San Diego CityBeat • June 4, 2014

The

of

Failure Alt-rock innovators were gone too soon in the ’90s, but now they’re back for redemption • by Jeff Terich

Power P.7 Hubbell P.23 Tomorrow P.25 Awkward P.27

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June 4, 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 3

E ditor’s N ote

Dreaming of a new Cabrillo Bridge Two or three times a week, I run from my home portion of your clientele is older folks with mobility in Hillcrest into and around Balboa Park. Usually, difficulties and some jackass with space in a local my course includes two round trips across the Canewsweekly proposes limiting access to your front brillo Bridge, which stretches over Highway 163 doors, well, that can be annoying. and heads east into the park from Laurel Street But there must be a way. I’d think that my beauand Sixth Avenue. For most of the past five months, tiful new car-free Cabrillo Bridge Park—coupled the bridge was been closed to car traffic so Caltrans with refurbished and car-free Plazas de California could do major maintenance, and pedestrians, runand Panama—would bring all sorts of new visitors ners and bicyclists (many of whom didn’t walk to the west-end institutions. Still, that doesn’t solve their bikes as instructed!) were funneled across the mobility-challenged-folks problem. the span in narrow portions of one sidewalk while Urban planner Howard Blackson, my go-to the street and the other sidewalk were fenced off. guy on matters of public space, sent me a proposal In peak times, I felt like a football running back, that was hatched as a response to Irwin Jacobs’ quickly cutting left and right as I dodged foot trafill-conceived plan to get cars out of the Plazas David Rolland fic heading in both directions. de California and Panama with For a single run last week, afa new bypass ramp heading ter the fencing came down and south off of the east end of the before the bridge was reopened bridge. The proposal Blackson to cars on Monday morning, I sent had the bridge still open to was able to run down the midvehicles, but a new bypass road dle of the bridge, and it was like connected the north side of the suddenly being able to breathe bridge to Old Globe Way, which deeply again. The open space snakes around the back of The was glorious.

Old Globe and the San Diego Now it’s back to normal.

Museum of Art. I’d get rid of There’s more space on the sidethe new connection, because it’s walk than when the fencing was not necessary with a pedestrian up. I can use the street to pass bridge, but I don’t immediately large groups and oblivious pesee why we can’t make the road destrians who are clogging the behind the Globe and SDMA the lane. And I don’t have to worry as primary way to get certain folks much about being mowed down to the west-end institutions. by cyclists.

We’d just need a place for cars But I look dreamily at the to turn around after dropping off street and imagine what could Imagine, if you will, a park. passengers. There are probably be if the bridge were closed off 6,892 reasons why it won’t work; to cars permanently. I recall visiting The High just throwing it out there.

Line in New York City, an elevated linear park that I knew there was no chance of the bridge being began life as a train track. It’s just incredible, with closed to cars after the Caltrans work; the west-end lots of native-plant gardens, innovative public art institutions and City Hall are allied against it. Durand places to sit. That’s what I see when I look ing the debate over the Jacobs plan, then-Mayor at the Cabrillo Bridge. Yeah, sure, something like Jerry Sanders’ spokespeople said closing the bridge that would be so popular that I might have to wait would create parking havoc west of the bridge and until later at night to run across it, but I’m willing traffic nightmares on Park Boulevard on the east to sacrifice. side of the park.

Not wanting to sacrifice are the cultural instiThe bridge closure provided a great opportunity tutions on the west side of Balboa Park—The Old to test those theories and to study the full impact of Globe Theatre, the Museum of Man, the Mingei the shutdown on the park, its institutions and the International Museum, the San Diego Museum of surrounding areas, and I’m eager to see what the Art, the Timken Museum of Art. And I completely city learned.

—David Rolland understand that. It’s hard enough making a go of Write to davidr@sdcitybeat.com. it as a nonprofit these days, and when a significant This issue of CityBeat is dedicated to the dead whale that was chopped up and tossed in a garbage dump. Circle of life.

Volume 12 • Issue 43 Editor David Rolland Associate Editor Kelly Davis Music Editor Jeff Terich Arts Editor Kinsee Morlan Staff Writer Joshua Emerson Smith Web Editor Ryan Bradford Art director Lindsey Voltoline Columnists Aaryn Belfer, Edwin Decker, John R. Lamb, Alex Zaragoza

Cover photo by Priscilla Chavez

Contributors Ian Cheesman, David L. Coddon, Seth Combs, Michael A. Gardiner, Glenn Heath Jr., Nina Sachdev Hoffmann, Peter Holslin, Dave Maass, Scott McDonald, Jenny Montgomery, Susan Myrland, Mina Riazi, Jim Ruland, Ben Salmon, Jen Van Tieghem, Quan Vu

Circulation / Office Assistant Giovanna Tricoli

Production Manager Tristan Whitehouse

Vice President of Finance Michael Nagami

Production artist Rees Withrow

Vice President of Operations David Comden

MultiMedia Advertising Director Paulina Porter-Tapia

Publisher Kevin Hellman

Senior account executive Jason Noble Account Executives F. Scott Berman, Beau Odom

Accounting Alysia Chavez, Linda Lam, Monica MacCree Human Resources Andrea Baker

Advertising inquiries Interested in advertising?

Call 619-281-7526 or e-mail advertising@sdcitybeat.com. The advertising deadline is 5 p.m. every Friday for the following week’s issue.

Editorial and Advertising Office 3047 University Ave., Suite 202 San Diego, CA 92104 Phone: 619-281-7526 Fax: 619-281-5273 www.sdcitybeat.com

San Diego CityBeat is published and distributed every Wednesday by Southland Publishing Inc., free of charge but limited to one per reader. Reproduction of any material in this or any other issue is prohibited without written permission from the publisher and the author. Contents copyright 2014.

4 · San Diego CityBeat · June 4, 2014

June 4, 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 5

Correction In her May 21 Summer Guide story about Ramona wineries, Kinsee Morlan reported that Woof ’n Rose planted its vines in 2005. That’s not correct. Its first vines were planted in 1995. We’re sorry for the error.

LOL! Just finished “Sordid Tales” in the May 14 issue. Can’t remember when I last laughed that heartily. In these troubled times, I can think of no better service to humanity than to be a writer / artist / performer who inspires healing laughter. Thanks, Edwin Decker!

Suzy Perkins, La Mesa

Less human intrusion The item in your May 21 Summer Guide issue about canyon restoration would have been better if it had included some advice that Eric Bowlby got earlier, working at the Sierra Club and more recently as leader of a nonprofit corporation dedicated to San Diego’s canyons. We pointed out repeatedly that damage to the canyons comes from human intrusion, a point with which Eric and his supporters agree.

We suggested that his activities include installing native plants, especially droughttolerant varieties, removing invasive species and arranging canyon restoration to mini-

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mize human intrusion. We regret the latter part of that suggestion has not advanced as strongly as it could have.

The canyons and their biota will benefit from reduced human intrusion. San Diego Canyonlands can help achieve that good goal.

Jim Varnadore, City Heights

Truth and consequences If Ethics Commissioner Andrew Poat’s comments on sdcitybeat.com run afoul of city law, as is questioned in John Lamb’s May 23 blog post, “Ethics Commissioner Andrew Poat in a boat,” Poat should certainly face the consequences. But this incident should make us think about the consequences that realname polices can have on our online speech in general.

Had Poat not been encouraged to use his Facebook account while commenting on CityBeat’s website, which linked his comments to his real identity, he may have chosen to use a handle that wasn’t as easily identifiable as himself (or perhaps as conclusively identifiable as himself ). This could have kept him out of hot water with the Ethics Commission.

But putting aside this specific incident, it highlights the fact that people should be more aware of the consequences of more and more services requiring the use of real

names. Slowly, over a period of time, Facebook, Google and other corporations have begun to strongly encourage or, in some cases, require users to use their real identity on their services.

In some cases, this can be a good thing— the comments sections of newspapers appear to be more civil and may require less moderation—but in many other cases, this could seriously impinge on speech online, even putting lives at risk.

One such group of people that is negatively affected by real-name policies is activists. Facebook’s requirement for users to provide and identify themselves with their real names was seen as a boon for governments during the Arab Spring, making it easier for them to crack down on activists and dissenters. Many other groups of people can be put at risk by real-name polices. These groups include (but are not limited to) LGBTQI persons, people with disabilities and victims of real-world abuse or harassment.

As more and more websites require users to provide and be identified by their real name in order to participate in online conversations, these and other marginalized groups of people will have to choose to put themselves at risk or will not be able to take place in conversations where their real identity is required.

Jeff Hammett, Lemon Grove

Joshua Emerson Smith

Maggie Kennedy and other protestors rally outside Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins’ San Diego office.

Community-choice stagnation Environmentalists say state bill would undermine city’s Climate Action Plan

by Joshua Emerson Smith Several dozen environmental activists gathered on Friday outside state Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins’ downtown San Diego office to protest her recent support for a bill some claim would significantly hinder local efforts to embrace renewable energy.

“People put their trust in Toni, but we got a corporate crony!” an organizer with SanDiego350.org shouted into a bullhorn. The crowd echoed the words back, raising signs that blasted Atkins.

“I kind of thought that she was a Democrat. I kind of thought the environment mattered to her,” said Maggie Kennedy, a 52-year-old retired San Diego resident, waving a sign that read, “Toni Atkins Corporate Sellout.”

The protest came in response to a vote in the Assembly two days earlier on Wednesday, May 28, that approved and sent on to the Senate a largely overlooked piece of legislation, AB 2145. Few legislators—none from San Diego County—opposed the bill, which was supported by Pacific Gas & Electric and the California Labor Federation.

“Let me state very loud and clear what this bill does,” said Assemblymember Steven Bradford, a Los Angeles Democrat who sponsored the legislation, at the hearing. “It creates greater consumer choice and transparency for forming a future community-choice aggregation for customers.”

Those who did object were vocal, claiming the bill would effectively shut down the ability of cities and counties to establish what’s known as community-choice aggregation (CCA), a program that transfers authority to buy and sell power away from an investor-owned utility, such as San Diego Gas & Electric. Under the program, a CCA’s

tor-owned utility, said Nicole Capretz, director of policy for San Diego City Councilmember Ed Harris.

“This bill basically cuts us off at our knees,” she said.

“It’s game-over. It’s a deathblow, and they know it.”

Prior to her current position, Capretz worked for theninterim-Mayor Todd Gloria to oversee the city of San Diego’s Climate Action Plan, which calls for exploring the formation of a CCA to reach the goal of using 100-percent renewable energy by 2035.

The proposed legislation gives investor-owned utilities an unfair advantage, she said. “It’s an uneven playing field right now. Obviously, the incumbent utility has all the customers, and they already have that relationship built, and they were just given those customers. No one had a choice when they signed up with SDG&E.” That’s not how regional lawmakers have viewed the issue.

The bill “levels the playing field,” said Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez, a Democrat whose District 80 includes parts of San Diego, in an email. “Right now, families can find themselves locked into being CCA customers without ever opting into the CCA.” The only regional legislator who didn’t vote for the bill was Assemblymember Shirley Weber, a Democrat, who abstained. Her District 79 includes La Mesa, Encanto and part of National City.

“We were contacted by a number of cities in our district worried about how this might compromise their own plans for a CCA,” said Joe Kocurek, spokesperson for Weber. “Community groups in our district expressed similar concerns. We also didn’t see the bill as actually addressing the concerns some critics had about CCAs, so we decided to stay off.”

Two weeks ago, the San Diego City Council’s Environment Committee voted unanimously, with Councilmember Lorie Zapf absent, to recommend that the full council pass a resolution opposing AB 2145.

While Mayor Kevin Faulconer has yet to take a position, a spokesperson said the draft Climate Action Plan, which is under executive review, will retain a CCA feasibility study. The mayor has also set aside $150,000 in his budget to study alternative-energy-supply options, including the formation of a CCA. However, with a draft plan not expected to be submitted for public review for at least another month, activists have started to express concern about the mayor’s commitment to renewable energy.

“We’re in limbo, and he’s got a clear message from the community that it’s long past time to move on this,” said Kayla Race, a policy advocate with the Environmental Health Coalition’s green-jobs campaign.

California has joined five other states in allowing the adoption of CCAs. While states such as Illinois, Rhode Island and Ohio have focused on ratepayer savings, in California, counties such as Marin have prioritized the use of renewable-energy credits.

In 2010, PG&E poured millions of dollars into Proposition 16, which would have required two-thirds supermajority voter approval for local governments to form a CCA. Voters rejected the measure by more than five percentage points, with critics claiming it would have put an end to the program.

“Let me be very clear, Prop. 16 four years ago was a direct frontal attack on a CCA,” said Assemblymember Bradford at last week’s hearing. “This is not Prop. 16. All this bill does is change the opt-out to the opt-in.”

In 2003, when New Jersey launched its CCA equivalent, called government energy aggregation, the state included an opt-in customer-signature requirement. However, legislation has since lifted the requirement, and last year, the state saw its first programs begin.

“Just starting out of the gate, we have to have that base of customers to make this viable,” Capretz said. “As a new player in the market, it would be literally impossible for us to compete with SDG&E.”

board of directors—often composed of city council members and/or county supervisors—uses a public process to determine utility rates and how much locally consumed power comes from renewable energy.

“This bill would pull the rug out from [under] Sonoma County’s efforts,” said Assemblymember Wesley Chesbro, a Democrat who represents the northern coast of California, during the hearing. One of the few CCAs in the state, Sonoma Clean Power is anticipated to significantly expand its membership during the next year, offering a tier of “100 percent local renewable energy” to customers willing to pay extra for it.

Under existing rules, before establishing a CCA, a municipality must notify utility customers by mail, giving ratepayers the option to opt-out and stay with the incumbent utility. If residents ignore the notice, they’re automatically switched into the CCA with the option to switch back at a later date. The incumbent utility would continue to provide billing services, meter readings and maintenance of transmission infrastructure.

Under AB 2145, ratepayers would have to opt into the CCA, confirming by mail that they want to join the program. The bill would also put in place a number of lesscontroversial regulations, including requiring the disclosure of information about third-party electricity suppliers.

“While this bill needs work, it also has provisions that protect consumer choice and ensure CCAs provide the local jobs and clean energy they promise,” Atkins said in an email to CityBeat. “I voted to keep the discussion on these issues going, and I’m happy to work with consumers and any other stakeholders as the bill moves through the process.”

However, many environmentalists say the opt-in provision is a deal-breaker.

For lack of information or apathy, many residents wouldn’t return the written declaration, limiting the initial Write to joshuas@sdcitybeat.com economy of scale needed to be competitive with an inves- and editor@sdcitybeat.com.

June 4, 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 7

Grand illusion

2013, CityBeat’s aware of six people who’ve died in county jails so far this year.

Quinn asked the Grand Jury to look into whether the SherGrand Jury whitewashes deaths and iff’s Department and CLERB pepper-spray abuse in county lockups were thoroughly reviewing each in-custody death. She received a response from Ny in late January,

by Kelly Davis and Dave Maass telling her that the Grand Jury The San Diego County Grand not identify and address systemic had determined that existing Jury is a body of 19 citizens problems; they increase San Di- oversight was sufficient. tasked with investigating public ego County’s potential liability,” In her second letter, Quinn said complaints about government Quinn wrote in one letter, adding, she was “shocked and dismayed” and inspecting the county’s cor- “San Diego County successfully by the San Diego County Probarectional facilities. But its latest addressed jail deaths in the 1980s tion Department’s use of oleoresin report on the local jail system, and 1990s. It can do so again.” capsicum (OC, otherwise known filed on May 19, reads more like But, instead of issuing recom- as pepper spray) in juvenile facila press release than a watchdog mendations, the Grand Jury isreport, patting the Sheriff ’s and sued the sheriff a “commendation” Probation departments on the for reducing jail deaths in 2013 back despite serious questions re- despite an uptick in the jail popugarding deaths in custody and the lation, the result of state prison use of pepper spray on juveniles. realignment. The commendation The report glosses over concerns was supported by a chart showing raised by detention experts and eight deaths in 2013, down from 12 uses inaccurate numbers to sup- deaths in 2009. port its conclusions.

