2 · San Diego CityBeat · december 13, 2017
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december 13, 2017 · San Diego CityBeat · 3
UP FRONT | FROM THE EDITOR
Looting, finding and the not-too-peculiar case of Ms. Silvercloud
I
n 2015, when news outlets were falling over them- hoods. The police even abandoned the chase fearing selves to publish pieces recognizing the 10th anni- for public safety. The truck eventually crashed and the versary of Hurricane Katrina, there was plenty of ink suspects were pursued on foot and caught. Once they devoted to the topic of looting. One specific focus was were caught, careful attention was paid not to show how the media portrayed the people of New Orleans— their faces and the entire news segment was just a few many of them Black and simply trying to survive in the minutes long. Locally, there’s the case of Sacheen Silvercloud, wake of the most devastating hurricane in modern history—as “thugs” and “looters” while whites were de- who was arrested on Saturday and charged with two scribed with words such as “survivors,” as well as “car- counts of first-degree felony burglary after she was rying” and “finding” when it came to supplies. As Van reportedly discovered looting an evacuated home in Bonsall during the Lilac Fire. She was Jones unapologetically put it in a 2005 also charged with misdemeanor posblog post, “Black people ‘loot’ food… session of controlled substance paraWhite people ‘find’ food.” phernalia and driving under the influIt was sad then and it is sad now, but ence. If readers have not heard about unfortunately not much has changed. this story, it makes sense. There was Yes, much of the media seems to have a blurb about it in the U-T and a few learned a valuable lesson when it comes other outlets, but, again, careful attento the types of words they will use to tion was paid not only to language, but describe looting, but the problem is still also none of them included pictures of evident in the portrayals themselves. Silvercloud. In the coverage of Hurricane Harvey in I’m actually fine with that decision. Houston, reporters fell over themselves Sure, there’s part of me that wants to to cover poor (read: Black) neighborscream from the rooftops that’s it’s the hoods where, yes, hurricane survivors definition of hypocrisy that the fairhad resorted to looting grocery stores skinned, blue-eyed Silvercloud wasn’t for supplies. given the same kind of treatment from This was even more evident in the the media had she been a person of coverage of Hurricane Irma in south “Looting” and “finding” color. If I’m to go off the charges, and Florida, where the if-it-bleeds-it-leads television media saw no issues with broadcasting im- from what I read from her daughter on Silvercloud’s ages of mostly Black residents breaking into stores. Facebook page, she may be dealing with issues of adThe faces captured were clear, and they were decided- diction, for which I hope she gets help. Still, the double standard is palpable and appalling. ly people of color. There were also stories of the gettough police, who happily posted pictures of “looters” In fact, the Bay Area and local case of looting are even (again, all Black) handcuffed inside a holding cell with more cringe-worthy, because they were arrested for the oh-so-clever caption of “Thinking about looting? stealing from people’s homes, whereas the suspects in Houston and Florida were stealing from corporate Ask these guys how that turned out.” What people should really understand is that storefronts that have insurance for such instances. In the media chooses to focus on these poverty-related one case, the police were tough and vigilant, in the crimes rather than on more substantive, albeit less other they gave up even chasing the suspects. Steal sexy, issues related to natural disasters. Broadcasting a pair of Jordans from Foot Locker while being Black images of people breaking windows and grabbing items and you’re a thug whose face will be broadcast on a keeps viewers glued to the TV for all the wrong reasons. loop. White person steals from a fire victim’s home What’s more, it perpetuates stereotypes of race-based and they might not even make the news. A lot of noise is made, especially from MAGA folks, crime when those issues have more to do with poverty. This assessment is more evident when looking about how the liberal, mainstream media misleads at the recent fires in California. In a television story and even lies. The fact of the matter is that it’s not that ran in the Bay Area during the North Bay fires, misleading them in the way they think. two white suspects, driving a stolen truck, were —Seth Combs caught looting an evacuated property and led police on a high-speed chase through residential neighbor- Write to seth.combs@sdcitybeat.com This issue of CityBeat is dedicated to our sister paper, the Ventura County Reporter. Keep your heads up, VC!
Volume 16 • Issue 16 EDITOR Seth Combs MUSIC EDITOR Jeff Terich WEB EDITOR Ryan Bradford ART DIRECTOR Carolyn Ramos ASSOCIATE EDITOR Torrey Bailey COLUMNISTS Aaryn Belfer Edwin Decker Minda Honey John R. Lamb Alex Zaragoza
CONTRIBUTORS Christin Bailey, David L. Coddon, Beth Demmon, Andrew Dyer, Rachel Michelle Fernandes, Tiffany Fox, Michael A. Gardiner, Glenn Heath Jr., Lizz Huerta, Lara McCaffrey, Scott McDonald, Kinsee Morlan, Jim Ruland, Ben Salmon, Jen Van Tieghem, Amy Wallen, Ian Ward
SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Jason Noble ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES RIchard Diaz, Beau Odom CONTROLLER Kacie Cobian ACCOUNTING Perla Castillo, David Garcia, Linda Lam, Yiyang Wang
PRODUCTION MANAGER Tristan Whitehouse
HUMAN RESOURCES Andrea Baker
ADVERTISING MANAGER Megan Kennedy
VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS David Comden
MULTIMEDIA ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Paulina Porter-Tapia
PUBLISHER Kevin Hellman
ADVERTISING INQUIRIES Interested in advertising? Call 619-281-7526 or e-mail advertising@sdcitybeat.com. The advertising deadline is 5 p.m. every Friday for the following week’s issue.
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San Diego CityBeat is published and distributed every Wednesday by Southland Publishing Inc., free of charge but limited to one per reader. Reproduction of any material in this or any other issue is prohibited without written permission from the publisher and the author. Contents copyright 2017.
4 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · DECEMBER 13, 2017
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december 13, 2017 · San Diego CityBeat · 5
UP FRONT | LETTERS
FINANCIAL KILLINGS
Thank you for news of the LA Weekly firings [“Blurred Lines,” Dec. 6]. I have written for them under an excellent editor, James Vowell, in the long-ago past. This is a tragedy for the newsprint community. You tell us Semanal Media are the new owners, but who are the sellers? As they say, follow the money. Someone unprincipled must have made a financial killing on this sale. Tell us who they were and any backstories you might be privy to. My dad was a lifelong newspaperman when there was honor among thieves. I know he’s turning over in his grave.
UP FRONT From the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Letters to the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 News / CityWeek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Sordid Tales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 At The Intersection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
FOOD & DRINK World Fare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 The Beerdist. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
THINGS TO DO
Nancy Drew Normal Heights
The Short List. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Calendar of Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-14
DOUBLE STANDARDS
You produce a great publication! Thanks. Re: recent news items of sexual harassment: Unfortunately, this news of sexual abuse/ harassment doesn’t surprise me [“Dear Dudes, you’re all trash,” Nov. 29]. Whether it’s a famous person such as Bill Cosby, or actor Stephen Collins, or a U.S. President, a senator, news anchor or musician—or non-famous people such as one’s office coworker, parent, doctor or pastor—perpetrators are found in all fields and are often the pillars of their communities, or admired in their businesses. And Donald Trump still hasn’t been held accountable for what women reported about his behaviors. Apparently a double standard is still acceptable?
Olive H. Mission Hills
HYPOCRITICAL OATHS
Edwin Decker’s [“The U.S. Oath of Allegiance is shit, so help me God,” Nov. 29] was on target! That oath is so hypocritical. Also, I was a teacher and I’ve known 11th graders who write better than the way that ridiculous, redundant oath was written. I guess nothing will change until our government sheds its overblown ego (and educates itself re: our U.S. Constitution). Bravo to Decker for saying what I’ve had on my mind for years.
WE WANT FEEDBACK
Email letters to editor Seth Combs at seth.combs@sdcitybeat.com, or mail to 3047 University Ave., Suite 202, San Diego, CA 92104. For letters to be considered for publication you must include your first and last name and the part of town where you reside. Note: All comments left on stories at sdcitybeat.com will also be considered for publication.
ON THE
COVER
Sandra Mission Hills
6 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · DECEMBER 13, 2017
This is the third year we’ve asked local collage artist Andrew McGranahan to create a custom piece of art for our annual gift guide. One could even say it’s a holiday tradition at this point. As always, McGranahan assembled a piece that conveys both the selflessness and greed that comes with the holiday season. This year’s cover dwells in that duality, with a mall scene and an ominous eye on one side and scenes of Main Street on the other. “I just used disparate imagery to separate the negative/corporate imagery from the ‘Shop Local’ imagery,” says McGranahan. “A busy, crowded mall with darker more muted tones versus photos of nice, sunny small-town streets and a brighter feel overall on the right side of the design.” Readers can check out more of McGranahan’s excellent work at ajmcg.com.
ARTS & CULTURE Theater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 FEATURE: Holiday Gift Guide. . . . . 16-22 Seen Local. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Film. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24-25
MUSIC FEATURE: Sam Outlaw. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Notes from the Smoking Patio . . . . . . 28 If I Were U. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Concerts & Clubs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30-33
LAST WORDS Astrologically Unsound . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
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THE ISSUE: The city council finally got around to voting on a plan to address the issue of short-term vacation rental (STVRs) units and services like AirBnB. Unfortunately, there were two proposals the council had to consider. Proposal 1 was from Councilmember Barbara Bry, which was a much more restrictive plan and would allow only one housing permit and only allow operators to rent the unit for 90 days of the year. The less restrictive Proposal 2—from Councilmembers Ward, David Alvarez, Mark Kersey and Scott Sherman—would limit operators to three permits and they would need to have owned the property for longer than a year. WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING: “I would like to enforce the current code. However, there are some who want to amend the municipal code to allow for unfettered proliferation of short-term vacation rentals so I’m offering this compromise today to allow San Diegans the benefit of the sharing economy while maintaining a residential use.” —Councilmember Barbara Bry
“Our proposal seeks to address affordable housing and it’s not present in Proposal One. I think this helps mitigate any impact of any vacation rental policy on affordable housing dollars and opportunities.”
The video of Caleb Wadnan rescuing a rabbit from the Thomas Fire was one of the few bright spots from the past week. While we salute Wadnan for his foolish bravery, it’s important to remember that there are dozens of fuzzy-wuzzy bunnies looking for a forever home, including bonded pair Scarlett O’Hare-Ah and Frannie Bobbit, who are available at the San Diego Humane Society’s Gaines Street campus.
—Councilmember Chris Ward
“With the growing popularity of short-term rentals and the platforms that facilitate them, we need to get a policy in place that clarifies how we will manage them here in San Diego moving forward.” —Council President Myrtle Cole
OUR TAKE: Well, that was a barnburner. The all-day, nine-hour session garnered hundreds of community speakers and residents. It was #TeamOrange (who were against STVRs, for the most part) versus #TeamGreen (pro-STVRs). Team Orange claimed Ward and company’s plan would open the floodgates for more STVRs and championed Bry’s more restrictive plan. Team Green either supported the Ward plan or called for, as one speaker put it, “option zero” (that is, to leave the municipal code as is). One resident deftly pointed out the severe lack of leadership or opinion on the issue from the mayor. In the end—and after many questions, hairpulling and legal hand-wringing—a bipartisan compromise seemed to be on the way to being passed, but who the hell knows (check sdcitybeat.com for an update)? Councilmembers were still debating as this issue went to press. Whatever happened, Bry probably put it best when she said that this was just “chapter one of the next book” and even Ward added that any resolution was a “framework.”
PETA-sponsored antiSeaWorld posters of a crying child in a tank of water begin to appear around San Diego parks and playgrounds.
New federal HUD report lists San Diego County as having fourth largest homeless population. County also ranks in the top five for almost every major category, including third most homeless veterans.
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Local State Senator Toni Atkins announced as concensus pick to be Senate President Pro Tem succeeding Kevin de León. Becomes not only first woman ever to lead the Senate, but LGBTQ person as well.
Lilac Fire spreads to north county San Diego. Temporary evacuation centers set up at Fallbrook High School, Pechanga Casino and Pala Casino.
City Council President Myrtle Cole shakes up balance of power on the council, shifting committee assignments to favor Dems like Georgette Gomez over Republicans like Scott Sherman. MAGA enthusiasts, including “Vaping” Dunc Hunter gather at Otay Mesa border for the Build The Wall “Americans Come First” Remembering Kate Steinle [sic] rally. Yell racist shit and high-five each other.
Lilac Fire kills about 25 horses and dozens missing.
Ex-Navy sailor Richard Sepolio, who veered off the Coronado Bridge and killed four people in Chicano Park, filed a lawsuit alleging it’s the city that is actually at fault despite prosecutors’ claims he was under the influence, speeding and texting while driving.
Hundreds, including Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez and Councilmember Georgette Gomez, gather for Human Rights Day Action Rally & Vigil at Waterfront Park. Chase Headley traded back to the Padres.
Lilac Fire 75 percent contained and evacuation order lifted.
Series of earthquakes continue in Julian. People and apples, for the most part, unharmed.
SDSU alumnus, coach and NFL Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk suspended by NFL Network amidst sexual harassment and assault allegations.
However, SDSU running back Rashaad Penny earns first-team AP All-American honor after finishing fifth in Heisman Trophy voting.
Lilac Fire 90 percent contained, but final toll nears 4,200 acres burned.
