San Diego CityBeat • June 6

2 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · JUNE 6, 2018

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UP FRONT | FROM THE EDITOR

The new San Diego

T

he issue of CityBeat that comes out the Wednesday after an election is always a tricky beast. I’m sure readers would love to hear some post-election analyses, but unfortunately we had to put this issue to bed well before the polls closed on Tuesday.

I can’t offer any predictions on what the new district attorney should tackle first (technically, I can say “new” for either candidate since Summer Stephan was appointed), nor can I speculate on who might win in the general election in November.

What I can speculate about, however, is just how much these candidates are set to inherit, whether they’re sworn in within a few weeks or in January 2019. In a recent editorial on the front page of the Sunday Review section of The New York Times, columnist Steve Kettmann wrote about the “Californization of American politics.” The premise was simple: that our state has, over the past decade and especially within the last two years, emerged as more of a political superpower than ever. With the world’s fifth largest economy, a multibillion-dollar state budget surplus and a deep-blue defiance toward the policies of President Trump, California should no longer be seen by the rest of the nation, as “the outlier, unintimidating, superficial and flaky,” but as a state that is “reinventing itself as the moral and cultural center of a new America.”

I’m not sure I buy into all of Kettmann’s logic about the “new California.” Sure, California has long been a trendsetter when it comes to helping to shift the national narrative on everything from marijuana to marriage equality, but we still have a long way to go before everyone in Oklahoma and Kansas are on the same page. Still, as we move into the future, California is set to be the standard-bearer for issues such as environmentalism, women’s rights and even net neutrality and universal health care. And as Trumpism crashes and burns over the next few years, it will be California’s politicians, who will be sounding the alarms and moving into the national spotlight.

And where does San Diego fit into all of this? Party preferences and voter demo-

graphics are changing rapidly in the city and county. Once reliably red areas are increasingly trending purple these days, and it’s easy to envision that many local politicians representing San Diego will likely move onto bigger things. Assemblymembers such as Todd Gloria and Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher and State Senate President pro tempore Toni Atkins, as well as city politicians like Councilmember David Alvarez and, yes, even Mayor Kevin Faulconer, seem destined to become larger players in their respective parties.

Over the past few years, San Diego has become an example of what to do and what not to do when it comes to issues that affect the entire nation. Just as we transitioned smoothly into legalized cannabis and set an example for other major cities, we embarrassed ourselves when it came to dealing with an increasing homeless population and the resulting outbreak of a deadly disease. Rents continue to increase to the point of complete unaffordability with no end in sight, while potential remedies (vacation rental legislation and further amending zoning laws for further development) continue to get kicked down the road.

With the end of the primary season comes a bit of a post-election respite.

Trust me, I understand, but San Diego progressives can’t afford to take their foot off the gas (or, in the spirit of increased bike-friendly streets, foot off the pedal). Do not become disenchanted. The political winds are in our sails and the next few months will only see increased attention on issues such as homelessness, housing and immigration. San Diego has the potential to be a model for other cities on how to deal with major problems. But that only happens if citizens keep the pressure on local officials, whether they’re running in November or already safely in office, to fight back against the backwards agenda of Trump and local politicians like Duncan Hunter and Kristin Gaspar.

We can be a new San Diego.

—Seth Combs Write to seth.combs@sdcitybeat.com

This issue of CityBeat is baking a giant gay AF wedding cake.

Volume 15 • Issue 42 EDITOR Seth Combs MUSIC EDITOR Jeff Terich WEB EDITOR Ryan Bradford ART DIRECTOR Carolyn Ramos ASSOCIATE EDITOR Torrey Bailey COLUMNISTS Aaryn Belfer, Edwin Decker John R. Lamb, Rhonda “Ro” Moore, Alex Zaragoza

CONTRIBUTORS Christin Bailey, David L. Coddon, Beth Demmon, Rachel Michelle Fernandes, Michael A. Gardiner, Glenn Heath Jr., Lizz Huerta, Davey Landeros, Lara McCaffrey Scott McDonald, Jim Ruland, Ben Salmon, Jen Van Tieghem, Amy Wallen, Ian Ward EDITORIAL INTERNS Tigist Layne PRODUCTION MANAGER Tristan Whitehouse MULTIMEDIA ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Paulina Porter-Tapia

SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Jason Noble ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES RIchard Diaz, Beau Odom CONTROLLER Kacie Cobian ACCOUNTING Perla Castillo, David Garcia Linda Lam, Yiyang Wang HUMAN RESOURCES Andrea Baker VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS David Comden PUBLISHER Kevin Hellman

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JUNE 6, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 3

UP FRONT | LETTERS

HIDDEN AGENDAS

After reading Aaryn Belfer’s column (“The right to vote”) in the May 23 issue of CityBeat, I felt compelled to fire up the computer and do some research.

From the official San Diego County Sheriff’s Department website: “MISSION, VISION & VALUES OUR MISSION We provide the highest quality public safety services in an effort to make San Diego the safest urban county in the nation.

OUR ORGANIZATIONAL VISION We earn the respect and the confidence of the public as a professional public safety organization. We are innovative and responsive to the needs of those we serve and work in partnership with our communities. We attract and retain highly competent and diverse employees.

OUR CORE VALUES HONESTY - We are truthful in our words and in our actions.

INTEGRITY - As people of character and principle, we do what is right, even when no one is looking.

LOYALTY - We are loyal to our department and our profession and committed to protecting the quality of life in the communities we serve.

TRUST - We are confident in the integrity, the ability and the good character of our colleagues.

RESPECT - We treat everyone with dignity, honoring the rights of all individuals.

FAIRNESS - We are just and impartial in all of our interactions. Our decisions are made with-

4 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · JUNE 6, 2018

ON THE

out personal favoritism.

DIVERSITY - We embrace the strength in the diversity of our employees and our communities.”

It begs [sic] the question, what is the primary mission of the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department? Providing the highest quality public safety services and protecting the quality of life... or ensuring that inmates in San Diego jails are provided voter registration and access to voting? Would most San Diegans agree that public safety and quality of life for its law-abiding citizens is the overarching goal of the department... if we want to assign priorities?

There is at least some irony in the fact that it is the responsibility of the Sheriff’s office to provide voter registration to inmates.... while those same individuals now in jail neglected to register to vote before they were arrested.

Your column identifies those in San Diego jails as “marginalized,” “vulnerable.” To clarify, let’s define these terms: Marginalized: relegated to an unimportant or powerless position within a society or group Vulnerable: capable of being physically or emotionally wounded; open to attack or damage If the inmate in a San Diego jail is there for a crime involving a victim (or victims), it seems that these victims would be considered vulnerable (more so than the alleged perpetrator) and possibly marginalized....as they were rendered powerless while a crime was being committed against them.

In your column you had quoted Sheriff’s Commander John Igrassia as saying “The an-

swer was no. I’m not letting you (Pillars of the Community) in there so that 4,000 people can vote one way.” You then quote Laila Aziz’s response as “Which is not what we are doing.

We’re not telling people who to vote for.” I find this extremely curious as this contradicts what is stated on the Pillars of the Community Facebook page: “#FreeTheVote (10May2018) We need your help!!! We need to increase voter engagement in SD to elect our progressive leaders in office but we cannot do that when we are missing thousands of disenfranchised voters in the SD County jails. To tackle this we are emailing and contacting 3000 inmates in SD county jails but we need more help and volunteers to do that BEFORE MAY 21st!

If you can help out and volunteer please inbox me your email address or let me know so I can send you the proper instructions and information!”

This should be an integral part of your discussion with those participating in any “judicial intervention” regarding the requirements under Election Code 2158(b). If there are no “hidden agendas,” put it all on the table for consideration.

Thanks for taking the time to read my email.

Now please excuse me while I go back to working and paying my taxes.

Your friend in journalistic integrity,

Billy Hicks Jr. San Carlos

COVER

Our cover photo this week of up-and-coming local indie rock outfit The Havnauts was shot by Hannah Johansen. The locallybased visual artist is primarily a painter but she also enjoys “dabbling in digital photography,” she tells us. “All four members are close friends of mine,” she says of her shoot with the band.

“I’ve enjoyed bonding with them and learning how their music is arranged. I enjoy doing pinkthemed photoshoots with them, like this picture from the cherry blossom season at The Japanese Friendship Garden in Balboa Park.” Her art portfolio, including paintings, illustrations, installations and performance art, can be seen at hannahjohansen.com.

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JUNE 6, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 5

NEWS | OPINION

By Torrey Bailey and Seth Combs

HAM OF THE WEEK

THE ISSUE: On May 17, San Diego County released its latest Point In Time Count (PITC), reporting that countywide homelessness was down six percent from last year. But the count omitted people living in RVs, as well as at five agencies including the San Diego Rescue Mission. If included, hundreds more would have been added to the count, meaning homelessness would have actually increased. The county defended its census, stating that not all people living in RVs are homeless, and that the San Diego Rescue Mission failed to turn in its data on time. The Department of Housing and Urban Development said it would take a closer look at the data before finalizing the count.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING: “It was never about, ‘How do we get this to go down this much or that much?’ It was actually trying to figure out, where can we reach a place where we can stand behind all of the formulas, all of the methods.”

—Tamera Kohler, chief operations officer at San Diego, Regional Task Force on the Homeless via Voice of San Diego “It’s amazing how much time and effort they put into figuring out how to exclude these homeless people from the count. If only they put that much effort into helping them resolve their homelessness, it wouldn’t be an issue moving forward.”

New documents show County Assessor Ernest Dronenburg (who may have been reelected by the time readers see this) may have reduced millions of dollars in property taxes for Qualcomm and Larry Mabee estates. Unsurprisingly, both Qualcomm and Larry Mabee estates are contributors to the Dronenburg campaign.

—Homeless advocate Michael McConnell, via Twitter “San Diego reduced its homeless population by changing the definition of ‘homeless.’”

—Jeff Ristine, via Twitter

OUR TAKE: There’s a lot to unpack here. First, it’s important to note that other agencies have been left out of the count before, as the San Diego Rescue Mission was this year. For example, the East County Transitional Living Center was counted this year, whereas in the past two years it was not. We could argue that maybe, in a perfect world, this evens out the count. But this isn’t a perfect world and clearly, the PITC is an imperfect system. As for RVs, the Task Force had an entire year to create procedure to distinguish which RVs were actually being used by homeless people. So we don’t buy it that they couldn’t figure it out.

Aside from the lack of reliable methodology, the glaring issue here is transparency. Before the VOSD report, there was no mention of the San Diego Rescue Mission or RV residents being left out. The numbers were touted as a success, including by Mayor Faulconer. However, Faulconer and the Task Force Boards’ chair and vice chair said they were unaware that RVs were excluded from the final count. Overall, a systematic, uniform procedure needs to be implemented and communicated. Given the county’s record for homelessness issues, it’s near impossible to give them the benefit of the doubt that they gave their best effort on this one.

NEWSY BITS 5/30

San Diego collectively feels the need… the need for overreaction when Tom Cruise tweets he’s in town for Top Gun sequel.

All the seriousness, silliness and stupidity of the past week

5/31

Councilmember Chris Ward proposes Styrofoam ban in San Diego.

6/1

Grand jury finds lack of funding and accountability in law enforcement review board in charge of investigating sheriff’s deputy misconduct and county jail deaths. (source: San Diego Union-Tribune)

6/2

Pop-up protest draws 50 people outside of Downtown ICE office to protest migrant family separations.

6/3

Warnings of rat fleas spreading Typhus after North Park woman diagnosed. (source: San Diego Union-Tribune)

Construction begins on 14-mile stretch of border wall east of Border Field State Park.

6/4

6/5

Documents reveal former head of S.D. Public Records Department is claiming she was fired for releasing documents relating to city’s response to Hepatitis A outbreak.

Grand jury says San Diego not properly managing its corporate marketing partnerships. (source: San Diego Union-Tribune)

Illegal border crossings still high in May, proving Trump administration’s hardline policies ineffective.

USD study shows San Diego economy slowed after 18 months of growth.

6 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · JUNE 6, 2018

The San Diego Zoo debuts two endangered Amur leopard cubs.

In related news, we ded from cuteness.

Padres continue to draft players that will one day be allstars for the Dodgers and Giants.

Two boys start fire near SDSU that burns 38 acres.

Police officer shoots himself in the leg in the process of arresting suspect with a pellet gun near Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon.

Demonstrators threatened with arrest at City Hall for protesting police treatment of homeless.

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JOHN R. LAMB

UP FRONT | OPINION

SPIN

CYCLE

JOHN R. LAMB

Donna Frye’s latest crusade The lawyer’s truth is not Truth, but consistency or a consistent expediency.

—Henry David Thoreau

D

eadline day on Election Day is always an odd duck.

Spin has as much a clue about how this particularly scatter-brained primary season will shake out as the man in the moon, but one thing is certain: Truth and honesty are endangered species, and the job of journalism has never been more important.

In these times, it is refreshing to check in with an old employer of mine. The one who, more than a decade ago, afforded me an opportunity to see how sausage is made at City Hall, with all the glorious moments and petty squabbles imaginable. Former councilmember Donna Frye hasn’t sat at the dais for more than seven years, but she still finds ways to push the but-

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tons of city leaders when it comes to her life-long crusade of getting public documents into the hands of the actual public.

“In this day and age,” Frye told Spin recently, “I think Donald Trump has completely turned everything so upside down that it’s like these basic things that we think are very important and a problem, like public disclosure—which is really what the Trump stuff is all about now, public disclosure and lying—but it’s like everything is so out of whack that you at least have to try to take care of this stuff on a local level.”

Her focus at the moment might seem rather arcane to mere mortals—conflict-of-interest waivers approved by the city for law firms that also represent the city—but it is a continuation of a rather simple crusade: the public’s right to participate and deliberate on matters of public interest. Put

Former councilmember and open-government advocate Donna Frye would like City Attorney Mara Elliott to stop fiddling with conflict-of-interest waivers. more simply, can we trust attorneys to do the right thing when no one is looking?

