San Diego CityBeat • Oct 31, 2018

2 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · OCTOBER 31, 2018

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OCTOBER 31, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 3

UP FRONT | FROM THE EDITOR

HHHHH

JUST. VOTE.

HHHHH

For those who missed picking up our election endorsements issue, here’s a quick cheat sheet for those who still love the feeling of heading to the polls on election day. Feel free to clip it out and take it with you. And while our endorsements are heavily researched and decidedly progressive, we hope that readers will take the time to research the candidates and measures for themselves. This is arguably one of the most important elections in modern history.

Please treat it as such.

STATE OFFICES AND MEASURES Governor: Gavin Newsom Lieutenant Governor: Eleni Kounalakis Secretary of State: Alex Padilla State Controller: Betty T. Yee State Treasurer: Fiona Ma Attorney General: Xavier Becerra Insurance Commissioner: Ricardo Lara State Board of Equalization, 4th District: Mike Schaefer State Superintendent of Public Instruction: Tony Thurmond State Senate, 36th District: Marggie Castellano State Senate, 38th District: Jeff Griffith State Senate, 40th District: Ben Hueso State Assembly, 71st District: James Elia State Assembly, 75th District: Alan Geraci State Assembly, 76th District: Elizabeth Warren State Assembly, 77th District: Sunday Gover State Assembly, 78th District: Todd Gloria State Assembly, 79th District: Shirley Weber State Assembly, 80th District: Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher Prop. 1: Yes Prop. 2: Yes Prop. 3: No Prop. 4: Yes Prop. 5: No Prop. 6: No Prop. 7: Yes Prop. 8: No Prop. 10: Yes Prop. 11: No Prop. 12: Yes

FEDERAL OFFICES U.S. Senate: Kevin de León U.S. House of Representatives, 49th District: Mike Levin U.S. House of Representatives, 50th District: Ammar Campa-Najjar U.S. House of Representatives, 51st District: Juan Vargas

U.S. House of Representatives, 52nd District: Scott Peters U.S. House of Representatives, 53rd District: Susan Davis

CITY AND COUNTY RACES AND MEASURES Board of Supervisors, District 4: Nathan Fletcher Board of Supervisors, District 5: Michelle Gomez San Diego City Council, District 2: Jennifer Campbell San Diego City Council, District 4: Monica Montgomery San Diego City Council, District 6: Tommy Hough San Diego City Council, District 8: Vivian Moreno Judge of the Superior Court, Office No. 37: Matt Brower San Diego Community College District Member, District A: Maria Nieto Senour San Diego Community College District Member, District B: Kevin Beiser San Diego Community College District Member, District C: Michael McQuary San Diego Community College District Member, District C: Craig Milgram San Diego Community College District Member, District E: Sean Elo Measure A: Yes Measure B: No Measure C: No Measure D: Yes Measure E: No Measure G: Yes Measure H: No Measure J: Yes Measure K: Yes Measure L: Yes Measure M: Yes Measure N: Yes Measure Q (Chula Vista): Yes Measure P (Del Mar): Yes Measure R (Del Mar): No Measure T (Del Mar): Yes Measure U (Encinitas): Yes Measure V (La Mesa): No Measure W (National City): Yes Measure X (Oceanside): Yes

Measure Y (Oceanside): No endorsement Measure Z (Vista): Yes Measure AA (Vista): Yes Measure BB (Vista): No Chula Vista Mayor: Mary Casillas Salas Chula Vista City Attorney: Andrew Deddeh Chula Vista City Council, District 1: Mark Bartlett Chula Vista City Council, District 2: Jill Galvez Imperial Beach Mayor: Serge Dedina Imperial Beach City Council (pick two): Edward Spriggs and Paloma Aguirre National City Mayor: Alejandra Sotelo-Solis National City City Council (pick two): Candy Morales and Jose Rodriguez Coronado City Council (pick two): Bill Sandke and Marvin Heinze Carlsbad Mayor: Cori Schumacher Carlsbad City Council, District 1: Barbara Hamilton Carlsbad City Council, District 3: Priya Bhat-Patel Del Mar City Council (pick two): Terry Gaasterland and Daniel J. Quirk Solana Beach City Council (pick two): Kristi Becker and Shawn McClondon Encinitas Mayor: Catherine Blakespear Encinitas City Council, District 3: Jody Hubbard Encinitas City Council, District 4: Joe Mosca Escondido Mayor: Paul “Mac” McNamara Escondido City Council, District 1: Consuelo Martinez Escondido City Council, District 2: Vanessa Valenzuela Vista Mayor: No endorsement Poway Mayor: No endorsement San Marcos Mayor: No endorsement El Cajon Mayor: No endorsement El Cajon City Council, District 1: No endorsement (but Gary Kendrick if we had to choose one) La Mesa City Council (pick two): Dave Myers and Dr. Akilah Weber Lemon Grove City Council (pick two): Kamaal Martin and Jennifer Mendoza

This issue of CityBeat welcomes Steven Persitza... to hell! Bahahahaha!

Volume 17 • Issue 11 EDITOR Seth Combs WEB EDITOR Ryan Bradford ART DIRECTOR Carolyn Ramos STAFF WRITER Andrea Lopez-Villafaña COLUMNISTS Aaryn Belfer, Ryan Bradford, Edwin Decker, John R. Lamb, Rhonda “Ro” Moore CONTRIBUTORS Christin Bailey, Torrey Bailey, Jackie Bryant, David L. Coddon, Beth Demmon, Ombretta Di Dio, Julia Dixon Evans,

HUMAN RESOURCES Andrea Baker

Michael A. Gardiner, Glenn Heath Jr., Lizz Huerta, Tigist Layne, Jonathan Mandel, Lara McCaffrey, Scott McDonald, Jim Ruland, Ben Salmon, Ian Ward

VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS David Comden

EDITORIAL INTERNS Sara Harmatz

PUBLISHER Kevin Hellman

PRODUCTION MANAGER Tristan Whitehouse MULTIMEDIA ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Paulina Porter-Tapia SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Jason Noble ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Richard Diaz ACCOUNTING Perla Castillo, Linda Lam, Yiyang Wang

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San Diego CityBeat is published and distributed every Wednesday by Southland Publishing Inc., free of charge but limited to one per reader. Reproduction of any material in this or any other issue is prohibited without written permission from the publisher and the author. Contents copyright 2018.

4 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · OCTOBER 31, 2018

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UP FRONT | LETTERS

AIRTNT

Thank you for the Oct. 24 issue [“Short term stupidity, part deux”]! There is one Airbnb in our neighborhood locally. The initial rental of it saw some neighbors in an uproar. After some disasters— young men behaving atrociously and who broke a very large curved living room front window during a rowdy party—the agent for this property wised up. He is now renting almost exclusively to military families or parents visiting their military-aged children who are stationed here.

I must say that the front yard has gone to seed; the owners used to pride himself on maintaining it. The agent doesn’t seem to care sadly and perhaps the owners have plans to redo it at some point? I understand they have left the U.S. and are residing in Central America almost permanently. The renters here are inconspicuous now and seem to be long term.

As to comments and columns about regional elections [“Spookytown,” Oct. 24], I am amazed that Duncan Hunter has the nerve to set foot outside his home. A grand jury spent a lot of time and energy on him; I believe they have ample facts to convict, but that is in the future. However, it won’t be the first time someone may be elected who is an outright crook… check out the White House’s current occupant.

Dianne Obeso

University Heights

dation of which our democracy is built on.

Accordingly, let the call go forth among all citizens of this country that as brothers and sisters of democracy, voting is a start to dealing with every trial and tribulation you may encounter during the crisis facing this nation. To the people of the United States, the trumpet of freedom beckons you to exercise your suffrage and ensure your vote to preserve your sacred freedoms, promote your children’s future and retain the blessings of liberty we all cherish.

My fellow Americans, the hour of your redemption is at hand. As you, the rightful citizens move forward to reclaim your country, rise and vote! In the memory of those who died fighting for everyone’s rights, rise and vote! To restrain the excesses of the current occupants in the White House, rise and vote! Let no one continue to fear. Let every person be strong and push on for their freedom. Rise and vote!

Never let it be said that this was the time when the tide ran out on the United States, but rather was the time when the tide came in to restore justice and fairness.

Rise and vote!

Joe Bialek

Cleveland, Ohio

TABLE OF CONTENTS UP FRONT From the Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Letters to the Editor. . . . . . . . . .

News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

A Side-Eye of Sanity . . . . . . . . .

Sordid Tales. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

4 5 6 8 9

FOOD & DRINK World Fare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 BEER: Final Draught. . . . . . 16-18

THINGS TO DO

MUSIC

The Short List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

ARTS & CULTURE

FEATURE: Claudio Simonetti’s Goblin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 If I Were U . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Concerts & Clubs . . . . . . . 27-29

Theater. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 FEATURE: Two Scientists Walk Into A Bar. . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Film. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-23

Astrologically Unsound . . . . 28 CannaBeat. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Calendar of Events. . . . . . . 10-11

IN THE BACK

COVER PHOTO COURTESY OF AMMAR CAMPA-NAJJAR FOR CONGRESS

RISE AND VOTE

As a life-long registered voter it is my hope that the citizens of the United States will make the effort to vote in what many consider to be perhaps the most important election in the history of this country.

Just as with my fellow countrypersons, I am not satisfied with the direction our nation is going specifically when it comes to healthcare (pre-existing conditions), the economy (stagnant wages), immigration (bias), education (teacher pensions) and gun regulations (AR15 and bump stocks).

We as a society have also seen a rise in sexual harassment and abuse, as well as hate of AfricanAmericans, Hispanics and Jews.

Frankly, this election is a clear choice between those who have never had it so good and those of us who know we can do better.

Members of the Republican Party, you have had plenty of time to help the American people and have failed them by your own choosing.

The one thing that trumps capitalism and political correctness in the United States is the right to have one’s voice heard. This is the foun-

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WE HAVE A

PODCAST! Seriously, you have to check out the new episode of Show in Progress with Matt Stra-bone.

This week, Strabone talks to Voice of San Diego’s prolific reporter Andrew Keats to get his predictions on all the hot election races including the congressional seats in the 49th and 50th districts, the Mission Valley stadium measures (E and G) and the City Council.

Keats even predicts some 2020 races. His NBA championship predication though… total trash. Show in Progress is available pretty much everywhere podcasts are available.

OCTOBER 31, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 5

UP FRONT | OPINION

COURTESY OF AMMAR CAMPA-NAJJAR FOR CONGRESS

A campaign rooted in work Congressional candidate Ammar Campa-Najjar on the campaign, identity and the importance of familia

By Andrea Lopez-Villafaña

A

few weeks ago, Democratic congressional candidate Ammar Campa-Najjar had a dream about his abuelito Celso Campa. They were in his old home in Chula Vista and his grandfather was wearing a red robe, gray sweatpants, a beanie and what CampaNajjar refers to as “old man shoes.”

“He was taking me by the hand, shuffling his feet because he (couldn’t) walk,” Campa-Najjar says.

In the dream, his grandfather told him to look at how the plants and fruits were growing in the garden, just like he once did when Campa-Najjar was young.

“It’s almost like he promised me everything was going to be OK, everything would come to fruition and it was very powerful,” Campa-Najjar says. “I feel like that was his way of trying to tell me, ‘I know you’re going through a very difficult season but everything is going to be OK.’”

The 29-year-old is the first Latino Arab-American to run for Congress, and despite early doubts that he could unseat incumbent Duncan Hunter in the heavily Republican district, the dynamic changed when Hunter and his wife, Margaret Hunter, were indicted for using campaign funds for personal expenses.

Since then, the 50th congressional district race has drawn a significant amount of media attention. Sure, there’s the possibility that the historically red district could become blue, but there’s also the fact it would elect the child of a Mexican mother and Palestinian father. In the last month, CampaNajjar’s identity has also been a focus as a result of a racist smear campaign and advertisements claiming he is a “security risk” because of his Palestinian heritage.

As it has been widely reported,

6 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · OCTOBER 31, 2018

“He had this banana plant in the middle of the soccer f... well it was not a soccer field— his garden. For me, that banana tree was someone standing in the middle of my free kick and so my job was to curve the ball,” he says before adding, “I did not do a good job.”

Campa-Najjar says that his grandfather, who became an orphan at the age of 6 and worked as a farmworker in Mexico, is someone who played a major role in his life. He passed away at the age of Ammar Campa-Najjar with his grandmother Abigail Campa (left) 90, but Campa-Najjar, who was 13 and mother Abigail “Abby” Campa (right) at the time, remembers that even a year before his death, his abuelito his paternal grandfather was a se- could to kind of camouflage the Campa took an ax to a tree and nior member of a terrorist group hardship and make it seem like the chopped it down. that killed 11 athletes in the 1972 rest was easy,” he says.

“He was a force of nature and Despite her divorce and in an Olympics. However, he died 16 he (was) always working so hard years before Campa-Najjar was attempt to allow her children to with a sense of urgency and it was born and he has repeatedly re- get to know their father, Abby always for his family,” Campanounced his grandfather’s actions. moved with her children to Gaza Najjar says.

But while his paternal grandfa- when Campa-Najjar was 9. HowThroughout the campaign trail, ther’s crimes have been thrown into ever, she moved them back to San supporters of Campa-Najjar have the spotlight, the people who have Diego a couple years later. Campaexpressed admiration for his work had the most influence in Campa- Najjar says he lived a somewhat ethic, something which the candiNajjar’s life have been pushed aside “transient” childhood because his date attributes to his family, who mother moved him and his brother from the popular narrative. he describes as stubborn people When Campa-Najjar was 5 years around from different family memthat have no problem working old, his father moved back to Gaza, bers’ homes as she struggled to themselves to the bone. leaving his mother to care for her make ends meet.

