San Diego CityBeat • June 11, 2014

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June 11, 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 3

Peters and DeMaio on guns There was another incident this week involving a must act now to forge a consensus to improve gunman entering a public place and opening fire. enforcement for background checks and to keep This time, besides the shooter, there was one fatalweapons out of the hands of those with serious ity, a boy, an Oregon high-school student attending mental health issues and criminal history.” classes on the second to last day of the term. Is this In January 2013, Peters stated that he “supstill OK? Just checking. ports a comprehensive plan, such as the one pro“This is a very tragic day, one that I had hoped posed by President Obama.” That includes “betwould never ever be part of my experience,” said ter enforcement of existing gun laws and backLinda Florence, superintendent of the Reynolds ground checks on all gun purchases”; “reasonable School District. restrictions on the types of guns and ammunition, See what she said there? She’d hoped she’d never originally intended for our military, available have to experience a person coming into one of her to civilians”; “more attention to mental health schools with guns blazing. That means she knew it awareness and treatment”; and “giving local law was possible. These days, educators, parents and, enforcement the tools they need to reduce gun most importantly, children worry that one day, violence.” Peters recently voted in favor of more some maniac will come to their school David Rolland funding for background checks, but he and kill people. It’s now part of life. wasn’t a co-sponsor of the 2013 bill to According to the group Everytown ban assault weapons. for Gun Safety, since the December 2012 We endorsed Peters before the June massacre of 20 first-graders in Newtown, 3 primary election, and we’ll do so again Connecticut, there have been at least 74 before the general election in Novemshootings at schools in the United States. ber. CityBeat should be testing all canThat includes assaults, homicides, suididates, for any office, on the gun issue. cides and accidental shootings. So, of Amid our utter distaste for DeMaio, we course, Supt. Florence was scared. haven’t done so with Peters. However, Polls show that the public generally we’re heartened by the fact that the Brawants stricter gun laws—some show a Scott Peters dy Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, majority favoring stricter laws while perhaps the country’s preeminent advoDavid Rolland some have that figure just under 50 percate for gun-control, has endorsed Pecent, but all polls have far fewer people ters over DeMaio. favoring the status quo. The public overIf you give a shit about mass shootwhelmingly wants universal background ings—yes, we understand that Tueschecks on all gun buyers. day’s shooting wasn’t a mass shooting Despite that, nothing gets done— and that the shooter may have used a at least in Congress; some states have standard rifle—you should force both strengthened gun regulations. That’s candidates to elaborate fully on their because too many lawmakers, mostly positions. They should say whether or Republicans, are lapdogs of the powerful not they support background checks on gun lobby. It feels like a lost cause. Many all gun sales. They should say whether of us thought Newtown would finally Carl DeMaio or not they’d vote for a ban on assault be the catalyst for change. Nope. Does a weapons. They should say whether or high-profile shooting have to happen every day for not they’d ban sales of high-capacity magazines. change to happen? Twice a day? Must lawmakers’ If they try to sidestep the gun issue by saying family members be murdered before they can musmore should be done about mental health, they ter the bravery to vote for stricter laws? should be pressed: What specifically should be In November, voters in the 52nd Congressional done about it, and how will what they propose help District will have a chance to say something about prevent mass shootings? They should be pressed to gun laws when they choose between incumbent connect the dots in a meaningful way. You should Scott Peters and challenger Carl DeMaio. understand fully what they would do and what they wouldn’t do before you cast your vote.

Here’s what DeMaio’s campaign website says about guns: “Carl DeMaio supports the Second What do you think? Write to editor@sdcitybeat.com.

Amendment. The President and the Congress This issue of CityBeat is still waiting for its dad to return from buying cigarettes.

Volume 12 • Issue 44

Cover design by Lindsey Voltoline

Arts Editor Kinsee Morlan

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4 · San Diego CityBeat · June 11, 2014

June 11, 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 5

6 · San Diego CityBeat · June 11, 2014

Kelly DAvis

Taxpayer advocate Sean Karafin at last week’s press conference

Wage war Will minimum pay be San Diego’s next divisive battle?

by Kelly Davis On Tuesday, the California Restaurant Association rolled out the highlights of a study concluding that if San Diego were to raise the minimum wage to $13.09 an hour, “the results would be devastating”—5,500 fewer jobs and a $65-million hit to taxpayers.

A study released a few days earlier by the San Diego County Taxpayers Association (SDCTA) and San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce was far less reactionary. “Cautionary” is how SDCTA interim President and CEO Sean Karafin described his organization’s take on a proposed citywide minimum-wage hike being considered by the San Diego City Council.

At a press conference, Karafin said that a minimum-wage increase is a “blunt and inefficient” tool to solve poverty. City Councilmember Scott Sherman pointed to what he called the “adverse consequences of good intentions”—that employers who have to pay more in wages will be forced to lay off workers.

“There’s a conservative side to economics and a liberal side to economics,” says Alan Gin, professor of economics at the University of San Diego.

Nowhere is this more evident than in debates surrounding the minimum wage, where ideologydriven think tanks fund research that debunks whatever’s being produced by the other side.

Gin spoke in favor of a wage increase at a Friday press conference

organized by the left-wing Center on Policy Initiatives. He argued that a drop in consumer spending is dragging down the economy and has “set off a vicious cycle.”

“Consumers are spending less,” he said, “and as a result, businesses are seeing less in sales, and as businesses see less in sales, they’re not hiring as quickly.”

Raising the minimum wage could help solve this, Gin said: If people have more money in their paychecks, especially folks on the lower end if the income scale, they’ll spend more.

“Workers will be helped by a increase in the minimum wage, businesses will be helped by an increase in the minimum wage and taxpayers will be helped by an increase in the minimum wage,” he said.

Heading into a Wednesday, June 11, meeting of the City Council’s Rules and Economic Development Committee, the proposal was to raise San Diego’s minimum wage to $11.09 on July 1, 2015; to $12.09 the following year; and to $13.09 on July 1, 2017. At that point, any annual increases would be indexed for inflation.

The City Council will need to decide which route to take for a wage increase: It can vote to put it on the November ballot, or the council itself can vote on an ordinance, like the Seattle City Council did two weeks ago, raising the minimum wage there to $15 an hour with a phase-in of three to seven years, depending on the size of the business and whether it offers healthcare coverage.

Hanging over the City Council’s decision are two recent victories for the Chamber of Commerce: a June 3 ballot measure that overturned a council-approved update to the Barrio Logan Community Plan and a threatened referendum

that, in March, forced the council to rescind a developer fee that helps fund affordable housing.

A ballot measure would be more difficult to undo, says Michael Giorgino, a spokesperson for the City Attorney’s office. City Council-approved measures can be overturned by referendum or by a vote of the council while “legislation approved by a public vote can’t be changed absent a future public vote,” Giorgino says via email.

And there’s also a contentious City Council race on the November ballot. Republican Chris Cate opposes a minimum-wage increase while his opponent, Carol Kim, a Democrat, supports it. The outcome of that race will determine whether council Democrats maintain their veto-proof six-person majority.

Mark Cafferty, president and CEO of the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation, fears the proposed increase will turn into another polarizing political fight.

“I’m disappointed that this is starting to look like a third battle between the council and the business community,” Cafferty says.

“This is something that, from the get-go, we all should have been getting around the table to talk

compromise on.

“Seattle’s mayor got everybody into a room, and they came out after a month or two of kind of wrangling over it with what they agreed on,” he adds, “and I just think that there has to be some moments in San Diego where we start to do the same thing.”

City Council President Todd Gloria says he prefers the “public imprint” of a ballot measure. Gloria, who served as interim mayor after Bob Filner’s resignation in August, proposed a citywide minimum-wage increase in his State of the City address in January. The $13.09 figure comes from a Center on Policy Initiatives study showing that a single adult living in San Diego would need to make that much—assuming a 40-hour work week—to meet basic needs. CPI research and policy analyst Robert Nothoff says a February poll of likely voters found that two-thirds of support increasing the minimum wage, though there was no number attached to the question.

Nothoff points to San Jose as an example of a city where a minimum-wage increase didn’t lead to the job losses that opponents predicted—among them the California Restaurant Association, which, as it did for San Diego, commissioned

a study. Unemployment is down in San Jose, Nothoff notes, and in the year after the increase took effect, 9,000 new businesses started.

Gloria says he’s open to compromise—on the amount, to whom it applies and how it’s phased in— especially given the chamber’s recent victories. But opponents need to be willing to compromise, too, he says. Failing to do so could compel a 2016 ballot measure to raise the minimum wage, when voter turnout in San Diego is more likely to lean progressive.

“I think we can provide some certainty today on what a deal can be,” Gloria says. “We’re working hard to try to balance the needs and interests of both sides. That isn’t necessarily achieved in a citizens’ initiative.

“My plea to the business community has been, ‘Sit down with me now. Let’s engage on this now.

Let’s come up with something you can live with.’”

Karafin, the Taxpayers Association CEO, agrees.

“Sitting down to compromise at this point would be a good thing,” he says.

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

June 11, 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 7

edwin

sordid tales

decker There’s no such thing as a bad synonym for ‘vagina’ In her Huffington Post column, “The 13 Worst baby, I want to perform intercourse with your vaSynonyms for ‘Vagina,’” Nina Bahadur poses two gina”? Just as a woman would never say to her gyquestions: Why are they so gross or in other ways necologist, “Hey, doc, will you examine my box—it’s unacceptable? And why do we even need synbeen acting funny lately.” Nor would a parent ever onyms for vagina when the word vagina works say to a daughter during potty training, “Honey, perfectly well? don’t forget to wipe your twat.” And think of all the “We’ve rounded up some of the most common prose that would be devastated, like when Leontes euphemisms,” Bahadur explains at the outset, “and laments in Romeo and Juliet that in his friend’s abranked them from least terrible to most.” sence, “his pond fish’d by his next neighbor,” which, The first three on the list of “terrible” synonyms in Bahadur’s world, would have been written as, for vagina are, unsurprisingly, cooter, snatch and “His neighbor went fishing in his wife’s vagina.” pussy, which—in the right context—are perfectly And Nirvana’s “Heart Shaped Box” would have reasonable terms but, OK, I understand why most been called “This Song is About Courtney’s Vawomen dislike them. But what’s wrong with mufgina”; Prince’s “Little Red Corvette” would have fin, which comes in at No. 5? I mean, “muffin” is been yawningly titled “Vagina, That’s All, Just Vaa deliciously delightful term for the warm, baked gina”; and Sheena Easton’s “Sugar Walls” would goods twixt a woman’s thighs. And I was surprised have been written as, “My Embryonic Müllerian to see flower, which was on Bahadur’s list of terriVaginal Duct.” And, well, I just have to say: Women ble euphemisms because, as she snottily explains, can be such pussies about their pussies.

“Your vagina isn’t a flower, it’s a body part.”

You never see or hear a man getting all dick-hurt Well, don’t get your pistil all puckered up about the various euphemisms for penis. You’re about it, lady. It’s a metaphor. How does a writer never gonna see a column by a male about how the not know that some of the best word “prick” is offensive, or that synonyms are also metaphors? “cock” is too nasty and “meat pup“One-armed bandit” is an excelpet” too gross. And while womAnd, well, I just have lent synonym for “slot machine.” en, generally speaking, loathe the to say: Women can be “Snail mail” is great for “Postal word “melons” when referring to Service.” Children are “rugrats,” their bazongas, you’re never gosuch pussies about ing to hear a man cry out, “My and cigarettes are “coffin nails,” their pussies. testicles are not bouncy rubber and what could be a sweeter, toys!” when somebody refers to more lovely metaphor for vagithem as “balls.” na—what it is, what it looks like At the end of her piece, Bahadur sums it up by sayand what it represents in nature—than a frickin’ ing we all should just “stick to the classic, ‘vagina.’” flower? The thing has ovaries for crying out loud.

Two things about this laughable statement: And ovum. And a, um, “receptacle.” And petals!

First, it should be noted that the word “vagina” Same thing with beaver, which the author is no better—in fact it might be worse—than the complains is “an animal… not a part of a woman’s other vaj-type words. Because “vagina” is from the anatomy.”

Latin vāgīna, which means, literally, “sheath” or Well, no duh, Vadonna! When it comes to cun“scabbard,” suggesting that its entire purpose is to nilinguistics, I’m not crazy about “beaver,” either, holster a phallus, diminishing all of its important but not because it’s an animal; it’s because it’s the other functions that have nothing to do with serwrong animal. Clearly a better choice as the go-to vicing men or stowing their equipment. rodentia euphemism would have been “muskrat.”

