San Diego CityBeat • Dec 16, 2016

2 · San Diego CityBeat · December 14, 2016

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December 14, 2016 · San Diego CityBeat · 3

UP FRONT | FROM THE EDITOR

There’s no such thing as alt-pasta @CombsSeth

Stop referring to fascists, bigots and racists as the “alt-right.” That’s like calling SpaghettiOs “alt-pasta.” No, it’s not. It’s just shit.

I

the term itself was fed to the media in order to make the movement more accessible.

“There’s the question of what is the most appropriate way to engage with these groups and individuals without doing it on their own terms,” said O’Connor when I spoke to him over the phone recently. “This is why I think not blindly using terms like the ‘alt-right’ label is an important discursive move. That’s literally using their own terms.”

O’Connor’s piece was one of the first to declaratively call for an end to the use of the term when describing far-right extremists, but this media-based counter movement is catching steam. O’Connor’s editor even added a parenthetical note within his piece stating, “Jezebel has used the term ‘alt-right’ to refer to this loose conglomerate, among other monikers.

Going forward, however, we resolve to be as specific as possible in naming their beliefs.”

I’d like to reiterate that statement here. Moving forward, with the support and backing of the CityBeat staff, I have decided that the use of the word “alt-right” will not be used in the pages of CityBeat. There will be a few exceptions. If we’re quoting someone who is using the word, then of course we will quote them warmly and accurately. However, our writers will not be using it. If someone is a misogynist or has written things that could be objectively considered misogyny, we will report that. If someone posts articles on their website that align with the mantras of white-nationalism, we will report that. If someone uses anti-Semitic, homophobic or racist language, then they will not be considered to be part of anything far-right or alt-right.

They will be called what they are: Anti-Semitic.

Homophobic. Racist.

I’ll even take it a step further: Most Republicans in D.C. now seem content in accepting their party’s swift shift to the most base of bases. If they continue to be quiet in the face of appointments like Steve Bannon (man who makes Karl Rove look progressive in comparison and who has published articles openly and actively promoting misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, white nationalism and anti-Semitism) and don’t stand with Democrats in voting against Trump’s far-right appointments, then we should actively and explicitly begin to refer to these sexists, misogynists, racists, bigots, nationalists and xenophobes, not as the alt-right, but what they now themselves identify as: Republicans.

sent the tweet above back in late August just as the media began the rather disturbing trend of referring to the dark fringes of the right as the “altright.” Back in August, it was treated as something of a phenomena and wasn’t taken all that seriously.

Well, people are taking the term very seriously now.

I don’t point out the tweet above as some kind of self-congratulatory pat on the back. Rather, I point it out in reference to what seems to be a moment of clarity that’s happening with many mainstream news outlets. That is, the abandonment of the term “alt-right” altogether and, instead, describing the people associated with the movement in more plain terminology.

The term itself is particularly problematic for me as an editor for an alt-weekly. At an art show this past Saturday, one local artist suggested to me that CityBeat may not want to refer to itself as an alt-weekly anymore. That the “alt” prefix was tainted, hijacked and distorted.

And just last week, we published a column from our web editor Ryan Bradford featuring an interview with Mike Cernovich, the creator of the openly misogynistic blog Danger & Play. In the column, Bradford referenced Cernovich as alt-right several times and we received a number of comments from people complaining that we should have referred to Cernovich as what he really is: a far-right troll (we’ve since updated the story to reflect this distinction).

It’s also important to point out that the term itself was created and embraced by these far-right fringes (specifically, white-nationalists and whitesupremacists) precisely to help market their respective movements and to make them more accessible.

And once they identified themselves as “alt-right,” it would follow that objective news outlets would want to respect their self-identification.

But we were just being fooled. It was clever PR. A rouse of the worst kind.

The problem is that many news organizations only had this cathartic realization recently or shortly after the presidential election. Jezebel staff writer Brendan O’Connor recently penned an excellent piece for the website titled simply, “Stop Calling

—Seth Combs Them the ‘Alt-Right.’” In it, he lays out not only the true tenets of the movement, but also points out how Write to seth.combs@sdcitybeat.com This issue of CityBeat congratulates new City Council President Myrtle Cole for having the most badass, NASCAR-friendly name in council history.

