San Diego CityBeat • Sept 5, 2018

2 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · SEPTEMBER 5, 2018

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SEPTEMBER 5, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 3

UP FRONT | FROM THE EDITOR

Being an ally means more than retweeting

I

t was more than a year and a half ago when San Diego State University published a rather damning study on whether or not the San Diego Police Department engaged in racial profiling. In a nutshell, they were, with the results proving that Black and Latino drivers were much more likely to be stopped, searched and subjected to field tests compared to white drivers.

What’s more, it was later revealed—thanks to some excellent follow-up reporting from Kelly Davis for Voice of San Diego—that the study had actually been “watered down” and that some of the more pressing language in the study had been changed.

The release of the study, along with the police shooting death of Alfred Olango, should have been more than enough of a wake-up call for the city council and the mayor to seek out some kind of fundamental reforms at the SDPD. Some changes have come slowly and begrudgingly and are mostly due to new state laws that call for more rigorous data collecting and transparency.

Still, most city officials seem content, however, to go along with business as usual. It was understandable when former SDPD chief Shelley Zimmerman got up before the city council in February 2017 and defended her officers. Hell, it was expected. But our elected officials have dragged their feet again and again when it comes to reforms that other cities, such as Los Angeles and Oakland, have not only enacted, but openly championed.

For example, when the City Council met to discuss the SDSU study and whether to implement any of the 10-point list of recommendations proposed in the 140-word study, they chose to pretty much ignore the two hours of public testimony from concerned citizens. Instead, they voted to “accept” the study, but not to accept any of the recommendations. To their credit, Councilmembers David Alzarez and Georgette Gomez voted against the resolution with Alvarez going so far as to openly criticize his council colleagues for not taking any “real action.”

This council session did end with the reviving of a Citizens Advisory Board on Police/Community Relations, but (and it’s a big “but”) the board is not the same as, say, an oversight board. The advisory board has no real power aside from being able to look at citizen complaints and recommending changes that can easily be ignored. And as a recent Union-Tribune editorial deftly pointed out, the city’s 23-member Community Review Board on Police Practices is being stacked with hand-selected appointees chosen by the

mayor, while quietly and slowly docketed behind the scenes by Council President Myrtle Cole.

This isn’t oversight. It’s political diversion.

And I don’t blame them. It’s extremely politically risky for city officials to so much as slightly come across as if they’re not on the side of police officers. But the same officials are also counting on voters and citizens to not care enough to follow through on an issue that many are passionate about, but only if it affects them directly. That is, while a white San Diegan can certainly show solidarity by retweeting Colin Kaepernick’s new Nike ad, it’s unlikely that they will care enough to show up to protest the death of Earl McNeil. It’s unlikely that they will care enough or even know about the death of Frederick Jefferson, who, on the same day as Kaepernick revealed his Nike campaign, died mysteriously in police custody after being sentenced to seven years in prison for punching a police officer.

For those unfamiliar with Jefferson’s case, he was a homeless man who got caught up in a Chicano Park rally against white supremacists. When an officer instructed Jefferson to walk on the sidewalk rather than the road, Jefferson refused and the officer grabbed him. A fight between the two broke out. One that didn’t need to happen. One man versus a man with a gun and a baton, but in the end, the officer was the one with the most injuries. But hey, it was really important to that officer that Jefferson, who was attempting to leave the area, walk on the sidewalk when, just down the block, there was a near-riot being instigated by a bunch of white patriot picnickers.

These kinds of situations need to be looked at with more scrutiny, but city officials are likely to do nothing about them until enough voters say, “enough is enough.”

And that means doing much more than retweeting a Nike ad campaign. It means showing up to City Council meetings when there’s a public session to discuss police practices. It means showing up to protest in National City. It means keeping the pressure on lawmakers in Sacramento, who, just last week, were diligent enough to pass new police transparency laws, but in order to do so, had to scale back a law that would have reformed what constitutes “lethal force.”

It means showing up to vote for candidates who openly call for police department reforms (San Diego voters did not do this in the June primaries).

Be an ally. Just do it.

—Seth Combs

Write to seth.combs@sdcitybeat.com

This issue of CityBeat is having a nervous breakdown.

Volume 17 • Issue 3 EDITOR Seth Combs MUSIC EDITOR Jeff Terich WEB EDITOR Ryan Bradford ART DIRECTOR Carolyn Ramos STAFF WRITER Andrea Lopez-Villafaña COLUMNISTS Aaryn Belfer Edwin Decker John R. Lamb Rhonda “Ro” Moore Alex Zaragoza

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4 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · SEPTEMBER 5, 2018

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UP FRONT | LETTERS

A HARD LOOK AT THE BOARD OF EQUALIZATION “A Hard Look at Hunter” [Aug. 29] provides sage evaluation of conflicting policies in our local congressional elections.

Wonder when we will get more analysis of Sen. Joel Anderson. We need not go into his boorish, threatening behavior, “bitch-slap” the California Nurses Association lobbyist for her not endorsing him.

Fact that he is running for a four-year term on the Board of Equalization, against myself, a former prosecutor and city councilman of San Diego, at same time he has declared in his Form 460 campaign filing $290,000 cash for “Joel Anderson for County Supervisor 2020” lets the cat-out-the-bag that he is planning in any event to leave the BOE post (if elected) after 24 months to go after the more plush job he really wants. This shows deception in the political process that nobody seems to care about.

A leading authority has suggested that few voters have any idea what the Board of Equalization does (it reviews assessed values determined by county assessors in California’s 58 counties), and really have no concern whatsoever who gets elected.

This suggests that the KKK Grand Wizard of California, if he were running as he was for U.S. Congress from Fallbrook 38 years ago (as a Democratic Nominee—that was TV repairman Tom Metzger, with then young Gov. Jerry Brown endorsing the Republican in that race), might win.

One difference between Anderson and Schaefer is that he wants the Board to continue for at least two years with its bloated $142,000 salary for half time work, and I’d favor eliminating the Board as an elected office and have our Governor or Legislature appoint the members as is the case in the other 49 states.

Today our Board is primarily a comfortable resting-place for termed-out lawmakers. Each of the four elected members has served in the California Assembly or Senate. And the Board was so mismanaged that the Legislature recently took half its function and created a new agency supervised by the Governor’s office, but left the ample salaries and perks in place.

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It’s time for taxpayers to take a fresh look at the Board of Equalization and how its members are chosen.

Mike Schaefer

Ocean Beach

TABLE OF CONTENTS UP FRONT From the Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Letters to the Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

BOYCOTT THE 50TH?

News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Thanks for following this story [“A Hard Look at Hunter,” Aug. 29].

The people of Alpine certainly have the right to choose who represents them in congress.

However, my tax dollars contribute to the salary of their chosen representative. If they choose someone I find inappropriate, then in all likelihood, I will choose to stop doing business in their district.

If enough people respond in this manner, perhaps the supporters of men like Hunter, Nunes, Cruz and Trump will begin to start making wiser choices?

Doug Fields

Point Loma

There She Goz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Sordid Tales. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

FOOD & DRINK World Fare. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Final Draught. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

THINGS TO DO The Short List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Calendar of Events. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-14

ARTS & CULTURE

WE WANT FEEDBACK Did you read a story in San Diego CityBeat that made your blood boil, or caused you to laugh so hard you pulled a stomach muscle? If something inspires you to send us your two cents we welcome all letters that respond to news stories, opinion pieces or reviews that have run in these pages. We don’t accept unsolicited op-ed letters.

Email letters to editor Seth Combs at seth.combs@sdcitybeat. com, or mail to 3047 University Ave., Suite 202, San Diego, CA 92104. For letters to be considered for publication you must include your first and last name and the part of town where you reside. Note: All comments left on stories at sdcitybeat.com will also be considered for publication.

Theater. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 FEATURE: Ted Meyer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Film. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-18

MUSIC FEATURE: Foxing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Notes From The Smoking Patio . . . . . . 20 The Spotlight. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 If I Were U . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Concerts & Clubs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24-26

IN THE BACK Astrologically Unsound . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 CannaBeat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

SEPTEMBER 5, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 5

ANDREA LOPEZ-VILLAFAÑA

UP FRONT | NEWS

Homeless storage concerns remain Three months after opening, residents remain tense about the Storage Connect Center in Sherman Heights

By Andrea Lopez-Villafaña

I

n what has become an almost daily routine, army veteran Thomas Russell Fagan arrives early in the morning to a warehouse in Sherman Heights that serves as a transitional storage center for homeless citizens. He shoves a blue blanket and two tarps into an overflowing 95-gallon container where he keeps the rest of his personal belongings.

Fagan is one of over 240 homeless citizens using the Storage Connect Center, which opened on June 13 to offer homeless citizens the ability to store their personal belongings for free.

Within the first 90 days of operation, homeless citizens interested in using the center must be referred by a service provider or city staff. Individuals on the waiting list of the transitional storage center on 16th and Commercial can also be referred. The requirement to only accept referrals will end after Sept. 13, when the operator, nonprofit Mental Health Systems, will be able to accept “all applicable clients.”

The Storage Connect Center became a topic of controversy early in the year when community members of the Sherman Heights, Logan Heights and Barrio Logan areas raised concerns about the center operating close to a school and in an area already heavily impacted by homelessness.

In an effort to respond to the concerns of the community, “good neighbor obligations” were included in the agreement with the City which included: conducting homeless outreach in the area, removing trash, preventing loitering around the facility and providing 24-hour security within a oneblock radius among others.

Residents were also informed that there would be an increased police presence within a half-mile radius of the facility to ensure security.

Now, almost three months since the storage center opened to serve 500 homeless citizens, residents have witnessed that the facility is upholding its “good neighbor obligations,” however, some still do not support it.

Rev. John Auther of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church—located just a block from the storage center—says that since the center opened, the church has hired a security guard and added more cameras to the premises, something which he said they never felt they had to do before.

Residents around the facility say the police have been doing a good job at keeping people from loitering around homes and the community. However, some in the nearby neighborhoods are still seeing an impact around their homes.

6 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · SEPTEMBER 5, 2018

Thomas Russell Fagan at the Storage Connect Center “The facility itself, they’re being really good about cleaning up the street or keeping people away from it but what it’s doing is it’s pushing all the people to my house,” says Barrio Logan resident Janmari Hueso based on observations of more trash on her street as well as the presence of more homeless citizens in Chicano Park since the facility opened.

Hueso, whose home is located within the half-mile radius, says she believes there is a greater need for consistent patrolling and sanitizing in the alleys around her community.

Hueso also says she understands the council needed somewhere to allow people to keep their belongings, but that there has to be a better way of helping homeless citizens without placing the burden on one community.

Mayor Kevin Faulconer announced his plans to open a storage center during his January State of the City address, and when Sherman and Logan Heights residents discovered it was in their neighborhood, they were vocal about their oppositions. However, on March 20, the San Diego City Council voted in favor of the center with only Councilmember David Alvarez opposed.

Alvarez, who represents the neighborhoods on the council, spoke during the meeting and shared that the voices of the community were completely ignored and added that the proposal was a terrible idea and was “the definition of institutional racism.”

During the meeting, councilmembers discussed offering sites in their districts where the city could open homeless storage facilities, but no concrete decisions have been made since. And it is not clear if the facility in Sherman Heights will remain open permanently. The agreement between Mental Health Systems and the San Diego Housing Commission is a one-year contract, which can be extended at the discretion of the commission for two additional one-year terms.

Arguments in favor of the center by city staff were that by allowing homeless citizens to store their belongings in a safe place, they would have the ability to seek services and job opportunities. But Kim Danser, the facility supervisor at the Storage Connect Center, says that out of the 500 storage bins, only 247 are being used as of Tuesday, Sept. 4.

Although residents echoed that the storage center was a good idea, they argued that it would increase the concentration of homeless citizens in their neighborhood.

Sherman Heights resident Pita Verdin became involved because she was concerned the center would operate close to a school, so she and several concerned community members created the Homeless Storage Neighborhood Advisory Committee to gather information between the storage center and the community.

“In actuality we’ve been very instrumental to the success of the storage because they wanted to know the community, they wanted to be in a way embraced by the community and a lot of people were so against it,” says Verdin, adding that instead they decided to organize to ensure the city kept its promises. However, she adds that once Mental Health Systems begins accepting applicants that are not referrals, the community members will be cautiously monitoring what happens.

Payal Beam, vice president of Mental Health Systems, said it is the organization’s goal to “mitigate impact to the community,” while providing a safe environment for clients. She adds that they encourage the community to use available support, such as calling the police, if there are any incidents.

Gloria Flores, a resident on 28th Street, still believes residents have to continue actively speaking up and bringing concerns to the police.

“It took a lot of meetings and attending meetings to get to where we are now,” Flores says.

Logan Heights property owner Connie Zuñiga admits that police have kept people on the move to prevent them from staying in the community, but in her opinion that level of enforcement is not sustainable.

“The police have been doing a good job at keeping it clean, but how long are they going to be able to do that?” she asks.