Secondly, wow: You’ve got stones lady. How Also on her list of terrible synonyms are va-jaycan you call yourself a writer and suggest that we jay, coochie, woo-hoo and ya-hoo, which are, yes, eliminate all but one of the words for one of the silly terms but perfectly acceptable if you’re a bigmost fascinating, mystifying, magical, terrifying, bootied babe on a reality housewife show talking magnetic objects on the planet? Sorry, but nope. I, about how you “kicked that home-wrecking ho for one, don’t want to live in a world where “vagiright in the hoo-ha.” na” is the only word for a vagina. Euphemisms for And therein lies the answer to Bahadur’s utgenitalia, male or female, are bedazzling! Some are terly inane question. Why do we need synonyms funny, some are silly, some are graphic, some are for vagina? Well, aside from variety, which should outrageous, some are uncannily accurate, some are be obvious to everyone, there are often substanperplexing, some are risqué and some are outright tive differences in the tone and potential context taboo. But all of them are necessary. It’s necessary of words and their sister-synonyms. Not every synfor humans to have the widest possible range of onym is right for every situation. As Mark Twain language to express themselves—in all our differonce noted, “The difference between the right ent ways, in all our different sensibilities, in all our word and the almost-right word is the difference different contexts. between lightning and a lightning bug.”

For instance, if a man and woman are having a Write to edwin@sdcitybeat.com passionate entanglement in the sack, how loud do and editor@sdcitybeat.com. you think her guffaws would be if he blurted, “Oh,

8 · San Diego CityBeat · June 11, 2014

by michael a. gardiner Michael A. Gardiner

that is its problem; it’s easy to understand why this might be off-putting to some.

But consider this: the cheeks of almost any animal are among its most tasty parts.

All the fatty tissues and gelatinous collagen in the head make for a creamy matrix holding together tasty morsels of meat flavored with vinegar, garlic, bay leaf and spices.

And that’s the star of Tip Top’s headcheese sandwich: The flavor profile, somewhere between top-quality Italian bologna and spiceinfused ham, only barely suggests offal. If you didn’t know Tip Top Meats’ headcheese sandwich it was offal, you wouldn’t know it was offal. For many, the problem is that they know (or fear) it is. But the richness of those cheeks and all that collagen—spiked with just enough vinegar to make the flavors pop—make for a luxurious sandwich.

Tip Top’s liverwurst sandwich, featuring an King of the charcuterie inch-tall slab of liverwurst—a sausage made with a high percentage of liver, veal and spices—is German food sports a bad rap. It’s no exaggeraanother good choice. The ratio of liverwurst to tion to say that the term “gourmet German cuirye bread (quite good) may be over-the-top. But, sine” is seen as an oxymoron. This is partly betruth be told, all of Tip Top’s portions are enorcause much traditional German food is heavy, mous. Every sandwich in the place has, and I perhaps well-adapted to soaking up the country’s couldn’t possibly make this up, three halves. justly famous beer. It’s drinking food, if not preTip Top does creditable versions of German cisely drunken food. classics such as sauerbraten, rouladen and schnitBut one area where German cuisine excels is zel. But if it’s not going to be a headcheese sandits charcuterie, the craft of prepared meat prodwich for me, it’s definitely got to be the Oktoberucts like sausage, terrines and bacon. Charcutefest Platter, featuring three sausages—bratwurst, rie’s origins lie in preservation of meats during polish and knackwurst—served with German a time prior to modern refrigeration. Germany’s potato salad, sauerkraut and red cabbage. While sausages and terrines are particularly excellent. the sauerkraut is unspectacular and the cabbage And that’s what led me to Carlsbad’s Tip Top overly sweet, the potato salad is superb, with Meats (6118 Paseo Del Norte, tiptopmeats.com) perfectly cooked chunks of potato and a spritz of as part of my Best Sandwich on the Planet tour. acidity. The sausages, of course, are excellent.

More specifically, I went there for the presskoA trip to Tip Top Meats won’t make Germany pf—headcheese—sandwich. Contrary to its name, your next destination for culinary tourism (though headcheese is not actually cheese at all. It is, perhaps it should be). But it will give you a chance however, made from the head of a freshly slaughto appreciate German charcuterie, particularly in the form of a superlative headcheese sandwich. tered hog. After being carefully shaved—usually minus the brains, eyes and ears—the whole head Write to michaelg@sdcitybeat.com is stewed, skin and all, and then molded into a and editor@sdcitybeat.com. large, gelatinous, wonderful meatloaf of fun. And

the world

fare

June 11, 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 9

by ian cheesman ian cheesman

beer &

chees Revved-up reviews

Beer is both my truest ally and greatest nemesis. Nothing motivates me to write like beer does, right up until I have one, that is. Though many great writers have churned out their best stuff while half in the bag (see: Ernest Hemingway, Hunter S. Thompson and Miss Manners), beer only renders me lethargic and snuffs my creative flame. It’s a bit of a paradox, but I do my best to adjust. For example, rather than trying to capture coherent thoughts while quaffing, I jot down impressions that I trust will make sense later. They often don’t. I really should know better than to trust myself.

When life makes you a sloppy journalist, all you can do is make sloppy-journalist-ade out of it. Here’s my lightning review of the overwhelming number of new beers I’ve taken half-assed notes on recently: Helm’s Goosefoot Ginger (8-percent ABV) is golden raisins, booze and ginger up front, but the belch is all Belgian funk. I’m not a member of the tangy-beer-loving demographic, but I can see its appeal.

Karl Strauss’ Mosaic Session Ale (5.5percent ABV) has an aroma that heavily favors grapefruit, which is not to say it’s heavy. It neither over- nor underwhelms. It simply whelms. The flavor, however, has a depth of hop character that opens with herbal and citrus notes and evolves into mango-like flavors. It finishes light with a faint blend of those hop notes, assuring its success in the sessioning department.

The AleSmith / Cigar City Ramblin’ Rye (8.5-percent ABV) has aromas of wood, rye bread and coffee. The same emerge in the flavor, with a touch of peppery bread pudding ( just like Mom used to make!). It was tasty, but not as wildly flavorful as I would hope a collaboration between two brewing titans would produce.

Mother Earth Brewing Company’s Big Mother Triple IPA (10.5-percent ABV) is aptly

10 · San Diego CityBeat · June 11, 2014

named. It’s a vibrant Froot Loops orange, which is appropriate, since those same lip-smackingly sweet marmalade and tropical-fruit flavors charge out of it. It’s well hopped, but those characteristics arise more in citrus-pith aroma and sticky-pine notes in the finish. It’s a little sweet overall, but a fitting tribute to three years of quality MEBC brews.

St. Oskar’s Indica Black Lager (7.45percent ABV), a “joint” effort (LOL!!!) by Oskar Blues and Saint Archer, smells of wet grain and floral notes so dank they’re almost skunky. It’s light- to medium-bodied with prominent vegetal and floral notes and some toasty, charcoal undertones. It lands much like a black IPA but without as much presence. Despite being wellexecuted, it left me wanting that black IPA heft.

Coronado Brewing Sock Knocker (8.5percent ABV) is a hop gauntlet. It has a floral, almost perfume-y nose and the potent flavors of citrus rind, white pepper, pine, oranges and mint. The pepper and pine drive the finish and nip at your palate a bit. In a city overflowing with monstrous IPAs, this one manages to be distinct and memorable.

Gordon Biersch Dunkels (5.4-percent ABV) has vague aromas of bread crust, plum and cocoa and mild flavors of the same to match. True to style, it’s crisp and highly drinkable, if not terribly memorable.

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

June 11, 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 11

by Mina Riazi mina riazi

The scallion pancakes, or cong you bing, are alone worth a visit.

Crisp and flaky, the pan-fried flatbread balances a crunchy exterior with a doughy, chewy interior.

Plus, the lightly golden treat is cut into easy-to-eat, two-bite triangles that ooze just enough oil. Let the scallion pancake follow in the footsteps of Indian naan by using it to scoop up curry and rice.

In fact, the chicken curry and scallion pancake make a fine pair— swirl a hunk of the flatbread through the flavorful sauce for a winning combo. Though not the most visually stunning dish, the chicken curry at Yu’s Garden is solid. Chunks of bell pepper and onion bring texture Yu’s Garden’s kung pao beef and scallion pancakes to the fragrant curry. Disappointingly, the lumps of chicken are often gummy and gelatinous, but they don’t make the curry any less of a belly-warming comfort.

If you’re not in the mood for glitches, though, go for the kung pao beef, which is easily the strongest dish we ordered. Tender, buttery beef pieces combine with crunchy peanuts for a satisTradition over trends fying contrast of textures. More importantly, it’s not tongue-scorchingly spicy, so you can savor I appreciate when restaurants resist the seducthe more gently flavored dishes that follow. tive pull of trends, refusing to “bacon-ize” the enThe cabbage and pork dumplings are so mildtire menu or pelt unsuspecting burgers with fried ly flavored that they almost don’t taste like anyeggs. At the same time, I understand the appeal thing. I had high hopes for the chubby morsels, of the urbane establishments that do embrace but found them bland and forgettable. The waculinary fads. Roasted Brussels sprouts served in tery filling tasted flat, and the dough could barely crafty paper cones, Mason-jar desserts and herbkeep it together, breaking apart before it reached dusted popcorn elicit chime-like aahs and make my mouth. Other slipups include the tired, slow for stellar Instagram photos. But sometimes you service that proves especially painful if you arrive want none of that. Sometimes, you just want hungry. After seating ourselves, we waited a few steamed rice in a well-worn red pot. minutes before the servers acknowledged us.

That’s where Yu’s Garden comes in. NeighStill, I admire Yu’s Garden for understanding bored by crowd-drawing Crab Hut and Tofu its identity and sticking with it. Too many restauHouse, the Taiwanese eatery (4646 Convoy St. in rants try blending tradition with trend in a panKearny Mesa) is unimpressive on the outside: Its icked attempt to appear relevant. I have a feeling stained, pale-yellow façade doesn’t demand attenYu’s Garden will never tread down that treachertion. Though an improvement, the interior feels ous path. The Taiwanese joint’s sturdy, time-testlike a high-school cafeteria, with its expressionless ed fare might not be as Instagram-worthy as duckwhite walls and personality-starved setup. Décorconfit poutine or pulled-pork sliders, but it’s just as delicious. And, it’s in it for the long haul. wise, it’s got nothing on all the new, fashionable restaurants trying to look like Anthropologie stores.

Write to minar@sdcitybeat.com But I respect that. It means that, ultimately, you’ll and editor@sdcitybeat.com. be drawn in by the grub and not by the ambience.

One Lucky

Spoon

12 · San Diego CityBeat · June 11, 2014

by Nina Sachdev Hoffmann

urban

scout Where can I find…

An eco-friendly way to get clean While the plastics industry has taken steps to reduce the amount of material it uses for consumer products, it’s cold comfort when you consider how much we rely on plastic in our daily lives. The EPA says that in 2012 alone, we generated 32 million tons of plastic waste; just 9 percent of that was able to be recovered for recycling. The rest of it is hogging up space in landfills, floating in our oceans and creating pollution in every state of its existence.

When plastics break down, they leach toxic chemicals that are eventually consumed by the animals that many of us later eat. I think you know where I’m going with this.

We’ll never fully rid our lives of plastic.

With such intense national focus recently on saving the environment (or at least preserving what we still have), it’s good to know we have people like Deidre Prozinski helping to educate us here at home on how to live more simply and in ways that don’t harm the planet.

Owner of Blue Dot Refill (4799 1/2 Voltaire St. in Ocean Beach, bluedotrefill.com)—a small, no-frills refill shop for all your laundry, bathing and general cleaning needs—has made it her mission to reduce plastics pollution, one bottle at a time. My only question is: What took so long?

“I feel like there wasn’t enough traction for a refill store even just a couple years ago,” the former corporate lawyer says. “Now, everyone who comes in here is like, ‘Finally!’”

Formerly a cell-phone store, Blue Dot Refill is generating a ton of foot traffic at its prime location right next to People’s Organic Food Market.

Prozinski, who used her savings and credit cards to get up and running, is already breaking even— after just four months of being open. It’s almost silly how simple yet novel the concept is: Bring your empty bottle. Fill it with whatever cleaning or hygiene product you need. When you’re done, come back with the same bottle. She’ll rinse it. You’ll reuse it. It’s the kind of recycling that leaves no footprint. And Prozinski thinks it’s just a matter of time before the “refill revolution” really catches on.

“The single use of something is simply not sustainable,” she says. Plus, “plastic is expensive!

Wouldn’t you rather pay for the product and not the packaging?”

