San Diego CityBeat • May 31, 2017

@SDCityBeat

may 31, 2017 · San Diego CityBeat · 3

UP FRONT | FROM THE EDITOR

We work too damn hard, but who’s working for us?

T

That’s what makes an organization like Main here’s a pretty good chance that regular readers of this column are politically left-of-center, and Street Alliance San Diego so refreshing and vital. they read CityBeat to get some real talk on local Started 10 months ago, the band of more than 200 local independent businesses is part of a larger, napolitics from a progressive perspective.

Well, here’s some real talk: I just returned from a tionwide network of groups that are learning that nice little European vacation, and I’m here to tell any- there is strength in numbers. While Main Street Projone that will listen that we Americans work entirely ect Director Karim Bouris is keen to point out that too hard. Before anyone starts to think I’m segueing Main Street is not a union and is only given limited into some cringe-worthy diatribe about socialism, direction from the national and regional chapters, he says that the San Diego chapter’s main campaigns bear with me for a sec.

I love my work ethic and, unfortunately, it’s quint- are clearly about the rights of workers (immigration essentially America. I bust my ass to get this paper issues, health care, the environment and, naturally, out, often working way past regular work hours. I capital investment).

The chapter recently released a imagine this is also the case for TORREY BAILEY white letter (essentially a report on many of our readers and, just like the state of a certain topic) to the me, they can get a measly two weeks public and to the city detailing just off a year for paid vacation. That’s how hard it can be for small busithe American way. ness owners when they don’t have Meanwhile, over in Europe, most the city iteself in their corner. When of the countries have single-payer I spoke to Mikey Knab—Main Street health care systems, employees member and owner of Ponce’s Resmake a living wage and, what’s best, taurant—about it, he said that many get one to two paid months off a banks are still “lending in pre-reyear for vacation time. What struck cession terms” and that there’s still me the most on my travels was how a “pattern of discrimination” when happy most people are with their it comes to people of color. The respective jobs. Granted, most of chapter’s white paper focuses spethe people I encountered were in cifically on the County budget and the service industry or working for a both Knab and Bouris hopes that small business, but they all seemed the city will assist them in helping content in the fact they made a livfight against the corporate lending ing wage. practices that lead to many small We’re moving away from that Members of Main Street businesses either straddled in debt in the U.S., and San Diego unions, Alliance San Diego in or just out of business. once champions for worker’s rights, front of the County “Access to capital is very impordo what they can but are consistentAdministration building tant,” says Knab. “So all of our proly steamrolled by politicians and, more recently, their own kind (re: Mickey Kasparian). cesses are currently being developed. Sometimes you Entrepreneurship is down, and why shouldn’t it throw noodles against the wall and see what sticks. So be? It’s as if we learned nothing from the Great Reces- some of us are working from a policy legislative angle, sion. Small businesses employ half of the private sec- while some of us are working from a media standpoint tor but aren’t expanding. What’s worse, banks and the to change the narrative angle. Some of us are like, federal government are loosening lending standards ‘Let’s go talk to banks.’”

Knab says that Main Street has plans for some cool for big businesses and tightening them for smaller ones. If a small business does get a loan, it can some- fundraising events in the future, but that for now, the times be with a predatory lending entity that charges main goal is to get the city and county to see the benthem ridiculous interest rates that will, inevitably, efits of doing more to help small businesses thrive. make them less likely to give employees raises or offer I encourage readers to read the full interview with them health care (those freedom-hating socialists in Mikey Knab online at sdcitybeat.com where there will Europe don’t need to worry about that). More locally, be a link to Main Street’s site and white letter. these loans affect what a business can pay employees

—Seth Combs and, as a result, the wages are rarely commensurate with the high cost of living in San Diego.

Write to seth.combs@sdcitybeat.com This issue of CityBeat is wearing a beret.

Volume 15 • Issue 44 EDITOR Seth Combs

SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Jason Noble

ART DIRECTOR Carolyn Ramos

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

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Torrey Bailey

EDITORIAL INTERNS Sofia Mejias-Pascoe

ACCOUNTING Sharon Huie, Alysia Chavez Linda Lam

PRODUCTION MANAGER Tristan Whitehouse

HUMAN RESOURCES Andrea Baker

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4 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · MAY 31, 2017

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@SDCityBeat

may 31, 2017 · San Diego CityBeat · 5

UP FRONT | LETTERS

TABLE

ROAR AND POUR

WEDDING CRASHER

A few years back, I worked at Wild Animal Park (now Safari Park) and, because I was over 21, I could work in the kiosks selling draft beer, a favorite of European visitors [“2017 Summer Guide: Surviving the apocalypse,” May 17]. I was on early-morning duty when two disheveled-looking customers stumbled up to my booth. “Lord!” they said. “We need some beer.”

The couple had just spent the night at one of the first “Roar and Snore” weekends. They said it was a nightmare and they got no sleep whatsoever. It wasn’t nocturnal animal sounds that kept them awake, it was crying human babies and sleepless little children.

They said, “If they had only served drinks before bedtime, it might have gone a lot better.” So I suggested the Park should rename it “Booze and Snooze,” and make everyone happy. I even put this in the employee suggestion box, but heard nothing back. These genial tourists had paid a very large fee to experience discomforts they had not counted on. Nightcap, anyone?

Nancy Drew

Normal Heights

Great job, John Lamb, on breaking down for us what goes on behind the scenes among San Diego’s movers and shakers [“A rift-wrapped wedding,” May 17]. You are a true journalist—thank god for you and CityBeat.

WEEDING OUT Mr. Combs, Perhaps if Ms. Dumanis’ failed campaign had accepted “product” instead of cash we might of had a more contemplative/understanding DA department, maybe even gaining an additional Donut Bar location [“Incumbency interruptus,” May 10].

Mike Loflen Clairemont

Suzy Perkins La Mesa

FAULT LINES Liberals on this issue seemingly have lost their minds if they think just because we’re justifiably fighting radical Islamic terrorism/radical Islamists and Sharia law the latter which flies in the face of the U.S. Constitution, e.g., that somehow these latest attacks such as the one in Manchester, Great Britain are “our” fault [“Not here,” May 24]! What utter balderdash!

Fred Harden III

AKA “GreyHairandGreyMatter”

San Diego, CA

TWO WRONGS Dear CityBeat Mr. Combs, Thank you for your column on Manchester bombing, but you failed to recognize the motive was our destruction of Libya in 2011 [“Not here,” May 24].

I’m not saying it’s right to bomb little girls because we bombed little girls. Two wrongs don’t make a right.

But someone must call for a stop to the bombing and occupying in order to stop the blowback, and I hope it could be you. Thank you!

OF

CONTENTS

UP FRONT From the Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Letters to the Editor . . . . . . . . . . 6 Spin Cycle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Sordid Tales. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 At The intersection. . . . . . . . . . . 9

FOOD & DRINK The World Fare. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Dishing It Out. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Final Draught . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

THINGS TO DO The Short List. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Calendar of Events . . . . . . . . 13-15

ARTS & CULTURE Theater. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 FEATURE: Parkeology Tours. . . 21 Seen Local. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Film . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24-25

MUSIC FEATURE: The Verigolds. . . . . 26 Notes from the Smoking Patio. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 If I Were U. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Concerts & Clubs. . . . . . . . . 31-33

LAST WORDS Astrologically Unsound. . . . . . 34

ON THE

COVER

Valerie Sanfilippo San Diego CA

A weekly column devoted to our favorite holes in the road.

OF THE WEEK

This week’s pothole comes from Barbara Beaumont and it’s in our neck of the woods. Judging by the pic, we initially thought this one wasn’t much to complain about compared to some of the other craters in North Park. Upon closer inspection though, Beaumont wasn’t kidding when she said that the pothole was “breeding little rocks.” Another member of CityBeat’s staff also agreed that it doesn’t look like much, but feels “like your suspension’s going out when you drive over it.”

Have a pothole in your neighborhood or on your commute that has you fuming? Tell us about it. Send location and pics (but really, only if it’s safe to do so) to seth.combs@sdcitybeat.com.

6 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · MAY 31, 2017

For this week’s cover story, CityBeat editorial intern Sofia MejiasPascoe gets to know local indie band The Verigolds and learns where their music style is headed next. The Verigolds are seen on the cover through the lens of Strangers in a Fire, a San Diego photography duo consisting of Brandy Bell and Mitch Wilson. The two specialize in projecting designs and patterns onto men, women, couples and local musicians, such as The Verigolds. “We had done a shoot with Jenna before, and she was enthusiastic and easy to work with,” says Bell of The Verigolds vocalist Jenna Cotton. “So when she approached us about shooting The Verigolds, we put together a few projections, and they brought some from an artist they liked. It was a fun shoot, and they worked with us to get good shots.”

@SDCITYBEAT

JOHN R. LAMB

UP FRONT | OPINION

SPIN

CYCLE

JOHN R. LAMB

The Spinnies Hollywood—that’s where they give Academy Awards to Charlton Heston for acting.

C

—Shirley Knight

link clink clink Attention, ladies and gentlemen. If you think you’re at the San Diego County Taxpayers Association’s annual Golden Watchdog and Fleece Awards dinner, you’re evidently drunk, took a wrong turn and wound up here at the Spinnies. The good news is you won’t be fleeced $250 for attending this dinner. The bad news: No dinner. You won’t have to sit through insufferable video skits featuring our political “leaders” awkwardly dancing, lip-syncing or—heaven forbid!—testing comedic chops while Rome burns.

In this case, Rome, of course, is San Diego. And while our own Nero, Mayor Kevin Faulconer, fiddles while peering into the crystal

@SDCITYBEAT

balls he’s juggling in the name of political patronage, the city seems headed down busted roads toward a future of unaffordability for many of its citizens.

So while you’re missing out on the self-congratulatory coziness of the Goldens—with its feel-good blend of alcohol, rubber chicken and cut-glass trophies—keep in mind attending the Spinnies costs you nothing. OK, some of you are heading toward the exits anyway, so let’s get on with the awards.

Sacrifice in the Face of Pallor Boy, this one was a toss-up between ex-car-dealership-lion/ mayoral adviser Steve “Dealmaker” Cushman and local Congressman/vaping-extraordinaire Duncan “Bunnyman” Hunter.

Cushman, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune, offered to forgo a full four-year term on the

San Diego Port Commission to replace convention-center-expansion-enthusiast/ad-man Bob Nelson, who recently resigned from the commission so his high-powered PR firm could pursue lucrative business opportunities. The only problem with Cushman’s generosity is that Nelson’s replacement— to be determined by the San Diego City Council in June—will simply fulfill the remaining 18 months of Nelson’s term.

But while that type of sacrificial ineptitude might sweep the Spinnies in a normal year, this year’s award has to go to Rep. Hunter, who has not only defended President Agent Orange with an uncanny flair for the factless but topped it off with a lateentry suggestion that journalists shouldn’t be body-slammed “unless the reporter deserved it.”

The Los Angeles Times declared the comment an “interesting take” on the Montana incident, which the purveyors of the Spinnies will translate to mean “harebrained” in honor of the congressman’s well-traveled pet bunny. The congressman can pick up his award when he explains his sentiment, which is likely never.

Will He or Won’t He? Mayor Faulconer is vying fiercely for this award. He kept his pow-

That tinkling feeling, Mayor Faulconer? It’s Spinnies time! der dry for as long as he could on the downtown stadium ballot measure last year before toe-tipping into the Measure C fracas late— and unconvincingly for voters.

Statewide pundits still poke the frozen body to see if the Republican mayor will run for governor in 2018 against a growing pack of Democrats, but time is ticking by.

As political expositor Joel Fox put it just a week ago, “Republican big wallets have yet to be convinced that a member of the GOP can win the governorship. But economic circumstances and overreach by the far leftward march of the Democrats in California could bring about a recalculation.”

This speculative exercise in futility—perhaps just to boost Faulconer’s fledgling political stature beyond city borders—could continue for some time, earning the mayor a special place in Spinnies lore.

As Transparent as Tapioca Spinnies could be handed out to a whole host of deserving obfuscators in this category, but the county Board of Supervisors seems prepared to elbow competitors out of the way for this honor.

The board will soon decide on a replacement for District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis, who will resign July 7 with an alleged intent to run for a supervisorial spot in 2018.

Dumanis has been touting her personal choice as heir apparent, Deputy District Attorney Summer Stephan, for months now, and the board seems unconcerned about the perception from some in the community that the fix is in.

Perhaps this award will be moot, considering that the county clerk on Tuesday (a day before the deadline) said only one completed application had been received to replace Dumanis for the remainder of her term. That application was by former deputy DA Adam Gordon, who has pledged—unlike Stephan—not to run for the position next year.

Even if so, county Supervisor Ron Roberts should take the award home anyway for suggesting that prospective DA applications could change their mind about running in 2018 after taking the interim position. Yes, if political suicide is your cup of tea.

Spin & Fall Local Republican stalwarts, doing their best soft-shoe impersonations in hopes of avoiding the scorn of tweet-happy President Golf Cart, were running away with this award—until this weekend.

Overruling the judges in this category, Spin decided Sunday to bestow this award to the entire San Diego road system, which seemingly crumbles to new low standards daily. On Sunday, a pleasant afternoon stroll turned traumatic when Spin’s better half tumbled to the ground while attempting to cross a busy street, breaking two bones in her arm and possibly a couple more in her hand.