Volume 15 • Issue 20 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 Matthew Baldwin, David L. Coddon, Beth Demmon, Andrew Dyer, Tiffany Fox, Michael A. Gardiner, Glenn Heath Jr., Peter Holslin, Lara McCaffrey, Scott McDonald, Sebastian Montes, Jenny Montgomery, Jim Ruland, Ben Salmon, Tom Siebert, Jen Van Tieghem, Amy Wallen

SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Jason Noble ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Beau Odom Mark Schreiber Jenny Tormey ACCOUNTING Kacie Cobian, Sharon Huie Linda Lam HUMAN RESOURCES Andrea Baker

EDITORIAL INTERNS Sofia Mejias-Pascoe Jordan Packer

VICE PRESIDENT OF FINANCE Kacie Sturek

PRODUCTION MANAGER Tristan Whitehouse

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.

EDITORIAL AND ADVERTISING OFFICE 3047 University Ave., Suite 202 San Diego, CA 92104 Phone: 619-281-7526 Fax: 619-281-5273 www.sdcitybeat.com

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 2016.

4 · San Diego CityBeat · December 14, 2016

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UP FRONT | LETTERS

NO CHANGE HAPPENED

Aaryn Belfer [“Choose a side, don’t be si� lent,” Nov. 23] and Minda Honey [“Did you ever think your country could break your heart,” Nov. 16] failed in their recent efforts.

Honey raises several important issues like universal health care, significant minimum wage increase and gun legislation. These issues were never considered when Obama and the democrats had a majority in both houses under Obama’s first two years. Nei� ther were protections for the middle and working class. Police reform? Lynch’s DOJ and Obama certainly have the legal author� ity to send Federal troops to the very prob� lem police forces and institute immediate changes. Obama and Lynch could stop the water cannons and rubber bullets at Stand� ing Rock right now. The failures troubling Honey are the policies of her party.

No change happened for the middle and working class under Obama while he bailed out Wall Street and let them off the hook for the lending crisis. People lost their homes and Wall Street got huge bonuses.

Belfer tells us “there is no need to dive into the polls and analyze what ‘we’ missed and where ‘we’ went wrong” in the 2016 elec� tion. For Belfer, “this was about racism.” �������������������������������������� Sociological studies consistently dem� onstrate that the perception that one’s eco� nomic situation will progress is the stron� gest motivator as to why people vote the way they do. Exit polls in 2016 indicated people voted the same along racial lines but

TABLE OF CONTENTS UP FRONT From the Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Letters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Spin Cycle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 At The Intersection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Sordid Tales. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

FOOD & DRINK The World Fare. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Dishing It Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Final Draught. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

THINGS TO DO The Short List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Calendar of Events. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-12

ARTS & CULTURE FEATURE: Holiday Gift Guide. . . . . . . 17-22 Theater. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Films. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23-24

MUSIC FEATURE: Tall Can and Generik. . . . . . . 25 Notes from the Smoking Patio. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 If I Were U . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Concerts & Clubs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30-32

the working class decimated under Obama’s neoliberal policies stayed home or voted Trump. Sixty-nine million voted for Obama in 2008, and only 59 million voted for Clin� ton in 2016. Republican voting was flat. ������������������������������������� Wikileaks email dumps about the oper� ation of the Democratic Party revealed pay for play, the purchasing of ambassador� ships, Clinton’s reliance on Wall Street to regulate itself, kick backs from the TARP deal, etc. Clinton and the democrats sup� port the Trans Pacific Partnership, which provides the legal grounds for foreign corporations to sue the U.S. for interfer� ing with profits through such devices as environmental regulations and unions.

Obama and the Democrats wanted to ram such legislation through during his last few months in office because Democrats became corporate and Wall Street shills.

This information does not relate to identity politics and thus of no interest to Belfer or in her singular analysis of the only motivat� ing factor behind a person’s vote.

Some people voted for Trump because they are racist, sexist, etc. The perception that identity politics is the only reason peo� ple vote lets the Democratic Party continue to represent Wall Street and corporate in� terests while ignoring progressives, the environment and the working class. When pondering events and judging people, Honey and Belfer need a deeper analysis.