For homeless citizens like Fagan, however, the storage center has helped. He says he no longer has to worry about his belongings getting stolen on the street and is pursuing a job opportunity in construction.

“I’m planning on going back to work and saving money for housing,” Fagan said.

“This [center] is much appreciated.”

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SEPTEMBER 5, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 7

UP FRONT | VOICES

THERE SHE

ALEX ZARAGOZA

GOZ

Accountability is for everyone

H

umans aren’t infallible. We mess up, we get things wrong, we have bad takes, we make bad jokes, we hurt people. We’re all just big, weird flesh balloons filled with emotions, trying to do our best and hopefully become better flesh balloons.

But when we mess up, as we all inevitably do, then what? Our response to messing up often dictates an important part of our character, and as a society we have to ask ourselves who gets second chances and if we believe they deserve them.

Last week, comedian Michael Ian Black tweeted in absolution for his friend Louis CK, the famous and much beloved comedian who had recently performed a surprise set at a New York City comedy club. He wrote: “Will take heat for this, but people have to be allowed to serve their time and move on with their lives. I don’t know if it’s been long enough, or his career will recover, or if people will have him back, but I’m happy to see him try.”

Quick refresher: CK admitted his culpability in the harassment of multiple women comedians, some under his employ. His MO, specifically, was masturbating in front of them or whipping out his dick without so much as a “pardon me, m’lady. May I remove my penis from its denim chamber and introduce you to its awkward freckled folds?”

Reports of the incidents basically sent him into hiding until recently.

The rumors of his inappropriate behavior toward women had swirled around for years, and he often used women’s experiences with men in his set. In one especially memorable joke made during his HBO special, CK asks, “How do women still go out with guys, when you consider the fact that there is no greater threat to women than men?” He adds, “If you’re a guy, imagine you could only date a half-bear-half-lion. ‘Oh, I hope this one’s nice! I hope he doesn’t do what he’s going to do.’”

CK seemed to get it. What’s more, he was speaking on a huge platform to an audience of mostly men about the danger men pose to women. But all the while, he was being one of those half-bear-half-lions he warned us about? Well, this wasn’t exactly a huge plot twist to anyone who actually knows what these types of men are like.

The rise of the #MeToo movement gave CK’s victims the space and confidence to come forward after years of being silenced and threatened. Though they did nothing wrong, their careers never fully flourished or recovered. And yet, without fail, here comes some dude who felt the urge to defend and applaud the abuser for getting to continue to do the work he’s robbed of others.

Black definitely got hit by a hellstorm of respons-

es from both men and women in and outside of the industry. What time did CK serve? It certainly wasn’t jail time. Also, it was less than a year ago that CK admitted to his disgusting actions. I suppose that’s on par with our justice system, which gives white men like Brock Turner, and countless others, minimal sentences for raping and killing women, while Black and non-Black people of color serve 20 years for possessing weed.

Even though Black knew he’d “take heat” for his shitty take, he still jumped into those mentions to justify himself and CK. After all, that’s his friend and his friend isn’t actually that bad. Black is a feminist, and I know this as a longtime fan of his work. But his buddy deserves a second chance. I suppose he has every right to defend his opinion, even if his opinion is dangerous and extremely problematic.

Opinions and jokes have impact though. It’s easy to say something when you aren’t the one whose life is affected by those words.

Black’s response is telling of how many men view accountability. They’re all for it until it affects them or someone they care about. Women very much play into this as well. Many will drop their clever Women’s March protest sign in a heartbeat to defend a man they love after he’s done something awful, even if it’s at the expense of other women. They have context, we don’t.

The thing is though, I don’t need the context of every time some dude has been nice to a woman or if he’s a feminist. In fact, I don’t fucking care. It’s not an excuse. Feminists fuck up, even though for some reason many believe their feminism makes them impervious to a fault. And in that case, it’s clear their consciousness is performative at best. Plenty of “good people” are also racist, sexist and misogynistic.

So how do we get better at accepting accountability for our actions or that of someone we care about?

Well, we can start by listening. No one likes to hear a truth about themself they don’t recognize, but we can’t know until we know.

Instead of jumping onto that keyboard and clinging to stupid convictions simply because they’re being questioned, perhaps hear what’s being said and sit with it. Process it. Not responding is OK while you do so. Discuss it privately with people who don’t just tell you what you want to hear. Think about whether or not this is really the hill you want to die on. And if it is, don’t be surprised when people cut you out of their lives because you’re not a hill they want to be anywhere near.

Opinions and jokes have impact though. It’s easy to say something when you aren’t the one whose life is affected by those words.

8 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · SEPTEMBER 5, 2018

There She Goz appears every third week.

Write to alexz@sdcitybeat.com.

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UP FRONT | OPINION

EDWIN DECKER

SORDID

TALES

People against bars closing at 4 a.m. say the dumbest things

B

y now, readers may have heard about the California State Assembly passing Senate Bill 905, a five-year pilot program allowing nightclubs in seven California cities to potentially stay open until 4 a.m. I say “potentially” because the bill does not automatically grant bars in those cities the right to serve till 4 a.m., but rather, allows the city’s leadership to make that call.

As the controversial bill’s author, Sen. Scott Wiener of San Francisco, explained, “There’s nothing radical about letting communities decide for themselves whether to let their bars and nightclubs go later.”

Hence the bill’s name, the LOCAL Act, which stands for, “Let Our Communities Adjust Late Night”—an acronym so contorted, even Axl Rose’s old spandex pants groaned, “Woah bro, that’s a stretch!”

I am in favor of SB 905 for admittedly selfish reasons. See, I have always been a night owl. I spent my formative boozer years in New York City, where bars stay open until 4 a.m. People didn’t even head out to the bars until midnight. I just really like staying out till four in the morning.

And while I understand why groups like MADD (which is a pretty kickass acronym) are concerned about the bill, some of their remarks have been just dumb.

For instance, I heard KFI’s Mo Kelly say he was against SB 905 because more families were on the road at 4 a.m.

Oh, please. There are not more families on the road at 4 a.m.

Families are sleeping at 4 a.m. So is everyone else. The only people driving at that time are truckers and tweakers, neither of which will notice if you crash into them.

At a news conference at Los Angeles City Hall that was held before the vote, City Councilmember Paul Koretz said, “While we want our local businesses to thrive, no good can come from serving alcohol until 4 a.m.”

“No good,” Councilmember? As in none? Zero?

What about the good you implied yourself? That it would be an economic boost to business? How about the good that comes from local autonomy, freedom of choice or that there will only be a two-hour wait before the morning bars start opening?

And then there was the comment from Kurtwood Smith, an activist and actor best known for playing “Red” Forman on That 70’s Show. At the same news conference, Smith snorted, “Only a dumbass would value nightlife over all life and vote YES on this bill.”

Well you can fuck right off Kurtwood Smith. To suggest that people who support SB 905 do not value life is the kind of hyperbole we don’t need in this, or any, policy discussion. But see, Smith, like most everyone on the No-Fun side of this issue, is operating as though fatalities are a foregone conclusion. He is thinking that, yes, of course, of course, naturally, no-

duh—if drinking hours increase, so will drunk driving deaths.

Perhaps. But I can’t stand “Of Course,” “Of Course, Naturally,” and “No Duh” people. Throughout history they have been getting all up in humanity’s grill with their unproven intuitions about the way the world works.

“Of course the world is flat—just look at the horizon!”

“Of course she’s a witch—burn her!”

“Of course marijuana is dangerous—it makes the white girls dance with Negros!”

“Of course, of course, naturally no duh SB 905 will cause more death and destruction—duh!”

In reality, there is no scientific consensus. There have been a handful of studies conducted by think tanks around the world which have produced conflicting results. The study most often cited by the Of Coursers is from the National Library of Medicine which found that “increasing hours of sale by two or more hours increases alcoholrelated harms.” However, there has yet to be found any evidence showing that cities and states with later drinking hours have more DUI deaths. In fact the data from a 2015 report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration suggests otherwise.

After Ontario, Canada extended drinking hours from 1 a.m. to 2 a.m., a 2007 report found that not only were there no increases in DUI traffic fatalities between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m., but it also found that fatalities decreased between 11 a.m. and 2 a.m.

Look, almost every law we enact boils down to one question: How much liberty must we forsake in order to receive how much safety? To which the MADD types usually respond with something like, well if it saves even one life, it’s worth it.

But they don’t mean it. Not really. I guarantee if there was a referendum to reduce the highway speed limit to 25 mph, nobody but the Amish would vote for it even though doing so would save thousands of lives.

Society has decided that the amount of freedom and convenience afforded by a 65 mph speed limit is worth the cost to life.

So the question about SB 905 is, how great the benefit vs. how great the expense? And the answer is that we do not yet know. That’s the point of the bill. It is a pilot program, involving a handful of cities over a handful of years. And hey, if we see a significant surge in DUI deaths, I’ll be the first, albeit with a heavy heart, to support its repeal. But if not, well, hell, let’s get LOCAL going in every Cali neighborhood. Especially Ocean Beach. I can hoof it from there.

Look, almost every law we enact boils down to one question: How much liberty must we forsake in order to receive how much safety?

@SDCITYBEAT

Sordid Tales appears every other week.

Write to edwin@sdcitybeat.com.

SEPTEMBER 5, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 9

UP FRONT | FOOD & DRINK

BY MICHAEL A. GARDINER

THE WORLD

FARE

Surprising sushi in a Tijuana speakeasy

F

inding good food in Tijuana is neither difficult nor surprising. Caesar salad? It was invented there. Tacos? Uh, yeah. TJ’s one of the best taco towns anywhere. High-end sushi?

Eh, maybe some mariscos or some cheap Sinaloan “sushi,” but up until last month—when Chef Pedro Velardo (ex-Hane Sushi) and Toshiaki Tsutada (exSushi Ota) opened Toshi-Toshi (Av. Colima 2292, Col. Madero)—there was no such thing as high-end sushi in Tijuana. Now there is.

Toshi-Toshi is a speakeasy tucked in the back of Velardo’s breakfastbrunch restaurant, Mantequilla, in Tijuana’s Colonio Cacho district.

The space is all wood and peaceful.

It’s elegant, quiet and powerfully whispers the word “Japanese.”

Toshi-san’s edomai training is evident in every piece of nigiri he hands across the bar. His precise knife cuts are more than enough evidence of his expertise, as is the seasoning of the sushi rice. And yet Toshi-Toshi’s sushi isn’t exactly edomai. What Velardo and Toshisan strive for is loftier than just high-end sushi in TJ (again, that’s rather ambitious in itself). They want to create a Mexican version of Nikkei cuisine, the “fusion” cooking of Peru’s Japanese immigrants.

The story of Toshi-Toshi’s ambition is often told by the garnishes. Take, for example, a jalapeño-spiked relish on the hiramasa, Baja’s terrific, rich, farmed yellowtail that tastes more like Japanese yellowtail than Baja’s wild version. But the contrast of the slightly spicy relish with the buttery hiramasa reveals another side to the fish.

A chimichurri-style garnish (featuring shiso, parsley, jalapeño, and garlic along with sesame and olive oils) does much the same with salmon. Both are terrific bites that one would never expect to find in Tokyo, but are so right and almost inevitable in Tijuana.

10 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · SEPTEMBER 5, 2018

Not all these “Mexican Nikkei” dishes work so well. The first course of omakase, a seared tuna sashimi, was garnished with three types of fruit and asparagus. It looked like a triumph of presentation over flavor but, ultimately, tasted more balanced than appearances suggested. Another “fusion” effort didn’t fare nearly so well: could jurel (wild Baja yellowtail) garnished with a shower of Pecorino Romano cheese and a liberal dousing of truffle oil possibly work? Spoiler alert: It doesn’t.

The akame zuke (soy-marinated tuna), on the other hand, worked beautifully. This Edomai classic was like seeing a favorite band play their biggest hit live. And Chu-toro—medium fatty tuna—was just plain cheating. The melting point in the toro’s fat is lower than the human body temperature so the fat melts over the tongue, coating it in deep, rich deliciousness.

MICHAEL A. GARDINER

Hiramasa But it was the grand finale that made the most beautiful music while ringing all the bells at once.

As one final tour de force, Velardo combined sushi rice, toro, uni, a quail egg and truffles in a glass jar.

There was, I was completely certain, no way that it could possibly work. All those luxury ingredients had to fight, but, somehow, they sang and did so together. It was really, really good.

And that’s the story of Toshi-Toshi. High-end, creative sushi in Tijuana is not what anyone expects. Velardo almost seems surprised. Maybe he shouldn’t be. Maybe we shouldn’t be.

The World Fare appears weekly.

Write to michaelg@sdcitybeat.com.

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UP FRONT | FOOD & DRINK

BY BETH DEMMON

FINAL

DRAUGHT Pints in pie county

Z

ombies, Frankenstein’s monster, vampires… hell, even Jesus dabbled in resurrection. I’m all about second chances at life. It’s just not often that it’s a brewery that rises from the dead.