And you won’t find a better price, anywhere, for what Blue Dot sells. ShiKai, EO, Biokleen— you can get these all-natural, environmentally friendly products and more for anywhere from 10 to 50 percent off retail. (“And If you don’t see what you want here, I will get it for you—the selection is fluid,” Prozinski says.) It’s an obvious win for those who shop at Whole Foods and Sprouts, where the markup on these same brands

Sagi Kfir

Deidre Prozinski keeps track of how many plastic bottles Blue Dot keeps out of landfills. is painful. But it should also be a plus for the frugal. Stores like Target sell the cheap stuff—but not the nontoxic, eco-friendly stuff. At Blue Dot, you can spend less, get more and have better. Oh, the beauty of buying in bulk. If sales continue, as Prozinski predicts, she promises to expand as soon as possible.

For now, she’ll continue to keep a tally of every plastic bottle saved. On the day of my visit, that number had reached 500. It’s a number she’s proud of, considering she’s only been open since March, but she recognizes it’s hardly enough to make a dent.

“Sometimes I feel overwhelmed, but I feel like I need to do something. It’s not going to be a very long time until the health of the ocean reaches a tipping point. We’re using our planet as a garbage disposal.”

She could go on, but she’s careful about not letting her passion sound preachy to those who really just want to refill their bottles and leave. Not everyone wants to engage in the politics of pollution. And that’s fine with Prozinski; all she wants is for us to stop throwing our bottles away.

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

June 11, 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 13

the

SHORTlist

1

COORDINATED BY KINSEE MORLAN MIA FIORELLA

THE BARD IN THE BARRIO

Herbert Siguenza, a founding member of the Latino performance troupe Culture Clash, has been involved in theater for 30 years and has never done Shakespeare.

“I’m not a Shakespeare guy,” he says flatly. “I think a lot of people like me go to Shakespeare and find it very difficult to relate to the language and understand the language fully. So, I wanted to write a Shakespeare that’s for the 21st century.”

And he did. Siguenza wrote El Henry, an updated version of Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Part 1, and convinced La Jolla Playhouse and San Diego Repertory Theatre to join forces to produce it. But it won’t be staged in La Jolla or at the Rep’s Lyceum Theatre.

It’ll be outdoors at SILO at Makers Quarter in East Village—from Saturday, June 14, through June 29.

The location is ideal because of its proximity to San Diego’s barrio, where the action takes place in the year 2045. Shakespeare’s Henry is El Hank, a gang kingpin who’s being challenged for control of the barrio by smaller gangs. He wants his son, El Henry, to lead the fight, but he’s too busy partying with the lazy Fausto (Shakespeare’s comic character Falstaff, played here by Siguenza).

It’s “basically, a sci-fi, Chicano Mad Max,” Siguenza says with a laugh. “But the Henry IV story’s intact—it’s basically about a father and son trying to squash a rebellion that’s threatening their kingdom. So, the concepts of loyalty, family, honor—these things are themes that were in the original play, and I think these are themes that are still relevant today.

These are the same ideals that gangs live by.

“It’s a coming-of-age story, really,” he adds. “It’s about somebody leaving la vida loca to become something bigger, or more responsible.”

The location allows Siguenza and director Sam Woodhouse to stage epic battle scenes and bring lowrider cars and motorcycles in and out of the action.

What’s more, Chicano theater legend Luis Val-

2

ART

OYSTER’S DAY IN THE SUN

Oyster ice cream is a thing. It was so beloved by Mark Twain that he mentioned it in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. There’s a lot more to the ugly little mollusk than meets the eye, and you can find out all about ’em at San Diego Oysterfest, from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 14, at Embarcadero Marina Park North (849 W. Harbor Drive, Downtown). The event will feature live music by Brooklyn indie-popsters Matt and Kim; He’s My Brother, She’s My Sister; and others, but it’s centered on the oyster and includes cooking demos, a “Shuck and Suck” competition and the Oyster Expo history exhibit, which will surely touch on how the oyster came to be considered such an excellent aphrodisiac. $27.50 (doesn’t include food or drink). oysterfestsd.com

14 · San Diego CityBeat · June 11, 2014

Best of ICAM 2014 at Visual Arts Mandeville Center Annex Gallery, UCSD, La Jolla. 2014 graduates of the Interdisciplinary Computing in the Arts Major exhibit their work. Opening from 5:30 to 8 p.m.

Thursday, June 12. visarts.ucsd.edu HWhysidro at The Front, 147 W. San Ysidro Blvd., San Ysidro. Jamex and Einar De la Torre will transform the gallery into a holographic dreamland inspired by their connection with the U.S./Mexico border.

Opening from 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday, June 12. casafamiliar.org Fit to be Tide at Disclosed unLocation, 1925 30th Ave., San Diego, South Park.

New work from San Diego artist Georgia K. Laris, who specializes in a surrealist combination of painting and 3D collage. Opening from 4 to 9 p.m. Friday, June 13. 619-9335480, facebook.com/unlocation Coastal Color at Herb Turner Galleries at Southfair, 2010 Jimmy Durante Blvd., Del Mar. First in a series of collaborative juried exhibitions showcasing works by members of Oceanside Museum of Art Artist Alliance and Carlsbad Oceanside Art League.

Opening from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, June 13.

760-435-3720, oma-online.org HCruzando Fronteras/Crossing Borders at IMAC, 1 Main Street 22000, Tijuana.

Nearly 30 emerging artists from the Tijuana and San Diego and 11 countries will debut works that attempt to create a dialogue on the issue of borders through geographical, political and metaphorical perspectives.

Opening from 7 to 10 p.m. Friday, June 13. emergentartspace.org/exhibitions

Brothers Kinan (left) and Lakin Valdez in El Henry dez’s sons, Lakin and Kinan, star as El Henry and his nemesis, El Bravo, respectively.

“The two brothers have a final showdown at the end of the play,” Siguenza says, “which is really, really exciting.” lajollaplayhouse.org/el-henry

3

GETTING WIRED

For those active in the San Diego arts scene, Spenser Little’s no secret. Hell, CityBeat’s written about him multiple times. His wire sculptures, the creation of which he refers to as “man knitting,” are a hit. His latest show, That Mean I Won’t, features new pieces, including serious wire portraits and depictions of ayahuasca spirit deities. Also, he’s offering some works that step outside his signature wire medium, such as an interactive hugging machine and spinning lamps that cast shadows of the word “fuck.” The show opens on Saturday, June 14, and runs through July 16, at Thumbprint Gallery in La Jolla (920 Kline St.) The opening reception goes from 5 to 10 p.m. thumb printgallerysd.com PICTURE PAUL

HLast Evenings on Earth at the Row Collective, Flower Hill Promenade, 2690 Via De La Valle, Ste. D150, Del Mar. New mixed-media works from local and L.A. talents like Katie Herzog, Aitor Lajarin, Max Maslansky, Aaron Morse and Walter Sutin. There will also be a live performance from the band The Cardielles.

Opening from 6 to 11 p.m. Friday, June 13. 619-218-2737, shipinthewoods.com

Common Tread: Traversing the American Landscape at William D. Cannon Art Gallery, 1775 Dove Lane, Carlsbad. Fifteen contemporary artists employ themes of location and memory to produce an experiential evaluation of the American road trip. Artists include Jo Babcock, Robert Olsen, Kevin Stewart-Magee and more.

Opening from 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday, June 14. carlsbadca.gov/arts HDistinction’s 10 Year Anniversary at Distinction Gallery and Artist Studios, 317 E. Grand Ave., Escondido. An anniversary exhibition featuring the artwork of 25 influential artists like Victor Roman, Kelly Vivanco, Pedro Matos and more. Opening from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, June 14.

760-781-5779, distinctionart.com AAHHHRRRTTT!!!: A Star Wars Art Show at Basic, 410 10th Ave., Downtown. See all mediums of art inspired by a galaxy far, far away. There will also be live music from JoeMama and Bruce Illest, plus clothing and jewelry from Medicali and Momotique. Opening from 7 to midnight Tuesday, June 17. 619-531-8869, thumbprintgallerysd.com

BOOKS Jenny Milchman at Mysterious Galaxy Book Store, 7051 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., Clairemont. The mystery author stops by to promote her latest, Ruin Falls. At 7 p.m.

Wednesday, June 11. mystgalaxy.com HDaniel Wilson at Mysterious Galaxy Book Store, 7051 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., Clairemont. Join the best-selling author, TV host and robotics engineer as he discusses and signs Robogenesis, the sequel to Robopocalypse, in which mankind triumphs over machines. At 7 p.m. Friday, June 13. 858-268-4747, mystgalaxy.com

HSecond Nature at Not an Exit Gallery, Bread & Salt, 1955 Julian Ave., Logan Heights. New photos from Alfred Pagano will be displayed for this one-night-only exhibition. The photos are samples from a book Pagano is working on regarding animals and social commentary. Opening from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, June 13.

Jillian Cantor at Mysterious Galaxy Book Store, 7051 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., Clairemont. Cantor sign and discuss her new young adult, reverse dystopian novel, Searching for Sky, about a young girl who lives on an island off the coast of California and has known nothing else. At 2 p.m. Saturday, June 14. mystgalaxy.com

The Art Revolution at Sky City Vapor, 2860 University Ave., North Park. Check out this recurring art show that helps raise money for local youth foster programs. Local artist will be showing painting, apparel, jewelry, photography and more. Opening from 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, June 14. 619295-1531, skycityvapor.com

S. P. Kumar at Warwick’s Bookstore, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. Kumar, a teen author, will discuss The Champions of Zairon: Cave of Mystic Dream, about three friends with magic powers. At noon Sunday, June 15. warwicks.indiebound.com

HThat Mean I Won’t at Thumbprint Gallery, 920 Kline St., #104, La Jolla. A solo show by local artist Spenser Little who specializes in fantastical and intricate wire sculptures that need to be seen to be believed. Opening from 5 to 10 p.m. Saturday, June 14. thumbprintgallerysd.com HJ H J H H Evolution at HB Punto Experimental, 2151 Logan Ave. Section B, Barrio Logan. The new gallery opens with surrealist paintings and photography from Jimmi Toro, Josue Castro and Hugo Heredia Barrera. 21-and-up reception and RSVP is recommended: nealmok@gmail. com. Opening from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, June 14. hbpuntoexperimental.com

Spenser Little

Family Day at Lux at Lux Art Institute, 1550 S. El Camino Real, Encinitas. Enjoy guided tours of Beverly Penn’s new exhibition, live music and art projects for all ages.

From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 14. 760-436-6611, luxartinstitute.org

Ray at Night Art Walk along Ray Street in North Park. Artists show their work in booths and 15 other galleries and business venues at this monthly art walk. Also enjoy live street performances and local food vendors. From 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, June 14. rayatnight.com

Rachel Howzell Hall at Mysterious Galaxy Book Store, 7051 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., Clairemont. Hall will discuss and sign her new novel, Land of Shadows, which introduces readers to L.A. homicide detective Lou Norton. At 2 p.m. Sunday, June 15. 858-268-4747, mystgalaxy.com HEric Prum and Josh Williams at Williams-Sonoma Fashion Valley, 7007 Friars Road, Fashion Valley, San Diego. A cocktail demo, tasting and book signing with the authors of Shake: A New Perspective on Cocktails. At 6 p.m. Monday, June 16.

619-295-0510, williams-sonoma.com HFierce Reads: Young Adult Author Tour at New Central Library, 330 Park Blvd., East Village. Leigh Bardugo, Emmy Laybourne, Ava Dellaira and Jennifer Mathieu discuss their work. From 6 to 8 p.m.

Tuesday, June 17. libraryshopsd.org HKate Payne at Warwick’s Bookstore, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. The DIY guru and author will discuss and sign The Hip Girl’s Guide to the Kitchen, a book of thrifty

COMEDY HIliza Shlesinger at American Comedy Co., 818 B Sixth Ave., Downtown. The only female and youngest comedian to hold the title of NBC’S Last Comic Standing. At 8 p.m. Thursday, June 12, and 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, June 13-14. $22. 619-795-3858, americancomedyco.com HPauly Shore at Comedy Store, 916 Pearl St., La Jolla. If you grew up in the ‘90s, you’ll remember Shore from his starring roles in movies like Encino Man. He’s back to doing stand-up in the club his family helped build. At 8 and 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, June 13-14. $20. 858-4549176, lajolla.thecomedystore.com HDean Delray Presents: Vinyl Confessions at American Comedy Co., 818 B Sixth Ave., Downtown. This Bay-area bred comic is an enigmatic funny man who brings the party to the stage and pulls no punches with his rock ‘n’ roll-infused comedy. At 8 p.m. Sunday, June 15. $16. 619795-3858, americancomedyco.com

DANCE

Blaine Fontana’s “Lost & Found in a Sea of 503 Faces” is on view in a show opening from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, June 14, at Distinction Gallery (317 E. Grand Ave., Escondido). tips on how to creatively run your kitchen.

