San Diego CityBeat • Apr 22, 2015

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2 · San Diego CityBeat · April 22, 2015

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April 22, 2015 · San Diego CityBeat · 3

Up Front | From the editor

Death to promposals Prom season is in full swing. And the alarming rise in the popularity of promposals is the latest sign that the apocalypse is upon us.

Promposals are elaborate efforts by high school kids that squander time and money just to ask each other to prom. It’s a silly, saccharine-sweet, self-indulgent fad. And it’s one more example of the Selfie Generation’s need to prove that life only counts if you promote your every eye blink with a video posted on social media.

Websites like popsugar.com and dailydot. com show teens supposedly showing off the clever ways they’ve popped the “Will you go to prom with me?” question. Flash mobs. Scavenger hunts.

Scripted visits to restaurants and sporting events.

Pyrotechnics. There was a photo on one site showing a high schooler dancing on a cafeteria table with his pants down and the one-word question “Prom?” emblazoned on his black Speedos.

Twists on words and puns are popular among the promposal-azzi. A football is painted with the invitation: “Wanna tackle prom with me?” One kid drew a chalk outline on the ground, and lay down in it with the accompanying message: “I’m dying to go to prom with you.”

Promposals don’t always go smoothly. Check out the video of a guy who gets his intended date into the car and drives down a route prepared with interspersed signs. Oblivious, the girl reads the signs aloud as they pass. “Will…you…go…to…prom….” At this point, she comments, “What a shitty way to ask somebody to prom.” He frowns. When she realizes the invite is meant for her, she starts bawling. And not tears of joy. He turns off the video. (To round out the story, she says yes, and later they smugly celebrate—back on camera, of course—with lattes.)

Then there are the promposals that go viral for all the wrong reasons, like one that was deemed racist. A young white girl asked a black guy to prom by writing “Prom?” on a, wait for it… watermelon. The fruit of her labor was flamed by fellow Twitterers.

A dude in Arizona asked the apple of his eye to the big dance by dressing up like a cartoonish version of an ISIS warrior. He held a sign that read: “I hope this doesn’t blow you away but it would be bomb if you went to the prom with me.”

That tweet was deleted, but not before a user on Tumblr wrote: “Don’t let spoiled white kids turn the deaths of millions of middle easterns [sic] into a joke.” The buffoonish bomber’s high school principal opened an investigation into whether that promposal violated the school’s Student Code of Conduct.

What’s also in question is the staggering amount of money being pumped into promposals, and proms in general. The average kid is spending about $1,000 on a prom, according to a 2015 survey done by Visa Inc. That includes more than $300 on the promposal.

“Spending $300-plus on a promposal to simply ask your date is exorbitant,” opines Nat Sillin, Visa’s head of U.S. Financial Education.

Even worse: Visa’s survey shows families with lower median household incomes spend more on a prom. Families with incomes greater than $50,000 per year spend $799; in households bringing in less than $25,000, an average of $1,393 is being forked over. Gack. How do you justify spending 5 percent of annual household income on a slinky dress, a mani-pedi and props for a YouTube video in which you spell out “Prom?” with designer cupcakes?

These aren’t marriage proposals we’re talking about. It’d be slightly more justifiable to rent a troupe of mimes, back-up dancers or maybe the Super Bowl Left Shark to add ambiance while you pull out a ring and pop the question to your one true love. Not the girl you happen to sit next to in second period Algebra.

Abolishing the promposal is not something we can legislate. In a way, perhaps this surge is a sign that the economy is getting stronger. Great. But if 18-year-olds have access to more disposable income, let’s encourage them to save money for college, or teach them how to manage the minimumwage income from their part-time jobs.

Here’s an idea for a tutorial: Will Ferrell creates a FunnyorDie.com skit that lampoons and shames the act of promposing. He spends a million dollars to rent a plane to skywrite a message, but the plane crashes into the gal he’s asking to prom.

Ferrell is arrested for involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to hard time in jail.

That’d go viral.

—Ron Donoho Write to rond@sdcitybeat.com.

This issue of CityBeat is surprisingly optimistic about a near-death experience (see page 23).

Volume 13 • Issue 37 Editor Ron Donoho

Staff Writers Carly Nairn, Joshua Emerson Smith

Contributors Ian Cheesman, David L. Coddon, Seth Combs, Kelly Davis, Tiffany Fox, Michael A. Gardiner, Glenn Heath Jr., Peter Holslin, Dave Maass, Scott McDonald, Jenny Montgomery, Susan Myrland, Jim Ruland, Ben Salmon, Jen Van Tieghem, Amy Wallen

Web Editor Ryan Bradford

Production Manager Tristan Whitehouse

Music Editor Jeff Terich Arts Editor Kinsee Morlan

Art director Lindsey Voltoline Columnists Aaryn Belfer, Edwin Decker, John R. Lamb, Alex Zaragoza

Production artist Rees Withrow MultiMedia Advertising Director Paulina Porter-Tapia

Senior account executive Jason Noble Account Executives Beau Odom, Christina MacNeal, Kimberly Wallace Marketing Intern Drake Rinks Accounting Kacie Cobian, Sharon Huie, Linda Lam Human Resources Andrea Baker

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San Diego CityBeat is published and distributed every Wednesday by Southland Publishing Inc., free of charge but limited to one per reader. Reproduction of any material in this or any other issue is prohibited without written permission from the publisher and the author. Contents copyright 2015.

4 · San Diego CityBeat · April 22, 2015

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Up Front | Letters

DESALINIZATION NOW Thanks for your excellent write up (“Everybody out of the water,” April 15). One quick solution: In Australia during their long drought of more than 10 years, they have installed 100 desalinization plants, which are probably mothballed now. Our governor can buy those plants and install them here within a short time, waiving and bypassing all environmental hurdles.

Hope we realized the dire condition coming up soon and act on this quick solution before it will be too late. A very disastrous situation is coming.

M.G. Bhakta, San Diego

STOP WATERING CONDOS Your editorial of April 15 (“Everybody out of the water”) seems to fail to mention that our water shortage is also from more than doubling water needs by continuous construction of condos and housing the past 10 years, and that we keep making it worse with expansion of that construction.

Dr. John Kitchin, Publisher, San Diego Homeless News, Downtown

WHERE’S THE BEEF? It’s interesting that you used the term “we’re running around like chickens

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with our heads cut off,” in your [April 15] editorial about California’s water shortage issue, considering that you missed the elephant in the room. The farmers using the most water are not those cultivating almonds, as you stated. The amount of water to produce almonds is far surpassed by the water consumed to produce meat and dairy. We’re talking about 48.6 gallons of water to produce an ounce of almonds versus 106.3 gallons to produce a single ounce of beef (UNESCO U.S. Institute for Water Education). One of the biggest ways to solve our water problem would be to reduce meat and dairy consumption. Let’s get the facts straight, please.

Elyssa Mercado, Ocean Beach

WATER BEFORE STADIUMS This letter is in response to “Everybody out of water” (April 15). At this time, I would like to submit an idea, per your request, to help resolve our water shortage. My suggestion is to use the $500,000 allocated for the Charger Stadium study to research new water sources for the San Diego region. Note that Qualcomm Stadium resides on an aquifer on which a reservoir can be built to capture water and reduce flooding in Mission Valley. If this drought continues, San Diego will be forced to put a moratorium on con-

struction, and that will impact our economy more than losing the Chargers.

Ronald Harris, Scripps Ranch

CAT MATCH FEVER I enjoyed [Ryan Bradford’s April 8] piece on the Cat Cafe (“Fur and Loafing”). Very fun play on words. I appreciate him taking the time to visit the place. Beans and Figaro have been adopted now. Momo is not grumpy, just very chill and not easily impressed with our nonsense. He holds the cafe record for number of toys laid out on his torso while he looks aloof and above it all.

Harvey sounds like a lucky guy to have landed with [Bradford] and his wife. As a former “how-could-anyone-live-withall-that-blasted-cat-hair-all-over-theplace” kind of person who now readily admits to pretty much being a servant to two feline roommates, I have some sense of the magnitude of change you’ve experienced. It’s a great addiction.

Colleen Carnevale, Downtown Corrrection: April 15’s “Spin Cycle” incorrectly listed the monetary figure attached to the city’s referendum-delayed minimum-wage increase. The correct amount is $11.50.

On the

Cover

Michael Rubenstein photographed this week’s cover subject, Katie Crutchfield, aka Waxahatchee. Based in New York City, Rubenstein has taken photographs for The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Yahoo! and Nike. For this shoot, he accompanied Crutchfield to a coffee shop called Milk and Roses in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, on a cold, rainy day in December. “We were going to shoot on the streets but it was pouring and windy and freezing, so we asked the cafe if we could take a few pictures inside and they were kind enough to let us,” he says. “Katie was great to work with; she was open to trying lots of different ideas.” For more of Rubenstein’s work, go to mrubenstein.com.

April 22, 2015 · San Diego CityBeat · 5

Up Front | News Carly Nairn

Ramon Johnson splits time at his apartment and working for a San Diego Burger King.

The Fight for $15 Unions rally and organize fast-food workers looking for increased wages

by Carly Nairn

R

amon Johnson was happy to take precious time out of the day to participate in a rally for higher wages for fast-food workers. Last week at San Diego State University, he joined the protesters wearing red shirts shouting “Si, se puede,” the yeswe-can refrain of farmworkers and those who followed labor leader Cesar Chavez.

A native San Diegan with a quick, youthful laugh and thick, dark mustache, Johnson works at a Burger King. He takes orders, works the drive-thru and cleans the dining area. He likes his job, he said, and doesn’t have any complaints, beside the inability to pay for some everyday expenses, such as gas. Because he works mostly night shifts, he has to drive his car to work, since public transportation isn’t available in the late hours after work.

Firsthand experience with the challenges of financial hardship, including paying for and maintaining a vehicle, is partly why Johnson joined the Fight for $15 cause, which aims to raise the national minimum wage to $15. Johnson reasons that if it’s difficult for him, a single man living alone with occasional financial responsibilities to his extended family, then the pressure on working families, and especially single mothers, must be extraordinary.

6 · San Diego CityBeat · April 22, 2015

“It touches my heart,” he said about his coworkers with children. “It’s not bad for people to ask for $15 per hour to help our families, to lift our spirits, to meet the demands of rent.”

For Johnson, it doesn’t matter why the unions are organizing nonunion workers, just that they are, and that employees are confident in their own ability, with help from unions, to produce change.

“I thought it was something that was just going to die off and go away with the wind,” he said of the movement and unions’ support of fast-food workers. “But no, it’s going to organize people in a positive direction in life.”

During the rally, TV cameras found Johnson. But after the media and the crowds left, the protest signs were put away and the red shirts were folded, Johnson headed back to work. At 39, he’s worked in fast food, or other service-related jobs, for more than 21 years. He’s currently paid minimum wage at the Burger King where he’s worked for five years. Some of his other jobs included construction, grocery bagging, working on a garbage truck and a 16-year stint at a Carl’s Jr. He earned minimum wage at most of these jobs.

Fast-food jobs were once seen as entrylevel positions with a large turnover rate. A fragile economy made many workers stay longer—at the same pay rate.

Starting in 2012, Fight for $15, a growing national labor movement, has called on fast-food workers and other low-income employees to strike out of their workplaces and demand a $15 minimum wage, and ac-

cess to membership in a union.

Last Wednesday, workers in more than 200 U.S. cities rallied for an increased wage. The rally was supported by a litany of unions, including Service Employees International Union (SEIU), The Homecare Providers Union (UDW) and The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME).

Many of the unions did the organizing, used funds from member dues, and made an effort to come out in force for a struggle that is as much the unions’ own as it is for nonunion workers like Johnson.

Johnson recalls his struggle. Though now sober, there were times he lost his job for partying a little too hard on his birthday. Or, he would lose his apartment because he wasn’t able to pay the full rent on time. For an eight-month period a few years ago, Johnson found himself homeless and staying at St. Vincent de Paul.

One night, he was asked to leave when he was unable to make the bed check, due to the late-night course he was taking on sheet-metal installation. From there, he lived in his car. Then a former boss let him stay at his house.

“I fell off financially to zero dollars and zero cents, so I had to be homeless,” Johnson said. “It was really difficult, but I made it through it.”

R

ichard Barrera, the head of the San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council, spoke at last week’s Fight for $15 rally at SDSU. He believes that fast-food workers and other low-wage earners, who

are not part of a union, are still an important part of unions’ efforts to organize and make waves in the political sphere. “[Unions] are the only voice working people have,” he told CityBeat. “We have a responsibility to look after all workers, even if they are not in unions.”

Barrera noted that union membership has declined across the nation in the past 40 years. Many of the workers organizing for Fight for $15 are currently not a part of any union—for fast-food employees who work in a franchised location, each location would have to organize and set its own collective-bargaining rights.

The Fight for $15 may be a starting point for low-income workers, but it is also an awareness campaign for other employees, most making more than minimum wage, who may want to join a union.

“We exist because the only viable longterm strategy for workers to make it in America today is to be in a union,” Barrera said.

“The only way to make it to the middle class is to form and be a part of strong unions.”

Another reason unions are demonstrating alongside nonunion workers is that if they are successful, and raise the minimum wage (modeled after gradual-increase programs in cities like San Francisco and Seattle), it provides a floor for union contracts.

Jim Miller, a labor studies professor at San Diego City College, sees the fight as an integral part of union organizing, especially in San Diego, with a potential wage increase affecting 172,000 workers.

“These struggles are particularly poignant in a city like San Diego,” Miller said.

“It has this sunny, fun, tourist outlook, but there is this dark underbelly. So many of the jobs are low-paying service-sector jobs. It doesn’t show up on the postcard.”

According to a University of CaliforniaBerkeley study: “The fast-food industry stands out for both its low wages and its paucity of full-time work jobs. The median hourly wage for front-line fast-food workers… is $8.69 an hour.”

A living-wage calculator developed by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology identified living expenses, such as transportation, healthcare and housing, and summed up what would be an expected living wage for each county in the country. San Diego County’s living wage amounts to $11.38 per hour, for one individual. That’s close to the $11.50-per-hour wage that San Diegans will vote on in 2016.

But skeptics like Lynn Reaser, chief economist at Point Loma Nazarene University, don’t believe the best solution for low-wage earners is an increase in the minimum wage.

“The Fight for $15 can only be successful if the underlying economy is sufficiently strong,” she said. “If companies are forced to accept that wage, they may cut back hours, employee positions, and move to automate their businesses even at a faster clip.”

Reaser believes that education is the only true way to increase a worker’s earning potential, and, for the most part, she sees fast-food and other service-related work as the first rung on an employment

Wages CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 #SDCityBeat

Up Front | News Joshua Emerson Smith

Driven to organize Lawsuit threatens to put worker-run taxi service on hold

by Joshua Emerson Smith After years of paying weekly fees to taxicab dispatching services, such as Yellow Cab, city taxi drivers—who are hoping to start their own worker-run cab company— see a light at the end of the tunnel.

However, the length of that tunnel will largely depend on a judge’s decision. Lawyers representing cab companies have asked for a freeze on the issuing of new taxicab permits while a court battle over the issue plays out.

“Everyone will have to go back to being lease drivers, and they might not have that option because if permit holders find out that they’re applying to be owner operators, they’ll take their key,” said Sarah Saez, program director for the United Taxi Workers of San Diego (UTWSD).

After successfully lobbying the City Council last year to start issuing new taxicab permits beyond the 993 in circulation, the

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700-member UTWSD celebrated. The victory was the result of a grassroots movement led by East African immigrants and refugees, and was years in the making.

Immediately, UTWSD started to organize a worker-run dispatching company and hired a consultant to design an Uber-style app. In May, the new company would be ready to operate out of the San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council building in City Heights.

