San Diego CityBeat • Nov 20, 2013

Sinéad O’Connor is ready to be happy again

Throughout her 28-year career, Irish chanteuse has gotten a lot off her chest

by Scott McDonald • P.25

Peters P.4 Boot P.7 Homebrew P.13 Hunger P.22

2 · San Diego CityBeat · November 20, 2013

November 20, 2013 · San Diego CityBeat · 3

Peters bolsters GOP attack on health reform When Democratic U.S. Rep. Scott Peters voted “yea” last week on the Keep Your Health Plan Act of 2013, he was either saying he genuinely, in his heart of hearts, supported the contents of the bill or he figured that doing so would help him in next year’s election campaign against Republican challenger Carl DeMaio.

Either way, we have a problem with it.

The bill—which was successful in the House of Representatives but won’t be taken up in the U.S. Senate, effectively killing it—was the House Republicans’ response to the kerfuffle over the fact that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) would cause a small portion of insured Americans to lose their existing crappy health plans and be forced to switch to better ones.

Introduced by U.S. Rep. Fred Upton of Michigan, it proposed to allow insurance companies to continue to sell individual-buyer plans that don’t meet standards established by the ACA that are aimed at protecting consumers—not only to people who were already in those deficient plans but also to new customers.

That second part goes far beyond simply letting a few folks retain their existing plans and reveals the true intent of the bill: to destroy the ACA and keep us mired in a healthcare system in which highly profitable insurance companies prey on people and tens of millions of Americans have no access to decent medical services.

Under the bill, writes Sarah Lueck of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, “insurers offering existing individual-market plans outside of the [ACA-created] insurance marketplaces in 2014 could continue to reject people with health problems and charge sicker and older people far higher premiums than younger and healthier people must pay.”

Younger, healthier people would have an incentive to buy cheap insurance that offers little in the way of actual benefits that they might need if something terrible happens to them. These are precisely the people who are needed to participate in the ACA for it to be economically viable. Without them, premiums are much higher than envisioned under the ACA and the whole point of health-insurance reform falls apart.

That’s what Peters voted for.

Peters makes it immediately clear on his website what he’s going for. His explanation comes under

the headline, “Rep. Peters Votes with Republicans & Democrats to Allow Americans to Keep their Health Plans.” The first thing he wants you to know is that he voted with Republicans, which is consistent with past statements he’s made about bipartisanship and cooperation. To be sure, this was a Republican bill, not a Democratic bill. Republicans voted 222-4 in favor; Democrats voted 153-39 in opposition.

We’re all for cooperation in some cases, but not this one. This is bad policy that supports predatory practices.

In his explanation, Peters praises President Obama for offering to fix, administratively, the problem of insurance companies cancelling a relatively small number of insurance policies—the big difference is that Obama won’t allow insurers to sell substandard plans to new customers. For some reason, an administrative fix isn’t good enough for Peters, David Rolland but the only justification he gives is this: “The Upton bill was a constructive step in the right direction because it is the first time the Republican Majority has offered a fix to the law rather than an all-ornothing repeal or destructive government shut down.”

So, in other words, Peters seems to be saying, “Good for you, Mr. President, for fixing the problem, but I voted for this bill because I wanted to give the Republicans some Brownie points Scott Peters simply for not engaging in their typical scorched-earth politics”—even though they were actually trying to scorch the healthcare-reform earth.

DeMaio and the Koch brothers have been keeping the pressure on Peters, a first-termer who has a light grip on his swing-district seat. Clearly, he’s playing defense. But while his vote with the GOP might let him hang on to some independents who’ve turned against the ACA, it could also cause liberals who perceive no difference between him and DeMaio to sit out the election. The tradeoff might be negligible.

Even though Peters knew the Upton bill would never become law, he’s done real damage by putting a “bipartisan” stamp on the Republican attack on what is potentially the first meaningful healthcare reform—flawed though its rollout may have been— to come around in several generations.

What do you think? Write to editor@sdcitybeat.com.

This issue of CityBeat writes “Mrs. John Stamos” in its notebook.

Volume 12 • Issue 15 Editor David Rolland Associate Editor Kelly Davis Music Editor Jeff Terich Staff Writer Joshua Emerson Smith Web Editor Ryan Bradford Art director Lindsey Voltoline Columnists Aaryn Belfer, Edwin Decker, John R. Lamb

Contributors Ian Cheesman, David L. Coddon, Seth Combs, Michael A. Gardiner, Glenn Heath Jr., Nina Sachdev Hoffmann, Peter Holslin, Dave Maass, Scott McDonald, Jennifer McEntee, Jenny Montgomery, Kinsee Morlan, Susan Myrland, Mina Riazi, Jim Ruland, Jen Van Tieghem, Quan Vu Production Manager Tristan Whitehouse Production artist Rees Withrow MultiMedia Advertising Director Paulina Porter-Tapia Senior account executives Jason Noble, Nick Nappi Account Executive Beau Odom

Cover design by Lindsey Voltoline Circulation / Office Assistant Giovanna Tricoli Intern Connie Thai Vice President of Finance Michael Nagami Human Resources Andrea Baker Accounting Alysia Chavez, Linda Lam, Monica MacCree

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4 · San Diego CityBeat · November 20, 2013

November 20, 2013 · San Diego CityBeat · 5

Republicans are necessary It is amazing to me that you and so many others can find no culpability or responsibility with the Democrats for the messes we all have to endure [“Editorial,” Oct. 16]. I’m sure you and others would hope the Republican Party would disappear. Take a good look at our own state now and in the near future, where the Republicans have no power, and watch what happens when you lose the checks and balances our founding fathers so brilliantly instituted. Good luck.

Scott Hawes, Clairemont

‘Typical liberal ideology’ In response to your Oct. 16 editorial: The Dems are as guilty, if not more, for the government shutdown.

You say the GOP “needlessly and recklessly” caused it. I would hope that our elected officials would stand up for what they believe in, don’t you agree?

Republicans sent more than one continuing resolution funding everything except the Affordable Care Act. Now it looks like that wasn’t a bad idea.

The Obamacare opening is an absolute farce. Obama had more than three years to get this thing ready to roll, and it’s a total debacle. We can’t enroll even if we wanted to because the damned website doesn’t even work! Dems, this should be an obvious clue as to how the future of this program will play out.

Furthermore, almost everything Obama promised about the Affordable Care Act is a lie. We can’t keep our previous insurance, we have to change doctors and our premiums are going up! These are just for starters. It’s typical liberal ideology, robbing Peter to pay Paul. Your propagandist, leftist rag has been singing the same tune for years. “Move to the ideological center,” you say? I think it would do you and us, the readers, much more good if you tried a more balanced approach.

Justin McGlynn, El Cajon

Minimum-wage hike’s impacts In response to Paul Richard’s Oct. 16 letter to the editor, “Formula for disaster”: He writes, “The whole idea of one being self-employed is to earn an income, not to give other people jobs.” Why, then, are we constantly lectured about small businesses being “job creators” and not “income earners”?

All those Bush tax cuts were supposed to create millions of jobs. They didn’t—job creation during Bush-Cheney was the worst in 50 years. But they certainly produced income—especially for the 1 percent: Corporate profits skyrocketed, and the wealth gap between rich and poor widened dramatically.

He asks, “So what if top economists think [raising the minimum wage] matters little? How many of them have their own businesses?” Owning a business doesn’t make you an economic expert any more than owning a football team makes you a football expert.

Yes, raising the minimum wage may have some temporary adverse effect on some small businesses.

But numerous studies—yes, by economic experts— show the overall benefits outweigh the costs to the economy. As a business owner, I’d treat it like any other costs (supplies, rent, utilities, gasoline, etc.), which increase over time.

So, spare us the crocodile tears. The “cut taxes no matter what so the rich can get richer” econom-

6 · San Diego CityBeat · November 20, 2013

ics of the last 30 years is the real formula for disaster. If modestly raising the minimum wage puts you out of business, then maybe you’re not a very good businessman.

Rick Chiszar, University Heights

Best of—WTF! Regarding your Oct. 16 Best of San Diego issue: Are you freaking kidding me? “Best Bank”? Need I remind you idiots that they played a major role in, and still do, dragging our economy into the crapper? Unfreaking-believable! That category shouldn’t even exist in your otherwise fine rag! I give you guys a big “WTF” on that one.

Tony Bernardo, North Park

Caution: merging cars The story about Car2Go by Joshua Emerson Smith in your Oct. 30 issue was of considerable interest to my wife and me. We sold our car in 2004, primarily because of a lack of affordable parking available in downtown San Diego, insurance and gasoline costs. MTS was promising an expansion of trolley service and we were looking forward to the arrival of a new concept in auto rentals from a service called “FlexCar.” FlexCar offered a variety of vehicles, which were parked in identified-dedicated parking spaces Downtown, including some in the garages of commercial buildings. As with Car2Go, a membership card was used to gain access to the vehicle, but it had to be returned to the location where it was picked up. There was no free parking at city meters, but fuel and insurance were included in the very reasonable rates.

There was no limit on where a car could be taken; when the brush fires of a few years ago compromised our breathing in San Diego, we fled to Tucson for a couple of days in a FlexCar hybrid Honda.

We knew at that time that there was another service called ZipCar, mostly on the East Coast and at a few major universities on the West Coast. Then came the death sentence for FlexCar. We received a notice from Zip that they were “merging” with FlexCar and that the future would bring incredible new advantages! More vehicles, more locations, more features—wonderful times ahead! The merger turned out to be a merger in the sense that you might merge with a crocodile or a grizzly bear. One day there were FlexCars in many locations; the next day they had all vanished! If you wanted a ZipCar, you must ride a bus to the nearest university campus or affiliated hospital for a very limited selection.

We joined Car2Go when it opened in San Diego and have used them frequently. There are limitations: Only room for two in a car, and since we don’t have smartphones, we simply look around a few blocks of Downtown from our apartment’s 14thfloor balcony hoping to spot one. More often than not, someone else will get to the first couple of cars we covet. But I dread the day when I get a notice from Car2Go telling me that a wonderful new era is on the horizon: They will be merging with a service called Potrebie-Shurdlu Rentals and will mean more cars, more variety, more features—a bright shining future.

Lyle and Evelyn Davidson, Downtown

Kelly Davis

bonus

news Civic pushback

City Council candidate Sarah Boot’s becoming a familiar face at events in San Diego’s beach communities.

The new girl Sarah Boot aims to unseat quasi-incumbent Lorie Zapf from the San Diego City Council

by Kelly Davis In political campaigns, it’s almost a given that it’s an incumbent’s race to lose—unless that incumbent’s only sort of an incumbent.

In 2011, redistricting—the redrawing of electoral boundaries based on new census data—put Lorie Zapf’s house in San Diego’s District 2, just west of District 6, the City Council seat to which she was elected in 2010. This left her with two choices: Move into the new District 6 or run for District 2’s open seat in 2014. She opted for the latter.

So, what does that mean for Sarah Boot, who, so far is Zapf’s only challenger? The new District 2 includes a small part of the old District 6—the neighborhoods of Bay Ho, Bay Park and Clairemont Mesa West—making Zapf a true incumbent to enough voters to push her to a win in a tight race. The district also includes Ocean Beach, Pacific Beach, Mission Beach, Point Loma, Loma Portal and Midway.

Though City Council seats are technically nonpartisan, Zapf is a Republican, with the backing of the Republican Party, while Boot’s been endorsed by the Democrats, who have a slight voter-registration advantage in District 2.

But, “as far as the practicality of the campaign,” Boot said, “it’s definitely against an incumbent. She’s got the Republican machine behind her, but she also has the establishment, and folks with business before the council feel uncomfortable going against her.

“But when I talk to folks out in the district,” she added, “a lot of them have never heard of her.”

A lot of folks in the district haven’t heard of Boot, either.

Better-known, perhaps, is her campaign manager, Laura Fink, who, in July, was the second woman to accuse San Diego Mayor Bob Filner of sexual harassment.

But Boot, who’s 32, didn’t come out of nowhere. In 2010, she was selected as a fellow for the San Diego chapter of the New Leaders Council, which aims to train “progressive political entrepreneurs” for leadership roles, elected office

among them. She’s also a founding member of Run Women Run, a local organization focused on getting politically progressive women in office. She was student-body president at the University of Michigan, where she earned her undergraduate and law degrees. There, Boot founded the Students First party and recruited a slate of candidates.

“I felt like the government needed to be more inclusive and have a lot more different perspectives,” she said. “We pulled together this coalition. We had the change message.

The folks who were there, they had been there for a long time, and we felt they were becoming a little insular.”

Most of her slate won, and she eked out a 34-vote victory.

Up until recently, Boot was as an assistant U.S. attorney, prosecuting sex traffickers and bank robbers. But because the Hatch Act bars federal employees from engaging in partisan politics, Boot couldn’t start campaigning until she resigned from her job, which she did in August. That meant a late start on fundraising, too. Boot declined to say how much she’s raised so far, or what her target goal is, but Zapf’s already proving to be a formidable opponent. By July 30, the first filing deadline for the campaign (the next isn’t until Dec. 31), she’d already raised $130,000, including $50,000 from the San Diego County Republican Party— that’s more than a third of the roughly $370,000 she raised in 2010. In her 2010 bid for City Council, Zapf had the backing of the Lincoln Club, which runs a super PAC that flooded voter mailboxes with attacks on her opponent, former City Council and state Assembly member Howard Wayne.

“If Sarah raises a lot of money and gets boots on the ground, I think it’s entirely doable,” said Ryan Trabuco, president of the Clairemont Town Council.

Trabuco noted that the parts of the old District 6 that are now in District 2 tend to lean Democrat.

“If Clairemont hadn’t have been split up, I’m sure Zapf would have been elected pretty strongly,” he said.

For now, it’s Boot’s boots that are on the ground. Leaving the U.S. Attorney’s office means she’s been able to spend a lot of time getting to know voters and the issues.

“I’ve watched—I’ve kind of monitored both [candidates]—and Boot has gone to what seems like, literally, every community meeting imaginable, and there are many of them in O.B.,” said Dave Cieslak, who sits on the Ocean Beach Town Council. Cieslak, who emphasized that he wasn’t speaking on the council’s behalf, said he’s not made up his mind in the race but that Boot’s made a good

Boot CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

City-owned nonprofit Civic San Diego’s plan to bring pedestrian-friendly commercial development to the working-class neighborhoods of Encanto and City Heights has drawn mixed reactions from community groups.

“I think anyone who didn’t have an open mind about it would be foolish, but that’s on both sides of the table,” said Guy Mock, who chairs the City Heights Town Council and also sits on the City Heights Area Planning Council. “I think Civic San Diego needs to come to City Heights and put the Downtown mentality away.”

As CityBeat detailed in our Nov. 13 issue, Civic San Diego—created to wind down the city’s former redevelopment agency—has proposed building high-density “transit villages” along sections of El Cajon Boulevard and Imperial Avenue. Development would be financed through a public / private investment fund, and Civic San Diego would oversee the planning process.

“I think there’s still concerns,” said Encanto Neighborhoods Community Planning Group Chair Kenneth Malbrough. “The people don’t want their current residential area impacted by density, but they’re willing to talk about what we can do in the transit corridors.”

Kelly Davis For the project to move forward, the city must give Civic San Diego permitting and planning authority in these areas. With the ability to control requirements on developers and about $35 million in recently secured federal tax credits, Civic San Diego officials believe they can entice substantial private investment.

“Civic San Diego would have more flexibility to Jeff Graham allow developers to operate outside of the existing community plan,” said the agency’s president, Jeff Graham. “But the community’s going to have the final say in this because we’re not going to do anything that the community doesn’t agree with.”

However, not everyone trusts Civic San Diego to prioritize community needs.

