San Diego CityBeat • Oct 4, 2017

2 · San Diego CityBeat · October 4, 2017

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October 4, 2017 · San Diego CityBeat · 3

UP FRONT | FROM THE EDITOR

Spare me your thoughts and prayers

W

hen I found out that local attorney Jennifer Irvine was one of the 59 people (and counting) who was shot and killed in the Las Vegas terrorist attack on Sunday night, my initial reaction was to immediately reach out to a friend of mine in the D.A.’s office to see if she knew Irvine. My friend explained that while she didn’t know Irvine personally, she had seen the family attorney in court and that she had co-workers who considered a close friend.

When I remarked at what a terrible thing it all was—that such a talented and respected individual was enjoying some country music one minute and, according to friends, was shot in the head the next—my friend’s response surprised me.

“Yeah, it’s horrible,” she said, “But that seems to be a reoccurring theme.”

A reoccurring theme.

I can’t think of a more apt and depressing way to describe what seems to be the all-too-familiar circumstance of mass shootings in this country. And if there’s anything that’s seemingly more commonplace than these types of tragedies, it’s the sentiment that’s often repeated and repeated ad nauseam by those on the outside looking in.

“Will be in Las Vegas early tomorrow to pay my respects. Everyone is in my thoughts and prayers.” “...The hearts & prayers of the American people are with you. You have our condolences and sympathies.”

“This senseless shooting in Las Vegas is absolutely heart breaking. My thoughts and prayers go out to all of the victims and their families.”

That’s just a small sampling of some of the tweets sent out by politicians after the Vegas attack. Frankly, it’s predictable to the point of being disgusting, and while I’m sure somewhere in their souls they do feel genuine sympathy, I doubt there will ever be an instance in which their “thoughts” and “prayers” will manifest into substantial action.

Columbine: thoughts and prayers.

Virginia Tech: thoughts and prayers.

Sandy Hook: thoughts and prayers.

San Bernardino: thoughts and prayers.

Aurora, Colorado: thoughts and prayers.

Charleston: thoughts and prayers.

Orlando: thoughts and prayers.

Hell, even when their own colleagues are

gunned down, as was the case with U.S. Reps.

Gabrielle Giffords and Steve Scalise, it’s just more thoughts and prayers. Sure, Dems did their best by staging a sit-in over gun control last year, but it added up to nothing.

I’m genuinely impressed with the amount of progressives, writers and celebs who are calling out the “thoughts and prayers” crowd out on their hypocrisy. But as a writer, I’m also increasingly intrigued by how this sentiment entered the national lexicon in the first place.

Who else would know how best to answer that question than Grant Barrett of KPBS’s A Way With Words. “‘Thoughts and prayers’” has been used as something to say in response to an untimely death since at least as early as 1952 (from the Queen, in fact), and no doubt much earlier,” Barrett told me via email. He went onto say that there were instances of people using it both before and since, but only recently did it become something of a social colloquialism to convey condolences.

“Judging by what I’ve heard from others offline and online, including radio show listeners, the main disgruntlement with the phrase is that it has the trappings of religion without any of the possible concrete effects of religion,” Barrett says. “It’s like making a checklist of to-dos, on which there is a single item, ‘pray and think,’ pausing silently for a moment, and then checking that off as complete. That is, it’s a bit of showy phrasing (Look at me! I’m religious!) that allows one to bask in being a good Christian (or whatever the religion), but which does not include a list of to-dos, due dates, goal sets, or accountability.”

That last word: accountability. That’s the one we should all latch onto. Because whether one chooses to believe in God or not, thoughts and prayers mean little-tonothing if they don’t also change the person who is doing the thinking and praying.

“By all means express ‘thoughts and prayers’ at the moment. But let’s see non-stop legislation, funding, coalitions, collaboration, new hires, action, deadlines, and progress reports,” Barrett says. “When the people we’ve hired to solve our problems—politicians— only have ‘thoughts or prayers’ and no plan, then no break should be given.”

—Seth Combs

This issue of CityBeat was an American girl.

Volume 16 • Issue 8 EDITOR Seth Combs MUSIC EDITOR Jeff Terich WEB EDITOR Ryan Bradford ART DIRECTOR Carolyn Ramos ASSOCIATE EDITOR Torrey Bailey STAFF WRITER Jamie Ballard COLUMNISTS Aaryn Belfer, Edwin Decker, Minda Honey, John R. Lamb, Alex Zaragoza

CONTRIBUTORS Christin Bailey, David L. Coddon, Beth Demmon, Andrew Dyer, Rachel Michelle Fernandes, Tiffany Fox, Michael A. Gardiner, Glenn Heath Jr., Lizz Huerta, Jen Lothspeich, Lara McCaffrey, Scott McDonald, Kinsee Morlan, Jim Ruland, Ben Salmon, Amy Wallen, Ian Ward PRODUCTION MANAGER Tristan Whitehouse ADVERTISING MANAGER Megan Kennedy MULTIMEDIA ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Paulina Porter-Tapia

SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Jason Noble ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES RIchard Diaz, Beau Odom, Mark Schreiber CONTROLLER Kacie Cobian ACCOUNTING Perla Castillo, David Garcia, Linda Lam, Yiyang Wang HUMAN RESOURCES Andrea Baker VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS David Comden

ADVERTISING INQUIRIES Interested in advertising?

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The advertising deadline is 5 p.m. every Friday for the following week’s issue.

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PUBLISHER Kevin Hellman

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Reproduction of any material in this or any other issue is prohibited without written permission from the publisher and the author. Contents ©2017.

4 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · OCTOBER 4 , 2017

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UP FRONT | LETTERS

COME FIND US UP FRONT From the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Letters to the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Sordid Tales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 There She Goz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

FOOD & DRINK World Fare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 The Beerdist. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

THINGS TO DO The Short List. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Calendar of Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-13

ARTS & CULTURE Books: The Floating Library. . . . . . . . . 12 Theater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 FEATURE: Mission Valley . . . . . . . 15-20 Thank You For Staring . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Film. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-23

MUSIC FEATURE: The National . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Notes from the Smoking Patio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 If I Were U. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Concerts & Clubs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27-29

LAST WORDS Astrologically Unsound . . . . . . . . . . . 30

As a bookseller at Bluestocking Books in Hillcrest, I want to extend a welcome to Aaryn Belfer’s friends Seth Marko and Jen Powell as they embark on the adventure of opening The Book Catapult in South Park [“Cutting the Amazon cord,” Sept. 27]. The sense of community that grows in a neighborhood with a local bookshop is tremendously gratifying. Aaryn aptly described the tactile pleasure of “dragging (her) fingers along the spines of real books” in real bookstores, as well as the conversations and connection between bookseller and client. Independent businesses in general keep neighborhoods interesting, providing the warm glow of finding a special item sold by a shop-keep who is there because they love what they do and who they serve, and not because the corporate training manual told them to. I want to remind your readers that, while we have admittedly lost some colleagues along the way, there are many bookstores in San Diego, including but not limited to Bluestocking Books, which has been in business for over 18 years and in a site which has been a bookstore for over 50 years. Footnote Books is a 26-year mainstay in the neighborhood and Verbatim Books in North Park is coming up on its second anniversary. If you look, you can find us, and more! In San Diego, going to an independent bookstore is still geographically accessible, and it’s been a pleasure for me personally to be a part of it for 20 years.

Mary Lyons Normal Heights

WE WANT FEEDBACK

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

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OCTOBER 4, 2017 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 5

NEWS | OPINION

The issue:

By Torrey Bailey, Jamie Ballard and Seth Combs

The California legislature recently passed a package of 15 bills designed to create more affordable housing in the state. The package included measures to streamline affordable housing developments (SB 35), impose a real estate transaction fee to fund affordable housing (SB 2), and put a $4 billion housing bond on a future ballot (SB 3).

IN THE

O

WEEDS

n Sept. 19, the Lemon Grove City Council approved zoning for a third medical marijuana dispensary. Chris Williams’ dispensary application was originally denied in August, but the City Council reversed that decision after a heated discussion.

Since the passage of Lemon Grove’s Measure V, the city council has struggled with how to interpret the language of the measure. While it allows medical marijuana dispensaries in the city, it requires proposed locations to be 1,000 feet from sensitive use businesses, such as licensed daycares and schools, unless there are substantial topographical and constructed buffers. Williams’ location at 6915 North Ave. was 835 feet from a daycare. However, he successfully argued that a chain link fence atop a 20-foot-high embankment fit the requirements.

Williams was ecstatic over the final decision, but he still has two more properties he’s fighting for, one of which may require him to take the city to court.

This second property is within 1,000 feet of Saint John of the Cross, which runs a school on part of its property. But as a 2016 fire inspection notes, the entire property is not classified for Chris school use. Williams is banking on Williams that to help him win his case.

“I’ll go as far as I have to because I believe that you should stand up when you know you should,” he says. “For me, with the amount of time, money and resources and what the law states, I’m definitely going to do that.”

NEWSY BITS 9/27 BEST DAY EVER!

What people are saying: Bunny the Pit Bull recently gave birth to 10(!) adorbs Pit/Shepherd mixes. Rex, Havanna, Satin and their seven siblings are available for adoption at the local Labs and More Rescue. labsandmore.org

Our take: This passage of bills, while a notable step in the right direction, is far from the end of the road when it comes to addressing affordable housing in California and in San Diego. Considering more than 3,500 affordable units have been lost in the San Diego region over the last 20 years and the homelessness crisis continues to become more and more dire, the best time to take serious action would have been several years ago—but the second best time is now. It’s encouraging to see that state lawmakers are taking action, and we hope our local leadership is taking note.

HAM OF THE WEEK

Alpine congressman Duncan Hunter took a break from his busy schedule to write a UT op-ed calling for war with North Korea. For fuck’s sake, Dunc, please just stick to vaping and video games.

All the seriousness, silliness and stupidity of the past week

9/28

9/29

FAA says planes with banners dissing Dean Spanos will continue to be allowed to fly over StubHub Center. #SPANOSSUCKS

Gov. Brown signs package of affordable housing bills, including the Sen. Toni Atkinspenned SB 2.

Worker falls down a 40-foot hole while working on border wall prototype near Otay Mesa.

After finding frogs and dead rats(!) in the water at Camp Pendleton, Marines and EPA agree on consent decree for base to follow federal clean water regulations.

Trump unveils tax plan that repeals the State and Local tax deduction. If passed, local congressman Darrell Issa stands to lose $10,000 a year of his $254 million net worth. Aww, poor Darrell.

9/30

Local father of two teenagers, Gaston Cazares, deported to Mexico after ICE hearing.

Attorney says new Trump-enacted policies have residents “being deported regardless of circumstances.”

San Diego Black Panther Party hands out hygiene items to homeless.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals cases of of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis on the rise in San Diego.

10/01

10/02

Local Initiatives Support Corporation pledges to establish $50 million regional housing affordability fund.

Fire on the Norton Sound ship near Seaport Village finally contained.

Surrounding area no longer smells like plastic death.

City Council votes 8-0 to declare Shelter Crisis and Public Health Emergency, with councilman Alvarez calling for immediate shelter solutions.

10/03 City Council votes to make Oct. 1 through Oct. 7 Mental Health Awareness Week.

Councilmember Chris Cate admits that he leaked a confidential memo from the City Attorney about SoccerCity initiative.

Two weeks after the beginning of Mayor Faulconer’s “Vaccination, Sanitation, Education” plan to combat Hepatitis A outbreak, city still does not have a place for displaced homeless.

FML

6 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · OCTOBER 4, 2017

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UP FRONT | OPINION

EDWIN DECKER

SORDID

TALES

The first day of our new acquaintance

I

t was two years ago when W., my ex, began the online proceedings for what is called a walkaway divorce. We had no children, weren’t arguing over who got what, and we were still good friends—which made us great candidates for a quick, easy and painless internet dissolution.

Well, it should come as no surprise that even online divorces are not easy, nor painless, and as far as being quick? Bah! The reams of paperwork are enough to make you make you long for the simplicity of Bulgarian extradition forms. It got so confusing and time consuming that we let it fall to the wayside. And so, two years later, with several legal, financial and emotional reasons to get it dunwith, we decided to meet at the San Diego Family Law Court to finish the job.

When the doors opened we walked through the metal detector, got wanded by armed deputies and waited in another line for the receptionist. We signed in to see “The Facilitator,” which sounds less like a job title and more like the secret service codename for Kellyanne Conway’s meth dealer.

After signing in we were directed to wait on the Group WF (Wedding Fail?) Bench. It took about four hours before it was our turn so we talked, and joked (and incessantly checked our watches) while the whole time riffing about how it sucks to be us right now and, well, it started to feel like old times. That is, until she brought him into the conversation.

In her defense, she was only responding to my question about what she did over the weekend.

“We went sailing on Adam’s boat,” she said, then added sheepishly, “Is it OK to talk about him?”

Of course I was too bloated with ego and insecurities to let her know that, Um, no, it’s not OK to talk about him. In fact, don’t even talk about talking about him because the mere thought of thinking about talking about—oh fer crissake what’s his name again?

Adam, Alan, Antichrist?—is tearing me apart!

“Absolutely it’s OK to talk about him!” I blurted.

“So what kind of boat does Captain Mephistopheles have?” I never heard her answer because I was too busy daydreaming about which deputy’s sidearm would be easiest to commandeer and what the gunpowder would taste like when it’s fired into my mouth.

When The Facilitator arrived, he led us to a table tucked in a small cubby at the back of the courthouse.

We handed him the paperwork, which he fanned out on the table. Then, in what seemed like a blur, he rattled off some questions, explained some legalese, had us sign on this line, then on that line, initial here, initial there, reassembled the documents, gave us our copies, wished us good luck and, just like that, it was over. Like it never happened.