“The goal is sustainability for the industry, and drivers to sustain themselves,” said UTWSD Executive Director Mikaiil Hussein, who also applied for a permit. “Other people want to make money.”

However, while lifting the cap could provide economic opportunity for hundreds of taxi drivers, it also means that once-coveted permits, which traded for as much as $100,000, would become significantly devalued.

In March, the San Diego Transportation Association, a coalition of taxi-permit holders and cab-company owners, filed a lawsuit against the Metropolitan Transit System (MTS), the issuing agency, that calls for an environmental analysis of handing out new permits.

United Taxi Workers San Diego organizer Abebe Antallo (left), Program Director Sarah Saez and volunteer Abdi Abdul.

The lawsuit argued that adding permits would significantly increase the number of cabs on the road, negatively affecting the environment. Lawyers for the association have asked a judge to

stop the permitting process while the lawsuit plays out.

On Tuesday, April 28, Superior Court Judge Ronald Prager is scheduled to rule on that request for a preliminary injunction.

“We have always suggested that the number of [taxis] could quadruple,” said Michel Anderson, a spokesperson and lobbyist for the cab-company owners’ association. “That’s exactly what’s happened by the number of applications received.”

About 1,200 drivers have sent letters of intent to MTS requesting to interview for a permit. The applications came in so fast that agency staff had to close the process while it sorted out the backlog.

However, it’s far from clear what the impact will be to city streets.

Many individuals who have applied for permits already operate cabs in the city as lease drivers. Rather than see a flood of new cabs on the road, the city could be helping to transition many of the roughly 1,850 drivers in the city, 90 percent of whom lease a cab, to owner-operators.

“San Diego deregulated the taxi industry because it was in the best interest of the drivers, their customers and the city as a whole,” said City Attorney Jan Goldsmith, who’s defending against the lawsuit. “The small monopoly that now controls the industry does not want to compete in a free market, but that is the future. They may delay it, but they cannot stop it.”

Deferring to the lawsuit, Anderson repeatedly declined to outline

the Transportation Association’s specific environmental concerns.

“My response to that is that we will allow the judge to make a determination, not them with their rhetoric, or me with mine,” he said.

Issuing new permits will have a “significant impact on the environment,” according to the lawsuit. The new policy will “add an unlimited, unknown and large number of slow-driving, parking, standing, queuing, and stopping taxicabs to the city… without study analysis, information, investigation, evidence or mitigation regarding the impact.”

The lawsuit is a farce, Saez said. “They’re saying you’re going to put all these cars on the road, and that’s going to aid global warming. It’s really hilarious. If you look at half their fleets, they’re Crown Victorias. If you really cared about the environment, why are those not Priuses?”

Under the new permitting program, taxi drivers would have to drive low-to-no emission vehicles. On top of having such a taxicab, applicants would also need to pay almost $4,000 for a permit.

That’s no small sum for the taxi-driver community. UTWSD has partnered with ACCION International, a provider of micro loans. According to the company’s website, such loans average around $3,000, servicing about 350 small-business owners in the county.

The MTS regulations also re-

Taxi CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

April 22, 2015 · San Diego CityBeat · 7

Up Front | News

Wages CONTINUED from PAGE 6

8 · San Diego CityBeat · April 22, 2015

Carly Nairn

ladder, positions young and uneducated people take to start out in the workforce.

But now, with more people staying at low-income jobs longer, the unions are seizing on the moment for people like Ramon Johnson.

He currently has a onebedroom apartment and a steady job; he says a number of government agencies and homelessoutreach services cut him a break. But even with filling in the occasional open shift, he’s working a little more than 20 hours a week at $9.75 an hour. He’s barely able to pay his bills and help out his grandmother, who needs financial assistance. Johnson is on the waitlist for Section 8 housing, and in the meantime, the Association for Community Housing Services gives him discounted rent. His apartment in southeastern San Diego is spartan. Most of the furniture in his living room—a sofa, a TV stand, a small flat-screen TV—was donated by the homeless-outreach

Taxi

Ramon Johnson struggles to pay his bills with CONTINUED from PAGE 7 minimum wage. quire drivers to be part of a dispatching service. And that’s where a new work-run taxicab service would come in. Dispatching services in the city currently charge around $200 a week and routinely face allegations of discrimination against politically active drivers.

UTWSD has about 600 drivers applying for their own permits, roughly 200 of which are interested in helping launch a new taxicab company, Saez said. The dispatching service would cost drivers about $100 a week.

“We want drivers to have control over almost every aspect of that dispatch,” she said. “So they’ll be democratically making sure that there’s no discrimination, making sure it’s equal and fair.”

In the meantime, cab compagroup Downtown Impact.

“I have my antennae instead nies and current permit holders of having cable,” he said. “It gives are hoping the judge finds enough me three or four channels at the threat of environmental impact, most, but at least I get the news.” and puts everything on hold. That Johnson is optimistic. Per- way, they won’t have to deal with haps some day the local news losing drivers or competing with will carry a story about higher a nonprofit cab company—at least not in the immediate future. minimum wages.

Write to carlyn@sdcitybeat.com

Write to joshuas@sdcitybeat.com.

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Up Front | Opinion

Sordid

Edwin Decker

Tales

How to survive a music festival Now that music-festival season is upon us, it’s time once again to be inundated with countless magazine and blog stories with advice on how best to survive and enjoy your festival experience.

It’s almost always the same article, each with a list of ridiculously obvious things to do or bring, such as sunscreen, cash, water or your tickets. This is usually followed by long-winded passages about why the obvious things you need to do or bring, obviously, need doing or bringing. Some even go so far as to tell you to “have fun,” which is like advising a pilot to “avoid mountains.”

For all my perusing, I was unable to find one article that focused on truly useful, un-obvious information—the kind of article written by and for real festivalgoers in the real world. As someone who has attended, managed and worked on hundreds of festivals, I feel qualified to do this for you.

Real-World Music Festival Survival Tips Do or bring the obvious crap (obviously): I’m not going to list all these items. If you don’t already know to bring your tickets and drinking water, I suggest you avoid the big-daddy music festivals and start small.

May I recommend attending your neighbor’s band rehearsal to watch them play “Uptown Funk” over and over?

Bring petroleum jelly: Vaseline will prevent chaffing from a certain downtown funk you acquire after plodding across expansive festival grounds in hot weather. Some people use baby powder, but this is a mistake.

When first applied, baby powder emits a puff of white chalk every time you take a step, after which it becomes moist and gritty and scrapes across your rash like wet sandpaper. Petroleum jelly is better because it forms a protective layer between your rubbing parts. It’s best to apply before a rash forms, but it works great afterward as well, reducing pain and preventing it from worsening. As someone who spends a lot of time running between stages with a swampy undercarriage, Vaseline has been a godsend.

Wear an appropriate concert tee: Jesus, man, are you an animal? Never wear the shirt of a band that’s performing at the festival. Better to wear the shirts of musicians that influenced the bands you intend to see. For instance, if Fishbone is one of your must-see groups, then watch them in a Bad Brains tee. If you’re going to see Faith Hill, then bust out a Tammy Wynette shirt. Likewise, if Maroon 5 is your thing, then wear a shirt with a mound of horseshit on it.

Bring a clipboard or walkie-talkie: At some point you will need to crash the backstage area of

one of your rock idols to either A) meet that idol; or, B) create a terrible ruckus and run away cackling. Naturally, you must do a quick recon to discern how best to sneak in, and there’s almost always a way. One of my favorite methods is to rush toward the backstage entrance waving a clipboard and barking orders into a radio as if something major is going down. When you have the guard’s attention, blurt out, “There’s been a breach! Take me to Questlove!”

Bring appropriate drugs: It’s important to choose the appropriate drugs for the festival you are attending. Trust me, you do not want to go flitting around the Hank Jr. beer garden on an ecstasy junket. For quick reference, bring E or K to the EDM event. Bring weed and/or coke to a rock festival. Hippie/jam-band festivals are best negotiated on weed, mushrooms and/or acid. Moonshine and Marlboros will do you well at the outlaw country jamboree. No need to bring anything to the Christian-rock revival, since you’ve already consumed the drugs in their Kool-aid. However, bring the entire medicine cabinet to Burning Man. Get lost!: Nearly all the festival tips I read agreed that getting separated from your friends is one of the worst things you can let happen. KillingtheBreeze.com declared: “Don’t EVER Leave Your Group, No Matter What… Losing your friends in a giant crowd of strangers can be terrifying.”

First, if being alone in a crowd of strangers terrifies you, instead of Coachella perhaps you should go lawn bowling with your grandparents.

Second, let’s be honest. Your friends are annoying. You’ve got your pal Geoffrihad who wants to see Leftover Salmon go 87 minutes before uttering a single vocal. Todd is at the point of intoxication where he punches your kidneys and giggles every time Snoop makes a reference to getting high. Jilly, the dub-step diehard, wants to drag the entire group to the front of the Skrillex stage in order to have a close and unobstructed view of—a guy fiddling with knobs behind a turntable. And Lila, the self-proclaimed international hippie chick and holistic priestess, wants you to go with her to the Blood, Sweat and Humidity tent because Eddie Vedder and Nasfita Djo Bizzy von Bumblebelt are scheduled to perform a two-hour didgeri-duel.

Lastly, where’s your sense of adventure? Get lost!

Go roaming. Explore things by yourself for a change.

If you get scared, just go to the information booth and tell them you can’t find your mommy.

“

When you have the guard’s attention, blurt out, “There’s been a breach!

Take me to Questlove!”

”

Sordid Tales appears every other week.

Write to edwin@sdcitybeat.com.

April 22, 2015 · San Diego CityBeat · 9

Up Front | Food

by michael a. gardiner Michael A. Gardiner

Conveyor-belt sushi (kaitenzushi) started in Osaka, Japan, in the late 1950s, inspired by conveyor belts at the Asahi Brewery. The first kaiten-zushi place grew into a 250restaurant chain. The places are all over Tokyo now. But is it good?

The rice itself, the real mark of sushi, is certainly competent. It holds together well and is pleasantly seasoned. It lacks a bit of the glowing luster one expects from great sushi, but is nonetheless attractive. The story is the same with the fish (not top-quality product, but not bad) and the knife work.

In each case, you’re getting quality that isn’t the best, but is far, far better than you’d expect from Sushi Deli or all-you-can-eat sushi spots.

The toro (fatty tuna belly) is dissolve-on-your-tongue rich. The uni (sea urchin) is not quite as good— Kula’s negitoro the texture, in particular, was lacking—and definitely not worth the price tag. Yellowtail, sweet shrimp and conch were all excellent.

The Hokkaido scallops (if you ignore the fact that Hokkaido is just down-wind, and downwave of the Fukushima nuclear plant) were even better, meltingly delicious.

A new spin at Kula My favorite item at Kula was the negitoro. It is ōtoro (the part of the tuna belly that makes the There’s something about sushi. Maybe it’s the toro) minced into a paste and served gunkanmaki simplicity: an itamae, a cutting board, a knife style—on top of a clump of sushi rice held in by and some fish. Perhaps it’s the minimalist aesthe wrapping of nori seaweed—with a garnish of thetic. It could be the spiritual sense, the conchopped scallions. The slight bite of the scallions nection to tradition, the itamae’s role as chef, perfectly plays against the richness of the tuna tour guide and confidant. belly. It’s a nearly perfect bite.

At Kula Revolving Sushi Bar (4609 Convoy Kula’s conveyor belt concept may not be conSt., Suite F, kulausa.com), it’s none of that. Innected to the Japan of yesterday, or the classic stead, it’s fun; lots of fun. Where the traditional sushi bar, but it’s very reflective of the Japan sushi restaurant has a sushi chef making rolls beof today. It is efficient, mechanized, fast, gives hind a bar and handing it directly to the customthe eater at least the illusion of control and it er, at Kula, the sushi chefs are in the back and the creates a sense of silly fun. Kula is not the best sushi is delivered by an elaborate conveyor-belt sushi in town—it’s neither Shirahama nor Kiyo’s system. When you see a plate of sushi you like, Restaurant (may it rest in peace)—but it’s quite grab it. When you’ve eaten the sushi, deposit the possibly the most fun you can have at a sushi restaurant in San Diego. plate in a waiting receptacle. Your bill is a tally of all the plates. All plates cost the same: $2.25 The World Fare appears weekly. (with premium items, like toro and uni, consistWrite to michaelg@sdcitybeat.com. ing of one, rather than two, pieces).

the world

fare

10 · San Diego CityBeat · April 22, 2015

#SDCityBeat

Up Front | Drink

cocktail

tales

BY KELLY DAVIS Lori Sokolowski

Sarah’s trip to Sycamore Den Sarah Ellis graduated with a degree in compar� ative literature, “which set me up perfectly to work retail,” she laughs. Just out of school, she was living downtown and working at Bloom� ingdale’s in Fashion Valley. After shifts, she’d stop by East Village cocktail bar El Dorado and chat with bartender Anthony Schmidt (who’d go on to head up Noble Experiment before opening Rare Form last year). He’d tell her tales of bartender lore going back to the 1800s.

“It transports you a little bit,” Ellis says, “just like reading a cool story or hearing a great song from long ago.”

Ellis had been considering going back to school for creative writing, but Schmidt con� vinced her to change course.

Nearly six years later, she’s the bar manag� er at Normal Heights’ Sycamore Den (��������� sycamore� den.com), taking over for Eric Johnson who be� came the bar manager at Juniper & Ivy in March.

Between her first bar gig—in 2009, Schmidt hired Ellis to hostess at Noble Experiment, where she got to train under Sam Ross of famed New York bar, Milk & Honey—and Sycamore Den, she’s worked at El Dorado and did a three-year stint at Jaynes Gastropub, where she earned a reputation as one of San Diego’s best bartenders.

In 2014, Ellis left Jaynes to go on a five-month surfing trip to Central America. When she retur� ned, she called up Johnson—whom she’d known since her days hanging out at El Dorado—to see if he needed any help at Sycamore Den. He did.

“He’s such a fantastic mentor,” Ellis says. “I just wanted to work for him.”

A year later, and Ellis is running the place.

Female bar managers aren’t totally unusual, but they’re rare, and Ellis still puts up with folks who assume she’s a bar back or way too young-looking to be behind a bar. While the former bothers her, she’s OK with the latter: “I know you’re trying to diss me,” she laughs, “but I’m taking that as a compliment.”

What she’s got planned for Sycamore Den: Ellis says the staff’s at work on a new menu.

#SDCityBeat

Sarah Ellis “We’re a very team-oriented bar,” she says. For her, summer cocktails are all about fresh fruit and she’s currently a huge fan of Selvarey’s white rum, a 5-year aged rum that’s charcoal filtered to strip its color. “It got this velvety, marshmallow-y mouthfeel,” she says.

At Jaynes, she learned a lot about wines from owner Jayne Battle and she’s bringing that knowledge to Sycamore Den, adding to the wine selection and looking for ways to incorpo� rate Sherries and Madeiras into cocktails. Right now, she’s working on a Negroni variation using Rainwater Madeira instead of sweet vermouth.

What she’s drinking: “When it comes to mak� ing drinks for myself, I tend to be a little on the lazier side,” Ellis says. Her favorite cocktail is an American Trilogy—a variation on an Old Fashioned made with 1 ounce rye whiskey, 1 ounce apple brandy, a bar spoon of simple syr� up or a sugar cube, orange bitters and a lemon twist. She’s also a big fan of the Astoria, a take on a martini with 2 ounces of gin, 1 ounce of Dolin dry vermouth, a dash of orange bitters and a lemon zest.

Cocktail Tales appears every third week.

Write to kellyd@sdcitybeat.com.

