San Diego CityBeat • Aug 15, 2018

2 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · AUGUST 15, 2018

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AUGUST 15, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 3

UP FRONT | FROM THE EDITOR

The critical masses

M

y first issue as CityBeat’s editor came only a few weeks after the 2016 presidential election and, needless to say, I was intimidated.

Yes, I looked forward to leading a left-leaning alternative weekly into the age of Trump, but I also couldn’t help but feel as if I was being promoted at a time when being a journalist was becoming one of the more dangerous professions.

My first week did not disappoint. In one of my many nights working late around that time, CityBeat’s office phone rang and while I wouldn’t normally answer the phone after hours, I picked up the receiver.

“I hope Trump fires all of you,” the caller yelled.

Well, it has begun, I thought.

That’s not to prop up my position. I certainly don’t get as much hate mail, trolling tweets, illogical Facebook comments or angry phone calls as the reporters who stick their necks out to cover an administration who regularly calls their hard work “fake news” and who also, just two weekends ago, tweeted that the media “purposely cause great division & distrust. They can also cause War! They are very dangerous & sick!”

Make no mistake, dear reader, this kind of language is truly the thing that is “dangerous” and “sick.” We’ve seen what happens when misinformation is taken as fact (the “Pizzagate” gunman) and, more recently, when even simply reporting the facts can get innocent journalists killed (the Capital Gazette massacre). And while many editorials were written in the wake of the Capital Gazette massacre, there still seemed to be a sense that it would be ethically irresponsible to draw parallels between the shooting and the president’s verbal attacks on the media.

But they are connected, even if it’s circumstantial.

When men in power enable and reinforce dangerous ideas, imbalanced people will feel empowered to act on dangerous ideas. It’s that simple. Is President Trump directly responsible for any future attacks that will undoubtedly befall journalists? No, but he is not helping, and his words and actions are meant to incite and entice people in dangerous ways. He has been told this, but he chooses to do it anyway.

Just over the last few months, we have received a number of disturbing and threatening emails, many of which were aimed at some of our columnists who are women. One person in particular has been slipping envelopes underneath our office complex door with cryptic, disturbing images and messages written on pages cut out of our paper. The intentions are clear and the logic is the same as that of the President’s: They are meant to intimidate our writers into standing down when it comes to pursuing important stories.

A lot has been made about what the media can do

to combat this dangerous rhetoric. There have also been calls for more acts of unified actions amongst those covering national politics and especially those covering the White House.

This editorial is our contribution.

This week, we made the decision to join hundreds of other publications in the U.S. who are publishing “coordinated response” editorials in response to President Trump’s dangerous statements. The Aug. 16 “response” was organized by The Boston Globe’s editorial page department and has since been embraced and promoted by The American Society of News Editors, the New England Newspaper and Press Association and the Association of Alternative Newsmedia, the latter of which CityBeat is a member.

Donald Trump And while we will continue to do our jobs, it is also up to readers to stand up. We will keep doing what we’re doing for as long as we can do it, but the President’s attacks on us will only get worse unless enough people stand up to tell him that such statements and propaganda are unacceptable.

One thing that did warm my heart when Trump was first elected was the surge in interest in the newspaper and periodical industry around the same time.

People seemingly rushing out to purchase subscriptions to publications such as The New York Times and Vanity Fair. Even the San Diego Union-Tribune saw a rather sizable uptick in subscriptions. I myself even renewed my subscription for the first time in years.

But people’s support doesn’t necessarily need to be financial. The real newsmedia isn’t and has never been in the business of telling people what they want to hear, but rather what they need to hear. To find the truth and report it. They should not be attacked for this. They should be celebrated and defended at every opportunity.

But we can’t do this alone. If readers care about freedom, they also need to care about the free press.

—Seth Combs

Write to seth.combs@sdcitybeat.com

This issue of CityBeat still thinks New Jersey is trash.

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4 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · AUGUST 15, 2018

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UP FRONT | LETTERS

SHOW ME THE MONEY Your interview with Mr. Gloria [“Persisting with Pride,” July 11] was read with interest, especially his comments re: a “housing deficit.” It’s one thing to talk about such a deficit but that kind of talk without suggested solutions does not advance the issue to a resolution.

“Affordable housing” is the newest “sexy” hot button topic thrown about by politicians, which I believe is a ‘dog whistle’ for raising taxes or fees on us taxpaying citizens. I have never heard one politician tell us about the AB-1335 legislation passed in 2015 that was to “generate billions of dollars in federal and private investment annually and create tens of thousands of affordable housing every year.” Our very own Toni Atkins played an instrumental role in getting 1335 passed. Then there is AB-34, the cap ‘n’ trade legislation, which (according to the latest state numbers I’ve seen) is generating approximately $2 billion/year with $450,000,000 allocated to affordable housing. Where are these dollars being spent? Mr. Gloria’s silence is deafening! On top of these two, there is SB-2, generated by our Toni Atkins and signed into law by the Governor, which went into effect on January 1 of this year and is anticipated to raise between $250 and $300 million per year using a real estate transaction fee of between $75 and $225 per transaction recorded with County Recorders. Where will these dollars go?

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Now we have the convention center proposed bond issue, which supposedly allocates on a front-loaded basis hundreds of millions of dollars for homelessness/affordable housing [Edit note: This letter was sent before the city council session last week that buried the convention center measure].

To add insult to injury, the local Housing Federation has introduced and is pushing a $900 million bond issue for this November’s ballot too with the funds to be allocated to affordable housing with repayment of that bond issue to come from a regressive parcel tax on all real estate which surely flirts with being a violation of Prop 13. Our illustrious city council’s Rules Committee just approved on a 3-2 vote to send it on to the full city council for a vote to put it on the November ballot.

Now, just consider the existing sources of dollars for affordable housing as stated above—where are those dollars going? Why hasn’t [sic] Atkins and Gloria inter alia given us a detailed report on how these dollars have been used to date. We taxpayers are entitled to that data. Now the big spending pols want to add to that already big pot of dollars with these two November bond issues when they cannot even give us a definition of “affordable housing,” where it’ll be built, who will qualify, etc. San Diego residents pay state taxes that cause state budgets to be fully funded with billions left for a “rainy day fund”—so our city should be able to avail itself of the state funds generated by

AB-1335, AB-34 and SB-2 without having to saddle us with this $900 million millstone and the carve-out dollars from the proposed convention center bond issue.

CityBeat could do a huge public service by asking every San Diego elected representative in Sacramento and San Diego to answer the questions raised by their own actions or the actions of their predecessors as they relate to “affordable housing.”

Lou Cumming La Jolla

TABLE OF CONTENTS UP FRONT From the Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Letters to the Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Spin Cycle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Backwards & In High Heels. . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Well, That Was Awkward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

FOOD & DRINK World Fare. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Anatomy of a Cocktail Scene . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Revenge of a Beer Nerd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

THINGS TO DO The Short List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Calendar of Events. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-13

WE WANT FEEDBACK Email letters to editor Seth Combs at seth.combs@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.

ARTS & CULTURE Theater. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 FEATURE: Black Xpression . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Film . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-19

MUSIC FEATURE: Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Notes From The Smoking Patio . . . . . . . . . 22 About Last Night . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 If I Were U . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Concerts & Clubs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24-26

IN THE BACK Astrologically Unsound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 CannaBeat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 COVER PHOTO BY TIGIST LAYNE

AUGUST 15, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 5

JOHN R. LAMB

UP FRONT | OPINION

SPIN

CYCLE

JOHN R. LAMB

Signature failure Necessity, especially in politics, often occasions false hopes, false reasonings and a system of measures, correspondently erroneous.

J

—Alexander Hamilton

ust how pissed is Mayor Kevin Faulconer at four San Diego City Council Democrats who, last week, rejected his last-ditch rescue attempt of a November ballot measure to expand the convention center?

So peeved that three of the four council offices have confirmed to Spin that the mayor has canceled the regularly scheduled monthly one-on-one meetings with the councilmembers for the rest of 2018, including Council President Myrtle Cole, who sets the council agenda.

A mayoral spokesperson on Tuesday snarkily acknowledged the decision. “Yes. For once a rumor peddled to CityBeat is actu-

ally true,” senior press secretary Greg Block wrote. “When these councilmembers want to vote on our priorities, we’ll be happy to resume these meetings to talk about theirs.”

At least by reaction, the councilmembers don’t seem to be overly concerned about the mayor’s dickish dictum. Heck, Councilmember David Alvarez, one of the four and perhaps Faulconer’s least favorite, hasn’t had an audience with the mayor since August of last year, so he’s a veteran of the snub.

Council President Pro Tem Barbara Bry said, “Hopefully they will be rescheduled in order to work together on both our Council District One and citywide priorities.”

Voice of San Diego reported that Faulconer interrupted a family vacation on Catalina Island to fly back by seaplane(!) in order to appear before the council last Thursday and make his pitch in hopes

6 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · AUGUST 15, 2018

of salvaging a citizens initiative that would have asked voters to raise the hotel tax to pay for an expanded convention center, homeless programs and road repairs. All of these things, Faulconer argued, are the same issues that councilmembers have backed him on in the past.

“I wouldn’t have asked if it wasn’t so important,” Faulconer told the council Thursday. “Today, we are at a crossroads. We can accept the status quo and ignore San Diego’s calls for change, or we can act.”

The mayor, in his remarks to council, only briefly hinted at the fiasco that resulted in the need to call the special meeting Thursday, one day before ballot measures were due for submission to the county Registrar of Voters.

“The reality is that the road to get here wasn’t pretty,” Faulconer said, “and I’ll be the first to tell you that not everything has unfolded as expected or how I would have preferred…”

Just 24 hours prior, backers of a well-financed citizens initiative calling themselves Yes! For a Better San Diego learned that their million-dollar signature-gathering campaign had fallen short in a random count, necessitating a full signature-verification process that would not be completed until well after the Friday deadline.

After last week’s fiasco, even the San Diego Union-Tribune conceded that Mayor Kevin “Schleprock” Faulconer is “just not very good at getting the job done.”

Faulconer’s only remedy to salvage the initiative was to fully embrace it as his own and urge the council to sign on. With Councilmember Chris Ward unavailable from a South Pacific location, the mayor needed all council hands on deck including Republicans Chris Cate (returning briefly from paternity leave) and Mark Kersey having to teleconference in from Ohio.

But the eight councilmembers deadlocked on the very first vote to waive a council policy regarding submission of ballot measures.

And with that, Mayor Faulconer was handed perhaps his most embarrassing defeat.

After the meeting, a livid Faulconer told KUSI, “This was the exact wrong thing to do for our city.

Four members of the City Council put politics over progress.” He later issued a statement that boiled with frustration: “The councilmembers’ procedural complaints are hollow comfort to the veteran living on the street or the family struggling to make ends meet. The City Council talks a big game about making our city better, but when the time came for action all we heard were excuses.”

But opponents of the mayor’s last-ditch rush job weren’t buying it. Activist attorney Cory Briggs, itching to file suit if the mayor got his way, called it “an epic fail.”

“What’s even more impressive is that there’s no politics behind it,” Briggs told Spin. “This was literally four representatives listening to the community.”

Former councilmember Donna Frye, a staunch open-government advocate, even made a rare appearance before the council to counter the mayor’s plea. She later told Spin that she got so angry in the 24 hours leading up to Thursday’s meeting that she decided to attend the hearing “quite frankly to make sure that I got to look them in the eye before I filed the lawsuit.”

Frye cherishes fewer things

more passionately than the opengovernment ballot measure she championed in 2004 that requires, among other things, that the city make findings—in other words, clear reasoning—when it wants to waive rules.

“What they were about to do in my opinion by waiving their own policy was to violate their own city charter on a [2004] ballot measure that almost 80 percent of the public supported, which says if you limit public access you need to make findings saying why that’s a good idea,” Frye said. “And they did not do that.”

When asked about the mayor’s argument about process over progress winning the day, she steamed. “When you start changing the rules based on that particular moment in time when you have to quickly hurry up to get what you want, you set a really bad precedent,” she explained. “When people want stuff, they’ll just say, ‘Change the rules! We don’t have to play by the rules anymore, because we want it that bad.’”

She said it reminded her of a plaque that has hung “forever” in the surfboard-shaping room of her famous surfer husband, Skip, that reads, “You want it bad, You get it bad/The worse you want it, The worse you get it.”

The setback has renewed debate about Faulconer’s political instincts and leadership abilities. For Spin, the episode further cements Faulconer’s legacy as closer to Schleprock, the Flintstones character of misfortune that could wilt a four-leaf clover while lamenting, “Wowzy wowzy woo woo.”

As Jimmie Slack, Cole’s chief of staff, noted, “Things will cool down and all will be well after the recess.

Trust me, the mayor’s office and council offices know that together we do more.”

We can only hope.

Spin Cycle appears every other week.

Write to johnl@sdcitybeat.com.

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AUGUST 15, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 7

UP FRONT | OPINION

AARYN BELFER

BACKWARDS & IN

HIGH HEELS

To underserve and project

I

’m hot and bothered these days and not just because of the oppressive heat. It’s because certain power players in National City—led by Mayor Ron Morrison and Police Chief Manny Rodriguez—don’t seem to understand that they work for The People.