Needless to say, it was a sad and lonely drive home. Clearly some appropriate music was required.

But what’s appropriate? Well, it ain’t gonna be no “Walking on Sunshine”-type shit. I am not one of these guys who can play a happy-peppy-bouncy tune while the Misery Spiders are ravaging my organs from the inside. No, at times like these I play songs of sorrow; you know, to wallow along with. So I dialed up perhaps the saddest divorce song of all time: “The Last Day of Our Acquaintance,” by Sinéad O’Connor.

“This is the last day of our acquaintance/I will meet you later in somebody’s office…/Days and days our friendship has gone stale/We will meet later to finalize the details.”

Yes, I know, quoting a few lines in print will never capture how truly heart-wrenching any given song is. There is simply no way to relay its mesmerizing buildup, no way to grasp the intense crescendo and the dense, dripping anguish emanating from her perfect vocal folds. There are too many reasons why this track always leaves me in a twitching heap, but at the forefront is the refrain, “This is the last day of our acquaintance.”

In other words, when once we had this loving, intimate, honest, epic, nearly inseparable union of the heart, mind and soul—soon it will be like we never even knew each other. To me, this is the most intolerable part of a breakup. How can two people go from being the most important people in each other’s lives to near strangers?

Even now, the thought of that happening with W. makes me nauseous.

To that end, however, the news is not bad. This is probably not the last day of our acquaintance. It is more likely the first day of our new acquaintance. Because, unlike so many divorces, where couples typically hate and/or avoid each other, we ain’t that.

We’re still friends. We aren’t holding grudges. Neither blames the other for the split. There are no kids to use as weapons against each other. Alimony is not an issue because she’s too proud to want it and I’m too destitute to pay it.

We genuinely want to remain a part of each other’s lives. I know I do. Not to get all gushy (which, of course, means I’m about to get gushy) but if you’re reading this W, and I’m quite certain you are, I want you to know that I will always love you and want to be part of your life. Even if it means having to go sailing with Arnold, Alec—Admiral Diablo—whatever his name is!

We signed in to see “The Facilitator,” which sounds less like a job title and more like the secret service codename for Kellyanne Conway’s meth dealer.

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Sordid Tales appears every other week.

Write to edwin@sdcitybeat.com.

OCTOBER 4, 2017 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 7

UP FRONT | VOICES

THERE SHE

ALEX ZARAGOZA

GOZ

The (un)acceptability of the (un)exceptional

A

s a teenager, I had a few fuck-ups. Nothing too serious. I got caught shoplifting a couple times—once at Walmart, where I stuffed a pair of kooky socks down my pants to prove I was a badass, and another time at Robinson’s May. I don’t remember what I took that time, but I was with my mom so what I do recall is a barrage of “qué chingados estabas pensado, cabrona?”

In high school, I regularly decided to replace my hour of physical education with an hour’s worth of alcohol consumption at the park across the street from my school. I’d teeter back to class at the end of the hour, lips coated with Purple Rain Mad Dog 20/20, just in time for AP English. Back at home in Tijuana, I’d use my sister’s college ID to sneak into bars, telling bouncers, “Well, obviously I’m 18 if I’m a Southwestern College student. Here is my $1 entry fee, good sir.”

Then I would drink giant bottles of Tecate and skank to Barrington Levy.

My college years, twenties and, if I’m being completely honest, even my thirties were all peppered with a few missteps in judgment. Some of them admittedly not great, but most of them were pretty standard figuring-yourself-out stuff or drunk dumbness. In all my years though, even during those when I lived on the U.S.-Mexico border, I never had to worry about being turned away from my country of citizenship; shipped off without concern for what would become of me.

When Donald Trump announced he would rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, the outcry was loud. How dare he?

These are 800,000 exceptional individuals who work hard in employed positions, excel in high school or university, have served their country, contribute to our society, pay taxes and so on. They deserve to be American citizens because they are all exceptional.

There is no doubt that these young people—often portrayed as some of the brightest, most talented in the United States—should not be deported back to a country many of them can’t even remember. It’s cruel, heartless and stands against the foundation this country was built on. Countless politicians on every side of the aisle, as well as activists, celebrities and regular citizens who didn’t surrender their heart to the red MAGA cap, all agree that DACA recipients have earned the right to stay in the country they call home.

And I agree with them. After all, these Dreamers have gone above and beyond as Americans.

Here’s the thing though: What if someone isn’t exceptional? What if they’re ordinary and have made mistakes like any other teen or twenty-something?

What if these Dreamers haven’t quite figured life out?

Do those people not deserve to be American? Are they not worthy of praise if they aren’t considered as out-

standing as they apparently have to be in order to be worthy of citizenship?

This rhetoric surrounding DACA recipients is highly problematic. It reinforces a notion that Black people and people of color already know all too well: that they have to be twice as good to get half of what others have. And in the case of Dreamers, if they want to be American, they have to be 10 times better.

As a Mexican-American who sat through daily questionings from Border Patrol agents that often made me feel like I had to justify my very existence, the rhetoric around DACA recipients reminds me of who we Mexicans are in this country. It’s almost as though we have no value to add to this country unless we are the cream of the crop of human beings. That’s a lot of pressure.

And for DACA recipients, their standing as Americans is often connected to the villainization of their parents. Sure, they didn’t make the choice to come to the United States, but their parents came to America for the same reason millions of others have immigrated here for generations. From the beginnings of this country, people have come to seek a better life and provide for their families in a land with more opportunity. It’s why my parents came here and eventually worked to become dual citizens of Mexico and the U.S. When I think about myself as a teen and young adult, I think about the privilege I had to fuck up without fear of losing my home. I think of all those kids I was friends with, who smoked pot and weren’t sure if they’d go to college. I think about how lucky we were to have the privilege of making mistakes or being uncertain about our futures.

It seems like DACA recipients can’t afford to mess up. They can’t go into adulthood as anything less than a lawyer or doctor in the making. They can’t stuff some WalMart socks down their powder blue Dickies (listen, it was the early 2000s, OK?) or get caught drinking a Fuzzy Navel Boone’s Farm without being un-American. They can’t be normal young people without being shamed for not being above and beyond in their talent, ability, intelligence and skill. And for those undocumented young people who are just like so many others—possibly aimless, pulling a C average or unsure of what they want to be when they grown up—what they hear in the news is degrading and unfair.

All undocumented young people deserve the chance to be American citizens, regardless of how exceptional they are. If a pathway is created for them to become American citizens safely—and they’re willing to fill out the paperwork and contribute in the same way as born citizens—then that should be enough.

What if these Dreamers haven’t quite figured life out?

Do those people not deserve to be American?

8 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · OCTOBER 4, 2017

There She Goz appears every third week.

Write to alexz@sdcitybeat.com. @SDCITYBEAT

UP FRONT | FOOD

BY MICHAEL A. GARDINER

THE WORLD

FARE In the right place

M

otel restaurants aren’t generally considered culinary destinations, nor are they places we look to for top chefs. No one, it seems, told Jeff Rossman those realities. Perhaps that’s why he slings burgers, albeit of the farm-totable variety, from Bunz (475 Hotel Circle South, Mission Valley), a motel restaurant in perhaps the least fancied corner of Hotel Circle.

Before Rossman opened Bunz he already had Terra, one of San Diego’s first farmto-table temples. Before he had Terra—and before he went to culinary school—Rossman’s family owned the Days Inn motel and its Pam Pam Café, which is where Bunz is located. It was in that café that Rossman cut his culinary teeth. In many ways Bunz is a cross between the farm-to-table ethos of Terra and the motel-diner sensibilities of Pam Pam and its ilk.

Take Bunz’s Cheesy Garlic burger. It is the burger that most exemplifies what the place is about: a quality Angus beef patty on a toasted garlic bread bun with melted jack cheese, crisp baby greens and two rather cheffy sauces (a garlic aioli and a Caesar dressing). It’s a good burger sitting on a farm-totable baby greens Caesar salad. It’s got those cheffy touches and yet it eats like what it really is: an ooey, gooey, sloppy burger.

I’m on record as a fan of simplicity and simple perfection when it comes to the burger arts.

Rossman’s attempt at that sort of thing is the All-American Classic: the same Angus burger, ketchup, mustard, lettuce, tomato, red onion, a Thousand Island-like house sauce and pickle chips (cheese, bacon and avocado are optional). The elements are good, yes, but the whole is less than the sum of its parts. It doesn’t sing.

Two of Bunz’s chef-driven burgers—often not

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my favorites—do sing. And they do so just when it seems they won’t. The Cowboy features smoked bacon, fried onion rings, BBQ sauce, cheddar cheese, roasted pickled jalapeño, creamy coleslaw, lettuce and tomato. It’s over-the-top and seriously challenges the engineering capacity of the diner: How does one get the whole big thing in one’s little mouth? How do all of those elements manage not to fight? Somehow they complement one another, and they work.

Similarly, the menu description of the Singin’ ‘d’ Blues suggests a hot mess in burger form. Blue cheese burgers tend to be that. But the specific blue cheese Rossman chose ties together the Angus beef, sautéed mushrooms and grilled onions, integrating them where so often blue cheese dominates.

MICHAEL GARDINER

The Cowboy If I have a knock on Bunz it’s the buns themselves. Often, as in the more complex items, the soft buns seem unequal to the task of fully containing their many (often moist) ingredients all the way through consumption. The result is burgers that lacked structural integrity.

But the flavors were spot on. Take Bunz for what it is: a really good motel restaurant, perhaps the model for a franchise. Or maybe just see it as the best place to get a bite in Mission Valley.

The World Fare appears weekly.

Write to michaelg@sdcitybeat.com.

OCTOBER 4, 2017 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 9

UP FRONT | DRINK

THE

BY ANDREW DYER

BEERDIST Big box brews in Mission Valley

M

ission Valley is probably best known for two features—a massive, brutalist stadium surrounded by acres of asphalt—and malls. And while the mesas to the south are thick with homegrown independent breweries, options in the Valley are limited to fast-casual dining chains.

Craft beer enthusiasts have been conditioned over the years to resist and revile all things corporate when it comes to beer. The image of the independent, by-the-bootstraps brewer fighting corporate goliaths is a cornerstone in the architecture of beer culture.

But does a corporate storefront really equate to sub-par beer?

Not at Gordon Biersch (5010 Mission Center Road). Under brewer Doug Hasker, Biersch has earned its place in hop-heavy San Diego as a destination for true-to-style old world German lagers. Although it’s common around town to find a hoppy pilsner here or there—not to mention the ubiquitous Oktoberfest Märzens during the autumn months—at Gordon Biersch, these are more than just one-offs.

Ironically, this makes this so-called “corporate storefront” an outlier in the local industry, but it isn’t totally against the grain. There was a session IPA on tap when I visited, as well as a Thorn Brewery collaboration Zwickelbier that complemented the traditional year-round house lagers. Compared to most local breweries in the area, Gordon Biersch offers enough of a change of pace that it’s a solid drinking destination in a sea of retail.

BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse (1370 Frazee Road), another chain brew house, has a location just north of Gordon Biersch. Its house pale ale, Piranha, was not a fish I’d order again. In 2017 in San Diego, a pale ale should be hoppy, flavorful and refreshing—three traits I would not ascribe to Piranha.

BJ’s other house beers, however, were not too bad. The Blonde, usually a pretty safe style, was perfectly fine, as was the Hefeweizen. Hopstorm IPA, with its resinous, piney flavor, was the standout. BJ’s also has an extensive list of guest beers including several local favorites.

10 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · OCTOBER 4, 2017

The last stop on our tour of beer in this retail hellscape is Yard House (1640 Camino Del Rio).

Yard House is perhaps best known for its threefoot “yardie” glasses, which hold about two and a half pints of brew. It has an extensive tap list that ranges from basic macros to local micros. Its house IPA, which the server said was brewed for Yard House by Uinta in Salt Lake City, was passable, but not up to snuff when compared to even the least inspired local varieties.

Overall, it’s not the lack of quality options affecting beer in Mission Valley—it’s the neighborhood itself. There is room for little other than big box retail, which means there’s room for little other than big box breweries. The cavernous interiors of these restaurants do affect the atmosphere and ANDREW DYER

Gordon Biersch sense of place, which probably has a significant, if not obvious effect on the experience of visiting a brewery.

But despite those traffic jams and confounding parking lots, there is decent to great beer to be found. And while chain breweries might not exactly fit into what we think of as “San Diego Beer,” they do have their place in the market, and, as is the case with Gordon Biersch, they’ve earned it.

The Beerdist appears every other week.

Write to andrewd@sdcitybeat.com

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SHORTlist

EVENTS

ART

the

THREE YOU HAVE TO SEE

COORDINATED BY

SETH COMBS

SAN DIEGO

SWEET 16

With San Diego’s proximity to Holly- 6), a new comedy-thriller starring Arnold Schwarwood and our solid reputation as a pop culture des- zenegger. And while these films certainly lend credtination (thanks, Comic-Con!), one would think an ibility to the fest, Mantooth says patrons should internationally recognized, star-studded film festi- definitely seek out the wide range of indie flicks val would be a no-brainer. And while the San Di- and docs.

“At the core of it is a fest that highlights indepenego International Film Festival is still relatively young at 16 years, it does seem to get bigger and dent filmmakers and giving them a platform to show bigger every year while still managing to maintain their work when some may never get a theatrical release,” says Mantooth, pointing out the festival’s that indie vibe.

“That’s at the heart and soul of what our fes- programming dealing in issues of environmentalCOURTESY OF SDIFF ism, Native Americans and tival is all about, but we the military. “Given that we also need that recognition live in such a divided time, from the entertainment film has the unique ability industry,” says Tonya to bring people together and Mantooth, the Executive experience something coland Artistic Director for lectively; to develop empathe fest. “Once you start thy and drive conversation.” building that reputation, There are way too many that’s when they allow you films, panels and even foodto premiere some of those studio films.”

