San Diego CityBeat • Aug 10, 2016 by San Diego CityBeat

2 · San Diego CityBeat · August 10, 2016

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August 10, 2016 · San Diego CityBeat · 3

UP FRONT | FROM THE EDITOR

Support of Trump could send Issa packing

haking your head while listening to a Donald Convention Center. Trump campaign speech is the new national “I wasn’t the one who linked my opponent to pastime. And after the Republican presiden- Donald Trump,” Applegate said. “That choice was tial candidate’s verbal meltdown over the made by Darrell Issa. I haven’t figured out yet what past two weeks, jumping off the GOP bandwagon his intent was for backing Donald Trump.” has become the latest exercise craze. What Applegate is sure of is that he and other Trump infamously disrespected the Gold Star members of the armed forces are dumbfounded Khan family and criticized the still-grieving mother about Trump’s remarks regarding military issues. of a slain U.S. soldier. That led to his immediate drop (Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is part of the in the polls and made the bombastic Trump an obvi- 49th District.) ous anchor around the necks of other politicians in “Even before Donald Trump’s comments on the the party—nationally and locally. Khan family, he had repeatedly and directly said he San Diego GOP members running as candidates in was going to violate U.S. and international law and races for city council, county supervisor and city at- the Geneva Convention,” Applegate said. “I consider torney have kicked him to the curb. Our Republican him unfit to serve as the commander in chief. What mayor has not endorsed Trump, and he’s said over the past two weeks APPLEGATEFORCONGRESS.COM neither has the local head of the party. only confirms that.” Rep. Darrell Issa, though, is a The “cherry on the top,” acprominent member of Congress still cording to Applegate, was Trump’s wearing the Trump anchor necklace. tweets about the Purple Heart—a Elected to office in 2001, the Republimilitary medal bestowed on those can from Vista previously sailed to reinjured in battle—that he accepted election seven times. After endorsing from a veteran. Trump he finished first in the June “I always wanted one of these,” primary for the 49th District—but was Trump’s comment. with just a 50.8 to 45.5 percent mar“Nobody wants a Purple Heart,” gin of victory over rookie Democratic Applegate said. “Anybody who candidate Douglas Applegate. Those wants a Purple Heart, I would questwo face off again in the November Doug Applegate tion their sanity. It’s something general election. earned and rewarded. To say you Wait—who and what happened? Some see it as wanted one is a poor joke. How he treated that wishful thinking that one of the GOP’s most conser- award was completely disrespectful. Donald Trump vative lapdogs might exit the Washington Beltway. will never command the respect of the men and But Applegate—a retired Marine colonel with three women of the U.S. Armed Forces.” decades of experience as an infantry officer and a Applegate has started a petition to demand Issa Judge Advocate—is now getting national attention repudiate some of Trump’s comments. Posted at and lots more love from the Democratic National applegateforcongress.com, it reads: “Donald Trump Campaign Committee. has insulted women, immigrants, Muslims, and now Asked if he thought he’d fare so well in the pri- military families. Many Republicans...have conmary, Applegate pauses. He’s being interviewed by demned his insulting comments—but not Darrell phone from his car, on the way from San Clemente Issa, he’s still standing by Trump. Let’s #DumpDarrell. We can’t re-elect a man who is willing to supto a fundraising event in Rancho Santa Fe. “If I told you I did believe I’d do that well in the port Trump over military families.” Issa’s campaign couldn’t be reached for comment. primary you wouldn’t believe me,” he said. “I didn’t In the primary, Issa outspent Applegate $740,000 know what to expect. But the primary is a good indication people are looking for a different form of to $50,000. Issa still has nearly $4 million in his representation. Somebody who will listen with fair- campaign war chest, but a spokesperson reports Apness, equality and rule of law for everyone and in a plegate is now close to the $1 million mark. Polling shows that the 49th Congressional District is in play. transparent manner.” But the Trump Factor is what gets the media All thanks to Donald Trump. gaze. Issa, the wealthiest member of Congress, was —Ron Donoho an early endorser and gave a welcome speech at Write to rond@sdcitybeat.com Trump’s controversial May rally at the San Diego This issue of CityBeat has the burning intensity of three Michael Phelps death stares.

Volume 15 • Issue 1 EDITOR Ron Donoho MUSIC EDITOR Jeff Terich ARTS EDITOR Seth Combs WEB EDITOR Ryan Bradford ART DIRECTOR Carolyn Ramos STAFF WRITER Torrey Bailey COLUMNISTS Aaryn Belfer, Edwin Decker, Minda Honey, John R. Lamb, Alex Zaragoza

CONTRIBUTORS Matthew Baldwin, David L. Coddon, Beth Demmon, Andrew Dyer, Tiffany Fox, Michael A. Gardiner, Glenn Heath Jr., Peter Holslin, Jessica Johnson, Scott McDonald, Sebastian Montes, Jenny Montgomery, Susan Myrland, Michelle Poveda, Jim Ruland, Ben Salmon, Tom Siebert, Jen Van Tieghem, Amy Wallen EDITORIAL INTERNS Duncan Moore, Chloe Salsameda

SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Jason Noble ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Beau Odom Mark Schreiber Jenny Tormey ACCOUNTING Kacie Cobian, Sharon Huie Linda Lam HUMAN RESOURCES Andrea Baker VICE PRESIDENT OF FINANCE Kacie Sturek

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San Diego CityBeat is published and distributed every Wednesday by Southland Publishing Inc., free of charge but limited to one per reader. Reproduction of any material in this or any other issue is prohibited without written permission from the publisher and the author. Contents copyright 2016.

4 · San Diego CityBeat · August 10, 2016

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August 10, 2016 · San Diego CityBeat · 5

UP FRONT | LETTERS

CHARGERS SET THE FIRE

I am a San Diego sports fan, and I love my Chargers, but I could not agree with you more on your portrayal of the Spanos regime [“San Diego: Like Bosa, beware of Chargers,” Aug. 3]. I remember the ticket guarantee during an era when the team was a losing joke of a franchise. I remember the team firing a coach after a 14-2 season. I remember the team when they showed no loyalty to guys like Junior Seau, Rodney Harrison and LaDanian Tomlinson. And I remember 2015, when they set fire to the relationship with this city—after 52 years—in order to build a glossy dump on a landfill in Carson. That idea was voted down by NFL owners. And now the Spanos oligarchs state they wanted to stay; that being in San Diego was priority one from the start. We need to set a precedent for the rest of this country. The NFL is not that important. And if an owner needs tax subsidies to pay for a crib most of us can’t afford admission to, then the wannabes should sell to a truly rich, progressive tech guy like Mark Cuban. Also, pay Bosa his freaking bonus so I can see a great edge rusher in San Diego for at least one season.

Kenny Carl Anderson, San Diego

show up. The only first-round draft pick unsigned...ummm, that is on him. Quit writing and perpetuating an America where the person with money is always the bad guy, no matter what, please!

Voice O Reason, via sdcitybeat.com

HITTING THE HEIGHTS

I have lived in University Heights 15 years. I was not around when this author visited for this story but in talking with several friends who were around, and I know most of the people in the article, this piece is fabricated [“Neighborhood Watch: University Heights,” Aug. 3]. Quotes are assigned to people who did not say what was quoted. Items were cherry picked and reordered to make the article, and I assume the author, edgy and cool. It didn’t work. You don’t know this community of artists, businesses and business owners, attorneys and nerds that create a truly unique environment. This article is crap. I invite the author to come spend an evening with me, and my neighbors, and then write an honest piece.

Martin Green, via sdcitybeat.com

BLAME BOSA

I am embarrassed for you linking these two things [“San Diego: Like Bosa, beware of Chargers,” Aug. 3]. Why reporters think that suddenly rich people cannot have conviction and (gasp) scruples is beyond me. Bosa wants to double-dip with offset language adjustments. That creates an incentive for negative behavior, period. As for bonus timing...he will get all his money. He is seriously staying away from his teammates and getting better just so he can get more millions sooner. Money he will get regardless. This has nothing to do with the stadium. The Chargers are trying to be consistent with players, is that so wrong? As for the stadium, you can argue whatever you want for or against, but please don’t suggest that somehow being shrewd or “prudent” is negative. It’s clear you are simply reaching with this article to back an opinion on the stadium and not actually reporting fairly on that Bosa situation. Its simple, Bosa will get paid for his contract. He needs to

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WE WANT FEEDBACK Did you read a story in San Diego CityBeat that made your skin itch, or caused you to laugh so hard you sneezed milk out of your nose? If something inspires you to send us your two cents we welcome all letters that respond to news stories, opinion pieces or reviews that have run in these pages. We don’t accept unsolicited oped letters. Email letters to editor Ron Donoho at rond@sdcitybeat.com, or mail to 3047 University Ave., Suite 202, San Diego, CA 92104. For letters to be considered for publication you must include your first and last name and the part of town where you reside. Note: All comments left on stories at sdcitybeat.com will also be considered for publication.

TABLE OF CONTENTS UP FRONT From the Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Letters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Spin Cycle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Sordid Tales. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Floating Library. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

THINGS TO DO Short List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Calendar of Events. . . . . . . . 16-18 COURTESY OF GALAXY TACO

Page 19

FOOD & DRINK FEATURE: Last Meals. . . . . 19-23 FEATURE: Ethnic Eats. . . . . . . . 29 The World Fare. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 The Beerdist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Bottle Rocket. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

ARTS & CULTURE Theater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Seen Local . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 There She Goz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Films . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38-40

MUSIC FEATURE: Record sales blues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Notes from the Smoking Patio. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 If I Were U . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Concerts & Clubs . . . . . . . . 46-48

LAST WORDS In The Weeds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

ON THE

COVER The cover illustration of a last meal—enhanced by selections from local menus (page 19)—was created by art director Carolyn Ramos.

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UP FRONT | NEWS DAY DONALDSON / FLICKR

Plastics industry double bags November ballot Environmentalists back Prop 67, frown on Prop 65 by Torrey Bailey

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Prop 67 would ban plastic bags statewide. better than plastic from a lifespan standpoint, the 10-cent fee does work as an incentive in order to motivate people to bring their own reusable bag,” Kube said. Secondly, the tax buffers the financial burden on grocers who now have to provide paper bags, which cost about 10 cents, whereas plastic bags cost a penny. Under Prop 67, grocers keep the tax to cover that cost. Most plastic bag bans, including California’s referendum and San Diego’s ordinance, also require that grocers provide free paper bags for shoppers who qualify for government food assistance like CalFresh (previously known as food stamps). This adds an additional expenditure for grocers, which was damaging in San Francisco. “Based on the California Grocers Association, San Francisco grocers were losing about 60 thousand dollars a year because of the increased expense because of their paper bag cost,” said Kube. In directing the tax to an environmental fund, grocers all over California would suffer similarly, which would garner a snowball effect of dissatisfaction for the bag ban. “Prop 65 really is a cynical ploy brought about by the plastics industry to either confuse voters, frustrate grocers or divide the grocers and the environmental community on this,” Kube said. “It’s also a distraction to confuse voters from the larger issue of supporting Prop 67 and upholding California’s landmark single-use bag law.” Some politicians argued that cities should wait until November ballots are cast on the issue to keep from layering up on state and city regulations. Since San Diego already has an ordinance on the way, the statewide plastic bag ban would have a minimal effect on the city, other than bumping up the implementation date. Given that the ordinance is approved on its second read, largescale grocery stores would have a grace period that lasts until about February, while smaller businesses would have until September 2017 to adjust. If the state initiative passes in November and the ban becomes effective immediately— which is currently up for debate—it would force all grocers

to comply sooner. Although an earlier start date is beneficial from an environmental standpoint, Kube said it makes the transition more challenging for grocers. The Oceanside City Council is scheduled to vote on a ban August 10. City Councilmember Esther Sanchez said the ordinance mimics the statewide ban as closely as possible to help ease the transition. “We’re all looking forward to a positive vote,” Sanchez said. She plans to approve the ordinance alongside Mayor Jim Wood and Deputy Mayor Chuck Lowery, who initially presented it. “Why wait for Californians to decide for Oceanside,” Kube said. “Oceanside’s mayor and council can decide and they should.” However, they do expect opposition from the two other council members, citing philosophical differences. “There are some people who, no matter what it is, don’t like a government mandate telling people what to do, no matter the benefits for society as a whole,” Kube said. “In their eyes, they’re interfering with business, but this law has business’ support. It’s not often that you get the environment and business communities on the same page on an environmental issue and here we do.” There are a few plastic bags that are exempt from city and state regulations. Grocery stores will still provide the handleless plastic bags used for loose produce and meat. Basically, the shopping experience will remain unchanged until checkout. “People who don’t want the inconvenience of bringing a recyclable bag or using it for their dog, it’s an example of how our society thinks it needs everything now,” said Kube. “It’s that mentality about convenience that has gotten us into this situation of plastic pollution in the first place.”

“

Prop 65 really is a cynical ploy brought about by the plastics industry to either confuse voters, frustrate grocers or divide the grocers and the environmental community on this.

“

AST MONTH, SAN DIEGO became the 150th city in the state to ban single-use plastic bags. Passage of a bag ban by the city council was viewed as a long overdue achievement; Solana Beach was the first in the county to pick up the trend back in 2012. But hang on. In November, all Californians will vote on two plastic bagrelated propositions that will affect all cities, regardless of whether they already have an ordinance in place. The single-use plastic bag ban will appear on the ballot as Proposition 67, a referendum that was supported by nearly 60 percent of potential voters in 2014, according to a study by USC and the Los Angeles Times. Like the new city ordinance, the law would disallow grocers from providing single-use plastic bags at the checkout counter. Instead, reusable bags would be encouraged and available for purchase, and paper bags would be sold for a minimum of 10 cents each. The ban should have been enacted in 2014 when Governor Jerry Brown signed Senate Bill 270 into law. But the effort was negated by the plastics industry, which organized under the American Progressive Bag Alliance. The APBA paid to acquire enough petition signatures to postpone the ban until it received voter approval, which allowed the plastics industry to profit during those intermediary months. “They were in a position where they were about to lose $200 million if the law went into effect as it should have,” said Roger Kube, former chair of the Surfrider Foundation’s San Diego Chapter. “So they were able to spend 3 million bucks to profit about another 200 million in the meantime of the 22-month delay.” During the months that will lead up to the election, Kube expects the APBA to continue to pour millions more into skewing public opinion. Cue Proposition 65, an initiative on the November ballot that was funded by the APBA. Prop 65, also known as the Environmental Fee Protection Act, would divert the 10 cents paid for paper bags “into a special fund administered by the Wildlife Conservation Board to support specified categories of environmental projects,” according to the California Secretary of State’s website. In a recent press release, APBA Executive Director Lee Califf argued that the plastic ban has “never been about protecting the environment…This measure gives voters the opportunity to make sure that any state-mandated fee will go to environmental causes.” Although this initiative sounds rational on the surface, the East Bay Times called it “one of the most disingenuous ballot measures in state history.” The California Grocers Association, Surfrider Foundation and other key environmental groups oppose Prop 65 because, while possibly helping the environment, it would undermine the purpose of the paper bag tax. The 10-cent paper bag charge has two functions. One is to deter shoppers from switching from plastic to paper bags, which happened when San Francisco first spearheaded the movement in 2008. Once the ordinance was amended to include the tax, the city saw an overall reduction in all single-use bags. This was further exemplified in Los Angeles, which saw a 90-percent decline of plastic and paper bag sales after the ban’s implementation. “Even though the requirements of the paper bag include a certain percentage of recycled content, and they’re

(Part of a series of stories delving into the multitudinous number of propositions that will appear on the Nov. 8 California ballot.)

August 10, 2016 · San Diego CityBeat · 9

UP FRONT | OPINION

SPIN

CYCLE

JOHN R. LAMB

Civil-rights advocates pan police video release policy You want results, not rhetoric. You want action, not promises.