But, according to public reDuring the last two years, cords provided to CityBeat by the CityBeat has dug deep into local Sheriff’s Department, 12 people detention issues. In one series died in county jails last year, an of reports, we revealed that San increase over 2012’s eight deaths Diego County had the highest in- and the 11 inmates who died in mate mortality rate of California’s 2010 and also 2011. (The Grand largest counties, nearly 60 percent Jury report wrongly says there higher than the national average. were 10 deaths in 2011.)

We also covered the controversial This isn’t the first time the use of pepper spray in San Diego Grand Jury got jail-death numbers jails, which has been used at levels wrong in its inspection report. that, in other jurisdictions, have Last year, it reported that four prompted lawsuits and U.S. De- inmates had died between July 1, partment of Justice sanctions.

2011, and Aug. 1, 2012. That report This past December, in re- was amended after CityBeat subsponse to our reporting, Sue mitted evidence that 11 inmates Quinn—who headed the county’s had died in that period.

Citizens Law Enforcement Review Foreman Gregory Ny didn’t Board (CLERB) between 1995 and respond to emails from CityBeat, 1997 and served as president of the but sometime after May 22, when National Association for Civilian CityBeat first contacted the Grand Oversight of Law Enforcement— Jury about the inaccuracy, the filed separate complaints with the numbers in the online report were Grand Jury, seeking a formal in- corrected, although the written vestigation of the deaths and use section wasn’t updated and still of pepper spray. claims there’s been “a steady de“Inadequate, incomplete or cline” in inmate deaths. cursory inmate death reviews do In addition to the 12 deaths in

8 · San Diego CityBeat · June 4, 2014

ities—875 incidents in two years as reported in a story jointly published by CityBeat and The Crime Report. Almost 15 percent of those incidents were recorded as unrelated to use in fights.

Although only 14 states allow for the use of pepper spray on juvenile detainees (and only five allow guards to carry it on their person), the Grand Jury concluded that this was the “preferred method” to establish control over a disobedient juvenile.

The Grand Jury also declared that it “found no incidents of excessive use of OC, and no violations of existing policies.”

Documents obtained by CityBeat show that as recently as 2012, the county was investigating at least two OC incidents in which authorities suspected staff violated the policies. U-T San Diego further uncovered a September 2013 document in which the San Diego County Civil Service Commission substantiated allegations of improper pepperspray use, as well as inappropriate sexual activity and accessing of personal detainee records by a probation officer.

Write to kellyd@sdcitybeat.com and editor@sdcitybeat.com.

aaryn

backwards & in high heels

belfer Yes, All Women: Be aware and be pissed “The reason women mobilized so quickly after the shooting is because we recognized immediately the language and ideology in Rodger’s videos and manifesto: the over-the-top sexual entitlement; the rage against women who ‘dared’ to reject him; the antiquated, but nonetheless terrifying, belief that women should not be in control of their own sexual choices. Regardless of Rodger’s mental health issues—which we still don’t know much about—his ideas were not ‘crazy’ by the standards of the world today. They are the norm.”

—Jessica Valenti, The Guardian

not all, not even most, but some—can be dangerous, and our daughters need to understand this so they can then be empowered. Is it fair? No. Is it right?

No. But it’s reality.”

What he really said was: “Me Tarzan! You Jane!”

So, yeah, that’s not a direct quote. But that’s the gist of what came out of my poor darling husband’s mouth, his voice shaking uncharacteristically. And nobody in her right mind can blame the guy for being a bit nervous and tongue-tied. I mean, who wants to say anything controversial to a room full of feminists? Ahem.

My sociologist friend Kerry and I have had an onI, of course, knew what he meant, because we’ve going discussion for quite some time, one we revistalked a lot about this exact thing. Also, we had ited last weekend after the Isla Vista shootings and been together for 15 years at this point, a fact made the subsequent outpouring of stories of sexism by more awkward when I turned away and pretended women around the globe. not to know him.

Our dialogue centers around whether, when Well. As you might surmise, the ineloquently it comes to men, it’s valid or appropriate to teach delivered idea hadn’t been fully fleshed out beour daughters to be afraid. Not a paralyzing, can’tfore it was met with several passionate and oppoleave-the-house-dysfunctional afraid, but rather an sitional outbursts, the loudest of which came from I-don’t-like-the-vibe-on-that-one-so-I’m-steeringKerry. And she certainly had (has) her point: While clear afraid. (The kind of afraid that—I’m guessing three of us can laugh about that workshop incident, about this here—lots of women felt upon interactthere’s very little that’s funny about how women ing with Elliot Rodger. He was deserve to be able to move terrifying. He is terrifying.) through the world and the realIt’s nothing short of During our debates, I often ity of how we can move through advocate for what I’d call a small the world. Fear as the antidote infuriating that women but healthy dose of fear when wasn’t gelling for her and deand girls should have to going out into the world. Like— served rebuttal. don’t ever leave your drink unAnd she’s right. It’s nothing fear abuse and violence attended at a bar, and engage short of infuriating that women for no reason other instead of being perceived as and girls should have to fear impolite. Kerry often advocates abuse and violence for no reathan being women. for being aware, avoiding danson other than being women. gerous situations and then beWhich is the totally clear, ing angry about such limitations. Like—don’t pop in non-mysterious reason Elliot Rodger gave for his your ear buds and go for a neighborhood jog at 10 rampage. As writer Lindsay Beyerstein pointed out p.m. to blow off some steam, but be really pissed off on her Facebook page, “Rodger told the world exthat you can’t safely do that. actly why he went on this killing spree. He spelled Because, damn it, we should be able to do that. it out in excruciating detail and sent his narrative of Back and forth Kerry and I have gone ever since the killings to the media. In case that wasn’t enough, my husband—the only male in a room of roughly 30 he made a series of YouTube videos to cement his parents of adopted girls of color—was eaten alive narrative of his own crime in the public mind.” during a workshop about the myriad ways in which No amount of fear was going to save the victims women of color are frequently objectified, erotiof Rodger’s crime. But the details about him and his cized and sexualized. mindset have brought to the surface some of my After listening for a while, Sam raised his hand darker moments, and I sort of wonder whether a to say that he had to disagree (wait for it) with the small dose of fear during the years I was recklessly other attendees (wince), many of them feminists fearless would have spared me some of my personal trauma. Or is that just victim blaming? (yup, he did that) who were philosophizing and All I know is that we should be able to leave that intellectualizing about equality and empowerment drink on the bar and reject advances or be impoas it pertains to all women. He was simultaneously lite and, in doing any of these things, not be putting The Bravest and Stupidest Man in the World when ourselves at risk of some very ugly repercussions. he invoked what amounted to the nuclear option.

Kerry asked me if I think it’s better to be afraid or What he meant to say was: “I respect what you’re to be pissed, and I don’t know that one or the other all saying. However, I was a teenage boy once, and is preferable. But both, I think, are necessary. having gone through that, I can attest to the power of hormone surges, and the fact of the matter is that Write to aaryn@sdcitybeat.com we are not particularly evolved from Neanderthals. and editor@sdcitybeat.com.

Testosterone is a powerful thing, and some men—

June 4, 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 9

by michael a. gardiner Michael A. Gardiner

mato itself. The chef compounded that by adding far too much sherry vinegar in order to compensate. The result was a cloying, overly acidic soup that wasn’t remotely pleasant.

Far better was the meatballs in spicy chorizo sauce, another Andalucían dish, for which Picasso substituted turkey for the more traditional veal or beef. The tomato-based sauce was flavored with chorizo—not the familiar fresh Mexican stuff with chile peppers but the cured Spanish sausage seasoned with pimenton Tapas Picasso’s albacore mousse paté (smoked paprika)—giving it a hint of spice and an intriguing depth of flavor.

Like any good meatball dish, the secret lay in the pairing of sauce and meat. It worked well here.

Less good was the baby eels in garlic sauce— always one of my favorites and a standout at Costa Brava in Pacific Beach. While the eels were More creative than dependable superbly cooked, they were overwhelmed by garlic and salt. Well-seasoned food shouldn’t taste I assess the quality of a Spanish tapas bar on two salty, but round. This tasted less round than anmain criteria: creativity of its signature dishes gular, with the angles defined by the extremes of and execution of the core classics. Tapas Picasalt and garlic. sso (3923 Fourth Ave. in Hillcrest, tapas-picasso.

One classic tapa that Picasso absolutely nailed com) succeeds brilliantly on the first count, but was the tortilla Española, arguably Spain’s nait’s not nearly consistent enough on the second. tional dish. This “tortilla” has nothing to do with Picasso’s albacore mousse paté with chipotle masa dough, tacos or sopes; rather, it’s a Spanish is nothing short of spectacular. A silky, light conversion of an onion and potato omelet. It’s a thick coction that’s more mousse than paté, it might be thing, about an inch tall, consisting of layers of best to think of it as a fish flan. The dish is served egg, thinly sliced starchy potato and sliced onwith slices of grilled French bread, drizzles of ions. Served in wedges with aioli and Picasso’s aioli and balsamic glaze, microgreens and luseemingly ubiquitous microgreens garnish, the minescent pomegranate seeds that elevate the dish was satisfying and filling, though not exactly whole affair. If Picasso were in San Sebastian, heavy. If Picasso were going to nail only one clasSevilla or Barcelona, this is the dish everyone sic, this was the one to nail. would order on their tapeo—a ritual Spanish cuThe quality of Picasso’s tapas repertoire ranglinary bar crawl. It is, without a doubt, a worthy es from excellent to inedible. While the check signature dish. can add up quickly (happy-hour prices are more Unfortunately, Picasso’s handling of the clasfriendly), Picasso’s albacore mousse tapa is so sics was uneven. A gazpaco—the Andalucían togood that, together with careful ordering, it’s well worth a visit. mato and vegetable soup that’s essentially a salad in soup form—ought to have been a good way Write to michaelg@sdcitybeat.com to start the meal. Instead, it was deeply flawed. and editor@sdcitybeat.com.

The first problem was the poor quality of the to-

the world

fare

10 · San Diego CityBeat · June 4, 2014

BY KELLY DAVIS

cocktail

tales Tonic wars

Recently, a friend gave me a bag of cinchona (quinine) bark, the stuff that’s used to make tonic water. That gave me the idea of making my own tonic and writing about it. Finding a recipe is easy—there’s a pretty straightforward one on imbibemagazine.com. Or, if you want adventure, there are more complicated concoctions made with an array of herbs and spices.

But I couldn’t find one ingredient: citric acid. And by that I mean, I tried one store, they didn’t have it, then my car started to overheat and I gave up. The homemade tonic will have to wait. Instead, I had some fun with a tonic taste test, using gin as the spirit, in homage to the easiest of summer cocktails, a gin and tonic. I went with a usual suspect, Tanqueray (it happened to be in the freezer, and I’ve been trying to get rid of it), and something newer, Aviation.

For tonics, I grabbed Q Tonic, two Fever Trees (Mediterranean and Premium Indian),

Jack Rudy and, for the heck of it, Schweppes.

The winner: Jack Rudy. This is a small-batch quinine concentrate to which you add soda water (4 ounces to 3/4ounce of tonic) and 2 ounces of gin. It has a really nice, mellow citrus-y flavor—you don’t need, nor should you want, to add any lime. It didn’t undermine Aviation’s complex flavors and made me forget I was drinking Tanqueray.

It’s $16 for a 17-ounce bottle, which will get you roughly 20 cocktails, making it less pricey than it seems.

The loser: Fever Tree Premium Indian.

This is for people who really dig that classic quinine flavor—apparently a sizable group, given the rave reviews this one normally gets. But I’m just not a fan.

The others: Q Tonic proved to be the mildest and really played up Aviation’s anise flavor. Fever Tree Mediterranean was also nice, with a bit of a floral undertone. The bottle says it’s intended for vodka, but it was A-OK with both gins. As for Schweppes, it clashed with the Aviation but worked really well with the Tanqueray. Which is great, because I still have a half-bottle of the stuff.

Write to kellyd@sdcitybeat.com and editor@sdcitybeat.com.

June 4, 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 11

by jenny montgomery Jenny montgomery

ings, too, but I don’t buy into baked goods that lack butter, so you’re on your own. (And don’t get me started on my beloved gluten.)

Although Gordy’s muffins are packed with protein and healthy fats to start your day, what you really need to get your paws on are the meatier offerings. I adore the Sweeney Todd Meat Pie, a cupcake-sized package of gorgeously flaky pastry baked around a steaming, juicy mixture of beef and spices. The heap of moist meat keeps the bottom of the pie soft and dense, while the Pee-Wee, on a big adventure cap of pastry above is buttery and light as air. The sausage roll is another meaty winner, with the same delicate and shattering savory pastry rolled around a piggier filling. It’s a glorious meat cannoli.

The bacon-and-cheese scone may tempt you, because you’re a sane and logical human being The secret word is Gordy’s who recognizes genius and beauty in the world. Go for it. Personally, I like the meat-to-dough ratios in In a world oversaturated with cupcakeries and arthe pies and rolls better, but if you’re a savory-fortisanal donut shops, it’s nice to have a bakery that’s breakfast kind of person, this one’s a winner. both bursting with substance and lacking in gimBut fear not, sugar lovers, this bakery doesn’t mickry. Gordy’s Bakery & Coffeehouse in Enskimp on the sweets. The fruit bars are heavy and cinitas is one of those quiet stalwarts beloved by laden with a sweet, buttery, oat-filled topping. If the beach locals, but deserving of wider acclaim. you can catch the Snozzberry, it’s a delight, with Gordy’s confines (441 Encinitas Blvd., gordys both boysenberries and blueberries providing the bakery.com) explode with color and humor; its sweet tang of summer fruit. But you’ll also find purple-and-yellow walls are covered in Technichocolate bars with caramel and walnuts, Cap’n color concert posters from Solana Beach’s Belly Up Crunch Treats (think Rice Krispie) and the finest Tavern, and an enormous, hang-gliding Pee Wee chocolate-chip-peanut-butter cookie outside of Herman soars over the small seating area. You may my mom’s kitchen. also notice some groovy track-and-field posters Gordy’s Bakery doesn’t have the flashiest of for San Dieguito Academy tucked among the mulocations. There’s not much of an ocean view, sic ads—chef and owner Gordy Haskett is a track though the outside patio enjoys a perfect onshore coach at the high school, as well as an elite runner. breeze. This isn’t a trendy, Coast Highway coffeeThis athletic pedigree clearly informs what house with suspendered baristas and cold-brew you’ll find in his bakery case. The toothsome mufcontraptions. But in the old-Encinitas strip mall fins are packed with nuts, dried fruit and oats, yet just off the freeway you’ll find ample parking, a they still manage to be moist and sweet. Fans adore locals vibe and a filling morning meal of a coffee Gordy’s legendary Plonk, packed with raisins, baand pastry for just a few bucks. nanas, walnuts, dates and more, but I prefer the Write to jennym@sdcitybeat.com lighter, nut-free Durfey, with apple, nutmeg and and editor@sdcitybeat.com. cloves. Gordy’s has gluten-free and vegan offer-

north

fork

12 · San Diego CityBeat · June 4, 2014

the floating

library

by jim ruland

New collection of short stories takes the pulse of middle-class America Every May, I try to read as many short-story collections as I can to celebrate short-story month.

This year I only read one, but it was remarkable.