“The public’s right to hear why a given waiver is justified—which would be satisfied by public deliberation of the issues involved—is not a courtesy that can be waived,” Frye explained.

Or, as her attorney, the oftencolorful Cory Briggs, would say about this particular legal tussle, “Donna is concerned that the city’s waiving conflicts of interest with lawyers. Just ask yourself: Why the fuck would we ever allow a lawyer who worked for us to sue us? You tell them your deepest, darkest secrets. Why would you ever let them go work for the other side?

“As a consumer of legal servic-

es, why would I ever let my asshole go be my opponent’s asshole?”

Briggs answered his own question by suggesting, “The real reason it’s done is the lawyers who get the conflict waivers donate to the politicians who approve it.”

The firms in question would tell you they are perfectly capable of keeping their stable of attorneys appropriately walled off to avoid such conflicts.

So, as she starts most public journeys, Frye made a public-records request last July for all waivers approved by the city from 2012 to 2017. At the same time, the City Council was fast-tracking a new policy to deal with these waivers— one that Frye found objectionable.

The new policy, prepared by City Attorney Mara Elliott and approved by the council in August, would require such waivers to come before the full City Council only if the city attorney brings forward a potential conflict or at least four councilmembers, consulted privately, make a request for a public hearing.

In other words, Frye argues, without public notification.

“She [Elliott] put the burden in the wrong place,” Briggs said.

“She’s saying, ‘I’m privately giving the nine of you [councilmembers] this proposal Are there four of you who want it?’ She’s basically taking the temperature privately, in their office, one on one. That’s an illegal serial meeting and a Brown Act violation.”

As far as keeping track of these waivers, Frye wonders about that, too. In one email response from the City Attorney’s office in August, a deputy city attorney noted, “Although the City does not separately track or maintain a list of conflict-of-interest waivers that were granted, if any, it will make a diligent search of all accessible electronic files for any and all responsive records.”

“So they tell me they don’t even track them. That alone made my point,” Frye said.

But when Spin provided a copy

of a waiver that had not been included in the documents sent to Frye, that started another round with the city. That waiver was granted to the Newport Beachbased law firm of Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth, which represented the city on a bond matter and desired to represent Goldman Sachs on the Chargers stadium initiative. And we know how that turned out.

“Why is the city agreeing to let its bond counsel go work for the Chargers?” Briggs asked. “I understand that the Chargers would want to hire lawyers who were already up to speed on city issues.

But from the city’s perspective, why is the city trying to facilitate the Chargers’ financing arrangements? I thought the city was supposed to be neutral in all of this.

Why the fuck did the city authorize its lawyers to go work for the Chargers?”

Frye communicated with Elliott for a time to try to find a remedy, but eventually those communications stopped. In November, Frye filed a lawsuit.

There is an easy solution, Frye insists. “Just put it in the frickin’ docket,” she said, “and then that way when you type in ‘conflict of interest waivers,’ guess what? You could find them all by your little old self.”

Adds Briggs, “This fix is under [Elliott], but her office sucks at this. The only people really good at keeping track of documents are the folks in the city clerk’s office.

That’s what they do. So put the waivers on the consent agenda. If it’s not controversial, it’ll get approved and no big whoop. And if it is controversial, at least the public will have an opportunity to weigh in, as will the City Council.”

On Election Day, it seems easy to talk about public participation.

Some other days, not so much.

Let’s see if we can do better going forward, agreed?

Spin Cycle appears every other week.

Write to johnl@sdcitybeat.com.

JUNE 6, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 7

UP FRONT | OPINION

AARYN BELFER

BACKWARDS & IN

HIGH HEELS

How low can they go?

“I think the conflation is happening because this administration is increasing enforcement in all immigrations systems across the United States and those systems are now colliding and causing chaos, where families are being separated from their children on a daily basis in the United States.”

—Alida Garcia, policy director of FWD.us

I

’ve been up, down and all around in my feelings about immigrant children being separated from their parents. Same goes for the reported 1,500 missing immigrant children. These two different situations—both despicable—have been all kinds of mixed up: unintentionally by well-meaning reporters and, I would argue, intentionally by the Trump regime. (Let’s dispense of any notion we have an administration.)

Jeff Sessions’ white hood may be hanging in his front hall closet, but make no mistake: This white supremacist and his klan in the White House are all about whitening and brightening the good ‘ole US of A. Like many people, I felt a new kind of outrage when following the news coverage. I don’t care if they’re 16 months old or six years old or 16 years old, they are fucking babies. Not only does the purposefully inhumane treatment of both groups of these kids make me want to break things, but it makes me want to break every last one of the things.

For days, I couldn’t articulate my feelings and held off on making comments. This regime manipulates so effectively that we, the thinking people, get whipped into a fury and any actions undertaken in such a state, individually or collectively, have the potential for ugly and unintended consequences.

Since I’m not trying to be bandied about by every wind, and to get a grip, I’ve been reading what immigration experts are saying.

With respect to the 1,500 “missing” kids, those in the know argue the descriptor is innacurate. These “unaccompanied alien children” (UACs) aren’t missing they say, but have been placed with vetted sponsors, often relatives already living in the U.S. The government doesn’t track UACs after placement and as a result, doesn’t know where this cohort of roughly 7,000 UACs is. To many of us, that equates to missing. It also means we have to think clearly about the course correction we’d like to see. Do we really want to demand, in the heat of anger, that the regime conduct better tracking of any immigrant Brown children and their families?

“You don’t want this,” wrote Josie Duffy Rice of the Fair Punishment Project on Twitter. “ I promise you don’t.”

No, we don’t. But we do—or should—want some social service agency checking on their well-being.

Clearly, the debate about whether these kids are missing is slippery. Nobody knows where these kids are. And just because a child is placed with someone vetted as a custodial parent absolutely does not mean the kids

are safe in that adult’s care. Take a peek at our foster care and adoption systems for plenty of evidence of this. Lots of folks thought Devonte Hart was safe. Lots of folks thought Hana Williams was safe. Lots of folks thought Ahmad King was safe.

Meanwhile, Donna Lieberman and Paige Austin of the New York Times have suggested the frightening possibility these 1,500 “missing” kids may be the lucky ones.

Because the second story refers not to UACs, but to kids brought by their parents to border checkpoints set up specifically for asylum seekers. These kids are caught in the regime’s new, fandangled “zero-tolerance” policy of removing them from their parents when they come here seeking safety and are worse off than the UACs. Overtly designed as a deterrent to undocumented immigrants, this policy allows ICE agents to take children in trauma from parents in trauma and send them to detention centers, often in other states, while their parents await criminal prosecution and deportation.

Of course, this is not a new thing for our country; it’s a sociopathic pattern. America was built on tearing families apart, most particularly when parents and children are not white.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, families were separated and put on buses, sent to different cities, with no formal programmatic way to track one another. But long before that, children of slaves were regularly ripped from their parents and one or the other sold to different slave owners. Native Americans, too, saw their children taken away and sent off to Christian boarding schools, which eventually led to the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) in 1978. ICWA was designed to stop the placement of indigenous children with white adopters and instead prioritize keeping them within their tribes (it has been less than 100-percent effective).

We don’t like to talk about it, but family separation is central to modern foster care and adoption which benefit and function in no small part from this ugly legacy. As a society, we have a penchant for removing Black and Brown kids from their mothers and fathers based on value judgements and coercion. All this to meet an insatiable desire for us colonizers to have something to which we feel entitled. It’s abhorrent—and I say this as an adoptive parent, a beneficiary of a corrupt system.

Destroying families is absolutely one of the worst things—if not the worst thing—we as a society can do to people. This is America, which proudly claims with zero irony that family is central to everything. What a joke.

For all the lowly lows of this regime, the separation of children from parents who want to, can and are parenting their beloved children, is the most debased so far.

So far.

We have lower to go yet, of this I’m certain.

Do we really want to demand, in the heat of anger, that the regime conduct better tracking of any immigrant brown children and their families?

8 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · JUNE 6, 2018

Backwards & In High Heels appears every other week.

Write to aarynb@sdcitybeat.com.

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UP FRONT | VOICES

RYAN BRADFORD

WELL THAT WAS

AWKWARD

How I became an all-star grill master

I

’m going to come right out and say it: I’m not a tactically useful human being. I may be fairly competent with a turn of phrase, but that’s about it. I can’t fix things, build things, cook or use my hands for anything that might give me splinters.

My skills are basically limited to the arts, petting dogs and cats, and doing dishes (I’m really fucking good at doing dishes, btw). I’ve often found myself discussing the inevitable zombie apocalypse with a small group of people, and when it’s time to assign job duties, someone in the group will eventually look at me with pity and say, “Well, we’ll need someone to document it.”

I was thinking about these inadequacies over Memorial Day weekend while hunched over a hot grill.

We all know that Memorial Day is not only the unofficial start of grill season, but it’s also illegal not to have a barbecue on this day (don’t question me on this, I’m familiar with the law). But for whatever reason, I’m actually decent at grilling, which should theoretically stand in direct contrast to my general uselessness.

The road to grill master extraordinaire hasn’t been easy. Frankly (lol because of hot dog franks), I’ve suffered a lot for my art, and here are some of the lessons that I’ve learned. Fellow useless humans, take heed, and you too can hack your way through a successful barbecue.

Don’t forget the beer: The step toward becoming a good griller is barrelling through the selfdoubt that keeps you from achieving your potential. Alcohol will allow you to do this. This may sound obvious since beer is a mainstay at any given barbecue, but it’s always worth reiterating. My advice?

Don’t even turn on the gas until you’re a good three beers in. That way, no one can tell you how to do nothin’—not your family, not your neighbors, not your nephew—nobody! You’ll be deaf to their suggestions. If they know so much, why don’t they just throw their own barbecue?

Salt: A pinch of salt—especially garlic salt—will help conceal overcooked food. Health professionals don’t want you to eat a lot of salt, but it’s very tasty, and I don’t know why health professionals are always trying to keep you from enjoying life.

Provide vegetarian options: I mean, if you want.

It’s a free country. Do whatever you want.

Make it exclusive: It’s tempting to invite a lot of people to your barbecue. This is a mistake. I’d recommend four other people, five max. That way, when your neighbor Steve walks by and sees a small group, he won’t be tempted to invite himself over

and ask for his lawnmower back. Steve, can’t you see we’re trying to have a good time here? Keep walking, buddy.

Avoid chicken: Big Chicken corporations are always trying to convince you how healthy chicken is and, conversely, how detrimental beef is. In most situations they’re right, but not at a barbecue. Supplying chicken at a barbecue is a one-stop shop to Salmonellaville, especially if you’re pretending to know what you’re doing as grill master. Yes, there are also food-borne illnesses in beef, too, but it’s way easier to undercook chicken, and hell, undercooked beef like beef tartare is practically a delicacy in some countries, right? Forgive my ignorance— the only thing I know about beef tartare is that it was featured on an episode of Mr. Bean that I watched a long time ago, but if it’s good enough for Mr. Bean, it’s good enough for your guests.

Keep your shit together: A barbecue is not the most appropriate place to let your inner demons fly. If the smell of cooking flesh suddenly reminds you of a repressed horror, I’d suggest keeping it to yourself. People will not come back to your parties if they think you’re trying to scam them for free therapy. Caveat: You don’t have to keep your shit together if you burn yourself on the grill.

Prepare conversation topics: Lulls in conversation can kill a barbecue faster than a swarm of bees, so make sure you have plenty to talk about. For example, perhaps your house is haunted. You could talk about the cold spots in your home, or the way your animal’s hair stands on end in certain rooms, or the way that blood drips from the electrical outlets. Perfect conversation starters! Just make sure to keep the conversation new and refreshing. If you’ve been bragging about the ghosts in your house for awhile, people are just going to think that you’re a onetrick pony. And please don’t say anything that would further infuriate the spirits.

Remember that hell is just a construct of Judeo-Christian hysteria and that you should embrace the fire: Look at the fire. See how it burns. Take a sip of beer. Smile. Make small talk. But never forget the cleansing flame. Embrace your sublime power.

Turn the gas up. Scorch the meat. The grill giveth. You giveth.

There you have it! Just follow the above steps, and you’ll be barbecue royalty in no time.

The step toward becoming a good griller is barrelling through the self-doubt that keeps you from achieving your potential.

Alcohol will allow you to do this.

@SDCITYBEAT

Well, That Was Awkward appears every other week.

Write to ryanb@sdcitybeat.com

JUNE 6, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 9

UP FRONT | FOOD

BY MICHAEL A. GARDINER

THE WORLD

FARE

Tapping out a tune in the key of cheesesteak

S

ometimes it’s good to be wrong. This is especially true when I taste something again for the first time and realize how much better it is than I remembered. I thought I knew from Philly cheesesteaks and recalled fondly of our local offerings over the years. That is, until I went to Calozzi’s Cheesesteaks (1146 Garnet Ave. Suite A) in Pacific Beach. I probably won’t eat another unless I’m in Philly or listening to the music from the blades of Al Calozzi’s two metal spatulas cutting, flipping and tossing the beef on his flattop.

There’s basically just one thing on Calozzi’s menu: cheesesteaks.

Choose between the classic version, The Donnie (with mushrooms), The Pepper Steak (sweet bell peppers), The Pizza Steak (pizza sauce) and The Roni (pepperoni). Order “wit” or “witout” onions (there’s apparently a black hole in Philly that eats the letter “h”) and pick a cheese: Cheez Whiz, American, provolone or mozzarella. Pro tip from legendary San Diego Chef Jack Monaco, a Philly native: Only tourists order “wit wiz.” Amateur tip from another friend of mine: We don’t live in Philly so take the whiz.

