish, bun bo hue, is phở’s slightly spicier cousin: rice noodle soup featuring beef, pig’s feet and blood cake with a broth that features a profound infusion of lemongrass along with a
12 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · APRIL 4, 2018
hint of spice. Mi Quang’s bun bo hue is a bit more porky than beefy, with a hint of spice and a flavor profile that tilts ever-so-slightly toward the sweet. The usual appetizers—fresh and fried spring rolls—are good at Mi Quang, while the banh beo kho (rice flour cakes with ground shrimp and pork) are more unusual. While they may seem under-seasoned at first, a dip in the accompanying fish sauce is intended to solve that problem. One Mien Trung dish that captured my imagination is the evocatively named Purgatory Rice. It’s a pile of rice surrounded by a sampler of julienned meats, ground shrimp and pickled vegetables. Simple, yes, but the richness of the barbecued pork and julienned Vietnamese cold cuts is perfectly balanced by the pickles. It is, like so many great dishes, classic drunk street food given new life. MICHAEL A. GARDINER
Bun bo hue At the end of the day, I understand my friend’s “ordering right” philosophy. Many restaurants have menus far longer than the list of things they do well. Sticking to the things one knows a restaurant does well all but guarantees a good experience. But as much as I love my phở, after three trips to Mi Quang it’s absolutely clear to me that there’s a lot more to Vietnamese food than that. If ordering something other than phở is wrong, I don’t want to be right. The World Fare appears weekly. Write to michaelg@sdcitybeat.com.
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UP FRONT | BEER
BY BETH DEMMON
BY DAVEY LANDEROS
REVENGE OF THE BEER NERD
FINAL DRAUGHT This cider house rules
I
think about beer constantly. I write about it almost daily. Needless to say, I drink quite a bit of beer, and the pressure to chase every new release, keep up with brewery news in real time and plain old palate fatigue can wear down even the most fanatical beer geek after a while. My admittedly #firstworldproblems aside, a recent study from analytics firm GlobalData suggests I’m not alone. Craft beverage consumers are increasingly seeking out “new experiences” rather than “new products.” This indicates that the old model of releasing new beer varietals as often as possible may fall to the wayside in favor of crafting new flavors altogether. It may also mean that it’s finally time for cider to really shine. BETH DEMMON
Bivouac Ciderworks The number of San Diego ciderhouses is still in the single digits, but that number is rising. Last year ushered in around a halfdozen cideries within county limits, and North Park welcomed its first urban cidery earlier this year: Bivouac Ciderworks (3986 30th St.). Bivouac’s European-style ciders by brewer-turned-cider maker and co-founder Matthew Austin are made with food pairings in mind and range from extra dry to tart and sweet. The food offerings from Bivouac’s chef DJ Tangalin (formerly of Whisknladle and JRDN) are engineered to pair with one of their in-house ciders, and servers are quick to recommend the best combinations. My server, Marco, was exuberantly pleasant with me, even when I knowingly
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committed multiple dining sins simultaneously: bringing a stroller and toddler, ordering a flight and taking pictures of everything. He recommended three darker ciders to start—the Hoxton, San Diego Jam and Hunter’s Bend. The Hoxton, which Marco described as “the most tannic” of the three, was certainly that. Its description read “dry,” and the corresponding legend called it “semi-dry,” but I’d say it was solidly medium. It had a sharp, acidic nose akin to vinegar, but ended much smoother than I anticipated. I can see where this could make red wine lovers want to convert to cider. The San Diego Jam had the sweetest nose of the trio and reminded me of a cross between strawberry and raspberry marmalade. No tartness stung the tongue, and it was easily the most balanced. “Hunter’s Bend is my favorite,” proclaimed Marco. “It’s like a dialed back Hoxton.” I have to agree with him on both, as hints of stonefruit lingered nicely on my palate throughout. After the initial three, I dove into another flight of the goldenhued ciders that most people would consider more traditional: the Transom, Savoy and Albright. They took a while to arrive, but when they did, Marco was ready with apologies. The kegs were pouring strangely, and they wanted to make sure each cider was represented correctly. I appreciated the attention to detail, and I’ll happily wait an extra five minutes for the good stuff. Of my second round, the Savoy stood out while the Transom seemed a tad sour and flat. That being said, it is listed as an English style cider, so the lower effervescence was forgivable. All in all, I’m still married to beer. But with more variety being introduced into the marketplace and a beautifully designed space now open in the heart of North Park, I’m more than willing to make cider my side piece. Write to bethd@sdcitybeat.com or check her out on Instagram at @thedelightedbite.
Sometimes off-flavors happen
So what did I do? Nothing. I calmly finished my drink, smiled at the beertender y name is Davey. Yeah, I’m a beer and ordered a different beer, which tasted snob, but I prefer to be called a fantastic like all the other times I’d orbeer nerd. I’ve been brewing, dered it. All in all, it was a pretty uneventful drinking and studying craft beer since 2011. My column for CityBeat, “Revenge occurrence that was quite possibly all of the Beer Nerd,” is going to be an inter- mental. Maybe the gum I was chewing esting take on some of the details and nu- on the drive over wasn’t completely reances of beer that tend to go unnoticed by moved from my palate. Maybe the glass most consumers. My goal is to help people wasn’t 100-percent rinsed. It could be engage with their beer and understand the that a particular keg had a little speck of the previous beer that got missed art, science and history of the industry. during cleaning. It’s possible To kick things off, I want that there was a misreading to share a little anecdote that of equipment that led to this happened recently at my fawhole thing. vorite brewery. It wasn’t the The more that I thought first time it’s happened. It will about all the variables that probably happen again. With a could have affected the flavor heavy heart, I must reveal that… of the beer between grain to gimme a minute for dramatic glass, the more I started to realeffect... I tasted an off-flavor. ize how infrequently I actually An off-flavor is usually the tasted off-flavors when drinkresult of chemical reaction that ing San Diego beer. Ultimately, occurs during the brewing or I may never know if something packaging process and leaves Davey Landeros was wrong in my brain or in the an undesirable flavor or aroma. Most of the beers that we consume have brew. I’d have to do a whole range of sensmall levels of off-flavor compounds that sory analysis and evaluate multiple pieces of equipment in order to figure that out. are, for the most part, undetectable. My opinion of this brewery was not Off-flavors are both relative and subjective, so they’re only a flaw if it detracts altered because of a relatively minor misfrom the beer itself. It’s possible that the take. If anything, my small off-flavor extastiest parts of one beer could very well perience was just a little reminder about be the detriment of another beer. In fact, the characteristics that helped me fall in some beers are designed intentionally love with craft beer: real people actually to have pronounced characteristics that trying to make something interesting would be considered off-flavors in another and tasty. Sometimes things go wrong beer. Sour beers, for example, are a perfect and part of appreciating the “craft” of example of beers that intentionally pos- beer is remembering that it’s made by sess qualities that resemble an off-flavor actual people with hearts, minds, souls and flaws. in other styles of beer. To expect anything different from the Back to my experience, I was reminded that I’d encountered this particular off- beer in my glass is silly. flavor very frequently during my formative years of brewing. With great reluctance, I Write to Davey at daveyl@sdcitybeat.com decided that the metaphorical itch on my or check him out on Instagram at @daveythebeernerd. palate was, in fact, an off-flavor.
M
APRIL 4, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 13
EVENTS
SHORTlist
ART
the
THREE YOU HAVE TO SEE
COORDINATED BY
SETH COMBS
SAN DIEGO
SPRING AWAKENINGS
The next day, from 6 to 8 p.m., head to Quint From theater to visual arts, spring and fall are the two times of year that mark the begin- Gallery (5717 Santa Fe St., Bay Ho) for Distant ning of new seasonal programming and offerings. Light, a group installation of black-and-white Well, it kind of always feels like spring in San Diego, paintings, photography, sculpture and installation but if we’ve learned anything over the years, it’s works. The list of artists reads like a who’s-who of COURTESY OF THE ARTIST notable contemporary artists that April means fresh new art such as Andrew Alcasid, Jason offerings all over the county. Sherry, Kate Nova Williams First, there are two new and dozens more (quintgalshows that showcase some lery.com). of the best artists in the city. And as always, Barrio First, on Friday, April 6 from 6 Logan will have some nice to 9 p.m., there’s Live / Work at weekend offerings including Space 4 Art (340 16th St., East the return of Chula Vista naVillage), a showcase of perfortive mrbbaby at the Chicano mance installation pieces by Art Gallery (2117 Logan Ave.). the likes of Lyndsay Bloom, The street artist (real name: Stefani Byrd, Nick Lesley and Michelle Ruby Guerrero) has nearly a dozen more (see sdbeen killing it up in L.A. and space4art.org for full lineup). will be debuting new works at Also on Friday, the Women’s this, her first local solo show. Museum of California (2730 Down the street, La Bodega Historic Decatur Road, Point Gallery (2196 Logan Ave.) Loma) will debut its new exhibition that centers on the “Chucho on Top” by mrbbaby willbe holding its fourth annual Kicked to the Curb art #MeToo movement during a special edition of Liberty Station’s Friday Night Lib- show, which features decked-out art by skateboarderty event (5 to 9 p.m.). Artists include Irene Monar- ers such as Nekoes, Mikey Hottman Spenser Little rez, China Lamadein, Ligia Santillan and more (wo- and more. Both shows happen Saturday, April 7 from 6 to 10 p.m. mensmuseumca.org).