In a widely distributed email, City Heights Community Development Corporation Secretary Jim Varnadore wrote: “Civic San Diego President Graham doesn’t want to work with City Heights to develop a plan. He’s already written a plan without so much as hinting to us that it was in preparation….”

Civic San Diego will have to lay off members of its 30-person staff in about 18 months if it can’t secure a funding source.

The threat of dissolution has some on the Civic San Diego Board of Directors also raising concerns that community needs could take a backseat.

The projects should have defined community benefits, said Director Susan Riggs at a recent board meeting. “I’m a big supporter of the concepts. What I’ll repeat is, the devil’s in the detail.”

—Joshua Emerson Smith

November 20, 2013 · San Diego CityBeat · 7

Boot CONTINUED from PAGE 7 impression simply by showing up.

“She was at our [Ocean Beach] pier breakfast on a Saturday morning at 7 a.m., flipping pancakes in that café on the pier, where it’s 120 degrees inside with all the ovens running. That says a lot about her character and her commitment to the community.”

Boot’s father was an engineer with Whirlpool, and the family moved around a lot when she was growing up, finally settling in St. Joseph, Mich., a small town that’s dubbed itself “the Riviera of the Midwest.” Just across the river was Benton Harbor, a town with high poverty and crime rates and crumbling schools. That disparity is what helped shape Boot’s political ideology and sparked her interest in urban politics. It’s ultimately what pushed her into law enforcement, too.

While at the University of Michigan, she volunteered for The Detroit Project (now called The Detroit Partnership), a mentorship program focused on underserved communities. On Fridays, she’d go into Detroit and work with kids after school.

“The kids couldn’t walk home alone at night because of gang violence,” she said. “People don’t necessarily consider [public safety] a progressive value, but from my perspective, if you don’t feel safe in your own neighborhood, what kind of life is that?”

Between college and law school, Boot worked as Sen. Joe Lieberman’s New Hampshire field coordina-

8 · San Diego CityBeat · November 20, 2013

tor and then as campaign finance director for Harold Brazil, a member of the Washington, D.C., City Council. After law school, she was offered a job at the techfocused law firm of Cooley Godward Kronish, and she and her husband moved to San Diego. In 2010, she went to work for the U.S. Attorney’s office.

It’s that experience that’s appealing to voters, Cieslak says—“the fact she has a real, firm understanding of the crime situation, neighborhoods and what neighborhoods need.”

It’s quality-of-life issues that Boot’s hearing about from voters, with property crime topping the list.

David Rolland Homelessness and infrastructure— traffic, street repairs—come up, too.

They’re all nonpartisan issues in a race where both political parties have a lot to lose: Democrats currently hold five of nine City Council seats. Should Boot win, they’d have a comfortable, six-vote majority.

District 2 also includes parts of the 52nd Congressional District, where Republican Carl DeMaio is aggressively challenging Democratic incumbent Scott Peters, meaning the District 2 race will likely get pulled into that fray.

Lorie Zapf Boot says she’s “very intrigued” to see how the local GOP and organizations like the Lincoln Club come at her.

“Unfortunately, it’s just the reality of politics nowadays; I guess I’ll know I’m a serious candidate when they start attacking me aggressively.”

Write to kellyd@sdcitybeat.com and editor@sdcitybeat.com.

aaryn

backwards & in high heels

belfer Thankfulness: a cynic’s attempt to be sunshinier After rolling my eyes at Facebook’s “Thankful Nomonths. Maybe “thankful” is too strong a word? vember” exercise in gratitude (you’ve seen the hap• I’m thankful for my health. Aside from the py status updates, I’m sure), I’ve decided to set aside shingles—that’s been a day at the comedy club, let my genetically based cynicism and innate ability to me tell you. Stand in a puddle of your own urine, find the worst angle from which to view any double stick your finger in a light socket, add a festering rainbow, and give it a try. Right here on this page. rash and—zoinks!—hello, herpes zoster.

But first, a word about the preternaturally posi• I’m thankful for octopus hickies (h/t to übertive people who seem to levitate among the rest of positive-status-updating Tiffany for cluing me in to us pissed-off souls grinding through each day. that phenomenon).

We all know these folks. Some of us are married • I’m super-thankful for baby platypuses, to them. We lie next to them in bed at night resenttoo. If all cats could transform into baby platypuses fully wallowing in our angst and insomnia while immediately after having their amniotic sacs licked they sleep. At times, we may or may not roll away clean, world peace could ensue. Except for all the with a sigh and a death grip on the blankets, leaving guns making world piece difficult. But guns don’t the sleeping beauties exposed to the bedroom elekill people. People kill people, and I’m thankful for ments. Oh, I’m sorry, honey. Did I wake you? that clarification from the NRA. To be honest, I was When the news gets bad, optimists don’t continue starting to worry. to listen and grumble; they turn on some reggae and • Speaking of people killing people, I’m thankful notice the sunset. Their auras shimmer as they look a murder charge is being brought against the guy who on the bright side of every damned thing. It makes a shot 19-year-old Detroit resident Renisha McBride in pessimist want to shot-put a kitten. (Step away from the face—even if it’s only second-degree murder, and the keyboard, cat ladies. That’s hyperbole.) even if it’s all a show and it’s really the dead girl on My husband is the optrial, and even though they’ll timist in our relationship. smear her reputation on the If all cats could transform He’s the yin to my yang. He’s way to exonerating her killer the glass-is-half-full to my à la Trayvon Martin because into baby platypuses fuck-that-glass-I-hate-thatshe was drunk and high on immediately after having their glass-so-I-smashed-thatmarijuana so she must have amniotic sacs licked clean, glass-on-the-floor-and-nowhad it coming, right? Oh, shit. it’s-empty-forever-and-youThat was not positive. That world peace could ensue. can’t-argue-it’s-not. was sarcastic and cynical— “It’s OK,” he’d say. “It’s some might say realistic—but just a thing. I love you no matter what.” not positive. Baby platypuses, everyone!

Oomph. Forget kittens. I want to shot-put myself.

• I’m thankful for what is perhaps my favorite I’m just not hardwired for positivity. The opreader feedback ever: “You are a ass. You do not know timist is as far away from me on the evolutionary what adoption is or what it about you need to do your chain as Lily Allen is to understanding her own miresearch next time what a dip shit you are”. Correcsogynoir. Oops! There I go getting all negative. Hittion: “an ass” and “dip-shit.” Also: punctuation. ting the reset button now—.

• I’m thankful for the sign on the new restaurant down the street that reads, “Aztecs Eat Here, Unlike my friends Andy, Rich and Philip, who Why Don’t You?” I appreciate that this question were all probably born that way, I have to conanswers itself. sciously choose to be that way. My friend Rachel • Let’s see—what else? Oh! I’m thankful for whatis perpetually unperturbed, cruising through life ever toxins Monsanto is putting in dirt that makes it with an enviable contentment. And my friend Tifpossible for me to eat delicious palm-sized strawberfany is eternally positive even during the 11 months ries in mid-November. If they can make tomatoes have that are not “Thankful November.” Even in the face taste again, I say bring on the carcinogens. of a health crisis. So (I apologize in advance for • I’m thankful for the positive people in my life the schmaltz to follow), how hard can it be to find who show me how to be a better woman. Folks, you things for which to be grateful? complete m—OK, no. This experiment is over. DeepI’ll start with the low-hanging fruit and work ak-style emoting is almost as gross as Piers Morgan from there: telling Serena Williams in a CNN interview last year, • I’m thankful for my husband, who’s awe“I have wanted to squash my beef with you for a long some in many ways and who does all the laundry time.” Yes, he and his chin waddle did that. and doesn’t complain anymore when I leave my Don’t lose heart, readers. In two weeks, I’ll resweaty gym clothes inside out. turn to my regular programming as a blanket-steal• I’m thankful for my incredible child. She ing, cat-hating, bullshit-calling woman. If being a continually smashes my lip balm into an unusable naysayer keeps me up at night, so be it. That is, for glob, but she also wears her retainer to bed without better or worse, who I am. me asking. I repeat: She also wears her retainer to bed without me asking. Rejoice!

Write to aaryn@sdcitybeat.com • I’m thankful for my in-laws, who are about and editor@sdcitybeat.com. to descend on us for four months. I repeat: Four

November 20, 2013 · San Diego CityBeat · 9

by michael a. gardiner Michael A. Gardiner

at a lower (not, as is often said, higher) temperature for longer than ordinary charcoal. It is cooler and cleaner, producing neither flame nor smoke.

While the origins of yakitori date back to the 1600s, it took root during the early 20th century and exploded in popularity in the 1960s. Yakitori stalls and restaurants at which the skewers were Yokohama Yakitori Koubou’s omakase grilled in front of the customer (yakitori-ya), lined Tokyo’s streets. The grilled skewers became increasingly inseparable from their alcoholic accompaniments.

Yokohama Yakitori Koubou (3904 Convoy St. in Kearny Mesa, yokohamayakitorikoubou. com) does an excellent local take on yakitori, perPerfect antidote to fectly capturing the essential, casual vibe of the the imperfect boss yakitori-ya. An excellent way to start at Koubou is to order the six-skewer omakase. On one visIt was 5:30 p.m. on a Friday night many years ago. it, ours included chicken meatball, beef tongue, I had ducked into my office and closed the door chicken thigh, chicken wing, bacon-wrapped asat 4:30 because I knew my boss would be trollparagus and chicken breast with a mayonnaiseing the halls looking for someone to keep him salmon and corn sauce. The latter was downright company on his weekend labors. He had no life strange. The rest were excellent, with the beef to speak of. I did. Unfortunately, I was still a halftongue a particular standout: thick-cut and yet hour commute from that life. I emerged, hoptender with a kiss of the tare. ing he’d given up and gone home—he had—only Yakitori joints use all parts of the chicken and to see three colleagues doing the same. Home excel at making some of the less-fancied cuts dewould wait a bit longer. It was time for a beer licious. Koubou’s livers are crispy on the outside, and, perhaps, a bite. deeply creamy inside. Hearts and gizzards taste That is an Americanized version of the attracmuch better than one might suspect. The skin extion of the yakitori tradition: co-workers emergceeds lofty expectations. One of the more advening from the bowels of the machine, seeking an turous choices is the chicken nakaochi, bits of the antidote to the long hours of the week and findbird’s neck bathed in the tare. It’s a multilayered ing it in grilled chicken skewers and libations. splendor, bits of lean meat and fat mingling with “Yakitori” translates literally as “grilled fowl.” the sauce and combining to be greater than the It’s basically bite-size chunks of chicken grilled sum of its parts. on skewers. The chunks range from pieces of I still see that boss from time to time Downthigh or breast to offal and meatballs. Beef, pork, town. While the rituals of dodging him on a Fritofu and vegetables also make appearances, many day afternoon did not directly lead to me finding basted in tare, a sauce made from mirin, sake, soy yakitori, they certainly helped me appreciate it sauce and sugar. Tare pots are never emptied; when I did. Regardless, I have found Yokohama Yakitori Koubou now. chefs just add to them over the years, the flavor deepening over time.

Write to michaelg@sdcitybeat.com The classic fuel for yakitori is high-quality and editor@sdcitybeat.com. lump oak charcoal called binchōtan, which burns

the world

fare

10 · San Diego CityBeat · November 20, 2013

BY KELLY DAVIS

cocktail

tales DIY whiskey

Recently, a couple of friends came up with an idea for a cocktail party: Pick a spirit—whiskey in this case—and have attendees buy a nice bottle of that spirit (in the $40 range) and use it to come up with a “signature” cocktail. Then, at the end of the night, there’d be a white-elephant-style exchange of the bottles and their remaining contents.

Folks put a lot of thought and effort into their cocktails—one couple, for instance, made smoked ice (more on that below). I wanted to do something with pumpkin and had in mind a nice, round, sweet-and-spicy pumpkin / bourbon cocktail. Caveat: I write about cocktails, I don’t make ’em. I figured out a pumpkin simple syrup (white and brown sugars, water, pumpkin purée and spices—cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice and star anise—to taste) and added a dash of Bitter Truth celery bitters to counter the sweetness just a bit.

The drink was still missing something, though, and since my trial run was two hours before the party, I didn’t have time to experiment. A few days later, I spotted the Easy, Pilgrim on Saltbox’s (saltboxrestaurant.com) winter cocktail menu, made

with Templeton Rye, a spiced-pumpkin reduction and Angostura bitters.

Ah-ha! Rye’s spiciness makes it a better choice than the sweeter bourbon. And a spiced pumpkin reduction! Jen Queen was kind enough to share her recipe (see below).

Even if my cocktail wasn’t a complete success, here are a couple from the party that were: San Francisco Fog by Amy and Frank Green 2 ounces Cyrus Noble bourbon 3 ounces coconut milk 2 ounces apple cider 1/2 ounce lemon-honey simple syrup Shake and strain over ice, garnish with fresh-grated nutmeg Smoke Up Johnny by Lesley Emery and Mike Scheer Adapted from the Smoke Signals cocktail from Laurelhurst Market in Portland

kelly davis

3 parts Wild Turkey Spiced bourbon 1 part Hartley & Gibson’s Amontillado sherry 1/2 part fresh lemon juice 1 part pecan simple syrup (simple syrup simmered with toasted pecans then strained) Stir and serve over smoked ice (made by melting ice in a smoker then refreezing it).

Garnish with a flamed orange twist.

•••

Spiced pumpkin reduction

3 cups of diced roasted pumpkin.

2 cups of sugar 2 cups of apple juice (preferably non filtered) 1 cup of water 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon allspice Pinch of salt Pinch of cayenne pepper Bring all ingredients to a boil in a saucepan, lower heat and simmer until reduced by half.

Let cool, strain and store.

Frank and Amy Green preparing their San Francisco Fog

Write to kellyd@sdcitybeat.com and editor@sdcitybeat.com.

November 20, 2013 · San Diego CityBeat · 11

by Mina Riazi mina riazi

act. I went with the freerange chicken. Two seasonal sides and a chargrilled slab of focaccia completed the $10 meal. An open kitchen pulls the curtain back on all the action at Urban Plates, making it reasonably clear that your food will be fresh.

It seems like every detail at Urban Plates—from the castiron pots in warm, buttery shades to the bushels of fresh produce on display—is trying really hard to communicate a The free-range grilled chicken plate and banana cream pie distinct message: This place is homey and rustic, the epitome of a relaxed yet refined neighborhood joint.

Maybe it doesn’t matter that I sensed something slightly contrived about the whole experience. Maybe it’s enough that the cheddar mac and cheese is splendid—velvety smooth with a faint nuttiness, the spiral pasta noodles cooked just Livin’ la vida local right—or that the tender, juicy chicken flaunts a straight-off-the-grill smokiness. The focaccia— The phrase “farm-to-table” gets tossed around pale and altogether lackluster—needed more a lot these days. And it’s not being used only to charring, but the Brussels sprouts were beautidescribe small, chef-driven joints. Chain restaufully roasted. The green gems mingle with flecks rants like Paul Martin’s American Grill and Tenof turkey bacon and Asiago cheese. der Greens are apparently farm-to-table adherThe desserts span a wide gamut of tastes and ents, too. textures. Most impressive, at least visually, is the Unveiled in September 2011, Urban Plates is mango tart. Bright yellow slips of mango create another jumbo-size eatery that recently joined an intricate, sinuous rose design. Unfortunately, the locavore movement. The original location the fruit, not quite ripe, lacked a rich flavor. Its is in the rambling Del Mar Highlands Town flat, sour taste and fibery texture clashed with the Center (12857 El Camino Real in Carmel Valley, sweet cream base. urbanplates.com). A second location opened two For a foolproof conclusion to a meal here, try months ago in Irvine. the banana cream pie. Everything about the desThe décor at Urban Plates features silver pipes sert is spot-on—from the crumbly graham-crackand weathered wooden tables. The industrialer crust to the silky cream center to the neat heap provincial vibe is trendy, albeit a little hackneyed. of chocolate shavings.