So yeah, I am up in my feelings about the patriarchal father-knows-best ruling class of the South Bay. Unlike what happened to Earl McNeil on May 26, 2018, there is zero mystery about the rot at the core of National City politics. The cancer there is the most transparent thing about the last 70-plus-days-andcounting since McNeil was gravely injured while in the custody of the National City Police.

Those of us who have attended any of the National City Council meetings since the death of McNeil have personal experience with the outward disdain coming from Morrison and Rodriguez. Even those watching from afar have witnessed the hostility, both verbal from the Mayor and the Chief, and physical, from the latter’s officers.

Interestingly enough, it’s in the body language of all the men at the center of this fiasco.

Rodriguez claims he can’t help The Smirk, the joker-esque smile he shines on anyone who dares questions his authority. At the last meeting, during which a protest led to the arrest of six activists (myself included), Councilmember Jerry Cano couldn’t even make eye contact with any of the peaceful folks offering public comment on the death of a man. Callous doesn’t begin to describe it. And for his part, fellow councilmember Albert Mendevil sat like a lump on the dais, looking like he wanted to hurry up and get home to his dinner and the 10 o’clock news.

And good ol’ Mayor Morrison, who recently tried so desperately to change term limits so he could run for reelection again, rolled his eyes and sighed so frequently that he hardly needed to follow-up his performance with media interviews that included openly hostile comments toward the people he is paid to serve.

It’s worth lingering on this point about the people who Morrison is paid to serve, because, in his mind, who he’s meant to serve is a closed debate. Yes, the Mayor directly represents a local constituency but he also has a responsibility to the public at large. A public servant is a public servant. However, the narrative he is peddling—one shared, apparently, by Chief Rodriguez—is that the public protesters aren’t deserving of answers or time or attention because we aren’t residents of National City. By that logic, Earl McNeil wasn’t their resident to assault and fatally wound.

Last week, Voice of San Diego (VOSD) reported that Morrison and Rodriguez are declining an invitation to an upcoming town hall meeting organized by community protectors including my friend and McNeil family spokesperson, Tasha Williamson. It’s Morrison’s opinion that the public has no authority to ask for accountability.

“I’m not answerable to them,” Morrison told VOSD.

“Just because they bark orders, we won’t jump.”

As far as I can tell, the only people barking anything are Chief Rodriguez and Mayor Morrison.

On Lori Saldaña’s Facebook, Morrison called activists “professional agitators” who were either “uninformed or politically grandstanding,” and accused them of going from “community to community protesting as they follow the cameras.”

“To my knowledge,” Saldaña wrote back, “There are no geographic restrictions or residency requirements for expressing concern over police practices or showing compassion for a person who has died in custody.”

“But there should be for grandstanding for the media,” Morrison wrote.

Now, I know I am not making a living from protesting and neither are the hundreds of people I’ve joined in a collective call for justice.

Meanwhile the Mayor (total pay and benefits as of 2016 = $89,622) and the Police Chief (total pay and benefits as of 2016 = $267,079.00) are salaried, the very definition of professional. It is these men who grandstand before the media, changing their stories, flipping the narrative and redirecting focus away from their obstruction.

Like so many other men who exemplify the tyrannical moment in which we are living, Mayor Morrison and Chief Rodriguez operate as authoritarians. Their type of leadership isn’t deserving of the public trust and should not be excused or normalized by journalists covering local politics.

The problem is that neither of these men, entrusted with public welfare, seem to understand or care that the border separating National City from Chula Vista, Bonita and Barrio Logan is wholly imaginary when it comes to a person’s First Amendment right to petition the government for redress of grievances.

It doesn’t matter if a person who takes issue with police violence resides in National City—or El Cajon or Los Angeles or Sacramento. It doesn’t matter if we live in Baltimore or Cleveland or Minnesota or North Charleston or Hempstead.

We, the People, are free to protest when our representatives, wherever they are, abuse their power. It is our inalienable right to demand that our grievances are addressed without being dismissed; to engage in civil disobedience without the threat of bodily injury or retribution.

Evident from the public statements and behaviors of National City leadership is that it isn’t the way we protest that has them tumbling over themselves to change their story and shift the focus. When we’ve spoken calmly and reasonably, we’ve been ignored.

When we’ve been loud and angry, we’ve been arrested.

No, it’s not about the method. It’s about the fact that we protest at all.

It is these men who grandstand before the media, changing their stories, flipping the narrative and redirecting focus away from their obstruction.

8 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · AUGUST 15, 2018

Backwards & In High Heels appears every other week.

Write to aarynb@sdcitybeat.com.

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UP FRONT | VOICES

RYAN BRADFORD

WELL THAT WAS

AWKWARD

The unfunny origin story of my “Woody”

A

couple weeks ago, I received an award from the Society of Professional Journalists for the writing I do in this fine publication. To be more specific, I won the Herbert Lockwood “Woody” Award, which is a hilariously-named award for humor writing. Basically—and much to the chagrin of both friends and enemies alike—this award is professional recognition of my funniness, and I plan to become even more insufferable as I let the power corrupt me.

This is what getting a “Woody” does to you (See? It’s already paying off).

It’s strange to think of the journey that led to this.

When I follow the trajectory of my writing career in San Diego, there’s a lot of discomfort and sadness. I suppose all good origin stories begin from turmoil, and since I’ve never laid it out in these pages, I feel like now’s a good time. Hell, maybe there’s some kid out there looking to get a “Woody,” too (last one, promise).

Back in 2011, I was working for the USPS. I had friends who would make the Bukowski comparisons, but the truth was that I had pretty much given up on my dream of being a writer.

While delivering mail, I would take photos of dangerous dogs on the routes, partly because I wanted to make custom dog warning cards that accompanied each route, but mostly because I was fucking bored with the soul-crushing, bone-breaking monotony of the job. I needed some creative outlet, so I took pictures.

I put the pictures on my blog under the title “All The Dogs Want to Kill Me.” I sent the link to Gawker—which, back then, was still a site—and went to bed.

The next morning, I had 12,000 views on my blog.

Then, NPR got in touch. The hits kept coming, and it didn’t take long before CityBeat’s former arts editor Kinsee Morlan got in touch.

I agreed to an interview with her, and unbeknownst to my supervisors at the USPS, invited her out to walk a route with me.

Turns out I said some unfavorable things about the job, including regretfully comparing it to “slave labor” (I wasn’t very woke in 2011). Also, it turns out that reporters will print things that you say.

When Morlan’s article came out, USPS fired me, but only after an incredibly uncomfortable interrogation with my hard-nosed manager (seriously, don’t fuck around with post office managers). So, um, thanks, Kinsee.

I was depressed for a long time after getting canned from the USPS, and I was probably the most unhirable person in San Diego. It wasn’t until months later, when Morlan announced that she was leaving

CityBeat, that I felt anything like hope. I immediately contacted her about having her job, probably laying the guilt on pretty hard (even though it was me who got myself fired, not her). And it worked. She advocated for me to get the brand new web editor position.

So, um, thanks for reals, Kinsee!

But the first years at CityBeat were hard. It was during this time that I realized my depression and anxiety weren’t circumstantial, and the deadlinedriven environment did nothing to help that. I have vivid memories of sitting at my desk, unable to do anything because my heart was racing and my jaw was clenched and I was sweating and I felt like crying for no reason.

One day, Kelly Davis—the associate editor at the time—forwarded an invitation from Harrah’s Casino to experience its multi-million dollar renovation. I don’t think she expected me to write about it, but I did. Because my anxiety was running on overdrive during that period of my life, the whole experience felt manic. It was my first time enduring PR schmoozing, and the luxury of it all felt like a fever dream, so I wrote a 2,000-word nerve-ridden opus about my experience.

The Harrah’s piece ended up as one of CityBeat’s highest-trafficked stories that year. It was then that former editor David Rolland asked if I wanted to write a regular column.

Make no mistake: It pleases me to no end that people think “Well, That Was Awkward” is funny, but the core of the column is rooted in anxiety. Thanks to prescribed meds and (perhaps ironically) the therapeutic catharsis of writing this column, I’m not as awkward as I used to be. But anxiety will always be with me—as I’m sure it is with a lot of others. We live in an anxious world, and if social and political trends continue as they are, it will only get worse.

It’s difficult to justify humor writing while real journalists are fighting for validation, our country’s going down the toilet and people of color are being murdered for simply existing, and there are many days that I feel like I should hang it all up (and, oh god, imagine my shame when someone at a bar once distilled my column as “the white male experience”).

But then I remember that the personal is political.

Internal change has to happen before external change can happen. We’re all miserable, but when we share the discomfort, we can be less miserable.

Now, back to stroking my “Woody.”

But anxiety will always be with me—as I’m sure it is with a lot of others.

We live in an anxious world, and if social and political trends continue as they are, it will only get worse.

@SDCITYBEAT

Well, That Was Awkward appears every other week.

Write to ryanb@sdcitybeat.com

AUGUST 15, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 9

UP FRONT | FOOD

BY MICHAEL A. GARDINER

THE WORLD

FARE

Gloriously inauthentic Thai

E

very foodie in town, it seems, is on an endless chase for the next “authentic” hole-inthe-wall ethnic spot. Once word gets out on the “Eating and Drinking in San Diego” Facebook group that someone has opened a place with mom at the stove, the foodies are all over it. Sometimes it’s even good.

But occasionally, authenticity isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. But... the gloriously inauthentic can be downright brilliant. 55 Thai Kitchen (2601 Broadway, but there are two other locations) is a case in point.

Authenticity is, in the end, an artificial construct. As Andy Ricker, the great Portland chef of Pok Pok Restaurant (itself frequently praised for its “authentic” Thai cuisine) says, terms like authentic and traditional “imply an absolute cuisine, that there is a one true Thai food out there, somewhere.”

The reality is that what one mother considers authentic, another mother in the next town over will insist it is not.

On its face there doesn’t appear to be much in common between the food at 55 Thai and Ricker’s fare. Unlike Pok Pok, 55 Thai’s food isn’t the result of rigorous adherence to old-school techniques. In fact, its food isn’t so much Thai as Thai-esque and doesn’t pretend to be anything else.

Take its Pad Thai Noodles: a little too red and a little too sweet, almost as if there was ketchup in there where tamarind ought to be. And there isn’t even a hint of spice. Yet, somehow, the flavors never seemed out of balance. The dish is almost a cartoon version of Americanized Thai food and yet, somehow, it’s all the better for it.

While Spicy Basil Chicken—made with chunks of chicken and holy basil—is, in fact, a classic Thai dish (pad kaprow gai), this version isn’t. Instead of chunks of chicken, 55 Thai’s is ground. Rather than holy basil, 55 Thai’s uses western basil. And

10 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · AUGUST 15, 2018

if a chili pepper was present when the dish was cooked, it was on the other side of the kitchen. And yet again, somehow, the resulting dish works.

Drunken Noodles takes its name because it’s food for drunk people, not because of a boozy marinade or sauce. At 55 Thai, the brilliantly greasy noodles come with your choice of separatelycooked protein or vegetables. The contrast between the noodles and steamed chicken, surprisingly, rocks. Authentic? Hell no. But the contrast enhanced the dish. Just don’t get it with steamed vegetables.

MICHAEL A. GARDINER

Drunken noodles Do try the Tom Yum salad that way. It’s not a green papaya salad (som tam), but more of a Western salad with lots of perfectly steamed vegetables (broccoli, carrots, zucchini and more) along with the classic flavors of Tom Yum soup (lime, fish sauce, sugar and a bit of chilies). It’s a dish that’s almost contemptuous of notions of authenticity.

It’s also delicious.

55 Thai’s original spot is at the back of a liquor store. It’s odd for sure. But perhaps that highly untraditional location lent 55 Thai’s cooks the freedom to do the food they wanted. It’s the food of folk who like Thai flavors and really don’t care how they got there. All I care about is the fact they did get there and, two new locations notwithstanding, still are there.

The World Fare appears weekly.

Write to michaelg@sdcitybeat.com.

@SDCITYBEAT

UP FRONT | FOOD & DRINK

ANATOMY OF A COCKTAIL SCENE

BY IAN WARD

#38: Lingering questions at You & Yours Distillery Co.

Because, well, I honestly didn’t see what the difference was at the time.

I honestly didn’t think gender played K, so this is the hardest article I’ve a role in any success that I had, because I don’t judge people by the accents in which written to date.

I wanted to start this article by they speak, the religions in which they put going through the merits of the cocktail, their faith, or the organs they play with at then move on to how much I love Topo night.

This is, of course, a bad way to look at Chico mineral water (the love is pretty deep. It’s one of the few constants in my shit.

Anyway, the point I’m trying to make refrigerator). I’d then finish the article with some nonsense about how much I is that You & Yours Distilling Co. (1495 appreciate honeydew in the summer time. G St., youandyours.com ) in the East Village is dope. It is the first female-owned You know, some ongoing nondistillery in Southern California and sense about seasonality. they make really great gin, and with But there was something a wonderful sensibility and really troubling that kept happening great branding. All under the manwhen I was writing about the agement and guidance of a very topics above. These lingering talented woman, Laura Johnson. questions kept coming up. Old It is one of the few places in this flags that still fly within me. city that San Diego should really be You see, there are three women in particular that I have cherished 2:15 to Cabo proud to have in its backyard.

There is also something about throughout my career, and they have all, at one point or another, asked me the distillery itself. There’s a certain air of the same question, of which I have always feminine sophistication. It reminds me of about a decade ago, when I first went in to given the same shameful answer.