April 22, 2015 · San Diego CityBeat · 11

Up Front | Food

by Ron Donoho Ron Donoho

A Halcyon morning.

Urban

Eats

Come morning or night East Village deserves any oasis it can get. Sister restaurants Halcyon (halcyoncoffeebar.com) and Stella Public House (stellapublichouse.com) are beautiful respites that must seem like conjoined mirages.

Airy and cheerful despite gritty surroundings, the spots are collectively billed as a modern coffeehouse/cocktail lounge. They opened late last year, and take up 3,000 square feet of indoor/outdoor space at the corner of 14th Street and Island Avenue.

Out back is a construction zone. One of two 40-floor high-rises is nearly topped out, and a park is being built on the lot. Since the land sits on an active fault line, some propose this area be named Fault Line Park. I’d play there.

Halcyon serves the morning crowd. Breakfast items are inexpensive, and include fritatas and waffles. A fried-egg sandwich with bacon, avocado, cheddar cheese and tomato is $6.50. For

12 · San Diego CityBeat · April 22, 2015

$7, try the delicious avocado-smooshed toast; it’s an avocado smear on house-made bread topped with chili flakes, onion and tomato.

Stella Public House opens daily at 5 p.m. The chain has its origins in Texas, and features a San Antonio-based farm-to-pizza concept. The produce is organic, the tomatoes are grown in California and fresh mozzarella is hand-pulled every day.

Overseeing the pizza pie operation is Giovanni Novella, who previously manned the kitchen at Isola Pizza Bar in Little Italy. At Stella, he’s firing up a Forno Bravo Moderna oven, burning pecan and oak wood, and serving the likes of lamb meatball and mac ’n’ cheese pies.

The real treat comes outside on a 1,500 squarefoot patio, lined with tables, Adirondack chairs and couches. Here is where you can make your own s’mores. Patrons get a flaming Sterno pot and wood skewers, along with a dish of marshmallows, graham crackers and Hershey bars. It’s $6, or $9 for a party of four.

For an all-out sugar rush, mix your s’mores with chocolate espresso martinis (Stoli vanilla vodka, chocolate Godiva liqueur and house espresso).

Plan on sleeping in the next morning.

Urban Eats appears every other week.

Write to rond@sdcitybeat.com.

#SDCityBeat

Up Front | Books

the floating

library

by jim ruland

Sonic Youth guitarist: three decades of music and marriage Kim Gordon’s memoir, Girl in a Band, begins and ends with her divorce from her longtime husband and bandmate Thurston Moore.

The break up also spells the end of their band, Sonic Youth, an indie mainstay of the musically tumultuous ’80s and ’90s.

When news of the couple’s separation come out in October 2011, it signified the end not so much of an era, but of the belief that post-punk slackers could be normal grown-ups, too.

Compared with the tragic episodes of Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love’s rock ’n’ roll marriage, they were a normal couple, but ultimately the marriage “combusted” when Gordon discovered text messages between Moore and “the other woman,” whom Gordon doesn’t name.

It seems like a dour way to frame the story of one’s life, but Gordon has always been something of a cipher, and this decision colors the entire novel in sad tones.

“What was different from past tours and festivals was that Thurston and I weren’t speaking to each other. We had exchanged maybe 15 words all week. After twenty-seven years of marriage, things had fallen apart between us.”

From there, Gordon explores her early years.

These chapters are typically the dullest parts of rock ’n’ roll memoirs. Gordon, however, sees herself as an artist first and a musician somewhere further down the list. Instead of disposing of the necessary details of her upbringing and moving on, she lingers.

Part of the reason for this is that while Gordon is an icon of New York’s gritty post-punk scene, she came of age in sunny Southern California.

“Growing up I was always aware of L.A.’s diffuseness, its lack of an attachment to anything other than its own good reflection in the mirror.”

After establishing what it was like to grow up in California with a father who taught at UCLA and a mentally ill brother, she has to do it all over again when she moves to New York. Gordon comes across as a headstrong young woman committed to the idea of pursuing a life as an artist, even if she doesn’t exactly know what it is she hopes to accomplish.

Unlike Patti Smith’s memoir, Just Friends, with its narrow focus on her years as a struggling poet with her friend and confidant Robert Mapplethorpe in pre-punk New York City, Gordon attempts to describe too much and frequently falls short.

She occasionally employs tired and predictable language, particularly when describing the way her adopted home has changed over the decades.

“New York City today is a city on steroids.”

Like Smith, Gordon also had a co-conspirator in the art world: Detroit-born, California-educated visual-and-performance artist Mike Kelley, who would go on to provide the album art for “Dirty.”

But where Smith’s book is immersed in a specific time and place, Gordon’s account feels thin, disjointed and lacking in depth, which seems odd for someone who’s accomplished so much.

#SDCityBeat

Gordon’s first band, Below the Belt, was “an explosive mess, pure mayhem and caterwauling.” In Sonic Youth, she and her bandmates would learn to channel these anarchic impulses into something more structured and under control. In many ways, the band’s growth mirrors the evolution of the wild aggression of punk to the slightly more nuanced yet jaggedly forceful No Wave movement.

Sonic Youth fans looking for an epic origin story will be disappointed. “There were so many moments of formation for Sonic Youth; it’s hard to pinpoint one.”

Perhaps that’s because Gordon is preoccupied with the band’s decline and dissolution, trying to put her finger on when it all got away from her.

The most interesting parts of the book are the brief chapter-by-chapter accounts of the circumstances under which each of Sonic Youth’s albums were recorded, produced and released.

It’s the only time when Gordon lets the reader into that most intimate of spaces—the recording studio—and reveals something new.

In between, there are some real gems, such as the impression the hardcore band Black Flag made on Gordon when she saw them play at a house party in Hermosa Beach, in the early 1980s.

“The Black Flag show was one of the best gigs I’d seen before or since—scary, surreal, intimate.”

Her account is engaging and sincere; I just wish there was more of it. Instead, we get a frontrow seat to the implosion of her marriage. While Gordon is generous in her praise of Moore’s musicianship and dedication as a father, one can’t help but wonder what this book would be like if she’d let a bit more water flow under the bridge.

The Floating Library appears every third week.

Write to jimr@sdcitybeat.com.

April 22, 2015 · San Diego CityBeat · 13

EVENTS

SHORTlist

ART

the

Three you have to see

1

COORDINATED BY

SETH COMBS

SKIN DEEP

MYRA MEJIA

slang for gang tattoos) removed, but quickly finds that the sins of his former life are not as easily Themes of redemption, transformation erased. He also sees his son slipping into the same and hope abound in Paul Flores’ haunt- kind of life he’s desperately trying to leave behind. ing new play, PLACAS: The Most DanFlores says he was inspired to write the play gerous Tattoo. But one central question remains at after working closely with gang youth and interits core: How does a man find peace when he wears viewing people who were attempting to his sins on his body like a badge of (dis)honor? leave that kind of lifestyle. While the “Gang tattoos are not the same as any subject matter is certainly serious, he other tattoos. You can’t get a gang tatalso wanted the play to have a cometoo unless you’ve put in work. That is, dic side, so he cast comedian/actor crime,” says Flores, a Chula Vista naRic Salinas as the lead. tive now living in San Francisco. “If “I wanted to show both sides,” you’re looking at a gang member with Flores says. “There is that really hardtats, you’re also looking at how many core bad element of the loss involved crimes he’s committed.” in this guy’s life, but at the same time, The play, which prehe makes a lot of jokes because that’s mieres locally on Thurshow he gets through it.” day, April 23, for three Ultimately, Flores sees the play performances at the as a means of getting a conversation Lincoln High School started not only about how to betPerforming Arts Center support former gang members, ter (4777 Imperial but also how to stop the cycle of Ave.), centers around violence in those communities.

“Coming from the South Bay, a former gang memit’s really amazing and humber, Fausto Carbajal, bling,” Flores says. “We’ve alwho has just been ready performed PLACAS to released from prison over 10,000 audience memand is hoping to rebers, been in 15 cities, off unite with his family Broadway… it’s really and his now-teenage cool.” Tickets are $12. son. As part of his pabrownpapertickets. role, Fausto agrees to Ric Salinas in PLACAS com/event/1320465 get his placas (barrio

2

TWO MILES OF TUNES

Make sure your trendy shoes are sensible, too, for Adams Avenue Unplugged. The two-day, free music festival (Saturday, April 25, and Sunday, April 26) will offer 150 performers on 25 stages scattered along a two-mile stretch of Adams Avenue, spanning University Heights, Normal Heights and Kensington. Music is scheduled from noon to 10 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 8 p.m. on Sunday.

Adams Avenue restaurants are open for business throughout the music-imbued weekend. This year, the Church Stage on Mansfield Street will allow reserved seating for $10. Headlining the stage will be Anais Mitchell, Hot Buttered Rum, Cody Lovaas and David J. adamsavenueunplugged.com

3

HOME SWEET HOME

Fans of neo-futuristic architect Buckminster Fuller will be delighted to find an upcoming “opportunity to spend time in a wax-coated geodesic dome.” If that’s not reason enough to attend a hodgepodge night of music, art and interactive projects called “My name is _____. I am from ______.” and hosted by A Ship in the Woods, then the guarantee of weirdness in design and thought, just as Bucky would have it, should be. On Friday, April 24, from 6 to 11 p.m. works from 25 artists will converge in Del Mar (1660 Lugano Lane), where the nonprofit arts organization is headquartered, for a time to reflect on what “home” is and how a place can define us. $7 suggested donation at the door. shipinthewoods.com BIANCA QUILANTAN

HStudio Series: Ebony G. Patterson at Lux Art Institute, 1550 S. El Camino Real, Encinitas. Enjoy some wine and a talk by Lux’s resident artist, who tells stories of her Jamaican heritage through colorful mixed-media tapestries. From 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, April 23. $10. 760-4366611, luxartinstitute.org CloseUp: Student Art Gallery Reception at The AjA Project, 4089 Fairmount Ave., City Heights. Opening reception for this exhibition featuring student photography and art. Includes entertainment, wine, craft beer and light hors d’oeuvres, with proceeds benefitting AjA’s work with atrisk and refugee youth. From 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 23. Suggested donation. closeupeventbrite.com Sui Generis at Hammond’s Gourmet Ice Cream, 3077 University Ave., North Park.

Hammond’s teams up with Thumbprint Gallery for a group show featuring the work of locals like Clare Nguyen, Lana Chromium and Teddy Pancake and more.

Opening from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, April 23. thumbprintgallerysd.com HArt Alive at San Diego Museum of Art, Balboa Park. Over 120 local designers present floral interpretations of famous works of art from SDMA’s permanent collection. This annual exhibition is accompanied by three full days of events. See website for schedule. Friday through Sunday, April 24-26. $20. 619-232-7931, sdmart.org HMy name is _____. I am from ______. at A Ship in the Woods, 1660 Lugano Lane, Del Mar. A group exhibition featuring more than 23 contemporary artists exploring ideas about location as it relates to identity. Artists include Claudia Cano, Brian Goeltzenleuchter, Vabianna Santos and more. Opening from 6 to 11 p.m. Friday, April 24. shipinthewoods.com Through a Mother’s Eye at Women’s Museum of California, 2730 Historic Decatur Road, Barracks 16, Point Loma. Local artist Helen Redman displays over 50 years of paintings and drawings. Opening from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, April 24. 619233-7963, womensmuseumca.org HIchiyo Yamamoto: The New Face of Arita at Japanese Friendship Garden Society, 2215 Pan American Road, Balboa Park. Acclaimed ceramicist Ichiyo Yamamoto will be showcasing his collection of Imari porcelain that often called “ceramic jewelry.” From 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Friday, April 24. Free-$6. 619-232-2721, niwa.org HMission Federal ArtWalk at Little Italy, Little Italy. The 31st annual festival and event will fill 17 blocks and feature more than 350 artists showcasing every medium. From 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, April 25, and Sunday, April 26. Free.

619-955-5285, artwalksandiego.org H100 Artists, 100 Years: The San Diego Museum of Art Artists Guild, 1915-2015 at Oceanside Museum of Art, 704 Pier View Way, Oceanside. Opening reception for this exhibition featuring works by 100 distinguished artists who lived and worked in San Diego during the last century. From 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday, April 25.

Free-$8. 760-435-3720, oma-online.org Sculptural Enlightenment at San Diego Sculptor’s Guild, Gallery 36, 1770 Village Place, Balboa Park. A large-scale sculptural exhibit as part of Balboa Park Centennial Celebration. Opening from 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday, April 25. sandiegosculptorsguild.com Open Studios II at Brokers Building, 402 Market St., Downtown. The Brokers Building artists will open their studios for the night. See work from artists like Gretchen Weidner, Andrew Seaton, Ade Adeyemi and more. From 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, April 25. Free. 619-721-0791.

Hot Buttered Rum

14 · San Diego CityBeat · April 22, 2015

“Bucky” by Nicholas Mueller

HPriceless: Kenny King at Low Gallery, 1878 Main St., Barrio Logan. The local artist will display 10 years worth of “soulful things” with a name-your-price option where patrons can buy a piece for any price they deem fair. From 7 to 10 p.m.

Saturday, April 25. lowgallerysd.com Pop-Up Art Show at Bessell Surfboards, 515 Westbourne St., La Jolla. A onenight-only show featuring pottery by Joe Skoby, surfboards by Tim Bessell, paintings from Natalie Bessell and photography by Cameron Smith. From 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, April 25. facebook.com/ events/423396977822070 Untold Narratives at Mission Valley Library, 2123 Fenton Pkwy., Mission Valley.

A group exhibition that explores hidden stories and uncanny reflections on reality. Artists include Larry Caveney, Randall Christopher and Daphne Hill. Opening from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 29. sdmesa.edu/art-gallery

BOOKS Brian Fagan at Warwick’s Bookstore, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. The UCSB professor and author will sign and discuss his book, The Intimate Bond: How Animals Shaped Human History, an in-depth analysis of six transformative human-animal relationships.

At 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 22. 858454-0347, warwicks.indiebound.com Susan Meissner at Company Pub & Kitchen, 13670 Poway Road, Poway. The local author will host a “British Lunch Adventure” where she’ll discuss her latest novel, Secrets of a Charmed Life. Includes a Britishinspired lunch, beverage, Q&A and book signing. At noon Saturday, April 25. $35.

858-668-3365, adventuresbythebook.com HReading of Terror! at Digital Gym Cinema, 2921 El Cajon Blvd., North Park. An evening of readings from States of Terror Vol. 1, featuring Ryan Bradford, Hanna Tawater, Rachel Taylor, Jim Ruland, Julia Evans and more. At 5 p.m. Saturday, April 25. $5 suggested donation. 619-230-1938, facebook.com/events/705831456192974 Capt. Robert S. Wells at San Diego Chinese Historical Museum, 404 Third Ave., Downtown. The author will sign and discuss, Voices from the Bottom of the South China Sea, about the 1874 shipwreck of the SS Japan. At 2 p.m. Saturday, April 25. $4. 619-338-9888, sdchm.org Kat Cowley at Warwick’s Bookstore, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. As part of Warwick’s Weekend with Locals Program, Cowley will sign and discuss Week To Strong: Thought-Shifting Mental Shape-Up Plan. At noon. Sunday, April 26. 858454-0347, warwicks.indiebound.com Literary Arts Festival at Grossmont College, 8800 Grossmont College Drive, La Mesa. This 19th annual fest features readings, workshops, signings, panel discussions and more from established and respected authors from around the country. Monday, April 27 to Thursday, April 30. Various times. 619644-7000, grossmont.edu/laf HMeb Keflezighi at Sherwood Auditorium, 700 Prospect St, La Jolla. The 2014 Boston Marathon winner and long-distance running expert will discuss and sign his new book, Meb for Mortals: How to Run, Eat and Think Like a Champion Marathoner. Admission includes a copy of the book. At 7 p.m.