“We just don’t know how to put “It was challenging,” he says of two children alone. Campa-Najjar down the work,” he says, adding spent much of his childhood mov- moving around so often. “It’s not that it’s a trait he picked up mainly ing to different places in San Diego uncommon and unfortunately a lot from his mother and his maternal County under the care of his single of young people have that experigrandfather. “I think that’s been Mexican-American mother, Abi- ence. I just adds a layer of complexwhy I’ve been successful in my gail “Abby” Campa, who raised him ity (to) life, but fortunately I had a career because if all it takes is an lot of loving extended relatives with the support of her parents. insane amount of hard work, I got “Seeing my mom struggle was who tried to make the experience that.” tough, but she did everything she as normal as possible.”

His life experiences and diverHis maternal grandparents, sity have shaped much of the issues both originally from Guadalajara, he is outspoken about and while the Mexico, took them in, and for a candidate speaks in favor of comwhile, they lived in Chula Vista. prehensive immigration reform, He pauses to joke that maybe we Medicare-for-all and supporting are related (my family is also from equal wages, among other issues, Guadalajara) and goes on to exat the core of his drive is his family. plain what it was like to grow up in “I just began to see that the Campa household. through government, you could On any given evening, Camactually help people like my mom pa-Najjar recalls, his mother and who have been dealt the short-end grandmother would sit down on the of the stick in life,” Campa-Najjar couch and, as he describes it, “take says. “The government and public over the TV” to watch their novelas. service could be a way to level the In the mornings, his abuelita would playing field for people like her and make them breakfast with music so many other families like mine.” usually playing in the background And while the past months before they went to school. have been exhaustingly busy for “(I) really had a supportive and the first-time candidate, someloving family from my mom’s side, thing which is apparent from our my abuelito Campa, he kind of took interview, he is not slowing down me and my mom in and helped raise anytime soon. me along with my grandmother and “Tomorrow marks the 14 days other relatives,” he says. left [until] the election,” he says Campa-Najjar’s Spanish is not when we talk, and although his perfect, but he sprinkles in words voice sounds calm, almost tired, the from time to time in the conversafirst-time candidate is confident. He tion without hesitation. He adds adds that he is going to keep talking that growing up, he would either be to as many voters as possible and eating leftovers from the previous sharing his truth until Nov. 6. day, or, if he was lucky, it would be “We are going to keep going his favorite, pozole. He played socuntil we’re done and we’ve got cer outside with his brother, both nothing left in the tank and no doing their best not to destroy their room for regrets,” he says. “We’re maternal grandfather’s garden. going to win.”

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OCTOBER 31, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 7

CULTURE | VOICES

RHONDA “RO” MOORE

A SIDE-EYE OF Just don’t do it

S

SANITY

ince it’s still the age of false equivalence—where anti-blackness campaigns once again masquerade as mere social commentary and debate—I think it’s a good time for a chat.

Halloween is upon us and many folks are putting the finishing touches on their costumes. So, I’d like to issue a reminder (and no, I don’t care if anyone thinks it’s a friendly one): DO. NOT. DRESS. UP. IN. BLACKFACE. Don’t do it for a party, school event, trick-or-treating, outing with friends, or waiting to pass out candy at home.

Just don’t.

There are plenty of iconic images of famous people and fictional characters portrayed by people of color that make great costumes and which don’t require darkening one’s skin for people to guess the costume.

Although, one caveat: if someone is white and they have the sudden, burning desire to be T’Challa for Halloween and they’re not Black, they should maybe resist that urge.

Note, I said T’Challa, not putting on the Black Panther suit (though, I wish they wouldn’t do that either). If readers don’t get the distinction, check the unconscious bias, swipe left, and keep it pushing. This is not the fight you want and throwing out ‘but it’s cosplay’ arguments will run you right into (mis)appropriation talk and none of y’all are ready for that conversation.

No, I’m not saying any character plucked from film, television, legends or comics is off-limits to white people if the character is portrayed by a person of color. But, there’s a difference between emulation, parody, satire, caricature and blackface.

For us, it’s not a gag, a lark, merely offensive, or just a joke in poor taste. Someone in blackface is signaling their prejudice about people of color and treating us as of lesser value. It’s an act with one purpose, and that’s to dehumanize.

Don’t believe me? Go take a close look at U.S. propaganda campaigns before, during and after pretty much any war. Then compare it to flyers, pamphlets, ads, websites and the rhetoric of the NRA, the Klan and—if readers really want to be honest with themselves—the GOP and DNC. Minstrel shows weren’t about an homage to enslaved Black people. Those men and women in blackface were all about depicting Black folks as buffoons, slow of wit, prone to violence and in need of both a “firm” hand and “civilizing.” Those shows were indoctrination and propaganda casting non-white people as villains and white people as victims or saviors. After all, that’s where that whole “white savior” trope comes from.

But being Black isn’t the same as being in costume.

How about I take it a step further and add that nonPOC should take a hard pass on lampooning indigenousness, Asian, or Brown people and/or elements for their cultures while we’re at it. There are plenty of offensive costumes to be had if being controversial is what they want. Why pick the low-hanging fruit from the racism tree or pick flowers blooming from bigotry?

It doesn’t matter what whites tell themselves; if they put on blackface, they’re being racist. They’re telling the world that they think Black people can be reduced to stereotypes, are open to being lampooned and not worthy of the respect many of them take as a given.

Oh, and another thing.

It’d be great if folks would stop equating being in blackface with dressing up as ghouls, goblins, fairies and such. Black people aren’t fictitious entities so comparing the two is, indeed, drawing a false equivalency. The only point of such talk is to disconnect terminology from its rightful context, and to rationalize and justify racist behavior so it’ll be considered acceptable.

This type of talk is how racists shift the dominant paradigm in their favor in order to label detractors as overly sensitive, snowflakes or easily offended.

It makes way for accusations of “tone policing” and lays the ground work for combating any attempt to excise racist behavior by calling it the work of the PC police in in order to further some liberal agenda.

Contrary to what Megyn Kelly thinks, it’s never been OK to be in blackface. White people just weren’t called out in the press and on social media platforms, thereby putting their distasteful prejudice, bigotry, and bias on wide display. We know most still wouldn’t even think twice before wearing blackface if they didn’t think it would impact their job and/or their public image.

Labeling oneself liberal, conservative, traditional or progressive doesn’t exempt anyone from this conversation either. Far too many people use political allegiances as a shield against the need to check their bias and address their prejudices. Too many declare themselves allies then act problematic as fuck all over the place.

We have names, faces, heritages, and skin worthy of respect. So, if step one to a costume based on a real person is to paint white skin black, brown, yellow or red, then how about they just don’t do it?

Trust and believe, that “Black friend”—the one some of white folks are always claiming to have— won’t give them a pass.

There are plenty of offensive costumes to be had if being controversial is what they want.

Why pick the lowhanging fruit from the racism tree or pick flowers blooming from bigotry?

8 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · OCTOBER 31, 2018

A Side-Eye of Sanity appears every two weeks.

Follow Ro Moore on Twitter at @BookBlerd.

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UP FRONT | OPINION

EDWIN DECKER

SORDID

TALES

Bringing MLS to San Diego is a terrible, heartbreaking idea

A

s readers may know, the stadium property once used by The-Football-Team-Whose-Name-ShallNot-Be-Mentioned-But-Rhymes-with-Schpargers is the subject of a measure on the upcoming November ballot.

If passed, Measure E, The Mission Valley Stadium SoccerCity Lease and Redevelopment Initiative, will authorize the leasing of the stadium property to SoccerCity, a group that plans to bring a Major League Soccer team (MLS) to our little burgh.

On its face, Measure E seems groovy. According to SoccerCitySD.com, it will create 26,000 jobs, boost the economy by $2.8 billion and put $40 million toward transforming a parcel next to the San Diego River into a sprawling park. Best of all, not a penny of taxpayer money will be used to subsidize the team, unlike a certain other sports franchise agreement that shall not be mentioned but rhymes with The-SchpargersSchmicket-Schmarantee.

Yet despite the promise, I am advising readers to vote against the measure. I say this for two reasons. The first is that I truly believe it is time to abandon the idea of hosting any more major league sport franchises in San Diego. Let’s be honest, we’re kinda terrible at it. San Diego is like that female friend with horrible taste in men—the one who always goes for the perennial loser who neglects her, mooches, cheats and eventually runs off with someone else.

The Blippers, the Prockets, the Schpargers… San Diego’s history of hosting major league sports is that of disloyal, if not corrupt, ownership and mind-numbing mediocrity on the field or court.

And don’t get me started about the Schmadres. I just do not care how much Measure E will benefit our economy. The thought of walking into my local sports bars and seeing a bunch of wide, hopeful eyes glued to the MLS soccer game—hoping against all hope that this will be the time they get that go-ahead goal, or hold that lead to advance to the playoffs before once again having their dreams crushed—is too much too bear. The thought of another 10 or more years of blind, unconditional support for a team whose ownership hates us and sells what few good players they stumble upon before moving to Whynot, North Carolina, is exactly why I will not vote for Measure E. The second reason I am against bringing MLS to San Diego—and here cometh the hate mail—is because soccer is the most boring spectator sport in the universe! This is not an opinion. This is fact. It has been scientifically proven by the most brilliant think tanks in the world that soccer is the worst—worse than beachball golf, worse than wheelchair hacky sack, worse than under-inflated tetherball and even worse

than blindfolded lawn dart tag!

There are several reasons for this, but the most obvious and insufferable is the low scoring. MLS averages around 2.5 goals per game. Interestingly enough (and to much league fanfare), that average has jumped to 3.2 in the 2018 season. Wow, what elation! I mean, three whole goals in a match? How does anyone contain themselves? With all that excitement, it makes me worry about fans having heart attacks in the stands.

Fortunately 3.2 is an anomaly and will soon return to its normal 2.5 average, which, kidding aside, is a snoozefest either way. But scoring is a primary source of excitement for spectators. Yes, of course, defense is thrilling too. I happen to be a huge fan of defensive plays and strategies. The thing is, defense is only exciting when there is a threat of offense. In soccer, there are all these players running to and fro, making these admittedly fantastic defensive plays—stripping the ball, intercepting passes, etc. But why bother? It’s not like taking possession of the ball is likely to amount to anything.

What’s the point of making some heroic, sliding steal when everyone knows it won’t result in a score? In fact, in a few short moments he or she will lose that possession to an opponent who, of course, will quickly lose it to someone else, who will... well, it just goes back and forth, back and forth. Changing possessions in soccer happens as often as squirrels change branches.

And that’s pretty much the entirety of MLS; hundreds of little battles for the ball that generate about as much spectator adrenaline as the unveiling of winning lottery numbers to a blind man without a ticket.

I mean, sure, the fact that goals are rare makes each one that much more exciting. It is why the entire team excessively rejoices for every, single score no matter how meaningless. Indeed, while a lunatic announcer declares, “Goaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaal” the team leaps, frolics and falls to the ground humping each other with the kind of exuberance one only usually sees at the end of global wars. Every time I see soccer players go nuts over a goal I think, somewhere in the stands, a soldier is embracing a nurse.

But guess what? If I only ate food once a week, a grape would seem like the best meal I ever had. I would squeal with glee over that grape. But was my grape-phoria worth a week without eating? Not in my book. Vote no on Measure E. Soccer sucks and SoccerCity will only break our hearts.

It has been scientifically proven by the most brilliant think tanks in the world that soccer is the worst—worse than beachball golf, worse than under-inflated tetherball…

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Sordid Tales appears every other week.

Write to edwin@sdcitybeat.com.

OCTOBER 31, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 9

EVENTS

SHORTlist

ART

the

THREE YOU HAVE TO SEE

COORDINATED BY

SETH COMBS

DOWNTOWN

BORDER VERSE Poetry can be musical and music can of- am a Lost Child”), is a heartbreaking account of the ten be poetic. Still, when someone tries to combine immigrant experience told in quick, bilingual bursts the two, the results aren’t always Bob Dylan or Gil of verse. The poem will be recounted by a boy soprano while Álvarez’s music has been scored for Scott-Heron. But sometimes it works.

Which is what makes the San Diego Symphony’s orchestra and includes four vihuelas, a guitar-like Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev performance all the instrument often used in mariachi bands. While more intriguing. Sure, concertgoers will be treated the collaboration was fruitful, Herrera says he was hands-off when it came to the to classical pianist Conrad EMILY TORRES music and that the premiere at Tao performing Tchaikovsky’s Copley Symphony Hall (750 B “Piano Concerto No. 1” and St.) will be his first time hearProkofiev’s “Symphony No. ing it. He hopes audiences 7,” but it’s the opening perleave in a reflective mood, but formance that’s particularly that they ultimately just enjoy enticing. That one brings towhat they hear. gether Mexican composer Ja“I think a poem and music, vier Álvarez and U.S. Poet Lauthey’re more like atmospheres reate Juan Felipe Herrera for a and sound and sonic environworld premiere piece entitled ments so there really isn’t a “Brazos de Niebla” (“Arms of message,” says Herrera. “It’s Mist”), which combines Álvamore like you enter a space rez’s music and Herrera’s poetry. The result is both moving Juan Felipe Herrera that’s magical, just different from the outside, walkingand topical, and one that deals down-the-street experience.” directly with San Diego.