The question has always been, “Do you Café Chloe (R.I.P. and much love.) in the not think things would be different for you same neighborhood.

Anyway, I just felt the need to say that in this industry if you weren’t a male?”

To which I would always, thoughtlessly, we (San Diego) are lucky to have you.

Also, I write this column frequently shrug my stupid ape shoulders and reply, “I and am rarely in a place where the majordon’t see what difference it makes?” ity of the cocktails on the list excite me.

However, if readers find themselves at You 2:15 TO CABO & Yours Distillery Co. this summer and as prepared at You & Yours Distilling Co. have any difficulty making a decision on the cocktail list, go with the 2:15 to Cabo.

1/2 oz. cucumber juice Yes, it has Topo Chico, which is the shit.

1 1/2 oz. honeydew/agave/pear shrub mix And yes it has honeydew, which I also love 1 1/2 oz. You & Yours Sunday Gin because of seasonality and whatnot, but Topo Chico it’s also because it was really fucking good.

The honeydew/agave/pear shrub mix is made Sweet and sour. Savory and spicy. Remiby juicing fresh honeydew and blending that niscent of a fruit cup in Mexico, which is honeydew juice with agave nectar and pear vinwhere I assume it gets its name. egar at a ratio of two parts honeydew juice, one

O

part agave and one part pear vinegar.

Build in a tajin-rimmed stemless wine glass.

Fill almost to the top with ice, and top off with Topo Chico. Garnish with cilantro leaves.

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

BY DAVEY LANDEROS

REVENGE OF THE BEER NERD

DAVEY LANDEROS

Hopportunity knocks

H

op season has arrived! Rejoice and be merry as the mighty hop flowers bloom from the bine. There are actually a handful of hop farms in San Diego County and most of them are listed at the San Diego Hop Growers Association website (sandiegohopgrowers.com). Thankfully, hops start blooming earlier in San Diego than in other regions, which means wet hop beers will start gracing the tap list of breweries all around San Diego within the next month.

Brewers typically use hops that are dried pellets (they resemble rabbit food) and packaged in vacuum-sealed mylar bags to protect them from light and oxygen. When they’re dried and pelletized, the shelf life increases from days to months and even years if stored correctly. It also creates a uniform sample that can be analyzed for vital stats that brewers rely on for consistency. Wet hop beers are special because they use freshly plucked hops and offer unique flavors and aromas that are sometimes lost in the preservation process.

Picking hops has always been on my bucket list and after seven years of brewing at home and professionally, I finally had the chance to visit Hopportunity Farms just outside of Julian. Sure, I’ve seen hop flowers but by the time I get my hands on them, they’re browning, dry and losing a step. But this time, all the info I’ve absorbed over the years would come to life.

I could experience the glory of the hops in their most pure form: straight off the plant.

Hopportunity Farms has a couple dozen plants growing on a little piece of land. In the middle of each plant was a tall wooden beam with sturdy rope angled to the ground that resembled a tipi of sorts.

Hops naturally like to grow up, and their bine will grow around anything the plant can grab onto—in this case, a rope. The actual hop flowers look like Brussels sprouts and pinecones had a love child, and in be-

Hopportunity Farms tween the petals of the flower are small yellow sacs that resemble pollen. These are the lupulin glands and they contain all the oils and resins that give hops their aroma and beer its flavor and bitterness.

As I approached the hops, I turned into a kid in a candy store as I spied Chinook, Magnum, Cascade, Nugget, Zeus, Crystal and a local variety, Julian Gold, growing on the little plot. The recipes ran through my head as I inspected each plant and each flower; busting them open to inhale the lupulin glands and experiencing my ingredients-to-be like never before. It was bliss. Why I denied myself this experience until now, I’ll never know. Thankfully the season is still early so I have plenty of time to harvest more throughout the season as I hone my recipes and my processes to accommodate these special ingredients.

As the season rolls on, more wet hop beers will start to finish out and be put on tap at just about every brewery. Rejoice in the flavor and aroma while it lasts.

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

AUGUST 15, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 11

EVENTS

SHORTlist

ART

the

THREE YOU HAVE TO SEE

COORDINATED BY

SETH COMBS

OLD TOWN

MAKE IT TWAIN

For many of us, reading the novels of Mark Twain was a rite of passage, but also likely one that happened in junior high school where we didn’t fully get to appreciate the nuances of the writer’s humor and style. Still, Twain remains an icon for a reason, and his 19th century contemporaries represent a golden age of American literature.

“He sort of started American literature,” says Veronica Murphy, the Artistic Director of local lit org Write Out Loud. “I mean, he’s really credited with Huck Finn, but he was going away from the European Romantics and making a real, Americanstyle literature. So we thought, ‘We should be celebrating this guy, right?’”

That celebration is the annual Twainfest. Now in its ninth year, the free festival at Old Town San Diego State Historic Park (4002 Wallace St.) includes readings and reenactments of classic literary greats, as well as old-fashioned games and activities. Still, it’s so much more than a celebration of classic literature; it’s a celebration of analog living and the times that contributed to these classic writings.

“We love literature and we also love history, so it was a great way to tie those things together,” says Murphy, who’s also quick to point out that while much of that history wasn’t particularly glamorous, Write Out Loud still tried to make it fun and interesting.

LITTLE ITALY

RON LOGAN

Twainfest “There’s lots of music, and a lot of the games that we have are tied to history, as well. We have the Election of 1872 game. It’s the election between Greeley and Grant, and the whole idea of the game is you come up and you’re given a literacy test, because in 1872, that’s what actually happened… It’s not very easy, and even if you answer all the questions correctly and you’re a woman, you’re denied. So it’s just a great way for people to experience that disenfranchisement.”

Other games include literature-based arcade-style games, sack races, ring tosses, reenactments, and a Wheel of Fiction where participants can win a book.

There also will be food, vendors and craft activities throughout the event. The fun is from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 18. writeoutloudsd.com

SWAP IT LIKE IT’S HOT

Did you know that on Aug. 18, 1960, the first birth control pills were sold in the U.S.? And lest we forget that even now, nearly 60 years later, women’s reproductive rights are still under attack. On Saturday, Aug. 18, join the Lady Killas (ladykillas.com), an organization devoted to growing and empowering women in leadership, for Cali-Fornication.

From noon to 5 p.m., the day party event will commemorate this special day in history with live music from DJs Qvocado, Tealideal and Lu, as well as an art show, a photo booth, a dunk tank, drink specials and more. A portion of proceeds will be donated to Planned Parenthood.

The festivities go down at El Camino (2400 India St.) for $5-$20.

COURTESY OF LADY KILLAS

HTalking Story: Celeste’s Summer Recap at Aloha Beach Club, 3039 University Ave., North Park. Local artist Celeste Byers will debut new works, including a zine and a film, as well as discuss her summer activities. Opening from 7 to 10 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 18. Free. facebook.com/ alohabeachclub

BOOKS

MIDWAY DISTRICT

KILLA PARTY

HPop:Up Liberty Experience at Arts District Liberty Station, 2720 Historic Decatur Road, Point Loma. The first event in a new series of “undefinable spontaneous experiences,” bringing together artists from around the region in order to create immersive, multimedia productions. From 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 16. Free. popupliberty.com

Although there’s no denying that “swap meet” sounds way less sexy than “flea market,” both offer plenty of great finds, whether you’re looking to purchase handcrafted jewelry from local artisans or buy a vintage Hawaiian shirt from a dude with a neckbeard. And while “haggling”—again, not the sexiest term for bargaining—is usually encouraged at Kobey’s Swap Meet, you may want to leave the haggling at home for Kobey’s 1st Annual Non-Profit Day (3500 Sports Arena Blvd.). On Saturday, Aug. 18, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., hundreds of nonprofits from around San Diego will be provided with free booths to promote their causes and raise funds through bake sales, garage sale merch and every other kind of sale imaginable. Full info at kobeyswap.com KOBEY’S SWAP MEET / FACEBOOK

HMegan Alice at Warwick’s Bookstore, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. The local poet will discuss and read from her new collection of poetry A Bouquet of Daisies, of which a portion of proceeds benefits the Planned Parenthood Federation of America. At 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 16. Free.

858-454-0347, warwicks.com HAmber Tamblyn at Warwick’s Bookstore, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. The poet and actress will discuss and sign her debut novel, Any Man, a suspense novel about a serial rapist. At 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 17. Free.

858-454-0347, warwicks.com HT. Greenwood at Mysterious Galaxy Book Store, 5943 Balboa Ave., Ste. 100, Clairemont. The local author will sign and discuss her new novel, Rust & Stardust. At 7:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 20 Free. 858268-4747, mystgalaxy.com Sequoia Schmidt at REI, 1590 Leucadia Blvd., Encinitas and REI, 5556 Copley Drive, Kearny Mesa. The award-winning author and adventurer kicks off her American tour for her book Changing Gears: Ups & Downs on the New Zealand Road. At 6:30 p.m.

Monday, Aug. 20 and Tuesday, Aug. 21.

Free. sequoiaschmidt.com

COMEDY HDavid Cross at The Observatory, 2891 University Ave., North Park. The comedian and actor, best known for his Netflix standup special and acting role on Arrested Development, will stop in San Diego for his 2018 Oh Come On world tour. At 8 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 17. $35-$50. 619-239-8836, observatorysd.com

DANCE Ballet Showcase at Spreckels Theatre, 121 W. Broadway, Downtown. The City Ballet’s Summer Intensive graduates will be performing alongside company members in a special summer showcase. At 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 17. Free. 619-2359500, cityballet.org

FILM Star Wars: A New Hope at Embarcadero Marina Park South, 200 Marina Park Way, Downtown. As part of the Bayside Summer Nights concert series, the San Diego Symphony Orchestra will perform John Williams’ entire movie score live-to-picture while the film plays on three giant screens. At 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 22. $58-$104. 619235-0804, sandiegosymphony.org

FOOD & DRINK Salsa Under the Stars at the Headquarters, 789 West Harbor Dr., Seaport Village.

Dance the night away with The Manny Cepeda Orchestra, a classical salsa group, in an outdoor courtyard. No partner or ex-

Lady Killas 12 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · AUGUST 15, 2018

Kobey’s Swap Meet

H = CityBeat picks

perience necessary. From 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 17. Free. theheadquarters. com/events-calendar HLatin Food Fest at Embarcadero Marina Park North, 400 Kettner Blvd., Downtown. The annual event kicks off with a kick-off party followed by the “Grand Tasting” event the following day, which will feature 100 food, wine and beer booths, live music, a Latin spirits expo, cooking demos and meet-and-greets with celebrity chefs.

From 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. Friday, Aug 17. and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 18. $25-$149. latinfoodfest.com Fermenting the Fruits of Summer Workshop & Beer Pairing at Culture Brewing Co., 111 S Cedros Ave., Solana Beach. Enjoy a beer flight of Culture’s favorite brews as well as a pickle flight while learning the fermentation process through a demo and DIY session and participating in a discussion about the benefits of making and eating fermented foods. From noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 18. $50. culturebrewingco.com HTwainFest at Old Town Historic Park, 2454 Heritage Park Row, Old Town. This family festival will celebrate the literature and culture of America in the 19th century with live music, puppet shows, games and readings of stories written by Mark Twain, Robert Louis Stevenson, Emily Dickinson and more.

From 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 18. Free. 619-491-0099, writeoutloudsd.com HCraft Beer Fest at Del Mar Racetrack, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd, Del Mar. Beer aficionados and amateurs are invited to enjoy more than 100 local and international brews featuring award-winning beers, rare specialty crafts and favorites from San Diego’s local brewing scene as well as live music and food vendors. From 12 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 18. $35-$42. 858-755-1141, dmtc.com Summer Food Truck Festival at Bates Nuts Farm, 15954 Woods Valley Road, Valley Center. A handful of this region’s top gourmet food trucks will be returning for this annual event featuring live music, a beer garden and a Kids’ Zone with pony rides. From 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 28.

Free. 760-749-3333, batesnutfarm.biz HTurf & Surf BBQ Championship at the Del Mar Racetrack, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd., Del Mar. Over 30 pitmasters will barbecue meat all afternoon to compete for a $15,000 prize. Tickets include racetrack admission, five craft beer samples and an unlimited amount of barbecue samples.

From 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 19. $40$60. 858-755-1141, dmtc.com

MUSIC Livin’ On a Prayer and The Springsteen Experience at Birch Aquarium, 2300 Expedition Way, La Jolla. Two tribute bands will be headlining this show as part of the Green Flash Summer Concerts series. The bands will perform the some of the best hits by Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen while guests can enjoy beer, spirits and other treats. From 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 15. $33-$44. aquarium.ucsd.edu HRoger Daltrey at Embarcadero Marina Park South, 200 Marina Park Way, Downtown. The Bayside Summer Nights concert will feature the lead singer of The Who performing classic hits as well as songs from Daltrey’s recent solo album. From 7:30 to 10 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 15. $45-72.

619-235-0804, sandiegosymphony.org HMariachi Summit Gala Concert at Civic Theatre, 1100 Third Ave., Gaslamp.

