UP FRONT | FROM THE EDITOR
Burn it down
M
ate gear. Whereas this gear was once relegated to the y ancestors were slaveholders. I don’t think I’ve ever divulged that in back of the closet and only to be worn in the company print, much less to anyone in person. As of other whites, these white kids suddenly felt emone could imagine, it’s not something I boldened to let their hate flag fly. That’s Trump in a nutshell. For many whites—the can easily get my head around. But it’s there; a proverbial splotch on my family tree that, even while I had ones that we progressive Californians just can’t benothing to do with it, makes me ashamed whenever I lieve are real—Trump is a symbol. A symbol that it’s OK to hate and that they no longer have to keep those think about it. My family comes from southern Maryland, which old prejudices, handed down through the generadespite its current blue state status, was, and still is tions, in the back of the closet anymore. I know this because of my own family history. I’m in many regions, a bastion of Confederate glamorization. Talking with friends about the many fallouts lucky to have been raised by a mother who whooped of the Charlottesville tragedy, many were surprised my ass the first time I uttered the n-word (to be fair, that there were even Confederate monuments to I had no idea what it meant). She chose to stop the tear down in a progressive city like Baltimore. But I cycle of racism at herself, while my grandfather and uncle, who worked alongknew better. It was only side Black men all their two years ago that Marylives, would smile in their land started phasing out friend’s faces and call Confederate flag license them “nigger” behind plates. their back. I know. I heard My own relationship it. with Confederate symAgain, if it had not bology has long been esbeen for my immeditablished: I hate it. I hate ate family, who’s to say seeing it. I wouldn’t have turned However, there was a out just like my uncle time after my mother and and my grandfather? I I moved to Atlanta in the Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz like to think that I would late ‘90s and early ‘00s that Southern hip-hop artists began to use Confeder- have been able to overcome the sins of my family’s ate flags in their album art, press pictures and con- past and still become who I am today, but it’s much cert backdrops. For as long as I could remember at the more likely that I would become just like them. When time, the ol’ Stars and Bars battle flag was reserved someone is raised by racists, chances are they’ll be for redneck country and rock bands, each claiming it racist as well. Emboldened in their hate and blinded by ignorance. was all about “heritage, not hate.” Make no mistake, the Confederate battle flag is Then, suddenly, there was this new generation of Black, Southern hip-hip artists appropriating Con- much more than a flag; it’s a veil that whites use to federate symbols and using them to distinguish re- cloak their ignorance and racism so they can pass it gional pride. Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz would pose off as pride or heritage. For many white Southernin front of a giant flag and Andre 3000 of Outkast ers, they want to believe their ancestors didn’t die proudly sported a Confederate belt buckle in the vid- for nothing, but their ancestors were traitors fighting for the right to keep people in chains. I’m sure there eo for “Ms. Jackson.” But just as Black culture, at least regionally, are some whites that might be truly well-intentioned seemed to be poised to re-appropriate a flag that, when they claim that the flag, for them, represents for so long, symbolized hatred and the vile subjuga- history, but honestly, it’s time to move on from it. Like Sherman’s cavalry in Atlanta and my mama tion of humans, white people began to get a little too familiar. The white kids at my high school began to after him, burn it down and start anew. see the Black kids wearing Confederate symbols and would give them high-fives and daps. Suddenly, those —Seth Combs same white kids began to wear their own Confeder- Write to seth.combs@sdcitybeat.com This issue is dedicated to City Weekly editor (and CityBeat alum) Enrique Limón for letting our editor use his office on deadline and showing him Space Jesus.
Volume 16 • Issue 2 EDITOR Seth Combs MUSIC EDITOR Jeff Terich WEB EDITOR Ryan Bradford ART DIRECTOR Carolyn Ramos ASSOCIATE EDITOR Torrey Bailey STAFF WRITER Jamie Ballard COLUMNISTS Aaryn Belfer, Edwin Decker Minda Honey, John R. Lamb Alex Zaragoza
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AUGUST 23, 2017 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 3
UP FRONT | LETTERS
DIDN’T QUIT. MOVED ON. Seth Combs of CityBeat published an article about the recent changes at the San Diego Art Institute [“Changes at the San Diego Art Institute,” Aug. 16], my former employer from July 2016 to Aug. 11, 2017. The article addresses my resignation following the hiring of Jacqueline Silverman as the new Executive Director. In the article, I am quoted as stating “the only way I would have stayed is if I had been made Deputy Director or Head Curator.” What was omitted however (to no fault of Combs’ reporting), were the details of our accomplishments during the tenure of my interim leadership, the politics of working under a board of directors lacking expertise in the field, and the blatant disrespect of the staff time and again from a group of gatekeepers with little understanding of the entirety of our experience and duties as artists and administrators dedicated to the advancement of contemporary art in San Diego. As we become increasingly aware of the importance to speak up in the face of injustice and to question those who hold positions of power and their motivations, I believe it is imperative that we as an art community, an activist community and a progressive community understand how actions on a micro level mirror those of larger institutions and seemingly insurmountable obstacles that prevent those who do not have access to capital to have their voices heard. The employees of SDAI are multi-talented, intelligent, hard-working and innovative. Upon assuming the role of Interim Director, I made it our top priority to commune and discuss the ideas each person had desired to execute but had yet to introduce. We believed in our capacity to propel the organization further in terms of content and programming, in addition to modeling ourselves as a leader in progressive change in a historically complacent institution dominated by hierarchical leadership without checks and balances, who have proven themselves uninterested in exploring issues of cultural equity, accessibility and the fundamental role of art in society beyond decor, beautification, and the semblance of sophistication. In relation to staffing, SDAI was functioning since April with less than half of a full staff. As Interim, I continued the role of Education Director, including teaching, cur-
riculum development and management of outreach programs including sites, teachers, project development and everything in between. Interim duties included daily operations in addition to program development, curation, exhibition coordination, and it wasn’t uncommon to find me cleaning the toilet, taking out the garbage and greeting guests from the front desk. Wearing numerous hats and combining multiple roles into one is not unusual at nonprofit organizations; in fact, it’s usually the norm. Underpaid, overqualified, hard-working artists and talented administrators have been the standard at arts organizations I have worked for over the course of my career. Their contributions go unrecognized, demands increase, and unrealistic expectations are consistently handed down with few resources made available for successful execution of tasks. Smart, capable individuals with a ton of potential eventually get fed up and leave, forcing the organization to regress each and every time a person packs their bags. Having been granted a leadership role as the Interim, rather than remain satisfied with the status quo, I began asking questions and demanding answers: Why do we accept decisions handed down from boards made up of individuals with nothing to lose, who have little knowledge of daily operations and even less concern for the staff who make the organization what it is? What are the prerequisites for obtaining a board seat and who holds them accountable? Why are we, the workers, permitted to overwork ourselves with little recognition or adequate compensation? I wanted to lead with the well-being of our staff, cultural equity and collectivism at the forefront of all of my decision-making. I spoke openly about the importance of artists being paid to exhibit their work, following Ginger Shulick Porcella’s lead and W.A.G.E. standards, and the need to include well-known artists from Los Angeles in exhibitions with emerging local talent in order to draw viewers, critics, collectors and curators who would be introduced to our thriving contemporary art community and hopefully open up opportunities for our artists to exhibit outside the city’s borders. The first and only exhibition the staff and I directed entirely, Millennial Pink, was cocurated by Marina Grize and myself, and included artists exhibited at The Whitney, the New Museum and MOCA Los Angeles. Ma-
4 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · AUGUST 23, 2017
rina’s branding, design, PR and marketing are the backbone of the organization. Nick Lesley’s exceptional taste in experimental music and his own experience as a musician in several influential bands from San Diego, Los Angeles and New York brought in talent our community has been grateful to celebrate. Our education programs have employed talented artists who have valued the ideas of our vibrant youth all over the county. Our team was always thinking about how our work could be used to serve others: How could we become agents of change in providing resources to underrepresented artists, undervalued workers, and the dismantling of outdated tropes of hierarchical leadership, professionalism and classism often associated with the art world? Our vision for SDAI was one dedicated to empowering artists and reverence for our community. Our efforts, labor and experience were disrespected time and again through disregard of our concerns, ideas and commitment—demonstrated in a variety of ways. The day the hiring decision was handed down, I was not asked to stay but expected to go back in my original role of Education Director at my original salary of $36,000/ year. This was a reduction of $19,000 from my Interim salary, and $49,000 LESS than what was attached to the permanent Executive Director position. Additionally, my contributions as Interim were not even recognized in the press release about the new hire, nor was I mentioned at all by name. As one who believes I am responsible for being my own best advocate, the only thing I could do was resign in order to walk away with my integrity intact. I was heartbroken and devastated to say goodbye, but the fire in my belly burns to rebuild and grow in ways that encourage collectivism, mutual respect, enrichment and justice for my fellow artists, academics, and every person who has ever felt that seeing the world through a variety of lenses is the most valuable aspect of our humanity. We cannot afford to wait for our institutions to change; we have to change the concept of the institution. We must build, learn, grow, deconstruct, learn, grow and rebuild over and over until we achieve a model that meets our desire for space that is equitable, honest, engaging and meaningful—centering community and hope for positive impact that can be felt universally.
UP FRONT From the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Letters to the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Spin Cycle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sordid Tales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3 4 6 7
At The Intersection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
FOOD & DRINK World Fare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Dishing It Out. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 The Beerdist. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
THINGS TO DO The Short List. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Calendar of Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-15
ARTS & CULTURE Books: The Floating Library . . . . . . . . . . 14 Theater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 FEATURE: The South still rises in Hollywood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Thank You For Staring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Film. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-22
MUSIC FEATURE: Sudan Archives . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Notes from the Smoking Patio. . . . . . . . 24 If I Were U. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Concerts & Clubs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27-29
LAST WORDS Astrologically Unsound. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 COVER ILLUSTRATION BY SOMARAMOS
I did not quit SDAI. I chose to move on. I chose to stand up for myself and the contributions of our staff. I am actively working to open a new space based on the principles I pushed for at SDAI: a community-focused progressive art cooperative centered on contemporary art and education—grounded in the belief that artists have the ability to bridge divides and push shared understanding, especially during times of tumult, anger and injustice. I could use your help. Let’s be the model for future institutions to pull from. Let’s do this together. Lissa Corona Oceanside
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@SDCityBeat
August 23, 2017 · San Diego CityBeat · 5
JOHN R. LAMB
UP FRONT | OPINION
SPIN
CYCLE
JOHN R. LAMB
Oops, missed one! Anyone who believes you can’t change history has never tried to write his memoirs. —David Ben-Gurion
L
ast week, San Diego political leaders were high-fiving over the pulling of an old-time plaque from downtown’s Horton Plaza Park honoring the president of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis. “This morning, San Diego city staff acted quickly and decisively to remove the plaque,” Councilmember Chris Ward—whose district includes downtown—announced Wednesday in a statement. “While some may see many sides to this issue, monuments to bigotry have no place in San Diego.” Ward added that it’s important the city “remains a safe and inclusive place, and we will continue to confront the symbols and ideology of white supremacy and Neo-Nazism that threaten the values that make our city and country great.”
Ward thanked Mayor Kevin Faulconer “for quick direction,” which the usually risk-averse mayor immediately latched onto in his own pronouncement. “It was an opportunity to act decisively, which I did,” Faulconer told reporters. “Make sure we do not have symbols of division in San Diego.” By week’s end, new red tiles had replaced the small plaque commemorating the 1926 dedication of the Pacific end of the Jefferson Davis Highway, appearing like it had never existed. The mayor’s office said it would make efforts to return the plaque to its sponsor, the Daughters of the Confederacy. But just 40 paces due east stands a hunk of marble placed in the park three years earlier immortalizing another bygone dream at the dawn of the Motor Age: San Diego as the western terminus of the Lee Highway, named for Confederate General-in-Chief Robert E. Lee.