As Spin picked her up off the ground and got her to the curb to assess the damage, drivers sped by but offered no assistance. Fortunately, a neighbor was home and got us to a nearby Urgent Care, from which we emerged hours later with her arm in a bandaged, makeshift splint.

Spin later returned to the scene of the fall to examine the roadway.

A previous stretch of patchwork for utility undergrounding on the sloped road had buckled skyward, creating a visible crack from one side but a blind drop on the other.

If city leaders think citizens are impressed with inside-baseball contortions about soccer dreams and big-ticket conventioneers, let it be known that the Spinnies could be waiting for them next year. And there will be nothing golden about that.

Spin Cycle appears every week.

Write to johnl@sdcitybeat.com.

MAY 31, 2017 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 7

UP FRONT | OPINION

EDWIN DECKER

SORDID

TALES

The Sword of Deadline-ocles

Breaking News! It ain’t easy typing when your hand is in a cast. Please enjoy this classic Sordid column from October 2009 while I heal.

I

t’s Thursday night, seven minutes after midnight, which technically means Friday. My column—this column—is due on Friday. The Sword of Deadlineocles hangs over my head. I blame Rob. Rob and I are friends and all, but the other day he said something that irritated my ass off.

He was detailing the reasons he was not impressed by a recent column I had written and concluded by saying, “I could tell that you phoned that one in.”

Now, normally I welcome criticism. Constructive criticism has improved my writing a great deal over the years, not the least of which came from Rob, who you can always count on for honest and intelligent critique. So, I hope you take it in the right spirit, Rob, when I tell you to lick my festering liver blisters.

This is not the first time I’ve heard that particular criticism. There have been many friends and acquaintances over the years who have accused me of “phoning in” one column or another—meaning, I assume, that I did not try hard enough or care sufficiently about the article in question. Well, for the record, I have never phoned one in.

This is not to suggest that I am incapable of not caring or not trying. The truth is, phoning shit in is something at which I excel: I phone in my chores, I phone in my taxes, I phone in my workouts.

I’m generally a lazy person who would phone in his phone calls if such a thing were possible. But this column is different. This column, you know, it goes out there; it goes out to actual people—people who scrutinize it—people who are just waiting for it to start sucking, so they can tear me to shreds. People like you.

Don’t deny it. You know it’s true, even if you don’t know it yet. Not to worry. I’m not mad. Because I’m the same way. It’s how we all are. We’re all waiting for somebody to start sucking so we can tear them to shreds, and I live in fear of that day when I start sucking and you start shredding. This is why I spend a lot of time on these columns—spend a lot of time inventing ridiculous word thingies, absurdly hyphenating existing phrases for the purposes of laugh-getting, creating MIAs (Meaningless, Irrelevant Acronyms), imagining various festering organs for my cankercovered nemeses to lick and, the hardest part of all, finding the right column topic.

Sordid Tales is due every other Friday at 2 p.m.

The only time I have any peace in my life is the weekend after I send it in. It’s the time when I don’t worry about what the hell I’m going to write about for my next column. But come Monday the mad dash to find a premise begins.

I know, I know, at that point, my next deadline is still 11 days away. So why the rush to find a topic?

Because I go through topics like coyotes go through canyon puppies.

Here is my life on the Biweekly Hamster Wheel of Despair: I spend one or two days searching for a column idea, followed by one or two days working on it, after which I realize the idea is rubbish, toss it, find another, work it and toss it. I usually do this several times per deadline, and before I know it, it’s Thursday night / Friday morning again and I’ve got the Hamster Droppings of Damocles hanging over my head.

Take this column you’re reading now. Originally it was called (ugh) “Phoning it in.” I pondered for days about whether to go with it, mostly because, a long time ago, I swore I would never do this. I swore I would never write a column about how difficult it is to write a column. It’s the first thing they teach you in Column College. However, Rob’s “phoning it in” comment kept nagging me, taunting me. I had to write about it, which presented another problem: If I do write about writing my column, should I write that I know it’s wrong to write about it? My inclination is, yes. If I write that I know it is wrong to write about my writing, the reader might give me a pass. Of course, the whole thought process sent me headlong into the obvious, imminent, infinite regression vortex because now I’m writing about writing about whether it’s right to write about my writing, and uh-oh, see that? I just wrote about writing about writing about writing...

The whole thing became so ludicrous that I tossed it in the trash and began working on another idea, which was the adverse effect that eating pot brownies has had on my sanity. I moiled on that piece of garbage for two days before I realized that writing about the adverse effect pot brownies have had on my sanity was adversely affecting my sanity. So I trashed it and retrieved the “phoning it in” file—this file—to see if I could make something of it. I gave it a useless acronym (MIA) an absurdly hyphenated word (Deadline-ocles), a festering organ for somebody to lick (blistering liver), then took a sip of coffee, blinked my eyes, looked at the clock and the clock ticked Friday—that confounded sword shimmering a mere quarter inch from my throat. I had no choice but to send this to my editor, as is.

It was a decision that has inspired a minor panic reaction within me. In my mind, I see you all scoffing as you read this. I see you tapping your friend on the shoulder. “Get a load of this piece of trash,” I see you saying to your friend in my mind. And, yes, perhaps it was a mistake to submit this column. I don’t even know. I never know. The only thing I do know is, I didn’t phone it in. I dragged it in, on bloody hands and knees, again.

The truth is, phoning shit in is something at which I excel.

8 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · MAY 31, 2017

Sordid Tales appears every other week.

Write to edwin@sdcitybeat.com. @SDCITYBEAT

CULTURE | VOICES

MINDA HONEY

AT THE

INTERSECTION

Eating watermelon in public is white privilege

I

was on my way to lunch when I passed a local boutique. In the window was a mannequin dressed in a skirt designed to look like a slice of watermelon.

“Oooh!” I thought. Fruit on a summer skirt? Cute! I was at a light, so I reached for my phone to take a pic to send to my sister. She’d dressed her husband and baby and herself up as various fruits for Halloween.

She looked so cute as a pineapple that I could totally see her rocking that skirt at a cookout. And then I remembered: racism.

I couldn’t imagine any Black woman feeling comfortable wearing that skirt any place where she might be the only Black person present. According to the algorithm of racism, Black folks are not afforded whimsy when it comes to watermelon. We can’t even eat watermelon in public in white-dominated spaces. Don’t believe me? Google “Obama eating watermelon.” Legit every photo that comes up is some sloppily slapped together, Photoshopped meme. In more than a decade of public life, there hasn’t been a single photo of Obama enjoying one of summer’s top fruits. Yet, there are at least a dozen manufactured photos because racists are all like, “BLACK PEOPLE EATING WATERMELON HAHAHAHA.” Racism is not fertile breeding ground for creativity, so racists have been recycling the same weak-ass slights for generations. Since basically slavery—you have Google, you look up the exact year—AfricanAmericans have been associated with watermelon as a symbol of our supposed inherent laziness because obvs working yourself to death for free requires minimal work ethic. So, growing up Black and bougie, there comes the day when you realize chowing down on watermelon around your white coworkers isn’t a good look.

I can remember as a kid, before the rules of racism were a major imposition on my image, walking down to the house on my cousin’s street corner where the Candy Lady lived and buying slices of watermelon bigger than our heads. We’d give her a quarter, and she’d give each slice a sprinkle of salt before handing it to us. We’d walk back down the street, eating happily, our faces sticky with watermelon juice, droplets dripping onto our t-shirts and spitting out seeds as we went. Happy times.

Fast forward to 2009. I was at a Black History Month networking event at the Cicada Club in Los Angeles. The event was hosted by the Urban League and a few other Black professional organizations. I got there early with my girls, so the spread of finger foods had yet to be touched. On the fruit platter there were strawberries, pineapple, cantaloupe, grapes and small slices of watermelon. By the end of the night,

only the small slices of watermelon remained. There was a photographer flitting around the venue. I knew that I personally didn’t want to be in any photos grinning into the camera with one arm around a friend and a slice of watermelon in my hand. And I guess I wasn’t the only one who felt that way. That was the first time I Googled “Obama eating watermelon.” I wondered if this was an official stance taken by his team or if it was an unsaid rule he just knew to obey.

Before I knew it, I was writing mental fan fiction of the Obamas covertly enjoying watermelon together: They’re in a small town on the coast and get caught in a surprise summer rain shower and duck into a café, feeling alive and more in love than ever. When they notice watermelon on the menu, they exchange a knowing glance and decide to be reckless and order a few slices. The café owner knows what’s up, locks the front door and pulls the blinds closed. They savor the sweet taste of freedom. Fin. But, back to the skirt. On Facebook, a friend posted a picture of the same skirt on Amazon. A vendor had deemed it appropriate to describe a watermelon print skirt as “African Ethnic Print.” Nope. Nooooooo.

C’mon. Amazon must have agreed this was unacceptable because the item was taken down less than 24 hours later (the skirt is still available from other vendors that wrote less inflammatory descriptions).

But it’s not just watermelon.

Members of marginalized communities have to constantly monitor their own behavior to avoid stepping into any racist tropes. These rules might seem silly, but they’re the IRL equivalent of not feeding the trolls. The fear is that if I’m seen eating watermelon, then a racist can go “Ah, so it is true that Black people love watermelon, and that means all these other bullshit stereotypes about Black people must be true too!” Again, this seems absurd, but the news is filled with headlines that use assumptions about Blackness to justify police brutality, particularly against Black children. Even making the choice to break the rule and snack on watermelon whenever and wherever still means acknowledging the existence of the rule first.

It’s cool, though, we’re progressing as a society. I predict we’re about two more years worth of mayonnaise memes before white people start to feel self-conscious about ordering extra Miracle Whip on their sandwiches and shoving their jars of Hellmann’s to the back of the fridge when company comes over. Equality, like revenge, is often a dish served cold.

Racism is not fertile breeding ground for creativity, so racists have been recycling the same weak-ass slights for generations.

@SDCITYBEAT

At The Intersection appears every four weeks.

MAY 31, 2017 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 9

UP FRONT | FOOD

BY MICHAEL A. GARDINER

THE WORLD

FARE Shanghaied!

I

was excited when I got word that a place describing itself as a “Chinese tapas bar” would be opening in Point Loma. I love tapas, I love dim sum and I loved the idea of the intersection of the two. Then, unfortunately, I actually ate at Shanghai Bun Chinese Tapas Bar (1029 Rosecrans St.).

The prospect was distinctly more tantalizing than the reality.

It’s possible that the offerings on Shanghai Bun’s Chinese Tapas menu aren’t bought frozen and then reheated in back—I didn’t specifically ask and would not have necessarily believed the answer had I done so—but in many instances that is certainly what seemed to be the case. Take, for example, the eggrolls. The menu describes the two available eggrolls as “crispy,” but instead of the golden brown look of expertly fried food, these had a combination of oily sogginess and a white, blistered and bubbled surface accompanied by a whiff of the unmistakable smell of spent oil. They certainly seemed to be pre-fried (perhaps frozen) eggrolls that just took a return trip to the deep fryer.

Shanghai Bun offers two steamed bun dishes: pork belly sliders and bulgogi tacos. Each are fillings stuffed in pre-made buns (no shame there).

The pork belly did not seem to have been prepared in-house, instead sporting a loaf-like texture, although it was one of the tastiest bites at the restaurant. Both beef bulgogi tacos, however, had varying temperatures: cold on the inside, lukewarm on the outside. Exactly what one might expect from a reheated, pre-made mixture.

The story was the same with the pot stickers and the shu mai: dumplings that certainly seemed

10 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · MAY 31, 2017

a lot like the ones available frozen in any Asian market to be reheated at home. They weren’t terrible and would have been perfectly satisfactory as late-night snack food. Something quite similar to the supposedly “handmade” pork and napa cabbage potstickers is available frozen in the WeiChuan brand at $5.69 for 1.3 pounds. I’ve had it and enjoyed it more than the ones at Shanghai Bun (though it was quite an evening leading up to one of my rare trips to the microwave oven).

The bottom line is that the dim sum at Shanghai Bun was likely the worst I’ve ever tasted at a restaurant. It frankly does not matter in that regard MICHAEL GARDINER

Pork belly sliders and bulgogi tacos whether the menu items arrive at the kitchen’s back door frozen and pre-made. If they’re being made “fresh,” they still taste no better than if they’re reheated frozen.

Either way, the quality is extremely poor for dim sum that is rather expensive. And cost is certainly an issue. An order of those potstickers: $9.00. The steamed bun dishes: $6.00. Those horrid eggrolls will set you back $4.00 (more if Obamacare is repealed). I’ll happily pay for good food. I will not happily pay more for food that is worse than stuff that costs less.

I rarely ever review a restaurant on only one paid visit. I originally intended to go to Shanghai Bun two or three times and even planned to go back after that first meal. I quite simply could not make myself do so. It was that disappointing.

The World Fare appears weekly.

Write to michaelg@sdcitybeat.com.

@SDCITYBEAT

UP FRONT | FOOD

BY JAMES VERNETTE

DISHING IT

OUT Buying the farm

C

itybeat showcased La Mesa in its monthly Neighborhood Watch feature back in October and, since then, other local pubs have followed this one's lead by declaring La Mesa cool. Business owners have done their part by opening up on-trend businesses such as pot dispensaries and noodle shops to help push the progressive needle.