San Diego International Film Festival centric events to list here, but most of the screenings While there will certainly be some stars in attendance (Patrick Stew- happen from Thursday, Oct. 5 through Sunday, art, Heather Graham and Kumail Nanjiani, to name Oct. 8 at the Regal Theatre Horton Plaza (475 Hora few) and plenty of VIP parties, it’s the films that ton Plaza) in Downtown and at ArcLight La Jolla are still the focus. Star-powered premieres include (4425 La Jolla Village Drive). Tickets range from day Marshall (Oct. 4) about Thurgood Marshall and the passes for $75 to $350 for an entire festival pass. landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision, as Individual screenings are $16 each. See sdfilmfest. well as the world premiere of Killing Gunther (Oct. com for full list of events and screenings.

BALBOA PARK

ZINE SCENE “If you want something done well, do it yourself” is the ethos bringing together 100 regional and international independent publishers for the fifth annual S.D. Zine Fest. In addition to the hundreds of zine publishers to check out, the free event also has zine-related panel discussions with former local Adam Gnade and L.A. punk singer Alice Bag, plus workshops and a scrap lounge for making stuff.

Plus there will be DJs, food from San Diego Taco Company and Los Slydogz and drinks from Fall Brewing Company and Guayakí Yerba Mate. It happens at Centro Cultural de la Raza (2004 Park Blvd) from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 7 and Sunday, Oct. 8, but there will also be related events at SPACE (3519 El Cajon Blvd.) and Verbatim Books (3793 30th St.). See sandiegozinefest. com for full details.

JUSTINE ENITSUJ

BALBOA PARK

MAKE OFF Science and creativity collide at the Maker Faire San Diego, which offers a variety of weird and wonderful activities for kids and adults. The event returns to Balboa Park (1549 El Prado), with a variety of makers and exhibits like like the “Burning Man Wonderlust Arcade,” featuring custom arcade games, and the “Know Mann,” a 12-foot-tall robot that can dance. Other makers include painters, soap makers, model train creators, costume designers, 3-D printmakers and many others. The dozens of exhibits will be spread out across the park, in various museums and outdoor areas. Maker Faire has created a list of “circuit stops” to guide attendees through the attractions. It all happens from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7 and Sunday, Oct. 8. Tickets are $7-$38 and can be found at sandiego.makerfaire.com, along with more information on this year’s makers.

STEPHANIA VILLAR

HSpeculative Dolphin Theatre at Qualcomm Institute, 3390 Voigt Drive, La Jolla.

An immersive video and sound installation from UCSD MFA candidate Lisa Korpos examining how bottlenose dolphins communicate through chatter and body language. Opening features an artist talk and a panel discussion. Opening from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 5. Free. 858-8224998, qi.ucsd.edu HHispanic Heritage Month Celebration at Sparks Gallery, 530 Sixth Ave., Gaslamp. Local Hispanic artist Optimus Volts will give a live demonstration to complement his works that are on view as part of the Gallery Selection exhibit. Opening from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 5. Free.

619-696-1416, sparksgallery.com Open Studios at The Studio Door, 3750 30th St., North Park. A kick off to the month-long event, which allows self-guided tours of regional artist studios. Preview art, meet artists and grab event schedules at the reception. Opening from 6 to 9 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 7. Free. 619-255-4920, openstudiossandiego.com HSondra Perry at Helmuth Projects, 1827 Fifth Ave., Bankers Hill. An exhibition of the media artist’s work, which dives into technology’s role in the systematic oppression of Black identity. Opening from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7. Free. sayingtheleastandsayingitloud.com Black & White and Red All Over at Subterranean Coffee, 412 University Ave., Hillcrest. Thumbprint Gallery is presenting a black and white group photography exhibition with local photographers including Pasteye, SomewhereInSanDiego, Stray Dog and Zia Sinclair. Opening from 5 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7. Free. 858-3546294, thumbprintgallery.com HAffinité at Tim Cantor Gallery, 527 4th Ave., Gaslamp. An opening night for surrealist artist Tim Cantor’s new exhibition of dramatic paintings and writings. The artist will be in attendance to discuss these new works and some of the inspiration behind the pieces. Opening from 7 to 11 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 7. Free. timcantor.com

BOOKS HPatrick Rothfuss at Mysterious Galaxy Book Store, 5943 Balboa Ave., Ste. 100, Clairemont. The bestselling author will sign the 10th Anniversary special edition of his acclaimed fantasy book, The Name of the Wind. At 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 4. Free. 858-268-4747, mystgalaxy.com Ralph Inzunza at Warwick’s Bookstore, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. The debut author will sign and discuss his novel, The Camo. At 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 6. Free.

858-454-0347, warwicks.com HGary Wills at USD Warren Auditorium, 5998 Alcala Park, Linda Vista. The bestselling author of What Jesus Meant, Why I am a Catholic, and Why Priests? will discuss his new book, What the Qur’an Meant and Why it Matters. At 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 8. Free-$36.94. 858454-0347, warwicks.com HSam J. Miller at Mysterious Galaxy Book Store, 5943 Balboa Ave., Ste. 100, Clairemont. The acclaimed speculative fiction writer will sign and discuss his new novel, The Art of Starving. At 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 9.

Free. 858-268-4747, mystgalaxy.com HLiberty Zabala at Mary Hollis Clark Conference Room, San Diego Central Library, 330 Park Blvd., Downtown. The local news reporter and her sister will sign and discuss their late father’s book, Filipinos: The Probationary Americans, as well as issues currently facing the FilipinoAmerican community. From 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Zine library at Verbatim Books @SDCITYBEAT

Maker Faire San Diego

H = CityBeat picks

Monday, Oct. 9. Free. 619-236-5800, sandiego.gov/publiclibrary Walter Stahr at Warwick’s Bookstore, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. The historian and writer will sign and discuss his new book, Stanton: Lincoln’s War Secretary. At 7:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 9. Free.

858-454-0347, warwicks.com Gabriel Zevin at Warwick’s Bookstore, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. The bestselling author will sign and discuss his new novel, Young Jane Young. At 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 10. Free. 858-454-0347, warwicks.com

DANCE HTrolley Dances at Bayfront/E Street Trolley Station, 750 E St., Chula Vista. This annual site-specific dance project features dancers performing original performances along the MTS Blue Line starting in Chula Vista and winding through the heart of San Diego. At various times from 10 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. Through Sunday, Oct. 8. $15-$40.

619-388-1910, sandiegodancetheater.org

FASHION Fashion Week San Diego at Port Pavilion on the Broadway Pier, 1000 North Harbor Drive, Downtown. The weeklong collaborative fashion event celebrates its 10th year, with five days of runway shows, shopping, after-parties, fashion and beauty panels and more. See website for schedule.

Wednesday, Oct. 4 through Sunday, Oct. 8. $15-$250. fashionweeksd.com “INTENTIONALLY_______.” Pop-Up at JUNC, 2209 Fern St., South Park. During the South Park Walkabout, the Los Angeles-based shoe company will hold a mini shop for its Fall collection. From 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7. 619-283-2611, facebook.com/events/175155263031151

FILM HLiving On Soul at Whistle Stop Bar, 2236 Fern St., South Park. A screening of the music documentary about Daptone Records and artists including Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings and Charles Bradley. This event is a fundraiser for the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. From 8 to 10 p.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 4. $5 suggested donation. 619-284-6784, whistlestopbar.com HSan Diego International Film Festival at various locations. The five-day event will feature more than 100 independent films, studio premieres, panels with celebrities, red carpet events, parties, all-star tributes and an awards ceremony. Happens Wednesday, Oct. 4 through Sunday, Oct. 8. See website for schedule and locations.

Various times. $16-$600. sdfilmfest.com HPoverty, Inc. at Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice, 5998 Alcala Park, Linda Vista. A screening and discussion of the doc that explores how charities have become a multibillion-dollar industry. Magatte Wade, who is featured in the film, will hold a Q&A after the screening. From 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 10. Free. sandiego.edu/ceepp

FOOD & DRINK HGreat American Beer Festival Viewing Party at Mike Hess Brewing Company, 3812 Grim Ave., North Park. Watch a live stream of the annual beer festival and awards with other local beer lovers. From 9 a.m. to noon. Saturday, Oct. 7. Free.

619-255-7136, mikehessbrewing.com Carlsbad Oktoberfest at Holiday Park, Chestnut Ave. & Pio Pico Drive, Carlsbad.

One of San Diego’s longest running and most successful Oktoberfests will feature craft beers, as well as live music, games, and local restaurants offering up pair-worthy dishes. From noon to 10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7. Free-$16.82. 760-602-7513, carlsbadbrewfest.org

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OCTOBER 4, 2017 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 11

EVENTS

BOOKS: THE FLOATING LIBRARY The haunted and the hardboiled

F

ire., the latest installment in the Outspoken Author series from PM Press, features Elizabeth Hand. It includes a worthy and fascinating selection of previously published fiction and nonfiction, as well as an interview and a new short story.

I got to know the author’s work through her series of crime novels that feature Cass Neary, a hard-living punk photographer who eschews all things digital and has a knack for stumbling over dead bodies. More hard-bitten than hardboiled, Neary is a fascinating anti-hero as she stomps and steals her way through coastal Maine in “Generation Loss,” Iceland in “Available Dark” and England in “Hard Light.”

When I reached the end of the series (so far), I was thrilled to discover Hand’s work in other genres, from contemporary horror to high fantasy to movie tie-ins for the Star Wars franchise.

With its mix of fiction and nonfiction, Fire. provides powerful insights regarding the autobiographical undercurrents in her work. For instance, Hand reveals that she drew heavily from her darkest experiences when creating Cass Neary.

In another essay, she talks about how her grandfather’s sprawling estate in the Hudson Valley,

EVENTS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11 Barrel Aged Beer Fest at Liberty Station, 2455 Cushing Road, Point Loma. The inaugural festival will bring 40 breweries together to showcase a rare selection of more than 100 barrel-aged beers. Admission includes unlimited beer tastings. From noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7. $55-$65. facebook.com/events/1383440471738298 A Taste of Coronado at various locations. Participants will have the chance to try selections from over 30 restaurants and businesses throughout Coronado. There will be a complimentary trolley service for transport across town. Proceeds benefit Junior Achievement of San Diego County and the Coronado Junior Woman’s Club.

From 5 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 11. $45-$50. atasteofcoronado.com

HALLOWEEN HThe Haunted Trail Of Balboa Park at Balboa Drive and Juniper St., Balboa Park. A mile-long trail featuring a haunted old plantation, creepy clowns, live scenes of horror and more. From 7 to 11 p.m. through Tuesday, Oct. 31. $25-$37. hauntedtrail.net HThe Scream Zone at Del Mar Racetrack, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd., Del Mar. One of San Diego’s largest Halloween attractions featuring a huge House of Horror with rooms filled with scares, as well as a Haunted Hayride. From 7 p.m. to midnight Fridays and Saturdays from 7 to 11 p.m. through Tuesday, Oct. 31.$10-$33. 858755-1141, thescreamzone.com HThe Haunted Hotel at Haunted Hotel, 424 Market St., Downtown. Voted one of “America’s Best Haunted Houses,” make your way through a Hellevator, a Hillbilly Swamp, a Clown Subway and more. From 7 to 11 p.m. on Sunday, Wednesday and

12 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · OCTOBER 4, 2017

with its odd accoutrements and numerous staircases, seemed like a storehouse of secrets. So she used it as the setting for Wylding Hall, a thoroughly engrossing novella that won the Shirley Jackson Award in 2015—a fitting tribute as Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House is clearly an influence on Hand’s story.

If the purpose of the Outspoken Authors series is to ensure that writers who work in marginalized genres aren’t overlooked, Hand is a fitting choice. Over the course of her career she has penned countless reviews and championed underground writers to make sure they don’t fade from memory.

The essay The Woman Men Didn’t See is a fascinating profile of a woman who wrote science fiction novels with a male pseudonym. But Alice Sheldon/ James Tiptree Jr. didn’t stop there; Sheldon adopted Tiptree’s persona, which was decidedly masculine, in her correspondence with editors and other writers in the field. Hand’s portrait of Tom Disch, the prolific writer who popularized the term “speculative fiction,” is a soaring tribute to a life dedicated to the imagination.

Whether readers are new to Hand’s work or looking for a place to start, Fire. is an indispensible roadmap to her many worlds.

Thursday and 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday through Tuesday, Oct. 31. $19-$29. 619-231-0131, hauntedhotel.com

MUSIC HLiz-Fest at The Casbah, 2501 Kettner Blvd., Middletown. A breast cancer benefit in honor of Chica Diabla’s departed member, Elizabeth Borg. In addition to Chica Diabla, Call me Alice, Whole Hog, Chamber Sixx and several other groups will be performing. At 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 6. $8.

619-232-4355, casbahmusic.com A Hero’s Life at Copley Symphony Hall, 750 B St., Downtown. San Diego Symphony’s season-opening concert features guest conductor, Edo de Waart leading a concert of music about heroic ideals with music from Strauss, Wagner and Liszt. At 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 6 and 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7. $20-$76. 619-235-0804, sandiegosymphony.org HDanilo Pérez at The Auditorium at TSRI, 10620 John J Hopkins Drive, La Jolla. The Athenaeum’s jazz program returns for its fall series to celebrate Thelonious Monk’s 100th birthday with music by Danilo Pérez, Ben Street, Adam Cruz, Rene Marie and more.

From 7:30 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7. $30-$99. 858-454-5872, ljathenaeum.com HVinyl Junkies Record Swap at The Casbah, 2501 Kettner Blvd., Middletown.