Al Calozzi started Calozzi’s as a Seattle streetcart under an umbrella (there’s something in a cheesesteak that doesn’t love the rain). That street-cart begat a brick and mortar location that would be named by Men’s Journal as one of the “10 Best Cheesesteaks That Aren’t Made in Philly.” A San Diego location with no need for an umbrella ensued.

The star of any great cheesesteak is the meat itself. In the case of Calozzi’s that means thinly sliced ribeye steaks specially packed at a plant out of Philadelphia. Calozzi cooks the steak on a flat top grill along with thinly sliced onions before the cheese is added to the mix. He employs two big

10 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · JUNE 6, 2018

spatulas, percussively chopping and flipping the steak. This method serves dual purposes: 1.) cutting the meat into more readily consumable sizes but also; 2.) keeping the meat from drying out.

Sitting just to the right of Calozzi’s griddle is a squeeze bottle filled with olive oil he periodically deploys to add a bit more flavor and moisture.

And that may be the real secret to Calozzi’s cheesesteaks: the moisture. Take, for example, my favorite off-menu offering at Calozzi’s, The Kitchen Sink (a combination of The Pepper Steak and The Donnie) with provolone. Instead of the sandwich consisting of meat and cheese and never the twain shall meet, MICHAEL A. GARDINER

The Kitchen Sink

the juices from the steak mingle with the cheese, each flavor firing on the palate sequentially, then together and then back again. Those flavors soak into the roll (whereas many local cheesesteakers buy rolls from Philly’s Amoroso’s Bakery and have them shipped, Calozzi uses fresh, local hoagie rolls) resulting in another layer of flavor and contrasting texture as that bun absorbs the meat and cheese juices without soaking through.

I know now—as I did not before—that the hallmark of a good cheesesteak isn’t just the taste and the smell but the sound as well. I know now to listen for the sound of spatulas dancing on the griddle and the moist, savory goodness it delivers.

The World Fare appears weekly.

Write to michaelg@sdcitybeat.com.

@SDCITYBEAT

@SDCITYBEAT

JUNE 6, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 11

UP FRONT | FOOD & DRINK

ANATOMY OF A COCKTAIL SCENE

BY IAN WARD

#33: Red joy at Great Maple

airport bar, and everyone is smiling and happy while drinking these giant glasses loody Marys have always baffled of obnoxiously garnished red joy. I wish it me. It’s mainly because they seem could be me. like something that I should like.

Anyway, it was recently Memorial Day, They are savory, complex and thoughtful. which is as fine a day for drinking Bloody They promote individuality, authenticMarys as ever there was, so I decided ity and creativity. They are synonymous to give it another go. with a certain laissez-faire A few weeks back San Diego Magattitude. This sort of, “fuck it! azine released its annual restaurant IAN it’s noon and I’m going to get WARD “Best Of” list, in which there was hammered, just try and stop a “Best Bloody Mary” categome”-type attitude. ry. The critics’ pick for Best I respect and endorse all Bloody Mary went to Great of the above mentioned, and yet, Maple (1451 Washington for some reason, I hate Bloody St., thegreatmaple.com). I reMarys. spect food critic Troy Johnson’s In fact, I don’t believe that opinion, and also that of Great I have ever actually finished a Maple owner Johnny Rivera. whole Bloody Mary. And trust me, The latter is the owner of Great I’ve gotten to the bottom of a glass Maple, as well as the co-owner of some vile shit. Maybe it’s the of the perennially popular Hash unknowingly varying spiciness House A Go Go, so if there were of them. Maybe it’s the ungodly anybody in town that would acidic tones lent by the tomato GM Bloody Mary know his way around a Bloody juice that seem to strip away my Mary, it would be him. He’s stomach lining as if it was a savvy hood- been the undisputed king of breakfast and lum and my kidneys were made of copper. brunch in San Diego for years. I decided to They seem to be so soul-satisfying as give Great Maple’s GM Bloody Mary a try. well. I become envious every time I walk When I arrived, there was about 30 into a restaurant at brunch, or through an people waiting in the parking lot to get a seat in the dining room, and even when I tried to get a seat at the bar, it still took me 10 minutes of uncomfortable hoverGM BLOODY MARY ing. In that hovering I looked around the as prepared at Great Maple room at all the happy faces with their giant red glasses of joy.

2 oz. Green Mark vodka 1/2 half bar spoon Long story short, I finally got a seat and of horseradish 4 oz. Major Peters The a Bloody Mary, and I have to tell you: I can’t Salt and pepper Works Bloody Mary mix stand Bloody Marys. It had all the requisite Pickled okra 2 dashes Tabasco elements of spice and salt and acid and saLemon wedge 1/2 bar spoon vory. I don’t know what the fuck it is about Worcestershire sauce 2 olives the Bloody Mary. However, I will tell you one more thing. I actually finished the damn Combine all ingredients (except garnish) thing, so, that’s saying something. in a tin with ice. Roll Bloody Mary back

B

and forth between tins until chilled, then transfer contents into a salt and pepper rimmed glass. Garnish with okra, lemon and olives.

12 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · JUNE 6, 2018

Anatomy of a Cocktail Scene appears every other week. Write to ianw@sdcitybeat.com.

BY DAVEY LANDEROS

REVENGE OF THE BEER NERD Proving their medal

I

think it’s great to see San Diego breweries bringing home medals from beer competitions. Winning is no easy feat and it can be a huge marketing opportunity for a small brewery that can be used to show a degree of legitimacy.

On the flip side, the precocious artist in me eschews competition and restrictive style guidelines that come with them. Every beer has a story. And reducing a beer as solely an object, one with a certain set of qualities, is a disservice to the story of that beer.

Deep down though, I realize this could seem hypocritical. Evaluating beer objectively and examining the qualities of a beer is something I do on a regular basis. A beer competition takes that one step further by being an unbiased examination of the technical qualities of a beer. I appreciate brewers that can interpret style parameters set by the Brewer’s Associate and the Beer Judge Certification Program (bjcp. org) and brew beer that fits perfectly into those guidelines.

After all, these guidelines are the basis for most beer competitions, which help breweries get unbiased feedback regarding their final product.

As limiting as style guidelines are, l know that we’ll never be rid of them. Though they are here to stay, there was a time when guidelines didn’t exist. Recall how the IPA was born out of function to traverse the trip from Britain to India. More hops and more alcohol meant a longer shelf life. Now IPAs have taken on a whole new life beyond providing British colonies with beer and it seems like we are in a continuous revolving door of setting guidelines and breaking them. When beer is exclusively brewed to style, we haven’t really grown. We’re just drinking the same

beer over and over again. We did that once during post-Prohibition and it sucked.

Craft beer exists because pioneering breweries such as Sierra Nevada, Dogfish Head, Stone and New Belgium decided to brew outside the lines of conventional expectations of beer in America. They reminded us that the concept of “good beer” is subjective and should be reevaluated.

Those same pioneering breweries laid down the basis of style guidelines that exist today. What was considered “too hoppy” 20 years ago is “not hoppy enough” today. Session IPAs came from consumers wanting a product that wasn’t so debilitating. Hazy IPAs grew in popularity because consumers wanted to enjoy hops from beer that wasn’t so bitter. IPAs of every single color in the rainbow show the range that hops and malts can dance together. All those beers exist because brewers examined the parameters of an IPA and decided that certain elements might be subjectively good when extended beyond the guidelines.

Ultimately, beer competitions and style guidelines establish the baseline of great beer. The medals are a celebration of that baseline because, without one, there is no growth. When I really think about it, the ebb and flow of redefining style guidelines is a key ingredient to the timelessness of beer. Thankfully, it’s a key component that the BJCP and Brewer’s Association do regularly.

The medals that San Diego brewers win is more than a marketing tool. It’s a reminder to consumers that this brewery is setting the edge for the future of beer. I may not like competitions, but I sure as hell respect the brewers that win them.

Write to Davey at daveyl@sdcitybeat.com or check him out on Instagram at @daveythebeernerd.

@SDCITYBEAT

EVENTS

SHORTlist

ART

the

THREE YOU HAVE TO SEE

COORDINATED BY

SETH COMBS

BALBOA PARK

DOC AND AWE

After being inundated with political ads and partisan jabs for months, we wouldn’t blame readers if they just needed a break from caring.

Post-election lulls are understandable, but the world keeps spinning so staying engaged is important.

Curated by the International Rescue Committee (IRC), the 10th annual International Documentary Film Series is a great way to get inspired again.

The series, which begins Sunday, June 10 and runs through Sunday, June 24, will feature three films that focus on important national issues like refugee resettlement, but also address, as the IRC’s Laurel Dalsted puts it, “universal themes like the meaning of home, survival and perseverance, and speaking up for what we believe in.”

“This seemed like a great opportunity for us to provide an educational event for San Diegans interested in learning more about global issues,” says Dalsted, who serves as IRC San Diego’s development manager.

The first filmed to be screened on Sunday is This is Home, a Sundance winner about four Syrian refugee families who resettle in Baltimore. On June 17, there will be a screening of New Neighbors Project, an inspiring collection of short films directed by African refugees who now live in Montana. Finally, on June 24, the series concludes with On Her Shoulders, the heartbreaking story of Nadia Murad, who be-

NORTH PARK

HKurosh Yahyai at 1805 Gallery, 1805 Columbia St., Little Italy. The San Diegobased painter and 1805 Gallery artist in residence’s exhibit explores themes of anxiety and pressures of modern life.

Opening from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, June 7. Free. 619-888-8288, 1805gallery.com

This Is Home came a human rights activist after surviving sexual slavery and genocide at the hands of ISIS. All of the films will be followed by a Q&A session with IRC staff and refugees from the community.

“We hope viewers will leave having learned something new, we want to provide people with a clearer understanding of how refugee resettlement works and why it is such a critically important program for individuals and families whose lives have been impacted be war, including many who are now rebuilding their lives here in San Diego,” Dalsted says.

All screenings for the International Documentary Film Series happen at 6:30 p.m. at the Museum of Photographic Arts (1649 El Prado). Tickets can be purchased at rescue.org, and range from $10$15 for individual screenings and $25-$30 to see all three.

JACUMBA

BREW GOOD

WHEN IN ROAM

Another weekend, another beer festival, but HessFest 8 is one we always feel particularly good about since they’re our neighbors, but also because it’s a fundraiser for The Navy SEAL Foundation, the YMCA of San Diego and the San Diego Music Foundation. Patrons can enjoy beers from 25 breweries, as well as food vendors and live music by The Schizophonics, Jumbotron and Sully & the Blue-eyed Soul Band.

A ticket includes unlimited beer tasters, four food samples and a souvenir pint glass that’s good for reduced refills at Mike Hess Brewing throughout the year. VIP tickets get early entry, entrance to the Sour Fest held inside the tasting room and more. HessFest happens Saturday, June 9 from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. outside the North Park Mike Hess Brewing Co. (3812 Grim Ave.). Tickets range from $30 to $60. mikehessbrewing.com COURTESY OF MIKE HESS BREWING

HDiscover Science Here Reveal Party at Bread & Salt, 1955 Julian Ave., Logan Heights. The reveal of the art pieces created for the Discover Science Here Artist Project. The participating artists include Enrique Lugo, Dia E. Basset, Mónica Díaz, Aled Anaya and Jaime Valle. Opening from 5:30 to 8 p.m.

Thursday, June 7. Free. rhfleet.org/52weeks-science

Summers are all about road trips, and if the destination of that road trip just happens to be a cool music festival, well, all the better. The third annual GypsyFest on Saturday, June 9 provides a nice alternative for music fans looking for a more intimate, less-corporate music fest. One that emphasizes free spiritedness and indie sensibilities. This is evident in the lineup, which includes dozens of bands and performers on four stages spread throughout the DeAnza Springs Resort (1951 Carrizo Gorge Road). Some CityBeat faves include Imagery Machine, Coral Bells and Steff & The Articles. There will also be on-site camping, live art and food throughout. Tickets for the 21-and-up fest are $40 ($60 for VIP) for the whole day (11 a.m. ‘til whenever) and camping is included in the price. sdgypsyfest.com COLLIN WORREL

Words Alive Arts at San Diego Art Institute, 1439 El Prado, Balboa Park. A display of the communal wood sculpture designed by artist Isaias Crow, facilitated

by Words Alive volunteers and produced by students who attend local alternative schools. The sculpture acts as a response to Angie Thomas’ bestselling novel The Hate U Give. From 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, June 8. Free. RSVP recommended. 619236-0011, wordsalive.org HCraftwork at Sparks Gallery, 530 Sixth Ave., Downtown. An exhibition celebrating craftsmanship in wood, metal, ceramic and textile works by local San Diego artists, such as James Hubbell, Lenore Simon and more. Opening reception wine sales benefit Computers 2 SD Kids. Opening from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, June 8. Free.

619-696-1416, sparksgallery.com HSeeing Through Water, Seeing Through Weather and Summer Selections at Joseph Bellows Gallery, 661 Girard Ave., La Jolla. The gallery presents two new exhibitions, one of which looks at climate change issues through Dana Montlack’s artistic and scientific perspective. Summer Selections features work by many of the gallery’s artists. Opening from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday, June 9. 858-4565620, josephbellows.com HWilliam L. Hawkins: An Imaginative Geography at Mingei International Museum, 1439 El Prado, Balboa Park. A showcase of 60 of the self-taught Hawkins’ paintings, drawings and sculptures. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 9. Free$10. 619-239-0003, mingei.org HTijuana Art Crawl at Tijuana, Baja California Sur, Mexico. The Rising Arts Leaders of San Diego teams up with Turista Libre for a Tijuana art sightseeing trip including a visit to sculptor Armando Garcia’s La Mona and the studio Tijuana street artist, Clos. From 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, June 9. $35-$80. 409-987-5873, risingartsleadersofsandiego.org HEpic Tales from Ancient India at San Diego Museum of Art, 1450 El Prado, Balboa Park. An exhibit featuring more than 90 works of art from SDMA’s worldrenowned Edwin Binney Third Collection of Indian paintings. Opening from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 9. Free-$15. 619232-7931, sdmart.org HMario Chacon at Chicano Art Gallery, 2117 Logan Ave. #1, Barrio Logan. A solo exhibit by the artist, who is known for mixing Native American spirituality, the Chicano Movement, wisdom and humor into his work. Opening from 5 to 10 p.m.