Alfred Hilderbrand, Linda Vista

ON THE

COVER At this point, having local artist Andrew McGranahan create a custom piece of art for our annual gift guide is practically a holiday tradition. This is the second year that the collagist and digital artist has masterfully as� sembled a piece that conveys both the altruism and greed that comes with the season. “I took steps to make the classic American Main Street appear very bright, warm and inviting. And, of course, the woman appears to be having a great time shopping locally,” says McGranahan. “But looming in the background are the large almost monolithic structures in greyscale, the more muted tones of the omi� nous natural features, stormy skies and, of course, the pile of money and the $100 bill on the flag pole suggest� ing a sort of per� verse reverence.”

Readers can check out more of McGrana� han’s work, including his excellent “Ana� logue” series at ajmcg.com.

LAST WORDS Advice Goddess. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

#SDCityBeat

December 14, 2016 · San Diego CityBeat · 5

TORREY BAILEY

UP FRONT | NEWS

Half baked Local cultivator warns that the cannabis industry takes advantage of new growers

by Torrey Bailey

W

hen the licensed marijuana dispensary OutCo hired Allison Justice as its VP of Cultivation three months ago, she was shocked by the El Cajon-based lab’s use of a high-priced fertilizer. At the time, Outco Labs was using fertilizers from Heavy 16, an established, cannabis-centric hydroponics company based in Long Beach. Justice, who has a Ph.D. in ornamental horticulture from Clemson University, asked about the product’s ingredients and whether it contained the 16 essential nutrients for plant growth.

Outco didn’t know, and when she contacted Heavy 16, they wouldn’t tell her.

“They said that of course all the essential nutrients were there, but they also had like 40 different ingredients that supposedly are cannabis-specific,” she said. “Their secret.”

Dissatisfied, Justice sent a sample of the fertilizer to an outside lab, Quality Analytical Laboratories, to check that the essential nutrients were there and there weren’t chemicals that would retract her harvest’s organic classification. While all 16 nutrients were present, she also noticed that the nutrient levels were similar to fertilizers that aren’t designated for marijuana growth.

“If you were to compare [the numbers] to what an actual tomato grower would use, the actual parts per million of nitrogen versus phosphorus, potassium are all more or less the same,” Justice said.

“There’s a little tweak here and there but

OutCo VP of Cultivation Allison Justice more or less the same. But the price differ- maintain quality control. Smith also said that ence is gigantic.” prices could be the result of higher quality OutCo switched to a traditional fertilizer nutrients, but Justice disagrees. that costs 22 times less, which comes out to “It’s just the same stuff that a tomato an expense of six cents on each gallon pot grower is using or that a flower grower is usper harvest versus $1.37. ing,” Justice said. “It’s just that they are able For OutCo, which is the largest mari- to put different marketing labels on them juana distributor in Southern California, and what not to raise that price just because switching fertilizers will positively shift its they can.” profit margin. OutCo CEO Linc Fish said Smith pointed out that branding comes that buying top dollar products won’t harm into play too. One popular hydroponics a large company like his, but that those brand called Advanced Nutrients sells a prices do have the potential to financially product called Kushie Kush, which has a laburden anyone in the state who’s looking to bel that features a busty redhead wearing a cultivate marijuana post-Prop 64. That is, dress made of marijuana. Another Advanced small grow operations not only have smaller Nutrients product is called Flawless Finish, profits than larger growers like and its label dons a cartoon of a stereotypical Outco, but they also don’t have Rastafari-style stoner, outfitted in green, access to wholesale prices. yellow and red. Other products have “Where you see people renames like Big Bud and Bud Candy. ally spending a lot of money Inside San Diego Hydroponics and on nutrients and it becomes Organics, Advanced Nutrients’ prodmuch more of a cost, is when ucts stack the shelves with they are growing on a very more than a dozen availsmall scale, and they’re buyable options. Its website ing a one gallon bottle of the lists 30 products oftentimes stuff and it’s $80,” Fish said. including two-step forHeavy 16 declined the opmulas within a multi-step portunity to comment after fertilizing process. Smith Advanced Nutrients’ warned that this is another being notified of this article’s Big Bud and Bud Candy way the companies could angle. In an email, Operations Manager Jessica Spivey said, “Thank you so take advantage of potential growers.

“Advanced Nutrients will take one prodmuch for disclosure–however, timing just uct and split it into three different bottles so doesn’t work out for us.”

Eric Smith is the inventory manager at they can generate more sales, or sometimes San Diego Hydroponics and Organics, where they’ll get rid of a couple of things and comcultivators can buy equipment, soil and fertil- bine them together,” Smith said.