DECEMBER 13, 2017 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 7
UP FRONT | OPINION
EDWIN DECKER
SORDID
TALES
Due process in the Court of Public Opinion
W
“
e now live in a country,” tweeted Kirstie Al- minors in Alabama malls. Look at the evidence man! ley about the recent spate of sexual harass- That’s what matters. • Factor the Number of Accusers: When the acment allegations, “where [the accused] lose their jobs without proof or trial or in some cases with cused has five, 10, 20 people saying they sexually harassed them—they’re probably guilty. However a solianonymous accusers… “ It shouldn’t surprise anyone that Alley’s tweet tary incriminator is worrisome. Sexual predators tend amassed a twister of outrage, with many accusing her to have multiple victims because they cannot control of “victim blaming,” for which she should “rot in Hell,” themselves. • Factor Mitigating Circumstances (but not too accompanied by a barrage of ad hominin aspersions. Of course, Kirstie Alley is mistaken. We do not much): Was the allegation made anonymously? Have “now” live in a country where people are fired, etc. many years passed before reporting the incident? By We have always lived in a country that allows this be- themselves, these circumstantial reactions do not discause due process—which includes a presumption of credit the accuser. However, they must be considered innocence, reasonable doubt and the right to confront in congruence with the rest of the evidence. • Do Not Attack the Alleged Victim: An “acquittal” complainants—only applies to criminal proceedings of the accused does not mean it’s acceptable to atand not the Court of Public Opinion. That said, the attacks against Ms. Alley are deluded tack the accuser. An acquittal just means there wasn’t as they are detestable. Agree or disagree, she did not enough evidence to convict, so leave the accusers “blame” any victims. She was appraising a social cli- alone! There’s still a high probability they have been mate in which potentially innocent people’s lives may sexually harassed. •Do Not Conflate This Column With Victim Blambe destroyed based on allegations from sometimes ing: Given the current climate of anonymous accusers with somepolitical correctness, the destabilitimes unvetted evidence of somezation of free expression and what times decade’s old offenses. Knowing what we is happening to people like Kirstie To be clear, I believe the stories know about human Alley, there is no doubt in my mind of most, if not all, of the women who have come forward since the nature, mob mentality, that the chronically outraged are also going to attack me for blaming Weinstein story broke, but Alopportunism and the the victim. As sure as Roy Moore ley has a point. Knowing what we has a subscription to Barely Legal, know about human nature, mob current culture of the they are going to gloss over the mentality, opportunism and the current culture of the chronically chronically outraged— pro-victim parts and focus on how I defended (in their mind) sexual outraged—it is a virtual certainty it is a virtual certainty predators. But this ain’t that. that innocents will be sucked into When I say this article is a prothe cyclone. that innocents will be active attempt to minimize collatThat is why I believe, when it sucked into the cyclone. eral damage while at the same time comes to the Court of Public Opinsupport victims, it is not the same ion, there needs to be a system of as blaming the victim! It is comdue process. It couldn’t be legally enforceable, obviously. But it would go a long way in pletely understandable, even advisable, for victims to minimizing collateral damage if we all just agreed, as remain anonymous. And while I also recognize there an unwritten social contract, to afford the accused a are credibility issues that accompany anonymous alcertain amount of procedural justice before flaying legations, it is not the same as blaming the victim. them in the news and on social media; before firing I also absolutely, unreservedly, whole-heartedly them, banning them, boycotting them or keying the understand why victims do not come forward immediword “douchebag” on the hoods of their cars. ately. I also recognize that time has a tendency to corThere should also be set a of guidelines to consider rupt the evidence of any allegation–be it murder, theft, as we deliberate the evidence. Think of these guide- extortion. Again, however, this is not the same as blamlines as the instructions given to the jury (us) before ing the victim. In fact, just so we are clear, I will dedicate retreating to that little deliberation room in the backs the entire next paragraph to reiterating my concern and of our minds. And what should those jury instructions respect for victims. Of course, this too will be ignored by be? Well, here’s a few that come to mind. the interminably irritated. Regardless, here it is. • Hold Your @#$&! Horses: After an allegation is Victims are not to blame, ok? We must maintain made, there should be a brief waiting period before a social climate where they can safely blow the whispouncing on the accused. Not sure how long exactly, tle on predators. Blaming victims only re-victimizes but a reasonable amount of time to uncover more evi- them and I hate, hate, fucking really hate that with all dence and, at the very least, hear what he or she has my heart. I have nothing but contempt for predators to say. and bullies and nothing but sympathy for their vic• Murder Your Biases: Don’t assume an individu- tims—and that includes the falsely accused, for they al’s guilt or innocence because you are a fan of their are victims too. Netflix series, or football team, or political party. I mean, just because you’re a Christian, conservative Sordid Tales appears every other week. Republican doesn’t mean that Roy Moore didn’t troll Write to edwin@sdcitybeat.com.
8 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · DECEMBER 13 , 2017
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CULTURE | VOICES
MINDA HONEY
AT THE
INTERSECTION
Choosing between healthcare and happiness
I
remember there was a span of years in high school where nothing made me feel cooler than sitting in the back of something. The back of the school bus. The top-back corner of the bleachers. The backseat of cars with boys. The back of movie theaters (also with boys). One night my crew went to see some movie or another. This was during that time when what movie I saw didn’t really matter because I was basically there to make out in the dark for several uninterrupted hours away from parental supervision. This was also right around the same time when some marketing genius decided it’d be a good idea to send a movie theater employee into the theatre right before the screening to try to sell the audience more shit. Friday nights at the movies can get rowdy and basically no one is trying to shell out even more money for the overpriced goodies from the lobby. Just start the movie already. This was an incredibly miserable position for the movie theater employee to be in. And that night, I made it worse. I was all hyped up on what was probably an obnoxious amount of Vanilla Coke. I had discovered that basically every other Vanilla Coke cap at Blockbuster was a winner for a free Coke and I would rack up like 10 at a time. Perhaps it was the hormones, or that cool high, or the fact I had a sizable audience, but I cupped my hands around my mouth and shouted down at the employee, “your job sucks!” My friends immediately shunned me for this act of sheer jackassery. Apparently, I’d reached even the average teenager’s tolerance for shitty behavior. Overcome with guilt, I bounded down the stairs to apologize. This girl was like two-seconds from tears. She was not going to let me off easy. She took off her visor, lifted her thick, cheap, metal-framed glasses and rubbed at her eye. She was a few years older than me. She didn’t wear makeup and had her dull hair pulled back into a ponytail. She looked like someone who’d endured years of bullying. “I know my job sucks,” she said. She explained that she had to work that suck-ass job because she had a lot of health issues and was on a lot of medications her family couldn’t afford. She barely made more than minimum wage and everything in her life was a hardship. She thanked me for my apology. I stood there feeling stupid and humbled. I told her I hoped she found a better-paying job soon. My dad’s a veteran and my mom’s a postal em-
ployee. We didn’t always have the best health insurance when I was growing up, but we had it. And when I needed braces, otherwise I’d have to suffer through life with totally jacked teeth, my Dad made $5,000 worth of payments for me to have a perfect smile. I didn’t know shit about that girl from the movie theater’s struggle. And while I immediately regretted my behavior, it wasn’t until I became a full-time freelance writer that I could even somewhat relate to her. Right before I quit my job last year, I wondered if maybe I shouldn’t because everything felt so uncertain heading into a Trump presidency. I reasoned I would still be able to get Obamacare for one year, so I went for it. I spent most of the fall and summer fretting over the state of healthcare in this country while Republicans worked over time to take my insurance away. Now, it’s been revealed they’ve written stipulations into their rickety tax reform bill they’re close to passing that will decimate Obamacare. It’s endlessly frustrating knowing that I’ve worked hard all year to build up my own business, but if healthcare goes away, I’ll have to return to that 9-to-5 life to get benefits. Like the movie theater girl, I’ll have to work an unfulfilling job to manage my health. I can’t go without health insurance. I’m in my early 30s, but over this last year I had a lot of wonky health issues that required seeing specialists and getting a variety of blood work and ultrasounds done that had nothing to do with a fetus in my uterus. The hundreds of dollars I paid, could have easily bloomed to tens of thousands of dollars without health insurance. Even if the state of things doesn’t change for the worse, my health insurance premiums will still be my number one expense as someone who is self-employed. My health insurance isn’t even that great. It’s just better than nothing. For 2018, I had to choose a plan with even less benefits because monthly premiums for my previous plan jumped $100 to $380. And who the fuck knows what I’ll do if I have pay out of pocket on my medical expenses to hit that $7,500 deductible. That’s a lot of damn avocado toast or homes/cars/diamond rings millennials aren’t buying. Here’s hoping that 2018 is as unpredictable as 2017 was, but in a good way. A year where healthcare, human rights and basic human decency make a comeback.
‘I know my job sucks,’ she said. She explained that she had to work that suck-ass job because she had a lot of health issues and was on a lot of medications her family couldn’t afford.
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At The Intersection appears every four weeks. DECEMBER 13, 2017 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 9
UP FRONT | FOOD
BY MICHAEL A. GARDINER MICHAEL GARDINER
THE WORLD
FARE Pork fat rules
A
generation or two of TV-food-types have sold viewers on the notion of “pork fat rules.” They’re not all wrong. However, if pork fat rules, then Filipino lechon is the king of kings, and Porky’s Lechon (1430 East Plaza Blvd., Suite E12) in National City may be its palace. A somewhat odd palace, perhaps. It’s more of a turo-turo (“point-point”) joint with a cafeteriastyle set up that features “combination” meals of rice and/or pancit noodles with one or two dishes. Still, the item to get there is clearly lechon, a whole suckling pig roasted over charcoal featuring unbelievably crispy, delicious skin. It’s a big thing pretty much anywhere the Spanish flag once flew. It is the national dish of the Philippines, and no one does it better (though Puerto Ricans, who also claim lechon as their national dish, might beg to differ). Porky’s roasts whole pigs daily on spits in a massive oven. The pigs emerge brown and beautiful before being boxed to go. If, however, a whole pig is not on the day’s docket, Porky’s also sells little cubes of lechon kawali pork belly by the pound. Get some. Its most distinctive feature is the way the texture of that crispy skin contrasts with the moist, soft meat inside and the unctuous fat layer between skin and meat below. Remarkably, though, Porky’s sometimes ends up with unsold pork belly lechon at the end of a day. It doesn’t go to waste. Rather, it’s repurposed as lechon paksiw, which is lechon meat stewed in vinegar, garlic and stock with classic Filipino herbs, soy sauce, bay leaf and aromatic vegetables. There’s a lot more on Porky’s turo-turo line than lechon. Kare-kare is a classic Filipino oxtail stew with vegetables (generally including eggplant and bok choy) in a peanut-based sauce colored with annatto. It’s savory, with just a hint of sweetness. And if lechon isn’t the Filipino national dish, adobo would have to be. Frankly, though, adobo is more of a technique than a dish, in which meat of just about any kind is cooked in vinegar, soy and garlic. It’s Filipino history on a plate, a dish with both Spanish and Asian influences clearly evident. Chick-
10 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · DECEMBER 13, 2017
Lechon roasting in an oven en and pork are classic adobo meats but Porky’s beef version was exceptional: savory, acidic with funk from the garlic and salinity from the soy sauce. Perhaps the best deal at Porky’s—just about everything there is affordable—is the lumpia, the Filipino take on egg rolls. Porky’s offers them at 15 for $5. There may, however, be no dish that separates the Filipinos from the gringos more than dinuguan, a Filipino offal stew. Blood cubes are a must in the dish and give it an imposing black color, but just about anything can end up in there: kidneys, intestines, lungs, ears, heart and snout. The offal is simmered in garlic, chilies and vinegar, and the resulting flavor is both heady and addicting; at least if you can get past the color and the idea of the parts. But as well as Porky’s does the classic Filipino dishes, the reason to go is simple: lechon. After all, pork fat, as they say, rules. The World Fare appears weekly. Write to michaelg@sdcitybeat.com.
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UP FRONT | DRINK
THE
BY ANDREW DYER
BEERDIST The gift of beer
Apparel: Shirts on Tap (shirtsontap.com) is a subscription t-shirt service that partners with spend most my Decembers moody and cringing, breweries in five cities to send its customers a new waiting for Jan. 1, when we all wake from our shirt every month, along with stickers and cougluttonous malaise and re-bury Mariah Carey’s pons. The designs are stylish and will keep your “All I Want for Christmas is You” for another bliss- geek in fresh gear. Craft Beerd (craftbeerd.com) and Hoppy Beer, Hoppy Life (hoppybeerhoppyful 11 months. But between now and the calendar’s sweet re- life.com) also offer a variety of cool beer wear so lease, we’re all going to have to get through this that we may all avoid tacky novelty shirts with brothing together. Part of the ritual we’ve all at least ish drinking slogans. Brewery societies: Pricey membership clubs somewhat bought into is gift-giving. Most of us have become a popular model to distribute rare probably have a beer geek on our lists, but before dropping hard-earned coin on the most expensive and special release beers with several breweries bottle in the beer aisle, consider these alternatives. over the last few years. Modern Times (League of ANDREW DYER Partygoers and Elegant People), Pure Project (Cellar Cyndicate), Mikkeller (Viking Club) and The Bruery (Reserve Society) are a few Southern California options. Of these, only Modern Times and The Bruery are accepting new members. Alesmith is launching the Order of the Anvil club this month, but it’s possible by the time this column comes out, it will be sold out. These clubs are expensive—expect to drop at least $300 for a year—but the price does cover the retail costs of all the beer, and they’re generally a good value. Things that sound good but are not: Bottle openers, pint glasses and growlers… These items might seem like good gifts, but anyone who’s been into beer for any amount of time likely has Holiday merch at AleSmith more than they can handle. Save them the headache. Better a gift card or two Beer: It’s risky buying beer for someone, espethan another pint glass to cram into the cabinet. cially if you are unsure of exactly what they’re into. There’s no perfect gift for everyone, of course, Right now, hazy IPAs and adjunct-laden “pastry” stouts are trendy, but unless you’re prepared to and some people are hard to shop for. However, weather a block-busting line or a hit-or-miss on- people who are into beer can be really into beer, line sale, the most sought-after of these brews are which makes choosing a beer gift a little more ingoing to be difficult to come by. In a pinch, Modern timidating. However, a little thoughtfulness goes a Times keeps great hazies in stock, and AleSmith long way, and there’s no such thing as a bad beer sells variants of Speedway Stout in its gift shop when it’s from someone who cares.
I
(9990 AleSmith Court, Miramar). Either is as close to a sure thing as you’re going to get with most local beer lovers.