—Michael Bloomberg

auging by coverage from local mainstream media, it appeared that local law enforcement last week ripped back the curtain of uncertainty by vowing to make public the footage from body cameras captured during officer-involved shootings. “We will show the video no matter what,” District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis emphatically told a KUSI reporter last Wednesday. “If it’s flattering to the officers, that’s well and good. If it’s not flattering, we’re still going to show it.” A San Diego Union-Tribune story about the unveiling by Dumanis and San Diego Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman of the long-

awaited written policy suggested that public input from “attorneys, community members, elected officials and representatives from civil rights and media organizations” had played a vital role in developing what county Assistant Sheriff Mike Barnett described as a “collaborative policy” that “strikes a balance between the public’s desire to know and the due process everyone is entitled to when an officer-involved shooting occurs.” Spin Cycle won’t quibble with the assistant sheriff’s use of the word desire when he certainly meant the taxpaying public’s unequivocal right to know. But if this exercise represented a “collaborative” effort, that’s news to local civil-rights advocates. “It’s an acknowledgement that there is a need for transparency, so that’s great,” said Christie Hill, se-

10 · San Diego CityBeat · August 10, 2016

nior policy strategist for the local American Civil Liberties Union. “But a lot of the comments [from the public] do not appear to have been incorporated into the policy.” Added Hill: “We just want them to push further in the scope of the policy and how quickly they’re releasing information and what that information is so that it really does serve the goals of transparency and accountability.” Back in December, a spokesperson for Dumanis told the local NBC affiliate that his boss “misspoke” when she listed only law enforcement representatives from her office, the U.S. Attorney’s office and the county Sheriffs Department on the working group developing the new policy. At the time, local criminal defense attorney Michael Crowley blasted the exclusion of community members, including, as NBC reported, “outside attorneys and perhaps a journalist.” “It’s strictly law enforcement,” Crowley told NBC then. The December story ends with a Dumanis spokesperson saying the district attorney would “talk with defense attorneys and the ACLU about their potential involvement with the group.” From the ACLU’s perspective, that never happened. “We were not part of the working group,”

JOHN R. LAMB

District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis and San Diego Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman remain blurry about the release of police body-camera videos. Hill said. “We had one meeting nesses and “the person shot” and where we were asked for our gen- editing out all but “those portions eral stance on body cameras, but of the video related to the DA’s dewe didn’t get to comment on a cision of whether or not a crime specific draft policy.” has been committed.” And rather Hill said her organization than simply releasing the video, heard about the written policy the DA will “make a public stateat the same time the media were ment” in order “to provide approalerted last week. When Spin priate and important context.” Cycle asked the DA’s office for a Michael Marrinan, a local attorroster of participating commu- ney who specializes in police misnity members and organizations, a conduct, called it “unnecessary and spokeswoman replied tersely, “We inappropriate” to hold off releasing don’t have a list of that…Sorry.” the video until the DA review is The two-page policy “adden- completed, a process that he says dum” appeared on the letterhead can take a bewildering six months of the “San Diego County Police or more. “Why it takes that long I Chiefs’ & Sheriff’s Association,” don’t know, but saying that none of whose offices appear situated this video would ever be released wherever its current president is sooner than six months after an inemployed—in this case, the office of cident, that’s unacceptable.” Escondido Police Chief Craig CartBut Marrinan saved his fiercer. The association held two town est objection for the “public statehalls in May to gather public input. ment” clause. “The idea that the In the UT story, Carter trum- DA’s office would be releasing the peted his association’s efforts as video and advocating a position “likely the first such policy in the for or against law enforcement, country where an entire county for or against the victim, is inaphas agreed to an officer-involved propriate,” he said. “The public shooting video release protocol.” should make its decision itself.” But Crowley on Monday had a He gave as an example the different take. “Basically, this is just shooting of Fridoon Nehad, the about lining up law enforcement, unarmed man shot to death by getting them on the same page,” he San Diego police officer Neal said. “If we take to its logical con- Browder in the Midway district clusion what law enforcement is last year. Attorneys for the famsaying, the public is too stupid and ily suing the city in federal court can’t be trusted to view this foot- over the shooting sought a change age, and it will lead to riots.” of venue—unsuccessfully—based Yes, there are caveats—Grand on comments made by Dumanis Canyon-sized caveats, in fact. in a November press conference. Body-cam footage won’t be reAt first opposed to releasing leased if criminal charges are video of the incident, Dumanis filed (“video would likely become relented at the time but “sought public when it’s entered into evi- to convict Fridoon, and exonerdence” during a trial, the policy ate Browder, in the court of public notes). And while the policy states opinion,” the legal motion stated. that “it should be the practice in For the ACLU’s Hill, it’s a posimost situations to release video tive that a written policy now exin officer-involved shooting cases ists. Whether law enforcement is whenever possible, as soon as it’s willing to improve it—including appropriate to do so,” that won’t expansion to cover other non-lehappen until the DA’s office has thal uses of force—will determine completed its review and reported whether transparency and acits findings to the agency involved. countability remain fuzzy goals. Law enforcement also reserves the right to alter the videos by Spin Cycle appears every week. blurring the faces of officers, wit- Write to johnl@sdcitybeat.com.

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August 10, 2016 · San Diego CityBeat · 11

UP FRONT | OPINION

EDWIN DECKER

SORDID

TALES

Avoiding the draft a smart move by Trump

he news that Donald Trump received a medical deferment exempting him from the Vietnam War draft is causing quite a problem for his campaign. The coveted 1-Y selective service deferment was for heel spurs— the news of which caused a whole lot of eyes to simultaneously roll. Not to ape the rhetoric of Don Trump, but I hear people say that his father, Fred Trump, used his wealth and status to get his son that 1-Y. I heard that the doctor was paid off to write the letter. I heard the director of the draft board owed Fred a favor. And I heard that every morning for breakfast Donald Trump feeds on the toes of little Mexican babies—a delicacy where he comes from. Of course, it’s not me saying these things. What I will say how-

ever is this: Even if it’s true that Trump lied about having bone spurs, and/or abused his rich kid privilege, and/or is a straight up coward who did everything he could to avoid serving his country—it doesn’t mean he’s not qualified to be president. First of all, I don’t believe avoiding war is necessarily an act of cowardice. It’s more like an act of sanity akin to not drinking bleach, not poking grizzly bears and not picking up hitchhikers with severed limbs protruding from the tops of their bloody backpacks. I mean, this ain’t a one-blade rumble between the Jets and the Sharks we’re talking about. We’re talking about The Second Indochina War—an enormous, churning, smoking meat grinder in the middle of an unforgiving jungle on the

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other end of the globe. We’re talking about having to slog for days through leech-infested marshes, the skin peeling away from your foot bones while you search for more Viet Cong to ambush you. Forget the mosquitos and the gnats, it was the flying fragments of your buddy’s brain you had to mind, and your own of course, or that of some little boy you had to cap because it wasn’t clear if he was an innocent child looking for his doggie or a suicide assassin with a shitstorm in his tunic. I’m sorry, but if I was of the draft age at that time, you’re damn straight I would have developed heel spurs. My heel spurs would be the greatest spurs ever! My spurs would beat the crap out of all the other spu…, “um, what’s that Doc? Bone spurs ain’t enough to get a deferment? Well then maybe a case of sudden onset hysterical blindness will do the trick. Because my sudden onset hysterical blindness will make everyone else’s sudden-onset hysterical blindness seem more like a mild nearsightedness that developed gradually and calmly. “Still not enough? Oh well, Doc. Can’t blame a guy for trying. I guess I’ll be on my way. I’ll just get up out of this chair and—uh oh. My

legs won’t move! My legs! My legs! Why can’t I move my legs!?” I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking, But Ed—Donald Trump used his privilege to avoid serving his country while the poor, middle class and minorities received no such favor. First of all, fuck “serving my country.” If My Country wants to be “serviced” by forcing me into a bloody jungle debacle while it sits in front of the TV to watch people shoot at me, My Country can eat a hot bowl of twat worms. Secondly, so what? The fact that Trump used his wealth to get out of the war is the fault of the system, not Trump. Think about it. If you were of the draft age in 1969, and your family’s status provided an out, wouldn’t you take it? “Hey son, quick question before my lunch with Nixon today. Would you rather attend college where you can drink beer, play sports and bang chicks, or would you prefer to go to Vietnam and take a mortar shell in the face?” In 1973, shortly after the Vietnam War ended, selective service was terminated. But in the late ’70s, the Cold War began ramping up again. It was called The Second Cold War and, according to Wikipedia, it was “a period of intensive

reawakening of [U.S. and Soviet] tensions…” And boy was it intense! We were on the brink of nuclear war and most everyone was terrified. The only reason I got any sleep in those days was knowing that if the Okroshka ever hit the poklonnik, at least I wouldn’t be drafted. But on July 2, 1980, exactly two months after my 18th birthday, Carter reinstated the goddamn draft. I remember walking down to the post office to register. It was a beautiful, sunny day, but to me it seemed drab and heavy, as if I was descending into my own tomb. “There is no way I won’t get shot on the first day!” I thought as I slowly walked toward what I thought was the beginning of the end of my life. Fortunately the Cold War never thawed. But if I had been drafted, hell yeah, I would have tried to weasel out of it. I guess that makes me a coward like Trump. Fine. I’d rather a coward for president than some gung-ho, war hero type. I want a President that is terrified enough by war to give a wide berth. Indeed, there are a hundred reasons why I will never vote for Donald Trump, but the fact that he tried like allfuck to get out of Vietnam is one reason that I would.

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August 10, 2016 · San Diego CityBeat · 13

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UP FRONT | BOOKS

THE FLOATING

BY JIM RULAND

LIBRARY Modernism’s master of disquiet

recently returned from a visit to Lisbon, the capital of Portugal and one of the oldest cities in the world. It’s a beautiful, modern city with much to recommend: mild weather, friendly people and great cuisine. Visitors to Lisbon encounter a series of images that celebrate the city’s culture over and over again: trolley cars, sardines and a bespectacled figure with a mustache and a hat who looks like a cross between Charlie Chaplin and James Joyce. This is Portugal’s great poet Fernando Pessoa. Fernando who? That’s a question that has dogged scholars and critics since Pessoa’s passing in 1935. Although Pessoa is beloved in Lisbon he is largely unread outside of it. While there’s a great deal that is known about the writer, there is even more that remains shrouded in mystery. Following the death of his father when he was five, Pessoa moved to South Africa where he became fluent in English and gained an appreciation for English literature. Upon his return to Portugal ten years later, he entered literary life as an essayist, poet and translator and helped launched the short-lived literary magazine, Orpheu, which was years ahead of its time and brought Modernism to Portugal. But Pessoa’s literary work didn’t pay the bills and for the rest of his relatively short life he worked for various business concerns in downtown Lisbon as an accountant, clerk and translator. When he died he was an alcoholic and close to penniless and had published just one book of poetry, Mensagem, in his native tongue. So how did an unknown poet become synonymous with a city the way that James Joyce embodies Dublin and Raymond Chandler animates Los Angeles? When Pessoa died he left behind a massive trunk that contained more than 25,000 pages of various manuscripts that has produced some fascinating discoveries. Pessoa (whose name in English means “people”) employed scores of heteronyms for his work. He didn’t just make up pseudonyms: He invented identities who wrote in distinct styles. For instance, Alberto Caeiro was a poet who authored a number of books and held views that sharply contrasted with Pessoa’s, Ricardo Reis was a poet and a critic who specialized in the

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work of Alberto Caeiro, and Bernardo Soares was a prose writer whose moody meditations on daily life in Lisbon were posthumously collected under the title of The Book of Disquiet: “After the last of the rain had fallen from the sky and come to earth—leaving the sky clear and the earth damp and gleaming—the world below grew joyful in the cool left by the rain, and the greater clarity of life that returned with the blue of the heavens furnished each soul with its own sky, each heart with a new freshness.” With lines like that it’s easy to see how Soares/Pessoa captured the hearts of minds of Lisboans. Here was a man who walked the same streets and marveled at the same stars, returning to his humble apartment to pen his thoughts without hope of seeing them published only to return to work the next day to do it all over again. But his message was not always so uplifting. “Everything is us and we are everything, but what is the point if everything is nothing? A ray of sun, a cloud whose own sudden shadow warns of its coming, a breeze getting up, the silence that follows when it drops, certain faces, some voices, the easy smiles as they talk, and then the night into which emerge, meaningless, the broken hieroglyphs of the stars.” While sifting through the dozens of disparate personas that both populate and author the pages of Pessoa’s trunk has been a challenge for scholars, it continues to produce surprises. In 1992, Pessoa’s guidebook for Lisbon, What the Tourist Should See, due to Lisbon’s great character, remains a popular and useful guide—even though it was unpublished during his lifetime. Pessoa was also interested in the occult. He translated a number of theosophist texts, cultivated a relationship with Aleister Crowley, and composed meticulously thorough astrological charts for select friends and even his heteronyms, which prompts an interesting question: did Pessoa believe he was channeling Caeiro, Reis and Soares when he was composing their poetry and prose? When Walt Whitman famously wrote, “I contain multitudes” in Song of Myself, he was speaking metaphorically. But Fernando Pessoa, Lisbon’s everyman, truly did contain a multitude of personas, and you don’t have to go all the way to Portugal to discover them. Write to jimr@sdcitybeat.com.

August 10, 2016 · San Diego CityBeat · 15

SHORTlist

EVENTS

ART

the

THREE YOU HAVE TO SEE

COORDINATED BY

SETH COMBS

BARRIO LOGAN

DESIGNING MINDS

one at Tecture has an official title. “You can really see how the fabrication process works.” For nearly five years, Tecture has been at Tecture reached out to its friends and colleagues the cutting edge of local design and fab- for the Expose and have lined up an impressive rication. The Barrio Logan who’s-who list of exhibibased company (they prefer tors, such as homeware creto be known as a collective) ators Helvey Design Studio, has an extensive and vareyeglass designers Knotty ied list of clients, including Woods and wire artist George’s at the Cove and Spenser Little. There will be Kettner Exchange, as well more than a dozen pieces to as big guns such as Qualperuse inside Tecture’s huge comm and the San Diego space, which also includes a International Airport. large fabrication studio. Even with its growing “The materials used and impressive resume, are going to be all over Tecture’s nine members are the place,” Guarino says. still artists at heart, which “There’s another artist is what makes the inauguwho is working with glass. ral NEWDesign Expose There will be a lot of wood particularly exciting. When and steel. I’m very excited it comes to tangible design, about [architect] Miki Iwamost folks are used to seesaki’s piece, and there’s two ing the finished design or pieces that will actually be product and not so much suspended from the ceiling.” the fabrication and planThe NEWDesign Expose Tecture’s piece for NEWDesign Expose ning process. takes place on Saturday, “The overall theme of the show is ‘nude.’ New, Aug. 13, during the Barrio Art Crawl from 6 to 11 nude and exposed so everyone’s work hasn’t been p.m. The Tecture studio is located at 1861 Main shown before and is also bare. It celebrates the Street in Suite B. The night also includes light bites, material and the connection to the material,” says the That’s What Cheese Said food truck and a TecTecture’s Brittany Guarino, who works in market- ture-designed portable art cart serving up Jägering and design, but is quick to point out that no meister and cocktails. tectureinc.com

HILLCREST

BALBOA PARK

HOT IN THE CITY

From music festivals to Pokemon hunting, San Diego has a plethora of outdoor activities to choose from during the summer. Still, we’d be hard-pressed to think of an event that packs as much entertainment per block as the annual Cityfest, taking place on Sunday, Aug. 14. In its 32nd year, this Hillcrest festival features hundreds of artists, an international food court, a kids’ zone, carnival rides and, of course, a beer garden. Starting at noon, the main stage will showcase a variety of local musicians, including AJ Froman, Rip Carson, The Paper Days and more. Getting a good night’s sleep on Sunday not your thing? After sundown the intersection of University and Fifth turns into an all-ages dance party, hosted by local Hillcrest DJs until 10:30 p.m. Admission is free. fabuloushillcrest.com SD PIX

Cityfest

16 · San Diego CityBeat · August 10, 2016

UNDEREXPOSED

As seen at the 2016 Oscars, popular film raises dust about excluding minorities. In the art world, David Quintanilla argues gay men of color are particularly marginalized. In his new photographic exhibit, Redemption, he puts such men in the spotlight. Photographing them in scenes that often include nudity, Quintanilla draws attention to the way their idealistic physiques continue to escape status quo idealism. The shots also convey the exclusion gay men of color feel from religion and conservative culture and their personal struggle to overcome it. The exhibit will be COURTESY OF THE ARTIST welcomed into the Museum of Photographic Arts (1649 El Prado) with a wine reception on Thursday, Aug. 11, at 7 p.m. and it will stay on display until Sunday, Aug. 14. Entry is free for MOPA members and up to $8 for general admission. elevatevisualart.com “Uncovered” by David Quintanilla