Vendors selling thousands of collectible and vintage records in all genres, plus DJs spinning throughout the day. From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7. $3. 619-232HELL, casbahmusic.com Jean-Yves Thibaudet at Copley Symphony Hall, 750 B St., Downtown. The French pianist will play a Chamber Music Series concert featuring music from Francis Poulenc, Franz Schubert and Gabriel Fauré. At 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 8. $35.

619-235-0804, sandiegosymphony.org HJoshua White Trio at Bread & Salt,

—Jim Ruland

1955 Julian Ave., Logan Heights. The Joshua White Trio, with Dean Hulett on bass and Duncan Moore on drums, will be honoring Thelonious Monk with this live performance. The concert is only open to Jazz88 members, but membership starts at $10. From 7 to 10 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 10. $10-$100. 619-388-3301, jazz88.org

POLITICS & COMMUNITY HHomelessness: A Story of Fear and Loathing in San Diego at SDSU Downtown Gallery, 725 W Broadway, Downtown.

A discussion on whether traditional concepts of “home” match the current social realities supported by San Diego’s government and people. Speakers from SDSU’s public affairs and art departments will lead the discussion. From 1 to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7. Free. 619-501-6370, art.sdsu.edu Fight Back PowerHour at City Heights Performing Annex, 3795 Fairmount Ave., City Heights. A public discussion about the Trump Administration’s executive orders banning travel and suspending refugee admissions, including legal analysis and reactions from affected community members. From 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 10. Free. 619-732-6793, panasd.org

SPECIAL EVENTS Entijuanarte 2017 at Centro Cultural Tijuana - CECUT, Paseo Paseo de los Héroes No. 9350, Zona Urbana Río, Tijuana. A cultural festival featuring art, short films, photography, novels, dance and many other creative presentations. Various times. Friday, Oct. 6 through Sunday, Oct. 8. Free. fundacionentijuanarte.org Polish Festival at St. M. Kolbe Roman Catholic Polish Mission 1735 Grand Ave., Pacific Beach. The annual celebration will feature

EVENTS CONTINUED ON PAGE 13 @SDCITYBEAT

EVENTS EVENTS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12 authentic polish beer, food and entertainment.

From 5 to 11:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 6, 2 to 11 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7 and noon to 5 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 8. $5. polishmission.org HOcean Beach Oktoberfest at 5099 Newport Ave., Ocean Beach. Live music, traditional German sausages and, of course, lots and lots of beer will be the featured offerings at this local iteration of Oktoberfest. There will also be a Brewfest Beer Tasting to benefit the Warrior Foundation Freedom Station, and plenty of contests like a bratwust-eating competition. From 1 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday, Oct. 6 and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7. Free-$35. oboktoberfest.com HMaker Faire San Diego at various

@SDCITYBEAT

venues, Balboa Park. This family-friendly event features engineers, hobbyists, artists and inventors showcasing their works, as well as hands-on activities based in science and engineering. From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7 and Sunday, Oct. 8. $7-$38. 619-239-2001, sandiego.makerfaire.com HSouth Park Fall Walkabout at South Park. A seasonal, fun-filled evening festival to introduce patrons to South Park’s unique and independent boutiques, cafes and taverns. See website for list of events and specials. From 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7. Free. southparksd.com/ walkabout.html HSan Diego Zine Fest at Centro Cultural de la Raza, 2004 Park Blvd., Balboa Park.

An annual event where patrons can peruse handmade printed collections of art, poet-

ry, fiction, cultural critiques and even buy a few. There will also be live screenprinting and DJs throughout the day. From noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7 and Sunday, Oct. 8. Free. sandiegozinefest.com La Jolla Art & Wine Festival at La Jolla Village, Girard Avenue between Prospect St. and Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla. The annual fest includes over 150 handpicked artists up and down the street along with wine, craft beers, food, live music and more. From 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7 and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 8. Free. 858-454-1699, ljawf.com Pacific Beachfest at Crystal Pier, 4500 Ocean Boulevard, Pacific Beach. The 20th annual festival offers a 5K race, two volleyball tournaments and a surf contest. Plus there will be a fish taco cookoff, beer garden, arts and craft vendors

and three live music stages. From 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7. Free. pacificbeachfest.org HFeStivale Gala at Museum of Photographic Arts, 1649 El Prado, Balboa Park.

As part of the San Diego Italian Film Festival, this gala features the chefs behind Buona Forchetta, Biga, Civico 1845 and Piazza 1909. Plus there’s Naples-inspired photography, live music and a film screening. From 5:30 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7. $60-$75. sandiegoitalianfilmfestival.com HPurpleStride San Diego at De Anza Cove, 3000 N Mission Bay Drive, Mission Bay. A 5K and family-friendly walk through De Anza Cove to raise funds, awareness and support for pancreatic cancer. Funds go to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. From 6:30 to 9:30 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 8. $15-$40. support.pancan.org

HLattes with Labs & More at Young Hickory, 4096 30th St., North Park. Adoptable dogs, as well as beer, food and coffee will be available at this event, which benefits rescue organization California Labradors, Retrievers & More. Young Hickory will be donating 20 percent of their proceeds to the organization. From noon to 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 8. Free.

619-795-6574, younghickory.com HChew the Scene at BRICK Liberty Station, 2863 Historic Decatur Road, Point Loma. This event is the official kickoff to the San Diego Asian Film Festival and includes unlimited tastings from local restaurants, specialty cocktails and a firstlook at the film lineup of this year’s SDAFF. From 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 10. $35$50. chewthescene.com

OCTOBER 4, 2017 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 13

THEATER DAREN SCOTT

Wrekless Watson (left) and Antonio TJ Johnson in Father Comes Home from the Wars

Heroes and homos

H

“

ero” is an intentionally conflicted name for the protagonist of Intrepid Theatre Company’s lyrical staging of Suzan-Lori Parks’ Father Comes Home from the Wars. The threeact, three-hour drama follows Hero (an intense Wrekless Watson) over the course of two years during America’s Civil War—from slave, to soldier indentured by his cruel owner (Tom Stephenson), to his returning home to West Texas. Through Hero, a complicated man who has both caused hurt and been hurt, the elusive dream of freedom aches to be made real.

While beautifully brought to life by a cast that also features Cortez L. Johnson, Antonio “T.J.” Johnson and Leonard Patton (whose vocals accompanied by guitarist Jim Mooney enhance the sweeping production’s resonance), Father’s three acts are uneven. The first is the strongest, with all of Hero’s internal and external conflicts at the fore. The second act feels long, although it’s a tour de force for Stephenson. The third act is tonally at odds with itself and includes everything from Hero’s talking dog to a near killing. Here, Hero is a man at odds with himself as he tries to embrace a new life. In the end, the horrors of war and slavery are rightfully indicted and racism is shown for what it is: inhuman.

Father Comes Home from the Wars runs through Oct. 22 at the Horton Grand Theatre, Downtown. $33-$58; intrepidtheatre.org ••• ordan Seavey’s Homos, or Everyone in America takes a worldview, or at least an Americanview, of the complexities of gay relationships.

But it is the one between the characters of “The Writer” and “The Academic” (otherwise unnamed) that is most compelling about this play. In Diversionary Theatre’s West Coast premiere of Homos, Jacob Caltrider and Alexander Guzman deliver skilled, vulnerable performances as lovers in Brooklyn navigating the sexual thrills of being together as well as the doubts, anxieties and flare-ups that make all relationships, gay or straight. If anything, Seavey packs too many dramatics into his rapidly paced one-act play, which wavers back and forth between the past and the present of the lovers’ relationship. Yet from start to finish, it’s a rewarding trip in time.

J

14 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · OCTOBER 4, 2017

Homos, or Everyone in America runs through Oct. 15 at Diversionary Theatre in University Heights. $15-$50; diversionary.org

—David L. Coddon

Theater reviews run weekly.

Write to davidc@sdcitybeat.com.

OPENING: Smoke on the Mountain: A family of singers hits the road in post-Depression America in Connie Ray’s gospel-fueled bluegrass musical. Directed by Kerry Meads, it opens Oct. 6 at Lamb’s Players Theatre in Coronado.

The Gun Show and Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll: Claudio Raygoza performs solo in two plays in repertory that deal in issues of gun control, addiction and mental illness. Presented by ion Theatre, it opens Oct. 7 at BLKBOX Theatre in Hillcrest. iontheatre.com The Legend of Georgia McBride: When an Elvis impersonator loses his job, he considers performing in drag in order to make a living in Matthew Lopez’s comedy. Presented by Cygnet Theatre, it opens Oct. 11 at the Old Town Theatre.

NOW PLAYING: Billy Elliot: Based on the charming film, this Elton Johnscored musical is about a British boy who drops boxing to pursue his dreams of becoming a ballet dancer. Presented

by San Diego Musical Theatre, it runs through Oct. 8 at the Spreckels Theatre in Downtown. sdmt.org Last of the Red Hot Lovers: In Neil Simon’s classic play, a boring middle-aged man tries to join the sexual revolution of the late ‘60s. Directed by Christopher Williams, it runs through Oct. 8 at the North Coast Repertory Theatre in Solana Beach. northcoastrep.org Waiting for Lefty: Miracosta College opens its new season with Clifford Odets’ Depression-era play about a group of cab driver friends planning a labor strike. Directed by Eric Bishop, it runs through Oct. 8 at the Miracosta College Theatre. miracosta.edu/instruction/dramaticarts Accomplice: Rupert Holmes’ comedic mystery is set at an English retreat for the affluent where all seems well until someone ends up dead. Presented by Scripps Ranch Theatre, it runs through Oct. 10 at the Legler Benbough Theatre in Scripps Ranch. scrippsranchtheatre.org

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

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TORREY BAILEY

M

ission Valley is an island of big-box stores, outlined by swooping freeway overpasses. This is a far reach from the neighborhood’s beginnings, which relied heavily on sowing the land. The canyon was originally home to Kumeyaay tribes and eventually became the site of the first mission church in California. Founded in 1769, Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcala took advantage of the San Diego River’s water source and farming potential. According to its website, the mission was even responsible for cultivating the first olive in the state. Then came the first hotels of what’s now Hotel Circle, commencing the once thriving dairy farms and agricultural pastures that had been there for 100 years.

Now, corporate giants such as Marriott and Buffalo Wild Wings, as well as luxury condos, juxtapose the river. Around the holidays, the two major shopping centers, Westfield Mission Valley and Fashion Valley Malls transform the area into a nearconstant traffic jam. Mom-and-pop stores are almost unheard of in the region, but those that do exist keep their quirks within the confines of smaller shopping centers such as Hazard Center and Fenton Marketplace. Some of the mini-malls cater to yoga and vegan diets. Others have recording studios and independentlyowned diners. Whether it’s to go to Target, eat at In-N-Out Burger or file a quick divorce, Mission Valley is where San Diegans converge for the sake of convenience and commerce.

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“This is where we should always have the opportunity to have open space,” says Rob Hutsel, President and CEO of the San Diego River Park Foundation, while strolling the Mission Valley riverwalk. An urgency to preserve this habitat struck TORREY BAILEY him in 2000, after 34 million gallons of untreated sewage spilled into the river, and few seemed to care. One year after the spill, he launched the San Diego River Park Foundation. Since then, the nonprofit has been responsible for passing legislation to form the San Diego River Conservancy and getting the city of San Diego to adopt a river park master plan. Its volunteers have picked up more than one million pounds of trash, installed a real-time water quality monitoring station in partnership with SDSU and more. Looking forward, Hutsel is focused on building a nature education center and influencing stadium plans. “Within the next two years, all the things we’ve worked on for 20 years, at least in Mission Valley, are going to be decided,” he says. “If we decide to stand up for the river, the vision will happen. It will be our legacy for this community, whether we do it or not. I believe we need to do it. Here’s our window.”

—Torrey Bailey

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When Lee Ottman was growing up in the midwest, she’d never even heard of the missions in California. “We talked about the pilgrims and Plymouth Rock, but no one ever mentioned this,” she says. “But this is really the nucleus of California history, right here.” The 90-year-old Ottman began volunteering several years ago as a docent at the Mission Basilica San JAMIE BALLARD Diego de Alcalá, which is the state’s first mission and the landmark from which Mission Valley draws its name. She leads tours around the grounds and works in the gift shop, which gives her the chance to interact with visitors from all over the world. “I’m not even sure if there’s a country we haven’t had a visitor from!” she says.

Ottman loves getting to play to her various audiences.

“Sometimes I do a little ad-libbing,” she admits. “If you have a large group of kids and they’re not attentive, but then you mention that the Native Americans didn’t have a stitch of clothes on when the Spanish landed here, and then they made clothes out of cactus plants—well, that usually gets their attention.”

—Jamie Ballard

“It’s part of the landscape,” says Tom Kavanaugh of the two near-iconic Fast Divorce vans parked in Mission Valley. Those vans belong to Kavanaugh, the Director of Case Management Fast Divorce. While one van is blue and the other gold, both have peeling red letters that spell out “Fast Divorce” along with the business’ number. They’ve worked as his advertising tools since Yellowpages died out and online options grew in cost. “It’s either Google or what I call guerilla marketing, and that’s the buses out there.” Kavanaugh says the vehicles bring in about 40 to 50 percent of his clientele. “People see it and they might not need it, TORREY BAILEY but they lock it in on their phones and they know somebody that might need a divorce.” The fact that one of the buses is parked near David’s Bridal is only a coincidence, but having his office in Mission Valley is not. It’s close to the freeways and the county’s courts, which is important when about 40 people file for divorce in San Diego every day, he says. “If you look at statistics, they say about 60 percent of marriages in the state of California go to divorce. That’s twothirds. That’s a lot of people that say I do, but they really don’t.