LA JOLLA
THE SOUND OF SCIENCE As a general rule, people get a little dumber during the springtime. Warmer temperatures, less clothing and stupid movies are just a few of the causes that turn us into walking ignoramuses (uh... ignorami?) during this season. At least Salk Science & Music Series COURTESY OF THE SALK INSTITUTE will offer one last opportunity for intellectual satiation before we all slip into blissful dumbdom. Held at the Salk Institute’s Conrad T. Prebys Auditorium (10010 N. Torrey Pines Road), the concert series aims to stimulate both right and left sides of the brain by pairing a muZlata Chochieva sician with one of the Salk Institute’s groundbreaking scientists. The current series ends on Sunday, April 8 at 6 p.m. with a performance by pianist Zlata Chochieva and a talk from biologist Edward Stites. Tickets are $55. music.salk.edu
ENCANTO
EATING A LEGACY Food has historically been a vehicle of cultural celebration. We certainly can’t argue with that logic especially when it comes to recipes from the African diaspora, as is the focus of the Legacy in Black Food Festival. The San Diego African American Museum of Fine Art and the San Diego History Center are teaming up on this one, inviting chefs from Hunters Home Kitchen, Rafikiz Foods and other restaurants to cook up traditional Kenyan dishes, Caribbean rum cakes and more. The event ties in with the art exhibit, Legacy in Black, which is on view at the San Diego Art History Center until April 15. However, the food festival happens Saturday, April 7 from noon to 3 p.m. at the George Stevens Senior Center (570 S 65th St.). It’s a free event, but registration is encouraged on eventbrite. sdaamfa.org
H#MeToo at Women’s Museum of California, 2730 Historic Decatur Road, Barracks 16, Point Loma. An exhibit from the Latin American Art Festival that’s born out of the movement to spread awareness of sexual harassment and assault. There will be work by ten female artists, including by Xochilt Franco, Nuria Bac and more. Opening from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, April 6. Free. 619233-7963, womensmuseumca.org HLive / Work at Space 4 Art, 340 16th St., East Village. A showcase of performance and installation pieces by the likes of Lyndsay Bloom, Stefani Byrd, Nick Lesley and nearly a dozen more. Opening from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, April 6. Free. sdspace4art.org HCampus Creatives: From the Classroom to the Museum at California Center for the Arts, Escondido, 340 N. Escondido Blvd., Escondido. This exhibition features 47 of the Center’s local visual art department faculty members who will be presenting newer works in a wide variety of media and subject. Artists include David Adey, Tatiana Ortiz-Rubio, Anna Stump and more. Opening from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, April 6. $10. artcenter.org First Friday Art Walk at various locations. Held the first Friday of the month, multiple venues in Oceanside will host art shows, performances, music, poetry, activities, food and more. From 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, April 6. Free. oceansideartwalk.org HGabrielle Bakker at Lux Art Institute, 1550 S. El Camino Real, Encinitas. Lux’s latest artist-in-residence showcases some of her signature oil paintings that combine a variety of styles including 15th-century Dutch still-lifes, Haitian folklore, traditional Chinese imagery and psychedelic pop culture. Opening from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, April 6. Free - $10. luxartinstitute.org
Pastime at Backfence Society, 110 S. Citrus Ave., Suite F, Vista. Paintings by the late local painter Norman Wright will be on display. Opening from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, April 7. Free. backfencesociety.com Hmrbbaby at Chicano Art Gallery, 2117 Logan Ave., Barrio Logan. A solo show of works by Chula Vista-raised artist Michelle Ruby Guerrero, who began as a muralist and has since been commissioned by the likes of Converse, McDonalds and more. Opening from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, April 7. Free. facebook.com/ events/1002516283219900 HKicked to the Curb IV at La Bodega Gallery, 2196 Logan Ave., Barrio Logan. Now in its fourth year, the annual art show features skateboard art by skaters such as Nekoes, Mikey Hottman, Spenser Little and more. Opening from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, April 7. Free. facebook.com/ events/564566203912346 HArtFest at San Diego Botanic Gardens, 230 Quail Gardens Drive, Encinitas. More than 20 sculptors, painters, potters and other artists display and sell their work inside the gardens. Includes live art performances and an exhibit celebrating Asian horticulture. From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 7 and Sunday, April 8. Free$14. 760-436-3036, sdbgarden.org
BOOKS Jen Sincero at Warwick’s Bookstore, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. The New York Times bestselling author and success coach will sign and discuss her new book, You are a Badass at Making Money: Master the Mindset of Wealth. At 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 4. Free. 858-454-0347, warwicks.com Libby Klein at Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore, 5943 Balboa Ave., Ste. 100, Clairemont. The writer will sign and discuss her latest paperback mystery, Class Reunions are Murder. At 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 4. Free. 858-268-4747, mystgalaxy.com
HDistant Light at Quint Gallery, 5717 Santa Fe St., Bay Ho. A group installation of black-and-white paintings, photography, sculpture and installation works from a who’s-who list of notable contemporary artists such as Andrew Alcasid, Jason Sherry, Kate Nova Williams and more. Opening from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday, April 7. Free. quintgallery.com
Emily St. John Mandel at Star Theatre, 402 North Coast Highway, Oceanside. The Station Eleven author discusses the research involved in her bestselling book, including notes on the end of the world, the history of pandemics and the impact of the plague on Shakespeare’s work. From 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, April 5. Free. 760435-3720, oma-online.org
HThis & That at R.B. Stevenson Gallery, 7661 Girard Ave., Suite 201, La Jolla. A new exhibition of never before seen artworks from Richard Allen Morris’ recently closed studio of 34 years. Opening from 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday, April 7. Free. 858-4593917, rbstevensongallery.com
HSarah Andersen at Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore, 5943 Balboa Ave., Ste. 100, Clairemont. The illustrator of the popular online comic Sarah’s Scribbles will sign and discuss her latest compilation of the comic, Herding Cats. At 7 p.m. Friday, April 6. Free. 858-268-4747, mystgalaxy.com
HAlways, Never at Left Hand Back, 1947 Fern St. #5, South Park. Seattle-based artist EGO showcases his slightly dark, whimsical creepiness, which is influenced by the macabre sides of tattoo culture, street art and underground fine art. Opening from 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, April 7. Free. lhblk.com
Sean Penn at Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice, University of San Diego, 5998 Alcala Park, Morena. Academy Award-winning actor Sean Penn discusses his latest novel, Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff, about a hitman who struggles to make connections in today’s online world. Price of admission includes a pre-signed copy of the book. At 5 p.m. Sunday, April 8. $26. 858-454-0347, warwicks.com
Interactive Art Activity with Max Lofano at SDSU Downtown Gallery, 725 W Broadway, Downtown. The SDSU student will be on-site with his experimental and interactive piece, Scratch. There will be a discussion about the work, and visitors can create their own piece to take home. From 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 7. Free. 619-501-6370, facebook.com/ events/774996956043081 Loteria Art Show at Project Reo Collective, 2335 Reo Drive #6, National City. A group art show inspired by Loteria, a Mexi-
Legacy in Black Food Festival 14 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · APRIL 4, 2018
Celestial at Mike Hess Brewing Company North Park, 3812 Grim Ave., North Park. Hanalei Artworks presents a group show by local artists whose pieces interpret and celebrate the beauty of the universe. Opening from 6 to 10 p.m. Wednesday, April 4. Free. facebook.com/ events/605311679809801
can game of chance similar to bingo. Plus, hosted games of Loteria will be played with prizes to win. Opening from 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday, April 7. Free. 619-4348464, prjctreoco.com
H = CityBeat picks
HCome into Our Parlor: A Salon with Amy Wallen & Susan Henderson at The Book Catapult, 3010-B Juniper St., South Park. The authors will discuss Henderson’s new novel, The Flicker of Old Dreams, and Wallen’s new memoir, When We Were Ghouls, as well as the books’ themes of life and death. From 7 to 10 p.m. Tuesday, April 10. Free. 619-795-3780, thebookcatapult.com HSuzy Fincham-Gray at Warwick’s Book-
EVENTS CONTINUED ON PAGE 15 @SDCITYBEAT
BOOKS: THE FLOATING LIBRARY
EVENTS EVENTS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14 store, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. The veterinarian and author will sign and discuss her new book, My Patients and Other Animals: A Veterinarian’s Stories of Love, Loss, and Hope. At 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 10. Free. 858-454-0347, warwicks.com
COMEDY HHaters Roast: The Shady Tour at Balboa Theater, 868 Fourth Ave., Downtown. Contestants from RuPaul’s Drag Race roast each other on stage. Features Trixie Mattel, Trinity Taylor, Jinx Monsoon and Thorgy Thor. All ages welcome. At 8 p.m. Sunday, April 8. $20-$50. 619-570-1100, sandiegotheatres.org A FHcked Up Evening with Trailer Park Boys at Balboa Theater, 868 Fourth Ave., Downtown. A live iteration of the show Trailer Park Boys, in which the main characters—Ricky, Julian and Bubbles—wreak havoc in a trailer park trying to make money off get-rich-quick schemes. At 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 10. $37-$57. 619-5701100, sandiegotheatres.org
DANCE HDancers vs. Cancer Brewery Bash Fundraiser at Mission Brewery, 1441 L St., East Village. Flamenco and clogging dancers will showcase their skills in hopes of raising money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Price includes complimentary pint of beer and hors d’oeuvres. From 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday, April 7. $40. dvcbrewerybash.eventbrite.com The Great Gatsby at San Diego Civic Theater, 1100 Third Ave., Gaslamp. Septime Webre’s choreographed performance of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic book of wealth and love that combines contemporary ballet, jazz and tap, plus a live jazz band. At 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 6, 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 7 and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, April 8. $22-$112. 619-570-1100, sandiegotheatres.org
FOOD & DRINK HCityBeat Festival of Beers at Lafayette Hotel, 2223 El Cajon Blvd., North Park. Sample brews from dozens of local, national and international breweries while enjoying crafty food and local bands like Mittens, The Bassics and more. A portion of proceeds benefit the San Diego Music Foundation. From 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 7. $20-$50. 619-296-2101, citybeatbeerfest.com HLegacy in Black Food Festival at George L. Stevens Senior Center, 570 South 65th St., Valencia Park. A food festival featuring southern cuisine and foods of African descent by chefs from
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Hunters Home Kitchen, Rafikiz Foodz and more. From noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 7. Free. facebook.com/ events/159512914738683 Tropi-Cali Beer Festival at Ingram Plaza, Liberty Station, Point Loma. A festival celebrating all things tropical and Southern California, including beer, food and cocktails. There will be 34 breweries with free samples, 15 restaurants and live music by Psydecar, The Rogue Pilots and more. From 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 7. $37.93-$53.75. facebook.com/ events/149930782474329 Spring Beer Dinner Benefiting the MS Society and Team Arson at Council Brewing Company, 7705 Convoy Court, Kearny Mesa. A six-course meal prepared by chefs from O’Brien’s Pub, Consortium Holdings, Hamilton’s and more. Includes eight beers and proceeds benefit the research and awareness of multiple sclerosis. At 4:30 p.m. Sunday, April 8. $80. 858-256-0038, councilbrew.com
MUSIC Etienne Charles and Creole Soul at The Auditorium at TSRI, 10620 John J Hopkins Drive, La Jolla. Charles and his sextet, which play piano, saxophone, guitar, trumpet, percussion, bass and drums, perform a jazz set that taps into his Afro-Caribbean background. At 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 4. $30-$35. 858-784-1000, ljathenaeum.org Martin Luther King Jr. Community Choir at California Center for the Arts, 340 N. Escondido Blvd., Escondido. The iconic choir performs gospel concerts to raise funds for educational grants given to San Diego. Their music is inspirational and uplifting, and celebrates the history of the negro spiritual. At 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 4. Free. 800-988-4253, artcenter.org HElgar Cello Concerto at Copley Symphony Hall, 750 B St., Downtown. Romanian cellist Andrei Ioniţă performs Edward Elgar’s final significant composition, as well as pieces by Claude Debussy, Zoltán Kodaly and George Enesco. At 8 p.m. Friday, April 6 and Saturday, April 7. $20-$98. 619-235-0804, sandiegosymphony.org HZlata Chochieva and Edward Stites at Conrad T. Prebys Auditorium, 10010 N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla. The pianist (Chochieva) will perform and the biologist (Stites) will discuss his Salk research at this last performance in the current season of the Salk Science & Music Series. At 6 p.m. Sunday, April 8. $55. music.salk.edu HVinyl Junkies Record Swap at The Casbah, 2501 Kettner Blvd., Middletown. Vendors selling thousands of collectible and vintage records in all genres, plus DJs spinning throughout the day. From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 7. $3. 619-2324355, casbahmusic.com
For Lisbon with love
F
or Isabel: A Mandala—written by Antonio Tabucchi and translated from the Italian into English by Elizabeth Harris and published last year by Archipelago Books—contains a multitude of mysteries. It is the story of a search through the streets of Lisbon for a young woman named Isabel, who disappeared at a time when the country was in turmoil. Isabel’s friend Monica recalls that, “Portugal was a country forgotten by Europe and forgetful of Europe, we were closed off on a deadend street, in a sort of moldering monastery whose sexton was António de Oliveira Salazar.” Salazar was Portugal’s Prime Minister from 1932 to 1968. He was an avowed authoritarian whose secret police enthusiastically enforced his paranoid policies. Among the many rumors that circulate about Isabel is the belief that she fell in with a group of communists, was picked up by the police and ultimately died in prison, possibly by her own hand. But Isabel had a knack for making an impression on those who fell into her orbit, and clues keep turning up. According to her nanny, Isabel’s irrepressible nature was evident from an early age, which the nanny reveals in her charge’s youthful confession:
HDaniela Liebman at The Auditorium at TSRI, 10620 John J Hopkins Drive, La Jolla. The award-winning young Mexican pianist makes her La Jolla Music Society debut with a program of works by Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin and Prokofiev. At 3 p.m. Sunday, April 8. $30. ljms.org Andrei Ionițǎ: Romanian Rhapsodist at The Auditorium at TSRI, 10620 John J Hopkins Drive, La Jolla. The emerging young cellist from Romania focuses on the warm sounds of the cello in this program, which includes pieces by Bach and Schubert. At 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 10. $35. 619-2350804, sandiegosymphony.org
PERFORMANCE Puddles Pity Party at Balboa Theater, 868 Fourth Ave., Downtown. Known as the ‘sad clown with the golden voice,’ Puddles mixes song and comedy into his performances. He’s recognizable from his covers on YouTube, as well as a recent appearance on America’s Got Talent. At 8 p.m. Saturday, April 7. $31.50. 619-5701100, sandiegotheatres.org
“[W]hen the time comes, I’m going to find myself a lover, I’ll pick a man who’s full of himself, like the men mama knows, I’ll make him fall head over heels in love with me and I’ll make him die from unhappiness.” But Isabel is just one piece of the puzzle. As we learn more about Isabel and the profound impact she had on the people around her, our attention turns toward the man who is searching for her: Tadeus Slowacki, a Polish poet who has traveled a great distance to find her. As Tadeus talks to Isabel’s old friends and acquaintances, it becomes clear that he had a special relationship with Isabel, and that after all these years he is still infatuated with her. But as the search moves from Lisbon to Macau and beyond, it’s revealed that this isn’t a mystery in the conventional sense, but an ontological investigation. Published posthumously, For Isabel reunites Tabucchi and Harris (she previously translated some of his other works) and serves as the author’s final love letter to Portugal, a nation he loved as much as his own. It is an idyll for obsessives, a love song for the long ago and a poem for people and places that live in our hearts forever.
—Jim Ruland
The Floating Library appears every other week.