Still, as nice as it is to live in La Mesa, it has lacked a true reason for foodies to visit—until now.

A few months ago, Farmer’s Table (8141 La Mesa Blvd.) opened up in the La Mesa Village in what was formerly the location of Sanfilippo’s Pizza, the type of Italian restaurant you go to before high school football games.

Farmer’s Table is more upscale: This Italian eatery is designed to look like rooms of an affluent home, even including books on the wall. The end result is forcing locals to do something they haven’t had to do in other nearby restaurants: Make reservations.

Diners who live to eat will probably enjoy Farmer’s Table for the most part. Those looking for something more elaborate may think "WTF?" That’s because the menu consists of simply prepared items using high-quality ingredients. The vegetables aren’t drowned in sauces because the chef doesn’t have to hide anything.

Take the burnt carrot salad: The carrots are burned until smoky and then shaved. Sweetness and smokiness is emphasized and enhanced with the help of red onion, avocado, cilantro, feta and a light thyme-citrus vinaigrette. It’s one of those dishes that seems so simple and elegant that those who try it will surely be tempted to make it at home.

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The bison tartare is another winning starter: Raw bison meat chopped up with avocado, garlic, capers, a quail egg and mango-pomegranate salsa that has a nice blend of sweet and savory. There is also lots to like with the pear ricotta bruschetta: The fruit is at its peak and plays well with the softness of the ricotta and the crispness of the artisan wood-fired bread. However, the addition of honey makes it a little too sweet for a starter (but an excellent dessert). I think a drizzle of balsamic vinegar might work better than the honey.

I have to give props to my server. I was torn between the black and white tagliolini, a seafood pasta dish served bouillabaisse-style, and the pappardelle, which is served with a sauce made from oxtail and porcini mushrooms. The seafood pasta was $10 more than the pappardelle, and the guy could have easily upsold me. He didn’t. He JAMES VERNETTE passionately promoted the $18 pappardelle— which was as close to an authentic Italianstyle bolognese sauce I’ve seen here.

The short rib with polenta and braised greens was also a delightful entrée. The meat fell off the bone and had the perfect slow-roasted tang, while the greens added a touch of bitterness Bucatini that came to life in the meat drippings.

Not everything was perfect. My wife got the vegetarian pasta dish, which had bucatini, broccoli, roasted tomatoes and dried ricotta cheese. She thought it was just OK, but she wasn’t raving like I was about my dishes.

She did, however, like the wine prices. There were some expensive bottles of wine, but the $24 Malbec went well with our meals and seemed like a bargain since we got four glasses of wine for the price of two cocktails.

Farmer’s Table is the type of place that a lot of La Mesans hoped would eventually come to the city.

Now that it’s there, they do seem to be enjoying it and, for the most part, I certainly did.

Dishing It Out appears every other week.

MAY 31, 2017 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 11

UP FRONT | DRINK

THE

BY ANDREW DYER

BEERDIST

Don’t haze me, bro

W

feel than more traditional West Coast IPAs. Many Northeast IPAs are also brewed with oats, but with its clear, golden hue and bitter finish, Pickleweed Point is yet another West Coast winner from Pizza Port.

If there is one local IPA that I’d say is a not-tomiss this summer, it’s Rip Current Brewing’s Off the Lip IPA. Its current 3.83 (out of 5) rating on Untappd is a crime against good taste—this is the kind of IPA that wins medals. Its hop profile is intense, with—as claimed on the can—multi-session dry hopping at four intervals. This results in a beer

hile hazy IPAs still dominate conversations in the beer community, San Diego remains at the top of the heap when it comes to the more traditional West Coast style.

Hype probably only drives a small sliver of the beer market, but there are a lot of great locally-brewed and canned IPAs just out for the summer season that deserve some recognition.

Bitter Brothers has been open in Bay Ho since January 2016, but it has just entered the canning ANDREW DYER game. The first batch of packaged beers features four tasting room favorites such as the Golden Child Hefeweizen, Prodigal Son IPA and the Family Tart Berliner Weisse. But it is the overachieving Little Brother Citra IPA that stands out. At just 4.75 percent ABV this little session crushes with huge citrus aroma and full-fruited hop flavor. Although this one is a little on the cloudy side, make no mistake— it’s a West Coast through and through, and a great addition to any ice chest on a summer afternoon.

Mother Earth Brew Co.’s latest release from its “ResinaLocally-brewed canned IPAs: Pizza Port’s Pickleweed Point, tor” series is the Power of Love Bitter Brothers’ Little Brothers Citra, Mother Earth’s IPA. The purple cans are hard to Power of Love and Rip Current’s Off the Lip miss on the shelves, and, according to one store I went to, hard to keep on them as well. Power of Love is a little bit with a floral aroma and tropical fruit flavors. It’s a of the old with a little bit of the new—its caramel- West Coast IPA that vastly outperforms most of the copper color and balanced malt bill recall earlier trendy haze-bombs many beer bros line up for, and IPA traditions, while a modern hop profile fights off is available at bottle shops sans hassle or hype.

These are just a few of the outstanding and unany cloying sweetness associated with more maltforward IPAs. This beer is a nice reminder of how der-recognized IPAs local brewers are cranking out for the hot months ahead. What’s more, they are balanced IPAs can be truly delicious.

It should be no surprise the Pizza Port would be reminders that although there is a lot of innovation mentioned on any list of great summer IPAs. I have and creativity at work on hazy IPAs, the West Coast not been able to go without the just-released Pick- is still the best coast. leweed Point in my fridge since its release a few weeks ago. Pickleweed is an oatmeal IPA—brewed The Beerdist appears every other week. with oats—that delivers a softer, creamier mouth- Write to andrewd@sdcitybeat.com

12 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · MAY 31, 2017

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SHORTlist

EVENTS

ART

the

THREE YOU HAVE TO SEE

COORDINATED BY

SETH COMBS

NORMAL HEIGHTS AND KENSINGTON

1

AROUND AND AROUND

When it comes to the art, more than 100 local Technically, the first day of summer is June 21, but everyone in the CityBeat office is well businesses all along Adams Avenue—from Hamaware that, when it comes to events, the first day of ilton Street in Normal Heights to Vista Street in summer is June 1. Why? It’s just that week where Kensington—will turn into impromptu galleries, there are so many cool COURTESY OF ART AROUND ADAMS showcasing more than 50 local artists. There events to kick off the will be live performancseason (take a look at es, including profesthis week’s calendar or sional wrestling and live at the events below for music from artists such more to choose from). as Imagery Machine, But if there’s one The Phantoms and event that always Gregory Page. Walkseems to signal the ofing the long stretch of ficial beginning of sumAdams won’t be an ismer it’s Art Around sue, as there will be a Adams. Now in its 14th complimentary comedy year, it’s an event that, trolley with stand-up despite its art-centric Art Around Adams comedians performing name, should really be called Art-and-Just-About-Everything-Else throughout the day. When it comes to new additions, Rosen says, “Art Around Adams has gone Around Adams.

“Art Around Adams showcases a versatile scale international this year” with a display of Mexican of creativity among artists of all kinds,” said Exodus artists at The Ould Sod bar.

“We felt it important to include our neighbors to Studio’s Executive Producer and Art Around Adams organizer Adam Rosen. “The Art Around Adams ex- the South, showing that art has no bounds, borders or perience offers something for everyone and enables walls, and that we must all stay united.”

It all happens Saturday, June 3 from noon to you to indulge your senses in everything from art installations, live bands, DJ sets, performances and 8 p.m. The entire event is free, and all info can be found at artaroundadams.org. more.”

DEL MAR

2

JACUMBA

WILD, WILD WEST

Save a horse and ride a coaster, cause this year’s San Diego Fair theme is “Where the West is Fun.” Cowboy hats are obviously optional, but it’s definitely requisite to ride some rides, play some games and, best of all, stuff your face with a bizarre variety of deepfried food. If you don’t make it to opening day, there’s also a ton of fair events readers can plan their day around. There’s a live music lineup, a beer pairing dinner (June 15) and festival (June 16 to 18), a cocktail festival (June 24) and even farm-to-table events throughout the month.

The wild western festivities begin Friday, June 2 at 4 p.m. and runs through July 4 with tickets ranging from $11 to $18. Kids ages five and younger are free. sdfair.com COURTESY OF SAN DIEGO FAIR

3

DESERT DAZE

The influx of tourists and visitors that floods San Diego every summer is, no doubt, well on its way. For some time away from the incoming crowds, In-Ko-Pah 4 offers a unique respite at the Desert Tower along Jacumba Road. The intimate overnight music experience takes place on a rocky hillside overlooking the scenic desert and features 14 bands native to the Southwestern region (most are from San Diego) such as Birdy Bardot, Mrs. Magician, Creepseed and The Widows. Gates for camping sites open at 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 3 and attendees should arrive with all camping materials needed, including but not limited to food, water, sleeping bags and firewood. Entertainment starts at 3 p.m. and goes into the night when campers can enjoy the music under the expansive starry view that the desert provides. The following day, Sunday June 4, attendees leave the site at 10 a.m.

Tickets range from $47 to $57 at inkopah.org.

COURTESY OF IN-KO-PAH

Murals of La Jolla Walking Tour at Athenaeum Music & Arts Library, 1008 Wall St., La Jolla. A guided tour led by project curator Lynda Forsha that visits more than half of the 16 murals currently on view around the neighborhood. From 5:30 to 7p.m. Wednesday, May 31.

Free. 858-454-5872. ljathenaeum.org HWonderspaces at Civita Park, 7902 Altana Way, Mission Valley. A pop-up exhibit featuring more than a dozen multi-sensory art experiences previously shown at events such as Burning Man, Sundance Film Festival and SXSW. Opens at 10 a.m.

Friday, June 2. $12-$24. 202-251-1258, wonderspaces.com HOne Hundred Years of One Hundred Handbags at Women’s Museum of California, 273 Historic Decatur Road #103, Liberty Station. Displayed in various shapes, sizes and accessories, this exhibit shows, through changing fashion, how women’s lives have shaped their handbag styles between the 1850s and 1950s. Opening from 5 to 8 p.m.

Friday, June 2. Free-$5. 619-233-7963, womensmuseumca.org Reign Upon Sunrise: A Five Year Healing, Meditation and Rebirth at Martha Pace Swift Gallery, 2820 Roosevelt Road #204, Midway. Acrylic artist Michael Carini presents empowering artwork he created over a five-year period, expressing themes of love, community and support that show evolution from darkness to light. From 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, June 2. 619-5183800, expressiveartinstitute.org HJorge Pardo at Lux Art Institute, Artist Pavilion, 1550 S El Camino Real, Encinitas. Meet and greet sculptor artist Pardo and fellow art enthusiasts at this members-only reception. Guests can enjoy mingling, drinks and hors d’oeuvres along with music and entertainment.

Opening from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, June 2. Free. 760-436-6611, luxartinstitute.org Ofrendxs at UCSD Visual Arts Facility Main Gallery, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla. Artist Patricia Zambrano presents her MFA thesis exhibition that includes a screening of a short documentary and performance works that incorporate nativity sets. Opening from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, June 2. visarts.ucsd.edu HThe Wet Chaparral at UCSD Visual Arts Facility Gallery, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla. The MFA thesis exhibition of Aubrey Hope, who specializes in sculpture and assembled work that incorporates natural materials, textiles, found objects and more. Opening from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, June 2 and 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 3. visarts.ucsd.edu HPROUD at The Studio Door, 3750 30th St., North Park. Featuring LGBT artists from around the U.S., artwork celebrates Pride Month featuring themes of identity, lifestyle and diversity among the LGBT community. Opening from 6 to 9 p.m.

Saturday, June 3. Free. 619-255-4920, thestudiodoor.com

BOOKS Melinda McDonald Pajak at Warwick’s Bookstore, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla.

The professor of history at USD will sign and discuss her new book, Ellen Browning Scripps: New Money and American Philanthropy. At 4 p.m. Saturday, June 3. 858-454-0347, warwicks.com Anthony Patton at Warwick’s Bookstore, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. As part of Warwick’s ongoing Weekend with Locals program, Patton will sign and discuss his thriller novel, Treaty Violation. At noon Sunday, June 4. 858-454-0347, warwicks.com

San Diego Fair @SDCITYBEAT

In-ko-pah

H = CityBeat picks

HKatherine Nichols at Warwick’s Bookstore, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. The longtime journalist will sign and discuss her new nonfiction book, Deep Water, about a group of teens who became drug kingpins in the early ‘70s. At 7:30 p.m. Monday, June 5. 858-454-0347, warwicks.com Eric Lichtblau at UC San Diego, Price Center East Ballroom, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla. The investigative CNN journalist discusses his book The Nazis Next Door, focused on how the U.S. allowed for 10,000 Nazis to take up residence in America after WWII. At 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 7. Free. 858534-2230, libraries.ucsd.edu

DANCE Minor Fall Major Lift at Lyceum Theater, 39 Horton Plaza, Downtown.