The concert takes place Thursday, Nov. 1 at “I just thought about the times we’re in and about borderland issues,” says Herrera, who used 6:30 p.m., Friday, Nov. 2 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, to live in Logan Heights in the ’50s and ’60s. “And Nov. 4 at 2 p.m. Friday’s performance also includes I thought about San Diego… That was essential a post-concert discussion with Álvarez and Herrera moderated by KPBS reporter Jean Guerrero. Tickets groundwork for the piece.”

The poem itself, titled “Soy el Nino Perdido” (“I range from $20 to $100 at sandiegosymphony.org.

KEARNY MESA

CIVICS AND SNICKERS On election day, most voters are content to cast their ballot and head home to watch the returns on TV or their computers. Still, it’s not unreasonable to think we’ll all need a good laugh at the end of the day, which is what makes the Mueller, She Wrote Comedy Event so appealing. Readers may remember our profile of the Mueller, She Wrote podcast a few months ago, and the three hosts will be recording live from The Comedy Palace (8878 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., thecomedypalace.com), while comics such as Jesse Egan, Tamer Kattan and Dallas McLaughlin perform on the main stage. The second stage will feature the hosts updating the audience on election results throughout the night. It all happens at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 6.

Tickets are $15 or $10 with proof of voting.

ALBERTINE FEURER-YOUNG

The hosts of Mueller, She Wrote 10 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · OCTOBER 31, 2018

EAST VILLAGE

YOUTH MOVEMENT Given current events, it’s hard not to long for a more equitable society.

The young dancers in the transcenDANCE Performance Group hope to share an inspiring vision for the future in the performance, United We Move. In collaboration with the San Diego Public Library, the transcenDANCE Youth Arts Project will homage to Congressman John Lewis and Andrew Aydin’s 2013 graphic memoir March: Book One, which recounts Lewis’s experiences fighting for civil rights in the ’60s. The students’ original choreography, dance and March: Book One personal narratives will reflect on their personal experiences with discrimination, injustice and inequality. United We Move happens from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 4 in the Neil Morgan Auditorium at the San Diego Central Library (330 Park Blvd.) The event is free, but seating is limited so register at sandiego.librarymarket. com.

HEmpty Nest at Klassik, 2400 Kettner Blvd., Little Italy. The BlueAzul Collection presents a mixed media exhibition from Daphne Hill and Anna Stump, which explores how artists feel and react as their children enter adulthood. Opening from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 2. Free. facebook. com/events/1910291202390141 Mente Mala Exhibit at Basile I.E., 2070 Logan Ave., Barrio Logan. Guillermo Hoffman will be featured at this exhibit with art that explores the post-apocalyptic world. Artists include Tarrah Aroonsakool, Nessacreep, Zia Sinclair and more. Opening from 6 to 12 a.m. Friday, Nov. 2. Free. basile-ie.com Be Bold at Mike Hess Brewing Ocean Beach, 4893 Voltaire St., Ocean Beach. A solo art exhibition by local artist Kim Curran featuring bold and abstract pieces.

Opening from 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 4.

Free. 607-349-9599, hanaleiartworks.com

BOOKS HMike Reiss: Celebrating The Simpsons at 30 at David & Dorothea Garfield Theatre, 4126 Executive Drive, La Jolla. The Simpsons writer and producer will share stories, secrets and scandals from his 30 years writing for the show, as well as sign copies of his new memoir, Springfield Confidential: Jokes, Secrets, and Outright Lies from a Lifetime Writing for The Simpsons. At 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 1. $15-$18. lfjcc.org Leif Enger at Warwick’s, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. The bestselling author of Peace Like A River will discuss and sign his new book, Virgil Wander. From 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 1. Free. warwicks.com HLAST EXIT: A Reading at San Diego Central Library, 330 Park Blvd., Downtown.

This event hosted by Julia Dixon Evans, showcases local and visiting writers such as Allie Rowbottom, Bud Smith, T. Greenwood and more. From 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3. Free. lastexit.org

phy, dance and personal narratives. From 3 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 4. tdarts.org

FOOD & DRINK HSan Diego Beer Week at various locations. Celebrate San Diego’s thriving craft beer culture with a ten-day, countywide festival that features tastings, pairing dinners, workshops, beer garden events and more. See website for full list of events, locations and schedule. Various times.

Friday, Nov. 2 through Sunday, Nov. 11. $45-$100. sdbw.org Escondido Tamale Festival at Grape Day Park, 321 N. Broadway, Escondido.

A celebration of tamales and Latin foods, as well as contests, live music, a beer garden and more. From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 3. $30-$45. 760-877-8582, escondidotamalefestival.org

MUSIC Estas Tonne at California Center for the Arts, 340 North Escondido Blvd., Escondido. The world-famous guitar virtuoso will perform works reflecting classical structure, flamenco, gypsy, Latin and electronic soundscapes at his first performance in the U.S. At 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 1. $35-$90. artcenter.org HTchaikovsky & Prokofiev at Copley Symphony Hall, 750 B St., Downtown. Pianist Conrad Tao will perform Tchaikovsky’s “Piano Concerto No. 1” and Prokofiev’s “Symphony No. 7.” Also, Mexican composer Javier Álvarez and American Poet Laureate Juan Felipe Herrera collaborate in a concerto incorporating the sound of Mexican vihuelas and a boy soprano. At 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 1, 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 2 and 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 4. $26$100. sandiegosymphony.org

HIsabel Cruz at Ruby G. Schulman Auditorium, Carlsbad City Library, 1775 Dove Lane, Carlsbad. The chef and author will sign and discuss her latest cookbook, The Latin Table. At 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3.

Free. carlsbadca.gov.

H RetroX: A Retrospective eXperience at various venues. Local choral group SACRA/PROFANA celebrates its 10th anniversary with this performance of some of group’s greatest hits. At 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 2 at Water’s Edge Community Church (1984 Sunset Cliffs Blvd., Ocean Beach) and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3 at University Christian Church (3900 Cleveland Ave., Hillcrest). $10-$35. sacraprofana.org

HJudy A. Bernstein and Alephonsion Deng at Warwick’s, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. The bestselling co-authors of They Poured Fire on Us from the Sky will discuss and sign their new book, Disturbed in Their Nests: A Journey from Sudan’s Dinkaland to San Diego’s City Heights. From 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 6. Free. warwicks.com

HOld Town Day of the Dead at Old Town, 2802 Juan St., Old Town. The family-friendly annual celebration of history, culture and heritage includes over 40 alters, food, music, face painting and crafts. From 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 2, Saturday, Nov. 3 and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 4.

Free. 619-291-4903, oldtownsandiego.org

DANCE HTchaikovsky Spectacular at Spreckels Theater, 121 Broadway, Downtown. City Ballet presents three pieces within one program. Includes Swan Lake, Act II, Black Swan Pas de Deux and Tchai Celebration.

At 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 3 and 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3. $25-$89. 858-272-8663, cityballet.org Homegrown II at White Box Live Arts, 2590 Truxtun Road #205, Point Loma. San Diego Ballet presents a new production that is choreographed around a mid-‘70s compilation of local songs released by local radio station 101 KGB. At 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 3 and Saturday, Nov. 4 and 6 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 5. $26. 619-294-7378, sandiegoballet.org HUnited We Move at Neil Morgan Auditorium, San Diego Central Library, 330 Park Blvd., East Village. The transcenDANCE Youth Arts Project pays homage to Congressman John Lewis and Andrew Aydin’s 2013 graphic memoir March: Book One, with a performance of original choreogra-

H = CityBeat picks

Greater San Diego Music Coterie at University of San Diego, 5998 Acala Park, Morena. The Greater San Diego Music Coterie will open its season with soloists Irene Marie Patton, soprano, and Dan Decker, tenor, performing works by Beethoven, Mozart and more. From 7:30 to 9 p.m. Friday Nov. 2. $5-$10. gsdmusicoterie.org La Jolla Symphony and Chorus: Lineage at Mandeville Auditorium, UC San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla. The local symphony and chorus’ season opener will feature selections from Zosha de Castri, Tan Dun and Igor Stravinsky. At 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 3 and 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 4. $15-$35. lajollasymphony.com HCollective Memories at San Diego Museum of Art, 1450 El Prado, Balboa Park.

Art of Élan’s kickoff concert will feature members of the Bach Collegium performing Schubert’s one-movement “Quartettsatz,” as well as a musical tribute to Duke Ellington, a short work by the folk/ bluegrass singer Rhiannon Giddens and more. At 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 6. $40-$50.

619-692-2081, artofelan.org

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EVENTS EVENTS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

POETRY AND SPOKEN WORD HMary Shelley’s Frankenstein: Bicentennial Celebration at UCSD Geisel Library, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla. A celebration of the 1818 classic novel with prose and poetry readings, snacks and eerie music. From 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 31. Free. 858-534-3336, library. ucsd.edu Joe Medina at Grossmont College, 8800 Grossmont College Dr., La Mesa. The Grossmont College faculty member and leader of the school’s Puente Project will read and discuss his latest poetry collection, The Scorpion’s Mineral Eye. From 7 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 1. Free. 619668-1743, grossmont.edu Melissa Joseph at Warwick’s, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. The poet will read from and sign her new book, Tender Force. At noon.

Sunday, Nov. 4. Free. warwicks.com

SPECIAL EVENTS HProcesion De Muertos 2018 at Sherman Heights Community Center, 2258 Island Ave., Logan Heights. The annual Muertos Candlelight Procession from Sherman Heights to Chicano Park guided

by Calpulli Mexihca with free face painting for children under 12. From 5 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 2. Free. 619-232-5181, shermancenter.org Fall Back Festival at Gaslamp Quarter, Downtown. This children’s 1880s street fair will include family friendly activities like cultural booths, pony rides, butter churning, candle dipping, gold pan-

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ning and more. From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 4. Free. 619-233-5008, gaslampfoundation.org Pop-Up Shop with WHEELHOUSE at Linksoul Lab, 530 S. Coast Hwy., Oceanside. Shop with friends or sign up for a consultation with expert stylists to find unique hand-picked vintage pieces while enjoying wine and appetizers.

From 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 4.

Free-$35. 760-917-6666, facebook.com/ events/2118692298150021 HMueller, She Wrote Special Comedy Event at Comedy Palace, 8878 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., Kearny Mesa. Learn the election results with the cast of the hit podcast, Mueller, She Wrote and a line-up of comedians including Jesse Egan, Tamer Kattan, Dallas McLaughlin and more. From 8 to 11 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 6. $10-$15. thecomedypalace.com

TALKS & DISCUSSIONS HCarrie Mae Weems at UCSD Price Center Theater, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla. The contemporary American artist will discuss her body of art, which explores relationships, cultural identity, sexism, power, political systems and more.

From 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 7.

Free. visarts.ucsd.edu HMade by X > Roman de Salvo at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, 1100 Kettner Blvd., Downtown.

Learn about artist Roman de Salvo’s process at this hands-on, art-making event that includes conversation and cocktails.

From 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 7. $25-$35. 858-454-3541, mcasd. org

BOOKS: THE FLOATING LIBRARY

Apocalypse infinity

A

squad of soldiers is sent to a remote checkpoint. They don’t know why they are there or even who the enemy is. So when soldiers start dying—one is found with his throat slit in a latrine, another hung from a tree with his hands bound behind his back—David Albahari’s war story turns into something more horrific.

The Serbian-born author has been writing about the horrors of warfare since the publication of his best-known work in English, Götz and Meyer, which tells the story of a pair of noncommissioned SS officers responsible for the deaths of hundreds, if not thousands of Jews in Belgrade. The story is told through the lens of an amateur researcher coming to terms with the enormity of his discovery.

In Checkpoint, translated by Ellen Elias-Bursać and published by Restless Books earlier this year, Albahari presents a feverish story of soldiers trapped in a fog of war that never lifts. In an early skirmish, soldiers shoot indiscriminately into the forest only to receive return fire: “When they stopped shooting, they crawled slowly, one by one, into the bushes and we held our breath, fearing surprise. Every shrub might be a deadly trap, we learned this in our military train-

ing, so we clutched one another’s hands, bit our lips, and closed our eyes.”

These men are not heroes nor are their actions in any way heroic. In fact, their behavior is often reprehensible and, in this way, they are typical soldiers who are just as likely to rape or murder civilians as engage the enemy.

The novel, which is presented in one long, unbroken paragraph, is dominated by the voice of the commander who is cowardly, vain and quite possibly insane. He is prone to lapse into monologues that call his reliability into question: “Words are words, whispered, shouted, or spat. Only when one is philosophizing do words perhaps cease to be words.”

Checkpoint is a difficult book that challenges the notion of good versus evil. In Albahari’s view of war, there is no honor; only fear and indiscriminate bloodshed that passes for revenge. The commander puts it best: “War is a business like any other and these stories are merely a manifestation of efforts to consign the truth to oblivion.”

—Jim Ruland

The Floating Library appears every other week.

OCTOBER 31, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 11

THEATER QUASI STUDIOS

Close encounters

OPENING:

I

n broadcasting terminology, a “fade” is a transition from one scene or one moment to the next. In Tanya Saracho’s play, Fade, the unlikely friendship between a conflicted TV-show writer (Lucia) and a janitor (Abel) makes for numerous significant transitions. Still, the transition that proves most significant of all is the one that Lucia herself makes at the tale end of the one-act.