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The Beerdist appears every other week. Write to andrewd@sdcitybeat.com
DECEMBER 13, 2017 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 11
EVENTS
SHORTlist
ART
the
THREE YOU HAVE TO SEE
COORDINATED BY
SETH COMBS
NORTH PARK
HOTEL MOTEL HOLIDAY IN
Eric Wong points out that Hotels/Motels (Unofficial Art Thumbprint Gallery, CM Curatorial and PGK Dance Project. Wong Fair 2017) is actually the third edition of the event, but to says each room will have it’s own distinct vibe and there will also call it an annual occurrence is a bit of a misnomer. The last iteration be bathroom and ceiling installations, as well as some rooms where guests will lay on the bed in order to view of the event—which features dozens of artERIC WONG video work. ists in a variety of mediums displaying their “It’s both challenging and exciting for work in hotel rooms—happened in 2003 at the viewer to look at the work, but it’s also the San Diego Travelodge. Wong moved to an intimate situation,” Wong says. “The artL.A. shortly after, but says he always wanted ist may be in the room with you. It blurs the to make Hotels/Motels happen again. line between what’s public and private.” “People always really liked this type of Wong isn’t sure he’ll do another Hotels/ event and I just wanted to contribute and Motels after this, but says he hopes the jump back into the San Diego scene,” says event will lead to more connections beWong, who moved back a few years ago. “I tween an art community that’s sometimes talk to a lot of artists and there’s just so separated by geography. many people struggling to sell their work “It may be an annual thing, but I don’t and find venues.” really want to be just a hotel art organizer. The reboot of Hotels/Motels will take It’s just a cool event and a good way to get place at the Lafayette Hotel, Swim Club Hotels/Motels (Unofficial Art Fair) people out of their cultural closet just be& Bungalows (2223 El Cajon Blvd.) from cause of the voyeuristic quality of it.” 7 to 10 p.m. Friday, Dec. 15 and noon to Tickets to Hotels/Motels are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. 10 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 16. There’s a list of over two-dozen artists, galleries and organizations participating including Xavier Vasquez, fallentreeexhibitions.com
BALBOA PARK
WET WHISTLES COURTESY OF SAN DIEGO MODEL RAILROAD MUSEUM
The San Diego Model Railroad Museum (1649 El Prado) has long been one of the more underrated hidden gems in Balboa Park, but those who’ve never checked it out before should definitely swing by the third annual Ales N Rails Ugly Sweater & Beer Tasting. Friday, San Diego Model Railroad Museum Dec 15 is National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day and we can’t think of a better way to celebrate than throwing on the silliest of knits to enjoy unlimited tastings of craft beers and gawk at intricate model railroad displays. Participating breweries include Mike Hess, Benchmark, Pizza Port, Rock Bottom and more. Funds go right back into the museum. It all happens from 6 to 9 p.m. and tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. sdmrm.org
HILLCREST
TASTE OFF
COURTESY OF FABULOUS HILLCREST
Let’s be honest. One of the best parts of any neighborhood tasting event is the alcoholic accompaniments. Hillcrest caught onto that years ago and created Taste ‘N’ Tinis, a holiday-inspired, self-guided walking tour that happens next on Thursday, Dec. 14. From 4 to 9 p.m., weave Taste ‘n’ Tinis through the neighborhood and stop for cocktails, bites and shopping opportunities. Twelve stores, such as Luigi Vera and Torreon Importers, will be serving their takes on martinis. Food will be available at many other shops, including The Rail and Urban Mo’s. Tickets are $25 in advance or $30 the day of the event Be sure to pick up the official tasting passport, martini cup and map from one of the will call locations, Rite Aid (535 Robinson Ave.) and Rich’s San Diego (1051 University Ave.). fabuloushillcrest.com
HToyland at Helen Knoll Memorial Community Center at the Brown Building, 4133 Poplar St., City Heights. A collection of works from transgender, nonbinary and gender nonconforming artists that includes performance art, visual art and more. Plus an open mic, food, drink and more. Opening from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 15. Free. facebook.com/ events/2001880700070650 HHotels/Motels at Lafayette Hotel, 2223 El Cajon Blvd., North Park. Artists from San Diego and Los Angeles transform hotel rooms into galleries, stages and project spaces. A portion of ticket sales will go to Vanguard Culture. From 7 to 10 p.m. Friday, Dec. 15 and noon to 10 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 16. $10-$20. fallentreeexhibitions.com One with the Force at Basic Bar/Pizza, 410 10th Ave., Downtown. A Star Warsthemed group show featuring more than 25 artists. Plus music by Jon Quest. Opening from 7 p.m. to midnight Tuesday, Dec. 19. Free. facebook.com/ events/226498741212173
BOOKS HGabriel Halcyon and Danielle Rexilius at Mysterious Galaxy Book Store, 5943 Balboa Ave., Ste. 100, Clairemont. The two local authors will sign and discuss their collaborative fantasy novel Genesis. At 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 17. Free. 858-2684747, mystgalaxy.com James Rollins at Mysterious Galaxy Book Store, 5943 Balboa Ave., Ste. 100, Clairemont. The New York Times bestselling novelist will sign the latest installment in his SIGMA Force series, The Demon Crown. At 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 19. Free. 858-268-4747, mystgalaxy.com
DANCE HThe Nutcracker at Spreckels Theatre, 121 Broadway, Downtown. City Ballet of San Diego’s annual production of the holiday classic that includes a full orchestra. At 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 15 and Saturday, Dec. 16, and 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 16 and Sunday, Dec. 17. $25-$75. cityballet.org HThe Nutcracker at San Diego Civic Theatre, 1100 Third Ave., Downtown. California Ballet Company’s production of the holiday classic includes music conducted by John Stubbs and a cast of over 150. At 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 15, 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 16 and 1 and 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 17. $22-$103. californiaballet.org
EVENTS CONTINUED ON PAGE 14
12 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · DECEMBER 13, 2017
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december 13, 2017 · San Diego CityBeat · 13
EVENTS EVENTS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12 The Nutcracker at Center for the Arts Escondido, 340 N Escondido Blvd., Escondido. As if two weren’t enough, West Coast Ballet Theatre offers their own version of Tchaikovsky’s ballet, complete with accompaniment from the San Diego Civic Youth Orchestra. At 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 16 and Sunday, Dec. 17. $21.50$42. 760-839-4138, artcenter.org
FOOD & DRINK HTaste ‘N’ Tinis at various locations, Hillcrest. A holiday-inspired, self-guided walking tour of Hillcrest to try martinis and bites, along with plenty of holiday shopping opportunities. Official tasting passport, martini cup and map are available at Rite Aid (535 Robinson Ave.) and Rich’s San Diego (1051 University Ave.). From 4 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 14. $25-$30. fabuloushillcrest.com HCold Brew City SD at BRICK, 2863 Historic Decatur Road, Point Loma. The second annual event honors the city’s best cold brew makers. There will be a cold brew competition, plus coffee cultureinspired art, equipment for sale and more. From 1 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 16. $15. facebook.com/events/195257074350549
HOLIDAY EVENTS ARTS District Holiday Gift Market at Arts District Liberty Station, 2640 Historic Decatur Road, Point Loma. A chance to buy locally-made art, jewelry, comic books and more items crafted by the artisans at Liberty Station. Participants include Comickaze, 7 Stitches Ethnic Jewelry and more. From 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 13. Free. 619-573-9304, facebook.com/ events/919044848272554 Gingerbread House Decorating Party at Queenstown Public House, 1557 Columbia St., Little Italy. Until Dec. 21, Queenstown Public House will provide gingerbread house kits in exchange for an unwrapped toy to be donated to the San Diego’s Monarch School. Then participate in the decorating party for a chance to win a restaurant reservation for two. From 7 to 10 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 13. 619-5460444, queenstownpublichouse.com An American Christmas at U.S. Grant Hotel, 326 Broadway, Downtown. Lamb’s Players Theatre’s annual holiday production features music, dance, story and song, all woven throughout a four-course holiday meal. At 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 14 through Sunday, Dec. 24. $112$168. 619-232-3121, lambsplayers.org HAles N Rails Ugly Sweater & Beer Tasting at the San Diego Model Railroad Museum, 1649 El Prado, Balboa Park. Celebrate National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day while drinking craft beers and checking out model railroad displays. Participating breweries include Mike Hess, Benchmark, Pizza Port, Rock Bottom and more. From 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 15. $25-$30. sdmrm.org An Irish Christmas at Balboa Theatre, 868 Fourth Ave., Gaslamp. An Irish take on the holiday, which includes world champion dancers Scott Doherty, Tyler Schwartz and others. Also celebrate with Irish songs and other traditions such as butter-making, chasing the wren and more. At 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 15. $22-$75. 619-570-1100, sandiegotheatres.org An Evening of Readings & Carols at Village Community Presbyterian Church, 6225 Paseo Delicias, Rancho Santa Fe. The San Diego Pro Arte Voices presents their annual holiday themed concert that includes musical selections paired with readings by distinguished guest speakers. At 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 15. $10-$30. 858-756-2441, sdproartevoices.org
An Evening of Readings and Carols at St. Andrews by the Sea, 1050 Thomas Ave., Pacific Beach. The San Diego Pro Arte Voices presents their annual holiday themed concert that includes musical selections paired with readings by distinguished guest speakers. At 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 16. $10-$30. sdproartevoices.org HJane Lynch: A Swingin’ Little Christmas at Center for the Arts Escondido, 340 N Escondido Blvd., Escondido. The Emmy and Golden Globe Award winning singer and actress will perform holiday classics with help from Kate Flannery (The Office) and Tim Davis (Glee). At 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 16. $40-$50. 760-8394138, artcenter.org HHeal Your Soul at Queen Bee’s Art & Cultural Center, 3925 Ohio St., North Park. A holiday benefit concert for Alternative Healing Network with performances by Sure Fire Soul Ensemble, Al Howard and Erik Canzona from The Heavy Guilt and more. Preceded by a VIP party. From 5 p.m. to midnight Saturday, Dec. 16. $10-$25. facebook.com/events/2108688815811539 HSoCal Etsy Guild Market at Horton Plaza Park, 900 Fourth Ave., Downtown. This market will have local designers, live art, craft vendors, music and more. J & S MakeScents, Suma Jewelry and Rakuchin are a few of the booths that will be there. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 16. Free. facebook.com/events/715559791972202 Hillcrest Wind Ensemble Holiday Revue at Parq West, 2557 Third Ave., Hillcrest. This concert includes the music of Christmas, Hanukkah and New Years Eve performed by the ensemble, special guests and the Hillcrest Wind Ensemble Holiday Singers. From 7 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 16. $25. hillcrestwindensemble.com Noel Noel at Copley Symphony Hall, 750 B St., Downtown. The San Diego Symphony performs classic holiday favorites and Christmas carol sing-alongs in this annual, family-friendly concert. At 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 16. $20-$71. 619-235-0804, sandiegosymphony.org HPop Up Swap Holiday Edition at Whistle Stop Bar, 2236 Fern St., South Park. There will be ornaments, jewelry, leather goods and more as sold by local shops. Plus happy hour-priced cocktails and DJ sets from The Half Kabbs, Hexa/Strangers in a Fire and more. From 2 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 16. Free. 619-284-6784, facebook.com/events/131329627548618 Water Aglow at Water Conservation Garden, 12122 Cuyamaca College Drive West, El Cajon. The East County botanical garden will be lit up with lights for the holiday. Includes music, crafts and other activities throughout the night. Happens Thursdays through Saturdays. From 6 to 8 p.m. through Saturday, Dec. 16. $3$5. thegarden.org HHoliday Vintage Flea Market at The Observatory North Park, 2891 University Ave., North Park. A themed market offering one-of-a kind vintage items. Gift wrapping will be available for donations that will benefit Lionel’s Legacy Senior Dog Rescue, plus non-perishable food will be collected for the San Diego Food Bank. From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 17. Free. facebook.com/events/125508698125395 HDianne Reeves at Balboa Theatre, 868 Fourth Ave., Gaslamp. The Grammy-award winning jazz vocalist performs her seasonal album, Christmas Time Is Here. “Little Drummer Boy,” “Carol of the Bells” and many more are in the program. At 8 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 17. $18-$68. sandiegotheatres.org HTijuana Holiday Market Hop at Tijuana, Baja California. Turista Libre offers a holiday trip that tours south-of-the-border mercados. There will be stops at the city’s longestrunning flea market, the city’s oldest openair market and more. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
14 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · DECEMBER 13, 2017
BOOKS: THE FLOATING LIBRARY Proto gothic
S
he was a pin-up model, burlesque dancer and a hatcheck girl who came to Hollywood in search of fame and fortune. She got her first break when she was cast in a gothic horror movie written by William Faulkner, but the production fell apart and the movie was never made. Her next opportunity came in 1954 when she was invited to be the host of a television show that sent shockwaves through popular culture that can still be felt today. Her name was Maila Nurmi but today she is fondly remembered by her screen name… Vampira. In Vampira: Dark Goddess of Horror, published by Soft Skull Press, W. Scott Poole chronicles the life and times of Hollywood’s most unlikely starlet. Nurmi, a young FinnishAmerican woman fresh out of high school, came to Hollywood to make a name for herself. That all changed after she won a costume contest where she dressed as a seductive vampire. With her astonishing 36-17-36 measurements, plunging neckline and arched eyebrows, she caught the attention of a producer and The Vampira Show was born. She opened each episode of The Vampira Show with a scream that mixed terror with pleasure. Her delivery was a new kind of gothic camp, “completely subverting the image of the ‘50s housewife and turning her into a rebellious monster,” writes Poole.
Sunday, Dec. 17. $35.81. turistalibre.com HSan Diego Made Holiday Market at Lafayette Hotel, 2223 El Cajon Blvd., North Park. An opportunity to do some last-chance shopping for local goods. Features more than 60 vendors, plus food and drink stations, face painting, a photo booth, music and more. From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 17. $5. sandiegomade.yapsody.com HCraft & Draft at Blind Lady Ale House, 3416 Adams Ave., Normal Heights. The sixth annual event will offer holiday beers, food and handmade goods from local artisans. Vendors include reVetro Glass, Craft Beerd, Ceramic Heights and more. From 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 17. 619-255-2491, facebook.com/ events/2004737033130341 HSan Diego Mixtape Society MixUp at North Park Beer Co., 3038 University Ave., North Park. The group’s end-of-theyear gathering asks attendees to bring a self-curated mixtape of songs with “?” in the title to be entered into a drawing. Plus, a music-themed white elephant gift exchange. At 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 17. Free. facebook.com/events/523487851332334 HSan Diego Bay Parade of Lights at San Diego Bay, Downtown. The 46th annual event held on San Diego Bay features boats of all types and sizes decorated in Christmas themes and parading around the bay. From 5 to 9:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 17. Free. sdparadeoflights.org HHoliday Nights at Bernardo Winery, 13330 Paseo del Verano Norte, Rancho Bernardo. The winery stays open late for the annual holiday event, which offers carriage rides around the vineyard, hot mulled wine and carolers. Plus, there will be a holiday shopping village of local artisans. From 4 to 9 p.m. Monday, Dec. 18 through Saturday, Dec. 23. Free. 858487-1866, bernardowinery.com Holiday Marketplace at Luce Court and Legacy Plaza, Liberty Station, 2641 Truxtun
She was like nothing else on television. She was profiled in LIFE Magazine and did a turn on Red Skelton’s show alongside Bela Lugosi. She was part of the Night Watch crew that hung out with James Dean. She was even named Night-Mayor of Hollywood. But after her second season, The Vampira Show was abruptly cancelled. Vampira was uncompromising on and off the screen and her friendship with James Dean became fodder for Hollywood gossip magazines. After his untimely death, she was referred to as the “Black Madonna” who cast spells on Dean that led to his demise. The truth wasn’t nearly so sensational: Vampira was too wild, too weird and too sexy for her time. “There was so much repression,” Nurmi later remembered, “and people needed to identify with something explosive, something outlandish and truthful.” After a brief appearance in Ed Wood Jr.’s super schlocky B-movie Plan 9 from Outer Space, she retreated into the shadows. But Vampira endures. Her signature looks and mordant humor inspired pop culture icons like the character of Morticia of The Addams Family, Disney’s Maleficent and horror movie hostess Elvira. Yet after all these years, the wasp-waisted siren is still the most transgressive of them all.