Tuesday, April 28. $21.59. 858-454-3541, warwicks.indiebound.com Andrew Roe at Warwick’s Bookstore, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. The Oceansidebased writer will sign and discuss his debut novel, The Miracle Girl, about a young girl who suddenly wakes up from a coma.

At 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 29. 858454-0347, warwicks.indiebound.com

H = CityBeat picks

#SDCityBeat

EVENTS DANCE HLive Arts Festival at White Box Live Arts, 2590 Truxtun Road, Studio 205, Point Loma. Jean Isaacs curates a living history of dance, organized around 10 evenings that follow the development of modern dance in the U.S., from the early 20th century to today. See website for schedule and times. Various times.

Through May 2. $20. 619-225-1803, sandiegodancetheater.org HStand Tall at Art Produce Gallery, 3139 University Ave., North Park. Choreographed by Aurora Lagattuta, a community-inclusive art and dance theater performance featuring 20 dancers ages 7 to 77. At 8 p.m. Friday, April 24. $15-$20.

619-584-4448, auroralag.com

FOOD & DRINK Uncorked For a Cause at Moniker Warehouse, 705 16th St., East Village. The Boys & Girls Clubs of San Dieguito host this blind wine tasting event with all proceeds going to benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs community programs. From 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, April 24. $30. 858-720-2188, bgcsandieguito.org/events/uncorked Bikes Boards and Brews at Catamaran Resort Hotel & Spa, 3999 Mission Blvd., Mission Bay. Sixth annual beer fest that features dozens of breweries, live music, food vendors, surfboards, beach cruisers and local artists. From noon to 5 p.m.

Saturday, April 25. $25-$30. 858-2733303, pbbeerfest.com Rhythm and Brews at Historic Vista Village, Main Street & S. Indiana Street, Vista.

The San Diego Brewers Guild event features 60 breweries and seven bands on two stages. Proceeds benefit Fight ALD.

#SDCityBeat

From noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 25. $45-$60. sdrhythmandbrews.com HChef Celebration Dinner Series at Tidal, 1404 Vacation Road, Mission Bay. Tidal chef Amy DiBiase teams up with four other chefs for a five-course dinner benefitting scholarship funds for San Diego’s young, aspiring chefs. From 4:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 28. $65. 858-4906363, chefcelebration.org

MUSIC Jewish Music and Hot Latin Rhythms at Smith Recital Hall, 5500 Campanile Drive, College Area. Featuring klezmer musician Yale Strom and Hot Pstromi, this concert will feature Afro-Cuban percussion combined with the music of East European shtetls. At 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 22. Free. jewishstudies.sdsu.edu HEmerson String Quartet at Conrad Prebys Music Center, UCSD campus, La Jolla. One of the most popular chamber music ensembles in the world, the foursome will perform selections from Mozart, Britten and Beethoven. At 8 p.m. Thursday, April 23. $12-$54. artpwr.com HAdams Avenue Unplugged Between Normal Heights and Kensington. More than 150 multi-genre music performances. From noon to 10 p.m. Saturday, April 25, and noon to 7 p.m. Sunday, April 26. Free. ad amsavenueunplugged.com Hillcrest Wind Ensemble at San Diego Woman’s Club, 2557 Third Ave., Downtown. Under the direction of John Winkelman, the 45-piece ensemble will perform a concert celebrating the 100th anniversary of the 1915 Panama-California Exposition.

At 7 p.m. Saturday, April 25. $15-$20.

619-234-0510, hillcrestwindensemble.com

To Be Certain of the Dawn at College Avenue Baptist Church, 4747 College Ave., College Area. The SDSU School of Music and Dance presents the California premiere of a new musical work by Stephen Paulus, described as “an oratorio of remembrance, renewal and hope” about the Holocaust. At 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 25. $5-$10. facebook.com/ ToBeCertainoftheDawn Pandit Kartik Seshadri at Conrad Prebys Music Center, UCSD campus, La Jolla. Sitar master Kartik Seshadri performs classical Indian ragas in the tradition of his mentor, legendary sitarist Ravi Shankar. At 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 25. $10.50-$15.50.

858-534-3448, music.ucsd.edu/concerts Michael Feinstein: Sinatra Centennial at Copley Symphony Hall, 750 B St., Downtown. The Emmy and five-time Grammy-nominated entertainer honors the centennial of Frank Sinatra’s birth with a tribute concert. At 8 p.m. Saturday, April 25. $27-$99. 619-235-0804, ljms.org HPi-hsien Chen at Conrad Prebys Music Center, UCSD campus, La Jolla. The worldrenowned pianist will perform works by Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin and new compositions by Taiwanese composers Tzyy-Sheng Lee, Tsung-Hsien Yang and Ying-Ting Lin. At 3 p.m. Sunday, April 26. Free. 858-5343448, music.ucsd.edu/concerts Best and Brightest: Young Musicians at Copley Symphony Hall, 750 B St., Downtown. A special concert that features talented young musicians onstage with the San Diego Symphony. At 2 p.m.

Sunday, April 26. Free. 619-235-0804, sandiegosymphony.com HHan Bin Yoon at The Auditorium at TSRI, 10640 John Jay Hopkins Dr., La Jolla. The prodigious Korean cellist playing a program featuring Debussy, Franck,

Beethoven and more. At 3 p.m. Sunday, April 26. $30. 858-784-2666, ljms.org HMingle @ the Mingei: Camaraderie at Mingei International Museum, Balboa Park. The chamber music ensemble Camarada performs a program featuring works from Mozart, Debussy, Piazzolla and more. At 6 p.m. Sunday, April 26. $25-$30. 619-239-0003, mingei.org Conrad Tao at The Auditorium at TSRI, 10640 John Jay Hopkins Drive, La Jolla. The young piano star makes his Chamber Series debut with a fascinating mixture of traditional and cutting-edge chamber music. At 7:30 p.m. Monday, April 27. $25. 619-2350804, sandiegosymphony.com HArt of Elan Epilogue at San Diego Museum of Art, Balboa Park. The final concert of the Art of Elan season features a captivating mix of 21st century works from composers Missy Mazzoli and Judd Greenstein. At 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 28. $12-$30. 619-692-2081, artofelan.org

HEl Pasado Nunca Se Termina at San Diego Civic Theatre, 1100 Third Ave., Downtown. The last performance of the San Diego Opera season is about the Mexican Revolution and features the great Mariachi band Vargas De Tecalitlan. At 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday, April 25. $35-$125. sdopera.com Out at the Archives at Diversionary Theatre, 4545 Park Blvd., University Heights.

Staged readings of new works of LGBT theatre and song performed by some of San Diego’s most talented artists. At 7 p.m. Monday, April 27. Free. 619-2601522, diversionary.org

POETRY & SPOKEN WORD

PERFORMANCE

HVAMP: Taking A Stand at Otay Mesa Nestor Branch Library, 3003 Coronado Ave., Otay Mesa. Student, faculty and staff from Southwestern College tell stories about speaking out against injustice, or rallying for what is fair. From 5:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 22. 619-4240474, sosayweallonline.com

Spring Sing Returns! at Congregational Church of La Jolla, 1216 Cave St., La Jolla. Grand Facade Theatre Productions presents this musical revue featuring cabaret, dance, solo performances and more. At 7 p.m. Saturday, April 25, and 2 p.m. Sunday, April 26. $12-$15. 858549-5045, lajollaucc.org

HVAMP: It’s Always The Quiet Ones at Whistle Stop, 2236 Fern St, South Park. So Say We All’s monthly live storytelling show featuring stories of the soft-spoken, kindhearted, and politely reserved people who eventually snap. At 8:30 p.m. Thursday, April 23. $5 suggested donation. 619284-6784, sosayweallonline.com

HHistory, Tradition and Stories at Mingei International Museum, Balboa Park.

Black Storytellers of San Diego will present performances focused on the tradition, history and creators of African American dolls, followed by a discussion on the relevance of oral and visual storytelling traditions. From 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday, April 25. $12. 619-239-0003, mingei.org

SPECIAL EVENTS HCelebrate The Boulevard at Lafayette Hotel, 2223 El Cajon Blvd., North Park.

An annual celebration of the arts, culture, food and people of El Cajon Boulevard.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 17

April 22, 2015 · San Diego CityBeat · 15

EVENTS | THEATER

THEATER May the farce be with you Playwright Paul Slade Smith’s Unnecessary Farce is a comedy about... forget it, details of the plot are unnecessary. This raucous ride at North Coast Rep is about gags: slamming doors, jumping to conclusions, cartoonish pratfalls and various cast members in their underwear. Ridiculousness reigns.

If Unnecessary Farce brings to mind the Solana Beach theater’s memorable 2011 production of Ken Ludwig’s Lend Me a Tenor, there are reasons for it. Matthew Wiener directed both, allowing his casts to go comically berserk. And the ensembles of both comedies featured, among others, Christopher M. Williams, Jacque Wilke,

Jessica John and Ted Barton. While Unnecessary Farce, loosely having to do with a police stakeout in adjoining hotel rooms, registers a few decibels below Lend Me a Tenor on the laugh meter, it does showcase these fearlessly funny actors at their slapstick best. Wilke leads the way as a hapless cop with a squirt gun in her holster, with the vivacious John bringing to mind Natalie Wood in her deft comic turns. Most farcical of all, though, is David McBean as a bagpipe-toting Scottish hitman with a brogue to die for.

Unnecessary Farce runs through May 10 at North Coast Repertory Theatre in Solana AARON RUMLEY Beach. $41-$48. northcoastrep.org

•••

ert Smyth as Freud and Fran Gercke playing Lewis. So riveting is this dialogue between two intellectual giants as they debate life, death, sex and the existence of God that experiencing it so soon again was no chore. For those who have never seen Freud’s Last Session, you have a thoughtprovoking 85 minutes in store. Smyth and Gercke are in complete command on Brian Prather’s comfortable set, and the specter of Britain’s entry into World War II looms ominously over the proceedings. Smyth’s makeup even has him looking like the father of psychoanalysis.

Freud’s Last Session runs through May 30 at Lamb’s Players Theatre in Coronado. $22-$72; lambsplayers.org

—David L. Coddon

Speaking of the North Coast Rep, it was only six months ago that the Theater reviews run weekly. theater staged Mark St. Germain’s Write to davidc@sdcitybeat.com.

Freud’s Last Session, about a fictional meeting between Sigmund OPENING Freud and author C.S. Lewis. Ap- The Normal Heart: Playwright Larry Kramer’s movparently in the case of San Diego ing play about the rise of HIV/AIDS in ’80s New York. theatergoers, that wasn’t Freud’s Opens Thursday, April 23, at MiraCosta College Thelast session after all. The play is atre in Oceanside. hub.miracosta.edu back already, this time at Lamb’s PLACAS: The Most Dangerous Tattoo: The story Players Theatre in Coronado, of a former gang member who is trying to escape From left: Jacque Wilke, David McBean with Lamb’s artistic director Rob- his past and reunite with his family. Written by Chula Vista native Paul Flores, it opens Thursday, April 23, and John Nutten in Unnecessary Farce

16 · San Diego CityBeat · April 22, 2015

for three performances at the Lincoln High School Performing Arts Center in Lincoln Park. placas.org The Silence of the Clams: It’s like Silence of the Lambs, but it’s Diversionary Cabaret so it’s way more funny and way more fabulous. Opens Thursday, April 23, at Diversionary Theatre in Hillcrest. diversionary.org Big Fish: A musical based on the novel by Daniel Wallace and the motion picture by Tim Burton about a southern salesman who spins tall tales to his son throughout his life. Opens Friday, April 24, at Coronado School of the Arts. cosasandiego.com The Great American Trailer Park Musical: A musical comedy about the colorful characters that inhabit Florida’s most exclusive trailer park, Armadillo Acres. Presented by the SDSU School of Theatre, it opens Friday, April 24, at the Don Powell Theatre. ttf.sdsu.edu Peter Pan: A family-friendly musical about the boy that never grows up and the pirate captain that has it in for him. Presented by Broadway Theatre Arts Academy, it opens for four performances on Saturday, April 25, at the California Center for the Arts in Escondido. artcenter.org Sueno: A staged reading of Jose Rivera’s adaptation of the 17th-century existential classic, Life is a Dream. Presented by Intrepid Theatre Company, it happens on Monday, April 27, at 7 p.m. at the Encinitas Library. interpidtheatre.org

For full listings,

please visit “T heater ” at sdcit ybeat.com

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EVENTS Includes food tastings, raffle prizes, live bands and 15 new Boulevard Banner unveilings. From 7 to 11 p.m. Friday, April 24. $15-$20. 619-283-3608, boulevardcelebration.brownpapertickets.com Diversity, Inclusion & Breaking Barriers in Major League Baseball at New Americans Museum, 2825 Dewey Road, Point Loma. A new exhibition featuring milestones and artifacts in Hispanic and Jewish baseball history. Opening from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, April 24. newameri cansmuseum.org Encinitas Street Fair at Downtown Encinitas, South Coast Hwy 101 and Encinitas Blvd. The streets of Encinitas will feature 450 vendors, live music stages, a beer garden provided and more. From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 25, and Sunday, April 26. encinitas101.com Hanamatsuri Festival at Vista Buddhist Temple, 150 Cedar Road, Vista. The Japanese and Buddhist cultural festival features Japanese food, taiko drumming, a tea ceremony, tea tastings, introduction to Buddhism talks and more. From noon to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, April 25-26. 760-941-8800, vbtemple.org San Diego Kids Expo and Fair at Del Mar Fairgrounds, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd., Del Mar. More than 150 kid-friendly companies share information about camps, soccer, swimming, dance, modeling and more. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, April 25-26. $12.

858-755-1161, sandiegokidsexpo.com Linda Vista Multicultural Fair at 6900 Linda Vista Road. The 30th annual multicultural fair and parade features ethnicfood vendors, multicultural performances, carnival rides, a kid’s zone, rock climbing wall and more. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 25. Free. lindavistafair.org

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HArt in the Garden Spring Craft Show at City Farmers Nursery, 4832 Home Ave., City Heights. A full day of local artists showcasing handmade goods from pottery and glass to beading and intricate gourds. From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 25. Free.

619-284-6358, cityfarmersnursery.com

Point Loma. The third annual festival for all things veggie and vegan includes art, workshops, info booths, a pop-up bookstore and, of course, lots of food. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, April 26. $5-$10.

619-573-9300, sandiegovegfest.com

Sip, Savor and Swing at NTC at Liberty Station, 2640 Historic Decatur Road, Point Loma. Happy hour concert featuring Sue Palmer and her Swing band. Supports the exhibitions at Visions Art Museum. Takes place in the Barracks 17 Event Center.

From 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday, April 25. $20.

619-546-4872, visionsartmuseum.org

TALKS & DISCUSSIONS

HGirls Day Out Sip-N-Shop at The Wine Pub, 2907 Shelter Island Drive, Shelter Island. Three local, women-owned boutiques will set up mini storefronts for an evening of shopping and wine pairing.

Boutiques include Alice Alfreda, Teeter and Rare Bloom. Bring gently worn clothing for women or children to benefit Father Joe’s Villages. From 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday, April 25. thewinepubsd.com Escondido Renaissance Faire at Felicita Park, 742 Clarence Lane, Escondido.

The 16th annual festival will offer entertainment, battle pageants, Renaissance arts & crafts vendors, children’s games and food and drink. From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, April 25-26, $8-$18.