A onetime television writer herself (ABC’s How to Get Away with Murder and HBO’s Looking), Saracho knows the intricate and pretentious language of that industry. And it’s that executive blather that young Lucia, a diversity hire, finds so contemptuous. She finds a quick ally in the affable, plainspoken man who cleans her office, though their initial conversations are tangled in semantics, offended stares and affronts over the nature of their respective Mexican heritages. The Mexico-born Lucia (Sofia Sassone) is alone among white corporate suits, and lonely in her new L.A. life. She imparts this at profane, exasperated high speed. The reserved, dutiful Abel (Javier Velasco) sympathizes and eventually opens up to her in a big way.

His personal revelation, and how it steers the course toward Fade’s dramatic high point, is an easily detected plot device. As such, the impact of Lucia’s climactic all-aboutme misdeed is blunted.

Moxie Theatre is presenting this production of Fade in association with the Latinx �������������������������������� company TuYo Theatre. Maria Patrice Amon is directing. For a show immersed in the quest for cultural identity and claiming one’s rights in a superficial, privileged world, this one eschews the temptation of drawn-out, verbose scenes. Instead, it successfully opts for quickly paced late-night encounters between Abel and Lucia in her office. Sassone’s sometimes-shrill Lucia

12 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · OCTOBER 31, 2018

Wicked: The Broadway production of The Wizard of Oz prequel that tells the story of the two witches long before Dorothy arrives. Presented

by Broadway San Diego, it opens Oct. 31 at the San Diego Civic Theatre in the Gaslamp. broadwaysd.com A Christmas Carol: The mean and miserly Ebenezer Scrooge gets visited by three ghosts who want to teach him the true meaning of Christmas. Adapted by Michael Paller, it opens Nov. 2 at the PowPAC Community Theatre in Poway. powpac.org Jesus Christ Superstar: Andrew Lloyd Webber’s rock opera about the life of Jesus as seen through the eyes of Judas Iscariot. It opens Nov. 2 at the Star Repertory Theatre in Escondido. starrepertorytheatre. com

Fade can be irritating and a challenge to care about, though Saracho obviously created a protagonist who is riddled with insecurities. Guerrero’s comparatively underplayed Abel has enough heart for both of the characters. Warm and believable, Guerrero even exceeds his fine turn in New Village Arts’ excellent production of Jose Rivera’s Cloud Tectonics from earlier this year.

Fade’s final Lucia/���������������������������������� Abel encounter, one bereft of dialogue, actually speaks the loudest, and is worth the transitional journey to get there.

Fade runs through Nov. 11 at Moxie Theatre in Rolando. $18-$43; moxietheatre.com

Theater reviews run weekly.

Write to davidc@sdcitybeat.com.

—David L. Coddon

Más: Milta Ortiz’s drama combines poetry and reenactment to tell the story of the Tucson Unified School District’s dismantling of the Mexican American Studies program in 2010. It opens Nov. 2 at the San Diego State University Experimental Theatre in the College Area. ttf.sdsu.edu Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas: Now in its 21st year, this holiday classic tells the musical tale of a green grump who plans to ruin the holidays for the citizens of Whoville. Directed by James Vásquez, it opens Nov. 3 at the Old Globe Theatre in Balboa Park. theoldglobe.org Betrayal: A staged reading of Harold Pinter’s play about two former lovers who meet again after the woman’s marriage dissolves. Presented by the Carlsbad Playreaders, it happens Nov. 5 at the Carlsbad City Library. carlsbadplayreaders.org Women at War: Rebecca Johannsen’s four character piece about women in combat and based on real-life interviews she conducted with members of the Army’s Female Engagement Team Unit in Afghanistan.

It opens Nov. 7 for four performances at the California State University San Marcos Performance Hall. womenatwartheplay.com

For complete theater listings, visit sdcitybeat.com

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UP FRONT | FOOD & DRINK

BY MICHAEL A. GARDINER

THE WORLD

FARE

Even better than the “original”

H

ear the term “fish taco” and a formula likely comes to mind: beer-battered, fried white fish (or shark) with white sauce, salsa and shredded cabbage on a corn tortilla. Think Rubios or innumerable superior versions available in every hamlet, town or metropolis of Northern Baja California (and some north of the border).

As Tacos Marco Antonio (Av. Rayón #351, Ensenada) shows, some variations on the fried fish taco formula may vastly surpass the “original.”

The idea of the “original” fish taco was the one Ralph Rubio riffed on beggars belief. According to a 2004 piece in the L.A. Times, that origin story dates back to the 1920s when Japanese fisherman supposedly brought tempura with them to Ensenada. But, according to an even more recent piece in Sunset magazine, “people have been eating fish tacos in the coastal areas of Mexico for… thousands of years [since] indigenous North American peoples first wrapped the plentiful offshore catch into stoneground-corn tortillas.”

And just as there’s plenty of history to explore when it comes to the origins of the fish taco, part of Tacos Marco Antonio’s charm is its history. The restaurant’s dining room is a shaded courtyard that was the family’s former fish canning facility. The fishing equipment serves as the décor and might seem kitschy if it weren’t so real and integral to the place. On weekend summer days, the shade is welcome as is the live music. The overall ambiance ends up as stellar and genuine as the food.

Drying is one of the oldest preservation techniques. In Mexico, rehydrated beef machaca (think beef jerky) is ubiquitous, especially as a breakfast dish. Marco Antonio makes both salmon and tuna machaca. The salmon machaca taco, in particular, features fish that is so surprisingly moist and rich one wonders how it ever could have been dried.

Paired with onion, poblano chile, tomato and cilantro, the frying is definitely not missed.

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The machacas are but two of Marco Antonio’s more than 17 different styles of fish tacos, depending on the day. There’s the caguamanta, a Sonoran stew originally made from manta ray. There’s shrimp with chipotle. There’s grilled tuna loin, crab, fish skin and many more. There’s even a fried fish taco. Even this nod to the conventional ends up being different from the supposed “original.” In place of the relatively smooth, crispy beer batter, Marco Antonio’s uses a panko-style breading producing a wonderfully crunchy crust.

One of the simplest dishes at Marco Antonio is also one of the best: tuna burritos. It’s more like a long, un-fried rolled taco in a tasty flour tortiMICHAEL A. GARDINER

Salmon machaca taco lla than it is the ubiquitous California gut-bomb, super-sized burrito. Marco Antonio takes another classic Mexican dish, al pastor, and just as it did with the machaca, moves into the land of mariscos.

The flavor profile of the tostada de marlin al pastor is rich, slightly sweet and slightly spicy, true to the original. But it also works effortlessly as a seafood dish.

Tacos Marco Antonio stands as a testament to the notion that what we think of as the “fish taco”— beer-battered, fried and familiar—is really just one of the many ways to taco fish, and, perhaps, not near the best. To get there, as Marco Antonio shows, we have to think outside the fryer.

The World Fare appears weekly.

Write to michaelg@sdcitybeat.com.

OCTOBER 31, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 13

14 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · OCTOBER 31, 2018

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OCTOBER 31, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 15

UP FRONT | FOOD & DRINK

BY BETH DEMMON

FINAL DRAUGHT Ten years of Beer Week

E

very November, I channel the spirit of crooner Andy Williams, because it truly is the most wonderful tiiime of the year. This isn’t because I feel it’s acceptable to break out winter holiday decorations before Thanksgiving. It’s because once November hits, it signals the start of San Diego Beer Week (SDBW).

In its 10th year, SDBW—put on by the San Diego Brewers Guild—is a 10-day celebration of local, independent craft beer. This year, the festivities kick off on Friday, Nov. 2 and culminate on Sunday, Nov. 11, but those are merely the cookie endcaps of the Oreo. It’s the cream between that makes up the bulk of the experience, with over 500 beer-centric events to choose from. (The full list of events is available at sdbeer.com/sdbw/events.)

Beer Week officially kicks off this year on Friday at 7:30 p.m. with a countywide virtual toast, but it’s the annual Guild Fest on Saturday, Nov. 3 that really marks the start of the beer bonanza. Longtime attendees can expect some changes to the event. San Diego Brewers Guild Executive Director Paige McWey-Acers explains that in order to keep things “feeling fresh for festival goers,” this year Guild Fest will be held at Embarcadero Marina Park South (200 Marina Parkway) rather than the Broadway Pier. There’s also a VIP ticket option for an hour-long pre-party cruise around the harbor before the gates open on dry land.

But the biggest change will be the ever-evolving definition of “local” beer. This year, Brewers Guilds from Los

16 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · OCTOBER 31, 2018

PARADEIGM

hybrid, including Karl Strauss Brewing Co., Mother Earth Brew Co., Second Chance Beer Co., Port Brewing/The Lost Abbey, Societe Brewing, Pure Project, Thorn Brewing and Benchmark Brewing Co. The special release will be available at a number of SDBW events and the list of hops used is very impressive.

Another change to this year’s SDBW is the new SD Beer app (available on iOS and Android). App users can keep track of the deluge of events to choose from, but can also use it for a chance to be crowned the “San Diego Beer Week Ultimate Champion” by checking in at events and earning points. In true Millennial fashion, every participant will at least earn a digital participation trophy, but real prizes are also up for grabs.

San Diego Beer Week Festival Speaking of apps, SDBW co-sponsor Lyft is offering Angeles, Orange County, Sacramento and Mexicali will be 20-percent off two rides to or from any San Diego Beer pouring alongside San Diego breweries, making it a celebra- Week event with the code SDBW18. tion of regional independent beer rather that merely San With over 500 events to choose between, it’s nearly imDiego. McWey-Acers says this shift is a way of “sticking true possible for me to whittle down my top picks, but here are to the spirit of collaboration and camaraderie that’s a major my top 10 recommendations for SDBW: part of craft beer.”

Guild Fest at Embarcadero Marina Park South (200 In that same spirit of collaborative camaraderie, there’s Marina Park Way). Saturday, Nov. 3 from 11:30 a.m. to the Collabapalooza event on Saturday, Nov. 10 from 1 to 5 5 p.m. This is the single best option for those who can only p.m. Held behind the Observatory in North Park, the event make it to one event. A guaranteed rager. features over 30 San Diego-based breweries with an emphaTable Beer Tap Takeover at Benchmark Brewing Co. sis on collaboration beers and rare releases.

(6190 Fairmount Ave.). Tuesday, Nov. 6 from 3 to 9 p.m.

One of the collaborative brews that I’m most looking Benchmark is flipping their “beer flavored beer” approach forward to this year is the Capital of Craft IPA. Representatives from eight(!) breweries collaborated on this hoppy

BEER WEEK CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

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OCTOBER 31, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 17

UP FRONT | FOOD & DRINK

BEER WEEK CONTINUED FROM PAGE 16 by dosing (essentially adding flavor additives) to their award-winning table beer a dozen different ways. This promises to be a fun, but not obnoxiously raucous event.

Wu-Tang Pizza Night at Pizza Port Ocean Beach (1956 Bacon St.). Tuesday, Nov. 6 from 6 p.m. to midnight. Burning Beard, Bear Republic and Pizza Port OB are teaming up for a night of beer, pizza, and kung fu movies. What’s not to like?

10th Annual SDBW Fling at Morley Field Disc Golf Course (3090 Pershing Drive). Wednesday, Nov. 7 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Burn off some of those calories with a game of disc golf. Includes breakfast burritos and a post-tournament bottle share at Hamilton’s Tavern in South Park.

Speedway Grand Prix at AleSmith (9990 AleSmith Ct.). Wednesday, Nov. 7 from 11 a.m to 11 p.m. I’ll be the first to admit that the Speedway Stout variations have gotten a little out of control, but there’s a reason this beer has a rabid fan base.

Try 12-plus variants at this ticketed event.

Filipino Heritage Night: Lumpia and Cask Pairing at North Park Beer Co. (3038 University Ave.). Thursday, Nov. 8 from 5 to 10 p.m. If anything, sampling a cask beer that aims to recreate the flavors of the traditional mango chili dipping sauce sounds weird enough to get me through the door.

We Got The Funk! Eighth Annual Sour & Rare Beer Night at Pizza Port Ocean Beach (1956 Bacon St.). Friday, Nov. 9 from 5 p.m. to

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PARADEIGM

San Diego Beer Week midnight. Sour, tart and funky beers from Lost Abbey, Bruery Terreux, Beachwood, and Pizza Port take center stage at this annual event. Bring Tums for maximum imbibement.

Stone Brewing DRK Festival (1999 Citracado Parkway). Friday, Nov. 9 from 7 to 11 p.m. Experience the “glorious dark side” of beer with beers from Stone, Beachwood, Oskar Blues, The Alchemist, Three Weavers, and more.

Collabapalooza behind The Observatory North Park (2891 University Ave.) Saturday, Nov. 10 from 1 to 5 p.m. In my opinion, this annual event is a close second to Guild Fest. It’s a little smaller, but a bit more curated and easy to navigate.

The Beer Garden closing event at The Lodge at Torrey Pines (11480 N. Torrey Pines Road).

Sunday, Nov. 11 from noon to 3 p.m. This is by far the most elegant event of Beer Week. I’ll see all my boujee homies here.

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

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JULIA DIXON EVANS

CULTURE

From right: Elena Blanco Suarez and Carrie Capps at Two Scientists Walk into a Bar

“

ho would win in a fight? A shark or a bear?”

That’s one of the many questions asked of scientists at Two Scientists Walk into a Bar, a quarterly event coordinated by the Fleet Science Center (rhfleet.org). Questions are the whole point in this casual, communitycentered program: walk up to one of the scientists and ask them something. Anything.