Road, Point Loma. Enjoy live music while shopping from Liberty Station vendors and tenants. Takes place Friday through Sunday. From 4 to 10 p.m. Through Saturday, Dec. 23. $10-$50. libertystation.com HGarden of Lights at San Diego Botanic Garden, 230 Quail Gardens Drive, Encinitas. The San Diego Botanic Garden will be a winter wonderland through Dec. 30, with snow, carolers and over 100,000 sparkling lights illuminating the Garden for a unique holiday experience. From 5 to 9 p.m. Through Saturday, Dec. 30. $5-$20. 760-436-3036, sdbgarden.org Winter Nights at Westfield UTC at Westfield UTC, 4545 La Jolla Village Drive, University City. Enjoy music, snow, family photo ops with Santa and unexpected acts of kindness from Merry Makers. Shoppers can also enjoy a holiday classic matinee at ArcLight Cinemas. Every Saturday. From 5 to 8 p.m. Through Saturday, Dec. 16. Free. 858-546-8858, westfield.com HSkating by the Sea at Hotel Del Coronado, 1500 Orange Ave., Coronado. Now in its 13th year, the outdoor ice rink on the Windsor Lawn features views of Coronado Beach. Skating sessions will be offered daily and a portion of the proceeds benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Price includes skate rental. From 3:30 to 10 p.m. Through Monday, January 1. $30. 800468-3533, hoteldel.com HRady Children’s Ice Rink at Arts District Liberty Station, 2640 Historic Decatur Road, Point Loma. Skate on this outdoor, seasonal ice rink with proceeds benefiting Rady Children’s Hospital’s Peckham Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders. From 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Through Sunday, Jan. 7. $10-$50. libertystation.com
MUSIC HDave Koz at Balboa Theatre, 868 Fourth Ave., Gaslamp. The Jewish saxophonist, who’s earned the nickname
—Jim Ruland Santa Koz, performs on his 20th anniversary Christmas tour. The concert will include Christmas classics as well as a Chanukah medley and more. At 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 14. $50-$90. 619-5701100, sandiegotheatres.org HFanfares and Celebrations at Copley Symphony Hall, 750 B St., Downtown. A Jacobs Masterworks Classical Special Concert with a set list that includes popular pieces by Handel, Tchaikovsky, Mozart, Strauss and more. At 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 20. $35. 619-2350804, sandiegosymphony.org
PERFORMANCE HIt’s FHcking Christmas Again! at Finest City Improv, 4250 Louisiana St., North Park. FCI’s annual, politically incorrect holiday show features local improv masters performing a show about North Pole misfits. From 9 to 10:30 p.m. Through Saturday, Dec. 23. $15. 619-306-6047, finestcityimprov.com A Hole in Your Stocking at The Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theater, 2130 Pan American Road W, Balboa Park. Animal Cracker Conspiracy presents an evening of short form experimental puppet theater, beer by Kilowatt Brewing, live music and puppet making. From 7 to 10 p.m. Friday, Dec. 15. $12-$50. 619-544-9203, facebook.com/events/528372977522174
POETRY & SPOKEN WORD HInsta-Anthology #2 at Verbatim Books, 3793 30th St., North Park. An open-mic reading where attendees are encouraged to print 25 copies of one poem to be shared. The copies of each poem will be compiled into an anthology to take home. From 7:30 to 10 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 13. Free. 619-5017466, verbatim-books.com
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THEATER
DAREN SCOTT
Cashae Monya in Cabaret
In the Klub
C
abaret ���������������������������������������� is the ultimate in ironical musical the� ater. In spite of what the title tune suggests, life is not a cabaret, old chum. The raucous fun and bawdy music of the Kit Kat Klub are, in fact, fronts for pain, sadness and fear. These dark predilections make this Cabaret— much like the 1998 revival production by direc� tor Sam Mendes—an ideal fit for ion Theatre’s tiny, shadowy space. In the course of a couple of hours’ time, ion’s production, directed by Claudio Raygoza, becomes the Kit Kat Klub of Berlin circa 1931. Ion has even set up a few small cabaret tables among the regular loge seats for added atmosphere. This Cabaret is highly sexualized with its danc� ers, choreographed by the prodigious Michael Miz� erany, and even its Sally Bowles (Cashae Monya) outfitted (by costume designer Keira McGee) in sartorial provocations that seem on the verge of wardrobe malfunction. That’s half of the fun. The other half are the Kit Kat novelty songs (written by John Kander and Fred Ebb) like “Two Ladies,” “The Money Song” and “If You Could See Her Now,” which are played for sight-gag effect. The gender-bending cast is huge (at least by ion standards) with musicians doubling as actors, all of whom enhance the devil-may-care spirit of the pro� ceedings. Monya is the best singer in the ensemble by a substantial degree, though her British accent as Sally comes and goes. Drew Bradford wears a per� petual frown as Sally’s American suitor, Cliff, but he’s forgivably sincere. In the showcase role of the Emcee, Linda Libby shares duties with a ubiquitous (too ubiquitous) kazoo-playing boy (Scotty Atien� za). Her Emcee visual antics aside, Libby is actually at her best during the piquant ballad “What Would You Do?” Morgan Carberry is notable for her per� formance as wry prostitute Fraulein Kost, as well as for her terrific keyboard work in the band area (she’s also Cabaret’s musical director). The shattered, or soon-to-be shattered, deni� zens of the Kit Kat Klub eat, drink and make merry (or make love, and lots of it) because they know that tomorrow promises a terrible inevitability. Cabaret will always be staged someplace at sometime because of all the terrible tomorrows that followed
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as the Nazis rose to power. Cabaret runs through Dec. 24 at ion theatre in Hillcrest. $18-$59; iontheatre.com
—David L. Coddon
Theater reviews run weekly. Write to davidc@sdcitybeat.com.
OPENING: La Posada Magica: This family-friendly musical tells the story of a young girl and all the characters she meets while participating in her neighborhood’s posada observance. Presented by Hispanic Arts Theatre, it opens Dec. 14 for six performances at the Coronado Playhouse. coronadoplayhouse.com Oliver: The classic musical about an orphan who just wants a little more. Presented by Star Repertory Theatre, it opens Dec. 14 at the AVO Playhouse in Vista. starrepertorytheatre.com Mrs. Bob Cratchit’s Wild Christmas Binge: A staged reading of Christopher Durang’s holiday comedy that’s described as a mash-up of A Christmas Carol and It’s a Wonderful Life. Presented by the Roustabouts Theatre Co., it happens Dec. 19 at the Neil Morgan Auditorium at the San Diego Central Library in Downtown. theroustabouts.org Sister’s Christmas Catechism: The Mystery of the Magi’s Gold: A comedic and interactive mystery featuring a wisecracking Catholic nun. It opens Dec. 20 for six performances at the North Coast Repertory Theatre in Solana Beach. northcoastrep.org
NOW PLAYING: Black Pearl Sings: A Library of Congress musicologist and a Black female prisoner develop an unlikely friendship in Frank Higgins’ inspiring musical. Presented by San Diego Repertory Theatre, it runs through Dec. 17 at the Lyceum Theatre in the Gaslamp. sdrep.org A Christmas Story: A musical adaptation of the classic movie about a boy who just wants a BB gun despite the fact he’ll just shoot his eye out. Presented by the Pickwick Players, it runs through Dec. 17 at Off Broadway Live in Santee. pickwickplayers.net
For full listings, visit “Theater” under Culture at sdcitybeat.com
DECEMBER 13, 2017 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 15
hen it comes to buying holiday gifts, some people are easier to shop for than others. For some, it just comes easily and instinctively, as we have their tastes and desires firmly established. But then there’s those people. The ones we always end up buying a gift card for at the local pharmacy, because we’re desperate and don’t have the precious mental energy to brainstorm ideas. Perhaps they’re extended family or a significant other’s family. Maybe it’s a co-worker or a secret Santa. Either way, while we didn’t plan on having to buy these people a gift, we don’t want to arrive empty-handed or give them something uninspired. That’s the idea behind this year’s gift guide. It’s a loose collection of types of people for whom we always find it hard to find suitable gifts. As is tradition, we’ve included local boutiques and stores instead of the corporate chain stores so that readers can rest easy knowing they’re supporting local businesses. The morethan-a-dozen items here may not be great for everyone on the holiday list, but chances are readers will be able to find something suitable at one of these stores.
16 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · DECEMBER 13, 2017
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For the cinephile…
For the goth…
It’s difficult to find gifts for film aficionados because they’re probably the most particular of the media-consumers. There are few directors deserving of the label “legendary” more than John Carpenter. Known for classics such as Halloween, The Thing and Big Trouble in Little China, Carpenter’s influence can be felt all over modern cinema. Over the past year, Digital Gym Cinema (3538 Adams Ave.) has been celebrating the legendary filmmaker by showing a different film from his oeuvre each month, and the amount of Carpenter merch in the lobby shop should make any fan squeal, especially Waxwork’s remastered soundtrack to The Thing on colored vinyl ($39.99). Drool. For those who dabble in filmmaking, it’s hard to imagine a more useful, inexpensive tool than the Joby GripTight GorillaPod stand, which can The Thing soundtrack be found at George’s Camera (3837 30th St.). This spider-looking thingy is essentially a tripod for a smartphone, but with legs that can attach to any ledge or protrusion, making it easy to get those super highangle shots. These go for $29.95. Finally, only a certain kind monster would have no desire for Black Sabbath’s The End boxset, found at Lou’s Records (34 N. Coast Hwy. 101, Encinitas) for $83.99. This documentary of the seminal metal band’s final concert comes packaged with a Blu-Ray of the film, three CDs, a perfect-bound book and a shitload of other goodies.
Considering how much of a bummer everything is in 2017, it’s probably safe to say we’ve all gone a bit goth at this point. But to the lifers who’ve been meticulously teasing their hair and doing their eyeliner for years, goth isn’t just some vague notion, it’s a lifestyle. And whatever’s in their stockings better be black. The stockings too, for that matter. Alternately, a more interesting option beyond the fishnets and coal is something more spiritual. Child of Wild (5376 Napa St., childofwild.com) in Mission Valley carries a series of ritual kits ($32) by J. Southern Studio for cleansing auras or harnessing the moon’s energy—you know, stuff Willow from Buffy the Vampire Slayer would have done. As an alternate option, or as an add-on, J. Southern Studio a Native Bear Magic journal protection kit ($12)—identifiable by their psychedelic cover designs—can be a great place to take stock of those ritual experiences. For goths with less of a witchcraft streak, a more decorative, grown-up item might be in order. The Curios Skull Espresso Set ($34) at Love and Aesthetics (2910 University Ave., loveandaesthetics.com) will gloom up anyone’s kitchen nicely. Macabre glassware isn’t necessarily exclusively for goths, but they’ll definitely appreciate it, particularly when drinking their coffee or espresso—black, naturally.
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—Ryan Bradford
—Jeff Terich
For the green thumb… Gardening is a science, and yet there are those people we know whose abilities to bring life to a stagnant plot of land somehow seems like wizardry. The proper ratio of watering to sun, Chive Aerium proper soil pH—it’s overwhelming. But most of us know someone who can explain the finer details if we bothered to ask. Shopping for them can be tricky, though; after all, they know what they’re doing. Pinebush gardening tools such as trowels, scoops and weeders—available at Mission Hills Nursery (1525 Fort Stockton Drive)—are a fine option even for a well-stocked gardener. The stainless steel tools with wooden handles are a bit nicer than the usual hardware store fare, but still get the job done. Also consider options to display those proud botanicals throughout the house. Mission Hills Nursery also carries colorful Chive Aeriums ($30) that come in a variety of sizes and shapes, which can be hung from the ceiling, like organic art. For actually relaxing next to one’s garden, Chicweed Patio & Garden (240 S. Cedros Ave.) in Solana Beach has a variety of uniquely designed pillows and cushions to spruce up the patio furniture, as well as handmade birdhouses, to invite a few avian guests to join the garden party.
—Jeff Terich
DECEMBER 13, 2017 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 17
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For the drinker…
For the vintage lover…
For the estranged parent…
I thought about calling this particular type of person “the kitchenista” or the “foodie” so as to indicate that this type of person isn’t necessarily limited to cocktails. But for the sake of clarity, these are the types we’d often find in the kitchen, whipping up some amazing bites or serving up crafty cocktails in pristine glassware. For those, I’d highly recommend checking out the selection at Artelexia (3803 Ray St.). The North Park spot sells Mexican-inspired gifts and has a huge selection of cookbooks and housewares. I’d recommend the canned goods, which includes things like a Mole Negro kit from Coronado Spice & Tea ($18) and a jar of delectably spicy salsa negra olives from SaArtelexia bor de Antaño ($12). I know $12 seems like a lot for a jar of olives, but these babies will kick up any party tray or dirty martini. Speaking of drinks, Gold Leaf in South Park (2225 30th St.) has a stellar selection of bitters and DIY cocktail kits, but it’s their glassware that gift-givers should seek out. The Sun and Moon matching glasses from Sisters of Los Angeles would be a great gift for just about anyone, and they’re affordable as well at $30 for a set of two. Throw in one the vintage glassware totes and you’ll be the toast of the holiday party.