6 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · AUGUST 23, 2017
Worn over time, the name “LEE” carved into the easternfacing side of the four-foot marker is barely discernable. A bronze plaque on the opposite side pays tribute to the influential San Diegan who pushed to get the city on the coast-to-coast roadway bandwagon. “The citizens of San Diego in dedicating this Pacific Milestone, November 17, 1923, hereby gratefully acknowledge the untiring efforts of Col. Ed Fletcher in the construction of a Southern transcontinental highway,” the plaque reads. A booklet published at the time touted the potential of the Lee Highway as a shorter, year-round route from Washington, D.C. to San Diego at a time when, outside of cities, reliable roads were hard to come by. Dubbed the “Backbone Road of the South,” the Lee Highway would be “A Great Memorial to a Great American” the booklet cover boasted. Charles Davis, leader of the era’s “good roads” movement, wrote that the Lee Highway would be a “fit companion” to the Lincoln Highway, “that other great continent-spanning thoroughfare.” “The two honor the outstanding heroes of the Civil War period,” Davis wrote. “Both are twentieth century monuments, visualizing the
Just feet from a Confederate marker removed from Horton Plaza Park last week, another one honoring Robert E. Lee remains. love that all America now feels for each. Together they will transmit to posterity the memory and inspiration of two of the greatest and noblest men America has produced.” The booklet included presidential tributes, including one from Woodrow Wilson, who proclaimed, “It is certainly fitting that there should be a national memorial to General Lee. He did all in his power to heal the wounds which were made by the bitter civil strife in which he was obliged to take part. It is a happy old saying that sectional lines are obliterated only by the feet which cross them and this great highway should contribute to that much-to-be desired result.” Col. Fletcher, credited with developing much of San Diego County—from Rancho Santa Fe and Del Mar to Mt. Helix and Grossmont—was a major player in bringing water and roads to a dry and isolated region. But in his memoir of 751 pages, he only briefly mentions the Lee Highway, although he writes in detail about his road-race competitions with Los Angeles for that vital East Coast link. “I had cooperated with the Lee Highway in every way possible,” Fletcher wrote, before lamenting that a lack of cooperation from the local Chamber of Commerce in promoting the desert route to San Diego had convinced him that the city would lose out to a route through Los Angeles. In later years, such battles with competing cities would dwindle as the federal government took over creation of transcontinental highways with a numbered system that supplanted naming efforts. Asked if the memorial to the Lee Highway should be removed, Councilmember Ward in a statement sounded less decisive this time. “The legacy of Jim Crow is wo-
ven through decades of our history,” Ward told Spin. “The complexity is clearly reflected in the many facets of this monument, and our recent national experience should prompt reconsideration.” Ward added: “I think it’s only appropriate to memorialize the full historical context of the transcontinental highway including the unfortunate attempt to rehabilitate the Confederacy, or find a museum home for this piece and identify a more appropriate way to both educate and celebrate our city’s history.” When asked how best to “memorialize the full historical context,” a Ward spokesman wrote back, “Open to exploring ideas.” Spin attempted to reach out to Fletcher family members for their thoughts to no avail. Even a request for comment from Save Our Heritage Organisation on the marker’s significance went unanswered. Bruce Coons, SOHO’s executive director, earlier had directed Spin to a statement put out by its partner, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which said in part: “We cannot and should not erase our history. But we also want our public monuments, on public land and supported by public funding, to uphold our public values.” Added the organization about Confederate monuments, “Whatever is decided, we hope that memorials that remain are appropriately and thoughtfully ‘re-contextualized’ to provide information about the war and its causes, and that changes are done in a way that engage with, rather than silence, the past—no matter how difficult it may be.” As far as the previously decisive Mayor Faulconer? His office had not responded by press time. Spin Cycle appears every week. Write to johnl@sdcitybeat.com.
@SDCITYBEAT
UP FRONT | OPINION
EDWIN DECKER
SORDID
TALES
Bring ‘em all down!
A
s most everyone knows by now, one of the main reasons for the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville was to protest the removal of a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee from a public park. Regular readers of this column know I am an unapologetic proponent of free speech. I don’t care if your group is called “Families for the Deportation of Dumb Kids to Countries Where Dumb Kids are Drowned a Lot,” you can bet your bippy I would support your right to spew your insane and preposterous manifesto. In fact, I will go so far as to spend a moment considering its merits. It’s a little directive I impose upon myself called The Rule of Open Mindedness (ROOM) and it mandates that, for the span of at least one minute, I must analyze the merits of any worldview no matter how seemingly foul. I do this as a failsafe for myself—to ensure that I remain as open-minded as possible. For instance, when I first heard the psychotic ramblings of the Westboro Baptist Church, my instinct was to say, “Fuh-uh-uh-uck that noise!” God kills soldiers because he hates gay people—my ass! But then I set a timer for one minute and calmly considered the “wisdom” behind the Westboro Baptist Church until, ultimately, saying, “Fuh-uh-uh-uck that noise!” and going about my day feeling superior about my wide open mind. I even did it just now for my own, imaginary hate group—the Deportation and Drowning of Dumb Kids a Lot. I set the timer and thought, OK, well, all kids are annoying, but dumb kids are the worst! The country would be much better without them. But, wait, drowning children is wrong. Yes, I’m quite sure it is. Well, I guess I’m against it. 58 . . . 59 . . . 60 seconds and done! I have done this for all kinds of daft ideologies: communism (flawed), fascism (cruel), anarchism (potholes need fixin’), moral absolutism (meh), numerology (yikes, math!), astrology (bullshit), palmistry (horseshit), acupuncture (dogshit), law of attractionology (mostly dog, bull and horseshit with a dollop of batshit) and even white supremacy—about which it was all I could do to keep from barfing in my mouth before the 60 seconds were up. Which brings us to the purpose of this column. Upon hearing about what happened in Charlottesville, it occurred to me that I had never fully vetted the controversy over whether Confederate symbols—such as the Confederate flag or statues of Confederate generals—should be displayed on publicly owned property. So, today, I did. And I must admit, this particular ROOM exercise took a bit longer than 60 seconds before reaching the, “Fuh-uh-ucck that noise!” stage. The was largely because of the concept of heritage. You’ve heard it before, the notion that all these flags and monuments represent the heritage of the south
and not necessarily slavery. And the reason it gives pause is because, yes, heritage is something to cherish. We should always be leery of eradicating cultural history from the social consciousness. But upon further consideration it’s clear that that’s not what this is. Nobody’s talking about striking the Confederacy from our consciousness. We just need to stop celebrating it. I mean, fer sufferin’ succotash, can we get real about the Civil War? Some argue it was more about states’ rights. However the state right they wanted most was the right to own people(!) so, nice try Boo. That’s like saying kids flock to ice cream trucks because “Pop Goes the Weasel” plays on a loop and not for the dadgum ice cream! “But the heritage! What about the heritage?” The word heritage comes from the French, heritere, which means to inherit. While we often think of heritage as the bequeathing of good things, it is also possible to inherit undesirables, such as my mother’s annoying habit of contradicting anything anyone says. The Confederate Battle Flag was created for the war and has no other connection to Southern culture beyond what they were fighting for. I mean, the Stars and Bars doesn’t symbolize chicken and waffles or Flannery O’Connor. A statue of General Lee doesn’t represent jug-core jamborees or backwoods moonshine. The only heritage here is the battle to preserve the systematic incarceration, torture, and genocide of Africans! So it is true, all these Confederate symbols are part of the heritage of the south. You just have to wonder why anyone clings to it. If I lived in Virginia, I would vote to replace the General Lee statue with someone who helped save the south. You know, someone who tried to deliver them from the shame and stain of continued slave ownership. Someone like Lincoln, Augusta or Tubman perhaps. These are real heroes of Dixie. But hey, by all means, cling to your symbols of ignorance, hate, suffering and death. You know, as tragic as Charlottesville was, something good did come out of it. In cities across the South, these symbols are finally coming down. But not to worry, Confederacy groupies. Nobody’s telling you that you can’t commemorate whatever you want on your own property. Go ahead and hang that flag off the eaves of your house; go ahead and get it inked onto your neck so that you’re virtually spitting on every person of color who sees it. That is, for good or bad, what makes this country great. But you can go fuck yourself if you think that noise belongs on any courthouse flagpole or public park.
Nobody’s talking about striking the Confederacy from our consciousness. We just need to stop celebrating it.
@SDCITYBEAT
Sordid Tales appears every other week. Write to edwin@sdcitybeat.com.
AUGUST 23, 2017 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 7
CULTURE | VOICES
MINDA HONEY
AT THE
INTERSECTION The solar eclipse, civil unrest and what comes next
D
uring the partial solar eclipse of 1993, I was 8 years old and in the third grade. I remember my teacher helped our class rig special viewers out of aluminum foil and shoe boxes. A way to see something without looking at it directly. A way to protect ourselves as the moon passed over the sun and cast us into a bright darkness. For this year’s solar eclipse, I’d planned on traveling to St. Louis to visit some friends and then head to a tiny town south of the city to experience the eclipse in its full totality. But then, the NAACP released a travel advisory for the state of Missouri, declaring it unsafe for minorities to visit. The news reported that these small towns, the few places where you could see the moon completely cover the sun, would swell with hundreds of thousands of visitors. The traffic would be unbearable because a total solar eclipse is rare. And, supposedly, shit gets weird when
you’re in the path of totality. Still, I thought I’d go anyway. Then Charlottesville happened. A small town succumbs to madness, no natural phenomena necessary. A result of our nation’s seeing without really looking. Media outlets seeing what was clearly racism, but looking at it as “anxiety over economic insecurity.” Seeing white supremacists, but looking at them as the “alt-right.” Seeing political cowards, but looking at them as cautious leaders. Seeing an Affordable Care Act that is helping millions of people, but looking it as Obamacare ruining the country. I didn’t know how I would be seen or looked at in Missouri, so I canceled my travel plans. A few weeks ago, I caught myself seeing without looking. I was on the phone with a man that I had loved, or at least thought I had loved, for many years. I can’t be certain which it was. Sometimes the orbit of our
8 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · AUGUST 23, 2017
lives meant feeling this feeling, which may or may not have been love from afar. Sometimes it meant feeling it while our lives overlapped in the same city. Our physical distance never quite aligned with our emotional distance, and the further away I was, the closer I felt to him. In my 30s, I’ve gotten pretty good at not clinging to men who aren’t meant for me, but there’s always one exception to the rule. Leading up to this phone call, I felt like the universe had been sending me signs it was time to loosen my grip. My horoscope hinted at it. Chani Nicholas advised us Capricorns, “In order to grow, we must be willing to part ways with what isn’t working. We have to know what has served its purpose.” I binged the entire first season of Friends from College on Netflix. The main plot revolved around two people who couldn’t stop hooking up despite being in their 40s and married to other people because it’s just what they’d always done since college. There’s comfort in doing what’s always been done. But on the phone that night, a truth that could no longer be ignored passed before me. I had always seen our situation as a casual thing that might one day grow into something more. But when I really looked at who we were, we were just two people held together by low stakes and minimal demands. The second either of us wanted more or were asked to put up something worth risking, we fell apart. Seeing without looking is the attempt to experience with-
out being vulnerable—but when was the last time that resulted in a lasting, healthy relationship? Spoiler alert: It didn’t work out for the pair in Friends from College, either. And when I think about the many, many people who, in the aftermath of Charlottesville, have finally found it necessary to speak out against the hatred running through our country—from the White House to the people we call friends and the family we sit around the table with—isn’t it kind of the same thing? The well-meaning people, and not so well-meaning, who wanted to see the “many sides” without looking at what really drove the unrest and violence in the streets of Charlottesville. They want to experience peace and healing without making themselves vulnerable to blame. To only now, in the aftermath, begin to call out what has always been white supremacy—and not economic anxiety or ignorance or anything else—what does that say about white America? I learned that night on the phone with that man—a man I may or may not have loved—that I was not who I thought I was. This was not a pleasant realization, but it was necessary for me to move forward. We are in a place as a country, where there are those of us who need to look up to the bright darkness of our truth and answer for our history. We must do this before we can pass into our future together as one united nation.
At The Intersection appears every four weeks.
@SDCITYBEAT
UP FRONT | FOOD
BY MICHAEL A. GARDINER
THE WORLD
salt, peppery arugula, a bit of balsamic vinaigrette and fresh figs. Civico gets what the dish is about: extraordinary ingredients presented simply with just enough intervention from the kitchen to show them off to their best effect. Another starter, the melanzana affumicata, is a different take on the simplicity theme: eggplant, Simplicity with an Italian accent smoked Buffalo mozzarella and a tomato sauce. talian food is simple food, and that’s by no The smoked mozzarella is the star of the dish and, means an insult. Italian fare is all about good in the hands of a less talented chef, the urge to do ingredients prepared with skill and caring. It’s more would yield less. Instead, the slight sweetness just as much about balance and patience as it is and acidity of tomato sauce—that Italian staple— about time and elegance. That is what is offered up perfectly highlights that star. Co-owner brothers Dario and Pietro Gallo are at Little Italy’s Civico 1845 (1845 India St.) and it from Cosenza, Calabria in Italy’s far south and Civis remarkable. San Diego is a city with a neighborhood called ico’s food reflects that region. Casareccia alla cal“Little Italy” and a Gaslamp District that, for de- abrese is pasta and ricotta dumplings with house cades, sported wall-to-wall Italian spots, many of made fennel sausage, wild mushrooms, calabrian MICHAEL GARDINER ‘nduja and a parmigiano sauce. The casareccia and dumplings are highlights, but it is that ‘nduja—a spicy, spreadable Calabrian take on French Andouille sausage (hence the name)—that ties together and makes the dish. Calabria again plays a big role in the scialatielli civico, which features handmade fettuccine-like noodles, Calabrian chilies, cherry tomatoes and wild arugula. But it is the Caledonian (think Scottish) prawns that are the dish’s focus. The brininess of those prawns is perfectly balanced by the peppery arugula. Pietro Gallo, co-owner and kitchen manager of Civico, is in the odd position of being a vegan passionate about a cuisine that isn’t always vegan-friendly. That’s what makes it all the more remarkable that in addition to Civico’s usual menu, he and Chef Alfonso Pisacane put out a complete vegan menu. Go for the stuffed pasta. A couple examples: The ravioli boscaiola, house-made raviMelenzana Affumicata and Fiori di Zucchine oli filled with truffles and wild mushrooms is excellent, but the Ravioli al Basilico (stuffed with a which put out cookie cutter Italian-Top-40 food vegan pesto) from an earlier menu may have been from nearly identical menus. There may (or may even better. The key to both, and to a lot of Civico’s not) have been genuine Italian accents in evi- food, is really good olive oil. The food at Civico is infused with a spirit that dence at those places, but few of them made it imbues all great Italian cuisine: good ingredients onto plates. Not so at Civico. Take for example the Caprese cooked simply but with care, skill and patience. It’s starter. Caprese salads are ubiquitous on Italian a formula that’s often been missing from San Direstaurant menus and, for that matter, on plenty ego’s Italian food. It’s a spirit that Civico 1845 has of non-Italian menus. Most aren’t good. Civico’s in spades. features incredible burrata (think mozzarella plus cream), gorgeous large orange heirloom tomatoes, The World Fare appears weekly. fruity cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil, black lava Write to michaelg@sdcitybeat.com.