Technically, Julian Beer Company (2307 Main St.) is less resurrected, and more reincarnated as a new entity. Formerly known as Bailey WoodPit BBQ and Julian Brewing Company, the dual businesses shuttered in 2016 because “a good, clear business model was absent” according to brewer Matt Pitman. I can attest to the confusion as a former patron; the multi-building, multifocus business was hard to navigate and often seemed disorganized.

Pitman and owner Vince Marsaglia (co-founder of Pizza Port and Port Brewing/The Lost Abbey), along with Marsaglia’s sons Jeremy and Josh, kept a similar concept to the original iteration: lots of barbecue and beers made on-site, but with a few changes in command. (Former partner and current owner of O’Brien’s Pub, Tom Nickel, started Julian’s only other active brewery in 2013: Nickel Beer Company.)

“With our location, buildings and property, we're naturally going to be a unique experience and set apart from any other brewery,” promises Pitman.

The remodeled saloon-style venue contains a six-barrel brewing system, 18 taps, a massive meat smoker, multiple pizza ovens, indoor/outdoor seating for up to 150 people and a walking trail with picnic tables scattered throughout. Two acres of surrounding land will eventually be home to fruit trees and a vegetable garden that will “become an essential part of our farmhouse brewery aim,” according to Pitman. Additional ingredients and hops will also be sourced from other farms in the area.

As in its previous life, live music will continue to be a staple of the business. Pitman says they’ll focus on local bluegrass bands, but also plans to open the stage to a variety of acts. This commitment to local favorites with allowances for experimentation is the same approach Pitman plans for brewing. His aim for the beer is “to create a strong base selection of good, clean beers that can always be expected…

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as well as exercising the freedom to get creative with experimental beers.”

Visitors can expect everything from clean pilsners and kettle sours, to barrel-aged strong ales and plenty of farmhouse styles like saisons. With September being prime wet hop season, at least one wet hop beer is sure to be found on its tap list this month. (No word on whether Julian Beer Co.’s spiced apple ale will be a permanent fixture on the beer board, but I’m going to guess, given the location, that it likely will be.)

JULIAN BEER COMPANY

Julian Beer Company After months of delays, a soft opening on the Fourth of July and a grease fire in the deep pit smoker, the brewery’s grand opening kicked off on Saturday, Sept. 1 to coincide with the annual Julian Grape Stomp Festa. The yearly event seems to be the unofficial start of fall, and also the apple farming town’s busiest tourist season, which makes it an auspicious time to formally introduce the revamped brewery concept to the public.

In years past, whenever I found myself in Julian, I never left without grabbing at least one pint at the preceding business. Now that Julian Beer Company has opened the taps once more, I anticipate my habit will also be reborn.

Write to bethd@sdcitybeat.com or check her out on Instagram at @thedelightedbite.

SEPTEMBER 5, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 11

EVENTS

SHORTlist

the

THREE YOU HAVE TO SEE

COORDINATED BY

SETH COMBS

SAN DIEGO

LET’S EAT

As summer comes to a close, maintaining that beach bod doesn’t seem as important anymore. We’re not implying that readers should let themselves go or anything, but a little indulgence every now and then never hurt anyone. And this week seems to be filled with events for foodies.

First up is the annual Taste of Del Mar event, which will feature over 20 restaurants serving up bites of some of their signature dishes. There will also be over 15 “sip stops” at various breweries and wine shops along the Camino Del Mar area and beginning at the Del Mar Village Association office (1104 Camino Del Mar). We’d definitely check out the dishes from En Fuego, Il Fornaio and Brigantine. It happens Thursday, Sept.

6 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., and tickets range from $35 to $50 at visitdelmarvillage.com.

On Sunday, Sept. 9, head to the Grand Ballroom of the Hotel Republic (421 W. B St.) in Downtown for the inaugural 10 Perfect Bites, where attendees will make their way around the room to try a 10-course tasting menu from 10 (sensing a pattern here?) notable local chefs including Jason Knibb (Nine-Ten), Joseph Elevado (Prep Kitchen) and Al-

DOWNTOWN

RISE AND SHINE Under an administration that manages to create countless new crises, the omnipresent threat of climate change often slips through the cracks, even though it’s the crisis to literally end all other crises. As the Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco approaches, San Diegans are invited to help build momentum by marching in solidarity with climate advocates around the world. And while climate change isn’t fun and games, our local Rise to Climate March will be, at least in part. It begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 8 at City Hall (202 C St.) with live music and speeches. After a short walk, the march will conclude at Embarcadero Marina Park South (200 Marina Park Way) with voter registration, games and face-painting until 2 p.m. More info at rise4climate.org

fie Szeprethy (Pisco). Some of the dishes include a hamachi tartare with serrano soy and tobiko caviar and a chorizo Scotch egg. Best of all, proceeds will benefit local hunger relief charity Feeding San Diego. It begins at noon and tickets are $50 at friendlyfeast.org.

Sunday also marks the beginning of Farm to Fork week, which features events, dinners, discussions and tours, all with an emphasis on locavore-style eating. Participating restaurants will offer special dinners for the event, and some of the events take place before the official kickoff date so be sure to check farmtoforksd.com for the full list of dates and par10 Perfect Bites ticipants.

Finally, save room for the annual Taste of Downtown on Thursday, Sept.

13, where foodies can try over 40 restaurants throughout the downtown and Gaslamp area. Participants can start wherever they want on the selfguided tour including favorites such as Café Sevilla, Dobson’s and Urban India. Proceeds benefit the Downtown Partnership. It happens from 5 to 9 p.m. and tickets are $35 at downtownsandiego.org.

CHULA VISTA

THE MORE PRIDE, THE BETTER It doesn’t seem so long ago that Hillcrest was in full Pride mode, but for those who didn’t make it, San Diego has another way to celebrate… in Chula Vista. The 11th annual South Bay PRIDE Art & Music Festival is on Saturday, Sept. 8 from noon to 7 p.m. The event will feature the usual “artisan alley” showcasing some local gourmet food trucks, craft beer, wine and spirit vendors. There’ll be three music stages with artists such as Unsteady, Rhythm Turner and The Drag Kings, as well as headliners Ongina (from RuPaul’s Drag Race) and Ingenue.

The festival welcomes all ages and takes place at Bayside Park (999 Bayside Pkwy). Parking costs money, but the event is free, although a $10 donation is suggested to benefit the South Bay Alliance. southbaypride.org WIKI COMMONS

ART

BOOKS

HScarred for Life: Every Scar Tells a Story at Mesa College Art Gallery, 7250 Mesa College Drive D101, Clairemont. Reception for the exhibition of photographic works by Ted Meyer, which examines bodily scars and the stories behind them. Opening from 5 to 7 p.m.

Thursday, Sept. 6. Free. 619-388-2829, sdmesa.edu

Suzy Fincham-Gray at Central Library, 330 Park Blvd., Downtown. The author will discuss her memoir, My Patients and Other Animals, about a life spent in the company of animals and the ways they change our lives. From 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 5. Free. sandiego.librarymarket.com

HLia Halloran at Lux Art Institute, 1550 S El Camino Real, Encinitas. The L.A.-based artist and Lux artist in residence will debut new and past works that explore the intersections of art and science. Opening from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 7. Free$10. RSVP recommended. 760-436-6611, luxartinstitute.org Women in Law at Women’s Museum of California, 2730 Historic Decatur Road #103, Point Loma. This new exhibit that recognizes the many lawyers, judges, judicial officials and more that paved the way for social justice and feminism. Opening from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 7. Free. womensmuseumca.org West Coast Fiber Arts at Escondido Municipal Gallery, 262 E. Grand Ave., Escondido. A group show featuring bold new designs in textiles, paper, synthetic and organic materials from a variety of artists. Opening from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8.

Free. 760-480-4101, escondidoarts.org Ross Jaylo: Blinding Darkness at Distinction Gallery, 317 E Grand Ave. Suite A, Escondido. The oil painter will showcase new and previous works, which dabble in surrealism with a heavy emphasis on skulls and bodies. Opening from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8. Free. 760-7072770, distinctionart.com Asher at Vivid Space SD, 2420 India St., Little Italy. The first solo show by artist Sarah King, which takes its name from the artist’s son and features paintings inspired by her experience as a mother. Opening from 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8. Free.

760-330-7865, vividspacesd.com Erotic & Sensual Art Exhibition at The iN Gallery, 1878 Main St., Barrio Logan.

An adults-only art show by seven artists in conjunction with this month’s Barrio Art Crawl. Plus live jazz music, exotic cars and drinks. Artists include Larry Caveney, Michelle Ferrera, Irina Negulescu and more.

RSVP required. Opening from 6 to 10 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 8. Free. 619-278-8410, facebook.com/events/1707560909291724 Pussy Galore at the Brown Building, 4133 Poplar St., City Heights. An art show at the Azalea Park LGBTQ haven featuring cat-themed works in various media by Gini Mann-Deibert. Opening from 6 to 10 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 8. Free. 858-609-0983, thebrownbuilding.org HThe Ghost I Love the Most at Southwestern College Art Gallery, 900 Otay Lakes Road, Chula Vista. New works from local artist Joe Yorty, who specializes in evocative assemblage sculptures. Opening from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8. swccd.edu HBarrio Art Crawl at Barrio Logan Arts District, 1878 Main St., Barrio Logan. A self-guided tour consisting of the open studios, galleries and local businesses of the Barrio Logan Arts District. Spaces include include Bread & Salt, Chicano Art Gallery and over a dozen more. From 5 to 10 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 8. Free. 619-366-9006, facebook.com/events/240543519943260 Fiction Kitchen at Thumbprint Gallery, 920 Kline St. #104, La Jolla. A solo exhibition from Zard Apuya who creates custom vinyl toys inspired by food, music, movies and pop culture. Opening from 5 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8. Free. thumbprintgallery.com

Rise to Climate March 12 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · SEPTEMBER 5, 2018

Ongina

H = CityBeat picks

HSomaiya Daud at Mysterious Galaxy Book Store, 5943 Balboa Ave., Ste. 100, Clairemont. The YA fantasy author will sign her debut novel, Mirage, as well as discussing it with fellow author Kiersten White. At 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 6. Free.

858-268-4747, mystgalaxy.com Craig Johnson at Warwick’s, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. The New York Times bestselling author of the Longmire mystery series will discuss and sign his new book, Depth of Winter. Only books purchased from Warwick’s will be signed. From 7:30 to 9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 7. Free. 858-4540347, warwicks.com Greg Van Eekhout at Mysterious Galaxy Book Store, 5943 Balboa Ave., Ste. 100, Clairemont. The author of the California Bones Trilogy will sign and discuss his new novel, Voyage of the Dogs. At 2 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 8. Free. 858-268-4747, mystgalaxy.com Jim Kempton at Warwick’s, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. The former editor and publisher of Surfer magazine and current president of the California Surf Museum will discuss and sign his new cookbook, First We Surf, Then We Eat. From 7:30 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 11. Free. 858-4540347, warwicks.com/event HPeter Blauner at Mysterious Galaxy Book Store, 5943 Balboa Ave., Ste. 100, Clairemont. The bestselling novelist and TV writer will sign and discuss his latest Lourdes Robles crime novel, Sunrise Highway. At 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 12.

Free. 858-268-4747, mystgalaxy.com HMiriam Pawel at Warwick’s, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. The National Book Critics Circle Award finalist and a Pulitzer Prizewinning editor and reporter will discuss and sign her new book, The Browns of California.

From 7:30 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 12.

Free. 858-454-0347, warwicks.com

DANCE HThe Rosin Box at The Geoffrey Off Broadway, 923 First Ave., Gaslamp. Three shows of brand new work and never before seen ballets from the dancers of City Ballet of San Diego. At 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 7 and Saturday, Sept. 8, and 5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 9. $25. 858-2728663, therosinboxproject.com

FOOD & DRINK HTaste of Del Mar at Del Mar Village Association, 1104 Camino Del Mar, Del Mar. Try over 20 restaurants who will be serving up bites of some of their signature dishes. There will also be over 15 “sip stops” at various breweries and wine shops along Camino Del Mar area. From 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 6. $35-$50. visitdelmarvillage.com Play on the Bay at Loews Coronado Bay Resort, 4000 Coronado Bay Road, Coronado. Mike Hess Brewing will be creating two specialty seasonal beers unique to this event where guests can also enjoy food, drinks, live music, a silent auction and more to support local education. From 6 to 9 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 7. $100. 619-424-4000, loewshotels.com/coronado-bay-resort HCoasterra Wine Festival at Coasterra Restaurant, 880 Harbor Island Drive, Harbor Island. Wine tasting from vineyards around the world, with special events like

EVENTS CONTINUED ON PAGE 13 @SDCITYBEAT

EVENTS EVENTS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12 a blind tasting challenge, wine blending and grape crushing. Plus complimentary hors d’oeuvres and street tacos. From 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8. $36. 619-8141300, cohnrestaurants.com/coasterra Carlsbad Brewfest at Holiday Park, Chestnut Ave. & Pio Pico Drive, Carlsbad.