HSDSU Downtown Live at Copley Symphony Hall, 750 B St., Downtown. This mega-concert will feature SDSU’s top orchestral and premier wind groups, a 120-voice concert choir, the Marching Aztecs, SDSU Musical Theatre, the acclaimed Great Wall Quartet and a dance ensemble. At 3 p.m. Sunday, April 8. $10$25. sandiegosymphony.org
POETRY & SPOKEN WORD HCultures Connect in San Diego at San Diego Art Institute, 1439 El Prado, Balboa Park. A night of multi-cultural spoken word and readings from the likes of Sharon Elise, Shadap Zeest Hashmi, Ted Washington, Francisco Bustos, Viet Mai and more. At 7 p.m. Saturday, April 7. Free$6. sandiegowriters.org
SPECIAL EVENTS La Jolla Concours d’Elegance at Ellen Browning Scripps Park, 1100 Coast Blvd.,
La Jolla. Check out various types of fine automobile gems, from Italian marques, British marques, Woodies, ’50s classics, and American sports cars at this 14th annual auto show. Various times. Friday, April 6, Saturday, April 7 and Sunday, April 8. Free-$375. lajollaconcours.com HSouth Bay Earth Day at Chula Vista Bayside Park, 999 Bayside Parkway, Chula Vista. South County’s largest Earth Day celebration features over 40 green vendors, interactive entertainment, yoga classes, organic food, tie-dye workshops, and more. From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 7. Free. chulavistaca.gov/southbayearthday
WORKSHOPS Conflict in Storytelling with Nathan Young at San Diego Writers, Ink, 2730 Historic Decatur Road Suite 202, Point Loma. A writer’s workshop that focuses on building an engaging conflict and the art of storytelling. This is open to both beginners and experienced writers. From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, April 8. $45-$64. sandiegowriters.org
APRIL 4, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 15
THEATER
JIM COX
American Mariachi
The music of memories
A
merican Mariachi is extremely sentimental, but José Cruz González’s new play has its heart in the right place: wrapped around a musical art form that is deeply ingrained in Mexico’s history, culture and people. The mariachi performances onstage in this world premiere at the Old Globe—presented in association with Denver Center for the Performing Arts Theatre Company and directed by James Vasquez—are by turns rousing and romantic. They bring to mind times that are both merry and bittersweet, as is stated with simple eloquence in one of the songs during the one-act production, “music is memory.” And memory is key to the 1970s story, in which the loving and dauntless Lucha (Jennifer Paredes) sets out to form an all-woman mariachi group, not just to break barriers but to be able to perform a song for her Alzheimer’s-afflicted mother (Doreen Montalvo) from her elusive past. Lucha’s neophyte mariachi recruits are familiar character types, but each is engaging in their own ways and all, including Paredes, actually do perform by the play’s end (a five-man mariachi group does so throughout). With its music and gorgeous costumes, American Mariachi (not sure why it’s called that) is beautiful to hear and see even if it does pull with persistence at the heartstrings. American Mariachi runs through April 29 at the Old Globe Theatre in Balboa Park. $30-andup; theoldglobe.org
should go into, and not go into, a commemorative time capsule. Some of this is supposed to be fun, such as the spontaneous sing-along about, of all things, the tuna industry, but Beachtown never truly seems like theater. It’s a long game of pretend participation. There should be more giddiness and less audience speechifying and tiresome counting of votes. Beachtown runs through April 15 in the Lyceum Space in Horton Plaza, Downtown. $20-$65; sdrep.org
•••
The Wanderers: Anna Zeigler’s world premiere drama about two seemingly different couples whose lives are mysteriously connected. Directed by Barry Edelstein, it opens April 6 at the Old Globe Theatre in Balboa Park. theoldglobe.org
P
rops to San Diego Repertory Theatre for serving up something decidedly different: a fully interactive production titled Beachtown, in which audience members are more like attendees at a community council meeting than theatergoers. In this immersive conception by Herbert Siguenza and Rachel Grossman, “Beachtown” is a veiled name for San Diego, and the occasion of the meeting is the 100th Anniversary Time Capsule Day Ceremony. Actors portraying Beachtown officials facilitate audience debate and ultimately voting for what
16 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · APRIL 4, 2018
—David L. Coddon
Theater reviews run weekly. Write to davidc@sdcitybeat.com.
OPENING: Buyer & Cellar: A hit Off-Broadway comedy about an unemployed actor who becomes Barbara Streisand’s personal shopkeeper. Directed by Randall Hickman, it opens April 5 at Vista’s Broadway Theatre. broadwayvista.biz Hairspray The Musical: The hit musical about a social outcast who becomes an overnight sensation after going on a ’60s dance show. Presented by Center Stage Productions, it opens for four performances on April 6 at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido. artcenter.org Noises Off: Michael Frayn’s classic play-within-a-play that exposes the inner workings of a theatre troupe as they hilariously attempt to perform a production of Nothing On. It opens April 6 at Lamb’s Players Theatre in Coronado. lambsplayers.org
How the Other Half Loves: Sir Alan Ayckbourn’s biting comedy about three couples whose lives are about to get a whole lot closer. Directed by Geoffrey Sherman, it opens April 11 at the North Coast Repertory Theatre in Solana Beach. northcoastrep.org
Find more theater listings at sdcitybeat.com
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I
remember my first sip of Arrogant Bastard Ale like it was yesterday. I had just moved to San Diego from Atlanta, and Stone’s most famous ale was my first introduction to what was then a burgeoning local beer scene. Some would argue that San Diego’s reputation as a beer destination was already solidified by the early aughts, but for someone who grew up with a rather limited palate—thanks to years of thinking Samuel Adams and Pete’s Wicked Ale (RIP) were craft options—that first mindblowing sip of Stone’s “aggressive beer” was all I needed to convince me that the hype was real. Over 15 years later, San Diego has solidified itself as not only the craft beer destination, but as a city that’s consistently setting industry trends and developing the most coveted brewers in the world. A little over a dozen breweries has skyrocketed into over a hundred. When relatives visit me from out of town, the zoo and Balboa Park often take a backseat to brewery tours and tastings. The community is as passionate as ever, as evidenced by anytime a corporate-owned brewery opens. Yeah, the community can be a little territorial, but they have every right to be. For this annual issue, our writers took a look at some of the more understated aspects of the industry. From the popularity of music-themed beers (page 20) and the art design that goes into labels (page 25), to the undying attraction to the 40-ounce bottle (page 22) and brewers returning to San Diego after moving away. There’s even articles on ciders (page 13, in case you missed it) and the future of Cannabis-friendly brews (page 38). The whole idea is not to ignore the current trends of the beer scene, but to give the reader an indication as to what might be the next big thing as the industry heads into the future.
—Seth Combs
Hello there! I’m Cappy the Bottle Cap!
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APRIL 4, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 17
THE BEER ISSUE
Oh boy! Don’t these all look delicious? I know they’re fake, but can’t I just pretend? Geez, I know the difference between real and fake, okay? Why do you keep looking at me like that? I’m fine. Everything’s fine. I swear. You gonna drink all of that?
Ironic Sexism Ale
Don’t worry about the label. We’re actually very woke. We’re just making fun of other beer labels. We totally support women. We actually have a girl employee at our brewery, and she thought the label was cool. It’s the beer that matters! Stop being so sensitive! Fuck you then! Eat a dick!
18 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · APRIL 4, 2018
Brewery Bubble Burst IIIPA
Drunken Hunter
Made with increasingly rare Dragon Blood hops from an Alpine bunny farm, this cherry-tinged sour brew is perfect for cigar pairings. It might be pulled from shelves for ethics violations, but it’s only available through Nov. 6, 2018 anyway.
This mostly alcohol hop explosion is our last-ditch attempt to one-up the hundreds of other IPAs in town. No really, it’s so hoppy and bitter it might actually taste the same coming up as it does going down. Perfect for bearded dudes who like waiting in lines to drink beer. For real tho, please drink this or our brewery will fail.
Matcha Brew About Nothing
With a noticeably earthy taste and a selfie-worthy mouthfeel, this beer is rich in antioxidants and catechins. Don’t know what either of those things are? That’s OK, because they’re, like, totally good for you. Like, so what if it tastes like dirt. It, like, totally fights cancer or something.
P.O.’Douls
I… I feel so alive! And so sober! Why? Because P.O.’Douls is a refreshing non-alcoholic lager that has Jesus’ stamp of approval. Packaged in a handy nu-metal can that’s perfect for the youth of the nation.
CBD IPA WTF LOL GTFO IDK. DGMW, DIY IMO. BTW, BFF, BYOB. ROTFL! K? K.
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April 4, 2018 · San Diego CityBeat · 19
Oh man, bands and beer! You know who’s a big fan of music? This guy. I just love how music has the power to lift your spirit when all your friends leave you and your landlord kicks you out and your mom won’t return your phone calls. I mean, hypothetically (hic) speaking.
eer and rock ‘n’ roll go together better than most things. Beer’s inspired countless anthems to excess and debauchery, from Fear’s “More Beer” to ZZ Top’s “Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers.” In turn, rock ‘n’ roll has inspired a lot of brewers to pattern a brew after a band, a song or even a music venue. This is especially true in San Diego, where a long list of brewers have collaborated with bands or released beers inspired by them. Here’s a list of some of the more notably recent band brews.
Plenty For All Pilsner, which was named after “Plenty For All,” the closing track on Audit in Progress by local bruisers Hot Snakes (it’s also probably the beer I drink the most these days). That band’s John Reis is also the namesake for the brewery’s Speedo’s Tiki Love God English Brown, and many of the posters on the walls came from his personal collection. Also among the brewery’s punkinspired offerings are Rise Above Czech Pale Lager (Black Flag) and the intense but delicious Bourbon Barrel Aged Jinx Remover (Jawbreaker), which won a Gold award at the 2016 World Beer Cup.
Pizza Port Eukaryst Sinister Stout Like a lot of bands in town, metal quintet Eukaryst has a brewer among its ranks: Belching Beaver bassist Gino Fontana. He brews at Pizza Port, Phantom Bride IPA/Swerve City OK, so The Deftones aren’t a local and a collaboration with the band The Burning of Rome helped to inspire Eukaryst’s band, but they are one of the more highCANDICE ELEY profile bands to get their own brew, Eukaryst Sinister own official beer in San Stout. True to the band’s Diego, outside of, uh, Subsound, it’s “dark and heavy,” lime. Though unlike the and it’s brewed with 15 speEukaryst stout, Belching cialty malts, cocoa nibs and Beaver’s Phantom Bride a Mexican chocolate bar. It’s isn’t as bold an assault on kind of like drinking a deaththe senses. It’s a pretty metal dessert, though it’s refreshing brew, and was pretty boozy, so a little goes a popular enough that it’s long way. It’s still in rotation available year-round on at the brewery’s Ocean Beach Fall Brewing’s Jinx Remover tap and canned, and even location and best consumed inspired a second Deftones collaboration, on those rare gloomy days in San Diego. Swerve City, a much fruitier beer that’s Amplified Ale Works available seasonally in limited release. It Sure Fire Rye IPA doesn’t necessarily seem all that metal to Funk collective Sure Fire Soul Ensemble me, but I’d still drink it. first collaborated with Amplified Ale Works back in 2016 for their signature Rye IPA, Oliver Brewing Co. which has gone through several batches Great Electric Quest - The Madness Local heavy psych-rockers Great Electric since the two first teamed up. It’s easy to see why, since it’s a hoppy but easy-drinking Quest have teamed up with Maryland’s OliIPA; flavorful but not too bitter. Amplified ver Brewing Co. for this beer, which hasn’t has poured all of its last batch, but represen- yet been released. Since Oliver doesn’t have a tatives from both the band and the brewery local taproom, it remains to be seen whether have said they want to do another, so look it’ll be poured locally. The good news is that it’ll be canned, so anyone who needs a hoppy out for that this summer. Amplified have also collaborated with care package can get one straight from the other bands including Western Settings, internet. DFMK and Low Volts. Well, actually, everyThorn Street Rock the Pale Ale thing on the tap list is inspired by bands, Thorn Street took the music-beer collabsuch as the official Mötörhead Born to Lose oration to a different level by honoring loIPA, the Beastie Boys-inspired Check Your cal venue The Casbah with its own beer. The Hops and the Blues Brothers-inspired GetAmerican Pale Ale, at 5.3 percent ABV, is not ting the Band Back Together. so high in alcohol content that one couldn’t enjoy several rounds while watching a set of Fall Brewing As breweries go, Fall is punk as fuck, and bands tear it up at The Casbah, where it’s on the brewery walls lined with vintage hard- tap. It’s also in cans, and the design depicts core posters certainly drive home that point. the famous chrome flames and moon from Among its most widely available beers is the venue’s facade.
20 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · APRIL 4, 2018
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April 4, 2018 · San Diego CityBeat · 21
Whaaaat? 40s? These don’t have bottle caps on them. WTF, dudes. You’re all just racist against bottle caps. I’m outta here. If you need me, I’ll be in the bar. See you on the next page, chumps.