At 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 17. 858-4540347, warwicks.indiebound.com Jo Walton at Mysterious Galaxy Book Store, 7051 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., Claire-

mont. Walton will sign and discuss My Real Children, an alternate history in which a woman with dementia struggles to remember her two contradictory lives. At 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 17. mystgalaxy.com

HBODYlogue: Taking Space at Coronado High Performing Arts Center, 650 D Ave. Enjoy a performance showcasing the choreography of Blythe Barton Dances. The show will feature new work as well as audience favorites. At 8 p.m.

Friday and Saturday, June 13-14. $15$30. blythebartondance.com

FOOD & DRINK HSan Diego Oysterfest at Embarcadero Marina Park North, 1 Marine Way,, Downtown. A music festival, oyster fes-

tival and beer festival all rolled into one.

Bands include Matt and Kim, BoomBox, Oliver Trolley and more. From 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, June 14. $27.50-$65. oysterfestsd.com Taste of Gaslamp at Gaslamp Quarter, Downtown. Over 30 Gaslamp restaurants offer samples of house specialties.

Guests can also visit the Beer Garden atop the San Diego Marriott Gaslamp Quarter. From 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 14. $30-$40. 619-233-5227, gaslamp.org Toast of the Coast Wine Competition & Festival at Del Mar Fairgrounds. This event inside the Paul Ecke Jr. Garden Show will feature the finest wines from California and Baja California. From noon to 3 p.m. and 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday, June 14. $58. 619-233-5227, sdfair.com Taste of Little Italy Enjoy live music while dining at 30 restaurants in one of San Diego’s most historic communities.

From 5 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, June 18. $29-$45. littleitalysd.com

MUSIC H#HACKINGIMPROV at Space 4 Art, 325 15th St., East Village. Composer and performer Blair Robert Nelson, in collaboration with violinist Kristopher Apple, explores over a century of audio technology through his generative song cycle. At 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 11. $10. 619269-7230, sdspace4art.org Mainly Mozart Festival Orchestra at Balboa Theatre, 868 Fourth Ave., Downtown. This unique All-Star Orchestra is made up of concertmasters and principal players from the nation’s top or-

CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

June 11, 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 15

THEATER Dog and Pony is more than mere puppy love Combine the talents of Rick Elice, who co-wrote total one-act bummer is not only Libby’s bravura the blockbuster Jersey Boys and the much-heralded (and brave) performance; it’s also the smartly Peter and the Starcatcher, and composer / lyricist staged representations (in both props and from a Michael Patrick Walker (Altar Boyz), and you have taut supporting cast featuring Greg Watanabe) of the makings of a hit musical. Well, The Old Globe Molly’s lifelong memories, even as they slip away Theatre has the makings of a hit musical in Elice and from her. Rather than watching Molly’s mind and Walker’s new work, Dog and Pony, now running on life erode pitiably, we see how she did live and what the intimate Sheryl and Harvey White stage. there was to cherish. Of course, that makes the loss JIM COX But it’s really the rom-com of it all the harder to take—for story of screenwriting partners Molly and for the audience.

Mags (Nicole Parker) and Andy Milvotchkee, Visconsin runs (Jon Patrick Walker) that prothrough June 29. $16-$22. pels this consistently hilarious moolelo.net show. With all due respect to Mi—David L. Coddon chael Patrick Walker, his songs Write to davidc@sdcitybeat.com don’t add much to the proceedand editor@sdcitybeat.com. ings. Dog and Pony, directed by Roger Rees and sent soaring by supporting turns by Heidi BlickOPENING enstaff, Beth Leaval and Eric The Dixie Swim Club: A stage readWilliam Morris, would zing even ing of a play about five Southern women who reconnect periodically over without music. Mags’ and Andy’s time, from college through middle airline-seating improvisation, age and beyond, at a beach retreat. It for one, and Mags’ puppy-transhappens twice—on June 17 and June porting car trip, for another, are 20 at The La Jolla Community Center. ljcommunitycenter.org/?p=2334 howling good fun. Parker is the Jon Patrick Walker and real deal, a striking physical coof the Skeletons: An angel Nicole Parker in Dog and Pony Journey brings some friends to Earth to check median who makes the most out of every inch of the little theater in the round. The out a family altar, but not before having to traverse a scary underworld. Presented by Teatro Máscara Mágica, it opens complicated relationship between Mags and Andy is June 11 at La Jolla Playhouse’s Theodore and Adele Shank neither predictable nor coy, and you wish them well Theatre. teatromascaramagica.org even when you suspect all will not be in the end.

Monty Python’s Spamalot: The legend of King Arthur is Dog and Pony runs through June 29 $35 and up. absolutely hilarious in the stage adaptation of the 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail. “Run Away!” Opens June 11 oldglobe.org

•••

at the Moonlight Amphitheatre in Vista. moonlightstage.com

The complexity and sophistication of theater are its divergent shades of light and darkness. The latter is the prevailing atmosphere for Laura Jacqmin’s Milvotchkee, Visconsin at Mo’olelo Performing Arts Company’s 10th Avenue Theatre, Downtown.

The exquisite Linda Libby stars as an outdoor museum docent named Molly “with a hole in her head,” meaning that she’s rapidly descending into dementia. What keeps Milvotchkee from being a chestras and ensembles. At 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, June 11. $24-$85. mainly mozart.org A Lifetime Love Affair with the Violin at Athenaeum Music & Arts Library, 1008 Wall St., La Jolla. Victoria Martino and James Lent celebrate Richard Strauss’s 150th birthday with a rare performance of the composer’s “Violin Concerto in D Minor.” At 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 11. $35. 858-454-5872, ljathenaeum.org Jeff Ballard Trio at Athenaeum Music & Arts Library, 1008 Wall St., La Jolla. The 25th anniversary Jazz at the Athenaeum series continues with a rare West Coast date from this group. At 7 p.m. Thursday, June 12. $26. ljathenaeum.org HStay Strange at Space 4 Art, 325 15th St., East Village. A mixture of innovative, avant-garde and strange music featuring long-form drone music from Circuit Rider UK, synthetic and natural sounds from Steve Flato and local noise-rockers Monochromacy. At 7 p.m. Saturday, June 14. $5 suggested donation. sdspace4art.org Theo & The Zydeco Patrol at War Memorial Building, 3325 Zoo Drive, Balboa Park. The band cooks up a fiery mix of

16 · San Diego CityBeat · June 11, 2014

Sleeping Beauty or the Famous Rose Taboo: A familyfriendly version of the Sleeping Beauty story with a modern twist. Opens June 12 at the Coronado Playhouse. coronado playhouse.com

For full listings,

please visit “T heater ” at sdcit ybeat.com

Cajun and zydeco. Zydeco Dance lessons at 6:20 p.m. From 6:20 to 10:15 p.m. Saturday, June 14. $10. icajunzy deco.com HSchool of Rock: Radiohead Tribute at The Irenic, 3090 Polk Ave., North Park.

Students perform songs by Radiohead. At 7 p.m. Saturday, June 14. $10. 619-6969343, sandiego.schoolofrock.com Mainly Mozart Festival Orchestra at Balboa Theatre, 868 Fourth Ave., Downtown. Featuring internationally acclaimed guest conductors, this unique All-Star Orchestra is made up of concertmasters and principal players from the nation’s top orchestras and ensembles. At 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 14. $24-$85. 619239-0100, mainlymozart.org Bayou Brothers at University Community Library, 4155 Governor Drive, La Jolla.

The local Zydeco band delivers their rousing musical gumbo. At 1 p.m. Saturday, June 14. sandiegolibrary.org The Composer Alive in His Music: Robert Schumann at New Central Library, 330 Park Blvd., East Village. A three-part series highlighting three classical musicians, starting with Schumann.

Includes the story of his life, narrated

by Joanne Regenhardt, and music by Janelle DeStefano (mezzo soprano) and James Frimmer (piano) and guests. At 2:30 p.m. Sunday, June 15. 619-2365800. sandiegolibrary.org Mainly Mozart Chamber Players at Ruby G. Schulman Auditorium, 1775 Dove Lane, Carlsbad. Internationally acclaimed musicians, featuring strings, clarinet and piano, perform Mozart’s “Kegelstatt,” and Schubert’s “Piano Trio No. 1 in B flat.” At 2 p.m. Sunday, June 15. $25. mainlymozart.org Eric Hutchinson & Scars on 45 at Birch Aquarium, 2300 Expedition Way, La Jolla.

Enjoy great food and drinks and amazing sunset views from the aquarium’s Tide Pool Plaza while listening to singer-songwriter Eric Hutchinson and English rock band Scars on 45. From 5:30 to 8 p.m.

Wednesday, June 18. $36. 858-534FISH, aquarium.ucsd.edu Melissa Aldana & Crash Trio at Athenaeum Music & Arts Library, 1008 Wall St., La Jolla. Local debut of this Chileanborn tenor saxophonist with bassist Pablo Menares and Cuban drummer Francisco Mela. At 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 18. $27. 858-454-5872, ljathenaeum.org

PERFORMANCE Hthis at Expressive Arts Institute, 2820 Roosevelt Road, Ste. 204, Point Loma.

The final performance in a series of live shows with choreographer Liam Clancy and others who attempt to examine the paradigm of audience as co-creative. From 6 to 10 p.m. Thursday, June 12. $5. expressiveartsinstitute.org

SPECIAL EVENTS Save the Che Action: Food, Film & Fun at The Che Cafe, UCSD campus, La Jolla. UCSD has defunded the Che, but supporters are keeping hope alive with a day of fun, food and festivities. There will be a vegan-friendly potluck at 3 p.m., a march around campus at 4, and a screening of the short film Herbert’s Hippopotamus: Marcuse and Revolution in Paradise at 6 p.m. From 3 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 11. 858-534-2311

events/1427058527563470 HFather’s Day Open House at MakerPlace, 1022 W. Morena Blvd., Ste. H, Bay Park. Nothing says Father’s Day like power tools and beer. The open house will feature machine demos, free food and beer, something organizers are calling a “Nerdy Derby”and other interactive activities for dads and kids. MakerPlace members will also be showing and selling their products. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Saturday, June 14. makerplace.com HDance and Back Country BBQ at Menghini Winery, 1150 Julian Orchards Drive, Julian. An evening of music, food and revelry, this eighth annual event starts at noon with rock n’ roll and country music, a huge dance floor and plenty of food and drink vendors to keep you dancing. From noon to 10 p.m. Saturday, June 14. $5-

$15. 760-765-2072, juliandance.org

TALKS & DISCUSSIONS The Military in San Diego at San Diego History Center, Balboa Park. Join author and historian Scott McGaugh for an illustrated talk about how the military has transformed San Diego from a fledgling Presidio to a Pacific powerhouse. From 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 12. $8.

619-232-6203, sandiegohistory.org HTEDxSanDiegoSalon: Innovations in Healthcare at University Club Atop Symphony Towers, 750 B St., Suite 3400, Downtown. Experts examine three aspects of today’s healthcare system: the advent of wearable devices, owning your personal

genome and how medical practitioners deal with this rapid influx of information and technology. Ticket price includes brunch.

From 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, June 14. $35. 619-234-5200. tedxsandiego.com HSelf-Obsessed, Difficult and Often Drunk: A Bloomsday Celebration at New Central Library, 330 Park Blvd., East Village. The library participates in the worldwide celebration of James Joyce and his seminal novel Ulysses featuring readings, performances and memories from his circle of contemporaries. At 6:30 p.m. Monday, June 16. 619-236-5800. sandiegolibrary.org HLife in Historic Stingaree at San Diego History Center, Balboa Park. Curator of Chinese American History, Murray Lee, gives a lively and detailed look at the history of the “Stingaree” neighborhood in San

Diego’s Chinatown and the little-told story of the Chinese experience in early San Diego. From 6 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 17. $8. 619-232-6203. sandiegohistory.org Call to Action: Stopping Violence Against Women at Women’s Museum of California, 2730 Historic Decatur Road, Barracks 16, Point Loma. Anne Hoiberg discusses violence against women in the home and in the community and how we can work together to bring it to an end. At 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 18. 619-2337963, womensmuseumca.org

For full listings,

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

MusicMakers Hacklab at TJ in China Project Room, Av. Revolucion No. 1332, Tijuana. A collaborative event attempting to open up a dialog with the creative community in North Mexico to promote new forms of music creation. Performances include Roberto Romero-Molina and Michael Trigilio. Wednesday through Friday, June 11-13. tjinchinaprojectspace.com Six2Midnite: Saving Earth’s Elephants at Alexander Salazar Fine Art, 640 Broadway, Downtown. A night of interactive art, film, fashion, music and dance to support Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots foundation. From 6 p.m. to midnight, Friday, June 13. $25-$30. brown papertickets.com/event/723788 HSurf Dog Competition at Imperial Beach Pier Plaza. Arguably the most adorable surf event of the year, fearless dogs will paddle out and hang 20. Other dog and family activities include sandcastle sculpting, a dog wash, beer garden food trucks and more. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, June 13. unleashedby. petco.com/surfdog Serra Open House at Junipero Serra Museum, 2727 Presidio Drive, Old Town. Celebrate the 86th Anniversary of the museum, the site of the birthplace of California, with a gun salute, costumed historians, family activities, live music and more. From 4 to 6 p.m. Friday, June 13. sandiegohistory.org HBeer and Sake Festival at Harrah’s Rincon Casino, 777 Harrah’s Rincon Way, Valley Center. This fest offers a variety of sakes and beers, appetizers from local restaurants, a silent auction and a performance from ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro. From 7 to 10 p.m. Friday, June 13. $60-$90. harrahsrincon.com Guerrilla Pride San Diego at Canvass for a Cause, 3705 10th Ave., #3, Hillcrest.