They say I do, but they have their fingers crossed.”

—Torrey Bailey

@SDCITYBEAT

Mission Valley isn’t known for being a Yet Phaser Control has also been housing neighborhood heavy on live music or ven- 91X’s X-Sessions, which have included The ues, but those who know where to listen War on Drugs, The Descendents and The will find bands playing live music at just Shins. For now, there’s a waiting list for reabout any time of the day. Phaser Control hearsal room vacancies, but Joseph has an Studio/Studio 350 (6320 Riverdale Road) open invitation for musicians in San Diego is hidden in the back of an industrial park to record at the studio. in Mission Valley, unassuming from the outside. Yet on the inside are 17 rehearsal spaces being rented out by 85 local musicians and a state-of-theart recording studio designed by renowned recording studio architect Rod Gervais. He offered his services after corresponding with co-owner Timothy Joseph, who also plays in local bands The Palace Ballroom and Buckfast Superbee.

“When he sent [the plans] to me, it looked like the space shuttle,” says Joseph. Phaser Control is indeed aerodynamic, with wood panels of varying Timothy Joseph at Phaser Control Studio sizes on the walls, and a curved “I want to do what I can for the scene,” ceiling above the recording space.

A long list of local bands have laid down he says. “I want to give back to it what it tracks at the studio, including The Donkeys gave me.” and Western Settings, as well as Mrs. Magician, Cuckoo Chaos and Diamond Lakes.

—Jeff Terich

@SDCITYBEAT

The culinary landscape of Mission Valley is pretty bleak, especially with establishments such as Cheesecake Factory, P.F. Chang’s and Hooters making up the high end. It’s almost like the neighborhood put a 10-yearold in charge of restaurants—everything’s bland, slightly offensive and caters to the overly carnivorous American diet.

But tucked away in a little strip mall off Fairmount, three restaurants prove that hip, socially-conscious eateries can thrive in a sea of animal-unfriendly, corporate bullshit: Donut Panic, Mission Square Market and PurpleMint.

All respect to fancy donut shops popping up, but it’s hard justifying spending $4 on a vegan donut. Donut Panic, on the other hand, does the same thing for half the price—and their donuts actually taste like donuts. I mean, raspberry-infused habanero is fine and all, but sometimes I just want chocolate and sprinkles, bruh.

Next door, Mission Square Market is a mini vegan grocery mart and deli that offers

an extensive selection of cruelty-free sandwiches and exclusive vegan products (the cashier told me it’s the only place in San Diego that sells Violife vegan cheese—a way better dairy-free substitute than Daiya, which is garbage). I also ate one of the market’s meatless meatball subs and it was bomb.

TORREY BAILEY

Donut Panic I haven’t had the opportunity to eat at PurpleMint (yet), but I’d bet money that it’s better than Cheesecake Factory.

—Ryan Bradford

OCTOBER 4, 2017 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 19

The recently re-named San Diego County Credit Union Stadium was first unveiled as the San Diego Stadium in 1967. Over the years it’s hosted rock concerts, car races, the Padres, and thousands of Chargers fans. It’s the only NFL stadium to host the World Series and the Super Bowl within the same year. The city has gone through some great (and weird) lengths to keep its stadium fresh. Let us count the ways: 1980: In honor of the death of Jack Murphy, the stadium becomes the first in the history of major American sports to be named after a writer. Grade: 1997: Qualcomm pays $18 million for stadium titles, ending “The Murph” era.

Grade: 2003: Chargers offer to buy the stadium at $400 million in exchange for the property rights to the land around it, which would be filled with retail, real estate, a hotel and a park. Never happens. Grade: 2011: Former Mayor Jerry Sanders illegally bypasses City Council to allow the venue to be temporarily renamed Snapdragon

Stadium for 10 days, in order to promote the Qualcomm brand. Grade: 2015: In fear of losing the Chargers, the city reveals its new stadium design for “the fan of the future” who will sit in “seating neighborhoods” and enjoy “sponsor activation zones for increased revenue.” The price tag is a whopping $1.1 billion, but there’s a skate park and a “kinetic skin” that replicates the sound of the ocean, so it’s okay that taxpayers pay a third of the cost, right? Right? Grade: 2017: Chargers leave San Diego and start repping L.A. with a shit logo. Mayor wants to turn Qualcomm site into an MLS stadium. No dice. SDSU and U2 likely the only action for a while. Meanwhile, 28 reality-dodgers have signed a change.org petition to bring the Chargers back. Grade:

20 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · OCTOBER 4, 2017

—Torrey Bailey and Seth Combs

The above headline might sound like an oxymoron (really, who thought this was a good idea? Am I north? Am I south? Where am I? Did I teleport to a time when city planning and infrastructure are no longer needed?), but the clusterfuck known as Hotel Circle actually has some go-to spots for those not going in circles.

The Waffle Spot (1333 Hotel Circle South): The underrated, regal-themed diner next to the Kings Inn hotel has some delicious waffle dishes and a menu sporting hilarious characters such as Sir Wafflelot, Sir Up and Squire Browns (spoiler alert: he’s a hash brown). Wafflelot himself is also known to appear in person. This is a really fun alternative to the typical brunch spots.

Hunter Steakhouse (2445 Hotel Circle North): Look, I’m sure this place is named after someone who had the surname of Hunter, but I like to think this place’s “best prime rib in town” was actually hunted and served to me. With Albie’s Beef Inn sadly gone, this is as legit a steakhouse as one will find in the Valley.

Bunz (475 Hotel Circle South): Read Michael Gardiner’s review on page nine. Then go. Seriously, go!

Charlie’s Bar (500 Hotel Circle North): Sure, it’s a rather boring sports bar inside the Town & Country Hotel, but it does serve

TORREY BAILEY

Town & Country Hotel some decent barbecue and drinks are reasonably priced. Plus, it’s easy to find because of the…

Town & Country Hotel sign (500 Hotel Circle North): There’s nothing in particular to see here except the most awesomely clever sign in San Diego. Really, God bless whoever is responsible for this.

—Seth Combs

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CULTURE | VOICES

RACHEL MICHELLE FERNANDES

THANK YOU FOR

STARING

Go fund yourself, part 2: Don’t quit your day job!

S

eems like everyone these days has got at least one side hustle. The term has been around since the ‘50s and is used to describe “both scams and legitimate jobs,” according to Merriam Webster, but it has popped up on the internet a lot these days as a stylish way of normalizing how overworked we all are.

For many poor people, however, a side hustle is often needed to survive. For poor artists (ahem, and writers) making money off of one’s work is extremely challenging (I literally wrote this column at Starbucks on a break from my main job). Those with money have an obvious advantage in the arts because they can afford materials and studio spaces more easily. They can also take internships, go to grad school and get around high society with more ease in order to network.

But money doesn’t buy motivation. Or taste.

“Unless you’re literally born with a silver spoon in your mouth and an intense motivation to always follow through on everything ever, you’re always going to have more reasons not to make your art than you are to make it,” says local artist Akiko Surai, who also works in two different departments at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego.

“Fighting to make art is what makes you an artist.”

I met Surai at the Tijuana Zine Fest where she was helping promote the feminist zine Madwoman et Cetera. Once we started talking, I was immediately struck by how positive, calm and motivated she seemed. I began wishing I could summon even a shred of that composure. I also found out that she assists local artist Andrea Chung, who I covered for CityBeat back in May. “Part of why I have that other job, beyond funding not being what it should be for the arts and arts education, is because that’s how I get my studio space and how I get access to the network to critique my work,” she explained when we caught up again recently. Surai also pointed out her all-female of color collective called LOUD, in which the members pool their resources to help one another by sharing things like Blue Apron promo codes or watching each other’s kids.

So while I like the idea of the fight to make art and that limited resources can inspire creativity and collectivity, at what point do we stand up and ask for more? Perhaps the answer lies in the idea of the collective itself.

Collectivism (aka socialism) is inherently at odds with the “rugged individual” paradigm of free-market, survival-of-the-fittest capitalism. It undermines the kind of competitiveness that powers corporate greed and empowers us to challenge the status quo. San Di-

ego is, as I like to say, a “status bro” kind of place, but I digress.

“If you’re trying to create some creative metabolism in a city where there are artists looking for opportunities, you can do that by opening a space or starting a collective” says Perry Vasquez, an artist and original founder of ICE Gallery, an artist run exhibition space that originally opened in an old dry ice factory in North Park after a friend couldn’t afford to keep it.

But any local artist will testify that affordable spaces are hard to keep, much less find in the first place. Helmuth Projects, for example, is a collectively run exhibit space funded mostly by the artists and their day jobs. But just like the original Ice Gallery before them, Helmuth is losing the space due to the sale of the entire city block. The recent closure of the Glashaus and Union Barrio Logan has sent more artists scrambling for studios (I will address gentrification and the issues surrounding affordable spaces, or lack thereof, in my next column).

“San Diego fails miserably when it comes to cultivating its local creative ‘scene-ious’ [a portmanteau of scene and genius],” says Vasquez, now a professor of Art at Southwestern College. “It’s absolutely bush league and sad.”

As I pointed out in the first installment of this series of columns, the San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture is doing what it can to distribute government funds while admitting there is a gap in their service. It’s difficult for individuals and emerging groups to get a leg up while bigger, more established groups get large pieces of the pie. Director Dana Springs recently informed me that changes to this policy will not be able to be enacted until 2020.

In the meantime, one side hustle should be to collectivism. That is, to creatively problem solve, lend each other resources when necessary, and to help create our own economy until this one crumbles or is rebuilt by us.

Collectively taking up proverbial arms against what Hannah Arendt refers to as “the banality of evil” is of utmost importance during these dark (or should I say spray-tanned) times. We need to share resources just like we need to take turns going to public forums and government meetings. Artists should demand to be heard, just as they should also have a potluck, smoke some joints and come up with strategies.

But let’s not quit our day jobs. It’s like Fight Club.

Let’s wink knowingly at one another then pee in the lobster bisque. So to speak.

Artists should demand to be heard, just as they should also have a potluck, smoke some joints and come up with strategies.

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Thank You For Staring appears every other week.

OCTOBER 4, 2017 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 21

CULTURE | FILM

Off world

Blade Runner 2049

Denis Villeneuve’s stunning Blade Runner 2049 is weighed down by bloat

by Glenn Heath Jr.

E

ndless sheets of rain whip through scrap metal attack via digital sunglasses while receiving a laser cities. Concrete beaches play tag with the Cali- manicure.

When K eventually tracks down Deckard in Las Vefornia coastline. Neon advertisements for CocaCola and Pan Am bleed into the endless urban void. gas, the orange dusty exteriors exude a radioactivity Updated versions of synthetic robots (“replicants”) that clings to the skin. This greatly contrasts with the manufactured by a mega-corporation with colonial- slippery downpour covering Los Angeles; the entire ist ties provide society its slave labor. LAPD Blade city is one flood away from circling the drain. The film Runners like K (Ryan Gosling) “retire” older models also depicts San Diego as a vast garbage wasteland in that have started to express human emotion. Tour- what feels like a hilarious jab at America’s Finest City. ing through the opening salvo of Blade Runner 2049, Unlike most big budget spectacles, Blade Runner 2049 it doesn’t seem like much has changed in the 35 years uses special effects to illuminate both the grandiose and intimate facets of place. since Ridley Scott’s canonical 1982 film left off.

While Blade Runner 2049 shares eerie narrative The parallels don’t stop there. Denis Villeneuve’s bloated and bewildering sequel feels overtly pos- echoes and a similar passion for obtuse philosophical sessed by its lean predecessor. It begins with an eye- ramblings with its predecessor, Villeneuve’s gorgeous ball in extreme close-up, then K’s interrogation of hifalutin rendering makes Scott’s grimy original look downright independent. At 164 suspected replicant Sapper Morminutes and a production budton (Dave Bautista). Their short get closing in on $200 million, conversation is punctuated by BLADE RUNNER this new entry is unnecessarbursts of noir-like dialogue and ily bloated and stretched to the long cold glances. The ensuing 2049 breaking point. Villeneuve has fisticuffs reveal a potentially Directed by Denis Villeneuve flirted with overcooked mateworld-changing secret about the Starring Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, rial before, but at least Prisoners machine race, pitting K against and Sicario are up front about both his superiors and fractured Ana de Armas and Jared Leto the contradictions between their past memories.

Rated R cartoonish genre origins and Divulging any more specifself-seriousness. ics would run the risk of playing Conversely, Blade Runner spoiler, and there’s no greater sin in Hollywood’s modern marketing bog. Like so 2049, which opens Friday, Oct. 6, is gunning for mass many highly anticipated studio products, Blade Run- credibility and Oscar gold. “We’re all just looking for ner 2049 feels constructed to fulfill fan boy fantasies, something real,” says one character, summing up obsessed with narrative Easter eggs that connect old (quite obviously) the film’s dim themes concerning theories with the new. In service of these necessities, human emotion, artificial intelligence and past trauscreenwriters Hampton Fancher and Michael Green ma. Jared Leto’s blind business mogul speaks purely purposefully weave original Blade Runner Rick Deck- in these kinds of colloquial monologues during two ard (Harrison Ford) into their leaden story, ensuring tortuous scenes that display the actor’s true conceitedness. crossover appeal and a sense of history repeating.