FARE I
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AUGUST 23, 2017 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 9
UP FRONT | FOOD
BY JAMES VERNETTE
DISHING IT
OUT Guest grub
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ummers in San Diego often last until November and while that’s great for people who live here, the downside means we often have to deal with out-of-town relatives who want to take advantage of our hospitality and kindness. Sure, it can be fun to see loved ones—for a short time—but then we have to keep answering the same questions: “Yes, it’s cloudy now, but the sun will be out by 10.” “Yes, there is such a thing as dress flip-flops.” “Yes, there are a lot of hops in our local beer. Is there a problem with it?” “No, my girlfriend’s toe ring does not make her a Satanist.” Over the years, we’ve learned to beg off going to the expensive tourist attractions like the Zoo, Legoland or Sea World, and promise to meet up for dinner. But where to eat? Aunt Irma from Sheboygan won’t want to eat at my favorite ‘bertos and, quite frankly, I want to keep that place for myself. Also, if the relatives are paying, I want to make sure it’s worth my while. The key is to pick places that fulfill the out-oftowners' idea of the “California dream” while still having food that is just as satisfying as the setting. Puesto At The Headquarters (789 W. Harbor Drive, Downtown): The Headquarters is a decent, upscale mall and Puesto is a modern, hip Mexican restaurant that’s so much better than the lardladen chicken taco combo you’re liable to get at other places (sorry, favorite ‘bertos). Get Aunt Irma to try a margarita on the rocks with mezcal. Get Cousin Ned to try the filet mignon taco with fried cheese on top or, better yet, one of the tacos on special. The ambiance can be a little loud, but that just means we won’t be able to hear the umpteenth question about why we don’t have a football team anymore.
10 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · AUGUST 23, 2017
Duke’s La Jolla (1216 Prospect Street, La Jolla): If readers manage to snag a seat on the patio, there is a great view of the cove that will make for a great selfie that the relatives can send back to the family in Wisconsin. Luckily, it’s far enough from the beach that they won’t notice that constant seal odor stench that’s endemic to that part of La Jolla. There are nice variations on tropical drinks, although the Black Salt Bloody Mary is my go-to. Asian-themed vittles worth trying include the kaffir crusted ahi steak, the vegetarian red curry and the banana leaf steamed fish and shrimp. Hell, order all of them especially if someone else is paying. COURTESY OF CANNONBALL
Cannonball Cannonball (3105 Ocean Front Walk, Mission Beach): Pretty much the best restaurant for sunset dining as it located on the Mission Beach boardwalk. If it’s a clear day, we can drunkenly explain the myth of the green flash to Grandpa Joe. If it’s cloudy, then we’ll just have to settle on calmly explaining how the late night and early morning low clouds is sort of a natural air conditioning. Still, patrons will definitely pay for the view, but in exchange, they’ll get some good sushi rolls, decent margaritas (salted rims are optional, a stylistic choice they made that I don’t agree with). I do agree, however, with their pungent Vietnameseinspired skirt steak with papaya salad. Dishing It Out appears every other week.
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UP FRONT | DRINK
THE
BY ANDREW DYER
BEERDIST
Land of Lincoln
Guild. Compared to San Diego County’s 150 plus breweries, Green Flash is entering a very differan Diego-based craft brewery Green Flash ent market. Lincoln’s population is just 260,000, or Brewing Co.’s announcement of plans for a about the size of Chula Vista. “It’s a cool town,” Hinkley says. “It’s a college second out-of-state brewery didn’t come as much of a surprise, given the brewery’s history of town, there’s excitement there. People kind of flow expansion and acquisition. What struck people was through there and are kind of younger.” The need to expand into emerging markets like the location of the new brewery—Lincoln, Nebraska. However, considering the business climate in the Midwest should come as no surprise to indusmany craft-heavy markets, a move to the Midwest try-watchers, as larger “first-wave” craft brewers— such as Green Flash—face increased competition makes sense. In 2014, Green Flash purchased Alpine Beer Co., from smaller start-ups. And although the compaand has been growing since. Mike Hinkley, founder ny’s beer is sold in all 50 states, Hinkley says the and owner of Green Flash, says a Midwest location Midwest market has yet to fully buy-in. “We sell some Green Flash in Nebraska and the has been next on the expansion agenda since the company’s Virginia Beach brewery opened in 2016. Midwest, we just don’t sell a lot of it,” he says. “Pri“We’ve been looking to potentially make some marily we sell our beer on both coasts right now— 90 percent of it in just 20 states.” COURTESY OF GREEN FLASH BREWING CO. Hinkley says the Lincoln deal came together from beginning to end in about a month, and he expects to be up and running soon. “The equipment in the building is pretty much turnkey,” he says. “The licensing process is only 60 days, so we think we’ll be open in about 90.” The quick turnaround is a sharp contrast to the previous East Coast expansion, where the company built a much larger facility from the ground up. “Virginia Beach took us two years to build,” Hinkley says. Although everything looks to be in place, Green Flash Brewing Co. there are challenges in the Midwest. “The largest breweries in Nebraska are acquisitions,” Hinkley says, adding that he’d been under 10,000 barrels,” Hinkley says. “It’s a small on the lookout throughout the Midwest. “It’s part craft share without a very large craft brewery in the area, but, like the rest of the country, it’s on its way. of the larger plan.” Green Flash is taking over a turnkey location Once we set up our hub there we’ll be producing previously occupied by Ploughshare Brewing Co., fresh beer that’s regionally priced.” Hinkley is optimistic about Green Flash’s which closed its doors for good on July 3. The brew house is in a prime location in downtown Lincoln, emerging national footprint. “I think it’s the beginning of something big for just two blocks south of the University of Nebraska. Green Flash is entering a craft market Hinkley Green Flash.” described as “emerging,” with fewer than a dozen The Beerdist appears every other week. breweries. Nebraska itself is home to just 52 brewWrite to andrewd@sdcitybeat.com eries, according to the Nebraska Craft Brewers
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AUGUST 23, 2017 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 11
SHORTlist
EVENTS
ART
the
THREE YOU HAVE TO SEE
COORDINATED BY
SETH COMBS
SAN DIEGO
SPIRITED AWAY
The last day of summer is technically Aug. 27. Tickets are $60-$95 at sandiegospiritsfesSept. 22, but for many locals, these last weeks of Au- tival.com. The sixth annual Mira Mesa Festival of Beers is gust indicate the true end of the season. For those with kids, the beginning of the school year (and all great for anyone looking for one last hoppy hurrah the headache-inducing shopping that comes with before summer ends. Held Sunday, Aug. 27 at the Mira Mesa Community Park (8575 New Salem St.) it) is either here or quickly approaching. Perhaps that’s why there are so many great fes- from noon to 4 p.m., patrons can partake in unlimtivals around this time of year. Look, we’re more ited samples from over 20 breweries. There will also be live music and food, than aware that San DiMICROSHINER plus a portion of proceeds ego needs another beer goes right back into the festival like it needs community via the Mira more sunshine, but there Mesa Community Founreally is plenty to choose dation. Tickets are $40 at from this weekend if miramesabeerfest.com. readers are looking for Finally, for those one more good time belooking for something fore that “back to reality” a bit more cultural, the vibe seeps in. family-friendly Imperial First up is the mother Avenue Street Festival of all craft cocktail cele(imperialavenuestreetbrations, the San Diego San Diego Spirits Festival fest.com) will have a little Spirits Festival, one of the largest such festivals in the country. Hosted at something for everyone. Held on Imperial Avenue the Port Pavilion on Broadway Pier (1000 N. Har- between 28th and 30th Streets, the free fest is a celbor Drive, Downtown), the evening will include ebration of the rich history of the Logan Heights samples of top-shelf spirits, live music, bartender neighborhood and includes live music, food, a beer competitions and food cooked by Top Chef’s Bran- garden, a Kids Zone and a “Health Hub” for yoga, di Munn and Dan Paustian. It goes from 2 to 6 p.m. cooking demos, massages and more. It happens Saturday, Aug. 26 and from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, from noon to 9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 26.
DOWNTOWN
UP FROM THE UNDERGROUND For three years, the San Diego Underground Film Festival has become well-known for showcasing experimental films and videos, but it also includes filmmaker forums and live music throughout the four-day event. Each day the festival will have special guests, such as experimental filmmaker Kate McCabe or local singer-songwriter Sisster. Highlights from the screenings at the Tenth Avenue Arts Center (930 Tenth Ave.) include Astro Trilogy, a multi-screen performance piece from Kerry Laitala, as well as The Cure, a dark short film from Mike Olenick. It all happens Thursday, August 24 through Sunday, Aug. 27 from 11 a.m to midnight. Tickets range from $10 to $25, depending on whether movie lovers stay for the entire festival or only for one film. See full schedule and times at sdundergroundarts.org.
LITTLE ITALY
THE GUN SHOW Whether it’s the brazen bromance or the easily spotted San Diego landmarks, locals love them some Top Gun. And let’s be honest, we’ve all wanted be Maverick’s wingman (even if he was hella reckless) at some point. Actor and director Thomas Blake Jr. gives the average Joe, or Jane, the chance to “be the Maverick” in his interactive show, Tom Gun Live: A Maverick’s Homage, an absurdist stage adaptation of the film as well as a tribute to Tom Cruise. Five people, dressed as their favorite Cruise character, will be chosen from the audience to impersonate the actor through dance-offs, paper airplane battles and reading his most iconic lines off cue cards. The show is one night only at the Music Box (1337 India St.), at 8 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 27. For more info, visit musicboxsd.com.
SAN DIEGO UNDERGROUND FILM FESTIVAL
HFemme Form at Lafayette Hotel, 2223 El Cajon Blvd., North Park. A networking event and panel focused on female artists. There will be a Q&A session featuring local collaborators including Foxine Jay, Sarah Brown and Laura Sanchez, along with a Little Dame Shop pop-up shop and live performances. Opening from 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 24. Free. tini-ebla.com TheArtShow at Float at Hard Rock Hotel San Diego, 207 Fifth Ave., Gaslamp Quarter. Everlasting Entertainment hosts a night of live creative painting, cocktails, handcrafted jewelry, henna painting and music by DJs Vince DeLano and P3RC3PTION. At 5:55 p.m. Friday, Aug. 25. Free. facebook.com/events/726766590759518 MONSTER MANIA at San Diego Sculptors Guild, �������������������������� 1770 Village Pl. #36, Balboa Park. Local artists at the Spanish Village Art Center create mixed-media sculptures of ghouls, cyborgs and more. Models featuring goth-oriented fashions by Bessar’s New York collection will also make a runway appearance. From 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 25. Free. sandiegosculptorsguild.com Godzilla: King of Monsters Art Exhibit at Subterranean Coffee Hillcrest, 412 University Ave., Hillcrest. A group art exhibit centered around Godzilla, with live art by Cayce Hanalei and a meet-and-greet with artists Chris Mowry, Catarino Chavez and James Zepeda. Opening from 5 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 26. Free. 619-7567513, subterraneancoffeeboutique.com HRolly Crump: It’s Kind of a Cute Story at Oceanside Museum of Art, 704 Pier View Way, Oceanside. A new exhibition eaxminging the 65-year career of one of the most imaginative attraction creators in theme park history. From 11 a.m.. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 26. Free-$8. 760435-3720, oma-online.org La Vuelta Photography & Art Show at La Bodega Gallery, 2196 Logan Ave., Barrio Logan. An exhibit of photography and art from local creators including Fotopunk, Green Eyez, Mario Chacon, Ricardo Islas and many others. From 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 27. Free. 619-255-7036, labodegagallery.com
BOOKS Tyler Gage at Warwick’s Bookstore, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. The bestselling mystery writer will sign and discuss his new book, The Room of White Fire. At 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 23. Free. 858454-0347, warwicks.com San Diego Festival of Books at Liberty Station, 2640 Historic Decatur Road, Point Loma. The inaugural festival is a gathering for local readers and writers alike with panel discussions by former basketball player Bill Walton, Snopes Vice President Vinny Green and more. From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 26. Free-$3. sdfestivalofbooks.com Susanne WIlson at Warwick’s Bookstore, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. As part of Warwick’s ongoing Weekend with Locals program, Wilson will sign and discuss her new book, Soul Smart: What the Dead Teach Us About Spirit Communication. At noon. Sunday, Aug. 27. Free. 858-454-0347, warwicks.com HElizabeth Day at Warwick’s Bookstore, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. The award-winning journalist wil discuss her new novel, The Party, with Edan Lepucki. At 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 29. Free. 858-454-0347, warwicks.com
7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. The author of The Narcissmism Epidemic and Generation Me will sign and discuss her latest takedown of millenials, iGen. At 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 30. Free. 858-4540347, warwicks.com HVictor Milán at Mysterious Galaxy Book Store, 5943 Balboa Ave., Ste. 100, Clairemont. The bestselling fantasy writer will discuss and sign his latest, The Dinosaur Princness. At 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 30. Free. 858-2684747, mystgalaxy.com
COMEDY Stand-Up Comedy at Whistle Stop Bar, 2236 Fern St., South Park. Riff City Comedy will be hosting the event, which is headlined by Tom Clark and features Brad Wenzel, Trenton Davis, Chelsea Skidmore and several others. From 8 to 11 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 30. $5. facebook. com/Riff-City-Comedy
DANCE PGK Too! at The Vine Theatre @ The Bernardo Winery, 13330 Paseo Del Verano N., Rancho Bernardo. Peter Kalivas choreographs this showcase of the Mojalet Dance Collective. At 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 26 and 2 and 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 27. $6-$16. 858-243-1402, mojalet.com/pgktoo
FASHION Hermosas and Mimosas: A Midsummer’s Dream at The Lafayette Hotel, 2223 El Cajon Blvd., North Park. A poolside fashion and beauty event with three runway shows and other entertainment. Plus local vendors, brunch and mimosas. From noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 26. $15-$20. 619-296-2101, facebook.com/ events/1389654664415983
FILM HSan Diego Underground Film Festival at Tenth Avenue Arts Center, 930 Tenth Ave., Downtown. A four-day showcase of experimental films and videos. Includes filmmaker forums and live music throughout the fest. Various times. Thursday, Aug. 24 through Sunday, Aug. 27. $10-$25. sdundergroundarts.org HThe Wonder Sound: A World Unfolding at Luce Loft, 1037 J St., East Village. This feature documentary, directed by Bryan Bangerter, tells the story of how Wes Sam-Bruce created the largescale, village-like installation at the New Children’s Museum. From 6 to 11 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 24. thewondersound. com San Diego International Kids’ Film Festival at vatious locations. More than 100 films aimed at kids and from all over the world. The opening night gala also features a fashion show, panel discussions and an award ceremony. From 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 25, 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 26, and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 27. $10-$388. 310-541-8040, sdkidsfilms.org Silent Movies Under the Stars at La Jolla Historical Society, 780 Prospect St., La Jolla. 1920s films The Electric House, It’s a Gift and documentary footage of Balboa Park’s 1915-16 Panama-California Exposition will be shown. Movies feature live music and sound effects. From 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 26. Free. 858-4595335, lajollahistory.org