This radical alternative to mainstream Pride celebrates queerness in every form.

This event will feature workshops, vegan food, art exhibits from Abby Gordon and live music from DivaCup, The Social Animal and Nile & The Delta. From 2 to 10 p.m. Saturday, June 14. 619-630-7750, facebook.com/GuerillaPrideSD HAmerica on Main Street on East Main Street and Rea Avenue, El Cajon. This patriotic event includes live entertainment, food, rides, arts and crafts, a petting zoo, and a Fiesta de Futbol street soccer tournament. From 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, June 14, cityofelcajon.us HSan Diego Guild of Puppetry’s 20th Anniversary at 10th Avenue Theater, 930 10th Ave., Downtown. Meet the 2014 Seed Grant Awardees. Puppetmaking and other entertainment, along with refreshments, included. From 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 14. Suggested donation. 619-920-8503. facebook.com/

June 11, 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 17

Seen Local

Kinsee Morlan

A de la Torre explosion Capturing the multifaceted, chaotic essence of border towns is what brothers Jamex and Einar de la Torre do best. Known for their layered glass sculptures that radiate a wild, wacky and recognizable border aesthetic, the prominent binational artists will be transforming San Ysidro’s The Front (147 W. San Ysidro Blvd.) into Whysidro, an exhibition that’ll envelop the whole space.

“We’ve got the vinyl coming in for the window installations,” Einar says, standing inside The Front. “And, look, we have red walls to fill.”

The show—a product of the San Diego Foundation’s Creative Catalyst Fund, which awards grants to local artists to develop new work—will open with a reception from 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday, June 12, and remain on view through Aug. 28.

The brothers’ matching minivans parked outside the gallery have been modified to include quirky lights on top. Jamex and Einar walk outside, open the back of one of the vans and pull out a large-scale work, a print piece that references Hieronymus Bosch’s “The Garden of Earthly Delights” by reimagining the iconic view of the border fence that runs into the ocean between Las Playas de Tijuana and Border Field State Park. The Mexican side of the fence is a chaotic clash of darker, hellish-looking imagery while the U.S. portion is where the tempting earthly delights lie.

They hold it up in the afternoon sun to reveal the image’s detailed, three-dimensional quality. It’s a lenticular print, which means that at the right angle and with good light, the scene can appear to have a depth of almost two feet. Lenticular prints are simply images that look 3D or animated—like the wink-

String theory

Einar (left) and Jamex de la Torre ing-eye prize found in Cracker Jack boxes or baseball cards where the batter appears to be swinging— but the digital-printing technology has come a long way. The artists have several other lenticulars in the show, including a panel that’s essentially the rebuttal to the Bosch-inspired piece and pictures the U.S. as a dark place where Mexicans are turned into slaves.

The rest of The Front will be filled with the brothers’ better-known glass and mixed-media sculptures.

The artists say they used the Creative Catalystfunded yearlong residency at The Front to delve deeper into border themes and explore their new interest in lenticular printing.

“I think that’s the wonderful thing about showing in this venue,” Jamex says. “It’s not commercial, so the intent is not to sell. The intent of the grant was to develop ideas, and, from the beginning, they told us it’s not about finishing; it’s about starting things.

With the lenticulars, we’re still learning. Some stuff is working better; some stuff is still surprising us. It takes time to find the full value of what we can do.”

—Kinsee Morlan

Park) through the end of the month.

Geofrey Redd remembers making string art as a kid The detail and complexity that Redd’s able to in geometry class. He hammered a few nails into a achieve with wood, yarn and nails is impressive. Part wooden board and created basic shapes by stringing of his secret is the number of nails used in every creMatt Lingo ation: There are about 45 nails in yarn through the grid of nails.

About two years ago, Redd just one small leaf in Redd’s snake thought about trying to put a more piece, for example, and about 25 modern and adult spin on string leaves total—that’s more than art, a genre that was embraced 1,000 nails used just in the backin the ’60s and ’70s but has been ground of one composition. largely dormant since. He started Redd is coy when asked for working on his projects secretly more details about his process. at first, in part because he thought Like every artist working in a people would say it was silly. relatively obscure medium, he’s “But I just kept going and gonervous about being ripped off. ing and going until I finally started Even if his technique is eventually noticing myself peaking,” Redd copied, though, his lowbrow style says. “And so I started challenging and weird sense of humor won’t myself with bigger pictures, then be easy to replicate. more complex pieces, and this is “I like putting sharp teeth on where I’m at now.” things that don’t have teeth beRedd, who goes by Yarns cause I think it’s funny-looking,” & Noble (yarnsandnoble.com) he laughs, pointing to one of his when his artwork is involved, mischievous-looking, snaggleis sitting under his large, nicely toothed yarn birds. framed string-art piece depicting —Kinsee Morlan a green snake eying a bluebird flying overhead. He has several large Write to kinseem@sdcitybeat.com works hanging at BlueFoot Bar & Lounge (3404 30th St., North Geofrey Redd, aka Yarns & Noble and editor@sdcitybeat.com.

18 · San Diego CityBeat · June 11, 2014

June 11, 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 19

Yang Jiang | Hillcrest | “Fading Julian”

The winners of our 12th annual

Photo Contest

“D

ude’s beard is on fire!”

That was our general immediate reaction to Jason Bang’s submission to our photo contest this year, which ended up winning first place. You’re most welcome for the thoughtful analysis. We’ll let the photographer explain his work: “This is Douglas Thompsonx, who is the lead singer of The Marsupials. On the night of their 7-inch EP release party at Til-Two [Club], Doug did what he always does when the band releases new music: he lit his beard on fire during one of their songs. Doug later admitted to me that I was the first to capture this moment in all its smoky glory. While others in the audience had their eyes glued to Doug during his follicle fire, I kept my camera snapping and this is the end result. I loved this shot so much that I had new business cards made with this photo on it!”

Nice get, Jason.

Second place goes to 18-year-old Giovanni Tafoya. Her grandmother, Sylvia Granillo, submitted the photo on Tafoya’s behalf, explaining in an email, “The little Superman is my grandson. His older sister Giovanni has loved Superman since she was a child. She’s the one that actually took the picture, did the lighting, dressed him and made him pose. She deserves all the credit. I’m just the proud grandmother.”

Well done, Giovanni.

We had a tie for third place, between Massimiliano Bertei, who submitted all the way from Rho, Italy (!), and Sean Dejecacion, an annual contest entrant (and third-place winner in 2011) whose primary subject we’ve watched grow over the years through his photos. Way to go, fellas.

Lastly, we added something new this year—a separate Instragram contest, in which Instagram users picked their favorites by clicking “like.” PJ Ortiz Luis came out on top with an evocative dance photo.

Congratulations to all of our winners, as well as our eight honorable mentions. And many thanks to George’s Camera in North Park and MacPhun Software in Del Mar for providing prizes.

First Place ^ Jason Bang | North Park | “Burning of the Beard” 20 · San Diego CityBeat · June 11, 2014

Emily Dayton | Hillcrest | Untitled

Blake DeBock | Ranchos Peñasquitos | “Easy Sailing”

Anthony Donez | Carlsbad | “Hank Sk8s”

Second Place ^ Giovanni Tafoya | Eastlake | “Bratty Little Brother Thinks He’s Superman” CONTINUED ON PAGE 22 June 11, 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 21

Photo contest Sean Dejecacion | Normal heights | Untitled

^

third Place ( tie )

Andrew Charles Price | Vista | “A Violent Sea”

third Place ( tie ) ^ Massimiliano Bertei | Rho, Italy | “Havana!”

22 · San Diego CityBeat · June 11, 2014

CONTINUED ON PAGE 24

June 11, 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 23

Photo contest Brian Turner | Ranchos Peñasquitos | “North Park Noodle Worship” Bryan Snyder | Carlsbad | “God is Awesome”

Kelcy Gatson | Bankers Hill | “Time”

Instagram winner ^ PJ ORTIZ LUIS | Spring Valley | “Hollowback” 24 · San Diego CityBeat · June 11, 2014

Winged migration Battle against tyranny is an aerial affair in animated sequel

by Glenn Heath Jr. The best sequels expand on their predecessor’s ambitions without becoming soulless cash grabs. Our homogenized film culture often rewards the opposite scenario, those lowest-common-denominator retreads produced haphazardly to capitalize on market popularity. Occasionally, shining examples like Toy Toothless and Hiccup explore the unknown, find conflict.

Story 2 or Babe: Pig in the City manage to say something profound about familiar characters, but Complicating matters for Hiccup and his father, they are rare gems in an overstuffed junkyard of dis- Stoic (Gerard Butler), is the reemergence of their posable cinema. matriarch, Valka (Cate Blanchett), long thought On paper, Dean DeBlois’ How to Train Your Drag- dead by the entire community of Berk after a dragon on 2 has all the makings of another family-friendly se- whisked her away so many years before. During a quel constructed to divert the attention of screaming crucial scene midway through Dragon 2, their famchildren for a few hours. Thankfully, this couldn’t be ily unit momentarily reassembles, providing Hiccup further from the truth. Retaining the joyous person- with a window into what could have been. Watchality of the original 2010 blockbuster based on a se- ing his mother and father reconnect seems to fill the ries of books by Cressida Cowell, DeBlois’ follow-up void in his heart that’s been driving him all along. broadens its scope to confront more serious themes. When this sense of peacefulness evaporates during a The story of Viking outcast Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) brutal battle with Drago, it stings not only for Hiccup has always been about identity, but in Dragon 2, we but also for the viewer, who’s become so invested in find his search externalized to include the mystical his evolution. lands surrounding his coastal home of Berk.

Under the supervision of ace cinematographer If curiosity drives Hiccup Roger Deakins, the visuals in to explore the horizons beDragon 2 are never less than yond, then a growing sense stunning. Each pristine vista How to Train of responsibility fortifies contains the level of detail one Your Dragon 2 this desire when he comes in might find in the most complex Directed by Dean Dubois contact with new challenges. landscape paintings. Yet the Starring Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, But DeBlois makes a point of visuals are simply background Cate Blanchett and America Ferrera reminding us how gorgeous dressing for the intriguing huRated PG this picturesque environment man dilemmas. Hiccup experiof oceans and cliffs appears ences the pressure of leaderfrom atop a scaly beast. While ship and responsibility while his fellow young adults partake in a hilarious aerial trying once again to bridge the gap between humans game of herding sheep, Hiccup and his Night Fury, and the dragons he so desperately wants to befriend.

Toothless, glide through clouds and graze across Late in the film, a brilliant battle sequence that takes waves, enjoying the freedom of flight. The wide- place on the frigid shores of a polar icecap blurs the open spaces dominated by vibrant colors seemingly line between friend and foe even more. beckon them further into oblivion.

Ultimately, Dragon 2—which opens Friday, June As with the first film, exploration of the unknown 13—might be too heady for young children, often eventually leads to conflict. While mapping the outer favoring contemplative silence over explosions or areas of their lands, Hiccup and Toothless discover gags. Yet it should be commended for not adhering a group of dragon trappers led by a macho ruffian to the assembly-line pressures of the Hollywood ma(voiced by Kit Harington, Jon Snow on Game of chine. Like Hiccup, it’s a film brave enough to break Thrones) who are trying to supply the warlord Dra- off from the pack and forge new ground. What a difgo (Djimon Hounsou) with a collection of rare fire ference a dragon makes. breathers. Rhetoric about democracy and safety spew out of the villain’s mouth, but anyone familiar with Write to glennh@sdcitybeat.com and editor@sdcitybeat.com.

Nazism understands this is tyranny on the march.

Teen spirit

We Are the Best!

If a film title ever warranted an exclamation point, it’s Lukas Moodysson’s We Are the Best!

Not a second goes by in this vivacious coming-of-age story when the young characters aren’t experiencing some kind of heightened emotion. But these aren’t your normal tweens; political unrest and gender inequality

spark their interest just as much as music and boys.