Small miracles do exist in Blade Runner 2049, It’s ironic, then, that despite being shrouded in secrecy, Blade Runner 2049’s plot is overly pedestrian (there’s a highly effective sex scene that reconfigures and completely devoid of urgency. The spatial intri- what it means to feel intimacy) but the organic beauty cacies that populate every widescreen frame are of and possibility they represent gets buried beneath far more interest. Cinematographer Roger Deakins ponderous ruminations and plot twists ripped from and production designer Dennis Gassner masterfully the pantheon of generic science fiction. Villeneuve’s work in tandem to create a dense dystopia made up of “epic” film may look and sound important, but that’s restless holograms, ramshackle oddballs and rotting just the hubris talking. façades. Blade Runner 2049 leaves plenty of time to fixate on these precise details of technology. It may Film reviews run weekly. be the first film to depict someone conducting a drone Write to glennh@sdcitybeat.com

22 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · OCTOBER 4, 2017

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CULTURE | FILM 100-year-old tortoise lends the film its perfect symbol of endurance. A lovely farewell that doesn’t like goodbyes, Lucky teaches us that you’re never too old to stand in awe of something and smile.

—Glenn Heath Jr.

OPENING Lucky

Old coot

H

arry Dean Stanton, who passed away on Sept. 15, 2017 at the tender age of 91, was an actor who embodied the endless process of aching reassessment. He played nomadic loners, fixers, mentors and drifters, some uniquely capable of wandering tirelessly through empty landscapes in search of revelation.

The desert often provided these silently tormented men with a fitting backdrop to their internal and external dilemmas.

With this in mind, John Carroll Lynch’s Lucky, which opens Friday, Oct. 6, feels like the perfect capstone to a great artist’s career. Set in an unnamed arid region far from civilization, this sublime character study follows Stanton’s atheist 90-year-old during a pivotal late-age philosophical reckoning.

Initially beholden to a strict daily routine of smoking, yoga exercises, coffee at the local diner and nightly drinks at Elaine’s Bar, Lucky experiences a fainting spell and begins to question his own mortality.

The “bureaucracy of death” consumes him like a tidal wave, churning up old memories and past traumas. Lynch, a brilliant character actor himself, lends this spiritual crisis an offbeat rhythm punctuated by strange interactions and telling conversations with singular supporting characters.

Lucky’s early morning banter with diner owner Joe (Barry Shabaka Henley) bookends nicely with the late night verbal barbs he shares with barfly Paulie (James Darren). In one harrowingly intimate moment, Lucky shares a cup of coffee and war stories with another vet (Tom Skerritt). These scenes and many others help Lucky realize the truth of what his doctor (Ed Begley Jr.) advises early on: “Witness what you are going through and examine it.”

By the closing credits, the theme of friendship (and how it nourishes future possibilities) becomes most important. Look no further than Lucky’s yearning connection with drinking buddy Howard (David Lynch), whose missing

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Better Watch Out: On a quiet suburban street, a tenacious babysitter must defend a twelve-year-old boy from lethal intruders, only to discover it’s far from a normal home invasion. Opens Friday, Oct. 6, at Digital Gym Cinema in North Park.

Blade Runner 2049: Ryan Gosling plays a young blade runner who discovers a secret that leads him to track down Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), who thirty years previous hunted down four replicants and then disappeared.

Columbus: John Cho and Haley Lu Richardson star in this quiet drama about a Korean-American man who travels to Columbus, Indiana to be with his comatose father. Opens Friday, Oct. 6, at Digital Gym Cinema in North Park.

Lucky: A 90-year-old man living in a small desert town wrestles with mortality and memory in this melancholy independent film from actor John Carroll Lynch. Opens Friday, Oct. 6, at the Hillcrest Cinema.

My Little Pony: The Movie: A dark force threatens Ponyville and three heroes embark on a journey to save their town. This is a movie that actually exists.

San Diego International Film Festival: Showcasing independent cinema and recent festival circuit hits, this event offers glamorous parties, filmmaker Q&As, and a special night honoring a collection of Hollywood stars. Runs Wednesday, Oct. 4 through Sunday, Oct. 8 at various San Diego venues. For more info visit sdfilmfest.com.

San Diego Italian Film Festival: Celebrating its 11th edition, this film festival highlights the best from recent Italian Cinema, including documentary and feature films. Runs Wednesday, Oct. 4 through Sunday, Oct. 15 at the Museum of Photographic Arts in Balboa Part and La Paloma Theatre in Encinitas.

Take Every Wave: The Life of Laird Hamilton: This documentary about Laird Hamilton, perhaps the greatest big wave surfer of all time, charts the life and career of a living sports legend. Opens Friday, Oct. 6, at the Ken Cinema.

Te Ata: The inspiring true story of the renowned Chickasaw storyteller who entertained at the White House, befriended the First Lady, performed for European Royalty and on stages around the world in an illustrious career that spanned more than sixty years. Opens Friday, Oct. 6, at Mission Valley Cinemas 18.

The Mountain Between Us: Idris Elba and Kate Winslet star as strangers who must rely on each other for survival after their plane crashes in the snowy wilderness.

The Queen of Spain: This biopic looks at the life of Macarena Granada (Penelope Cruz), who became a Hollywood star before returning back to her native Spain to film a blockbuster about the titular royalty.

Opens Friday, Oct. 6, at Digital Gym Cinema in North Park.

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

OCTOBER 4, 2017 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 23

GRAHAM MACINDOE

MUSIC

o understand the looseness of the recording sessions that birthed The National’s new album Sleep Well Beast, it’s important to know that The National—the sleek, brooding heroes of 21st century indie rock— have been taking advice from Bob Weir, the legendary but not particularly sleek or brooding drummer for the Grateful Dead, a band known for its own famously loose sensibility.

“Bob would say, ‘Why are you sweating the static?’” says The National’s frontman, Matt Berninger in a telephone interview. “And so whatever your definition of ‘the static’ is, a lot of people cleared a lot of their own personal static out (while making Sleep Well Beast). And so I think Bob Weir, in a weird way, affected us more than anybody.”

Now, to understand why The National have been taking advice from Bob Weir, it’s important to know two more things: One, the band’s state of mind after recording, releasing and touring behind its sixth album, 2013’s Trouble Will Find Me. And two, the fact that The National, nearly two decades in, feels like more of a family than ever before—and that’s saying a lot for a band with two sets of brothers in its lineup.

“After Trouble Will Find Me, everyone was exhausted. Babies were on the way,” Berninger says. “We didn’t really talk about it. Everybody just kind of went off and did their own thing.”

24 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · OCTOBER 4, 2017

Berninger teamed up with Menomena’s Brent Knopf in a band called EL VY. Drummer Bryan Devendorf made albums with his side projects, Pfarmers and LNZNDRF, the latter with his brother Scott Devendorf, The National’s bassist. Guitarist Bryce Dessner made an album inspired by space with Sufjan Stevens, among others. His fellow guitarist (and twin brother) Aaron Dessner produced albums for Lisa Hannigan, Frightened Rabbit and The Lone Bellow, to name a few.

Finally, all five members were involved in Day of the Dead, a sprawling charity tribute album to the Grateful Dead, and all five played with Weir at various points, either live or on his new album Blue Mountain. Along the way, Weir unknowingly (or perhaps knowingly) helped steer the band into its latest phase.

“There’s been a couple of little tidbits of rock wisdom we’ve gotten from these heroes of ours,” Berninger says.

“When an old rock guy gives advice to a young rock guy, it’s usually going to be pretty fucking good.”

To wit: R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe once told The National to “remember you were friends first,” says Berninger, who met

Scott Devendorf at the University of Cincinnati in the early ‘90s. Separately, Bryan Devendorf played in bands around Cincinnati with the Dessner brothers before all five moved to New York City and formed The National in 1999.

The band released a few well-received independent albums before breaking through with 2007’s Boxer, a collection of taut, dusky songs featuring the Dessners’ inventive guitar playing, Bryan Devendorf’s dizzying rhythms and Berninger’s deep voice, which pairs perfectly with lyrics that walk a wobbly line between midlife melancholy and vodkasoaked madness.

For the past decade, The National have been one of the most reliably strong bands in indie rock, and Sleep Well Beast is a worthy addition to their catalog. It’s packed with the band’s sonic hallmarks, albeit embellished with synths (“Walk It Back,” “Born to Beg”), drum machines (“Empire Line”), cool processed vocals (“I’ll Still Destroy You”) and even a guitar solo (“The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness”).

These sounds are the result of not only the looser vibe of the recording sessions, but also the luxury of time. The band recorded Sleep Well Beast in a variety of places, but Berninger says the band really got to “workshop” the songs at Aaron Dessner’s new home studio, Long Pond, in New York.

“My philosophy is just take your time. With time you can make something great, but if you’re stressed out and rushed you’re going to have to force it out and it might not be there yet,” Berninger says. “We’re slow artists but I’ve learned that that’s the way we are. And every time we try to hurry up and chase something, it’s just led us nowhere and made it harder, and it didn’t get done any faster.”

Recording at Dessner’s home also provided the band an opportunity to hang with family; a New York Times minidocumentary about the making of the album prominently features young children wandering through the studio and canoeing across a body of water. Every member of The National has kids now, says Berninger, which only expands and strengthens the support system that surrounds a band that is already anchored by sibling relationships.

“The kids are part of the network now, part of the fabric. The kids, the side projects—all of those things are definitely part of the same connective spiderweb of stuff,” he says. “It’s a fabric now. It’s not just five dudes in a rock band.”

Of course, five friends in a rock band is how it all started for The National, and the creative push and pull between brothers—both biological and otherwise—has fueled the band’s rise from underground darlings to festival headliners. In family, the five men in The National find conflict, comfort, stability and inspiration.

“We know that the deep roots in this family have caused a lot of tension, but also have probably been the thing that kept us from totally spinning out of control,” Berninger says. “There’s a certain strength to the threads that keep us together.”

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MUSIC

NOTES FROM THE SMOKING PATIO I WON’T BACK DOWN

I

was on vacation in Austin, Texas on the November 2015 night when 89 people were killed in an attack at Paris’ Bataclan during an Eagles of Death Metal concert. My wife and I were getting ready to go out for dinner, drinks and a concert that night, but when news of the attack came out, our plans seemed weirdly trivial in light of the tragedy. I wasn’t sure how to feel about hearing live music on a night when dozens of people were killed just because they happened to be at that specific show at that specific time—something they were likely looking forward to for weeks or months beforehand.

KMERON / FLICKR

Eagles of Death Metal When we got to the Mohawk to see HEALTH that night, things felt off. The atmosphere felt unusually reserved, and some light rumblings of the Paris terror attacks were overheard from people around us at the venue. But once the band started playing on the outdoor stage during a cold Texas night, something of a psychological realignment occurred. Whether it was a result of the intangible healing power of music or the comfort of being among people like us—eager to feel a moment of admittedly fleeting celebration— things felt right again.

On Sunday night in Las Vegas, the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history (to date) occurred at a country music festival headlined by Jason Aldean, once again bringing terror into a space where people go for an escape. And coincidentally, I was also at a music venue when it happened, basking in a moment of joy while making new friends and reuniting with old ones. I woke up the next day up to the horrific news, immediately feeling a knot in my stomach as I heard it reported on public radio.

Fifty-nine people (at the time this went to press) are dead as a result of a lone shooter, with more than 500 injured. It’s hard to make sense of such scenes of unspeakable violence. There are the feelings of grief and sorrow for those who have been tragically murdered, but there is also anger and frustration toward the powerful gun lobby and the failure of U.S. leadership to do anything about it. But I also feel frustration that this massacre—much like the Bataclan attacks and the Manchester/Ariana Grande bombing earlier this year—happened while people were watching live music. Though the motives and the methods of the attackers were different, the end result was the same: a violation of something that’s meant to offer people respite from stress or pain.

When something like this happens, it hits particularly close to home. I spend many of my nights watching live music, which makes those venues almost literally like a second home to me. They’re sacred spac-

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es, places where people go to experience a form of catharsis or celebration, joy or escape. Music can be a form of therapy, and to go hear an artist play music is essentially to join a community of people sharing in something that might seem trivial on the surface but can ultimately be powerful and profound. At the very least, it’s a way to feel good and make a connection with others. When someone enters that space only to do harm to others, it feels particularly bleak—as if the one thing we count on to get us through times like these is no longer safe.

The morning after the Las Vegas shooting, Caleb Keeter—a guitarist for the Josh Abbott Band, who also played at the festival where the shooting took place—shared a statement about how the Vegas attack changed his mind about gun control.

“I’ve been a proponent for the 2nd amendment my entire life,” he said in a message shared on Twitter. “Until the events of last night. I cannot express how wrong I was.”

I applaud Keeter’s mea culpa, and the candor in acknowledging that he was stubborn about his support of looser gun laws until he saw the consequences firsthand. But there’s something else that Keeter said that resonated with me, which he tweeted after sharing that statement: “That being said, I’ll not live in fear of anyone. We will regroup, we’ll come back and we’ll rock your fucking faces off. Bet on it.” I admire Keeter’s resolve. The lives lost in the shooting can’t be brought back, but to let fear get in the way of putting something positive back out into the world would be to give up entirely.

GARY DORSEY

Josh Abbott Band I’m not optimistic about the possibility of ending or at least decreasing gun violence (or other acts of violence for that matter) in the U.S., and the invasion of a space that means so much to so many is beyond awful. But ultimately, as bleak as it gets, I’m with Keeter: I can’t count on the world (and especially the U.S.) to become a less horrifying place anytime soon, but to give up on the things that bring us joy and make sense when nothing else does, is to abandon hope.

—Jeff Terich OCTOBER 4, 2017 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 25

MUSIC

JEFF TERICH

IF I WERE U A music insider’s weekly agenda WEDNESDAY, OCT. 4

PLAN A: Archons, Old Iron, Age of Collapse, Low and Be Told @ The Casbah.