Sometimes a scientist will know the answer right away, but more often than not—in cases like the shark vs. bear—the bar-goer is treated to a glimpse inside the mind of a scientist, guiding them through the scientific discovery of an answer or result.

When Steve Snyder, CEO of the Fleet Science Center, wanted to take the work of the museum out into the community, San Diego’s scientists jumped at the chance. The Fleet’s community-based programs have grown in recent years, and, often times, the museum is “just the connector,” according to Adult Programs Manager Andrea Decker.

Wanting to take their education models further, the Fleet saw a need for conversations about science throughout San Diego.

The museum noticed that those individuals with the most fragile understanding of what is going on in science may not always benefit from a lecture or a structured program.

“There are people interested in science, but they might not be confident enough to go to a lecture,” Decker said. “They wouldn’t raise their hands.”

In bringing scientists casually—that is, with the absence of an agenda, script, or program—into bars, the Fleet seeks to trigger

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questions and, ultimately, conversations.

“It gets scientists to talk with them, not at them,” Decker said. They aim to “put a face to science.”

The plan is simple but massive in scope: Every few months, perch two different scientists in 25 different bars around San Diego, hang a sign next to them that says, “We are scientists. Ask us anything,” and wait.

There are others who work in this kind of engagement-based programming. Local science collective League of Extraordinary Scientists (science-ing.org)—which specifically seeks to bring scientific conversation into the community—runs many local sciencebased events for schools, children, and, yes, bar-going adults.

On a recent Thursday at North Park’s Tiger!Tiger!, neuroscientist Elena Blanco Suarez and chemist Carrie Capps stood, beers in hand, a few feet from the line at the bar. Fleet staffers underwent intensive location scouting tours as they launched and developed Two Scientists Walk Into A Bar in 2014. They found the program works the best when patrons have to stand to mingle, and/or at least get up from their tables to order at a bar. The unstructured approach to the scientist fosters more organic questions and interaction from people unlikely to participate otherwise.

“Some people come with prepared questions,” Suarez said. “One kid asked if you could get killed by an ant if it is shot at you at 200 miles per hour. Some people are just drunk.”

Suarez has been volunteering with the Fleet for years, and especially appreciates

their efforts to engage scientists with creative, community-centric opportunities.

A neuroscientist at the Salk Institute, Suarez studies astrocytes, a specialized cell type in the brain that contributes to the formation of connections and elasticity. Suarez spoke animatedly but nonchalantly about her work, and eventually, reached into her bag to present a tiny glass vial containing— of course—dried mouse brains.

Capps was similarly as disarming and approachable as Suarez.

“I liked the puzzle,” Capps said, when asked why she went into science. She’s a pharmaceutical chemist for Nertex. “There’s not just one way to do it. You can really explore your creativity, but at the end of the day, you’re either right or wrong.”

The two women comprise the characteristic dichotomy of the scientific community in San Diego: academia and biotech industry. Alongside our multiple high profile aca-

demic research institutions, San Diego has a well-known, long-standing pharmaceutical industry.

Despite the fact-fetishism often caricatured in scientists in pop culture, scientific questions breed curiosity, which in turn breeds a great deal of creativity. It’s one of the reasons the museum’s outreach programming is attractive to the scientists: an outside-thebox outlet for their quest for facts. Exploring questions with the public and conspiring with another scientist—often someone they wouldn’t otherwise work with—proves valuable and vital to the scientific community.

“It’s fun to see how the other scientist approaches the question,” Capps said, She adds that, without the Fleet program, she and Suarez or other academic scientists “would never meet.”

“Frustration and failure are very big in science,” Suarez said when asked about the difficult or seemingly insurmountable questions they receive. “Did you, or did the experiment fail? You have to be prepared for failure.”

“I think about experiments as ‘I’m trying to kill the question,’” said Capps. The idea that a negative outcome to an experiment is still a result, and a step toward an answer, is a mindset scientists learn to adopt throughout their education and training. “Most things don’t work,” Capps added, laughing.

While Capps and Suarez answered questions at Tiger!Tiger! on Oct. 11, upwards of 50 other scientists did the same throughout San Diego County. Perhaps more notably, the night also marked the first time the Fleet’s now-trademarked program has gone national. In Washington D.C., for example, 10 more scientists gathered in bars scattered across the city for what was the official launch of Two Scientists Walk into a Bar. The National Academy of Sciences-affiliated LabX, based in D.C., worked directly with the Fleet to develop their program, using extensive Fleet-created guides and materials. The Fleet makes the program available at no cost to other regions and institutions interested in bringing it to their cities. Right now, there are also programs in Pittsburgh and Albany, New York, with future events scheduled in Minneapolis, Austin and Orlando.

Keri Stoever is a program officer for LabX, the organization that brought the Fleet’s program to D.C., and said that after the program was covered by the Washington Post, their office was flooded with scientists wanting to participate.

“The volunteer scientists really enjoy it,” Stoever said. “A lot of scientists nowadays are looking for these different outlets to talk to the public.”

Back in San Diego, the crowd dwindled at Tiger!Tiger! (the next Two Scientists Walk Into A Bar event will happen countywide on Dec. 13). As Suarez and Capps polished off a patron’s question about dark matter, the two began to discuss what they hope a non-scientific community might gain from an event like Two Scientists.

“That science isn’t scary,” said Capps.

They return to the issue of who would win in a fight: a shark or a bear, and both begin to ask questions such as, “Where are they?” and “What type of shark?” and “How deep is the water?”

These questions, it turns out, will always win.

OCTOBER 31, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 19

20 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · OCTOBER 31, 2018

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CULTURE | ART JULIA DIXON EVANS

SEEN LOCAL SPACE JAMS

J

ohanna Beyer, one of the first women to experiment with electronic instruments, died in 1944, long before her work garnered much attention.

“She actually wrote some music for these instruments that hadn’t been invented yet. She didn’t just theorize it,” says Charissa Noble, whose new weekly lecture series, Space is the Place: Modernist Fantasy and the Scientific Imagination in 20th Century Avant-Garde Art and Music, kicks off Nov. 1 at the Athenaeum Music and Arts Library (1008 Wall St., ljathenaeum.org) in La Jolla. Three distinct lectures will explore the histories and theories of electronic musicology, science fiction and futurism together with modern issues such as misogyny and afrofuturism.

“If we start imagining a world that isn’t quite there yet when we’re looking at these art forms, we can imagine a world that’s not quite there yet in other senses beyond just the technological,” Noble says of futurism, science fiction and the ways pioneering artists strive to work beyond what is humanly possible.

“And we can imagine a world that’s not there yet in terms of equality and in terms of connection and empathy with other people.”

The title of the series is borrowed from a song by Sun Ra, an American jazz composer known for his cosmic works. Her sources and subjects range from early composers like Beyer and John Cage, to modern artists like Grimes and Janelle Monae. Each lecture touches

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Charissa Noble on slightly different themes, and the series showcases Noble’s broad and rich understanding of the significance of modernism and scientific fantasy in art and music. She also explores how society seeks out and responds to those artforms.

Noble also brings an awareness of complexities to her studies of marginality. Her expertise is extensive.

She has a background as a classically-trained vocalist and studied cultural musicology. She now teaches at San Diego State University and this is her second lecture series at the Athenaeum.

When asked what sort of things a lecture-goer might listen to or watch to get a taste of what her three-week lecture series might be like, Noble lights up. Her suggestions: listening to Pamela Z’s 2013 album A Delay is Better, a viewing of Black Panther, as well as the Georges Méliès-inspired Smashing Pumpkins video for “Tonight, Tonight” (“It’s really striking,” she gushes. “It’s kind of surrealist and futuristic at the same time.”).

And, she adds: “Dracula is totally a Sci-fi work.”

—Julia Dixon Evans

OCTOBER 31, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 21

CULTURE | FILM

Toil and trouble

Suspiria

Luca Guadagnino boldly reimagines an Italian horror classic

by Glenn Heath Jr.

T

he female body has arguably been under attack decided to go rogue. By the time it’s all over, her body since the beginning of time. That violence has has been twisted and contorted like a pretzel.

At this point it’s natural to wonder why the coven manifested itself in physical, ideological, political, psychological and emotional forms, but the root at Suspiria’s center feels such unbridled rage, not only motivation—to wield control over women—has large- toward the world at large, but their own ranks. Guadagnino’s haphazard confluence of female anger with ly remained the same.

Dario Argento’s original Suspiria, a beloved 1977 the ghosts of WWII doesn’t always provide a clear Italian horror film known for immersive neon color answer. Instead, Susie’s immersive tumble down the schemes and Goblin’s brilliantly disorienting score, lives rabbit hole evokes a blood and guts reckoning imand breathes for the stylish kill. It’s gleefully devoid of posed on women by women who are responding to complex characterization and mostly glosses over the suppressed historical trauma, broken loyalties and religious fundamentalism. implications of its extreme violence toward women.

While the film is boundary pushing and often narLuca Guadagnino’s epic, gunmetal reimagining of Suspiria does not. It fixates, almost uncomfortably ratively messy, the new Suspiria is an unnerving examiso, on the natural and unnatural ways limbs can be nation of unchecked guilt and shame made increasingpushed to their breaking point. Also set in 1977 Ger- ly ritualistic by Thom Yorke’s aching musical overtures. many, the film only casually mirrors Argento’s basic The film pushes this aesthetic to the edge of coherency narrative about an American named Susie Bannion in a brazenly gory final sequence that brings underlining motifs of betrayal and misdirec(Dakota Johnson), who is admitted tion to their final conclusion. to a famous dance troupe that’s seComing off the critical and cretly led by witches.

SUSPIRIA commercial success of last year’s All of the robust color and Directed by Luca Guadagnino Call Me By Your Name, Guadagnino wild interior design of Argento’s Starring Dakota Johnson, could have played it safe with his film has been replaced by chipped Tilda Swinton, Mia Goth next project. But there’s nothing coats of Cold War gray. Daily riots and Chloë Grace-Moretz prudent about Suspiria (opening break out in the streets over the Friday, Nov. 2); it dares to tread on treatment of Red Army Faction Rated R hallowed cinematic ground, alterleaders in the maximum security ing and deepening source material Stammheim Prison, lending a political awareness lost on the original Suspiria. Having that most horror pundits have long deemed untouchrecently escaped her family of devout Ohio Menno- able.

In truth, there’s more than enough room in this nites, Susie doesn’t seem too bothered by any of this chaos. She’s too focused on winning over her new col- evil world for both versions of Suspiria. One gleefully leagues and teachers at the highly competitive Mar- cackles at the sight of a woman being impaled by falling glass, while the other holds coldly steady as the kos Dance Company.

Whereas the original treated ballet as mere back- joints of a trained dancer are ruthlessly crumpled. ground fodder, and silly fodder at that, the new Sus- Pick your poison.

However, the new Suspiria proves to be a far more piria shifts the company’s specialty to modern dance and makes it an elemental part of the story. Susie’s brutal trip because Guadagnino contextualizes the thunderous initiation performance not only awak- violence within a bristling portrait of veiled female ens the audience to Guadagnino’s ambitious visual solidary that’s hollowed out by destructive social and sonic flourishes, it beckons mysterious head in- forces and petty power struggles. When women turn structor Madame Blanc (Tilda Swinton) from another on women, the typically male transcribers of history room. Lamb, meet wolf. are given a convenient opportunity to erase female If Argento reveled in quick slice-and-dice close- experiences altogether, or even worse, canonize them ups, Guadagnino stretches out sequences of violence as dangerously supernatural. so that every destructive detail can be uncomfortably documented. Susie’s dance moves are used to enact Film reviews run weekly. punishing retribution on one of her colleagues who’s Write to glennh@sdcitybeat.com

22 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · OCTOBER 31, 2018

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CULTURE | FILM

Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Forging ahead

A

fter just two features, filmmaker Marielle Heller has already spent considerable energy exploring the social and economic dilemmas of women. Her 2015 debut, The Diary of a Teenage Girl, is a deeply personal coming-of-age film that frankly addresses the protagonist’s pubescent confusion, raw emotion and sexual curiosity. Set in San Francisco during the 1970s, it populates a hazy ideological purgatory between the free love movement and Reagan’s puritanical conservatism.

By the time Can You Ever Forgive Me? begins, yuppie greed and the military industrial complex have already become woven into the cultural fabric of New York City. Heller’s sophomore effort stars Melissa McCarthy as real life author Lee Israel, who in the 1980s decided to start forging personal letters by literary, cinematic, and theatrical luminaries like Noel Coward and Katherine Hepburn in order to sell them off as originals to book dealers.

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At first, her crimes are out of necessity. Lee’s gained a not unfounded reputation for being rude and difficult, and her bad attitude has finally overshadowed her skills as a biographer and novelist. However, she begins to enjoy the creativity that comes with her law breaking.

Taking advantage of wealthy elites who will purchase these kinds of documents at a premium price is just an added benefit.

Things turn south when F.B.I. agents start snooping around, and Lee’s tenuous relationship with a fellow drunk (a saucy Richard E. Grant) compromises her anonymity. Heller portrays Lee’s rise and fall through the lens of delusions, the ones we tell ourselves when life hits back hard. McCarthy’s effortlessly ornery performance proves yet again that she’s capable of shifting between comedy and drama at a moment’s notice.