HJean Twenge at Warwick’s Bookstore,
Commodity City by Jessica Kingdon 12 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · AUGUST 23, 2017
Tom Gun Live: Maverick’s Homage
H = CityBeat picks
EVENTS CONTINUED ON PAGE 10 @SDCITYBEAT
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August 23, 2017 · San Diego CityBeat · 13
EVENTS
BOOKS: THE FLOATING LIBRARY After occupied
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“
“The occupiers were not simply protesting neot’s easy to imagine the end of the world…” said the philosopher Slavoj Žižek. “But you cannot liberalism capitalism, they were demonstrating an alternative to it,” Carswell writes. imagine the end of capitalism.” The author goes through each novel and examThese remarks were made during a speech he delivered in Zuccotti Park in New York while pro- ines the places where Pynchon presents communities that operate outside societal testors famously occupied it nearnorms and compares them with ly six years ago. Today, they serve the Occupy movement. as a kind of organizing principle Occupy Pynchon is the kind of of Occupy Pynchon: Politics After book I didn’t realize how badly I Gravity’s Rainbow, a new work of needed to read until I was halfliterary criticism by Sean Carswell, way through, and the sentences an assistant professor at Califorstarted to register like a sermon nia State University, Channel Isfrom a circuit preacher. lands. As a reader and writer of imagiCarswell’s project is an ambinative fiction that doesn’t adhere tious one: to take the five novto the limitations of realism, I’ve els that Thomas Pynchon has often wondered if these pursuits written since Gravity’s Rainbow, were anything more than earnest examine them through the lens distractions from these charged of the Occupy Wall Street movepolitical times. Occupy Pynchon ment that began September 17, showed me how crucial it is to 2011, and show how Pynchon has imagine alternatives to the mess been imagining a world without we find ourselves in today. It never capitalism since the publication occurred to me that imagining alof Vineland in 1990. Occupy Pynchon isn’t for everyone. It’s an aca- ternatives in fiction, both as a reader and writer, is a way to participate in a democracy that operates outdemic monograph that assumes familiarity with Pynchon’s oeuvre, particularly Vineland, Mason & side the demands of the marketplace—a crucial next Dixon, Against the Day, Inherent Vice and Bleeding step if the human project is to ever pull back from the cult of accumulation and direct the bulk of its energy Edge. toward communities, where it belongs. Carswell explains how Occupy’s horizontal In Occupy Pynchon, Carswell reminds us that, leadership structure provided an opportunity for activists of all stripes to gather and exchange ideas. “democracy must be deliberated upon. It must be It wasn’t so much a protest but a renunciation of learned. It must be practiced and developed as a skill.” neoliberalism, which tends to favor free-market capitalism. —Jim Ruland
EVENTS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13
FOOD & DRINK HOrfila’s 24th Annual Grape Stomp at Orfila Vineyards and Winery, 13455 San Pasqual Road, Escondido. The award-winning boutique winery hosts an event where guests can crush grapes with their bare feet, enjoy live music, tractor rides and a dinner buffet by Crown Point Catering. Wine tasting is also included. From 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 26. $90. orfila.com HSan Diego Spirits Festival at Port Pavilion on Broadway Pier, 1000 North Harbor Drive, Downtown. Now in its ninth year, the showcase for San Diego’s talented cocktail and culinary community features tastings, demos, product showcases, burlesque shows and more. See website for full details and schedule. From 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 26 and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 27. $60-$95. sandiegospiritsfestival.com HMira Mesa Festival of Beers at Mira Mesa Community Park, 8575 New Salem St., Mira Mesa. Featuring live music from ‘80s band Stay Sweet, guests can enjoy unlimited samples of craft beers from over 20 breweries. All proceeds go to the Mira Mesa Community Foundation. From noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 27. $15-$40. miramesabeerfest.com Treasure Chest Beer + Food Fest at Green Flash Cellar 3, 12260 Crosthwaite Circle, Poway. The seventh annual beer
14 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · AUGUST 23, 2017
and food pairing event includes Green Flash, Cellar 3 and Alpine beers served with plates prepared by some of San Diego’s finest chefs. Guests can also enjoy live music, games and behindthe-craft demonstrations. From noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 27. $25-$55. greenflashbrew.com
MUSIC HAn Evening with Alisa Weilerstein at Conrad Prebys Concert Hall, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla. This cellist is one of today’s reigning instrumental soloists worldwide. She’s joined by clarinetist Anthony McGill and pianist Inon Barnatan for Brahms’ Clarinet Trio and Piano Quintet. At 8 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 23. $50-$75. 858-459-3728, ljms.org David Buchbinder’s Odessa/Havana at San Diego Center for Jewish Culture, 4126 Executive Drive, La Jolla. The trumpeter and composer will perform with Cuban pianist Hilario Durán and an eightpiece jazz ensemble to create a unique blend of Latin, jazz and Jewish music. From 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 23. $28-$50. 858-457-3030, lfjcc.org Allison Adams Tucker at The Westgate Hotel, 1055 2nd Ave., Gaslamp Quarter. As part of the Sunset Poolside Jazz Series, the multi-lingual jazz vocalist performs while guests enjoy cock-
tails, wine, craft beer and tapas. From 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 24. Free. 619-238-1818, facebook.com/ events/813627812126648 HCarlsbad Music Festival at Carlsbad Village, 2740 State St., Carlsbad. The three-day summer celebration features over 60 musical performances of all genres. Artists like Julia Holter, Matt McBane, Paul Livingstone and many others perform sounds ranging from classical to indie rock. At various times. Friday, Aug. 25, Saturday, Aug. 26 and Sunday, Aug. 27. $90-$199. carlsbadmusicfestival.org YES at Balboa Theater, 868 Fourth Ave, Gaslamp Quarter. As part of their USA YESTIVAL Tour, the London-based, progressive rock band performs tracks from the first 10 studio albums to celebrate their 50-year anniversary. From 6:30 to 11 p.m. Monday, Aug. 28. $42-$347 sandiegotheatres.org
PERFORMANCE HTom Gun Live: A Maverick’s Homage at The Music Box, 1337 India St., Little Italy. An interactive and absurdist stage adaptation of Top Gun, as well as a tribute to Tom Cruise presented by actor and director Thomas Blake Jr. At 8 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 27. $18-$52. musicboxsd. com
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EVENTS EVENTS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14 Burlesque Brunch at The Lafayette Hotel, 2223 El Cajon Blvd., North Park. A throwback event with brunch buffet, bottomless mimosas, live jazz and dancing showgirls. Performances by Tito Bonito, Jigglewatts Burlesque Revue and more. From noon to 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 27. $22.09-$74.84. 619-296-2101, facebook. com/events/685390934992124
POLITICS & COMMUNITY HSan Diego Rally Against Hate at San Diego Museum of Man, 1350 El Prado, Balboa Park. Locals of all backgrounds are invited to this rally in March to show support for progressive allies in the wake of Charlottesville. From 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 27. Free. facebook.com/ events/474929182863572/
Pup Crawl at Social Tap San Diego, 815 J St., East Village. A dog-friendly pub crawl through breweries including Mission Brewery, Level 9 and Half Door Brewing. Participants will receive a goodie bag as well as some treats for their pup. From 2 to 8 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 27. $30-$40. 619-354-4825, thebarkinglot.net HAll-Night Gaming at Fleet Science Center, 1875 El Prado, Balboa Park. The Fleet’s Game Master exhibit will be open overnight for players 21-and-over to compete in Mario Kart, Super Smash Brothers and other games. Plus, alcoholic beverages, a costume contest, music by a local DJ and breakfast in the morning. From 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 26 to 8:30 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 27. $60-$75. 619-2381233, rhfleet.org
HBike the Bay at Embarcadero Marina Park, 111 W. Harbor Drive, Downtown. The tenth anniversary of this non-competitive community bike ride tours the San Diego Bay and places that are usually only reserved for cars. Finishes with a festival of food, beer and entertainment. From 6 a.m. to noon Sunday, Aug. 27. $65-$75. bikethebay.net Spreckels Organ’s Tribute Night & Local Beer Fest at Japanese Friendship Garden, 2215 Pan American Road E, Balboa Park. The Spreckels Organ Society will host a beer tasting to celebrate the return of Carol Williams and her band to San Diego. The international concert organist and composer will also perform a concert tribute to The Doors. From 5 to 9:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 28. $25-$30. facebook. com/events/1807560439504903
HPeacock Alley at The Merrow, 1271 University Ave., Hillcrest. A one-night event to fundraise for the upcoming KPBS documentary San Diego Gay Bar History. There will be comedy, ‘80s-inspired drag, go-go boys and more. At 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 30. Free. 619-2997372, themerrow.com
TALKS & DISCUSSIONS Greywater 101 at City Farmers Nursery, 3110 Euclid Ave., City Heights. Brook Sarson, founder of H2OME, will discuss secondhand water codes in San Diego along with plumbing issues, water budgeting, appropriate landscape and more. From 9 to 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 27. $5. 619284-6358, cityfarmersnursery.com
HIra Glass at Balboa Theatre, 868 4th Ave., Gaslamp. The creator, producer and host of the National Public Radio program “This American Life” will discuss the inspirations, passions and challenges behind his career. At 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 27. $68. 619-570-1100, sandiegotheatres.org
WORKSHOPS HIntersectionality Workshop at the Peace Resource Center of San Diego, 3850 Westgate Pl., City Heights. A workshop to examine the idea of intersectionality and the importance it plays in life and in work. Facilitated by Bree Davis and Andrea Juarez. From 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 26. Free. 619-263-9301, facebook. com/prcsd
SPECIAL EVENTS Marvel Universe LIVE! Age of Heroes at Valley View Casino Center, 3500 Sports Arena Blvd., Point Loma. This stage show features hero characters from The Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy and more. The production will include special effects, aerial stunts and video production. From 7 to 10 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 24. $18-$73. marveluniverselive.com HNational Park Service 101st Birthday Celebration at Cabrillo National Monument, 1800 Cabrillo Memorial Drive, Point Loma. Ranger-led tours and living history presentations will take place to celebrate 101 years of the National Park Service. The lighthouse tower and WW2 bunker will be open as well. From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Aug. 25. Free. 619-5575450, nps.gov/cabr Gente San Diego Califas Car Show at Chicano Park, Barrio Logan. This fourth annual car show and picnic will feature food, raffles and live music. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 26. Free. 619-395-8765. facebook.com/ events/731562093692757 HSuffrage Parade at Balboa Park, 1549 El Prado, Balboa Park. Women’s Museum of California celebrates Women’s Equality Day with the fourth annual parade through the Prado and enactments of suffragists from the first wave of feminism. From 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 26. Free. 619-2337963, womensmuseumca.org HImperial Avenue Street Festival at Imperial Ave between 28th and 30th St., Logan Heights. The family-friendly fest celebrates the rich history of the Logan Heights neighborhood and includes live music, food, a beer garden, a Kids Zone and a “Health Hub.” From noon to 9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 26. Free. imperialavenuestreetfest.com Market Night at Paradise Point Resort and Spa, 1404 Vacation Road, Mission Bay. Paradise Point’s last Market Night of the summer will feature shopping, live music, and food. Vendors include Lotus and Luna, The Cravory and Think Positive Apparel. From 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 26. Free. 800-344-2626, paradisepoint. com Goldmine at secret location. A sexy speakeasy event hosted by Arts Unites, where only ticket holders will be able to unlock the address of the venue. The event will feature live painting from Brise Birdsong and eclectic live music from acts including L1ght Ra1L and Zanya. Location revealed upon ticket purchase. From 8:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 26. 619540-0310, eventbrite.com/e/goldmine-aspeakeasy-event-tickets-36640728405
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AUGUST 23, 2017 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 15
THEATER KEN JACQUES
From Left: Jessica John, John Rosen and Francis Gercke in The Explorers Club
Exploratory comedy
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illiness rules in Lamb’s Players Theatre’s production of Nell Benjamin’s The Explorers Club. The play serves as a balm, as Lamb’s artistic director Robert Smyth suggested on opening night, for all the grim current events swirling around us. Nothing is taken too seriously in this swiftly moving comedy about a vivacious female scientist (Jessica John) in 1879 London who desires to be a member of the all-male Explorers Club. Her calling card is a blue-skinned native (John Rosen, owning this show) she has brought to Britannia from a far-flung jungle country. Reacting with either beguilement or astonishment are the explorers, portrayed by a rousing ensemble that includes Fran Gercke, Ross Hellwig, Paul Eggington, Brian Mackey and Omri Schein. What actually happens in The Explorers Club is less significant than its good-humored nonsense, such as the fellas breaking into a song from H.M.S. Pinafore or the wacky choreography that accompanies the native-turned-barkeeper sending rounds of drinks flying down the bar. The sight gags also feature a beloved “cobra” and an equally beloved “guinea pig.” Their relationship doesn’t end well, by the way. Everyone (well, not the cobra or the guinea pig) is lushly costumed by Jeanne Reith, and the veddy English men’s club set by Mike Buckley is magnificent. The Explorers Club runs through Sept. 24 at Lamb’s Players Theatre in Coronado. $24-$72; lambplayers.org ••• ay this for Sunset Boulevard. Unlike most of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s scores, which boast one memorable song, this 1993 musical based on the classic Billy Wilder film has two: “With One Look” and “As If We Never Said Goodbye.” Both are sung by Valerie Perri, who plays the faded movie queen Norma Desmond and is the chief reason to experience Moonlight Stage Company’s outdoor, Larry Raben-directed production of this show. Though Robert J. Townsend and Norman Large are
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just fine as doomed script writer Joe Gillis and eerie servant Max, it is Perri, portraying Norma with unfettered passion and escalating delusion, that wins the day. As always, Moonlight’s staging is lavishly costumed and robustly orchestrated, and projections by David Engel enhance the illusion that you’re back in a noir L.A. that once was. Sunset Boulevard runs through Sept. 2 at Moonlight Amphitheatre in Vista. $17-$55; www.moonlightstage.com
—David L. Coddon
Theater reviews run weekly. Write to davidc@sdcitybeat.com.