Saturday, June 9. Free. facebook.com/ events/248413662568048 HLore: New Works by Ivonne Carley at Thumbprint Gallery, 920 Kline St., La Jolla.

An exhibit displaying works by the San Diego-based artist who’s known for her paper-cutting and silhouettes that demonstrate life’s interconnectivity and emotional balance. Opening from 5 to 10 p.m.

HessFest @SDCITYBEAT

GypsyFest

H = CityBeat picks

Saturday, June 9. Free. 858-354-6294, thumbprintgallerysd.com HBeware the Void at Distinction Gallery, 317 E Grand Ave. Ste A, Escondido. A solo show from British artist John Ball who creates unsettling images of dystopian suburban landscapes. Opening from 6 to 10 p.m.

Saturday, June 9. Free. distinctionart.com Terra Inferma at Space 4 Art, 2529 Market St., Sherman Heights. This multimedia production will use live music, visual art and original choreography to address issues concerning environmental degradation. Also, get a sneak peek of Space 4 Art’s future permanent home. Opening from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, June 9. Free.

619-269-7230, sdspace4art.org HSan Diego Festival of the Arts at Waterfront Park, 1600 Pacific Hwy, Downtown. More than 200 artists exhibit fine art at this annual festival, which also includes live entertainment, local cuisine and craft breweries. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 9 and Sunday, June 10. Free$25. 619-744-0534, sdfestivalofthearts.org

BOOKS HJon Meacham at Warwick’s Bookstore, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. The Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer will sign and discuss his new book The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels. At 6:30 p.m. Sunday, June 10. Free. 858-4540347, warwicks.com HYunte Huang at D.G.Wills Books, 7461 Girard Avenue, La Jolla. The writer and professor will read from and discuss his critically acclaimed new book, Inseparable: The Original Siamese Twins and Their Rendezvous with American History. At 2 p.m. Sunday, June 10. Free. 858-4561800, www.dgwillsbooks.com Chas Smith at Warwick’s Bookstore, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. The journalist and surfer will sign and discuss his new book, Cocaine + Surfing: A Sordid History of Surfing’s Greatest Love Affair. At 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 12. Free. 858-4540347, warwicks.com Jaqueline Carey at Mysterious Galaxy Book Store, 5943 Balboa Ave., Ste. 100, Clairemont. The bestselling fantasy author will be promoting her latest book, Starless At 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 12. Free.

858-268-4747, mystgalaxy.com Gail Honeyman at Warwick’s Bookstore, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. The writer will sign and discuss her debut novel, Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. At 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, June 13. Free. 858-4540347, warwicks.com

FILM HFilmOut San Diego LGBT Film Festival at the Observatory North Park, 2891 University Ave., North Park. The 20th annual, four-day festival will showcase 45 films with LGBTQ themes, including world premieres, Sundance selections and more. Many of the films will be followed by discussions with the filmmakers and cast.

Various times. Through Sunday, June 10. $10-$50. filmoutsandiego.com HInternational Documentary Film Series at Museum of Photographic Arts, 1649 El Prado, Balboa Park. The opening night screening of the International Rescue Committee’s film series will showcase This is Home, a Sundance winner about four Syrian refugee families who resettle in Baltimore. At 6:30 p.m. Sunday, June 10. $10-$15. rescue.org

FOOD & DRINK HBeer, Bir, Bjór: International Beer Tasting at San Diego Museum of Man,

EVENTS CONTINUED ON PAGE 14 JUNE 6, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 13

EVENTS EVENTS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13 350 El Prado, Balboa Park. A tasting event featuring beers from countries around the world, along with food, beer-inspired activities and the chance to learn about the science behind each brew. From 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, June 7. $20-$30. 619239-2001, museumofman.org HBloom & Inspire: A Girls Rising Benefit at Sugar and Scribe Bakery, 7660 Fay Ave. Ste I, La Jolla. This charity event features drinks and food by celebrity chef Maeve Rochford, winner of the Food Network’s Holiday Baking Championship. Proceeds benefit Girls Rising’s mission to empower at-risk girls through mentorships.

From 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, June 7. $50.

619-297-1135, girlsrisingsd.org

music by Wild Belle, Baynk and The Young Wild. From 5 to 10 p.m. Saturday, June 9. $25. avolutionfest.com

“Mmmbop” will perform at the San Diego County Fair. At 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 8.

Free-$47. 858-755-1161, sdfair.com

HCommon Theory Fourth Anniversary Party and Taco Smackdown at Common Theory Public House, 4805 Convoy St., Kearny Mesa. The popular brewery celebrates its fourth birthday with a limited edition beer release, live art, music and guest chefs serving up tacos. From 4 to 11 p.m. Saturday, June 9. commontheorysd.com

Yanni 25: Acropolis Anniversary Concert Tour at San Diego Civic Theatre, 1100 Third Ave., Downtown. The iconic Greek composer, keyboardist, pianist and music producer embarks on a tour celebrating his 25-year musical anniversary. So chill. At 8 p.m. Friday, June 8. $91.50. yanni.com

Taste of Little Italy at various locations, Little Italy. The annual neighborhood culinary tour in which restaurants offer samples of their most popular dishes, including appetizers, entrees, desserts and drinks. Participants can choose from two restaurant routes. From 5 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, June 13. $40. 619-233-3898, littleitalysd.com

HHESSFEST 8 at Mike Hess Brewing Co. North Park, 3812 Grim Ave., North Park.

The eighth annual one-day festival features unlimited tastings from 25 breweries, plus 10 food vendors and live music by The Schizophonics, Sully and the Blueeyed Soul Band and more. Proceeds benefit The Navy Seal Foundation and YMCA. From 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 9. $36.33-$70.46. 619-255-7136, mikehessbrewing.com

HPerforming Code Live at UCSD Atkinson Hall, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla.

Experience performances and an exhibition featuring musician and audiovisualist Shelly Knotts as she practices live coding to create music and visual art. From 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, June 7. Free. 858-8224998, qi.ucsd.edu

HThe Toast of the Coast Wine Festival and Competition at Del Mar Fairgrounds, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd., Del Mar. The wine competition and festival includes unlimited wine tastings, cheese tastings, wine gifts, admission to the San Diego County Fair and more. From noon to 3 p.m and from 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday, June 9. $65-$110.

858-755-1161, thetoastofthecoast.com

HInterconnections for Peace: A Telematic Concert at Conrad Prebys Music Center Experimental Theater, UC San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla. A live performance on the Internet with musicians in different geographical locations. San Diego musicians will perform with others located in New York and Seoul. At 7 p.m.

Friday, June 8. Free. musicweb.ucsd.edu

Avolution Fest at the Quartyard, 1301 Market Street, East Village. This celebration of all things avocado will include avocado-inspired art, food, drinks and live

HHanson at Del Mar Fairgrounds, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd., Del Mar. The trio of pop-rock brothers who became young heartthrobs in the late ’90s with their hit

MUSIC

14 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · JUNE 6, 2018

HSan Diego GypsyFest at De Anza Springs Resort, 1951 Carrizo Gorge Road, Jacumba. The annual indie music festival will feature dozens of bands, independent performers and street musicians, art and food in a celebration of all things gypsy.

At 11 a.m. Saturday, June 9. $40-$175. sdgypsyfest.com The White Buffalo at Saint Archer Brewing Company, 9550 Distribution Ave., Miramar. The American musician and singer/ songwriter who plays under this professional moniker and stage name, will perform. Beer packages available. From noon to 8 p.m. Saturday, June 9. Free. 858225-2337, saintarcherbrewery.com MUSIC & THE MIND Sensory-Friendly Concert at Balboa Theatre, 868 Fourth Ave., Downtown. This performance features musicians who are on the autism spectrum and members of the Mainly Mozart Festival Orchestra. The Music Therapy Center of California emcees this event. At 2:30 p.m. Saturday, June 9. $5-$10. 619570-1100, sandiegotheatres.org HLa Jolla Symphony & Chorus: A Line Broken at Mandeville Auditorium, UC San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla. The La Jolla Symphony and Chorus will perform a musical program meant to accompany Courtney Bryan’s poignant memorial to Sandra Bland and other Black victims of violence. At 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 9

and 2 p.m. Sunday, June 10. $15-$35.

858-534-4637, lajollasymphony.com Sea to Shining Sea Yoga and Music Festival at USS Midway Museum, 910 N. Harbor Drive, Downtown. Connected Warriors presents its first-ever yoga and music festival in order to raise awareness for U.S. veterans. The event will include live music and a trauma-conscious and core powerblended yoga class. From 7 to 9:30 a.m.

Saturday, June 9. $25. 954-278-3764, connectedwarriors.org Calibre 50 at Del Mar Fairgrounds, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd., Del Mar. This awardwinning quartet from Mazatlan Sinaloa returns to the San Diego County Fair for the fourth time. The group aims to connect Mexico, the U.S. and Latin America with its music. At 7:30 p.m. Sunday, June 10.

Free-$36. 858-755-1161, sdfair.com Mainly Mozart Festival Orchestra featuring Derek Paravicini at Balboa Theatre, 868 Fourth Ave., Downtown. The pianist will play with the festival orchestra for a program including popular, jazz and classical works. Plus Vaughn Williams’ The Lark Ascending and Rachmaninoff’s Vocalise. At 7:30 p.m. Sunday, June 10. $15$88. 619-570-1100, sandiegotheatres.org HGreen Flash Concert Series: Steve Poltz at Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, 2300 Expedition Way, La Jolla. The iconic local singer/songwriter will perform an intimate set as part of the aquarium’s concert series. Ticket includes admission to the aquarium. From 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, June 13. $33-$44.

858-534-3474, aquarium.ucsd.edu

PERFORMANCE Legends, A Musical Tribute Circus Showcase at Aerial Revolution Entertain-

ment, 5370 Napa St., Linda Vista. Aerial Revolution’s seventh annual summer showcase features a rock ‘n’ roll theme.

Acrobats, aerialists and dancers will perform to songs by musical icons of the last century. At 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 8 and Saturday, June 9. $20. 619-220-4909, aerialrevolution.com

POETRY & SPOKEN WORD HAngela Narciso Torres at Women’s Museum of California, 2730 Historic Decatur Road #103, Point Loma. The acclaimed poet will speak about her awardwinning book Blood Orange: Poems, which focuses on the ever-changing nature of home. At 4:30 p.m. Sunday, June 10. $5. womensmuseumca.org

SPECIAL EVENTS Graffiti Beach Reimagined Party at Graffiti Beach, 2220 Fern St., South Park.

The retail store celebrates its renovated space with new brands and products.

Tickets include two drink tickets, live music by Ezekiel Morphis and V Torres, and first 50 attendees receive goodie bags. From 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, June 7. $15. 858-433-0950, shopgraffitibeach. com

WORKSHOPS HIntroduction to Soul Collage at Little Dame Shop, 2942 Adams Ave., Normal Heights. Kara-Leigh Huse will be hosting this creative collage event where participants can create a personal deck of cards representing aspects of their personality.

From 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, June 7. $50. littledameshop.com

@SDCITYBEAT

THEATER JIM COX

Native Gardens

Gunn and roses

N

ative Gardens ����� does its best to both be out� ���� ����� ��� ����� ��� ���� rageous and make trenchant sociopolitical statements about class and race. It even tackles politically correct gardening. Unfortunately, neither succeeds in Karen Zacarias’ labored one-act comedy at the Old Globe, where the play was first developed last year at the Powers New Voices Fes� tival.

In Native Gardens, a fight over a property line be� tween neighbors turns nasty, then bombastic, then flat-out silly. In this corner: the clueless white GOP� ers Frank and Virginia Butley (Mark Pinter and Peri Gilpin). And in this corner: modern-thinking young couple Pablo and Tania Del Valle (Eddie Martinez and Kimberli Flores). He’s an ambitious Chilean-born at� torney; she a pregnant Ph.D. candidate and propo� nent of environmentally responsible gardening.

Replete with slow-motion and stop-action double takes, as well as mugging to the audience and lots and lots of shouting, the Edward Torresdirected Native Gardens hammers into the ground its humor and its message points. What’s more, the impetus for resolution of the neighbors’ conflict is a timeworn cliché. The garden playground for all these histrionics������������������������������������� , however, is a beautiful set by Col� lette Pollard complete with stately oak tree.

Native Gardens runs through June 24 at the Old Globe’s Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre, Balboa Park. $30 and up; oldglobe.org ••• xtensive knowledge of opera isn’t essential to appreciating Nathan Gunn, Flying Solo, a one-man show written by Hershey Felder and starring the estimable baritone Gunn. But it might help. The arc of Gunn’s biographical story, which he recounts onstage for 90 minutes at the San Di� ego Rep, is his operatic career, most notably at the Met in New York City. The selections he has chosen to perform, such as from Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro” or Benjamin Britten’s “Billy Budd,” contain all the passion that is less present in renderings of, for example, “Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin’” from Oklahoma. Clearly, Gunn’s heart is in opera.

The undercurrent of the narrative Felder has written for Gunn is the opera star’s relationship with his father, a father like so many (especially on

E

@SDCITYBEAT

screen or onstage) who is emotionally reluctant.

Gunn must be commended for reliving that rela� tionship in each performance.

Nathan Gunn Flying Solo runs through June 10 on the San Diego Repertory Theatre’s Lyceum Stage. $48-$79; sdrep.org

—David L. Coddon

Theater reviews run weekly.

Write to davidc@sdcitybeat.com.