HRedemption at Museum of Photographic Arts, 1649 El Prado, Balboa Park. New photographic works of the naked male form from David Quintanilla, whose work attempts to draw attention to the way men’s physiques continue to escape status quo idealism. Opening from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 11. Free-$8. 619238-8777, elevatevisualart.com HImmortalized: Sometimes Beauty Never Fades at ArtHatch, 317 E. Grande Ave., Escondido. The sixth annual art exhibit devoted to hot rods and custom cars features an art auction charity benefit with proceeds going to art scholarships for Palomar College students. Artists include Victor Roman, Aja Kusick, Nicole Wasza and more. Opening from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 12. Free. 760-781-5779, arthatch.org New Angles at Imperial Grounds Coffee, 2920 Imperial Ave., Logan Heights. A Viz Cult artist showcase that features new works from Jason Gould and Kurznachzehn of Visual SD. Opening from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 12. Free. 619518-2378, facebook.com/viz.cult Local Color at Escondido Municipal Gallery, 262 E. Grand Ave., Escondido. An exhibition with art by and about veterans, giving them the opportunity to tell their story, heal their wounds and connect to their community. Opening from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 13. Free. 760-4804101, escondidoarts.org HNEWDesign Expose at Tecture Design and Fabrication, 1861 Main St. Suite B, Barrio Logan. A show dedicated to the fabrication and planning process of varying forms of design including woodworking, wire and metal. Exhibitors include Helvey Design Studio, Knotty Woods, Spenser Little and more. Opening from 6 to 11 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 13. Free. 619831-0325, tectureinc.com HRare Specimens at CM Curatorial and BASILE I.E., 2070 Logan Ave., Barrio Logan. New works by local pop-surrealist painter Matt Stallings, who is known for poking fun at our cult of personality obsessions and pop culture at large. Opening from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 13. Free. 858-361-9052, basile-ie.com HStrange Calculus at CM Curatorial and BASILE I.E., 2070 Logan Ave., Barrio Logan. The imagined landscapes and fantastic worlds of San Diego surrealist Matt Forderer. Opening from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 13. Free. 858-361-9052, basile-ie.com HThe Museum of Metropolitan Art at Quint Projects, 5171 B Santa Fe St., Bay Park. A collaborative installation by San Diego artists Jean Lowe and Kim MacConnel inspired by and satirizing the European painting galleries at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Opening from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 13. Free. 858-454-3409, quintgallery.com Wonderlust: Exploring the Miraculous at L Street Fine Art, 628 L St., East Village. A new exhibition featuring Sidney Wildesmith’s paintings from his residency at seven national parks, honoring the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service. Opening from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 13. Free. 760-492-2876, omnihotels.com/ hotels/san-diego/property-details/l-street HWorks of Wisdom at Thumbprint Gallery, 920 Kline St., #104, La Jolla. New scholarly works from dozens of local artists including Andrew McNamara, Chris Rosa, Leegan, Somaramos and more. Opening from 5 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 13. Free. thumbprintgallerysd.com HA Tiny World of Green and Gold at Space 4 Art, 325 15th St., East Village. This new exhibition from sculptor Sara

H = CityBeat picks

Parent-Ramos explores the elusive world of the bacteria thriving inside and outside us. Opening from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 14. Free. saraparentramos.com Art in the Village at Carlsbad Village, Grand Ave, This art event celebrates its 18th year by bringing together over 100 local and regional fine artists and crafters for a one-day, open-air, juried art show. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 14. Free. carlsbad-village.com Radius at Basic, 410 10th Ave., Downtown. A group art show featuring Matthew Agcolicol, Neddiep and friends with music by FeeLit Recordz and MARKALAN. Opening from 7 to 11 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 16. Free. 619-531-8869, facebook.com/viz.cult HSketchparty San Diego Art Show at La Bodega Studios and Gallery, 2196 Logan Ave., Barrio Logan. The inaugural show will feature over 100 works of art created at the Sketchparty SD events held at the Whistle Stop. A portion of the proceeds benefit A.R.T.S. - A Reason to Survive. Opening from 6 to 10 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 16. Free. facebook.com/ events/865959146843621/

BOOKS HKaui Hart Hemmings at Warwick’s Bookstore, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. The bestselling author of The Descendants will discuss and sign her new novel, How to Party with an Infant, the story of a quirky single mom in San Francisco. At 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 10. Free. 858-4540347, warwicks.com HRenée Carlino at Warwick’s Bookstore, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. The bestselling author will sign and discuss her latest novel, Swear on this Life, about a UCSD professor who is forced to confront her past after reading a novel from a mysterious writer. At 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 11. Free. 858-454-0347, warwicks.com HElizabeth Marro at Women’s Museum of California, 2730 Historic Decatur Road, Barracks 16, Point Loma. The local author will sign and discuss her debut novel, Casualties, about a mother coping with her son’s recent return home from war. Price includes admission to the Museum and a complimentary refreshment. At 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 14. $5. 619-233-7963, womensmuseumca.org HWriters 2 Watch: Jill Hall at Central Library, 330 Park Blvd., East Village. The author of The Black Velvet Coat will discuss her book about a young artist in San Francisco struggling to land a show until being inspired by a magical thrift shop purchase. From 1 to 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 14. Free. 619-236-5800, sdfocl.org HDoreen Mattingly at Warwick’s Bookstore, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. The local writer will sign and discuss her new book, A Feminist in the White House, about feminist and activist Midge Costanza, the first female Assistant to the President for Public Liaison under Jimmy Carter. At 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 16. Free. 858-4540347, warwicks.com Elizabeth Cobbs at Warwick’s Bookstore, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. The local writer will be promoting her latest book, The Hamilton Affair, the true love story of Alexander Hamilton and Elizabeth Schuyle. At 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 17. Free. 858-454-0347, warwicks.com

COMEDY HComedy for a Cause at Green Flash Cellar 3, 12260 Crosthwaite Circle, Poway. Tommy Lucero hosts a night of comedy featuring Chris Neff, Michael Boris, and more. Includes chances to win raffle priz-

EVENTS CONTINUED ON PAGE 17 #SDCityBeat

THEATER JIM CARMODY

Roache) and a conflicted journalist (Jennifer Ikeda), will stick with you just as long. Guaranteed. Junk: The Golden Age of Debt runs through Aug. 21 at La Jolla Playhouse, UCSD campus. $20 and up; lajollaplayhouse.org *** ygnet Theatre in Old Town has kicked off its new season with what it calls its biggest production ever— two dozen performers and six musicians. The show is one of the all-time great American musicals, Gypsy, and Cygnet is worthy of it. Start with a no-holds-barred Mama Rose, Linda Libby, who played the same part a few years ago on the much-smaller ion theatre stage. Add a Louise-turnedGypsy who radiates body heat in Allison Spratt Pearce. And to bring the house down, you’ve got Marlene Montes, Kendra Truett and Marci Anne Wuebben as three burlesque strippers who, to paraphrase just one of Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim’s wonderful songs, got a gimmick. Yet as with any production of Gypsy, the proof is in the Mama Rose. Libby has the requisite nerve and verve, but it’s the vulnerability she brings to Act 2 that distinguishes her. Both Spratt Pearce and Manny Fernandes, as Rose’s frustrated beau Herbie, share some aching stage moments with her, when the complexity of these relationships is in focus. Gypsy: A Musical Fable runs through

C Annika Boras and Josh Cooke in Junk: The Golden Age of Debt

Junk is money

ou need not comprehend high finance or know what buying and selling “junk” is to be pretty much blown away by La Jolla Playhouse’s world premiere of Ayad Akhtar’s Junk: The Golden Age of Debt. (Yeah, the title sounds like an economics thesis.) The gifted playwright who gave us Disgraced (coming to the San Diego Rep in October) and The Who & The What (at the Playhouse in 2014) has written a smart, kinetic indictment of the greedy power-

es while supporting Feeding America San Diego. From 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 12. $10. 858-622-0085, greenflashbrew.com HSteve Martin and Martin Short at Harrah’s Resort SoCal, 777 Valley Center Rd, Valley Center. The two comedy legends and SNL vets take the stage together. Only soulless individuals wouldn’t find this funny. At 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 13. $85$225. 760-751-3100, harrahssocal.com

DANCE Maks & Val - Live on Tour at San Diego Civic Theatre, 1100 Third Ave., Downtown. Maksim and Valentin Chmerkovskiy, the sibling stars of ABC’s hit show Dancing with the Stars, stop by on their “Live On Tour: Our Way” tour. At 8 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 10. $45-$80. sandiegotheatres.org/maks-and-val-live-on-tour/ H[manhandled] at Diversionary Theatre, 4545 Park Blvd., University Heights. Renowned choreographer Michael Mizerany returns to the Diversionary stage with a provocative dance program from his Compulsion Dance & Theatre company. At 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 11, 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 12, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 13, and 7 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 14. $15-$35. 619-220-0097, diversionary.org Converging Lines at The Vine Theater at The Bernardo Winery, 13330 Paseo del Verano Norte, Rancho Bernardo. As part of Mojalet’s Summer Series, Dark Horse Dance Productions present three different shows filled with twists and turns as the choreographers explore their own interpretation of converging lines. At 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 13 and 2 and 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 14. $11-$16. 858-2431402, mojalet.com

brokers of the ’80s and their seductively conned empty promises. Tony winner Doug Hughes directs a simmering cast on a lit, tiered set reminiscent of the old Hollywood Squares, with shifts in scene and character changes flying fast and furiously. The central figure is junk bond trader Robert Merkin (Josh Cooke), who has a Lady Macbeth-ian wife (Annika Boras) and two savvy partners in crime (Matthew Rauch, Armando Riesco), all with a lot of dollar signs in their eyes. The characters in their periphery, including a tragic takeover target (Linus

Sept. 4 at the Old Town Theatre. $34-$62; cygnettheatre.com

—David L. Coddon

Theater reviews run weekly. Write to davidc@sdcitybeat.com.

OPENING: Airline Highway: A sordid collection of miscreants gather at a seedy New Orleans motel for the funeral of a friend who hasn’t died yet. Hijinks ensue. Written by Pulitzer finalist Lisa D’Amour, it opens in previews Aug. 10 at the Tenth Avenue Arts Center in Downtown. iontheatre.com Disney’s Beauty and the Beast: The musical production based on the movie about a grumpy hairball and the belle who loves him. Presented by Patio Playhouse, it opens Aug. 12 at the Kit Carson Park Amphitheatre in Escondido. patioplayhouse.com Love’s Labor’s Lost: Shakespeare’s comedy about a young king who becomes distracted from his studies when three French girls show up. Directed by Kathleen Marshall, it opens Aug. 14 at the Old Globe Theatre in Balboa Park. theoldglobe.org Suburban Showgirl: Palmer Davis’ one-woman show about a former Rockette looking back on her life to see where things may have gone awry. It opens for three performances Aug. 15 at the North Coast Repertory Theatre in Solana Beach. northcoastrep.org

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

La Jolla Shores Drive, La Jolla. An internationally themed, six-course meal with Chef Ingrid Funes. Partial proceeds will benefit the FAB Authority, a non-profit that supports emerging fashion, art and creative business entrepreneurs. From 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 10. $100. 858-4590261, fashionweeksd.com HChefs & Shakers Mash-Up at Lafayette Hotel, 2223 El Cajon Blvd., North Park. In celebration of CityBeat’s Food Issue, bartender and chef teams will come together to put forth one cohesive pairing using “pineapple” as their inspiration. From 7 to 10 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 11. $18-$30. 619-296-2101, sdcitybeat.com HLatin Food Fest at Embarcadero Marina Park North, 400 Kettner Blvd., Taste tapas-size dishes and drink samples from the region’s top Latin restaurants and purveyors of artisanal food and drinks. There will also be chef demonstrations, discussions and book signings. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 13 and Sunday, Aug. 14. Saturday, Aug. 13. $50-$130. latinfoodfest.com/event/grande-tasting/ HMira Mesa Festival of Beers at Mira Mesa Community Park, 8575 New Salem St., Mira Mesa. The fourth annual beer fest will have over 60 craft brews to sample as well as live music from The Routine and the Bill Magee Blues Band. Proceeds benefit the Mira Mesa Community Foundation. From 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 13. $42$50. 858-538-8122, miramesabeerfest.com HEncinitas Taste of MainStreet at Downtown Encinitas, South Coast Hwy 101 and Encinitas Blvd., Encinitas. The 28th annual city celebration offers samples of more than 30 local restaurants, as well as wine, beer, and live music. From 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 16. $35$45. encinitas101.com

FOOD & DRINK Culinary Couture at Hotel La Jolla, 7955

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EVENTS CONTINUED ON PAGE 18 August 10, 2016 · San Diego CityBeat · 17

EVENTS COURTESY OF THE ARTIST

EVENTS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17

HEALTH & WELLNESS North County Health and Wellness Fair at Oceanside Civic Center, 300 North Coast Highway, Oceanside. Booths from over 60 health related businesses, as well as free screenings and demonstrations for the public. From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 11. Free. oceansidechamber.com HYoga for Hope at Petco Park, Park & Imperial, Downtown. Join others in the yoga community at centerfield of Petco Park for a yoga session followed by music, shopping and food. Proceeds go to City of Hope’s research and integrative therapies to fight life-threatening illnesses. From 7 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 13. $35-$45. nationalevents.cityofhope.org

MUSIC Seth MacFarlane and The Great American Songbook at Embarcadero Marina Park South, 206 Marina Park Way, Downtown. The creator of Family Guy and Ted exhibits his vocal talents with his own interpretations of Great American Songbook hits. At 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 12 and Saturday, Aug, 13. $20-$85. 619686-6200, sandiegosymphony.com 311 and Matisyahu at Del Mar Racetrack, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd., Del Mar. The ‘90s rap-rock, eh, legends, who recently released their own line of vape pens, will play along with Jewish reggae singer Matisyahu as part of the Del Mar Summer Concert Series. From 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 13. $6-$20. 858755-1141, delmarracing.com HAruan Ortiz at Bread & Salt, 1955 Julian Ave., Logan Heights. The Cuban-born, New York-based pianist and composer has written music for jazz ensembles, orchestras, dance companies, chamber groups and feature films. At 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 14. $10-$15. freshsoundmusic.com HWhite Box Live Jazz at White Box Theater, 2690 Truxtun Road, Point Loma. San Diego Dance Theater presents a live jazz music series with different performers every week. This week’s performer is the Fred Benedetti Trio. From 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 14. $10-$30. 619-225-1803, whiteboxlivejazz.brownpapertickets.com/ Phases at Birch Aquarium, 2300 Expedition Way, La Jolla. The indie-pop band plays a show at the Birch Aquarium’s outdoor Tide-Pool Plaza as part of the Green Flash Concert Series. Ticket price includes aquarium admission. From 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 17. $35.95-$41.95. 858-534-FISH, aquarium. ucsd.edu

PERFORMANCE HAin’t Misbehavin: The Fats Waller Musical Show at California Center for the Arts, 340 North Escondido Blvd., Escondido. A musical tribute to jazz legend Fats Waller and his career during the Harlem Renaissance with songs like “Honeysuckle Rose” and “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love.” At 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 11, Friday, Aug. 12, 3 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 13, and 3 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 14. $35-$45. 760839-4190, artcenter.org The Book of Moron at North Coast Repertory Theatre, 987 Lomas Santa Fe Drive, Solana Beach. Robert Dubac’s offBroadway solo show combines stand-up and theatre for a show full of satirical attacks on the barriers of sex, race, religion, politics and the media. At 8 p.m. Thurs-

18 · San Diego CityBeat · August 10, 2016

“Putting Out the Fire with Gasoline (Bonnie Parker)” by Elena Karavodin will be on view at Immortalized: Sometimes Beauty Never Fades, a group exhibition opening from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 12, at ArtHatch (317 E. Grande Ave.) in Escondido. day, Aug. 11 and Saturday, Aug. 13, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 14. $32-$37. 858-481-1055, northcoastrep.org HDon Giovanni at Palisades Presbyterian Church, 6301 Birchwood St., Allied Gardens. Opera NEO presents Mozart’s opera about Don Juan, the legendary libertine, playboy and seducer. At 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 12 and Saturday, Aug. 13. $12-$45. 619-582-0852, operaneo.com

POETRY & SPOKEN WORD HNon Standard Lit Reading Series: Cynthia Arrieu-King and Adam Bishop at Gym Standard, 2903 El Cajon Blvd. #2, North Park. Readings from poet Cynthia Arrieu-King, whose works appear in jacket2 and The Volta, as well as local Adam Bishop who has appeared in Loveshovel Review, Tidepools, Weird Fiction Review, and Luminopolis. From 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 14. Free. 619-5014996, gymstandard.com