Backswing by Aaron Burch, published by Queen’s Ferry Press, gathers a collection of stories about young American men who are mostly white, suburban and college-educated. We meet these men on the cusp of a transition: moving to a new school, taking the next step in a relationship, buying a house. Whether it’s junior high or a mortgage, “the next big thing” looms like a great wall over which the characters cannot see and whose vastness inhibits their desire to overcome.

“It seems too real, too soon, we said, like we should keep looking just to be sure despite all the research we’d already done.”

That scene comes from “Night Terrors,” in which a young couple come to terms with their reluctance to make an offer on a house because of a strange omen: When the Realtor showed them the property, they found a dead bird outside the back door.

Although many of the stories seem fairly straightforward, there’s a discomfiting strangeness that’s both deep and dark. Burch is particularly adroit at rendering these scenes so that they don’t seem strange to their protagonists, and the dislocation can be dizzying.

The story “Fire in the Sky” is an arresting example. The set-up is right out of a buddy comedy: A group of friends gathers for a bachelor party the night before the groom’s wedding. The protagonist decides to return for the wedding in his hometown by car. He intends to drive cross-country and take in all that America has to offer, but that’s not what happens: “Once I got on the road though, my plans to see the country fell away. I couldn’t help it, barely felt in control of my car at all. The driving felt good, the road pulling me forward, not wanting to let go. I stopped only for food and gas and then, by the time it was too late and dark to continue, a cheap motel room.”

Propelled by forces he can’t explain, he rushes across the country to find his friends more or less unchanged. Dressed in their wedding-day tuxedos, they kick off the bachelor-party festivities by setting off a small arsenal of fireworks, a tradition from their more rambunctious days.

“Try two mortars, twisting their wicks together. Two mortars and two packages of bottle rockets. One mortar and three packages, four, five, as many as can be crammed in, the just-right number of sticks to fit the exact diameter of the mortar tube.”

You don’t need an advanced degree in literature to see that this isn’t going to end well. I don’t want to give anything away, but suffice to say, this isn’t an Adam Sandler movie.

After a trip to the hospital, the protagonist leaves with the other wedding guest who has also moved away. They end up at a bar and order a pitcher of beer, and instead of talking about the terrible thing that has happened, they tell old stories about other nights, other hijinks, as if to reassure themselves that everything will be OK even though they both know that nothing will ever be the same.

The story’s ending resonates on so many levels.

“Fire in the Sky” speaks to the lack of connection the protagonist feels about a place that is home in name only. He yearns for such a place yet runs from the obligations of being part of a community, the responsibilities of connectedness.

As themes go, “you can’t go home again” is neither groundbreaking nor new, but Burch is on to something here. His protagonist is educated, self-aware and has good intentions, but I think his reluctance to accept the larger issues that attend the accident says something about our society’s inability to deal with the aftermath of tragedy.

We like to think of ourselves as problem-solvers, as being good in a crisis, but I don’t think that’s true anymore. In fact, we have repeatedly shown that we are incapable of addressing problems that other societies have successfully solved. Instead of directly dealing with issues that have created an epidemic of violence, we declare that they are “too real, too soon” and commit to further study and additional research.

With Backswing, Burch reminds us that things can always get darker for those who flee from the real.

Aaron Burch appear at Gym Standard (2903 El Cajon Blvd. in North Park) at 7 p.m. Friday June 27. Write to jimr@sdcitybeat.com and editor@ sdcitybeat.com.

June 4, 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 13

the

SHORTlist

ART

COORDINATED BY KINSEE MORLAN

TONY BIRD

movement going on, there’s definitely been this explosive growth,” says Brian Hawkins, founder and director of preFAB, a new co-working space and event venue at The Headquarters (789 W. Harbor Drive, Suite 252, Downtown).

Hawkins says preFAB is geared more toward the fashion industry, and the tenants are encouraged to work with each other, giving and getting collaborative input on their products and development strategies.

The space has been open since December, and Hawkins has already found several tenants who fit the concept well.

Inside the new PreFAB co-working space and event venue From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 7, Hawkins will host a Father’s Day Popup Gift Shop featuring preFAB tenants like Lord A decade ago, the concept of a co-work- Wallington (bowties, neckties and other men’s acing space was essentially nonexistent. cessories), Yes Man Watches, Gold Leather Co. and Freelancers were left to fend for them- Paige’s Pocket T-shirt company, among other venselves in crowded coffeehouses with shoddy wi-fi dors who make handmade things fit for dad. There’ll and stinky bathrooms. And makers, builders and be a craft-beer tastings, music and more. crafters, well, those poor guys and gals had to find And from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, June 5, and 6 to spare garages and affordable warehouses often in the 10 p.m. Friday, June 6, talented and hilarious San worst parts of town.

Diego artists Matt Stallings and Terri Beth Mitchell Nowadays, co-working spaces for all types of cre- will occupy the new space for their second annual atives are just about everywhere. art show together, Human Head Collection. Both “With the freelance revolution and the maker have focused solely on portraits for the show.

“We’ll be asking the tough, artistic-like questions, such as, ‘What is a portrait?’ and ‘Is Julie Andrews really Hitler?’” the artists write in a blurb about their Long before the Andaz or the Hard Rock, upcoming show. or any of those other hotels with rooftop All events are free. facebook.com/prefabsd pools, there was the Westgate. Built in 1970, the Downtown hotel (1055 Second Ave.) has managed to keep it classy and recently renovated You’d be hard-pressed to name a neighthe pool area, just in time for the Sunset Poolside borhood in San Diego that’s more artsyJazz series. Trumpeter Gilbert Castellanos and his fartsy than Normal Heights, and it shows band kick things off at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, June 5, and performances continue each Thursday through its credentials every year with Art Around Adams.

August. The lineup includes groups like Trio Gadjo This year, from 2 to 10 p.m. Saturday, June 7, the (June 19), Besos De Coco (June 26) and Joshua free visual- and performance-art community event White (July 17). Admission is free, but there’s a $20 will stretch for two miles minimum food-and-beverage purchase with some on Adams Avenue, from good options, including Rumbling Tins Cocktail Oregon Street in Normal Co.’s “tipsy teas,” beer and wine, a curated selection Heights to Vista Street of whiskey and Scotch and gourmet appetizers and in Kensington. More than 100 businesses will tapas. westgatehotel.com become art galleries for the day, and there’ll be numerous locations for local music (highlighted by dynamic trio The Schitzophonics), dance, theater, circus acts, performance art, projection art, community murals and, yes indeed, intergalactic superhero wrestling. Also, comedians will entertain passengers on two free trolleys that roll up and down the avenue throughout the day and eveThe Westgate’s new pool ning. artaroundadams.org

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COLLABORATION NATION

COOL BY THE POOL

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14 · San Diego CityBeat · June 4, 2014

THE ADAMS FAMILY

HActon Standard at Co-Merge, 330 A St., Downtown. New works by Jason Acton, a colorblind artist who uses primary colors to create an organized, clean and geometric balance. From 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, June 4. actonstandard.com First Thursday Art Walk at The Headquarters at Seaport District, 789 West Harbor Drive, Downtown. Check out artists and their goods. The event includes music and a featured local craft brewery.

From 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, June 5. theheadquarters.com HBeverly Penn at Lux Art Institute, 1550 S. El Camino Real, Encinitas. The Texas-based artist, whose delicate bronze sculptures represent a balance between the natural world and the manufactured environment, unveils her castings of local flora. Opens Thursday, June 5. 760-4366611, luxartinstitute.org HLoading Dock Lunches at MCASD Downtown, 1001 Kettner Blvd. Dine in MCASD’s loading dock and mingle with staff and members of the local art community. Visitors are welcome to visit the galleries for free. From 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Friday, June 6. 858-454-3541, mcasd.org Graffiti Beach Artist Showcase at Graffiti Beach, 2220 Fern St., South Park.

Mother-and-daughter team Kathy Mitchell and Zoe Cait will showcase a wide range of art styles including custom painted longboards, while Padgett Mason will share her colorful quirky cats. Opening from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, June 6. 858-433-0950 Friday Night Liberty at NTC at Liberty Station, 2640 Historic Decatur Road, Point Loma. A night of open art studios, galleries and performances. Highlights include the FX Dojo Ninja Art Show in Building 202 and a collaborative performance from Malashock Dance and Guitars. From 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, June 6. ntclibertystation.com HScratches N Ink at Bessell Surfboards, 515 Westbourne St., La Jolla. Peter Spacek shows off his contemporary scrimshaw on discarded, re-purposed surfboards. From 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, June 6. bessellsurf.com HNothing Means Anything at Low Gallery, 3778 30th St., North Park. Fresh work from lowbrow artists Kenny King and Keith Stone, who find inspiration in the tattoo, drug, skateboarding and cholo cultures.

Music from David James Curse and Anthony Brown. From 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, June 6. 619-348-5517, lowgallerysd.com HPerfect 10 at La Bodega Studios, 2196 Logan Ave., Barrio Logan. More than 100 local artists working in the medium of their choice on a 10-by-10 inch canvas. Enjoy music from Bulletproof Tiger and food by San Diego Taco Co. From 5 to 10 p.m. Saturday, June 7. facebook.com/la.bodega.1 H25 and Under Showcase at MCASD Downtown, 1001 Kettner Blvd., Downtown.

See work by the 25 finalists in MCASD’s 25 and Under art contest and vote for your favorite. The artists created work inspired by the human eye. Opening from 2 to 4 p.m.

Saturday, June 7. mcasd.org Journeys to Freedom at Expressive Arts @ 32nd & Thorn, 3201 Thorn St., North Park. See photography by women who’ve lived at a safe house operated by GenerateHope and have been studying with photographer and educator Sophia Sobko as a means of healing and self-expression. Opening from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, June 7. generatehope.org The Art of Dr. Seuss: Tributes to Fatherhood at Chuck Jones Gallery, 232 Fifth Ave., Downtown. Celebrate fatherhood through the eyes of Dr. Seuss, whose own father was the inspiration for his love of animals and many of the wacky creatures.

Opening from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, June 7. 619-284-9880, chuckjones.com I Am a Lucky Man at Sophie’s Kensington Gallery, 4186 Adams Ave., Kensington.

Mitch Gricman’s expressive abstract paintings of family, friends and St. Madeleine Sophie’s Center staff. From 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, June 7. 619-593-2205, stmsc.org HPoortraits at Visual, 3776 30th St., North Park. Pop surrealist Nick McPherson unveils new work that will feature his clever illustrations on found photography. Opening from 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, June 7.

619-501-5585, nickmcpherson.com HGuillermo Srodek-Hart: Stories at jdc Fine Art, 2400 Kettner Blvd. Suite 208, Little Italy. The photographer will showcase new prints of the Argentinan countryside. Opening from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday, June 7. 619-985-2322, jdcfineart.com HJet Airliner at Joseph Bellows Gallery, 7661 Girard Ave., La Jolla. Photographer Josef Hoflehner’s archival photos of airplanes and jumbo jets just as they’re landing or taking off. Opening from 6 to 8 p.m.

Saturday, June 7. josephbellows.com HSeemingly at Quint Contemporary Art, 7547 Girard Ave., La Jolla. An exhibition of painting and sculpture by Brian Wills, who uses a single strand rayon thread as the primary material. Opening from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday, June 7. quintgallery.com HGreen Heaven at R.B. Stevenson Gallery, 7661 Girard Ave., Ste. 201, La Jolla. A group show of earth-inspired art featuring Jimi Gleason, Richard Allen Morris, Dana Oldfather and Eva Struble. Opening from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, June 7. 858-4593917, rbstevensongallery.com Michelle D. Ferrera at Viz Art Ink, 2906 State St., Carlsbad. Ferrera shows off new and old works as well as self-published books. Live music by Pua Fuamatu, wine, beer and chocolates courtesy of Carlsbad Chocolate Bar. Opening from 5 to 9 p.m.

Saturday, June 7. VizArtInk.com Bitches are Going to Love This! at Chicano Art Gallery, 2117 Logan Ave. #1, Logan Heights. Check out Ezrock’s urbanstyle art and Optimus Volts’ self-described “mother fucking crazy bitches art.” Opening from 5 to 10 p.m. Saturday, June 7.

HEdgeland Futurism at Space 4 Art, 325 15th St., East Village. See art, films, dance, sound and music that reimagines the future of the border region by students from High Tech High Media Arts, The Autonomous University of Baja California Tijuana and more. Opening from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, June 7. sdspace4art.org HTEMECULA at Helmuth Projects, 1827 Fifth Ave., Downtown. A two-person exhibition devoted to the city of Temecula featuring Joshua Jon Miller’s paintings, ceramics and works on paper, along with Kathleen Ryan’s sculptures. Opening from 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, June 7. 619-265-6842, sayingtheleastandsayingitloud.com HNorth Park Art Market on Ray Street and North Park Way, North Park. Local artists will be gathering every Saturday to show off their unique items and wares.

From 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, June 7.

619-265-6842, superiorartmarkets.com Nose to the Grindstone at Freshly Faded, 2850 El Cajon Blvd., North Park. Group art show featuring works by tattoo artists Joe Garcia, Jaime Ruiz, Sergio Silva, Ivan Herrera, Nathan Israel and Charles Page.

Opening from 6 to 9 p.m. Sunday, June 8.

BOOKS Courtney Collins at Warwick’s Bookstore, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. Collins will discuss and sign The Untold, a novel set in Australia’s rugged landscape and

savage past. At 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 4. warwicks.indiebound.com Sam Halpern at Mission Hills Library, 925 W. Washington St., Mission Hills.

The father made famous in ShHt My Dad Says will be reading from A Far Piece to Canaan, a semi-autobiographical tale about a celebrated academic who revisits a farm in Kentucky where he spent his childhood as the son of a Jewish sharecropper. At 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 4. library92103.org HThe Wes Letters at UCSD Bookstore.

Feliz Lucia Molina, Ben Segal and Brett Zehner will be discussing and signing this new epistolary novel written from three friends to the elusive filmmaker Wes Anderson. At 1 p.m. Friday, June 6. 858534-5778, ucsandiegobookstore.com HCraig Harwood at New Central Library, 330 Park Blvd., East Village. The author will discuss Quest for Flight, about San Diego-based inventor John Montgomery who transformed science fiction into reality and inspired people to take to the skies. At noon Saturday, June 7. 619236-5800, sandiegolibrary.org Paul Marks at Mysterious Galaxy Book Store, 7051 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., Clairemont. The multi-genre writer discusses and signs his latest, L.A. Late @ Night: 5 Noir & Mystery Stories from the Dark Streets of Los Angeles. At 2 p.m. Saturday, June 7. 858268-4747, mystgalaxy.com Oliver North at The Church at Rancho Bernardo, 11740 Bernardo Plaza Ct. The U.S. Marine Colonel, author and political commentator will sign his new book, Counterfeit Lies. At 5 p.m. Saturday, June 7.

858-592-2434, thechurchatrb.org HGarrison Keillor at Shiley Theatre, 5998 Alcala Park, Camino Hall, USD campus, Linda Vista. The author and radio personality will discuss and sign The Keillor Reader: Plain Thoughts on Fatherhood, Writing, Politics and Age. Ticket price includes a copy of the book. At 3 p.m. Sunday, June 8. $32.64. 619-260-4659, sandiego.edu HCatherine Tondelli at Warwick’s Bookstore, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. Tondelli stops by to promote Three Coins in the Fountain: Falling in Love Through Faith, Family & Frequent Flyer Miles. At noon Sunday, June 8. warwicks.indiebound.com Terry Hayes at Warwick’s Bookstore, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. Hayes stops by to discuss and sign I Am Pilgrim, about a murder investigation that becomes a terrifying race against time to save America from oblivion. At 7 p.m. Sunday, June 8. warwicks.indiebound.com HDon Wallace and Michelle Gable at Barnes & Noble, 1040 N. El Camino Real Drive, Encinitas. Wallace, the author of The French House: An American Family, a Ruined Maison, and the Village That Restored Them All, and Gable, author of A Paris Apartment, will be chatting about all things France. At 1 p.m. Sunday, June 8.