Acclaimed band Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán will be performing alongside the Symphonic Mariachi Champaña Nevin, the San Diego Binational Symphony Orchestra and Ballet Folklórico Internacional. Proceeds benefit the Mariachi Scholarship Foundation. At 7:30 p.m. Fri-

EVENTS CONTINUED ON PAGE 15 @SDCITYBEAT

EVENTS day, Aug. 17. $20-$125. 619-570-1100, sandiegotheatres.org HGershwin on Broadway at Embarcadero Marina Park South, 200 Marina Park Way, Downtown. This concert will feature Broadway stars performing some of the most popular songs of George and Ira Gershwin with particular focus on the recent revivals of Broadway musicals. Special guests include Norm Lewis and Robert Fairchild. At 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 17 and Saturday, Aug. 18. $27-$92. sandiegosymphony.org HSummergrass Bluegrass Festival at Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum, 2040 N Santa Fe Ave., Vista. A three-day event featuring live music by several bluegrass bands, music workshops, a kids’ camp, on-site camping, instrument raffles, a vendor village and more. From 3 to 10 p.m. Friday, Aug. 17, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 18 and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Sunday, Aug. 19. $25-$143. 760-9411791, summergrass.net Baja Blues Fest at Rosarito Beach Hotel, Blvd. Benito Juárez 31, Playas Rosarito, 22710 Rosarito, B.C., Mexico. A three-day festival featuring six blues bands with all proceeds from the event going toward local children’s charities in Baja California.

Various times. Friday, Aug. 17 to Sunday, Aug. 19. 866-767 2748, bajabluesfest.org Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats at the Del Mar Racetrack, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd., Del Mar. The folk rock band known for hits like “S.O.B.” will perform after the final race of the day as part of the Del Mar Summer Concert Series. Racetrack admission includes concert. From 8 to 10 p.m. Friday, Aug. 17. $6-$30. 858755-1141, dmtc.com HDani Bell & the Tarantist, The Bassics at Bird Park, Pershing Drive and Upas St., North Park. The final iteration of

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the family-friendly Bird Park Summer Concerts series will feature both San Diegobased indie bands, along with local DJs and vendors. From 3 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 18. Free. northparksd.org Reggae SummerSplash / Marcus Garvey Day at the WorldBeat Cultural Center, 2100 Park Blvd., Balboa Park. The annual reggae festival returns with headliner Hempress Sativa and guest speakers from the Universal Negro Improvement Association in celebration of the black nationalist and Rastafari prophet. From 3 to 10 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 18. $15. 619-230-1190, worldbeatcenter.org Ry Cooder and The Hamiltones at California Center for the Arts, 340 N. Escondido Blvd., Escondido. The six-time Grammy award winner and his band will be playing songs from Cooder’s recent album The Prodigal Son. Includes a Taste of the South Dining Experience before the show. At 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 19. $35$90. 760-839-4138, artcenter.org HRobert Randolph & the Family Band at Embarcadero Marina Park South, 200 Marina Park Way, Downtown.

A high-energy concert featuring the vintage funk- and soul-inspired music of pedal steel guitar maestro Randolph, as part of the San Diego Symphony’s Bayside Summer Nights concert series.

From 7:30 to 10 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 19. $25-$92. 619-235-0804, sandiegosymphony.org Colm Keegan at Coronado Playhouse, 1835 Strand Way, Coronado. The awardwinning Irish singer will be joined by Scottish cellist Laura Durant to perform songs from his acclaimed solo album “I’ll Never Be Alone.” From 7:30 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 21. $25-$50. 619-435-4856, coronadoplayhouse.com

PERFORMANCE Broadway’s Greatest Hits at First Unitarian Universalist Church, 4190 Front St., Hillcrest. Looking Glass Theatre presents an entertaining evening of well-loved favorites and recent smash showtunes.

Selections include songs from Cabaret, Gypsy, Rent, Hamilton and more. From 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 17. Suggested donation of $12. lookingglasssd.org

SPECIAL EVENTS Mini Mingei at the Mingei International Museum, 1439 El Prado, Balboa Park.

Story time with illustrated children’s books, geared to young families who are enthusiastic about art as part of the museum’s Voluminous Art exhibition. From 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Friday, Aug. 17. Free-$10.

619-239-0003, mingei.org HChula Vista HarborFest at Chula Vista Bayside Park, 999 Bayside Pkwy., Chula Vista. This family celebration will include “The Discovery Zone,” with interactive activities, arts and crafts and free paddleboard lessons, as well as a “Best of the Fest” with food, spirits and beer competitions and a dance stage featuring Latin music. From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 18. Free. 619-233-5008, cvharborfest.com HCali-Fornication at El Camino, 2400 India St., Little Italy. Lady Killas SD present a day party celebrating the anniversary of birth control first being sold in the U.S. Includes live DJs, an art show, photo booth, a dunk tank, drinks and more. A portion of the proceeds benefit Planned Parenthood.

From noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 18. $5-$20. 619-354-3727, ladykillas.com HKobey’s Swap Meet Non-Profit Day at Kobey’s Swap Meet, 3500 Sports Arena

Blvd, Point Loma. Over 50 local and regional organizations will showcase their causes in order to raise money and bring awareness for their respective missions during this weekly open-air, large scale garage sale. From 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 18. Free-$2.

HPaws FUR Pink Tri.Du.One at Liberty Station NTC Park, 2455 Cushing Road, Liberty Station. This dog-centered event will feature three events for owners and their pets to choose from including a running/walking course with scenic water views, dog-friendly yoga and a stand-up paddleboard lesson.

From 8 a.m. to noon. Sunday, Aug. 19. $5$100. pawsfurpink.com/ America’s Finest City Half Marathon & 5K at various locations. This year’s charity race begins at Cabrillo National Monument, winds along the bay, cuts through downtown and finishes in Balboa Park. Racers and volunteers register online. From 6 to 11 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 19. $50-$135. 760-6922900, inmotionevents.com

SPORTS HPacific Classic at Del Mar Racetrack, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd., Del Mar. Watch many of the country’s top horses compete in the 28th running of Del Mar’s signature event. At 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 18. $5-$62.50. 858-755-1141, dmtc.com

TALKS & DISCUSSIONS HCommunity Gun Violence Summit at Valencia Park/Malcolm X Branch Library, 5148 Market St., Valencia Park. San Diegans for Gun Violence Prevention presents a series of talks by gun violence and policy experts, as well as panels of community members and students. At 6 p.m. Wednes-

day, Aug. 15. Free, donations accepted. facebook.com/events/588862874820275 Conversations in Black: The Third Option at the Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation, 404 Euclid Ave., Lincoln Park. Black & magazine will moderate a discussion and Q&A with Pastor Miles McPherson, former San Diego Charger and founder of the Rock Church, about his upcoming book on racial division in the U.S. From 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 16. Free. 858-429-9538, facebook. com/events/2074388689554691

WORKSHOPS Cohabiting with Your Inner Critic with Lucy Bellwood at San Diego Writers Ink., 2730 Historic Decatur Road, #202, Liberty Station. Join this cartoonist and educator for a two-hour workshop in which participants will use a mix of generative exercises and group discussion to get to grips with their anxieties and hangups about the creative process. From 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 17. $30$36. sandiegowriters.org Brewery Startup Camp at San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, College Area. An eight-day intensive instructional course on the ins and outs of starting a brewery, taught by experts in San Diego’s craft beer industry. At various times. Friday, Aug. 17 through Saturday, Aug. 25. $1,795. 619-594-5200, neverstoplearning.net/craftbeercamp Traditional Indian Puppet Making at the San Diego Museum of Art, 1450 El Prado, Balboa Park. Create your own puppets, learn about their role in Indian culture and receive a private, before-hours tour of the museum’s Epic Tales from Ancient India exhibit. From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 18. 619-232-7931, sdmart.org

AUGUST 15, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 13

14 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · AUGUST 15, 2018

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AUGUST 15, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 15

THEATER COURTESY OF SAN DIEGO MUSICAL THEATRE

Hairspray sticks to what it does best

A

erosol h���������������������������������������� airspray may be environmentally problem� atic, but when it comes to social responsibility, Hairspray the musical has been delivering an important message for more than 15 years: that inclusion and diversity should be embraced. Filmmaker John Waters was trying to make these points 30 years ago when the movie Hairspray was released. And while the film was not a commercial suc� cess, it did become a cult favorite and with the arrival of the musical adaptation in 2002, which Waters signed off on, the messaging was wrapped in an audience-pleasing score by Mark Shaiman (with lyrics by Shaiman and Scott Wittmann) that was bursting with teen rebellion, sexual innuendo and pop-cultural nods to the story’s setting in 1962 Baltimore.

The winning formula of song, dance, comedy and conscience persists in San Diego Musical Theatre’s production of Hairspray, directed by J. Scott Lapp. In spite of the Horton Grand Theatre’s uneven acoustics and a stage cramped for the dance numbers of this show’s size, SDMT’s cast still does a good job mining the show’s empathic and joyful moments. It starts, as productions of Hairspray al� ways do, with an uproarious Edna Turnblad, a woman of great girth and who is always played by a man. SDMT’s Edna is John Massey, who doesn’t disappoint. “She” has a veteran of local musical theater, Steve Gunderson, playing Edna’s joke-shop-owning hubby Wilbur. And Bethany Slomka makes a, ahem, big impression as daughter Tracy, who longs to perform on a teenage dance show on TV and takes up the cause of racial discrimination.

This Hairspray is populated by a slew of dependable musical-theater performers including Eileen Bowman as Velma Von Tussle, Zackary Scot Wolfe as TV host Corny

16 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · AUGUST 15, 2018

OPENING: The Hunchback of Notre Dame: The Disney musical version of Victor Hugo’s tale of a disfigured bell tower worker who makes friends with a nomadic woman. It opens Aug. 15 at the Moonlight Amphitheatre in Vista. moonlightstage.com Big, The Musical: A musical version of the famous Tom Hanks film where a boy wishes he was an adult only to wake up the next morning to find out his wish has come true. Presented by the Pickwick Players, it opens Aug. 17 at Off Broadway Live in Santee. pickwickplayers.net In the Heights: This Lin-Manuel Miranda musical set in the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City is about a young bodega owner who watches the trials and triumphs of his neighborhood’s residents play out over a few years. Presented by Patio Playhouse, it opens Aug. 17 at the Kit Carson Amphitheatre in Escondido. patioplayhouse.com Seize the King: The world premiere play is a five-person, time-blurring reinterpretation of the Shakespeare classic Richard III. Written by Will Power, it opens Aug. 21 at the La Jolla Playhouse. lajollaplayhouse.org

Hairspray Collins, and Debra Wanger, who makes the most of a small part. The ensemble as a whole is diverse and athletic dur� ing Hairspray’s dance numbers, choreographed by Jill Gorrie.

While Hairspray’s commentary remains unfortunately relevant, its early-’60s name-dropping will escape younger theatergoers, those for whom Eddie Fisher, Perry Como and the Gabor sisters are head-scratchers. But patrons of all ages should appreciate the notions of love and acceptance of others and ourselves as well. Unlike the bows and plaid skirts, those never go out of style.

Hairspray runs through Sept. 4 at the Horton Grand Theatre, downtown. $30-$70; sdmt.org

Theater reviews run weekly.

Write to davidc@sdcitybeat.com.

—David L. Coddon

Every Brilliant Thing: A seven-year-old constructs a list of things worth living for after his mother attempts suicide in this interactive, oneman-show. Presented by Cygnet Theatre, it opens in previews beginning Aug. 22 at the Old Town Theatre. cygnettheatre.com

NOW PLAYING: Xanadu: In this musical, a Greek muse descends from Mt. Olympus in order to inspire a Venice Beach artist to build a roller disco. Directed by Teri Brown, it runs through Aug. 18 at the OnStage Playhouse in Chula Vista. onstageplayhouse.org A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum: Stephen Sondheim’s classic musical comedy about a Roman slave who hatches a matchmaking plan in order to gain his freedom. Directed by David Ellenstein, it runs through Aug. 19 at the North Coast Repertory Theatre in Solana Beach. northcoastrep.org

For complete theater listings, visit sdcitybeat.com

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PHOTOS BY TIGIST LAYNE

CULTURE | POETRY

Black Xpression t feels like any other ordinary Friday night in the heart of Barrio Logan, except for a mingling of excited voices and the sounds of an eloquent selection of hip-hop and old-school R&B that’s drifting out onto the street. At La Bodega Gallery— situated between the historic arts hub Chicano Park and a highly acclaimed taco shop—Black Xpression, a weekly poetry and spoken word event, is in full swing. Inside is a celebration that many never knew they needed until they found it. Inside, they gained a family they never expected to gain.

“You know that saying that’s like, ‘it takes a village’ or whatever? That’s Black Xpression,” says Cheryl Key, a musician, poet and regular performer. “They step in when you’re wrong, they encourage you when you’re right, they cultivate you, and they never discredit you. It’s a community that proves we can all get together and be on one accord, we can get things done, not just complain, but try to find real solutions to the problems we face. It’s a space where we can love each other and pour into each other without shame or judgment.”

Black Xpression, which just celebrated its two-year anniversary, was founded by Ronald Williams while he was attending Southwestern College. After recognizing his own passion and talent for poetry and creative arts—as well as the lack of spaces for he and his friends to openly express themselves—Miller decided to take matters into his own hands.

“I wanted to create a safe place where we don’t have to worry about work or school or anything else,” says Williams. “Where we can just come together and be completely ourselves while doing what we love to do.”