40 Oz. to dumb
An ode to the bro-preferred bottle and a look into why craft beer hasn’t embraced it
W
By Ryan Bradford
22 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · APRIL 4, 2018
COURTESY OF ALESMITH
hoever invented the 40 is a genius. I remember having this very thought with two 40 oz. bottles of Steel Reserve duct-taped to my hands. It was my sophomore year of college, and a group of us were playing Edward Fortyhands during a house party. Only a 19 year old with two breakable glass bottles affixed to soft skin—each filled with potent intoxicants—could have such a misunderstanding of the term “genius.” Just in case the object of Edward Fortyhands is not obvious, here are the rules: You tape a 40 to each hand, and you cannot remove them until the beer is gone. The winner is determined by who finishes first. Genius. Even though I was shit-housed by the end of the first bottle, I wasn’t drunk enough to forget that no one actually wins at Edward Fortyhands. With a bladder full of malt, I unwrapped the tape from my hands, removed the bottles, and had, I presume, a glorious piss in what I hope was a toilet (again, things got a little hazy after that first Steely). Despite losing the game, I still stand by that proclamation I made nearly 14 years ago: Whoever invented the forty is a genius. For college students, artists, beach bums and countless other cash-strapped demograph-
ics, the 40 represents cheap fun. For me, it’s synonymous with summer, and I’ve wasted countless afternoons sipping from a large glass bottle in the sun. The 40 also represents an antidote to the insufferable elitism that permeates the craft beer scene. Still, it’s impossible to talk about 40s without mentioning their problematic emergence into mainstream culture. According to Vice, malt liquor dates back to as early as the 1930s when brewers—suffering through the Great Depression—didn’t have enough malt to make beer. However, it wasn’t until 1963 that Colt 45 malt liquor began showing up on shelves. Throughout the ’60s and ’70s, malt liquor companies marketed their products toward low-income populations (i.e. inner-city Black and Hispanic populations). During the ’80s, notable celebrities began hocking malt liquor in 40 oz. bottles. Who could forget Billy Dee Williams’ vaguely-threatening promise: “Colt 45. It works every time”? In 1988, St. Ides launched a series of commercials that eventually would feature Wu-Tang Clan, Biggie, Snoop and other musicians who went on to change the face of music. Malt liquor’s association with rap music was solidified and remained that way until the mid-90s, when champagne brands began replacing 40s in rap songs. So yes, the marketing of malt liquor 40s to Black communities was exploitative at best, harmful at worst (Chuck D of Public Enemy once stated: “[Breweries] have massive campaigns for this shit that are targeted at the Black community... It’s been killing motherfuckers for the longest period.”) But like most things popularized by the Black community, it was inevitable that white people would co-opt the
trend. References to 40s and malt liquor began appearing in punk music, including records by Leftover Crack and Sublime—whose album 40 oz. to Freedom has pretty much become the soundtrack for Southern California beach bros. While reminiscing about the good times I’ve had with the malty bevvies (maybe you don’t consider wetting your pants during a game of Edward Fortyhands to be a “good time,” but tomato/tamato) I realized that only a handful of breweries have even attempted the 40 oz. delivery system. “It’s tough to do. Unless you’re a mega brewery,” says AleSmith Brewing Company owner Peter Zien, who’s had success in producing 40s as part of AleSmith’s partnership with the band Sublime. Upon the release of its Sublime beer—a Mexican lager—the brewery produced a limited-run of 40s because, well, given the lasting popularity of 40 oz. to Freedom, how could they not? “We did it all by hand, and it was very labor-intensive.” Zien says. “They’ve got to be quality assured with low oxygen pick-up.” He adds that it took nearly nine days to produce around 1,200 40s of the Sublime beer. AleSmith has now produced two runs, and Zien hopes to make it an annual thing. “It has a certain place in Americana,” Zien says, and I agree. Despite the 40’s troubled past, I think craft beer has the opportunity to right its trajectory. Hell, small brewers have done a good job of shaking up the beer industry in the past decade, and I feel this is an opportunity to erase the stigma. I’ve had the Sublime beer in a can (which is readily available at any ye olde beer shoppe) and it’s hard to deny the nostalgic kick I get when drinking it. It tastes like all those summer evenings I wasted while being wasted. And I bet two 40s of it would feel really nice duct-taped around my hands.
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April 4, 2018 · San Diego CityBeat · 23
24 · San Diego CityBeat · april 4, 2018
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Ooooh big tough-guy artists thinking they’re better than Cappy! Let’s see how much better they are with this molotov cocktail through their window! Aghh! Whoops! Oh God, what have I done? Hurry, run! We’re in this together. Your prints were on that bottle, too! Cappy can’t go back to jail.
ndy Davis sits at a table inside his Solana Beach art studio and gallery, which he calls the Space Station. The crisp white walls are splashed with natural light and paintings of vibrant orange and turquoise. The Space Station materializes Davis’ artistic style of geometric ’60s surf culture. He cracks open Duck Foot Brewing Company’s brand new Secret Spot Hazy IPA, a beer packaged the previous day in a can that features his art. “This is awesome, wow,” Davis says, seeing the can for the first time. “It’s all happening.” The Secret Spot Hazy IPA is part of a yearlong collaboration between Davis and Duck Foot. Davis’ designs will wrap around the cans of four different beer recipes set to be released throughout the year. “Andy’s work just embodies surfing. He’s probably the best known surf artist in the world, and that was really lucky for us,” says Duck Foot co-founder Matt DelVecchio. “The North County people all kind of stick together and support each other, so there’s that too.” This is the first time Duck Foot has collaborated with a local artist. Previously, Duck Foot hired DelVecchio’s friend in New York, who created iconic drawings such as a monstrous fowl looming over skyscrapers for its Duckzilla Double White IPA. “This is sort of a step in a different direction to juxtapose it a little bit like, it’s still [Duck Foot], we’re just doing something with an artist,” says Davis. Still, the decision to deck a can with true art is a road few breweries have gone down. Companies such as Modern Times, Mission Brewing, Thorn Street and many more rely on their logos. “It’s not a personal thing, it’s work for hire,” says Da“[The label] is important, it’s at the point of sale,” says vis. “It’s more about the company’s branding than it is the Elder. “It means as much as the salesperson, and a lot of collaboration with somebody else.” The bottles that do have eye-catching artwork often [breweries] seem not to give it much thought. You look and feature outsourced work: Novo Brazil Brewing’s color- there’s a lot of computer-generated, concise true logos but ful designs were made by a Brazilian artist; Tijuana bre- a lot people consider our stuff, Ballast Point, not to be a label. It’s artwork on a beer.” whouse Insurgente coats some of its Elder says the computerized route drinking vessels in original creations by may be because some companies lack a a Los Angeles-based artist; and Mikstrong, centralized imagery to get bekeller Brewing showcases a Philadelhind. phia artist’s work. “Some of them have a name that If there’s one San Diego brewery doesn’t lend itself to having art,” he that can make the argument in favor says. “What has more opportunity of a local artistic collaboration, it’s the than the ocean?” recently controversial Ballast Point. Aside from Ballast Point, Pariah The brewery’s resident artist, Paul ElBrewing and Fall Brewing have both der, has painted the label design for evsuccessfully employed San Diegoery bottle, all the way back to the first based artists. And Carlsbad native Sean releases of Longfin Lager and Big Eye Dominguez is the resident artist for India Pale Ale. Elder’s work is arguably Pizza Port, Port Brewing and Lost Abthe most iconic to come out of the San bey. Diego beer scene, and is now featured “I see a lot more breweries going toDuck Foot Brewing Company’s on T-shirts, bicycle jerseys, disc golf ward a sort of cookie cutter, not to say Secret Spot Hazy IPA sets, skateboards and more.
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TORREY BAILEY
Andy Davis in a negative way, but more of a kind of simple but drastic look with very bold, very minimal colors,” says Port Brewing and Lost Abbey Marketing Director Adam Martinez. “Using Sean isn’t the cheapest thing, but we feel it’s right for the brand.” Martinez says Lost Abbey aims to tell a story through its dramatic, sacrilegious labels. But for most breweries, he says it comes down to maximizing company resources in a competitive industry. “We’re in a city with 160 other breweries, and sometimes it’s the race to get that beer out,” he says. “If sometimes you can save a little bit of cost and do something a little less time-consuming, I don’t blame people for doing it. Believe me, there are plenty of times I wish I could just write the name of the beer on it and slap it on a bottle and be done with it. But that’s not why they pay me.” With competition skyrocketing, the pressure mounts for breweries to stand out on the shelf, which could potentially provide more opportunities for local artists like Dominguez, Elder and Davis. “Even if you’re not a beer snob and don’t know anything about [the beer],” says Davis, “you’re going to be drawn to what’s on it.”
APRIL 4, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 25
Now, this—this is a dope story. It’s got people doing things and all that jazz. They’re talking, they’re saying stuff. Heh heh, man, it’s wild! If somebody’s got an idea idea, I say go for it. American dream, you know what I mean? Pssst... I’m not sexist, but Bernie would’ve won.
he future of local beer is hazy, but one thing is clear: San Diego is an attractive place for out-of-town brewers to set up shop. According to CSU San Marcos’ latest Craft Beer Report, the local beer industry raked in $870 million in 2016 alone. With that revenue potential, it’s no wonder newcomers are trickling into our borders to take advantage of San Diego’s thirsty masses and established reputation as “the capital of craft.” “It makes sense that several more breweries are making a move to join our local brewing community,” says new San Diego Brewers Guild president Paul Sangster, who’s also co-owner/brewmaster of Rip Current Brewing. At least three new breweries have opened this year already, bringing the tally to 151 active breweries according to West Coaster’s count. One of those is The Bell Marker, a Los Angeles-funded project with San Diegans handling the brew house. Others who’ve settled here from elsewhere, as well as some in the works, include 10 Barrel Brewing (the AB InBev subsidiary from Bend, Oregon), Melvin Brewing from Jackson, Wyoming (which is currently under fire for mishandling an employee’s sexual misconduct off-premises) and Little Miss Brewing from Phoenix, Arizona (who opened in Miramar in 2016 and Normal Heights in 2017).
Cismontane Brewing from Santa Ana and Absolution Brewing Company from Torrance both have San Diegans at the helm who’ve recently returned to their roots. Cismontane is still in the planning stages as Knø Beverage House in Escondido, but Absolution’s Steve Farguson has waited for years to bring part of his business back home. The San Diego outpost, Absolution-by-the-Sea, recently opened in La Jolla. “The site in La Jolla has always been a long time dream of mine,” says Farguson. “I always hoped the day would come, but it seemed very far away.” Despite San Diego’s brewery saturation— or oversaturation, according to some—the pull of home was too strong for Farguson to ignore, even though it came “at the worst time… smack dab into a major expansion for the second time in Torrance.” He’s no stranger to the San Diego scene, having called it home for over two decades. But some newcomers may lack the local insight that can give homegrown craft breweries a much-needed edge in the crowded marketplace. “I honestly have no idea why an outsider of San Diego with no roots here would want to open a brewery in our city,” muses Farguson. A few years ago, a smaller number of breweries fighting over shelf space made San Diego an attractive option for aspiring brewQUINN DOMBROWSKI / FLICKR
San Diego: the “Capital of Craft” 26 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · APRIL 4, 2018
JIM SLOAN
Guild Fest ers who wanted to brew with the best. But in today’s competitive craft world, it’s harder than ever to make an impact. “I would not open a brewery in San Diego today,” says Travis Smith, brewmaster and co-founder of Societe Brewing Company. “Both Doug [Constantiner] and myself moved to San Diego [in 2011] specifically for the beer scene here. Would I do it again? Given the same circumstances I would absolutely do it again, but we do now live in a different beer world… very few breweries are able to grow and many breweries that make amazing beer are struggling with the vast amount of competition.” The sheer number of breweries to choose from may stifle a new brewery’s growth, but brands arriving from elsewhere aren’t likely to face xenophobia simply because they aren’t native San Diegans. Only a handful of our 150-plus breweries would qualify under that criteria, and it doesn’t really seem to matter to even hardcore craft beer snobs. Jacob Nikos, local beer podcaster and bartender at Societe and Chula Vista’s Manhattan Bar, breaks it down: “The rake is when people come from out of town with the concept that they [can] move into a booming industry [and] can eventually print money without adding or becoming a part of the already vibrant, already established brewing culture in the
city… what needs to be understood is this isn’t a cash cow, but a thriving community. You can’t just walk in hoping to open a brewery without having others in this community close.” Being independently owned and brewing high quality beer remain the real benchmarks of #SDBeer. But as more and more breweries are slated to open, will a “locals only” mindset take hold? “We’re a city of transplants,” says Nikos. Sangster agrees that, no matter where brewery owners hail from, it’s still “a great time to be a craft beer drinker in San Diego.” BAGBY BEER COMPANY
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CULTURE | VOICES
RACHEL MICHELLE FERNANDES
THANK YOU FOR
STARING
Class not dismissed, part 2: Art as intervention
D
uring a TED Talk in Vancouver in 2016, former prosecutor and criminal justice reform advocate Adam Foss asked a series of questions to the audience, pointing them to what seemed like a logical conclusion. Should people’s lives be ruined by a handful of youthful indiscretions such as getting caught experimenting with weed or alcohol, ditching school or trespassing on private property, even if those poor choices lead to jail time? The answer, by a unanimous lack of raised (mostly white) hands, was a resounding “no.” And yet, this is what is consistently happening in the U.S., especially in certain underserved neighborhoods in San Diego. “America’s Finest City” has a tough-on-crime policy that—when combined with status quo methods for dealing with delinquent youth in the education and court systems— creates what is referred to as the “school to prison pipeline.” “If you’re on probation and you’re going to a Juvenile Court and Community School (JCCS), depending on what the offense is, the discretion of the prosecutor can determine the rest of your future,” says Alejandro Martinez Jr., a teaching artist with the AjA Project, a highly organized, resourceful and effective arts education non-profit that uses participatory photography to transform lives and break cycles of marginalization. I met Martinez at a community event meant to raise awareness about the mayor’s impending budget cuts to the arts and was immediately struck by his passion and conviction. Working with at-risk youth,teaching artists like Martinez and organizations like AjA are doing some of the most important work in our society: intercepting kids—many of whom are transborder, from refugee or immigrant families, and/or below the poverty level—before they are stuck in the pipeline. “How can art be kind of like this intervention to subjugation to hopelessness or feelings of having no future?” asks Diana Cervera, AjA’s program and artistic coordinator. “How do we stay in the room so that we can continue to cultivate these relationships that I think are so important to students really viewing themselves as willing and deserving of other options?” “One of the biggest things that I really like to push in the classroom is knowing that our experiences are actually valid forms of knowledge,” adds AjA Education Specialist Lorain Khalil Rihan. “When we were wrapping up and doing our internal reflections, I had one student at East Mesa [Juvenile Detention Facility] state that going through the program allowed him to feel like it was OK for him to have feelings aside from anger.”