760-943-6400, don-wallace.com HLisa See at Warwick’s Bookstore, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. The bestselling author will discuss and sign her novel China Dolls, about three friends whose bond is tested after the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor. At 7:30 p.m. Monday, June 9.

858-454-0347, warwicks.indiebound.com Beatriz Williams at Warwick’s Bookstore, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. The novelist stops by to promote her latest, The Secret Life of Violet Grant, a tale of two strong women who must fight for every rung on the ladder of success in Manhattan. At 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 10. 858-454-0347, warwicks.indiebound.com HSteven Cassedy at UCSD Bookstore, La Jolla. The UCSD professor will be discussing and signing Connected: How

Trains, Genes, Pineapples, Piano Keys, and a Few Disasters Transformed Americans at the Dawn of the Twentieth Century. At 4 p.m. Wednesday, June 11. 858-5345778, ucsandiegobookstore.com

COMEDY HNew Best Thing: Conspiracy Theory at Whistle Stop, 2236 Fern St, South Park. San Diego’s longest running sketch show featuring live and video sketch comedy. This month’s comedians are Whitmer Thomas and CJ Toledano. At 9 p.m. Wednesday, June 4.

HBrooks Wheelan at American Comedy Co., 818 B Sixth Ave., Downtown. He was named one of Comedy Central’s 10 comics to watch in 2013 and is currently a cast member on Saturday Night Live. At 8 p.m. Thursday, June 5, and Sunday, June 8, and at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, June 6-7. $22. 619-7953858, americancomedyco.com HBen Morrison at Mad House Comedy Club, 502 Horton Plaza, Downtown. Most known for his regular appearances on MTV’s Punk’d, he’s also been seen on Real House Husbands of Hollywood. At 7:30 and 9:45 p.m. Friday and Saturday, June 6-7. $20. 619-702-6666, madhousecomedyclub.com HChelsea Peretti at Comedy Store, 916 Pearl St., La Jolla. The stand-up, actress and writer currently appears in Fox’s hit series, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and has also appeared on Louie and Tosh.0. At 8 p.m.

Sunday, June 8. $20. 858-454-9176, lajolla.thecomedystore.com HJulian McCullough at American Comedy Co., 818 B Sixth Ave., Downtown. He’s performed on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, This American Life and hosts TBS’s Very Funny News. At 8 p.m.

Wednesday, June 11. $16. 619-7953858, americancomedyco.com

The Doods Foods guys hold the second installment of this pop-up dinner series.

Chefs Jason Roberts and Tim Zydek, who met while cooking together at Blanca, present a six-course tasting menu showcasing the spring harvest at Chino Farm.

At 5 and 8 p.m. Sunday, June 8. $55.

619-381-2756, boxcar.eventbrite.com HTaste of Point Loma The 25th annual event invites attendees to sample cuisine unique to the area. Shuttles will be provided to get you from one location to the next. From 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, June 10. $15-$25. 619-224-2871, facebook. com/TasteofPointLoma

HEALTH & WELLNESS

7. $45. nationalevents.cityofhope.org

MUSIC Mainly Mozart Festival Chamber Players at Timken Museum of Art, Balboa Park. These concerts feature Mainly Mozart’s Festival Orchestra members and their extended family of renowned musicians and will include a variety of classical selections. At 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 5. $55. 619-239-0100, mainlymozart.org HBill Charlap and Renee Rosnes at Athenaeum Music & Arts Library, 1008 Wall St., La Jolla. The 25th anniversary season of the Athenaeum’s jazz program opens with the husband and wife duo piano team. At 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 5. $26. 858-454-5872, ljathenaeum.org

Yoga with Hale Holistic at New Central Library, 330 Park Blvd., East Village. Start your morning on the library’s sunny patio at this free yoga class taught by a Hale Holistic instructor. All levels welcome. At 8:30 a.m. Saturday, June 7. 619-2365802, libraryshopsd.org

HValley Center Music Festival at Bates Nuts Farm, 15954 Woods Valley Road, Valley Center. The third annual fest features a Kansas City Barbeque cook-off, beer and wine garden, nine bands and more. From noon to 9 p.m. Saturday, June 7. 760749-2888, vcmusicfest.com

Impact of the Affordable Care Act on the Health of African Americans at Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation, 404 Euclid Ave., Chollas View. This community education forum will cover key questions about the ACA and include free health screenings and light refreshments. From 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, June 7. 619-906-4002. sdbha.org

Mainly Mozart Festival Orchestra at Balboa Theatre, 868 Fourth Ave., Downtown. This all-star orchestra is made up of concertmasters and principal players from the nation’s top orchestras and ensembles. At 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 7, and Wednesday, June 11. $24-$85. 619239-0100, mainlymozart.org

Yoga for Hope at Petco Park, Park & Imperial, Downtown. Experts will lead a range of yoga styles for beginners and experts to raise awareness and funds for City of Hope. Participants will also receive a ticket to see the San Diego Padres play on Sunday, June 8. At 7 a.m. Saturday, June

HLa Jolla Symphony & Chorus at Mandeville Auditorium, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla. Steven Schick conducts Leos Janacek’s “Jealousy” followed by Haydn’s final symphony. Choral Director David Chase concludes the concert with

CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

DANCE HNew Directions at Mandell Weiss Theatre, UCSD, La Jolla. An exciting mix of dance, theater and interdisciplinary collaborations that highlights UCSD undergraduate choreographers as they re-imagine the boundaries of what dance and theater a can be. At 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday through Saturday, June 4-7. $10-$20. theatre.ucsd.edu Malashock Dance Showcase at La Jolla Country Day School, 9490 Genesee Ave., La Jolla. Adult students will perform new choreography by Malashock Dance Faculty Lara Binder, Erica Buechner, Nikki Dunnan, and more at LJCDS’s Four Flowers Theatre. At 8 p.m. Saturday, June 7. $15. malashockdance.org HShock ‘N the Park at Market Creek Plaza Amphitheater, 310 Euclid Ave., Lincoln Park. Culture Shock San Diego brings more than 100 dancers to one stage showcasing hip-hop dance. From 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, June 8. 619-527-6161, cultureshockdance.org

FASHION Anne Namba at Japanese Friendship Garden Society, Balboa Park. A fashion show featuring Hawaiian designer Namba’s one-of-a-kind frocks to benefit the garden’s expansion project. From 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, June 5. $25-$50.

619-232-2721, niwa.org

FOOD & DRINK HNobodies Cooking Dinner at Tin Can Ale House, 1863 Fifth Ave., Bankers Hill.

June 4, 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 15

THEATER Barking general clings to faded glory AARON RUMLEY

Typical of a hardened, blustery military man, Major-General Daniel Edgar Sickles is gruff, irascible and indomitable. As played

by Andrew Barnicle in North Coast Repertory Theatre’s world-premiere production of Tim Burns’ Faded Glory, that’s exactly what we get for the better part of two hours: an irascible bedridden general. But Sickles— based on a true-life figure in and after the Civil War—also possesses a fiercely nostalgic, practically obsessive, side: He can’t let go of memories of his past. They’re littered throughout his home, where he’s patiently tended to by nurse and confidant Eleanor (Shana Wride, in one of her most endearing roles in recent memory).

Sickles is forced to confront the emoShana Wride and Andrew Barnicle tional complexities of his past with a vengeance during Faded Glory’s swift-moving two $54. northcoastrep.org acts. Tying to regain the Medal of Honor that —David L. Coddon was bestowed upon him and then retracted is only part of his inner turmoil. There’s also the Write to davidc@sdcitybeat.com long-festering intrigue of his political and emo- and editor@sdcitybeat.com. tional relationship with Spain’s Queen Isabella, his subsequent arranged marriage to one of her OPENING ladies in waiting (Frances Anita Rivera, in both 13 Rue de l’Amour: This French farce takes on infidelity in roles) and his personal realization of his own the late 19th century. Opens June 6 at Patio Playhouse in Esfrailties, which extend beyond the loss of a leg at condido. patioplayhouse.com the Battle of Gettysburg.

A Distant Country Called Youth: Richard Thomas (JohnEnlivening but also muddling the storytelling is boy Walton) portrays Tennessee Williams in a one-night-only, the dipsomaniacal John Barrymore (Bruce Turk), one-man show that spans much of the legendary playwright’s life. It happens on June 9 at The Old Globe Theatre in Balboa who conspires to bring the general and his es- Park. oldglobe.org tranged wife Condesa together again. The result of The Cherry Orchard: A one-night-only stage reading of Anthat reunion is the play’s payoff dramatic moment. ton Chekhov’s classic about a Russian woman who returns Faded Glory can be unapologetic fun, mostly to the orchard estate that she’s in danger of losing because when the general is bantering back and forth with she’s deep in debt. It happens on June 9 at North Coast Repthe indomitable but good-natured Ellie, who gives ertory Theatre in Solana Beach. northcoastrep.org as good as she gets. The drunken oratory of scene- Re-designing Women: Oops! This West Coast premiere of a that spoofs the 1980s sitcom Designing Women opened stealing Barrymore, too, is hard to resist, given play last week, but we neglected to include it in our last issue. It Turk’s affable interpretation. One almost longs for runs through June 15 at Diversionary Theatre in University a Barrymore solo show, overflowing with booze- Heights. diversionary.org filled philosophy and weaving footsteps. But Walter Cronkite is Dead: Two women who are polar opmuch of the noise of Faded Glory comes from the posites are forced into one another’s company during a long general, who interchangeably comes off as noble delay at an airport. Yep, they end up learning a lot about other. Opens June 6 at the Broadway Theatre in Vista. in his way or just plain cranky. Though the real- each broadwayvista.com life Sickles’ biography is problematic, his dramatization really doesn’t have to be, especially in a comedy played with this kind of light touch.

For full listings, Faded Glory runs through June 22 at North please visit “T heater ” Coast Repertory Theatre in Solana Beach. $37at sdcit ybeat.com

16 · San Diego CityBeat · June 4, 2014

June 4, 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 17

work set to the poems of Pablo Neruda.

At 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 7, and 2 p.m. Sunday, June 8. $15-$29. 858-534TIXS, lajollasymphony.com HThe Myriad Trio at Lux Art Institute, 1550 S. El Camino Real, Encinitas. The final installment of the Art of Elan’s concerts, featuring Demarre McGill on flute, Julie Smith Phillips on harp, and Che-Yun Chen on viola. At 7 p.m. Monday, June 9. $40. 760-436-6611, artofelan.org H#HACKINGIMPROV at Space 4 Art, 325 15th St., East Village. Composer and performer Blair Robert Nelson, in collaboration with violinist Kristopher Apple, explores over a century of audio technology through his generative song cycle. At 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 11. $10. 619269-7230, sdspace4art.org HA Lifetime Love Affair with the Violin

at Athenaeum Music& Arts Library, 1008 Wall St., La Jolla. Victoria Martino and James Lent celebrate Richard Strauss’s 150th birthday with a rare performance with original instrumentation of “Violin Concerto in D Minor.” At 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 11. $35. ljathenaeum.org

PERFORMANCE Hinton Folk Festival at Old Poway Park, Midland & Temple, Poway. Listen to folk, bluegrass, Irish and old-time music. There will also be storytelling from Storytellers of San Diego at the Porter House, music workshops and vintage arts and crafts.

From noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 7.

858-668-4576, sdfolkheritage.org Sweatlodged at Finest City Improv, 4250 Louisiana St., North Park. A one-woman

show by Carla Cackowski, who’ll share a story about her quest for spiritual enlightenment surrounded by strangers under a backyard tent made of sticks and blankets. In Compton. At 7 p.m. Saturday, June 7. $12. finestcityimprov.com Starve Theater at Thrift Trader North Park, 2947 El Cajon Blvd., North Park. A new monthly spoken-word-centric event that also features music, performance art and line-blurring theatrics. At 7 p.m. Saturday, June 7. 619-261-1744 HPete Seeger Sings Out at Lyceum Theatre, 79 Horton Plaza, Downtown.

Join singer, actor and musicians Dave Crossland, Jim Mooney and Vaughn Armstrong for this staged reading of Todd Salovey’s original full-length sing-along musical. At 7:30 p.m. Monday, June 9. $15. 619-544-1000, sdrep.org

SPECIAL EVENTS Samuel Adams Brew & View at NTC Park at Liberty Station, 2455 Cushing Road, Point Loma. Sam Adams beer, lawn games, food trucks and live music. When the sun goes down, Wedding Crashers will start up on an HD screen for a movie night under the stars. From 6 to 10 p.m. Thursday, June 5. 855-4646601, samadamsbrewandview.com Latin Nights at Athenaeum’s School of the Arts Studio, 4441 Park Blvd., University Heights. A night of Latin food, drinks, and dance, with Salsa Rueda dancing taught by instructors. At 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 5. $10. 858-454-5872, ljathenaeum.org/niteowls Rock, Blues & Barbeque Festival at Walnut Grove Park, Olive and Sycamore

streets, San Marcos. Phil’s BBQ and Kansas City BBQ provide the meat and seven bands provide the tunes. Bring lawn chairs and blankets for lawn seating. From 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, June 6, and noon to 8 p.m. Saturday, June 7. $5-$20. san-marcos.net HVinyl Junkies Record Swap at The Casbah, 2501 Kettner Blvd., Midtown.

Vendors will be selling records in all genres and DJs will be spinning throughout the day, including Mike Stax of Ugly Things Magazine. From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Saturday, June 7. $3. 619-232-HELL, facebook.com/VinylJunkiesRecordSwap HMingei Fusion at Mingei International Museum, Balboa Park. A masqueradestyle soiree featuring performances, food and drink, including a chocolate and craft-beer bar and more. From 6 to 9 p.m.

Saturday, June 7. $75 and up. Afterparty from 9 to 11 p.m. $25. mingei.org HThe Goblin Market at Town & Country Hotel, 500 Hotel Circle N., Mission Valley.

Alternative craft fair featuring artists selling candles, soap, jewelry, menswear, Steampunk goodies and more. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 7. $5. 858-3348650, thegoblinmarketsd.wix.com HNorth Park Historic Home Tour Take a 90-minute walking tour on Saturday or a six house, self-driven tour on Sunday. See website for details and schedule. Proceeds benefit Save Our Heritage Organisation’s historic preservation activities.

At 9 a.m., 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday, June 7, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, June 8. $15-$50. sohosandiego.org HCycle Southcrest at Southcrest Recreation Center, 4149 Newton Ave., Southcrest. The free community event will feature food, drink, bike education, giveaways, a bike rodeo, local vendors and more. From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, June 7. groundworksandiego.org HHome Ec. Studio Grand Opening at 2225 30th St., South Park. The opening of the retail branch of the sewing instruction studio, which will offer handcrafted items, DIY sewing kits, and sewing how-to magazines and books. From noon to 3 p.m.

Sunday, June 8. homeecstudio.com HEast Village Pocket Park Opening at 13th Ave. and J St., East Village. The unveiling of the new urban park, which was once an underused parking lot. The event will feature live music, food, games and a San Diego Padres ticket giveaway. At 11 a.m. Sunday, June 8. radlabsd.com

TALKS & DISCUSSIONS What SeaWorld and “Blackfish” Mean for San Diego at MCASD La Jolla, 700 Prospect St. A measured, fact-based conversation about what SeaWorld offers San Diego and how to balance that with animal welfare concerns. At 6:30 p.m. Thursday, June 5. $20. 858-454-3541. facebook.com/ events/1452494268329261 HChanging Faces: Diversity and the Veteran Experience at New Central Library, 330 Park Blvd., East Village. Part of Cal Humanities’ statewide initiative “War Comes Home: What It Is Like to Go to War,” this forum explores how race, gender, culture, and ethnicity affect the veteran experience. From 6:30 to 9 p.m.