The annual Oktoberfest event will feature more than thirty craft brewers, as well as live music, games, and local restaurants offering up pair-worthy dishes. From noon to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8. $20-$55.

760-602-7513, carlsbadbrewfest.org H10 Perfect Bites at Hotel Republic, 421 W B St., Downtown. Enjoy a 10-course tasting menu of gourmet bites from San Diego’s top chefs as guests make their way around a hotel ballroom to taste inspired bites, starting with light dishes, progressing to heavier bites and ending with dessert. From noon to 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 9. $50-$60. friendlyfeast.org

The Non-Standard Lit poetry reading series welcomes Lambda Literary Award finalist Julian Talamantez Brolaski (Of Mongrelitude) and Flarf Collective member Rodney Koeneke (Body & Glass). From 8 to 10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 7. Free. 619-5017466, verbatim-books.com

SPECIAL EVENTS HTall Tales and International Speech Contest at Normal Heights Community Center, 4649 Hawley Blvd., Normal Heights. A two-part contest in which contestants can either present a speech on a topic that is highly exaggerated and improbable in theme or plot or present a five to seven minute speech on any subject they choose. From 6 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 6. Free. toastmasters7.org

First Thursday at The Lafayette at The Lafayette Swim Club & Bungalows, 2223 El Cajon Blvd., North Park. Enjoy a ’90sthemed night full of music from DJ Leeds, temporary tattoos, coloring stations for kids and adults, cocktails, photo booths and shopping featuring local makers. All ages. From 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 6. Free. sandiegomade.org Trolley Dance Art Exhibit and Dance Previews at The White Box, 2590 Truxtun Road #205, Liberty Station. Artists from the Arts District Liberty Station have collaborated with the San Diego Dance Theater to present previews of the Trolley Dances dance performances, as well as art works inspired by the dances by artists such as June Rubin. At 5 p.m. Friday, Sept. 7. Free. sandiegodancetheater.org

Cardiff Greek Festival 2018 at Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church, 3459 Manchester Ave., Cardiff.

Celebrate this festival in its 40th year with pastries, award winning Greek folk dancers, church tours, music, cooking demos, wine, beer, the Pad Squad, kid games, a market deli and more. From 10 a.m to 9 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8. Free-$3. 760942-0920, cardiffgreekfestoval.com HEl Callejón Swap Meet at Bread & Salt, 1955 Julian Ave., Logan Heights.

This seasonal neighborhood swap will feature local and bi-national musicians, DJs, food and drink vendors, collectors and artists selling furniture, vintage apparel, art, vinyl and more as well as art installations by Dieslow, Panca and more.

From noon to 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept.

8. Free. elcallejonproject.com

HSouth Bay PRIDE Art & Music Festival at Chula Vista Bayside Park, 999 Bayside Pkwy., Chula Vista. Enjoy live entertainment with music on two stages, Art in the Park featuring local artists, beer and wine vendors, a Children’s Area and more. From noon to 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8. Free. southbaypride.org HRise for Climate March at City Hall, 202 C St., Downtown. In anticipation of the upcoming Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco, thousands of San Diegans will gather and join climate advocates worldwide in calling for a rapid transition to clean energy. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8. rise4climate.org

EVENTS CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

HHops for Heroes Beer Fest at Grand Ole BBQ y Asado, 3302 32nd St., North Park. Tasters from local breweries and a silent auction to benefit the Road Warriors Foundation, which supports injured and ill veterans. From 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 11. $40-$50. roadwarrior.org/beer HThe Heart of PB Restaurant Walk at various locations. A self-guided food tour of Pacific Beach restaurants located between Dawes and Lamont Streets. Vegetarian options available. From 4 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 12. $25-$30. pacificbeach.org

MUSIC Felix y Los Gatos at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido, 340 N. Escondido Blvd., Escondido. The First Wednesdays concert series returns with the Latin-influenced zydeco band from New Mexico.

From 6 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 5.

Free-$12. 760-839-4138, artcenter.org Marisela at the San Diego Civic Theatre, 1100 Third Ave., Downtown. Often referred to as “La Dama de Hierro” and the “Latin Madonna,” the pop star known for hits like “Sin Él” brings her seductive live show to town. At 8:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 7. $45$115. 619-570-1100, sandiegotheatres.org HSan Diego Blues Festival at Embarcadero Marina Park North, 400 Kettner Blvd., Downtown. This family-friendly event will feature nine musical acts on two stages, local craft beer, cocktails and wine, specialty food trucks, and arts and crafts vendors. The Food Bank asks all attendees to bring two cans of food to donate.

From noon to 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8.

Free-$250. sdbluesfest.com

POETRY & SPOKEN WORD The Kowit Poetry Competition: A Two-Part Conversation and Workshop with Molly Larson Cook at San Diego Writers, Ink, 2730 Historic Decatur Road, #202, Liberty Station. Participants will review significant elements of poetry, look at previous winning poems for this competition and others by award-winning poets and consider the nature of poetry competitions. From noon to 2 p.m.

Thursday, Sept. 6. $60-$72. 619-6960363, sandiegowriters.org HLong Story Short: Spooked at Rooted Kava Bar, 1731 University Ave., Hillcrest. So Say We All’s monthly storytelling night where anyone is welcome to tell a five minute story about something spooky. From 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, Sept.

6. $5 suggested donation. 619-220-0097, sosayweallonline.com HTalamantez Brolaski + Koeneke at Verbatim Books, 3793 30th St., North Park.

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SEPTEMBER 5, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 13

BOOKS: THE FLOATING LIBRARY

EVENTS EVENTS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13 HDogFest Walk ‘n’ Roll San Diego at NTC Park, 2455 Cushing Road, Liberty Station. Grab furry friends for festivities, graduate speakers, dog demonstrations, music, food and more to celebrate the community of people and dogs that make it possible for Canine Companions to place assistance dogs to people with disabilities.

From 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8.

Free. cci.org/dogfestsandiego HSurf Dog Surf-a-Thon at Del Mar Dog Beach, 3200 Camino Del Mar, Del Mar. Come watch some water-happy dogs catch some waves (along with their owners) at this annual competition. Includes vendors, food, and costume contests. Proceeds benefit Helen Woodward Animal Center. From 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 9. Free. 858755-1556, animalcenter.org HSuds & Science: We Could, But Should We? at Stone Brewing World Bistro & Garden Liberty Station, 2816 Historic Decatur Road #116, Point Loma. Enjoy a beer while sociology professor Dr. John Evans walks patrons through the ethical debate surrounding human genetic modification. From 6:30 to 8 p.m. Monday, Sept. 10. $5. 619-232-2721, rhfleet.org

TALKS & DISCUSSIONS HAnd Here We Are—A Nature Story with Bil Zelman at the Museum of Photographic Art, 1649 El Prado, Balboa Park.

Renowned photographer Zelman will present images from his travels around the world and discuss how they reveal the dawning of mass extinctions caused by humans. From 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 6. $5-$20. 619-238-7559, mopa.org

14 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · SEPTEMBER 5, 2018

Guns, Comic-Con & surfing bulldogs

I

n Lisa Brackmann’s stunning new political thriller, Black Swan Rising (published this week

by Midnight Ink), television news reporter Casey Cheng’s greatest fear is being assigned a story about surfing bulldogs.

Not that she has anything against them. They’re cute, and the audience loves them. But among Casey’s cohorts in the San Diego news business, a “surfing bulldog” is a derogatory term for a story with no consequence. It’s essentially fluff used to fill the time after the important stories are done. If you’re doing a surfing bulldog story, someone else is covering the real news.

Casey Cheng certainly gets her wish to cover a real story though. While covering an active shooter incident on Morena Boulevard, she finds herself in the crosshairs.

“The bullet had knocked her to the ground. The burning came next, the excruciating pain, the wet, warm spread of blood on her back.”

Casey survives to find herself in the middle of a conspiracy involving a controversial graphic novel and the political campaign of a local Congressman.

She is no longer just covering the news; she is part of the story.

Casey is one of the novel’s three narrators. The others are Lindsey Cason, wife of Congressman Matt Cason, who represents a fictional district in Clairemont and Kearny Mesa, and Sarah Price, a campaign staffer with a dark secret that could upend the en-

tire campaign. These women tell the story of the violence sweeping through San Diego that may be linked to a graphic novel with fascist undertones.

Brackmann, who is the New York Times bestselling author of the Ellie McEnroe series set in China, lives in San Diego and writes convincingly in the book about local news, craft beer and the San Diego Padres. There’s even a scene set at Comic Con. “130,000 people attended the Con, and that number didn’t include people without tickets who came downtown for the open events or just to hang out and soak up the atmosphere. All those people in costume, crowded into a convention center and the blocks of the Gaslamp downtown… hundreds of thousands of them. People in masks, in helmets, walking around with swords and blasters… you couldn’t make that situation totally secure.”

But it’s Blackmann’s knowledge of how trolls coordinate their online, misogynistic attacks that sets the novel apart. Her use of tweets and viral video accounts make Black Swan Rising read like a particularly dark chapter of a perilous future.

Lisa Brackmann will sign and discuss Black Swan Rising at Mysterious Galaxy Books on Saturday, Sept. 15 at 3 p.m.

—Jim Ruland

Floating Library appears every other week.

@SDCITYBEAT

THEATER KEN JACQUES

Every Brilliant Thing

Life is brilliant

N

ine times out of 10, a theatrical production that leans heavily on audience participation is annoying. Sorry, but non-actors cannot act.

They’re even worse at improvisation.

That being said, Cygnet Theatre’s Every Brilliant Thing is definitely not annoying.

It’s not brilliant, though Ro Boddie, the endearing and indefatigable star of the 90-minute solo show, comes damned close.

The title of this play—adapted from a short story, brilliant—does not mean blindingly intelligent. In British parlance, “brilliant” means wonderful, and Every Brilliant Thing was written by Englishman Duncan Macmillan, along with Dublin-born comedian Jonny Donahoe. In the hands of Boddie and director Rob Lutfy, Every Brilliant Thing transcends its British roots. It’s a story for the world, effusively told, and bearing the message that life is worth living.

And it’s brilliant for a million reasons.

Why a million? That’s how many brilliant things Boddie’s unnamed master of ceremonies lists during the show, including everything from “ice cream” to “hugs” to “laughing so hard something comes out your nose.” The impetus for the list is his character’s mother’s attempted suicides, which haunt him from childhood through his 20s and beyond.

The novelty of this production is the audience recruitment and engagement.

Before the performance, Boddie circulates within the Old Town Theatre lobby and chooses participants who, during the play, are called upon for tasks. These tasks are as minor as shouting out something on the list when prompted, or as conspicuous as portraying people in the narrator’s life by speaking lines fed to them or spontaneously. The success of all this depends on each performance’s audience members. In any situation, Boddie is poignant and unflappable, and so tireless that at one point he even runs around the theater giving everyone in the crowd a high-five.

It seems like Every Brilliant Thing would work just as well with sound effects and

@SDCITYBEAT

screen projections, thereby avoiding potentially awkward “performances” by patrons. The participants undoubtedly enjoy these bits more than do non-participatory theatergoers. Still, whatever its devices, Every Brilliant Thing honestly confronts the incomprehensibility of suicide while affirming the priceless value of living.

Every Brilliant Thing runs through Sept. 16 at the Old Town Theatre. $25$60; cygnettheatre.com

—David L. Coddon

Theater reviews run weekly.

Write to davidc@sdcitybeat.com.

OPENING: Fun Home: The musical adaptation of Alison Bechdel’s game-changing graphic novel about coming to terms with her father’s hidden sexuality as well as her own. Presented by San Diego Repertory Theatre, it opens Sept. 6 at the Lyceum Theatre in the Gaslamp. sdrep.org The Heart of Rock & Roll: The world premiere musical—featuring the hits of Huey Lewis and the News—tells the story of Bobby, a blue-collar Chicagoan who reluctantly gives up his dreams of rock stardom to make it in corporate America. It opens Sept. 6 at the Old Globe Theatre in Balboa Park. theoldglobe.org Communicating Doors: Alan Ayckbourn’s comic thriller about three women, each of them involved in a murder, who all have the same hotel suite in common. Presented by Scripps Ranch Theatre, it opens Sept. 7 at the Legler Benbough Theatre at Alliant International University in Scripps Ranch. scrippsranchtheatre.org Mamma Mia!: A young woman searches for her real father in the days leading up to her wedding, all set to the pop anthems of ABBA. It opens Sept. 7 at the Welk Resorts Theatre in Escondido. welkresorts.com/san-diego/theatre Chicago: Bob Fosse’s iconic musical about a nightclub singer who murders her husband and the lawyer who turns her trial into a media circus. Presented by Moonlight Stage Productions, it opens Sept. 12 at the Moonlight Amphitheatre in Vista. moonlightstage.com

For complete theater listings, visit sdcitybeat.com

SEPTEMBER 5, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 15

PHOTOS COURTESY OF TED MEYER

CULTURE | ART

Clockwise from left: Kathleen Mitchell in “Scalping Scar,” Diane Weiss in “Double Mastectomy,” Ted Meyer n a photograph by Los Angeles-based Art Gallery through Sept. 20, with an artist artist Ted Meyer, Joy Mincey Powell reception taking place Sept. 5 from 5 to 7 p.m.