SPECIAL EVENTS HArtWalk at Liberty Station at NTC at Liberty Station, 2640 Historic Decatur Road, Point Loma. The 11th annual event will feature paintings, sculptures, jewelry and photography from more than 200 artists. There will also be live music, food trucks, and a wine and beer pavilion. From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 13 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 14. Free. 619-573-9300,artwalksandiego.org HFIGMENT San Diego at Chicano Park, Barrio Logan, Barrio Logan. An interactive art party and fair that is free and familyfriendly. Features crafts, games and tours led by some of the artists responsible for Chicano Park’s signature murals to educate people of all ages on the history of the park. From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 13. Free. sandiego.figmentproject.org Kickstarter Demo Day at 3rdSpace, 4610 Park Blvd., University Heights. This second annual event showcases nine companies that have successfully launched (or are about to launch) their products on crowdfunding websites such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo. At 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 13. Free. 619-255-3609, 3rdspace.co HCityFest at Neighborhood of Hillcrest, 5th and University Avenue, A celebration of community spirit under the iconic Hillcrest

sign on 5th and University Ave. There will be games, activities, over 250 vendors, live music, a beer garden and much more. From noon to 11 p.m. Sunday, August 14. Sunday, Aug. 14. Free. fabuloushillcrest. com/events/hillcrest-cityfest/ Paws on the Patio at House of Blues, 1055 Fifth Ave., Downtown. Come meet and greet with adoptable kittens and dogs from the San Diego Humane Society. From 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 17. Free. 619-299-BLUE, houseofblues. com/sandiego/pawsonthepatio

TALKS & DISCUSSIONS HTime, Mathematics, and the Mind of God at UCSD Calit2 Atkinson Hall Auditorium, Voigt Drive and Equality Lane. A panel discussion that will highlight personal perspectives from working scientists and leading science-fiction author Dr. David Brin regarding what science has to say about the biggest cosmic mysteries. At 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 10. Free. imagination. ucsd.edu HWeaving Movements: Linking Innovation with Inclusion at Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation, 404 Euclid Ave., Lincoln Park. Join The San Diego Foundation as civil rights icon Dolores Huerta shares her lifelong commitment to civic engagement. Includes an exclusive preview of Woman in Motion, a documentary about the life of Huerta premiering in 2017. From 5:30 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 10. Free. 619-527-6161, sdfoundation.org/events HCrossover at San Diego Comic Art Gallery, 2765 Truxtun Road, Barracks 3, Point Loma. Astrophysics experts and IDW Publishing comic book artists and writers will discuss the art and science of Star Trek and other space-related comics. Admission price includes two beer tickets. From 6:30 to 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 12. $15. 858-270-1315, rhfleet.org Community Stories: Conversations with Refugee Woman at Women’s Museum of California, 2730 Historic Decatur Road, Barracks 16, Point Loma. A monthly series of conversations about San Diego’s refugee population. An update on the situation of refugee women in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nepal will be presented. At 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 16. Free with RSVP. 619-233-7963, womens-

#SDCityBeat

August 10, 2016 · San Diego CityBeat · 19

My parents always suspected it might come to this. It just didn’t happen the way they thought. I mean, I’ve always had a bad track record with library books. And I’ve always been a political junkie. It’s the intersection of those two that have brought me to this juncture: my final meal. For years I’d managed to avoid the worst of the pitfalls of my library book problem. A relatively high income can cover up innumerable sins. And because I had the money to do so I bought the books I wanted instead of checking them out of the library (and, inevitably, failing to return them on time). But then Donald Trump happened and I just had to read The Art of the Deal. I mean, how could I not? But I’m a political junkie with a conscience. I was not about to put money in the pocket of that megalomaniacal narcissist. So I checked the book out of the library. And, at first, I was glad I did. There were all varieties of insight to be found in the book, just not the type Trump advertised. When I was done with the book and found myself faced with another crisis of conscience: Should I return it? Not returning it would be wrong. But returning it might mean someone other than an angry white male (because they don’t go to the library) might fall under his influence.

The book sat on my shelf. Then came the knock at the door. All that was left was for me to choose my last meal. For my appetizer I selected the Carrot Aguachile at Bracero Cocina de Raiz (1490 Kettner Blvd.) in Little Italy. Chef Javier Plascencia combines ahi tuna and scallops with ghost pepper and smoked steelhead trout roe. It’s an elevated play on a classic mariscos dish tied together by carrots two-ways: shaved and juiced. The later provides a sweet underpinning to the spicy, acidic sauce. While the Torres Alegre Cru Garage Nebbiolo might not be the best pairing for the carrot aguachile, it is one of my favorite wines on the face of the planet and it is, conveniently, on Bracero’s wine list. It will also be a terrific pairing for my entrée choice: the ricotta agnolotti—sunchokes, black garlic streusel, black truffle, panna and basil from TRUST Restaurant (3752 Park Blvd.) in Hillcrest. The truffles make a splash, of course, but a moment later it’s the subtlety of the pillowy stuffed pasta agnolotti that commands attention. Then you notice the umami richness of the black garlic streusel. With it being my last meal I won’t have time to wonder what just hit me. If I was going to be done for my childhood crime I was going to go out with an upscale take on a favorite childhood dessert: the Yodel from Juniper and Ivy (2228 Kettner Blvd.) in Little Italy. Rich-

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MICHAEL A. GARDINER

Carrot aguachile of callo de hacha, ahi and smoked trout roe ard Blais’ play on the classic junk food snack of chocolate wrapped devil’s food caked rolled with vanilla “cream,” takes every component up a notch with the filling—white chocolate mousse with hazelnut brittle—and the tableside pour of hot chocolate pushing it over the top. Capital punishment may be a pretty steep price to pay for not returning a library book, even that library book. But I’ve got this one last great meal to look forward to. I bet my parents didn’t predict that part of it.

—Michael A. Gardiner

Okay, I know how it looks, but I swear I am innocent. First off, that dude stabbed himself. I know, I know…but that mofo was crazy from the start. And is it my fault he fell into the vat of acid? Sure, those blue industrial bins in my bathroom weren’t sealed—but sometimes you just have to use common sense around industrial barrels, you know? It doesn’t matter if you’re running around like a bleeding, stabbed idiot—common sense is key.

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And would I really wear his bones like a post-apocalyptic suit of armor if I hated him? C’mon now. Like I said, I know how it looks, but I’m sure a little common sense will clear a lot of it up. Sadly, in this cuckoo-bananas world, common sense is a lot to ask for, and I hope my last meal reflects a man whose taste is practical and unpretentious, with just touch of flair. Appetizer: I’m the type of guy who’s never understood the point of an appetizer. It just seems like a delay to the main event, right? All this waiting is making me stabby and impatient—I mean, calm, cool and innocent. That said, who could say no to the vareniki (cheese and potato dumplings) from Kafe Sobaka Restoran Pomegranate (2469 Broadway)? Not only does the Georgian restaurant provide a peaceful, elegant alternative to the open-wall, craft eateries, but its food is complex without being pretentious. These dumplings are like little, steamed pillows that explode with a rich dill-and-cheese flavor. Main course: I’ve always said that I could solely eat pizza for the rest of my life, so it makes sense that it would be my last meal. I’ve also believed that there’s an Occam’s razor element to the quality of a ‘za: the best pizza is usually the simplest. No doubt, Luigi’s Pizza (1137 25th St.) is the best in San Diego. Its thin crust is conducive to rolling like a taco—a mark of

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RYAN BRADFORD

Drink: Just leave me drunk with a couple of Bali Hai’s (2230 Shelter Island Drive) infamous mai tais, probably the booziest drinks in town. I don’t want to leave the mortal realm concerned with mixologists, mouthfeel or flavor infusions. A lethal dose of rum will do just fine. —Ryan Bradford

Luigi’s Pizza a great slice. Although it has a lot of signature pies, I’m gonna go with a standard pepperoni pizza for my final meal. Dessert: Donuts have gotten wildly out of control in terms of craft excess. Why people are spending more than $4 on a donut is beyond me. It just seems crazy to me, and I’m the guy who wore the bone suit (out of respect, of course). Donut Star (601 W. Washington St.) should be the destination for anyone who’s finished with overpriced pretentious donuts. Part of the shop’s appeal is its dingy, noir-ish vibe, which seems like the perfect environment for a down-on-their-luck private investigator to sip cheap coffee into the wee hours of night. But it also makes some great donuts that always taste fresh, no matter what time you go in.

I like to think I’m not the kind of person who’d be put in front of a firing squad. I don’t commit crimes, other than the occasional parking violation, and I rectify those malparkages immediately, I assure you. Maybe Donald Trump being elected president might provoke me into doing something irrational, but even that probably wouldn’t land me on death row. The highest probability of an early demise for me would likely be getting crushed by several hundred pounds of vinyl records, or the off chance that my cats would suffocate me in my sleep. As my vinyl collection and cats’ corpulence expand, it’s probably best to live every meal like it’s my last. And thankfully it’s easy not to waste a meal in San Diego. But as I face the possibility of having a halfton of plastic come tumbling down upon

my fragile bones, I have some specific ideas in mind in terms of the flavors I want lingering on my palate as I sail into the great beyond. And the first thing I want going down my gullet is octopus. My preferred octopus dish—and this is a tough choice—is the octopus tostada at Galaxy Taco in La Jolla (2259 Avenida de la Playa). I often have trouble convincing anyone else to partake in its tentacly goodness, but my wife and I frequently indulge in its smoky char, with acidic orange-habanero salsa and avocado. Tempting as it is to maintain a Mexican motif with my meal, I’m opting for a different national cuisine for my main course: French. Before I part ways with the living, I’m having steak frites from Cafe Chloe downtown (721 Ninth Ave.). I’m a carnivore by nature. I don’t by any means eat meat with every meal, and if I did, this last meal could only be the result of reincarnation. I like to make my red meat count, and this tender and savory cut of beef is one of my favorites in town. Better yet, it comes with some golden, crispy fries (Belgium’s greatest export), thereby satiating my greatest vice: fried potatoes. For dessert, I’m turning the focus back on some American classics. Cookies and ice cream are two sugary treats I couldn’t pass up before getting fitted for a harp and wings. So why not combine them into one

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August 10, 2016 · San Diego CityBeat · 21

COURTESY OF VISIT CALIFORNIA

Octopus tostada at Galaxy Taco

LAST MEALS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21 cold, chewy, messy, gooey whole at Baked Bear in Pacific Beach (4516 Mission Blvd.). Sandwich some chocolate ice cream between two peanut butter cookies and top with whipped cream. Three meals, full stomach—time to close out the evening for a nightcap at No-

ble Experiment (777 G St., behind the wall of kegs). A “speakeasy” with a team of bartenders who tend to know what I want before I do, I’m leaving it as a dealer’s choice, something with bourbon and ginger. It’s been a good night, I’m feeling a little tipsy and definitely full. Why not cap it off with one of my favorite records? I just have to reach up to the B section and oh, gooood noooo... —Jeff Terich

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COURTESY OF DAVANTI ENOTECA

“Last meal” has a negative connotation, what with the common tie-in to a prisoner’s final request just before getting The Big Sleep. I’m taking the angle, though, that this last meal was the one I pieced together from local restaurants just before my recent wedding day. And for the record, the nuptials marked the beginning of the first day of wedded bliss and home-cooked meals. But before that… I’d start with my favorite bar drink from recent years of tippling—the off-menu Bee’s Knees at Bankers Hill Bar + Restaurant (2202 Fourth Ave.) It’s gin-based, with the Barr Hill brand that has a hint of honey. The drink has an Ancho Reyes Chili liqueur back to it, and includes honey and lemon served over thinly crushed ice. That cocktail would kick me into readiness for the avocado smooshed toast at Halcyon (1429 Island Ave.) in East Village. The avocado is “smooshed” onto house-made bread and comes sprinkled with a hearty and healthy helping of chili flakes, onion and tiny tomato cubes. The kicker is the amazing amount of thinly sliced smoked salmon that covers the avo smoosh. Douse it with a splash or two of olive oil. I’ve eaten this dish as a lunch entrée, but it gets my last-meal pick as a starter. I can eat copious amounts of seafood all

Goat cheese cheesecake at Davanti Enoteca day and all night. The location I trust for quality and quantity is Little Italy’s Ironside Fish & Oyster Bar (1654 India St.). Money’s no object for a last meal, so I’m cutting loose on an Ironside Platter, which come in Big, Bigger and Biggest versions, and includes varying amounts of oysters, shrimp, mussels and chilled Maine lobster. When it comes to oysters, they’ve

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August 10, 2016 · San Diego CityBeat · 23

KIM MARCELO

LAST MEALS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 22 got all kinds here—meaty, crisp, briny and sweet. I’m onboard for meaty Chesapeake Bay bivalves. The owners of Ironside can be quirky, as in they’d never serve mainstream cocktail sauce (which I normally douse on my oysters). But the aioli they dreamed up goes perfectly with these plump, shucked beauties. My new bride and I also enjoy adding enough horseradish to the tops of our oysters so that we cry (tears of deliciousness) when we slide it all down our throats. I’m not normally a dessert guy. I usually pass when it gets to the end of the night—but at the end of an era all bets are off. My pick for a last dessert is the goat cheese cheesecake at Davanti Enoteca (1655 India St.), literally across the street from Ironside in Little Italy. This cheesecake comes with a base of ladyfingers crust and is adorned with salted caramel and candied marcona almonds. Not incidentally, Davanti is where the missus and me had our wedding dinner. We were busy at the end of the night and didn’t get to eat the cheesecake onsite. But the manager was kind enough to wrap it up to go—and it was still rich and sweet after a day in the fridge, eaten back at the love nest we call our home. Sigh. —Ron Donoho

Seeing as how California hasn’t executed anyone in 10 years and there’s a November ballot measure to repeal the death penalty, I must have done something really bad to be pondering my last meal. I’d like to imagine I did something really cool. Like maybe I was wrongly accused, but shut my mouth because I didn’t want to incriminate myself on other things (re: Johnny Cash’s “Long Black Veil”). Maybe I set fire to all of Vatican City? Perhaps I set all the caged animals on earth free, but had to kill a few humans in the process (re: 12 Monkeys)? Nah, I probably just got road rage and ran over some people, a la the Dead Kennedy’s “Buzzbomb.” To be honest, if I really had any option for a last meal, I’d probably want a starter plate of charbroiled oysters from Drago’s in New Orleans or some fried green tomatoes from Pittypat’s Porch in Atlanta. Sensing a trend? Yeah, I like southern food, but San Diego options are limited. Don’t be intimidated by the janky facade and terse service at Crispy Fried Chicken (4919 El Cajon Blvd.) in City Heights. Just place your order, wait to hear your number and then enjoy the juicy crunchiness. I’ve gone in there just to order one chicken wing with whatever spare change I’d collected. So yeah, I’ll have that as an app: one wing, please. Don’t forget the little to-go

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Profiteroles at Trust cups of hot sauce. I’m gonna die anyway so yeah, I’m gonna eat a whole pizza. Regional pie places such as Luigi’s (New York-style) and Lucky’s (Chicago-style) deservedly get a lot of love, but Napoleone’s Pizza House (619 National Ave.) in National City has been open since 1958(!) for a reason. Sloppy, saucy and stacked with spicy toppings, an all-meat pie should come with a side

order of Tums. Still need convincing? Tom Waits famously used to work here and immortalized the joint in his 1974 song, “The Ghosts of Saturday Night (After Hours at Napoleone’s Pizza House).” I’m not much for cakes and restaurant desserts. However, I do like a good donut and I recently became dangerously addicted to the profiteroles at Trust (3752 Park Blvd.) in Hillcrest. A profiterole is essentially a fancy cream puff. At Trust, they’re filled with a sublime banana creme and then stacked on top of each other and drizzled with a warm caramel sauce. An order usually comes with five pastries so if you’re on a date, expect to fight over who gets the last one. For the last drink, a Thai iced tea with boba? Nah, I’m gonna need something a little stronger. Spicy cocktails are all the rage in the local drink scene and it’s my opinion that Ian Ward is the man most responsible for this. Back in ’08, Ward made the cocktail menu at La Jolla’s Whisknladle (1044 Wall St.) something truly remarkable. He’s moved on to start two successful cocktail consulting companies, but his most remarkable creation, the “London’s Burning,” remains on the menu. A mix of gin, jalapeño, avocado puree and lime juice, it’s that rare concoction that somehow manages to be sour, sweet and bitter. Then that spice hits you and you’re hooked. –Seth Combs

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PHOTOS BY MICHAEL A. GARDINER

HE TYPES OF PLACES featured on Guy Fieri’s Food Network show, Diners, Drive Ins and Dives, are generally not the restaurants I want to frequent. As I’ve observed in the past, “What makes [the show] work is the sense it highlights examples of a mythical ‘authentic American food.’” That’s not the stuff I tend to want to eat. But the show also highlights “‘honesty’ and ‘food of the people’ and how that’s good.” And that, taken in an ethnic direction, is what I’m all about. We, in San Diego, are blessed with a wealth of ethnic options, many of the best of which fly under the radar. There is, of course, a part of me that really wants to keep them to myself, but such is public service.

are eye opening and delicious. The squash blossom quesadillas are even better. “Ethnic food” in San Diego is not just about Mexican. Tip Top Meats (6118 Paseo Del Norte) in Carlsbad is both a restaurant and an Eastern European foodie emporium. Both offer some of the best German delicacies this side of Pittsburgh. While you may not think that “headcheese” is your thing that is probably because either (a) you haven’t tried it yet or, (b) someone told you what it was before you did. This headcheese sandwich features rich flavors, somewhere between top-quality Italian bologna and spice-infused ham, spiked with just enough vinegar to make the flavors

Boiled fish at Spicy City/Sichuan Garden mysterious sweetness over the rich flavor of eggplant. The best thing about the restaurant, though, is the way it transports you to the Middle East. It looks, smells, sounds and feels like you’re in Baghdad. San Diego’s Asian ethnic dining scene has taken off in recent years. From the elegance of Japanese to the spice and pungency of Thai or Lao cuisine, the fires of Sichuan and Hunan to the BBQ of Korea, San Diego has innumerable Asian options. At the heart of it is the Convoy District in Kearny Mesa. On a hot summer day there can hardly be a better lunch than cold soba noodles at Musashiya in the Mitsuwa Market (4240 Kearny Mesa Road). Dip the cold noodles in a soy-based sauce spiked with green onions and wasabi, add some shrimp tempura and a few Japanese pickles and you’re good to go.