Wednesday, June 11. 619-236-5800, sandiegolibrary.org

For full listings,

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

18 · San Diego CityBeat · June 4, 2014

www.adamsavenuebusiness.com

Art Around Adams

Art Around Adams

Art Around Adams

The June 15 tours will take guests inside Hubbell’s home and studios.

Welcome

home

A chance to explore James Hubbell’s fantastical built environment Story and photos by Kinsee Morlan

J

ames Hubbell is somewhere on his swath of land nestled in the rolling hills of Santa Ysabel. The trick is finding where, exactly, the artist is amid the 34 acres of rural property, home to 10 of his recognizable buildings—organically shaped, whimsical structures that look more like largescale sculptures than places to live and work.

“We’re always searching for him,” laughs Anne Hubbell, the famed artist’s wife, when I knock on the door of the couple’s bedroom, the only building on the property kept private during the upcoming annual public studioand-home tours happening on June 15.

While her husband is nowhere in sight, his thumbprint is everywhere in the structures’ quirky architectural details—large chunks of twisted glass, colorful mosaic tiles, giant sparkling geodes and even a sculpted-clay lamb’s head peeking out of a chimney. The buildings are smooth with rounded edges, and each is so masterfully woven into the natural environment that it looks as if they sprouted from the ground. Doors, windows, benches, railings and steps are functional, but there’s hardly a missed opportunity for art.

The couple’s old, dusty dog Elliot eventually helps find Hubbell, who’s surrounded by a team of employees and volunteers working on the Ilan-Lael Center, a building that’ll take shape as a semicircle of connected spaces housing an archival library, classroom, indoor and outdoor event venues and an office for the Ilan-Lael Foundation, an arts-focused nonprofit founded by the Hubbells.

The new center is about one-third complete. After additional fundraising, Hubbell says the plan is to have it up and running by next summer. The space is the last im-

but he’s still as hands-on in the construction of his designs as ever. A tiny dried chunk of plaster stuck in one of his eyebrows is proof of his dedication to helping build the new center.

“That’s the fun stuff,” he says of the physical labor, the tiny bit of plaster jiggling as he speaks.

Originally a painter and sculptor, Hubbell was never trained in architecture, nor did he ever get licensed in the trade. He learned to work closely with engineers and licensed architects in realizing the now well-known, one-of-a-kind buildings he’s designed. He still paints and One of the Hubbells’ famed Santa Ysabel buildings sculpts, too, often adapting his medium to whatever mateportant step in eventually transitioning the property and rial new interns are most interested in, so they can better homes from a private residence open to outsiders only learn about and enjoy the work.

Lizards scurry across dry leaves and grass as Hubbell once annually during Father’s Day weekend tours into a public space where groups can host retreats, workshops shows me the rest of his quarters. He leads the way past a and other events focused on connecting people with cre- hand-built stone swimming pool and hot tub, walks down ativity, the arts and the natural environment. Ilan-Lael was a steep, mossy stairway and opens the door to what might technically gifted the land and buildings years ago, but the be his most striking building.

“At about 14, the kids would move over here,” he says, Hubbells are allowed to live onsite as the official artists-inrevealing a hobbit-like home with a spiraled wood stairresidence as long as they like.

“You know, if the kids had inherited all this, there case, oddly shaped stain-glass windows and a bathroom wouldn’t be any money to take care of it,” says Hubbell, almost completely covered in tile mosaics. “They’d take who, with his wife, raised four children on the property. their suitcase and records and they’d move. Drew, an ar“It’d be like giving them a rock. So we always thought of chitect now, he actually moved before the darn windows doing this. And I realized the foundation really doesn’t were on. He couldn’t wait to get away from his parents.”

Now the building serves as a guestwork without the new building.” house. Other structures on the site The rocky dirt crunches under Hubhe lan ael work as small galleries exhibiting bell’s feet as he takes me on a tour of the rest of the property, which was ravaged tudio ome ours Hubbell’s smaller sculptures and art studios where his team helps fabricate by the 2003 Cedar Fire but has since 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. commissions. There’s one lone strucbeen rebuilt and restored.

Sunday, June 15 ture overlooking the west side of the “This was the first one,” he says, property that stands out because of its $30-$75 opening the door to a modest, one-room separation from the cluster of buildbuilding that now serves as his main ilanlaelfoundation.org ings. The small space is designed simstudio where he does most of his paintply for sitting, relaxing and reflecting ing and design work. “At one point, five on the natural world. Hubbell sits inside the quiet space of us slept in here, but the kids were little, so it worked.”

He’s in his studio a lot these days, churning out designs and explains that nature and spirituality have always infor commissioned projects that often include artistic em- fluenced his work.

“I can’t understand separating them,” he says. “I think bellishments to private and public spaces, like gateways, doorways or stained-glass windows. Hubbell is in his 80s, what I really do with my work is to bridge things—things that don’t seem to go together…. I somehow see things as connected that other people think are separate.”

Hubbell, who advises young artists to never take themselves, their detractors or even fans too seriously, describes his artistic process as completely intuitive.

“I think the important thing is to trust yourself to do the kind of work you believe in,” he says. “It’s kind of like cooking. You go get an egg, and it tells you: ‘Go get some onion.’ So you just listen.

“I want the building to feel like music, you know, to have that kind of quality,” he continues as he wraps up the tour. “Humans are all full of poetry, music and myths, and we don’t always recognize that, but architecture can sometimes remind us that there’s some of that in us.”

S

T

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Hubbell inside one of his whimsical creations

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Write to kinseem@sdcitybeat.com and editor@sdcitybeat.com.

June 4, 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 23

Kinsee Morlan

Seen Local Miki be nimble Miki Iwasaki is quickly earning a reputation as the type of artist and designer who’s flexible, fast and willing to adapt to the constraints of complicated private and public projects.

He’d prefer easier, straightforward work, but when nonprofit institutions and public agencies are involved, an artist has to be ready for anything. During the last few weeks, two new complex, large-scale pieces by Iwasaki have been unveiled at the New Children’s Museum and San Diego International Airport.

“This one became a really long process,” Iwasaki says as he walks around his new installation at the airport. “It was difficult just to figure out what my actual canvas would be.”

After several last-minute design changes to a new food court in the airport’s Terminal 1, Iwasaki’s “Astralgraph” eventually took shape as a striking installation that wraps around a wide column toward the back of the dining area. The mostly powder-coated steel piece represents a bit of a departure for Iwasaki, who’s known mostly for working with wood. One of his interactive wood-and-light sculptures, in fact, hangs above the baggage claim area just down the hall.

“The idea was to have multiple textures on here, because it’s something that’s ground level,” Iwasaki says, pointing out the few wood and ceramic pieces incorporated into the work (he collaborated with Jeremy Gercke on the eye-catching ceramic-glaze finishes). “It’s going to be touched, and so we wanted people to go ahead and touch and explore it.”

“Astralgraph” embodies Iwasaki’s recognizable clean, futuristic-looking design aesthetic and is meant to evoke the universe. Small metal dots in different densities and clusters throughout the work look like constellations.

Miki Iwasaki “It’s not trying to be too sci-fi or anything,” he laughs. “But it’s trying to say, ‘Hey, there’s more to it than just us flying around in planes around the world. There are other systems in play. There are other bigger-picture things going on.’”

The artist’s interactive piece at the New Children’s Museum is a product of the San Diego Foundation’s Creative Catalyst Fund, which pairs local artists with institutions and encourages the creation of new work that involves civic engagement and social change.

As a Creative Catalyst grant recipient, Iwasaki created “Wind Vessel,” an installation that invites kids to pedal a bike-powered fan that blows wind, activating LED turbines mounted inside a large framed structure that looks a bit like a modern zeppelin.

“It’s part science, part education, part art,” says Iwasaki, who’ll lead children’s workshops involving the installation in coming months.

The prototype was extremely different than what materialized, in part because the location for it inside the museum changed three times during the design process.

“You’ve just got to be nimble,” Iwasaki says, shrugging off the challenges he faces in his newfound success in the public-art realm.

—Kinsee Morlan

Faces defaced

K in s e e

With frequent thrift-store visits, artist Nick McPher- 7, at VISUAL (3776 30th St. in North Park). son has amassed a collection of other people’s dis“Your pics are weird, I like them,” writes one Incarded photos. He takes those photos and, every day stagram commenter on a vintage photo of a baby in when he has a spare minute or two, pulls out a a wicker buggy. McPherson has defaced the black-ink, brush-tip pen and draws directly on poor kid by adding a backwards baseball cap the portraits, transforming them and hairy, oversized monster arms, one of into hilarious works of art. which is angrily flipping off the camera.

“That’s how I tell if it’s While the manipulated-photo congood,” McPherson says in his cept might not be original, the gritty, East Village office, where often-dark humor and surprising alhe works as a graphic deterations McPherson comes up with signer. “If I look at it, and certainly are. even months later, it still “People just love it,” he says. makes me laugh, I know it’s “Some dude in Taiwan, I have a good one.” no idea who he is, he has 38,000 McPherson scans and followers, and he liked five of posts a photo each day on my photos on Instagram, and Instagram (@nicholasdan now every day, without fail, I ger), a platform that’s providget at least two or three kids ed him with gobs of positive feedfrom Taiwan who follow me. back. The likes and follows inspired It’s so random…. But, yeah, him to compile some of the photos and I’m totally big in Taiwan print an 80-page book. His fans also right now.” motivated him to find a venue to show —Kinsee Morlan the original work, which he’ll do when Write to kinseem@sdcitybeat.com Poortraits, his first-ever solo show, Nick McPherson and editor@sdcitybeat.com. opens from 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, June M o r la

n

24 · San Diego CityBeat · June 4, 2014

Love at first fight Tom Cruise dies a thousand deaths to woo Emily Blunt

by Glenn Heath Jr. Cinema has produced some strange dating stories during the past century; Preston Sturges’ marvelous screwball romp, The Palm Beach Story, comes to mind as an especially odd example of courtship run amok. But I’d be hard pressed to think Emily Blunt and Tom Cruise search for the brain. of one that’s more peculiar than Edge of Tomorrow, a messily violent tale of romantic flirta- plot. The splintered, overlapping narrative almost tion set during the apocalypse and born from one demands it. But between the repetitive dialogue man’s thousand demises. and exposition is an interesting approach to the Doug Liman’s big-budget sci-fi epic stars Tom classic love story. As Cage goes through one trauCruise as William Cage, a high-ranking military matic experience after the next, essentially folspokesperson who sells the American public on lowing the same footsteps each time until reacha war against alien insurgents who’ve taken over ing new frontier, his affection for Rita grows. It’s most of Western Europe. On the eve of the multi- entirely unspoken and completely one-sided, but front Allied invasion—supposedly the final blow his decisions eventually hinge on her safety, comthat will destroy the shape-shifting “mimics” once plicating the mission at hand. His time spent with and for all—Cage is forced into combat after try- her also allows for a certain advantage when it ing to blackmail the United Defense Force general comes to understanding her emotional vulnerabil(Brendan Gleeson) behind the military campaign. ity. Guys need all the help they can get in this deDragging his feet at every turn, Cage is labeled a partment. The more times Cage lives and dies, the coward and a deserter by the ecmore he learns about Rita’s past, centric roughnecks he encounpresent and future. ters along the way. When the Liman is a proven action filmEdge of epic battle begins on the beaches maker; 2002’s The Bourne IdentiTomorrow of Northern France, this once ty contains some of the great carDirected by Doug Liman arrogant man is thrust into an chase sequences and fight scenes Starring Tom Cruise, Emily exploding landscape of spinning in recent times. Edge of TomorBlunt, Brendan Gleeson aircraft, shredded metal and row doesn’t falter in this area, and Noah Taylor sandy carnage. Imagine Saving either; each moment of combat Rated PG-13 Private Ryan but with fleet airfeels like a cinematic whirlwind ships and advanced weaponry. of controlled chaos. Yet it’s the As predicted by his commanding sensitivity Liman feels toward officer (a salty Bill Paxton), Cage dies almost im- Cage’s unrequited longing that gives the film surmediately, but not before he ingests the lifeblood prising weight. Saving the world is simply an afterof a special mimic that allows him to relive this thought for this smitten martyr. fateful day over and over again.

Edge of Tomorrow—which opens Friday, June Watching Cage Live. Die. Repeat. without any 6—refuses many of the gratuitous conventions that purpose is pretty amusing; Liman mixes up the anchor typical summer movies, making it that rare darkly macabre scenarios just enough to smartly riff eccentric blockbuster with personality. The downon the comic déjà vu template perfected by Ground- fall of Earth is nothing compared to a lost chance at hog Day in 1993. During one variation on the battle, personal connection. Cage feels it, and eventually Cage meets Rita (Emily Blunt), a skilled soldier and Rita does, too. That both are put through the literal hero of the American cause who has experienced (and figurative) meat grinder before reaching this similar reboot capabilities during a previous con- epiphany makes for a nice allegory about the rocky flict. Using trial and error (the deaths keep on com- travails of modern serenading. Getting a woman’s ing), they join forces to figure out the perfect way to attention has never been so masochistic. escape the failed invasion and press inland to find Write to glennh@sdcitybeat.com the alien brain controlling all the mimics.

Needless to say, Edge of Tomorrow is heavy on and editor@sdcitybeat.com.

Patriot acts

Gore Vidal

For those unaware of Gore Vidal’s massive significance in 20th-century American history, Nicholas Wrathall’s documentary Gore Vidal: The United States of Amnesia will act as a thoughtful introduction. Born into a wealthy family during the swinging 1920s, Vidal received his first introduction to politics as a page for his

uncle, a member of Congress. It was here that he got a behind-thescenes look at the compromises plaguing our democratic process.

The witty and sharp young man would go on to become one of America’s brightest writers during the post-World War II era. Later, after his star had risen significantly, Vidal would hobnob

CONTINUED ON PAGE 26 June 4, 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 25

with celebrities and cultural icons at his cliff-side villa in Ravello, Italy, where he lived with his longtime partner, Howard Auster.

Wrathall’s film mixes archival footage of Vidal’s ascent with modern interviews conducted before his death in July 2012. The result is an intoxicating cocktail of memory and commentary depicting an opinionated titan known for his acute bullshit detector. Listening to Vidal skewer both Reagan and Bush II is something to behold.

What emerges is the man himself: Vidal comes across as a passionate, deeply afflicted intellectual who dared to push the boundaries of culture with his writing (Myra Breckinridge remains a button pusher) and controversial media appearances. The montage that recounts his famous tête-àtête with William F. Buckley during the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago is a high point.

Gore Vidal—which opens Friday, June 6, at the Ken Cinema and screens for one week only— focuses on its subject’s revisionist writing on American history in the final act. Here, Vidal challenged myths surrounding Lincoln, Roosevelt and Kennedy in order to create important “counter-narratives.” It was his hope that this would remind citizens that history was fallible, something that can be manipulated by the powerful to seize control. If amnesia takes over, we’re doomed.

—Glenn Heath Jr.

Opening

26 · San Diego CityBeat · June 4, 2014

nefarious spirits.

Words and Pictures: Clive Owen and Juliette Binoche star as rival teachers who spark a competition between their students involving the importance of photography and prose.

One Time Only The Burden: America’s dependency on fossil fuels is deemed a threat to national security in this documentary that highlights our military’s attempt to help move the nation to better energy diversity. Screens at 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 4, at the San Diego Public Library in East Village.

Almost Famous: Young music journalists beware: Don’t make friends with the rock stars. Cameron Crowe’s masterpiece stars Kate Hudson, Frances McDormand, Patrick Fugit and Billy Crudup. Screens at 8 p.m. Wednesday, June 4, at The Pearl Hotel in Point Loma.