The event was created under Xpress, an organization designed to represent and

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uplift the Black community. Through their sitting around the Southwestern College involvement in social justice work, their library talking about possibly starting a commitment to encouraging education and YouTube channel has quickly turned into their desire to create opportunities for local gatherings of hundreds of people coming businesses to thrive, it seems Xpress takes together to celebrate each other and their its motto of “for the community, by the com- Blackness.

“I think what makes us unique is that munity” quite literally.

“We have workshops highlighting impor- usually people go to an event and then just tant issues from hyper masculinity to sexual go home. There’s no additional conversation assault. We provide youth mentorship pro- or relationship building, there’s no checkgrams, we collaborate with local nonprofits ing in, there’s no doing life together,” says Williams. “At least 80 and we create spaces for percent of the people local business owners we started with or met to sell their products at along the journey, we are Black Xpression,” says still in touch with them.

Williams.

We are updated on just With its open mic forabout everybody who has mat, seemingly bottomever stepped foot on our less supply of soul food stage or been to an event. and a DJ who plays music We are a family, and I throughout the evening, think that really sets us the atmosphere at Black apart.”

Xpression draws in audiThis particular family ences of all backgrounds, also boasts exceptional consistently filling every talent. From poetry and seat in the gallery. Howart to music and dance, ever, the journey didn’t the Black Xpression come without its nayRonald Williams stage has seen it all. sayers.

“When we first started, we got some criti- The audience welcomes everyone—begincism because of our name. People thought it ners, professionals and special guests—with was an exclusive thing for only Black people, snaps, claps and shouts of “Go in poet!” or but that was never our intention,” says Wil- “That part!” making sure each artist feels liams. “Quite a bit of our crowd is from dif- right at home. ferent cultures and backgrounds, and I think This encouragement and support is what it’s an opportunity for people to learn about keeps people like Key coming back every week.

Black culture, which, let’s be honest, isn’t “It has allowed me to truly sing the being taught or celebrated in schools.” way I want to sing. One time, I performed This intersection of Black and Latinx cul- something more spiritual instead of my tures is part of the reason why this move- usual modern or secular music,” says Key. ment has grown to be so successful. What “Everyone started clapping, a guy started started out as a group of college students playing the guitar and the room seemed to

illuminate with light and love. By the end of the song, I was on my knees in front of the crowd, crying and singing, and they allowed me to do that, they allowed me that moment to truly express myself. It was incredibly healing for me.”

On one particular Friday night, a young man sporting dreadlocks and an “If you feel it, Xpress it!” T-shirt calmly stepped up to the mic and proceeded to lift the audience to their feet with his passionate poem about being a Black man in America. He was followed by a woman who shyly told the crowd the name of her song before filling the entire room with a soulful voice recounting stories of love, pain, hope and sorrow. Later, a young boy joined his mentor for an intricate dance combination of popping, locking and hip-hop dance that blew the crowd away.

It’s on nights like these where Black Xpression’s mission seems evident: to set a new standard when it comes to creative exhibitions and community.

“I feel like it’s a blueprint to the impact that community organizing can have,” says Williams. “Long term, I hope that we can continue to expand our vision and movement and hopefully get to a point where other communities will see our model and use it as a foundation to further themselves.”

For now, it does seem to be changing the lives of the individuals who walk through the doors every Friday night—greeted with love, creativity, good food and great music, and in a city where those kinds of creative outlets aren’t always available to them.

“Black Xpression was a restart to my creativity,” says Key. “It was a boost where I thought that I lacked. I thought it would just be another open mic event, but instead I found my family.”

AUGUST 15, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 17

CULTURE | FILM

Glamour politics

Crazy Rich Asians

Jon M. Chu delivers a delirious and trendsetting romantic comedy

by Glenn Heath Jr.

O

n July 30, Constance Wu fired off multiple Colin (Chris Pang). None too pleased that her son is tweets regarding the social context of her new dating a commoner, Eleanor greets the overwhelmed studio film Crazy Rich Asians, calling out jour- Rachel with cold indifference.

Crazy Rich Asians utilizes the “fish out of water” nalists and publicists who have described it (incorrectly) as the first film in 25 years to have an “all Asian scenario to address issues of class that illuminate cast.” Using social media to school those in desperate emotional insecurities in even the strongest relaneed of a history lesson, Wu wrote, “This IS the 1st w/ tionships. As the central couple experiences multiple Asian AMERICANS in lead roles. Key words: American complications and miscommunications because of their perceived uneven standing, Chu juxtaposes the and Lead. This is an important distinction.”

As someone who has experienced firsthand Hol- failing marriage of Nick’s successful sister Astrid lywood’s gross neglect of Asian American and Pacific (Gemma Chan), whose unfaithful working class husIslander talent, Wu’s impassioned pleas for awareness band has succumbed to extreme resentment.

If the film’s melodramatic elements evoke panic and intelligent discourse underline the high cultural stakes associated with the release of Crazy Rich Asians. and uncertainty, comedic set pieces help distract There’s also considerable financial pressure for the film characters from focusing too intently on gossip they to perform well at the box office, as it’s the first of a can’t control. Chu turns a furious exchange of text planned trilogy based on Kevin Kwan’s popular novels. messages into the film’s most dynamic montage, and Monetary success would ensure more balanced repre- Awkwafina’s sharp-tongued best friend exists almost entirely to shake Rachel out of sentation for Asian American her displeasure coma. Colin’s actors and crews in the years insane mega-bachelor party, to come.

CRAZY RICH which takes place on a barge Surprisingly, none of that ASIANS in the middle the ocean, exreal world stress translates to Directed by Jon M. Chu emplifies the film’s flair for the screen. Crazy Rich Asians colorful theatrics. is fleet-footed and charming, Starring Constance Wu, Henry Golding, As a director, Chu has the kind of effortless throwGemma Chan and Awkwafina always been most effecback that used to be a staple Rated PG-13 tive working in tight spaces of classic Hollywood. Imagine where movement and artithe rowdy comedic timing of fice smoothly cohere (see a Preston Sturges romp mixed with the subversive glamor of Ernest Lubitsch’s pat- any dance number in his lovely Step Up 3D). The real ented “touch.” Yet, beneath the glorious pomp and showstopper in Crazy Rich Asians is the wedding itcircumstance lies a very real conflict of cultural iden- self, which features one of the great movie bridal walks scored to a killer cover of Elvis Presley’s “Can’t tity and family.

During an opening prologue set in 1995 London, Help Falling in Love.” In this intensely beautiful colCrazy Rich Asians establishes the kind of casual racism lision of fantastic set design and vibrant color, all of Hollywood traditionally brushes aside under the guise the character’s problems dissolve away.

Well, at least momentarily. Rachel and Eleanor of comedy. Instead, director Jon M. Chu magnifies the deep-seated inequality that faces even the richest peo- have their western-style standoff over a game of ple of color. After being humiliated by intolerant hotel Mahjong, and Nick must ultimately decide whether concierges, the matriarch of Singapore’s most power- legacy is more important than happiness. By the end, ful real estate dynasty, Eleanor Sung-Young (Michelle Crazy Rich Asians (opening wide on Wednesday, Aug. 15) becomes less concerned with rote plot machinaYeoh), wields her massive influence to get revenge.

Flash forward to the present day where Eleanor’s tions than ensuring its effervescent style will live on. handsome grown son Nick (Henry Golding) has evad- Considering its mammoth, firework-laden soireé of ed the family business for a happy life with Chinese- an ending, I’d say audiences would happily return for American girlfriend Rachel Chu (Wu) in New York more of the same glamorous humanism.

City. She’s clueless to his family’s exalted social status back home until the couple returns to Singapore for Film reviews run weekly. the posh wedding of Nick’s equally loaded best friend, Write to glennh@sdcitybeat.com

18 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · AUGUST 15, 2018

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CULTURE | FILM implications of that flawed method. In the final scene, Cameron, Jane and Adam finally get to experience pure freedom, and it’s just the beginning of finding themselves.

—Glenn Heath Jr.

OPENING The Miseducation of Cameron Post

Judgment day

C

ameron Post (Chloë Grace Moretz) has gotten pretty good at living a double life. The unassuming high school student attends Bible study in the morning only to sneak away and make out with her best friend Coley (Quinn Shepherd). The girls come from devout Christian families, both of whom are unaware of their secret relationship. But that all changes when Cameron’s boyfriend discovers them in passionate embrace.

Set in 1993, Desiree Akhavan’s The Miseducation of Cameron Post takes a long hard look at contradictory institutional forces that dictate Cameron’s perceived sin and punishment. Cast away by her community, Cameron is sent to God’s Promise, a gay conversion therapy retreat for young people led by fundamentalist pseudo-psychiatrist Dr. Lydia Marsh (Jennifer Ehle) and her “converted” brother Reverend Rick (John Gallagher Jr.).

Naturally, Cameron has a hard time buying into the god-fearing process. Her fellow students come from various ethnic and social backgrounds, providing Cameron with what is probably her first experience with people of color. She connects most with bi-racial Jane (Sasha Lane) and the Lakota-born Adam (Forrest Goodluck), fellow rebels who cast ironic aspersions on the school’s methodology and occasionally partake in subtle acts of disobedience.

Because her sexual identity is still very much in flux, Cameron finds this repressive environment bewildering and stifling. She seems caught in between embracing the conservative rhetoric about homosexuality and liberating herself from ideology altogether.

While the film lags at times, it does give Cameron ample space to decide her direction in life.

The Miseducation of Cameron Post (opening Friday Aug. 24, at Landmark Cinemas) provides Cameron with the obvious clues to better understand the faithbased immorality that drives religious fear mongering. Akhavan seems game to further explore the social

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Alpha: A young boy living through the Ice Age befriends a lone wolf in the friendship origin story between man and man’s best friend.

Crazy Rich Asians: Based on the popular novel by Kevin Kwan, this romantic comedy set at a wedding follows the glamorous lives and troubled relationships of Singapore’s elite.

Mile 22: Mark Wahlberg stars as the leader of an elite American tactical squad that must protect a double agent from hordes of lethal killers in Peter Berg’s latest action film.

Puzzle: An unappreciated suburban mother (Kelly McDonald) discovers a new passion for jigsaw puzzles in this drama costarring Indian superstar Irrfan Khan. Opens Friday, Aug. 17, at the Angelika Carmel Mountain Cinemas.

Skate Kitchen: Looking for a way out of her boring Long Island existence, an introverted skateboarder meets a collection of other girls equally passionate about the sport. Opens Friday, Aug. 17, at the Landmark Ken Cinema.

Summer of ’84: Neighborhood conspiracy theorist Davey Armstrong and his friends begins to suspect his police officer neighbor might be the serial killer all over the local news. Opens Friday, Aug. 17, at Digital Gym Cinema.

The Cakemaker: A German baker having an affair with a married Israeli man travels to Israel after his lover is in a fatal accident.

Opens Friday, Aug. 17, at Digital Gym Cinema.

The Miseducation of Cameron Post: Set in 1993, this indie drama tells the story of a high school student (Chloë Grace Moretz) who forced to attend gay conversion therapy. Opens Friday, Aug. 24, at Landmark Hillcrest Cinemas.

ONE TIME ONLY The Brothers Rico: Richard Conte plays a former mob accountant who thinks his past indiscretions are behind him, but when his brother disappears, he is forced to return to the New York City underworld. Screens at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 16, at the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library in La Jolla.

365 Paolo Fresu—Il Tempo Di Un Viaggio: Presented by the San Diego Italian Film Festival, this documentary uncovers the artistic virtuosity of Sardinia’s greatest jazz trumpeter. Screens at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 16, at the Museum of Photographic Arts in Balboa Park.

Bonnie and Clyde: Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway star as the iconic bank robbing couple that became a national sensation in the 1930s. Screens at 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 16 and Friday, Aug. 17, at Cinema Under the Stars in Mission Hills.

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

AUGUST 15, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 19

MACLAY HERIOT

MUSIC

From left: Fran Keaney, Marcel Tussie, Tom Russo, Joe White and Joe Russo ummery.”

It’s rare to read anything about Australian indie rock group Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever that doesn’t describe them in such a manner. It’s easy to see why: Their music is energetic, often played in a major key, with layers of gorgeously glimmering harmonies between their three guitarists. It’s music that’s never overbearing or claustrophobic, and for that matter, seems to evoke a warm, feelgood atmosphere. In a word: Summery.

That refreshing, warm jangle was a part of Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever’s sound when they released their first EP, French Press, for Sub Pop in 2017. But when they recorded their debut fulllength, the June-released Hope Downs, the band—guitarists/vocalists Frank Keaney, Tom Russo and Joe White, along with bassist Joe Russo and drummer Marcel Tussie—intentionally sought warmer climes during a chilly Melbourne winter, relocating for two weeks to Northern New South Wales. The atmosphere they found themselves in seemed to influence the sound of the record, even if unintentionally.

“It was a really idyllic house, it was up on stilts, and we were up in the trees,” says guitarist and vocalist Fran Keaney.

“We had one wall completely open, with birds flying past, it

“

20 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · AUGUST 15, 2018

was pretty surreal. It was pretty idyllic. Really nice, though. I hope to do something like that again, but I doubt it.”

Hope Downs certainly sounds breezy and upbeat, often yielding comparisons to fellow Australian post-punk legends The Go-Betweens, though it’s a much more complex album than that description might suggest. That’s inevitable for any band with three guitars, perhaps, as there’s a lot of moving parts to their songs. But there’s also the fact that the band has three different singers and songwriters—Keaney, Tom Russo and White—all of whom contribute to a nuanced and sophisticated set of songs.