Malashock Dance and Art of Élan present an ensemble of expressive dance and live music that pushes boundaries, exploring life’s theme of “change” and people’s reactions to it. At 8 p.m. Thursday, June 1. $15-$45. 619-544-1000, lyceumevents. org Body Rock Dance Competition at Civic Theatre, 1100 Third Ave., Downtown. Hip Hop dance teams from Japan, China, Russia, France, Mexico and more perform in one of Southern California’s most prestigious dance competitions. At 6 p.m. Saturday, June 3. $20-$35. 619570-1100, sandiegotheatres.org

FOOD & DRINK Tijuana Craft Beer Expo at Plaza Monumental de Playas de Tijuana, Bullring by the Sea, Calle Cantera 360, Sección Monumental, 22504 Tijuana. Celebrating the craft and revolution of beer, Tijuana’s Baja Craft Beers welcomes guests to eat, drink and be merry with entertainment line-ups and headliners El Gran Silencio and Latin Grammy-nominated DLD. From 2 to 6 p.m. Friday, June 2 and Saturday, June 3. $10-$13. 609-123-123, expocerveza.beer The Vine Affair at various locations in Balboa Park. Balboa Park Cultural Partnership presents an evening of celebration taking place through five of the park’s museums, each with their own celebratory theme encompassing artisan food, wine, beer, art and live entertainment.

From 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, June 2. $35$100. 619-232-7502, bpcp.org HExcite + Unite at Bay City Brewing Co., 3760 Hancock St., Old Town. This fundraiser to benefit Children’s Legal Services of San Diego includes a live performance from local band Rare Form as guests enjoy Bay City Brewhouse beers and socialize with those supporting San Diegan children in foster care. From 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, June 3. $30. 619-7274926, baycitybrewingco.com HPink Boots Society Anniversary Beer Festival at Ingram Plaza, 2751 Dewey Road, Liberty Station. The organization, which supports women within the beer industry, celebrates its 10th anniversary with a festival offering unlimited tastings from more than 30 breweries. From noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 3. $15$60. pinkbootssociety.org

MUSIC Colleen Raney at Holy Trinity Anglican, 2051 Sunset Cliffs Blvd., Point Loma. The internationally acclaimed Irish singer is joined by musical artists Ryan Davidson and Stuart Mason for an intimate concert.

At 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 2. $22. 503459-8386, colleenraney.com

EVENTS CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

MAY 31, 2017 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 13

EVENTS

BOOKS: THE FLOATING LIBRARY Survival of the surrealist

A

hyena attends a ball wearing the face of a serving maid. A talking horse invites a young woman to a party at the Castle of Fear. A painter hired to produce a portrait of a nobleman’s dead wife discovers her own likeness in the painting.

These are some of the unusual scenarios you’ll find in The Complete Stories of Leonora Carrington published

by Dorothy, a publishing project, last month.

Carrington’s stories are part fairy tale, part nightmare.

They are packed with forests full of strange creatures and castles populated by the rich and well to do. Her protagonists are almost always young women at the margins of society who find themselves in surroundings ranging from the strange to the sinister.

Although the stories invoke bizarre occurrences that are tempting to call supernatural, they are rendered in language that suggests nothing out of the ordinary is taking place.

“The queen called me to her office. She was watering the flowers woven into the carpet.”

This deadpan delivery of her looking-glass world is used to great effect in Down Below, the true story of Carrington’s descent into madness Born in Britain, Leonora Carrington is probably best known as a surrealist painter, but she led a fascinating life. At 19, she began a whirlwind

romance with Max Ernst, a leading figure among the Surrealists. Ernst, who was married and considerably older, was pursued by the Nazi government for his decadent art. The couple fled first to the south of France and then to Spain. After Ernst was imprisoned, Carrington experienced a severe breakdown and was committed to a hospital in Madrid.

Down Below, which was published by the New York Review of Books simultaneously with The Complete Stories of Leonora Carrington to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Carrington’s birth, chronicles her unraveling. Compared to her short stories, Carrington’s account of her madness is almost subdued but has the same even tone throughout.

“Around eight in the morning, I would hear from a distance the siren of a factory, and I knew this was the signal for Morales and Van Ghent [Carrington’s doctors] to call the zombies to work and also to wake me, I who was entrusted with the task of liberating the day.”

Carrington’s refusal to delineate fact from fiction, nightmare from reality, is the mark of her greatness both as a painter and a writer. These books are a testament to her extraordinary vision and remarkable resolve.

—Jim Ruland

Write to jimr@sdcitybeat.com.

EVENTS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12 Lauren Alaina at San Diego County Fair, Del Mar Fairgrounds, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd., Del Mar. The country music singer and songwriter released her second album just this year and now makes her way from hometown Georgia to southern California for a concert at the fair. At 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 2.

Free with fair admission. 858-755-1161, sdfair.com Aloe Blacc at San Diego County Fair, Del Mar Fairgrounds, 2260 Jimmy Durante Boulevard, Del Mar. The Orange County native musician blends salsa, broken beats, hip-hop and ‘70s-style soul to make his own genre. At 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, June 3. Free with fair admission. 858-755-1161 sdfair.com The Work at Hand at various locations. The Mainly Mozart Musical Festival commences with two performances of an orchestral rendition of San Diego poet and writer Charlene Baldridge’s battle with cancer. Concerts preceded by hour-long wine receptions. At 7 p.m.

Friday, June 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 3. $58-$78. 619-239-0100, mainlymozart.org HIn-Ko-Pah 4 at Desert View Tower, 1 In-Ko-Pah Park Road, Jacumba Hot Springs. In its fourth year, the outdoor music festival presents The Mattson 2, Zig Zags, Birdy Bardot, Mrs. Magician and more. From 1 p.m. Saturday, June 3 to 10 a.m. Sunday, June 4. $47-$107. inkopah.org

14 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · MAY 31, 2017

Mainly Mozart Youth Orchestra at Balboa Theatre, 868 Fourth Ave., Gaslamp Quarter. An all ensemble concert with performance categories of Suzuki strings, beginning strings, intermediate strings, concert band, intermediate orchestra and advanced orchestra. At 5 p.m. Sunday, June 4. $15-$35. 619570-1100, sandiegotheatres.org La Arrolladora Banda El Limón at San Diego County Fair, Del Mar Fairgrounds, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd., Del Mar. Performing since 1997, this Mexican band, consisting of two groups, will share their traditional style of music with San Diego.

At 7:30 p.m. Sunday, June 4. Free with fair admission. 858-755-1161, sdfair.com HElvis Costello & The Imposters at Copley Symphony Hall, 750 B St., Downtown. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer continues his Imperial Bedroom and Other Chambers tour with the Imposters. At 8 p.m. Monday, June 5. $39.95-$125.

619-235-0804, sandiegosymphony.org HChris Potter Quartet at Athenaeum Music & Arts Library, 1008 Wall St., La Jolla. The summer concert series kicks off with the jazzy New York City-based quartet as led by Potter, who is considered one of the leading saxophonists of his generation. At 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 7. $21-$26. 858-454-5872, ljathenaeum.org Patti LaBelle at San Diego County Fair, Del Mar Fairgrounds, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd., Del Mar. Singer, songwriter

and actress LaBelle, a trailblazer in music history, specializes in R&B music and is best known for hits like “On My Own” and “New Attitude.” At 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 7. Free with fair admission.

858-755-1161, sdfair.com

POETRY & SPOKEN WORD MFA Graduating Students’ Reading at UCSD Literature Building Room 155, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla. Graduates Sarah Ciston, MarieJo Delgadillo, Kim-Anh Schreiber and Marco Antonio Huerta present their writing on the topics of borders, feminism, language and more. From 4:30 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 31. Free. facebook.com/ events/422897748102987

SPECIAL EVENTS Plant the Seed at Bread & Salt, 1955 Julian Ave., Sherman Heights. A night to introduce Terra Cultura and its mission to cultivate resilient communities via sustainable living and the arts. Includes discussions, music and refreshments.

Suggested donation. From 7 to 9 p.m.

Thursday, June 1. Free. terracultura. org Pink Boots Society Anniversary Conference at Lafayette Hotel Swim Club &

@SDCITYBEAT

EVENTS COURTESY OF THE ARTIST

“Top Surgery: 60 Days Post-Op: A Transgender SelfPortrait” by Mac McCuster will be on view at PROUD, a group show opening from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, June 3, at The Studio Door (3750 30th St.) in North Park.

EVENTS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14 Bungalows, 2223 El Cajon Blvd., North Park. The organization, which supports women within the beer industry, celebrates its 10th anniversary with a conference for female brewers that covers topics such as sensory evaluation, tap room management and more. From 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, June 2. $99-$170. pinkbootssociety.org HSan Diego Fair Del Mar Fairgrounds, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd., Del Mar. The annual event for rides, games and all foods fried has a country-theme this year complete with live concerts and events throughout the month. At 4 p.m. Friday, June 2. $11-$18. sdfair.com HBalboa Park After Dark at various locations in Balboa Park. The San Diego Museum of Art, San Diego Museum of Man, The Japanese Friendship Garden and other locations will stay open late with family friendly entertainment and gourmet food. From 4 to 8 p.m. Friday, June 2. Various prices. balboapark.org Orange Walk at Tidelands Park, 2000 Mullinix Drive, Coronado. The San Diego Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America host a walk in orange to show love and support for victims of gun violence, including a rally with Rep. Scott Peters, San Diego Councilmember Chris Ward, City Attorney Mara Elliott and others. At 9 a.m. Saturday, June 3. Free.

619-368-6171, momsdemandaction.org HArt Around Adams at Adams Avenue, Normal Heights and Kensington.

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The 14th annual showcase of creativity all along Adams Avenue. Includes art shows, music performances, a complimentary trolley with stand-up comedians and more. From noon to 8 p.m. Saturday, June 5. Free. artaroundadams.org Flag Day Parade at La Mesa Blvd., La Mesa Village Downtown. The parade will be led by the United States 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing Band as attendees march through downtown in red, white and blue to salute the Star Spangled Banner. At 10 a.m. Saturday, June 3. Free. 619-6671300, cityoflamesa.com

TALKS & DISCUSSIONS The Writer’s Coffeehouse at Mysterious Galaxy Book Store, 5943 Balboa Ave., Ste. 100, Clairemont. Author Jonathan Maberry hosts this informal group to discuss all things writing over coffee. No previous publishing experience necessary. From noon to 3 p.m. Sunday, June 4. Free. 858-268-4747, mystgalaxy.com

For complete event listings click on

the E vents tab at sdcitybeat.com

MAY 31, 2017 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 15

THEATER MATTHEW MURPHY

Paul Alexander Nolan in Escape to Margaritaville

Hello, Margaritaville

E

scape to Margaritaville, the world-premiere musical that kicks off La Jolla Playhouse’s season, is a Parrothead’s dream: a tropical island setting, beautiful people in aloha shirts and skimpy beachwear, and the carefree, sun-splashed songs of Jimmy Buffett. Oh, and a thatched-roof bar on stage that never seems to close.

For casual or non-Buffett fans, Escape to Margaritaville is a good-humored tale with little more at stake than whether a musical “beach bum” named Tully (Paul Alexander Nolan, who sounds like a NASCAR driver when he speaks) will win the heart of a comely workaholic from Cincinnati named Rachel (Alison Luff). The authors of the musical’s book, Greg Garcia and Mike O’Malley, do apply some narrative layers–like a volcano that blows its top and Tully’s becoming a big recording star in the States–but what we really care about is whether the young lovers pair up by show’s end.

Interestingly, the island romance between Rachel’s body-conscious but less-uptight girlfriend Tammy (Lisa Howard) and an insecure bartender (Charlie Pollock) is more fun than that of the leads.

The charm of Escape to Margaritaville, directed

by Christopher Ashley, is the ingenuity in which Buffett’s songs, especially the title tune, are woven into the story and the characters’ fates. Also to its credit are the surreal presence of some ash-covered dancing zombies, a couple of inspired aerial effects (ever try snorkeling in midair?) and wonderful sets

by Walt Spangler that will make you long for an island vacation yourself.

The bottom line is that this is a musical showcase for Buffett’s goodtime canon. Nothing that happens on stage connects more than the songs so beloved by his faithful over the years, performed on stage principally by the likable Nolan and a spirited band conducted by Christopher Jahnke. On opening night, Buffett himself, barefoot and brandishing his guitar, came on stage to lead the cast and audience in a rousing “Margaritaville.” Chill, Parrotheads: He won’t continue to do so throughout the show’s run.

Next stop for Escape, by the way, is New Orleans, a place where they already have partying down to a

16 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · MAY 31, 2017

tee.

Escape to Margaritaville runs through July 9 at La Jolla Playhouse’s Mandell Weiss Theatre, UCSD. $97-$150; lajollaplayhouse.org.

—David L. Coddon

Theater reviews run weekly.

Write to davidc@sdcitybeat.com.