Das System: A young man gets seduced by a flashy agent of the German secret police at the height of the Cold War. It’s presented as part of the German Currents film series, and screenwriter Dörte Franke will participate in a Q&A after the movie.

Screens at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 5, at Digital Gym Cinema in North Park.

Diciotto Anni Dopo (Eighteen Years Later): In order to return their father’s ashes to his hometown, two estranged brothers must make peace and go on a road trip into the Italian countryside.

Screens at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 5, at La Paloma Theatre in Encinitas.

Dragon Inn: A forest pit stop becomes a setting for a massive fight between warriors loyal to the emperor and those beholden to a military commander. It’s the film that made Hong Kong master King Hu a box-office behemoth. Screens at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 5, at the Museum of Photographic Arts in Balboa Park.

The Waiting List: A Cuban film about a desperate group of people who endlessly wait for the next bus to arrive at their station. Screens at 1:30 p.m. Friday, June 6, at the La Jolla Community Center.

Bugs!: Get up close and personal with the world’s most unique insects in this groundbreaking IMAX nature film.

Opened last week. Screens through June 7 at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center in Balboa Park.

A Touch of Zen: Action adventure from director King Hu about an artist who befriends a beautiful woman living in an abandoned fort as she hides from a gang of mercenaries who’ve already killed her family. Screens at 7 p.m. Friday, June 6, at the Museum of Photographic Arts in Balboa Park.

Edge of Tomorrow: Tom Cruise dies a thousand times in order to find the right information about an alien attack that will destroy Earth. It co-stars a very buff Emily Blunt. See our review on Page 25.

The Valiant Ones: Kung-fu artists battle pirates in King Hu’s wild romp through the Wu Xia genre. Screens at 7 p.m. Saturday, June 7, at the Museum of Photographic Arts in Balboa Park.

The Fault in Our Stars: In a dramedy starring Shailene Woodley (Divergent), from the writers of (500) Days of Summer, young love is tested when a cancer-stricken teenager falls for her witty foil despite her serious illness.

Proxy: A pregnant woman suffers a brutal attack and survives. To move forward, she joins a support group that endangers her even more. Screens at 10 p.m. Saturday, June 7, at Digital Gym Cinema in North Park.

Gore Vidal: The United States of Amnesia: Documentary on one of America’s greatest 20th-century provocateurs and writers, who challenged politicians and the media at every turn. See our review on Page 25.

Ricordati Di Noi: Boredom and dysfunction rip apart a middle-class Italian family attempting to make things work. Screens at 2 p.m. Sunday, June 8, at the San Diego Public Library in East Village.

Ilo Ilo: A family maid befriends the young son of a family living in Singapore immediately before the Asian recession hits the region. Screens through June 12 at Digital Gym Cinema in North Park.

Sarah’s Key: Past and present merge as a modern-day journalist tries to solve a murder that occurred at the beginning of World War II. Screens at 2 p.m. Sunday, June 8, at the Point Loma / Hervey Branch Library.

Rigor Mortis: A horror film imported from Hong Kong about a public-housing tenant who comes across a dark secret in her building that could unleash a story of

American Freethought, Part 3: The third segment in Rod Bradford’s four-part exploration of secularism and censorship in America. Screens at 6:30 p.m. Monday,

June 9, at the San Diego Public Library in East Village.

So Much Water: Divorced father Alberto tries to reconnect with his two children by taking them to a sunny resort. But incessant rain keeps them indoors and forces them to address some long-gestating issues. Screens at 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 10 at the Point Loma Public Library.

Pa Negre: A child finds the corpses of a man and his son in the forest, setting in motion a string of events that will force him to betray his roots. Screens at 7 p.m.

Tuesday, June 10, at the Hall of Nations in Balboa Park.

Urbanized: Ever wonder how cities are designed? This documentary explores the architectural concepts of modern urban centers. Come early at 6 p.m. for hosted cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. Screens at 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 10, at Hold It Contemporary Home in Mission Valley.

The Goonies: Chunk and Sloth might be the greatest movie couple of all time. See why in Richard Donner’s classic kids film.

Screens at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 10, at Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens in Point Loma’s Liberty Station.

Double Indemnity: Barbara Stanwyck leads Fred MacMurray down a seedy path to murder and blackmail in what might be Billy Wilder’s best film. Screens at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 11, at the La Jolla Community Center.

Bark of Luck and Flower Power: Two short films produced as part of the Short Film Boot Camp at the 2014 San Diego Latino Film Festival. Screens at 7 p.m.

Wednesday, June 11, at Digital Gym Cinema in North Park.

Hot Fuzz: Meticulous London policeman (Simon Pegg) is transferred to a rural town because he’s making his superiors look bad. But his “peaceful” new home hides some dark secrets. This is Edgar Wright’s (Shaun of the Dead) homage to 1990s action films. Screens at 8 p.m.

Wednesday, June 11, at The Pearl Hotel in Point Loma.

Now Playiing A Million Ways to Die in the West: Seth MacFarlane’s follow-up to Ted is a star-studded satire that lays waste to the classic Western. There are sure to be a few penis jokes.

Cold in July: A middle-class homeowner (Michael C. Hall) kills a burglar during a home invasion, only to have his life turned upside down as a result. Ends June 5 at the Ken Cinema.

The Hornet’s Nest: Using real combat footage, this immersive war film experiences some of Afghanistan’s most hostile valleys through the eyes of the soldiers fighting against Taliban insurgents.

Ida: Anna, 18, is about to become a nun in 1960s Poland. But a family secret dating back to the days of Nazi occupation threatens her faith. It’s directed by acclaimed filmmaker Pawel Pawlikowski.

Maleficent: Angelina Jolie stars as the infamous sorceress who sets her sights on the nubile young Princess Aurora in this big-budget reboot of Sleeping Beauty.

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

ryan

Well, That was awkward

Bradford Job interviews with hideous men I’m going to tell you about the worst job interview worked, and the effect was immediate.

I’ve ever had. But first you should know that I’m not I failed the rest of the interview, not even speca very good interviewee. Never have been. I suffer tacularly. My answers became mumbled, and my from social anxiety, which, in official settings that hands visibly shook. They asked a question about don’t allow for jokes, becomes ratcheted up to sewhether they should keep running stories about vere levels. In fact, I’m pretty sure most of my jobs Ron Paul because he attracted high Internet traffic, have either come from knowing the boss or my disand I simply said: “I don’t know.” arming ability to weasel into things (which, sadly, is “Well, I think we’re through then.” not a marketable skill to put on the ol’ résumé).

Before dismissing the editorial team, the large Before I worked at CityBeat, I interviewed with a owner told me to stick around. His face softened. prominent political blog based in San Diego. It was “That was painful,” he said. A paternal effect took the second interview for the same organization, achold as he assured me that my résumé was good and tually. The first interview went swimmingly—I met that I just needed to practice my interview skills. He with two of the editors and we professed our mugave me his card in case I had any freelance ideas. I tual love of Wordpress and Trader Joe’s. When I got left and threw his card in the trash. the callback, I expected a roomful of high-fives and Driving home, humiliated and on the verge of bro-y half-hugs. tears, I knew that entire experience would be forever Instead, they brought me into a room full of no engrained in my consciousness, a traumatic memory less than six people, two of whom were the foundsignaled by the sound of slow-motion helicopter ers of the company who’d traveled from out of town. blades if this were a war movie. For months, those These two men had the qualities of a stereotypical events replayed in my mind, and I would anguish odd couple: One was short and shrewd; the other over what answers I should’ve given, sometimes conwas large and lumbering. Both were equally intimivincing myself of my own ineptitude and cowardice, dating Type A’s. They held dominion over the room other times staging intricate revenge fantasies. and had leather satchels that screamed “Power!”

But you know what? I’ve come to terms with They made introductions. I did my best impreshow I act in those situations. If my neurosis saves sion of normal, but my palms me from working for people were sweaty, and I was already like that, all the better.

I love my nervous, pitting out. Wearing light colors And also: Fuck those guys. is always a bad choice for me. sweaty life, but I pitched this monthly colTheir first question: “So, what umn to document my many sometimes the hysteria have you been reading lately?” awkward experiences, which of daily routine Because this was the second are often the result of an overinterview, I expected that there analytical, anxious brain that cannot be ignored. could be some hardball questurns everyday events into a tions. This was also during the stream of misadventure and inrun-up to the 2012 election, so I figured I’d do a appropriate hilarity. Too often, mainstream media little homework to impress these politicos, which present a voice of snarky confidence and swagmeant reading a couple of articles on the New York ger—a voice that doesn’t ring true for me. I suspect Times and CNN websites. that I’m not alone with feeling this. I wanted to “Well, I’m very interested in Mitt Romney,” I said. write a column that articulates frustration of try“I’m from Utah, and it’s crazy to see the spectacle ing to fit into an increasingly disconnected, comsurrounding him and how he’s handling it.” partmentalized and lonely culture.

(Side note: You will not impress hardcore politiDon’t get the wrong idea: It’s not a terrible excos with a superficial interest in the leading candiistence. I love my nervous, sweaty life, but sometimes the hysteria of daily routine cannot be igdate for the Republican Party. It’s like professing nored. Sometimes, life needs to have its shit called your love for live music.) out. We live in a contradictory culture that puts so “Plus,” I added, “I had a friend in high school much value in presentation over content, that rewhose mom is personal friends with Mitt.” wards fitting in and acting normal, and where rich “Did she sleep with him?” the short owner men think that a job interview is the appropriate asked. He sneered. A round of ugly laughter tricktime to make jokes about your friend’s mom fuckled around the table like the last kernels of an overing Mitt Romney. done bag of popcorn.

A couple of weeks later, I got suckered into “Huh huh, yeah, probably,” I said. interviewing with American Income Life, an obHuh huh, yeah, probably. vious pyramid scheme that preys on the desperaLooking back, I know exactly why I gave that retion of underemployed people. By all measures: a sponse: I was nervous. I wanted to fit in. I wanted terrible company. But to their credit, at least they to be in on the joke. I wanted that job so badly that weren’t dicks. denying that short man’s validation seemed like a preemptive act of insubordination. But that doesn’t Write to ryanb@sdcitybeat.com make my reaction any less awful. His “joke” now and editor@sdcitybeat.com. seems like a subtle act to establish dominance. It

June 4, 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 27

Failure

The

of

Priscilla Chavez

Alt-rock innovators return to the stage to play for a new audience • by Jeff Terich

A

good band is easy to kill. Egos get in shelf for almost two years. the way of a productive, creative en“And drug problems that were… I don’t vironment. Addiction can cripple the know if you can say that a drug problem is ability to function. Or its members simply manageable, but it went from being somestop getting along, which has led to the what manageable to spiraling out of conimplosion of too many bands to mention, trol during that time,” he continues. “By including—at least temporarily—Pixies and the time it actually did come out, we were Smashing Pumpkins. already in a downward spiral that… no In late 1996, Los Angeles alternative- matter what happened with that record, rock trio Failure seemed on the verge of was not going to end well.” something huge. They’d just released their Seven years after Failure first began playsprawling third album, Fantastic Planet, ing music, they came to an abrupt, unceremoand its lead single, “Stuck on You,” earned nious end. But a lot can happen in 17 years. them airplay on stations like 91X and Over time, Fantastic Planet slowly rose in KROQ, while its James Bond-inspired vid- prominence as a cult favorite. Underground eo clip landed on MTV’s 120 Minutes. acts like Cave In would sing its praises in All signs pointed to 1997 being the year interviews, while Tennessee pop-punk act that Failure would reach the next level; it Paramore—whose new single “Ain’t it Fun” is turned out to be the year everything fell currently No. 11 on Billboard’s singles chart— apart. They finished recording Fantastic recorded a cover of “Stuck on You.” Planet in 1995, but business decisions by By last year, when Failure announced their label, Slash, kept it from being released their first show together since 1997, an until more than a year later. Meanwhile, the entirely new generation of listeners had group’s members—guitarist Ken Andrews, gravitated toward the band’s epic, cosmic bass player Greg Edwards and drummer rock music. And so when tickets for the Kellii Scott—had begun a descent into heroin Feb. 13 show at the nearly 800-capacity El use that would eventually get in the way of Rey Theatre in Los Angeles went on sale, their ability to keep functioning as a band. they sold out in a matter of minutes.

In a phone interview Andrews says that from San Francisco at the playing to these larger aulaunch of the band’s “Tree diences now feels much of Stars” tour, Andrews different than it did in the Sunday, June 15 says that after the album ’90s, and it doesn’t feel like House of Blues was done, things quickly nostalgia for its own sake. failureband.com went from bad to worse.

“We could kind of sense facebook.com/Failureband “Basically, after Fanthere’s a new audience that failureband.bandcamp.com tastic Planet was done… discovered us way after we we delivered it to kind of broke up,” he says. “People a nightmare scenario,” he says. “The label have had so long to absorb the records and we were signed to at the time was trying to kind of make them their own, which is susell itself and was not interested in releas- per-satisfying to play these shows now, and ing records at all. So that record, which we people just freak out when we play the songs poured our heart and soul into, sat on the and they know all the words. It’s very differ-

Failure

28 · San Diego CityBeat · June 4, 2014

ent than when we were playing them in 1997 as a new album and as a relatively new band to most people.

“It doesn’t feel like a reunion tour in terms of a bunch of guys getting together to play the old hits,” he continues. “The material still feels pretty current.”

When Failure released Fantastic Planet in the fall of 1996, it represented a significant shift for the band both in creativity and in scope. A concept album about addiction filtered through heavy space imagery, largely inspired by films like Andrei Tarkovsky’s Solaris, Fantastic Planet was nearly 30 minutes longer than its predecessor, Magnified, and featured both the band’s catchiest songs (“Stuck on You,” “Sergeant Politeness”) and their most sonically complex (“Another Space Song,” “Heliotropic”). It occupies an unusual space in ’90s alt-rock, somewhere between the epic crunch of Smashing Pumpkins’ Siamese Dream, the ethereal majesty of My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless and the abrasive post-hardcore of Quicksand’s Slip.

It was an ambitious release by almost any measure, particularly considering Failure was still a relatively unknown band at the time. Not that that stopped them from pitching the audacious project to their label. After working with Steve Albini on their 1992 debut, Comfort, and mostly self-producing its follow-up, Magnified, Failure’s vision with album No. 3 was to use their advance to buy their own equipment, rent a house outside of Los Angeles and record the album on their own—without any outside intervention.

This, Andrews says, made their management nervous.

“Our manager was, like, ‘They’re never going to go for it. You don’t have any hits behind you yet. You don’t have any credibility to be producing your own records, really,’” Andrews says. “So we went in,

Failure, circa 1996, fro m left: Greg Edwards, Kellii Scott and Ken Andrews had the meeting, made the pitch, and the record-label president was, like, ‘Sounds good. Get to recording.’”

That more or less began what became a fruitful career in production and engineering work for Andrews, which includes albums by A Perfect Circle, Tenacious D and M83. After the band broke up, Andrews also continued recording with projects like On and Year of the Rabbit, while Edwards joined Autolux and Scott worked with Blinker the Star and former Hole bassist Melissa Auf Der Maur.

Even after their darkest period in the late ’90s, the members of Failure still pursued music as a creative outlet, which is why getting back together means something more than just revisiting their old material.

“We talked about how, if we get the band together, we don’t want it to be the one reunion tour, and just play the old songs, and that would be it,” Andrews says. “That didn’t really do it for us, in terms of something to sink our teeth into. So we actually spent a little bit of time on some new material to see if we could satisfy ourselves, in terms of liking the quality of the new material.”

Failure recently released “Come Crashing,” their first new song since 1996, and Andrews says there’s more on the way— which is what makes this feel a bit different than so many of the reunions that have headlined festivals in the last decade.