Soba noodles at Musashiya

When it comes to San Diego ethnic food, Mexican is probably the first that comes to mind. And when it comes to San Diego area Mexican—and more specifically barbacoa—all eyes turn to Aqui Es Texcoco in Chula Vista. Perhaps it was the feature on Andrew Zimmern’s Bizarre Foods or perhaps it is just the quality. But it’s not the only excellent San Diego barbacoa option. The barbacoa at El Borrego (4280 El Cajon Blvd.) in City Heights is every bit as good as that of its more famous counterpart and there are dishes that are, hands down, better. Try the banana leaf wrapped tamales, for example, or the wonderful quesadillas. The huitlacoche (a fungus that is euphemistically, if not entirely inaccurately, called “corn truffle”) quesadillas

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pop. It is luxurious and intensely ethnic at the same time. Liverwurst, sauerbraten, rouladen and schnitzel all feature on Tip Top Meats’ menu and they’re all worth a trip. A huge part of the fun of ethnic dining is the feeling of travel without travelling. There may be no better place to experience that in San Diego than at Al Azayem Restaurant (550 East Main St.) in El Cajon. The family-run Chaldean spot features a top-40 menu of the dishes you might experience in a Baghdad restaurant: baba ghanoush, hummus, shawarma (both chicken and beef ), falafel, kabobs and lamb shank, for example. But perhaps the best dish at the place is an extraordinary eggplant salad, slightly acidic with a beguiling and

At the other end of the year warm up a cold, rainy day with a bowl of Korean soft tofu soup at Convoy Tofu House (4229 Convoy St.). From the dumpling soft tofu stew to a curry version and some more exotic options (like tripe), they are hearty, slightly spicy, warming and delicious. And, like any Korean meal, come accompanied by a bottomless supply of a selection of banchan, small side dishes like kimchi, ranging from

Eggplant salad at Al Azayem

the familiar Napa cabbage version to ones made of cubed daikon radishes, cucumbers, scallions, seaweeds and even shellfish. While San Diego-area Chinese food sometimes gets a bad rap, our regional Chinese game has gotten good of late. Spicy City/Sichuan Garden (4690 Convoy St. #107) is a great introduction into ma la, the combination of numbing and spicy flavors that characterizes Sichuan cuisine. The “boiled fish” may be the best tasting dish with

Headcheese sandwich at Tip Top Meats a terrible name I’ve ever tasted. Or, try the pure heat of Hunan food at Village Kitchen (4720 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.). Its earthy smoked meats and the mashed eggplant and green chili pepper with eggs preserved in a mixture of clay, ash, salt, quicklime and rice hulls are each dishes worth it on their own. Or, taste India’s take on Chinese food at Rasraj (9252 Miramar Road) in Mira Mesa. If I had only one choice for an ethnic meal in San Diego that place would be Pho Hoa (4717 El Cajon Blvd.). You have choices to make at Pho Hoa but every single one of them is pho: Vietnamese beef noodle soup featuring an impossibly deep beef broth, rice noodles, your choice of cuts of beef and garnishes such as bean sprouts, basil, cilantro, lime and chile peppers are common. Get the mixed pho, featuring lean and fatty cuts, tripe and tendon.

August 10, 2016 · San Diego CityBeat · 29

BY MICHAEL A. GARDINER

THE WORLD

FARE

A blast from the past at Susanna’s

t was pleasant sitting in the courtyard patio of Susanna’s Restaurant (Pueblo Plaza, 4356 Blvd. Benito Juarez) in Rosarito Beach listening to the pinging of the rock waterfall fountain. It was relaxing. Then the waiter came with our menus, and I heard the telephone ring. It was the 1980s and they wanted their menu back. My Vans “Off the Wall” checkerboard slip-ons never looked so good. Susanna’s has a big reputation, particularly among the Northern Baja expat community. It is not, like so many of the places that cater to expats, a drinking establishment that happens to serve food but, rather, a restaurant that happens to have a bar (and a decent wine list). More than that, as the prices indicate, it is a restaurant with notions of sophistication targeting a segment of the market that wants and can afford that. But if Susanna’s has a pretense of excellence it’s menu certainly does not help it get there. Appetizers such as spinach feta cheese rolls, baked brie and jalapeño cream cheese empanadas are dated at best. Crab cakes Rangoon are a take on the classic “Crab Rangoon” appetizer from San Francisco’s Polynesian-style emporium, Trader Vic’s, circa the 1950s. Featuring cream cheese, crab meat, scallions and garlic, wrapped in a triangular shape in wonton wrappers then deep fried in vegetable oil, they were a ’60s cocktail party staple. Susanna’s does a crab cake take on the theme. Using a crab, cream cheese and flour batter (with bits of sweet pepper and green onion in it), the dish almost reads as more of a pancake than a crab cake. A mayonnaise-based sauce and raw, shredded, green-and-red cabbage completes the picture. It’s an update that does not quite get the dish to the 21st Century.

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Susanna’s pastas and entrees are similarly dated and clichéd: salmon fettucine, a pesto (cilantro, not basil), meat with grilled fruit and lemon dill poached fish, for example. The mustard balanced the vinegar in Susanna’s balsamic mustard chicken, true, but the entire thing read nearly like a teriyaki. The chicken was only slightly overdone, but the accompanying vegetables were all over the map: tomatoes grilled to a pulp, raw onions and sweet red pepper that was just right. The tale was similar with the orange ginger fish. The cook on the escolar was perfect and the fish itself was delicious. The sauce, on the other hand, was breathtakingly cloying. It would have been unacceptable at a Chinese MICHAEL A. GARDINER

Orange ginger fish take-out joint. Again, the vegetables were unevenly prepared. The real problem, though, wasn’t the execution. Even perfectly executed these dishes had no place at a restaurant with high-end ambitions. Susanna’s bills itself as offering “California cuisine,” but Alice Waters would have recognized nothing there and likely would have disclaimed spiritual responsibility even back in 1988. The sad bottom line is that Susanna’s simply uses the “California cuisine” moniker rep to separate moneyed Northern Baja expats from their cash based on supposedly being “high end.” Other than in price it plainly is not that. But that rock waterfall fountain was nice. The World Fare appears weekly. Write to michaelg@sdcitybeat.com.

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August 10, 2016 · San Diego CityBeat · 31

THE

BY ANDREW DYER

BEERDIST The new, big-league Ballast Point

rewery sellouts have become a tired narrative in craft beer. As each domino goes down, weary industry watchers care a little bit less. The story has been told. Complaints have been heard. It is no longer news. But when a billion-dollar sellout loses its chief executive officer and chief commercial officer on the same day, eyebrows are raised. When, two days later, two co-founders also depart—one of them the head brewer and distiller—it raises more than eyebrows. Red flags are hoisted. Sirens sound. Mothers cower with their children. What in the hell is going on at Ballast Point? Constellation Brands President of Sales and new Ballast Point President Marty Birkil said things continue as usual. “We have the same, highly talented brewers and production teams,” Birkil said in an email. “Our entire team loves producing the same high-quality, awardwinning beer that has made Ballast Point a consumer favorite. This will not change.” One brewer they are moving forward without is Yuseff Cherney. The former head brewer/head distiller was one of the four in Ballast Point’s leadership to jump ship. Other casualties include CEO/President Jim Buechler, CCO Earl Kight and founder Jack White. With the departures goes years of experience in the San Diego brewing industry as well as the chief architects of the company’s meteoric rise and earthshattering sale to Constellation. “Jack and Yuseff left the company to turn their attention fully to their new spirits business,” Birkil said. “We wish them well in their new venture.” Birkil did not respond to questions about the nature of the departure. Constellation Brands spokesperson Michael McGrew told Brewbound. com that the decision came from Constellation, but Birkil would not comment on the accuracy of his statement. Constellation did not respond to inquiries from CityBeat. A salesman is probably exactly what Ballast Point needed. The brewery has long abandoned

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the hardcore craft beer enthusiast in its pursuit of mainstream success. Its never-ending line of fruited IPAs, the source of much ire from purists, can be found in more retail outlets in ever-expanding markets. The brewery, single-handedly to blame for the obnoxious trend of artificially fruit-flavored beer, has its sights set on world domination. “We’ve been very pleased with consumer demand for Watermelon Dorado so far,” McGrew ANDREW DYER

It’s business as usual at Ballast Point. said when asked if the maligned beer was here to stay. “In fact it’s one of our top-selling brands.” What the San Diego beer community should make of this is simple. Ballast Point, the company that helped cement San Diego as a brewing powerhouse, is no longer just a “San Diego Brewery.” It is a national brand that happens to be headquartered in San Diego. The company has, for better or worse, graduated from AAA and is competing on a larger field and in a much larger market. The little can-do brewery launched from a nondescript Linda Vista strip mall is now in the big leagues, and big league teams need big league managers. In Birkil, that is what it now has—a New York executive, beholden to other New York executives, now in town to see to his boss’ billiondollar investment. The Beerdist appears every other week. Write to andrewd@sdcitybeat.com

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August 10, 2016 · San Diego CityBeat · 33

BOTTLE

BY JEN VAN TIEGHAM

ROCKET

interesting was offerings weren’t limited to French wines but also included wines from Australia, Washington and California, to showcase how these grapes are used all around the world and offered a range of price points from The “Rhone Rangers” under $20 to just over $80. I managed to try more than half of the wines ots of worthwhile wine knowledge can be while making notes and chatting with other patrons gained from reading up on regions and styles. about our favorites; a few were mentioned again But it should come as no surprise that the and again. Pace Syrah from Santa Barbara, Herman more exciting part of learning is done by putting Story “On The Road” Grenache from Paso Robles lips to glass. JEN VAN TIEGHAM and Domaine Saint Prefert I recently had the chance Châteauneuf-du-Pape all got to do some hands-on research thumbs up from tasters. of Rhone varietals when Gary In the end, I went home Parker, owner and founder with Palumbo Family Vineof The WineSellar & Brasyard’s tasty and light Grenache serie (9550 Waples St., #115) Blanc from Temecula and a in Sorrento Valley invited me Grenache-dominate Vinsoto its monthly “walk around” bres from Domaine Chaume tasting. Arnaud in the Rhone Valley, Tasting at “The Rhone Ranger” “The Rhone Ranger” event which held intense, stewed was set up with three tasting fruit on the nose and a rich, dark fruit flavor. areas with eight to nine wines each. I’m no math For those that want to study with their taste buds, wizard but I quickly realized we were being offered The WineSellar & Brasserie features “walk around” more than 25 wines. tastings each month—plus weekly Wine Wednesday Upon arriving, tasters were given a packet list- tastings. In August, it will host “Pinot-Con 2016,” ing the wines available to try. The lineup included exploring the world of Pinot and its clones. And seva tantalizing mixture of single varietals, including eral attendees at “The Rhone Ranger” advised me to Syrah, Grenache and even Marsanne, along with keep my eye out for the annual “Grande Champagne well-known blends like Châteauneuf-du-Pape Tasting” in November with more than 30 Chamand Côtes du Rhône. What made it even more pagnes and other sparkling wines.

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August 10, 2016 · San Diego CityBeat · 35

CULTURE | ART SETH COMBS

SEEN LOCAL A DAY AT THE MUSEUM

t goes without saying that a lot of sweat goes into the works of Jean Lowe and Kim MacConnel, but the two artists are positively glistening as they attempt to put the finishing touches on their new collaborative installation. Quint Projects’ warehouse space in Bay Ho (quintgallery.com) can get a little steamy, but Lowe and MacConnel, along with their trusty watchdog, Ceci, are powering through in preparation for The Museum of Metropolitan Art. If the name of the show sounds a bit odd, there’s a reason for that. Individually and collectively, Lowe and MacConnel have become a bit of a proverbial power couple in the local art scene with a decades-long reputation for nuanced, multi-layered and even blatantly bemusing works. “Marriage aside, we’re both really hard workers so collaboration came easy,” Lowe says. Both artists are highly respected and regarded, locally and nationally. MacConnel is one of the forebears of the Pattern and Decoration movement of the ’70s, while Lowe has become known for conceptual and even satirical works in everything from paint to papier-mâché. The element of satire doesn’t completely encapsulate The Museum of Metropolitan Art, but it shouldn’t be downplayed when discussing it. Opening Saturday, Aug. 13, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and being shown every Saturday morning through Sept. 24, the show will be made up of paintings and sculptures

ON THE SEEN In this semi-regular department, we ask some of our favorite local artists and creative types what artists or new shows are worth checking out. Greg Strangman—LWP Group and Gold Leaf Project “I started the Gold Leaf Project (lwpgroup.com/gold-leaf-project) as a means to beautify public spaces. Plus, it’s bi-national so at a time when there’s so much discussion about building walls between the U.S. and Mexico, we want to build bridges. Victor Lebowski is the first featured artist of this project. I discovered him via Instagram (instagram.com/tijuanauta) and was intrigued by the premise of his Tijuanauta series of astronauts in historical places of Tijuana. I reached out to him and he told me this story about how he had a friend visiting who told him that Tijuana was like no other place in this world. It was out of this world. There’s definitely sense of pride in country in his work.” Julia Dixon Evans—writer, production director of So Say We All “I recently checked out MOPA’s Beauty and the Beast: The Animal in Photogra-

36 · San Diego CityBeat · August 10, 2016

Kim MacConnel, Ceci and Jean Lowe inspired by the European classics galleries within the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Lowe and MacConnel’s Museum isn’t a tribute, however, and one look at the latter’s reinterpretations of the classic paintings and it’s easy to see what he means when he says the show is “definitely out of the box.” “What interested me about this idea was the concept of doing something that was adamantly about art not as commodity,” says Lowe, adding that none of the work at Museum will be for sale and that the Quint space will be set up to look as if patrons are actually standing inside a gallery within a larger museum. “This has been a real challenge for me to take these beautiful paintings and essentially turn them into folk art,” MacConnel says. “Not only is it challenging, but there’s always the risk of it being hugely embarrassing.” Lowe, however, is quick to rebuff him. “I disagree. I love the idea of seeing a classic painting refracted through somebody else’s eyes. The quirks are what make it so interesting.”

—Seth Combs

phy exhibit (mopa.org), and loved how it all felt unexpected and unreal. Many compositions drew from old masters, but beastly. There’s an arrangement of collared fancy cats by Dutch photographer Marie Cécile Thijs that you should definitely try with a Snapchat face-swap. The works that featured wild creatures doing ordinary things got under my skin like song sparrows eating a cake cradled in a woman’s hands (Tom Chambers’ “Saccharine Perch”). And then my six-year-old and I stared at Troy Abbott’s ‘Prairie,’ a tiny TV screen perched in a cage, watching the looped video of a bird until the museum closed and they kicked us out.” Matt Stallings—Artist and graphic designer “Why do I choose [street artist] Neko (cargocollective.com/nekoburke)? He has a relentless drive to produce art from his bird’s-eye view of the world. As a lover of street art and character art I have been a fan of his work since the beginning. Whether it’s on walls, paper, canvas or napkins, this man leaves a trail of his opinion all over town. No topic is safe from him. As a master of line work I always find myself lost in the subtle details and hidden messages in his work.”