Cervera also recalls a story that illustrates the kind of impact an organization like AjA can have. “One of the students had a picture of a hummingbird. They have a garden inside the detention center. In one of the sessions, he showed us multiple shots that he’d taken until he got the perfect one. And it was so moving. He said something like ‘I learned I had to be patient when the hummingbird was so close to me, like it was trying to tell me something and that I had to be patient so I got a perfect shot.’” So while AjA is in the trenches, using photography to teach students vital skills for escaping cycles of poverty and crime, Mayor Faulconer is proposing yet another round of budget cuts to the arts. In a recent article from Voice of San Diego, Christina Chadwick, spokesperson for the Mayor’s office, is quoted as saying that “the budget will prioritize putting neighborhoods first and delivering core services San Diegans rely on.” Meanwhile, there’s the recent Los Angeles Times article stating that a year in prison in California costs more per individual than a year at Harvard, including room, board and even some extra spending money. I can’t think of a priority higher than keeping kids out of the prison system. Perhaps the unspoken “priority” by certain politicians is profits over people and the usurping of public wealth off the backs of Black and Brown kids. The history of the prison industrial complex is rife with racist policy, and cutting services to disadvantaged and vulnerable populations is no exception. A percentage cut to the arts here and there adds up. And it’s not the bigger nonprofits like the Old Globe or the La Jolla Music Society (who can afford full-time development staff) that truly get hurt, but the little ones who are still doing important work. At the end of the day, it’s our job as an arts community to rise up and stage an intervention. “It’s really important as teaching artists to be civically engaged,” says Martinez. “We have this privilege to be role models and mentors in our communities. There’s a lot of people that work for the city or San Diego County that just don’t have that passion to serve these communities as much as they should.” “We can change the dominant narrative through the arts and photography, especially when we work with kids of color and kids who are displaced and who don’t necessarily always have a voice at the table,” states AjA Director Anjanette Maraya-Ramey. “We give them the opportunity to speak out against injustice and make a difference in their communities, but we need public funding to do that.”
So while AjA is in the trenches— using photography as method to teach students vital skills for escaping cycles of poverty and crime— Mayor Faulconer is proposing yet another round of budget cuts to the arts.
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Thank You For Staring appears every other week.
APRIL 4, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 27
CULTURE | FILM
Sleuth and consequences
Gemini
Aaron Katz’s gripping neo-noir upends the boundaries of celebrity culture by Glenn Heath Jr.
T
ypically filmed in color, neo-noir both updates Weather, an off-kilter mystery set in the Pacific Northand subverts many of the conventions estab- west. But Gemini is all Los Angeles. It’s less about the lished by its classic black-and-white genre fore- pursuit of truth and more concerned with peeling father. Director Aaron Katz evokes this shift directly back the layers of deception one by one. Jill becomes in the haunting opening shots of Gemini—rows of up- an instrument to do just that, and in the process she side down palm trees sway calmly in the Santa Ana gains a better understanding of how long game fabriwind to wispy saxophone notes. There’s something cations are justified and sometimes even excused. As the lines between perception and reality get sublime about tipping this particular slice of So-Cal iconography on its head. The inversion feels closer to continuously blurred, Katz manages to instill pervathe fatalistic truth in a city built on fantasy and delu- sive tension in every scene. By withholding the very sion. Even when the image methodically moves into elements (violence, blackmail) that noir traditionally sensationalizes, Gemini creates prolonged stretches an upright position, the uneasy impression remains. Sleek and captivating, Gemini navigates the emo- of uncertainty that become amplified by silence and anticipation. Long takes and tional traps imbedded in a cemoody music cues help emboldlebrity culture fueled by acts of en this style, but so does Kirke’s theatrical desperation. IroniGEMINI defiant performance. Jill’s chacally, the film’s heroine seems meleon-like malleability gives immune to the madness despite Directed by Aaron Katz her the courage to act instincworking inside the industry bubStarring Lola Kirke, Zoë Kravitz, tively when it’s needed most. ble. Jill (Lola Kirke) is so much Jon Cho and James Ransone Which brings us to Heather, more than a personal assistant Rated R who mostly functions as a pop to star actress Heather Anderson cipher until the audience real(Zoë Kravitz); she’s her emotionizes she’s already got a gun to al and professional consigliore, sometimes even taking uncomfortable meetings in their head. Thankfully, the film doesn’t adore or need order to shield the blowback. Their close relationship her like most of the characters themselves. Jill is an has created an almost sisterly rapport that transcends extension of Katz, who sees Heather as a byproduct professional and personal boundaries. But in La-La of an environment where beauty and sex appeal is an Land, this level of vulnerability can be manipulated organic extension of power. One gets the sense that despite her massive popularity, she’s just now learnfor nefarious reasons. Without divulging too much of the knotty plot, ing how to wield a far more sinister kind of influence. Gemini (opening Friday, April 6, at Angelika Film Katz kicks things off with a grisly murder that forces Jill out of the background and into the role of de- Centers—Carmel Mountain) shows flashes of hipster tective even as she, herself, becomes a suspect. The indulgence, sometimes getting tiresome like during scrappy investigation that ensues takes her through Jill’s saucy exchange with a scorned auteur, which a version of Hollywood where threats of murder are could have been ripped from a Duplass brothers’ tossed around freely. Everyone has a motive to kill, production. But Katz refuses to go full mumblecore, from the pretty boy actor and the disgruntled director, keeping the annoying banter to a minimum. Mostly to the nasty agent, omniscient paparazzo and impres- his exciting film is all guts and no consequences, a series of dangerous, intuitive reactions sewn togethsively creepy super fan. Each character bleeds into the fabric of a sleek, er with Chandler-esque dialogue for the digital age. neon tableau with memorable precision. Katz seems Tightly wound and gripping, Gemini is the epitome of right at home giving each actor (including Jon Cho hair-trigger cinema. in his best performance) just enough time to make an impression before moving on. The writer/direc- Film reviews run weekly. tor dabbled in the sleuth sub-genre before with Cold Write to glennh@sdcitybeat.com
28 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · APRIL 4, 2018
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CULTURE | FILM ist narrative just enough to remain urgent, mostly because the two leads continuously challenge each other. Neither is ever “satisfied with what’s easy,” to quote Alberto, making them worthy friends in an increasingly adversarial relationship.
—Glenn Heath Jr.
OPENING Final Portrait
The poser
A Quiet Place: A rural family tries to cope while being forced to live out their lives in complete silence because of vi-
cious monsters that respond to sound. Starring John Krasinski and Emily Blunt. Blockers: A trio of parents (John Cena, Leslie Mann and Ike Barinholtz) tries to stop their teenage children from losing their virginity at prom. Final Portrait: Famous Swiss artist Alberto Giacometti (Geoffrey Rush) asks an American (Armie Hammer) to pose for his latest painting, a process that stretches into days and weeks. Opens Friday, April 6, at the Landmark Hillcrest Cinemas. Finding Your Feet: After finding out her husband and best friend are having an affair, an elitist snob spends time with her bohemian sister in an impoverished area of London. Gemini: Lola Kirke and Zoë Kravitz star
in this Los Angeles neo-noir from Aaron Katz that looks at the nature of celebrity and manipulation in the digital age. Opens Friday, April 6, at the Angelika Film Centers—Carmel Mountain. La Leyenda del Charro Negro: The fifth installment of the Leyendas series of animated films follows Leo and his brother Nando as they face off with the nefarious Charro Negro, an entity looking to get his soul back. Opens Friday, April 6, at the Digital Gym Cinema in North Park. Miracle Season: A women’s volleyball team bands together to compete for the championship after the team’s star player tragically dies. Pandas: Researchers working in Sichuan, China form a special bond with pandas living in the region.
Pyewacket: A young woman dabbles in the dark arts after an argument with her mother awakens an evil entity. Screens from Friday, April 6 through Sunday, April 8, at the Digital Gym Cinema in North Park. Tehran Taboo: Sex and corruption are at the forefront of this animated drama about prohibitions in modern Iranian society from director Ali Soozandeh. Opens Friday, April 6, at the Digital Gym Cinema in North Park.
For complete movie listings, visit Film at sdcitybeat.com.
W
atching an artist work can be inspiring. That is not the case with Swiss sculptor and painter Alberto Giacometti (Geoffrey Rush), who grouses and snaps throughout Stanley Tucci’s restrained biopic Final Portrait. James Lord (Armie Hammer) bears the brunt of this frustration after he agrees to pose for one of Giacometti’s iconic paintings while visiting Paris in the 1960s. The young American agrees to participate without hesitation, but what begins as an afternoon commitment quickly extends to days and weeks. James has already exhibited the patience of Job when Alberto confesses, “I’ll never be able to paint you as I see you.” But that real sense of futility is contradicted by an unyielding dedication to the creative process, witnessed during intense working sessions where artist and subject become locked in unbroken spells of mutual observation. The film’s best scenes occur inside Alberto’s cavernous workspace. Wearing dapper suits and sitting perfectly upright, James finds himself surrounded by grotesque sculptures, half-finished paintings and discarded wads of cash hidden for safekeeping. Rush and Hammer feed off of each other’s frustration as their characters come to embody the infinite cycle of doubt that infuses any great artistic endeavor. Tucci, who both wrote and directed the film, has a difficult time mustering similar energy in scenes where supporting characters are central, specifically Alberto’s wife Annette Arm (Sylvie Testud) and mistress Caroline (Clémence Poésy). These women aren’t given much depth, mostly because Alberto himself makes them secondary figures in his selfobsessed existence. Only the great Tony Shalhoub, who plays brother Diego Giacometti with quiet reservation, makes more than a passing impression. Final Portrait (opening Friday, April 13) subverts the tortured art-
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APRIL 4, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 29
EBRU YILDIZ
MUSIC
Soccer Mommy here’s an old cliché, originally coined in a 1940 Thomas Wolfe novel, which states “you can’t go home again.” In other words, you can never relive the past. Everyone and everything is always changing. And however strong we feel the pangs of nostalgia or long for more comforting times, we can never get them back. Maybe we shouldn’t. That is, in essence, the theme behind many of the songs on Clean, the new album by Sophie Allison, better known as indie rock artist Soccer Mommy. The Nashville-based singer/songwriter’s tracks are largely concerned with being haunted by the past and making an effort to escape it. Even the title, Clean, speaks to the idea of starting fresh: making a clean break, having a clean slate, etc. So it’s more than a little ironic that the 20-year-old Allison quite literally found herself going home, moving back to Nashville after briefly living in New York City while she was attending college. And though she doesn’t expect it to be the same home she grew up in, she acknowledges the appeal in that idea.