OPENING: Peer Gynt: Henrik Ibsen’s Modernist classic about a young man who leaves home and travels the world in order to find himself. Directed by Charlie Oates, it opens June 6 at the Theodore and Adele Shank Theatre at UC San Diego in La Jolla.

Soul Fire: Originally produced in 2004, this play explores the personal journeys of immigrants to San Diego. Presented by the Playwrights Project and the Stories of Faith Project, it opens for two performances June 9 at the Weingart Library Performance Annex in City Heights. playwrightsproject.org School of Rock: The Broadway production of the hit musical about an unemployed musician who becomes a substitute teacher and teaches a bunch of kids how to rock. Featuring music from Andrew Lloyd Webber, it opens June 12 at the Civic Theatre in the Gaslamp. broadwaysd.com Mamma Mia!: A young woman searches for her real father in the days leading up to her wedding, all set to the pop anthems of ABBA. Presented by Moonlight Stage Productions, it opens June 13 at the Moonlight Amphitheatre in Vista. moonlightstage.com

NOW PLAYING: Smokey Joe’s Café: The hit Broadway musical features the songs of the iconic songwriters Leiber and Stoller, the duo behind hits such as “Charlie Brown,” “Jailhouse Rock” and “Stand

By Me.” Directed by Michelle Gray, it runs through June 9 at the OnStage Playhouse in Chula Vista. onstageplayhouse.org The Front Porch: Two Baltimore women—one black, one white—form an unlikely bond despite high racial tensions in the wake of Martin Luther King’s assassination. Written and directed by George Bailey, it runs through June 10 at Lamplighters Community Theatre in La Mesa. lamplighterslamesa.com

For complete theater listings, visit sdcitybeat.com

JUNE 6, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 15

PAUL BOWERS

CULTURE | ART

Steve Kirk hen people think about San Diego and comics, it’s highly likely they’ll imediately think about Comic-Con International (SDCC). Same goes for all things comic-related, including cosplay, Sci-fi, fantasy, or any other nerdy/ geeky fantasticness. And sure, there’s a good reason for this: SDCC is the largest annual gathering of its kind in the U.S. SDCC is also a behemoth that the San Diego Convention Center can no longer fully contain. For four days, several waterfront hotels and select locales in the Gaslamp District transform into SDCC venues to handle the spillover. The days of simply walking into the big show are long past.

Echoing the sentiments of many fans, Steve Kirk, the former COO of DEF CON, the world’s largest hacker convention, says, “For us nerds, there’s nothing better than freeing your fandom, being your true self with people that love what you’re into as much as you do.” He goes on to qualify adding, “[but] places to nerd out began to fall to the ‘dark side’ a long, long time ago.”

While Kirk isn’t the first in the fandom to invoke famous Star Wars phrases to imply SDCC’s current iteration is more about cashing in on fans than for fans. However, he’s chosen to do more than simply lament what fans lose out on with the shift. That is, Kirk has a lot in the works.

In 2016, Kirk took time off from his corporate employment as a global executive for PlayStation to decide what his next phase in life would look like. After some deep thought, he realized he missed coordinating and working with cons.

“I’d done different things with cons for about 20 years on the side,” he says. “I missed doing that, and I had fun doing that. It was creative, fun, logistical and combined so many of my talents. I wanted to do that again.”

16 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · JUNE 6, 2018

Like any savvy business person, he shuffled through various ideas until he hit on one he thought could work.

“It took a while for me to work through some ideas and find something where there was a market,” he says. “You know, where I could fill a gap.”

As a local, Kirk knew that although San Diego houses SDCC and several other small niche cons, there wasn’t really anything in between. He wondered, “Am I crazy thinking I could do that? And I thought sure, why not? Let’s try.” And with that, a new con was born: InterGalactiCon (intergalacticonsd.com)., which happens June 15 and 16 at the Town and Country Resort and Convention Center in Mission Valley.

When asked why put on InterGalactiCon (IGC) in San Diego, Kirk pointed to pent up frustrations due to how many people don’t get to go to SDCC. “There’s a demand for something else that they can actually go to,” says Kirk. “It felt like the right market to develop this.”

Kirk then pulled together talented associates and fellow fans, dubbed it the “Guardian Council,” and began to plot, plan and design IGC. The advisory board was staffed by individuals of varied backgrounds but, more importantly, he says it represents “the different target audiences for the con: cosplayers, table top players, gamers, people into films, television, comic books, anime and regular books.”

“I’m smart enough to know I don’t know everything,” says Kirk. “So, bringing in people with good and interesting ideas from the community creates the opportunity to do our best for the community.”

IGC aims to provide a small con fan experience. One that

puts the intimacy back into this type of gathering. For its first year, the space is designed to create an environment that’s comfortable to move around and still accommodate up to 1,500 to 2,000 attendees. Kirk hopes IGC attendee capacity will grow incrementally through the years, but he’s adamant that the IGC will remain small and intimate to promote mingling and interaction in a “not chaotic, anxietydriven way.” He acknowledges that, in order to honor that, eventually attendance will need to be capped.

Kirk and his council also took a micro-look at things that become an issue at the 100,000-plus attendee level of SDCC like adequate seating in speaking rooms. He proactively worked in solutions to make IGC “a physically positive experience.” The results also include content curated to be “interest diverse,” and appeal to both hardcore and casual fans who may attend.

All of this isn’t to imply that Kirk is opposed to big cons. He’s an avid attendee, but does feel many cons are becoming too dominated by Hollywood. A quick peek at the list of exhibitors and panel/speaking schedule at InterGalactiCon reveals a little something for everyone.

The celebrity guests and speakers invited were selected specifically because they love fan engagement. Kirk’s aiming to create memorable fan encounters. He describes it as bringing people “who genuinely want to hang out with fans.” IGC’s design also includes touches aimed at the fan’s venue experience as well, like offering a cosplay repair room and setting aside space for an actual breakroom with food and drinks available onsite. Kirk says IGC recently secured a comic art studio to serve as an onsite workshop for attendees. He hopes this helps fans to reclaim their freedom to geek out how they want to geek out.

“It’s a con that’s created by fans, for fans. Exhibitors and speakers are chosen by fans. Experiences are designed by fans. And, of course... it’s staffed by fans.”

For him, it’s really about building a community.

“It’s really a universe where everyone [from every tribe] can let their passion shine.”

@SDCITYBEAT

@SDCITYBEAT

JUNE 6, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 17

CULTURE | FILM

Blood relatives

Hereditary

Ari Aster’s impressive debut is an incredibly scary and frustrating family affair

by Glenn Heath Jr.

L

This is most egregiously apparent in the case of ooking to consume a year’s worth of dread all in one sitting? Hereditary will gladly oblige. The Steve, who sits idly by as perplexing incidents and debut film from writer/director Ari Aster is an tragedies mount up. One could surmise that his inacintoxicating and draining exercise in omnipresent tion mirrors the audience’s gaze, but Aster gives him possession. Whether they know it or not, most of the even less of an impactful role in the narrative: that lead characters are perpetually stalked by oppressive of clueless bystander. Another rationale is that Steve forces that also seem to control the film’s aesthetics, isn’t a blood relative to Annie’s side of the family, an most notably its grating score and slow burn cinema- important factor in the film’s treatment of generatography. This makes Hereditary one of the few recent tional terror. But that’s simply too easy an explanahorror films to purposefully equate terror with acts of tion considering Byrne’s many talents are so promptly laid to waste. artistic creation.

Conversely, Collette, Wolff and Shapiro are equally Having grown up in a family ravaged by insanity and suicide, Annie Graham (Toni Collette) knows the mesmerizing as pieces of an unseen devil’s triangle. specter of grief all too well. The prim and proper obit- Their turmoil is organic, endowed by years of represuary for her recently deceased mother, presented in sion and miscommunication that have turned their white text over the film’s pitch-black opening frame, entire lineage rotten. The physicality of Wolff’s performance is especially impressive; one truly disturbdoes a good job of masking these past traumas.

The funeral itself is similarly polite and imperson- ing scene inside his classroom magnifies the brutal contortion of a human body when al, with her caring husband Steve faced with an angry spirit. As a (Gabriel Byrne), emo teenage son standalone sequence, it best emPeter (Alex Wolff) and eccentric HEREDITARY bodies the pummeling, simmering tween daughter Charlie (Milly ShaDirected by Ari Aster rage at the heart of Hereditary’s piro) are each physically present Starring Toni Collette, evil soul. but emotionally detached. Annie’s Gabriel Byrne, Alex Wolff During its best and most conforced eulogy hints at the family’s frontational moments, Aster’s extreme estrangement from their and Milly Shapiro oft-impressive freshman effort dematriarch; her words come alive Rated R stroys any safe space for denial to only after noticing the gaggle of flourish, challenging the Graham odd strangers who’ve come to pay family to see their heritage as the their respects.

From here things get weird fast. Aster notes the rotten family tree it always has been. Annie’s attempts most inauspicious peculiarities in character and plot to reconcile her family’s demons through art—works rather obviously, calling attention to enigmatic family that essentially become tombs within tombs—exemheirlooms, private rituals, nervous tics and disturbing plifies the most punishing act of futility.

Hereditary (opening wide on Friday, June 8) made behavior. An artist by trade, Annie designs elaborate miniatures of life experiences, some from long ago and audiences squirm in their seats during its premiere at others more recent. It is in these scenes-within-scenes January’s Sundance Film Festival. In multiple scenes— that the most telling family history gets communicated. including the batshit crazy finale that utilizes eerily Despite achieving a singularly foreboding tone, disturbing and quiet cinematic reveals—the film lives Hereditary tends to overly foreshadow with reckless up to this reputation. Yet those calling it the second abandon. Every major plot point is informed by some coming of horror seem to be all too forgiving of the small detail carefully planted in previous scenes. Such blatant narrative telegraphing and simplistic characan approach gives each character a one-dimensional terizations of those living outside the nightmare. feel and illogical perspective, as if each person decided to walk over a spiritual minefield while also disre- Film reviews run weekly. garding obvious warning signs along the way.

Write to glennh@sdcitybeat.com

18 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · JUNE 6, 2018

@SDCITYBEAT

CULTURE | FILM man complexity ends up revealing more about Layton’s own cynicism toward true crime rather than the motivations behind his troubled young subjects.

—Glenn Heath Jr.

OPENING American Animals: Tells the true story behind an audacious heist of rare books through a blend of documentary and crime film aesthetics. Opens Friday, June 8, at the Angelika Film Centers—Carmel Mountain.

American Animals

Faker caper

O

ne common misconception about the documentary genre is that it represents some unquestionable truth regarding a given subject. But in reality, the creators behind any nonfiction work are picking through various cinematic methods in order to choose which version of the “truth” to share with their viewers.

In his 2012 film The Imposter, Bart Layton attempts to reveal such blatant authorial manipulation by calling attention to artificial aspects of documentary filmmaking. This approach, while punishingly overt at times, made sense in theory since the film revolved around a real life conman.

He pushes this style even further in American Animals, a crime film posing as a documentary posing as a crime film. As if to hammer home disorientation from the start, Layton opens with a series of upside-down images surveying the sights of Lexington, Kentucky, home base to the four college students who attempted to pull off an audacious daylight heist of rare books in 2004.

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Interviews with the actual robbers (now in their 30s) are sprinkled together with what amounts to an extended reenactment starring their fictional counterparts played by Barry Keoghan, Evan Peters, Blake Jenner and Jared Abrahamson.

The resulting hybrid is a tonal mess of a movie that highlights inconsistencies between differing perspectives, while also reveling in the outright absurdity of what becomes an overly complicated plot. The characters’ delusions of criminal grandeur are easily inspired by watching films like Stanley Kubrick’s The Killing, and an overwhelming need to break free of the suburban conformity of their youth, but this is Layton’s psychological equivalent of shooting fish in a barrel.

American Animals (opening Friday, June 8, at the Angelika Film Centers—Carmel Mountain) chooses to disavow the truth entirely to flip off the sanctity of traditional documentary models. But doing so with such contempt for both the story’s subtext and hu-

Hereditary: When the matriarch of a family passes away, her daughter’s family begins experiencing disturbing paranormal activity. Opens wide Friday, June 8.

Hotel Artemis: Jodie Foster stars as a nurse who runs a members-only hospital for criminals in this action film that also features Charlie Day, Dave Bautista and Sterling K. Brown. Opens wide Friday, June 8.

Mary Shelley: In this biopic starring Elle Fanning, the author who gave the world Frankenstein lives a life nearly as fantastical as her fiction. Opens Friday, June 8, at the Digital Gym Cinema in North Park.

This is Home: Winner of the 2018 Sundance Audience Ward in World Cinema Documentary, this film tells the story of four Syrian refugees trying to make a new home in Baltimore. Screens at 6:30 p.m.

Sunday, June 10, at the Museum of Photographic Arts in Balboa Park.

Strangers on Earth: Featuring personal accounts of individuals embarking on the Camino de Santiago, Europe’s most popular pilgrimage, this documentary charts the experiences of a young American cellist who performed for his fellow pilgrims along the way. Opens Friday, June 8, at Digital Gym Cinema in North Park.

Ocean’s 8: In this new spin on the classic heist franchise, Sandra Bullock and Cate Blanchett lead an all-female crew of thieves who set their sights on the glitzy Met Gala. Opens wide Friday, June 8.

For complete movie listings, visit Film at sdcitybeat.com.

JUNE 6, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 19

HANNAH JOHANSEN

Kmak and Bennett are the two primary lyric writers of the band and for both of them, it’s important to write songs that aren’t clouded in metaphors or symbolism.

They’re singing exactly what they mean. Unsurprisingly, the end result is a lot of fun to listen to or watch live.

“Saying what you feel is almost always scarier,” Bennett says. “It’s so much more vulnerable and bold to say what your exact feeling is, and that’s what I always try to bring in. I’m afraid to say it when I’m not singing, but this is a way I can lay out the hard truth. And I can say it with feeling each time, because it is the hard truth.”