OPENING: Daddy’s Dyin’… Who’s Got the Will?: Del Shores’ dark comedy about a greedy family that all want to get rich after the patriarch suffers a series of strokes. Directed by Jerry Pilato, it opens Aug. 25 at the Lamplighter’s Community Theatre in La Mesa. The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds: Paul Zindel’s Pulitzer-winning drama about a young girl who uses her brain to escape her abusive life at home. Presented by Cygnet Theatre, it opens in previews Aug. 30 at the Old Town Theatre. cygnettheatre.com
NOW PLAYING: Into the Woods: James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim’s Tony-winning musical that combines favorite storybook characters and fairy tales. Presented by Patio Playhouse, it runs through Aug. 26 at Kit Carson Park Amphitheatre in Escondido. patioplayhouse.com Disney’s Alice in Wonderland Jr.: A youth-friendly adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s tale of a young girl’s adventures in a dream-like world. Presented by the Pickwick Players, it runs through Aug. 27 at Off Broadway Live in Santee. pickwickplayers.net
For full listings,
visit “Theater” under Culture at sdcitybeat.com
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@SDCityBeat
August 23, 2017 · San Diego CityBeat · 17
CAROLYN RAMOS
CULTURE
The industry says they care about the Black experience, but still play around with history By Rhonda “Ro” Moore
n a country with a 2.4 million-person prison population and where incidents like Charlottesville are the reality; it prompts the question: Do we need a television series with a dystopian America in which a Confederate nation legally practices slavery uninterrupted to modern day as its backdrop? The answer from the Black community’s activists, writers and social commenters to HBO’s July 19th announcement about its plans to produce a show built on that very premise, titled Confederate, has been a resounding no. In a painfully tone-deaf response in Variety, HBO Programming President Casey Bloys explained, “The producers have said they’re not looking to do Gone With the Wind 2017,” Bloys said. “It’s not whips and plantations. It’s what they imagine the modern institution of slavery would look like.” He then urged viewers to withhold judgment until they see the final product. Mobilizing the power of social media to convey the seriousness of the community’s objections directly to HBO, activist April Reign coordinated a #NoConfederate Twitter campaign. The hope is that, if confronted with unified opposition, HBO will end the series before it’s even written. Reign’s efforts are laudable and my faith in humanity was slightly renewed by participation levels. So why the adamant rejection of even the idea of Confederate? Simple. Many people—myself among them—feel it’s time Hollywood stop feeding into historical misconceptions and stop sanitizing depictions of the country’s slave history for entertainment value. A premise like Confederate’s leans into bias about the
racial hierarchy and serves to further undermine honest discussions about the fact that slavery never ended. It merely traded in chains for handcuffs, prison jumpsuits and disenfranchising policies. Now don’t get me wrong, I believe film and television play a needed role in fostering real conversations around contentious subjects like slavery and race. But with shows such as All In the Family and The Jeffersons—shows that relied on characters like the bigot Archie Bunker and the belligerently prejudiced George Jefferson to explore societal prejudice in the not-so-distant TV past—exploiting racism for dollars is hardly new. And I can’t count how many heated arguments I’ve had about movies with racial premises. Two still stick in the mind: Soul Man (1986) and White Man’s Burden (1995). Both re-conceptualized race and the Black experience, but both were grounded in the actual state of race relations. Soul Man was well-intentioned stupidity. The premise rooted in a biased take on minority scholarship programs wrapped in actor C. Thomas Howell’s Blackface and shallow caricatures of Blackness. The moral of the story: No one wants to be Black unless there was something in it for them, and they can ultimately go back to being white. When White Man’s Burden was released, it was a clarifying experience to hear the rhetoric of racial superiority coming out of Harry Belafonte’s mouth. My white friends were uncomfortable with a near identical world where they were the racial and socioeconomic minority and how easily it was to reverse the racial paradigm without sacrificing story authenticity or realism.
18 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · AUGUST 23, 2017
This knee-jerk rejection highlighted that most white people are adamantly opposed to talking about racism or slavery unless whiteness is centered and wins out in the end. That in general, white people have little desire to sympathize with the Black experience and no interest in empathizing with it even in a film. As a Black Southern girl, the idea that slavery needs to be re-contextualized (for white people) to be truly understood strikes me as some peak Caucasity action. Roxane Gay nailed it in her piece “I Don’t Want to Watch Slavery Fan Fiction” and Ta-Nehisi Coates eloquently explains why giving Confederate the benefit of the doubt isn’t likely to happen between now and the stars burning out. I’ve lost friends and freedoms in a country more interested in controlling the narrative of slavery than combating the social norms and systems it left behind. I don’t need to play make-believe to envision an America where the South never fell. I grew up in North Carolina. I am the daughter of two native Southerners who thought it was a great idea to move their military base-living, never been east of the Mississippi for more than a few days, California-accent having kids to the South in 1988. I lived in my first segregated neighborhood at 10, and ultimately mastered suppressing a flinch every time someone tacked on, “but I don’t mean you” after going on negatively about how “Black people act.” But there’s one part of the Southern experience I’ve never appreciated: the rally cry of “pride not prejudice,” many white southerners take up (usually while waving a Confederate flag) to justify the glorifica-
tion of Southern (read: white) supremacy. I’ve had teachers interject, “you mean the Northern Aggression Against the South” with bland smiles in history class. I’ve been called “good breeding stock,” a “pickaninny,” and “that Black gel” (yes, to my face). And trust me, you’ve not seen bigotry and hate in action until you’re grounded in Arkansas after 9/11 stuck in the home of affluent, white, southern Republicans, all quoting Fox News reports like it’s the Gospel from on high. The U.S. is willfully hypocritical. People rabidly defend the right to deify Confederate leaders, and to fly the Confederate flag with a “rebel yell” all without a single acknowledgment that the South (re)raised that flag as a sign of open rebellion against integration. This is a country where Black people are expected to accept the legitimization of revisionist slavery narratives but heaven help you if you demand acknowledgement that Southern culture was bought with slave labor and at the cost of Black lives. I watched in the ‘90s as supremacist organizations rebranded with ruthless efficiency and corrupted the lexicon of the civil rights movement to serve their purpose. Proponents of white supremacy waged a war of attrition under the oblivious eye of progressive-minded (white) people for decades. The current socio-political climate is one awaited by white supremacist with bated breath since General Sherman burned everything in sight. There’s no innovation in, let alone need for, an HBO series imagining a modern-day Confederate nation where the U.S. finds itself again on the brink of civil war. You can just turn on the news.
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CULTURE | VOICES
RACHEL MICHELLE FERNANDES
THANK YOU FOR
STARING
Buzzwords, props and façades
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“You can’t expand if you won’t invest,” says Poellecently the California Arts Council decided to launch a statewide program designating vari- nitz. “They don’t like to spend. They don’t like to funous areas as “Cultural Districts.” In San Diego, draise. They couldn’t see the vision.” Instead of working with OMA, Poellnitz is exthe three neighborhoods chosen for this honorary title are Oceanside, Balboa Park and Barrio Logan. Accord- pressing her vision by collaborating with Vista Pubing to the Council’s website, the goal is to celebrate lic Arts Commissioner Sarah Spinks, curating and “the state’s diverse and abundant cultural treasures.” serving as juror for the recent Vista Visions exhibiThe press release also touts that the program aims tion at the Oceanside Civic Center gallery, as well “to grow and sustain authentic grassroots arts and as co-planning the upcoming Alley Arts Festival on cultural opportunities, increasing the visibility of lo- September 10th. Poellnitz also says OMA recently added insult to cal artists,” as well as “community participation” and injury via email where they invited her to bring her “promoting socioeconomic and ethnic diversity.” children and “be seen” in a promotional video for Sounds great, right? the museum. AccordUpon further investiGEOFFREY CUNNINGHAM ing to Poellnitz, OMA gation I came to find out wanted to demonstrate there is nothing built into Oceanside’s diversity this initiative to actuand thought it would be ally support any of those a good idea to include things, save for a $5,000 a woman of color and a year stipend. Anyone her cute kids in the vidwho is based in reality can eo. Poellnitz responded guess how far $5,000 can to the email with an take one artist, let alone abrupt “I refuse to be an entire neighborhood. your black prop.” So, if it’s not about the Hands clapping emoji. money, what is it about? “Why are you having Diversity. Community. a problem with diversity Local. Arts institutions when you’re one of the often use these buzzwords in mission stateMargaret Hernandez and Dinah Poellnitz most diverse cities in America?” Poellnitz asks. ments and press releases to make themselves seem relevant and accessible to “They need to take a realistic look at the surrounding community that already exists and change their the public. But actions speak louder than words. I’ve met some extraordinary emerging leaders programming. “Art is personal, communal, and universal,” she representing a variety of cultural identities here in San Diego, namely the working class, people of color, adds. “I don’t need to create diversity, I am diverwomen and the LGBQT community. Passionate about sity.” Poellnitz’s story is just one example of the underexpanding notions of contemporary art, cultivating authentic diversity, and truly serving their communi- valuing of authentic leadership by many of our institutions here in San Diego. One look into the recent ties, they are the creators I support. But these leaders are coming up against the same events at the San Diego Art Institute and its board’s obstacles over and over again. The boards of directors inability to hold on to local talent Lissa Corona points and politicians who claim to be of the people, but who to more of the same. Meanwhile, the Oceanside Arts Commission has also cling to certain notions of what art should look like, who should be allowed to curate it and what au- invited Poellnitz to be a part of its steering commitdiences should be invited to access it. These gatekeep- tee to figure out how to be a “Cultural District.” While ers expend so much energy hoisting up the facade of Poellnitz and the committee will not be paid for their diversity that they simply don’t see the big picture. services, the commission is spending their stipend And then, every once in a while, there’s a crack in on an outside professional consultant to help them. the facade. That’s right, they are paying an outsider to bring the After volunteering with the Oceanside Museum of community together rather than rely on the leaderArt for years, Vista/Oceanside native Dinah Poellnitz ship right in front of them. was finally getting paid in 2014 to coordinate events for I feel enraged when I see public dollars wasted its Art After Dark and Exploring Engagement programs. on outside PR teams, diversity programs and consulAround the same time, Poellnitz, a Black woman, had tants. We don’t need the state to tell us which neighalso started her own pop-up arts organization, The borhoods are important. We need to empower true diHill Street Country Club with fellow volunteer Marga- versity and a vision for San Diego Arts that is inclusive ret Hernandez. They used the proceeds from their first and progressive by hiring bright visionaries like Dinah event to purchase art supplies for the museum’s edu- Poellnitz instead of asking her to pose for the camera. cation department. After an OMA administrator there We need foundations, not facades. tried to cut costs by slashing Poellnitz’s already minuscule pay, she had no choice but to walk away. Thank You For Staring appears every other week.
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AUGUST 23, 2017· SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 19
20 · San Diego CityBeat · August 23, 2017
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CULTURE | FILM
Run all night
Good Time
Robert Pattinson experiences some desperate times in gritty new art thriller by Glenn Heath Jr.