30 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · APRIL 4, 2018
“New York has a lot of loneliness,” she says. “It tends to make you feel very reflective and lonely and depressed all the time. Being home is always like this oasis while I lived there. There are trees and beautiful nature and nostalgia and people I know. Then I’d go back to this reflective, lonely place. When I was in school it was always a safe thing to come home to. Now it’s different, but when I was in school it was a special comfort coming home to my parents and not being alone in a huge city and having nature around me and warm weather.” The 10 songs on Clean are largely about trying to leave the past behind. It’s an album about looking for an escape and recovering from past traumas, but its melodies are consistently catchy and often have a soothing, comforting sensibility. There’s also a sweetness about Allison’s songwriting at times, like when she sings “I want to be the one you miss when you’re alone/I want to be the one you’re kissing when you’re stoned” on the album highlight “Skin.” But more often
than not, she taps into some intense, dark emotions. No moment on Clean is as confrontational as the album’s first single, “Your Dog,” which finds Allison singing, “I don’t want to be your fucking dog that you drag around” and “I don’t want to be your little pet at the edge of every bed.” Yet it’s one of the catchiest tracks of the bunch, thanks to a pretty outstanding guitar riff. And “Still Clean,” the album’s leadoff track, puts a break-up in gruesome terms, as Allison delivers some particularly violent imagery: “Left me drowning, once you picked me out of your bloody teeth.” “Still Clean” is the most grisly track, though it still fits into a larger, overarching theme, as Allison explains. “[‘Still Clean’] is about being clean of a person, just like the whole record is discussing a feeling of being a new person,” she says. “Wanting to be reborn after an experience and feeling totally different after an experience. Fresh, new—all of that. I feel like a lot of the songs carried some idea of being clean of someone, or clean and new and reborn. And then it’s also kind of a little bit ironic because the whole thing is that you can’t be clean from past experiences.” Even though Allison left New York to go back to her home city, she’s spent the past few years of her still-young career in a period of rapid growth and development as an artist. Clean is Soccer Mommy’s second album on Fat Possum, following last year’s Collection, and with each new release she seems to hit a new benchmark. This is the first to be recorded with a producer (Gabe Wax), and the result is a record with a richer array of sounds and studio effects than before. On “Cool,” the tape gradually slows down at the end, and it sounds almost as if it’s melting. And at the 3:15 mark on “Still Clean,” the track briefly drops out, harshly transitioning into a lo-fi acoustic track that’s only heard through the right channel. Soccer Mommy had the luxury of having access to greater resources on Clean, which marks a big change from her early, Bandcamp-released home recordings. “The way I used to do it before, it was just me in a home studio trying ideas,” Allison says. “But this gave me more space and more ability to do whatever I wanted and to make it sound the way I imagined, rather than just get to a point where I couldn’t make it sound any better because I was doing it on cheap recording equipment in my bedroom.” Allison’s since dropped out of school, her musical career demanding her full attention. And at only 20, she’s got a long road ahead of her, but there’s a wisdom on Clean that seems to belie her youth; a reflection of the hard lessons of lived experiences. And except for the bloody teeth part, it’s all true. “Most of the stuff in the lyrics is true, or a metaphor for something that’s happened to me,” she says, though ultimately she adds that she hopes her lyrics, however personal, can be relatable to listeners. “I hope people can relate to it and feel something from it. I hope if people are going through a similar thing, that it helps them feel like other people understand them, and get some sense of beauty out of it.” Write to jefft@sdcitybeat.com. Follow him on Twitter @1000TimesJeff
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April 4, 2018 · San Diego CityBeat · 31
MUSIC
NOTES FROM THE SMOKING PATIO
BY RYAN BRADFORD THE
SPOTLIGHT
LOCALS ONLY
W
hen Roger Preston started releasing music through his label Bleeding Gold Records in 2010, he didn’t have much of an agenda. At the time he was doing video work for bands, and through that he ended up offering to release some of their music, starting with an EP and a full-length album by British band The Notes. Over 120 releases later, Bleeding Gold is one of the most prolific labels in San Diego, but it took a while before Preston actually started making connections with local bands. “It started out just really randomly. I never had a big goal, it just kind of fell into my lap,” he says. “The beginning years were really Euro-centric. By the second year more American bands started to reach out to me, but even then they weren’t local. It didn’t seem right to not be putting out music by San Diego bands.” Eight years later, the Bleeding Gold roster boasts a long list of names, many of which will be performing at the Bleeding Gold Records Open Air Market on Friday, April 20 at Fair at 44 (4350 El Cajon Blvd., City Heights). The event was initially planned to be a release show for the band Thun-
deregg, but it grew into something much bigger, featuring a dozen bands such as Ariel Levine, Dream Joints, Tape Waves and Sick Balloons, as well as some non-Bleeding Gold artists including Pall Jenkins and Well Well Well. “What started as a release show blossomed into a miniBRIAN MURPHY festival,” he says. “We’re going to maximize the number of bands that can play on two stages. And it brought about an opportunity to invite other vendors, like food and other types of things.” The Open Air Market is the biggest event that Bleeding Gold has put on to date, but after so much growth in the label’s catalog, it feels like a long time coming. For Preston, Bleeding Gold has always been Roger Preston a labor of love, and if he sells a lot of records, that’s great as well, but it’s not necessarily his goal. “I’m not doing this for money or anything but love of music,” he says. “My success is hearing and getting to work with bands that I respect. I’ve heard a lot of new music and discovered a lot of new favorite bands in the last 10 years.”
—Jeff Terich
FIVE BLEEDING GOLD RELEASES TO HEAR
A
head of Bleeding Gold’s first big festival event, give a spin to these highlights from the label’s ample catalog.
Moon Jelly, Moon Jelly: This Florida band’s self-titled EP is a mesmerizing blend of psychedelic rock, dream-pop and electronic sounds that’s influenced by bands such as Stereolab and My Bloody Valentine. Still, they come across as a unique group, their beats hitting surprisingly hard while Anna Wallace shows off an impressive vocal presence.
more psychedelic edge of the label’s musical spectrum. They’re a weird, dark band who are capable of Pixies-like altrock anthems, but often ease into some sinister grooves like the sexy rhythms of “Phoney Beings.” Just Like Medicine, Dream Joints: The solo debut by Mike Turi of Wild Wild Wets carries much of his other band’s penchant for hallucinogenic sounds. Yet instead of heavy layers of guitars, this is a more synth-driven recording, often subtler in arrangement and with more judicious use of space. It’s a late-night listen, for sure.
Here to Fade, Tape Waves: Based in South As Loud As I Can, Spooky Cigarette: Carolina, the dream pop duo of Jarod and Kim As Loud As I Can Weldin makes music that feels weightless and by Spooky Cigarette Though only containing four songs, this EP release revealed a lot of promise for the local inserene. Which doesn’t mean it’s without substance. They create a blissful sound that doesn’t have many die pop group. Their songs are washed in layers of syntherough edges, and it’d frankly be a shame to sully music this sizers and effects, and with lyrics about figuring out one’s place in the world. It’s a fun set of songs, and I can’t wait to pretty with any intentional abrasion. hear the next batch. Night Drippers, Os Drongos: One of Bleeding Gold’s European signings, France’s Os Drongos represent the heavier, —Jeff Terich
32 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · APRIL 4, 2018
TIMOTHY SACCENTI
Chromeo
B
ack in the late 2000s, I was one half of a DJ duo based in Salt Lake City called DJ Tanner. I know, objectively, that nothing stated in the previous sentence is something of which I should be proud, but it was a hell of a good time. Every Thursday, DJ Tanner played whatever dancey shit was popular at the time, which ended up being a lot of Justice, Junior Boys and Ghostland Observatory. One of the unified characteristics of these bands was their blind devotion to their cheap, derivative music without any self-awareness of how ridiculous it was. I mean, Ghostland Observatory wore capes! But Chromeo was a different story. Well, maybe not different musically, but they were self-aware enough to know that the music they produced was ridiculous. Their songs had the same signature coked-up hubris as most of the hits from the '80s, but also had titles like “Tenderoni” and “Momma’s Boy” (which is maybe the funniest/creepiest/catchiest song about motherly love ever). Listening to Chromeo now, it’s easy to hear the nuances in their music—nuances that I missed during those sweaty, boozy nights. For example, it seems that Chromeo was idolizing Hall & Oates long before it was cool, and that influence plays heavily into their music. And that’s dope. With the advent of EDM—which is simultaneously cheaper and more complicated than any of the music DJ Tanner was playing—it seems almost like a miracle that Chromeo are still performing. But I’m glad they are. Chromeo plays Tuesday, April 10 at Humphreys by the Bay.
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MUSIC LOROTO PRODUCTIONS
JEFF TERICH
IF I WERE U A music insider’s weekly agenda WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4
PLAN A: Brian Fallon and the Howling Weather, Ruston Kelly @ Belly Up Tavern. Brian Fallon’s best known as the frontman of punk band The Gaslight Anthem, and his solo material sounds pretty much like The Gaslight Anthem. Which means it sounds like Bruce Springsteen. Which means I dig it.
THURSDAY, APRIL 5
PLAN A: Snoop Dogg, Warren G @ Observatory North Park. Hip-hop has been around long enough now that old-heads complaining about Lil Uzi Vert and 21 Savage will refer to the ‘90s as rap music’s peak. Despite the “old man yells at cloud” aspect of it, there’s some truth to it. Everybody can get down to some Snoop and Warren G.
FRIDAY, APRIL 6
PLAN A: Underpass, The Victoriana, Deaf Dance, DJ Jon Blaj @ Whistle Stop. Un-
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derpass is a gloomy post-punk band that’s heavily influenced by bands such as The Cure and The Chameleons. In other words: Goth. Automatic Plan A. PLAN B: Agent Orange, Social Spit, Grids @ The Casbah. I respect punks that can still make a ruckus after more than three decades, and Agent Orange’s style of punchy Southern California punk hasn’t lost its freshness since the early ‘80s. BACKUP PLAN: Ruines ov Abaddon, Beekeeper, Infinite Death, Theosis @ The Merrow.
SATURDAY, APRIL 7
PLAN A: Possible Man With A Possible Gun, Clay Rendering, Hexa, DJ Camilla Robina @ Helmuth Projects. I recently read a hot take about how the perfect live set is 20 minutes long, which I’m not sure I agree with. Possible Man With A Possible Gun—featuring members of Hours and Bleak Skies—have a set that’s a little longer than that, but it’s only one composition.
Frankie Cosmos Get comfortable. PLAN B: Courtney Marie Andrews, Olivia Kaplan @ Soda Bar. Courtney Marie Andrews has been making country-tinged rock and folk music since she was 18 years old, and it’s all quite good. Her style is soulful and affecting in the tradition of Lucinda Williams and Emmylou Harris, with a little bit of rough, rock ‘n’ roll grit when necessary. BACKUP PLAN: J.D. Wilkes and Legendary Shack Shakers Unplugged, Scott H. Biram, Low Volts @ The Casbah.
SUNDAY, APRIL 8
PLAN A: Prong, Powerflo, Cutthroat, Sifting, Sangre @ Brick by Brick. I’m impressed that Prong have lasted this long, but there’s something badass about their mix of thrash metal riffs and grooves. They
are, admittedly, progenitors of nu-metal, but I’m willing to forgive that on the basis of albums like 1994’s Cleansing. PLAN B: Sloth & Turtle, Wine, Nicely @ Soda Bar. Every band throughout history that’s combined intricate rhythms with technical instrumentation has always hated being called “math rock.” But that’s essentially what Slot & Turtle play: virtuosic indie rock by nerdy dudes who probably spent months on their finger-tapping technique. And it’s really good.
MONDAY, APRIL 9
PLAN A: Soccer Mommy, Madeleine Kenney @ Soda Bar. Read my feature this week on Sophie Allison, aka Soccer Mommy, whose new album Clean is a high water mark for indie rock this year. It’s catchy pop music with some heavy emotional wreckage. BACKUP PLAN: Matt & Kim, Cruisr, TWINKIDS @ Observatory North Park.
TUESDAY, APRIL 10
PLAN A: Frankie Cosmos, Ian Sweet, Lomelda @ Queen Bee’s. Greta Kline has released dozens of short, lo-fi recordings on Bandcamp under the name Frankie Cosmos. Start with the band’s newly released Vessel, as it’s a more fully realized indie pop record that showcases the strengths of the entire group. BACKUP PLAN: Kweku Collins, Dani Bell and the Tarantist @ The Casbah.
APRIL 4, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 33
MUSIC
CONCERTS HOT! NEW! FRESH!
Dessa (Soda Bar, 5/8), J Boog (BUT, 5/27), Tory Lanez (Observatory, 5/28), U.S. Bombs (Soda Bar, 6/3), The GoGo’s (Humphreys, 6/29), Counting Crows (Mattress Firm, 7/10), Chris Isaak (Humphreys, 7/17), Toad the Wet Sprocket (BUT, 7/17-18), Big Bad Voodoo Daddy (Humphreys, 7/20), Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks (Casbah, 7/20), George Thorogood and the Destroyers (Humphreys, 7/23), Adam Ant (Humphreys, 7/29), The Body (Soda Bar, 7/29), Gipsy Kings (Humphreys, 8/5), Willie Nelson (Humphreys, 8/10), Brandi Carlile (Humphreys, 8/16), Mura Masa (Observatory, 8/22), Rodriguez (Humphreys, 8/23), Yes (Humphreys, 8/27), Jason Aldean (Mattress Firm, 9/20), Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band (Humphreys, 9/27), The B-52’s (Humphreys, 10/6).
GET YER TICKETS Fleet Foxes (Humphreys, 4/15), Jungle (Observatory, 4/16), HAIM (Observatory, 4/19), Jessie Ware (BUT, 4/19), Big K.R.I.T. (Music Box, 4/20), Japanese Breakfast (Irenic, 4/20), Unwritten Law (Observatory, 4/21), Los Lonely Boys (BUT, 4/22), John Doe and Exene (BUT, 5/2), Baths (BUT, 5/3), Joey Bada$$ (SOMA, 5/3), Meshell Ndegeocello (Music Box, 5/8), Built to Spill, Afghan Whigs (Observatory, 5/9), Poptone (BUT, 5/10), The Chainsmokers (Mattress Firm, 5/11), Hot Snakes
34 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · APRIL 4, 2018
(Observatory, 5/11), Dirty Projectors (Music Box, 5/12), Andrew McMahon and the Wilderness (Humphreys, 5/13), Kendrick Lamar, SZA (Mattress Firm, 5/13), Nada Surf (BUT, 5/14), Trash Can Sinatras (Casbah, 5/16), Earth, Wind and Fire (Harrah’s SoCal, 5/18), Godspeed You! Black Emperor (Observatory, 5/22), The Head and the Heart (Open Air Theatre, 5/22), The Wonder Years (HOB, 5/22), Rufus Wainwright (BUT, 5/24), Madeleine Peyroux (BUT, 5/28), Xavier Rudd (BUT, 5/29-30), Lord Huron (HOB, 5/31), Ray Lamontagne, Neko Case (Open Air Theatre, 6/2), Iceage (Casbah, 6/5), Kesha, Macklemore (Mattress Firm, 6/12), Sunflower Bean (Che Café, 6/13), Donavon Frankenreiter (BUT, 6/20), Kenny Chesney (Mattress Firm, 6/21), Warped Tour (SDCCU Stadium, 6/22), Belle and Sebastian (Observatory, 6/22), Seu Jorge (BUT, 6/24), Fear (Observatory, 6/28), Quiet Slang (Soda Bar, 6/29), Neurosis, Converge (Observatory, 7/14), Paramore (Mattress Firm Amphitheatre, 7/19), Brad Paisley (Mattress Firm Amphitheatre, 7/20), Wye Oak (Soda Bar, 7/20), Thirty Seconds to Mars (Mattress Firm, 7/21), Logic (Mattress Firm Amphitheatre, 7/24), Joe Bonamassa (Humphreys, 7/26-27), The Decemberists (Humphreys, 7/30), Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle, Dwight Yoakam (Open Air Theatre, 8/3), Chris Stapleton (Mattress Firm, 8/16), Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson (Mattress Firm Amphitheatre, 8/24), Lady Antebellum, Darius Rucker (Mattress Firm Amphitheatre, 8/25), Punch Brothers (Observatory, 8/25), Smashing Pumpkins (Viejas Arena, 9/1), Leon Bridges (Open Air Theatre, 9/5), The Eagles (Petco Park, 9/22), Courtney Barnett, Waxahatchee (Observatory, 10/3), Ozzy Osbourne (Mattress Firm, 10/9), D.R.I. (Brick by Brick, 10/20).