A cafeteria-style setup begins with two lines: one As for Urban Plates’ farm-to-table promise, for salad loyalists, the other for everyone else. the website doesn’t list any local farm suppliDiners in the second line are headed toward ers. Neither does the menu—which strikes me their Urban Plates station of choice; pizzette and as strange. Usually, restaurants like to highlight sandwich stations are two of several. I arrived their locally grown produce. Although UP fare around 6 p.m. on a Sunday night, so the place was certainly tastes farm-to-table fresh, it’s difficult tightly packed; I felt like one of 20 unexpected to decipher whether the new kid on the block is a genuine locavore or just riding the trend. guests at a gathering meant for five.

After a 10-minute wait, I reached the Carve Write to minar@sdcitybeat.com Up station. Here, grilled, hand-carved meats like and editor@sdcitybeat.com. medium-rare steak and wild ono are the main

One Lucky

Spoon

12 · San Diego CityBeat · November 20, 2013

urban

by Nina Sachdev Hoffmann

scout Where can I find…

Stuff to brew my own beer?

Brian Trout

Walter White would love homebrewing.

OK, it’s not as lucrative as meth. Also not as dangerous. And “Breaking Bread” is probably the worst TV show never made. But the sanitation, the attention to detail, the chemistry? Dude would be all about it!

You don’t have to be a chemistry teacher to be all about it, too. If you’ve been wanting to try homebrewing but feel a little overwhelmed by the process, don’t. It’s actually a lot easier than people think, as long as you follow the two golden rules of homebrewing: Keep it clean. Follow the recipe. (More on that later.) Luckily, there are quite a few homebrew shops in San Diego that are ready and willing to help demystify the BIY (brew it yourself ) process.

With more than 20 years in the business, Home Brew Mart (5401 Linda Vista Road, homebrewmart.com) is a go-to store for supplies, books, merchandise, advice—and delicious Ballast Point beer. That’s right—the shop actually started as the brewery’s original location and now features George Thornton, owner of The Homebrewer a tasting room with dozens of beers on tap. Home Brew even supports local artists. On display right room and brewery are in the works. Walk in, and now is the work of Paul Elder, the man behind all Thornton will ask you what kind of beer you like of Ballast Point’s sea-inspired labels. Store manag(chocolate stout, please). He’ll take you around er George Cataulin and his staff know their stuff the store and let you taste all the ingredients inand can point you in the direction of four differvolved, essentially allowing you to try before you ent starter kits with everything you need to make buy. Why does this matter? “I want to get people five gallons of delicious brew, all from the comfort excited about tasting things,” Thornton says. He of your kitchen. Which starter kit you choose dealso wants to get an idea of what kind of brewer pends on how comfortable you are with BIY and you are. Are you the type of person who needs how much you’re willing to spend. The cheapest, to follow a starter-kit recipe, or are you someone George Cataulin at $134.95, is the only one that who’s a little more adventurcomes with a plastic carboy ous and willing to customize? (the big thing you’ll ferment (Thornton swears he can tell the beer in). The other three, just by lookin’ at you.) Either from $200 to more than $500, way, you’re in good hands. come with glass fermenters.

Bonus: These guys really What’s the difference? Well, take the time to personalize remember what I said about your experience. sanitation? Over time, plastic If you want to get the adcan develop scratches, which vice of a bunch of experts, bacteria love to hide in. And you always have the option of Home Brew Mart hops joining a homebrew club. Get if the equipment isn’t completely and thoroughly cleaned every single time, in touch with Josh Stone, the director of memberthen the beer—well, let’s just say five gallons is a ship over at QUAFF, San Diego’s largest homelot to waste. So be clean! Bonus: Home Brew Mart brewing club. His advice? “I also usually recomhas step-by-step instructions. If you lose ’em, no mend starting with simple recipes when you first problem. They’re also online. start off and focus on getting your process down If you’re not quite ready to drop that much on before moving on to more difficult brews.” a homebrew kit, then start with a $15 class at The Right. Remember what I said about following Homebrewer in North Park (2911 El Cajon Blvd., the recipe? It really does matter. Don’t go adding thehomebrewersd.com). Owner George Thornthis and that, thinking you’ll come out with the ton and his staff aren’t simply focused on helping Best Beer No One’s Tried. That’s just not how it works. Also, you’re not Walter White. you make beer—they really want to educate you, too. That might be why they make their classes Write to ninah@sdcitybeat.com so affordable and accessible (check the website and editor@sdcitybeat.com. for a schedule). They’re also expanding; a tasting

November 20, 2013 · San Diego CityBeat · 13

the

SHORTlist

1

COORDINATED BY ALEX ZARAGOZA

HEALTHCARE PERFORM

We’ve all been there: It’s the middle of the night. You wake up in a hot sweat.

It feels like your stomach’s running laps. You decide to consult WebMD. After a clicking around, you find your symptoms and—good lord!— looks like you have flesh-eating bacteria. Panic sets in. Does your insurance cover cannibalistic microorganisms? Oh wait, you don’t have insurance.

Then, after you’ve spent a couple of sweat-soaked hours fretting, you remember the five bags of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos you consumed the night before.

It was a similar-albeit-more-serious experience that inspired actor and playwright Michael Milligan to create the one-man play Mercy Killers, which he will perform at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22, at the First Unitarian Universalist Church (4190 Front St. in Hillcrest).

“I was without insurance for the first time of my life two years ago, and I started to pass kidney stones,” Milligan says. “I did what a lot of Americans do—diagnosed myself on WebMD. I thought I had kidney failure. It was extremely painful. Next, I Googled how much is this gonna cost?

“I never went [to the hospital],” he adds, “just toughed it out.”

The plot of Mercy Killers follows Joe, a Libertarian who lives at the edge of Appalachia. His wife is diagnosed with cancer. As he struggles with the situation, he must come to terms with his own worldview.

Although Milligan’s a champion of healthcare re-

2

ART

DANCE DANCE EVOLUTION

Not all contemporary dance is the same.

Just ask Katie Lorge, of Odd & Even, a dance company that’s pushing the boundaries of experimental performance. Lorge is curating a series of dance concerts at Space 4 Art (325 15th St. in East Village) called Particular Proposition: Liminality in Performance. For the first installment, at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Nov. 22 and 23, Lorge will welcome choreographers Terry Wilson and Sadie Weinberg, who are known for taking a more improvisational, inventive approach to dance. They’ll present three pieces featuring themselves and a small company of others exploring the infinite possibilities of dance through full-bodied, often abstract movement. Tickets are $10 ($5 for students). sdspace4art.org

Sadie Weinberg

14 · San Diego CityBeat · November 20, 2013

Textures: Photography of San Diego’s Backcountry at Sea Rocket Bistro, 3382 30th St., North Park. See San Diego’s back country, mostly from Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, Mount Laguna and the Anza-Borrego Desert, through the lens of a local photographer Mick Gieskes. Opening from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21. searocketbistro.com Fall Student Art Show at Southwestern College Art Gallery, Building 710, 900 Otay Lakes Road, Chula Vista. Opening reception for a collection of student works, including ceramics, 2D and 3D design, woodworking, jewelry and more.

On view through Dec. 10. At 11 a.m.

Thursday, Nov. 21. facebook.com/ events/35918402089501 Mesa College Fall Student Art Exhibition & Sale at Mesa College Art Gallery, 7250 Mesa College Drive, Clairemont. Reception with refreshments, live music and outdoor giant inflatable sculptures. There will also be one-of-a-kind art, jewelry, ceramics and fashion accessories. From 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21. 619-3882829, sdmesa.edu/art-gallery

Michael Milligan form, he insists that the performance isn’t intended to push any political agendas.

“The goal is to show the healthcare system from a place of compassion and empathy, instead of ideological,” he says. “When we debate these issues, we trigger ideological issues, and not have conversations. When we do the play, with our hearts open, and then have a conversation, we can get around ideologies and discover new places of agreement.”

Admission is $10 at the door. A discussion panel on healthcare will follow the performance. mercykillerstheplay.com

3

PLEASE FEED THE ARTISTS

A new, collaborative art show is crowdsourcing funding for local street artists, muralists, graphic designers and photographers. While it’s free to check out the art at The Broker’s Building Gallery (402 Fourth Ave., Downtown), organizers hope the quality of the work will inspire donations to help underground artists keep on keeping on. The Spent Art Show opens from 7 p.m. to midnight Friday Nov. 22, with a live performance by electronic-music producer Foxy La Tigre. Artists on hand will include Michelle Ferrera, “Ghost of the Past” whose impressive

by Scott Sampaio figure drawings find a home on wood canvases, as well local painter Stefanie Bales, who juxtaposes realism and surrealism in her mixed-media art. The show runs through Friday, Dec. 13, and is open to all ages. spentartshow.com

HFriends at Visual, 3776 30th St., North Park. A soft opening and reception for North Park’s newest gallery and their new group art show that includes Ricardo Islas, Chikle, Dolan Stearns, Brian Hebets, KEEMO, Bret Barrett, UBE and others.

From 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21.

619-501-5585, visualshopsd.com HSpent. Art Show at Brokers Building, 402 Market St., Downtown. Arte Fresca’s last show of the year, this collaborative art show will feature some of San Diego’s most talented fine artists, street artists, photographers, muralists, installation artists and graphic designers, as well as a live performance from electro-pop artist Foxy La Tigre. From 7 p.m. to midnight. Friday, Nov. 22. spentartshow.com Material World at Boulevard Arts District, 4326 Alabama St, North Park. San Diego artist Manny Pantoja’s most recent oil and acrylic paintings, which ask the questions: In today’s consumer-driven world, who and what do we idolize? Who are our heroes? What do we worship?

How do we see ourselves reflected in each? From 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23. materialworld.weebly.com C-Note Night at San Diego Art InstituteMuseum of the Living Artist, 1439 El Prado, Balboa Park. Original artwork, donated by SDAI members and emerging regional artists, wiill be sold right off the wall for $100, $200 or $300. There will also be music by Peter Rutman Band with Stiletto Bass. From 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23. $3. sandiego-art.org Three Perspectives on Nature at Mission Trails Regional Park Visitor’s Center, One Father Junipero Serra Trail. Reception for the new nature photography exhibition from Debbie Beals, Darci Hook and Janice Roudebush. On view through Dec. 13. From 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 24.

619-668-3281, mtrp.org/exhibits.asp *Pilgrims and Natives at Café Madeleine, 2248 30th St., South Park. The Chula Vista-based arts collective hosts its debut art and music show featuring the work of nine local artists showing, and bands Gringo Moko and The Burdens. From 7 to 10 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 26. facebook.com/ sixesandsevensartistcollective

BOOKS *Jolee Pink at Warwick’s Bookstore, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. Meet, greet and signing with the author of Living Coastal: In-

spirations for Entertaining, Decorating and Cooking California Style. Chefs Bernard Guillas of The Marine Room and Tim Johnson of Zenbu provide bites and drinks from Venom Vodka. At 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 20. Free. 619-276-8411, facebook. com/WabisabiGreen/events Christina Rasmussen at Upstart Crow, 835 West Harbor Drive, Seaport Village.

The author will sign Second Firsts, as well as discuss her “Life Reentry” process to help readers break grief’s spiral of pain.

At 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21. 619-2324855, upstartcrowtrading.com Bhava Ram at The Grove, 3010 Juniper St., South Park. The former network news war correspondent turned yoga enthusiast will discuss and sign his book, Warrior Pose: How Yoga Literally Saved My Life.

At 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21. Free. 619284-7684, grove.lucyslist.net H.W. Brands at Warwick’s Bookstore, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. The New York Times bestselling author and Pulitzer Prize finalist will discuss and sign The Man Who Saved the Union: Ulysses Grant in War and Peace, his biography of the Civil War general and two-term. At 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21. 858-454-0347, warwicks.indiebound.com Sandra Millers Younger at Barnes & Noble Santee, 9938 Mission Gorge Road, Santee. The San Diego journalist will be discussing and signing her new book, The Fire Outside My Window: A Survivor Tells the True Story of California’s Epic Cedar Fire. At 2 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22. 619-5621755, sandramillersyounger.com *Jerome Rothenberg at D.G. Wills Books, 7461 Girard Ave., La Jolla. The UCSD Professor Emeritus of Literature and Visual Arts will read from and discuss his new book Eye of Witness: A Jerome Rothenberg Reader. At 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23. 858-456-1800, dgwillsbooks.com Amelia Kahaney at Mysterious Galaxy Book Store, 7051 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., Clairemont. The author will discuss and sign her sci-fi/fantasy novel, The Brokenhearted, about a teenaged ballerina who falls to her death only to wake up in an underground lab and transformed into a reluctant superhero.

At 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 24. 858-2684747, mystgalaxy.com

COMEDY Nate Bargatze at American Comedy Co., 818 B Sixth Ave., Downtown. Bargatze has appeared on Conan and had his own Comedy Central Presents special in 2011. He was also featured last year as one of Esquire’s Best New Comedians of 2012. At 8 p.m. Thursday and Sunday, Nov. 21 and 24; 7:30 and 9:30 p.m.

Friday and Saturday, Nov. 22-23. $19.

619-795-3858, americancomedyco.com Shang at Mad House Comedy Club, 502 Horton Plaza, Downtown. As seen on HBO’s Def Comedy Jam, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, BET’s Comic View and more. At 7:30 and 9:45 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Nov. 22-23. $20. 619702-6666, madhousecomedyclub.com Owen Smith at Comedy Store, 916 Pearl St., La Jolla. The comedian, writer and star of Everybody Hates Chris performs his stand-up act. At 8 and 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Nov. 22-23. $20. 858-4549176, lajolla.thecomedystore.com *PHIL-x: Things Worth Possibly Thinking About, Maybe at Lafayette Theater, 4250 Louisiana St., North Park. The real cutting edge geniuses of the day, presenting findings and theories so extreme,

CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

November 20, 2013 · San Diego CityBeat · 15

Allison Wiese’s sculpture and video exhibition, Road Movie, is on view at Space 4 Art (325 15th St. in East Village) through Dec. 14. even they haven’t had time to double-check their work. Featuring Dallas S. McLaughlin, Evan Jones, Kate Lee, Laura Condi, Pat Puccini and Chris Curtis.