Currently the artist in residence at USC looks over her shoulder at the viewer in her wheelchair, her bare back exposed. Keck School of Medicine, Meyer has long foShe poses in front of a teal backdrop, cused on the intersection of art and medicine. He was inspired to create with a calm expression and LARA MCCAFFREY Scarred for Life when he met long blue streak painted on her Mincey Powell at one of his art back. The streak covers a scar, a openings in Los Angeles. For permanent reminder of the acmost of Meyer’s artistic career, cident that left her paralyzed. he’d been creating art about Still, the accident didn’t his own illness, a rare genetic stop Mincey Powell from condisorder called Gaucher distinuing her career as a dancer ease, which affects joints and and actor. Rather, she inteorgans. Meyer was able to live grated her wheelchair into her a fairly normal life after receivart. The photograph, accoming a new treatment but ran panied by a narrative of her out of subject matter to make story and a print of her scar, art about. Mincey Powell contell the story of how she has vinced him to keep documentpersevered. ing medical issues and health This piece was the first of many that became Meyer’s “Scalping Scar” through art.

“I thought about it, and I series, Scarred for Life: Every

by Ted Meyer called her up the next day and Picture Tells a Story. The series documents medical scars and the stories asked if I could print her,” says Meyer. “My of personal resilience behind them. The se- entire life sort of changed due to that conries will be shown at San Diego Mesa College versation.”

16 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · SEPTEMBER 5, 2018

Twenty years of gathering images and stories resulted in almost 100 artistically enhanced monoprints and accompanying photographs with personal narratives written by the subjects. Before beginning a piece, Meyer talks to the subject about their accident or illness that caused the scar and their life after the fact. He then prints subjects’ scars using a water-based ink, and paints over that with prismacolor, gouache and colored pencils to create a colorful, abstract image.

“I try to add some of the details into the scar,” says Meyer. “Some of them have a lot of the narrative information drawn back into it. Some of the veterans, you see explosions, you see agent orange—you see things like that.”

His process has changed over the years, eventually adding a personal narrative superimposed over a photograph. The narrative, written by the subjects, describes who they are and how they’ve persevered through their accidents and illnesses. The photographs show ink still on the subjects, hiding their scars.

“The reason for that is that I don’t really want the focus to be on what’s happened to the body,” says Meyer. “It lets you look at

the body and think: ‘It’s beautiful, it’s colorful.’ We can celebrate what’s going on.”

To find subjects, Meyer first started by asking people he knew to participate but he says now individuals from all over the world have reached out to him asking for him to print their scars. Meyer does not charge for any of these sessions, nor are any of his pieces for sale.

Some past and current San Diego residents will be shown in the exhibition at Mesa College. There are prints of mastectomy scars from a breast cancer patient, a soldier with scars from warfare and a girl that had spina bifida. There’s also renowned San Diego sculptor Kathleen Mitchell, who sat for a print after she was scalped by the spindle on her lathe machine used for glass blowing in 2015.

For Mitchell, participating in Scarred for Life made her feel vulnerable—no one had seen her scar then except her doctor, her husband and her hairdresser. However, she says documenting her scar with Meyer was necessary to help her emotional healing process. Mitchell’s photo shows Meyer, who has scars on her head and her leg where doctors took a skin graft, sitting with the scars painted in green. Her print, also in green, shows colorful embellishments.

“The first time I saw it was in the Oceanside Museum of Art, and I stood in front of it and cried,” says Mitchell. “It’s definitely a very healing thing to visualize something that I view so ugly as something very beautiful now.”

Meyer says the feedback he’s gotten over the years been tremendous.

“When I started the project, I really wanted something in my life at that point that was not based on ‘did you make a sale,’” says Meyer. “The success has been those people that write me from Africa or Europe... or someone from New York writing saying ‘this artwork has changed how I look at my scar and my body image and I never thought of it as a marker of my survival before and that my story was important.’”

Mesa College Art Gallery director, Alessandra Moctezuma, says she and Meyer discussed hosting the show at the Oceanside Museum of Art exhibition, but she felt the series would be meaningful to Mesa College’s diverse student population.

“I think that the exhibition can connect with anybody who’s gone through challenges in life,” says Moctezuma. “You could also translate this to emotional scars and how we can use art to deal with some of those issues. A few of the scars that are here are physical scars, but they’re actually caused by PTSD or other emotional issues.”

Meyer says he plans to continue his series forever, which, in a way, gives the name of the project a whole new meaning. During another showing of Scarred for Life, Meyer was moved when he witnessed a woman burst into tears when she saw a print of a subject that had melanoma. Her daughter had died from the same type of cancer.

“I was shaken because this stuff really is affecting people on a level that nothing I’ve ever done has,” says Meyer. “That was the point when I decided I’m going to do this forever as long as people want to see it, but mostly as long as people feel they need it as part of their healing process.”

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CULTURE | FILM

My story

Madeline’s Madeline

Coming-of-age drama destroys conventional notions of authorship

by Glenn Heath Jr.

M

adeline’s Madeline begins with what feels with dangerous and poetic body movements in spaces like an out-of-body experience. During the beyond the stage. Instead of depicting this process as woozy opening moments of the film, an un- grotesque or overtly symbolic, Madeline’s Madeline named nurse peers deeply into the camera as if con- translates the young woman’s undercurrent of rage ducting last rites on a patient. Her voice, befitting of a into lyrical self-expression and acts of resistance.

Caught in a briar patch of adult egos and insechant, proclaims to the audience, “What you’re experiencing is just a metaphor.” Surrounded by darkness curities, Madeline finds that being alone gives her and illuminated by one blinding key light, the woman the peace and quiet to figure things out. Regina and speaks from a dreamscape that exists beyond that of Evangeline rarely allow for contemplative space, often inundating Madeline with requests and worrisome the natural world. But whose dream exactly?

The question of perspective is crucial to this illu- questions that are entirely self-serving. The pressure sive and challenging film that nimbly moves between eventually becomes too much for even Madeline’s feltones with the ease of a fleet-footed feline. It tells the low actors to bear, leading to an astounding final clistory of Madeline (Helena Howard), a volatile teen- max that recalibrates the power dynamic permanently.

Decker stages this coup with an audacious set piece ager living in New York City who has recently been released from a psychiatric ward after being commit- that celebrates the boundless possibilities of an artted by her overprotective mother Regina (Miranda ist freed from all social constraints. In this moment, Madeline’s Madeline rebuts DarJuly). Director Josephine Decker ren Aronofsky’s brazenly oafish depicts Madeline’s reentry into treatment of the female gaze in society with fervent haziness, MADELINE’S Mother!, another film obsessed blurring imagery and fracturing with the power of symbolism. scenes with non-linear editing.

MADELINE Put another way, this rousing At first, these experimental Directed by Josephine Decker coming-of-age story directly conaesthetics suggest Madeline’s Starring Helena Howard, fronts the limitations of auteurcrisis of identity could be perMiranda July and Molly Parker ism, which argues that the artist manently damaging. Visions of any film is its director. In fact, of domestic violence bleed toRated R this very review has suggested gether with stressful arguments.

Decker is solely responsible for It’s unclear which of these have been conjured up by the girl’s imagination and what the film’s onscreen successes, but the truth is that Madhas actually happened. Stress remains a constant in eline’s Madeline (opening Friday, Sept. 7 at Landmark’s Madeline’s life, which is why Regina initially support- Hillcrest Cinema and Angelika Carmel Mountain) repreed her decision to join an experimental theatre troupe sents a collective achievement—one that embraces the pitfalls and scars inherent with cinematic collaboration. led by Evangeline (Molly Parker).

By the end, the greatest modern horror it depicts is Madeline’s participation in the group dynamic provides distance and safety from the potentially being a slave to someone else’s shoddy vision. This aptragic situation at home. However, Evangeline quickly plies to all strata of human interaction, from the poiproves herself to be opportunistic and manipulative, sonous barbs of modern politics to the all-consuming using her young star’s confidential confessions to re- stranglehold of digital technology. This is why the draft the play’s focus and intention. Torn between a ending feels so revolutionary in its ability to present mother who’s fraying at the seams and a manipula- youthful empowerment as a reckoning of movement tive mentor with selfish intensions, Madeline begins and confrontation. Despite the limitations and aggressions of the adult world, Madeline finally takes back to break down emotionally.

The thorny situation fuels a larger examination control of her own narrative and starts living up to the of authorship and ownership in relation to traumatic film title’s galvanizing, empowering apostrophe. memories. Decker meticulously traces the psychological impact both adults have on Madeline’s persona, Film reviews run weekly. and how this uncertainty allows for experimentations Write to glennh@sdcitybeat.com

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SEPTEMBER 5, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 17

CULTURE | FILM

Good Manners

Wolf children

A

ll monster movies are outcast stories on some level.

No matter the size or lethal skill set, popular leviathans such as Frankenstein and Godzilla represent a breach of normal societal rule that results in acts of violence and death. Watching the forces of chaos and control collide helps reveal the dire consequences of pervasive alienation and fear.

Good Manners, a sly and ambitious new Brazilian oddity, does an extemporary job of exploring this dynamic through genre revisionism and subtle political critique. By infusing the classic werewolf story with undercurrents of class division, sexual awakening and eco-

18 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · SEPTEMBER 5, 2018

nomic unrest, it transcends horror movie clichés and astutely depicts the quiet terror of feeling invisible in the modern world.

Pregnant and alone, exiled socialite Ana (Marjorie Estiano) interviews potential nannies to help keep up her massive penthouse loft and baby prep. While unqualified on paper, Clara (Isabél Zuaa), a trained nurse in desperate need of employment, ends up getting the job thanks to her calming bedside manner.

Conventional wisdom would suggest these two women from very different backgrounds could never coexist personally or professionally. But the film’s first half

is a surprisingly beautiful examination of support and burgeoning emotion. Co-directors/writers Marco Dutra and Juliana Rojas drop the first signs of lychan influence during this section, and yet deeply felt character interactions give the horror movie tropes an added resonance.

To go into any further detail would risk spoiling the plot twists and tonal shifts that Good Manners (opening Friday, Sept. 7, at the Digital Gym Cinema in North Park) has to offer. But one would be remiss not to emphasis the film’s willful and loving dedication to the motif of sacrifice. Time and again characters put themselves on the line for each other, and sometimes the circumstances turn tragic. If the moonlit nights of São Paulo teach us anything, it’s that loving and losing are synonymous.

—Glenn Heath Jr.

OPENING Crime + Punishment: Compiled from four years’ worth of footage and audio recordings, filmmakers trace the lives and struggles of Black and Latino NYPD officers amidst a massive class action lawsuit.

Opens Friday, Sept. 7, at the Digital Gym Cinema in North Park.

Far From the Tree: A documentary that gives parents of children with Down syndrome, Autism and Dwarfism a voice to discuss the challenges their families face.

Opens Friday, Sept. 7, at the Digital Gym Cinema in North Park.

God Bless the Broken Road: Jordin Sparks and Lindsay Pulsipher star in this drama about a widowed, financially strapped waitress who meets a successful racecar driver. Opens in wide release Friday, Sept. 7.

Good Manners: A lonely São Paulo nurse is hired as a nanny by a wealthy woman, but a full moon changes their relationship forever. Opens Friday, Sept. 7, at the Digital Gym Cinema in North Park.

Madeline’s Madeline: A young teenager named Madeline (Helena Howard) is torn between an overprotective mother and a manipulative mentor. Opens Friday, Sept.

7, at Landmark’s Hillcrest Cinema and Angelika’s Carmel Mountain Cinemas.

Peppermint: Jennifer Garner plays a vengeful mother who hunts down all of the gang members who murdered her family years before.

We the Animals: Three imaginative mixed-race siblings struggle to retain their childhood dreams while their parents deal with their own emotional and financial problems. Opens Friday, Sept. 7, at Angelika’s Carmel Mountain Cinemas.

The Wife: Glenn Close stars as an unhappy woman who questions whether she should join her husband (Jonathan Pryce) on a trip to Stockholm. Opens Friday, Sept.

7, at the Landmark Hillcrest Cinemas.

For complete movie listings,

visit Film at sdcitybeat.com.

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HAYDEN MOLINAROLO

MUSIC

From left: Ricky Sampson, Conor Murphy, Eric Hudson and Jonathan Hellwig n 2015, an intern from CNN discovered a video that was meant to be broadcast in the event of the end of the world.

The clip was archived in the network’s system under the title TURNER DOOMSDAY VIDEO and is only a minute long, depicting a brass band performing the hymn “Nearer My God To Thee.” On the surface, the clip is short and devoid of context, but with the knowledge of what it was made for makes it a strangely morbid thing to watch. And that hymn has a lot to do with it.