Black Magic, which can be found at izer, including Heavy 16 products. Smith said the prices represent quality, making a com- Home Depot, is also catering its fertilizer parison between eating at McDonald’s versus products to a cannabis-centric community. a nice steakhouse. For example, he cites one Its website has a flashy layout with photos company, House and Garden, that was based of well-dressed urban farmers and mantras in Holland but recently moved to Northern like “Learn the Dark Arts of Growing.” HowCalifornia. Since the move, the company ever, Black Magic is a product of Hawthorne has been shipping its water from Holland to Gardening, a division of Scotts Miracle-Gro.

6 · San Diego CityBeat · December 14, 2016

“Those bags of fertilizer or soil are identical to the ones Scotts Miracle-Gro already has,” Justice said. “All they are simply doing is re-branding, calling it a silly name like Black Magic basically just to target the cannabis growers.”

According to an Arcview Market Research study, California’s legal marijuana industry is projected to increase from $2.76 billion in 2015 to $6.5 billion by 2020. By getting involved in hydroponics, Big Ag companies like Scotts Miracle-Gro can profit off the quasi-legal grow rush without federal concerns.

“This year really is starting the big mix of established agriculture crossing over, feeling comfortable from a legality standpoint, and going to work with the cannabis industry,” Justice said.

Nelson Lindsey, owner of Los Angelesbased cultivation consulting company, Poetry of Plants, said that growers can purchase the fertilizer’s ingredients and mix them at home, rather than using marked up, premixed products.

“It’s all really basic fundamental organic chemistry,” Lindsey said, who speculates that 99 percent of the industry purchases bottled nutrients instead of blending their own. “You don’t really need to spend that much on it.”

Smith agrees.

“If you have a horticulture degree, or even a chemistry degree, and you can source all of your own ingredients, there’s no reason to buy a bottle off the shelf because you could specially make it for exactly what you’re growing.”

However, small-scale growers may prefer spending the extra money for the sake of convenience, Fish said.

“People are overpaying because of the word cannabis, and they think they have to because there’s some magic to it,” he said.

“At the end of the day, it’s just science.”

#SDCityBeat

JOHN R. LAMB

UP FRONT | OPINION

SPIN

CYCLE

JOHN R. LAMB

Sherri’d!

There is but an inch of difference between a cushioned chamber and a padded cell.

—G.K. Chesterton

T

he sun-dappled day began with such promise of rambunctious civic action in the coming year. But by day’s end, it felt like just another day in Kabuki West.

Monday was Inauguration Day in the city of San Diego, when all the new kids join with the old kids to pledge mostly unattainable goals in the most upbeat tones available on the human spectrum.

There was freshly re-elected Mayor Kevin Faulconer, giving his best gee-golly-isn’t-SanDiego-lucky-to-have-me speech since the last one, with a pinch of 2018 gubernatorial fodder just for kicks apparently.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I think our nation needs a little San

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Diego-style bipartisanship now more than ever,” Faulconer said to significant applause at the historic Balboa Theatre downtown. “So to our new city councilmembers and new city attorney as well as the councilmembers who will continue to serve, I say let’s continue to put neighborhoods first.”

Well, la-dee-duh. Who on the council doesn’t put neighborhoods first, particularly the neighborhoods in their council districts?

Name this person, I dare thee!

Readers might be asking, C’mon, the mayor must’ve said something bold? Well yes, Spin’s ears did perk up when Faulconer uttered the following: “Games and gimmicks have never worked to move this city forward. That approach has been tried, and it has failed.”

On many fronts, San Diego is doing anything but moving forward. From housing affordability

to its inevitable link to growing homelessness, to the sidewalks we trip on in our crumbling, dimly lit hamlets, to civic leaders obsessing over municipal baubles while families go to sleep worrying about their next meal.

To be sure, there were excellent speeches Monday morning about the hope and promise of San Diego’s future. But the mayor—not unaware of a coming spike in pension costs that will force budget cuts in the next fiscal year—did his best to spray some bummer juice on any dreams of boisterous spending.

“Together in the face of rising pension costs that are affecting cities across California, we must be fiscally prudent, save for our future and be responsible stewards of the public’s money,” the mayor said.

Spin has made no secret of its suspicions that Faulconer, who cut his teeth in the business world as a public-relations executive, is a connoisseur of games and gimmicks that make the shiny ball appear to be advancing, while in reality it’s pretty much spinning in place if not actually backsliding.