At 10 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23. $12. facebook.com/ events/529145880503742

kind, handcrafted jewelry by WW Designs. The artist makes only one of each design and all proceeds will be donated to the Escondido Humane Society. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21. 760-888-2275, escondidohumanesociety.org

Doug Benson at American Comedy Co., 818 B Sixth Ave., Downtown. Benson won High Times’ 2009 “Stoner of the Year” award. At 8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 27. $20. 619-795-3858, americancomedyco.com

Holiday Open House at Mingei International Museum, 1439 El Prado, Balboa Park. Shop for holiday gifts while enoying hot cider and cookies. Meet Allied Craftsmen Today artist Kathy Miller and watch her work as she carefully twists antique Japanese calligraphy books into exquisite works of art. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23. 619-239-0003, mingei.org

DANCE *Particular Proposition: Through Spaces at Space 4 Art, 325 15th St., East Village. Dance series curated by Katie Lorge of the contemporary dance company Odd & Even. Almost 15 years after their first collaborative concert, directors/choreographers Sadie Weinberg and Terry Wilson have come back together to present an evening of new works. At 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Nov. 22-23. $5-$10. 619269-7230, sdspace4art.org/2013/08/nov-22-23-2013/ Arpana Dance Co. at Smith Recital Hall, 5500 Campanile Drive, College Area. The Southern Californiabased dance collective performs traditional music and dance from southern India. At 6 and 8 p.m. Monday, Nov. 25. $12-$15. music.sdsu.edu So You Think You Can Dance at San Diego Civic Theatre, 1100 Third Ave., Downtown. The Emmy Award winning show brings the Top 10 finalists from the show to the stage for a night of movement. At 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 26. $45-$65, sandiegotheatres. org/so-you-think-you-can-dance

FOOD & DRINK San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival at San Diego Bay, Downtown. The weeklonh epicurean experience celebrates San Diego’s food and drink scene. See website for full list of events and venues. Through Sunday, Nov. 24. $45-$550. 6196998222, sandiegowineclassic.com

HEALTH & WELLNESS Learn About the Affordable Care Act at New Central Library, 330 Park Blvd., East Village. Staff from the Family Health Centers will provide information about enrollment for health insurance and answer questions about the ACA. At 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 20. Free. 619-236-5800, sandiegolibrary.org

HOLIDAY EVENTS Holiday Jewelry Sale at Escondido Humane Society, 3450 E. Valley Pkwy., Escondido. One-of-a-

16 · San Diego CityBeat · November 20, 2013

Santa Parade and Tree Lighting Otay Ranch Town Center, 2015 Birch Road, South Bay. Otay Ranch Town Center’s annual parade and tree lighting is back for its seventh year and will feature local school bands, performance groups, community organizations and Santa Claus. At 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23. 619-656-9100, otayranchtowncenter.com The Goblin Market Haunted Holiday Extravaganza at Town & Country Resort, 500 Hotel Circle, Mission Valley. This alternative craft fair features everything from Renaissance to goth-inspired items, steampunk goods and other unusual stuff. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 23-24. thegoblinmarketsd.wix.com History Center Holidays at San Diego History Center, 1649 El Prado, Balboa Park. The History Center and the American Society of Interior Designers bring you designer holiday vignettes in the galleries, inspired by History Center exhibitions.

Patrons can meet the designers, enjoy live music, holiday libations and tastings and shop in the holiday boutique. From 4 to 6 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 24. $20-$25. 619-232-6203, sandiegohistory.org El Cajon Mother Goose Parade at Downtown El Cajon. The largest parade in San Diego County featuring motorized floats, marching bands and drill units, equestrians, clowns, performing artists, giant helium balloons and more. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 24, themothergooseparade.com Fair Trade Alternative Gift Fair at First Lutheran Church of San Diego, 1420 Third Ave., Downtown.

Get an early start on holiday shopping; check out fair-trade craft and food items and learn more about where and how they’re made. From 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 24. firstlutheransd.org Skating by the Sea at Hotel Del Coronado, 1500 Orange Ave., Coronado. For its ninth year, the oceanfront Windsor Lawn will be transformed into an ice rink for outdoor ice skating overlooking the Pacific Ocean. A portion of the skating proceeds will benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation of San Diego.

Through Jan. 5. Starts Wednesday, Nov. 27. $18$23. 800-468-3533, hoteldel.com/holidays.aspx

MUSIC *Art of Elan at Lux Art Institute, 1550 S. El Camino Real, Encinitas. The chamber music ensemble returns to Lux for two performances that coincide with the residency of artist Melora Kuhn and feature music by Villa-Lobos, Corigliano and Prokofiev, as well as an assortment of Armenian folk songs. Mingle with the musicians and the artist at a pre-concert reception featuring appetizers, beer, and wine. From 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, Nov. 20-21. $30-$40. 760-436-6611, luxartinstitute.org *The Boston Pops at Copley Symphony Hall, 750 B St., Downtown. The legendary Boston Pops with conductor Keith Lockhart perform a diverse selection of music including Dvorak’s “Largo from the New World Symphony,” Duke Ellington’s “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got that Swing),” and William Hedwig’s “Theme from Harry Potter.” At 8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 20. $27-$97.

619-235-0804, ljms.org *red fish blue fish at Conrad Prebys Music Center, UCSD campus, La Jolla.

UC San Diego’s resident percussion ensemble performs Luigi Nono’s Con “Luigi Dallapiccola,” Jo Kondo’s “Under the Umbrella” and Luciano Berio’s “Linea.” At 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 20. $15.50. musicweb.ucsd.edu Sean Jones Quartet at The Loft @ UCSD, Price Center East, La Jolla. The trumpeter, and composer has toured the world with jazz luminaries and crafted Top 25 Billboard-ranking solo albums of postbop sounds. At 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21. $18-$28. 858- 534-8497, artpwr.com *Jon Kimura Parker at Copley Symphony Hall, 750 B St., Downtown. The acclaimed pianist returns to Symphony Hall to perform Felix Mendelssohn’s Piano Concerto No. 1, as well as other selections with music director Jahja Ling conducting. At 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Nov. 22-23, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 23. $20-$96. 619-235-0804, sandiegosymphony.org Mike Bowman at ArtLab Studios, 3536 Adams Ave., Normal Heights. A guitar hero to many, Bowman’s music is the perfect fusion of blues, rock, and jazz. From 7:30 to 10 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22. $10.

619.750-3355, artlabca.com *Joshua White Trio at Encinitas Library, 540 Cornish Drive, Encinitas. The local jazz trio takes part in Encinitas Main Street’s “After Hours” music. From 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22. $8-$10. 760-4362320, ruthlesshippies.org Duo Scorpio at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, 700 D Ave., Coronado. The harp duo’s performed with Florence + the Machine and at Carnegie Hall. At 4 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 23. $20-$25. sandiegoharpsociety.org 300th Anniversary Concert of Arcangelo Corelli’s Death at Athenaeum Music & Arts Library, 1008 Wall St., La Jolla.

Victoria Martino and James Lent celebrate one of the greatest Baroque composers of all time with a special concert featuring the complete sonatas for violin and continuo performed on period instruments (original 18th century Baroque violin and Baroque continuo pipe organ). At 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 24. $30. 858-4545872, ljathenaeum.org/specialconcerts Computer Music Concert at Conrad Prebys Music Center, UCSD campus, La Jolla. Computer music graduate students perform new original works featuring live electronics and custom software. Performances will include hand built circuitry, signal bending,

electroacoustic music playback, and real-time digital signal processing. At 8 p.m. Monday, Nov. 25. Free. musicweb.ucsd.edu/concerts Adrian Liu at Lyceum Theatre, 79 Horton Plaza, Downtown. Part of the Athenaeum’s “San Diego Mini-Concerts” series.

Liu’s performed as a soloist with the San Diego Symphony as a winner of the San Diego Symphony’s Young Artist Competition. At noon Monday, Nov. 25. Free.

619-544-1000, ljathenaeum.org Reflections: On Hope at San Diego Museum of Art, 1450 El Prado, Balboa Park. The second in a series of four concerts that explore the relationships between music and art, Art of √âlan explores the various realms of faith and belief from which hope stems with a performance from a choir and strings ensemble, a solo cello piece, and more. At 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 26. $10-$25. 619232-7931, artofelan.org UCSD Gospel Choir at Mandeville Auditorium, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla. Kenneth Anderson, the longtime director of UCSD’s Gospel Choir, was recently listed as the No. 3 top professor in the nation by RateMyProfessors.com, mainly because he can bring out the singer in just about anyone. This concert will show off his hard work. At 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 26. $5.50-$15.50. 858-534-TIXS, musicweb. ucsd.edu/concerts San Diego Jazz Fest at Town & Country Hotel, 500 Hotel Circle N., Mission Valley.

Festival bands represent a wide variety of traditional jazz, dixieland, ragtime, swing and rockabilly styles. See website for full details and times. Through Dec. 1. Kicks off Wednesday, Nov. 27. $15-$105. 619291-7131, sdjazzfest.org

PERFORMANCE ABBA Mania at Balboa Theatre, 868 Fourth Ave., Downtown. The original tribute concert from London’s West End takes you back in time by recreating one of the world’s finest pop groups in a highly polished and professional production. At 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21. $27.85-$54.95.

619-570-1100, sandiegotheatres.org Drop Dead Dames Anniversary Show at Queen Bee’s Art & Cultural Center, 3925 Ohio St., North Park. The burlesque troupe celebrates its first year with special guest Jacqueline Chaton. 21+. From 7 p.m. to midnight, Friday, Nov. 22. $15-$50. queenbeessd.com

POETRY & SPOKEN WORD Alli Warren and Feliz Lucia Molina at UCSD SME Performance Space Room, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla. UCSD’s New Writing Series holds a double reading from two up-and-coming poets. Oaklandbased Warren’s first book, Here Come the Warm Jets, is just out, while Molina is a contributing editor at Continent and just released Undercastle, her first collection of poems and prose. From 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 20. Free.

858-534-2230, literature.ucsd.edu Native American Poetry at New Central Library, 330 Park Blvd., East Village. A poetry performance in conjunction with the 2013 “One Book, One San Diego” reading campaign that features spotlight poets like Jim Moreno, Tomas Gayton, other local Native American poets, as well as music from Tracy Lee Nelson. At 7 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 22. Free. 619-236-5800, sandiegolibrary.org

CONTINUED ON PAGE 18 November 20, 2013 · San Diego CityBeat · 17

SPECIAL EVENTS *North Park After Dark Holiday Edition at University Ave. and 30th St., University Ave. and 30th St., North Park. Over 25 local shops and businesses come together to show-off San Diego’s original shopping district. From art, clothing, gifts and vintage, consider it the anti-Black Friday and a welcome relief from the tired and crowded mall experience. From 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21. facebook. com/northparkafterdark Goodguys Del Mar Nationals at Del Mar Fairgrounds, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd., Del Mar. The third annual festival features more than 1,500 hot rods, customs, classics, street rods, muscle cars and trick trucks. In addition to the car show, the event includes vendor exhib-

its, a swap meet and a cars-for-sale area.

From 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday through Sunday, Nov. 22-24. $6-$18. 858-7551161, good-guys.com

a kind pieces and jewelry just in time for Thanksgiving, Hanukah and Christmas.

From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 24.

Free. talmadgeartshow.com

The Rainbow Warrior at Embarcadero Marina Park North, 1 Marine Way, Downtown. Greenpeace’s iconic flagship, will arrive in San Diego for the first time and will be open for free public tours in English and Spanish, with kid-friendly activities Sunday morning from 10 a.m. to noon.

From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 23-24. greenpeace.org/ shiptour

Father Serra 300th Birthday at Junipero Serra Museum, 2727 Presidio Drive, Old Town. Pay homage to one of San Diego’s most-important historical figures on the site of the museum that bears his name.

The afternoon will include an official musket-fired salute, family activities, historic talks, and tours of Presidio Park and the Serra Museum. From noon to 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 24. $5-$8. sandiegohistory.org

Fall Talmadge Art Show at Liberty Station, Roosevelt & Cushing, Point Loma. 78 of San Diego’s best craft artists showcase their wares at this semi-regular show.

Find original and handmade art, one of

Encinitas Annual Fall Festival at Downtown Encinitas, South Coast Hwy 101 and Encinitas Boulevard. 450 booths to visit and dozens of unique downtown Encinitas retailers, plus music and dance performances at two stages, as well a kids zone, dog park and bike valet. From 9 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 24. encinitas101.com

16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence at Tom Ham’s Lighthouse, 2180 Harbor Island Drive, Downtown.

The League of Women Voters of San Diego kicks off 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence, an annual international campaign, with a luncheon and panel of guest speakers. At 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 21. $25. 619-291-9110, lwvsandiego.org

Staches & Mashes: A Movember

Dr. Kaba Hiawatha Kamene at World

Benefit at El Dorado Bar, 1030 Broadway, Downtown. Annual moustache party to benefit the Movember Prostate Cancer project from El Dorado and 5&A Dime featuring limited edition merch, Movember-themed art, DJs and a mashed-potato-eating contest. From 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Wednesday, Nov. 27. $5 suggested donation. 619-237-0550, eldoradobar.com

TALKS & DISCUSSIONS

Beat Cultural Center, 2100 Park Blvd., Balboa Park. Dr. Kaba presents archaeological, scientific and historic evidence of the links between the Ancient Africans of the early Americas, Ancient Egypt and their relationship to the “Mound Builders” along the Mississippi River. At 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22. Free. 6192301190, worldbeatculturalcenter.memberlodge.com TEDxYouth@SanDiego at Canyon Crest Academy, 5951 Village Center Loop Road, Carmel Valley. Throughout the day students and guests can engage with more than 25 speakers who are big thinkers and doers pushing the boundaries of science, art, technology, environment, humanity and more. From 8 to 5 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 24. Donation suggested. tedxyouthsandiego.com

For full listings,

please visit “E vents” at sdcit yb eat.com

THEATER The curious case of La Jolla Playhouse’s Side Show Side Show comes with everything you’d want in protector, Jake. a Broadway-caliber musical: a soaring score with The Hiltons’ physical conjoining is not disits share of big-moment ballads, a sumptuous set, turbing—they appear to be no more than standinspired costumes and makeup and a trusty cast ing very close to each other. But it’s what you of experienced pros. So, then, why is Bill Russell don’t see—what’s on the inside—that gnaws at and Henry Krieger’s 1997 Broadway musical at La you. When Terry fantasizes in Act 2’s “A Private Jolla Playhouse so unsettling—not from anything Conversation” about loving and dancing with a you see but from what you feel? “separated” Daisy, the effect is haunting. Side You get this uneasy quivering in your stomach Show doesn’t always deliver that degree of poifrom the very beginning, when you meet the in- gnancy, but it does not rely, even in the first-act habitants of a carnival freak show, and it doesn’t freak show scenes, on shock value. go away, long after the action has shifted from Still, you’ll want to take a deep breath when KEVIN BERNE the circus tent to the vaudeville it’s over. stage. The carnival has been Side Show runs through Dec. left behind, true enough, but 15 at La Jolla Playhouse. $15 and the freak show continues: Conup. lajollaplayhouse.org. joined twins Daisy and Violet —David L. Coddon Hilton are swept away and lured Write to davidc@sdcitybeat.com toward a better life by talent and editor@sdcitybeat.com. scout Terry Connor and crony Buddy Foster, but they’re still being gawked at, asked tactless OPENING questions and exploited. The Forever Plaid: Paid Tidings: The Hilton sisters’ plight seems unwholesome revue of 1950s-style harmony singing returns—again. Opens Nov. bearably sad in spite of their 22 at New Village Arts Theatre in Carlspluck and throwaway lines bad. newvillagearts.org about their deformity. When the The Grapes of Wrath: An adaptation of prospect of love, and marriage, the classic John Steinbeck novel about enters the picture, you know a farming family that flees the dustbowl there’s no throwaway line to of Oklahoma in hopes of a future out West. Runs from Nov. 19 through 24 at save them. the Sheila & Hughes Potiker Theatre at Side Show is a co-production UCSD. theatre.ucsd.edu of the Playhouse and the John Mercy Killers: A one-man play about a F. Kennedy Center for the PerLibertarian who has to come to terms with forming Arts, which will host his opinions about healthcare when his performances back East next wife is diagnosed with cancer. The onenight-only performance happens on Nov. spring. Bill Condon, who col22 at the First Unitarian Universalist Church laborated with Krieger on the in Hillcrest. mercykillerstheplay.com film version of Dreamgirls, diMrs. Bob Cratchit’s Wild Christmas rects this “reimagining” of Side Emily Padgett (left) Binge: Christopher Durang’s musiShow, which opened on Broadand Erin Davie cal spoof of A Christmas Carol supway 16 years ago and ran for poses that Gladys Cratchit is an angry, only three months. This new cast is led by Emily boozing, modern American woman who happens to have kids. Opens Nov. 22 at Patio Playhouse in Escondido.