Equally jazzy and forlorn, Can You Ever Forgive Me? (opening Friday, Nov. 2, at Landmark’s Hillcrest Cinemas and Angelika’s Carmel Mountain Cinemas) sneakily critiques the “greed is good” mantra of a decade where so many Americans sold their souls in order to enjoy life again.

in the United States. Opens Friday, Nov. 2, at Digital Gym Cinema in North Park.

—Glenn Heath Jr.

Viper Club: Susan Sarandon plays an enraged mother who battles the government to find out more information about her kidnapped, war correspondent son. Opens Friday, Nov. 2, at the Angelika Carmel Mountain Cinemas.

OPENING Bohemian Rhapsody: A behind the scenes biopic about Queen, the legendary rock band led by the engaging lead singer Freddie Mercury (played by Rami Malek).

Opens in wide release Friday, Nov. 2.

Brewmaster: San Diego’s favorite boom industry gets a documentary that covers the meteoric rise of beer making

Can You Ever Forgive Me?: Melissa McCarthy stars as real-life novelist Lee Israel who begins writing fake personal letters from literary icons in order to pay her bills.

Opens in limited release Friday, Nov. 2, at the Angelika Carmel Mountain Cinemas and Landmark Hillcrest Cinemas.

Matangi / Maya / M.I.A.: Director Steve Loveridge’s Sundance award-winning documentary about the critically acclaimed artist and musician. Opens Friday, Nov. 2, at Digital Gym Cinema in North Park.

Nobody’s Fool: A Tyler Perry comedy about an ex-con (Tiffany Hadish) who reunites with her sister after years of estrangement to help her with an online relationship that might not be what it seems. Opens Friday, Nov. 2, in wide release.

Suspiria: Luca Guadagnino’s harrowing remake tells the story of a dance company led by witches from a more psychological and physical point of view. Opens on Friday, Nov. 2, in wide release.

The Great Buster: Director Peter Bogdanovich surveys the life and career of the great silent comedian Buster Keaton in this documentary. Opens Friday, Nov. 2, at Landmark’s Ken Cinema.

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms: A young girl is magically transported to a world populated by gingerbread soldiers in this fantasy reboot of the classic Christmas story. Opens Friday, Nov. 2, in wide release.

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

OCTOBER 31, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 23

COURTESY OF ACTION! PR

MUSIC

From left: Giovanni, Cecilia Nappo, Bruno Previtali and Claudio Simonetti

“

hat do witches do?” asks Suzy Bannion (Jessica Harper), the lead in Dario Argento’s 1977 horror film, Suspiria. The young dancer asks this of a scholar, who warns her that witches are “malefic, negative and destructive.”

It’s been over 40 years since Argento made Suspiria.

Before Suspiria, the director spent years perfecting the art of giallo, an impressionistic, atmospheric form of thriller or slasher film, often (though not always) following an archetypical, faceless serial killer who pursues (of course) beautiful women. Suspiria upends and enriches the genre with the use of witches and the supernatural.

“For the first time, Dario had the witches instead of a serial killer,” composer Claudio Simonetti tells CityBeat.

“There’s no serial killer. In Suspiria there’s a kind of magic.”

Notably, that magic is female-centric. Also notably, the film has become a seminal work of modern horror. That seminality has a lot to do with the film’s music, which was scored by Goblin, an Italian prog rock band hand-picked for the job by Argento. The band and the director had previously teamed up for Deep Red in 1975, which was wildly successful.

According to Simonetti, the band’s primary songwriter and keyboardist, they sold more than four million copies of the Deep Red soundtrack. This led to working with Argento two years later on Suspiria, a vivid and gory film about a dance academy with a supernatural dark side.

“In Suspiria we read the script of the film, and we tried to record something musically. Dario used that music during the shooting of the film, to help the actors,” Simonetti

24 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · OCTOBER 31, 2018

says, adding that Argento opted to blast the early drafts of the score on set to increase tension, as the dialogue would later be recorded in studio. “But when we saw the film, we decided to cancel everything and start again and write the new music.”

That tension, however, stuck around. The resulting score is an iconic building block of the film’s notorious terror, arguably as significant as the film itself. Goblin’s main Suspiria theme, a sweet, lilting arpeggio melody looping just 14 notes, practically twinkles like a Baroque harpsichord and is punctuated by jarring strums of a Greek bouzouki.

It sounds more like a lullaby than a horror soundtrack, especially one that accompanies the destruction of such malefic witches. Simonetti used the beauty of this main theme to evoke witchcraft and supernatural darkness by adding his own vocals, the breathy noise that’s somewhere between a gasp and a moan. These elements, Simonetti muses, is why it scares us.

“This makes this strange kind of voice coming from nothing. Maybe it’s a witch voice,” Simonetti says.

“Sometimes the contrast works. You have sweet music during the violence on the screen, and this can scare you more than violent music.”

Goblin also created much of the audio effects themselves, using instruments and whatever they could do “in front of a

microphone,” rather than having audio effects created by a separate department.

“When we recorded the soundtrack, Dario Argento asked us to write the music to always feel that the witches are there,” Simonetti says. “Even if they’re not on the screen, he wanted to create an underlying sense of magic during the entire score, almost inescapable.”

That’s not to say that the soundtrack is relentless.

Argento and Goblin mastered the use of silence in their early work together on Deep Red, which includes a whopping 32 minutes without music.

“The silence sometimes scares you more than the music,” Simonetti says. “Silence is a kind of music.”

After an extended silence in film, Simonetti says, “when the music arrives, it scares you more.” In one of the most terrifying scenes in Suspiria, Sara (Stefania Casini), searches the academy for signs of witches. Much of the scene occurs without music and involves following Sara around complicated, blood-red hallways as she’s pursued by something unseen. As the scene climaxes (fans will know this scene as “the wire scene”), the main musical theme jarringly drops.

It’s impossible to talk about Dario Argento and Goblin without also talking about the Suspiria remake. Luca Guadagnino’s new film opens this week and the score, this time, is by Radiohead’s Thom Yorke.

“I’m very curious because I don’t know anything about this film,” Simonetti says. “I see Luca Guadagnino on TV in Italy, and he tells why he did the film: because he was a big fan of this film since he was a kid. His dream was to do the remake.”

In addition to the historical significance of Argento’s film, Goblin’s soundtrack felt pioneering at the time. While Simonetti acknowledges how anchored to the 1970s the soundtrack is, he says it’s more “time capsule” than dated, regardless of its innovation.

“Even now when I listen,” Simonetti says, “I say, ‘Wow, we were very… in the future.’ Futuristic music. It feels modern.”

“If I had to write the soundtrack for Dario Argento’s film now, for sure I never will do it like I did before, because the mood has changed,” Simonetti adds. “The time has changed. Music has changed. So I think the best thing is that the music was composed in that time, in that period.”

In addition to recently reissuing the soundtrack in celebration of the film’s 40th anniversary, Claudio Simonetti’s Goblin is touring the U.S. and playing the score during screenings of Argento’s Suspiria. Simonetti likens the experience to early 20th century film, when the only sound available was that performed live in cinemas.

“Suspiria was perfect,” Simonetti says of the way the sound, the visual and the narrative work together. “Perfect with scenes, perfect photography, the story and the music.

Everything was perfect in Suspiria. That’s why the film was, how do you say… immortal.”

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MUSIC

BY RYAN BRADFORD

NOTES FROM THE SMOKING PATIO

THE

SPOTLIGHT

LOCALS ONLY

T

he upcoming election could have large implications for artists and musicians. This is especially true on a local level, as state and city legislators have the power to directly affect the lives and livelihoods of San Diego musicians.

Take, for example, the races for San Diego City Council. As it stands right now, the council is made up of five Democrats and four Republicans. Four of those seats are on the November ballot. While two of those seats will remain in Democratic hands, if they were to beat Republican incumbents in Districts 2 or 6, the Dems would have a 6-3 “supermajority” in the council.

Why is this important? Simple. Every year, the council has to work with the Republican mayor on the city budget. In the past, the mayor has tried to cut funds from the Commission for Arts and Culture, which awards grants to hundreds of organizations. Compromises were eventually reached over past budgets, but music/arts funding remains a contentious issue.

Much of the Commission’s funds not only go toward classical music organizations, but also to things like street fairs, festivals and live music-friendly galleries and museums. Musicians depend on these types of events not only for a nice payday, but also for exposure to new audiences. A 6-3 supermajority would give the council the ability to veto the mayor on things like this.

While the state legislature is safely Democratic, a recent

ALBUM REVIEW Natula Natula EP (Self-released)

N

atasha Kozaily is arguably one of the most prolific and underrated musicians in San Diego. In addition to being the owner of the Kalabash School of Music + The Arts, she’s also the leader of the Kate Bush tribute group Baby Bushka.

She’s released several full-lengths under her own name, and has also kept busy with the more pop-centric Natula project since 2016 (soundcloud.com/natulamusic). She even launched a world tour on her 30th birthday to raise money for Syrian refugees.

Yeah, she’s been busy. So it’s exciting to see the longawaited debut EP from her Natula persona (it’s officially released on Nov. 6). In the past, Kozaily has described her sound as “third culture pop” and the description is apt when it comes to the six songs on this EP. Kozaily bounds effortlessly be-

bill to extend bar and club hours to 4 a.m. failed once it reached Gov. Brown’s desk. The bill would largely be optional, giving cities the choice on whether to let clubs stay open until 4 a.m., but a later last call could mean more financial opportunities for DJs and musicians. Not to mention the fact that many musicians work in the service industry. It will be interesting to see if the legislature attempts to revisit the issue or whether Gov. Newsom (or Cox) would be more open to the idea.

The issue of net neutrality is also an issue that could directly affect musicians. If the Trump-appointed Federal Communications Commission had its way, access to the internet would largely be dependent on the users’ provider. Here’s a hypothetical: if a music lover wanted to use a streaming service, access to sites such as Spotify could be slowed if the provider had a deal with another streaming service, thus affecting a lot of musicians’ exposure or even their bottom line. And while California passed a progressive net neutrality bill back in September, the FCC is fighting back hard. If the Dems take the U.S. House, they might try to pass a bill protecting net neutrality. However, Reps. like Scott Peters have taken a lot of campaign money from companies like Cox Communications so, as is the case with all these races, it’s worth monitoring.

—Seth Combs

tween varying influences and musical styles and yet, the EP still feels cohesive.

The single, “Iceland,” is a catchy, celestial ballad that’s equal parts sassy and sad. Just a few songs later, she’s in full Bush mode (with a side of early ’90s-era Prince) on “Till the End,” a song about partying and loving and grinding and fucking even though the world is going to end at any moment. In fact, if there is any common theme among all the songs on the Natula EP, it’s a certain fatalistic outlook on life and love. The songs deal in heavy themes of love and heartbreak, and do so in both sexy (“After School Special”) and serious ways (“Over and Under”). Oh, and then there’s Kozaily’s otherworldly voice, accented by her upbringing on the Cayman Islands.

For those unfamiliar with Kozaily, this is a fine introduction to a big local talent. Yes, it’s super poppy, but there’s no denying the pipes and production. Natula will get stuck in listeners’ heads, but on further analysis, it also reveals some beautiful truths.

—Seth Combs

T

Lucero

he first CD I bought after starting college was Lucero’s That Much Further West. At the time, I was a fresh-faced Utah boy who left his friends and family for an out-ofstate school experience at UC Santa Cruz. My new home was great for the first couple weeks, but it wasn’t long before the novelty wore off. I became incredibly homesick. In an effort to stave off the sadness, I went to the record store (yay retail therapy!) and bought That Much Further West without knowing what Lucero sounded like. I just knew that an older brother of an exgirlfriend liked them.

It turned out to be one of those perfect, right-place-at-the-right-time albums for me.

Given my penchant for emo in high school, I was familiar with sad music, but nothing like the sadbastard alt-country that Lucero delivered. Singer Ben Nichols seemed to reach into my soul take my homesickness, yearning and sadness, and filter it through his gravelly voice. I mean, even the album’s title articulated the figurative and literal distance I felt from home.

I’ve followed the band throughout the years, and they’ve consistently impressed me with their development from sad alt-country to Springsteen-esque bombast. But good news fellow depressives: Lucero is sad again! This year, they put out Among the Ghosts—the saddest and loveliest thing they’ve done since That Much Further West. It’s the perfect soundtrack to spiking your Budweiser with tears.

Lucero plays Wednesday, Nov. 7 at The Observatory North Park.

OCTOBER 31, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 25

MUSIC

IF I WERE U

BY CITYBEAT STAFF

Our picks for the week’s top shows

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 31

PLAN A: “The Halloween Party: The Music of Nick Cave” w/ HEXA, The Color Forty Nine, Belladon and more @ Whistle Stop. Is there any better way to celebrate the holiday than to listen to nearly a dozen local bands perform the songs of Nick Cave?

Highly unlikely. PLAN B: “Michael vs.

Prince Halloween Tribute Party” w/ DJs Artistic, Cros 1 @ The Casbah. A night of DJs spinning music from the self-proclaimed King of Pop and the real King of Pop. There will also be special tributes to artists such as James Brown, Rick James and David Bowie.

BACKUP PLAN: Nas @ FLUXX

THURSDAY, NOV. 1

PLAN A: Cloud Nothings, Shells, Moon Bros. @ Casbah. Cloud Nothings’ 2012 release, Attack on Memory, was a blistering attack of Nirvana-esque noise that still sounds great six years later. 2017’s Life Without Sound… Eh, not so much. But the Cleveland band’s new album, Last Building Burning, sounds like a return to form so this show should provide some killer riffs.