APRIL WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4 Moonchild at The Casbah. The Goddamn Gallows, Koffin Kats at Soda Bar. Brian Fallon at Belly Up Tavern. Jaden Smith at Observatory North Park.
THURSDAY, APRIL 5 Electric Six at The Casbah. Ty Dolla$ign at House of Blues. Stanton Warriors at Music Box. Hell or Highwater at Soda Bar. John 5 and the Creatures at Brick by Brick. AJ Froman at Belly Up Tavern. Snoop Dogg, Warren G at Observatory North Park.
FRIDAY, APRIL 6 Autograf at Music Box. Chrome Sparks, Machinedrum at House of Blues. Sadistic Intent at Brick by Brick. Luke Combs at Observatory North Park (sold out). Agent Orange at The Casbah. Lincoln Durham at Soda Bar. Circles Around the Sun at Belly Up Tavern.
SATURDAY, APRIL 7 Courtney Marie Andrews at Soda Bar. Jefferson Starship at Belly Up Tavern (sold out). Joshua Radin at Music Box. J.D. Wilkes and Legendary Shack Shakers Unplugged at The Casbah. What So Not at Observatory North Park.
SUNDAY, APRIL 8 Protest the Hero at SOMA. Kontras Quartet with Branford Marsalis at Music Box. Mud Slide Slim at Belly Up Tavern. Prong at Brick by Brick. Sloth and Turtle at Soda Bar.
MUSIC CONTINUED ON PAGE 35
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MUSIC MUSIC CONTINUED FROM PAGE 24 MONDAY, APRIL 9 Matt and Kim at Observatory North Park. Kevin Morby at The Casbah (sold out). Soccer Mommy at Soda Bar.
TUESDAY, APRIL 10 Frankie Cosmos at Queen Bee’s. Kweku Collins at The Casbah. Chromeo, Phantoms at Humphreys. Hannah Wicklund and the Stepping Stones at Soda Bar.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11 Hayley Kiyoko at Observatory North Park. Yungblud at The Casbah. BlinkFest at Soda Bar. The California Honeydrops at Belly Up Tavern. Bilal at Music Box.
THURSDAY, APRIL 12 Kate Nash at Observatory North Park (sold out). Angel Olsen at Music Box (sold out). Sacri Monti at The Casbah. Lou Rebecca at Soda Bar. Inspired and the Sleep at Belly Up Tavern.
FRIDAY, APRIL 13 Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox at Humphreys by the Bay. Whores., Helms Alee at The Casbah. The Steely Damned 2 at Music Box. Yamantaka// Sonic Titan at Soda Bar. Common Sense at Belly Up Tavern. Grupo Codiciado at Observatory North Park.
SATURDAY, APRIL 14 In This Moment at House of Blues. Jon Foreman at Balboa Theatre. Murder City Devils at The Irenic (sold out).
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Pine Mountain Logs at Belly Up Tavern. Teenage Burritos at Soda Bar. The Soft Moon at The Casbah (sold out). Fruition at Music Box.
SUNDAY, APRIL 15 Fleet Foxes at Humphreys by the Bay. War on Drugs at Observatory North Park (sold out). Sheer Terror at SPACE. Psychotica at Soda Bar. The Chairman and the Board at Belly Up Tavern.
MONDAY, APRIL 16 Jungle at Observatory North Park. Ryley Walker at Soda Bar. Dale Watson at The Casbah. Ibeyi at Belly Up Tavern.
TUESDAY, APRIL 17 Miguel at Humphreys by the Bay (sold out). Boogarins at The Casbah. Hey Ocean! at Soda Bar. Tank and the Bangas at Belly Up Tavern. Kali Uchis at Observatory North Park (sold out).
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18 Tash Sultana at Observatory North Park (sold out). Alvvays at Music Box (sold out). Dashboard Confessional at House of Blues. Moonwalks at Soda Bar. The Bronx at The Casbah.
THURSDAY, APRIL 19 Jessie Ware at Belly Up Tavern. HAIM at Observatory North Park. alt-J at Humphreys by the Bay (sold out). Cave Bastard at Soda Bar.
FRIDAY, APRIL 20 Big K.R.I.T. at Music Box. Japanese Breakfast at The Irenic. King Krule at Observatory North Park (sold out). Super
Diamond at Belly Up Tavern. Brian Karcsig at The Casbah. Birdy Bardot at Soda Bar.
SATURDAY, APRIL 21 The Moondoggies at Soda Bar. Cradle of Filth at House of Blues. King’s X at Brick by Brick. The Dream Syndicate at The Casbah. Super Diamond at Belly Up Tavern. Unwritten Law at Observatory North Park.
SUNDAY, APRIL 22 Los Lonely Boys at Belly Up Tavern. La Santa Cecilia at Music Box. Ron Gallo at The Casbah.
MONDAY, APRIL 23 Marian Hill, Michl at Observatory North Park. Bebel Gilberto at Belly Up Tavern. Low Points, Bit Maps at The Casbah.
TUESDAY, APRIL 24 Prof at Soda Bar.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25 The Distillers at The Casbah (sold out). Less Than Jake, Face to Face at Belly Up Tavern (sold out). ‘Welcome to Night Vale’ at Observatory North Park. Futurebirds at Soda Bar.
THURSDAY, APRIL 26 5 Seconds of Summer at House of Blues. Cody Jinks at Observatory North Park. Robert Cray Band at Belly Up Tavern. Blackalicious at Soda Bar. Face to Face at Brick by Brick. Melvins at The Casbah (sold out).
MUSIC CONTINUED ON PAGE 36
APRIL 4, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 35
BY CHRISTIN BAILEY
ASTROLOGICALLY UNSOUND Weekly forecasts from the so-called universe ARIES (March 21 - April 19): Buddy, you have really done it this time! You ripped a hole in the fabric of space and time. You’d know what I was talking about if you hadn’t awakened in the body of a lizard.
LIBRA (September 23 - October 22): I
TAURUS (April 20 - May 20): Be adventurous this week and close your eyes, spin a big globe, point, and then go to wherever your finger lands. So far as it is within 15 square miles of your house.
SCORPIO (October 23 - November 21): Communication will be difficult for you this week, not because of Mercury retrograde, but because the way you talk sounds like how a serial killer talks in anonymous letters to the FBI.
GEMINI (May 21 - June 20): Do you ever just want to leave it all behind, run away and join the circus? Well too bad. You’re unqualified.
SAGITTARIUS (November 22 December 21): It’s not a competition. Repeat this as a mantra. It’s not a competition. It’s not a competition. So you can remember to say it to the person who’s beating you at everything. It’s not a competition.
can’t think of a horoscope, but you’re so fake deep that if I just write something like, The moon’s cunning smile. A thimbleful of The Past? you’ll be like, “oh, for sure, totally.”
CANCER (June 21 - July 22): You really have to wonder—as ketchup flows over your tray, spilling onto the floor as you furiously pump the dispenser—if you really should take so much just because it’s allowed.
CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 19): No, that’s not the omniscient voice of a higher power speaking to you. It’s just the Staples Center announcer. Regardless, I think getting down from there is a good idea.
LEO (July 23 - August 22): Don’t let other people decide your life for you. Let one person specifically. His name is Wendbert Crispin and he was last spotted in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
AQUARIUS (January 20 - February 18): This week, when I think of you, I am reminded of the virtuous and diligent ant. You are hardworking, dedicated and absolutely ruining my picnic.
VIRGO (August 23 - September 22):
PISCES (February 19 - March 20): Now is the perfect time to rededicate yourself to your long-forgotten passions like floating inside a 98 degree Fahrenheit fluid sac. But this time you should just stay there.
The sound of children laughing is beautiful and soothing… You’ll recognize that once they let you out of the locker they’ve trapped you in.
Astrologically Unsound appears every week. Follow Christin Bailey on Twitter at @hexprax.
MUSIC CONTINUED FROM PAGE 35 FRIDAY, APRIL 27 Covenant, Grendel at The Casbah. Nav at Observatory North Park. The Pettybreakers at Belly Up Tavern. Suicide Machines at Soda Bar.
SATURDAY, APRIL 28 Sum 41 at House of Blues. Smoking Popes at Soda Bar. The Sherlocks at The Casbah. The Verigolds at Music Box.
SUNDAY, APRIL 29 The Weight Band ft. members of The Band at Bellly Up Tavern. Thursday at Soda Bar (sold out). M.D.C. at The Casbah.
MONDAY, APRIL 30 Cigarettes After Sex at Observatory North Park (sold out). Bob Log III at The Casbah. Jenny Don’t and the Spurs at Soda Bar.
MAY TUESDAY, MAY 1 Rituals or Mine at Mainland at Soda Bar.
The
Casbah.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 2 Ekolu at Music Box. LAYNE at Soda Bar. John Doe and Exene at Belly Up Tavern. Lo Moon at The Casbah.
THURSDAY, MAY 3 Joey Bada$$ at SOMA. Baths at Belly Up Tavern. King Tuff at The Casbah.
Kinky at House of Blues. Epic Beard Men at Soda Bar.
FRIDAY, MAY 4 Khruangbin at Belly Up Tavern (sold out). The Fratellis at Observatory North Park. Lawrence Arms at The Casbah. Cullen Omori, The Gloomies at Soda Bar.
SATURDAY, MAY 5 Wild Child at The Casbah. Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers at Belly Up Tavern. Will Haven at Brick by Brick. Charlotte Cardin at Soda Bar. Of Montreal at SOMA.
SUNDAY, MAY 6 Boombox Cartel at Observatory North Park. Los Kung Fu Monkeys at Soda Bar. Keb’ Mo’ at Belly Up Tavern (sold out). Pink Mexico at The Merrow. Dwarves at The Casbah.
MONDAY, MAY 7 Keb’ Mo’ at Belly Up Tavern (sold out). Acid Mothers Temple at The Casbah. Sunny Sweeney, Ward Davis at Soda Bar.