In the process of writing the album, the subject matter of their lyrics—all written separately—began to all contain some similar conceptual threads. There’s a sense of existential philosophizing that runs throughout the album, whether in the single “Talking Straight,” which ponders humans being alone in the universe, or in “Time in Common,” an examination of how people’s lives are barely a blip in the grand scheme of time.

“Something that occurred to us during the writing process is that similar threads were coming through each of our songs,” Keaney says. “I think we’re all sort of coming to terms with the state of the world… and how shit got real. And I think we’re all

going through a similar time in our lives—going through that period you do in your late twenties when you start to think more deeply about your place in the world. Those are the sorts of harrowing thoughts that were at play in the background.

Consciously or subconsciously, it came out in the songs.”

In fact, as the three songwriters’ topical threads began to converge during the writing process, they noticed something else happen: Their songs were getting a bit darker.

That’s perhaps an inevitability given the state of social and political unrest in the world, though some of it ties back to the band’s personal experiences. For instance, Russo wrote “Mainland” as a reflection on both the refugee crisis in Europe as well as his own grandparents, who were immigrants from Italy: “We are just paper boats bobbing adrift afloat/ While winds of fortune shove us where they will.”

Keaney says that while they didn’t specifically set out to make an album that tackles the bigger questions, they did want to make something greater than surface-level entertainment.

“I do remember when we were writing, and we were working on the songs together, we were starting to say ‘this is a little dark.’ We’re realists, but it’s a fun project for us, so we’re conscious of not making it a dark record and trying to find some hope or optimism,” he says. “So halfway through, we were more conscious of what it was, and it’s our statement of where we were at in that point in time. ‘An Air Conditioned Man’ is about a salaryman, businessman who becomes disconnected from the life that he once had, and his goals, and he’s just becoming further and further removed and he’s just this artificial drone. ‘Mainland’ as well, that’s about when Tom—who sings that song—he was in Italy with his partner on holiday. Whereas a few miles outside, down the road, there was a refugee crisis unfolding. It’s a distant thing but he’s so close to it.

“A lot of songs have that kind of thread, the enormity of it all,” he continues. “It’s more of a conscious statement than anything we’ve done before. We did write the album to say something, and we’re proud of what we did.”

The subject of disconnected salarymen isn’t one that’s foreign to the members of Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever.

In fact, outside of recording and touring, they all have fulltime jobs, including landscaping, research and corporate media relations. But while that creates some level of difficulty in scheduling, coordinating and doing things like being able to cross the Pacific Ocean to tour the U.S., Keaney doesn’t necessarily see having a job outside of music as that much of a detriment.

“The jobs that we have are all really accommodating and all understand if we need to take the time for touring and recording,” he says. “But it is difficult to juggle both. Most creative people these days wear a number of hats. That’s just the way it is. It might change. There’s still plenty of grist for songwriting when you have to work, though. Maybe if you had all day to write, you could also do more reading. But maybe you wouldn’t have as much inspiration. I don’t know.

Maybe it’s not necessarily a bad thing.”

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

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AUGUST 15, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 21

MUSIC

NOTES FROM THE SMOKING PATIO LOCALS ONLY

C

ross-border, bilingual hip-hop group Tulengua are using their platform to aid migrant rights group Border Angels. The group, which has members from both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border, just released their new mixtape Baja Funk, and they’re donating all of the proceeds from streaming and sales of the release to the nonprofit organization. Group member Alan Lilienthal says that, because the mixtape was all recorded in home studios, they didn’t necessarily have a lot of recording costs to recoup. But even so, they consider helping the cause more important than any initial money they might make from the record.

“I’ve been really impressed with what they’re doing, and what the organization represents in general,” he says. “We want to show what we stand for, even if that means we don’t make any money at first. We want to ensure that our music is a vehicle for community glue.”

The group also released a new video, “Selva,” in collaboration with Border Angels. Angels Founder and Direc-

ALBUM REVIEW The Frights Hypochondriac (Epitaph)

S

an Diego success stories don’t usually come from too far out of left field. Most of the time, when a band or artist from our city gets big, it’s because they already have pop appeal (Jewel, Andra Day, Jason Mraz). Certainly, there are more than a few legendary underground acts to come out of San Diego (The Locust, Pinback), but by and large, D.I.Y. punk bands rarely become overnight successes.

That’s not exactly what happened with The Frights.

Their growth has been gradual over the past five or six years, though their audience still grew quickly as they went from scrappy Che Café regulars to the kind of band who could attract a couple thousand fans to SOMA. And with new album Hypochondriac, their first for long-running punk mega-label Epitaph Records, they seem to have transcended the high-energy surf-punk sound that characterized their early releases.

To use a fairly trite comparison, Hypochondriac feels a little bit like the band’s Pinkerton, a record that suggests a

22 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · AUGUST 15, 2018

tor Enrique Morones connected the group with children of migrant families, who make appearances in the video.

The beginning of the clip also includes some harshlyworded and racist phone messages, all of which represent the kinds of obstacles that the organization is up against.

“Every day, without fail, [Enrique] gets recordings on his voicemail that are just hurtful, cruel messages just for doing what he does,” Lilienthal says. “It’s a commenDAN LILIENTHAL tary on a certain segment of people who talk down to Latinos, but there’s also a positive message. It’s easy to get discouraged when your own president speaks badly about your people, but we’re saying that, with your own voice, you can be what you want to be.”

Lilienthal says that not all of Tulengua’s music is necessarily political Tulengua or activist minded, but it also can’t be separated from the identity of the group, which is more about a positive ideology.

“It’s a celebration of a borderless ideal,” he says. “Humans connecting with other humans.”

—Jeff Terich

more mature next step, albeit one with a handful of fairly odd production choices. Leadoff track “Tell Me Why I’m OK,” for instance, is essentially a stripped-down acoustic track, but one that’s interrupted frequently with odd dialogue, effects and other strange sounds, like digitally pitch-shifted backing vocals. Something’s definitely different here, though it’s a little baffling.

On the whole, Hypochondriac feels more restrained, the band making a conscious effort to clear more space within their songs and shake off some of the giddy energy of the music they made early on. And by and large that’s for the better. “Pills,” for instance, is a melancholy pop song that rises up into some powerful climaxes. It’s easily one of the best pop songs they’ve ever written, as is “Over It,” which has the radio appeal of a band like Jimmy Eat World. Still, when The Frights let loose on a track like “Crutch,” they’ve never sounded so intense.

It’s refreshing to see The Frights open up their sound to a broader array of influences and approaches, including country (“Hold Me Down”). In the scheme of things, it’s not like The Frights’ career has been extraordinarily long. But just as quickly as they found their audience, they’ve also found their ability to evolve.

—Jeff Terich

AFTER HOURS: ABOUT LAST NIGHT

Leading the way

W

“

hen customers call for a manager, the last thing they expect to see is to see me,” says Megan Engler, the 23-year-old general manager at El Camino in Little Italy. “People in general... they just initially give a white dude a little more credibility when they walk up to a table or a situation.”

Engler does represent a shift in San Diego’s nightlife industry, which is increasingly becoming more inclusive of women in leadership roles.

“I’ve seen a lot of VIP host manager girls killing it, and l’ve seen a lot of other females growing as managers and general managers,” Engler says. “It’s moving in a new direction, but it’s slow.”

She’s been managing for the past three years at partner venues Bang Bang (526 Market St.) and El Camino (2400 India St.), and says that when she first started, there wasn’t another woman in a leadership position to look to as a role model. She hopes it opens FELICIA GARCIA the door for more women to follow in her footsteps.

“I think having somebody like myself come in and show that I can do it, and that I should be taken seriously means that they can expect the next girl to be able to come in Megan Engler and do the same thing.”

Bang Bang’s new manager is a woman who had previously been working bottle service for five years, but, as Engler put it, “she’s flipping the switch and putting a blazer on.”

“Seeing more women in these roles brings attention to other females that it’s something that’s an option,” Engler says. “So supporting each other and recognizing we don’t have to be bottle service or cocktail waitresses and that there are other alternatives in the industry than what has been previously presented is something that is super helpful already.”

At both Bang Bang and El Camino, Engler has worked to include more progressive, female-focused events into the schedule, including hosting a mixer for local entrepreneurial groups. For this upcoming Saturday, Aug. 18, at El Camino, she’s collaborated with Lady Killas to host Cali-Fornication, a party that commemorates the day birth control pills entered the U.S. market in 1960 (see this week’s Short List for more info). She says there’s more events like this to come.

“I’m really excited to see where we’re going and working with other big boss ladies,” Engler says. “That’s something I’m looking forward to.”

—Torrey Bailey

About Last Night appears every other week.

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MUSIC

JEFF TERICH

IF I WERE U A music insider’s weekly agenda WEDNESDAY, AUG. 15

PLAN A: Boris, We Are the Asteroid @ The Casbah. Japanese trio Boris are touring for their 25th anniversary, and in those two-and-a-half decades, they’ve tackled a lot of different sounds. From noise rock and drone, to sludge metal and even goth-disco, they’ve done it all. And they always make an awe-inspiring sound when they’re onstage.

BACKUP PLAN: Knox Hamilton, Alex Di Leo @ Soda Bar.

THURSDAY, AUG. 16

PLAN A: Sneaks, Blac Rabbit, Jazmin La Brie @ Soda Bar. The name might be pluralized, but Sneaks is actually one musician: Washington, D.C.’s Eva Moolchan. She makes outstanding minimalist, danceable post-punk that does a lot with a little. PLAN B: DJ Quik, Hypnotic, G-Rooted @ Observatory North Park. Even if he is a legend, DJ Quik doesn’t seem to get enough credit.

The Compton MC has been making badass G-funk records for more than two decades,

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Mista Thug Isolation. Since then he’s been a reliably surreal and experimental voice in underground rap, and this is his first time bringing that sound to San Diego.

BACKUP PLAN: Joshua White and SixofOne @ Dizzy’s.

SATURDAY, AUG. 18

PLAN A: Glass Spells, The Victoriana, Soft Lions, Twin Ritual, Mannequin, Dispersion, Of Ennui @ The Merrow. and they’re still packed with jams. BACKUP Glass Spells’ periodic dance party night, PLAN: American Aquarium, Jaime Wyatt Disco Goth, is back with one of the best @ The Casbah. lineups of local bands I’ve seen lately. And considering Glass Spells and Twin Ritual share members, they’ll be working extra PLAN A: Lil Ugly Mane, Malik Burgers hard to keep this party going. PLAN B: @ SPACE. Virginia rapper Travis Miller, TOME, BOBxRoss, All Beat Up, Gloomsaka Lil Ugly Mane, put a bizarre spin on day @ SPACE. A lineup full of great local Southern hip-hop with his 2012 mixtape punk bands is hard to pass up and this one is also a benefit show for the San Diego NINA CORCORAN Humane Society. Good music, good cause, everybody wins. BACKUP PLAN: Clairo, Garren Sean @ House of Blues.

FRIDAY, AUG. 17

SUNDAY, AUG. 19

Sneaks

PLAN A: Starover Blue, Quali, Strange Ages @ Whistle Stop. Portland duo Starover Blue make pop music rich in synth-laden atmosphere and delicate melodies. They can sound dramatic and huge when they feel like it, but know how to use space. It’s a lot of sound for only two people. PLAN B: Timber Timbre, Thor and Friends @ The Casbah. Toronto indie pop

outfit Timber Timbre have been around for over a decade, and in that time they evolved from a folk sound into something more electronic and trippy. At their core, however, they’re still driven by great classic songwriting. BACKUP PLAN: Abigail Williams, Ghost Bath, Mystic Ritual, Wolf King @ SPACE.

MONDAY, AUG. 20

PLAN A: Red Fang, Elder, Dvne @ Brick

by Brick. Red Fang is a solid stoner rock band who never fail to put on a good show.

But I’m even more excited about Elder, who create colossal, epic compositions that make extended guitar solos sound strangely exciting again. They’re amazing.

TUESDAY, AUG. 21

PLAN A: Church of Misery, Spirit Adrift, Cloak, Black Mare @ Brick by Brick.

Church of Misery is a Japanese sludgemetal band with a cult following, and this is their one and only appearance in the U.S. this year. That’s pretty amazing, but get there early for Cloak and Spirit Adrift, two newer bands who are just as amazing and heavy. PLAN B: Buddha Trixie, Battery Point, The Frets @ Soda Bar. Local group Buddha Trixie blend psychedelic rock with dreamy pop music in the vein of recent Tame Impala, and it’s a fun sound to get lost in. Make sure to show up early for shoegazers Battery Point as well, who won’t disappoint.

AUGUST 15, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 23

MUSIC

CONCERTS HOT! NEW! FRESH!

The Jackets (Soda Bar, 10/12), The Sheepdogs (Soda Bar, 10/13), John Paul White (Irenic, 10/14), The Lemon Twigs (Music Box, 10/19), The Magic Numbers (Casbah, 10/22), Real Friends (Irenic, 10/29), Cloud Nothings (Casbah, 11/1), Lil Pump (SOMA, 11/2), Billy Gibbons (BUT, 11/15), Joywave, Sir Sly (Observatory, 11/18), Every Time I Die (Observatory, 11/20), Ian Sweet (Soda Bar, 11/20), Mark Farina (Music Box, 11/30), Squirrel Nut Zippers (BUT, 12/6), Thom Yorke (Observatory, 12/17).