“Nearer My God to Thee” was also reportedly the last thing the musicians aboard the Titanic played before it sank, and it has been played at the funerals of former U.S. Presidents. It’s a song that’s inextricably tied to death, which is immediately why St. Louis indie rock group Foxing thought of it when it came to naming their apocalyptic-themed third album, Nearer My God. “‘Nearer My God to Thee,’ historically...has such disastrous context,” says vocalist Conor Murphy. “I grew up Catholic, and I am a very ex-Christian now. But those are my childhood horror stories. To me, they’re how people think about Brothers Grimm fairy tales. Fiction or nonfiction— whether you are a Christian scientist or believe the bible is history, or even just looking at it as a piece of literature—it’s

fucking frightening. There’s a lot of scary shit in there.”

The existential terror of staring headfirst into an oncoming apocalypse permeates the 12 tracks on Nearer My God. Murphy, guitarists Eric Hudson and Ricky Sampson, and drummer Jonathan Hellwig crafted at once their prettiest and most ambitious album to date, as well as their darkest. Aided by producer Chris Walla, formerly of Death Cab for Cutie, the band build up their own art-rock symphony on the deck of a metaphorical Titanic, scoring their own internalized panic as the threats of climate change, global tensions and homegrown fascism escalate.

The sound of panic can be heard in the tense, fast-moving rhythms of “Gameshark,” wherein Murphy describes the futility of preparing for the end: “It’s like a seat belt/Against a hurricane/You’re in first class/Against a tail spin.”

In the gorgeously dreamy “Crown Candy,” Murphy works through the thought process of believing in God for the sake of hedging his bets, while on the stunning, sprawling “Five Cups,” he repeats the phrase, “I want to drive with my eyes closed.” There aren’t any solutions to be found here, just sol-

ace for listeners who might be going through a similar state of panic.

“We’re right here at the beginning of the apocalypse and we’re making it worse,” Murphy says, though he doesn’t let himself off the hook. “And we are admittedly just as big of a problem as anyone else. But rather than offering solutions that we don’t have, the goal for us was to reflect the anxieties of being out of control and watching all of this happen.

Just being a bystander during the apocalypse. Because that’s what we are. With (Radiohead’s) Hail to the Thief or even something like Creedence Clearwater Revival, one of the nicest things about those records isn’t that they say ‘here’s what we should do,’ it’s ‘here’s how I feel,’ and it makes me feel like it’s not just me that’s going crazy.”

The sense of panic on Nearer My God also comes from a more personal place, however. By Murphy’s own admission, the band almost broke up before they started working on the album, and he’s candid about what band members have had to sacrifice to make their careers work. On the title track, for instance, Murphy sings of, “Unfollowing my dead friends,” referencing the loved ones who have died while he was on tour. These are the types of events that make him question what he does. The band’s response to asking these questions was to put even more energy into what they do. If they’re going to do it, they’re going to give it everything they have.

“We’ve gone through a lot of shit,” he says. “We’ve done a lot of sacrificing for the band. We’ve all had relationships end. Missed funerals and weddings. There’s all this stuff we’re missing, and it’s a constant thing where you’re asking yourself, ‘am I just being greedy, trying to live out this weird childhood dream that I don’t even feel like I’m accomplishing? Am I doing any fucking good to anyone other than myself?’

“But this record is a complete turning point for me and I think the rest of the band, where I thought, ‘you know what?

This is important,’” he adds. “We’re not changing somebody’s life, but we’re doing what we truly love, and we’re proud of our career. I feel honored to be part of something with the other people in this band.”

To a degree, Nearer My God is a litany of fears, but it’s something the band spent several years on and pushed themselves to play and sound better than they ever have. Still, this leads to another fear that Murphy’s had for a while: that people might not like it.

“We were really worried about it,” he says.

“The scary thing wasn’t how people would react based on it being good or not. We loved making this so much, and we were so proud of what we had when it was over, that I think the scariest thing was thinking that what we like is something that other people don’t like.

And that something we’re proud of is something nobody could connect with. The fear is that maybe we were making something that was only for us. But it’s given us a lot of confidence going forward to keep making songs that we like. And hopefully, people will follow us there.”

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

SEPTEMBER 5, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 19

MUSIC

BY RYAN BRADFORD

NOTES FROM THE SMOKING PATIO

THE

SPOTLIGHT

LOCALS ONLY

BRANTLEY GUTIERREZ

C

inematic Arts & Sound is holding a special event to celebrate the music and art of singer/songwriter Daniel Johnston. On Saturday, Sept. 8, the Oceanside art institution will host the Daniel Johnston Arts and Music Festival. The event starts at 4 p.m. and goes until 10, and will feature more than 50 pieces of original art from Johnston’s personal collection. Additionally, there will be different musicians performing songs from throughout Johnston’s career, though Johnston himself will not be in attendance.

Director of Education Jason Steck says that the idea came to him kind of by accident.

“We were doing an event, and I was looking at the art, and one of the pieces seemed to be inspired by Daniel Johnston,” he says. “I decided to reach out to Daniel Johnston’s family, and worked it out with his brother. So he helped me set this up— they’ve done this across the world.”

In addition to the music and art, the event will also feature a screening of documentary The Devil and Daniel Johnston in the Cinematic Arts & Sound theater as well as the short film,

ALBUM REVIEW The Havnauts GO FOR IT! (Self-released)

T

he first time I saw The Havnauts live, they left a pretty big impression. Part of it was the surprise of hearing The Midnight Pine’s Shelbi Bennett, a singer with a typically gorgeous and subtle vocal style, go fully punk rock. I was a fan right from the jump—they even graced the cover of CityBeat before releasing more than a single or two. Suffice it to say this is one release that I’ve been anticipating for a long time, so it’s great to finally see a six-song EP materialize. And GO FOR IT! is an absolute blast.

The Havnauts are, first and foremost, a kickass live band, and as such it’s only fitting that their debut EP capture that energy and attitude. GO FOR IT! essentially sounds live, all four musicians wailing away at their instruments and sounding like they’re having the time of their lives while doing it. All of these songs are short, sharp and sufficiently snotty, though it’s not that they’re all straightforward punk or garage songs.

20 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · SEPTEMBER 5, 2018

Hi, How Are You?. Proceeds from the event will be donated to the Hi, How Are You? Foundation, created with the support of Johnston and his family, which promotes education and support for mental health. Johnston, despite having a long and prolific career, spent time in mental institutions and was diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

“Despite his setbacks, he was able to JACKIE LEE YOUNG create so much art and transcend his circumstances and have a meaningful life,” Steck says. “Literally everyone on earth is affected by mental health issues.”

Johnston, who is based in Austin, has become a cult figure in underground music, championed by artists such as Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain and fellow Austinites the Butthole Surfers. Likewise, Steck says that influence spreads to the San Diego music comDaniel Johnston munity, as Johnston’s art has a quality that, while perhaps not universal, resonates with other artists.

“A lot of artists connect with him,” he says. “He has a way of making art and beauty out of darkness.”

More info at cinematicartsandsound.com.

—Jeff Terich

As loud and as immediate as the band has a tendency to be, they layer these songs with subtle details that give them an added depth beyond their initial hooks.

Those hooks are pretty stellar, though. “Gained Weight” begins the EP with a tirade about—what else—how much it sucks to have gained weight. “My mom the diplomat tells me I don’t look fat,” sings Bennett just before the band starts tearing into a barn-burning two-minute punk ripper. The title track comes next, and it’s stylistically the farthest from that opener, a slow-moving, sludgier and more psychedelic track that spans twice the length of “Gained Weight.” In between, the band finds a wide range of stylistic approaches, from the twinkly guitar riffs of “Woke Up Late” to the fuzzy chug of “Don’t Have the Time,” and the Blue Oyster Cult-style rock anthem of “No Summer Vacation.”

By the time they make their way to the relatively restrained closer “Ghosts,” The Havnauts have earned the opportunity to breathe a bit. Though even their least hard-charging song is overflowing with energy and emotion. It’s refreshing to hear a band that sounds punk as fuck but still give a shit. GO FOR IT! is a fine introduction to The Havnauts, and more than lives up to their super fun live show.

—Jeff Terich

A

Foo Fighters

t CityBeat, we do our best to clue our readers in on new, exciting and challenging music and artists, because, ultimately, we want to make you smarter. We feel that engaging with weird, strange and dark genres of music results in a deeper appreciation of the art form and furthers your personal growth. That may sound a little didactic—maybe even naive—but we strive to make you better music lovers.

And that’s why, for the past couple years, the lineup for the KAABOO Del Mar music fest hasn’t exactly excited us. With headliners like Red Hot Chili Peppers, P!nk and Muse—as well as boasting luxurious accommodations—KAABOO has sometimes felt less like a festival for music fans and more like a resort for people who’ve accidentally listened to the radio a couple times (although we’re still bummed we missed Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers when they headlined).

This year, however, KAABOO is... very decent.

Foo Fighters are headlining this year, and they will no doubt bring some much-needed ruckus to the KAABOO stage. Even if you can’t stand Dave Grohl’s millionaire-rocker schtick there’s no denying the power of their first album or songs like “Everlong.”

Jimmy Eat World is also playing. Taylor Swift recently lip-synced their hit “The Middle” in an Apple commercial, thereby bringing them back into the public consciousness, but the real emo kids know that they’ve created a lot of great music since then.

Katy Perry’s another headliner and she’s... well, she’s Katy Perry. But Robert Plant will be there, and that’s dope AF. KAABOO Del Mar goes down Sept. 14-16 at the Del Mar Fairgrounds.

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SEPTEMBER 5, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 21

MUSIC

JEFF TERICH

IF I WERE U A music insider’s weekly agenda WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 5

PLAN A: Leon Bridges, Maesgo @ Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre.

Leon Bridges’ new album Good Thing is a change of pace from the vintage ’60s-style soul on his debut. He’s gone a little more neo-soul, with some sexier, funkier vibes reminiscent of Maxwell, and I’m super into it. BACKUP PLAN: Asmodeus, Strange Creature, Delahcruz, Rivalry, Gabonano @ SPACE.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 6

PLAN A: Pinback @ The Casbah. I’m sure most readers won’t require much catching up on Pinback. They’ve been playing great indie rock for 20 years, and we’re extremely fortunate that they’re still at it. PLAN B: Ecstatic Union, Stephanie Brown and the Surrealistics, Purple Mountains Majesties, Pharlee @ Soda Bar. Ecstatic Union play super fun, upbeat power-pop with a bit of a ’70s streak, and they do it while wearing colorful suits. Highly recommended for those who like a rock band with chops, but not one that takes themselves too seriously. BACKUP PLAN: The Dodges, Le Saboteur, Que Oso, M.I.T. @ Tower Bar.

easily one of my favorite local releases of the year. This is their release show, so prepare to bring a copy home after being mesmerized by their rich sounds. BACKUP PLAN: Mom Jeans, Just Friends, Shortly @ The Irenic.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 9

PLAN A: Kate Bush Dance Party w/ Baby Bushka @ The Casbah. Local Kate Bush tribute Baby Bushka are headed to the UK this fall, but before they do they’re playing one last local show. It’s a pretty elaborate production, and since we’ll probably never get Kate herself, this is a good close second.

PLAN B: Peter Case, Dead Rock West, Paloma Ceballos @ Bar Pink. Peter Case has played in a handful of great new wave bands including The Nerves and The Plimsouls, though since the ‘80s he’s been making solo records that range from rock to folk and country. And after all this time, he’s still writing great songs. BACKUP PLAN: E-40, Nef the Pharoah, OMB Peezy @ House of Blues.

SESSE LIND

FRIDAY, SEPT. 7

PLAN A: Poor, Inus, Fistfights With Wolves, OrchidxMantis @ Kensington Club. Local post-hardcore group Poor are pretty intense. Their sound is loud and furious, but with lots of complex rhythmic techniques.

It’s not too out of character for San Diego, but I’m glad someone’s still doing it. PLAN B: Sports, Keith Charles @ Soda Bar. Neither an actual sporting event nor a tribute to Huey Lewis, Sports play laid-back, sorta funky pop music with lots of synths and major ’80s Fleetwood Mac influences. BACKUP PLAN: The Red Pears, Jurassic Shark, Fashion Jackson, Bad Kids @ House of Blues Voodoo Room.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 8

PLAN A: Lee Fields and the Expressions @ Belly Up Tavern. I get a little weary of the retro-soul thing when so many younger performers are doing it, but Lee Fields has been making great, funky R&B longer than most. He also provided vocals to the James Brown biopic Get On Up, which is an indication of the kind of vocal chops he has.

They don’t call him “Little JB” for nothing.

PLAN B: Montalban Quintet @ Panama 66. I recently wrote a review of Montalban Quintet’s new album Under the River, and it’s

22 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · SEPTEMBER 5, 2018

Lee Fields

MONDAY, SEPT. 10

PLAN A: Mezzoa, Amigo @ Bar Pink.

Mondays can be a bit slow on the live music front. However, tonight two loud, heavy and badass stoner rock bands will be slinging riffs at Bar Pink, so that’s an easy one.