760-745-4379, goldcoastfestivals.com Israel Fest at Nobel Park, 8810 Judicial Drive, University City. Join the Jewish community for a day of family fun and for a celebration of Israel with children’s activities, Israeli dancing, performances, food trucks and more. From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, April 26. Free. 858-5521626, jewishinsandiego.org/israelfest San Diego Veg Festival at NTC at Liberty Station, 2640 Historic Decatur Road,

HMeeting of the Minds at Central Library, 330 Park Blvd., East Village. Voice of San Diego hosts a pechu-kucha-style discussion centered around architectural marvels. At 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 22. $20. 619-236-5800, voiceofsandiego.org

WORKSHOPS HReturn of the Macrame at Sycamore Den, 3391 Adams Ave., Normal Heights.

Macrame crafter Chelsea Virginia will lead participants on a two-hour excursion that will end with a completed plant hanger. Includes two craft cocktails. From 6 to 9 p.m.

Wednesday, April 22. $55. 619-563-9019, brownpapertickets.com/event/1423722 HDare to Reuse: Bridget Rountree at San Diego Art Institute-Museum of the Living Artist, Balboa Park. This workshop will look at how mixed-media collage has been used throughout history—the basics of visual analogies, cut-outs and using text as imagery. From noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 25. Free. sandiego-art.org

For full listings,

please visit “E vents” at sdcit yb eat.com

April 22, 2015 · San Diego CityBeat · 17

18 · San Diego CityBeat · April 22, 2015

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Culture

And

then

there was

An abridged introduction to near-death experiences

By Amy Wallen

T

he International Society of Near Death Studies meets across the parking lot from the County Psychiatric Hospital, inside the Health and Human Services building.

A few acronyms to know before attending a meeting: NDE: Near Death Experience, “a profound phenomenon, typically occurring when a person is clinically dead, facing death, experiencing an illness, or under physical or emotional trauma.

IANDS: International Society of Near Death Studies (pronounced I-Ands) OBE: Out of Body Experience (pronounced Obi, as in Obi-Wan Kenobi) NDLE: Near Death-Like Experience (or “death-lite,” as an anonymous submitter posted on the IANDS website. In other words, they didn’t die. The “lite” folks almost have a car crash and then they have a new awareness).

On the day I attended, the speaker was Dave Thomas, owner of Alpine Stained Glass. I liked Dave immediately because he smiles at everyone. Kind of like Jesus.

A diverse group attended: a formerly homeless man, a man and his wife who research UFOs, a woman who brought a Tupperware of homemade cookies to share (every group needs a member like her) and others. Some have had NDEs and others not, totaling 13. Like the apostles.

An NDE is not a requirement for attending. I haven’t had one. That I know of. You just have to be curious. And open-minded.

Before attending, I met Beverly Brodsky, president of the organization, for lunch. I’m a neophyte to NDE, so, of course, I had to ask, “What’s with the light?” The Sundaynight made-for-TV movie, the tabloid headlines in the grocery store line, and, well, even if you check out the website, the light is always mentioned.

“What’s with the light?” I asked Beverly.

Beverly is very patient, very calm (all NDErs are, I come to realize) and very quiet. “It’s understanding,” she said, giving me a smile. A bright smile.

“I see,” I said. “It’s like the light bulb that goes on over our head when an idea comes to us?” I cringed at my own joke.

But not Beverly. She’s so soft-spoken, she practically

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whispers when she talks.

She said: “Yes, it’s like a light switch goes on and you understand what it’s all about.”

“What do I understand?” I asked, thinking I’d skip the NDE and just go straight to the knowing.

“Your understanding of darkness is diminished,” she explained.

I stared at her blankly.

“You no longer fear death.”

Amy Wallen

Dave Thomas and Beverly Brodsky Back at the boardroom, Dave Thomas recounted his tale about nearly dying in a horrific diving accident his senior year in high school. But first he told us about how much he’d hated living before the accident. How he really just didn’t want to be a part of the human experience, so much so that when he was put into a Coast Guard helicopter basket, lifted many feet in the air above the ocean, he tried to jump out.

Obviously, Dave is still here, but during the process of being resuscitated, and it was more than just CPR—think decompression tank—he had an OBE. He didn’t see a light, which disappointed me at first until I heard how much better it gets. He just felt this energy so full of love that it made him realize there was no reason to fear death. But, he was told now was not his time.

Back in real life, what high schooler is going to mention

he had an OBE? You’d have to be crazy, or someone who desired heckling of the worst kind, which would be crazy.

As a result, he went through serious depression. Dave was looking for a portal for death. The NDE confirmed he didn’t want to be here; he wanted to be with that love energy. The 2003 fires in East County seemed like a great way to leave this earthly plane, so he stuck around his house waiting. He even tried to drive off the Pine Valley bridge. And a portal is what he found. Dave was introduced to his “angels, spirits and guardians on the Other Side.” His “energy.”

Suicide, these angels told him, would only mean he wouldn’t get his Earth Experience diploma. He’d have to come back to Earth and repeat life and his senior year.

These angels, so full of unconditional love—he calls them his “spiritual bros.” The main one, his goddess, as he refers to her, looks like the face on the Starbucks to-go cup.

Life began to look a whole lot better to Dave as he started to have more “moments of awareness.” Then he had an experience that might qualify as “NDE Lite.” He had an almost-accident. His moment of awareness illuminated a feeling that the Spirit Bros needed him on the Other Side. But Dave had found his groove here on the earthly realm and he told the bros he didn’t want to go to the Other Side just now.

Later, Bros! The Spiritual Realm Dudes, told him, “Hmm, well, we called you over because a big Spiritual Shift is about to happen, but come to think of it, you could really do some good work on earth for us.” And the deal was made. Dave got to stay. For the time being. But he has work to do.

When the Q&A portion of the meeting started, everyone asked, “What is the Spiritual Shift?” “What is about to happen?”

“A shift from the head to the heart: We will all learn to be more loving, accepting and giving.” This is the message Dave stayed on earth to share with us.

I Googled “Starbucks goddess.” Turns out she’s a mermaid. She’s a siren, in particular. The website described her: “She stands unbound, sharing our stories, inviting all of us in to explore, to find something new and to connect with each other. And as always, she is urging all of us forward to the next thing. After all, who can resist her?”

Dave, apparently, is onto something.

April 22, 2015 · San Diego CityBeat · 23

Culture | Art

Seen Local

Seth Combs

WORK HISTORY Andrea Chung is used to the misconceptions by now. Take her name, for example.

She admits that when people first meet her, they often think they’ll be meeting someone who looks, well, more Asian. It’s easy to look at a name and think you know what you’re going to get. This same logic often extends to her mixed-media art. It’s easy to look at a piece like “Bato Disik,” which she displayed at Helmuth Projects in 2013, and see just a rectangular tub of water filled with amber-colored boats. It’s certainly aesthetically pleasing enough to where the viewer might be tempted to move on from it too quickly, content in the pleasure derived from seeing the cute little boats bob around.

“I started exploring colonialism and migration patterns, both voluntary and involuntary, and how that affects a particular location,” says Chung, explaining the deeper meaning of the boats, which were made out of sugar, a reference to the people of Mauritius, an African island nation in the Indian Ocean.

“It’s a former sugar colony,” Chung says, “but the trade is slowly dying out. When slavery was abolished there, a lot of the former slaves became fishermen to make a living. I started to see fishing as this revolutionary act.”

Chung doesn’t hesitate when asked if her work has a political subtext. The answer is a decisive “yes, definitely,” which departs from the beautiful subtlety of the art itself. She describes herself as a “materialoriented” artist. Her work has addressed everything from income inequality to the history of a culture’s food. Much of her work revolves around cultural labor, be it the forced labor addressed in the Mauritius video piece, “Bain de Mer,” or in more personal stories illus-

“It come een like…”

24 · San Diego CityBeat · April 22, 2015

Andrea Chung in her City Heights studio trated in her new piece, “It Come Een Like...,” which she’ll be installing at the New Contemporaries VIII exhibition at the Valencia Gallery (valenciagallery.com).

“It’s a piece about my grandfather,” says Chung, whose maternal grandfather was a Chinese immigrant who lived in the Caribbean. “It uses shipping pallets. You can’t really translate a Chinese character into English letters, so I wrote down the varying interpretations of the way his name could have been spelled. My last name is Chung, but I don’t really know if that’s the way it should be spelled. The names are painted on shipping pallets used for the various things shipped out of the Caribbean: sugar, coffee, arrowroot and allspice.”

The New Contemporaries exhibition, which opens Friday, May 1, from 6 to 9 p.m., is a primer for the emerging artists chosen for the San Diego Art Prize, an annual award and collaborative exhibition that takes up-and-coming local artists and pairs them with established artists.

Chung has been living in San Diego off-and-on for more than a decade, with stints in L.A., Baltimore and, after receiving a Fulbright Scholarship, in the Mauritius islands. Over the years, she’s used just about every possible medium, from paint and clay to collage and animation, to tell stories. Currently, she’s working on an interactive sculptural piece about Jamaican midwives. Viewers will have to wash their hands in an antique dry sink using black bars of soap molded to look like the hands of these midwives, who were viewed as “dirty” despite having perfected birthing practices that are still used to this day. She sees this piece, and almost all of her art, as a loving tribute to not only her roots, but to the people whose labors went undocumented throughout history.

“My work is very labor intensive and I like to think that my labor is, in a way, an homage to their labor,” Chung says. “I mean, I can’t compare it obviously, but it’s one way of honoring them in a way that I can.” andreachungart.com —Seth Combs

#SDCityBeat

Culture | Voices

There she

alex zaragoza

Goz

May the fit be with you

Every day I wake up and start my weekday routine.

I sleepily turn off my alarm at 7 a.m., lay there for another 15 minutes checking my email and then peel myself out of the toasty Hot Pocket of cozy sheets and blankets. I walk to my bathroom, take off my clothes and then check out my semi-nude bod in the full-length mirror hanging on my door. Nope.

Once again, I didn’t magically sprout glistening, rock-hard abs overnight. Ah well. Time to shower.

I don’t have as many issues with my body as, say, my mom, who has that uncanny knack for telling me how chubby I’m getting and that I should consider laxative teas while also serving me second helpings of enchiladas. I was her “change of life” baby that wrecked her petite figure and she still holds a grudge.

I’ve written about my experiences with body shame in the past. Long ago, I made the decision to honor my body and take care of it without forcing it to fit into a mold; to not worry about the numbers on a scale (I haven’t owned a scale in 13 years) and avoid any diet that requires me to count success in points or numbers. My worth shouldn’t be measured with a number. If my happiness or success has to be calculated that way, I’d rather that shit show in my bank account. Professional ladies, can I get a “yas, kween”?

Even so, I understand the importance of being healthy and keeping fit. I want to take care of my body so I can one day be an old woman trading war stories with a 300–year-old Keith Richards. It can be tough to stick to my workout guns when my 55-plus-hour work week and attempt at a social life get too crazy, however. And if I’m being real, the only reason I tolerate the gym is because there’s usually a mini flatscreen on the elliptical machines where I can watch Real Housewives reruns. Other than that, no thanks. I already get my fill of penises flopping around in gym shorts

by YouTubing videos of hot soccer players running.

In my continued pursuit of better health, I search for new ways to stay fit that I can enjoy. That’s why I channeled the fiery passion of the infamous Star Wars kid and met up with the San Diego Lightsaber Team. I’ve seen LARPers (that’s Live Action Role Players for the uninitiated) in the park waving foam swords at each other, but this is different.

The Lightsaber Team’s tagline is “Nerds getting fit together.” As their website points out, the nerd life can be pretty sedentary. While I don’t consider myself a true Star Wars fan (I’ve only seen A New Hope and The Phantom Menace; please don’t inundate my inbox with nerd rage), I spend plenty of time on my ass geeking out to my preferred popculture phenomenon, then going online to read everything I can find about it.

I met up with the Lightsaber Team behind the

Hall of Champions in Balboa Park. It’s not hard to spot the group. They have all the markings of hardcore Star Wars nerds: transitions lenses, an excited, breathless manner of speaking and, oh yeah, they were holding makeshift lightsabers.

The metal lightsabers they were working with were actually practice lightsabers, though one attendee did bring his own light-up one that made that special wooshing sound every time he waved it. “That is so badass!” marveled a purple-haired woman named Belle when he turned it on. Later she would ask me what the difference is between an onion and Anakin Skywalker. The answer: “Onions make me cry.” Eat shit, future Darth Vader.

We all gathered in a circle and stretched our muscles. Gotta be limber if you’re going to fight the Dark Side. After several rounds of arm circles, we began our training. Roger, a middle-aged gentleman who has the voice and demeanor of a cool professor, took those of us who wanted to work on our form with a single saber while others broke off to work on their dual-saber battle skills.

Roger explained that we would work on the fives, sixes, eights and, maybe, if we played our cards right, the sexy nines. Ooh la la!

What makes them so sexy? As Roger informed me, “you just look really cool doing them.” These forms are the basic choreographed steps for Jedi battle moves. They get their name from the shape a Jedi makes with each move, i.e. you make a figure six with your steps and lightsaber as you’re performing the sixes. The sexy nines are super sexy because there’s a lot more upward lightsaber swooping and a final full-body twist at the end. When Roger showed us, I had to admit it did look pretty awesome.

I’ll just leave my lunch money for you here.

The team paid special attention to form. We moved at tai chi speed to ensure each step, each swoop of the lightsaber, each motion toward our imaginary enemy Sith was precise and authentic.

My fellow Jedis debated if a certain move would actually really impale a Tauntaun. The general consensus: Ha! Not likely!

I held my practice lightsaber almost like a ballroom dancer, arms raised before me with a curve, and my legs in a slight squat position. Then I went into the sixes: right foot forward at an angle, hit my invisible enemy across the neck, then spin the lightsaber so it switches positions and step forward again with my—wait, no that’s not right. Hold on.

Step forward, spin the lightsaber—OK, this is legit hard to remember. Memorizing choreography has never been my strong suit. Even so, Roger said I had pretty good form. No big deal. :Hair flip:

“

The Lightsaber Team’s tagline is: Nerds getting fit together.

”

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There She Goz appears every third week.

Write to alexz@sdcitybeat.com.

April 22, 2015 · San Diego CityBeat · 25

Culture | Film

Imitation of life Juliette Binoche and Kristin Stewart shine in Olivier Assays’ new meta-drama

by Glenn Heath Jr. Oscillations between internal and external violence give Oliver Assayas’ films a level of volatility despite their normally elegant façades. His characters experience escalations in emotion that constantly threaten their perceived understanding of identity.

Different modes of art-making often act as a conduit to this process. Take, for instance, Assayas’ prickly masterpiece Irma Vep about a film production that combusts from within, or his cryptic neon porno nightmare Juliette Binoche (left) and Kristin Stewart demonlover, both of which examine the blurred lines between performance and personality.

In their relationship we find youth brushing up Clouds of Sils Maria, the French director’s new against maturity, social media omniscience strangling meta-drama, contains similar thematic DNA. Maria modernist ideals, and elitism trying to understand Enders (Juliette Binoche) is a well-respected actress lowbrow theatrics. Assayas ingrains all of these ideas who gained acclaim 20 years earlier while working on within the subtext of Maria and Valentine’s conversaa play called Maloja Snake. In the opening sequence, tions, in which Binoche and Stewart brilliantly play she travels by train with her assistant Valentine (Kris- off each other’s perceived weaknesses and strengths. tin Stewart) on their way to a Swiss-hosted retrospec- We never quite know how far the emotional pendutive of Wilhelm Melchior (Valery Bukreev), the reclu- lum will swing, or even in which direction. sive writer responsible for jumpstarting her career.