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arly in Josh and Benny Safdie’s Good Time, lead two sticks of human dynamite. The pairing creates a ragamuffin Connie Nikas (Robert Pattinson) strong friction that changes its trajectory. Both charseems to have a poor plan for every situation. acters have made a habit of stealing other people’s A half-assed robbery scheme ends up landing his time, and watching them slowly pick each other apart mentally disabled brother Nick (Benny Safdie) in jail. is riveting. Good Time warns vigorously against the erosion Desperate for bail money, Connie tries to convince his sometime girlfriend Corey (Jennifer Jason Leigh) of structure. While it flails and sprints and dodges to pony up the full amount. Then comes the daring with Connie, the ghost of the opening scene remains rescue attempt from a heavily guarded hospital room strongly present. A psychologist (Peter Verby) tries to give Nick some fresh perspective on life. “You that goes hilariously south. In a dank genre universe perfectly ripe for elabo- choose your truth,” he says immediately before Conrate and nervy set pieces, Connie’s hare-brained ideas nie storms in and initiates the rush of raw energy and momentum that propels Good reflect his unchecked delusion. Time into the night. Supposedly driven by love of famBut the psychologist’s words ily, this man’s engine is fueled by continue to reverberate as Connie pure adrenaline and selfishness GOOD TIME deceives and manipulates people, run amok. Fittingly, Good Time is Directed by grabbing that extra inch before brazenly stylized, evoking the grit Josh and Benny Safdie taking a mile. Not surprisingly, and grime of the 1970s American Starring Robert Pattinson, the Safdies’ present numerous New Wave. The film’s haunting Bennie Safdie, Buddy Duress truths that come and go dependsynthesizer screams and tonal deand Jennifer Jason Leigh ing on which way the film sways. viations mirror Connie’s outlook Rated R Two Black supporting characters, on life, creating malleable antiincluding teenager Crystal (Taliah fantasy elements that keep getWebster) and Dash (Barkhad Abdi), ting reshaped and restructured. It an amusement park security guard, is a film of red herrings and wrong give Connie refuge in their respective houses only to turns, tangents and chance encounters. The initial motivations driving Connie slowly dis- be disrespected and discarded without much comsolve away as new criminal opportunities present plexity. Good Time, which opens Friday, Aug. 25, has difthemselves. He uses people up and ditches them for what’s next. Pattinson’s indelible performance doesn’t ficulty reconciling the problematic racial subtext respell any of this out. He hides behind scraggly locks, garding the treatment of these minority characters, rough facial hair and unfeeling shark eyes. Whatever both by Connie and figures of authority like police ofdesperation he exhibits is purely rooted in self-preser- ficers. The film feels much more comfortable watching white characters devour each other over greed and envation, and this makes him deceptively scary. The Safdie brothers, who previously directed the titlement. At one point Connie is accused of thinking poetically raw Heaven Knows What, unleash Connie he’s better than everyone else. “I am,” he responds, into a blistering neon New York City landscape, trying finally pulling away the mask of self-prescribed savior to keep pace with smooth helicopter shots and manic to reveal his true self. Relentless and intoxicating, Good Time is a manic zooms. Sean Price Williams’ gripping cinematography aligns perfectly with Oneohtrix Point Never’s howling and devious exploration of greed. It skewers a parscore, creating a formal quicksand that always threat- ticular grifter persona that thrives on uncertainty and ens to overwhelm Connie’s latest pursuit. Somehow sabotage, someone who looks in the mirror and mishe evades disaster. takes guilt for good intentions. When Connie accidentally links up with Ray (Buddy Duress), a fellow malcontent with equally reck- Film reviews run weekly. less decision-making skills, the film fuses together Write to glennh@sdcitybeat.com
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AUGUST 23, 2017· SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 21
CULTURE | FILM
Escapes
Wild man
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ctor, screenwriter, lothario, Flamenco dancer—Hampton Fancher has forgotten more experiences than most people have had in their entire lifetime. This becomes apparent early in Escapes, director Michael Almereyda’s experimental portrait documentary, when Fancher loses his train of thought during an elaborate recollection of the past. Told in seven chapters, the film begins with a collage of old footage as he remembers violently defending the honor of then girlfriend Teri Garr. A rowdy young man, Fancher had grown up in a predominantly Latino neighborhood in East Los Angeles during the 1940s. As a teenager he traveled to Spain and learned from the masters of Flamenco before returning to Hollywood to pursue his dream of becoming a star. Almereyda juxtaposes Fancher’s intoxicating confessions with matching clips from his television and movie career, establishing a direct narrative link between the way he lived life on and off the screen. But this style never turns overly academic, always connecting back to the carefree wildness that defines Fancher’s persona. Escapes gives Fancher the space to recount his memories with a certain freedom and incompleteness. One subtext-heavy story involves the brief fling he has with a local secretary while working a press tour in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. All of Fancher’s charm and selfishness and manipulative qualities are wrapped up into one anecdote. To Almereyda’s credit, he doesn’t spend an unhealthy amount of time on Fancher’s most well known accomplishment of writing the script for Blade Runner. Instead, he turns this final chapter (entitled “Last Stop: Oblivion”) into a deeply felt examination of transition and disappointment. Escapes, which opens Friday, Aug. 25, at the Ken Cinema, feels like a fitting and strange tribute to someone whose robust intimacy with life remains just as complicated today.
22 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · AUGUST 23, 2017
OPENING Escapes: This experimental portrait documentary looks at the amazing life of Hampton Fancher, actor, flamenco dancer, and screenwriter of Blade Runner through his own words. Good Time: Robert Pattinson plays a burnt out bank robber who makes multiple attempts to rescue his brother from prison during one sweaty night in New York City. La Vida Inmoral de la Pareja Ideal: In director Manolo Caro’s latest, two high school sweethearts find each other 25 years after their passionate high school romance. Opens Friday, Aug. 25, at Digital Gym Cinema in North Park. Lemon: A break-up sends a neurotic man (Brett Gelman) on a downward spiral in Panamanian director Janicza Bravo’s Sundance break-out dark comedy hit co-starring Judy Greer, Michael Cera, Gillian Jacobs, Megan Mullally and Nia Long. Opens Friday, Aug. 25, at Digital Gym Cinema in North Park. Patti Cake$: A foul-mouthed young bar maid from New Jersey dreams of being a famous rapper despite the many conflicts and challenges that come her way. San Diego Underground Film Festival: This showcase of experimental films and videos will include programs featuring narrative films, live music, and 16mm projections. Runs Thursday, Aug. 24 through Sunday, Aug. 27 at Tenth Avenue Arts Center in Downtown. For more info visit sdundergroundarts. org. The Ghoul: A homicide detective goes undercover as a patient to investigate a psychotherapist he believes is linked to a strange double murder. As his therapy sessions continue, the line between fantasy and reality begins to blur. Opens Friday, Aug. 25, at Digital Gym Cinema in North Park. The Trip to Spain: Comedians Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon embark on a six-part quixotic trip through Spain in this film by Michael Winterbottom. Viceroy’s House: The final Viceroy of India oversees the transition from British control to independence in this drama from Gurinder Chadha. Whose Streets?: This unflinching documentary looks at how the killing of 18-year-old Michael Brown inspires the community of Ferguson, Missouri to fight back against racism and injustice.
For complete movie listings, visit Film at sdcitybeat.com.
—Glenn Heath Jr. @SDCITYBEAT
ROBB KLASSEN / STONES THROW
MUSIC
Sudan Archives udan Archives’ music isn’t complicated, but it’s not that easy to summarize. The project of Los Angeles-based artist Brittany Denise Parks is eclectic and incorporates elements of electronic pop, R&B, hip-hop, folk and traditional Sudanese sounds (hence the name). Yet while the name evokes an almost academic project, the music itself is much more free spirited and unbound by genre or categorization. A good example of the way Sudan Archives makes music can be found on her video for “Queen Kunta,” her unique interpretation of Kendrick Lamar’s “King Kunta.” Seated on a rug in front of an array of gear, she cues up a percussion sample before layering on another loop of herself tapping on her violin. Then she begins Lamar’s verses in a soulful, buttery smooth style while adding more gradual, minor elements to the song. Eventually she busts out a pretty spectacular, psychedelic violin solo that adds a burst of color and intensity to her subtle, one-person symphony.
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It’s all very loose and made on the spot, but the way it comes together leaves the listener with a sense of completion. It’s an approach that Parks says she uses to write most of her songs, even if sometimes she needs to take notes in order to be able to recreate it. “My songs are mostly kind of like improv,” she says. “Sometimes I just start making something and I think ‘oh this could be a song.’ And then I kind of forget how I made it. I actually record myself making songs so I can remember how I made it for a live performance. Improv is the reason why I make music.” Sudan Archives just released her selftitled debut EP via Stones Throw, and it’s an eclectic swirl of sounds that encapsulates Parks’ vast array of influences in a relatively brief package. “Paid” is an atmospheric, experimental exercise in beatmaking that isn’t structured like a pop song, but has a melodic appeal all the same. “Time” juxtaposes Parks’ violin with the sound of an mbira, an African instrument with metal keys lined up on
a wood block (sometimes called a “thumb piano”). And “Come Meh Way” is stunningly minimal, with Parks making vocal chants between plucks of electric guitar, a high-pitched violin hook and, eventually, a fat electronic bassline. “Come Meh Way” is the song that helped Parks figure out what kind of music she wanted to make. She wrote the song when she was 21 and still in the process of experimenting with different loop stations. Yet she says that once the song came together, it opened up a range of possibilities for her. “‘Come Meh Way’ was the first song I wrote. It was in the making for a few months,” she says. “I was working two jobs at the time—as a barista and a waitress—and I would slowly make loops, make the beats when I had free time. I would have shakers, whatever I had in the house to make percussive sounds. Eventually I finished it...and
that was the first song I made where I was like ‘oh, this is a cool blend of electronic and violin music’. So I started to make songs that fit that vibe.” Though Parks incorporates influences from Sudanese folk music, she grew up stateside, in Cincinnati, Ohio. She took up violin when she was in fourth grade, after becoming fascinated by a group of fiddlers that played at her school. As she got older, however, she began to casually take interest in African arts and culture as a teenager, which has stuck with her through the present. The project’s name, however, was a gift from her mother. “My mom nicknamed me Sudan, just being funny,” she says. “I was kind of a hippie child. I was really into going to African shops, which are really rare in Ohio. I’d find African print clothing, I was really into that. I was also into African drums. But later on I started to research Sudan’s music, and violin is really big in their sound. So when I looked up Sudanese violinists, their approach is really different than the classical way. And I wanted to kind of find my own approach. Just watching people play something differently made it click for me.” Parks is a self-taught violinist, but since relocating to L.A., she started studying more seriously, pursuing a degree in music from Pasadena City College. Now undergoing a more formal education, she’s come to view her own music through a different lens. It’s been a positive development overall, however. With the confidence in a unique sound she developed by improvisational means and a better understanding of what goes into it, she’s now focused on building a bigger catalog of music. “Sometimes I can get a little more critical of my own music, but overall it’s helping me to become more organized,” she says. “When I make a beat, I’m not as all over the place. And I just stop making a beat, come back, and know what to do. I’m more organized with the approach. I start and finish.” “I found the juice,” she adds. “I just gotta keep creating the juice now.” Write to jefft@sdcitybeat.com and follow him on Twitter @1000TimesJeff.
AUGUST 23, 2017 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 23
MUSIC
NOTES FROM THE SMOKING PATIO LOCALS ONLY
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iz Fest, a live benefit show honoring late Chica Diabla singer Elizabeth Borg, has been announced for Friday, October 6 at The Casbah. The show is taking place one year after Borg died following a battle with breast cancer, and proceeds from the show will be donated to a family fighting breast cancer. It also coincides with the anniversary of Chica Diabla’s final show, which took place just three days before Borg’s passing. And though she was in a wheelchair and in poor health, she insisted on performing. “She just got up there and she did it,” says Nats Babel, drummer of Chica Diabla. “I’ve been to 1,000 shows, and I’ve never seen anything like that.” Liz Fest will feature a one-time-only reunion of Chica Diabla, with a rotating lineup of vocalists to sing Borg’s lyrics. The show will also include performances from bands that were friends of Borg’s or who played with Chica Diabla in the past, including The Touchies, Mittens, Chamber Sixx, Call Me Alice and Whole Hog. Babel says that the members of the band didn’t want to continue performing as Chica Diabla without Borg, but that they did want to do something to celebrate her life.
Chica Diabla, Elizabeth Borg, second from right “We just thought, what can we do to create something in her name and honor her legacy?” he says. “It’s a sort of way to put a bookend on her legacy and her music. It’s a time to get together and celebrate.” Babel also says that no bands will be keeping any of the money they make from the show, so that they know all of it will go toward helping someone overcome cancer. But Babel says that, above all, the show is for Borg. “It’s more of a celebration than a benefit,” he says. “We just want people to come to the show.”
—Jeff Terich
A MUSICAL RESPONSE TO CHARLOTTESVILLE
S
an Diego artists are speaking out in the aftermath of the Charlottesville, Virginia white supremacist rally, which resulted in the death of activist Heather Heyer and the injuries of many others. A handful of musicians have released songs or other projects in response to the tragic event, and others have more planned for later this year. The Henning Taylor Project, a folk rock duo from South Park, released a new song titled “I Can’t Believe.” In a post on the band’s Facebook page, they dedicated the song to the victims of the attack in Charlottesville, and added, “This is a song about choice. We must all choose to become a better nation.” As for the song itself, it climaxes in a chorus of “I can’t believe what you believe in,” in reference to the hateful displays. Soul singer/songwriter Stevie Harris, former frontman of local funk favorites The Styletones and recent transplant to South Carolina, also released a song in response to the tragedy and hateful display at the Charlottesville rally. His song is simply titled “Charlottesville,” and it’s a bluesy, funky statement of defiance against hate, with a call to arms for people
24 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · AUGUST 23, 2017
to stand up against it: “Slay the dragon, stop it in its tracks/When he breathes his fire across the land, the village must fight it back.” Alfred Howard, member and songwriter of the Redwoods Music collective (The Midnight Pine, The Heavy Guilt, Birdy Bardot) didn’t release a song but a poem last week, titled “Not My President,” in the form of a video. It finds Howard taking on Donald Trump after his shameful equivocation of Nazis and white supremacists with anti-fascist protestors, and his implicit endorsement of their beliefs. Howard begins the poem by stating, “There’s no precedent for this president, but this is not my president.” Ultimately, however, he transitions from frustration toward a statement of unity and understandStevie Harris ing: “hatred takes such energy, but love comes easier to me.” And artist/composer Marcelo Radulovich, under his League of Assholes moniker, has announced the follow-up to his protest-oriented anti-Trump release IN OGRE ATE from earlier this year, titled IM PEACH. It appears to be a work in progress, but Radulovich says, via Facebook, “may it all help in some way towards an impeachment of the ogre!”