Padgett and Erin Davie as Daisy and Violet, re- 21 patioplayhouse.com spectively, with Manoel Feliciano as Terry, Matthew Hydzik as Buddy and David St. Louis doing For full listings, please visit the best of the vocal belting-out as the sisters’ “T heater ” at sdcit yb eat.com

18 · San Diego CityBeat · November 20, 2013

November 20, 2013 · San Diego CityBeat · 19

Deserving places

Museum program brings public art to low-income areas like Lincoln Park and Logan Heights • by Jennifer McEntee

T

he intersection of Euclid and Imperial avenues has a gas station, a liquor store, churches, tattered storefronts and a sense of unease. Locals call it “the four corners of death.”

Gang-related violent crime in the vicinity of this intersection in San Diego’s Lincoln Park neighborhood has earned it notoriety of the worst kind. There are plenty of people who’d like to fix it: neighborhood activists, the police, the City Council.

Could art be part of the answer?

It’s as unlikely a site as any for an art installation, and yet that’s precisely why residents, business owners and artists working with the San Diego Museum of Art’s Open Spaces program picked it. Lincoln Park will be the first of four communities to receive a public-art piece under a two-year initiative funded with $530,000 from the philanthropic nonprofit James Irvine Foundation. A project for Logan Heights is in development, and projects in National City and Lemon Grove will begin in January. The neighborhoods were selected because they are considered lowincome and art-starved.

Through a series of neighborhood meetings and work- committee approach. Rather, he said his creative process shops, the Lincoln Park art has evolved to a lighted instal- is fed by the collective brainpower of the community the lation, connecting the four corners of the intersection with artwork will eventually serve. long cords of light-emitting diodes.

“I feel like the artists are catalysts, instigating the whole “As we met and went through everybody’s ideas, we thought of what can be done,” Salas said, explaining that kept coming back to this intersection,” said Irma Esquiv- he works with the lead artists to sort and distill the comias, program coordinator for Open Spaces. While there munity’s suggestions. “That’s the exciting part. We don’t were plenty of dead-end streets here to consider, “the have any idea what it’s going to be. We try to get as much community wanted to take back the four corners of death information as we can.” and make it the four corners of life.”

Salas was one of the first people to arrive at a Logan Lincoln Park didn’t need another ethnic mural, neighbors Heights community meeting the evening of Nov. 6 at the decided. Through brainstorming sessions, the Open Spaces Memorial Recreation Center senior room on South 30th group hit upon the idea of light, and this crossroads as a por- Street. He and Diaz hung an “Open Spaces” banner outside tal. The LED cords will sit like a halo on the intersection. and, with Esquivias, set up Mexican food, sodas and water While it was possible for the LEDs to light up in differ- along a back countertop. Folding chairs formed a semicircle ent colors, the area’s repute among color-coded street gangs in the well-worn room, already cramped with old pianos, precluded that. Rather, it was decided the light would shine green vinyl chairs, an American flag and posters detailing white, as a universal representation of life, Esquivias said. the “Twelve Steps of Narcotics Anonymous.” Two stray The concept was submitted to the city of San Diego’s dogs wandered in and out through an open door.

Commission for Arts and Culture in early November. If the A little more than a dozen people filtered in, some from commission approves it, it could be installed by year’s end. businesses, nonprofits and art studios in the neighborhood, Future maintenance of the piece would likely be overseen others from the San Diego Museum of Art. They chatted conby the city’s Business Improvement District program. genially while putting food on their plates and finding a seat.

Roberto Salas is the artist-in-residence for the first year The working-group nature of the Open Spaces initiaof the Open Spaces program. tive is part of its appeal, Diaz His previous local projects have explained. included a mosaic mural at the “There’s a hope with public Logan Heights branch library art that people will feel ownercalled “Las Americas de Lejos” ship over the work, and espeand an inscribed sculpture at cially with this project, the way Mira Costa College named “Los it operates is very conducive to Portales del Jardin.” Next year’s that,” Diaz said. artist-in-residence hasn’t yet Esquivias said the Open been named. The grant fundSpaces model is demonstrating ing also provides for a lead arthow a neighborhood can shape ist who already lives in each its own surroundings. community; it’s Todd Stands in “People are realizing that Lincoln Park and Misael Diaz in this may be the way public art Logan Heights. should be done in their comSalas said his creativity A rendering of the light installation munity at all times,” she said. at Imperial and Euclid “Sometimes you have a piece isn’t dampened by the art-by-

20 · San Diego CityBeat · November 20, 2013

Jennifer McEntee

A public meeting in Logan Heights that comes in and you don’t necessarily like it and you wonder, Who decided on that piece? Why is it there?”

This was the fourth meeting for the Logan Heights project, the first being a meet-and-greet and the subsequent ones intended for gathering ideas. A business owner was the first to inquire: Have you narrowed down this project by location? By medium?

Nothing has been finalized, Salas said: “We still have license to dream.”

A handout detailed ideas from previous meetings. Suggested locations included the intersection of Commercial and 25th streets and undeveloped properties near Interstate 5. Artistic concepts included historical sculptures, vertical gardens and interactive mural tours.

What about our alleyways? asked a community member at the Nov. 6 meeting. How could we “reactivate” these spaces in a positive way that deters crime and trash? Another proposed a walking audio tour that would draw visitors to points of interest in Logan Heights. Or how about a web-based app that could direct people to local art but also pinpoint vacant areas that could serve as future canvases?

Each neighborhood selected for the Open Spaces initiative has $30,000 budgeted for supplies, materials and maintenance, with another $5,000 allotted to celebrate the unveiling. As public art goes, that’s not a huge allowance. But it’s a start.

“We hope that such projects, as they go on, it’s the first seed of a beginning to expand more art, more signs, more improvements, more trees,” Salas said. “The art comes in as a force.”

Salas said the Open Spaces initiative brings the museum to communities that need it most.

“Where do you see most public art? You don’t see it in these neighborhoods. Maybe people sometimes feel that these neighborhoods are undeserving. Why would we put it there? They have equal rights. They pay taxes, you know,” he said.

“This is not going to solve everything, but it’s the beginning of something that’s done by a lot of people.”

Write to editor@sdcitybeat.com.

Seen Local #Creepshot or #art?

Golden Hill’s Influx Café is an apt location for an impromptu photo shoot. The slick, midcentury-modern aesthetic, the black-and-red color scheme and the big windows letting in natural light are perfect for the hip patrons seated and staring into their MacBooks.

A local photographer is quietly documenting scenes at Influx and a few other neighborhood locales and posting them to his Instagram feed (instagram.com/quietlyobserving), where his more than 1,000 followers respond favorably to each portrait. He takes photos of his subjects without their knowledge, which isn’t a new practice, either in the long history of traditional street and documentary photography or the relatively recent trend of online photo sharing (common hashtags like #creepshot and #hiddencamera indicate a clandestine shot).

The shutterbug, who would only go by his Quiet Observer pseudonym due to the nature of his anonymous art project, says he’s tried to build an audience outside San Diego.

“The idea was always to capture a time and place,” he explains in an email. “I figured these sorts of photos would be of more interest, and be better received, locally a few years down the road—more as a look back at a time that is now gone.”

Some of the photos’ subjects have recently discovered the Instagram feed, though, and not everyone views it as a harmless art project.

One Influx regular who prefers not to be named because she doesn’t want to be identified in the photos, said she caught Quiet Observer taking her photo, and it made her extremely uncomfortable.

“The close-up photos he posts make me cringe,” she says. The subjects “kind of seem like victims of

One of Quiet Observer’s photos his creepy hobby.”

Others, like Roy Purdy, a regular who’s shown up in the feed, says he doesn’t think the photos are intrusive. With the ubiquity of photo-capable smartphones, he says, there’s always a chance of being photographed in public.

“It’s not like he’s trying to make any money off of this,” Purdy says. “It’s just a guy on Instagram…. And they’re actually really nice shots of people.”

Quiet Observer says his intention is not to make waves, but he thinks the proliferation of camera phones and Instagrammers purposefully taking compromising, secret photos is leading to a backlash against the work he and other street photographers try to do in a more respectful way.

The project is legal, and even Jason Twilla, one of Influx’s owners, says that while he doesn’t want any of his patrons to feel uncomfortable, he thinks the photos serve as interesting time capsules.

“I like the pictures,” Twilla said. “And part of the allure here—we’re kind of a fish bowl. Influx is a place you want to be seen.”

—Kinsee Morlan

Crossing lines

in Barrio Logan, facebook.com/vozaltaproject).

Among the San Diegans exhibiting are Garcia, “I feel if we get everyone together, there is a poten- Dolan Stearns, Senz Wen and Bradford Lynn. tial to create something big here,” says artist and de- Tijuana will be represented by David Reyes (aka signer Adrian Garcia. That idealism serves as a call Deived), Teak Tk, Ugo Villegas and Erick Casto action for the San Diego art scene, which Garcia tillo. Garcia says he chose artists he believes will thinks can be as vibrant and successful as the scenes shape the regional art scene, and he’s interested in exploring how their work has been in other cities, but only if local artists affected by living in a border city. take advantage of what makes San Bridging the gap between San Diego different from Los Angeles, Diego and Tijuana is important to New York and San Francisco.

Garcia. He thinks the chasm exists “San Diego has struggled in creatonly because of negative perceptions ing a strong identity for itself. Many of Mexico and the belief that an arttalented artists move to LA or SF ist can’t make a living in San Diego. because of their frustration with a Letting go of those notions will ultiweak art scene,” he says in an email mately mean more opportunities on interview. “I believe there will alboth sides of the border, he says. ways be frustration if we continue With Cross City, Garcia hopes to compare ourselves to other larger to create bonds between particicities. Instead of trying to be more pating artists, which may one day like those cities, we should embrace lead to building a more collaborawhat makes San Diego unique. One of tive art scene. those things is being situated on the “Bridging the gap will not only border with Mexico.” create a strong identity but creFor this reason, Garcia curated “Mictlán” by Deived ate a larger market for artists and Cross City, a one-night-only exhibition featuring young, emerging artists from San Di- designers, which will hopefully convince them to ego and Tijuana happening from 6 to 10 p.m. Satur- stay,” he says. day, Nov. 23, at Voz Alta Project (1754 National Ave. —Alex Zaragoza

November 20, 2013 · San Diego CityBeat · 21

Burning down the house Sequel to 2010 mega-hit is all about the revolution

by Glenn Heath Jr. Will the revolution be televised? That’s the burning question at the heart of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, a sneaky and effective film adaptation of the second novel in Suzanne Collins’ mega-popHutcherson and Lawrence, ready for class warfare ular young-adult trilogy. Taking place immediately after Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Law- er intricate dimension to the film, as does the diversity rence) and Peeta Milark (Josh Hutcherson) survive of actors playing a gaggle of unique competitors. The the titular death match by posing as star-crossed lov- great Jeffrey Wright pops up as a master electrician / ers, the film initially explores the social and ideologi- scientist who survived his Hunger Games by electrocal reverberations of their victory. cuting most of his opponents. But it’s Jena Malone’s Rumblings of rebellion are beginning to shake the ax-wielding badass who comes closest to stealing the totalitarian state of Panem, much to the chagrin of show from Lawrence, a hard feat indeed.

President Snow (Donald Sutherland) who rules over Catching Fire may be a sequel to the 2010 megathe 12 outlying districts with an iron fist. He can feel hit directed by Gary Ross, but, stylistically, it’s a difthe strength Katniss instills in the impoverished and ferent beast altogether. You can immediately tell that suffering populace; she and her mockingjay symbol filmmaker Francis Lawrence (I Am Legend) favors a prove to be a unifying force. Despite attaining ce- far more classical approach. lebrity status with the bourgeoisie, she is a growing Instead of the spastic hand-held camera employed threat to their stranglehold over the poor. in the first film, cinematographer Jo Willems opens From here, plot tentacles reach out in multiple di- up the frame through wide-angle compositions and a rections, somewhat quashing the tension established graceful sense of movement. When Katniss retires to by the opening. Katniss attempts to appease Snow’s the back of a moving train, she stares out at the passsubstantive threats by playing his public-relations ing countryside lost in thought. The entire wall is made game. She and Peeta put on a dog-and-pony show up of windows, allowing the passing world to take on a in an attempt to quell the rising tide of anti-gov- poetic blur. For a moment, the film attains a quiet soliernment angst with their tude to match its hero’s deep homegrown romance. Her internal conflict.

The Hunger Games: advisor, Effie (Elizabeth The action scenes are Catching Fire Banks), says it best: “We also more coherent. A hormust feed the monster.”

Directed by Francis Lawrence rific sequence involving But it’s a known fact a massive blanket of poiStarring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, (one proven by most politison fog quickly engulfing Woody Harrelson and Donald Sutherland cal thrillers) that appeasethe forest is something of Rated PG-13 ment gets you nowhere a marvel, not only for its when dealing with thugs. crisp aesthetic value but Katniss and Peeta are inevitably doomed to once also for the tension it creates, depicting the precise again take part in the ultimate battle royale, this time mortal coils of this barbaric game. in honor of the 75th-anniversary edition compiled Since Catching Fire—which opens Friday, Nov. 22— only of contestants who’ve previously won. The odds is a transition film in the trilogy, it makes sense that are most certainly not in their favor.

Lawrence ends with the subversive tactics of revoluStrategically paced around narrative misdirection, tionaries daring enough to think big. Even if his film Catching Fire continuously plays with the audience’s doesn’t always feel complete as a standalone piece, it expectations. This time, the simulated war zone is a more than succeeds as a narrative bridge between a massive tropical rainforest with a rocky waterway for desaturated world once mired in suffering and a fua core. Facing a collection of trained assassins from ture democratic state forever changed by a stubborn the wealthier districts, Katniss and Peeta must form girl with a bow. Let the true reaping begin. alliances with the other outcasts in order to survive.

Write to glennh@sdcitybeat.com Multiple opportunities for betrayal arise.

The complex mechanisms of the arena add anoth- and editor@sdcitybeat.com.

Crazy hearts

The Broken Circle Breakdown

22 · San Diego CityBeat · November 20, 2013

The yearning twang of bluegrass brings Belgian musicians Didier (Johan Hldenbergh) and Elise (Veerle Baetens) together in The Broken Circle Breakdown and beguiles them through all the heartaches and tragedies that follow. A protracted, fragmented love story in the tragic vein

of Blue Valentine, the film plays with time in order to explore the small moments that inevitably send ripples both frontward and backward in a person’s life.

We see these characters’ nostalgic past and their tormented present as 6-year-old daughter Maybelle is slowly dying of cancer. Director Felix Van Groenin-

CONTINUED ON PAGE 24

gen stretches out the hospital scenes so every moment feels like an eternity, forcing this strong relationship into a meat grinder of savage circumstance. The performances are rightfully intense, with Baetens exuding a range of contrasting emotions, from tender admiration to soul-crushing melancholy.

But there’s always music lingering in the air. The film is especially keen to the way melodies can shape and complement certain life experiences. While Didier and Elise are on the stage together, looking into each other’s eyes, we feel the admiration and possibility that this could be something great.

One lovely shot finds the couple in shadow, backlit by red luminescence while singing, spellbound as if the crowd didn’t exist.

Unfortunately, Van Groeningen opts for a third act that’s riddled with melodramatic shifts that feel unnecessary. There’s also a strange obsession with American culture and politics, specifically Didier’s love for Western notions of freedom and blind hatred for George W. Bush’s conservative policies toward stem-cell research that he believes contributed to his daughter’s death. All this overt politicking feels tacked on, a plodding distraction from Didier and Elise’s genuine and nuanced heartbreak.

Why The Broken Circle Breakdown—which opens Friday, Nov. 22, at the Ken Cinema—chooses to overcomplicate their often-sobering love story is anyone’s guess.

—Glenn Heath Jr.