Both Maria and Valentine, like everyone in Clouds Before arriving at their destination, they receive word of Sils Maria, struggle to reconcile with each other’s that Wilhelm has died, news that turns what was warring perspectives. There’s natural tension in meant to be a celebration into a memorial. the overlap, as witnessed during the film’s climacOnce on the ground, Maria is tic sequence set atop a mountain approached by Klaus (Lars Eioverlooking a vast valley lake. In Clouds of dinger), a talented young director this moment, something splinters wishing to revitalize Maloja Snake between Maria and Valentine, and Sils Maria and cast her once again, this time the film itself takes a hard right Directed by Olivier Assayas in the older role of an aging busiturn away from poetics and toward Starring Juliette Binoche, nesswoman who eventually combrash reality. Assayas uses this plot Kristin Stewart, Chloë Grace mits suicide after being seduced twist to explore the duality of perMoretz and Lars Eidinger by a cunning young female intern. formance, but also the sadness of Rated R Troubled Hollywood “It” girl Joseparation. Just as we’ve gotten Ann Ellis (Chloë Grace Moretz) is used to the strange rhythm that set to play the original role made defines Maria and Valentine’s relafamous by Maria two decades before. tionship, it’s taken away in jarring fashion.

After this brief prologue, Clouds of Sils Maria Clouds of Sils Maria, which opens Friday, April shifts to the country estate of Melchior’s widow, 24, uses words to deflect our attention from the where Maria and Valentine are holed up to line-read deep absence felt by its characters. In the end, this and relax before the play begins. What seems like a very classic art film finds solid ground with which to simple setup quickly turns enigmatic and sensual. perch and admire all of the messy hoopla that is the Assayas juxtaposes serene images of the Swiss Alps Internet age. Just as Maria smiles at the end of the with lengthy dialogue sequences indoors. Both set- final luminous shot, Assayas too achieves a level of tings provide the two women ample room for verbal peace with the new ways film and other media have sparring sessions. Repressed feelings of anger and turned “reality” into an absurd imitation of life. doubt begin to overwhelm Maria while Valentine attempts to dissect why exactly her boss has entered Film reviews run weekly.

Write to glennh@sdcitybeat.com. into such a flustered state.

A curious case

Man From Reno

26 · San Diego CityBeat · April 22, 2015

Don’t get stuck in the spider’s web of curiosity. Or perhaps such a fate is inevitable in Man From Reno, Dave Boyle’s slippery neonoir about a famous Japanese crime novelist who stumbles upon an intricate mystery while visiting Northern California. The film understands a specific invigoration felt by lonely people who suddenly feel inspired by brush-

ing up against danger, but also the consequences of this pursuit.

Known for the popular Inspector Takabe Investigates book series, Aki (Ayako Fujitani) has fled the limelight of Tokyo for the dense fog and steep corridors of San Francisco. On her first night abroad, she meets the beguiling stranger Akira (Kazuki Kitamura) in a dimly lit hotel bar. Their encounter initiates a series of events that resemble one of her stories,

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Culture | Film including elements of mistaken identity, murder and blackmail.

She eventually teams up with a local sheriff (Pepe Serna) who’s leading a parallel investigation.

Man From Reno excels at balancing menace and playfulness.

The narrative may propel both lead characters into precarious situations, but it never loses track of their sense of revelry for the process. This is an important detail for a film about people wearing masks to deceive and destroy.

Boyle also appreciates the emotional impact a given space can have on the film’s mood. Man From Reno, which opens Friday, April 24, uses diverse Bay Area landscapes and settings to convey how quickly characters need to adapt in order to survive. Windswept hills are equally as prevalent as skyscrapers, each offering their own corners for the worst of us to hide.

A special post-screening Q&A with director Dave Boyle, and actors Ayako Fujitani and Pepe Serna will be held on opening weekend at the Digital Gym Cinema in North Park.

—Glenn Heath Jr.

Opening Adult Beginners: When his new business crashes and burns on the eve of its launch, a young entrepreneur is forced to move in with his estranged pregnant sister and his brother-in-law. Runs through Thursday, April 30, at the Reading Cinemas Gaslamp.

Clouds of Sils Maria: A middle-aged actress decides to star in a reboot of the play that made her famous 20 years before.

Starring Juliette Binoche, Kristin Stewart and Chloë Grace-Moretz.

Dior and I: Documentary that takes you behind the scenes of the storied world of the Christian Dior fashion house.

Ex Machina: Set in the near future, Alex Garland’s sci-fi film tells the story of an Internet mogul who convinces one of his employees to conduct a Turing test on his newest A.I. creation.

Little Boy: With his father away in WW II, a young boy goes to great lengths to restore stability to his family.

Man From Reno: A Japanese novelist known for a series of crime novels gets wrapped up in a mystery of her own while visiting San Francisco. Runs through Thursday, April 30, at the Digital Gym Cinema in North Park.

Spring: A young American on a backpacking trip in Italy meets a beautiful woman at an idyllic village and instantly falls in love.

Runs through Thursday, April 30, at the Digital Gym Cinema in North Park.

The Age of Adaline: Rendered ageless after a fateful accident, a young woman born at the turn of the 20th century lives a lonely life of immortality until she finally meets a stranger who may be worth dying for.

The Road to Juarez: An ex-con recruits his friends to pull off a daring heist against a powerful Mexican drug cartel. Opens Friday, April 24, at AMC Mission Valley 20 and AMC Palm Promenade 24.

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The Water Diviner: After the battle of Gallipoli, an Australian man travels to Turkey hoping to locate his three missing sons.

One Time Only I Origins: A molecular biologist makes a startling discovery that will change the world. Screens at 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 22, at the Mission Valley Public Library.

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial: The story of a young boy and the alien that changed his life. Screens at 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 22, at The Pearl Hotel in Point Loma.

The One I Love: Mark Duplass and Elisabeth Moss star in this comedy/drama about a young couple on the brink of divorce. Screens at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, April 24 and 25, at Cinema Under the Stars in Mission Hills.

played by Jonah Hill. Weird casting.

Unfriended: The Facebook horror film you knew was coming but didn’t think would be here quite this soon.

Havana Curveball: A young and enthusiastic teenager decides to create a grand plan of supplying Cuba with baseballs after being inspired by the holy words associated with his Bar Mitzvah.

Kill Me Three Times: After a botched assignment, a professional hitman played by Simon Pegg gets wrapped up in three different tales of murder, blackmail and revenge.

Mr. Kaplan: An older Uruguayan man of Jewish descent suspects a fellow community member of being a runaway Nazi, and enlists the help of a retired police officer to investigate.

Ned Rifle: The final leg of Hal Hartley’s trilogy that includes 1997’s Henry Fool and 2006’s Fay Grim, this drama/absurdist comedy tells the story of a young man who sets out to take revenge on his criminal father.

The Longest Ride: An older man reflects back on his life while he’s trapped in a crashed car.

The Salt of the Earth: Wim Wenders and Julian Ribeiro Salgado’s documentary examines the life and work of famed photographer and activist Sebastião Salgado.

White God: An army of dogs wreaks havoc all across a European city after one particular canine is cast out by the father of its owner, a young girl named Lili.

An Honest Liar: This documentary explores the worldview and life of James Randi, renowned stage magician and

skeptic of the paranormal.

Danny Collins: Al Pacino plays an aging rock star who discovers a 40-year-old letter written to him by John Lennon, the contents of which force him to reassess his life.

Furious 7: The criminal pit crew led by Vin Diesel and Paul Walker is back and ready to battle with Jason Statham’s villain in this globetrotting action film that is sure to have some out-of-this-world stunts.

For a complete listing of movies, please see “F ilm S creenings” at sdcit yb eat.com under the “E vents” tab.

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me: David Lynch’s insane sequel/prequel to the Twin Peaks series only brings more ambiguity to the town’s history with murder. Screens at 11:55 p.m. Saturday, April 25, at the Ken Cinema.

Nightcrawler: A serpentine entrepenour fixes his sights on the underground world of crime reporting in Los Angeles. Screens at 6:30 p.m. Monday, April 27, at the San Diego Central Library in East Village.

Comedy Dynamics Presents: Bill Hicks: Takes audiences back to a classic Bill Hicks performance, recorded at the Centaur Theatre in Montreal in 1992.

Screens at 8 p.m. Monday, April 27, at various area theaters. Go to fathomevents. com for more information.

For a Woman (Por une femme): This French drama follows a young Jewish woman’s journey toward unraveling certain family secrets revolving around a cryptic photo of a mysterious stranger.

Screens at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 28, at the Point Loma / Hervey Branch Library.

Animal House: A fraternity of outcasts wreaks havoc after being harassed by the dean of their university. Screens at 8 p.m.

Wednesday, April 29, at The Pearl Hotel in Point Loma.

Now Playing Fifth Annual San Diego Asian Film Festival Spring Showcase: Sixteen new Asian films from nine countries will make their San Diego premieres during this amazing cinema showcase, beginning with an opening night tailgate party from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 16, at Ultrastar Mission Valley Cinemas.

The fest continues through April 23 before moving to Hoover High School April 24 and 25 in honor of the showcase’s Cinema Little Saigon retrospective.

Desert Dancer: An ambitious young man risks everything to start a new dance company despite the politically volatile climate of his home country of Iran.

Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter: A young Japanese woman travels to America searching for a briefcase full of cash that was hidden in the snow during 1996’s Fargo.

Lambert and Stamp: This documentary looks at the unlikely partnership between two aspiring filmmakers who ended up producing one of the greatest rock bands in history: The Who. Monkey Kingdom: A documentary about one newborn monkey and its mother attempting to survive the social hierarchy of the Temple Troop, a group of monkeys who live in a series of ruins deep in the jungles of South Asia.

True Story: James Franco stars as a murder suspect who has stolen the identity of a disgraced New York Times reporter

April 22, 2015 · San Diego CityBeat · 27

Music

Keep it like a

I

t’s not all about Katie Crutchfield. The 26-yearold Philadelphia singer/songwriter, who performs and records under the name Waxahatchee, has released three albums of detailed and intimate indie-pop songs that sometimes feel like closely held secrets.

They don’t always take the shape of linear narratives; they’re often structured like overheard conversations or stream-ofconsciousness inner monologues from a troubled protagonist. And, yes, sometimes that protagonist is actually her.

But Crutchfield doesn’t want that to interfere with anyone else’s experience.

“As far as people’s reactions to my music, I want it to mean what it means to people,” she says during a morning phone interview from her Philly home. “A lot of times, people get hung up on specifically what songs mean in my life.”

She pauses to reflect on a question she’s apparently been asked a lot lately: What does she want people to take away from listening to her music? And while she mulls it over, she is distracted by her dog, Frannie, who competes for her attention.

“People kind of ... want to know, specifically what songs are about,” she elaborates. “I put it out into the world, and I want people to relate to it in the way that they want to apply it to their lives, and not worry about what it means to me. Just kind of detach from that.”

Crutchfield’s songs are certainly relatable, particularly

28 · San Diego CityBeat · April 22, 2015

ecret S

Michael Rubenstein

serve and not necessarily something I experience,” she says.

“It’s not me singing about things that actually happened to me at the time. I definitely have felt that way in my life and experienced that, and have been that person.

“I think that Ivy Tripp is sort of that… trying to find something that makes you happy, and making some irresponsible or conventionally irresponsible choices along the way.”

One other notable difference between Ivy Tripp and its predecessor is in the actual sound of the record. This one feels much bigger and more fleshed out, with more creative, elaborate arrangements. It wasn’t recorded in dramatically different fashion; Crutchfield put it on tape in a rented house in Long Island with her then-boyfriend and current bandmate Keith Spencer and engineer Kyle Gilbride (of Philadelphia band Swearin’, which also features Crutchfield’s sister, Allison). And yet the end result is considerably different. “Under a Rock” and “Poison” each overflow with meaty fuzz-guitar riffs, while opening track “Breathless” features a Waxahatchee creates a world dense, noisy organ. And standout track “Air” showcases the widest dynamic of any Waxahatchee song, expanding from a of lush, intimate songs sparse ballad to a big, dramatic and sparkling chorus.

The musical ideas are bigger on Ivy Tripp, and it’s likely that Waxahatchee will only continue down this path on albums to come. It’s not always the most practical concern,

by J eff T erich especially when the tools of the recording studio aren’t always available on the road. But this isn’t at the top of Crutchfield’s list of concerns.

“The songs don’t really become what they are until we’re in the recording process,” she says. “Everything’s really skeletal, and we take our time and build them up. But to those in their mid-20s, still figuring out how best to chart when we were recording, something that I thought about their path forward. But it’s hard not to focus on the sometimes is, if I wanted to put a harp on a song—and I didn’t do that deeply personal intimacy within her songs, particularly those this time—I wouldn’t worry about how we’re not going to of her critically acclaimed 2013 sophomore album, Cerulean have a harp onstage. I’m always going to put the harp on the record and worry about that later.”

Salt. On a track like “Misery Over Dispute,” As Katie Crutchfield continues to grow she tackles relationship problems with as a songwriter and performer, her ambimelancholy poetry, suggesting that sometions grow with her. But she’s also grown times it’s just easier to be unhappy than personally—she says she sees the world a to dive into the inevitable conflict: “I’ve April 26 little differently than she did when she rewhispered and walked on eggshells just to The Casbah corded Cerulean Salt or its more strippedchoose misery over dispute.”

Waxahatchee’s new album, Ivy Tripp waxahatcheemusic.com down predecessor, her 2012 debut, American Weekend. But no matter where she is in (released this month via Merge Records), her own life, her goal is to create something isn’t at all autobiographical, but still maintains that up-close-and-personal feeling so essential to that resonates on a level that listeners can identify with, just Crutchfield’s songwriting. She said in a statement prior to the as her musical heroes did for her.

“On Joni Mitchell’s Blue, there are so many proper album’s release that its title was a term she invented for “directionless-ness” as it applies to 20- and 30-somethings. And nouns that are so specific to her life,” she says. “But when I as such, the album is littered with its own cast of individual hear that record, I just think about how much I can relate Ivy Tripps, like the woman in leadoff track “Breathless,” who to it. I was in Europe touring and traveling around and I describes her relationship as a “sad story with an end,” or the was listening to that record so much. And I felt like she was melancholy narrator of “The Dirt,” who describes herself as singing my life right now. That’s so profound. It’s such an amazing experience when you’re listening to music and it’s “a basement brimming with nothing great.”

There’s a lot of anxiety on Ivy Tripp. There are real tears like, ‘Oh man, this was written for me.’” and real pain, too—they just mostly belong to other people.

“The overarching theme of the record is something I ob- Write to jefft@sdcitybeat.com

Waxahatchee

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Music

notes from the smoking patio Regular Daddy

Locals Only AMiniature are getting ready to play their first show in three years.

The group’s last show together was in 2012, for Live Wire’s 20th anniversary, and the first time the band performed since 1997. Bill Perrine, director of the San Diego music documentary It’s Gonna Blow!, helped organize the upcoming show. Frontman John Lee, who lives in Seoul, South Korea, says in a phone interview that more than anything, the show is just old friends getting back together.

“It’s a great excuse to hang out in San Diego,” he says. “I haven’t been back to the states since the last show.”

The band is Lee, guitarist Tony Rotter, bass player Dave Jass and drummer Dave West. West and Jass both live in Minneapolis, so geography has made rehearsing difficult. Lee says everyone has been rehearsing separately, and they’re going to get together for one session before the show to hammer out the set. He says they’re “just going to kind of wing it.”

The set will include some material from an album aMiniature never released, along with tracks from their three studio albums.

“It’s going to be a mix,” he says. “We’ll play some of the old hits… and some of them will be songs from the

Singer vs. Song This is a recurring feature in which we ask musicians to name a song they never want to hear again.

Will Lerner, Shake Before Us: “The Time (The Dirty Bit)” by Black Eyed Peas. “Just a monstrosity that never needs to rear its head again. Everything is a mess: the production, arrangement, the rapped verses/sung choruses. It seems like they were on a lot of coke and thought a bunch of stupid studio tricks (oh mercy, can we please outlaw Auto-tune?) and a sappy chorus would make a cohesive dance track.”