We all have a friend or relative that always shows up looking impeccably dressed in vintage wear and who thirsts for anything mid-century modern. However, I can’t exactly recommend a real vintage item seeing as how it would likely sell before most readers had a chance to buy it. But there are plenty of places that sell vintage-inspired items that are just as good as the real thing. Sage Sisters in North Park (3060 University Ave.) has some cool items that designing minds appreciate. First, there’s the Christopher Speccedesigned Frank Tray ($24). It’s just what the name implies: a beautiful tray designed to serve the Frank tray most unbeautiful of foods (frankfurters). However, the Googie architecture-inspired tray really can be used to serve anything delectable. If a tray isn’t their thing, I’d recommend one of the Eric Trine Octahedron Ring Planters ($59-$84). Men can be, well, simpler when it comes to design, favoring function over fashion, which is what Whisky Locker (3046 North Park Way) is all about. They have some beautifully crafted Bocote and Oak wood combs and beard picks ($18-$22) that are both stylish and sensible. There’s also the Tiki Farm mugs ($18) at Warshaw’s Provisions (2209 30th St.). The corner boutique in South Park has become something of a destination for tiki-inspired gear so even if the person already has a mug set, there’s plenty of figurines and house wares to peruse. —Seth Combs
In the Folger’s Coffee world, the holidays are one big bokeh’d snow globe of nostalgia and family togetherness. But for those with relationship fissures, this can be the most treacherous time of the year. Progress Birdrock (5648 La Jolla Blvd, Birdrock) sells a gorgeous set of kitchen towels locally screened by artist Valentine Viannay. These beautiful tea towels ($18) can’t possibly be politicized by even the staunchest Tea Party parent. The way to the heart is, of course, through the stomach. However, cooking can also fuel resentment. Gift an olive branch in the form of San Guiliano Olive Oil straight from Sardinia; one liter costs $18.59. Set it aside and let Luigi and Roberto Valentine Viannay tea towel Assenti of Assenti’s Pasta (2044 India Street, Little Italy) do the toiling. Set aside and resolve differences while enjoying Assenti’s legendary Porcini Loaf ($12.50/lb.) They go fast so call before you finish reading this paragraph. Then kiss-and-make up over Carmela Assenti seasonal Chocolate Paneforte ($24.89).
—Seth Combs
—Aaryn Belfer
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For the sporty type…
For the artist…
For the teenage girl…
There’s always that family member. The one who bikes 30 miles per day, runs 13 miles on weekends, climbs Mt. Baldy and inflicts guilt on the rest of the family members who are “in between gym memberships.” Scaling icy peaks and drifting on dirt roads sounds like fun if you enjoy liferisking activities and anxiety. Fortunately, there’s a bunch of gizmos to gift that are both badass and smart. For one, the outdoorsy boutique Rove (3275 Adams Ave.) in Normal Heights carries the Soto Pocket Torch ($20), which clips onto rectangular, disposable lighters (not the rounded type, such as Bic) to spark a flame that reaches up to 2,300 degrees Fahrenheit. With it, Sporty Spice can cut rope, solder small items and, of course, light campfires or camping stoves. Speaking of camping stoves, the La Mesa store Adventure 16 (4620 Alvarado Canyon Road) sells a nifty one Jetboil Zip called the Jetboil Zip Personal CookPersonal ing System ($79.95). The 27-ounce, Cooking System cozy-insulated cooking cup has a boil time of five minutes, and you can drink right out of it. Considering there’s also a built-in strainer and the bottom cover doubles as a measuring cup and bowl, this product was made with a resourceful, solo camper in mind.
Even though I mostly stick to digital art (Photoshop is the name of my game *pushes nerd glasses up*), I think any type of artist, regardless of skill-level, would be stoked to to get a set of Copic markers and a RendR notebook of 8-inch by 8-inch drawing paper from The Art Stash (7859 El Cajon Blvd, La Mesa). Watch any reputable comic-book tutorial on YouTube and the artist will recommend Copic markers because of their blendable qualities (the employee Art Stash compared them to watercolor paints). Each marker goes for $7.99, but they are refillable. And giving someone a marker without paper is cruel, which makes a RendR notebook the perfect companion gift. These babies go for $19. While artists should never focus on money, a little recognition never hurts, and a set of self-promotional cusRendR sketchbooks tomized stickers printed at Ego ID Media (3538 Adams Ave) would be a good method for any artist to get their name/brand/work out into the world. The price for a custom sticker job begins at $44, and the folks at Ego ID are cool because they know what they’re doing and are incredibly adept to meeting artists’ specific needs. Just make sure your recipient is the type who asks permission before plastering their designs anywhere (and not like the jerks who cover our newspaper boxes).
Cool aunts and uncles are instrumental in shaping teen girls into woke, young women. One way is to be sly about it, playing into the rebellious streak just enough. The book Bad Girls Throughout History by Ann Shen ($19.95) is a fitting accomplice for the mission, and can be found at Pigment (3801 30th St.). The title will speak to the she-devil temporarily taking over her 13-year-old self, but the contents will hit with a force of memorable feminism. The book comprises 100 bite-sized essays about women who were considered rule-breakers of their time, such as Cleopatra, Ada Lovelace and Sojourner Truth. Another tip for winning over teens this (and every) holiday season: avoid telling them about how the world worked back in your day. This is crucial when gifting the brand new Polaroid OneStep 2 ($99.95), which is a pretty cool blast from the past that’s available at George’s Camera Bad Girls (3837 30th St.). Instant Throughout History cameras have recently made a comeback thanks to Fujifilm’s Instax, but this is the first time Polaroid has created one for itself in a while. The OneStep 2 is a stylistic ode to the original ‘77 model. Remind her that’s how the first Instagram app icon looked, if she can remember that far back.
—Torrey Bailey
—Ryan Bradford
—Torrey Bailey
For the surfer…
For the outraged woman…
For the hippie…
Anyone who lives in San Diego almost certainly has a friend or family member who’s really into surfing. It comes with the territory. For the stylish surfer, Aloha Beach Club (3039 University Ave.) has a variety of clothes and accessories that look good on and off the beach: sunglasses, leather goods, t-shirts, board shorts, etc. But we’re especially partial to the super-soft, durable, extremely Instagrammable towels. The store carries towels from The Beach People and Shoots, with prices ranging between $34 and $110. For the surfer who’s more classic, head to Bird’s Surf The Beach People towel Shed in Linda Vista or Ocean Beach (1091 W Morena Blvd. and 1963 Abbott St.). The store itself is filled with cool customized surfboards, some of which are made in-store. They even line the store’s domed ceiling with them. But if a custom surfboard is a little outside your price range, there are hoodies and hats with the Bird’s Surf Shed logo on them, ranging in price from $25 to $50. It’s a store with a reputation as being “way more than a surf shop. It’s a San Diego surf destination,” according to the website. Surfers will certainly be proud to rep it (plus, some of the hoodies are really cozy).
This has been a banner year for women. Yes, we’re mad as hell and we aren’t gonna take it any more. No doubt we’re boldly owning our voices and our stories, and nothing says I could totally kick your ass like a flowing kaftan from the House of Wandering Silk; it really is the closest thing to a super hero cape. Get one at the Collector’s Gallery at the Mingei International Museum (1439 El Prado). At $195-$220 for the silkies, these works of art aren’t cheap. But neither is empowerment. As we move to take over and then save the world, every damn woman in her fiercely righteous mind needs to carry in her raised fist a copy of Mary Beard’s Women & Power: A Manifesto. Pick it up at The Book Catapult (3010 Juniper St., South Park) for $15.95. While handing over (what should be) a Harriet Tubman bill, gift buyers can make the best impulse-purchase of Women & Power: the year by adding to their tab A Manifesto a pack (or 17) of Blue Q designer gum. Opt for the one that reads, “There is no I in Team, but there is a You in Fuck You.” It will feel all kinds of revolutionary when the kaftan-clad heroine in your life slips the little package to any trashy dudes in hers. —Aaryn Belfer
There are a lot of cool gifts you can get your hippie friend or family member. They’re actually shockingly easy to shop for; just give them a really cool rock and say it’ll open their chakras or something (you can pretend to know what that means). I’m sort of kidding, but there actually are some pretty neat gifts available in San Diego for your resident hippie. Controversial Book Store (3063 University Ave) has you covered with pink Himalayan salt lamps that, in addition to looking cool, reportedly help reduce stress and improve sleep. They’re a popular item, so grab them soon for $99. The store also sells a variety of new agey books, incense, essential oils, jewelry and more. If that’s just not hippie enough for them, head to SunShine DayDreams (4979 Newport Ave.) in the grooviest neighborhood of all: Ocean Beach. They have racks on racks of tie-dyed and crocheted apparel that will fit Himalayan salt lamp basically anyone. But we’re especially partial to some of the home decor they offer, especially the vintage signs and concert posters, which are $9 to $24 depending on the size. Just another way to make your friend’s home feel like something straight out of the ‘60s (though the semi-permanent cloud of marijuana smoke in their living room probably helps, too). —Jamie Ballard
—Jamie Ballard
22 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · DECEMBER 13, 2017
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CULTURE | ART
SEEN LOCAL UNDER CONTROL
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“What I’m trying to do is not only promote the have friends who have lived in San Diego their whole life and have yet to go to Tijuana, and they work, but really get a portrait of the person,” he says. still promote this narrative that San Diego is this “It’s being able to humanize the person behind the really boring place and there’s nothing happening,” work.” He will be continuing to hold the live shows every says San Diego-raised Alan Lilienthal. Despite traveling between California and Mexico first Tuesday at Tiger!Tiger! (3025 El Cajon Blvd.) with in his youth, Lilienthal too bought into that cursed, the next one taking place Jan. 16. He will also begin hosting Cura Caos at Trilogy but common, narrative when COURTESY OF CURA CAOS Sanctuary (7650 Girard Ave. he was 20. So, like many, he #400) every third Tuesday of moved away to New York, the month for topics better Oakland and elsewhere until suited in a venue other than returning a year ago with a rea bar. Eventually, he’s tacknewed interest in San Diego. ing on some live recordings at “I was in awe of how much stuff was happening if you Cine Tonalá����������������� (��������������� Avenida Revolujust look for it,” Lilienthal ción 1317, Zona Centro) too. says. “It’s not like New York Lilienthal recognizes he where you walk down the has a lot on his plate, noting street and everything is hapit’s the sort of feeling that pening, but there’s so many inspired the podcast’s name Alan Lilienthal and Border Angels (Spanish for “controlled chagreat bands and artists and founder Enrique Morones os”). He says engaging in such events and restaurants.” Feeling the scene was underappreciated, he set out free-flowing conversation pacifies him and hopes it to create a podcast called Cura Caos. The podcast orig- does the same for listeners, particularly in this time inally began as a radio show on Radio Pulso del Barrio, of political disconnect. but Lilienthal is now recording Cura Caos live in front “That’s kind of the whole idea, promoting and of an audience. In the podcast, he discusses regional cross pollinating the region and giving a voice, enarts and culture with bi-national guests. His interview- couraging both sides to identify as a bi-national leadees have already spanned from hip-hop artist Real J er, instead of as separate entities.” Wallace and urban farming advocate Daron Joffe to The Young Wild, a group who crafts a satirical web series. —Torrey Bailey
TO SEE OR NOT TO SEE: 27 HORSES In this semi-regular department, Seth Combs reviews a notable new art show or exhibition.
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arketing is important when it comes to social causes. Whether it’s a celebrity endorsement or simply someone working to help get the word out, that buzz has always been crucial in order to generate interest. For myself, it’s always been perplexing and vexing to me that SeaWorld, while it has thrived for decades, is now unpopular with a good chunk of people due to documentaries like Blackfish and animal rights campaigns. It’s not that I don’t agree with that particular cause. I do. But while the zeitgeist on ocean mammals in captivity has rapidly changed, activities such as dog and horse racing remains acceptable to most people. One need look no further than the throngs of people that show up at the Del Mar racetrack every year for Opening Day. I have often found myself conflicted about attending horse races over the years. I was hoping that 27 Horses—photographer Chris Travers’ new exhibition inside the San Diego Art Institute Project Space at Horton Plaza—would fully sway me to the side of being against the sport, but I’m sad to report that it did not. The problem was not so much with the work itself, but rather that I came in with
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that mindset at all. I wanted the work to blow me away. To leave me shocked and breathless; bowled over and dumbstruck with what I hoped would be a profoundly moving mixture of art and politics. Instead, Travers relies on what appears to be a rather hastily thrown together mix of photos, facts, stats and art pieces in order to prove her point. Focusing almost exclusively on the Del Mar SETH COMBS Thoroughbred Club racetrack, there were no questions as to the agenda here, and the show does work to inform the public about some of the genuinely inhumane things that happen to thoroughbred horses. However, the random assortment and zine-like layout (Travers’ pictures were simply hung with binder clips) didn’t do the message any favors. The pictures were gorgeous and the cause is admirable, but Travers’ work and message could have benefitted from a more pronounced curatorial presence. Instead, it seems jumbled and overly preachy. 27 Horses I would like it if everyone saw what I saw when I look at animals. I got the sense that Travers feels the same way when I looked at her hauntingly beautiful picture of a horse next to a short essay on their nature. Still, while I learned a lot about some of the evils of racing from 27 Horses, I didn’t learn much about myself.
—Seth Combs DECEMBER 13, 2017 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 23
CULTURE | FILM
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
A new hope Rian Johnson’s stirring Star Wars saga sustains the resistance by Glenn Heath Jr.