While The Havnauts have been performing only for a short time, they’ve crammed a lot of performances into a brief period, and ended up bonding with each other in the process. If the music they make is infectious, it’s a product of how much they enjoy spending time together, making loud, angsty punk songs as friends first and foremost. And that joy is translated into their songs.

MUSIC

ot everything about being in a band is fun. Playing to empty rooms, getting no response from a venue when you’re trying to book a show, spending money on gas, studio time, rehearsal spaces and merch before you actually make any money from your music— these things are all bummers. So it’s that much worse when the band, itself, can be a source of stress.

The members of The Havnauts have all logged a number of years playing in other bands, and not all of the experiences prior to this band have been positive.

“A lot of the bands I’ve been in, either two or all the people butt heads. Or there’s one or two people where it’s like, ‘Oh, shit, are they going to be in a good mood?’” says guitarist Josh Smith at School of Rock in Point Loma.

“And it’s never been the case with this band.

It’s so rewarding to not have to worry about that. We’re constructive with each other but nobody’s yelling.”

For The Havnauts, if it’s not fun, it’s not worth doing. Smith, vocalist/guitarist Shelbi Bennett, bassist Zak Kmak and Jenny Merullo play music that’s agitated and riddled with angst, but is meant to feel good when they’re playing it. On a pretty basic level, they’re a punk band, with short, catchy songs written with loud guitars and a cathartic release. It’s a far cry from the music that Bennett makes with her other, more well-known band, The Midnight Pine, which tends to be more melancholy and earthy.

The Havnauts essentially began because Bennett was writing songs that didn’t fit the mold of her other band, and wasn’t sure what to do with them. Her first instinct was to talk to Merullo about working on some songs. Merullo, formerly of The Heavy Guilt

20 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · JUNE 6, 2018

Clockwise from top left: Jenny Merullo, Zak Kmak, Shelbi Bennett and Josh Smith and The Shady Francos, also works as an instructor at San Diego School of Rock. Kmak joined shortly thereafter, and eventually after a couple of shows played as a trio, Smith rounded out the band.

“A lot of the songs I wrote, I knew they weren’t Midnight Pine songs because they had a lot of angst behind them, and Midnight Pine isn’t an angsty band,” Bennett says. “I thought maybe I could do a solo thing, but it’s that age-old thing of ‘I’m stuck.’ I needed people to give me suggestions. I need someone else to help me with this, because that’s why bands form.”

“Everything we built upon just happened spontaneously, and we just kept on building from there,” Kmak adds. “It’s a really relaxing

environment to be in and creative space.”

Since The Havnauts are a relatively new band, having only formed in 2017, they haven’t yet amassed a large catalog of songs.

But they plan to release a cassette EP later this year, and the songs they’ve written thus far give a pretty good idea of what sets the band apart. One song is titled “Woke Up Late,” and is about “waking up late and how that fucks up your day,” Bennett says. Another one, written by Kmak, is titled “I Think I Gained Weight A Little.” And “Ghosts,” as performed in a video submitted to NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest, is the band at their most anthemic, with strong vocal harmonies and a fuzzy guitar lead reminiscent of Pavement or Built to Spill.

“If you don’t like the people you’re making music with, your music is going to reflect that. You’re going to be tired at band practice because you don’t want to be there, you’d rather be at home watching Netflix,” Merullo says. “We all know the grind. You play music because you have to. But with each new project it’s a question of how deep you’ll go. Will you fall in love with it? I really believe in the music that we’re making.”

“Plus you can’t hear people talking over the music, which is a plus,” Bennett adds, noting that she’s experienced that with other bands. “It’s fucking brutal. I’ve played so many shows to people eating dinner. And, like, nobody wants that. But this band will never play in a restaurant.”

And just in case The Havnauts happen to be playing to an empty room instead, well, that’s not something that worries them too much.

“I can’t imagine playing a show with this band where I’d be bummed if nobody else was there,” Bennett says. “If nobody shows up, then we just play our best and have fun.”

Write to jefft@sdcitybeat.com. Follow him on Twitter @1000TimesJeff

@SDCITYBEAT

JUNE 6, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 21

MUSIC

AFTER HOURS: ABOUT LAST NIGHT

NOTES FROM THE SMOKING PATIO LOCALS ONLY

U

nwind Yourself, the monthly R&B and soul happy hour at the Whistle Stop, is celebrating its 15th anniversary. Claire Caraska, better known as DJ Claire, has been spinning records from her ample collection of Motown, Stax and other soulful gems since 2003, and for this landmark, she’s inviting DJ Greyboy to join her on Saturday, June 23 at 5 p.m.

Caraska began DJing in college when she hosted her own radio show, and picked up her first gig at the Whistle Stop during a chance encounter with her next-door neighbor at the time, Whistle Stop owner Sam Chammas.

“Sam was out watering his lawn one day, and I thought I’d ask him about it,” she says. “He just said, ‘Pick a Sunday.’ I honestly thought it would be a one-time thing. Sundays are usually pretty quiet, but I brought in a good crowd and got a bunch of my friends to show up to the first one.

I had no idea I’d end up doing it for 15 years.”

The first song DJ Claire played was “The Lonely Bull”

ALBUM REVIEW Brian Ellis Perrywinkle Beamer EP (Self-released)

S

an Diego’s never had a problem with summery music. The abundance of pop-punk, garage- and surfrock is a natural by-product of nearly nonstop exposure to UV rays. There’s always a reason to go to the beach, so there’s always a need for music on the drive there. That being said, those genres are not always the kind of summer jams that satisfy my own cravings. I need something funkier and with more synths. I need something like Brian Ellis’ Perrywinkle Beamer EP. The prolific North County musician has had an unusual arc, perhaps more atypical than any other local artist. He’s played heavy psychedelic rock in Astra, jazz fusion with Brian Ellis Group, progressive space rock with Psicomagia and various other projects here and there. There’s not much he hasn’t attempted in the past 15 years, including some recent collaborations with hiphop pioneer and funkmaster The Egyptian Lover. So it’s

22 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · JUNE 6, 2018

by Herb Alpert and The Tijuana Brass, though her repertoire heavily comprises soul music from the ’60s. And since that first happy hour, she’s invited a number of other guest DJs into the booth, including local singer/ songwriter Al Howard, Vinyl Junkies’ Eric Howarth, Black Heart Procession’s Pall Jenkins and Casbah owner Tim Mays, who’s been a regular guest over the years.

“It’s fun to play my own records,” she says. “But I’ve CANDICE ELEY been fortunate enough to be able to bring in a lot of guests. Even when nobody’s there, it’s still fun.”

The 15th anniversary edition of Unwind Yourself will offer the same vintage R&B jams as other installments of the happy-hour event, but Caraska thought it’d be a good reason to celebrate. And more importantly, it’s another Saturday afternoon during which she gets to do DJ Claire the thing she enjoys most.

“It’s a great excuse for a party,” she says. “I’m grateful to play records for people. It’s a lot of fun, and it’s therapeutic. I’m happiest and worry-free when I’m DJing.”

—Jeff Terich

not too much of a surprise to hear an array of summery synth-funk jams on his latest, Perrywinkle Beamer (misspelling intentional, I presume).

Though Perrywinkle Beamer contains only six tracks, there’s a great diversity within its brief sampling of synth-funk selections. The title track is the kind of ’80s R&B disco track that I’d expect to hear on Magic 92.5, an old-school groove worthy of Zapp, sans vocoder.

“The Way That I Do” is a bit slower and moodier, but still funky AF, while “If You Love It (Give It A Kiss)” has the cool sound of Herbie Hancock in his post-Headhunters period when grooves began to win out over more intricate jazz arrangements. Though at times there’s a feeling of druggy atmosphere, like on “Slow Burn,” a track that wouldn’t be out of place on a downtempo or IDM collection.

What all of the tracks on Perrywinkle Beamer share in common, however, is the feeling of perfect summer music. More accurately, these are jams that sound best on a balmy summer night, slightly intoxicated, when everything feels just right. These are my kind of summer jams.

—Jeff Terich

Dreams for sale

Y

et another historic bar is being forced to close or relocate due to San Diego’s rising property rates. This time, it’s the India Street whiskey joint, The Aero Club (3365 India St.). Recently, owner Bill Lutzius learned that his lease, which ends May 2019, would not be renewed.

Instead the building that houses the Middletown bar is up for sale. At a price point of $1.8 million, it’s been listed as a “good candidate to demolish and rebuild to suit.”

“I feel really, really bad about it because the bar has been there 75 years or something, and I’ve had it for 15 years and I don’t want to be the one who kills it,” says Lutzius. “I’m very disappointed and kind of heartbroken about it. The bar has great history, and it’s a great bar.”

The Aero Club, recognizable by its airplane-shaped placard and crimson storefront, opened in 1947. The den-like bar is dark, narrow and slightly dingy, with black leather booths, walls coated in memorabilia and ceilings dripping in neon. It has also built a reputation for a knowledgeable staff who are happy to tell customers about the 1,200 whiskey options.

BILL LUTZIUS / FLICKR As it happens, Lutzius also just opened Chinatown Bar and Grill in City Heights. He says he has the resources to buy the building and that a new owner could renew his lease, but ultimately moving The Aero Club is the Aero Club most logical decision. He cites several reasons: The city is looking to replace storefront parking with either bike or traffic lanes, and he would prefer a highly walkable, neighborhood destination. The building itself has also seen better days.

“We’ve been working in a 75-year-old bar,” he says. “It’s an old ship. The plan is to take every nail out of that place and put it in the new place so that it looks like the old place but more functional.”

Although Lutzius doesn’t yet know where he’ll move The Aero Club, the Red Fox Room and Steakhouse (2223 El Cajon Blvd.) in North Park has locked in a new home since finding out its lease would also be discontinued. It will reopen almost directly across the street at 2200 El Cajon Blvd., at the corner of Mississippi Street, says owner Jim Demos. There’s currently a yellow house occupying the space.

“We’re trying to keep the same vibe and our customers happy,” he says. “I still don’t want to believe it until I see a shovel in the ground.”

Lutzius hopes to find a new location just as quickly, adding that “these [bars] are anchors of the community.”

—Torrey Bailey

About Last Night appears every other week. Got a cool nightlife tip? Email Torrey Bailey at torreyb@sdcitybeat.com.

@SDCITYBEAT

MUSIC

JEFF TERICH

IF I WERE U A music insider’s weekly agenda WEDNESDAY, JUNE 6

PLAN A: Speedy Ortiz, Anna Burch, Winter @ Soda Bar. I’m not necessarily one for nostalgia for its own sake, but Speedy Ortiz reminds me of the best indie rock bands of the ‘90s. More bands with loud guitars and big hooks is just fine by me. PLAN B: Howlin Rain @ The Casbah. An Oakland-based band with some locally based members, Howlin Rain plays the kind of rock ‘n’ roll that recalls the likes of Crazy Horse and The Band. It’s earthy, raw music that’ll remind anyone why they loved guitars in the first place.

BACKUP PLAN: Angels Dust, Sharone & the Wind, Braggers, OTS @ SPACE.

THURSDAY, JUNE 7

PLAN A: A Place to Bury Strangers, Sextile, Keepers @ The Casbah. A Place to Bury Strangers are at their best when in punishing noise rock mode. And when they perform live, it’s pretty much always intense and insanely loud. You’ve been warned.

FRIDAY, JUNE 8

PLAN A: Maps & Atlases, Prism Tats @ The Casbah. Maps & Atlases’ style of intricately arranged indie rock has led to them being called “math rock,” a phrase that every math rock band hates. I’m not sure how they feel about it, but their strong melodies and technical skills add up to something really fun.

PLAN B: Minus the Bear, The New Trust @ House of Blues. Minus the Bear is actually pretty similar to Maps & Atlases, but have received more mainstream success. Highly Refined Pirates from 2002 is a classic.

BACKUP PLAN: Seiho, Tygapaw, Baojiaxiang, Ingemar & Snapghost, SPC @ SPACE.

SATURDAY, JUNE 9

PLAN A: The Sword, The Atomic Bitchwax @ Belly Up Tavern. Texas stoner rock group The

Sword have been laying down some meaty riffs for quite a few years, and while there are certainly heavier bands, they’re as much fun as heavy music gets. PLAN B: ‘Kate Bush Dance Party’ w/ Baby Bushka @ The Casbah. This local Kate Bush tribute featuring a cast of all-stars from San Diego bands has become really popular since their debut show at The Casbah. It’s hard to go wrong with Kate Bush. BACKUP PLAN: Aterciopelados, Los Hollywood @ Music Box.

SUNDAY, JUNE 10

PLAN A: Jeremy Enigk @ Soda Bar. Jeremy Enigk is best known for fronting proto-emo icons Sunny Day Real Estate. But in the ‘90s he released a progressive chamber pop album called Return of the Frog Queen. It was pretty weird and unexpected at the time, but the songwriting was still great. PLAN B: Justin Townes Earle, Lydia Loveless @ The Casbah. Need to feel sad on a Sunday night? Hit up this show featuring two contemporary Americana troubadours who know something about feeling blue.

MONDAY, JUNE 11

PLAN A: Miss New Buddha, Obsessives, Belladon @ Blonde. Miss New Buddha is a band of local ringers that have been turning heads with their loud, intense shows that sound a little like At the Drive-In. Get there early for Belladon, who are a synth heavy band with outstanding vocal harmonies.

TUESDAY, JUNE 12

PLAN A: Shy Boys, Heavy Hawaii @ Whistle Stop.

Kansas City’s Shy Boys are a lo-fi indie rock group with a scruffy, garagey sensibility that just happens to feature some great pop melodies beneath all the hiss and reverb. BACKUP PLAN: Headphone, Small Culture, Oak Palace @ The Casbah.