—Jeff Terich @SDCITYBEAT
@SDCityBeat
August 23, 2017 · San Diego CityBeat · 25
MUSIC
JEFF TERICH
IF I WERE U A music insider’s weekly agenda WEDNESDAY, AUG. 23
PLAN A: Bryan Ferry, Judith Owen @ Humphrey’s By the Bay. I’m a pretty big fan of Roxy Music, so naturally I’m inclined to recommend that legendary glam-rock band’s frontman, Bryan Ferry. His own music is a bit more eclectic and sometimes smoother, but it’s full of gems. Plus he still performs a lot of Roxy Music songs. Score! PLAN B: Old Man Wizard, Beekeeper, Dethsurf @ Soda Bar. Local outfit Old Man Wizard are pretty heroic, living up to their name with a sound that goes from folky prog to riff-heavy rock.
THURSDAY, AUG. 24
PLAN A: Slaughter and the Dogs, Kids in Heat, Slaughter Boys @ Soda Bar. UK glam punk outfit Slaughter and the Dogs have been around a long time. In fact, they influenced Morrissey! But they’re still rocking, so come see some punk legends in the flesh. PLAN B: Mew, Monakr @ Observatory North Park. I’ve changed my tune on prog-rock a bit since I was an impatient youth, and Mew has a lot to do with that. The Danish band merges progressive rock structures with pop and indie sounds to create something challenging, yet catchy. BACKUP PLAN: Warsaw, NRVS LVRS, Strangers in a Fire DJs @ Whistle Stop.
group, with powerful instrumental arrangements, while Inter Arma balances heaviness with mood and atmosphere. PLAN B: Julia Holter, Bora Yoon, Aperture Duo @ Carlsbad Music Festival. The Carlsbad Music Festival officially starts on Friday, but things really take off in the Carlsbad Village on Saturday. There’s a headlining set from art-pop innovator Julia Holter, in addition to a variety of pop and experimental artists throughout the day. BACKUP PLAN: The Dabbers, The Prids, Strange Ages, Fotoform @ Bar Pink.
SUNDAY, AUG. 27
PLAN A: Xiu Xiu plays Twin Peaks, Noveller, Scott Worthington @ Carlsbad Music Festival. Day three of the Carlsbad Music Festival features a performance of the music of Twin Peaks from Xiu Xiu, though it most likely will not take place in the Black Lodge. Get to the fest early to see some of the free performances earlier in the day. PLAN B: Lord Howler, Bosswitch, Low and Be Told @ Whistle Stop. Earlier this year I profiled Bosswitch, who are one of my favorite local bands of the moment for one simple reason: They rock like motherfuckers.
FRIDAY, AUG. 25
PLAN A: Sudan Archives, Birdy Bardot @ Whistle Stop. Read my feature this week on Sudan Archives, the project of Ohio-born, Los Angeles-based Brittany Parks. She incorporates electronic, pop, R&B and African folk elements into a unique blend of sounds. PLAN B: Burning Palms, Spooky Mansion, The Kabbs @ SPACE. Arizona’s Burning Palms are a psychedelic band with some dark witchcraft in their sound. This some dark, weird stuff that feels like a bad trip at times, but it’s a descent into darkness that’s bound to be a lot of fun live. BACKUP PLAN: Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, The Dogg Pound @ Observatory North Park.
SATURDAY, AUG. 26
PLAN A: Pelican, Inter Arma, Weight of the Sun, Bleak Skies @ Brick by Brick. Here’s a double shot of amazing metal bands, with a couple of great local acts to top it off. Pelican’s more like a heavy post-rock
26 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · AUGUST 23, 2017
Julia Holter
MONDAY, AUG. 28
PLAN A: Black Oak Hymnal, Bradley Palermo @ Soda Bar. Get weird on your Monday evening with this local “acid folk/death country” group, who also have an ominously atmospheric twang to their music.
TUESDAY, AUG. 29
PLAN A: Impalers, Crime Desire, Heat, Youth Draft, Therapy @ SPACE. Austin hardcore outfit Impalers are pretty intense. Their brand of thrashy punk rock is explosive and uncompromising, so just be prepared for some wild stuff to happen in the pit. BACKUP PLAN: Sundrop Electric, Super Buffet, Retra @ Soda Bar.
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MUSIC
CONCERTS HOT! NEW! FRESH!
Tycho (Observatory, 9/22), The xx (Observatory, 9/23), Rakim (HOB, 9/24), Bonobo (Observatory, 9/24), Bob Dylan (Harrah’s Resort, 10/13), Dalek, Cult Leader (Soda Bar, 10/14), Michael Nau (Soda Bar, 10/20), A Tribe Called Red (Music Box, 10/25), Flying Lotus in 3-D (Observatory, 10/27), Tennis (Music Box, 11/24).
GET YER TICKETS Thundercat (Observatory, 9/1), Stiff Little Fingers (BUT, 9/6), Quicksand (BUT, 9/11), Goo Goo Dolls (Open Air Theatre, 9/12), Green Day (Mattress Firm Amphitheatre, 9/13), Manchester Orchestra (Observatory, 9/13), Kaaboo Festival w/ Tom Petty, Muse, Red Hot Chili Peppers (Del Mar Fairgrounds, 9/15-17), Against Me! (Observatory, 9/16), The Church (Music Box, 9/16), Future Islands (Open Air Theatre, 9/17), Zola Jesus (Casbah, 9/21), U2 (Qualcomm Stadium, 9/22), Swervedriver (Casbah, 9/22), The Beach Boys (Humphreys, 9/23), Ben Folds (HOB, 9/23), WAND (Soda Bar, 9/24), Foxygen (Music Box, 9/28), The Pains of Being Pure at Heart (Loft, 9/30), The Shins, Spoon (Open Air Theatre, 10/1), Algiers (Soda Bar, 10/1), Chelsea Wolfe (BUT, 10/2), Ms. Lauryn Hill, Nas (OAT, 10/3), Irma Thomas, Blind Boys of Alabama (BUT, 10/5), Depeche Mode (Mattress Firm Amphitheatre, 10/6), Pinegrove (Irenic, 10/6), Coldplay (Qual-
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comm Stadium, 10/8), Shooter Jennings (BUT, 10/8), Obituary, Exodus (Observatory, 10/8), Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile (HOB, 10/11), The Afghan Whigs (BUT, 10/12), The National (Open Air Theatre, 10/12), Torres (Casbah, 10/17), Mason Jennings (BUT, 10/17), Café Tacuba (Observatory, 10/17-18), Arcade Fire (Viejas Arena, 10/18), The Bronx (Casbah, 10/19), Gojira (Observatory, 10/19), Mastodon (HOB, 10/19), City of Caterpillar, Thou (Soda Bar, 10/19), Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie (Humphreys, 10/19), KMFDM (HOB, 10/20), Tegan and Sara (Balboa Theatre, 10/20), Carla Morrison (Humphreys, 10/22), M. Ward (BUT, 10/24), Real Estate (Music Box, 10/24), Thievery Corporation (BUT, 10/26), Turnover (Irenic, 10/27), Roky Erickson (Casbah, 10/27), Iron and Wine (Balboa Theatre, 10/28), The Drums (Observatory, 11/1), Black Heart Procession (Casbah, 11/4), ‘Live Wire 25th Anniversary’ w/ Rocket from the Crypt (Observatory, 11/4), Cults (Irenic, 11/5), Hamilton Leithauser (BUT, 11/9), D.R.I. (Brick by Brick, 11/10), Fall Out Boy (Viejas Arena, 11/15), Gary Numan (Observatory, 11/15), Ariel Pink (BUT, 11/16), Tera Melos, Speedy Ortiz (Casbah, 11/16), Mayhem (Observatory, 11/17), Boris, Torche (Casbah, 11/17), Blues Traveler (HOB, 11/19), Mogwai (Observatory, 11/20), New Found Glory (HOB, 11/25), METZ (Casbah, 12/13), Julien Baker (Irenic, 12/15), Jay-Z (Viejas Arena, 12/19), The English Beat (BUT, 12/22-23), Donavon Frankenreiter (BUT, 12/28), Josh Ritter (BUT, 1/16).
AUGUST WEDNESDAY, AUG. 23 Old Man Wizard at Soda Bar. Bryan Ferry
at Humphreys by the Bay. Daring Greatly at Belly Up Tavern.
THURSDAY, AUG. 24 Slaughter and the Dogs at Soda Bar. Mew at Observatory North Park. John Mayall at Belly Up Tavern. Warsaw at Whistle Stop. The Slashes at The Casbah.
FRIDAY, AUG. 25 Dierks Bentley at Mattress Firm Amphitheatre. Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Dogg Pound at Observatory North Park. U.S. Bombs at Soda Bar. Amos Lee at Copley Symphony Hall. Lord Huron at Del Mar Racetrack. Chill Clinton at The Casbah. Sudan Archives at Whistle Stop.
SATURDAY, AUG. 26 The Kickback at Soda Bar. Sylvan Esso at Observatory North Park (sold out). Pink Martini at Humphreys by the Bay. B-Side Players at Music Box. Slightly Stoopid at Del Mar Racetrack. Pelican, Inter Arma at Brick by Brick. Metalachi at The Casbah.
SUNDAY, AUG. 27 Starover Blue at Soda Bar. The Gipsy Kings at Humphreys by the Bay. Ira Glass at Balboa Theatre. Residente at Observatory North Park. GBH at The Casbah. Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue at Open Air Theatre. Bosswitch at Whistle Stop.
MONDAY, AUG. 28 Black Oak Hymnal at Soda Bar.
TUESDAY, AUG. 29 Sundrop Electric at Soda Bar. Kaleo at Open Air Theatre.
WEDNESDAY, AUG. 30
THURSDAY, SEPT. 7
The Strawberry Moons at Soda Bar. San Cisco at The Irenic.
THURSDAY, AUG. 31 The Pharcyde at Observatory North Park. Mrs. Henry at The Casbah.
SEPTEMBER FRIDAY, SEPT. 1 Thundercat at Observatory North Park. Throw Rag at Soda Bar. One Republic at Mattress Firm Amphitheatre. Revivalists at Del Mar Racetrack. Todd Rundgren at Music Box.
TOPS at The Casbah. The Juliana Theory at Observatory North Park. The Hooten Hollers at Soda Bar.
FRIDAY, SEPT. 8 Wyo at Music Box. Symbolic at Brick by Brick. The Shivas at Soda Bar. Marshall Crenshaw y Los Straitjackets at The Casbah.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 9 Florida Georgia Line at Mattress Firm Amphitheatre. Dennis Quaid and the Sharks at Music Box. Verite at Soda Bar. Vallis Alps at SPACE.
SUNDAY, SEPT. 10
SATURDAY, SEPT. 2 Frankie Cosmos at The Irenic. Warren G at Observatory North Park. Inquisition at Brick by Brick.
George Benson, Kenny G at Humphreys by the Bay. Theatre of Hate at SPACE. The Slants at Soda Bar.
MONDAY, SEPT. 11
SUNDAY, SEPT. 3 Spotlights at Soda Bar. Grieves at The Casbah. Steve Aoki at Del Mar Racetrack.
MONDAY, SEPT. 4
Quicksand at Belly Up Tavern. Danielle Nicole at Soda Bar. Saint Mesa at The Casbah.
TUESDAY, SEPT. 12
Stickup Kid at Soda Bar.
TUESDAY, SEPT. 5 Carbon Leaf at The Casbah. See Through Dresses at Soda Bar. Minus the Bear at Observatory North Park.
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 6 Stiff Little Fingers at Belly Up Tavern. Springtime Carnivore at The Casbah. Boychick at Soda Bar.
Goo Goo Dolls at Open Air Theatre. The Night Game at The Casbah. Dryjacket at Soda Bar.
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 13 MC Lars at Soda Bar. Indigo Girls at Humphreys by the Bay. Green Day at Mattress Firm Amphitheatre. Manchester Orchestra at Observatory North Park.
MUSIC CONTINUED ON PAGE 28
AUGUST 23, 2017 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 27
MUSIC MUSIC CONTINUED FROM PAGE 27 THURSDAY, SEPT. 14 Greensky Bluegrass at Observatory North Park. Steve Winwood at Humphreys by the Bay. Leo Kottke at Belly Up Tavern. Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers at Music Box.
FRIDAY, SEPT. 15 Perturbator at Brick by Brick. Cigarettes After Sex at The Irenic (sold out). Black Uhuru at Belly Up Tavern.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 16 Against Me! at Observatory North Park. The Church at Music Box.
SUNDAY, SEPT. 17 Future Islands at Open Air Theatre. Little Dove at Belly Up Tavern. Face To Face, Reverend Horton Heat at House of Blues.
MONDAY, SEPT. 18 Lil Yachty at Observatory North Park.