He is, to his credit, a master of the practice, but it has not gone unnoticed. Later in the day when the new city council convened for its first duty—picking a leader—Coun-

Ghosts of Christmas Past, with the help of newbie Councilmember Barbara Bry, boosts colleague Myrtle Cole into the council presidency over David Alvarez. cilmember David Alvarez, the man from Barrio Logan who had hoped to be chosen council president, alluded to San Diego’s penchant for mostly talk, little action.

“Put simply, I’ve seen many missed opportunities for the council to lead and actually solve the problems that face the people of our city,” Alvarez said. “In watching those missed opportunities pass us by, I’ve also witnessed, far too often, groupthink or PR stunts to pretend things are actually happening in the city.”

Granted, the councilmember made these comments after newbie Councilmember Barbara Bry sucked the air out of council chambers by announcing that she would be backing colleague Myrtle Cole for the leadership position Alvarez—an early supporter of Bry—had made clear for months that he coveted.

This immediately had the audience flashing back to two years ago, when Bry’s predecessor, Sherri Lightner, sent shockwaves through the political landscape by ousting Todd Gloria as council president with the help of the council’s four Republican members. Lightner, a Democrat like Bry, a Democrat, rankled the noses of local progressives with the move.

“This is my first vote, and it’s a very difficult vote as you can imagine,” Bry told the packed chambers. “I believe that with Councilmember Cole as our president, she will work together with all of us effectively.”

From the 10th floor of City Hall, there were reports of whooping and stomping emanating from the 11th floor—where the mayor’s staff hunkers down—following Bry’s pronouncement. When the four Republicans this time joined Bry and Cole to thwart Alvarez’s aspirations and elevate Cole to the council presidency, it didn’t take long for mayoral Chief of

Staff Stephen Puetz to sweep into chambers beaming to shake Cole’s hand during a break.

Asked about the celebrating, Puetz shot back, “Oh, of course not,” but the smile said otherwise.

So should we file this under “games and gimmicks”? For the time being, let’s see how Cole handles the job. One thing is clear—she will be given no honeymoon. Statements abounded from Democratic colleagues afterward in part congratulating her but also noting that they will be watching closely, ready to force action if necessary.

“We’ll have some fun,” an upbeat Alvarez promised later Monday while attending a party for new District 3 Councilmember Chris Ward.

And what will Bry get for her acquiescence to the mayor’s apparent wishes? Some armchair pundits think she might be in line to chair the council’s powerful Budget and Government Efficiency Committee. Maybe she’ll nab the council president pro tem tag, a largely useless and ceremonial label that looks good in a biography.

Meanwhile, Cole told KPBS in a brief interview that she is ready to push back against the mayor if need be. This, of course, is easier said than done. And Cole still has some healing to do in her own district from comments she made—and later apologized for—affirming the need for police racial profiling due to black-onblack crime.

Bry, perhaps the big winner here, brimmed with hope: “When I closed my remarks this morning, I said often you can do what is not considered doable if you are all in, all in this together, and I hope we are all in with Myrtle to help her be the best council president possible.”

Spin Cycle appears every week.

Write to johnl@sdcitybeat.com.

December 14, 2016 · San Diego CityBeat · 7

CULTURE | VOICES

MINDA HONEY

AT THE INTERSECTION

Having the confidence of a mediocre white man

L

et us bow our heads and pray, “God give me the confidence of a mediocre white man.”

Two years later, writer Sarah Hagi’s daily prayer to overcome impostor syndrome is as relevant as ever. 2016 bears witness to the reality that there is no achievement that falls beyond the grasp of a mediocre white man. The near constant radio play of Justin Timberlake’s applesauce bland single, “Can’t Stop The Feeling.” The absurdity of the television show This Is Us, thinking any of us care about Kevin’s Pretty White Boy Problems plotline—GIVE US MORE RANDALL! And, also see: 2016 Presidential Election.

Even before Hagi’s prayer became the daily affirmation of women around the world, I was fortunate enough to work for an older white man that had already instilled in me this special flavor of confidence not usually savored by Black people, much less Black women. Life tends to demand that we

operate under the guiding principle that “you have to be twice as good as them to get half of what they have,” as famously echoed on Scandal by Olivia Pope’s daddy.

I’ve worked for a lot of older white men.