Opening A Case of You: Justin Long plays a lovable writer with insecurity issues who creates a fabricated online profile to win the heart of Evan Rachel Wood’s adorable barista. Screens through Nov. 28 at Digital Gym Cinema in North Park.

The Broken Circle Breakdown: One Belgian couple is torn apart by loss and connected by their passion for performing bluegrass music. Screens through Nov. 28 at the Ken Cinema. See our view on Page 22.

Delivery Man: Vince Vaughn’s man-child finds out he has fathered 533 children after donating to a sperm bank for decades.

Hollywood at its finest.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire: Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) finds herself once again fighting to survive the titular death match that has become a necessary evil in the dystopic future. See our view on Page 22.

One-Time Only Shaun of the Dead: Edgar Wright’s lively riff on the zombie film is both brutal and funny, and it launched the careers of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. Screens at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 20, at The Pearl Hotel in Point Loma.

Operación E: This Colombian thriller tells the story of a young boy caught up in the guerilla war between government forces and revolutionaries, providing an unusually human view of the conflict. Ends Nov. 21 at Digital Gym Cinema in North Park.

Dallas Buyers Club: In 1985, a drunken rodeo clown Ron Woodroof (Matthew McConaughy) learns he has HIV. Seeing an opportunity to stave off his own death and make some money, he begins smuggling unapproved drugs in from Mexico.

The Slingers: The Kickball Movie: This locally filmed kids movie follows a young teenager with an affinity for kickball who assembles a team of underdogs to combat bullies through fair competition.

Screens at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21, and 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 22 and 23, at the UltraStar Chula Vista.

We’re the Millers: A scuzzy drug dealer asks three of his fellow degenerates to pose as his family members in order to cross the border with a massive stash of narcotics from Mexico. Screens at 8 p.m.

Friday and Saturday, Nov. 22 and 23, at Cinema Under the Stars in Mission Hills.

Raiders of the Lost Ark: Where the legend of Indiana Jones began—one of the greatest adventure films ever made.

Screens at midnight Saturday, Nov. 23, at the Ken Cinema.

Syrup: An ambitious grad student gets a hard lesson in business warfare when he attempts to launch an innovative advertising campaign for a new soft drink. Screens at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 24, at the San Diego Public Library in East Village.

Delivery Man

Mysteries of the Unseen World: This amazing documentary uses high-speed and time-lapse photography to focus on things that are either too fast or two slow for the eye to see. Screens at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center in Balboa Park.

Gibney traces the downfall of cyclist Lance Armstrong, who had his seven Tour de France titles stripped after it was revealed that he’d been using illegal substances to boost performance.

Spinning Plates: Foodies will undoubtedly fall for this documentary about three very different restaurants and their unique owners. Ends Nov. 21 at La Jolla Village Cinemas.

The Best Man Holiday: A collection of college friends reunite for the holidays after 15 years, revealing a host of grudges and romantic intentions that have been simmering under the surface for years.

Thor: The Dark World: Thor (Chris Hemsworth) once again brings the hammer down on Loki (Tom Hiddleston) in order to save the human race and sustain the fragile balance of his own kingdom.

Évacateur: The Morton Downy Jr. Movie: An honest and evocative look at the controversial talk-show host who held the entire nation’s attention in his grasp long before the reality-television revolution. Ends Nov. 20 at Digital Gym Cinema in North Park.

12 Years a Slave: Abducted and forced to work on a Southern plantation, free man Solomon Northrup (Chiwetel Ejifor) experiences the horrors of slavery in Steve McQueen’s stirring period-piece drama.

How I Live Now: While on vacation in the English countryside, a defiant city girl (Saoirse Ronan) begins to see the world anew. But her coming-of-age is suddenly interrupted when a new world war breaks out. Ends Nov. 21 the Ken Cinema.

For a complete listing of movies, please see “F ilm S creenings” at sdcit yb eat.com under the “E vents” tab.

Ginger and Rosa: The complex relationship between two teenage girls (Elle Fanning and Alice Englert) living in 1960s London is forever changed by the Cuban Missile Crisis. Screens at 1 p.m. Monday, Nov. 25, at the Mission Valley Library.

The Way, Way Back: Angst-ridden teen Duncan (Liam James) finds refuge and hope at a vintage water park owned by a beach bum (Sam Rockwell) while vacationing with his mother (Toni Collete) and her passive-aggressive boyfriend (Steve Carell). Screens at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 25, at the San Diego Public Library in East Village.

Dr. Who: The Day of the Doctor: Check out an episode of the hit British show on the big screen. Screens at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 25, at various local theaters.

Visit fathomevents.com for details.

The Attack: An Arab doctor unravels after he discovers his recently deceased wife might have been responsible for a suicide bombing. Screens at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 26, at San Diego Public Library in East Village.

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles: In this classic ’80s comedy, John Candy drives Steve Martin insane on a crosscountry trip from hell. Screens at 8 p.m.

Wednesday, Nov. 27, at The Pearl Hotel in Point Loma.

Now Playing Blue is the Warmest Color: A high-school student discovering her burgeoning sexuality falls in love with a blue-haired art student in this French epic that won the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

The Armstrong Lie: Filmmaker Alex

November 20, 2013 · San Diego CityBeat · 23

alex

there she goz

zaragoza Barefoot and stoned in Hippieville “That one looks like an elephant doing ballet. Or ability to stride on bare land. Nothing made me feel wait, no. It’s playing a guitar. Hold up. I was wrong. more like a city slicker than clumsily walking on It’s a T-Rex smoking a joint. Dude, I’m super-fuckrocks, wincing at the cold or the mush and snapping ing-high.” photos of my muddy feet with my iPhone so as to This is a direct quote from an incredibly stoned prove my adventurousness on social media. At one version of me. There I was, barefoot, lying on my point, to get on their level, I picked up a 2-pound back in wet dirt next to a babbling brook, looking rock, proclaimed its beauty and then dropped the up at the sky and deciphering shapes in the clouds. damned thing on my foot.

This is what happened within three hours of setOne of these things is not like the others. ting foot in Boulder, Colo. I was warned that it was We puffed on a joint, and Muni told me how the a hippie town, and I tend to drink the Kool-Aid if it brook only just formed after major flooding a few means a good story. months ago. “Mother Nature wants to give to us. She I flew to Colorado to surprise my friend Bridgette is very patient,” she said. I just smiled and nodded. for her birthday. She moved to Denver with her nowThat night, George had the genius idea of havfiancé about two years ago, and I’d yet to see her new ing milk and cookies delivered to their apartment. home. I decided to kill two birds with one stone, About an hour later, a delivery guy showed up with staying for a night with my college roommate, Muni, a liter of skim and a pizza box filled with hot, freshwho lives in Boulder. I hadn’t seen her in years, and I ly baked cookies. I paid the man as a thank-you to was really excited. Muni is a special creature. my friends, and George kindly smoked him out as a We became immediate friends on freshman tip. Boulder, man. move-in day, 2002. I was hanging up a Morrissey After mentioning how stressed I’ve been lateposter on the wall of my UCSD dorm room when ly, Muni offered to alleviate it with a shamanistic she appeared in my doorway. “You like Morrissey?” healing. She had me write eight intentions on PostMuni said, looking like a wildit notes, each one describing haired Princess Jasmine in a something I wanted to achieve. jeweled peasant top. I’m a TiAmong them were less stress, As soon as we arrived at juana scene kid. Of course I love more money and a cure for her apartment, I hit that Moz. “Cool! Me, too!” she said in yeast infections.

Mary Jane like a dad in a her valley-girl accent. And that We sat on the floor of her was it. Chalk up another lifelong apartment, where she’d laid out Grateful Dead cover band. friendship to Morrissey. her tools: a mixture of apple Another thing about Muni: juice and tequila, burdock-root She’s a Wiccan. Or at least she was back then. tea, dried buckeyes, vinegary water, candles, rocks Throughout college, she performed regular tarot and a pipe packed with weed. One by one, we adreadings, concocted spells to aid our study sessions dressed each intention. She beat a homemade drum and burned sage to ward off negative energy in our and called upon my spiritual guides; I ripped up dorm room. Being an ardent fan of the film The each Post-it after we felt it was tackled.

Craft, which centers on a coven of angsty teenage At the end of the nearly two-hour healing, Muni witches, I ate it all up and played along. It was more pulled out two rocks, one of which I’d picked up fun that way. while we were barefoot by the brook. One would Muni was always kind of a hippie, and the years represent my old, troubled heart, the other my new, only seemed to intensify her crunchy tendencies. clear heart. She led me outside, where I was inWhen she picked me up at the airport in Denver, structed to bury the busted heart. she offered me a bottle of water, some chocolate I felt lighter. It could have been the healing, but, and a gummy marijuana edible. honestly, I just loved spending those 30 hours with I rarely get high, preferring the company of a my awesomely weird friend and experiencing again fine $4 wine. As soon as we arrived at her aparthow she lives life. ment, however, I hit that Mary Jane like a dad in a On the drive to Bridgette’s surprise party, Muni Grateful Dead cover band. told me how she’d discovered that the bright gray That’s how I ended up barefoot, on my back and streak in her hair was the effect of a curse placed on marveling at clouds. Muni and her boyfriend, George, her mom by a jealous aunt. When Muni’s mom was were selling me on “grounding,” the theory that placlittle, she was in a tree that was struck by lightning, ing your bare feet, hands or body on the ground can which, the story goes, was caused by the curse, and have miraculous health benefits. It has something to the lightning imprinted itself in Muni’s hair. Muni do with the electricity that radiates from the earth. believes the curse was to blame for her lifelong You can even buy indoor grounding pads that emubattle with fatigue and illness, but it’s cool—she’s late the same electric energy, which George planned going to go to San Francisco soon to have the curse on gifting their two cats for Christmas. removed by a shaman.

I ate it up.

George made us coffee, and we walked to the nearby brook to do some grounding. While he and Write to alexz@sdcitybeat.com Muni strode easily through the terrain, my feet and editor@sdcitybeat.com. seem to have evolved beyond human beings’ ancient

24 · San Diego CityBeat · November 20, 2013

Sinéad O’Connor

is ready to be happy again Irish chanteuse hits the road with ‘American Kindness’ tour • by Scott McDonald

S

inéad O’Connor is an artist who speaks her mind. Throughout her uncompromising 26-year career—in which she’s released nine critically acclaimed albums—the Irish musician has never been shy about sharing her opinions.

From the incident in which she infamously tore the Pope’s picture in half on Saturday Night Live to candid recollections of childhood abuse or the recent disclosure of her struggles with depression and bipolar disorder, O’Connor isn’t worried about letting the public into her headspace.

And, until recently, her music relied heavily on that candor.

During the course of her discography, the Grammy Award-winning performer has written songs using direct personal experience as her primary inspiration; it’s been her go-to way of working out and healing the pain of the darkest moments in her life.

Yet with her 2012 release, How About I Be Me (And You Be You)?, she’s become less

reliant on those personal experiences.

“Some years ago,” O’Connor tells CityBeat from her producer’s London home and studio, “I just stopped writing from a path that was so very personal. I’m much more inclined to invent characters and act them out now. But there are always ghosts and aspects of myself in those characters.

“It’s not a protective measure, or even necessarily a conscious thing,” she adds.

“I’ve just gotten all that shit off my chest.”

While it’s nearly impossible to imagine the 46-year-old mother of four completely abandoning the healing-the-pain game plan, she seems to be headed in that direction. O’Connor—who’ll play at Belly Up Tavern on Tuesday, Nov. 26, as part of her “American Kindness Tour”—imbues recent tracks like “4th and Vine,” “Old Lady” and “The Wolf is Getting Married” with a newfound optimism. She also says that her next album—due out in summer 2014 and tentatively titled The Vishnu Room—is “all romantic songs.” Though, she’s quick to add, “it’s still funky as fuck.”

That’s a pretty apt description for just about everything she does, whether it’s straight-ahead pop, reggae covers or songs based on the Old Testament.

There’s no set way in how O’Connor translates her inspirations.

“I like to describe myself as a whore for songs,” she says. “I don’t really care what or where they come from. I just want to sing them. And I love all styles of music. I don’t know why anyone would want to stick to just one. It’s always worth trying everything out, even if you fuck it up. I’m really proud of the fact that I can’t quite be categorized. I like that.”

O’Connor also seems to be warming to the idea of making regular live appearances in the U.S. again. After fewer than 10 concerts in North America since 2007, her current 13-date American run bodes well for a return visit when her next album

drops. But regardless of where the shows are taking place, much of O’Connor’s current excitement around touring can be credited to her backing musicians.

“I’m really enjoying the feeling of being in a band rather than it just being me,” she says. “It’s really quite fun, especially when you’ve got a brilliant band and you’re all really good mates. You have fun on the road together and you all get off on each other’s playing. That’s definitely what it’s all about and why I got into music.”

Although O’Connor’s newfound disposition has her happier and healthier than she’s been in a while, it hasn’t affected her penchant for sounding off. She’ll likely never stop offering her two cents to oversexualized peers or making passionate statements on issues that are important to her. Fans can rest assured that they’ll always get a healthy dose of unfiltered dialogue from the outspoken artist.

“Perhaps it’s because I’m Irish,” says O’Connor, “but we were told you can put your hand up and speak. Whether you get the shit beat out of you for it, or you’re just speaking, we were led to believe that we have the right.

“I don’t see myself, because of my job, as different from anyone else,” she continues. “I claim the same right as my next-door neighbor to write a letter to the newspapers, or write something and submit it, or blog, or express my opinions.

It’s not even that I think I can do anything about anything, because I don’t.

And it’s not because I’m an artist. It’s because I’m a person.”

O’Connor has always been, and will always be, unafraid to give it to you straight.

She continues to strike a singular path to a musical legacy that, for better or worse, is free of censorship and calculation. And on that journey, she clearly has no regrets.

“I certainly have more songs to write,” she says. “It’s just that I can’t in good conscience go to my bed at night, or ultimately to my grave, having sat and done fuck-all while writing them. I think, as an artist, it’s OK to say what you have to say like any other person.

“Because once you stop acting like a normal person, you’re just not being true to yourself.”

Write to editor@sdcitybeat.com.

November 20, 2013 · San Diego CityBeat · 25

notes from the smoking patio

Locals Only

Voyeur

Voyeur has closed its doors. The Downtown EDM club held its final show—with headliners Crizzly and Figure—on Nov. 17. As of yet, the venue has not made an official announcement about its future, and management didn’t return CityBeat’s phone calls or emails by press time. LED Presents—a booking company owned by former Voyeur co-owner and current Bang Bang co-owner Johnny Shockey—had shows booked at the venue through the end of the year, which will now be rescheduled at other local clubs.

Shockey, who sold his share in Voyeur to majority owner Charles Davenport back in July, said the announcement of the club’s closure came as a surprise.

“We went our separate ways four months ago, but [LED was] still doing shows,” Shockey said.

Music review Kodiak Kodiak (self-released) In the ’00s, there was a brief emergence of numerous “Bear” bands—Grizzly Bear, Bear in Heaven, Bear Hands, etc. The problem with this, aside from being easily mistaken for each other, was that none of them had the roar or ferocity to do their large-mammal namesake justice.

San Diego’s Kodiak, however, are the rare bear band to actually leave the claws and teeth intact, their self-titled debut album comprising 12 tracks of burly, visceral hardcore—big on meaty riffs and a surprising abundance of hooks. Their closest contemporaries are Los Angeles’ The Bronx and local bruisers Retox, with just a touch of classic heavy metal and psychedelic rock. The result is a hungry, vicious beast that sounds like it could tear open your car like a can of sardines.