TUESDAY, SEPT. 19 Glass Animals at Humphreys by the Bay (sold out). Sean Paul at Observatory North Park.
rCLUBSr
710 Beach Club, 710 Garnet Ave., Pacific Beach. Fri: Todo Mundo. Sat: The Calphonics.
Air Conditioned Lounge, 4673 30th St., Normal Heights. Wed: ‘Interconnected’
BILL BERNSTEIN
w/ DJ Impera. Thu: ‘Libertine’ w/ DJ Jon Wesley. Sat: ‘Juicy’ w/ Mike Czech. Sun: ‘Chvrch’ w/ DJs Karma, Alice. American Comedy Co., 818 B Sixth Ave., Downtown. Thu: JF Harris. Fri: The Hodgetwins. Sat: The Hodgetwins. The Bancroft, 9143 Campo Road, Spring Valley. Thu: Panzergod, Gloam. Sat: A Month of Sundays, Captain Viejo, Horsefly, Calles. Sun: Locust Grove. Mon: Till I Fall, These White Pigeons. Bang Bang, 526 Market St., Downtown. Fri: Michael Calfan. Sat: Carlo Lio. Bar Pink, 3829 30th St., North Park. Wed: Rock Lotto. Thu: The Red Fox Tails. Sat: The Dabbers, The Prids, Strange Ages, Fotoform. Sun: ‘Rat Sabbath’. Mon: Tori Roze and the Hot Mess. Beaumont’s, 5665 La Jolla Blvd., La Jolla. Thu: Adam Block Duo. Fri: Ron and the Reapers. Sat: Blaise Guld Trio. Sun: Brent Curtis. Belly Up Tavern, 143 S. Cedros Ave., Solana Beach. Wed: Daring Greatly, Jimmy & Enrique. Thu: John Mayall, David Luning. Fri: No Duh, Fooz Fighters, Pearl Jammed. Sat: Common Sense, Jetwest. Sun: ‘Challenged Athletes Fundraiser’ w/ Sully and the Blue Eyed Soul Band. Black Cat Bar, 4246 University Ave., City Heights. Fri: Warranty Void, Prettyhowtown, Shark Jackson. Sat: Delicate Boys. Blonde, 1808 W. Washington St., Mission Hills. Thu: Guantanamo Baywatch, Exasperation, Dark Thirty. Fri: ‘Moonshake’. Mon: ‘Digital’. Tue: Thelma & The Sleaze, Canto, The Shady Lane at Blonde.
SPOTLIGHT It takes a very special band to occupy the intersection of hard rock, heavy metal and adult contemporary without sounding ridiculous, and Foreigner is that band. With ballads like “I Want to Know What Love Is” (maybe the most sing-along-able song of all time?) and rockers like “Juke Box Hero,” it’s difficult to think of another band that both you and your parents will turn up to 11. Foreigner plays with Cheap Trick on Tuesday, Aug. 29 at Mattress Firm Amphitheatre. —Ryan Bradford
MUSIC CONTINUED ON PAGE 29
28 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · AUGUST 23, 2017
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MUSIC MUSIC CONTINUED FROM PAGE 28
Hooley’s, 5500 Grossmont Center Drive, La Mesa. Fri: Sam Bybee.
Boar Cross’n, 390 Grand Ave., Carlsbad. Thu: Valor and Vengeance. Fri: ‘Club Musae’.
House of Blues, 1055 Fifth Ave., Downtown. Thu: Jerry “Hot Rod” Demink. Fri: August Alsina, Rotimi, Kaceylynn Vaughn. Sat: The Dead Daisies, The Dives. Tue: Robin Henkel.
Brick by Brick, 1130 Buenos Ave., Bay Park. Fri: Greg Howe, Gianluca Palmieri, RDG, Planet Shred. Sat: Pelican, Inter Arma, Weight of the Sun, Bleak Skies. Mon: Marty Friedman, Scale the Summit, The Fine Constant, Nightshadow. The Casbah, 2501 Kettner Blvd., Middletown. Wed: Open Oscillator. Thu: The Slashes, Oh Spirit, Blood Ponies. Fri: Chill Clinton, Coral Bells, Chugboat. Sat: Metalachi, Quel Bordel, Fink Bombs. Sun: GBH, Casualties, Spider (sold out). Mon: Jesse Nova, The Naked I, Coast Red. Tue: DJ Artistic’s Hip Hop Battle Bot. Dirk’s Nightclub, 7662 Broadway, Lemon Grove. Fri: Nol7. Sat: Nemesis. Dizzy’s, 4275 Mission Bay Drive, Downtown. Fri: Matt Hall Quintet. The Field Irish Pub, 544 Fifth Ave., Downtown. Wed: Sam Hosking. Thu: Graham Gillot Band. Fri: The Upshots. Sat: Clint Westwood. Sun: Todd Goodnaugh. Mon: Gary Flick. Tue: Eric French. Fluxx, 500 Fourth Ave., Downtown. Fri: Aliya. Sat: Romeo Reyes. Hoffer’s Cigar Bar, La Mesa. Sat: Stoney B. The Holding Company, 5046 Newport Ave., Ocean Beach. Wed: Rosa’s Cantina. Thu: DJ Who & Paulo da Rosa, Headphone, Somme, Hibbity Dibbity. Fri: Quel Bordel, DJ OMZ. Sat: DJ Mancat. Sun: The Rocket Summer, DJ Oren. Tue: Inhale.
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The Irenic, 3090 Polk Ave., North Park. Sat: The Creepy Creeps, Schizophonics, The Widows. Kava Lounge, 2812 Kettner Blvd., Middletown. Wed: ‘Midnight in a Perfect World’. Fri: ‘Timeless’. Sat: ‘Technique’ w/ DJ Myxzliplix. Sun: ‘Dust’. Lestat’s Coffee House, 3343 Adams Ave., Normal Heights. Fri: Birds and Arrows, Chris Avetta. Sat: The Visiters, Anthony Dolby, Lily. Sun: Dave Dersham. Mc P’s Irish Pub, 1107 Orange Ave., Coronado. Wed: Sophisticats. Thu: Fish & JG. Fri: In Midlife Crisis. Sat: Mystique. Sun: Ron’s Garage. Tue: Steve Brewer. The Merrow, 1271 University Ave., Hillcrest. Wed: Séance. Thu: The Danger Field, Avenue Army, Andora. Fri: Aghori, Godhammered, Dezecration, Hanover Fist, Vatican Falling. Sat: Mike Keneally and Beer for Dolphins, Travis Larson Band, RDG. Sun: ‘The Playground’ w/ DJ Heather Hardcore. Mother’s Saloon, 2228 Bacon St., Ocean Beach. Fri: Zeptune. Music Box, 1337 India St., Little Italy. Fri: B-Side Players, Sure Fire Soul Ensemble. Sat: ‘Tom Gun Live’. Tue: Christian Nodal. Numbers, 3811 Park Blvd., Hillcrest. Fri: ‘Uncut’. Sat: ‘Club Sabbat’. Sun: R&B Divas. Tue: Karaoke Latino. The Office, 3936 30th St., North Park. Wed: ‘One, Two, Three’ w/ DJ EdRoc.
Thu: ‘No Limits’ w/ DJ Myson King. Fri: ‘After Hours’. Sat: ‘Strictly Business’ w/ DJs Gabe Vega, Kanye Asada. Sun: ‘Uptown Top Ranking’. Mon: Pearl Jam Under Cover. Tue: ‘Trapped’ w/ DJs Byrd, XP. OMNIA Nightclub, 454 Sixth Ave., Downtown. Fri: Porter Robinson (DJ set). Sat: Wearetreo. Parq, 615 Broadway, Downtown. Fri: Cardi B. Sat: Ikon. Rich’s, 1051 University Ave., Hillcrest. Wed: DJs John Joseph, Kinky Loops. Thu: DJ K-Swift. Fri: DJs John Joseph, Moody Rudy. Sat: DJs Taj, K-Swift. Sun: DJs Hektik, Brynn Taylor. Riviera Supper Club, 7777 University Ave., La Mesa. Wed: ‘Boss Jazz’ w/ Jason Hanna. Thu: Nathan Hubbard Quartet. Fri: Rio Peligroso. Sat: Corey and the Tribe.
Bone Thugs-n-Harmony plays Friday, Aug. 25 at Observatory North Park
Rosie O’Gradys, 3402 Adams Ave., Normal Heights. Fri: Black Market III. Sat: Acoustic Revolt.
Legions. Sun: Mugshot, Serpent’s Tongue, Refuse, Victimized, Activist, Nebulium.
Seven Grand, 3054 University Ave., San Diego. Wed: Shane Hall. Thu: Jimmy Ruelas. Fri: Boomtown Stingers. Sat: Jimmy Ruelas. Mon: ‘Makossa Monday’ w/ DJ Tah Rei. Tue: G & the Swing Gypsies. Soda Bar, 3615 El Cajon Blvd., City Heights. Wed: Old Man Wizard, Beekeeper, Dethsurf. Thu: Slaughter and the Dogs, Kids in Heat, Slaughter Boys. Fri: U.S. Bombs, Rat City Riot, Dead on the Wire. Sat: The Kickback, Splavender, Faulkner. Sun: Starover Blue, Mittens, Bad and the Ugly. Mon: Black Oak Hymnal, Bradley Palermo. Tue: SOMA, 3350 Sports Arena Blvd., Midway. Fri: Savvy SpaceGhost, Kenny Didja, Young Fla$h, Daeg, CodeineCody, DJ FALLON. Sat: For The Win, Redeem/Revive, Dropout Kings, Plane Without a Pilot,
SPACE, 3519 El Cajon Blvd., City Heights. Wed: ‘Just Funkin’ Around’. Thu: ‘Selecter After Party’ w/ DJ Pauline Black. Fri: Burning Palms, Spooky Mansion, The Kabbs. Sat: Les Grys Grys, The Loons. Tue: Impalers, Crime Desire, Heat, Youth Draft, Therapy. Til-Two Club, 4746 El Cajon Blvd., City Heights. Fri: Nachtmystium, Ritual, Coldvoid, Necrochamber, October Flame. Sat: Caskitt, Turn It Around. Sun: Pants Karaoke. Tin Roof, 401 G St., Downtown. Wed: The Void Nation. Thu: Tribal Theory, Keep Your Soul. Fri: Coriander, Keep Your Soul. Sat: Keep Your Soul, Chad and Rosie. Tue: Evan Diamond Goldberg. Tower Bar, 4757 University Ave., City Heights. Fri: El Nada, Systematic Abuse,
War Fever, Neck Down. Sat: Mystery Actions, Charms, Iguanadon. Sun: Manoz Zuziaz. U-31, 3112 University Ave., North Park. Wed: ‘Yes Lawd!’. Thu: ‘Boom Boxx Thursday’. Fri: DJ Chris Freeman. Sat: DJ Junior the Disco Punk. Sun: Ras Sojie, Kulcha Flava, Robbie Digital. Whistle Stop, 2236 Fern St., South Park. Wed: Billy Bacon. Thu: Warsaw, NRVS LVRS, Strangers in a Fire DJs. Fri: Sudan Archives, Birdy Bardot. Sat: ‘Booty Bassment’. Sun: Lord Howler, Low and Be Told, Bosswitch. Mon: ‘Electric Relaxation’. Winstons, 1921 Bacon St., Ocean Beach. Wed: Johnny Love, DJ Carlos Culture. Thu: Nick Gray, Flowmads, Dharma Bumz, Struble. Fri: MDMK, Adia Break, The Messenger, Diligence. Sat: Psydecar, Baby Gow. Mon: Electric Waste Band. Tue: DJ Williams’ Shots Fired.
AUGUST 23, 2017 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 29
LAST WORDS
CHRISTIN BAILEY
ASTROLOGICALLY
UNSOUND
Semi-weekly forecasts from the so-called universe ARIES (March 21 - April 19): At the end of all your efforts— even with all your cleverly built contraptions, traps and fantasies of complete control—you will find that you have only ended up surrounded by more industrious mice. TAURUS (April 20 - May 20): Oh, of course you’re here. Sure I could tell you what’s going to happen to you, but maybe you should just let things be a surprise every once in a while. GEMINI (May 21 - June 20): Be like the mosquito: a great burden, completely unnecessary by truly every conceivable metric and impossible to get rid of in spite of that. CANCER (June 21 - July 22): Speaking without metaphor, it is just a fact of the world that sometimes you have to recycle the bottle and the cap differently, and you ought not to get so bent out of shape about it. LEO (July 23 - August 22): In classic depictions of the bell tower, whoever rings it always rings it alone. But it sure is loud. And everybody does hear it. So maybe in a way it is still like everyone is paying attention to you. VIRGO (August 23 - September 22): Sometimes it’s nice to be the center of attention. After all, the part of the bronze statue that is rubbed for good luck always shines up beautifully. That is, before it gets worn away entirely.
LIBRA (September 23 - October 22): The armadillo has an excellent defense against deadly predators, which is that it is too cute to harm. This week you should verify things you read with a second reliable source. SCORPIO (October 23 - November 21): As you spend your nights toiling away developing unbreakable ciphers, invisible inks and decoder rings, you might not notice that no one is actually trying to steal anything from you in the first place. SAGITTARIUS (November 22 - December 21): Act with great consideration like the anglerfish that formulates a game plan that ensures they are luring their prey and not just shining a light to reveal their own hideous face. CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 19): The extraordinary power of magnets is responsible for a great many phenomena in the natural world. So you can probably just go ahead and blame that for everything. AQUARIUS (January 20 - February 18): You will find yourself having to deal with many important matters these coming weeks: solid, liquid, gaseous, one of the weird ones, but probably not the other one. PISCES (February 19 - March 20): Take a lesson from how the bees so efficiently run their hive operation. After all, as you are bumbling around like a cartoon character with a beehive stuck on your head, you may as well learn something.
Astrologically Unsound appears every other week. Follow Christin Bailey on Twitter at @hexprax.
30 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · AUGUST 23, 2017
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August 23, 2017 · San Diego CityBeat · 31