OPENING: The Spitfire Grill: A woman with a mysterious past attempts to redeem herself in small-town America in James Valcq’s acclaimed musical drama. Directed by Jeffrey B. Moss, it opens May 31 at the North Coast Repertory Theatre in Solana Beach. northcoastrep.org Damn Yankees: The iconic musical about a rabid baseball fan who sells his soul to the devil in order to save his favorite team. Presented by San Diego Musical Theatre, it opens June 2 at the Spreckels Theatre in the Gaslamp. sdmt.org Loves and Hours: Friends of a recently divorced empty nester try to find new love despite the varying dramas surrounding him. Written by Stephen Metcalfe and presented by Scripps Ranch Theatre, it opens June 2 at the Legler Benbough Theatre in Scripps Ranch. scrippsranchtheatre.org Gruesome Playground Injuries: Rajiv Joseph’s stirring dramedy that follows the intersecting lives of two friends over the span of 30 years. Directed by Carla Harting, it opens June 7 at the UCSD Arthur Wagner Theatre in La Jolla. theatre.ucsd.edu

NOW PLAYING: Ballast: Georgette Kelly’s new play focuses on two relationships between trans and cisgender partners. Directed by Matt Morrow, it runs through June 4 at the Diversionary Theatre in University Heights. diversionary.org They’re Playing Our Song: Based on a real-life relationship, this musical comedy tells the story of a composer who falls for a female lyricist. It runs through June 4 at the Lamplighters Community Theatre in La Mesa. lamplighterslamesa.com Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters’ First 100 Years: This play presents the real-life memories of the civil rights era as recalled by the two iconic sisters. It runs through June 11 at the New Village Arts Theatre in Carlsbad. newvillagearts.org

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

@SDCITYBEAT

ART AROUND ADAMS

ART AROUND ADAMS

ART AROUND ADAMS

CULTURE | ART

n our current political climate, the southern border with Mexico has become a near-daily topic of national discussion. It’s become common to hear xenophobic demands to “build the wall!” uttered by people who’ve never even seen the border, let alone crossed it.

Yet for those of us who live along it, that territorial boundary has long been a ubiquitous presence, where an already-existing wall throttles vehicular traffic in either direction and divides families and loved ones stuck on either side. It’s a structure on which uncountable numbers of desperate immigrants sacrifice their lives attempting to cross every year.

But this wasn’t always the case. Over the last hundred years, the nature of the borMATTHEW BALDWIN

Casa Familiar in San Ysidro is one of Parkeology’s tour stops . der has shifted as frequently as the desert sands. During the Panama-California Exposition of 1915—the event which led to the creation of modern Balboa Park—visitors and tourists were offered a scenic trolley tour south into Tijuana, where they could carouse, shop or visit the racetrack before the trolley returned them to the exposition.

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For those exposition-goers, the southern border was porous, promoting a close economic and cultural symbiosis between San Diego and its southern neighbor.

It’s this experience that the public arts project Parkeology (parkeology.org) intends to recreate in next month’s upcoming Border Trolley Tours events. The hope is that the tours will demonstrate the metamorphic nature of that southern boundary. Working in collaboration with the binational arts organization Cog*nate Collective (cognatecollective.com), Parkeology will transform the Plaza de Panama into a Border Trolley Tours interpretive center, complete with peepshow viewers displaying detailed views of the border as it has evolved over the last century.

As with the historical tour, a trolley will take visitors on a tour of various sites, culminating in a stop at Friendship Park in San Ysidro. During the journey, live storytellers and audio recordings will chronicle the transitory human and animal history of the region.

Spearheaded by local artist Kate Clark, Parkeology creates public performance art pieces using the hidden history of Balboa Park as inspiration. Previous events include recreating (via costumes) the nudist colony in the Zoro Garden and depicting the preparation of San Diego Natural History Museum specimens as an audio/visual storytelling performance featuring a real-time taxidermy demonstration.

I recently sat down with Clark, as well as Amy Sanchez-Arteaga and Misael Diaz of Cog*nate Collective, to discuss the particulars of the project and was afterwards allowed to tag along on a test run of the tour.

While the event might seem topical in light of last year’s election results, Clark and her collaborators have actually been developing it since last summer when Clark first came across an old advertisement for the trolley tours.

“That served as an impetus for thinking, could we co-opt this very touristy experience, revisit this fluid movement between one cultural site in San Diego and use it to go south where the trolley tours currently never go?” says Clark.

“It’s a great opportunity to examine the legacies of the legislation that has taken place over the last hundred years,” says Sanchez-Arteaga. “The border isn’t a static thing. There’s a wall there, and we have a national rhetoric around it, but it’s also a myth, it’s a mythology, it’s a construct. As much as it is an actual object that sits there and divides a territory, it’s also something that shifts and mutates, like an organism in some ways.”

If the project feels immediate, Diaz says that’s because the border’s presence is constant for those of us who live in the vicinity, even if those effects aren’t always noticeable.

“These discourses aren’t new,” says Diaz.

“We’re thinking about the way the border has been constructed through political rhetoric about what it should be, with little regard for the actual experience of what it is to live in a binational territory. What is the border on the ground for the people that live it every day?”

Diaz cites previous occasions in regional

MATTHEW BALDWIN

Parkeology’s Kate Clark snaps a photo of the crew during a trolley tour test run.

and national history when anti-immigration xenophobia has gained a public foothold.

“This isn’t something new that we’re having to contend with, it’s more like an echo. And if it’s an echo, where did it start?”

Exploring the lived experiences of human beings throughout this time period is crucial to answering that question. “We think of it being such a long time ago, but actually there’s a pretty intact link,” says Clark. “This kind of archeological process becomes much more alive when it’s occurring through storytelling or through sound than when you’re experiencing it through a book.”

“Politics and history become very easy to essentialize when there’s no people involved,” adds Sanchez-Arteaga. “It becomes a radical act to introduce the notion of someone’s grandmother or great-grandmother who lived that experience.”

Parkeology’s mission statement in-

volves digging up the hidden history of Balboa Park, including the histories that have been the subject of deliberate erasure.

In this case, that means incorporating the role violent subjugation of the indigenous Kumeyaay people played in Balboa Park’s origin, and how the construction of the border devastated their nomadic cultural traditions. The first half-hour of the trolley tour will focus on indigenous history, with speakers from Kumeyaay Community College presenting cultural stories and traditional songs.

The full tours will occur on June 10, 17 and 24, and—like all Parkeology events— are free to the public, though reservation is required (the Plaza de Panama interpretive center is open to general park visitors).

While the version of the tour I participated in was largely a dry-run intended to work out logistical production issues, it remained a tantalizing glimpse into the border region’s complex, living history.

MAY 31, 2017 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 21

22 · San Diego CityBeat · may 31, 2017

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CULTURE | ART

SEEN LOCAL SUMMER ART SHOW PREVIEW

S

ummer is filled with diversions. Whether it’s time to take that yearly beach day (#gothsummer) or there’s family in town, we creative types are easily distracted. And while many of the major museums have already opened their ongoing summer exhibitions, there are some fantastic gallery shows and under-the-radar exhibitions that we should all put on our respective calendars now.

from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. and runs through July 29 at the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library (1008 Wall St.) in La Jolla. ljathenaeum.org Minis No, it’s not an exhibition of those silly British clown cars. It is, however, one of the more fun annual shows of the year. The premise is simple enough: Dozens of artists create works that are no larger than 10 inches by 10 inches and sell them for less than $200.

Artists include CityBeat faves such as Peter J. Geise, Hill&Stump and Monty Montgomery. It opens June 17 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Sparks Gallery (530 6th Ave.) in Downtown. sparksgallery.com

Game Masters I wrote an article a few years ago for CityBeat discussing the merits of considering video game design Wonderspaces I’ll be honest, I’m a little on the fence about this as fine art. I’m not sure if I ever came to a personal resolution in that debate, but I did one. Anything that touts itself as COURTESY OF WONDERSPACES see the logic in the argument that having “art experiences previously video games should be considered seen at world-class events includart. That’s the larger focus of Game ing Burning Man” is, in my humble Masters, which opens July 1 at the opinion, suspect. Still, I feel it’s inFleet Science Center (1875 El Prado) evitable that this will be one of those in Balboa Park. Sure, they’ll have shows people are going to be talking video games set up throughout the about thanks to the larger-than-life museum, but take the time to watch installation pieces and virtual reality and read the accompanying docuexperience. A note to locals: Please mental footage to get a sense of just seek out Carlsbad artist Adam Belt’s how much creative energy goes into “A Religious Experience” and New these fantastical worlds. rhfleet.org York City-based collective Illegal Art’s “The Last Word.” It happens Chris Smith: Abstract Works June 2 through June 11 at Civita Park Smith is one of the founding in Oceanside. Tickets range from $16 studio artists at The Studio Door art to $24 at wonderspaces.com. space in North Park and has since

become one of the area’s more acSD Art Prize: complished abstract artists. Filled New Contemporaries 2017 “A Religious Experience” with color and bizarre shapes, the If readers haven’t already seen

by Adam Belt at Wonderspaces paintings will not be up at Studio the San Diego Art Prize exhibition Door, but rather down the street at at the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library, please do so before the show closes on June 10. It’s worth it if only Art Produce (3139 University Ave.). It opens Friday, to see Shinpei Takeda’s work and Irma Sofia Poeter’s June 30 from 6 to 9 p.m. artproduce.org majestic collage piece. Opening the same night as that Brenda Biondo: Play exhibition’s closing, New Contemporaries 2017 is a Another photography show that has me particushowcase of all the 2017 Art Prize nominees including larly excited. Coming off an excellent survey of RichCityBeat faves such as Carrie Anne Hudson, Michelle ard Deacon’s sculptural works, San Diego Museum Montjoy and Brittany Segal. For the first time, the show of Art’s new exhibition focuses on COURTESY OF THE ARTIST will be held at basileIE + CM CuratoBiondo’s “Playground” series, comrial (2070 Logan Ave.) in Barrio Loposed of beautiful and often bleak gan. It opens June 10 from 6 to 9 p.m. portraits of dilapidated American sdvisualarts.net slides, swing sets, teeter-totters Jorge Pardo The Lux Art Institute’s last artist-in-residence showcase of the year is a particularly good one. The Encinitas space (1550 S. El Camino Real) has hosted the Cuban artist Jorge Pardo for the last few months, and he’s known his vibrant mix of painting, sculpture and design, which won him a MacArthur fellowship. He’s also known for using entire buildings as canvases so it’ll be interesting to see what he debuts at the public opening on June 17 from 5 to 9 p.m. luxartinstitute.org

and more. These will be displayed alongside selections from her “Paper Skies” series, which saw her cutting out the sky in her pics and making collage-type pieces contrasted against yet another pic of the sky.

Just check it out. It’s really cool. It opens July 1 and will be up through Jan. 7. sdmart.org

A Time to Heal Yes, another photographic show, but this one is so much more.

Opening July 29 at the Oceans“Hudson, CO - 2011” ide Museum of Art (704 Pier View

by Brenda Biondo Way), this group show is the result of workshops where war veterans wrote letters to Grace Bell: Music Scene Hair I’m a sucker for a good photography show. Photog- themselves reflecting on suffering and the healing raphy of musicians, whether they’re playing live or not, process. Then local photographer Trinh Mai had the is a real passion of mine. So this exhibition of Bell’s participants take the letter and use it within an art work is exciting, particularly for the fact that when it piece that depicted their own personal “war wounds.” comes to photographing jazz musicians, there aren’t She then photographed the vets with the “wounds” many that do it as well as Bell. From intimate portraits and the result is equal parts haunting and humbling. of Miles Davis to festival shots, this show should be a oma-online.org nice survey of Bell’s enviable career. It opens June 16

—Seth Combs

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MAY 31, 2017 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 23

CULTURE | FILM

The good fight

The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki

Biopic about famous Finnish boxer puts a new spin on the sports film

by Glenn Heath Jr.

L

ove and sports have never been natural bed- shouting journalists at a press conference cannot hide fellows. In films ranging from Rocky to Major the shine of Raija’s smile.

Shot in crisp black and white, Olli Mäki unfolds League, romantic entanglements distract competitors from victory, thus making them more vul- slowly and surely like a hazy memory just coming nerable to defeat. Gina Prince-Bythewood’s brilliant into focus. This feeling of intimacy infringes on the melodrama Love & Basketball seamlessly unwinds the self-importance and grandeur of the sporting event itcomplicated emotions underneath such warring im- self. At one point Elis states, “We’re bringing America pulses. It takes decades for fast-dribbling protagonists here,” revealing the strong sense of national pride played by Omar Epps and Sanaa Lathan to find mutual that Raija’s presence threatens. But Olli ends up questioning the importance of fame and fortune for other harmony on and off the court.

The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki, an award- reasons beyond love; he feels a palpable discomfort winning new feature by director Juho Kuosmanen, hobnobbing with sponsors, posing for advertising pictures and participating in a condenses this timeline down to state-sanctioned documentary. a matter of weeks yet is equally For him, imagining fighting in affecting. It’s based on the true front of a sold out crowd is “a story of featherweight boxer THE HAPPIEST terrible thought.” Each of these Olli Mäki (Jarkko Lahti), whose DAY IN THE LIFE frustrating experiences brings championship bout against him closer to becoming a prop.

American Davey Moore (John OF OLLI MÄKI Kuosmanen navigates all of Bosco Jr.) captivated all of FinDirected by Juho Kuosmanen the subtext and conflict graceland in 1962. Sidestepping the Starring Jarkko Lahti, Eero Milonoff, fully, infusing montages with nostalgia and heroism usually Oona Airola and Joanna Haartti electric guitar riffs that are associated with lionizing sports reminiscent of Jim Jarmusch. figures, it adopts an unassuming Not Rated Quiet scenes between Olli and visual style that mirrors Olli’s Raija momentarily drift into the modest demeanor. In doing so, deadpan universe of Finland’s Kuosmanen convincingly suggreatest director, Aki Kaurismäki. Yet Olli Mäki has its gests that triumph and joy are not one in the same.