Who hasn’t? #whiteprivilege #patriarchy— but D.D. was the only one that carved out space for me to fail and still succeed like the white boys. As seen on the “Racist As Fuck” episode of Insecure, this is a luxury Black women rarely receive. After one botched meeting, Issa Rae’s character laments, “I made one mistake during my presentation and they lost all faith in me. You know, now I’m the black girl who fucked up. And white people at my job fuck up all the time!”

All. The. Time.

Just like Issa Rae’s character, all the jobs I’ve worked have had plenty of white people on the payroll. When one of them fucked up, they didn’t have to live with the constant worry that their every mistake would reflect poorly on their people as

8 · San Diego CityBeat · December 14, 2016

a whole. They didn’t have to worry that a poorly chosen blouse, a poorly worded email, or a poorly planned event was going to make it harder for the next Black woman to get on at their job.

There are probably white people reading this thinking, “That’s ridiculous!”

Please consider that most white people have one Black friend, as reported by the Public Religion Research Institute. When it comes to said white people, it’s either their Black co-worker that’s one of their friends or one of the few Black people they engage with on a regular basis. However, these interactions might be the only thing offsetting all the bullshit the media and the entertainment industry tells them is true about Black people. For Black people, that shit is stressful.

I don’t think D.D. was consciously making an effort to give me the same benefit of the doubt white men are cloaked in daily. He wasn’t one of those “I don’t see color” Tomi Lahren types, and we certainly had our fair share of interesting conversations as a twentysomething Black woman riding around in a car with her fifty-something white man boss.

His priorities were more about having good salespeople on his team so we could deliver on our sales goals at the end of the year. That meant he hired people he knew could get the job done and stood behind his people. His West Coast team became the most diverse in the company. It was basically like how sports low-key became integrated because teams with Black players started dominating the all-white teams.

Before working for D.D., every mistake I made at work made me feel like I was about to be fired. That all changed one Friday afternoon when I had a customer I supported call to complain that some supposed error on my part had cost him a $5,000 sale. I spent 20 minutes curled up on the floor of my closet sobbing into my stilettos before working up the courage to call D.D. and tell him I’d made a mistake.

His response was essentially, “That rep sells millions per year, that is nothing for him. He’ll get over it. Have a nice weekend.”

In the end, it turned out the lost sale wasn’t my fault. Over the next few years that I worked with D.D. anytime a complaint was brought to him—and for whatever reason it always tended to be white men with major egos who wanted to complain about me—he shrugged it off. In his eyes, they weren’t worth focusing on when he compared it to everything I was doing right.

I learned I didn’t have to be perfect to get ahead. I just needed to be good enough. I went on to be the top salesperson in my region because I stopped worrying about the little things and I felt emboldened to take more risks. Plus, I had D.D. there to protect my reputation if I made a misstep.

These days, when I’m in a business interaction, I now default to leading with the value I can bring and brushing aside any shortcomings. In this way, for me, Sarah Hagi’s prayer for the confidence of a mediocre white man has been answered.

Amen.

At The Intersection appears monthly.

#SDCityBeat

UP FRONT | OPINION

EDWIN DECKER

SORDID

TALES

Flag burning should be encouraged, not criminalized

I

must admit, I was pleasantly surprised by the level of outrage over President-elect Trump’s Tweet that Americans should be incarcerated or de-citizenized for burning the flag.

I was, however, disappointed that so many of the same people—who agree with the 1989 Supreme Court decision that flag desecration is, indeed, protected speech—felt the need to denounce the act of flag-burning itself.

For instance, when CNN’s Chris Cuomo badgered Trump’s Communications Director about the unconstitutionality of the Orangutan-elect’s Tweet, he kept adding disclaimers such as, “I don’t like people burning the flag either, but. . .”

News columnist Marcos Breton of the Sacramento Bee wrote an article about flag desecration called “It’s awful, ungrateful and unpatriotic. But it’s not unconstitutional.”

The Alaska Dispatch News editorial board, which favors legalized flag-burning, called the act “ugly.”

Ditto the internet, especially in the comment sections and message boards of various op-eds and articles.

Even on my social media pages my friends and colleagues—an enchanting collection of radical, Commie pinko, leftist, free-speechloving hippies—derided the act of flag burning as “reprehensible,” “despicable” and “nauseating” though, thankfully, legal.