Set in Stockholm in the early 1980s, the film centers on Bobo (Mira Barkhammar) and Klara (Mira Grosin), two 13-year-old misfits obsessed with punk rock and starting a band. They have no experience with instruments, but that doesn’t stop them from

CONTINUED ON PAGE 26 June 11, 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 25

writing an angry and hilarious anthem inspired by their bullish gym teacher and hatred for sports. Hoping to be perceived as more professional, the girls recruit a third member, Hedvig (Liv LeMoyne), a devout Christian and an expert on the guitar.

Less hysterical than the typical American high-school melodrama, We Are the Best! is nonetheless lovingly attuned to the crazed cycles of adolescents who challenge societal conventions at every turn. The three friends go through their rough patches, especially when the opposite sex comes into the picture. But Moodysson always anchors their relationship around the power of

music as a force for change. Late in the film, the trio performs for a mostly male-dominated audience at a recreation center, and the anti-establishment lyrics inspire a near riot.

Never trite and consistently measured, We Are the Best!— which runs for one week only starting Friday, June 13, at the Ken Cinema—unilaterally believes in the positive impact younger generations can have on their elders.

The message may be loud and vulgar, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth listening to. Bobo, Klara and Hedvig have the right kind of teen spirit.

Opening

plores the ramifications of one very bad decision by a police cadet that reverberates outward to affect the family of his young girlfriend. Screens through June 19 at Digital Gym Cinema in North Park.

22 Jump Street: Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill return for more violent shenanigans as undercover cops trying to expose a drug ring at a local college.

—Glenn Heath Jr.

Chinese Puzzle: French comedy starring Romain Duris and Audrey Tautou about a middle-aged man who moves to New York City to be closer to his children.

How to Train Your Dragon 2: Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) and his dragon Toothless encounter new challenges while trying to bring their species together in harmony.

See our review on Page 25.

The Grand Seduction: Residents of a small harbor town try to woo a hot-shot young doctor with hopes of convincing him to relocate to their rural haven.

The Signal: A group of young friends is lured into an isolated area by a computer genius, only to find out they’re trapped in a waking nightmare.

Heli: Amat Escalante’s violent art film ex-

We Are the Best!: Three young teenagers living in Stockholm during the 1980s

26 · San Diego CityBeat · June 11, 2014

start a band with the hopes of proving punk rock will never die. Screens through June 19 at the Ken Cinema. See our review on Page 25.

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

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

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

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

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

Gilda: Classic film noir by Charles Vidor about a sinister South American casino boss who discovers that his best employee already knows the boss’ sexy new wife, played by the alluring Rita Hayworth.

Screens at 8:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, June 12 and 13, at Cinema Under the Stars in Mission Hills, and at 1:30 p.m.

Wednesday, June 18, at La Jolla Community Center.

Don’t Follow Me (I’m Lost): Documentary takes a behind-the-scenes look at the life of rock musician Bobby Bare Jr.,

who must deal with the repercussions of spending most of his time on the road.

Screens at 3 p.m. Saturday, June 14, at Digital Gym Cinema in North Park.

When I Saw You: A young boy and his mother attempt to survive in a Jordanian refugee camp in 1967. Screens at 8 p.m.

Saturday, June 14, at the Museum of Photographic Arts in Balboa Park.

Jaws: Just in time for summer, Steven Spielberg’s ultimate anti-swimming PSA. Screens at 8:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, June 14 and 15, at Cinema Under the Stars in Mission Hills.

The Room: Tommy Wiseau’s film about a love triangle gone wrong is so hilariously misguided that it’s earned the honor of being labeled “the worst film ever made.”

Screens at midnight on Saturday, June 14, at the Ken Cinema.

Closure: Documentary that takes an indepth look at the procedure and experience of adoption in modern America.

Screens at 3 p.m. Sunday, June 15, at Digital Gym Cinema in North Park.

When I Walk: The amazing true story of Jason DaSilva, who sets out on a worldwide journey of self-discovery while suffering from the debilitating effects of multiple sclerosis. Screens at 6:30 p.m. Monday, June 16, at San Diego Public Library in East Village.

Still Mine: An elderly couple fights the restrictive zoning laws of a small town in order to build their final home. Screens at 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 17, at Point Loma / Hervey Branch Library.

Army of Darkness: Bruce Campbell’s badass zombie killer goes back to medieval times to kick some undead butt.

Screens at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 17, at Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens in Point Loma’s Liberty Station.

The New Black: Director Yoruba Richen takes the viewer to the front lines of the gay-rights movement within AfricanAmerican communities around the country. Screens at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 18, at the Malcolm X Library in Valencia Park.

You Will Be My Son: The owner of a vineyard in Italy tries to reconcile the problematic relationship with his son and only heir to the family business. Screens at 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 18, at the Scripps Ranch Library.

Viewer’s Choice: Come enjoy a festive summer film to be selected by you, the viewer. Screens at 8 p.m. Wednesday, June 18, at The Pearl Hotel in Point Loma.

Now Playing Edge of Tomorrow: Tom Cruise dies a thousand times in order to find the right info about an alien attack that will destroy Earth. It co-stars a very buff Emily Blunt.

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

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

Jason Hellmann

Tombs strike gold on their third album • by Jeff Terich rooklyn sludge-metal outfit Tombs understands what we do. And that’s where ended 2011 on just about the highest [producer] Erik Rutan came in. And that’s note possible. Their second album, one of the primary differences between any Path of Totality, was named Decibel of our other recordings and our new album.” magazine’s Album of the Year, as well as Savage Gold, released Tuesday, June 10, placing high on lists of the best metal albums via Relapse, simultaneously sounds like the of the year by Pitchfork, NPR and Terrorizer. work of the band that recorded Path of TotalThere was only one problem: The band ity and something new altogether. It contains wasn’t particularly pleased with how the many familiar elements—melodic riffs, dense album sounded. It’s not terribly unusual layers of distortion, the occasional explosion for musicians to express disappointment into black-metal blast-beat rhythms and a in their own work; members of Pink Floyd surprising amount of hooks. It’s also the have been openly critical of The Final Cut, most ambitious and diverse album they’ve and Robert Plant even called Led Zeppe- ever released. On “Deathtripper,” the band lin’s “Stairway to Heaven” “that bloody pairs a repeated, swirling guitar riff with a wedding song.” Still, it comes as a bit of slow-moving rhythm and ominous, distorted a surprise to hear Tombs frontman Mike vocals. And on “Edge of Darkness,” Hill, guiHill discuss the group’s acclaimed second tarist Garrett Bussanick, bassist Ben Brand album with such reservations. and drummer Andrew Hernandez find an Maybe it’s a case of artists being overly invigorating center point between thrash critical of their own work, but as Hill ex- metal, post-punk and psychedelic rock. plains, it motivated them The crisp, expansive to seek out the right persound of the record can son to capture the sound be attributed in part to they wanted for their third Rutan, who’s worked Thursday, June 12 album, Savage Gold. with artists ranging from “At the end of the day, we death-metal icons Morbid The Casbah weren’t happy with the way Angel to indie-folk outfit tombscult.com it sounded. Not that it didn’t The Mountain Goats. But tombsbklyn.bandcamp.com sound good in a general the eclectic span of styles sense,” Hill says. “We had on display is just part of two different ideas about what the engineer the band’s sonic makeup. was thinking and what we wanted. I think “Pretty much from day one with this on that record, we wanted to have more of, band, we’ve been trying to inject a lot of mellike, a tighter, more punishing drum sound, ody into everything we do,” Hill says. “Even guitars a little more in your face. But we were when it’s really extreme or intense, I always given free rein to do whatever we wanted, so want there to be some melody—something we were cranking the effects up to 10. to hang on to. I love black metal and death “So, when it came time to do Savage metal and extreme music of all sorts, but Gold, we wanted to make sure to work with I’m also a huge fan of bands like The Cure, the right guy,” he continues. “Someone who Fields of the Nephilim, Swans, Bauhaus, Joy

From left: Ben Brand, Andrew Hernandez Mike Hill and Garrett Bussanick Division—cross pollinating those two things is what I’ve always imagined Tombs to be.”

Lyrically, Savage Gold heavily deals in themes of consciousness and the afterlife.

It’s pretty common for a metal band to cram their lyric sheets with references to death, but Tombs’ take is more philosophical than Slayer’s serial-killer narratives or Exhumed’s almost cartoonish levels of gore. On “Thanatos,” Hill references “pathways beyond the fold,” while in “Seance,” he sings, “I hear the call from beyond this realm.” And “Edge of Darkness” closes with the lines “Cross into the dark / find the great unknown.”

After the band released Path of Totality, Hill says, these ideas of what’s beyond our perception began to “seep into my consciousness.”

“It’s just sort of an exploration into consciousness, either through psychedelics or meditation or that sort of thing. It sort of gives you a glimpse into that sort of dimension,” Hill says. “[I’ve been] reading and studying Terence McKenna, some of Graham Hancock’s work, and reading

everything about ancient civilizations and ideas they had about different levels of consciousness and that sort of thing. A lot of that stuff is a heavy influence of this particular lyric-writing body of work. That’s something that, in the last several years, I’ve been interested in: the boundary land between life and death.”

Hill is more pleased with the outcome of Savage Gold, and, indeed, it’s a dramatic enough shift from previous records to hear that something has changed with the band.

But it’s not so much their creative process as their willingness to be more open to allowing someone to help them realize their vision.

“All of our records have a similar sound, except for Savage Gold,” he says. “One of the biggest sorts of advancements in the process is me giving up control to someone else—trusting them to have the ability to manifest everything.

“I feel a lot more comfortable in a scenario like that.”

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

June 11, 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 27

notes from the smoking patio M-Theory’s Flower Hill Promenade sign

Locals Only North County now has its own M-Theory Music store. The Mission Hills-based record shop (mtheorymusic.com) recently held a soft opening for its new location at Flower Hill Promenade in Del Mar (2720 Via de la Valle) and will have its official grand opening on July 12.

Initially, M-Theory was simply looking to enlarge its Mission Hills store, but as general manager Rick Tyner explains in an email, the offer to move into Del Mar was too good to pass up.

“We have been working to expand the Mission Hills location for the last year or so, but this second location was a unique opportunity [that] Flower Hill in Del Mar offered to us,” Tyner says. “Considering the Mission Hills expansion was moving slower than hoped, we decided to go for it. It’s a smaller space, but it’s super cool.

“It’s been refreshing to start with a blank canvas,” he adds. “I’m hoping to have a place for a lot of our North County customers, who travel all the

way to Mission Hills, to save some gas money as well as introduce a lot of new customers to the joys of records.”

Tyner says the new M-Theory will carry a similar inventory as the Mission Hills store, but, because it’s smaller, will be heavily focused on vinyl. The new shop is part of a cluster of independent businesses in the shopping center called The Row Collective, which is geared toward a younger demographic. The unique grouping of businesses in the collective— which also includes A Ship in the Woods, Mr. B’s Luminaries and Studio Penny Lane—has given MTheory the freedom to get creative with its space.

“It’s really cool what Flower Hill has offered to us here,” Tyner says. “We came in like the punk-ass kids we are and first thing, put up a crazy, colorful mural by… Celeste Byers, who did our mural in Mission Hills. I still can’t believe they let us do it.”

M-Theory Del Mar’s grand opening party will feature performances by Island Boy and Ditches.

—Jeff Terich

6 to see at All My Friends This year’s All My Friends music festival brings together a long list of trippy, arty, experimental groups from Southern California, Mexico and points beyond into one weekend of weirdo jams. If you’re planning on going to the event, June 13 through 15 in Rosarito (allmyfriends.tv), I’ve made a list of six bands to check out while you’re there: Gonjasufi: Former San Diegan and current desert mystic Gonjasufi has a sound that’s so compelling and so weird that it’d be nearly impossible to replicate. He’s like the Captain Beefheart of the California beat scene, with jams that are off-kilter yet still hit the spot.

Las Robertas: If you want to oversimplify it, you can view Las Robertas as Costa Rica’s answer to Dum Dum Girls—warm and fuzzy garageguitar sounds mixed with lovely vocal harmonies. But they’ve got a vibe and sensibility all their own. Keep your eyes on this group in the months to come.

Lumerians: This San Francisco psych-rock group splits the difference between dreamy melodies and bizarre, unsettling atmosphere. It’s disorienting in all the right ways but, thankfully, not without good riffs to back up their weird trips.

Santos: A key player in the Tijuana ruidosón movement that’s been gaining buzz in recent years, Santos mixes a wide range of influences into one unique electronic dance blend. House music, cumbia and psychedelia all swirl in one strangely satisfy-

28 · San Diego CityBeat · June 11, 2014

Las Robertas ing array of sounds.