On his way to Helsinki, Olli meets a luminous own sublime view of the world where love is not eascountry girl named Raija (Oona Airola). Feeling an ily attained nor abandoned. The characters reflect this instant attraction, he invites her to tag along much quiet persistence in their steady resilience and belief to the chagrin of his opportunistic coach Elis (Eero in one another.

Olli Mäki denies the usual visceral pleasures and Milonoff), who’s determined to keep their training regiment focused. Despite these efforts, Olli and Rai- protracted climax of the genre. The fight itself matja’s relationship becomes the film’s central focus. In- ters little in the long run, and the sting of this reality creased media attention and heightened expectations hits Elis hardest. But this is not his story. When Olli amplify the tension between professional aspirations and Raija leave the arena holding hands, it redefines what happiness looks like in the sports film. The regret and matters of the heart.

As athlete and coach continuously butt heads, and heartache that permeates through Oliver Stone’s interpretations surrounding dignity and masculinity Any Given Sunday or John Sayles’ Eight Men Out is nohelp clarify each man’s motivations. Once a champion where to be found. Olli Mäki doesn’t equate walking himself, Elis understands both the physical sacrifices away with losing; in fact, it sees this transition as the and moral compromises it takes to be the best. Olli’s organic next step for an athlete who dreams of being priorities change the second he falls in love, and that something more than a legend. shift in commitment subverts many of the genre’s most notable tropes. Rigorous training sessions are Film reviews run weekly. interrupted by fun jaunts to the carnival. Rows of Write to glennh@sdcitybeat.com

24 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · MAY 31, 2017

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CULTURE | FILM

Casting JonBenet

Always auditioning

O

ccasionally it’ll be worth discussing a notable streaming-only title in these pages, and Netflix’s Casting JonBenet fits the bill. Director Kitty Green’s strange and darkly funny doc/fiction hybrid revisits the famous murder of JonBenet Ramsey through a collage of candid interviews. The subjects are actors auditioning for parts in a new film about the case. At first, each performer seems like they are starring in their own Christopher Guest comedy, spouting off gossip and conjecture about the Ramsey family and the bungled police investigation.

But Casting JonBenet gradually evolves into something more profound. The subjects begin to

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open up, relating their own past experiences with the people they hope to portray. Sometimes their anecdotes center on trauma, and other times they are more playful in nature. The cumulative effect is an exploration of how actors (of all quality) humanize their subjects by looking inward. One woman equates performing with telling the truth, and her correlation becomes crucial during the film’s more confessional moments.

Collectively, the interview subjects allow Green an opportunity to consider a public consensus that resides somewhere between fact and fiction. Tragedy seems to inspire this kind of flawed psychological community space, and Casting JonBenet embraces the fog created by

misinformation through its glossy cinematic style. Smooth tracking shots and symphonic music cues define cheesy reenactments starring the chosen few. Where does history end and reality begin?

Casting JonBenet ends with a hypnotic montage featuring every actor who auditioned for Patsy and John Ramsey in a multi-room, open-faced set. We see them momentarily caught in different modes of performance, a striking visual allegory for fractured memory and perception. “People are quick to judge,” says one woman of the Ramseys. But Green’s film slows this process down to a crawl, blurring the distinction between people occupying both sides of the crime scene tape.

—Glenn Heath Jr.

OPENING Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie: Apparently this is a movie that exists. Based on the surely hilarious series of children’s novels.

drama from director Julian Rosenfeldt.

Opens Friday, June 2, at Digital Gym Cinema in North Park.

The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki: This lovely romance is based on the true story of Finnish boxer Olli Mäki, who met his wife while training for the 1962 Featherweight Championship fight against American Davey Moore. Opens Friday, June 2, at the Ken Cinema.

Wonder Woman: The famous DC superhero gets her own origin story in this action packed film by director Patty Jenkins (Monster). Chris Pine co-stars as a dashing young American serviceman.

ONE TIME ONLY Sixteen Candles: Molly Ringwald stars as a teenager who suffers multiple embarrassments leading up to her sixteenth birthday. Screens at 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 31, at The Pearl Hotel in Point Loma.

Rear Window: A globetrotting photographer (Jimmy Stewart) recuperating from a broken leg thinks he sees his neighbor commit murder. Screens at 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday, June 1 and 2, at Cinema Under the Stars in Mission Hills.

Singin’ in the Rain: Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds shake a leg in this classic comedy about a silent film production making the transition to sound. Screens at 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, June 3 and 4, at Cinema Under the Stars in Mission Hills.

Churchill: In the days leading up to DDay, tensions mount for Britain’s Prime Minister (Brian Cox).

For a complete movie

Manifesto: Cate Blanchett portrays 13 different characters in this experimental

at sdcitybeat.com.

listings, visit F ilm

MAY 31, 2017 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 25

MUSIC CELESTE BYERS

here are a few things to expect from a performance by San Diego’s The Verigolds. First, there’s the vibrant stage lights and dreamy visual graphics. Then there’s the bandmembers wearing flash tattoos and ‘70s-inspired attire. There’s also the crowd: a colorful bunch comprising half hippies and half hipsters.

There’s also a more remote possibility of seeing something a bit more startling, like the sight of drummer Craig Schreiber with his shirt half-ripped and bloody, as was the case at one of their shows a while back. “[Craig] had smashed so hard on his drums that he smashed his head open and was bleeding all down his chest,” says vocalist, guitarist and violinist Eliot Ross. “His shirt just had blood everywhere.”

For The Verigolds, getting a little wild on stage is all in the spirit of the band. The quartet—Ross, Schreiber, vocalist Jenna Cotton and keyboardist Ben Smedley—emanate brazenness and animation both in their music and live show. It’s not often that this translates into performances like the one at the OB Template, where Schreiber’s intense drumming ended in a busted, bloody face, but every now and then it just might. For the most part though, their shows are more about dazzling their audience with a magnetic presence and their catchy indie pop songs. And so far, it seems to be working.

The last year and a half has seen The Verigolds rise in prominence in San Diego’s music scene. They won Best Indie Album for their debut, For Margaret, at the San Diego Music Awards in March, which caught them by surprise. They recorded the entire album in their garage, which they converted into a recording studio. Though it was their first time recording as a band, the cohesion in the

26 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · MAY 31, 2017

Clockwise from top: Jenna Cotton, Craig Schreiber, Eliot Ross and Ben Smedley album reveals a certain level of maturity that is surprising for a band still in their relatively early stages.

Yet The Verigolds are in something of a process of evolution. They explain that For Margaret is an accurate snapshot of who they were when they recorded it.

“I could listen to that [album] when I’m like 40 and I would like emotionally feel where I was,” Cotton says.

For Margaret explores the dichotomies of sound and genre, playing between polar opposites and finding balance with contrasting elements: folk and electronic, acoustic and ambient, classic rock and synth-pop. The Verigolds take note from more conventional

rock influences—Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Bob Dylan—but also merge that with modern electronica artists such as The xx and Phantogram to build more immediate and eclectic compositions. Moving forward, though, their music will likely reflect something else as they intend to take steps toward a more electronic focused sound.

“It captured where we were in that point of the development,” Schreiber says. “That album, if we can say anything about it...we’re still striving for more, but that was a present, decent capture of that time.”

The Verigolds also say that their music was in part a reaction to the heavy rock sound that overtook San Diego a few years

ago when they first started as a band. Cotton and Schreiber in particular remember how heavy rock and punk dominated local venues and along with it an attitude that, to them, made the scene feel unapproachable and standoffish. Despite this, a growing popularity of electronic and indie pop sounds has allowed The Verigolds to make headway in a scene that had previously favored louder, heavier bands.

“There was so much psych-rock or just rock, and it was funny because like I would go to these shows, and it was very dark.

People were just standing, watching,” says Cotton. “It’s funny because when we first started about four years ago, it was a heavy psych-rock scene and it totally is trending into indie rock right now.”

Even though they say they realized early what they didn’t want to do as a band, there wasn’t always a clear idea of exactly what direction they would take. Back in 2012, when their formation took place, practices were held in Ross and Smedley’s studio apartment behind OB Noodle House, where they both worked at the time. The foursome squeezed themselves and their instruments into that cramped, shabby studio.

The band also remembers how some of their first informal audiences consisted of passersby who strolled through the alley next to their apartment—locals and drunks leaving Lucy’s Tavern down the street and sometimes dropping flowers through the window of the apartment. These spectators, the studio apartment and the community of Ocean Beach in itself is something The Verigolds attribute with the start of their band, helping to organically cultivate a sound inspired as much by their ambient surroundings as their natural intuition.

“We trust each other’s instincts, and we formed a sound through that as opposed to agreeing on a sound and going for that,” says Schreiber.

While The Verigolds explain that they’re not attached to any certain sound or outcome going forward, they do maintain the same attitude that brought them together in the beginning: an appreciation for honest, wholehearted expression.

“Free yourselves, free you as an individual. Don’t have this front because of some weird insecurity you have,” Schrieber says.

“Let me buy you a beer, and let’s open up and enjoy this music together.”

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may 31, 2017 · San Diego CityBeat · 27

28 · San Diego CityBeat · may 31, 2017

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MUSIC

NOTES FROM THE SMOKING PATIO LOCALS ONLY

M

arujah is getting ready to release a new album. The local rock/Latin fusion band, which blends styles such as punk, cumbia and reggae, have announced they will release Marujah Rising on June 30. The album was recorded with producer Jon Avila of Oingo Boingo, who vocalist and songwriter Enrique Madico says worked very closely with the band and even helped them arrange the songs after they were written.

“We got an opportunity to record with him for a single,” Madico says in a phone interview. “It ended up being such a great experience that [Avila] said, ‘When you’re ready to do a full record, I’d like to record it for you.’ He was pretty much a member of the band while we were recording it.”

Marujah Rising reflects the diverse sonic makeup of the band, which originally started in Nashville. There are elements of alternative rock and ska, as well as more traditional Latin American music. Because the band has a unique cultural background, Madico says, it’s important for their music to reflect that.

“Sonically, the band is its own little hodgepodge,” he says. “We have punk, rock, elements of world music. There aren’t many bands that are 50 percent hispanic and 50

Marujah percent American and reflect that in their music. So we like to carry that with us.”

The songs on Marujah Rising also reflect the time in which it was written: after the election of Donald Trump. Madico says that they didn’t want to make an album that was too serious or took away from the fun of the songs, but there is an element of protest music in their new songs.

“Marujah Rising was written in the aftermath of the rise of Trump,” he says.

“Capitalism run amok—all of the negative effects we’re seeing today. It’s an interesting dichotomy. We’re kind of a party band, but our lyrics are politically charged. A lot of what we do is political without explicitly saying ‘fuck Donald Trump.’”

—Jeff Terich

ALBUM REVIEW Age of Collapse Transmissions (Aborted Society)

A

lot happens in “Static,” the first track on Age of Collapse’s new album Transmissions. It opens with a melancholy drone, suggesting something dark and harrowing to come. Yet soon enough, that drone bursts into a manic explosion of crusty hardcore, complete with a series of black metal blast-beat eruptions. By the end, the song cruises into a Discharge-style d-beat gallop, the band guiding it toward the exit with a beastly round of gang vocals.

And all of this happens in one minute and 44 seconds.

Like the previously mentioned Discharge or fellow crust-punk icons Amebix, Age of Collapse doesn’t need a lot of time to lay down some devastatingly heavy sounds. “Static” is proof of that, as is the more direct, visceral charge of second track “Protocol.” But Transmissions isn’t an album that solely comprises undertwo-minute beatdowns and rave-ups. In fact, Age of Collapse have crafted a strong album on the whole, one that features not only its share of hyper-charged punk and hardcore songs, but an impressive diversity of sounds within their vicious, crushingly heavy realm.

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On Transmissions, Age of Collapse prove just as adept at slower, sludgier, more epic compositions, two of which arrive pretty early on. “Interference,” at just over five minutes in length, opens with a darkly eerie bit of ambience, taking its time to reveal itself before a round of chugging guitars ushers in one of the album’s most accessible, yet still gnarly, tracks. There’s a similar progression to “Malfunction,” which is six-plus minutes long and moves much more slowly.

It’s the most dirge-like track here, with guitars that ring open rather than continuously charge, though its most impressive moment comes at the end, when the song rides out on an atmospheric, extended gothic outro.

Though Age of Collapse’s slower, longer tracks certainly leave a forceful impact, there’s no question that the more direct hardcore numbers like “Walls” are more immediately satisfying and, for that matter, catchier. Age of Collapse prove themselves as versatile as ever on Transmissions, but they still make some righteously angry noise. It’s a hell of a sound.

—Jeff Terich MAY 31, 2017 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 29

MUSIC

JEFF TERICH

IF I WERE U A music insider’s weekly agenda WEDNESDAY, MAY 31

PLAN A: Scream, Death Eyes, Tightwads @ Soda Bar. Last week, Death Eyes were featured on our music pages (go back and read it!), and they’ve got a new 7-inch EP on the way. They’ll cause more of a ruckus in 10 minutes than most bands can in 60. PLAN B: Mount Kimbie, Ash Koosha, Tirza @ Music Box. Mount Kimbie isn’t the most prolific electronic outfit, but the UK bass duo has been releasing some excellent new singles of late, including a collaboration with Micachu. They’re always doing something interesting, and you can dance to it in person. BACKUP PLAN: Durand Jones and the Indications @ SPACE.