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hat sustains a resistance? The Star Wars like no other previous Star Wars film. The Last Jedi comes to embody this duality—the franchise has spent nearly four decades tip-toeing around the ideological complex- chaos and peace that lives side-by-side in the galaxy— ities of this question. After all, it’s easier to sell spec- becoming the first Star Wars film to actually express tacle and melodrama than grapple with deep subtext a visual understanding of what The Force looks and fueling an endless intergalactic battle between light feels like. Each conflict revolves around achieving this and darkness. Audiences don’t like thinking too hard balance. Rey and Kylo Ren share a similar question of about oppression and fascist rule when consuming doubt with their respective faiths. Trigger-happy Poe realizes his gung ho attitude doesn’t equate to sactheir Hollywood blockbusters. Which makes the cinematic nuances and progres- rifice. Finn’s new friendship with Rose (Kelly Marie sive themes of Star Wars: The Last Jedi even more Tran), a rebel grunt who ascends to hero status, shifts special. Director Rian Johnson—known for his talky his priorities in profound ways. Johnson twirls subplots as effortlessly as Luke high school neo-noir Brick and heady farmhouse sci-fi Looper—seems to have more faith in the mainstream does his lightsaber, stitching them together in a mosaic where women and people populace than his predecesof color are empowered and sors. The eighth episode in this represented with dignity. These classic space opera created by STAR WARS: characters are driving forces for George Lucas is both thoughtchange in a film series where difully humane and visually epic. It THE LAST JEDI versity has always been present celebrates the detailed textures Directed by Rian Johnson but never fully recognized. of every intricate location, rangStarring Daisy Ridley, Since The Last Jedi’s theme is ing from steep cliffs that line a Mark Hamill, John Boyega rebirth, it’s not without plenty lonely island temple to the techy and Carrie Fisher of heartbreaking loss. Watch innards of space ship corridors. Leia fully grasp the mounting Picking up where J.J. Abrams’ Rated PG-13 causalities from an air battle phoned-in The Force Awakens that goes sideways. See the face left off, The Last Jedi (opening of a dying female bomber pilot Dec. 15) finds young heroine Rey (Daisy Ridley) trying to convince master Luke Sky- who manages to drop her payload at the last moment. walker (Mark Hamill) for his help in the battle against Johnson settles on these images because they counter The First Order. Meanwhile, Princess Leia (Carrie our typical mythological understanding of heroism. Countless other pleasures can be found in The Fisher) and the remaining Rebel forces are cornered by a squadron of destroyers under the command of Last Jedi; a brilliantly choreographed lightsaber battle Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis) and Kylo Ren flanked by burning drapes; the otherworldly image of (Adam Driver). Faced with imminent destruction, ex- a space ship cut in half; plumes of red drudged up by stormtrooper Finn (John Boyega) and brazen X-wing blasters striking the surface of a salt planet. That each pilot Poe (Oscar Isaac) hatch a dangerous escape plan. of these exquisite cinematic moments exists in an Taking a page from 1983’s Return of the Jedi, John- anti-capitalist, pro immigrant allegory is even more son doesn’t waste time putting multiple plot lines in surprising. So, what is it exactly that sustains a resistance? It’s motion. But unlike that film, Johnson is more interested in developing motivations and consequences not just hope, but the reinvention of what hope looks within situations where ideology tests resolve. If like to disenfranchised peoples. It is through their internal struggles pertaining to faith, family and re- eyes that The Last Jedi sees a future where a galaxy far, sponsibility rattle these characters psychologically, far away may finally find permanent harmony. their elemental surroundings are depicted with a mystical fondness and solitude. Johnson quietly lin- Film reviews run weekly. gers on the flora and fauna of each natural location Write to glennh@sdcitybeat.com
24 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · DECEMBER 13, 2017
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CULTURE | FILM
Darkest Hour
Distressed democracy
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n a year when consistent governmental failure and surprising fascist appeasement have been prevalent, it’s fitting that American audiences will be treated to not one, but two Winston Churchill biopics. Earlier in 2017, Brian Cox donned the iconic bowler hat as Great Britain’s tough-as-nails cigar smoking prime minister in Churchill, a time-sensitive potboiler about the political and logistical challenges leading up to the Normandy invasion in WWII. Now comes Darkest Hour, an even stodgier and traditional revisionist portrait featuring an ornery Gary Oldman chewing scenery despite full prosthetics. Using menacing archival footage and tick-tock calendar title cards, Joe Wright’s film also attempts to create temporal tension out of the anxious weeks in May of 1940 when Hitler’s forces invaded Belgium and later France. The offensive eventually cornered much of Britain’s forces against the English Channel at Dunkirk, pinning newly appointed Churchill between certain disaster and politicians like Viscount Halifax (Stephen Dillane), who was devoutly in favor of negotiated peace with Germany. Challenges of unity are a common motif in Darkest Hour, but only complex when dealing with men. Churchill’s strangely derivative relationship with his new typist (Lily James) is a perfect example of Wright oversimplifying the “Behind Every Great Man” theory. No wonder wife Clementine (Kristin Scott Thomas), the only woman who speaks truth to Churchill’s power, often finds herself pushed to the background of most scenes, not to mention history itself. Oldman’s overly method performance oscillates between two stock positions: grumpy pragmatist and impassioned hard ass. For an actor who has spent his career embodying unclassifiable human enigmas, it’s unfortunate that he and Wright (best known for
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2007’s Atonement) chose to depict Churchill in such broad, deliberate strokes. Darkest Hour, which opens Friday, Dec. 15, is itself an exercise in rote speechifying and simplified hero worship. Even as Churchill puts all of his faith in the British citizenry for guidance, Wright doesn’t respect his audience enough to give them a complex vision of democracy under duress.
—Glenn Heath Jr.
OPENING Darkest Hour: Gary Oldman stars as Prime Minister Winston Churchill in this biopic that charts his early days of power when Nazi Germany invaded Western Europe. Ferdinand: John Cena voices the kind-hearted bull mistaken for a dangerous beast in this animated adaption of the classic children’s book. Star Wars: The Last Jedi: Picking up where The Force Awakens left off, this latest entry in the Star Wars saga follows heroine Rey (Daisy Ridley) as she becomes a more powerful Jedi. The Divine Order: When housewife Nora’s (Marie Leuenberger) husband forbids her from taking a job, she becomes the poster child of her town’s suffragette movement in 1970s Switzerland. Opens Friday, Dec. 15, at the Ken Cinema. The Square: In this illuminating satire about the art world, disaster strikes when a curator hires a public relations team to build some buzz for his renowned Swedish museum. Opens Friday, Dec. 15, at Digital Gym Cinema in North Park. The Tribes of Palos Verdes: Jennifer Garner stars in this affecting drama about a family that moves to an idyllic community only to have past troubles destroy their newfound happiness. Opens Friday, Dec. 15, at Digital Gym Cinema in North Park.
For complete movie listings, visit Film at sdcitybeat.com.
DECEMBER 13, 2017 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 25
HENRY DILTZ
MUSIC
Sam Outlaw hey say you can take the boy out of Poway, but you can’t take Poway out of the boy. OK, they don’t really say that. Probably because Sam Outlaw is walkin’, talkin’, twangin’ proof that just isn’t true. Outlaw, 35, is a Los Angeles singersongwriter who has built a steadily growing fan base on the backs of his warm, melodic country and folk songs. But before he landed in L.A., he grew up Sam Morgan in a late-’90s Poway scene where pop-punk ruled thanks to the breakout success of local bands like Unwritten Law and blink-182. Outlaw had already exhibited some musical prowess. But he never quite soaked up the Poway sound. “I was not a tough kid. I was never really into tough music," Outlaw says. "I remember my dad had a copy of James Taylor’s Greatest Hits that really spoke to me." “When I was, like, 14 years old, I was all about the Beatles and I was also weirdly all about Frank Sinatra,” he adds. “I don’t know if there were a lot of other 14-yearolds in Poway listening to Frank, but for some reason I was.”
That statement alone will tell listeners all they need to know about Outlaw and his laid-back tunes. If a record store clerk were to file the man’s music in a certain section, it’d probably go under Americana, alt-country or just plain country. The truth, however, is more complicated than that, especially on Outlaw’s aptlynamed 2017 album Tenderheart. There are country elements, for sure: in the electricguitar twang of “Bottomless Mimosas,” the clever wordplay of “She’s Playing Hard to Get (Rid Of),” and the pedal-steel shimmer of “Two Broken Hearts,” to name a few. But Outlaw’s no strict country revivalist. Tenderheart’s opening track, “Everyone’s Looking for a Home,” starts off as a cozy folk song before blossoming into a lavish instrumental passage, complete with string section and horns. It’s like Tex-Mex music gone Baroque. The closing track, “All My Life,” is a sunny slice of country-pop that’d live comfortably in 1959 Bakersfield. And “Bougainvillea, I Think,” with its crisply plucked acoustic guitar and gentle vibe, is clearly inspired by Outlaw’s old favorite, James Taylor.
26 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · DECEMBER 13, 2017
Outlaw’s stylistic wanderings can be traced back to at least three circumstances from his earlier life. First, he grew up in a conservative, Christian home where rock music wasn’t allowed, and his dad played Western swing band Asleep At the Wheel around the clock. Outlaw wasn’t exposed to the rise of mainstream country radio in the ‘90s; Asleep At the Wheel was all the twang he heard. “At the time, I don’t think I knew I was listening to country music,” he says. “It wasn’t until my early 20s when I stumbled upon George Jones and Emmylou Harris, and that’s when I really fell in love with classic country.” Second, Outlaw handled production duties on Tenderheart. His twangier predecessor, 2015’s Angeleno, was produced by legendary roots musician Ry Cooder and his son Joachim. The Cooders—simply by virtue of being lifetime collaborators— pushed the rhythm and the vibe of Angeleno;
without their involvement, Tenderheart followed its own path. “Whenever you have Ry playing guitar on your record, that just automatically sets the stage for beautiful and awesome things,” Outlaw says. “If you don’t have that, one benefit is that it leaves room, hopefully, for other magical and cool things to happen.” Finally, there’s Outlaw’s own late arrival to his current career. Once a successful advertising exec, he left that life in his early 30s to pursue music full-time, trading a desk and a steady paycheck for life on the road and the ups and downs of an artist’s existence. Put simply: Outlaw realized he didn’t care for what he was doing for a living. So he quit. He doesn’t sugarcoat the struggle that ensued. “I make the joke that I’m living the dream of a 25-year-old at 35 years old,” he says. “When I was in advertising and making money, it was like, ‘Oh, I have money but what about art?’ But then when you’re out getting your ass kicked on the road, you’re like, ‘Man, remember when I had that really nice apartment?’ It’s a grass-is-alwaysgreener thing, and perhaps the answer is that there is no answer, and that life is the journey. It sounds cheesy but it really is.” In between releasing Angeleno and Tenderheart, Outlaw’s own life-journey got richer with the birth of his son, now 18 months old. The songs on Tenderheart were written and recorded before he became a dad, but Outlaw says they’re probably influenced by the emotional anticipation of fatherhood. One thing is for sure: Having a kid watch your every move only drives home the importance of living life the right way. And for Outlaw, it confirmed his decision to bail out of his office job and write tenderhearted songs, travel around the world and play them for people. “Deep down, I know that life really is more about doing the thing that you’re supposed to do, whether it makes sense or not,” he says. “When my son has kids, I want to be able to tell those kids that their grandpa didn’t just sell banner ads his whole life.”
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december 13, 2017 · San Diego CityBeat · 27
MUSIC
NOTES FROM THE SMOKING PATIO LOCALS ONLY
M
embers of Hours and Bleak Skies have started up a new project titled Possible Man With a Possible Gun. The group came together essentially to write one lengthy composition, which they’ll be debuting Jan. 12 at Bread & Salt Gallery in Barrio Logan. The composition is untitled (the group says its title is whatever date they’re performing it, so “1/12/18” for example), and it’s 30 minutes long. The collaboration came about when the two bands’ common member, drummer Rostam Zafar, went out on tour with Cattle Decapitation. In his absence, other members of Hours and Bleak Skies took the opportunity to work together. “We thought it would be cool to get together while Ross was out of town,” says keyboardist Carrie Gillespie Feller. “It’s not going to be a full-time band by any means. But it’s something we’ll perform maybe a few times a year.” Possible Man With a Possible Gun features Feller, bassist Scott Feller and guitarist Joshua Quon (Hours) and cellist Dale Holland and drummer Aaron Queen (switching from his normal role as guitarist) from Bleak Skies. This ambitious, sprawling direction from the new group is something that Scott Feller says he’s wanted to try for several years. “I’ve always wanted to do bigger, epic, long songs. And I’ve always wanted to have too much instrumena-
XAVIER VASQUEZ
Possible Man With a Possible Gun tation, but I know it’s unsustainable,” he says. “We just saw this as an opportunity to do something bigger.” The piece of music is a wholly composed work, though there are moments where members are given space to improvise a bit. However, it’s something that continuously changes, which gives everyone a chance to showcase a broader range of sounds. “Because so many of us are multi-instrumentalists, there’s a lot of switching of instruments,” says Scott Feller. “I couldn’t be happier to have all of these people fall into it.”
—Jeff Terich
ALBUM REVIEW Creepseed The Beldam and the Holy Sloth (Self-released)
J
oshua Kmak’s Creepseed has only existed for a couple years, but in that time he’s already loaded up a Bandcamp page full of EPs, LPs and singles. The singer/songwriter, formerly of Shady Francos and more recently of The Schizophonics, is on something of a prolific streak that could rival Bay Area garage king Ty Segall. And for that matter, Creepseed likewise shares more than a passing resemblance to Segall’s more fiery, psychedelic moments. “The Beldam,” the leadoff track from third album The Beldam and the Holy Sloth, could fit in comfortably alongside any of the speaker-blowing anthems on Segall’s 2012 album Slaughterhouse, for instance. Making something new out of a vintage rock ‘n’ roll aesthetic isn’t easy, particularly in a regional scene (looking at you too, Los Angeles) that can’t shake its way out of familiar ‘60s-influenced garage territory. Kmak, likewise, showcases similar influences via Creepseed, but they never feel too much like an obvious pastiche or tired retreads. That’s, in part, credit to just how loud and furious The Beldam and the Holy Sloth is. Creepseed—which also features bassist
28 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · DECEMBER 13, 2017
Brian Reilly and drummer Danny Katz on this recording—essentially rocks the living fuck out of their instruments to the point that this seems too heavy and intense to be simply “garage rock.” It’s more like a hybrid of Black Sabbath’s Paranoid and The Stooges’ Fun House, but with even more fuzz. The Beldam and the Holy Sloth is, as a result, not the most diverse rock record, but that’s hardly the point. Without the kinds of ballads-per-album quotas that record labels once imposed, Creepseed is free to just let the riffs fly. And from the catchy four-chord verse of “Ancient One” to the blown-out noise-rock mayhem of “Starflesh,” there are some pretty outstanding riffs here. It’s all guitar thunder all the time and it’s hard to find fault with that. Only acoustic closing track “Jupiter Return” offers respite from the intensity, and it’s still kind of noisy. Placed right at the end, it’s a nice break from the roaring mischief. It’s also a nice palate cleanser for those who choose to go back to the beginning and turn it up again.