Ghost Magnet Roach Motel: It’s hard to put into words the kind of experimental musical art that Ghost Magnet Roach Motel make. Imagine a Sonic Youthlike squall of guitars with the hypnotic rhythms of krautrock and an added multimedia presentation to give it the right touch of performance art.

Batwings vs. Skrapez: Batwings are a noise-punk band, and Skrapez are one of San Diego’s most interesting DJ duos, and together they’re likely to make a truly bizarre, albeit brilliantly chaotic sound.

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

June 11, 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 29

if i were u

BY Jeff Terich

Wednesday, June 11 PLAN A: Grave Babies, Vice Device, Amanda Schoepflin @ Soda Bar. A name like Grave Babies might make you picture something like death rock gone adorable.

That’s not exactly the case, but the Seattle goth garage rockers definitely split the difference between party time and full-on gloom-out. And it’s pretty sweet, so get drunkenly dark with ’em at Soda Bar.

Thursday, June 12 PLAN A: Pelican, Tombs, Mustard Gas and Roses @ The Casbah. See Page 27 for my feature on Brooklyn sludge-metal group Tombs, who’ve expanded their sound on their incredible new album, Savage Gold, incorporating more elements of post-punk and psychedelic rock. They’re opening for the instrumental-metal group Pelican, who pretty much shred. PLAN B: San Diego Musicians playing covers, Stewardess @ The Hideout. Here’s a cool one: As a kind of birthday celebration for Ilya’s Blanca Fowler, various San Diego musicians are getting together to play a set of covers of

30 · San Diego CityBeat · June 11, 2014

songs from the new-wave and post-punk Flaggs @ Whistle Stop Bar. era. If you like any combination of covers, darkly catchy songs or local music, then this is a good bet. BACKUP PLAN: Star Saturday, June 14 Anna, Heather Reid, Maria Del Pilar @ PLAN A: Guided by Voices, Bobby Bare Jr. @ Belly Up Tavern. I once saw Guided Soda Bar.

by Voices at 4th and B (R.I.P.), and Robert Pollard introduced the band as “Columbia Friday, June 13 recording artist Pink Floyd.” Yeah, they’re PLAN A: Dawn of MIDI, Illuminauts, goofballs, heavily inebriated on Miller Lite, Passengers @ Soda Bar. Earlier this year, and have written some of the best rock Dawn of MIDI opened for tunes of the past 25 years Oneohtrix Point Never at or so. Don’t miss it. PLAN The Irenic and put on an unB: Fu Manchu, American conventional but intriguing Sharks, It’s Casual @ The performance. Their sound is Casbah. Fu Manchu were somewhere between miniplaying hook-laden stoner malism and avant-garde jazz, rock way before the hipsters with heavy use of standup were catching on, and here bass. It’s best heard rather they are, decades later, still than described, though. Adchugging along with a van venturous listeners, put this full of fuzz and meaty riffs. on your calendar. PLAN B: And you know what? They Paul Collins’ Beat, Javier Sage Francis still rip. BACKUP PLAN: Escovedo, Poontang Clam, The Burning of Rome, The My Revenge @ Til-Two Club. The Beat— New Kinetics @ The Che Café. now known as Paul Collins’ Beat—is a classic power-pop group that formed back in the ’70s. And they pretty much embodied Sunday, June 15 everything great about rock music: great PLAN A: Failure @ House of Blues. If you guitar riffs, sing-along choruses and stun- haven’t yet, go back to last week’s issue to ning vocal harmonies. Look ’em up on You- read my cover story on Failure, who broke Tube and you might find a video of The up at the height of their creativity in 1997 but Beat on American Bandstand—it’s catchy, recently reunited to start a new chapter. On and you can dance to it! BACKUP PLAN: this tour, there are no opening bands—just

an extended set of classic Failure material and some long-awaited new tracks. PLAN B: The Both, Nick Diamonds @ Belly Up Tavern. Ted Leo and Aimee Mann are two of the best American singer / songwriters in recent memory, and now they’ve formed a new band: The Both. Her pop sensibility and his punk-rock background combine for a pretty solid mash-up of elements. And who knows? They just might add a few of their classic tunes to the setlist. BACKUP PLAN: Electric Six, Yip Deceiver, Badabing @ The Casbah.

Monday, June 16 PLAN A: The Business, The Attack, Rat City Riot @ Soda Bar. You know, I never got into Oi!, but that said, I wouldn’t turn down a chance to see some U.K. punk legends in the flesh. The London group has kept up its rowdy sound for more than 30 years and shows no signs of petering out anytime soon.

Tuesday, June 17 PLAN A: Sage Francis, B Dolan, Sleep of Oldominion @ Belly Up Tavern. Rhode Island MC Sage Francis has broken a lot of hip-hop’s rules since day one, his DIY and straight-edge ethos more in line with hardcore punk than rap music. But he’s a dynamic lyricist and a highly entertaining performer.

The proof is in his unstoppable jams.

HOT! NEW! FRESH! Craft Spells (The Hideout, 7/18), Jurassic 5 (Del Mar Racetrack, 7/18), X acoustic (BUT, 7/20), The Cult (Del Mar Racetrack, 7/25), Municipal Waste (Casbah, 7/27), Devin the Dude (Porter’s Pub, 8/1), Neon Trees (Del Mar Racetrack, 8/1), Xeno & Oaklander (The Hideout, 8/2), Weezer (Del Mar Racetrack, 8/2), Steel Pulse (Del Mar Racetrack, 8/8), Counting Crows (Del Mar Racetrack, 8/9), The Zombies (HOB, 8/20), Mad Caddies (Soda Bar, 8/21), Keyshia Cole (HOB, 8/25), Men Without Hats (BUT, 8/28), ‘Awesome Fest’ (Soda Bar, 8/28-31), Steve Aoki (Del Mar Racetrack, 8/29), Ziggy Marley (Del Mar Racetrack, 8/31), Big Mountain (BUT, 9/19), Lykke Li (North Park Theatre, 9/22), Justin Townes Earle (BUT, 10/7), Turquoise Jeep (The Irenic, 10/16), Alt-J (SOMA, 10/24), J.D. McPherson (BUT, 10/28), The Misfits (HOB, 11/16), My Brightest Diamond (Casbah, 12/13).

GET YER TICKETS Ronnie Spector “Behind the Beehive” (North Park Theatre, 7/3), Wye Oak (BUT, 7/9), Braid Paisley (Sleep Train Amphitheatre, 7/10), Cloud Nothings (Soda Bar, 7/11), La Roux (HOB, 7/12), The Antlers (BUT, 7/16), Chris Rock (Civic Theatre, 7/19), Doug Benson (HOB, 7/23), Goo Goo Dolls (Harrah’s Resort, 7/25), The Hold Steady (BUT, 7/31), Arcade Fire (Sleep Train Amphitheatre, 8/5), The Head and the Heart (North Park Theatre, 8/11), John Legend (Open Air Theatre, 8/23), David Gray (Open Air Theatre, 8/31), Owen Pallett (Casbah, 9/14), Andrew Bird (Humphreys, 9/19), Pixies (Humphreys, 9/27), Temples (BUT, 9/27), Crosby, Stills and Nash (Civic Theatre, 10/1), Joyce Manor (The Irenic, 10/2), The Horrors (BUT, 10/13), Erasure (Humphreys, 10/22), The Afghan Whigs (BUT, 10/24), Bonobo (HOB, 10/26), The Black Keys (Viejas Arena, 11/9), The 1975 (SOMA, 11/21), Ira Glass (Balboa Theatre, 11/22), John Waters (North Park Theatre, 12/1).

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

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

Friday, June 13 Dawn of MIDI at Soda Bar. Dead Feath-

er Moon at The Casbah. Paul Collins Beat at Til-Two Club. Next, Shai, All-4One at House of Blues.

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

by Voices at Belly Up Tavern.

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

Monday, June 16 Cowboy Junkies at Belly Up Tavern.

Tuesday, June 17 Sage Francis at Belly Up Tavern.

Thursday, June 19 Island Boy at Soda Bar.

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

Saturday, June 21 Jessica Lea Mayfield at The Casbah.

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

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

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

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

Tuesday, June 24 Jackie Greene at Belly Up Tavern.

Tweak Bird at Soda Bar.

Wednesday, June 25 Pure X at The Hideout.

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

Friday, June 27 Yuna at Belly Up Tavern.

Saturday, June 28 March Violets at Soda Bar.

Sunday, June 29 Sarah McLachlan at Humphreys Con-

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

rCLUBSr

710 Beach Club, 710 Garnet Ave, Pacific Beach. 710bc.com. Wed: Open mic, open jam. Thu: Live band karaoke. Fri: Morgan Leigh (5 p.m.); The Clamjammers (9 p.m.).

Sat: Kid Wilderness, Full Revolution. Sun: Karaoke. Mon: Battle of the bands.

98 Bottles, 2400 Kettner Blvd. Ste. 110, Little Italy. 98bottlessd.com. Thu: Choro Sotaque. Fri & Sun: The Matt Smith Neu Jazz Trio, The Jonathan Rowden Group.

Sat: The Afrojazziacs.

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

Wed: ‘D4D’. Thu: ‘Dive’ w/ DJs ALA, Mikeytown. Fri: DJ Junior the DiscoPunk.

Sat: ‘Juicy’ w/ Mike Czech. Sun: ‘Undercurrent’.

American Comedy Co., 818 B Sixth Ave, Downtown. americancomedyco. com. Wed: Julian McCullough. Thu-Sat: Iliza Shlesinger. Sun: Dean Delray Presents: Vinyl Confessions. Tue: Open mic.

AMSDconcerts, 1370 Euclid Ave, City Heights. amsdconcerts.com. Sat: ‘Trippin the 60s’ w/ Barry McGuire, John York.

Bang Bang, 526 Market St, Downtown. facebook.com/BangBangSanDiego. Fri: Kastle. Sat: Bodhi.

Bar Pink, 3829 30th St, North Park. barpink.com. Wed: The Bugs, The Cardielles. Thu: Magnetix. Fri: The Creepy Creeps. Sat: The Milkcrates DJs. Sun: Rat Sabbath, DJ Ratty. Mon: ‘Monday Night Mass’ w/ The Husky Boy All-Stars.

Tue: Mr. Adrian Demain, Ms. Susannah Kurner.

Bassmnt, 919 Fourth Ave, Downtown. bassmntsd.com. Fri: Mak J. Sat: Manufactured Superstars.

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

Wed: Sando. Thu: Mike Myrdal. Fri: Fish and the Seaweeds. Sat: Random Radio.

Sun: Adam Block.

Belly Up Tavern, 143 S. Cedros Ave, Solana Beach. bellyup.com. Wed: Dave Alvin and Phil Alvin, The Guilty Ones, Jack Tempchin Band. Thu: Les Claypool’s Duo De Twang, Reformed Whores. Fri: Pato Banton, Sunny Rude, DJ Carlos Culture.

Sat: Guided by Voices, Bobby Bare Jr. Sun: The Both, Nick Diamonds. Mon: Cowboy Junkies (sold out). Tue: Sage Francis, B. Dolan, Sleep of Oldminion.

Bluefoot Bar & Lounge, 3404 30th St, North Park. bluefootsd.com. Wed: ‘What

CONTINUED ON PAGE 32

June 11, 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 31

the Frack’ w/ DJs Francy Pants, P Star.

Thu: ‘Rhythm and Bass’ w/ Capitol. Fri: ‘Feel Good’ w/ W Steele. Sat: DJ Peso.

Tue: VJ Grimm.

Boar Cross’n, 390 Grand Ave, Carlsbad. boarcrossn.net. Wed: Monolith, Red Wizard. Sat: Safety Orange.

Brass Rail, 3796 Fifth Ave, Hillcrest. thebrassrailsd.com. Thu: ‘Muscle’. Fri: ‘Wired’. Sat: ‘Sabado en Fuego’ w/ DJs XP, KA. Sun: ‘Noche Romantica’ w/ Daisy Salinas, DJ Sebastian La Madrid. Mon: ‘Manic Monday’ w/ DJs Junior the Disco Punk, XP. Cafe Sevilla, 353 Fifth Ave, Downtown. cafesevilla.com. Wed: Aro Di Santi. Thu & Sat: Malamana. Fri: DJ Rhubino. Sun: Oscar Aragon.

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

Fri-Sat: Sean Tweedley.

Comedy Store, 916 Pearl St, La Jolla. lajolla.thecomedystore.com.

Fri-Sat: Pauly Shore. Tue: Sandi Shore’s Student Showcase.

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

Wed: John Avery. Fri: Dave Scott and the New Slide Quartet. Sat: Patrick Berrogain.

Sun: Lawrence Upchurch.