GET YER TICKETS The Alarm (BUT, 8/23), Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson (Mattress Firm Amphitheatre, 8/24), Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever (Soda Bar, 8/25), Napalm Death (Brick by Brick, 8/27), Smashing Pumpkins (Viejas Arena, 9/1), The Vandals (Observatory, 9/1), B-Side Players (Music Box, 9/1), Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit (Copley Symphony Hall, 9/1), Leon Bridges (Open Air Theatre, 9/5), The Original Wailers (BUT, 9/6), Lee Fields and the Expressions (BUT, 9/8), Ms. Lauryn Hill (Open Air Theatre, 9/9), Murder by Death (BUT, 9/11), YOB (Brick by Brick, 9/14), Nothing (Soda Bar, 9/22), Grizzly Bear (Observatory, 9/24), First Aid Kit (Observatory, 9/25), Deep Purple, Judas Priest (Mattress Firm, 9/26),

Little Hurricane (Casbah, 9/29), Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band (Observatory, 10/1), Courtney Barnett, Waxahatchee (Observatory, 10/3), Chelsea Wolfe, Russian Circles (Music Box, 10/3), Roky Erickson (Casbah, 10/5), Ozzy Osbourne (Mattress Firm, 10/9), Patterson Hood (Music Box, 10/12), Ozomatli (BUT, 10/13), Graham Nash (Humphreys, 10/13), Alkaline Trio (HOB, 10/15), Sting and Shaggy (Harrahs SoCal, 10/16), The Joy Formidable (Casbah, 10/17), St. Lucia (Observatory, 10/17), D.R.I. (Brick by Brick, 10/20), Simple Minds (Humphreys, 10/22), Jay Rock (SOMA, 10/25), Dawes (Observatory, 10/29), Wolfmother (Observatory, 11/1), Maxwell (Humphreys, 11/2), Dia de los Deftones w/ Deftones, Future, Rocket from the Crypt (Petco Park, 11/3), Mac Miller (Open Air Theatre, 11/3), Lucero (Observatory, 11/7), Claudio Simonetti’s Goblin (Irenic, 11/7), Khruangbin (Observatory, 11/10), Ghost (Spreckels Theatre, 11/12), Blitzen Trapper (BUT, 11/12), Billie Eilish (SOMA, 11/17), Cat Power (Observatory, 11/24), How to Dress Well (Casbah, 11/27), Fucked Up (Soda Bar, 12/5), Neko Case, Destroyer (Observatory, 12/8), Fleetwood Mac (Viejas Arena, 12/8), Kurt Vile (Observatory, 12/9), Ministry (HOB, 12/18), Jefferson Starship (BUT, 1/9-10),Bananarama (Observatory, 1/27).

AUGUST WEDNESDAY, AUG. 15 Summer Salt, Hot Flash Heat Wave at The Irenic (sold out). SALES at Music Box. Boris at The Casbah. Knox Hamilton at Soda Bar.

24 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · AUGUST 15, 2018

THURSDAY, AUG. 16 American Aquarium at The Casbah.

Chris Stapleton at Mattress Firm Amphitheatre. Brandi Carlile at Humphreys by the Bay. Sneaks at Soda Bar. Flora Cash at Music Box.

FRIDAY, AUG. 17 David Cross at Observatory North Park (sold out). Deafheaven at Brick by Brick (sold out). Tribal Theory at Belly Up Tavern. Audio Karate at Soda Bar. Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats at Del Mar Racetrack. Snow Patrol at Harrahs SoCal. Set It Off at The Irenic. Stepping Feet at Music Box.

SATURDAY, AUG. 18 Rooney at The Casbah. Dispatch at Open Air Theatre. Clairo at House of Blues. Khofa at SOMA. Glass Spells at The Merrow.

SUNDAY, AUG. 19 Timber Timbre at The Casbah. Abigail Williams at SPACE. X at Observatory North Park. Otep at Brick by Brick. Don Carlos at Harrah’s SoCal. Paul Cherry at Soda Bar.

MONDAY, AUG. 20 AJJ at Observatory North Park. Charlie Puth at Mattress Firm Amphitheatre. Red Fang, Elder at Brick by Brick.

TUESDAY, AUG. 21 Church of Misery at Brick by Brick. Jack White at Viejas Arena. OrchidxMantis at The Casbah. Mystic Bowie’s Talking Dreads at Belly Up Tavern.

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 22 Wish and the Well at Belly Up Tavern.

Mystic Braves at The Casbah. J. Cole at Viejas Arena. Erasure at Copley Symphony Hall. Phillip Phillips at Humphreys by the Bay. Mura Masa at Observatory North Park.

THURSDAY, AUG. 23 Rodriguez at Humphreys by the Bay. The Alarm at Belly Up Tavern. Anderson East at Harrah’s SoCal. Attila, Suicide Silence at Observatory North Park. Flynt Flossy and Turquoise Jeep at Soda Bar. Katastro at Music Box.

FRIDAY, AUG. 24 Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe at Belly Up Tavern. Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson at Mattress Firm Amphitheatre. The Frights at Observatory North Park. Six Organs of Admittance at Brick by Brick. Tribal Seeds at Del Mar Racetrack. Cash’d Out at Music Box. Halestorm at Harrah’s SoCal. L.A. Witch at The Casbah.

SATURDAY, AUG. 25 Beach Goons at The Irenic. Pivit at Belly Up Tavern. Punch Brothers at Observatory North Park. Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever at Soda Bar. Lady Antebellum, Darius Rucker at Mattress Firm Amphitheatre. Swingin’ Utters at The Casbah.

Omar Apollo at House of Blues Voodoo Room. The Iron Maidens at Brick by Brick.

Warren G, DJ Quik at Del Mar Racetrack.

SUNDAY, AUG. 26 Israel Vibration at Belly Up Tavern.

TSOL at Brick by Brick. Jared and the Mill at The Casbah. George Benson at Humphreys by the Bay. Rod Stewart,

Cyndi Lauper at Mattress Firm Amphitheatre. Hirie at Harrah’s SoCal.

MONDAY, AUG. 27 Yes at Humphreys by the Bay. Napalm Death at Brick by Brick.

TUESDAY, AUG. 28 Rodrigo y Gabriela at Belly Up Tavern (sold out).

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 29 The Exploited at Observatory North Park. Peter Frampton at Harrahs SoCal. Rodrigo y Gabriela at Belly Up Tavern (sold out). Moon Ensemble at Soda Bar. A Killer’s Confession at Brick by Brick.

Tyrone Wells at Music Box. Lucy & La Mer at The Casbah.

THURSDAY, AUG. 30 Inspector at Observatory North Park. The Expendables at Belly Up Tavern. Parkway Drive at SOMA. Mrs. Henry at The Casbah.

FRIDAY, AUG. 31 Koffin Kats at Soda Bar. Black Uhuru at Belly Up Tavern. Collie Buddz at Music Box. Goldfinger at House of Blues. Evanescence at Mattress Firm Amphitheatre.

Café Tacvba at Del Mar Racetrack. Black Friday w/ Quali at The Casbah.

SEPTEMBER SATURDAY, SEPT. 1 The Vandals at Observatory North Park.

B-Side Players at Music Box. Midge

MUSIC CONTINUED ON PAGE 25

@SDCITYBEAT

MUSIC MUSIC CONTINUED FROM PAGE 24 Ure, Paul Young at Belly Up Tavern.

Smashing Pumpkins at Viejas Arena.

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit at Copley Symphony Hall. Slightly Stoopid at Del Mar Racetrack. Slothrust at The Casbah.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 2 One Drop at Belly Up Tavern. The Steely Damned 2 at Music Box. New Kingston at Harrah’s SoCal. Ice Cube at Del Mar Racetrack.

TUESDAY, SEPT. 4 Jeremih at Observatory North Park. The Lagoons at Soda Bar. The Marcus King Band at Belly Up Tavern.

Blonde, 1808 W. Washington St., Mission Hills. Wed: ‘Dance Klassique’. Thu: ‘Chocolate’. Fri: ‘Dance Punk!’. Sun: ‘House 2 Ourselves’. Mon: ‘Blue Monday’.

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

Fri: ‘Club Musae’.

Brick by Brick, 1130 Buenos Ave., Bay Park. Wed: Powerglove, Cage, Monarch, Sergulath, Nightshadow. Thu: Hollow Stage, Manic, The Shellshocks, Vuture.

Fri: Deafheaven, Drab Majesty, Uniform (sold out). Sat: Helstar, Warpath, Sentinel, Mezzoa, Follow Coffins. Sun: Otep, Dropout Kings, Defy The Tyrants, Darky Dark and The Junkie Bunch, The Flood.

Mon: Red Fang, Elder, Dvne. Tue: Church of Misery, Spirit Adrift, Cloak, Black Mare.

The Casbah, 2501 Kettner Blvd., Middletown. Wed: Boris, We Are the Asteroid.

Thu: American Aquarium, Jaime Wyatt.

Fri: Jonny Wagon and the Tennessee Sons, Jesse LaMonaca and the Dime Novels, Stephen El Rey and the Crew D’Etat Brass Band, Ypsitucky. Sat: Rooney, Mating Ritual, Sights and Sages. Sun: Timber Timbre, Thor and Friends. Tue: Orchidxmantis, Lyrical Groove, Kilikili.

Che Cafe, UCSD campus, La Jolla. Thu: Dhatura, Mortar, Kanok. Fri: Cardboard Boxer, We Are One, Suburban Park, Rain on Fridays. Sun: Terra Olvr, Lora Mathis, Eye Seas, Charlie Kay, Parker Posey.

Dizzy’s, 1717 Morena Blvd., Bay Park.

Fri: Joshua White & SixofOne. Sat: The Matt Hall/Charlie Arbelaez Quintet. Sun: Joe Garrison and Night People.

F6ix, 526 F St., Downtown. Thu: ‘Toga Party’. Fri: Craig Smoove. Sat: DJ Bar1ne.

Fluxx, 500 4th Ave., Downtown. Fri: Dynamiq. Sat: Shabazz.

House of Blues, 1055 Fifth Ave., Downtown. Wed: Chad and Rosie. Thu: Us the Duo. Fri: Lyfe Jennings. Sat: Clairo, Garren Sean. Sun: Jerry ‘Hotrod’ Demink.

Tue: Robin Henkel.

Humphreys Backstage, 2241 Shelter Island Drive, Shelter Island. Wed: Slower.

Thu: Bayou Brothers. Fri: Lee Ritenour.

Sat: Wildside, Tradewinds. Sun: Arnessa Ricketts, Jason Brown. Mon: Mercedes Moore. Tue: Billy Watson.

The Irenic, 3090 Polk Ave., North Park.

Wed: Summer Salt, Hot Flash Heat Wave, The Symposium (sold out). Fri: Set It Off, Chapel, De’Wayne Jackson, His Dream of Lions.

Kava Lounge, 2812 Kettner Blvd., Middletown. Wed: Cideshow. Thu: ‘Acid Varsity’.

Fri: ‘Sweat Box’. Sun: Danza Sol. Kensington Club, 4079 Adams Ave., Kensington. Sat: Cowgirls From Hell, Soundslave, Beheading the King.

Lestat’s Coffee House, 3343 Adams Ave., Normal Heights. Fri: Sophia Bacino, Helena Holleran. Sat: The Gregory Page Show. Sun: Chase Fickett, Audreal Gillette, Tony P. Mc P’s Irish Pub, 1107 Orange Ave., Coronado. Wed: 4-Way Street. Thu: North Star. Fri: Ron’s Garage. Sat: Pat Ellis and Blue Frog Band. Sun: Ron’s Garage.

Mon: JG Solo. Tue: Glenn Smith.

MUSIC CONTINUED ON PAGE 26

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 5 Leon Bridges at Open Air Theatre. Justin Hayward at Belly Up Tavern (sold out). Samantha Fish at The Casbah (sold out). Oscar Key Sung at Soda Bar.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 6 Pinback at The Casbah. The Original Wailers at Belly Up Tavern. Ecstatic Union at Soda Bar. Clozee at Music Box.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 7 Aussie Pink Floyd Show at Humphreys by the Bay. JJ Grey & Mofro at Belly Up Tavern. Big Sandy and His Fly-Rite Boys at The Casbah. Sports at Soda Bar. The Red Pears at House of Blues Voodoo Room. Dread Mar I at Music Box.

rCLUBSr

710 Beach Club, 710 Garnet Ave., Pacific Beach. Wed: Open mic. Thu: Karaoke. Fri: Funk Shui Planet, The Shakes.

Sat: Josh Heinrichs, Twisted Relatives, KL Noise Makerz. Sun: Karaoke. Tue: Cherry Road, All the Way Dope.

Air Conditioned Lounge, 4673 30th St., Normal Heights. Wed: ‘Hip Hop Wednesday’ w/ Noa James, B-Turn, KILLcREY. Thu: ‘Funky Lil Beat’ w/ DJ Moniloca. Fri: ‘House Friday’ w/ DJ Matthew Brian. Sat: ‘Juicy’ w/ Mike Czech. Sun: ‘Chvrch’ w/ DJs .

American Comedy Co., 818 B Sixth Ave., Downtown. Thu: Billy Bonnell. Fri: Billy Bonnell. Sat: Billy Bonnell.