rCLUBSr
710 Beach Club, 710 Garnet Ave., Pacific Beach. Wed: Skyler Lutes, Falling Doves, Crucial Blend. Thu: Girls Night Out. Fri: Kash’d Out, Tunnel Vision, Seranation. Sat: SoulfulofNoise. Sun: Karaoke. Tue: Charlie Rae Band. Air Conditioned Lounge, 4673 30th St., Normal Heights. Wed: ‘Hip Hop Wednesday’ w/ MC Kahlee. Thu: ‘Centerpiece’ w/
MUSIC CONTINUED ON PAGE 37 36 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · APRIL 4, 2018
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MUSIC MUSIC CONTINUED FROM PAGE 36 DJ Eliasar Gordillo. Sat: ‘Juicy’ w/ Mike Czech. Sun: ‘Radar’ w/ DJ Tyler Detweiler. American Comedy Co., 818 B Sixth Ave., Downtown. Thu: JP Sears. Fri: JP Sears. Sat: JP Sears. The Bancroft, 9143 Campo Road, Spring Valley. Wed: Karaoke. Fri: Year of the Dead Bird. Bang Bang, 526 Market St., Downtown. Fri: PLS&TY + SoDown. Sat: Huxley. Bar Pink, 3829 30th St., North Park. Wed: ‘Shock’. Fri: ‘First Friday’ w/ DJ Artistic. Sat: Dethsurf, Alvino and the Dwells. Sun: Soft Lions, Blacks Beach Boys, Calcutta Kid. Beaumont’s, 5665 La Jolla Blvd., La Jolla. Thu: Nate Barcalow. Fri: dB Jukebox. Sat: Slower. Belly Up Tavern, 143 S. Cedros Ave., Solana Beach. Wed: Brian Fallon & The Howling Weather, Ruston Kelly. Thu: AJ Froman, Featherstone, Fistfights With Wolves. Fri: Circles Around the Sun, GospelbeacH. Sat: Jefferson Starship, Allie Gonino (sold out). Sun: Mud Slide Slim The Music of James Taylor & Carole King. Blonde, 1808 W. Washington St., Mission Hills. Wed: ‘Dance Klassique’ w/ Matthew Bryan. Thu: The Strokes Tribute. Fri: ‘Dance Punk’. Sat: ‘80s Tron New Wave Party’. Tue: ‘T is 4 Techno’. Boar Cross’n, 390 Grand Ave., Carlsbad. Thu: The Thens. Fri: ‘Club Musae’. Brick by Brick, 1130 Buenos Ave., Bay Park. Thu: John 5 and the Creatures, RDG, Taz Taylor, Pet Shark. Fri: Sadistic Intent, Highland, Empyrean Throne, Sicarius. Sat: City of Crooks, In Apparition Form, Whiffler,
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Taking on Towers, Smarter than Robots, DiVad, Sociocide, Outside the Living, Wolf Rage, End of Flesh. Sun: Prong, Powerflo, Cutthroat, Sifting, Sangre. The Casbah, 2501 Kettner Blvd., Middletown. Wed: Moonchild, Elise Trouw (sold out). Thu: Electric Six, Northern Faces, Chris Cote. Fri: Agent Orange, Social Spit, Grids. Sat: J.D. Wilkes, Scott Biram, Rod Melancon, Low Volts. Sun: Tape Heads, Stray Monroe, Bad Kids. Mon: Kevin Morby, Hand Habits (sold out). Tue: Kweku Collins, Dani Bell and the Tarantist. Dirk’s Nightclub, 7662 Broadway, Lemon Grove. Fri: Emergency Exit. Sat: FX5. Dizzy’s, 4275 Mission Bay Drive, Bay Park. Fri: Vintage Vitas & Benedetti. Sat: The Paul Combs Quintet. Fluxx, 500 Fourth Ave., Downtown. Thu: Ty Dolla$ign. Fri: F.L.Y. House of Blues, 1055 Fifth Ave., Downtown. Wed: Andrea Gibson, Chastity Brown. Thu: Ty Dolla$ign, 24Hrs. Fri: Chrome Sparks, Machine Drum, Ela Minus. Sat: Crowder. Sun: Somo, Caye, Kid Quill. Humphreys Backstage, 2241 Shelter Island Drive, Shelter Island. Wed: Tradewinds. Thu: The Groove Squad. Fri: Detroit Underground, Sue Palmer. Sat: Rising Star, The Reflectors. Sun: GruvMatic, Missy Andersen. Mon: Fuzzy Rankins. Tue: Blue Largo. The Irenic, 3090 Polk Ave., North Park. Sat: ‘Small Town Murder’. Kava Lounge, 2812 Kettner Blvd., Middletown. Wed: ‘Wats Good’. Fri: ‘Purps N Turqs’. Sat: ‘Ascension’. Sun: Faster. Kensington Club, 4079 Adams Ave., Kensington. Fri: Subspecies, The Fountain of Youth, The Rinds, Puerto. Sat:
Midnight Track, Reckless Disregard, The Writhers, The Pictographs.
Parq, 615 Broadway, Downtown. Fri: Direct. Sat: Karma.
The Loft @ UCSD, Price Center East, La Jolla. Thu: Buyepongo. Sat: Sylvan LaCue.
Queen Bee’s, 3925 Ohio St., North Park. Tue: Frankie Cosmos, Ian Sweet, Lomelda.
Mc P’s Irish Pub, 1107 Orange Ave., Coronado. Wed: Steve Brewer. Thu: Wild Heart. Fri: Pat Ellis and Blue Frog Band. Sat: Never 2L8. Sun: Ron’s Garage. Tue: Glen Smith.
The Rail, 3796 Fifth Ave., Hillcrest. Fri: ‘Hip Hop Fridayz’. Sat: ‘Sabado En Fuego’. Mon: ‘Manic Monday’ w/ DJ Junior the Disco Punk.
Martinis Above Fourth, 3940 Fourth Ave., Hillcrest. Wed: Carol Curtis. Thu: Rayvon Owen. Fri: Janice & Nathan. Sat: Tori Roze and the Hot Mess. Sun: Ria Carey and Don L. Mon: Andy Anderson and Nathan Fry. The Merrow, 1271 University Ave., Hillcrest. Thu: Roselit Bone, Heather Nation, Alexis Lillian Lefranc. Fri: Ruines ov Abaddon, Beekeeper, Infinite Death, Theosis. Tue: Call I For An Eye, Year of the Dead Bird, Sherry, Will Moore Band. Mr. Peabody’s, 136 Encinitas Blvd., Encinitas. Thu: Rick Elliot. Fri: Pink Eye. Sat: The 750s. Sun: Tony Ortega jazz jam. Music Box, 1337 India St., Little Italy. Thu: Stanton Warriors, Omega Squad, NastyTrix. Fri: Autograf, Win and Woo, Cofresi. Sat: Joshua Radin, William Fitzsimmons. Sun: Kontras Quartet with Branford Marsalis. Tue: The Big Pescado. The Office, 3936 30th St., North Park. Wed: ‘1,2,3’ w/ DJ EdRoc. Thu: ‘No Limits’ w/ DJ Myson King. Fri: ‘Nite Moves’ w/ DJs Beatnick, Yo Colombo. Sat: ‘Strictly Business’ w/ DJs EdRoc, Kanye Asada. Sun: ‘Uptown Top Ranking’ w/ Tribe of Kings. Tue: ‘Trapped’ w/ DJ Ramsey. OMNIA Nightclub, 454 Sixth Ave., Downtown. Thu: OT Genasis. Fri: Borgore. Sat: Coast Club.
Rich’s, 1051 University Ave., Hillcrest. Wed: DJs John Joseph, Kinky Loops. Thu: DJs Kiki, Mxyzliplix, Rivka M. Fri: DJs Dirty Kurty, Will Z. Sat: DJs K-Swift, Taj. Sun: ‘Stripper Circus’ w/ DJ Cros. Riviera Supper Club, 7777 University Ave., La Mesa. Wed: ‘Boss Jazz’ w/ Jason Hanna. Thu: Swing Thing. Fri: Ron and the Reapers. Sat: Baja Bugs. Rosie O’Gradys, 3402 Adams Ave., Normal Heights. Fri: Three Chord Justice. Sat: Ass Pocket Whiskey Fellas, Burnin Up. Tue: Rosa’s Cantina. Seven Grand, 3054 University Ave., North Park. Thu: Jimmy Ruelas. Mon: ‘Makossa Monday’ w/ DJ Tah Rei. Soda Bar, 3615 El Cajon Blvd., City Heights. Wed: The Goddamn Gallows, Koffin Kats, Against The Grain. Thu: Hell Or Highwater, ÆGES, A Hero Within, The Dose. Fri: Lincoln Durham, The Ghost Wolves. Sat: Courtney Marie Andrews, Olivia Kaplan. Sun: Sloth & Turtle, WINE, Nicely. Mon: Soccer Mommy, Madeline Kenney. Tue: Hannah Wicklund & The Steppin Stones, The High Divers, The Night Howls. SOMA, 3350 Sports Arena Blvd., Midway. Fri: Mainsail, The Model Youth, Atomic 99, Every Other Year, FREAKS!, Suburban Park. Sat: Stick Bitz, The Grinns, The Rays, Steel Vertigo. Sun: Protest The Hero, Closure In Moscow, Thank You Scientist.
SPACE, 3519 El Cajon Blvd., City Heights. Fri: ‘Rituals’ w/ DJs Disorder, Fn1, Eser. Tue: Karaoke. Spin, 2028 Hancock St., Middletown. Fri: Umek + Dosem. Sat: Jesse Perez. Til-Two Club, 4746 El Cajon Blvd., City Heights. Fri: Gutara Kyo, Destroy All Gondolas, Razor Nights. Sat: Frequency Within, TOSO, Throw The Goat, Pueblo. Sun: ‘Pants Karaoke’. Mon: The Cavemen, Idiot Bombs, DJ Little Fists. Tin Roof, 401 G St., Downtown. Wed: Kenny and Deez. Thu: Keep Your Soul Trio. Fri: Cassie B Project, Kenny and Deez. Sat: Cassie B Project, Chad and Rosie. Sun: Matt Waters. Tio Leo’s, 5302 Napa St., Bay Park. Thu: Tommy Price and the Stilettos. Fri: Graceland with Marlon von Ratibor. Sat: Big Daddy Orchestra. Tue: Big Time Operator. Tower Bar, 4757 University Ave., City Heights. Wed: Western Settings, The Dodges, Front Wiper. Thu: The Kegels, Dead Frets, PunchCard. Fri: ‘Hip Hop vs. Punk Rock’. Sat: Matamoska, The Amalgamated, N-E-1. Sun: 13 Wolves, Slab City. Tue: The Undead, The Spooky, The Writhers. U-31, 3112 University Ave., North Park. Thu: ‘Boom Boxx Thursday’. Fri: DJ Havoc. Sat: DJ Freeman. Whistle Stop, 2236 Fern St., South Park. Wed: Lou Tides, Rita and the Labyrinth. Fri: Underpass, Victoriana, Deaf Dance, DJ Jon Blaj. Sat: ‘80s vs. 90s’ w/ DJs Gabe Vega, Saul Q. Winstons, 1921 Bacon St., Ocean Beach. Wed: Open mic. Thu: Joe Marcinek Band, Alan Evans, Shaun Martin, Nate Edgar. Fri: Melvin Seals and JGB. Sat: Hot Buttered Rum, Mohavisoul. Sun: Karaoke. Mon: Electric Waste Band.
APRIL 4, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 37
IN THE BACK
BY RACHEL MICHELLE FERNANDES
CannaBeat Future uncertain for cannabis beer
E
ver take a sip of pungent IPA and think, “hey, that smells like weed?” Well, the nose is an observant instrument. Turns out hops have a high concentration of something called terpenes, fragrant oils produced by plants and herbs which give them their distinct aroma. The terpenes in hops are very similar and complementary to those of the cannabis plant, making them kissing cousins for beer enthusiasts. “As it happens, they are two of the most closely related plants in the family Cannabaceae genetically,” says Elan Walsky, coowner and co-founder of Coalition Brewing in Portland, one of the few breweries blazing the trail in the field of terpene mixology. “What that means is they’re producing a lot of the same flavor and aromatic compounds,” adds Walsky. So cannabis and hops are not only in the same family, they’re practically siblings. Combine this botanical knowledge bomb with the recent legalization of cannabis in several states (including California), emerging scientific evidence of medicinal benefits to cannabidiol (aka CBD oil), plus
38 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · APRIL 4, 2018
the craft beer boom, and a healthy, thriving relationship between buds and suds seems like a no brainer. So why is there only a small handful of breweries exploring what seems like such a natural relationship? The answer is far from simple but makes a lot of sense from a business perspective. Basically, it’s legally risky to use anything cannabis related in making beer, even if there’s no trace of THC. Although some of the states have made it legal to grow, distribute and purchase both medicinal and recreational cannabis, the federal regulatory system is a different story. Not only is THC classified as a controlled substance, but rules surrounding extracts such as CBD and cannabis-derived terpenes are held in a very dodgy gray area, especially for brewers and distillers. “Currently the TTB (Tax and Trade Bureau)—the long arm of the law in beer—has shot down attempts at using [certain terpenes] in beer due to being derived from cannabis,” says Dennis O’Connor, CEO of Thorn
Street Brewery. Back in 2016, Thorn Street collaborated with Jetty Extracts on a beer playfully called “OG HighPA” and it was a smash hit. Even though the beer did not have a single nanoliter of THC, federal regulators weren’t having it. “That raises the question: What makes marijuana illegal in the first place? Doubtful it’s the smell,” says O’Connor. “Hopefully the law catches up with science and we can try again later.” While Thorn Street may have thrown in the towel on this boundary-pushing experiment (for now), others are still forg-
ing ahead. Colorado-based New Belgium Brewing Company recently launched its Hemperor HPA, an IPA that is brewed using a hop blend that, according to the company, “recreates” hemp terpene flavors. Last year, Lagunitas tried its hand with Supercritical Ale, a collaboration with AbsoluteXtracts utilizing its cannabis terpenes in exchange for the brewery’s hops terpenes (for a special vape blend). But, while Supercritical Ale was highly popular, Lagunitas is holding off brewing it again due to what spokeswoman Karen Hamilton refers to as a “changing landscape.” So how is Coalition confidently making its Two Flowers CBD-infused IPA? By using a special proprietary blend that is not derived specifically from cannabis, while also keeping it local and in draft form only. “Beer is so intimately connected to the land, and it’s important to show how it all ties in,” says Walsky. “There’s a ton of hoops to jump through, but putting the time and energy into it is worth it for us. We see the clear connection there and think consumers do also.”
New Belgium Brewing Company’s The Hemperor HPA
For the latest cannabis news and lifestyle trends, please pick up our sister magazine CULTURE every month or visit culturemagazine. com.
@SDCityBeat
April 4, 2018 · San Diego CityBeat · 39