PLAN B: Mac Ayres, Jack Dine @ Soda

Bar. Mac Ayres looks like a total bro, but the Long Island native’s got some serious R&B chops, as evidenced by his appropriately titled debut, Something to Feel. We feel ya, bruh.

FRIDAY, NOV. 2

PLAN A: Maxwell, Masha Ambrosius @ Humphrey’s Concerts by the Bay. Speaking of some sweet R&B chops, Maxwell has been making smooth, panty-dropping jams for over 20 years. Our art director says it was “really hard not to get pregnant in the late ’90s if Maxwell was on.”

Expect a career-spanning set and hopefully some new tracks off his upcoming 2019 release, NIGHT. PLAN B: SRSQ, Victoriana, O/X @ Whistle Stop. Fans of Kate Bush and Zola Jesus will almost certainly love SRSQ (pronounced seer-skew) and her lush, synthy goth-pop. The solo project of

26 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · OCTOBER 31, 2018

Kennedy Ashlyn was started after the death of her musical partner in the Ghost Ship fire, and she is one of those artists who will likely be playing much bigger venues in the future. BACKUP PLAN: Mr. Twin Sister, Sateen @ Soda Bar.

band to ever play Coachella, they’re one of those groups whose musical cred transcends generations. BACKUP PLAN: The Menzingers, Tiny Moving Parts, Daddy Issues @ The Music Box.

SATURDAY, NOV. 3

PLAN A: Petit Biscuit, Melvv, Super Duper @ The Observatory North Park. Despite the terrible name, Petit Biscuit is the type of EDM show that everyone in the office can agree on. That is, the young Frenchman’s tracks have just enough oonce-oonce to satisfy the millennials, but they’re also mellow and trancey enough to appeal to the aging hipsters. BACKUP PLAN: MC Chris, Dual Core, Lex The Lexicon Artist @ Soda Bar.

PLAN A: Freedom Fry, Dresage, The Spiritual Motels @ Soda Bar. We’ll be honest, both our Plan A (The Internet) and Plan B (Clan of Xymox) sold out, but Freedom Fry is a worthy substitute. Made up of a French woman and an American man, the duo crafts cute indie pop that HORATIO HAMLET gets stuck in your head (see their single “Classic”). Show up early for Dresage, the one-woman project from Keeley Bumford, who effortlessly transitions from danceable art-pop (“Gallery”) to hushed ballads (“Renaissance”). BACKUP PLAN: Death from Above 1979, CRX @ The Music Box.

SUNDAY, NOV. 4

PLAN A: Los Ángeles Azules @ The ObservaMaxwell tory North Park. Since they began in the ’70s, Los Ángeles Azules has been putting its own spin on cumbia music, which was eventually dubbed cumbia sonidera. The only traditional cumbia

MONDAY, NOV. 5

TUESDAY, NOV. 6

PLAN A: Pearl Charles @ Whistle Stop.

Actually, the only plan on this day should be voting and then watching the results, which we can totally do at the Whistle Stop.

Then we can stick around to watch L.A.based artist Pearl Charles play some great alt-country songs. PLAN B: Suffocation, Cattle Decapitation, Krisiun, Visceral Disgorge @ Brick by Brick. Whether the election results got you down or you’re celebrating, some death metal is a pretty good soundtrack and Suffocation has been grinding it out since 1988. And Locals Cattle Decapitation always bring the noise. BACKUP PLAN: Duckwrth, Deem Spencer, TRU @ The Loft at UCSD.

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MUSIC

CONCERTS HOT! NEW! FRESH!

Tribal Seeds (Observatory, 12/1), AFI (Observatory, 12/10), Banes World (Observatory, 12/21), The Claypool Lennon Delirium (Observatory, 12/24), Sumac (Brick By Brick, 1/19), As It Is (SOMA, 1/19), Transfer (Casbah, 1/25), No Knife (Casbah, 1/27), Duster (Soda Bar, 1/28), Parker Gispert (Soda Bar, 2/2), The Toasters (Casbah, 2/4), The Woggles (Casbah, 2/9), Mike Krol (Soda Bar, 2/15), Pedro the Lion (Casbah, 2/16), Queensrÿche (Casbah, 3/27).

GET YER TICKETS Lucero (Observatory, 11/7), Claudio Simonetti’s Goblin (Irenic, 11/7), The Offspring (BUT, 11/7), Milo (SPACE, 11/8), Little Dragon (Observatory, 11/8), Morrissey (Copley Symphony Hall, 11/10), Ghost (Spreckels Theatre, 11/12), Blitzen Trapper (BUT, 11/12), Black Lips, Iceage (HOB, 11/13), J Mascis (Soda Bar, 11/15), Billie Eilish (SOMA, 11/17), Joywave, Sir Sly (Observatory, 11/18), Every Time I Die (Observatory, 11/20), Eyehategod (Brick

by Brick, 11/20), Cat Power (Observatory, 11/24), Municipal Waste (Brick

by Brick, 11/25), How to Dress Well (Casbah, 11/27), Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus (Observatory, 11/29), Godflesh (Brick by Brick, 12/1), Old 97s (BUT, 12/2), Fucked Up (Soda Bar, 12/5), Squirrel Nut Zippers (BUT, 12/6), Pale Waves (Irenic, 12/7), Neko Case, Destroyer (Observatory, 12/8), Fleetwood Mac (Viejas Arena, 12/8), Kurt Vile (Observatory, 12/9), Amine (Observatory, 12/11), Middle Kids (Soda Bar, 12/13), Thou (Che Café, 12/13), Earthless (BUT, 12/16), The Soft Moon (BUT, 12/17), Ministry (HOB, 12/18), Donavon Frankenreiter (BUT, 12/28-29), Jefferson Starship (BUT, 1/9-10), Adolescents (Casbah, 1/19), Bananarama (Observatory, 1/27). MØ (Observatory, 2/5), Sharon Van Etten (Observatory, 2/28).

OCTOBER WEDNESDAY, OCT. 31 In Flames at House of Blues. Caamp at Soda Bar.

THURSDAY, NOV. 1 Lea Michele, Darren Criss at Humphreys. Mac Ayres at Soda Bar. Jim James at Belly Up Tavern. Cloud Nothings at The Casbah. Anthony Jeselnik at Balboa Theatre. The Meteors at Brick

by Brick. Wolfmother at Observatory North Park.

NOVEMBER FRIDAY, NOV. 2 Maxwell at Humphreys. Lil Pump at SOMA. Rozwell Kid at Che Café. The Selecter, The English Beat at The Casbah (sold out). Gorgon City at Observatory North Park (sold out). Mr. Twin Sister at Soda Bar.

SATURDAY, NOV. 3 Clan of Xymox at The Casbah (sold out).

The Internet at Observatory North Park (sold out). Dia de los Deftones: Deftones, Future, Rocket from the Crypt at Petco Park.

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Cat Power plays Observatory North Park Nov. 24 SUNDAY, NOV. 4 The Menzingers at Music Box. CKY at Brick by Brick.

MONDAY, NOV. 5 MC Chris at Soda Bar.

TUESDAY, NOV. 6 Suffocation at Brick by Brick.

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 7 Paper Kites at House of Blues. Lucero at Observatory North Park. Claudio Simonetti’s Goblin at The Irenic. Vundabar at House of Blues. Musiq Soulchild at Music Box. The Offspring (acoustic) at Belly Up Tavern.

THURSDAY, NOV. 8 Film School at Whistle Stop. Goo Goo Dolls at House of Blues. Kuinka at The Casbah. Goatwhore at Brick by Brick.

Three Dog Night at Belly Up Tavern.

Little Dragon at Observatory North Park.

Milo at SPACE. Birdtalker at Soda Bar.

FRIDAY, NOV. 9 Greensky Bluegrass at Observatory.

Kyle Craft at Soda Bar.

SATURDAY, NOV. 10 The Crystal Method at Music Box. All Them Witches at The Casbah. Khruangbin at Observatory North Park (sold out). Pepper at Del Mar Fairgrounds.

Morrissey at Copley Symphony Hall.

SUNDAY, NOV. 11 Digital Lizards of Doom at The Casbah.

MONDAY, NOV. 12 Ghost at Spreckels Theatre. Tacocat at Casbah. Blitzen Trapper at Belly Up Tavern. Jesse Dayton at Soda Bar. Rex Orange County at Observatory (sold out).

TUESDAY, NOV. 13 Rex Orange County at Observatory (sold out). Paula Abdul at Copley Symphony Hall. Black Lips, Iceage at House of Blues.

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 14 Todd Rundgren at Belly Up Tavern. Mutual Benefit at Soda Bar. The Selecter at the Casbah.

THURSDAY, NOV. 15 Billy Gibbons at Belly Up Tavern. J Mascis at Soda Bar.

FRIDAY, NOV. 16

at House of Blues. Bongzilla at Brick by Brick. English Beat at Belly Up Tavern.

SATURDAY, NOV. 17 English Beat at Belly Up Tavern. Gallant at Observatory. Billie Eilish at SOMA (sold out). The Helio Sequence at The Casbah. This Will Destroy You at Brick

by Brick.

SUNDAY, NOV. 18 98 Degrees at Balboa Theatre. Joywave, Sir Sly at Observatory North Park. Yndi Halda at Soda Bar. Southern Culture on the Skids at The Casbah.

MONDAY, NOV. 19 Steady Holiday at The Casbah.

TUESDAY, NOV. 20 Ian Sweet at Soda Bar. Every Time I Die at Observatory North Park. Eyehategod at Brick by Brick.

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 21 Mike Pinto at Belly Up Tavern.

FRIDAY, NOV. 23 Biz Markie at House of Blues. Beekeeper at Soda Bar.

SATURDAY, NOV. 24 Cat Power at Observatory North Park.

Doe Paoro at Soda Bar.

SUNDAY, NOV. 25 Ghostemane at the Irenic. Municipal Waste at Brick by Brick. Steven Page Trio at Belly Up Tavern.

TUESDAY, NOV. 27 How to Dress Well at The Casbah.

THURSDAY, NOV. 29 Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus at Observatory North Park. Andre Nickatina at House of Blues. Bret Michaels at Belly Up Tavern.

FRIDAY, NOV. 30 Mark Farina at Music Box. Wheeler Walker Jr. at Observatory North Park (sold out). Kottonmouth Kings at Brick

by Brick. Lemaitre at The Irenic.

SATURDAY, DEC. 1 Godflesh at Brick by Brick.

MUSIC CONTINUED ON PAGE 28

Tokyo Police Club at Casbah. Lil Xan

OCTOBER 31, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 27

BY CHRISTIN BAILEY

MUSIC MUSIC CONTINUED FROM PAGE 27 SUNDAY, DEC. 2 Old 97s at Belly Up Tavern. Justin Courtney Pierre at The Casbah. The Black Dahlia Murder at Brick by Brick.

rCLUBSr

710 Beach Club, 710 Garnet Ave., Pacific Beach. Wed: ‘Dead Celebrity Karaoke’. Thu: ‘Liquid Courage Karaoke’. Fri: Rage Again, Oceans. Sat: Electric Mud, Rhythm & The Method, Deltaphonic. Sun: ‘Sunday Funday Karaoke’. Mon: Girls Night Out The Show.

Tue: The 23s, Thump Juice.

Air Conditioned Lounge, 4673 30th St., Normal Heights. Thu: ‘Funky Lil Beat’. Fri: ‘House Music Friday’. Sat: DJ Mike Czech. Sun: ‘Church’. Mon: ‘Organized Grime’. Tue: ‘Technically Speaking’.

American Comedy Co., 818 B Sixth Ave., Downtown. Thu: Matt Rife. Fri: Matt Rife. Sat: Matt Rife. Tue: Open Mic. The Bancroft, 9143 Campo Road, Spring Valley. Wed: Karaoke. Thu: Gestures & Sounds. Fri: The Uglys, Electric Howlers, The Dangerfield. Sat: Zigtebra, Rodrigo Bars, OrchidxMantis, The Spider Ferns. Sun: Hangtown, Lil’ Evil. Tue: Karaoke.

Bang Bang, 526 Market St., Downtown. Wed: Guy J. Fri: Boys Noize.

Sat: Tensnake.

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

Fri: ‘First Friday Hip Hop Night’. Sat: Doc Hammer, Gorm, Russian Tremors.

Sun: ‘Rat Sabbath’. Mon: ‘Fresh Veggies with My Mynd’. Tue: ‘Tiki Tuesday’.

Beaumont’s, 5665 La Jolla Blvd., La Jolla. Thu: Dave Gleason. Fri: Dave Gleason Trio. Sat: Funk Manifesto.

Belly Up Tavern, 143 S. Cedros Ave., Solana Beach. Wed: ‘Halloween Heat’.

Thu: Jim James. Fri: The Motet, The Dip. Sat: Betamaxx. Sun: Willie K, Kaleo Phillips. Tue: The Mighty Untouchables.

Black Cat Bar, 4246 University Ave., City Heights. Wed: Black Cat Sabbath, Low and be Told, DJ Milky Wayne.

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

Thu: ‘Blonde 54 Disco & Decadence’.

Fri: ‘We Are Your Friends’. Sat: ‘Tron Themed 80s New Wave Dance Party’.

Sun: ‘Spectrum’. Mon: ‘Blue Monday’.

Tue: ‘Techno Tuesdays’.