TUESDAY, SEPT. 11

PLAN A: Murder by Death, William Elliott Whitmore @ Belly Up Tavern. Indiana gothic country-punk outfit Murder by Death have been around for a pretty long time, but it seems like not enough people know their music. Their gloomy, haunted tunes often feature compelling narratives, somewhere between Johnny Cash and Nick Cave. PLAN B: Kommunity FK, DJs Vaughn Avakian, Javi Nunez @ Soda Bar. Los Angeles’ Kommunity FK helped to pioneer death rock, a theatrical spinoff of goth that dates all the way back to 1978. Darkening dancefloors for 40 years is surely something to celebrate.

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SEPTEMBER 5, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 23

MUSIC

CONCERTS HOT! NEW! FRESH!

U.S. Girls (Soda Bar, 10/17), Mouse on the Keys (Irenic, 10/25), Mac Ayres (Soda Bar, 11/1), Kuinka (Casbah, 11/8), Milo (SPACE, 11/8), Hoobastank (Observatory, 12/4), Aaron Lewis (HOB, 12/5), Chris Robinson Brotherhood (Observatory, 12/7), Valley Maker (Soda Bar, 12/12), The Cat Empire (HOB, 3/26), Kingston Trio (Balboa Theatre, 4/28).

GET YER TICKETS YOB (Brick by Brick, 9/14), Nothing (Soda Bar, 9/22), Grizzly Bear (Observatory, 9/24), First Aid Kit (Observatory, 9/25), Deep Purple, Judas Priest (Mattress Firm, 9/26), Little Hurricane (Casbah, 9/29), Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band (Observatory, 10/1), Courtney Barnett, Waxahatchee (Observatory, 10/3), Chelsea Wolfe, Russian Circles (Music Box, 10/3), Roky Erickson (Casbah, 10/5), Ozzy Osbourne (Mattress Firm, 10/9), Patterson Hood (Music Box, 10/12), Ozomatli (BUT, 10/13), Graham Nash (Humphreys, 10/13), Prayers (Observatory, 10/13), Alkaline Trio (HOB, 10/15), Sting and Shaggy (Harrahs SoCal, 10/16), The Joy Formidable (Casbah, 10/17), St. Lucia (Observatory, 10/17), The Lemon Twigs (Music Box, 10/19), D.R.I. (Brick by Brick, 10/20), Jay Rock (SOMA, 10/25), Dawes (Observatory, 10/29), Jim James (BUT, 11/1), Cloud Nothings (Casbah, 11/1),

Wolfmother (Observatory, 11/1), Maxwell (Humphreys, 11/2), Dia de los Deftones w/ Deftones, Future, Rocket from the Crypt (Petco Park, 11/3), Mac Miller (Open Air Theatre, 11/3), Lucero (Observatory, 11/7), Claudio Simonetti’s Goblin (Irenic, 11/7), Ghost (Spreckels Theatre, 11/12), Blitzen Trapper (BUT, 11/12), J Mascis (Soda Bar, 11/15), Joywave, Sir Sly (Observatory, 11/18), Every Time I Die (Observatory, 11/20), Cat Power (Observatory, 11/24), Municipal Waste (Brick by Brick, 11/25), How to Dress Well (Casbah, 11/27), Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus (Observatory, 11/29), Godflesh (Brick by Brick, 12/1), Fucked Up (Soda Bar, 12/5), Squirrel Nut Zippers (BUT, 12/6), Pale Waves (Irenic, 12/7), Neko Case, Destroyer (Observatory, 12/8), Fleetwood Mac (Viejas Arena, 12/8), Kurt Vile (Observatory, 12/9), Amine (Observatory, 12/11), Ministry (HOB, 12/18), Donavon Frankenreiter (BUT, 12/28-29), Jefferson Starship (BUT, 1/9-10), Bananarama (Observatory, 1/27).

SEPTEMBER WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 5 Leon Bridges at Open Air Theatre. Justin Hayward at Belly Up Tavern (sold out).

Samantha Fish at The Casbah (sold out).

Oscar Key Sung at Soda Bar.

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

FRIDAY, SEPT. 7 Australian Pink Floyd Show at Humphreys by the Bay (sold out). JJ Grey

24 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · SEPTEMBER 5, 2018

& Mofro at Belly Up Tavern. Big Sandy and His Fly-Rite Boys at The Casbah.

Sports at Soda Bar. The Red Pears at House of Blues Voodoo Room. Dread Mar I at Music Box.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 8 Rebelution at Mattress Firm Amphitheatre. Jade Bird at The Casbah. Lee Fields and the Expressions at Belly Up Tavern. 3 Doors Down, Collective Soul at Harrah’s SoCal. Jake Shimabukuro at Humphreys by the Bay. Mom Jeans. At The Irenic. We Are One at SOMA. Protoje at Music Box.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 9 E-40 at House of Blues. Ms. Lauryn Hill at Open Air Theatre. Kenny Wayne Shepherd at Belly Up Tavern (sold out).

Kate Bush Dance Party w/ Baby Bushka at The Casbah. Peter Case at Bar Pink. Ceramic Animal at Soda Bar. Tim Spann Memorial w/ Dead Rock West at The Casbah.

MONDAY, SEPT. 10 Kenny Wayne Shepherd at Belly Up Tavern. The Frets at The Casbah.

TUESDAY, SEPT. 11 Kommunity FK at Soda Bar. Murder

by Death at Belly Up Tavern. Bad Gyal at Music Box. Lyle Lovett at Humphreys by the Bay. The Score at House of Blues.

The Naked I at The Casbah.

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 12 Big Head Todd and the Monsters at Humphreys by the Bay. Azealia Banks at Music Box. Lost Dog Street Band at The Casbah. Todd Snider at Belly Up Tavern.

Unwed Sailor at Soda Bar.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 13 Rostam at Belly Up Tavern. Dreamers at The Irenic. Radio Moscow at The Casbah.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 14 Incite at SPACE. Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears at The Casbah. YOB at Brick by Brick. Miniature Tigers at Soda Bar. Rascal Flatts at Mattress Firm Amphitheatre. Rayland Baxter at Belly Up Tavern. Desert Dwellers at Music Box. The Pharcyde at Observatory North Park.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 15 Shoreline Mafia at SOMA. Tainted Love at Belly Up Tavern. Youth Brigade at Soda Bar. Dani Bell and the Tarantist at The Casbah. Brian Karscig at Broadstone North Park.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 16 Ghostface Killah, Raekwon at Observatory North Park. Foxing at The Casbah.

Whitney Shay at Belly Up Tavern. Oxbow at Soda Bar. Alex Skolnick Trio at Brick

by Brick.

MONDAY, SEPT. 17 Miguel at Open Air Theater. Gringo Star at The Casbah.

TUESDAY, SEPT. 18 Bryan John Appleby at Soda Bar. The Distillers at Observatory North Park (sold out). John Cleary at Belly Up Tavern.

Shane Hall at The Casbah.

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 19 The Shift at Belly Up Tavern. The Neighbourhood at Observatory North Park (sold out). Randy Jackson at Brick by Brick. Justin Linn and the Rotation at The Casbah.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 20 Thrice at House of Blues. The Spill Canvas at Soda Bar. Yungblud at The Casbah. Dean Ween Group at Belly Up Tavern.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 21 Needtobreathe at Open Air Theatre.

Kyng at Brick by Brick. Thrice at House of Blues. Dodie at The Irenic (sold out).

Island at The Casbah. Hazel English at Soda Bar.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 22 Patrick Sweany at SPACE. The Eagles at Petco Park. Nothing at Soda Bar. Schizophonics Soul Revue at The Casbah. Common Sense at Belly Up Tavern.

Macy Gray at Music Box. Captured by Robots at Brick by Brick.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 23 J. Roddy Walston and the Business at Belly Up Tavern. Eleanor Friedberger at The Casbah. Greta Van Fleet at Observatory North Park (sold out). Madeleine Peyroux at Music Box. The New Division at Soda Bar.

MONDAY, SEPT. 24 Woe at SPACE. Yuno at The Casbah.

MUSIC CONTINUED ON PAGE 25

@SDCITYBEAT

MUSIC MUSIC CONTINUED FROM PAGE 24 Grizzly Bear at Observatory North Park.

No Fun At All at Soda Bar.

TUESDAY, SEPT. 25 Amorphis at Brick by Brick. Boy George and Culture Club at Open Air Theatre.

First Aid Kit at Observatory North Park.

U-God at Soda Bar. Lincoln Durham at The Casbah. Inspired and the Sleep at Belly Up Tavern.

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 26 Houndmouth at Observatory North Park.

Boxer Rebellion at The Casbah. Deep Purple, Judas Priest at Mattress Firm Amphitheatre. Fat Nick at The Irenic.

Mustasch at Soda Bar.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 27 Loudon Wainwright III at Belly Up Tavern. The Real McKenzies at Soda Bar. Miss New Buddha at The Casbah. Jedi Mind Tricks at Music Box.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 28 The Wombats at House of Blues. Devotchka at Observatory North Park. Revocation at Brick by Brick. Jay Aston’s Gene Loves Jezebel at The Casbah.

The Early November at The Irenic. Terror at SOMA Sidestage. Assuming We Survive at House of Blues Voodoo Room.

Alice Insane at Music Box.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 29 Orgy at Brick by Brick. Little Hurricane at The Casbah. Ignite at Soda Bar. Oddisee and Evidence at Observatory North Park.

Creepxotica at Broadstone North Park.

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SUNDAY, SEPT. 30 Natalie Prass at The Casbah. Lost In Society at Soda Bar.

OCTOBER MONDAY, OCT. 1 Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band at Observatory North Park.

TUESDAY, OCT. 2 Ghostland Observatory at Music Box. Adult. at Soda Bar.

rCLUBSr

710 Beach Club, 710 Garnet Ave., Pacific Beach. Wed: Open mic. Thu: Karaoke. Fri: The Great Pumpkin, Epic. Sat: FUNKeDELiC. Sun: Karaoke. Tue: Rude Creation, The Gentle Giants.

Air Conditioned Lounge, 4673 30th St., Normal Heights. Wed: ‘Hip Hop Wednesday’ w/ MC Kahlee. Thu: ‘Funky Lil Beat’ w/ DJ Moniloca, Chulita Vinyl Club. Fri: ‘House Friday’ w/ DJ Matthew Brian. Sat: ‘Juicy’ w/ Mike Czech. Sun: DJ Brandon Fabio.

American Comedy Co., 818 B Sixth Ave., Downtown. Thu: Maria Bamford.

Fri: Affion Crockett. Sat: Affion Crockett.

The Bancroft, 9143 Campo Road, Spring Valley. Wed: Karaoke. Thu: Joseph Allen Beltram, Colyn Cameron.

Fri: Screams of Sirens, In Your Memory, Liquid Squid. Sat: Puerto, The Fountain of Youth, Jet Dread Stone, Broken Field Runner. Sun: Chrome Ghost, Mortar, Vedic.

Bang Bang, 526 Market St., Downtown.

Fri: Sage Armstrong, OMNOM. Sat: Vitalic.

Bar Pink, 3829 30th St., North Park.

Wed: ‘Shock’ w/ DJ Old Man Johnson.

Sat: Evan Diamond and the Library.

Sun: Peter Case, Dead Rock West.

Mon: Mezzoa, Amigo. Tue: Stephen El Rey. Beaumont’s, 5665 La Jolla Blvd., La Jolla. Thu: Mike Myrdal. Fri: Rolling Heartbreakers. Sat: Manic Fanatic.

Belly Up Tavern, 143 S. Cedros Ave., Solana Beach. Wed: Justin Hayward, Mike Dawes (sold out). Thu: The Original Wailers, Maka Roots. Fri: JJ Grey and Mofro, Dragondeer (sold out). Sat: Lee Fields and the Expressions, Brainstory. Sun: Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band (sold out). Mon: Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Tue: Murder by Death, William Elliott Whitmore.

Black Cat Bar, 4246 University Ave., City Heights. Fri: Lil Evil, Rob Paulson, Kalashnikov My Wife. Sat: The Gift Curse, Nicey Nice World.

Blonde, 1808 W. Washington St., Mission Hills. Thu: ‘Prince vs. Michael Jackson’. Fri: ‘Dance Punk!’. Sun: ‘House 2 Ourselves’. Mon: ‘Blue Monday’. Tue: ‘T is 4 Techno’.

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

Brick by Brick, 1130 Buenos Ave., Bay Park. Fri: Fireball Ministry, Focke Wolves, Call of the Wild, Gorm. Sat: Damage Inc., Sweet Soul Sister, Vasoline.

The Casbah, 2501 Kettner Blvd., Middletown. Wed: Samantha Fish, Liquorsmiths (sold out). Thu: Pinback. Fri:

Big Sandy and His Fly-Rite Boys, The Sleepwalkers, Dave Gleason Trio. Sat: Jade Bird, Field Report. Sun: ‘Kate Bush Dance Party’ w/ Baby Bushka. Mon: The Frets, Pacific Radio, In-Itself. Tue: The Naked I, Band of Gringos, Nick Bone and the Big Scene.