THURSDAY, JUNE 1

PLAN A: Wavves, Kino Kimino @ The Irenic. It’s been a few years since Wavves first rode the surf-punk hype, um, wave, but they’re still a fun band to see live, with lots of loud, fast and catchy punk tunes. BACKUP PLAN: Too Many Zooz @ Soda Bar.

30 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · MAY 24, 2017

FRIDAY, JUNE 2

PLAN A: Eyehategod, 16, Deathkings, Owain @ Brick by Brick. Eyehategod’s Mike Williams was in the woods for a bit, in need of a liver, but after a successful transplant and time to heal he’s back at the helm of this legendary New Orleans sludge outfit.

It’s the feelgood bleak, crushing noise metal story of the year. PLAN B: The Creepy Creeps, The Loons, Goldettes, Madly @ The Casbah. The Creepy Creeps are never boring. Whether turning up the volume in their classic masked presence or mellowing out as Creepxotica, they’re always a hoot.

BACKUP PLAN: Little Hurricane, The Midnight Pine, Birdy Bardot @ Belly Up Tavern.

val is returning with an impressive lineup of bands both local and from out of town.

Camp out, rock out, get weird. PLAN B: JOY, Feral Ohms, Amerikan Bear, Pins of Light @ Soda Bar. Which isn’t to say you can’t get weird right at home—JOY is one of the best psych-rock bands from our region, and they’re bound to make a loud, trippy haze of the evening. BACKUP PLAN: Nukem, Void Vator, Temblad, Malison @ Brick by Brick.

SUNDAY, JUNE 4

PLAN A: Justin Townes Earle, The Sadies @ Music Box. Justin Townes Earle, son of Steve, has definitely inherited his father’s knack for melody and songwriting, with affecting and twangy roots-rock songs worth revisiting over and over. PLAN B: Rob Crow’s Gloomy Place, Brokeback @

SATURDAY, JUNE 3

PLAN A: In-Ko-Pah 4 w/ Zig Zags, Mattson 2, Mrs. Magician, Birdy Bardot @ Desert View Tower. If you’re up for a drive to the Anza-Borrego Desert, the fourth installment of the ongoing In-Ko-Pah festi-

Justin Townes Earle

The Casbah. Rob Crow has always juggled a bunch of different projects at once and his newest, Gloomy Place, is exactly what you’d expect: catchy indie-pop tunes with eclectic arrangements and fun melodies. BACKUP PLAN: Gravespell, Fadrait, Christ Killer, Orphic Eye @ Soda Bar.

MONDAY, JUNE 5

PLAN A: No Vacation, The Bilinda Butchers, Stephanie Brown and the Surrealistics @ Soda Bar. It’s hard not to be charmed by a band named after My Bloody Valentine’s vocalist, and The Bilinda Butchers live up to it with some great dreamy pop music. BACKUP PLAN: Contact, Necro Monkey, Sundrop Electric @ The Casbah.

TUESDAY, JUNE 6

PLAN A: The Primitives, Cruel Summer, DJs Jon Blaj, Kyle Badour @ SPACE. A lot of readers probably remember The Primitives for their 1988 hit single “Crash,” but the UK jangle pop outfit has more than their share of great indie pop albums. Revisit a cult classic or discover them for the first time. PLAN B: Graves at Sea, Cave Bastard, Hours, Beira @ Brick by Brick.

Graves at Sea are sort of the opposite of The Primitives: All their songs are slow, loud and crushingly heavy. Make sure to get there early for local heavy-hitters Hours and Beira. BACKUP PLAN: Whores, Wrong, Bummer @ Soda Bar.

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MUSIC

CONCERTS HOT! NEW! FRESH!

She Keeps Bees (SPACE, 6/29), Thee Commons (Casbah, 7/7), Dead Heavens (Soda Bar, 7/14), Yowie (SPACE, 7/24), Chastity Belt (SPACE, 8/4), Matthew Sweet (Casbah, 8/16), Young Dubliners (BUT, 8/20), Bleachers (Observatory, 9/27), Ms. Lauryn Hill, Nas (OAT, 10/3), Elliott Brood (Casbah 10/5), Oh Wonder (SOMA, 10/15), City of Caterpillar, Thou (Soda Bar, 10/19), New Found Glory (HOB, 11/25).

GET YER TICKETS The Anniversary (Irenic, 6/10), ‘91X XFest’ w/ Phoenix, Empire of the Sun (Qualcomm Stadium, 6/11), Raekwon (Observatory, 6/15), The Body (SPACE, 6/17), (Sandy) Alex G, Japanese Breakfast (Irenic, 6/17), King Crimson (Humphreys, 6/19), The Revolution (HOB, 6/22), Maxwell (Valley View Casino Center, 6/23), Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (Civic Theatre, 6/26), Future (Mattress Firm Amphitheatre, 6/27), LeAnn Rimes (Del Mar Fairgrounds, 6/29), Melvins (Casbah, 7/5), Deftones, Rise Against (Mattress Firm Amphitheatre, 7/7), The Roots (Observatory, 7/11), Pharmakon (SPACE, 7/11), Mutoid Man (Casbah, 7/12), Cymbals Eat Guitars (Casbah, 7/16), Hall & Oates, Tears for Fears (Valley View Casino Center, 7/19), Beach Fossils (Casbah, 7/20), BadBadNotGood (Observatory, 7/20), Dead Kennedys (Brick by Brick, 7/21), Seun Kuti

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and Egypt 80 (BUT, 7/21), Steve Gunn (SPACE, 7/30), Huey Lewis and the News (Humphreys, 8/1), Unsane (Casbah, 8/1), AFI, Circa Survive (Open Air Theatre, 8/1), Metallica (Petco Park, 8/6), Steve Earle and the Dukes (BUT, 8/10), Incubus, Jimmy Eat World (Mattress Firm Amphitheatre, 8/11), Hans Zimmer (Viejas Arena, 8/12), Royal Blood (Observatory, 8/15), YOB, SubRosa (Brick by Brick, 8/16), X (BUT, 8/17), Dead Cross (Observatory, 8/19), 311 (Open Air Theatre, 8/20), Atmosphere (Observatory, 8/20), Bryan Ferry (Humphreys, 8/23), Mew (Observatory, 8/24), Dierks Bentley (Mattress Firm Amphitheatre, 8/25), BSide Players (Music Box, 8/26), Pelican, Inter Arma (Brick by Brick, 8/26), Pink Martini (Humphreys, 8/26), Ira Glass (Balboa Theatre, 8/27), George Benson, Kenny G (Humphreys, 9/10), Goo Goo Dolls (Open Air Theatre, 9/12), Green Day (Mattress Firm Amphitheatre, 9/13), Kaaboo Festival w/ Tom Petty, Muse, Red Hot Chili Peppers (Del Mar Fairgrounds, 9/15-17), Against Me! (Observatory, 9/16), Future Islands (Open Air Theatre, 9/17), The Beach Boys (Humphreys, 9/23), Sublime With Rome, The Offspring (Mattress Firm Amphitheatre, 9/26), Imagine Dragons (Mattress Firm Amphitheatre, 9/28), Jay Som (Soda Bar, 9/30), The Pains of Being Pure at Heart (Loft, 9/30), The Shins, Spoon (Open Air Theatre, 10/1), Father John Misty (Observatory 10/5-6), Depeche Mode (Mattress Firm Amphitheatre, 10/6), Coldplay (Qualcomm Stadium, 10/8), The Afghan Whigs (BUT, 10/12), The National (Open Air Theatre, 10/12), The Black Angels (HOB, 10/17), Café Tacuba (Observatory, 10/17-18), Linkin Park (Mattress Firm Amphitheatre, 10/20), The Kooks (Observatory, 10/20), KMFDM (HOB, 10/20), Jimmy Buffett (Mattress Firm Amphi-

theatre, 10/21), Carla Morrison (Humphreys, 10/22), Luke Bryan (Mattress Firm Amphitheatre, 10/27), Halsey (Viejas Arena, 11/5), Hamilton Leithauser (BUT, 11/9), D.R.I. (Brick by Brick, 11/10), Fall Out Boy (Viejas Arena, 11/15), Blues Traveler (HOB, 11/19), Mogwai (Observatory, 11/20).

MAY WEDNESDAY, MAY 31 Mount Kimbie at Music Box. Sam Outlaw at The Casbah. Durand Jones and the Indications at SPACE.

JUNE THURSDAY, JUNE 1 NKOTB, Paula Abdul, Boyz II Men at Viejas Arena. The Young Wild at The Casbah.

FRIDAY, JUNE 2 Little Hurricane at Belly Up Tavern. The Creepy Creeps, The Loons at The Casbah. Dana Carvey at Humphreys by the Bay. Bag Raiders at Observatory North Park.

SATURDAY, JUNE 3 Lewis Del Mar at Belly Up Tavern. InKo-Pah 4 w/ Mattson 2, Zig Zags, Mrs. Magician, Birdy Bardot at Desert View Tower. Animals as Leaders at Observatory North Park.

SUNDAY, JUNE 4 Lady Antebellum at Mattress Firm Amphitheatre. Voodoo Glow Skulls at SPACE. Michael Franti and Spearhead at Belly Up Tavern. Rob Crow’s Gloomy

Place at The Casbah. Gravespell at Soda Bar.

MONDAY, JUNE 5 Elvis Costello and the Imposters at Balboa Theatre. Michael Franti and Spearhead at Belly Up Tavern. Contact at The Casbah.

TUESDAY, JUNE 6

londes at SPACE. Unwed Sailor at Soda Bar. ‘91X X-Fest’ w/ Phoenix, Empire of the Sun at Qualcomm Stadium. TajMo at Humphreys by the Bay. Iress at Blonde.

MONDAY, JUNE 12 Theo Katzman at The Casbah. Ziggy Marley at Humphreys by the Bay.

TUESDAY, JUNE 13

The Primitives at SPACE. The Wailing Souls at Belly Up Tavern. Whores at Soda Bar. Sheryl Crow at Humphreys by the Bay. Graves at Sea at Brick by Brick.

Skating Polly at The Casbah.

North Mississippi Allstars at Belly Up Tavern. Robyn Hitchcock at The Casbah.

Andrew St. James at Soda Bar. Stephen Lynch at Observatory North Park.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7 XXXTentacion at Observatory North Park. Brian Setzer’s Rockabilly Riot at Humphreys by the Bay. Adult. at The Casbah. Radio Moscow at Belly Up Tavern.

Boogarins at Soda Bar. Patti LaBelle at Del Mar Fairgrounds.

THURSDAY, JUNE 8 Valerie June at Belly Up Tavern. Overcoats at The Casbah. Kevin Devine at Soda Bar. Sensations Fix at SPACE.

FRIDAY, JUNE 9 Merchandise at SPACE. DJ Premier at Belly Up Tavern. Samothrace at Soda Bar.

SATURDAY, JUNE 10 Earthless at The Casbah. The Anniversary at The Irenic. Toby Keith at Del Mar Fairgrounds.

Los Cafres at Observatory North Park.

Collective Soul at Del Mar Fairgrounds.

Circa Waves at The Casbah.

THURSDAY, JUNE 15 Raekwon at Observatory North Park.

Horace Andy at Belly Up Tavern. A Giant Dog at Soda Bar. Grand Funk Railroad at Del Mar Fairgrounds.

FRIDAY, JUNE 16 Darius Rucker at Del Mar Fairgrounds.

Guitar Wolf at The Casbah. Def Leppard at Mattress Firm Amphitheatre. Conflict at Soda Bar. Drab Majesty at SPACE. (Sandy) Alex G, Japanese Breakfast at The Irenic. Big D and the Kids Table at Soda Bar.

SATURDAY, JUNE 17 Bad Suns at Observatory North Park. The Body at SPACE. Buckfast Superbee at Soda Bar. Evan Dando at The Casbah.

SUNDAY, JUNE 11 hed (p.e.) at Brick by Brick. The Des-

MUSIC CONTINUED ON PAGE 32

MAY 31, 2017· SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 31

MUSIC MUSIC CONTINUED FROM PAGE 31 SUNDAY, JUNE 18 Dustbowl Revival at The Casbah. Morbid Angel at House of Blues. Boston, Joan Jett at Mattress Firm Amphitheatre.

Teenage Burritos at Soda Bar. Causers at SPACE.

MONDAY, JUNE 19 King Crimson at Humphreys by the Bay. First Blood at Soda Bar.

TUESDAY, JUNE 20 Korn at Mattress Firm Amphitheatre. My Jerusalem at SPACE. Peewee Moore at The Casbah.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21 Switchfoot at Del Mar Fairgrounds. Mad Caddies at Brick by Brick. !!! at The Casbah. Girlpool at The Irenic. Black Lips at Belly Up Tavern.

THURSDAY, JUNE 22 Tuxedo at Observatory North Park. Nick Waterhouse at Belly Up Tavern. Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons at Del Mar Fairgrounds. Chron Gen at The Casbah.

The Revolution at House of Blues.

FRIDAY, JUNE 23 The Mowgli’s at Music Box. The Family Stone at Belly Up Tavern. Birdy Bardot at The Casbah. Maxwell at Valley View Casino Center. Gordon Lightfoot at Humphreys by the Bay. The Game at Observatory North Park.