Local sludge metal badasses Archons have a new album, and this release show finds them joined by an impressive list of local noisemakers, including epic crust outfit Age of Collapse and noise rockers Low and Be Told. PLAN B: Jonwayne, Danny Watts, EMV, Jumbotron @ Soda Bar. Bearded, long-haired emcee Jonwayne looks like he belongs in a stoner rock band, but the dude’s actually a hell of a rapper, pairing clever flows with laid-back, psychedelic beats.

GUY LOWNDES

Casbah. Chica Diabla’s vocalist Liz Borg died last year of breast cancer, and to honor her life, the band is holding a special show with a long list of hard-rocking bands, with all proceeds going to assist a patient battling cancer. BACKUP PLAN: Pinegrove, Florist, Lomelda @ The Irenic.

SATURDAY, OCT. 7

PLAN A: Janet Jackson @ Valley View Casino Center. Miss Jackson if you’re nasty! Yes, the iconic pop singer is still going strong, and in fact released an excellent album in 2015, titled Unbreakable. “No Sleeep” is my jam, but then again so is “What Have You Done For Me Lately.” PLAN B: Missing Persons, Bow Wow Wow, The Untouchables @ House of Blues. Dubbed the “Totally ’80s Tour,” this lineup of new wave acts will no doubt provide a serious nostalgia trip. But it’d be worth it for Missing Persons, whose ‘80s hits still sound great.

SUNDAY, OCT. 8

Father John Misty

THURSDAY, OCT. 5

PLAN A: Father John Misty, Weyes Blood @ Observatory North Park. Father John Misty is a divisive figure, no doubt because of his penchant for trolling. But I fall clearly on the side that thinks he’s amazing, because motherfucker can write (and sing) a hell of a tune. PLAN B: P.O.S., Sean Anonymous @ Soda Bar. Planning on hitting up two hiphop shows in a row? Check out P.O.S., who’s been making abrasive, abstract rap for more than a decade, with some tracks sporting an appearance from The Hold Steady’s Craig Finn (he probably won’t be at this show).

BACKUP PLAN: Elliott Brood, Pall Jenkins @ The Casbah.

FRIDAY, OCT. 6

PLAN A: Depeche Mode, Warpaint @ Mattress Firm Amphitheatre. Depeche Mode is one of those bands that’s easy to bond with others about. Even the most cynical among us can find something to love about “Enjoy the Silence.” They’re legends for a reason. PLAN B: Liz Fest w/ Chica Diabla, Call Me Alice, Whole Hog, Chamber Sixx, The Touchies, Mittens @ The

26 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · OCTOBER 4, 2017

PLAN A: Obituary, Exodus, Power Trip, Dust Bolt @ Observatory North Park. Legends of thrash metal and death metal come together on this megatour. The pit’s going to be pretty gnarly, so readers should prepare themselves. Also make sure to get there early enough to hear Power Trip, who slayed on their last visit here back in spring. PLAN B: Silent, Planet B, Adam Gnade @ SPACE. Mexicali noise rock outfit Silent are a hell of a band to see live. They’re loud, intense and have a stage presence that turns their performances into something more than the average rock show. Plus, CityBeat editor Seth Combs is crazy about them. BACKUP PLAN: Ratboys, Shindigs, Aquarium @ Soda Bar.

MONDAY, OCT. 9

PLAN A: Cauldron, Amulet, Monarch, Call of the Wild @ Soda Bar. A band called Cauldron pretty much spells out what kind of music they play with a name like that. It’s old-school, ‘80s style metal with guitar heroism, epic narratives and a fascination with the supernatural. What’s not to love?

TUESDAY, OCT. 10

PLAN A: Sound of Ceres, Pavo Pavo @ SPACE. Sound of Ceres make atmospheric synth-pop that’s easy enough to like as it is.

But their new album The Twin is based on a narrative by sci-fi author Alastair Reynolds, which adds a conceptual thread to an already cool sound. PLAN B: Demerit, Escape from the Zoo, Ground Score, Se Vende @ Soda Bar. Demerit is a hardcore punk band from Beijing. That’s a hell of a long distance to travel in the name of punk rock, so show these bruisers some love.

They’ve earned it.

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MUSIC

CONCERTS HOT! NEW! FRESH!

Caifanes (Observatory, 11/5), Pine Mountain Logs (BUT, 11/11), ‘The Last Waltz’ w/ Mrs. Henry (BUT, 11/26), The Heavy Guilt (Soda Bar, 12/1), Sports (Soda Bar, 12/2), Wheeler Walker Jr. (Observatory, 12/4), The Wrecks (HOB, 12/12), Chris Isaak (BUT, 12/12-13), Rezz (Observatory, 12/14), The Donkeys (Casbah, 12/31), August Burns Red (HOB, 1/24), Enter Shikari (Irenic, 2/25), Jacob Sartorius (HOB, 2/26).

GET YER TICKETS Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile (HOB, 10/11), The National (Open Air Theatre, 10/12), Bob Dylan (Harrah’s Resort, 10/13), Jason Mraz (Spreckels Theatre, 10/14), Torres (Casbah, 10/17), Mason Jennings (BUT, 10/17), Café Tacuba (Observatory, 10/17-18), Arcade Fire (Viejas Arena, 10/18), Eddie Izzard (Balboa Theatre, 10/18), Gojira (Observatory, 10/19), Mastodon (HOB, 10/19), City of Caterpillar, Thou (Soda Bar, 10/19), Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie (Humphreys, 10/19), KMFDM (HOB, 10/20), Tegan and Sara (Balboa Theatre, 10/20), Carla Morrison (Humphreys, 10/22), George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic (Observatory, 10/23), Red Fang (Casbah, 10/23), M. Ward (BUT, 10/24), Real Estate (Music Box, 10/24), Thievery Corporation

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(BUT, 10/26), Turnover (Irenic, 10/27), Flying Lotus in 3-D (Observatory, 10/27), Roky Erickson (Casbah, 10/27), Iron and Wine (Balboa Theatre, 10/28), The Drums (Observatory, 11/1), Black Heart Procession (Casbah, 11/3), Black Heart Procession (Casbah, 11/4), ‘Live Wire 25th Anniversary’ w/ Rocket from the Crypt (Observatory, 11/4), Cults (Irenic, 11/5), Hamilton Leithauser (BUT, 11/9), Fall Out Boy (Viejas Arena, 11/15), Gary Numan (Observatory, 11/15), Tera Melos, Speedy Ortiz (Casbah, 11/16), Mayhem (Observatory, 11/17), Boris, Torche (Casbah, 11/17), Diarrhea Planet (Soda Bar, 11/17), Guttermouth (Brick by Brick, 11/18), Mogwai (Observatory, 11/20), New Found Glory (HOB, 11/25), Syd (Observatory, 12/2), Pere Ubu (Soda Bar, 12/8), Jamila Woods (Soda Bar, 12/9), The Slackers (Casbah, 12/12), METZ (Casbah, 12/13), Julien Baker (Irenic, 12/15), Jay-Z (Viejas Arena, 12/19), Ozomatli (Music Box, 12/2223), The English Beat (BUT, 12/22-23), Cracker, Camper Van Beethoven (BUT, 12/27), Donavon Frankenreiter (BUT, 12/28), Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue (BUT, 12/29-30), Milky Chance (HOB, 1/8), Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (HOB, 1/15), Josh Ritter (BUT, 1/16), Wolf Parade (Observatory, 1/23), Margo Price (BUT, 3/3), Orchestral Manoevres in the Dark (HOB, 3/31), Steven Wilson (HOB, 5/13).

OCTOBER WEDNESDAY, OCT. 4 Archons at The Casbah. Jonwayne at Soda Bar. Post Malone at Observatory North Park.

THURSDAY, OCT. 5 Elliott Brood at The Casbah. Father John Misty at Observatory North Park.

Arkells at SPACE. Irma Thomas, Blind Boys of Alabama at Belly Up Tavern.

FRIDAY, OCT. 6 Rosetta at Soda Bar. Pinegrove at The Irenic. Depeche Mode at Mattress Firm Amphitheatre. Father John Misty at Observatory North Park (sold out). Insane Clown Posse at House of Blues.

SATURDAY, OCT. 7 Jason Aldean at Mattress Firm Amphitheatre. 6Lack at Observatory North Park (sold out). The Woggles at The Casbah.

Patrick Sweany at Soda Bar. Janet Jackson at Valley View Casino Center.

SUNDAY, OCT. 8 Coldplay at Qualcomm Stadium. Shooter Jennings at Belly Up Tavern. Obituary, Exodus at Observatory North Park.

The Garden at The Irenic. Ratboys at Soda Bar.

MONDAY, OCT. 9 Cauldron at Soda Bar. Between the Buried and Me at SOMA. Lil Peep at House of Blues. Kalapana and Makana at Belly Up Tavern.

TUESDAY, OCT. 10 Fat Tony, FLACO at The Casbah. Sound of Ceres at SPACE. Demerit at Soda Bar. Walter TV at Blonde. Shawn Colvin at Belly Up Tavern (sold out).

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 11 Marujah at The Casbah. Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile at House of Blues.

Lawrence Rothman at SPACE. Cattle Decapitation at Brick by Brick. JD McPherson and Nikki Lane at Belly Up Tavern. Alison Wonderland at Observatory North Park. Holy Wave at The Casbah.

THURSDAY, OCT. 12 John Maus at Soda Bar (sold out).

Mutemath at House of Blues. Griz at Observatory North Park. The Afghan Whigs at Belly Up Tavern. Trevor Sensor at SPACE. The National at Open Air Theatre. Rising Appalachia at Belly Up Tavern.

FRIDAY, OCT. 13 Bob Dylan at Harrah’s Resort. Rising Appalachia at Belly Up Tavern. Rainer Maria at The Casbah. Nothing But Thieves at The Irenic (sold out). Red City Radio at The Casbah.

SATURDAY, OCT. 14 The Aquabats at House of Blues. Dalek, Cult Leader at Soda Bar. Some Ember at SPACE. Jason Mraz at Spreckels Theatre. Dirty Sweet at The Casbah. Emarosa at The Irenic.

SUNDAY, OCT. 15 Oh Wonder at SOMA. The Aggrolites, The Skatalites at Belly Up Tavern. Dayglo Abortions at The Casbah.

Cuco at The Irenic (sold out). Vanna at Soda Bar.

MUSIC CONTINUED ON PAGE 28

OCTOBER 4, 2017 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 27

MUSIC MUSIC CONTINUED FROM PAGE 27 MONDAY, OCT. 16 Bell Tower Bats at The Casbah. LAYNE at Soda Bar.

TUESDAY, OCT. 17 Torres at The Casbah. The Black Angels at House of Blues. Mason Jennings at Belly Up Tavern. Café Tacuba at Observatory North Park. Spaceface at Soda Bar.

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 18 Café Tacuba at Observatory North Park.

Arcade Fire at Viejas Arena. Little Steven and the Disciples at Humphreys by the Bay. Eddie Izzard at Balboa Theatre.

Allah-Las at Music Box. The Strypes at The Casbah. Songhoy Blues at Belly Up Tavern.

THURSDAY, OCT. 19 City of Caterpillar, Thou at Soda Bar. The Bronx at The Casbah (sold out).

Gojira at Observatory North Park. Mastodon at House of Blues. Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie at Humphreys by the Bay.

FRIDAY, OCT. 20 Tegan and Sara at Balboa Theatre.

KMFDM at House of Blues. Penny & Sparrow at Music Box. The Kooks at Observatory North Park. Michael Nau at Soda Bar. JR JR at The Irenic.

SATURDAY, OCT. 21 Nick Murphy at Observatory North Park.

Echosmith at Music Box. Jimmy Buf-

fett at Mattress Firm Amphitheatre. Tei Shi at Soda Bar. Beats Antique at Belly Up Tavern.

SUNDAY, OCT. 22 A$AP Mob at Observatory North Park (sold out). Carla Morrison at Humphreys by the Bay. Have Mercy at The Irenic. Pigeons Playing Ping Pong at The Casbah. Yawning Man at Soda Bar. Beats Antique at Belly Up Tavern.

MONDAY, OCT. 23 Red Fang at The Casbah. George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic at Observatory North Park. Knuckle Puck at The Irenic. Frederick the Younger at Soda Bar. Slightly Stoopid at Belly Up Tavern (sold out).

TUESDAY, OCT. 24 Hanson at House of Blues. Alice Glass at Observatory North Park. Real Estate at Music Box. M. Ward at Belly Up Tavern. Open Mike Eagle at The Casbah.

The Score at Soda Bar.

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 25 Delicate Steve at Soda Bar. A Tribe Called Red at Music Box. Messer Chups at The Casbah. Crystal Castles at Observatory North Park. Haley Reinhart at Belly Up Tavern.

THURSDAY, OCT. 26 Thievery Corporation at Belly Up Tavern. A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie at Observatory North Park. Elettrodomestico at Soda Bar. Paul Cauthen at The Casbah.

28 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · OCTOBER 4, 2017

FRIDAY, OCT. 27 Luke Bryan at Mattress Firm Amphitheatre. Bloody Beetroots at Music Box. Flying Lotus in 3-D at Observatory North Park. Roky Erickson at The Casbah. Turnover at The Irenic. Consider the Source at Soda Bar.

SATURDAY, OCT. 28 Iron and Wine at Balboa Theatre. The World Is A Beautiful Place and I Am No Longer Afraid to Die at The Irenic.

The Creepy Creeps at The Casbah.

The Darlings at Soda Bar. WYO and Band of Gringos at Belly Up Tavern.

SUNDAY, OCT. 29 Joan Osborne sings Bob Dylan at Belly Up Tavern. Keali’i Reichel at Humphreys by the Bay. Parachute at The Irenic.

MONDAY, OCT. 30 Steel Pulse at Belly Up Tavern. Zombie Surf Camp at The Casbah. Denim Robot at Soda Bar.