Rachel Enyeart, Chica Diabla: “Whip My Hair” by Willow Smith. “The reason is, A, it’s possibly the most annoying chorus ever written, and B, it was performed by a child who is supposedly so intelligent and beyond her years that she is regarded as an ‘indigo child’ and this is the best she could do? Spare me.”

Shae Moseley, Speaker in Reverse: “Peaceful Easy Feeling” by The Eagles. “This song gives me the polar opposite of a peaceful easy feeling. While plenty of quality classic rock and country tracks line the halls of my early musical memories, these douche nozzles (Joe Walsh, you get a pass) never seemed to be able to do either very well. The song’s level of ‘meh’ is downright insulting. It was always easy for me to sympathize with The Dude on this one.”

Blaine Factor, Age of Collapse: “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana. “My friend’s mom told me when I was younger that she couldn’t stand hearing The Eagles’ ‘Hotel California.’ Not because it was a par-

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John Lee of aMiniature unreleased record. We were never really that popular, but people should recognize about half the set.”

Lee says there’s no real money in reuniting aMiniature, but camaraderie between longtime pals is reward enough.

“These guys are the closest I have to brothers,” he says.

AMiniature will perform on Friday, April 24, at the Kensington Club with Lunar Maps and Mayonnaise Fire.

—Jeff Terich

ticularly bad song, but that it had been played to extreme exhaustion since she was a teenager. ‘Teen Spirit’ is the ‘Hotel California’ of my generation.”

Tim Felten, Sure Fire Soul Ensemble: “Barbra Streisand” by Duck Sauce. “There’s so much great, soulful music with substance to listen to. It’s just soulless and meaningless techno pop.”

Jordan Krimston, Big Bad Buffalo: “I Won” by Future and Kanye West. “Lyrics don’t get much more misogynistic or materialistic than this. In addition to the weak lyrics, Future’s vocal delivery is hardly coherent by itself, let alone with all the Auto-tune he doused them in. Sometimes they kind of sound like the ‘whale-call’ noises that Sigur Ros might throw into one of their songs, but in horrible context. Kanye’s feature doesn’t help, either. This could possibly be the worst song of the decade.”

Write to jefft@sdcitybeat.com.

—Jeff Terich

Eagles

April 22, 2015 · San Diego CityBeat · 29

Music

Jeff Terich

If I were u A music insider’s weekly agenda Wednesday, April 22

ly Up Tavern. I’ll freely admit that I haven’t really kept up with Pete Yorn’s career over the last decade or so, but I’m still a big fan of his debut, Musicforthemorningafter. He’s written some great tunes, and it’ll be even more interesting to hear him perform them in a stripped-down acoustic set. PLAN B: Lindi Ortega, The Casey Hensley Band @ The Casbah. Lindi Ortega is one of my favorite alt-country discoveries in recent years, with a voice that’s somewhere between Emmylou Harris and Stevie Nicks, and a noir sound that’s comparable to Neko Cases. Listen to 2013’s Tin Star and be instantly won over.

PLAN A: Young Fathers, Mas Ysa, Taurus Authority @ The Casbah. If you haven’t had a chance yet, read my feature in the April 15 issue on U.K. eclectic pop group Young Fathers. They won the Mercury Prize last year for their album, Dead. Its follow-up, White Men Are Black Men Too, is an even more accessible blend of catchy, if off-kilter hip-hop and electronic sounds. Highly recommended. PLAN B: Driveby Truckers @ Belly Up Tavern. Athens, Georgia’s Drive by Truckers have a long history of great songwriting, emotional narratives and even rocking out at times, and their back catalog is all the proof you need. There’s no opener for this show, so Friday, April 24 show up early and soak in all the great songs. PLAN A: Nikki Lane, Low Volts, Jake BACKUP PLAN: Lady Lamb, Rathborne, Loban and the Benders @ Soda Bar. Singer/ songwriter Nikki Lane has a great balance of The Gift Machine @ Soda Bar. sadness, humor, sass and grit. She’s a little bit country and a little bit punk rock, but more Thursday, April 23 than anything, she’s got a knack for great tunes.

PLAN A: Pete Yorn (acoustic show) @ Bel- PLAN B: Matt Pond PA, Young Buffalo,

30 · San Diego CityBeat · April 22, 2015

Shawn Alpay @ The Casbah. Matt Pond PA is embarking on a 10th anniversary tour of their 2005 album Several Arrows Later, and while it’s not my personal favorite of the band’s, it’s still an excellent set of lushly arranged chamber-pop tunes with strong melodies. Plus you’re likely to hear a few more classics.

Saturday, April 25

Philadelphia singer/songwriter Katie Crutchfield, better known as Waxahatchee. She just released her third album, Ivy Tripp, and it’s her best yet, juxtaposing narrative songwriting with bigger, denser arrangements. This is a can’t-miss show. PLAN B: Reptar, Sandy’s, Paper Days @ Soda Bar. Georgia’s Reptar do electronic dance rock that’s a little bit trippy, a little bit nerdy, and a whole lot of fun. Feel the grooves with all the other weirdos tonight.

PLAN A: Sir Richard Bishop, Robert Mills, Dominick Gambini @ Whistle Stop. Guitarist Sir Richard Bishop spent two and a Monday, April 27 PLAN A: Juice Box, HM3, Aquarium half decades performing with psychedelic @ Soda Bar. Local funk/soul group outfit Sun City Girls, but his solo outJuice Box was dubbed ‘Extraspeput is not to be overlooked. His guitar cialgood’ in our Great Demo Replaying style is a trippy spin on John view this year, and they most cerFahey’s “American primitivism,” and tainly earned it. The group does it’s a stunning sound to behold. Also, instrumental R&B that ranges from this is an early show, so there’s more upbeat to smooth and laid-back, time for music later in the evening! but it’s all good. Come down, and PLAN B: Rufus Wainwright @ get down. BACKUP PLAN: Saint Belly Up Tavern. I’m always a litShameless @ Tower Bar. tle hesitant to recommend a show that’s more than $40 a ticket, but Rufus Wainwright is an outstandTuesday, April 28 ing songwriter, and seeing as how Nikki Lane PLAN A: Buck 65, Astronautalis this is the “Best of Rufus Wainwright” show, he’ll almost certainly be playing your @ The Casbah. Last year, rapper Astronautalis made a regrettable error by appearing favorite songs. Maybe a splurge is in order. on Justin Vernon’s Jason Feathers album, which sounded a lot like trolling to these Sunday, April 26 ears. That being said, it makes me appreciate PLAN A: Waxahatchee, Girlpool @ The his solo work even more, which comprises Casbah. Read my cover story this week on consistently strong abstract hip-hop.

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April 22, 2015 · San Diego CityBeat · 31

32 · San Diego CityBeat · April 22, 2015

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Music

Concerts HOT! NEW! FRESH!

THEESatisfaction (Porter’s Pub, 4/30), Dead Meadow (Brick by Brick, 5/10), The Atlas Moth (Brick by Brick, 5/19), Glass Animals (Observatory, 5/19), LoFang (Soda Bar, 5/25), Dead Heavens (Soda Bar, 5/27), Agent Orange (Brick

by Brick, 6/6), Everymen (Soda Bar, 6/8), Fool’s Gold (Casbah, 6/11), Ceremony (The Stronghold, 6/13), Head Wound City (Casbah, 6/25), Veruca Salt (Soda Bar, 7/8), Chappo (Soda Bar, 7/17), The Ataris (HOB, 7/26), Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo (BUT, 8/3-4), B-Side Players (BUT, 8/15), George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic (HOB, 8/19), Leon Russell (BUT, 8/24), Deftones, Incubus (Sleep Train Amphitheatre, 8/30), Hozier (Open Air Theatre, 10/15).

GET YER TICKETS Helmet (BUT, 4/29), Dan Deacon (Casbah, 4/29), OK Go (HOB, 5/1), ‘In Ko Pah 2’ w/ Playboy Manbaby, Mission Creeps, The Loons, Schitzophonics, The Long and Short of It, New Kinetics (Desert View Tower, 5/2), Kinky (Observatory, 5/2), Tennis (Irenic, 5/2), Ms Mr (Casbah, 5/4), Moody Blues (Humphreys, 5/6), Dwight Yoakam (Observatory, 5/8), David Guetta, Pitbull (Sleep Train Amphitheatre, 5/8), The Growlers (Observatory North Park, 5/9), The Sonics (BUT, 5/10), Dipset (Observatory North Park, 5/11), NKOTB, TLC, Nelly (Viejas Arena, 5/11), Timber Timbre, Xiu Xiu (Irenic,

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5/12), Little Dragon (Observatory North Park, 5/18), Speedy Ortiz (Soda Bar, 5/19), Bryan Adams (Open Air Theatre, 5/20), X (Observatory, 5/22-23), Main Attrakionz (Soda Bar, 5/26), Ciara (HOB, 5/27), Walk Off the Earth (Observatory, 6/3), The Rentals (Irenic, 6/4), Unwritten Law (HOB, 6/6), Common Sense (BUT, 6/6), ‘X-Fest’ w/ Pennywise, Cold War Kids, Public Enemy (Sleep Train Amphitheatre, 6/7), King Sunny Ade (BUT, 6/12), Slayer, King Diamond (Sleep Train Amphitheatre, 6/26), Best Coast (Observatory North Park, 6/26), Mono (Casbah, 6/28), Brian Posehn (HOB, 7/8), Sublime with Rome (Sleep Train Amphitheatre, 7/16), Between the Buried and Me (Observatory, 7/22), Melt Banana, Torche (Casbah, 7/28-29), Say Anything (HOB, 7/29),Bill Maher (Humphreys, 8/2), Milky Chance (Soma, 8/3), Echo and the Bunnymen (Humphreys, 8/6), Buddy Guy (BUT, 8/12), The B-52s (Humphreys, 8/15), Ariana Grande (Sleep Train Amphitheatre, 9/9), The Who (Valley View Casino Center, 9/14), Future Islands (Observatory, 9/22-23), Florida Georgia Line (Sleep Train Amphitheatre, 10/3), Luke Bryan (Sleep Train Amphitheatre, 10/16), John Waters (Observatory, 11/30).

April Wednesday, April 22 Lady Lamb the Beekeeper at Soda Bar. Drive By Truckers at Belly Up Tavern.

Thursday, April 23 Al Di Meola at Balboa Theatre. Pete Yorn at Belly Up Tavern.

Friday, April 24 Dead Milkmen at Belly Up Theatre.

Nikki Lane at Soda Bar. Turbo Fruits, Eternal Summers at The Merrow. aMiniature at Ken Club.

Sunday, April 26 Waxahatchee at The Casbah. Reptar at Soda Bar. The Six String Society at Belly Up Tavern.

Tuesday, April 28 Buck 65 at The Casbah.

Wednesday, April 29 Dan Deacon at The Casbah. Doldrums at Soda Bar.

Thursday, April 30 Inter Arma at Soda Bar. The Decemberists at Observatory North Park (sold out). THEESatisfaction at Porter’s Pub.

May Friday, May 1 OK Go at House of Blues. Manic Hispanic at Soda Bar.

Saturday, May 2 Neil Hagerty at The Hideout. Kinky at Observatory North Park. ‘In Ko Pah 2’ w/ Playboy Manbaby, Mission Creeps, The Loons, Schitzophonics, The Long and Short of It, New Kinetics at Desert View Tower in Desert Hot Springs. Pictureplane at Soda Bar.

Sunday, May 3 They Might Be Giants at Belly Up Tavern.

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April 22, 2015 · San Diego CityBeat · 33

Music Monday, May 4 Ms Mr at The Casbah. E-40 at Observatory North Park.

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

Wednesday, May 6 Moody Blues at Humphreys by the Bay.

Thursday, May 7 Herb Alpert and Lani Hall at Belly Up Tavern. The Mowgli’s at The Casbah.

Friday, May 8 Metalachi at The Casbah. Dwight Yoakam at Observatory North Park.

Saturday, May 9 The Bangles at Belly Up Tavern (sold out). The Growlers at Observatory North Park.

Sunday, May 10 The Sonics at Belly Up Tavern. The Deftones at House of Blues (sold out).

Dead Meadow at Brick by Brick.

Monday, May 11 NKOTB, TLC, Nelly at Viejas Arena. Dipset at Observatory North Park.

Tuesday, May 12 Timber Timbre, Xiu Xiu at The Irenic.

Wednesday, May 13 The Wombats at House of Blues.

Thursday, May 14 Lord Huron at Observatory North Park.

Ava Luna at Soda Bar.

Friday, May 15 Young Dubliners at Belly Up Tavern.

The Palace Ballroom at The Casbah.

Two Gallants at Soda Bar. The Relationship at House of Blues. The Waterboys at Humphreys by the Bay.

Saturday, May 16 Ex Hex at The Casbah. Lana Del Rey at Sleep Train Amphitheatre. James Bay at Belly Up Tavern. Wolf Alice at Soda Bar. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds at Humphreys by the Bay (sold out).

Sunday, May 17 Hutch and Kathy at Soda Bar. Passion Pit at Observatory North Park. Nothing at The Hideout. Nellie McKay at Belly Up Tavern.

Monday, May 18 Little Dragon at Observatory North Park.

San Fermin, Natalie Prass at The Casbah. Acid Mothers Temple at Soda Bar. Shakey Graves at Belly Up Tavern (sold out).

Tuesday, May 19 Speedy Ortiz at Soda Bar. Robby Krieger’s Jam Kitchen at Belly Up Tavern.

The Atlas Moth at Brick by Brick. Glass Animals at Observatory North Park.

Wednesday, May 20 Quintron and Ms. Pussycat at Soda Bar. Bryan Adams at Open Air Theatre.

Thursday, May 21 The Rezillos at The Casbah.

Friday, May 22

34 · San Diego CityBeat · April 22, 2015

Hiatus Kaiyote at House of Blues (sold out). Pinback at Belly Up Tavern. Little River Band at Casino Pauma. Paramore at Open Air Theatre (sold out). X at Observatory North Park.

Saturday, May 23 X at Observatory North Park. KATA at The Hideout.

Sunday, May 24 Negative Approach at Soda Bar. Train at Sleep Train Amphitheatre. Slick Rick at Porter’s Pub.

Monday, May 25 Lo-Fang at Soda Bar.

Tuesday, May 26 Main Attrakionz at Soda Bar. Jeremy Loops at Belly Up Tavern.

Wednesday, May 27 Mae at The Irenic. Ciara at House of Blues. Xavier Rudd at Belly Up Tavern.

Dead Heavens at Soda Bar.

Thursday, May 28 Xavier Rudd at Belly Up Tavern. Saxon at Brick by Brick. Neutral Milk Hotel at Observatory North Park (sold out). Transfer at The Casbah.

Friday, May 29 Chris Robinson Brotherhood at Observatory North Park. Pinata Protest at The Hideout.

Saturday, May 30 Strung Out at House of Blues. PigPen Theatre Company at Soda Bar. Everlast at Belly Up Tavern.

rCLUBSr 710 Beach Club, 710 Garnet Ave, Pacific Beach. 710bc.com. Wed: Open mic. Thu: Live band karaoke. Fri: Sunny Rude, Crucial Blend. Sat: For Peace Band, Arise Roots. Sun: Karaoke. Mon: DJ Royale.

98 Bottles, 2400 Kettner Blvd. Ste. 110, Little Italy. 98bottlessd.com. Fri: Bone Bop. Sun: The Matt Smith Neu Jazz Trio.

Air Conditioned Lounge, 4673 30th St, Normal Heights. airconditionedbar.com.