—Jeff Terich @SDCITYBEAT
MUSIC NOLAN KNIGHT
JEFF TERICH
style of country nods to the legendary Bakersfield Sound made famous by greats like Merle Haggard and Gram Parsons. PLAN B: ‘Lorraine Castellanos is in the Building’ w/ Lorraine Castellanos @ The Casbah. Lorraine Castellanos is taking a bit of a diversion from her usual jazz style to pay tribute to the King himself with a set of covers of songs by Elvis Presley. It’s also Lorraine’s inaugural show at The Casbah, so it should be fun either way. BACKUP PLAN: The Nervous Wreckords, Boychick, Strawberry Moons @ Soda Bar.
IF I WERE U A music insider’s weekly agenda WEDNESDAY, DEC. 13
PLAN A: Metz, Moaning, Miss New Buddha @ The Casbah. Toronto’s Metz are a loud, noisy band whose post-hardcore jams are pretty intense. They’re not unlike local favorites Hot Snakes, albeit with several layers of feedback on top. PLAN B: Night Drive, Bogan Via @ SPACE. Night Drive sounds exactly like a band called Night Drive should sound, with moody new wave synthesizers and dramatic vocals. It’s not quite goth, but there’s a dark, romantic sensibility that’s hard to resist.
THURSDAY, DEC. 14
PLAN A: The Album Leaf, Vakoum @ The Casbah. It seems that the best time to experience The Album Leaf is during the winter, so it’s perfect that they’re returning to The Casbah in December. Their back catalog is also being reissued on vinyl, so make sure to hit up the merch table. PLAN B: DJ Earl, Nick Hook @ SPACE. Nick Hook and DJ Earl have a new collaborative album
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titled 50 Backwoods, and the two producers are making some cool, innovative and high-energy sounds. They blend different styles, from footwork to hip-hop, so this show should be loaded with jams. BACKUP PLAN: Skating Polly, Starcrawler, The Touchies @ Soda Bar.
FRIDAY, DEC. 15
PLAN A: Julien Baker, Half Waif, Adam Torres @ The Irenic. Julien Baker’s music is heartbreaking, to say the least. But it’s also beautiful, so maybe tonight’s the night to go have a good cry with some strangers. PLAN B: Dani Bell and the Tarantist, Creepseed, Los Pinche Pinches @ SPACE. Dani Bell’s been playing some catchy, lightly psychedelic pop for a few years as part of the Redwoods Collective. She’s in good company tonight with the eerie garage rock of Creepseed.
SATURDAY, DEC. 16
PLAN A: Godhammered, W.A.S.T.E., One
MONDAY, DEC. 18
Julien Baker PLAN A: Hott MT @ Blonde. I’m not sure Inch Punch, Snail Fight, Polish @ The Merrow. This is a good night to go blow off some steam while five local punk and hardcore bands wail. If a good cry didn’t get all the frustration out, maybe some time in the pit will. PLAN B: Pierce Fulton, NVDES, Noosa @ Soda Bar. Alternately, dancing is a good option. Pierce Fulton makes electro-pop with big beats, big hooks and lots of fun melodies. Lots of synths, lots of jams. BACKUP PLAN: The Schizophonics, Dream Burglar, Pink Eye, Alvino and the Dwells @ The Casbah.
SUNDAY, DEC. 17
PLAN A: Sam Outlaw, Nancarrow, Brawley @ Belly Up Tavern. Read Ben Salmon’s feature this week on Sam Outlaw, whose
the right way to say this Los Angeles group’s name, but I dig their moody, atmospheric and effects-heavy sound. It’s somewhere between dream pop and trip-hop, and it’s not too aggro for a Monday night.
TUESDAY, DEC. 19
PLAN A: Jay-Z, Vic Mensa @ Valley View Casino Center. It’s been a pretty big year for landmark hip-hop albums, and even though he’s got a few years on Kendrick Lamar and Vince Staples, Jay-Z’s 4:44 revealed a new side of the rap legend. He’s making grownass man rap, and it’s a good look for him after the shaky Magna Carta Holy Grail. BACKUP PLAN: Ariel Levine and Mechanical Royalty, Andrew McKeag Band, Belladon @ The Casbah.
DECEMBER 13, 2017 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 29
MUSIC
CONCERTS HOT! NEW! FRESH!
Snoop Dogg (Music Box, 12/27), Black Marble (SPACE, 1/11), Glass Spells (SPACE, 1/13), Cold Showers (SPACE, 1/18), Ty Segall (BUT, 1/24), Phoebe Bridgers (Soda Bar, 2/5), Allah-Las (BUT, 2/8), Ja Rule and Ashanti (Observatory, 2/9), The Phenomenauts (Casbah, 2/11), Grails (Soda Bar, 2/19), Theory of a Deadman (HOB, 2/20), Motionless in White (HOB, 2/21), Missing Persons (Casbah, 2/23), The Spits, Beehive and the Barracudas (SPACE, 2/24), Langhorne Slim (Music Box, 3/2), Gogol Bordello (Observatory, 3/3), Kenny Wayne Shepherd (BUT, 3/7), The Academic (Soda Bar, 3/7), Rachael Yamagata (BUT, 3/15), Shopping (Whistle Stop, 3/18), Lucy Dacus (Casbah, 3/21), Tribal Theory (HOB, 3/23), Senses Fail (Observatory, 3/30), Earth, Wind and Fire (Harrah’s SoCal, 5/18), Kesha, Macklemore (Mattress Firm, 6/12).
POSTPONED Chris Isaak (BUT, 12/13).
CANCELED Moving Units (Casbah, 12/16).
GET YER TICKETS X (Observatory, 12/22), Ozomatli (Music Box, 12/22-23), The English Beat (BUT, 12/22-23), Cracker, Camper Van
30 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · DECEMBER 13, 2017
Beethoven (BUT, 12/27), Cherry Glazerr (Observatory, 12/27), Donavon Frankenreiter (BUT, 12/28), Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue (BUT, 12/29-30), Third Eye Blind (Observatory, 1/1), T.S.O.L. (Casbah, 1/4), DJ Quik, Warren G (Observatory, 1/5), Willie Nelson (Harrah’s Resort, 1/6), Milky Chance (HOB, 1/8), K. Flay (Observatory, 1/13), Luna (Casbah, 1/14), Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (HOB, 1/15), Kris Kristofferson (BUT, 1/15), Josh Ritter (BUT, 1/16), Big Boi (Observatory, 1/18), Beat Farmers Hootenanny (BUT, 1/20), Wolf Parade (Observatory, 1/23), Reverend Horton Heat (Observatory, 1/28), DVSN (Observatory, 1/29), Passion Pit (Observatory, 2/1), Fetty Wap (HOB, 2/3), Killswitch Engage, Anthrax (HOB, 2/13), Miranda Lambert (Viejas Arena, 2/15), Mary Timony plays Helium (Casbah, 2/15), Dan Auerbach (Observatory, 2/19), Superchunk (Casbah, 2/21), Demi Lovato, DJ Khaled (Viejas Arena, 2/26), Margo Price (BUT, 3/3), 311 (HOB, 3/5), George Clinton (HOB, 3/28), Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (HOB, 3/31), The Soft Moon (Casbah, 4/14), Los Lonely Boys (BUT, 4/22), Art Garfunkel (Balboa Theatre, 4/27), Baths (BUT, 5/3), Keb’ Mo’ (BUT, 5/6-7), Weird Al Yankovic (Humphreys, 5/12), Franz Ferdinand (Observatory, 5/13), Nada Surf (BUT, 5/14), Madeleine Peyroux (BUT, 5/28), Weezer, The Pixies (Mattress Firm Amphitheatre, 8/11).
DECEMBER WEDNESDAY, DEC. 13 METZ at The Casbah. Wayne Hancock at Soda Bar. Natalia Jimenez at House of Blues. Night Drive at SPACE. Vista Kicks at House of Blues. Louis the Child at Observatory North Park (sold out).
THURSDAY, DEC. 14 DJ Earl at SPACE. Dave Koz at Balboa Theatre. Rezz at Observatory North Park (sold out). Skating Polly at Soda Bar. Everlast at Music Box.
FRIDAY, DEC. 15 The Album Leaf at The Casbah. Pato Banton at Belly Up Tavern. Cake at Observatory North Park (sold out). Hundredth, Spotlights at Soda Bar. Julien Baker at The Irenic. Johnny Mathis at Copley Symphony Hall. Buckethead at Music Box. Dani Bell and the Tarantist at SPACE.
SATURDAY, DEC. 16 Cake at Observatory North Park (sold out). Pierce Fulton at Soda Bar.
SUNDAY, DEC. 17 Lorraine Castellanos at The Casbah. ‘Country Christmas’ w/ Sam Outlaw at Belly Up Tavern. Jhene Aiko at Observatory North Park (sold out). Adema at House of Blues. Anuhea at Music Box. The Nervous Wreckords at Soda Bar. Dianne Reeves at Balboa Theatre.
MONDAY, DEC. 18 Jhene Aiko at Observatory North Park. Martin and the Big Nativity Scene at The Casbah.
TUESDAY, DEC. 19 Jay-Z at Viejas Arena. Kehlani at Observatory North Park (sold out). Ottopilot at Belly Up Tavern. Danielle Alexa at Soda Bar. Ariel Levine at The Casbah.
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 20 Homeshake at Observatory North Park.
Ziggy Shuffledust and the Spiders from Mars at The Casbah.
THURSDAY, DEC. 21 Supersuckers at The Casbah. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony at House of Blues. Fishbone at Belly Up Tavern. Berkley Hart at Music Box. Retox at SPACE.
FRIDAY, DEC. 22 L.A. Witch at The Casbah. Green Jelly at Brick by Brick. X at Observatory North Park. The English Beat at Belly Up Tavern. Ozomatli at Music Box. Vvswiz at SOMA.
SATURDAY, DEC. 23 The Gloomies, Hideout at Soda Bar. The English Beat at Belly Up Tavern. Ozomatli at Music Box. El Vez Merry Mexmas at The Casbah. Lil Pump at SOMA. Heavy Hawaii at SPACE.
SUNDAY, DEC. 24 ‘Exile on Kettner Blvd.’ at The Casbah.
TUESDAY, DEC. 26 Velour at Soda Bar.
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 27 Cracker, Camper Van Beethoven at Belly Up Tavern. Cherry Glazerr at Observatory North Park. A Shattered Hope at Soda Bar. Snoop Dogg at Music Box.
THURSDAY, DEC. 28 The Dinettes at The Casbah. Donavon Frankenreiter at Belly Up Tavern. Electric Mud at Soda Bar. Malaa at Observatory North Park.
MUSIC CONTINUED ON PAGE 32
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december 13, 2017 · San Diego CityBeat · 31
MUSIC MUSIC CONTINUED FROM PAGE 30 FRIDAY, DEC. 29 Zhu at Observatory North Park. The Mattson 2 at The Casbah. Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue at Belly Up Tavern (sold out). The Steely Damned at Music Box. Chris D’Elia at House of Blues. Behind the Wagon at Soda Bar.
SATURDAY, DEC. 30 Mac Sabbath, Dwarves at Brick by Brick. Chicano Batman at Observatory North Park. Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue at Belly Up Tavern (sold out). The Mattson 2 at The Casbah. E-40 at Music Box. Chris D’Elia at House of Blues. Downspell at Soda Bar.
SUNDAY, DEC. 31 The Creepy Creeps at Soda Bar. The Donkeys at The Casbah. Little Hurricane at Music Box. Big Head Todd and the Monsters at Belly Up Tavern. Alkaline Trio, Rocket from the Crypt at Observatory North Park.
JANUARY MONDAY, JAN. 1 Third Eye Blind at Observatory North Park.
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 3 Monarch at The Casbah. A.J. Croce at Belly Up Tavern. Coco Columbia at Soda Bar.
THURSDAY, JAN. 4 T.S.O.L. at The Casbah. Alika at Belly Up Tavern. Major Threat at Soda Bar.
32 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · DECEMBER 13, 2017
FRIDAY, JAN. 5 DJ Quik, Warren G at House of Blues. Alice Unchained at Music Box. Black Sabbitch at Soda Bar.
SATURDAY, JAN. 6 Willie Nelson at Harrah’s Resort. Sweet and Tender Hooligans at Observatory North Park. Petty – A Tribute to Tom Petty at The Casbah. The Winehouse Experience at Music Box. The Stranger at Belly Up Tavern. Damage Inc. at House of Blues. Mrs. Magician at Soda Bar.
SUNDAY, JAN. 7 The Paladins at Belly Up Tavern. WENS at Soda Bar.
MONDAY, JAN. 8 Milky Chance at House of Blues.
TUESDAY, JAN. 9 Suzanne Santo at The Casbah. David Lindley at Belly Up Tavern. Naivete at Soda Bar.
rCLUBSr
Fri: Pablo Francisco. Sat: Pablo Francisco. The Bancroft, 9143 Campo Road, Spring Valley. Thu: Skull Caster, Sculpins, Dhatura. Fri: Circle One, Diatribe, War Fever, Krisben-Wah, Pathetic Society. Sat: Child of War, Steeltoe, Electromagnetic. Bar Pink, 3829 30th St., North Park. Wed: ‘Shock’ w/ DJ Old Man Johnson. Thu: Behind the Wagon, Clint Westwood, Nick Bone and the Big Scene. Fri: Birdbath, Grim Jim, Class Project. Sat: ‘Neon Beat’. Sun: Hiroshima Mockingbirds, Creepseed. Mon: Beneath the Trees, Slay Dean. Tue: Alvino and the Dwells. Bang Bang, 526 Market St., Downtown. Thu: AC Slater. Fri: Sacha Robotti. Sat: Marcus Marr, The Juan Maclean (DJ Set). Beaumont’s, 5665 La Jolla Blvd., La Jolla. Thu: Sam Bybee. Fri: Rolling Heartbreakers. Sat: It’s Never 2L8. Sun: Sam Bybee. Belly Up Tavern, 143 S. Cedros Ave., Solana Beach. Wed: The Devastators, Vibes Up Strong, Seedheads. Fri: Pato Banton, Layne Tadesse. Sat: ‘Turtleneck and Sweater Party’ w/ Young Guns. Sun: ‘Country Christmas’ w/ Sam Outlaw, Nancarrow, Brawley.
710 Beach Club, 710 Garnet Ave., Pacific Beach. Fri: Freeze Frame. Sat: Paging the ‘90s.
Black Cat Bar, 4246 University Ave., City Heights. Thu: Uptown Rhythm Makers. Fri: Trevor McSpadden. Sat: The Phantoms, Mess of Fun, The Smokes.