—Seth Combs #SDCityBeat

UP FRONT | OPINION

THERE SHE

ALEX ZARAGOZA

GOZ

Let’s stop serving food shame

here’s a reason that when shilling for Weight Watchers on television Oprah feels the need declare, in big, bold Oprah fashion, “I love bread! You can eat bread!” As if admitting that you enjoy a mouth full of complex carbohydrates is akin to coming out. Admittance of liking certain food and allowing yourself to eat it shouldn’t be a triumph, but here we are. It’s strange to say it, but when it comes to food women often find themselves on a metaphorical football field fighting over who can gain the most turf whether by eating the least amount of calories or giving the least amount of fucks about calories. But you know what? Football sucks. Let’s ditch this field. Not too long ago, I was at a bar with a friend. A food truck specializing in Asian cuisine was serving just outside. I looked at the menu and sighed. “I can’t eat anything on the menu,” I told her. Without hesitation, a female acquaintance sitting across from us shot a “Why?” at me. There was some hostility behind it. I could feel it. “I’m super allergic to nuts and sesame. Like, I can die,” I responded, possibly a bit defensive sensing her air of derision. “Oh!” she replied. She backpedaled a bit even though she hadn’t really said anything. But it was there. I knew what she was thinking. She thought I was going to say something like, “I don’t eat gluten,” or “Sorry, but I sustain myself on ice cubes sprinkled with salt.” And then, I can only guess she felt bad about the assumption she made. This is probably one of the lighter instances of food shame I’ve experienced. In worse instances, people have called me all manner of variations of the word “fat ass” for eating anything non-diet-y. More often when I’ve been at my heaviest in weight. A random guy once disgustingly pig snorted at me as I was eating outside a café. People comment on the amount of food I’m eating, “You eat a lot, huh?” or “God, you eat like a bird!” Yes, sometimes if I’m very hungry I eat a lot. Sometimes I just snack. This is called being a human person who needs sustenance. I’ve been on both sides of the shame game, though. I’ve fat shamed women with terrible, disparaging jokes that I can’t believe I would ever say. I’ve made thin women feel like traitors to the body acceptance cause because they talk about their diet. But also, we all have a way of reinforcing food shame in small ways, like when we say we “shouldn’t” get dessert. I understand and don’t blame any of my female food shamers. We women shame each other on the regular for what we eat, and even what we don’t eat. It’s a result of

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larger forces in this world telling us we’re not good enough, like the mass media, antiquated social norms pushing us to compete with each other for husbands or the notion that to be healthy you have to be skinny. Fuller figured women have spent their entire lives being degraded or treated with disgust because of their size. Our society is built around knocking them down. They don’t fit. They’re not desirable. If they lose weight, they are rewarded and encouraged to keep shrinking. Reminders are constantly going off all around them. Smaller sized women are told they need to eat more. They’re skinny bitches. They don’t deserve happiness or success because they already have it easy. They, too, are constantly reminded. And even this downplays the many, many complexities surrounding womanhood and size and shape. The female food wars are fought in different ways. There’s the obvious one. Someone thin judging someone on their food. “Oh you’re getting biscuits and gravy? I’m just gonna order avocado on toast. I’m not even sure I can finish it all!” Yes, this is extremely annoying. Then there’s the opposite side of the battle: women who defiantly eat and assert themselves as better, stronger or more evolved because they don’t subscribe to your anti-pizza bullshit. They post their burger photos and in an indirect way they’re ridiculing you if you choose to eat a salad. Where this gets tricky, at least for me, is that I understand why they do this. It’s a big “fuck you” to the mass media that tells them they shouldn’t eat this way, and to anyone who has ever shamed them for their food choices. They’re going to eat what they want, and here’s the proof. Blam! Throw the Valencia filter on that bitch! I’ve definitely done this myself for this very reason. While the f-u is aimed at a broader cultural problem, though, some of the shrapnel lands on women. It creates tension and competitiveness. Who eats better? Who is most confident in the body they have? What I’m calling for is to make eating a feminist act. That we are all supported in our food choice. Eat whatever you want. Eat it when you feel like it. But if we choose the words we use wisely when posting or talking about food so that women don’t feel bad for making a different choice, it helps reduce that food shame. Let’s all sit at the table together. I’ll save a plate for you, no matter what you put on it. And I’ll probably ask for a taste. There She Goz appears every third week. Write to alexz@sdcitybeat.com.

August 10, 2016 · San Diego CityBeat · 37

CULTURE | FILM

Hot-blooded

Hell or High Water

David Mackenzie and Gil Birmingham discuss their volatile new contemporary Western by Glenn Heath Jr.

ell or High Water begins with an impressive of all ethnicities. He attempts to discuss these issues long take depicting the tense moments before with Marcus, but their strained dynamic is domiToby (Chris Pine) and Tanner Howard (Ben nated by racial jabs and doesn’t allow for deep reFoster) rob the first of multiple West Texas banks. flection. “Ultimately it’s an exploration of how these Look carefully and you’ll notice some graffiti that men communicate, and the difficulty they face along reads, “13 tours in Iraq but no bailout for people like the way,” says Birmingham. us.” Throughout this sharp and sometimes violent He continues: “I wanted to be a part of this project genre film, similar signs of protest play an important because it featured a Native character in contemporole in communicating a collective rage felt toward rary times. I think it’s important for us to be representthe financial industry. ed. I’m still surprised when peoEven the crimes themselves ple think Native Americans are can be construed as an act of just a thing of history and the past HELL OR protest: Toby and Tanner steal and they don’t exist anymore.” HIGH WATER from the banks in order to pay Among the many other social Directed by David Mackenzie off a shady loan that will strip topics, Mackenzie grapples with them of their family farm, a the absurdity of conceal carry Starring Jeff Bridges, Chris Pine, dry strip of land where oil has laws in the film’s climax, a Wild Ben Foster and Gil Birmingham been recently discovered. Texas Bunch-esque shootout where loRated R Rangers Marcus Hamilton (Jeff cals try to enact their own brand Bridges) and Alberto Parker (Gil of justice. “As an outsider I’m not Birmingham) are called in to intrying to comment on race, corpovestigate the string of crimes, but it’s clear the law- rate greed or gun culture, but more asking questions men share a similar disdain for bankers. Spotting about how these hot button issues continue to impact the manager at one recently robbed branch, Marcus people in the United States,” he says. “This was an opstates, “Now that looks like a man who would fore- portunity to make a movie about contemporary Amerclose on a house.” ica, and some of the open wounds of that still exist.” Scottish director David Mackenzie and BirmingHell or High Water, which opens Friday, Aug. 12, ham sat down with CityBeat while visiting San Di- is the rare genre film that manages to be socially relego for a press tour to discuss these ideas and more. evant and exciting. Pine anchors the story with soMackenzie acknowledges the film’s striking anger bering resilience and humanity, while Foster’s volatoward corrupt financial practices and policies that tile ex-con embraces his inner Hyde to ensure the help perpetuate disenfranchisement and disillu- family’s future. They both come to represent a split sionment. “It’s a recession-era movie in all sorts of personality of America’s current working class fed ways,” he says. “The economic climate is absolutely up with the cycles of generational poverty. central to the themes of the film, and we tried to Stitched in between the shootouts and standoffs evoke the outlaw movies released in the 1930s.” are a number of quiet sequences set on various front Yet Hell or High Water feels closer in spirit to a porches. Here, characters laugh, drink a beer and Western. Expansive horizons and vacant buildings stare off into the distance. “Sharing in these kinds of stretch for miles. Many scenes heavily feature worn moments is something specifically Texan,” Mackenout details of cowboy iconography. The minor char- zie notes. Yet silently reflecting only offers so much acters help solidify what Mackenzie calls the “expres- respite in times of such glaring inequality. Hell or sion of Texas,” a combination of frustration, anger High Water examines the cost (and possible necesand humor toward the contradictions of modern life. sity) of taking matters into your own hands. These feelings are not limited to white characters. Alberto, who is mixed-race Mexican/Coman- Film reviews run weekly. che, is acutely aware of the challenges facing Texans Write to glennh@sdcitybeat.com.

38 · San Diego CityBeat · August 10, 2016

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August 10, 2016 · San Diego CityBeat · 39

CULTURE | FILM

Selling out

uring many improv performances, the comedians in Don’t Think Twice feed off each other’s words, facial expressions and tone. They make a connection with the audience as a group, crafting chemistry out of rhythm and collaboration. This dynamic doesn’t leave much room for individual comic grandstanding. Mike Birbiglia’s ensemble comedy addresses the time period when this fragile artistic equilibrium begins to break apart for a specific group of friends. Members of The Commune entertain a small but devoted crowd of attendees at an indepen-

dent theater space. They all seem happy in the limelight, but offstage each is dealing with doubts about their talent, finances and future in show business. Samantha (Gillian Jacobs) and Jack (Keegan-Michael Key) are talented impersonators caught up in a romantic relationship. Miles (Birbiglia) is the elder statesman who claims he was “inches” from landing a gig with Weekend Live, a Saturday Night Live-style show. Allison (Kate Micucci), Bill (Chris Gethard), and Lindsay (Tami Sagher) round out the crew, each unique in their comic delivery and demeanor. Don’t Think Twice, which opens for a two-week run at the

Ken Cinema on Friday, Aug. 12, embraces these characters warts and all. Collective jealousy erupts after Jack obtains a new level of mainstream success, fracturing the trust so elemental in their shared art form. Factions break off to regroup, feelings are hurt and friendships are tested. This disappointment comes from a place of experience. Birbiglia has lived these scenarios during his time as a standup comic, and he deftly maneuvers the awkwardness characters feel being tugged by competing emotions. While Don’t Think Twice shies away from the dark and demented impulses of standup (we have Louie for that), it exposes the uncomfortable realization that change is a necessary evil when it comes to creating great art.

—Glenn Heath Jr.

OPENING Anthropoid: Czechoslovakian operatives infiltrate the Nazi ranks to assassinate SS officer Reinhard Heydrich in this thriller based on real events. Don’t Think Twice: Faced with an uncertain artistic future, a group of improv comedians grapple with disappointment, death and one member’s sudden suc-

cess. Opens Friday, Aug. 12, at the Ken Cinema for a two-week run. Hell or High Water: Two brothers (Chris Pine and Ben Foster) rob a string of banks in West Texas in order to pay off the debilitating loan that threatens their family farm. Jeff Bridges leads a pair of Texas Rangers who give chase. El Ray del Once: In director Daniel Burman’s comedy, Ariel returns to Buenos Aires to reconnect with her father who has founded a charity in the heart of the city’s Jewish district. Screens through Thursday, Aug. 18, at the Digital Gym Cinema in North Park. Equity: Anna Gunn plays a senior investment banker who is threatened with financial scandal and must untangle a web of corruption to clear her name. Florence Foster Jenkins: A New York heiress decides to chase her dream of becoming an opera singer despite her lack of talent. Stars Meryl Streep and Hugh Grant. Operation Chromite: Liam Neeson headlines as Gen. McArthur in this war film that follows a unit of Korean soldiers who partake in an important mission during the crucial Battle of Incheon. Pete’s Dragon: The classic 1970s Disney film about a young orphan and his best friend/dragon Elliot gets the inevitable reboot treatment. Sausage Party: Featuring a star-studded cast of voice talents, this vulgar comedy follows a sausage that learns the hard truth behind his purpose in life. The Land: Inner city teens get caught up in a drug deal gone bad that will change their lives forever. Screens through Thursday, Aug. 18, at the Digital Gym Cinema in North Park.

Don’t Think Twice

ONE TIME ONLY Stand by Me: Four friends growing up in the 1950s go on an adventure into the woods in search of a dead body. Screens at 8 p.m. tonight, at The Pearl Hotel in Point Loma. Notting Hill: A humble bookstore owner (Hugh Grant) has his life turned upside down when a Hollywood star (Julia Roberts) walks into his life. Screens at 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday, Aug. 11 and 12, at Cinema Under the Stars in Mission Hills. Indiscreet: Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman dazzle as wealthy socialites whose relationship grows more intimate even as secrets threaten to rip them apart. Screens at 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 13 and 14, at Cinema Under the Stars in Mission Hills. The Room: Experience Tommy Wiseau’s disaster of a film on the big screen. You won’t regret it! Screens at 11:55 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 13, at the Ken Cinema. Predator: Get to the chopper! Screens at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 16, at the Arclight La Jolla Cinemas. Bridesmaids: Kristin Wiig is always a bridesmaid and never a bride in Paul Feig’s hilarious comedy that also features great performances from Melissa McCarthy and Rose Byrne. Screens at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 17, at The Pearl Hotel in Point Loma.

For a complete listing of movies, please see “F ilm Screenings” at sdcitybeat.com.

40 · San Diego CityBeat · August 10, 2016

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August 10, 2016 · San Diego CityBeat · 41

OTIS CALDWELL

MUSIC

T’S BEEN A ROUGH YEAR for record stores. In May, New York City’s Other Music announced its closure after 20 years of selling vinyl. One month later, San Francisco’s Aquarius Records shuttered after 45 years of business. San Diego, too, was the site of a handful of notable store closures, including Off the Record ending its business after nearly 40 years. For as much press has been given to a supposed resurgence of vinyl, the increase in demand (and by extension, supply) has only added to the hurdles that record stores face. Pressing delays, rising prices, oversupply and arbitrary order limits— not to mention the fact that a lot of people simply prefer to stream music—are just a handful of the challenges that make up the business of doing music retail. Yet quite a few record stores continue to do business in San Diego. In fact, new ones continue to crop up—Normal Records just opened its doors in North Park. Survival in the market isn’t easy. And what works for one store won’t necessarily work for another. But one solid rule holds true for every retailer: Know your audience. For a lot of brick-and-mortar vinyl

Buyers browse at Folk Arts Records in Normal Heights. emporiums, particularly those with a robust used record section, keeping bins full of classic rock staples—The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, etc.—is almost a guaranteed sale. Both Michael Schmid, owner of M Theory Records in Mission Hills, and Brendan Boyle, owner of Folk Arts Records in Normal Heights, say that people buy those staple canon albums on a regular basis. New vinyl, however, requires more of a curatorial hand. Schmid is more selective about the kinds of new stock he’ll keep in the store as a way of setting it apart. “I try not to stock anything you can find at Target,” he says, noting that a lot of labels have developed a habit of reissuing albums that are already easy to find in used or bargain bins. Joe Virgilio, owner of Red Brontosaurus in North Park, says his store’s customers tend to seek out the punk and hardcore records that other shops in town aren’t likely to stock. But even with the advantage of unique supply, the overall demand for records have sent wholesale prices skyward, making it that much harder to turn a profit. “The margins—you have to sell a lot to

42 · San Diego CityBeat · August 10, 2016

cover your bases,” Virgilio says. “Wholesale prices are crazy. There’s no way it’s going to keep going uphill like it is. Once you hit a peak, it’s going to go back downhill, and hopefully it’ll plateau somewhere.” Price is just one aspect of the challenges facing stores that stock new vinyl. The other major issue is being able to keep items in stock or restock them in a timely manner. When the international record store release date changed from Monday (in the U.S.) to Friday in 2015, it meant a longer period of time between selling out of something and having it reordered, thus opening up the possibility of a customer opting to buy it from Amazon—the largest seller of vinyl in the U.S. by volume as of a report in 2014, with more than 12 percent of the market share. “If I run out on Saturday I have to wait until Monday to reorder,” Schmid says. “Before, if I ran out on Tuesday, I could have it restocked on Wednesday.” When Off the Record closed, owner Curt Peterson cited online sales as one of the biggest threats to his business. Other local sellers tend to agree, though for different reasons and from different parts of

the online market. Boyle, whose store tends to stock a lot of vintage and rare records, says he essentially is competing with a vast network of sellers on eBay and Discogs, and that he, too, will move some inventory that way. But it’s not how he prefers it. “Sometimes I’ll sell some valuable records online, but I go out of my way to not use this model,” he says. “I want people to come through the door.” Virgilio points out that one of the more irksome complications of vinyl’s popularity right now is the limited-edition colored vinyl that record stores often don’t have the opportunity to sell. In essence, the store is competing with the very same labels it stocks. “With mail-order records, a label will release 300 super badass looking records only through mail-order,” Virgilio says. “It’s a limited color, and you can’t go to the store to buy one. So they’ll preorder it. Why would they want to go to the store and get the same one everybody else has? That affects us. It’s really frustrating.” Though the increased demand for vinyl and, as Boyle points out, sales of actual turntables presents its own set of challenges for sellers, ultimately the interest is a good thing. And the community of record stores in town is small enough that while they are in competition to a degree, they also have their own specialties and offer support to each other. “It’s not a competition for me,” Schmid says. “Like with Record City in Hillcrest, sometimes I’ll send people their way, and they’ll send people here. It’s a great community. It’s nice to have other record stores around.” Boyle also notes that nobody goes into selling records out of any get-rich-quick delusions. “You should never fool yourself that you’re going to make a lot of money selling records,” he says. It’s both livelihood and passion for these shop proprietors, who do what they do because they enjoy it. For how much of the market exists online, there will always be that particular person who prefers to walk into a proper store to find music. “The record collector type can’t stay out of a record store,” Boyle says. “Come in and let the records find you.” Write to jefft@sdcitybeat.com and follow him on Twitter at @1000timesjeff

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MUSIC

NOTES FROM THE SMOKING PATIO S

tay Strange is returning. The experimental concert series, curated by Stay Strange founder Sam Lopez, has lined up events in August and October. The first is a performance by Justice Yeldham, who makes music with broken glass on his face (no, really) on Aug. 21, at Bread & Salt in Barrio Logan, with Monochromacy and Xavier Ramirez. The second event is an even more elaborate affair at the San Diego Central Library on Oct. 29, called Checked Out 2016. The show follows previous libraryheld events with performances by Author & Punisher, Planet B (featuring Justin Pearson and Gabe Serbian of The Locust), MF Redeemer and Skrapez. “We sort of wanted to capture more of a P.M. vibe,” says Lopez in an interview at Influx in North Park. “This time we’re trying different things. It’s maybe a little darker. It’s almost more of a grown-up version of the library shows we’ve done before.” In addition to the live performances, the free event will feature a visual-art component, including something called Build a Beast, in which patrons will be able to create their own Frankenstein’s monsters from artist-made parts. There will also be a performance of the sounds of the library itself, which two musicians will turn into a sound installation.