The album begins with “All Wretch and No Vomit,” a mostly instrumental introduction that’s built around a quote by British philosopher Alan Watts. And though it certainly packs a wallop, it’s not nearly as intense or destructive as the oblitera-

26 · San Diego CityBeat · November 20, 2013

Davenport “informed me last week that it was closing.”

In addition to finding new venues for the remaining shows that were to take place at Voyeur in 2013, Shockey says that LED is expanding, recently inking a partnership with Goldenvoice to start booking shows outside of San Diego.

“Now we’re doing shows, not just in San Diego, but in San Francisco and Los Angeles,” Shockey says. “We have a lot of shows coming up, and, personally, it was overwhelming” to continue with Voyeur.

Shockey has some big plans for the future, but he says he’ll look back fondly on his experience at the venue.

“My goal has always been to do a major festival and some arena shows,” Shockey says. “But Voyeur will always hold a special place for me.”

•••

Singer-songwriter Normandie Wilson has joined a new band called Blue Velvet, which she describes as a “cabaret act.” The band plays covers of songs by ABBA and The Carpenters, among others, as well as originals written by Wilson and pianist Kevin Cavanaugh. And though she didn’t set out to be as invested in the band, Wilson says that meeting Cavanaugh made her more enthusiastic about the project.

“I auditioned for this band on craigslist, and I wasn’t planning on it being as cool as it is,” she tells CityBeat. “It turned into a massive musical geek-out.”

Blue Velvet plays at The Caliph in Hillcrest on Wednesday, Nov. 20.

—Jeff Terich

tion that follows. Once “Whole Lotta Magic” starts, the album kicks into high gear, with Morgan Bennett and Clayton Word trading sharp jabs of guitar against Jerry Villalobos’ seething, distorted vocals.

It’s a hell of a way to get introduced to Kodiak’s uncompromising punk assault.

For how raw and powerful Kodiak sound, however, they incorporate a good amount of stylistic variation in between their power-chord-driven melodies.

“Predators Won’t Lose Sleep” finds Villalobos turning the phrase “My time / Is precious!” into a shout-along chorus, while “Valhallafornia” starts with a surprisingly funky post-punk intro that’s somewhere between Fugazi and The Minutemen.

“Thunder Dagger” is a mere 55 seconds of high-speed destruction, and “Snake River Redemption” is a solid AC/DC-style stomp that breaks up the gutpunch throwdowns nicely.

Kodiak show off some impressive range on their debut, never content to stay in one place too long. But when all’s said and done, they’re hardcore through and through.

—Jeff Terich Write to jefft@sdcitybeat.com or editor@sdcitybeat.com.

November 20, 2013 · San Diego CityBeat · 27

if i were u

BY Jeff Terich

Wednesday, Nov. 20 PLAN A: John Vanderslice, Bent Shapes @ Soda Bar. John Vanderslice has been releasing catchy, beautifully written indiepop records for more than a decade, in addition to having recorded pretty much all the indie-rock bands you love. Let him serenade you in person at this mid-week show.

PLAN B: Andrew Jackson Jihad, The Gunshy, Buddy Banter @ The Casbah.

Phoenix folk-punks Andrew Jackson Jihad fall somewhere between The Mountain Goats and Violent Femmes. And just because their sound is largely acoustic doesn’t mean it doesn’t rock like crazy.

noisecore, The Locust are infamous for their intense live shows. And it’s been a good long time since they’ve played one in San Diego, so don’t miss out. PLAN B: Screaming Females, Upset, Sledding with Tigers @ Soda Bar. Screaming Females play catchy, hard-rocking indie jams reminiscent of Sleater-Kinney and Dinosaur Jr., and much like Carrie Brownstein or J Mascis, Females frontwoman Marissa Paternoster can shred.

BACKUP PLAN: U.S. Girls, Ether Island, Chatlet @ The Void.

Sunday, Nov. 24

PLAN A: Drake, Miguel, Future @ Viejas Arena. I’ll be honest: I’m not much of a PLAN A: Barbarian, Mr. Elevator and the Drake fan. But he won me over this year Brain Hotel, Turning Lights @ The Void. with his new jam “Hold On, We’re Going Dreamy, reverb-drenched post-punk group Home,” which ranks as one of the year’s Barbarian recently went on a vision quest best R&B tracks. Get there early for Miguel, out in the desert to record a new album, and a performer who’s responsible for one of there’s a good chance you’ll be able to hear last year’s best R&B records, Kaleidoscope Darren Samuelson some of their new songs live.

Dream. PLAN B: Church And the not-so-new ones of Misery, Wizard Rifle, are great, too, so win-win!

Wild Honey, Deep Sea PLAN B: Low Volts, Two Thunder Beast @ Soda Wolves @ Seven Grand.

Bar. Japanese sludge-metOrder an Old Fashioned al act Church of Misery and let a pair of vintageis a concept-based group sounding outfits take over that writes slow, ominous for the evening at Seven dirges about serial killers.

Deltron 3030 Gnarly stuff. BACKUP Grand. Between Low Volts’ electric blues and Two Wolves’ stripped- PLAN: Night Beats, Wild Wild Wets, down rockabilly, you’ll forget about all of the Amerikan Bear @ The Casbah. embarrassing new genre creations of the past decade. BACKUP PLAN: Octa#Grape, The Monday, Nov. 25 Paper Thins @ Bar Pink.

PLAN A: A. Tom Collins, The Flowerthief, A Mayfield Affair @ Soda Bar. A. Friday, Nov. 22 Tom Collins’ frontman Aaron Collins supPLAN A: Obits, Rob Crow’s Gloomy Place, posedly descends from the inventor of the White Murder, Phantom Ratio @ The Cas- Tom Collins cocktail, or so the lore goes. bah. Obits frontman Rick Froberg used to be That may or may not be true, but their mua major player in San Diego’s music scene, sic—a mix of rock, folk and burlesque hot having played with Pitchfork, Drive Like jazz—is intoxicating enough on its own.

Jehu and Hot Snakes, and he’s still bruising with this New York-based garage-punk band. They play it loud, fast and snotty—the Tuesday, Nov. 26 way punk is supposed to be. PLAN B: The PLAN A: Deltron 3030, Kid Koala @ House English Beat, Oceanside Sound System @ of Blues. This year, surrealist sci-fi hip-hop Belly Up Tavern. Ska / new-wave legends group Deltron 3030, fronted by legendary The English Beat swung by San Diego ear- MC Del Tha Funkee Homosapien, finally lier this year, but if you missed out, they’re released a second album, Event II, 13 years coming back with a busload of classics like after their acclaimed debut. And now they’re “I Confess” and “Mirror in the Bathroom.” bringing their space-rap anthems to the BACKUP PLAN: Red Pony Clock, Week stage. It could very well be another 13 years before it happens again, so clear your schedof Wonders @ The Void. ule. PLAN B: Sinead O’Connor, DJ Carlos Culture @ Belly Up Tavern. See Page 25 for Saturday, Nov. 23 Scott McDonald’s cover story on Irish singerPLAN A: The Locust, Widows, Bastard songwriter Sinead O’Connor, who is back to Noise @ Porter’s Pub. Seeing The Locust entertain American audiences after a lengthy is an experience you’re unlikely to forget. absence. BACKUP PLAN: Hibou, Big Bad Dressed in strange costumes and assaulting Buffalo, Bulldog Eyes, Nimzo Indians, listeners with 30-second shards of violent Ned Flounders @ The Che Cafe.

Thursday, Nov. 21

28 · San Diego CityBeat · November 20, 2013

HOT! NEW! FRESH! Andrew WK (Epicentre, 12/20), Get Back Loretta (Casbah, 12/28), Scarlet Symphony (Soda Bar, 12/31), No Knife (Casbah, 1/8), Janelle Monae (HOB, 1/13), Pinback (Casbah, 1/14), 3 Doors Down (HOB, 1/21), The White Buffalo (BUT, 1/23), Frankie Rose (Soda Bar, 1/31), Young the Giant (SOMA, 2/9), John Butler Trio (HOB, 2/23), Lord Huron (BUT, 2/27), Angel Olsen (Soda Bar, 3/1), London Grammar (HOB, 3/23), The Reverend Horton Heat (Casbah, 3/25).

CANCELLED GET YER TICKETS Fitz and the Tantrums, Chvrches, The Airborne Toxic Event (Valley View Casino Center, 12/6), JAY Z (Valley View Casino Center, 12/7), ‘91X Wrex The Halls’ w/ Queens of the Stone Age, Vampire Weekend, Arctic Monkeys, Cage the Elephant, Alt-J (Valley View Casino Center, 12/8), IconaPop (HOB, 12/15), NOFX (HOB, 12/19), Bone Thugs-N-Harmony (HOB, 12/22), Matthew Sweet (BUT, 1/2), Three Mile Pilot (Casbah, 1/7), No Knife (Casbah, 1/9), The Rugburns (Casbah, 1/10), Pinback (Casbah, 1/13), The Penetrators (Casbah, 1/17), Buck O Nine (Casbah, 1/18), Skinny Puppy (HOB, 1/25), OFF! (Casbah, 1/29), MXPX (The Irenic, 1/31), Yuck (The Casbah, 2/2), White Denim (The Casbah, 2/9), New Politics (HOB, 2/17), The Wailers (BUT, 3/2), Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings (HOB, 3/22), Stephen Marley (BUT, 5/14).

November Wednesday, Nov. 20 Kate Nash at Porter’s Pub. John Vanderslice at Soda Bar. Pennywise at Belly Up Tavern.

Thursday, Nov. 21 Steve Poltz at Belly Up Tavern. Pearl Jam at Viejas Arena. Moving Units at Hard Rock Hotel.

Friday, Nov. 22 Obits at The Casbah. B-Side Players at House of Blues. English Beat at Belly Up Tavern.

Saturday, Nov. 23 English Beat at Belly Up Tavern. U.S. Girls at The Void. Screaming Females at Soda Bar. The Locust at Porter’s Pub. Cayucas at The Loft.

Sunday, Nov. 24 Drake at Viejas Arena. Night Beats at The Casbah. Church of Misery at Soda Bar.

Monday, Nov. 25 Sir Sly at The Casbah.

Tuesday, Nov. 26 Sinead O’Connor at Belly Up Tavern.

Deltron 3030 at House of Blues. Hard Fall Hearts at The Casbah.

Wednesday, Nov. 27 Ryan Cabrera at The Griffin. Chris Isaak at Belly Up Tavern. Nightlands at Soda Bar.

Friday, Nov. 29 The Devil Wears Prada at SOMA. Po-

lar Bear Club at The Irenic. Fever The Ghost at Soda Bar. Crystal Bowersox at The Griffin.

Saturday, Nov. 30 Julianna Barwick at Luce Loft. Redd Kross at The Casbah. Modern Life Is War at Che Café.

Sunday, Dec. 1 Less Than Jake, Anti-Flag at House of Blues. Sasha at Bassmnt. Rufus Wainwright at Belly Up Tavern.

Monday, Dec. 2 Nightmares on Wax at Belly Up Tavern.

Tuesday, Dec. 3 Kaki King at The Casbah.

Wednesday, Dec. 4 Tedeschi Trucks Band at Balboa Theatre. Gavin Turek at The Casbah. Howie Day at The Griffin.

Thursday, Dec. 5 Macklemore & Ryan Lewis at Valley View Casino Center. Margaret Cho at Balboa Theatre. Black Uhuru at Belly Up Tavern.

Friday, Dec. 6 Black Joe Lewis at House of Blues. Cadillac Tramps at The Casbah. Fitz and the Tantrums, Chvrches, The Airborne Toxic Event at Valley View Casino Center.

Saturday, Dec. 7 JAY Z at Valley View Casino Center. Waxahatchee, Swearin’ at Che Café. Soft Lions at Soda Bar. Fu Manchu at The Casbah. MS MR at Soda Bar.

Sunday, Dec. 8 X at Belly Up Tavern. Fates Warning at Brick by Brick. Hayden at Soda Bar. Queens of the Stone Age, Vampire Weekend, Arctic Monkeys, Cage the Elephant, Alt-J at Valley View Casino Center.

Monday, Dec. 9 Dinosaur Bones at Soda Bar.

Tuesday, Dec. 10 Third Eye Blind at House of Blues. Exhumed at The Casbah.

Wednesday, Dec. 11 The Black Crowes at Balboa Theatre.

Thursday, Dec. 12 The Mowgli’s at The Griffin.

Friday, Dec. 13 Transfer at Belly Up Tavern. Slightly Stoopid at SOMA.

Saturday, Dec. 14 Lee Ranaldo and the Dust at The Casbah. Cherie Currie at Brick by Brick.

rCLUBSr

710 Beach Club, 710 Garnet Ave, Pacific Beach. 710bc.com. Wed: Open mic, open jam. Thu: So Cal Vibes. Fri: Patrick Lanzetta (5 p.m.); A Will to Wander, Rapscallions, Laguna Pai (9:30 p.m.). Sat: Sandollar, True Press, SolRising. Tue: ‘710 Bass Club’.

98 Bottles, 2400 Kettner Blvd. Ste. 110,

Little Italy. 98bottlessd.com. Fri: Tres Compadres. Sun: Kenny Eng. Air Conditioned Lounge, 4673 30th St, Normal Heights. airconditionedbar. com. Wed: ‘Brokenbeat’ w/ DJs Collagey, Skutech, WalkNasty, Her Majesty. Thu: DJs Bala, Ledher 10, Less Than None. Fri: DJ Junior the DiscoPunk. Sat: ‘Juicy’ w/ Mike Czech.

American Comedy Co., 818 B Sixth Ave, Downtown. americancomedyco.com.

Wed: Sean O’Connor. Thu-Sun: Nate Bargatze. Tue: Open mic.

Bang Bang, 526 Market St, Downtown. facebook.com/BangBangSanDiego. Sat: Dropset, Yo Bill. Sun: Seth Troxler.

Bar Pink, 3829 30th St, North Park. barpink.com. Wed: Stevie and the Hi-Stax, DJ Barry Thomas. Thu: Octa#grape, The Paper Thins. Sat: Hills Like Elephants, Sad Robot. Sun: The Lyrical Groove, Oh Mercy. Tue: ‘Tiki Tuesday’ w/ Mr. Craig Pryor.

Bassmnt, 919 Fourth Ave, Downtown. bassmntsd.com. Thu: Chocolate Puma.

Beaumont’s, 5662 La Jolla Blvd, La Jolla. brocktonvilla.com/beaumonts.html. Wed: Trent Hancock. Thu: Simeon Flick. Fri: Stratos. Sat: The Tilt. Sun: Joe Cardillo.

Belly Up Tavern, 143 S. Cedros Ave, Solana Beach. bellyup.com. Wed: Pennywise, GFP, Special C (sold out). Thu: Steve Poltz, Tim Flannery. Fri: English Beat, Oceanside Sound System. Sat: English Beat, Rian Basilio and The Roosters.

Sun: Vaud and The Villains. Tue: Sinead O’Connor, DJ Carlos Culture.

Bourbon Street, 4612 Park Blvd, University Heights. bourbonstreetsd.com. Wed: ‘Awe Snap! I Love the ‘90s’ w/ VJ K-Swift.

Fri: ‘Go-Go Fridays’ w/ VJ K-Swift. Sun: ‘Soiree’. Tue: Karaoke.

Brick by Brick, 1130 Buenos Ave, Bay Park. brickbybrick.com. Wed: King Freeman, Kinetic Circus, Roman Watchdogs.

Thu: Frequency. Fri: Nekrofilth, S.M.D., D.E.A. Sat: Aphrodite, DJ Wolf, b2b Ghost MD, B-Side. Sun: Jason Charles Miller.

Cafe Sevilla, 353 Fifth Ave, Downtown. cafesevilla.com. Wed: Aro Di Santi. Thu: Malamana. Fri: Joeff and Co. Sat & Sun: Aragon y Royal. Mon: Sounds of Brazil.