Dirk’s Nightclub, 7662 Broadway, Lemon Grove. dirksniteclub.com. Fri: Defoe Street Tangler. Sat: Wild Rumors.

Dizzy’s, 4275 Mission Bay Drive, Mission Bay. dizzyssandiego.com. Sat: ‘Tribute to Paul McCartney’ w/ Fred Benedetti.

Epicentre, 8450 Mira Mesa Blvd, Mira Mesa. epicentreconcerts.org. Fri: La $ol, KidGucci and TooWealthy, Uncontrollable ENT, Francis Ohl, Kasey Ketcham and Aaron Hill, Tribe Life. Sat: Dizzy Wright.

F6ix, 526 F St., Downtown, Downtown. f6ixsd.com. Fri: DJ JLouis. Sat: DJ Bamboozle. Sun: Brett Bodley.

Fluxx, 500 Fourth Ave, Downtown. fluxxsd.com. Thu: Nas. Sat: Sid Vicious.

Gallagher’s, 5040 Newport Ave, Ocean Beach. 619-222-5303. Wed: Modern Day Moonshine. Thu: King Scha Scha, DJ Reefah, TRC Soundsystem. Fri: Full Moon Fever, DJ Chelu. Sat: Funk’s Most Wanted, DJ Sammi B. Sun: Boni Dance.

Hard Rock Hotel, 207 Fifth Ave, Downtown. hardrockhotelsd.com. Thu: Grim Imperials, Action Andy and the Hi-Tones.

Fri: Dirt Nasty. Sat: DJs Beezy, Scottyboy.

Sun: ‘Intervention’ w/ Markus Schulz.

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

House of Blues, 1055 Fifth Ave, Downtown. houseofblues.com/sandiego. Thu: Love and Theft, Kyle Setter. Fri: Next, Shai, All-4-One. Sun: Failure. Tue: Somekindawonderful, Vaudeville Etiquette.

Kava Lounge, 2812 Kettner Blvd, Midtown. kavalounge.com. Fri: Seria Star.

Sat: Triptych.

Kensington Club, 4079 Adams Ave, Kensington. 619-284-2848. Fri: Two Cow Garage, Caskitt, Squarecrow.

Mc P’s Irish Pub, 1107 Orange Ave, Coronado. mcpspub.com. Wed: Ron’s Trio. Thu: Tone Cookin’. Fri: Mystique.

Sat: Manic Bros. Sun: Gene Warren. Tue: Gene Warren.

Numbers, 3811 Park Blvd, Hillcrest. numberssd.com/. Thu: ‘Varsity’. Fri: ‘Harness’. Sat: ‘Club Sabbat’. Sun: ‘Joe’s Gamenite’. Tue: Karaoke Latino.

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

32 · San Diego CityBeat · June 11, 2014

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

Abe West.

Patricks Gaslamp, 428 F St, Downtown. patricksii.com. Wed: The Rayford Brothers. Thu: The Hit List. Fri: Myron and the Kyniptionz. Sat: TreyTosh. Sun: Bill Magee Blues Band. Mon: The Groove Squad.

Tue: Walter’s Chicken Jam.

SOMA, 3350 Sports Arena Blvd, Midway. somasandiego.com. Fri: Theosis Temblad, DETONATED, The Imperfex, Thunder Demon, Sold Souls. Sat: Killing The Messenger, Hundred Caliber, A New Challenger Approaches, Outlands, Within Ourselves, Cold Blooded Theory, Impale Th.

Porter’s Pub, 9500 Gilman Dr., UCSD campus, La Jolla. porterspub.net. Fri: Cassius. Sun: Afroman.

Rich’s, 1051 University Ave, Hillcrest. richssandiego.com. Wed: DJ Marcel.

Thu: DJ K-Swift. Fri: DJs dirty KURTY, QooLee Kid. Sat: DJ Taj. Sun: DJ Cros.

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

Wed: Westside Inflection. Thu: Man From Tuesday. Fri: Sure Fire Soul Ensemble.

Sat: Lady Star. Tue: Karaoke.

Seven Grand, 3054 University Ave, North Park. sevengrandbars.com/sd. Fri: Mafard. Sat: Stevie and the Hi-Staxx. Mon: ‘Motown Monday’ w/ DJ Artistic.

Shakedown Bar, 3048 Midway Drive, Point Loma. theshakedownsd.com. Wed: Love Henry, Chaos and Order, Spaceshag. Sat: Monolith, Hammered, Pissed Regardless.

Side Bar, 536 Market St, Downtown. sidebarsd.com. Wed: ‘Clash of the Nightlife Titans IV’. Thu: ‘Divino Thursday’. Fri: Mr. Brown. Sat: Epic Twelve.

Soda Bar, 3615 El Cajon Blvd, City Heights. sodabarmusic.com. Wed: Grave Babies, Vice Device, Amanda Schoepflin.

Thu: Star Anna, Heather Reid, Maria Del Pilar. Fri: Dawn of MIDI, Illuminauts, Passengers. Sat: Zig Zags, Endless Bummer, Monarch, Junk Poets. Sun: Blackbird Blackbird, Kite String Tangle, Swim Team.

Mon: The Business, The Attack, Rat City Riot. Tue: High Rolling Loners, Mudgrass,

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

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

Sycamore Den, 3391 Adams Ave., San Diego, Normal Heights. sycamoreden. com. Thu: Jackson Price Band. Sun: The Liquorsmiths, Little Climbers. Tue: Gary Hankins, Eric Hankins, Gregory Michael Thielmann.

The Bancroft, 9143 Campo Rd, Spring Valley. 619-469-2337. Wed: Butler, Crooked Rulers, Muscle Beech, Space Chainsaw. Fri: Sutekh Hexen, Riververb, Penis Hickey, Dougherty. Sun: Troglodyte, Memory.

The Casbah, 2501 Kettner Blvd, Midtown. casbahmusic.com. Wed: Saint Shameless, Lords of Altamont, Low Volts. Thu: Pelican, Tombs, Mustard Gas and Roses.

Fri: Dead Feather Moon, Strange Vine, Chess Wars. Sat: Fu Manchu, American Sharks. Sun: Electric Six, Yip Deceiver, Badabing. Mon: Social Club, Moonshine, The Bad and Ugly. Tue: Blind of SMC Records, Marlon D, Doc Roman, Bam Circa 86, DJs Artistic, Tramlife and WSteele.

The Che Cafe, UCSD campus, La Jolla. thechecafe.blogspot.com. Wed: Save the Che Action: Food, Film & Fun. Thu: Split Decisions, Number One Champs, Firestarter, Cautioners, Ampersand, The Semester Review. Fri: My Iron Lung, Donovan Wolfington, Pope, Hail the Sun,

Idlehands. Sat: The Burning of Rome, The New Kinetics. Sun: Little Bear, The Stereo Soul Movement.

The Hideout, 3519 El Cajon Blvd, City Heights. thehideoutsd.com. Thu: San Diego musicians playing covers, Stewardess. Fri: Lady Dottie and the Diamonds, Drop Dead Dames Burlesque. Sat: The Midnight Pine. Sun: Temptation. Mon: DJ Handsome Skeleton.

The Irenic, 3090 Polk Ave, North Park.

Sat: School of Rock: Radiohead Tribute.

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

Thu: Nick Bone and the Big Scene, Alex Culbreth, Lillian Lefranc. Fri: Amigo, Red Wizard, Great Electric Quest. Sun: Karaoke.

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

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

Til-Two Club, 4746 El Cajon Blvd, City Heights. tiltwoclub.com. Wed: Darkale, The Last of Lucy, Beekeeper. Thu: The Rock ‘n’ Roll Preservation Society DJs. Fri: Paul Collins Beat, Javier Escovedo, Poontang Clam, My Revenge. Sun: Open mic comedy.

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

Wed: Lovebirds, The Queen of Cups, Kalashnikov My Wife. Thu: Harsh Toke, Fogg, Artifact. Fri: Pretty Boom, Robin Hill, The Lewer. Sat: Duping the Public, Death by Snoo Snoo, Front Removal.

Mon: ‘Tin Can Country Club’ w/ Justin Rodriguez. Tue: Qualia, The Dead Blue, Witness 9.

Tio Leo’s, 5302 Napa St, Bay Park. tioleos.com. Thu: Mercedes Moore. Fri: The Cronies. Sat: Jokers Wild. Tue: The Swamp Critters.

Tower Bar, 4757 University Ave, City Heights. thetowerbar.com. Wed: DJ Mikey Ratt. Fri: Revolut-Chix, Plane Without a Pilot, Chica Diabla, The Touchies.

Sat: Los Sea Finks, Kids in Heat, Shark Blood, Mikey Ratt, DJ Corey Duffel.

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

Wed: Tomcat Courtney (7 p.m.). Thu: The Jade Visions Jazz Trio (7 p.m.). Fri: Tomcat Courtney (7 p.m.); AfroJazziacs (9 p.m.). Sat: Zak Lipton Trio (4 p.m.); Tomcat Courtney (6:30 p.m.); Tony LaVoz and Cold Duck Trio (9 p.m.). Sun: Sounds Like Four (4 p.m.); Big Boss Bubale (7 p.m.). Mon: Stefanie Schmitz (7 p.m.).

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

Ux31, 3112 University Ave, North Park. u31bar.com. Wed: Battleme, The Paragraphs, Mrs. Henry. Thu: Lee Churchill.

Fri: DJ R-You. Sat: Saul Q. West Coast Tavern, 2895 University Ave, North Park. westcoatstavern.com.

Wed: DJ Pound. Thu: Chris Giglio. Fri: Taylor Michael. Sat: DJ Wil Hernandez.

Tue: DJ Clean Cut. Whistle Stop, 2236 Fern St, South Park. whistlestopbar.com. Wed: ‘Wu Tang Wednesday’ w/ DJ Cros One. Fri: Flaggs.

Sat: ‘Booty Bassment’ w/ DJs Dimitri, Rob. Winstons, 1921 Bacon St, Ocean Beach. winstonsob.com. Wed: ‘Club Kingston’ w/ Revival, DJ Carlos Culture. Thu: Hillstomp, Homesick Hitchers. Fri: Pink Froyd.

Sat: C-Money and the Prayers Inc. Sun: Destructo Bunny. Mon: Electric Waste Band. Tue: Kinetix.

June 11, 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 33

Proud sponsor: Pacific Nature Tours

Ink Well Xwords by Ben Tausig

Across 1. Comic device used several times in “The Canterbury Tales” 5. Customs duty 11. “Always On Slightly Off” network 14. “The African Queen” screenwriter James 15. Common polar surface 16. It deorbited in March 2001 17. Dressing up like an Andean stimulant?

19. Sellout’s sign 20. President without a middle name 21. Radius site 22. D’Anjou relative 23. Suddenly paid attention 24. Like eyes looking skyward 26. Science that focuses on the sadness and romance of living things?

31. ___-CREF 34. Prefix with car or tour 35. Relevant, in law 36. Marc Maron podcast 37. Canonized patron of glass measuring cups?

40. “Go, old-timey baseball team!”

41. Inedible trimmings 43. Rowing need 44. Constellation named for a stringed instrument 45. Shiny and extremely heavy bird of prey?

49. ___ by Voices 50. Dark time 54. Prompted 55. Ending similar to -like 57. xkcd comic artist Randall 58. Coffee container 59. Garden hose at a pride parade?

Last week’s answers

61. Native American territory, in slang, with “the” 62. Beefed 63. Word of warning on a pinball machine 64. Org. with pat-downs 65. Starts 66. Small bills [alas, Ink Well ends 6/25/14 —sign up at avxword.com to get similar weekly puzzles]

Down 1.

2.

3.

4.

They’re totally reasonable Greek shopping center Create a director’s edition of, perhaps Squad for which LeBron James won a championship 5. “The Times ___ It” (popular Twitter account) 6. About thirty días 7. Title for conservative pizza magnate John Schnatter 8. Sensual massage technique 9. Red Lobster preparation 10. Mystery writer Josephine 11. “Pleeeease forgive me!”

12. Low, on the road 13. Swamp swimmer 18. War photographer Robert 22. Unlocked?

25. Cajole 27. Stroke 28. Psychosis-mimicking drug 29. Toys that return 30. Org. for Jewish boys 31. Rare bills 32. “Of course this would happen to ME” 33. “Disease” of abundance 37. Vehicle with smooth runners 38. Content of some on-stage battles 39. Come up with a wrong number 42. Staunch 44. Scamming 46. Resume doing business 47. Foul 48. “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is ___” 51. Wood patterning 52. According to ___ 53. Takes for a spin 54. Short 56. “Seriously, c’mon bro” 57. Forum leaders?

59. United hub on the West Coast, briefly 60. New year celebration involving orange trees

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

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