Skrapez “Steve Flato and Scott Nielsen are both magical sound artists,” Lopez says. “Scott’s going to build a six-foot antenna that will pick up the sounds of the library itself: noises, conversations. And he’ll filter it over to Steve Flato, who will create an actual musical piece with it.” Checked Out 2016 follows previous Stay Strange events at libraries, including a performance at Malcolm X Library in 2013 that also featured Author & Punisher. And it’s probably not going to be the last, either. “I’m a patron. I’ve been going to libraries since I was small,” Lopez says. “I want to die in a library.”

—Jeff Terich

ALBUM REVIEW John Meeks On A Sea Darkly (Self-released)

t first glance, John Meeks’ name might remind listeners with a background in ’60s psychedelia of another name: Joe Meek, space-age pop artist and producer behind The Tornados’ surf-rock hit, “Telstar.” But the ’60s-era artist that Meeks has more of a sonic kinship with is Lee Hazlewood. Like Hazlewood, whose duet with Nancy Sinatra “Some Velvet Morning” is a sort of mind-bending psych-folk classic, Meeks blends rootsy Americana with an ear for acid-laced psychedelia, resulting in something that’s as warm and accessible as it is weird, and just a little eerie. On a Sea Darkly features seven tracks of dusty, lonesome and reverb-addled psych-folk, some of which stretch out and keep on strolling down that darkened road for six or seven minutes at a time. Closing track “Blood Moon,” which is an admirably metal/goth name for a track, is the longest of the bunch at 7:15, and it’s by no means too long, its spacious strums of effects laden guitar and eerily atmospheric arrangement dropping the listener into a sinister territory of country noir. Not that it doesn’t require a certain amount of patience, but it sounds so good that its lack of urgency is by no means an issue.

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Meeks’ voice, though sometimes rendered hard to decipher due to distortion or other effects, has a tone and timbre that’s reminiscent of contemporary alt-folksters like Phosphorescent’s Matthew Houck. Yet the ominous and exotic nature of On a Sea Darkly will likely strike a familiar chord to San Diego listeners in particular, as it has a certain stylistic kinship with the best moments of The Black Heart Procession. “The Devil’s Road,” for instance, has a pulsing surf-goth sound that wouldn’t have been out of place on 2002’s Amore del Tropico. This is, of course, a good development. It’s more of a suggestion than an outright replication, and if anyone’s carrying on the shadowy mantle that Black Heart once bore, then that’s welcome news to me. Of the seven tracks on On a Sea Darkly, hardly any of John Meeks’ desert-psych songs aren’t highlights. It’s a foreboding and mysterious album of loose yet well-written songs, best heard in the wee hours of the morning. Were Meeks to attempt a cover of “Some Velvet Morning,” however, I wouldn’t object. —Jeff Terich

August 10, 2016 · San Diego CityBeat · 43

MUSIC

JEFF TERICH

IF I WERE U A music insider’s weekly agenda WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10

PLAN A: Lisa Prank, Polish, Nancy Sin @ Soda Bar. Seattleite Lisa Prank (love the pun) does new wave pop with fuzzy guitars and drum machines that dares you not to sing along. Sometimes you need a mid-week boost of bratty, buoyant punk, and this will do just fine. PLAN B: Aethere, Insvrgence, Voidlines @ The Merrow. Or maybe you prefer technical death metal. You have this option, which’ll help you get that aggression out in no time. BACKUP PLAN: Inspired and the Sleep, Grizzly Business, Con Mi Amigo @ Belly Up Tavern.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 11

PLAN A: Hockey Dad, Muuy Biien, The Gloomies @ The Casbah. So, first of all, points for the name Hockey Dad, but beyond that, this group plays some wonderfully melodic punk rock with some garage and pop elements. Not wheel-reinvention stuff here, but they do it well. PLAN B: Monolord, Beastmaker, Sweat Lodge @ Soda Bar. Sweden’s Monolord play some extremely heavy music. Whether you wanna call it sludge metal, stoner rock, heavy psych or otherwise, it’s the kind of sound that’ll rattle your ribcage.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 12

PLAN A: Sledding With Tigers, Blink-182 cover band, Inspired and the Sleep, Future Crooks @ Soda Bar. It’s Sledding With Tigers’ last show in San Diego for a long while. So I suggest sending them off with a drunken sing-along. It’ll be a weird, crazy party, and the show is free, so no excuses. PLAN B: Lucy Dacus, Casey Hensley and Karl and the Hornets @ The Casbah. If you missed Scott McDonald’s feature a few weeks back on singer/ songwriter Lucy Dacus, catch up on why she’s a young indie rock talent worth keeping your ears on. BACKUP PLAN: Periphery, Sikth, Toothgrinder @ House of Blues.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 13 PLAN A: First Hate, Grand Prix, Nylon Apartments @ Soda Bar. Copenhagen synth-pop group First Hate is headlining this set of dark, synthesizer-

44 · San Diego CityBeat · August 10, 2016

driven groups. It’s rounded out by openers Nylon Apartments, who recently graced the cover of CityBeat. PLAN B: The White Buffalo, Alice Drinks the Koolaid @ Belly Up Tavern. The White Buffalo is a country troubadour that’s become a bit of a rarity these days. He’s got a classic outlaw sound and a voice with a lot of soul and emotion, not to mention some great songs in his repertoire. BACKUP PLAN: The Donkeys, Heavy Hawaii, Hills Like Elephants @ The Casbah.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 14

The B-52s, The Fixx, English Beat @ Embarcadero Marina Park South. My love of The B-52s is one that isn’t shared by too many of my friends, but frankly, it doesn’t temper my enthusiasm. They’re headlining this AIDS benefit, which also features a pair of other new wave hitmakers, and they’re bound to be playing some classics: “Rock Lobster,” “Planet Claire,” “Private Idaho.” Don’t act like you don’t know all the words. PLAN B: Rhett Miller, Andrew St. James @ Soda Bar. I’ve been an Old 97’s fan for a long time, so I have to give the nod to their frontman Rhett Miller, who’s both a great tunesmith and storyteller.

MONDAY, AUGUST 15

PLAN A: Ala Fringe, Melvus, The Fresh Brunettes @ The Casbah. Support your local music scene! This roundup of San Diego bands will introduce you to some new sounds, and it’s only $6. I see no downside. PLAN ME: Skeleton Hands, Blood Ponies @ The Office. Public service announcement/transparency declaration: My band is playing this show with Ohio’s Skeleton Hands, who have a cool darkwave sound reminiscent of Cold Cave. If you’re into that sort of thing.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 16

PLAN A: LA Witch @ The Hideout. I don’t think L.A. Witch are actually witches, but their dark and hazy post-punk tunes certainly have something witchy about them. Get entranced by their hypnotic melodies and dense layers of effects.

Lisa Prank

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August 10, 2016 · San Diego CityBeat · 45

MUSIC

CONCERTS HOT! NEW! FRESH!

Clams Casino and Lil B (Observatory, 9/13), Six String Society (BUT, 9/18), IAMX (Casbah, 9/20), …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead (Soda Bar, 9/22), A Tribe Called Red (Hideout, 9/24), Sloan (Casbah, 9/27), Ziggy Marley (BUT, 10/24-25), Tony Bennett (Harrahs, 11/4), Sum 41 (HOB, 11/5), Lewis Del Mar (Casbah, 11/6), Bush (Observatory, 11/8), Protomartyr (Soda Bar, 11/9), Steel Panther (HOB, 11/12), July Talk (Casbah, 11/16), hed p.e. (Soda Bar, 11/18), Warpaint (Observatory, 11/22), The Album Leaf (Irenic, 12/9), Merchandise (Hideout, 12/9), Jonny Lang (BUT, 12/10).

CANCELED Joey Purp (HOB, 8/11), Evan Dando (Casbah, 8/21), Fifth Harmony (Open Air Theater, 9/16).

GET YER TICKETS Parquet Courts (The Irenic, 8/19), Todd Terje and the Olsens (Observatory, 8/25), Hot Chip (Observatory, 8/26), Snoop Dogg, Wiz Khalifa (Sleep Train Amphitheatre, 8/27), Deftones (Open Air Theatre, 8/29), Baroness, Pallbearer (Observatory, 8/30), The Game (Observatory, 9/1), Kenny Loggins (Harrah’s Resort, 9/2), Yes (Humphreys, 9/4), Los Lonely Boys (BUT, 9/4), The Kills (Observatory, 9/4), Tr/st, Cold Cave (Music Box, 9/8), Zom-

46 · San Diego CityBeat · August 10, 2016

bies (BUT, 9/8), Floating Points (BUT, 9/5), Ray Lamontagne (Open Air Theatre, 9/13), Local Natives (Observatory, 9/15), Porches (Irenic, 9/15), Carla Morrison (Observatory, 9/16), Retox (Soda Bar, 9/16), Crystal Castles (Observatory, 9/17), Cold War Kids (Observatory, 9/21), The Naked and Famous (Observatory, 9/22), Atmosphere (Observatory, 9/23), Alice Bag Band (Casbah, 9/23), Tegan and Sara (Observatory, 9/25), Ash (Soda Bar, 9/23), Molotov (Observatory, 9/26), DJ Shadow (HOB, 9/27), Glen Hansard (Observatory, 9/28), Frankie Cosmos (Irenic, 9/29), Okkervil River (BUT, 10/1), Phantogram (Observatory, 10/1), Alice in Chains (Copley Symphony Hall, 10/2), KT Tunstall (HOB, 10/2), Ani DiFranco (BUT, 10/2), Between the Buried and Me (Observatory, 10/4), Sia, Miguel (Viejas Arena, 10/5), Failure (Music Box, 10/6), Bad Boy Family Reunion (Viejas Arena, 10/6), Wynton Marsalis (Balboa Theatre, 10/6), Buena Vista Social Club (Balboa Theatre, 10/7), Kamasi Washington (Humphreys, 10/7), Florida Georgia Line (Sleep Train Amphitheatre, 10/9), Colbie Caillat (Humphreys, 10/12), Halestorm (HOB, 10/12), RJD2 (Observatory, 10/13), The Selecter (Casbah, 10/13), Legendary Pink Dots (Soda Bar, 10/13), Danny Brown (Observatory, 10/14), The 1975 (Open Air Theatre, 10/15), Schoolboy Q (Observatory, 10/15), Prophets of Rage (Sleep Train Amphitheatre, 10/16), Yellowcard (HOB, 10/16), Jethro Tull (Balboa Theatre, 10/17), The Faint, Gang of Four (Observatory, 10/18), Alessia Cara (Copley Symphony Hall, 10/18), Young the Giant (HOB, 10/18-19), Tricky (BUT, 10/21), Gorguts (Brick by Brick, 10/21), Saint Vitus (Brick by Brick, 10/22), Preoccupations (Irenic, 10/26), Alice Cooper (Harrah’s, 10/28), Ingrid Michaelson (Humphreys, 10/28), Black Rebel Motorcycle Club,

Death from Above 1979 (HOB, 10/28), M83 (SOMA, 10/29), Ms. Lauryn Hill (Copley Symphony Hall, 11/1), Andra Day (Humphreys, 11/2), Tory Lanez (Observatory, 11/3), Diamond Head (Brick by Brick, 11/5), Daughters (Soda Bar, 11/6), Sleigh Bells (Observatory, 11/11), Neko Case (Poway OnStage, 11/19), Red Fang (Casbah, 11/22), John Mayall (BUT, 11/20), Daughter (Observatory, 12/1), Two Door Cinema Club (Harrah’s Resort, 12/3), Pere Ubu (Casbah, 12/10), Henry Rollins (Observatory, 12/27), The Devil Makes Three (Observatory, 1/4-5), Blind Boys of Alabama (BUT, 1/29).

AUGUST WEDNESDAY, AUG. 10 Manatee Commune at The Hideout. Monsieur Perine at The Casbah. Inspired and the Sleep at Belly Up Tavern.

THURSDAY, AUG. 11 Foghat at Belly Up Tavern. Lil Uzi Vert at Observatory North Park.

FRIDAY, AUG.12 Indigo Girls at Humphreys by the Bay. Dead Feather Moon at Belly Up Tavern. Chris Young at Del Mar Racetrack. Jeremih at Observatory North Park. Ozzmania at Music Box.

SATURDAY, AUG. 13 311, Matisyahu at Del Mar Racetrack. Steve Martin and Martin Short at Harrahs Resort (sold out). Lucy Dacus at The Casbah. The White Buffalo at Belly Up Tavern.

MUSIC CONTINUED ON PAGE 48

#SDCityBeat

August 10, 2016 · San Diego CityBeat · 47

MUSIC MUSIC CONTINUED FROM PAGE 46 FRIDAY, AUG. 14 Galactic at Belly Up Tavern. Rhett Miller at Soda Bar. Demi Lovato, Nick Jonas at Sleep Train Amphitheatre. Dillinger Escape Plan at The Casbah (sold out).

MONDAY, AUG. 15 Grace Potter at Humphreys by the Bay. Ala Fringe at The Casbah. Rodrigo y Gabriela at Belly Up Tavern (sold out).

TUESDAY, AUG. 16 Lincoln Durham at The Casbah. Rodrigo y Gabriela at Belly Up Tavern (sold out).

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 17 Guided by Voices at Belly Up Tavern. James Supercave at The Hideout. Chastity Belt at The Casbah.

THURSDAY, AUG. 18 The Weight: Members of the Band/ Levon Helm Band at Belly Up Tavern. Riff Raff at Observatory North Park. Globelamp at Che Cafe.

rCLUBSr

710 Beach Club, 710 Garnet Ave., San Diego. Pacific Beach. Wed: Lad’s Holiday. Fri: Paul Chesne Band. Sat: Roots of a Revival, Disciples of the Canyon, Struble with Another Taste, Lee the Fourth, Joshua Odessa. Tue: Terrans. 98 Bottles, 2400 Kettner Blvd. Ste. 110, San Diego. Little Italy. Fri: Darryl Walker

48 · San Diego CityBeat · August 10, 2016

and Keith Andrew. Sun: The Matt Smith Neu Jazz Trio.

Dishes. Sat: The Heart Beat Trail, Super Buffet, Crow Squawk.

Air Conditioned Lounge, 4673 30th St., San Diego. Normal Heights. Wed: ‘Byrd Bass’ w/ DJ Daniel Byrd. Thu: ‘Libertine’ w/ DJs Jon Wesley, 1979. Sat: ‘Juicy’ w/ Mike Czech. Sun: ‘Chvrch’ w/ DJ Karma.

Boar Cross’n, 390 Grand Ave., Carlsbad. Fri: ‘Club Musae’.