SATURDAY, JUNE 24 Supersuckers at The Casbah. Tengger Cavalry at Soda Bar.

SUNDAY, JUNE 25 Blind Pilot at Humphreys by the Bay. Kevin Nealon at Belly Up Tavern. Golden Animals at Soda Bar.

rCLUBSr

710 Beach Club, 710 Garnet Ave., Pacific Beach. Fri: Van Goat, No Kings. Sat: Split Finger, JAM Kwest. Tue: Special Blend.

Air Conditioned Lounge, 4673 30th St., Normal Heights. Wed: DJs Red Sonya, Alien Tom. Thu: ‘Centerpiece’ w/ DJ Eliasar Gordillo. Sat: ‘Juicy’ w/ Mike Czech. Sun: ‘Chvrch’ w/ DJs Karma, Alice.

American Comedy Co., 818 B Sixth Ave., Downtown. Thu: Michael Blaustein.

Fri: Brad Garrett. Sat: Brad Garrett.

The Bancroft, 9143 Campo Road, Spring Valley. Thu: Pan Complex. Fri: Chainsaw Rainbow. Sat: Dead Country Gentlemen.

Bar Pink, 3829 30th St., North Park. Wed: Johnny Tarr Quartet.

Bang Bang, 526 Market St., Downtown.

Thu: Treasure Fingers. Sun: Francesca Lombardo.

Belly Up Tavern, 143 S. Cedros Ave., Solana Beach. Wed: MarchFourth, Desert Rhythm Project. Thu: Easy Star All Stars, Late Ones, Elovaters. Fri: Little Hurricane, The Midnight Pine, Birdy Bardot. Sat: Lewis Del Mar, Anna Wise. Sun: Michael Franti and Spearhead, Paul Cannon. Mon: Michael Franti and Spearhead, Paul Can-

32 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · MAY 31, 2017

non (sold out). Tue: The Wailing Souls, King Schascha.

Blonde, 1808 W. Washington St., Mission Hills. Wed: ‘Dance Klassique’. Thu: Cat Signs, Billy Changer, Distractor. Sat: ‘Lost in Translation’. Mon: ‘Velvet Underground 50th anniversary tribute’. Tue: ‘The Strokes Night’ w/ DJ Saul Q. Boar Cross’n, 390 Grand Ave., Carlsbad.

Thu: Grim Slippers. Fri: ‘Club Musae’.

Brick by Brick, 1130 Buenos Ave., Bay Park. Fri: Eyehategod, 16, Deathkings, Owain. Sat: Nukem, Void Vator, Temblad, Malison. Sun: Extreme Cream, Pet Shark, Taz Taylor. Mon: ‘Metal Monday’.

Tue: Graves at Sea, Cave Bastard, Høurs, Beira.

The Casbah, 2501 Kettner Blvd., Midtown. Wed: Sam Outlaw, Michaela Anne.

Thu: The Young Wild, Ariel Levine, Captain Auzmo. Fri: The Creepy Creeps, The Loons, Goldettes, Madly. Sat: Nowhere Fast, Imaginary Boys, DJ Saul Q. Sun: Rob Crow’s Gloomy Place, Brokeback.

Mon: Contact, Necro Monkey, Sundrop Electric. Tue: Skating Polly, Gal Pals, The Touchies.

Dizzy’s, 4275 Mission Bay Drive, Downtown. Sat: ‘Bebop and Beyond’ w/ Christopher Hollyday, Matt Hall. Sun: ‘Al Jarreau Tribute’.

Henry’s Pub, 618 Fifth Ave., Downtown.

Wed: Ride the Mule. Thu: DJ Yodah. Fri: ‘Good Times’. Sat: ‘Rock Star Saturday’.

Tue: ‘50s/60s Dance Party.

House of Blues, 1055 Fifth Ave., Downtown. Thu: Black Stone Cherry, Citizen Zero, Letters From the Fire. Sat: Led Zepagain, The Ultimate Stones. Sun: Hot 8 Brass Band. Mon: Pigpen Theatre Co. Tue: Morgan James.

The Irenic, 3090 Polk Ave., North Park.

Thu: Wavves, Kino Kimino. Sun: Great Good Fine OK, Morgxn, Pretty Sister.

town. Thu: FOMO. Fri: Jay Hardway. Sat: DJ Ruckus.

Kava Lounge, 2812 Kettner Blvd., Midtown. Fri: Bushido. Sat: ‘Ascension’. Sun: ‘Mandala’ w/ Arkon, Austin Speed.

Panama 66, 1450 El Prado, Balboa Park.

Wed: Gilber Castellanos. Fri: Uptown Rhythm Makers. Sat: The Bedbreakers.

Sun: New Orleans Swinging Gypsies.

Mc P’s Irish Pub, 1107 Orange Ave., Coronado. Wed: Gene Warren.

Parq, 615 Broadway, Downtown. Fri: Craig Smoove. Sat: Kyle Flesch.

The Merrow, 1271 University Ave., Hillcrest. Wed: La Banda es de Todos, Marujah, Cuarto Menguante, Bipolarte. Thu: ‘All That Dance Party’. Fri: Aghori, 1001, Squirrelly Arts, Daemos. Sat: Defy the Tyrants, Horsefly, Hot Mustard. Tue: Snake Oil Salesmen, The Cat Chasers, Rip Carson.

Plaza Bar at Westgate Hotel, 1055 Second Ave., Downtown. Fri: Gilbert Castellanos. Sat: Allison Tucker. Mon: Julio de la Huerta.

Mother’s Saloon, 2228 Bacon St., Ocean Beach. Fri: Piracy Conspiracy. Sun: Blaise Guld.

Mr. Peabody’s, 136 Encinitas Blvd., Encinitas. Wed: Honeysuckle Rose, Lindy Crandall, Pinkeye, Jen X, The Debruzzi Project. Thu: Cowboy Jack. Fri: Freeze Frame. Sat: The Farmers. Sun: Tony Ortega Jazz Jam. Music Box, 1337 India St., Little Italy. Wed: Mount Kimbie, Ash Koosha, Tirzah. Thu: Highly Suspect, Slothrust. Fri: Journeymen. Sat: ‘Saved by the 90s’ w/ DJ GarGar. Sun: Justin Townes Earle, The Sadies.

Numbers, 3811 Park Blvd., Hillcrest. Fri: ‘Uncut’. Sun: ‘R&B Divas’. Tue: Karaoke Latino.

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

Wed: ‘Ryan Adams Under Cover’. Thu: ‘No Limits’ w/ DJ Myson King. Fri: ‘Nite Moves’ w/ DJ Beatnick. Sat: ‘Strictly Business’ w/ DJs EdRoc, Kanye Asada. Sun: ‘Uptown Top Ranking’ w/ Tribe of Kings.

Tue: ‘True Bass’ w/ DJ Ramsey.

OMNIA Nightclub, 454 Sixth Ave., Down-

Rich’s, 1051 University Ave., Hillcrest. Wed: DJs John Joseph, Kinky Loops. Thu: DJs Kiki, Myxzliplix. Fri: DJs Dirty Kurty, Hektik, Myxzlplix. Sat: DJs K Swift, Kitty Glitter.

Riviera Supper Club, 7777 University Ave., La Mesa. Wed: ‘Boss Jazz’ w/ Jason Hanna. Thu: Swing Thing. Fri: Hannah Jane Kile. Sat: Baja Bugs.

Rosie O’gradys, 3402 Adams Ave., Normal Heights. Fri: The Soulside Players.

Soda Bar, 3615 El Cajon Blvd., City Heights. Wed: Scream, Death Eyes, Tightwads. Thu: Too Many Zooz. Fri: Black Sabbitch, Kitty Plague. Sat: JOY, Feral Ohms, Amerikan Bear, Pins of Light.

Sun: Gravespell, Fadrait, Christ Killer, Orphic Eye. Mon: No Vacation, The Bilinda Butchers, Stephanie Brown and the Surrealistics. Tue: Whores, Wrong, Bummer.

SOMA, 3350 Sports Arena Blvd., Midway. Fri: In Her Own Words, Northbound, Wanted Noise.

SPACE, 3519 El Cajon Blvd., City Heights.

Wed: Durand Jones and the Indications.

Thu: ‘Rap Nite’ w/ DJ Dimitri. Sat: ‘Boogie Down’. Sun: Voodoo Glow Skulls,

MUSIC CONTINUED ON PAGE 33

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MUSIC MUSIC CONTINUED FROM PAGE 32 Pinata Protest, Tagada Jones. Mon: Nina Diaz. Tue: The Primitives, Cruel Summer, Smokescreens.

Spin, 2028 Hancock St., Midtown. Sat: Sango.

Til-Two Club, 4746 El Cajon Blvd., City Heights. Thu: Heresiarch, Ritual Necromancy, Invocation War, Tombstoners, Seraphic Disgust. Fri: Behexen, Demoncy, Crucifragium, Volahn, Impure Consecration. Sat: DJs Stack-Aly, Mikey Ratt. Sun: Pants Karaoke.

Tin Roof, 401 G St., Downtown. Wed: The Void Nation. Thu: ‘Paging the 90s’. Sat: Kenny and Deez, Coriander. Sun: Allegra Duchaine. Mon: Lauren Leigh and Sam. Tue: Kyle Castellani.

Tio Leo’s, 5302 Napa St., Bay Park. Thu: Blue Largo. Fri: Suspicious Minds. Sat: Full Strength Funk Band. Tue: Mojo Working.

Tower Bar, 4757 University Ave., City Heights. Thu: Off With Their Heads, Ricky Schmidt, Se Vende. Sat: Latitude, The Allyrgic Reactions.

SPOTLIGHT There used to be a time when the Kidz Bop LLC’s trademarked motto “Sung by kids, for kids” meant something, but given the infantile simplicity of current popular music, every goddamn song on the radio might as well be a slick cover performed by a bunch of indentured child-servants (that’s the gist of Kidz Bop, right?). But don’t dwell on that—this could be a fun show if you accept the fact that every one who’s famous from now on will be younger than you, and that you’ve outlived the best years of your life. Kidz Bop Live goes down on Saturday, June 6 at Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre.

—Ryan Bradford

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

Wed: DJ Freeman. Thu: ‘Thursdaze’. Fri: DJ Kid Wonder. Sat: DJ Bacon.

Whistle Stop, 2236 Fern St., South Park. Wed: Warsaw, Dreams Made Flesh, Strange Ages. Fri: ‘Girls Girls Girls’ w/ DJ Lazer Lizeth.

Winstons, 1921 Bacon St., Ocean Beach.

Wed: Something Like Seduction, A Mac and The Height, DJ Carlos Culture. Thu: ‘Punk Rock vs. Hip Hop’ w/ PunchCard, The A-Bortz, Disciples Of The Canyon, Schipes, Let’s Face It, Struble. Fri: Reed Mathis and Electric Beethoven. Sat: Cubensis. Mon: Electric Waste Band.

MAY 31, 2017· SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 33

LAST WORDS | ADVICE

CHRISTIN BAILEY

ASTROLOGICALLY

UNSOUND

Semi-weekly forecasts from the so-called universe ARIES (March 21 - April 19): Yeah, you’re a go-getter, but this week it would be helpful if you knew what you were go-gettering.

TAURUS (April 20 - May 20): Watch an animal live stream every day this week. Spare the life of one bug you might have otherwise killed. Use your gift cards. Write the name of an enemy in a cursed scroll.

GEMINI (May 21 - June 20): If you were to position yourself above the linear line of time, you would be able to observe every iteration of your Self—past, present and future—simultaneously. But one of you now can be three too many already, so…

CANCER (June 21 - July 22): Meditate on the remnants of long-gone sounds that echo in your ear: schoolmates laughing on the playground during recess, a childhood pet making its corresponding animal sound, and you agreeing to go out even though you have definitely changed your mind.

LEO (July 23 - August 22): Your lucky color this week is black—the color you see every time you close your eyes and blink the rest of us out of existence for a millisecond here and there.

VIRGO (August 23 - September 22): Hate to break it to you but the plant won’t be any less dead if it’s drowned versus dried up and, in the meantime, it isn’t going to appreciate the fact that you’re now paying a lot of attention to it.

LIBRA (September 23 - October 22): Stop retreating from the unrelenting hideousness of the world and start appreciating fluorescent lighting.

SCORPIO (October 23 - November 21): This week you will buy a scratcher and win $100.

If you don’t win, then I was only joking.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 - December 21): Walt Disney is a famous Sagittarius and cryogenically frozen person and maybe lately you can relate to both, but soon you will find yourself thawing out and getting on with things and then you’ll be back to only being trapped by being a Sag. CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 19): Why bother? I mean, a broken clock is right 24 times a day if you just keep telling everyone else it’s for a different time zone every hour.

AQUARIUS (January 20 - February 18): I wanted to say Aquarius is a “water bearer,” which means “someone with a big jug,” and Abraham Lincoln was an Aquarius and that’s why he wore a 10-gallon hat, but I think most of these things are just incorrect.

This week you will find your signature hat.

PISCES (February 19 - March 20): Do you know who else is an architect of a beautiful dreamland universe of their own design? Freddy Krueger, Pisces.

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

34 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · MAY 31, 2017

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may 31, 2017 · San Diego CityBeat · 35