TUESDAY, OCT. 31 Black Star at Observatory North Park, 10/31 (sold out).

rCLUBSr

710 Beach Club, 710 Garnet Ave., Pacific Beach. Fri: Gonzo of Tribal Seeds, Crown Roots. Sat: Paging the 90s. Tue: Rubbish.

Air Conditioned Lounge, 4673 30th St., Normal Heights. Wed: ‘Hip Hop

Wednesday’ w/ DJs Norm Rockwell, Freddi Joachim. Thu: ‘Centerpiece’ w/ DJ Eliasar Gordillo. Sat: ‘Juicy’ w/ Mike Czech. Sun: ‘Chvrch’ w/ DJs Karma, Alice.

American Comedy Co., 818 B Sixth Ave., Downtown. Thu: Dan Soder. Fri: Dan Soder. Sat: Dan Soder.

The Bancroft, 9143 Campo Road, Spring Valley. Thu: Heartbeat Dupree.

Sat: New Crimes, Foreign Bodies, Se Vende.

Bar Pink, 3829 30th St., North Park. Sun: ‘Rat Sabbath’ w/ DJ Ratty.

Bang Bang, 526 Market St., Downtown.

Sat: Riva Starr.

Belly Up Tavern, 143 S. Cedros Ave., Solana Beach. Wed: Turkuaz, Sinkane.

Thu: Irma Thomas, Blind Boys of Alabama, Preservation Hall Legacy Quintet.

Fri: Super Diamond, Graceband. Sat: Take Me To The River - William Bell, Charlie Musselwhite & Bobby Rush. Sun: Shooter Jennings, Julie Roberts. Mon: Kalapana and Makana. Tue: Shawn Colvin and Her Band.

Blonde, 1808 W. Washington St., Mission Hills. Wed: ‘Dance Klassique’ w/ Kennos.

Thu: Tennis System, Jimmy Whispers, Fake Tides. Fri: ‘LOW Dance Party’ w/ Twin Shadow (DJ set). Tue: Walter TV, Bruin, Mt. Pleasant.

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

Brick by Brick, 1130 Buenos Ave., Bay Park. Thu: Death by Stereo, Union 13, Oceanside Sound System, War Fever.

Fri: Soulfly, Cannabis Corpse, Noisem, Lody Kong, Beekeeper. Sat: Society 1, Symbolic, Lizardfish.

The Casbah, 2501 Kettner Blvd., Middletown. Wed: Archons, Old Iron, Age of Collapse, Low and Be Told. Thu: Elliott Brood, Pall Jenkins. Fri: Liz Fest w/ Chica Diabla, Call Me Alice, Whole Hog, Chamber Sixx, The Touchies, Mittens. Sat: The Woggles, Prima Donna, The Jackets. Mon: Chill Clinton, Kwame Badu, Flash, Mike Holmes. Tue: Fat Tony, F L A C O. Dizzy’s, 4275 Mission Bay Drive, Downtown. Fri: M’tafiti Imara Quartet. Sat: ‘Celebrating John Lennon’ w/ Benedetti Trio.

Fluxx, 500 Fourth Ave., Downtown. Fri: Heart Attak. Sat: 6LACK. Henry’s Pub, 618 Fifth Ave., Downtown.

Thu: DJ Yodah. Fri: ‘Good Times’. Sat: ‘Rock Star Saturday.’

Hoffer’s Cigar Bar, 8282 La Mesa Blvd., La Mesa. Sat: Charles Burton.

Hooley’s, 5500 Grossmont Center Drive, La Mesa. Fri: Tony Cummins.

House of Blues, 1055 Fifth Ave., Downtown. Thu: The Movielife, Racquet Club.

Fri: Insane Clown Posse, RA the Rugged Man, Lyte. Sat: Missing Persons, Bow Wow Wow, The Untouchables. Mon: Lil Peep. Tue: Coast Modern, Salt Cathedral.

Humphreys Backstage, 2241 Shelter Island Drive, Shelter Island. Wed: Cadillac Wreckers. Thu: Groove Squad. Fri: Shades of Blue. Sat: Rising Star, Sue Palmer. Sun: Wildside. Mon: Blue Largo.

Tue: Backwater Blues Jam Session.

The Irenic, 3090 Polk Ave., North Park.

Fri: Pinegrove, Florist, Lomelda. Sat: Leon, Wrabel. Sun: The Garden, Fake Tides, Kan-Kan.

MUSIC CONTINUED ON PAGE 29

@SDCITYBEAT

MUSIC

Coldplay at Qualcomm Stadium Sunday, Oct. 8

Rich’s, 1051 University Ave., Hillcrest.

Wed: DJs Kiki, Kinky Loops. Thu: DJs Kik, Myxzliplix. Fri: DJs John Joseph, Will Z. Sat: DJs K-Swift, Nick Ayler. Sun: DJs Hektik, Drew G.

Sat: Patrick Sweany, Veronica May. Sun: Ratboys, Shindigs, Aquarium.

Mon: Cauldron, Amulet, Monarch, Call of the Wild. Tue: Demerit, Escape from the Zoo, Ground Score, Se Vende.

Riviera Supper Club, 7777 University Ave., La Mesa. Wed: ‘Boss Jazz’ w/ Jason Hanna. Fri: Gino and the Lone Gunmen. Sat: Baja Bugs.

SOMA, 3350 Sports Arena Blvd., Midway. Mon: Between The Buried and Me, The Contortionist, Polyphia, Toothgrinder.

Seven Grand, 3054 University Ave., San Diego. Wed: Red Fox Tails. Thu: Shane Hall. Fri: The Peripherals. Sat: Robin Bacior. Mon: ‘Makossa Monday’ w/ DJ Tah Rei.

SPACE, 3519 El Cajon Blvd., City Heights. Wed: ‘Slappers Only’. Thu: Arkells, Irontom. Sun: Silent, Planet B, Adam Gnade. Tue: Sound of Ceres, Pavo Pavo.

Soda Bar, 3615 El Cajon Blvd., City Heights. Wed: Jonwayne, Danny Watts, EMV, Jumbotron. Thu: P.O.S., Sean Anonymous. Fri: Rosetta, North, Hours.

Spin, 2028 Hancock St., Midtown. Sat: Weiss.

Til-Two Club, 4746 El Cajon Blvd., City Heights. Fri: Black Widows, Hastings

3000. Sat: San Diego Soul City Club DJs. Sun: Pants Karaoke. Tue: Savage Master.

Tin Roof, 401 G St., Downtown. Wed: Noah Rickertsen, Evan Diamond Goldberg. Thu: Toga Party. Fri: Cassie B Band, Keep Your Soul. Sat: Coriander, Keep Your Soul. Sun: Keep Your Soul.

Mon: Tay Watts and Corey Gray. Tue: Evan Diamond Goldberg.

Tio Leo’s, 5302 Napa St., Bay Park.

Thu: Madame Mercedes. Fri: ‘Graceland’ w/ Chris Luna. Sat: Crossfire. Tue: Big Time Operator, Workin It. Tower Bar, 4757 University Ave., City Heights. Fri: ‘Hip Hop Vs. Punk Rock’.

Sat: Fallen Monument, The Dammit Jims, Strike Twelve. Sun: Birdbath, Circuits, Sob Stories. Mon: Greg Rekus,

Dead Frets, Kevin White, Rude Boy Reto. Tue: Deathcrown, Infernal Conjuration, Orphic Eye. U-31, 3112 University Ave., North Park.

Wed: DJ Junior the DiscoPunk. Thu: ‘Boom Boxx Thursday’. Fri: Kid Wonder.

Sat: DJ Freeman. Tue: ’31 Flavors’.

Whistle Stop, 2236 Fern St., South Park. Thu: ‘Blush’ w/ Sustains, DJ Jon Blaj. Fri: ‘Girls, Girls, Girls’ w/ DJ Lazer Lizeth. Sat: ‘80s vs. 90s’.

Winstons, 1921 Bacon St., Ocean Beach. Wed: Sol Seed, Kindred, Kill Babylon. Thu: Ghost of Paul Revere, John Stickley Trio. Fri: Sandollar. Unite, DJ Green T. Sat: Antz Lazwell, The Vibe Tribe. Mon: Electric Waste Band. Tue: Tim Reynolds and TR3.

MUSIC CONTINUED FROM PAGE 28 Java Joe’s, 2611 Congress St., Old Town. Fri: David Beldock, Peggy Watson. Sat: Nina Francis, Savannah Philyaw.

Kava Lounge, 2812 Kettner Blvd., Middletown. Wed: ‘Riddim N Bass’. Thu: Psilo. Fri: ‘Liquid Jungle’. Sat: Spirit in the Room. Tue: ELOS, Gypsy Mamba, Zochi, Ghost Traps.

Kensington Club, 4079 Adams Ave., Kensington. Fri: Success, Reunions, The Dodges.

Lestat’s Coffee House, 3343 Adams Ave., Normal Heights. Fri: Lisa Sanders, Anna Tivel. Sat: Lakin, Matthew and Christina.

Mc P’s Irish Pub, 1107 Orange Ave., Coronado. Wed: Fish & JG. Thu: Jackson and Billy. Fri: Street Heart. Sat: Mystique. Sun: Ron’s Garage. Tue: Glen Smith.

Martinis Above Fourth, 3940 Fourth Ave., Hillcrest. Wed: ‘Feminine Persuasion’ w/ Ann Hampton Callaway. Thu: Carole J. Buford. Fri: Janice & Nathan.

Sat: Tori Roze and the Hot Mess. Sun: Ria Carey and Don L. The Merrow, 1271 University Ave., Hillcrest. Thu: High Waisted, The Coax, Splavender, Flakes. Fri: Chencha, The Gritty End, Third Project, Privileged. Sat: The San Diego Golden Girls. Sun: ‘The Playground’ w/ DJ Heather Hardcore.

Tue: Death Lens, Valley Cult, White Guilt, Runsdeep.

Mr. Peabody’s, 136 Encinitas Blvd., Encinitas. Thu: Second Hand Smoke. Fri: It’s Never 2L8. Sat: The 750s. Sun: Tony Ortega Jazz Jam. Music Box, 1337 India St., Little Italy.

Thu: SG Lewis, Mimi Zulu, Birthday. Fri: Michael Prophet, Roland Burrell. Sat: Victor Wooten Trio, Dennis Chambers, Bob Franceschini.

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

Wed: ‘1,2,3’ w/ DJ EdRoc. Thu: ‘No Limits’ w/ DJ Myson King. Fri: ‘Nite Moves’ w/ DJs Beatnick, Waldo. Sat: ‘Strictly Business’ w/ DJs EdRoc, Kanye Asada.

Sun: ‘Uptown Top Ranking’ w/ Tribe of Kings. Mon: Skelator, Disciples of the Watch.

OMNIA Nightclub, 454 Sixth Ave., Downtown. Thu: Tantrum. Fri: Steve Aoki. Sat: DJ Politik.

Panama 66, 1450 El Prado, Balboa Park. Fri: Cardinal Moon.

Parq, 615 Broadway, Downtown. Fri: A-Rock. Sat: Konflict. Sun: DJ Mustard.

Plaza Bar at Westgate Hotel, 1055 2nd Ave., Downtown. Fri: Gilbert Castellanos. Sat: Allison Adams Tucker. Mon: Julio de la Huerta.

@SDCITYBEAT

OCTOBER 4, 2017 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 29

LAST WORDS

CHRISTIN BAILEY

ASTROLOGICALLY

UNSOUND

Semi-weekly forecasts from the so-called universe

ARIES (March 21 - April 19): Now is a good time to meditate on the things you would like to change in your life like “I would like to not be trapped in an elevator any longer.” And really, you have nothing but time.

TAURUS (April 20 - May 20): Your lucky number this week is my ATM pin number, which, unfortunately, I cannot reveal to you for reasons of personal and financial security per the instructions of my financial advisor.

GEMINI (May 21 - June 20): The most difficult part of any task is finding the resolve to begin,

except in the case of solving one of those wooden 3-D puzzles. Those things just get worse the longer it goes on.

CANCER (June 21 - July 22): Remember, in these troubled times of constant connectivity, it’s important to take regular breaks from looking at your computer to give yourself more time to look at your phone instead.

LEO (July 23 - August 22): You have an extraordinary ability to roll with the punches, but no matter how hard you try to play it off nobody is going to believe that you fell into that fountain on purpose.

30 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · OCTOBER 4, 2017

VIRGO (August 23 - September 22): Nothing worthwhile will come easy to you this week, except for finding a disgusting amount of ambergris just washed up on the beach, thus making you an instant millionaire.

LIBRA (September 23 - October 22): Seek guidance this week from someone exactly five inches shorter than you. If you’re 5’10” then my advice is get that haircut you’ve been thinking about. If you’re any other height, you have to find somebody else to ask.

SCORPIO (October 23 - November 21): You will find great inspiration this week in an unexpected source: the instruction manual you spent the past four frustrating hours thinking that you were too good to read.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 - December 21): What do you have there?

No seriously, what is that?

Oh jeez, you should put that down. What are you doing?

You’re going to hurt yourself. No! Spit it out!

CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 19): Sorry… you keep breaking up…

Like I was saying, first… the Constitutional Convention of 1787… then you… it is not in violation of Maritime Law… but the most important thing is to… live crickets… but not inside the… you get all that?

AQUARIUS (January 20 - February 18): Take a lesson this week from the noble chameleon—an adaptable creature with the incredible capacity to always change with its environment—and eat a bunch of bugs.

PISCES (February 19 - March 20): Though you may become discouraged, trying and failing is just part of the process and with persistence you will eventually teach autocorrect that you’re not always saying “duck.”

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

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@SDCityBeat

October 4, 2017 · San Diego CityBeat · 31