Air Conditioned Lounge, 4673 30th St., Normal Heights. Wed: ‘Hip Hop Wednesday’ w/ MC Kahlee. Thu: ‘Retrobox’ w/ DJs Greyboy, Mark Quark, Chris Lopez. Sat: ‘Juicy’ w/ Mike Czech. Sun: ‘Chvrch’ w/ DJs Karma, Alice.
Blonde, 1808 W. Washington St., Mission Hills. Wed: ‘Dance Klassique’ w/ DJs Joe Pea, Ryan Bauer, Gomez. Thu: ‘Club Hemlock’. Fri: ‘Dance Punk Blog Haus Party’ w/ Shark Attack. Sat: ‘Lady Lush’ w/ Red Sonja. Mon: Hott MT. Tue: ‘T is 4 Techno’.
American Comedy Co., 818 B Sixth Ave., Downtown. Thu: Pablo Francisco.
Boar Cross’n, 390 Grand Ave., Carlsbad. Thu: Aviator Stash. Fri: ‘Club Musae’.
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MUSIC Brick by Brick, 1130 Buenos Ave., Bay Park. Fri: Adelitas Way, Joyous Wolf, Of Limbo, Down North. Sat: Strung Out, Ignite, Lowbrow, Out to Lunch. The Casbah, 2501 Kettner Blvd., Middletown. Wed: Metz, Moaning, Miss New Buddha. Thu: The Album Leaf, Vakoum, Keith Sweaty. Fri: The Verigolds, Magic Bronson, Star Jungle, Many A Moon. Sat: The Schizophonics, Dream Burglar, Pink Eye, Alvino and the Dwells. Sun: ‘Tribute to Elvis’ w/ Lorraine Castellanos. Mon: Martin and the Big Nativity Scene, Screamin’ Yeehaws, Drunkin Punkin Idiots. Tue: Ariel Levine and Mechanical Royalty, Andrew McKeag Band, Belladon. Dirk’s Nightclub, 7662 Broadway, Lemon Grove. Fri: Granite Hills. Sat: TNT. Dizzy’s, 4275 Mission Bay Drive, Downtown. Fri: Joshua White Trio. Sat: Young Lions Winter Recital. The Field Irish Pub, 544 Fifth Ave., Downtown. Wed: Sam Hosking. Thu: Todd Goodnough. Fri: Lifelike Band. Sun: Joseph Carroll. Mon: Todd Goodnough. Tue: Chris Del Priore. F6ix, 526 F St., Downtown. Fri: DJ Schoeny. Sat: DJ Mark Da Spot. Fluxx, 500 Fourth Ave., Downtown. Fri: ‘Sexy Santa Contest’. Sat: DJ Drama. Henry’s Pub, 618 Fifth Ave., Downtown. Wed: Ride the Mule. Thu: DJ Yodah. Fri: ‘Good Times’. Sat: ‘Rock Star Saturday’. Tue: Taco-Billy. The Holding Company, 5046 Newport Ave., Ocean Beach. Thu: Hazmatt, KNG MKR. Fri: Bandcat, Ofier, DJ Mancat. Sat: Blink 180True, Saline Solutions, DJ Ofier. Sun: Velour. Tue: Safety Orange, Ocean Natives.
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Hooley’s, 5500 Grossmont Center Drive, La Mesa. Fri: Sara Petite. Sat: King Taylor Project. House of Blues, 1055 Fifth Ave., Downtown. Wed: Natalia Jimenez. Thu: Jerry “Hot Rod” Demink. Fri: Strangelove, The Cured. Sat: Arena, Substance. Sun: Adema, Core 10, DIRTY MACHINE, Days Under Authority, Lucky Lucifer, Killing Tyranny. Tue: Robin Henkel. Humphreys Backstage, 2241 Shelter Island Drive, Shelter Island. Wed: Bayou Bros. Thu: Luv A Lot. Fri: Viva Santana, Fabulous Ultratones. Sat: Full Strength Funk Band, Blue Largo. Sun: Groove Squad, Mercedes Moore. Mon: Missy Andersen. Tue: Backwater Blues. The Irenic, 3090 Polk Ave., North Park. Fri: Julien Baker, Half Waif, Adam Torres. Kava Lounge, 2812 Kettner Blvd., Middletown. Wed: ‘Quasaria’. Thu: ‘Digital Cocoon’ w/ Alien Tom. Fri: ‘Techno Sabbath’. Sat: ‘Bouquet’ w/ Mor Elian. Sun: ‘GMSH Tour’. Lestat’s Coffee House, 3343 Adams Ave., Normal Heights. Fri: Gabe Nero. Sun: Clean Cut Hippie. Mc P’s Irish Pub, 1107 Orange Ave., Coronado. Wed: Fish & JG. Thu: Northstar. Fri: Pat Ellis and Blue Frog Band. Sat: Ron’s Garage. Sun: Ron’s Garage. Tue: Glen Smith. Martinis Above Fourth, 3940 Fourth Ave., Hillcrest. Wed: Sacha Boutros. Thu: ‘A Very Saxxy Holiday’. Fri: Janet Hammer, Nathan Fry, Tripp Sprague. Sat: Tori Roze and the Hot Mess. Tue: Leigh Scaritt. The Merrow, 1271 University Ave., Hillcrest. Wed: Jessica Lerner Band, The Rogue Pilots, Kick the Princess. Thu: The Fractions, Warranty Void, My Friendly
Bartender, DJ John Jolley. Fri: Squirrelly Arts, Sergulath, The End Party, DAEMOS. Sat: Godhammered, W.A.S.T.E., One Inch Punch, Snail Fight, Polish. Sun: ‘The Playground’. Tue: Year of the Bird, Alpine Circuitry, Hot Mustard. Mr. Peabody’s, 136 Encinitas Blvd., Encinitas. Thu: Jim Allen Band. Fri: Black Cherry Lightnin’. Sat: Blue Light, Adrienne Nims. Music Box, 1337 India St., Little Italy. Thu: Everlast, Kiyoshi. Fri: Buckethead, Brain and Brewer. Sun: Anuhea, Paula Fuga, Mahi, Tribal Theory. The Office, 3936 30th St., North Park. Wed: ‘1,2,3’ w/ DJ EdRoc. Thu: ‘No Limits’ w/ Yo Colombo, DJ Myson King. Fri: Sat: ‘Strictly Business’ w/ DJs EdRoc, Kanye Asada. Sun: ‘Uptown Top Ranking’ w/ Tribe of Kings. OMNIA Nightclub, 454 Sixth Ave., Downtown. Thu: FOMO. Fri: Andrew Rayel. Sat: Two Friends. Panama 66, 1450 El Prado, Balboa Park. Wed: Gilbert Castellanos. Thu: Lorraine Castellanos. Fri: Erika Davies. Sat: Lex and the Jewels. Sun: Claudia Gomez & Trio Gadjo. Parq, 615 Broadway, Downtown. Fri: Joe Maz. Sat: Zoofunktion. Proud Mary’s, 5550 Kearny Mesa Road, Kearny Mesa. Wed: Janice Hammer. Thu: Tomcat Courtney. Fri: Cadillac Wreckers. Sat: Bill Magee. The Rail, 3796 Fifth Ave., Hillcrest. Fri: ‘Function’. Sat: ‘Sabado En Fuego’. Mon: ‘Manic Monday’ w/ DJ Junior the Disco Punk. Rich’s, 1051 University Ave., Hillcrest. Wed: DJs Kiki, Kinky Loops. Thu: DJs Kiki, Kayden. Fri: DJs John Joseph,
Moody Rudy. Sat: DJs Hektik, Luke Allen. Sun: DJs Hektik, Nick Ayler. Riviera Supper Club, 7777 University Ave., La Mesa. Wed: ‘Boss Jazz’ w/ Jason Hanna. Thu: Band of 2 Men. Fri: TikiTronic. Sat: Rosa’s Cantina. Rosie O’Gradys, 3402 Adams Ave., Normal Heights. Sat: Gino and the Lone Gunmen. Mon: Louis Valenzuela. Seven Grand, 3054 University Ave., San Diego. Wed: Crew D’etat Brass Band. Thu: Jimmy Ruelas. Fri: The Addictions. Sat: Brown Party Liquor. Mon: ‘Makossa Monday’ w/ DJ Tah Rei. Tue: Forkroot. Soda Bar, 3615 El Cajon Blvd., City Heights. Wed: Wayne Hancock, Hotshot Drifters. Thu: Skating Polly, Starcrawler. Fri: Hundredth, Spotlights, Tennis System, Gleemer. Sat: Pierce Fulton, NVDES, Noosa. Sun: The Nervous Wreckords, Boychick, The Strawberry Moons. Mon: Caitlin Jemma, Lizabeth Yandel, The Mandi Jo Project. Tue: Danielle Alexa, Natalya, Kiyoshi. SOMA, 3350 Sports Arena Blvd., Midway. Fri: Atomic 99, Stepfather, Death Lens, The Gnars, The Ombres, 3LH, The Rinds. Sat: Our Second Home, ‘Til Skies Fall, Asylus, Amaya Lights, Controlled Chemistry, Lifeline. SPACE, 3519 El Cajon Blvd., City Heights. Wed: Night Drive, Bogan Via. Thu: DJ Earl, Nick Hook. Fri: Dani Bell & The Tarantist, Creepseed, Los Pinche Pinches. Sat: ‘The Stomp’ w/ Funk Freaks, Boogieman. Sun: ‘Make Yourself At Home’. Sun: ‘Ugly Christmas Sweater Bingo’. Mon: ‘Eloteria’. Spin, 2028 Hancock St., Midtown. Thu: Purge, Contrvbvnd. Fri: Soul Clap. Sat: ‘Overdrive’.
Sycamore Den, 3391 Adams Ave., Normal Heights. Wed: ‘Dreams’ w/ DJ Gabe Vega. Thu: The Havnauts, PJ Sparkle. Sun: Lex and the Jewel. Til-Two Club, 4746 El Cajon Blvd., City Heights. Fri: Making Incredible Time, The Mellowdicks, Roman Watchdogs, Punchcard. Sat: Rikk Agnew Band, Sculpins, Revolt-chix. Sun: ‘Pants Karaoke’. Tin Roof, 401 G St., Downtown. Wed: The Void Nation. Thu: ‘Paging the 90s’. Sat: Kenny and Deez, Coriander. Sun: Allegra Duchaine. Mon: Lauren Leigh and Sam. Tue: Kyle Castellani. Tio Leo’s, 5302 Napa St., Bay Park. Thu: The Fremonts. Fri: Funk’s Most Wanted. Sat: Joey Harris, Paul Kamanski. Tue: Sue Palmer. Tower Bar, 4757 University Ave., City Heights. Fri: The Gritty End, Busted Coffins, The Writhers. Sat: Mystic Ritual, Owain, Wild Hunt. Sun: Cave Bastard, Que Oso, Rom Baro, The Waste Aways. Tue: Fake News, The Brass Cats. U-31, 3112 University Ave., North Park. Wed: ‘Yes Lawd’. Thu: ‘Boom Boxx Thursday’. Fri: Kid Wonder. Sat: DJ Freeman. Sun: Synyrgy. Whistle Stop, 2236 Fern St., South Park. Wed: ‘Retrograde’ w/ DJ JC. Fri: ‘F-ing in the Bushes’ w/ DJ Daniel Sant. Sat: ‘80s vs. 90s’ w/ DJs Gabe Vega, Saul Q. Mon: ‘Electric Relaxation’. Tue: ‘Videodrome’. Winstons, 1921 Bacon St., Ocean Beach. Wed: Tunnel Vision, DJ Carlos Culture. Thu: Amoramora, The Real Savage Henry. Fri: Sure Fire Soul Ensemble, DJ Marcellus Wallce. Sat: ‘Shots Fired’ w/ DJ Williams. Sun: Miss Demeanor. Mon: Electric Waste Band.
DECEMBER 13, 2017· SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 33
LAST WORDS
CHRISTIN BAILEY
ASTROLOGICALLY
UNSOUND
Semi-weekly forecasts from the so-called universe ARIES (March 21 - April 19): The content of this column is an encoded ciphertext, which you may decode through complicated code-breaking skills. In that secret message lies your horoscope. You will need this: wait, sorry, I don’t remember the key. TAURUS (April 20 - May 20): Because people were so scared of wolves and other predatory animals, we killed many if not most of them, wreaking ecological chaos across the globe. My point being that sometimes it’s better to not “solve” “problems.” GEMINI
(May 21 - June 20): If you find that
no one is paying attention to you, try repeating everything you say at a frequency that’s only audible to children and dogs to double your audience. CANCER (June 21 - July 22): Whether or not it benefits you, it is important to recognize and acknowledge the hard work of others. So lets go ahead and give a round of applause to the termites out there eating our homes. LEO (July 23 - August 22): Loosen your stranglehold on always having to be the center of attention this week. You may not be the one who discovered fire, but the ones who died eating poisonous mushrooms are just as important.
34 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · DECEMBER 13, 2017
VIRGO (August 23 - September 22): Stop explaining to everyone that people who win the lottery end up squandering it and going more broke than before. Yes it’s true, but you’re giving me bad energy, which lessens my chances of winning. LIBRA (September 23 - October 22): We all know the fable about the dog who loses his bone in the river trying to greedily grab another bone from his reflection. But what if—and hear me out—what if this time… the bone is real? SCORPIO (October 23 - November 21): The molting process of a tarantula reveals that, in order to grow, one must sometimes break out of their shell. Most importantly, this is a difficult reminder that inside every tarantula there is a slightly bigger tarantula. SAGITTARIUS (November 22 - December 21): This week you will wake up under a beautifully
beaming sun before realizing that—uh oh—it’s the operating light of a surgeon and this doesn’t seem like a hospital room! CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 19): Imagine you’re walking and suddenly little ducklings appear trailing behind you? That’s cute, right? Now look back—your lucky number this week is the amount of ducklings behind you that would legitimately scare you. AQUARIUS (January 20 - February 18): Today is the perfect day to begin integrating all the new habits you want to set into your life. Just like tomorrow will be the perfect day to integrate the completely different set of habits you will come up with today. PISCES (February 19 - March 20): You don’t need to manufacture eccentricities to be “interesting” to others— you are already “interesting” on your own. Of course your interpretation of the word “interesting” is flawed. The rest of us just say “annoying.” Astrologically Unsound appears every other week.
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december 13, 2017 · San Diego CityBeat · 35