Wed: ‘Future House’ w/ DJs The Sals, Frosto, J-Note, Aeros, Pro-K, Drty. Thu: DJ Paul Najera. Fri: DJ Junior the Disco Punk. Sat: Mike Czech. Sun: DJs John Reynolds, Karma.

American Comedy Co., 818 B Sixth Ave, Downtown. americancomedyco. com. Wed: Open mic. Thu-Sun: Charlie Murphy.

Bang Bang, 526 Market St, Downtown. facebook.com/BangBangSanDiego. Sat: Hayden James.

Bar Pink, 3829 30th St, North Park. barpink.com. Wed: ‘Funked Out’ w/ DJ L. Thu: DJ Girth. Fri: ‘80s vs 90s’. Sat: Behind the Wagon, Ypsitucky. Sun: ‘Rat Sabbath’. Mon: Tori Roze and the Hot Mess. Tue: ‘Tiki Tuesday’ w/ DJ Old Man Johnson.

Bassmnt, 919 Fourth Ave, Downtown. bassmntsd.com. Thu: Crookers. Fri: Lil Jon. Sat: Andrew Rayel.

Beaumont’s, 5662 La Jolla Blvd, La Jolla. brocktonvilla.com/beaumonts.html.

Thu: Daryl Johnson. Fri: Dave Gleason Trio. Sat: Random Radio. Sun: Sando.

Belly Up Tavern, 143 S. Cedros Ave, Solana Beach. bellyup.com. Wed: Drive By Truckers. Thu: Pete Yorn. Fri: The Dead Milkmen, JP Incorporated. Sat: Rufus

Wainwright. Sun: The Six String Society.

Tue: Cham, Wayne Marshall, Christopher Ellis, Jo Mersa, Black Am I. Boar Cross’n, 390 Grand Ave, Carlsbad. boarcrossn.net. Thu: Fyuca. Fri: ‘Club Musae’. Sat: P.O.B. Brick by Brick, 1130 Buenos Ave, Bay Park. brickbybrick.com. Thu: Ektomorf, Section 6. Fri: Gamblers Mark, Hard Fall Hearts, Joshua Black Wilkins, Kinga Dula.

Sat: Children of the Grave, Time Machine, YY Zed. Sun: Lightning Starts Fire, Black Chapter, DONA NOVA. Mon: ‘Metal Monday’. Tue: Psychostick, Downtown Brown, Urizen, Vic Viper, Blood Dancer.

Cafe Sevilla, 353 Fifth Ave, Downtown. cafesevilla.com. Thu & Sat: Malamana.

Fri: Joef and Co. Sun: Oscar Aragon and Bruno Serrano. Tue: Noche Fusion Latina.

Comedy Palace, 8878 Clairemont Mesa Blvd, Clairemont. thecomedypalace.com.

Fri-Sat: Veterans of Comedy.

Croce’s Park West, 2760 Fifth Ave., #100, Bankers Hill. crocesparkwest.com.

Wed: Austin Gatus. Thu: Steph Johnson Trio. Fri: Chris Vitas. Sat: Gilbert Castellanos and the Park West Ensemble. Sun: Besos de Coco. Mon: Liz Grace. Tue: Gio and Diamond.

Dirk’s Nightclub, 7662 Broadway, Lemon Grove. dirksniteclub.com. Fri: The Farmers.

Dizzy’s, 4275 Mission Bay Drive, Mission Bay. dizzyssandiego.com. Thu: Peter Sprague Ensemble. Sat: CJS Quintet.

Epicentre, 8450 Mira Mesa Blvd, Mira Mesa. epicentreconcerts.org. Fri: Cherry Road, Horsefly, Big Toe, Love Ethic, Cloudside. Sat: Treaded, Zone 7, Lynch the Landlord, the Lo Glo. F6ix, 526 F St., Downtown, Downtown. f6ixsd.com. Fri: DJ Kaos. Sat: DJ Dynamiq. Sun: Craig Smoove.

Fluxx, 500 Fourth Ave, Downtown. fluxxsd.com. Thu: Kill Paris. Fri: Hook n Sling.

Sat: Savi.

Gallagher’s, 5040 Newport Ave, Ocean Beach. 619-222-5303. Wed: Andy Mauser. Thu: Kulchaflava, DJ Reefah. Fri: Random Radio, DJ Arox. Sat: Destructo Bunny, DJ Chelu. Mon: ‘Strictly Hip Hop’.

Hard Rock Hotel, 207 Fifth Ave, Downtown. hardrockhotelsd.com. Fri: ‘Skam Friday’ w/ DJ Neva.

Henry’s Pub, 618 Fifth Ave, Downtown. henryspub.com. Wed: The Fooks. Thu: DJ Junior the Disco Punk, DJ Johnny Tarr.

Fri: ‘Good Times’. Sat: DJs E, Yodah.

Sun: Karaoke. Mon: DJ Antonio Aguilera, Keokoa. Tue: Big City Dawgs.

House of Blues, 1055 Fifth Ave, Downtown. houseofblues.com/sandiego. Wed: Sir Michael Rocks, Robb Banks, Pouya.

Thu: Falling in Reverse. Fri: Stu Larsen, Natsuki Karai, Matt Sanders. Sun: Kaiser Chiefs, Priory.

Kava Lounge, 2812 Kettner Blvd, Midtown. kavalounge.com. Wed: ‘Jungle and DnB Wednesday’. Thu: Geneva Bedlam, Astral Touch, SakaSal. Sat: Eddie Amador. Sun: Ganesha’s Tour.

Kensington Club, 4079 Adams Ave, Kensington. 619-284-2848. Fri: aMiniature, Mayonnaise Fire, Lunar Maps.

Mc P’s Irish Pub, 1107 Orange Ave, Coronado. mcpspub.com. Wed: Redwave Trio. Thu: Ron’s Trio. Fri: Pat Ellis and Blue Frog Band. Sat: Flipside Burners.

Sun: Gonzology.

Onyx Room / Thin, 852 Fifth Ave, Downtown. onyxroom.com. Fri: ‘Rumba Lounge’.

Sat: ‘Onyx Saturday’. Tue: ‘Neo Soul’.

Patricks Gaslamp, 428 F St, Downtown. patricksii.com. Wed: The Rayford Brothers. Thu: The Fuzzy Rankins Band. Fri:

#SDCityBeat

Music Rosy Dawn. Sat: WG and the G Men. Sun: Johnny Vernazza. Mon: The Groove Squad. Tue: Paddy’s Chicken Jam. Rich’s, 1051 University Ave, Hillcrest. richssandiego.com. Wed: DJ Kiki. Thu: Von Kiss. Fri: DJs Drew G, Will Z. Sat: DJs Taj, K-Swift. Sun: DJ Hektik.

Riviera Supper Club, 7777 University Ave, La Mesa. rivierasupperclub.com.

Wed: Westside Inflection. Fri: We Both Had Hits. Sat: Red Lotus Review. Tue: Karaoke.

Seven Grand, 3054 University Ave, North Park. sevengrandbars.com/sd. Wed: Gilbert Castellanos jazz jam. Thu: HM3, The Daniel Rosenbloom Group. Fri: Soul Organization. Sat: Jimmy Ruelas. Mon: DJ Tah Rei. Side Bar, 536 Market St, Downtown. sidebarsd.com. Wed: DJ Scooter. Thu: Vince Delano. Fri: DJ Kurch with Rico DeLargo.

Sat: Kyle Flesch. Sun: Craig Smoove.

Soda Bar, 3615 El Cajon Blvd, City Heights. sodabarmusic.com. Wed: Lady Lamb, Rathborne, The Gift Machine.

Thu: Le Ra, Mint Fields, The Wallburds.

Fri: Nikki Lane, Low Volts, Jake Loban and the Benders. Sat: Angry Samoans, Authentic Sellout, Cruz Radical. Sun: Reptar, Sandy’s, Paper Days. Mon: Juice Box, HM3, Aquarium. Tue: Tacky Little Hatshop, Mount Saint, Moonpool.

SOMA, 3350 Sports Arena Blvd, Midway. somasandiego.com. Fri: Enter Shikari, Stray From The Path, A Lot Like Birds, I The Mighty. Sat: Taken By Tomorrow, Milo, I Understand, Hand Drawn Tree, Alex Lievanos.

Stage Bar & Grill, 762 Fifth Ave, Downtown. stagesaloon.com. Thu: Superbad.

Fri: Disco Pimps, DJ Slynkee. Sat: Hott Mess, DJ Miss Dust.

#SDCityBeat

Sycamore Den, 3391 Adams Ave, Normal Heights. sycamoreden.com. Thu: Landis. Sat: Stephen El Rey, Ashley Pond. Sun: Levi Dean and the Americats, Rey and Davies.

The Balboa, 1863 Fifth Ave, Bankers Hill.

619-955-8525. Fri: AJ Froman, Death by Snoo Snoo. Sat: Mini Death, Soft Lions.

The Bancroft, 9143 Campo Rd, Spring Valley. 619-469-2337. Wed: Karaoke.

Thu: ‘Club 80s’. Fri: Archetype. Sat: Yabutifida, Barnyard Cassanovas.

The Casbah, 2501 Kettner Blvd, Midtown. casbahmusic.com. Wed: Young Fathers, Mas Ysa, Taurus Authority. Thu: Lindi Ortega, The Casey Hensley Band.

Fri: Matt Pond PA, Young Buffalo, Shawn Alpay. Sat: The Loons, Schitzophonics, True Stories, Roni Lee, The Rosalyns.

Sun: Waxahatchee, Girlpool. Mon: Della Mae, Rushad. Tue: Buck 65, Astronautalis, Omni.

The Hideout, 3519 El Cajon Blvd, City Heights. thehideoutsd.com. Mon: After the Fall, Caskitt, Castoff, Punchcard.

The Loft @ UCSD, Price Center East, La Jolla. theloft.ucsd.edu. Sat: Huj, The Frights, Paper Days. Mon: David Ballou, Mark Dresser, Kjell Nordeson.

The Merrow, 1271 University Ave, Hillcrest. theMerrow.com. Wed: Rosewood and Rye, Wild Omen, Kyle Tuttle. Fri: Turbo Fruits, Eternal Summers. Sat: Cage9, Aempire, Blood Dancer. Mon: Future Thieves. Tue: Alive and Well, Steel Cranes, Night Owl Massacre.

The Office, 3936 30th St, North Park. officebarinc.com. Wed: ‘Friends Chill’. Thu: DJ Myson King. Fri: DJs Adam Salter, Kid Wonder. Sat: DJs Kanye Asada, Ikah Love.

Sun: ‘Uptown Top Ranking’ w/ Tribe of Kings. Mon: ‘Under Cover: Led Zeppelin’.

The Tin Roof, 401 G Street, Gaslamp. tinroofbars.com. Wed: Rock Out Karaoke. Thu: Redwave. Fri: Jonathan Lee Band. Sat: Jonathan Lee Band. Sun: ‘G Street Sessions’. Mon: Pat Hilton. Tue: Trini West.

Til-Two Club, 4746 El Cajon Blvd, City Heights. tiltwoclub.com. Thu: Trans Van Santos, Pearl Charles, Lauren Bath, Oliver Ray, Jordan Chini. Sat: Kill the Radio, 13 Wolves, The Sweat Act, Robotic Humans, Ill Nicky, Mikey Cesar, DJ Mikey Ratt. Sun: Open mic comedy. Mon: Karaoke.

Tio Leo’s, 5302 Napa St, Bay Park. tioleos.com. Thu: Nathan James. Fri: The Distractions. Sat: Catherine Denise. Tue: Madame Leroux.

Tower Bar, 4757 University Ave, City Heights. thetowerbar.com. Wed: Visigoth, Old Man Wizard, Sentinel. Thu: One I Red. Fri: Desert Suns, Red Wizard, Loom. Sat: The Neumans, The Hurricanes, Los Sweepers, DJ Tony the Tyger. Mon: Saint Shameless. Tue: Riot Inciters, The Waste Aways.

Ux31, 3112 University Ave, North Park. u31bar.com. Wed: DJ Mo Lyon. Thu: DJ Ayla Simone. Fri: DJ R-You. Sat: DJ Junior the Disco Punk. Sun: TRC Soundsystem. Mon: Lee Churchill. Tue: Karaoke.

Whistle Stop, 2236 Fern St, South Park. whistlestopbar.com. Wed: Al Howard with Erik Canzona and Dawn Mitschele.

Thu: VAMP: It’s Always The Quiet Ones.

Fri: Fri: ‘In Ko Pah Happy Hour’. Sat: Sir Richard Bishop, Robert Mills, Dominick Gambini.

Winstons, 1921 Bacon St, Ocean Beach. winstonsob.com. Wed: Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe. Thu: ‘SUBDVSN’. Fri: Brothers Gow. Sat: Todo Mundo, We Are Sirens. Sun: Karaoke. Mon: Electric Waste Band. Tue: Pillars and Prophets, Landis.

April 22, 2015 · San Diego CityBeat · 35

Last Words

Brendan Emmett Quigley

Across

Going up

1. “Eff you, pal” 6. ___ soda 9. Grooming aid 14. Spanish province near Madrid 15. Morale boosting grp.

16. Eighth of a cup 17. Picture puzzle?

18. Singer Gibbard of Death Cab For Cutie 19. Sucking tool 20. They’re always on the left 23. “Who do you think you ___?”

24. Tour jeté outfit 26. Dance similar to the Twist 27. It might take some X-rated insertions 28. Word said with a finger snap 29. Common video game setting 30. Spending ___ 32. Time to hit the salad bar 34. Little Camel 37. Falstaff’s buddy 38. Curry ingredient 39. “Take your stinking paws off me, you damn dirty ___!”

40. Big name in pest control 43. 21-Down’s genre 44. Go bad 45. “Fancy ___” (children’s book series) 46. Word on a sheepskin 48. Knock the socks off 50. Lollipop alternative 51. Centers of operation 52. Remove, as rollerblades 55. Alternative reporting magazine 56. Doing stuff, probably Last week’s answers

36 · San Diego CityBeat · April 22, 2015

57. Chrysler compact 59. Turned white 61. Butterfingers 62. She’s into hip hop 65. 2011 hurricane 66. Banana cream ___ 67. Fast times?

68. It ends with “next year in Jerusalem” 69. “One more thing ...”

70. Took the lead

Down 1.

2.

3.

4.

Place for buds to hang out?

“Hi, Claudius!”

The Dalai Lama yours truly rounded up?

Valentine message from the spelling impaired 5. Shock with a gun 6. Less-than-spectacular vehicle?

7. “Have ___” (“Get comfortable”) 8. Bugle’s sound?

9. Really awesome PDA? 10. Road to nowhere?

11. Act out the chorus of Weezer’s “The Sweater Song”?

12. Few and far between 13. Lumberjack at work 21. “100 Miles and Runnin’” group 22. Showerhead?

24. Nursery powder 25. “Fuhgeddit” 29. Spur a horse on?

31. ___ avis 33. Chowder fish 35. Twitter event of 11/7/13 36. Make sure star pitcher has dinner?

41. Orange headphones for Google Music?

42. Where “FB” means Facebook: Abbr.

46. Space in a crossword 47. “I’ll take that as ___” 49. Get married 51. Pueblo builders 53. Parkinson’s medicine 54. Director’s direction 55. Pushed hard 58. More than competent 60. Houston-to-Beaumont dir.

63. Meter maid’s assignment: Abbr.

64. If you take it more than seven times, you’re supposedly legally insane

#SDCityBeat

#SDCityBeat

April 22, 2015 · San Diego CityBeat · 37

38 · San Diego CityBeat · April 22, 2015

#SDCityBeat

#SDCityBeat

April 22, 2015 · San Diego CityBeat · 39