The Bancroft, 9143 Campo Road, Spring Valley. Wed: Karaoke. Thu: Jaron Yancey, Hollow Stage. Fri: Ice Cream, Brandon Prinzing and the Old Revival. Sat: Shoot the Glass, Worldwide Panic.

Bang Bang, 526 Market St., Downtown.

Fri: Brodinski. Sat: Yetep.

Bar Pink, 3829 30th St., North Park. Wed: The Anomaly. Thu: DJ Ratty. Fri: ‘Hemlock’ w/ The Dirty Horror, DJs Dave Bats, Javi Nunez. Sat: The Kabbs, Powerballs.

Sun: ‘Rat Sabbath’ w/ DJ Ratty. Mon: Jason Hanna and the Bullfighters. Tue: Secret Samurai, Black Cat DJs. Beaumont’s, 5665 La Jolla Blvd., La Jolla. Fri: Scratch. Sat: Part Time Model.

Sun: Hummingbird Hotel.

Belly Up Tavern, 143 S. Cedros Ave., Solana Beach. Wed: Tape Heads, Secret Lynx, Sweet Tooth. Thu: Rodrigo y Gabriela, Robert Ellis (sold out). Fri: Tribal Theory, Ginger Roots, The Protectors, Clarence Bucaro.

Sat: Mustache Harbor, Graceband. Sun: Songs of Merle Haggard with Brawley & Friends, The California Rangers. Tue: Mystic Bowie’s Talking Dreads, Vibes Up Strong.

Black Cat Bar, 4246 University Ave., City Heights. Fri: Plunderbund, Gregleplex.

Sat: Ugly Boogie, The Havnauts.

@SDCITYBEAT

AUGUST 15, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 25

MUSIC

BY CHRISTIN BAILEY

ASTROLOGICALLY UNSOUND Weekly forecasts from the so-called universe ARIES (March 21 - April 19): Eating penguin meat is a very potent defense against scurvy, but if you actually need that information, you really have to retool your life.

LIBRA (September 23 - October 22): You are so much more than what you

TAURUS (April 20 - May 20):

SCORPIO (October 23 - November 21): This week will be an exercise in enduring constant theft from the shared office refrigerator when people have the temerity to eat things that you were planning on taking from them.

Before you try fermenting something, you should look into whether it’s one of those things that even benefits from the process in the first place.

GEMINI (May 21 - June 20): It may be a good strategy this week to under-promise and over-deliver, but if you under-promise too much they’re going to have to remove you from your exit-row seat.

look like when you accidentally open your front facing-camera—but you’re also a little of that too.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22

- December 21): Here is the idea that always gets ‘em: “Well someone has to win the lottery.” And you know what? You’d be surprised by how right that is.

CANCER (June 21 - July 22): You have no more of a legitimate claim to your home than the mice who live in the walls. You’re just the only one who can buy traps at Home Depot.

CAPRICORN (December 22 January 19): This week you will see your life and everything in it with perfect clarity, just like a bird flying directly into a spotless, squeegeed window.

LEO (July 23 - August 22):

AQUARIUS (January 20 - February

I’ll just say this: You’re going to be surprised by the great multitude of places where you can and will be finding sand.

VIRGO (August 23 - September 22): It is not always simple to make the right choice, and it doesn’t always pay off. It isn’t even always legal. Jeez, they should really make this easier.

18): Your grave mistakes can all be forgiven. If asbestos can make a comeback, I’m sure you can. Unfortunately, not sure how resilient you’ll be with regards to the asbestos.

PISCES (February 19 - March 20): Please just ask yourself what are you possibly hoping to accomplish by taking a low-resolution photograph of the moon on your camera phone.

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

MUSIC CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25 Martinis Above Fourth, 3940 Fourth Ave., Hillcrest. Wed: Valentina Ranalli.

Thu: ‘Eastern Standard Time’. Fri: Janice and Nathan. Sat: Sophia Alone. Sun: Don L. Mon: Andy and Nathan. Tue: ‘Stars of the Future’.

The Merrow, 1271 University Ave., Hillcrest. Wed: ‘Living in Colour: A Tribute to Frightened Rabbit’s Scott Hutchison’.

Thu: ‘Boylesque’. Fri: Aether X, Deliverance Machine, RDG. Sat: ‘Disco Goth’ w/ Glass Spells, The Victoriana, Soft Lions, Twin Ritual, Mannequin, Dispersion, Of Ennui. Sun: ‘The Playground’.

Mr. Peabody’s, 136 Encinitas Blvd., Encinitas. Thu: Steelhorse Country. Fri: The Wayfarers. Sat: FreeMartin, Adrienne Nims and Spirit Wind. Sun: Tony Ortega jazz jam.

Music Box, 1337 India St., Little Italy.

Wed: Sales, No Vacation. Thu: Flora Cash, Cardinal Moon. Fri: Stepping Feet, The Black Crowes Revival.

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

Wed: ‘Instant Crush’ w/ DJs Nastea, Miss Lady D, Coolera. Thu: ‘No Limits’ w/ DJ Myson King. Sat: ‘Strictly Business’ w/ DJs Edroc, Kanye Asada. Mon: ‘Motown on Monday’. Tue: ‘Trapped’ w/ DJ Ramsey.

OMNIA Nightclub, 454 Sixth Ave., Downtown. Fri: Steve Aoki.

Panama 66, 1450 El Prado, Balboa Park.

Wed: Gilbert Castellanos. Thu: Lorraine Castellanos Quartet. Fri: Uptown Rhythm Makers. Sat: Mochilero All Stars. Sun: Mad Hat Hucksters.

Parq, 615 Broadway, Downtown. Fri: Joe Maz. Sat: Jesse Marco.

26 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · AUGUST 15, 2018

Proud Mary’s, 5550 Kearny Mesa Road, Kearny Mesa. Wed: Aubrey Fay. Thu: Tomcat Courtney. Fri: Bonneville Band.

Sat: Lady Star.

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

Rich’s, 1051 University Ave., Hillcrest.

Wed: DJs John Joseph, Kinky Loops.

Thu: ‘Lez’ w/ DJ Moody Rudy. Fri: DJs Drew G, Will Z. Sat: DJs Hektik, Luke Allen. Sun: DJs Cros, Danger Duran.

Riviera Supper Club, 7777 University Ave., La Mesa. Wed: ‘Boss Jazz’ w/ Jason Hanna. Thu: Brennan Orndorff. Fri: The Fab Lushes. Sat: Rio Peligroso.

Seven Grand, 3054 University Ave., North Park. Wed: Moth and Sons. Thu: Jimmy Ruelas. Fri: The Johnny Tarr Quartet. Sat: Mt. Pleasant. Mon: ‘Makossa Monday’ w/ DJ Tah Rei. Tue: Nathan Hubbard Trio.

Soda Bar, 3615 El Cajon Blvd., City Heights. Wed: Knox Hamilton, Alex Di Leo. Thu: Sneaks, Blac Rabbit, Jazmin LaBrie. Fri: Audio Karate, Western Settings, The Gutter Daisies, Allweather. Sat: Ashe, Terrell Morris. Sun: Paul Cherry.

Mon: Watashi Wa Dance Party, Lost Dakota, Lineup Rookie. Tue: Buddha Trixie, Battery Point, The Frets.

SOMA, 3350 Sports Arena Blvd., Midway.

Fri: Layne, Love Glow, Fashion Jackson, Buddha Trixie, Former. Sat: Khofa, Reese Da Demon & Shon Hill, Fresh Breakfast Muk Dip In Butter, West Coast Ace, Ygh Pnut, Dre Trav, Cali Kev. SPACE, 3519 El Cajon Blvd., City Heights.

Wed: ‘We Like 2 Party’. Thu: ‘Soul Food’ w/ DJs Mane One, Pokkey, Nastea, Eskimo Bros. Fri: Lil Ugly Mane. Sat: TOME,

BobxRoss, All Beat Up, Gloomsday. Sun: Abigail Williams, Ghost Bath, Wolf King.

Tue: Karaoke.

Spin, 2028 Hancock St., Midtown. Fri: Fred V & Grafix, Skeptical, Reid Speed.

Sat: Hector Fonseca. Sun: Dance Spirit.

Til-Two Club, 4746 El Cajon Blvd., City Heights. Fri: Blood Ponies, Le Saboteur, Melvus. Sun: Pants Karaoke.

Tin Roof, 401 G St., Downtown. Wed: Mitch Clark, The Corner. Thu: Keep Your Soul. Fri: Jaw, Mitch Clark. Sat: Cassie B Project, Mitch Clark. Sun: Mitch Clark, Ash Foster. Mon: Evan Diamond Goldberg. Tue: Keep Your Soul.

Tio Leo’s, 5302 Napa St., Bay Park. Thu: Mercedes Moore. Fri: Funk’s Most Wanted. Sat: The Sleepwalkers, Abby and the Real Deal. Tue: The Tourmaliners.

Tower Bar, 4757 University Ave., City Heights. Wed: Slipping Into Darkness, Lil Evil, DJ Mike Turi. Thu: Be Like Max, Spazik, The Abortz. Fri: Shovel, Raag, Noonday Devils. Sat: Revolutionary Guard, Reckless Disregard, Curbside Funeral. Sun: Karaoke.

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

Thu: ‘Solace’. Fri: Kid Wonder. Sat: DJ Bacon. Sun: Maiz, Jahkobeatz, DJ Emanuel.

Whistle Stop, 2236 Fern St., South Park.

Wed: Body Salt. Thu: ‘Soul Time’ w/ Daptone DJs. Sat: ‘80s vs. 90s’. Sun: Starover Blue, Quali, Strange Ages. Mon: ‘Electric Relaxation’.

Winstons, 1921 Bacon St., Ocean Beach.

Wed: Soul Tribe, DJ Carlos Culture. Thu: Boostive, TV Broken 3rd Eye Open. Fri: Diggin Dirt. Sat: High Tide Society, Mercedes Moore. Mon: Electric Waste Band.

Tue: The Thieves About.

@SDCITYBEAT

IN THE BACK

CannaBeat One-fifth of cannabis consumers buy from black market

A

new study has found that in California—despite having the world’s largest legal cannabis market— nearly one in five cannabis consumers have purchased cannabis products in an illicit marketplace in the last three months.

The study, conducted by cannabis delivery company Eaze, compiled 1,750 surveys from California, Colorado and Eaze cannabis consumers between July 6 and July 12.

The study found 18 percent of California respondents purchased cannabis from an unlicensed business in the previous three months, and 84 percent of those respondents are “highly likely” to continue purchasing from the same source again due to the cheaper products and no taxes. On the other hand, 96 percent of respondents made a purchase from a state-licensed business, with 92 percent saying they would definitely or probably purchase from the legal market again.

Taxes were always a concern for California when legalization began, with many noting California had higher taxes than other states with legalized cannabis. Le-

@SDCITYBEAT

SHUTTERSTOCK

ability to use credit or debit cards and overpriced products.

—Tyler Shultz

gal cannabis in California was expected to bring in $1 billion in tax revenue, but the state is off to a slow start. Earlier this year, Gov. Jerry Brown estimated legal cannabis sales would bring in $175 million in excise tax revenue. The state brought in $34 million in excise tax revenue during the first quarter of 2018. Including sales and cultivation taxes, the state brought in $60.9 million in cannabis-related tax revenue through the first quarter.

SHUTTERSTOCK

The high taxes on California cannabis seem to be what is keeping the black market up and running. Forty-seven percent of Californians said their biggest complaint about the legal industry was the high taxes, and the study found a five percent cut to the state’s cannabis tax would bring 23 percent of illegal consumers back to the legal market. Other complaints included the in-

Wildfires force evacuations at cannabis farms

R

ecord-breaking wildfires are disrupting and devastating cannabis crops across California. Mendocino County is at the heart of the Emerald Triangle, and certain areas are at risk. As of mid-August, the Mendocino Complex fires grew to become the largest wildfire in state history.

Several cannabis farms have been affected. Recently multiple greenhouses went up in flames beginning on July 23 at Loudpack Farms in Greenfield, California. The still-burning Carr Fire displaced employees of Alien Labs and is currently threatening several of its farms, prompting a GoFundMe page. Three men were also arrested in Nice in Lake County, California for refusing to evacuate their cannabis farm. The three men were affected by The Ranch Fire, which grew to 156,678 acres and is part of the Mendocino Complex fires.

Dozens of other fires include the Carr Fire which burned 177,450 acres, the Ferguson Fire which burned 95,104 acres and the Donnell Fire which burned 21,097 acres as of Aug. 10. This year is on track toward exceeding last year’s fire season, which burned upwards of 1.3 million acres, upsetting California’s economy.

During the wildfire season of 2017, infernos destroyed countless cannabis farms in Northern California and beyond. But this year could prove to be even worse.

“I think these fires indicate that our planet is less hospitable,” Hezekiah Allen told Leafly. Allen is executive director of the California Growers Association and frequently speaks on behalf of the organization and cultivators in California. “To try to frame it in terms of ‘move somewhere else’ is denying the scope of the problem we face as a species. Not to mention, the type [of] agriculture that takes place in ‘commercially hospitable areas’ is a driving force in these types of fires associated with desertification events.”

Companies that are barely recovering from the 2017 wildfire season are faced with potential evacuations again.

—Benjamin M. Adams

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

AUGUST 15, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 27