SHERVIN LAINEZ

Speedy Ortiz @SDCITYBEAT

JUNE 6, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 23

MUSIC

CONCERTS HOT! NEW! FRESH!

Carl Palmer’s ELP Legacy (BUT, 7/2), SOB x RBE (SOMA, 8/9), Buddy Guy, Johnny Lang (Humphreys, 8/14), Rooney (Casbah, 8/18), Napalm Death (Brick by Brick, 8/27), Peter Frampton (Harrahs SoCal, 8/29), E-40 (HOB, 9/9), Thrice (HOB, 9/21), King Khan and the Shrines (BUT, 10/15), FIDLAR (Observatory, 10/18), Alina Baraz (Observatory, 10/24), Dawes (Observatory, 10/29), Khruangbin (Observatory, 11/10), Neko Case, Destroyer (Observatory, 12/8), Doyle (Brick by Brick, 12/10), Ministry (HOB, 12/18).

GET YER TICKETS ‘A Ship In the Woods Fest’ w/ Built to Spill, Shabazz Palaces, Bill Callahan, No Age (Felicita Park, 6/16-17), Donavon Frankenreiter (BUT, 6/20), Janelle Monae (Open Air Theater, 6/20), Warped Tour (SDCCU Stadium, 6/22), Seu Jorge (BUT, 6/24), Fear (Observatory, 6/28), Quiet Slang (Soda Bar, 6/29), Kina Grannis (Music Box, 7/10), Goodnight, Texas (Casbah, 7/11), Neurosis, Converge (Observatory, 7/14), Chris Isaak (Humphreys, 7/17), Toad the Wet Sprocket (BUT, 7/17-18), Paramore (Mattress Firm Amphitheatre, 7/19), Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks (Casbah, 7/20), Wye Oak (Soda Bar, 7/20), Car Seat Headrest (SOMA, 7/21), Logic (Mattress Firm Amphitheatre, 7/24),

The Decemberists (Humphreys, 7/30), American Football, Phoebe Bridgers (Observatory, 8/3), Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle, Dwight Yoakam (Open Air Theatre, 8/3), Hop Along (Irenic, 8/5), Shooter Jennings (BUT, 8/8), Willie Nelson (Humphreys, 8/10), ‘X-Fest’ w/ Beck, Death Cab for Cutie (SDCCU Stadium, 8/11), Chris Stapleton (Mattress Firm, 8/16), Deafheaven (Brick by Brick, 8/17), Red Fang, Elder (Brick by Brick, 8/20), J. Cole (Viejas Arena, 8/22), Phillip Phillips (Humphreys, 8/22), The Alarm (BUT, 8/23), Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson (Mattress Firm Amphitheatre, 8/24), Smashing Pumpkins (Viejas Arena, 9/1), Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit (Copley Symphony Hall, 9/1), Leon Bridges (Open Air Theatre, 9/5), The Original Wailers (BUT, 9/6), Ms. Lauryn Hill (Open Air Theatre, 9/9), Murder by Death (BUT, 9/11), YOB (Brick by Brick, 9/14), The Distillers (Observatory, 9/18), Jason Aldean (Mattress Firm, 9/20), The Eagles (Petco Park, 9/22), Grizzly Bear (Observatory, 9/24), First Aid Kit (Observatory, 9/25), Deep Purple, Judas Priest (Mattress Firm, 9/26), Loudon Wainwright III (BUT, 9/27), Ringo Starr and His AllStarr Band (Humphreys, 9/27), Natalie Prass (Casbah, 9/30), Courtney Barnett, Waxahatchee (Observatory, 10/3), Roky Erickson (Casbah, 10/5), The B-52’s (Humphreys, 10/6), Ozzy Osbourne (Mattress Firm, 10/9), Mew (Observatory, 10/9), Shannon and the Clams (BUT, 10/10), The Joy Formidable (Casbah, 10/17), D.R.I. (Brick

by Brick, 10/20), Simple Minds (Humphreys, 10/22), The Selecter, The English Beat (Casbah, 11/2), Clan of Xymox (Casbah, 11/3), Fleetwood Mac (Viejas Arena, 12/8).

24 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · JUNE 6, 2018

JUNE WEDNESDAY, JUNE 6 Speedy Ortiz at Soda Bar. The Kooks at Observatory North Park (sold out). The Yardbirds at Belly Up Tavern. Emery at Brick by Brick. Howlin Rain at The Casbah. Capital Cities at Del Mar Fairgrounds.

THURSDAY, JUNE 7 Insomnium at Brick by Brick. Sick of It All at Soda Bar. Blackbird Blackbird at SPACE. Michael Franti and Spearhead at Humphreys by the Bay. James Supercave at Blonde. Kansas at Del Mar Fairgrounds.

FRIDAY, JUNE 8 B-Side Players at Belly Up Tavern. She Wants Revenge at Music Box. Minus the Bear at House of Blues. Uli John Roth at Belly Up Tavern. Maps & Atlases at The Casbah. Cozz at SOMA. Yanni at Civic Theatre.

SATURDAY, JUNE 9 The Sword at Belly Up Tavern. Aterciopelados at Music Box. Behold the Arctopus at Brick by Brick. ‘Kate Bush Dance Party’ w/ Baby Bushka at The Casbah. The Hillbilly Moon Explosion at Soda Bar.

SUNDAY, JUNE 10 Jeremy Enigk at Soda Bar. Justin Townes Earle at The Casbah. Turnpike Troubadours at Belly Up Tavern (sold out). Blue October at House of Blues.

Yeek at Ché Café. Lorena Isabell at Music Box.

TUESDAY, JUNE 12 JD McPherson at Belly Up Tavern. Shy Boys at Whistle Stop. Kesha, Macklemore at Mattress Firm Amphitheatre.

Reuben and the Dark at Soda Bar.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13 Black Milk at Soda Bar. Sunflower Bean at Ché Café. Flatbush Zombies at SOMA. Reptaliens at The Casbah. The Calling at Belly Up Tavern. The Cult at Del Mar Fairgrounds.

THURSDAY, JUNE 14 Har Mar Superstar at The Casbah. Chad Valley at Soda Bar. Barenaked Ladies at Del Mar Fairgrounds.

FRIDAY, JUNE 15 Brownout at The Casbah. The Highwayman at Belly Up Tavern. The Skull at Soda Bar. Eric Burdon and the Animals at Humphreys by the Bay.

SATURDAY, JUNE 16 Veronica May at The Casbah. The Viceroys at Music Box. The Wild Fires at Soda Bar. ‘A Ship In the Woods Fest’ w/ Built to Spill, Shabazz Palaces, Bill Callahan, No Age at Felicita Park. John Butler Trio at House of Blues.

SUNDAY, JUNE 17 Post Animal at Soda Bar. Burna Boy at The Casbah. Day26 at Music Box. ‘A Ship In the Woods Fest’ w/ Built to Spill, Shabazz Palaces, Bill Callahan, No Age at Felicita Park. The Slackers at Harrah’s SoCal.

MONDAY, JUNE 18 This Will Destroy You at Belly Up Tavern.

Demerit at Soda Bar.

TUESDAY, JUNE 19 Get Up Kids at The Casbah (sold out).

Stars at Belly Up Tavern.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20 Janelle Monae at Open Air Theater. Men I Trust at The Casbah. Shelter at Soda Bar. Donavon Frankenreiter at Belly Up Tavern. Eric Paslay at Observatory North Park.

THURSDAY, JUNE 21 Bent Knee at Soda Bar. Kenny Chesney at Mattress Firm Amphitheatre.

FRIDAY, JUNE 22 Belle and Sebastian at Observatory North Park (sold out). Dirty Sweet at The Casbah. Dark Star Orchestra at Humphreys by the Bay. Slenderbodies at Soda Bar. Los Beautiful Beast at Belly Up Tavern. Super Diamond at Music Box.

SATURDAY, JUNE 23 Trampled by Turtles at Humphreys by the Bay. Jungle Fire at Soda Bar. Gary Hoey at Brick by Brick. Long Beach Dub All Stars at Observatory North Park. The Creepy Creeps at The Casbah. Armors at SPACE.

SUNDAY, JUNE 24 Shakey Graves at Observatory North Park (sold out). Seu Jorge at Belly Up Tavern. The Bridge City Sinners at The Casbah. Quel Bordel at The Casbah.

MUSIC CONTINUED ON PAGE 25

@SDCITYBEAT

MUSIC MUSIC CONTINUED FROM PAGE 24 MONDAY, JUNE 25 Featherstone at The Casbah. Violent Femmes at Humphreys by the Bay.

TUESDAY, JUNE 26 Flotsam and Jetsam at Brick by Brick.

Beres Hammond at Belly Up Tavern.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27 Aaron Neville Duo at Belly Up Tavern.

Slum Village at Music Box. Willie Nile at The Casbah.

THURSDAY, JUNE 28 Dave Hillyard and the Rock Steady 7 at The Casbah. Fear at Observatory North Park. Shwayze & Cisco Adler at Music Box. Quintron and Miss Pussycat at Soda Bar.

FRIDAY, JUNE 29 Quiet Slang at Soda Bar. The Go-Go’s at Humphreys by the Bay (sold out). Milk Carton Kids at Belly Up Tavern. Cold Cave at Music Box. Farruko at Observatory North Park. Chuck Ragan at The Casbah.

SATURDAY, JUNE 30 Magic Giant at Belly Up Tavern. The Regrettes at Ché Café (sold out). SIR at Observatory North Park. Dread Mar I at Music Box. Schizophonics at The Casbah. Negative Gemini at Soda Bar.

JULY SUNDAY, JULY 1 The Young Dubliners at Belly Up Tavern.

@SDCITYBEAT

Transviolet at The Casbah. Katchafire at Music Box. Passafire at Harrah’s SoCal.

MONDAY, JULY 2 Reyno at Soda Bar. Jon Snodgrass and Buddies at The Casbah. The O’Jays at Del Mar Fairgrounds. Carl Palmer’s ELP Legacy at Belly Up Tavern.

TUESDAY, JULY 3 New Madrid at Soda Bar. WAR at Del Mar Fairgrounds.

THURSDAY, JULY 5 Celso Pina at Observatory North Park.

FRIDAY, JULY 6 Dead & Company at Mattress Firm Amphitheatre. Forth Wanderers at Soda Bar. The Donkeys at The Casbah.

SATURDAY, JULY 7 Vance Joy at Harrah’s SoCal. The Donkeys at The Casbah.

SUNDAY, JULY 8 Petal, Camp Cope at Ché Café.

TUESDAY, JULY 10 Counting Crows at Mattress Firm Amphitheatre.

rCLUBSr

710 Beach Club, 710 Garnet Ave., Pacific Beach. Wed: Open mic. Thu: Karaoke.

Fri: Fooz Fighters, Sonic Moonshine. Sat: Ease Up, Mango Habanero, Azul Quetzal.

Sun: Karaoke. Tue: Sun Drenched, High Minded.

Air Conditioned Lounge, 4673 30th St., Normal Heights. Wed: ‘Hip Hop Wednesday’ w/ DJs Norm Rocwell, Freddie Joachim. Thu: ‘Centerpiece’ w/ DJ Eliasar Gordillo. Fri: ‘House Friday’ w/ DJ Matthew Brian. Sat: ‘Juicy’ w/ Mike Czech. Sun: ‘Kpop and More’ w/ DJ Brandon Fabio.

American Comedy Co., 818 B Sixth Ave., Downtown. Thu: Jeff Dye. Fri: Kyle Dunnigan. Sat: Jeff Dye. The Bancroft, 9143 Campo Road, Spring Valley. Wed: Karaoke. Thu: Project Icarus, Melancholia. Fri: Ruines ov Abaddon, Sentinel, Orphic Eye. Sat: Aggression, DPI, PSO, 13 Wolves, War Fever. Sun: Thread the Lariat, Tara Who, Know the Ending, Smarter Than Robots. Tue: Karaoke.

Bang Bang, 526 Market St., Downtown.

Fri: Eli & Fur. Bar Pink, 3829 30th St., North Park.

Thu: Crew D’Etat Brass Band. Fri: Dethsurf, Sea Base, DJs Wenzo, Vaughn. Sat: Shake Before Us, Creepseed, DJs L, Grimm. Sun: Mochilero All Stars. Mon: DJ Grimm. Tue: DJ Girlgroupgirl.

Beaumont’s, 5665 La Jolla Blvd., La Jolla. Thu: Scratch Duo. Fri: Gusto. Sat: Chicken Wire. Sun: Nate Donnis.

Belly Up Tavern, 143 S. Cedros Ave., Solana Beach. Wed: The Yardbirds. Thu: Nathan James, Sharifah. Fri: B-Side Players, Afrolicious, New Leaf. Sat: The Sword, Atomic Bitchwax.

Black Cat Bar, 4246 University Ave., City Heights. Fri: War for Candy, Phantom Twins, On a Phone. Sat: The Heart Beat Trail, Goldettes.

Blonde, 1808 W. Washington St., Mission

Hills. Thu: James Supercave. Fri: ‘Dance Punk’. Sat: ‘80s Invasion’. Sun: Ramonda Hammer, Spare Parts For Broken Hearts, Con•Tact. Mon: Miss New Buddha, Belladon, Obsessives. Tue: ‘T is 4 Techno’.

Boar Cross’n, 390 Grand Ave., Carlsbad.

Fri: ‘Club Musae’.

Brick by Brick, 1130 Buenos Ave., Bay Park. Wed: Emery, Trove, Belle. Thu: Insomnium, Oceans of Slumber, Hellsott.

Fri: Uli John Roth. Sat: Behold the Arctopus, Atomic Ape, Fermentor, Fadrait. Sun: Dude Ranch, Girl at the Rock Show.