American Comedy Co., 818 B Sixth Ave., San Diego. Downtown. Thu: Mark Normand. Fri: Mark Normand. Sat: Mark Normand. Sun: Gareth Reynolds. The Bancroft, 9143 Campo Rd., Spring Valley. Thu: The Frequency Within, The Mice. Fri: Biriuk, Mob Attack, FLAG, Systematic Abuse. Sat: Bipolarte, Steel Toe, Loud on Mute, Mandoshanks, dethsurf, catshit. Mon: Roselit Bone. Bar Pink, 3829 30th St., San Diego. North Park. Wed: Taurus Authority. Thu: ‘Grown Folk Music’. Fri: The Little Richards, Jason Hanna and the Bullfighters. Sat: Tiny Stills, Kali Kazoo, Milkcrates DJs. Sun: Rat Sabbath. Mon: ‘Motown on Monday’. Basic, 410 10th Ave., San Diego. Downtown. Tue: Radius. Beaumont’s, 5662 La Jolla Blvd., La Jolla. Thu: Adam Block Duo. Fri: Scratch. Sat: The Jones Revival. Sun: Mike Myrdal. Belly Up Tavern, 143 S. Cedros Ave., Solana Beach. Wed: Inspired and the Sleep, Grizzly Business, Con Mi Amigo. Thu: Foghat. Fri: Dead Feather Moon, Ocelot, The Paragraphs. Sat: The White Buffalo, Alice Drinks the Kool Aid. Sun: Galactic, Naughty Professor. Mon: Rodrigo y Gabriela (sold out). Tue: Rodrigo y Gabriela (sold out). Black Cat Bar, 4246 University Ave., San Diego. City Heights. Thu: Uptown Rhythm Makers. Fri: Badabing, Fictitious

Brass Rail, 3796 Fifth Ave., San Diego. Hillcrest. Fri: ‘Hip Hop Fridayz’. Sat: ‘Sabado en Fuego’ w/ DJs XP, KA, K-Swift. Mon: ‘Manic Monday’ w/ DJ Junior the Disco Punk. Brick by Brick, 1130 Buenos Ave., San Diego. Bay Park. Thu: The Ataris, Punchcard, Sideshow. Fri: Symbolic, Alchemy, Rammoth, Ravenscroft. Sat: Juan Croucier, Aerosmÿth, VacScene. Tue: Eliminate, Hatchet. Cafe Sevilla, 353 Fifth Ave., San Diego. Downtown. Sat: Flamenco Dinner Show. Sun: Buena Vista Sundays. The Casbah, 2501 Kettner Blvd., San Diego. Midtown. Wed: Monsieur Perine, Sonidero Travesura. Thu: Hockey Dad, Muuy Biien, The Gloomies. Fri: Lucy Dacus. Sat: The Donkeys, Heavy Hawaii, Hills like elephants. Sun: Dillinger Escape Plan, Author & Punisher (sold out). Mon: Ala Fringe, Melvus, The Fresh Brunettes. Tue: Lincoln Durham, G Burns Jug Band, Toothless George and His One Man Band. The Che Cafe, 9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla. Fri: VRIL. Chico Club, 7366 El Cajon Blvd, La Mesa. Wed: DJ Harvest Karaoke. Thu: DJ Harvest Karaoke. Fri: DJ Harvest Karaoke. Sat: Kasey Coe and the Cohorts. Sun: DJ Harvest Karaoke. Dirk’s Nightclub, 7662 Broadway, Lemon Grove. Fri: Josie Day Band. Sat: DJ Andrew. Dizzy’s, 4275 Mission Bay Drive, San Diego. Mission Bay. Fri: Flamenco and Brazilian Jazz: Rebecca Kleinmann Quar-

#SDCityBeat

MUSIC tet and Fabiano Nascimento, Rebecca Kleinmann. Sat: The Powerhouse Quintet. Sun: Bert Turetzky. F6ix, 526 F St., Downtown., San Diego. Downtown. Fri: Murphi Kennedy. Sat: DJ Dynamiq. The Field, 544 Fifth Ave., San Diego. Downtown. Wed: Erick Tyler Band. Thu: Eamon & George. Fri: Midnight Ride. Sat: Chipp Corderman Band. Fluxx, 500 Fourth Ave., San Diego. Downtown. Fri: DJ Amen. Sat: Reflex. Hard Rock Hotel, 207 Fifth Ave., San Diego. Downtown. Fri: Night Swim. The Hideout, 3519 El Cajon Blvd., San Diego. City Heights. Wed: Manatee Commune, Shallou. Thu: Container, Die Mißbildungen Des Menschen, Isolde Touch. Fri: Glass Spells, Spooky Cigarette, Garden Echo, 8 IM, Dancing Strangers. Sat: ‘The Boogie Down’ w/ The Cookie Crew. Tue: L.A. Witch. Hoffer’s Cigar Bar, 8282 La Mesa Blvd., La Mesa. Sat: Mark Lessman and the G Dogs. The Holding Company, 5040 Newport Ave., San Diego. Ocean Beach. Wed: BJ Jezbera, BandapArt, Quel Bordel!. Thu: DJ Reefah, South Town Generals. Fri: DJ OMZ, Shell Shock. Sat: DJ Artform, Jonathan Lee Band. Sun: Alive & Well, Hard to Hit. Tue: Shades of Blue (live band karaoke). House of Blues, 1055 Fifth Ave., San Diego. Downtown. Wed: Industry Night, Happy Hour with DJ Mike White, Rockin’ Trivia, DJ Mike White. Thu: Alejandra Guzman. Fri: Periphery, Sikth, Toothgrinder. Sat: Led Zepagain, Fooz Fighters. Sun: World Famous Gospel Brunch, Marianas Trench, Skylar Stecker. Tue: Robin Henkel.

#SDCityBeat

Humphrey’s Backstage Live, 2241 Shelter Island Drive, San Diego. Point Loma. Wed: Jerome Dawson. Thu: Rosy Dawn. Fri: Rising Star. Sat: Wildside, The Reflectors. Sun: Marvin Banks and Tyghtship, Stellita. Mon: Mercedes Moore. Tue: Missy Andersen. The Irenic, 3090 Polk Ave., San Diego. North Park. Wed: Boys of Summer Tour. Fri: Sinners Welcome Pole Theater. Java Joe’s Normal Heights, 3536 Adams Ave., San Diego. Normal Heights. Wed: Veronica May. Thu: Skelpin. Sun: Nina Francis, Aaron Bowen, Jeff Ousley, Noah Rickertson. Kava Lounge, 2812 Kettner Blvd., San Diego. Midtown. Wed: ‘Family Matters’. Thu: ‘Club Nabu’. Fri: ‘Black and Gold Ball’. Sat: ‘Casa del Gato’. Sun: Llamadon, Caliens, Mystery Cave, Deep Urth. Tue: ‘Tribe Night’. Ki’s Restaurant., 2591 South Coast Highway 101, Cardiff-by-the-Sea. Fri: Robin Henkel, Whitney Shay & Billy Watson. The Kraken, 2531 S. Coast Highway 101, Cardiff. Cardiff-by-the-Sea. Wed: No L7. Thu: Country Fried. Fri: Toga Party. Sat: Rock Garden, Country Canyon. Sun: DeBlois and the Boys, Rezonators. Tue: Freeverse. Lestat’s West , 3341 Adams Ave., San Diego. Normal Heights. Wed: Selfish Giant, End Thought. Thu: Little Heroine, Jason Andrew Webber. Fri: Raelee Nikole, Oskar and Julia. Sat: Tony P, Samer Bakri, Maddie Leigh, Amy Obenski. Sun: Andrew London, Ashley J, Ivan Cheong. Mc P’s Irish Pub, 1107 Orange Ave., Coronado. Wed: Goodal Boys. Thu: Sophisticats. Fri: Flipside Burners. Sat:

Mystique. Sun: Glen Smith. Mon: JG Duo. Tue: 3 Guys Will Move U. The Merrow, 1271 University Ave., San Diego. Hillcrest. Wed: Aethere, Insvrgence, Voidlines. Fri: Madame Recamier, Viri y Los Bandidos, Luna Mondragon. Sat: Sometimes Julie, Wag Halen, Innocent Bystanders. Tue: The Gorgeous Boyscouts, Bossfight, Strange Creature. Moonshine Flats, 344 7th Ave., San Diego. Gaslamp. Fri: Scotty Alexander. Sat: Scotty Alexander. Mother’s Saloon, 2228 Bacon Street, San Diego. Sun: Agave, Shades of Blue. Mr. Peabody’s Encinitas, 136 Encinitas Blvd., Encinitas. Thu: The Sickstring Outlaws. Fri: Bull Twist. Sat: The Young Savages, Blue Vinyl, Linda Berry and John January. Music Box, 1337 India St., San Diego. Little Italy. Wed: Strange Love, The Cured, Planet Earth, Hellbent, Fooz Fighters, Core, Turn Me Loose, White Elephant, Not Exactly. Fri: Ozzmania, Noise Pollution. Sat: Todo Mundo, Aquile, The Moves Collective, Chugboat, Brad Perry Music. The Office, 3936 30th St., San Diego. North Park. Wed: ‘The Reflex’. Thu: ‘No Limits’ w/ DJ Myson King. Fri: ‘After Hours’ w/ DJs Kid Wonder, Saul Q. Sat: ‘Strictly Business’ w/ DJs Kanye Asada, Gabe Vega. Sun: ‘Uptown Top Ranking’ w/ Tribe of Kings. Mon: Skeleton Hands, Blood Ponies, DJ Aaron Amnesia. Tue: ‘True Bass’ w/ DJs Saber, Ramsey.

Patricks Gaslamp, 428 F St., San Diego. Downtown. Wed: The Upshots. Fri: Soul Fire. Sat: R-Kive. Tue: Paddy’s Chicken Jam. Proud Mary’s @ The Ramada Hotel, 5550 Kearny Mesa Road, San Diego. Kearny Mesa. Thu: Tomcat Courtney. Fri: Bill Magee. Sat: Nathan James and the Rhythm Scratchers. Rich’s, 1051 University Ave., San Diego. Hillcrest. Wed: DJ John Joseph. Thu: DJ K-Swift. Fri: DJs Dirty Kurty, Will Z. Sat: DJs Taj, K-Swift. Sun: DJs Bret Law, Hektik. Riviera Supper Club, 7777 University Ave., La Mesa. Wed: ‘Boss Jazz’ w/ Jason Hanna. Thu: Israel Maldonado. Fri: Flophouse Playboys. Sat: Sleepwalkers. Sun: Second Cousins. Seven Grand, 3054 University Ave., San Diego. North Park. Sat: Kat Meyers and the Buzzards. Soda Bar, 3615 El Cajon Blvd., San Diego. City Heights. Wed: Lisa Prank, Polish, Nancy Sin. Thu: Monolord, Beast Maker, Sweat Lodge. Fri: Sledding with Tigers, Blink 182 Cover Band, Inspired and the Sleep, Future Crooks. Sat: First Hate, Grand Prix, Steep Leans, Nylon Apartments. Sun: Rhett Miller. Mon: Era Troika, The Bandits, Pushing Daisies, SBSTNCE. Tue: Walkie Talkie, Children of Pop, Grim Slippers, Cellars. SOMA, 3350 Sports Arena Blvd., San Diego. Midway. Fri: Treaded, Vanguard, Beyond My Afterlife, Petrichor, Follow Coffins.

OMNIA Nightclub, 454 6th Ave, San Diego. Thu: Lost Kings. Fri: NGHTMRE. Sat: DJ Vice.

Sycamore Den, 3391 Adams Ave., San Diego. Normal Heights. Thu: The Babes, Raymond the Sparrow. Sun: The Big Decisions.

Parq, 615 Broadway, San Diego. Fri: DJ Shift. Sat: Brody Jenner.

Til-Two Club, 4746 El Cajon Blvd., San Diego. City Heights. Thu: Throw Rag,

The Downs Family, Screaming Yeehaws, Homeless Sexuals. Fri: Messer Chups, The Phantom Four, Secret Samurai. Sat: Rossi Rock, BDotwyatt, YMTK. Sun: Cochinas Locas, Hoodrat, The Natives, Kids in Heat, Abortz, Stalins of Sound, Santa Ana Knights, Midnight Track, Batlords, The M. Tue: Andrew Barrack, The Landing. The Tin Roof, 401 G Street, San Diego. Gaslamp. Wed: Pat Dowling. Thu: J. Liberio. Fri: Cassie B Project, Keep Your Soul. Sat: Coriander, Keep Your Soul. Sun: Allegra Duchaine. Mon: Pat Dowling. Tio Leo’s, 5302 Napa St., San Diego. Bay Park. Thu: The Fremonts. Fri: The Reflectors. Sat: Bless Your Heart Burlesque. Sun: Tardeadas with Colour. Tower Bar, 4757 University Ave., San Diego. City Heights. Fri: DFMK, Haruka, The Bertos, Heat. Ux31, 3112 University Ave., San Diego. North Park. Thu: ‘Throwback Thursday’. Fri: DJ Qenoe. Sat: DJ Camron Zibaie. Whistle Stop, 2236 Fern St, San Diego. South Park. Wed: ‘Girls Girls Girls’ w/ DJ Lizeth. Thu: ‘Recommended Dosage’ w/ Rakta, DJs Mike Turi, Andrew McGranahan. Fri: Gloomsday, Strange Planet, AJ Froman. Sat: ‘Booty Bassment’ w/ DJs Dimitri, Rob. Sun: ‘Is This It?’ w/ DJ Rees Withrow. Tue: ‘Videodrome’. Winstons, 1921 Bacon St., San Diego. Ocean Beach. Wed: Rafel, Lion D, DJ Carlos Culture. Thu: Feliciano Arango y Amistad Cubana. Fri: Dani Bell and the Tarantist. Sat: ‘Ocean Boogie’. Mon: Electric Waste Band. Tue: Supersonic Dragon Wagon, Beira, Cryptic Languages.

August 10, 2016 · San Diego CityBeat · 49

LAST WORDS

BY SEBASTIAN MONTES

IN THE

WEEDS Cured by cannabis

onsider the hemp store owner who was told she had weeks to live after suffering massive liver failure. Or the cannabis chef plunged into a miasma of pain-killing narcotics after his car careened off an I-805 overpass. Or the life-and-death leap of faith Edgar Garcia is taking as he tries to beat back the tumors growing in his pulmonary sacs. It’s been a year since doctors told Garcia, a 24-year-old manager at Point Loma Patient Co-Op, that his lung cancer had escalated to Stage Two. A battery of medications might extend his life a few years, they said, but the crippling reality of treatment soon left him wondering whether it was worth so much misery. “It was like death knocking on the door,” he said. “It’s a tricky situation when you’re contemplating whether or not you want to approach the darkness.”

50 · San Diego CityBeat · August 10, 2016

Resigning himself to whatever outcome might be, he trashed his meds and entrusted his fate to a menagerie of cannabis tinctures, edibles and oils. The news from his first doctor’s appointment since: The tumors have shrunk by a millimeter. “Whether it’s placebo or the plant, something is obviously working,” he said. That elusive something in Garcia’s case—and in an exploding number of cases worldwide—is cannibidol, the most medically promising compound of the hundreds so far identified in marijuana and hemp. Where THC has by comparison a handful of possible uses, scientists and self medicators are compiling a roster of CBD-treatable conditions that reads like an inventory of the entire human body. Here, a point of emphasis: CBD does not get you high—at least not

in the pseudo-hallucinatory sense so familiar with THC. But to hear users’ anecdotes, it certainly does, well, something. Take for instance the way La Jolla resident Lida Thompson recalls the first time her cancer-surviving husband gave her a CBD pill for her extensive nerve pain. “I was like wow, I’m melting into the Tempurpedic,” she said shortly after cozying up to a CBD dab at a recent pot expo near City Heights. “I thought, ‘What the hell?! I’m not tired, I’m not high. I’m just relaxed.’” That dab had come courtesy of Chef Deantra, owner of the Oceanside-based Papa’z Potionz. His own CBD awakening traces back to a horrific car crash that left him all but crippled. He hasn’t taken a single pain pill, he says, in the seven years since he turned to a CBD regimen and started spreading the gospel of its curative powers. “It’s not hush-hush anymore,” he said as he tended to a long line of patients at the expo. “People are saying it out loud: I’ve been cured by cannabis.” The clamor for CBD is such that even out in Alpine, Cherie Bromley-Taylor has to hustle to keep the shelves at Mt. Hempire

SEBASTIAN MONTES

Edgar Garcia uses CBD to treat his lung cancer. stocked. Dozens of families are queued up for each shipment of Charlotte’s Web and other CBD products, she says, as they try to ease their children’s agonizing struggles with epilepsy and other ailments. She’s all too familiar with how desperate that need can be. Ten years ago, doctors delivered the bleakest of prognoses after she suffered sudden and massive liver failure. “The doctors handed me my two-week expiration notice. To this day they don’t know how I survived it,” she said. “I can tell you for sure that cannabis was part of it. It saved my life. It absolutely saved my life.”

#SDCityBeat

August 10, 2016 · San Diego CityBeat · 51