Comedy Store, 916 Pearl St, La Jolla. lajolla.thecomedystore.com. Fri & Sat: Owen Smith.

Dirk’s Nightclub, 7662 Broadway, Lemon Grove. dirksniteclub.com. Fri: The Farmers. Sat: Zone 4.

Dizzy’s, 4275 Mission Bay Drive, Mission Bay. dizzyssandiego.com. Fri: Reka Parker. Sat: The Peter Sprague Group. Sun: ‘2013 Bass Summit’.

El Dorado Bar, 1030 Broadway, Downtown. eldoradobar.com. Wed: ‘The Tighten Up’. Thu: Nick Monaco. Fri: ‘Soul Flexin’. Sat: Sharam Jey, Marso Brothers, Steve McQueen.

Epicentre, 8450 Mira Mesa Blvd, Mira Mesa. epicentreconcerts.org. Fri: Kaylee Niss, Alex Livianos, Jesus Gonzales, The Beagles, The Indys. Sat: Avalon Young, Tanya Miller, Tyler Beach.

F6ix, 526 F St., Downtown, Downtown. f6ixsd.com. Fri: DJ Fingaz. Sat: DJ Dynamiq. Sun: DJ Brett Bodley.

Fluxx, 500 Fourth Ave, Downtown. fluxxsd.com. Thu: Ashley Wallbridge. Fri: ‘Big Top Spectacular’. Sat: DJ Karma.

Gallagher’s, 5040 Newport Ave, Ocean Beach. 619-222-5303. Wed: Night Owl Massacre. Thu: Irie Junctions, Si Familia, TRC Soundsystem, DJ Reefah. Fri: So Cal Vibes, Professor Most. Sat: Deadly Birds,

CONTINUED ON PAGE 30 November 20, 2013 · San Diego CityBeat · 29

DJ Chelu.

Hard Rock Hotel, 207 Fifth Ave, Downtown. hardrockhotelsd.com. Thu: Moving Units, Tropical Popsicle, Zander Bleck.

Fri: DJ Inferno, Caliparis.

House of Blues, 1055 Fifth Ave, Downtown. houseofblues.com/sandiego. Wed: Foxes, We Are Twin. Thu: Corey Smith.

Fri: B-Side Players, Natty Vibes, Stranger, Hi-Roots. Sat: EOTO, Downlink, Ill Gates.

Mon: 3OH!3. Tue: Deltron 3030, Kid Koala.

Kava Lounge, 2812 Kettner Blvd, Midtown. kavalounge.com. Wed: Bassmechanic, Sunny D. Fri: ‘Toombao’ w/ DJ Joel V. Sat: ‘Alice Returns to Boogieland’.

Lestat’s Coffee House, 3343 Adams Ave, Normal Heights. lestats.com. Wed: Brad Perry, Kyle Williams, Mississippi Gann Brewer, The Madison Hearts. Thu: Carlos Olmeda, Lou Evans. Fri: Gregory Page. Sat: Josh Damigo, Tim Moyer.

Sun: The Robin Henkel Band. Mon: Open mic. Tue: Comedy night.

Mc P’s Irish Pub, 1107 Orange Ave, Coronado. mcpspub.com. Wed: Goodal Boys. Thu: Harmony Road. Fri: Trunk Monkey. Tue: Gene Warren.

Onyx Room / Thin, 852 Fifth Ave, Downtown. onyxroom.com. Fri: ‘Rumba Lounge’. Tue: Rudy Francisco.

Patricks Gaslamp, 428 F St, Downtown. patricksii.com. Wed: Johnny Vernazza.

Thu: Mystique Element of Soul. Fri: Bill Magee Blues Band. Sat: Myron and The Kyniptionz. Sun: The Rayford Brothers.

Mon: WG and The G-Men. Tue: Walter’s Chicken Jam. Porter’s Pub, 9500 Gilman Dr., UCSD campus, La Jolla. porterspub.net. Wed:

Kate Nash. Thu: ‘Comedy show’. Sat: The Locust, Widows, Bastard Noise. Sun: Bambu, Rocky Rivera, Odessa Kane, Bam Circa.

Quality Social , 789 Sixth Ave, Downtown. qualitysocial.com. Thu: DJ Saul Q. Fri: Holy Ghost! (DJ set).

Queen Bee’s, 3925 Ohio St, North Park. queenbeessd.com. Thu: ‘Elevated!’. Fri: Drop Dead Dames Burlesque Revue.

Tue: Open mic.

Rich’s, 1051 University Ave, Hillcrest. richssandiego.com. Wed: DJ Marcel. Fri: DJs Dirty Kurty, Will Z. Sat: DJ Taj. Sun: DJs Kiki, Artistic.

Riviera Supper Club, 7777 University Ave, La Mesa. rivierasupperclub.com.

Wed: Kice Simko. Thu: Tim and Nolan.

Sat: Three Chord Justice. Tue: Karaoke.

Seven Grand, 3054 University Ave, North Park. sevengrandbars.com/sd. Wed: Gilbert Castellanos jazz jam. Thu: Low Volts, Two Wolves. Fri: John Reynolds Band.

Sat: Euphoria Brass Band. Tue: ‘Super Karaoke’.

Shakedown Bar, 3048 Midway Drive, Point Loma. theshakedownsd.com. Wed: ‘Retro Revival’. Thu: Winslow Ridge. Fri: Hell On Heels Burlesque Revue, The Bandits, Last Call Romance. Sat: Red Wizard, Great Electric Quest, Bedlams Edge.

Tue: Open mic.

Side Bar, 536 Market St, Downtown. sidebarsd.com. Wed: DJ Scooter. Fri: Wendi Cakes. Sat: Kyle Flesch.

Soda Bar, 3615 El Cajon Blvd, City Heights. sodabarmusic.com. Wed: John Vanderslice, Bent Shapes. Thu: Slipping Into Darkness, Bangladesh, Bat Lords, The Natives. Fri: Shake Before Us, Flaggs, Shiva Trash. Sat: Screaming Fe-

30 · San Diego CityBeat · November 20, 2013

males, Upset, Sledding With Tigers. Sun: Church of Misery, Wizard Rifle, Wild Honey, Deep Sea Thunder Beast. Mon: A. Tom Collins, The Flowerthief, A Mayfield Affair. Tue: Pleasure Fix, Rogue Stereo, The Shallow End, The Dead Blue.

SOMA, 3350 Sports Arena Blvd, Midway. somasandiego.com. Wed: Veil of Maya, Structures, Northlane, Vildhjarta, Here Comes the Kraken. Fri: Asking Alexandria, All That Remains, For Today, Emmure, A New Challenger Approaches.

Sat: Tonight Alive, The Downtown Fiction, For The Foxes, Echosmith, Focus In Frame. Sun: Protest The Hero, Architects, Affiance, The Kindred.

Spin, 2028 Hancock St, Midtown. spinnightclub.com. Sat: Hobotech, Pom. Sun: ‘Drake Tribute Afterparty’.

The Brass Rail, 3796 Fifth Ave, Hillcrest. thebrassrailsd.com. Thu: ‘Boy’z Club’ w/ DJs Marcel, John Joseph, Taj, Will Z. Sat: ‘Winter White Party’ w/ DJ XP. Sun: ‘Noche Romantica’ w/ Daisy Salinas. Mon: ‘Pre-Plucked Thanksgiving Party’ w/ DJs XP, Junior the DiscoPunk.

The Casbah, 2501 Kettner Blvd, Midtown. casbahmusic.com. Wed: Andrew Jackson Jihad, The Gunshy, Buddy Banter. Thu: Geographer, Bad Suns. Fri: Obits, Rob Crow’s Gloomy Place, White Murder, Phantom Ratio. Sat: The Limousines, Mona, Dresses. Sun: Night Beats, Wild Wild Wets, Amerikan Bear. Mon: Sir Sly, Jaymes Young, Dead Times. Tue: Hard Fall Hearts, Caskitt, The Blackjackits, Arson Academy.

The Che Cafe, UCSD campus, La Jolla. thechecafe.blogspot.com. Wed: Little Bear, Ever Ending Kicks, The Yuth. Thu: No mic open mic. Fri: The Frights, Sundressed, Days of Light Gravity, Owl and Penny. Tue: Hibou, Big Bad Buffalo, Bull-

dog Eyes, Nimzo Indians, Ned Flounders.

The Griffin, 1310 Morena Blvd, Bay Park. thegriffinsd.com. Wed: Lowly Spects, The Active Set, Kyle Reynolds. Thu: The Vim Dicta, Neighbors To The North, The Golden Ghosts. Fri: Dr. Seahorse, Ed Ghost Tucker, Neon Cough, Spark Three.

Sat: Awol One, Die Young, 2mex, Odessa Kane, Trust One. Tue: Setback City, The Young Gents, Bakkuda, We Are Sirens.

The Loft @ UCSD, Price Center East, La Jolla. theloft.ucsd.edu. Thu: Sean Jones Quartet. Thu: Sean Jones Quartet. Sat: Cayucas, Fighting With Irons, Hindu Pirates.

The Merrow, 1271 University Ave, Hillcrest. rubyroomsd.com. Wed: Candy Warpop, Pleasure Fix, Amigo. Thu: Core, Smack This, Big Lewinsky. Sat: Viva Apollo, Cobalt Cranes.

The Office, 3936 30th St, North Park. officebarinc.com. Thu: Harvard Bass, Sanfuentes, Sleazemore, Kid Wonder.

Fri: ‘After Hours’ w/ DJs Adam Salter, Kid Wonder. Sat: ‘Strictly Business’ w/ DJs Kanye Asada, Gabe Vega. Sun: ‘Uptown Top Ranking’ w/ Tribe of Kings. Mon: ‘Dub Dynamite’ w/ DJs Rashi, Eddie Turbo.

The Void, 3519 El Cajon Blvd, North Park. thevoidsd.com. Wed: Vaz. Thu: Barbarian, Mr. Elevator and the Brain Hotel, Turning Lights. Sat: US Girls, Ether Island. Sun: Karaoke.

Til-Two Club, 4746 El Cajon Blvd, City Heights. tiltwoclub.com. Wed: ‘A Brief History of Rhyme’ w/ DJ Heather Hardcore. Thu: Sycamore, Melrose. Fri: ‘Soda Stereo Tribute’. Sat: ‘Sleepwalking’. Mon: Karaoke.

Tin Can Ale House, 1863 Fifth Ave, Bankers Hill. thetincan1.wordpress.com.

Wed: The Llamadors, The Mozzies, Oh

and The Whats. Thu: Swim Team, The Melismatics, West Beast. Fri: Grizzly Business, Manuok. Sat: The Touchies, Zombie Barbie. Mon: ‘Tin Can Country Club’. Tue: Soft Limits, The Soil and The Sun, Laura Gravelle.

Tio Leo’s, 5302 Napa St, Bay Park. tioleos.com. Wed: Bayou Brothers. Thu: The Fremonts. Sat: Los Fabulocos.

Tower Bar, 4757 University Ave, City Heights. thetowerbar.com. Wed: The Ratt’s Revenge, DJ Mikey Ratt. Thu: Just In Case, The New Addiction, Wayne Arms, Noel Jordan. Fri: Amarok, Dead Ghosts, Bridge Jumper. Sat: Planewreck, After The Matter, Cochino. Tue: At The Premier, Buffalo Picnic, Aim For the Engine, Wait For It. U-31, 3112 University Ave, North Park. u31bar.com. Thu: Swambi, Okapi Sun, 9 Theory. Sat: Jon Dadon, Groundfloor.

West Coast Tavern, 2895 University Ave, North Park. westcoatstavern.com.

Wed: DJ Qenoe. Thu: DJ Clean Cut. Fri: DJ Impakt. Sat: DJ Will Hernandez. Tue: DJ Mike Delgado.

Whistle Stop, 2236 Fern St, South Park. whistlestopbar.com. Wed: ‘80s Party’ w/ Saul Q. Thu: ‘Astrojump’ w/ Kill Quanti DJs. Fri: Montalban Quintet, Sure Fire Soul Ensemble. Sat: ‘Booty Bassment’ w/ DJs Dimitri, Rob. Sun: Cherries Jubilee Jazz Cabaret.

Winstons, 1921 Bacon St, Ocean Beach. winstonsob.com. Wed: ‘Club Kingston’ w/ General Smiley, Dub Trinity.

Thu: Grant Farm, Emily Yates. Fri: Sister Nancy, Maka and The I-Sight Band, SimmerDown Riddim Section, King Schascha. Sat: Polyrhythmics, C-Money, Players Inc. Mon: Electric Waste Band. Tue: ‘SUBDVSN’.

Proud sponsor: San Diego Whale Watch

Ink Well Xwords by Ben Tausig

Across 1. Fitzgerald in an old Memorex commercial 5. Pinkberry alternative 9. Garment banned in French schools 14. In a relationship, with “down” 15. It has banks in Switzerland 16. Sign above a studio door 17. Obnoxious young Civic driver?

19. 45 degrees, say 20. Byrne’s collaborator on “My Life in the Bush of Ghosts” 21. Clean litter for a weekend, say 23. “___, She Wolf of the SS” 24. Park neighbor, often 26. Single word on the last line of a paragraph, say 28. Lagers with a macabre twist?

31. SLR camera setting 32. Matzah ___ (fried Yiddish dish) 33. Major supporters of the ACA 34. “I’m Just a ___” (“Schoolhouse Rock!” song) 37. Morning radio program moniker 38. “Slow Churned” brand 39. You might direct yours at someone 40. Pitcher in a museum, say 42. Pirate’s quaff 44. Food that’s either cooked or not cooked, tasty or not tasty?

49. What you eat 50. Offer water and light, say 52. Thom ___ shoes 53. 1962 Kubrick adaptation

Last week’s answers

56. Where people are managed after heart attacks, briefly 57. Spanish football powerhouse, familiarly 59. Sight in a botanist’s horror movie?

61. Rhyming poet Nash 62. Sans opposite 63. Scheme 64. Basil-based sauce (though you can also use peas or garlic scapes) 65. BuzzFeed offering 66. Uses a needle, in a way

Down 1. Old-timey anesthetic 2. Big name in small trains 3. Chinese laptop maker 4. Work on one’s figures?

5. RedHot alternative 6. The second-oldest living ex-president 7. Rack supporters 8. Legendarily giant white dude 9. Reggae legend, to fans 10. Like the papaya used in Thai som tam 11. Where a line ends, in shipping 12. Rock and roll fan club since 1975 13. Hope’s home 18. Landowning count?

22. Modern pledge drive premium 25. Foul by a mile?

27. ___ Baseball (classic NES game) 29. Straightforward multiple choice options 30. 1970s basketball haircut, casually 34. Korean rice dish 35. Rationality, metaphorically, to Max Weber 36. 1980s fitness video one-pieces 37. “Your Moment of ___” 38. Arab chief 40. “Oh, please kill that bug” 41. Egyptian Revolution figure Ghonim 42. Metaphorical reading to a misbehaving kid 43. Daily order, with “the” 45. Surgeon’s blade 46. Makes one 47. She played Virginia in “The Hours” 48. It’s a matter of trust 51. ‘Nam-era choppers 54. Gem mined in Brazil 55. Israeli tribe leader 58. One has cuatro seasons 60. Navigation device, briefly

A pair of tickets for a three-hour San Diego Whale Watch tour will be awarded weekly. Email a picture of your answers to crossword@sdcitybeat.com or fax it to 619-325-1393. Limit one win per person per 30 days.

November 20, 2013 · San Diego CityBeat · 31

32 · San Diego CityBeat · November 20, 2013

November 20, 2013 · San Diego CityBeat · 33

34 · San Diego CityBeat · November 20, 2013

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