Che Cafe, UCSD campus, La Jolla. Sat: Reburst, Common Misconception, Rubber Soul, Ruben Ortega. Sun: Octopouple, The Shed Lefties, Sands.

Dizzy’s, 1717 Morena Blvd., Bay Park.

Sat: Petros Klampanis. Sun: Vocal Summit.

F6ix, 526 F St., Downtown. Fri: DJ Scooter. Sat: DJ Bar1ne.

Hoffer’s Cigar Bar, 8282 La Mesa Blvd., La Mesa. Sat: Stoney B. House of Blues, 1055 Fifth Ave., Downtown. Wed: Tofiga, Robert Allen Shepherd. Thu: Robert Allen Shepherd. Fri: The Red Pears. Sat: Residente. Sun: E-40, Nef the Pharaoh, OMB Peezy. Tue: The Score.

Humphreys Backstage, 2241 Shelter Island Drive, Shelter Island. Wed: Tradewinds. Thu: Rosy Dawn. Fri: Viva Santana. Sat: Rising Star. Sun: Cerissa McQueen, Stellita. Mon: Sue Palmer.

Tue: Backwater Blues.

The Irenic, 3090 Polk Ave., North Park.

Sat: Mom Jeans, Just Friends, Shortly.

Kava Lounge, 2812 Kettner Blvd., Middletown. Thu: Umenos. Fri: ‘Purps N Turqs’. Sun: Ethixx.

Cue. Sat: Catherine Britt. Sun: Robin Henkel Band. Mon: Open mic.

Mc P’s Irish Pub, 1107 Orange Ave., Coronado. Wed: Goodal Boys. Thu: North Star. Fri: Street Heart. Sat: Pat Ellis and Blue Frog Band. Sun: Ron’s Garage. Tue: Glenn Smith.

Martinis Above Fourth, 3940 Fourth Ave., Hillcrest. Thu: ‘Drag 101’ w/ Delighted Tobehere. Fri: Janice and Nathan. Sat: Sophia Alone. Sun: Keep It On the DL. Mon: Andy & Nathan.

The Merrow, 1271 University Ave., Hillcrest. Thu: MysterE, Paracosmic, Soul Juice, Secret Lynx. Fri: The Rough, Just In Case, Infinite Signal. Sat: ‘Naughty School Girl Night’. Sun: ‘The Playground’. Tue: The Fast Camels, Murder Pony, Sir Coyler and His Asthmatic Band.

Mr. Peabody’s, 136 Encinitas Blvd., Encinitas. Thu: The Sickstring Outlaws.

Fri: Bonneville 7. Sat: Electric Elms.

Sun: Anthony Ortega Jazz Quartet.

Music Box, 1337 India St., Little Italy.

Thu: CloZee, Tor, Volo. Fri: Dread Mar I. Sat: Protoje, Yaadcore. Sun: Yacht Rock Revue. Tue: Bad Gyal.

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

Wed: ‘Instant Crush’ w/ DJ Nastea. Thu: ‘No Limits’ w/ DJ Myson King. Fri: ‘Nite Moves’ w/ DJs Beatnick, Ayla Simone.

Sat: ‘Strictly Business’ w/ DJs Kanye Asada, Gabe Vega. Mon: ‘Motown on Monday’. Tue: ‘Trapped’.

Kensington Club, 4079 Adams Ave., Kensington. Fri: Poor, Inus, Fistfights With Wolves, OrchidxMantis.

Panama 66, 1450 El Prado, Balboa Park. Wed: Gilbert Castellanos. Thu: Trio Gadjo. Fri: Zzymzzy Quartet. Sat: Montalban Quintet.

Lestat’s Coffee House, 3343 Adams Ave., Normal Heights. Fri: Jason Mc-

MUSIC CONTINUED ON PAGE 26

SEPTEMBER 5, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 25

MUSIC

BY CHRISTIN BAILEY

ASTROLOGICALLY UNSOUND Weekly forecasts from the so-called universe ARIES (March 21 - April 19): If we all work together… oh my god, I’m not telling you what to do. It’s a hypothetical. No I don’t think “I’m the boss of you,” I’m just saying that if we all… alright.

Never mind.

TAURUS (April 20 - May 20): If you’re going to follow a wooden sign with an arrow painted on it, always check in your rearview mirror to see if it’s fallen down, revealing the true sign with an opposite arrow.

GEMINI (May 21 - June 20): Airplanes cannot fly without both wings. What’s more concerning to me right now though is if you’re not the pilot, and I’m not a pilot, then who is?

CANCER (June 21 - July 22): If you haven’t learned how to tie all the different kinds of knots by now, then it seems very unlikely that you will ever really need to.

LEO (July 23 - August 22): One important reason to drive the speed limit is that you might actually be driving straight toward a wall that an enemy has painted to look like a tunnel.

VIRGO (August 23 September 22): Sincerity doesn’t mean indulging an immediate emotional response. You can take some time to gather your thoughts and then, after long reflection, scream at the top of your lungs.

LIBRA (September 23 October 22): If a family of ducklings bonds to you then it is your moral and ethical responsibility to live life as a duck until they’re grown up.

SCORPIO (October 23 November 21): If you turn your hobby into a career then you will never work a day in your life. Well, at least legally speaking since picking locks isn’t really an occupation you’re gonna need to put on a tax form.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 - December 21): Instead of curating your Instagram to make yourself seem like an intellectual, you can just go read a book. It would honestly take the same amount of hours.

CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 19): If you are having trouble with public speaking just imagine everyone sitting in front of you is just their skeleton. You’ll pass out and not have to give the speech.

AQUARIUS (January 20 February 18): If a ladybug lands on you, it’s good luck except in the scenario where you are an aphid and the ladybug is the crushing pressures and demands of living under capitalism.

PISCES (February 19 - March 20): You can never know what types of things are going to happen on any given day except if you write a to-do list. Then you can assume probably not those things.

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

MUSIC CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25 Parq, 615 Broadway, Downtown. Fri: Kyle Flesch. Sat: Karma.

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

Rich’s, 1051 University Ave., Hillcrest.

Wed: DJs Kiki, Kinky Loops. Thu: ‘LEZ’ w/ DJs Kiki, James Hopkins, Mxyzliplix, John Vilotti. Fri: ‘Electro-Pop’ w/ DJs John Joseph, Moody Rudy. Sat: DJs K-Swift, Taj. Sun: ‘Stripper Circus’ w/ DJ Hektik.

Riviera Supper Club, 7777 University Ave., La Mesa. Wed: ‘Boss Jazz’ w/ Jason Hanna. Thu: Swing Thing. Fri: Funk Manifesto. Sat: Bart Mendoza and Mojo Working.

Rosie O’Gradys, 3402 Adams Ave., Normal Heights. Wed: Karaoke. Fri: Johnny Deadly Trio. Sat: Kick Stomp Ensemble. Mon: Monday night jazz jam.

Tue: Rebekkah Darling, Paul Tillery.

Seven Grand, 3054 University Ave., North Park. Wed: Red Fox Tails. Thu: Jimmy Ruelas. Fri: Crew D’Etat Brass Band. Sat: The Charlie Arbelaez Group.

Mon: ‘Makossa Monday’ w/ DJ Tah Rei. Tue: Second Cousins.

26 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · SEPTEMBER 5, 2018

Soda Bar, 3615 El Cajon Blvd., City Heights. Wed: Oscar Key Song, JARA. Thu: Ecstatic Union, Stephanie Brown and the Surrealistics, Purple Mountains Majesties, Pharlee. Fri: Sports, Keith Charles. Sat: Cardinal Moon, Gift Machine. Sun: Shindigs, Modern Bummer, Ba Bete, 4th N Cedar. Mon: Still Rebel, Secret Lynx, Aunt Cynthia’s Cabin. Tue: Kommunity FK, New Skeletal Faces, DJs Javi Nunez, Vaughn Avakian.

SOMA, 3350 Sports Arena Blvd., Midway. Fri: On Drugs, T. Rexico, The High Curbs, Former, Ah God, Struck Out, Tina Fake. Sat: We Are One, Everything Undone, Natural Disaster, Rain of Fridays, Suburban Park, Ending Left.

SPACE, 3519 El Cajon Blvd., City Heights. Wed: Asmodeus, Strange Creature, Delahcruz, Rivalry, Gabonano.

Sat: ‘Hide and Go Freak’. Mon: ‘Altars of Madness’. Tue: Karaoke.

Spin, 2028 Hancock St., Midtown. Sat: Flash Gang, 530. Sun: Pillowtalk.

Til-Two Club, 4746 El Cajon Blvd., City Heights. Thu: ‘Original Stylin’. Sun: Pants Karaoke.

Tin Roof, 401 G St., Downtown. Wed:

The Corner. Thu: Major Interval. Fri: Coriander, Kenny and Deez. Sat: Kenny and Deez, Coriander. Sun: Sky. Tio Leo’s, 5302 Napa St., Bay Park.

Wed: Leonard Patton, Matt Dibiase.

Thu: Tommy Price and the Stilettos. Fri: Detroit Underground. Sat: Full Strength Funk Band. Tue: Big Time Operator Orchestra.

Tower Bar, 4757 University Ave., City Heights. Wed: Pumphouse, Butt Candy, The Tubulars. Thu: Le Saboteur, Que Oso, M.I.T. Fri: ‘Hip Hop vs. Punk Rock’.

Sat: ‘Night Terrors’ w/ Diavol Strain, Otzi, New Skeletal Faces. Sun: The Big News, Inciting Riots, Split Track.

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

Wed: ‘U Turnt Wednesday’. Fri: Kid Wonder. Sat: DJ Bacon. Mon: ’31 Flavors’.

Whistle Stop, 2236 Fern St., South Park. Sat: ‘Booty Bassment’. Mon: ‘Electric Relaxation’.

Winstons, 1921 Bacon St., Ocean Beach. Wed: Gentle Giants, DJ Carlos Culture. Thu: Aunt Cynthia’s Cabin, Triton Eye. Fri: Brothers Gow. Sat: The Blonde Brothers. Mon: Electric Waste Band. Tue: M.A.S.S.

@SDCITYBEAT

BY LARA MCCAFFREY

IN THE BACK

CannaBeat

Still unsure on insurance

C

annabis businesses often have a difficult time finding business insurance. California’s insurance commissioner, Dave Jones, is chairing a new working group established to address this issue.

The Cannabis Insurance Working Group was formed by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) in early August. It comprises insurance regulators from states that have legalized recreational and/or medical cannabis. The plan is to develop recommendations for insurance regulators to take on cannabis businesses.

“I don't have the authority to make [the insurance industry] write insurance coverage, but we’re doing everything we can to encourage them to come into this market,” says Jones.

Businesses that touch the plant— growers, manufacturers, distributors and retailers—have the most trouble acquiring insurance. Some of the insurance gaps Jones has identified are key person insurance (essentially life insurance for the owner or founder of the company), product liability insurance and insurance for cannabis business landlords.

@SDCITYBEAT

“That has caused challenges in terms of insurance availability because it's a new legalized business,” says Jones. “There continues to be a federal law that makes it unlawful to engage in that business. That has given some insurers pause.”

CA DEPT OF INSURANECE / FLICKR COMMONS

Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones Jones has been working on providing insurance for the cannabis industry. Some of his efforts include launching an initiative to encourage creation of commercial insurance for cannabis, holding a public hearing on insurance gaps and organizing tours of cannabis businesses for insurance providers.

Jesse Jurado, owner and CEO of San Diego-based Sugarleaf Services, says that

input from the government might make it easier for cannabis businesses to get insurance. Founded in 2016, Sugarleaf is an insurance agency specializing in services for cannabis businesses.

“A lot of the people that are underwriting these policies, that are making the decisions on what coverages are going to be allowed, a lot of them are basing it upon what the government's opinion on it is,” says Jurado.

Jurado believes that many insurance providers don’t understand the needs of the cannabis industry. He’s seen insurance agents falsely advertise their knowledge of cannabis and end up offering clients bare bones coverage that doesn’t cover risks that are specific to the industry, such as property and equipment coverage. Jurado has seen misrepresentation from not only insurance agents but clientele as well. There’s been instances where both insurance agents and businesses won’t tell the insurance carrier they’re covering a cannabis business.

“We’ll also see business owners that will call insurance agencies to get lower rates and telling them that they have a florist shop or they have a retail outlet when it's really a dispensary or a cultivation facility,”

SHUTTERSTOCK

says Jurado. “That messes up everything for us because one, it makes us look bad and it makes the industry look bad, and two, it's skewing the data.”

Beyond guidance from a government entity like an insurance commissioner, Jurado recommends businesses be transparent with their insurance provider and to find an agent by referral.

Jones adds that insurance agencies misrepresenting their cannabis industry knowledge can be reported to his department's consumer hotline at 800927-4357.

Says Jones, “If any cannabis business has a complaint about the information they're being provided, or not being provided, by an insurance agent or broker, we'd like to hear about that.”

SEPTEMBER 5, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 27