There’s a new sense of purpose to the band.

So maybe this isn’t really a comeback—it’s a new beginning.

Write to jefft@sdcitybeat.com and editor@sdcitybeat.com.

notes from the smoking patio Locals Only Indie rockers and jazz musicians will come together on Wednesday, June 18, for a unique performance at Seven Grand, the North Park whiskey bar.

Trumpeter Gilbert Castellanos, recipient the San Diego Music Awards Artist of the Year honor, who leads a weekly jazz jam at Seven Grand, will perform a special set with Roxy Jones. But there’s a twist: Castellanos isn’t just performing with the band; he’s actually adapting their songs into new jazz arrangements, putting the group’s music in an entirely new context.

Peter Graves, frontman for Roxy Jones and talent booker for Seven Grand, says it seemed like an interesting way to introduce Castellanos’ music to a new audience.

“We’re taking the opportunity to try and bring in a crowd that normally might not [come to the jazz jam],” Graves says. “I thought it was a cool way to infuse some new blood into it.”

Roxy Jones is the first band to try its hand at this fusion of jazz and indie rock, which Graves says will feature other local rock bands in future shows.

However, taking on radical new interpretations of these songs has required a little preparation on the band’s part.

“None of us reads sheet music,” Graves says, adding that Castellanos is handling writing out the new arrangements. “He’s super-quick with everything.”

Music review Transfer Shadow Aspect (Obscure Magpie) Indie rock, when you get right down to it, isn’t bound by limitations. “Indie,” in case you forgot, is merely shorthand for “independent,” and without the kind of pressure facing major-label alt-rock groups, an indie band in the truest sense of the word is generally free of creative burdens. So, it’s a shame that indie rock is so frequently guilty of playing it safe. When Pavement, Modest Mouse and Arcade Fire released their debut records, they all sounded fresh.

Hundreds of other bands that stick to a familiar formula don’t sound so fresh.

The irony of being a small-time artist is that the tendency to think small is all too prevalent. Transfer, who have been performing and releasing music for more than a decade, are technically an indie-rock band because they release albums independently. But their music aims for something bigger. They don’t play indie rock in the loaded sense of the term. They’re a rock ’n’ roll band, and a pretty damn good one at that.

Shadow Aspect, their fourth album (a double LP),

Gilbert Castellanos In addition to this new project, Roxy Jones are also working on a new full-length album this year.

Their last album, Lullabies and Warcries, was released in 2010, and the group hasn’t been as busy lately. Graves says that working with Castellanos has inspired them to get moving on their own material.

“We hardly ever play any music for anyone other than ourselves, or for our own satisfaction,” Graves says. “Doing this thing with Gilbert is kind of a jumping-off point. It’s gotten us motivated to start doing more stuff this summer.”

—Jeff Terich

reflects the ambition that Transfer shows in the music they make. Not a song on this 12-track set is anything less than soaring or heroic. And even at their subtlest, there’s always a big chorus or a powerful climax just around the corner.

Opening track “Dark Behavior” sends a clear message that you’re about to hear something arena-sized.

A widescreen choral arrangement gives way to a U2style rock anthem with subtle touches of shoegazing guitars. From there, the band amplifies Spoon-style grooves on “The Widow,” ramps up the handclaps and stomping rhythms on “Kills Me Every Time” and goes for the psychedelic-folk, Grizzly Bear and Fleet Foxes gusto on standout “Reflections of Home.”

Transfer aren’t exactly innovators, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Being an experimental band often means a higher ratio of broken eggs to omelets.

On Shadow Aspect, Transfer put their own, soaring spin on familiar sounds.

They do what they do well, and that’s the best thing a band can do.

—Jeff Terich Write to jefft@sdcitybeat.com and editor@sdcitybeat.com.

June 4, 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 29

if i were u Wednesday, June 4 PLAN A: tUnE-yArDs, Sylvan Esso @ The Irenic. Merrill Garbus’ oddball, cartoonish pop music is kind of an all-ornothing proposal. Either you dig it (like me) or you absolutely can’t stand it (like Chuck Klosterman). And if you fall in the latter camp, I can’t do much for you, but if it’s a goofball dance party you seek, this is where you should be. PLAN B: The Jezabels, Gold and Youth @ The Casbah. The Jezabels’ single “Rosebud” sounds like a shoegazer Fleetwood Mac covering Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA.” Amazing, right? Absolutely, which is why you should carve out some time to see and hear the group’s big, dreamy sound in person.

BACKUP PLAN: Schitzophonics, Heavy Glow, Neighbors to the North, Grim Imperials @ Soda Bar.

Thursday, June 5 PLAN A: Love and the Skull, Stripes and Lines, The Llamadors, Privet @ Soda Bar. Local dudes Love and the Skull are a little bit garage rock, a little bit pop and a pretty heavy dose of The Smiths. Sounds like a formula for success, if you ask me. PLAN B: Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash, The Palominos @ Til-Two Club. Tighten up your bolo tie, don your best stetson and button your Nudie suit, because we’ve got ourselves a great night of country rock and honky-tonk on El Cajon Boulevard. If you’re the type who says, “I like all kinds of music—except country,” then maybe this show will fix that for you.

Friday, June 6 PLAN A: Sister Juanita, Amerikan Bear, Grizzly Business, The Young Gents @ The Casbah. Anybody can throw some reverb and other disorienting effects on top of a power chord and call it psychedelic pop, but it takes a bit more effort to make it stand out from the paisley hordes. Sister Juanita have that extra-special something, playing melodic and captivating psych-pop that’s reminiscent of The Dandy Warhols, if they were a lot less jokey. BACKUP PLAN: The Donkeys, Extra Classic, Octagrape, John Meeks @ The Irenic.

BY Jeff Terich fun and impossibly catchy classics. My personal favorite is “Funnel of Love,” which started as a B-side but came to be one of her most celebrated songs. PLAN B: Lionel Richie, Cee-Lo Green @ Sleep Train Amphitheatre. We had a little chat about this at CityBeat HQ, and the consensus was that, corny or not, going to see Lionel Richie would probably be a blast. The man’s got more hits than I can count, and you probably know all the words. “Hello / Is it me you’re looking for?” BACKUP PLAN: Little Hurricane, Lincoln Durham, Ed Ghost Tucker @ House of Blues.

Sunday, June 8 PLAN A: Fatso Jetson, The Freeks, The Finkbombs, Disastroid @ Tower Bar. Sgt. Fatso Judson was Ernest Borgnine’s character in From Here to Eternity, but Fatso Jetson are pioneers of desert rock. Long before Queens of the Stone Age were headlining festivals, this Palm Desert group was bringing thunder in heavy doses. PLAN B: Brownout presents Brown Sabbath @ The Casbah.

Brownout is a Latin funk band from Austin, which is cool enough on its own.

But, on this tour, they’re putting their soulful spin on the Black Sabbath catalog. Seriously, check out the live video of “The Wizard” on their Facebook page and tUnE-yArDs you’ll be convinced. BACKUP PLAN: Wild Ones, Idyll Wild, Paper Days @ Soda Bar.

Monday, June 9 PLAN A: Rocky Votolato, Lotte Kestner, Kevin Long @ The Casbah. It seems like this week, San Diego’s being invaded by an unusual number of acts from Washington, including singer / songwriter Rocky Votolato. Back in the day, he was a member of punk band Waxwing, but he’s long since mellowed out, instead favoring a much prettier, more personal indie-folk sound.

Tuesday, June 10

PLAN A: King Buzzo, Field, O @ The Casbah. Pacific Northwest sludgemongers The Melvins put The Casbah on their itinerary on a regular basis, but now the group’s leader, King Buzzo, is returning as part of a solo jaunt. It’ll be something a little different, but Saturday, June 7 knowing him, it’ll still kick ass. PLAN B: PLAN A: Wanda Jackson, Shawn Rolf The Current Swell, Danny and the Tramp, and the 7th Day Buskers @ The Casbah. Creature and the Woods @ Soda Bar. The Wanda Jackson is a total badass. She’s one Current Swell play rowdy rock ’n’ roll with of the most iconic pioneers in rockabilly, lots of slide licks and harmonica. That might along with the likes of Link Wray and Gene sound like a lot of bands, but I can assure Vincent, and she’s got a deep catalog full of you, they do it that much better.

30 · San Diego CityBeat · June 4, 2014

HOT! NEW! FRESH! Patrick Park (Casbah, 6/26), Planes Mistaken for Stars (Casbah, 7/17), Chris Rock (Civic Theatre, 7/19), Bob Log III (Casbah, 7/19), Shaggy (HOB, 7/22), Jason Cruz and the Howl (Porter’s Pub, 7/25), Mr. Tube and the Flying Objects (Casbah, 8/1), Miniature Tigers (Soda Bar, 8/2), Toad the Wet Sprocket (BUT, 8/9), Crocodiles (Casbah, 8/10), John Legend (Open Air Theatre, 8/23), Dropdead (Che Café, 8/28), David Gray (Open Air Theatre, 8/31), Senses Fail (HOB, 9/3), Better Than Ezra (BUT, 9/22), Temples (BUT, 9/27), Demi Lovato (Viejas Arena, 9/28), Susan Boyle (Balboa Theatre, 10/8), Erasure (Humphreys, 10/22), Yelle (BUT, 11/2), The 1975 (SOMA, 11/21).

GET YER TICKETS Nightmares on Wax (HOB, 6/23), Devo (BUT, 6/30), Deafheaven (Casbah, 7/1), Peter Murphy (BUT, 7/2), Ronnie Spector “Behind the Beehive” (North Park Theatre, 7/3), Wye Oak (BUT, 7/9), Braid Paisley (Sleep Train Amphitheatre, 7/10), Cloud Nothings (Soda Bar, 7/11), La Roux (HOB, 7/12), The Antlers (BUT, 7/16), Wolves in the Throne Room (Che Café, 7/19), Doug Benson (HOB, 7/23), Tori Amos (Humphreys, 7/24), Goo Goo Dolls (Harrah’s Resort, 7/25), Slightly Stoopid (Sleep Train Amphitheatre, 7/26), The Hold Steady (BUT, 7/31), Arcade Fire (Sleep Train Amphitheatre, 8/5), Arctic Monkeys (Open Air Theatre, 8/6), The Head and the Heart (North Park Theatre, 8/11), Nine Inch Nails,

Soundgarden (Sleep Train Amphitheatre, 8/21), Owen Pallett (Casbah, 9/14), Andrew Bird (Humphreys, 9/19), Pixies (Humphreys, 9/27), Crosby, Stills and Nash (Civic Theatre, 10/1), Joyce Manor (The Irenic, 10/2), The Beach Boys (Humphreys, 10/5), The Horrors (BUT, 10/13), The Afghan Whigs (BUT, 10/24), Bonobo (HOB, 10/26), The Black Keys (Viejas Arena, 11/9), Ira Glass (Balboa Theatre, 11/22), John Waters (North Park Theatre, 12/1), Fleetwood Mac (Viejas Arena, 12/2).

June Wednesday, June 4 Between the Buried and Me at House of Blues. tUnE-yArDs at The Irenic.

Thursday, June 12 Les Claypool’s Duo de Twang at Belly Up Tavern.

Friday, June 13 Dawn of MIDI at Soda Bar. Dead Feather Moon at The Casbah. Paul Collins Beat at Til-Two Club. Next, Shai, All-4One at House of Blues.

Saturday, June 14 Pato Banton at Belly Up Tavern. Guided

by Voices at Belly Up Tavern.

Sunday, June 15 Electric Six at The Casbah. The Both at Belly Up Tavern. Blackbird Blackbird at Soda Bar. Failure at House of Blues.

Friday, June 6 Nashville Pussy at Soda Bar. T-Pain at Fluxx.

Saturday, June 7 Lionel Richie at Sleep Train Amphitheatre. Wanda Jackson at The Casbah.

Little Hurricane at House of Blues.

Cowboy Junkies

Monday, June 9 Rocky Votolato at The Casbah. The Mick Fleetwood Blues Band at Belly Up Tavern.

Tuesday, June 10 King Buzzo at The Casbah.

Wednesday, June 11 Lords of Altamont at Casbah. Dave and Phil Alvin at Belly Up Tavern.

Monday, June 16 Cowboy Junkies at Belly Up Tavern.

Tuesday, June 17 Sage Francis at Belly Up Tavern.

Thursday, June 19 Island Boy at Soda Bar.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 32

June 4, 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 31

Friday, June 20 Russ Rankin at Soda Bar. Ray J at Porter’s Pub.

Saturday, June 21 Jessica Lea Mayfield at The Casbah.

Souls of Mischief at Porter’s Pub. Dr. Know at Soda Bar. Toni Braxton at Del Mar Fairgrounds.

Sunday, June 22 Milk Carton Kids at Belly Up Tavern.

The Menzingers at The Irenic. Federico Aubele at The Casbah. Lee Bains III and the Glory Fires at Soda Bar.

Monday, June 23 Paula Cole at Belly Up Tavern. Nightmares on Wax at House of Blues.

Tuesday, June 24 Jackie Greene at Belly Up Tavern.

Tweak Bird at Soda Bar.

Wednesday, June 25 Pure X at The Hideout.

Thursday, June 26 A-Trak at Fluxx. Sly and Robbie at Belly Up Tavern. Patrick Park at The Casbah.

Friday, June 27 Yuna at Belly Up Tavern.

Saturday, June 28 March Violets at Soda Bar.

Sunday, June 29 Sarah McLachlan at Humphreys Con-

32 · San Diego CityBeat · June 4, 2014

certs by the Bay. World Party at Belly Up Tavern.

rCLUBSr

710 Beach Club, 710 Garnet Ave, Pacific Beach. 710bc.com. Wed: Open mic, open jam. Thu: Live band karaoke. Fri: The Yes Team (5 p.m.); The Routine, Soulside Players (9 p.m.). Sat: The Whiskey Avengers, The Stircrazies, Loose Nutts.

Sun: ‘Pacific Cancer fundraiser’ w/ Small City Calling, Ash Fenner, Color You. 98 Bottles, 2400 Kettner Blvd. Ste. 110, Little Italy. 98bottlessd.com. Thu: Tonga Ross-Ma’u Quintet. Fri: Six String Society. Sat: Charlie Arbelaez. Sun: The Matt Smith Neu Jazz Trio.

American Comedy Co., 818 B Sixth Ave, Downtown. americancomedyco. com. Thu-Sun: Brooks Wheelan. Tue: Open mic.

AMSDconcerts, 1370 Euclid Ave, City Heights. amsdconcerts.com. Fri: Thomas Leeb, Stephen Inglis, Shawn Jones.

Bang Bang, 526 Market St, Downtown. facebook.com/BangBangSanDiego. Fri: Bart B More, Deth Hertz. Sat: Lee K, Decade, Mr. Vos. Bar Pink, 3829 30th St, North Park. barpink.com. Wed: DJ Grand Masta Rats.

Thu: Gone Baby Gone, The Nformals, The End. Fri: DJ Artistic, NosuckerDJs. Sat: Okapi Sun, The Beautiful Machines.

Sun: Rat Sabbath, DJ Ratty. Mon: ‘Wreckord Mania’ w/ DJs Nate ‘Macho Man’ Bohy, Queen Aida, @Large. Tue: Soft Lions, Fea. Bassmnt, 919 Fourth Ave, Downtown. bassmntsd.com. Thu: Brillz. Fri: Paper Diamond. Sat: Crookers. Sun: Madeon.

Beaumont’s, 5662 La Jolla Blvd, La Jolla. brocktonvilla.com/beaumonts.html. Wed: Kayla Hope. Thu: Adam Block Duo. Fri: Scratch. Sat: The Tilt. Sun: Joe Cardillo.