The Casbah, 2501 Kettner Blvd., Middletown. Wed: Howlin Rain, Taken by Canadians, Featherstone. Thu: A Place to Bury Strangers, Sextile, Keepers. Fri: Maps & Atlases, Prism Tats. Sat: ‘Kate Bush Dance Party’ w/ Baby Bushka. Sun: Justin Townes Earle, Lydia Loveless. Mon: Ezla, Moon, Bodie. Tue: Reptaliens, Okey Dokie.

Ché Café, UCSD campus, La Jolla. Sun: Yeek, Sloan Evans.

Dirk’s Nightclub, 7662 Broadway, Lemon Grove. Fri: Granite Hills. Sat: DJs Jersan, Calvin.

Dizzy’s, 4275 Mission Bay Drive, Downtown. Fri: Youth jazz ensembles. Sat: Brian Levy with Mikan Zlatkovich.

F6ix, 526 F St., Downtown. Thu: DJ Moe. Fri: DJ Shafty. Sat: DJ Bootleg Kev. Fluxx, 500 Fourth Ave., Downtown. Fri: Dynamiq. Sat: AMEN. House of Blues, 1055 Fifth Ave., Downtown. Thu: Andrew Garcia, August Rigo, J. Rabon. Fri: Minus the Bear, The New Trust. Sat: ‘R&B Only’. Sun: Blue October, Kitten.

Kava Lounge, 2812 Kettner Blvd., Middle-

town. Wed: ‘Wats Good’. Fri: Noah Pred, Bluetech, Charley Ten. Sat: ‘Tech Support’.

Lestat’s Coffee House, 3343 Adams Ave., Normal Heights. Fri: T-Chronic, Steve Widdy. Sat: Whole Milk, The Fire Bros., Bad and the Ugly, Isaac Cheong.

Sun: Chris Trapper, Mary Scholz. Mon: Open mic.

Mc P’s Irish Pub, 1107 Orange Ave., Coronado. Wed: Goodall Boys. Thu: Fish & JG. Fri: Stilettos. Sat: North Star. Sun: Ron’s Garage.

Martinis Above Fourth, 3940 Fourth Ave., Hillcrest. Thu: Jonathan Karrant. Fri: Janice & Nathan. Sat: Anthony Federov and Shelley Segal. Sun: Ria Carey and Don L. Mon: Andy Anderson and Nathan Fry. The Merrow, 1271 University Ave., Hillcrest. Wed: The Wind Playing Tricks, Pretty Please, Horsefly. Thu: Enormodome, Daytrip. Fri: Kid Wilderness, Matthew Phillips, Coral Bells, People Might Scream.

Sat: Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, Monolith, Vanguard, SentineL, Raise the Guns. Sun: ‘The Playground’ w/ DJ Heather Hardcore.

Mother’s Saloon, 2228 Bacon St., Ocean Beach. Fri: Christian Taylor.

Mr. Peabody’s, 136 Encinitas Blvd., Encinitas. Thu: The Sickstring Outlaws. Fri: Dirty Taxi. Sat: Kimmi Bitter and the Night Howls. Sun: Tony Ortega jazz jam.

Music Box, 1337 India St., Little Italy.

Thu: Mak Grgic, Martin Chalifour. Fri: She Wants Revenge, Love Ecstasy and Terror. Sat: Aterciopelados, Los Hollywood. Sun: Lorena Isabell.

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

Wed: ‘Instant Crush’ w/ DJ Phoebe, Miss Lady D. Thu: ‘No Limits’ w/ DJ Myson

MUSIC CONTINUED ON PAGE 26

JUNE 6, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 25

BY CHRISTIN BAILEY

ASTROLOGICALLY UNSOUND Weekly forecasts from the so-called universe ARIES (March 21 - April 19): Small things can be extraordinarily powerful if utilized correctly. An example? The 26 graphemes of the English alphabet or the boxes of 1,000 live crickets available for purchase online.

LIBRA (September 23 - October 22):

TAURUS (April 20 - May 20):

SCORPIO (October 23 - November 21): Some would say it was half empty and others would say it was half full. You would say, “Who’s been in my house and drinking my water out of my glass?,” likely forgetting it was you the whole time.

Remember to not take things at face value and interrogate all you see. You must remain on high alert this week, since a hive of bees can take the shape of absolutely anything.

GEMINI (May 21 - June 20): This week, you will give up and accept that you don’t remember why you went into the room. Of course, when you turn around to leave you’ll remember.

CANCER (June 21 - July 22): It is a

beautiful, humbling sacrifice to subvert your will for another. However, to give up your cheddar and sour cream potato chips to a seagull really just makes you look like a sucker.

LEO (July 23 - August 22): Enjoy that moment of serenity you feel after finally convincing yourself that the movement you saw out of the corner of your eye wasn’t a huge spider, because, well, it actually is a spider.

VIRGO (August 23 - September 22):

There is a vast expanse of human history to draw from; millennia of life and centuries of varied cultures across time and space. And here you are—still making Nickelback jokes.

Everyone can tell when you’re walking into the room while imagining a choir singing a song in lilted voices to mark your entrance.

I do have to say though, the Latin is a little much.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 December 21): Before you do it again: If a recipe calls for toe of frog and owlet’s wing, it’s likely you’re reading from the wrong book and are going to ruin the potluck.

CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 19): There are ten thousand trillion ants on Earth. Wow, what a number! They must be doing something right. Ten thousand trillion. And you’re looking to the stars for guidance?

AQUARIUS (January 20 - February 18): You’re not an Aquarius, huh? You’re reading to see what’s going on with an Aquarian you know. Well, they can’t tell time on an analog clock and they’re scared you’ll find out.

PISCES (February 19 - March 20): It’s time to look up from your phone and back to your computer and the website version of the app you just were looking at.

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

MUSIC CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25 King. Fri: ‘After Hours’ w/ DJs Adam Salter, Ayla Simone. Sat: ‘Strictly Business’ w/ DJs Kanye Asada, Gabe Vega.

Tue: ‘Trapped’ w/ DJ Ramsey.

OMNIA Nightclub, 454 Sixth Ave., Downtown. Sat: Playboi Carti.

Panama 66, 1450 El Prado, Balboa Park.

Wed: Gilbert Castellanos. Thu: Robert Dove. Sat: Stephen El Rey, Crew D’etat Brass Band. Sun: Uptown Rhythm Makers.

Parq, 615 Broadway, Downtown. Fri: Sour Milk. Sat: Dada Life.

Proud Mary’s, 5550 Kearny Mesa Road, Kearny Mesa. Wed: Tracy Nelson. Thu: Tomcat Courtney. Fri: Blue Largo. Sat: Fuzzy Rankin.

The Rail, 3796 Fifth Ave., Hillcrest. Fri: ‘Hip Hop Fridayz’. Sat: ‘Sabado en Fuego’. Mon: ‘Manic Monday’ w/ DJ Junior the Disco Punk.

Rich’s, 1051 University Ave., Hillcrest.

Wed: DJs John Joseph, Kinky Loops.

Thu: ‘LEZ’ w/ DJ Kiki. Fri: ‘Electro-POP’.

Riviera Supper Club, 7777 University Ave., La Mesa. Wed: ‘Boss Jazz’ w/ Jason Hanna. Thu: Swing Thing. Fri: Tori Roze and the Hot Mess. Sat: League of Liars.

Rosie O’Gradys, 3402 Adams Ave., Normal Heights. Fri: The Naked. Sat: Chloe Lou and the Liddells. Mon: Monday night jazz jam.

Soda Bar, 3615 El Cajon Blvd., City

26 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · JUNE 6, 2018

Heights. Wed: Speedy Ortiz, Anna Burch, Winter. Thu: Sick Of It All, Murphy’s Law, Authentic Sellout. Fri: Griffin House. Sat: The Hillbilly Moon Explosion, Hard Fall Hearts, Johnny Deadly Trio. Sun: Jeremy Enigk, Chris Staples.

Mon: ABC Love. Tue: Reuben And The Dark, Lindsay Perry.

SOMA, 3350 Sports Arena Blvd., Midway. Fri: Cozz. Sat: Shawshank Redeemed, Seconds Ago, ASCENSIONS, Cries of the Captive, Raw Dawg, Beekeeper, The Model Youth, City of Crooks.

SPACE, 3519 El Cajon Blvd., City Heights. Wed: ‘Astro Jump’ w/ Angels Dust, Sharone & The Wind, Braggers, O.T.S. Fri: Seiho, Tygapaw, Baojiaxiang, Ingemar&Snapghost, SPC. Sat: Diamond D. Tue: Karaoke.

Spin, 2028 Hancock St., Middletown.

Fri: ‘Blazing Beats’. Sat: ‘A Cosmic Funk Odyssey’. Sun: ‘less.Is.More.’

Sycamore Den, 3391 Adams Ave., Normal Heights. Thu: ‘Hopscotch’ w/ DJs Fishfonics, Who. Sun: Kalashnikov My Wife, Matt Sheridan.

Til-Two Club, 4746 El Cajon Blvd., City Heights. Thu: Making Incredible Time, Gaza Strip, Sex Headaches, Cult Tourist.

Fri: Karaoke. Sat: Squarecrow, Allweather, Dodges. Sun: Pants Karaoke.

Tin Roof, 401 G St., Downtown. Wed: Evan Diamond Goldberg. Fri: Coriander,

Kenny and Deez. Sat: Coriander, Acreation Duo. Sun: Chad and Rosie. Mon: Lauren Leigh, Lucky Devils Band. Tue: Keep Your Soul.

Tio Leo’s, 5302 Napa St., Bay Park.

Thu: Tommy Price and the Stilettos. Fri: The Siers Brothers. Sat: Detroit Underground. Tue: Big Time Operator.

Tower Bar, 4757 University Ave., City Heights. Wed: Dirty South Revolutionaries, Off the Wall, Vietnam Hardcore, Neurotic Mirage. Fri: Odd Robot, Wicked Bears, Fishing for Chips.

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

Wed: ‘Hump Wednesday’. Thu: ‘Boom Boxx Thursday’. Fri: DJ Freeman. Sat: DJ Bacon. Sun: Fluid Foundation. Mon: ’31 Flavors’.

Whistle Stop, 2236 Fern St., South Park. Wed: Lie, Egrets on Ergot. Fri: Second Still, The Victoriana, Luckystar.

Sat: ‘Booty Bassment’ w/ DJs Dimitri, Rob. Sun: Dark/Light, Slaughter Boys, Therapy, Karbonite. Tue: Shy Boys, Heavy Hawaii.

Winstons, 1921 Bacon St., Ocean Beach. Wed: For Peace Band, DJ Carlos Culture. Thu: ‘OB Hip-Hop Social’ w/ Parker Meridien, Kaus and Emphasize, Kahlee, Stone, Nubian Stylez. Fri: Red Not Chili Peppers, Bad Vibes. Sat: Cityside, DJ Carlos Culture. Sun: Karaoke.

Mon: Electric Waste Band. Tue: Reina Del Cid, OldSport.

@SDCITYBEAT

IN THE BACK

CannaBeat Feds target illegal cannabis’ toxic pesticides

A

new report identifies the rising prevalence of a highly toxic pesticide in illegal grow operations throughout California. In a May 29 announcement from The Associated Press, U.S. Attorney McGregor Scott and California officials said that they plan to use $2.5 million in federal funding to target illegal cannabis growing operations.

Even though California and federal laws don’t sync when it comes to cannabis, California’s U.S. Attorney said he will focus only on illegal grow operations.

“The reality of the situation is there is so much black market marijuana in California that we could use all of our resources going after just the black market and never get there,” Scott said. “So for right now, our priorities are to focus on what have been historically our federal law enforcement priorities: interstate trafficking, organized crime and the federal public lands.”

President Donald Trump appointed Scott as U.S. Attorney for the United States

District Court for the Eastern District of California on December 29, 2017. Scott is expected to play an important role in the enforcement of California’s recreational cannabis market.

Many have speculated that most of California’s illegal cannabis ends up en route to states in the Midwest or the East Coast.

One highly toxic pesticide was mentioned by name: carbofuran. A quarter teaspoon of carbofuran can kill a 300-pound bear, yet it is common in street cannabis because of its potency and low price. Researcher Mourad Gabriel said that he and his fellow researchers found carbofuran in 72 percent of the grow sites they examined last year, up 15 percent from 2012. Carbofuran is reportedly smuggled into the United States from Mexico, as it is a banned substance. Experts estimate that about 60 percent of California’s water supply flows directly through national forests, and the study indicated that 40 percent of the water samples they examined that are downstream from illegal grows are contaminated.

—Benjamin M. Adams

Cannabis banking bill clears state senate

A

state-backed bank could soon cater to cannabis businesses in California. On May 30, State Sen. Bob Hertzberg announced the “California Cannabis Banking Bill” on the Senate floor that would establish a limited purpose state charter bank for use by licensed cannabis businesses in California.

Senate Bill 930 would allow banks to issue checks to accountholders to be used for the following purposes: pay state and local taxes and fees, pay vendors from California for goods and services provided to the cannabis business, pay rent, and purchase state and local bonds and other debt instruments, according to Hertzberg’s press release.

“The status quo for our growing legal cannabis industry is unsustainable,” Hertzberg stated. “It’s not only impractical from an accounting perspective, but it also presents a tremendous public safety problem.

This bill takes a limited approach to provide all parties with a safe and reliable way to move forward on this urgent issue.”

With the world’s largest recreational market, few other states, if any, need a cannabis bank more than California. The bill would allow charter banks and credit unions to avoid regulation by the California Department of Business Oversight to

provide limited banking services to cannabis businesses.

The cannabis industry’s cash conundrum forces cannabis businesses to pay everything in cash. The bill would essentially provide banking services to fill in the gap until the federal government changes its stance on cannabis.

The bill cleared the Senate with a 29-6 vote, and it now heads to the Assembly where the next step will be committee referral.

—Benjamin M. Adams

For the latest cannabis news and lifestyle trends, please pick up our sister magazine CULTURE every month or visit culturemagazine.com.

JUNE 6, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 27