Brick by Brick, 1130 Buenos Ave., Bay Park. Thu: The Meteors, The Strikers, Rotten Maniacs. Fri: Avoid, Castaway, Seconds Ago. Sat: Ghost A.D., Epic: Tribute to Faith No More, Alice Insane.

Sun: CKY, Nekrogoblikon, Granny 4 Barrel, The Line, Ash Williams. Tue: Suffocation, Cattle Decapitation, Krisiun, Visceral Disgorge, Condemned.

The Casbah, 2501 Kettner Blvd., Middletown. Wed: ‘Michael Vs. Prince Halloween Tribute Party’. Thu: Cloud Nothings, Shells, Moon Bros. Fri: The Selecter, DJ Rhoda Dakar, Unsteady.

Sat: Clan of Xymox (sold out). Sun: William Clark Green, Flatland Cavalry.

MUSIC CONTINUED ON PAGE 29

28 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · OCTOBER 31, 2018

ASTROLOGICALLY UNSOUND Weekly forecasts from the so-called universe ARIES (March 21 - April 19): Remember: there’s no such thing as monsters. But with alligators that weigh a thousand pounds you really gotta ask yourself: what’s the difference?

LIBRA (September 23 - October 22): The crunch of a fallen leaf is satisfying. It’s probably even more satisfying for the figure in the distance. We can ask. He’ll be here soon.

TAURUS (April 20 - May 20): It’s only more cost-effective to buy a regular bullet instead of a silver one if your reasoning is dangerously onedimensional.

SCORPIO (October 23 - November 21): If you are startled awake from a nightmare, it’s soothing to remember that even though you didn’t win the lottery, the people you hate didn’t win either.

GEMINI (May 21 - June 20): Most bizarre phenomena can actually be explained through relatively straightforward reasoning, which is why what you really ought to be afraid of is normal stuff.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 December 21): Your persistence may be rewarded and the new life that you’ve spent so many hours dreaming of may appear in front of you, to everyone else’s (and your eventual) horror.

CANCER (June 21 - July 22): Home is where you’re the only one who knows which one of the floorboards creak and which ones shouldn’t be creaking right now.

CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 19): Someone new may catch your eye this week, but when you turn around there’s nothing there... except, maybe, a faint silhouette in the shadows. I say don’t look at it.

LEO (July 23 - August 22): Your social circle may expand this week, but I must warn you that being overcome with a feeling that the small and unusual lifeforms are “friends” is only a part of their plan.

AQUARIUS (January 20 - February 18): Now is the time to shed old ideas like the melting polar icecaps shedding ancient spores, bacteria and unknowable germs into the research facility’s water supply.

VIRGO (August 23 - September 22): There are worse things than swiveling a chair around and finding the long decayed corpse of your landlord. Like being a landlord.

PISCES (February 19 - March 20): We often solve problems in dreams we cannot face in real life. It’s only, well, it doesn’t seem like it’s your dream that you’re in right now...

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

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MUSIC MUSIC CONTINUED FROM PAGE 28 Mon: Little Heroine, The Petty Saints, Bruised Fruit. Tue: Keuning, The Nervous Wreckords.

Che Cafe, UCSD campus, La Jolla.

Wed: Thu: Fri: Rozwell Kid, Prince Daddy & The Hyena, Shades McCool.

Fluxx, 500 Fourth Ave., Downtown.

Wed: NAS. House of Blues, 1055 Fifth Ave., Downtown. Wed: In Flames. Thu: John McLaughlin & Matt Wertz. Fri: Clairo.

Sat: Kip Moore. Sun: Tall Heights. Mon: Big Data. Tue: Robin Henkel.

Humphreys Backstage, 2241 Shelter Island Drive, Shelter Island. Wed: Captain Hook. Thu: Jason Brown. Fri: Republic of Music. Sat: Full Strength Funk.

Sun: Luv A Lot. Mon: Missy Anderson.

Tue: Michele Mundeen.

Jason Hanna & Friends’. Thu: Swing Thing. Fri: The Atta Boys. Sat: Baja Bugs. Tue: ‘Everything and Anything Jam’.

SOMA, 3350 Sports Arena Blvd., Midway. Sat: Lefties, Blunties, The Monsoon, Fever Machine, Ignant Benches.

Rosie O’Gradys, 3402 Adams Ave., Normal Heights. Wed: ‘Scary-oke Spooktacular’. Thu: Fri: Ian Patrick Cler. Sat: Modern Day Moonshine. Tue: Clinton Davis.

SPACE, 3519 El Cajon Blvd., City Heights. Wed: ‘Halloween ‘90s Party’.

Thu: Stones Throw Tour. Fri: Rituals with All Your Sisters. Sun: つしまみれ TsuShiMaMiRe. Mon: ‘Altars of Madness’. Tue: Karaoke.

Seven Grand, 3054 University Ave., North Park. Wed: Halloween Celebration with Little Book & Knob Creek.

Spin, 2028 Hancock St., Midtown.

Wed: Anna Lunoe. Fri: Gorgon City.

Sat: ‘Dia De Los Muertos’.

Soda Bar, 3615 El Cajon Blvd., City Heights. Wed: Caamp: Boys Tour. Thu: Mac Ayres, Jack Dine. Fri: Mr. Twin Sister, Sateen. Sat: Freedom Fry, Dresage, The Spiritual Motels. Mon: MC Chris, Dual Core, Lex The Lexicon Artist. Tue: Red City Radio, Typsetter, Kali Masi.

Sycamore Den, 3391 Adams Ave., Normal Heights. Wed: ‘Halloween Night’.

Til-Two Club, 4746 El Cajon Blvd., City Heights. Wed: OrchidxMantis. Thu: ‘Original Stylin’. Sat: Madrost with Mythraeum and Corpsemaker. Sun: ‘Pants

Karaoke’. Tue: Rock Europa, LENA, Bitter Kiddos.

Tin Roof, 401 G St., Downtown. Wed: The Responders. Fri: Coriander. Sat: Coriander. Sun: Ash Foster. Mon: ‘Beats and Booze’. Tue: Keep Your Soul.

Tio Leo’s, 5302 Napa St., Bay Park. Wed: Theo and the Zydeco Patrol. Thu: Tommy Prince and The Stiletos. Fri: Bump City Brass. Sat: Detroit Underground. Mon: DJ Sonero. Tue: Sue Palmer.

Tower Bar, 4757 University Ave., City Heights. Wed: The Widows, Grids, My Revenge, Poontang Clam, DJ Mikey Ratt.

Thu: INHALANT, NO, Trax Vexler, Centurian Wield, DJs Israael & Deadmatter.

Fri: ‘Hip Hop vs Punk Rock’ with Skinny Veny, Pool Snarks, Good Time Girl, Apollo. Sat: Nature Boys, Quali, [CON·TACT].

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

Wed: ‘Halloween Party’. Thu: ‘Boombox Thursdays’. Sun: Dub8, Mochilero All Stars, DJ Lexy Love. Mon: ‘#31 Flavors’. Tue: Beer Pong Tournament.

Whistle Stop, 2236 Fern St., South Park. Wed: Nick Cave tribute band, Tears for Fears tribute band. Fri: SRSQ, The Victoriana. Sat: DJs Saul Q & Gabe Vega. Mon: ‘Electric Relaxation’. Tue: Pearl Charles.

Winstons, 1921 Bacon St., Ocean Beach. Wed: Club Kingston, King Schascha & DJ Unite, Carlos Culture.

Thu: Inna Vision, Gonzo. Fri: Tnertle with The Puscie Jones Revue. Sat: The Moves Collective with STIG. Sun: Karaoke. Mon: Electric Waste Band. Tue: Donna the Buffalo, Raye Zaragoza.

Kava Lounge, 2812 Kettner Blvd., Midtown. Wed: ‘Disco Bloodbath’. Fri: Raul Facio, Ryler Rouse, Britton, Hokum. Saturday: ‘Diwali - Festival of Lights’.

Kensington Club, 4079 Adams Ave., Kensington. Sat: Levi Dean and the Americats, Grand Curator, Ripening.

Lestat’s Coffee House, 3343 Adams Ave., Normal Heights. Fri: The Piatt Pund Birthday Showcase. Sat: Ronni Lee and Becca Jay. Mon: Open Mic. Loft @ UCSD, Price Center East, La Jolla. Fri: Transviolet.

Mc P’s Irish Pub, 1107 Orange Ave., Coronado. Wed: Jackson & Billy.

Martinis Above Fourth, 3940 Fourth Ave., Hillcrest. Thu: Ada Vox. Sat: Coco Peru. Sun: Coco Peru.

The Merrow, 1271 University Ave., Hillcrest. Wed: Twin Ritual, Light Rail. Thu: Soul Ablaze, Doris, Tennessee Tina, Dee Nacey, Elizabeth Yandel. Fri: Little Homies, Misc. Ailments, Wine, Strange Creature. Sat: Bear Night. Mon: Pavlov’s Dogs.

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

Fri: The Chrome Domes. Sat: The Good Pour. Sun: Anthony Ortega Jazz Quartet. Mon: Open Mic. Tue: Karaoke.

Music Box, 1337 India St., Little Italy.

Wed: MarchFourth & Vocab Company.

Thu: Throwing Shade LIVE. Fri: The Young Wild, The Frets, THEA the Band.

Sat: Death From Above, CRX. Sun: The Menzingers.

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

Wed: DJ EdROC & Heminguey. Thu: ‘No Limits with DJ Myson King’. Sat: ‘Strictly Business with DJs Edrock & Kanye Asada’. Mon: ‘Motown Monday’.

OMNIA Nightclub, 454 Sixth Ave., Downtown. Wed: Shaun Frank. Fri: Zedd.

Panama 66, 1450 El Prado, Balboa Park. Wed: Young Lions, ‘The Wednesday Jam Session’. Fri: Rebecca Jade & the Cold Fact. Sat: The Bedbreakers.

Parq, 615 Broadway, Downtown. Fri: Zoofunkion. Sat: Rick Ross.

Pour House, 1903 S. Coast Highway, Oceanside. Wed: DJ Lexicon Devil, Hip Priest, Soulseller.

Proud Mary’s, 5550 Kearny Mesa Road, Kearny Mesa. Wed: ‘Blues Jam Night’. Thu: Chickenbone Slim and the Biscuits. Fri: Danny Brooks.

Rich’s, 1051 University Ave., Hillcrest.

Wed: ‘Rich’s Horror Story’. Thu: Techniche.

Riviera Supper Club, 7777 University Ave., La Mesa. Wed: ‘Boss Jazz with

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OCTOBER 31, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 29

BY LARA MCCAFFREY

IN THE BACK

CannaBeat

Hands off

COURTESY OF MARCH AND ASH

M

arch and Ash (2835 Camino del Rio S., Suite 100, marchandash.com) likes that its retail space is set up differently than most San Diego dispensaries.

The roughly 2,200 square-foot Mission Valley store has patients check in at its reception, but then allows them to roam freely without assistance from the budtenders that are often the hallmark of other dispensaries. At its opening event on Sept. 22, customers examined and picked up products at their own leisure, while flagging down the store’s retail associates (March and Ash calls them “cannabis concierges”) if they had a question.

It’s much more common for dispensaries to use the typical budtender model. However, dispensaries like March and Ash and Mankind Cooperative (7128 Miramar Road, #10, mankindcannabis.com) opt for a different shopping experience in hopes customers will come away more educated about cannabis products.

Blake Marchand, CEO of March and Ash, says his store’s setup encourages customers to self-educate by inspecting ingredients and truly find a product they love. Cannabis concierges are there to assist, but not push products onto customers.

“These other dispensaries, I'm not naming them, but a lot of them will push certain products on their customers.

They'll push sales goals on them,” says Marchand. “We don't even allow our vendors to offer incentives to our employees.”

30 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · OCTOBER 31, 2018

March and Ash Marchand says he’s seen budtenders that work on commission (his concierges don’t) and push products onto customers who aren’t as savvy when it comes to cannabis.

As a result, patients leave with items they may not need or dislike. Customers are willing to return, he argues, when they find products they like.

Mankind Cooperative in Miramar is set up similarly to March and Ash. Customers can inspect products and smell jars of flower in the small store without help from budtenders. “Cannabis consultants” are on hand if customers have questions. Cathy Bliss, Mankind’s director of community outreach, says this model is helpful because it’s less anxiety-inducing for customers and allows them

to self-educate by reading product descriptions.

“The idea that you don't have to just wait in line and then know that there's 100 people behind you,” says Bliss.

“The model that we have is that you can take your time and compare different products in the same category.”

Both Bliss and Marchand add that dispensaries that operate without counter service are not required to have a different sort of permit than ones with budtenders.

Urbn Leaf (1028 Buenos Ave., urbnleaf.com), a dispensary in Bay Park, also shares goals of consumer education. But Josh Bubeck, who’s in charge of Urbn’s product purchasing and brand development, says the store uses budtenders because they help consumers find the right product by explaining each item. “[Cannabis] isn't as common as shoes and shirts and your traditional retail,” says Bubeck. “We're creating a whole new industry. So the biggest key component to this industry is going to be education.”

Bubeck says budtenders also help the store churn out a greater volume of people especially during peak hours.

Budtenders can assist customers in getting what they need faster than if they tried to navigate the store’s many products on their own. However, Bubeck insists Urbn doesn’t rush customers.

“There's not a time limit. Of course we have what we shoot for when it comes to our customers’ average time,” says Bubeck. “But no, it's definitely not like, ‘you have to have the five minutes or you're out of here’ type of thing...

That would hurt the experience for the consumer.”

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OCTOBER 31, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 31