Belly Up Tavern, 143 S. Cedros Ave, Solana Beach. bellyup.com. Wed: Joe Purdy, Brian Wright. Thu: ‘Sunset Sessions’ w/ Semi Precious Weapons, TODDZERO, The Last Year, Wake the Sun, Twelve Foot Ninja. Fri: ‘Sunset Sessions’ w/ Open Air Stereo, The Whigs, The Last Internationale, Letters from the Fire, Kathryn Dean, Oh Be Clever. Sat: ‘Sunset Sessions’ w/ Scott Weiland. Sun: Todo Mundo. Mon: The Mick Fleetwood Blues Band (sold out). Tue: The Mick Fleetwood Blues Band.

Boar Cross’n, 390 Grand Ave, Carlsbad. boarcrossn.net. Fri: ‘Club Musae’. Sat: Ease Up. Bourbon Street, 4612 Park Blvd, University Heights. bourbonstreetsd.com. Wed: VJ K Swift. Thu: ‘Wet’. Fri: Steph Johnson. Sun: ‘Soiree’. Tue: Karaoke.

Brass Rail, 3796 Fifth Ave, Hillcrest. thebrassrailsd.com. Thu: DJ Simon Taylor.

Fri: ‘Deeply Rooted’. Sat: DJs XP, KA. Sun: ‘Noche Romantica’ w/ Daisy Salinas. Mon: DJs Junior the DiscoPunk, XP. Cafe Sevilla, 353 Fifth Ave, Downtown. cafesevilla.com. Wed: Aro Di Santi. Thu: Malamana. Fri: DJ Rhubino. Sat-Sun: Oscar Aragon.

Comedy Store, 916 Pearl St, La Jolla. lajolla.thecomedystore.com. Fri-Sat: Eddie Brill. Sun: Chelsea Peretti.

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

Wed: Tyler Kreutel. Thu: Steph Johnson.

Fri: El Cuarteto de Charlie Arbelaez. Sat: Eve Selis Band.

Dizzy’s, 4275 Mission Bay Drive, Mission

Bay. dizzyssandiego.com. Fri: ‘Bonefest II’. Tue: Nir Felder.

Lounge’. Sat: ‘Play Hard’. Tue: ‘Neo Soul’.

Epicentre, 8450 Mira Mesa Blvd, Mira Mesa. epicentreconcerts.org. Fri: Buttons, Offshore Impact, Sleep Spent, Rogue Stereo. Sat: Nightstands, Good As New, Was/Am/Was.

Patricks Gaslamp, 428 F St, Downtown. patricksii.com. Wed: Christina. Thu & Sun: Mystique Element of Soul. Fri: The Fuzzy Rankins Band. Sat: Johnny Vernazza. Mon: The Groove Squad. Tue: Walter’s Chicken Jam.

F6ix, 526 F St., Downtown, Downtown. f6ixsd.com. Fri: DJ Rags. Sat: DJ Fingaz.

Fluxx, 500 Fourth Ave, Downtown. fluxxsd.com. Thu: ‘IDGAF’ w/ Craze. Fri: TPain. Sat: DJ Karma.

Hard Rock Hotel, 207 Fifth Ave, Downtown. hardrockhotelsd.com. Fri: Ying Yang Twins. Sat: Bare. Sun: ‘Intervention’ w/ Ferry Corsten.

Henry’s Pub, 618 Fifth Ave, Downtown. henryspub.com. Wed: Johnny Tarr, DJ Christopher London. Thu: Mark Fisher, DJ Yodah. Fri: ‘Good Times’. Sat: DJs E, Yodah. Mon: ‘Kinetic Soul’. Tue: Big City Dawgs.

House of Blues, 1055 Fifth Ave, Downtown. houseofblues.com/sandiego. Wed: Between the Buried and Me, Trioscapes.

Thu: Tech N9ne. Fri: Logic. Sat: Little Hurricane. Sun: Saosin, Anthony Green.

Kava Lounge, 2812 Kettner Blvd, Midtown. kavalounge.com. Thu: ‘Acid Varcity’. Fri: ‘SHAFT’. Sat: ‘Ascension’. Sun: ‘For the Love of Hip-Hop’.

Kensington Club, 4079 Adams Ave, Kensington. 619-284-2848. Fri: ‘Therapy’.

Sat: Sculpins, Ramp Locals, Hogboss, Nutstache, Subject to Sitation.

Numbers, 3811 Park Blvd, Hillcrest. numberssd.com/. Thu: ‘Varsity’. Fri: ‘Uncut’.

Sat: ‘Bear Night’. Sun: ‘Joe’s Gamenite’.

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

Queen Bee’s, 3925 Ohio St, North Park. queenbeessd.com. Fri: Pixie Stixx Burlesque. Tue: Lily and Madeleine, Eliza Rickman, Shannon Hayden.

Rich’s, 1051 University Ave, Hillcrest. richssandiego.com. Wed: ‘Mischief’ w/ Bianca. Fri: DJs Marcel, Will Z. Sat: DJ Taj. Sun: ‘Stripper Circus’.

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

Wed: Westside Inflection. Thu: Johnny Deadly Trio. Sat: Baja Bugs. Tue: Karaoke.

Seven Grand, 3054 University Ave, North Park. sevengrandbars.com/sd. Fri: Rebecca Jade and The Cold Fact, The Mighty 388s. Sat: Sure Fire Soul Ensemble, Marcellus Wallace.

Shakedown Bar, 3048 Midway Drive, Point Loma. theshakedownsd.com. Wed: Foreign Suns, Dropjoy, Among the Giants, Sycamore. Thu: ‘Darkwave Garden’. Fri: ‘Roddy Radiation’.

Side Bar, 536 Market St, Downtown. sidebarsd.com. Wed: ‘Clash of the Nighlife Titans IV’. Fri: Deejay Al. Sat: DJ Slowhand.

Soda Bar, 3615 El Cajon Blvd, City Heights. sodabarmusic.com. Wed: Schitzophonics, Heavy Glow, Neighbors to the North, Grim Imperials. Thu: Love and the Skull, Stripes and Lines, The Llamadors, Privet. Fri: Nashville Pussy, CATL, Yawpers. Sat: Painted Palms, Soft Lions, Mike

Sempert. Sun: Wild Ones, Idyll Wild, Paper Days. Tue: The Current Swell, Danny and the Tramp, Creature and the Woods.

SOMA, 3350 Sports Arena Blvd, Midway. somasandiego.com. Thu: Hands Like Houses, Slaves, Miss Fortune, Alive Like Me, Focus In Frame. Fri: Man Overboard, Transit, Forever Came Calling, Knuckle Puck. Sat: Final Last Words, Count To Four, It All Starts Here, Run The Course, Hannibal, Thrown Into March.

Spin, 2028 Hancock St, Midtown. spinnightclub.com. Sat: ‘Reviza619’. Sun: ‘Organized Grime’.

Stage Bar & Grill, 762 Fifth Ave, Downtown. stagesaloon.com. Wed: Mark Fisher and Gaslamp Guitars. Thu: Superbad.

Fri: Disco Pimps, Friction Monster. Sat: Hott Mess, The Nerd Herd, DJ Miss Dust.

Sun: ‘Funhouse Seismic’.

Sycamore Den, 3391 Adams Ave., San Diego, Normal Heights. sycamoreden. com. Wed: Tori Roze and Johnny Alexander, Jesse Johnson. Sun: The Littlest Viking, Monnone Alone, Karl Blau.

The Bancroft, 9143 Campo Rd, Spring Valley. 619-469-2337. Wed: Karaoke. Thu: Lose Control, Killer Party, Midnight Track, The Rare. Sat: Karaoke. Mon: Francine Moon, Matt Pless, Evan Bethany.

The Casbah, 2501 Kettner Blvd, Midtown. casbahmusic.com. Wed: The Jezabels, Gold and Youth. Thu: Vance Joy, Soda Pants, Spero. Fri: Sister Juanita, Amerikan Bear, Grizzly Business, The Young Gents. Sat: Vinyl Junkies Record Swap. Sat: Wanda Jackson, Shawn Rolf.

Sun: Brownout presents Brown Sabbath.

Mon: Rocky Votolato, Lotte Kestner, Kevin Long. Tue: King Buzzo, Field, O. The Che Cafe, UCSD campus, La Jolla. thechecafe.blogspot.com. Fri: Goodnight

Ravenswood, Moonshine Lucero, Troubadour Parade, Africats. Sat: Playboy Manbaby, Sundress, Days of Light Gravity, Owl and Penny, Bad Kids. Sun: Dirty Kid Discount, Moon Bandits, Recidivist, Plastic City Pariah, Fry Hugs. Tue: Cross Examination, Overdoser, Mother Speed, Beekeeper.

The Loft @ UCSD, Price Center East, La Jolla. theloft.ucsd.edu. Wed: Jeff Denson Trio, Danny Green Trio. Thu: Max and the Moon, Electrik People, Joyce. Fri: AC Jazz Project.

The Merrow, 1271 University Ave, Hillcrest. rubyroomsd.com. Wed: Open mic.

Fri: Vegas. Sat: The No Name Gang, The Grind, Domination CFH. Sun: Karaoke.

The Office, 3936 30th St, North Park. officebarinc.com. Wed: ‘Dub Dynamite’ w/ DJs Rashi, Eddie Turbo. Thu: ‘No Limits’ w/DJ Myson King. Sat: ‘Strictly Business’.

Sun: ‘Uptown Top Ranking’ w/ Tribe of Kings. Tue: ‘Trapped in the Office’ w/ DJ Ramsey.

Til-Two Club, 4746 El Cajon Blvd, City Heights. tiltwoclub.com. Thu: Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash, The Palominos.

Fri: Platypus Egg, Zookeeper’s Palace, Badabing, Mursic.

Tin Can Ale House, 1863 Fifth Ave, Bankers Hill. thetincan1.wordpress.com.

Wed: Creature on the Woods, The River Monks, The Moves. Thu: Misc Ailments, Recordable Colors, The Lazulis. Fri: Forkroot, Lexington Field, Eric Hankins. Sat: Buddy Banter, Wild Pack of Canaries, Muscle Beech. Sun: Nobodies Cooking Dinner. Mon: ‘Tin Can Country Club’ w/ Emily Schraeder.

Tio Leo’s, 5302 Napa St, Bay Park. tioleos.com. Wed: Christopher Dale. Thu: Rockin’ Aces. Fri: Karaoke. Sat: Sleepwalkers and Bedbreakers. Tue: DJ Greg

Benusa.

Tower Bar, 4757 University Ave, City Heights. thetowerbar.com. Wed: Poontang Clam, Space Wax, DJ Mikey Ratt.

Thu: Western Settings, Burn Burn Burn, Dead on the Wire, Four Tracks. Fri: ‘Hip Hop vs. Punk’. Sat: Olmecs, Cabuloan.

Sun: Fatso Jetson, The Freeks, Finkbombs, Disastroid.

Turquoise, 873 Turquoise St, Pacific Beach. theturquoise.com/wordpress.

Wed: Tomcat Courtney (7 p.m.). Thu: The Jade Visions Jazz Trio (7 p.m.). Fri: Gabriela Aparicio (4 p.m.); Tomcat Courtney (7 p.m.); Afro Jazziacs (9 p.m.). Sat: Zak Lipton Trio (4 p.m.); Tomcat Courtney (6:30 p.m.). Sun: Sounds Like Four (4 p.m.); Blue 44 (7 p.m.). Mon: Stefanie Schmitz and Choro Sotaque (7 p.m.).

Tue: Grupo Globo (7 p.m.).

Ux31, 3112 University Ave, North Park. u31bar.com. Wed: Feelgood, Let’s Drive to Alaska, Pal and Drome. Thu: Viceroy, Adam Salter, Steve McQueen. Fri: DJ Man Cat. Sat: Lee Churchill.

West Coast Tavern, 2895 University Ave, North Park. westcoatstavern.com.

Wed: DJ Slowhand. Thu: DJ Coltron.

Fri: DJ Decon. Sat: Billy the Kid. Tue: DJ Clean Cut. Whistle Stop, 2236 Fern St, South Park. whistlestopbar.com. Wed: New Best Thing: Conspiracy Theory. Thu: ‘80s New wave / synth pop. Fri: DJ Claire, The Amandas.

Winstons, 1921 Bacon St, Ocean Beach. winstonsob.com. Wed: SM Familia, SimmerDown Riddem Section, DJ Carlos Culture. Thu: Jelly Bread. Fri: The Brothers Comatose, The Little Fuller Band. Sat: Cubensis, The Squirming Coils. Sun: Buddy Whittington. Mon: Electric Waste Band. Tue: The Congress.

June 4, 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 33

Proud sponsor: Pacific Nature Tours

Ink Well Xwords by Ben Tausig

Across 1. Whole big thing 5. Tokyo Metro reading material 10. Very, in slang 14. Sit next to 15. White supremacist’s racial category 16. Hopped on 17. Video game that focuses on a Nintendo icon’s Italian heritage?

19. Pulitzer-winning playwright William 20. Lucy of “Elementary” 21. Hawk’s claw 22. Nolan Ryan, from 1972 to 1979 23. Nolan Ryan, from 1980 to 1988 25. Great Salt Lake state 26. Video game starring a badly out-of-shape Nintendo protagonist?

33. Marketing character in rice 34. Chinese “way” 35. Reaction to shocking news 38. Doubleday who almost certainly didn’t invent baseball 39. Venomous snakes of the Nile 40. Small amount of spirit?

41. Like legal proceedings held before going to court 43. Video game about a PlayStation character who bombs his SATs? 47. Write lines professionally 48. Credulous 50. Academy Award-winning brothers 52. OK 56. One may be cut down after an NCAA win 57. Woody’s folk-singing son 58. Video game detailing the early years of an anthropomorphic Sega speedster?

60. Pot ___ (stoner’s icon)

Last week’s answers

61. Vex 62. ___ von Habsburg (last Crown Prince of Austria-Hungary) 63. Caucuses locale 64. Flies and such 65. Bank extractions?

Down 1. Berry Gordy label before Motown 2. One blowing in a pit 3. Minnesota city where pie à la mode was invented 4. Outrageous, in Internet slang: Abbr.

5. First word, perhaps 6. Sea essentially destroyed by the Soviets 7. Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Laura 8. Add 9. “I’ll take that as ___” 10. Place with an extremely strong expectation of staring straight ahead 11. Some tokes 12. Advantage 13. Film storage unit 18. “Making the Band” band that was, aptly, from Orlando 22. Envelope ltrs.

24. Choose to keep fighting 25. Bit of log-in info 27. French card game with betting 28. “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” writer 29. Some British cigarettes 30. “Your Movie Sucks” writer Roger 31. Kid’s time out?

32. Annotations for some boxing wins 35. Mall store that sells supplements 36. It may be thin or dead 37. Field that governs the use of the moon, e.g.

39. ___ mater (where one went) 41. Classics degrees, e.g.

42. Family nickname 44. “Motherffff ...”

45. Turn on a watch?

46. Actress Mimieux in “The Time Machine” 49. Belief system 50. ___ Cartel (former Colombian drug ring) 51. Cookie since 1912 52. Prospector’s windfall 53. Closes up shop 54. Gold-covered 55. Treats, as a sprain 58. Enervate 59. “That hurts ...” [Ink Well ends forever on June 25. Sign up for avxwords.com to get great, similar puzzles]

A pair of tickets for a 4.5- or eight-hour Pacific Nature Tour will be awarded weekly. Email a picture of your answers to crossword@sdcitybeat.com or fax it to 619-325-1393. Limit one win per person per 30 days.

34 · San Diego CityBeat · June 4, 2014

June 4, 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 35

36 · San Diego CityBeat · June 4, 2014

June 4, 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 37

38 · San Diego CityBeat · June 4, 2014

June 4, 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 39