To which I say, Et tu, Commie/hippy/pinko? I don’t know if they truly find it despicable or they’re just afraid the radical, right wing, fascist, flagthumping, xenophobic, jingoist, zealots of the world will call them a traitor if they don’t say as much.

Either way, I disagree. The act of incinerating Old Glory as a form or protest is not “despicable” and it’s certainly not “unpatriotic.” It is one of the loveliest and most dutiful things a citizen can do.

When I see a video or an image of an American citizen burning an American flag on American soil, I see a brave and conscientious soul expressing devotion to his country. And when the police do not show up to drag him away, it’s a reminder of how lucky I am to have been born here and not—but for the grace of grandma—in North Korea or Libya or Lubbock—where they would pelt you with stones for even looking at a flag funny.

As for you Trump-thumping, fascist, right wing jingoists who would call me a traitor, a troops-hater or a Commie/hippy/pinko for expressing such an opinion—excuse me while I wipe the mucous I just nasally ejected all over my computer screen. Because I’m the fucking patriot in this equation! I’m the one who stands for American ideals. I’m the one who welcomes dissent. As for you, well, you’re not a

real patriot. You are a faketriot.

You claim allegiance to America and the Constitution yet disregard its centerpiece: the right to talk shit about America and the Constitution. Ah, the irony. You are more enraged by the desecration of a symbol of that right, than desecrating the right itself.

News Flash: Symbols have less value than the things they symbolize. When I see someone burning a flag I think, Well yeah, duh—that’s what it’s for. That’s the point of a symbol. Seriously, have you tried to hoist an entire country to the top of a flagpole? Not easy.

And of course it would be wrong to douse the actual America in kerosene and set it on fire but being permitted to torch a flag is one of the great advantages of having one.

That’s why, whenever I see a crybaby faketriot getting all tender-clitted about a desecrated flag, I can’t help but think, Wow—I sure hope you are not representative of most Americans. Because if we as a country want to say we are the freest and the bravest without spattering comedy-snot all over the mirror to which we are saying it, then we should probably try to tolerate a little symbolic criticism.

Actually, scratch that.

We should encourage it. We should call attention to it. We should set up safe flag burning stations outside all our government buildings—from the White House down to the local City Halls. Set up vending booths that sell flammable, non-toxic banners and use that money to fix some of the shit people be burning flags about. I honestly can’t think of a better way to say to our citizens—and the world— “See? This is how confident we are about our system of government. This is how we earn our people’s allegiance.” Because here in America, patriotism is not mandatory. If it were, it wouldn’t be patriotism, it would be maketriotism. You can’t make someone love his or her country any more than I can make my ex fall back in love with me.

I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking, Ed, if you love flag desecration so much, why don’t you have the ‘nads to burn one yourself? Great question. Two answers. First, because I don’t have the ‘nads to burn one myself. Secondly, and probably most importantly, I subscribe to the teachings of the late, great Country Dick Montana who—after the 1989 Supreme Court ruling—made a declaration I will never forget: “The fact that it is now legal to burn the American flag,” he said to a packed house inside the now defunct Bacchanal, “is reason enough not to.”

You claim allegiance to America and the Constitution yet disregard its centerpiece: the right to talk shit about America and the Constitution.

#SDCityBeat

Sordid Tales appears every other week.

Write to edwin@sdcitybeat.com.

December 14, 2016 · San Diego CityBeat · 9

UP FRONT | FOOD

BY MICHAEL A. GARDINER

THE WORLD

MICHAEL A. GARDINER

FARE

Street food or carwash?

Wife (Gilda Radner): New Shimmer is a floor wax!

Husband (Dan Akroyd): No, New Shimmer is a dessert topping!

Wife: It’s a floor wax!

Husband: It’s a dessert topping!

Wife: It’s a floor wax, I’m telling you!

Husband: It’s a dessert topping, you cow!

Spokesman (Chevy Chase): [entering quickly] Hey, hey, hey, calm down, you two. New Shimmer is both a floor wax and a dessert topping! Here, I’ll spray some on your mop...and some on your butterscotch pudding.

Saturday Night Live, Season 1, Episode 9 The “Tortas Washmobile” name may sound like something right out of a Saturday Night Live sketch but the carne asada tortas it slings are what every little carne asada torta wants to be when it grows up. They’re what they ought to be. The name came from the shop’s origin as a nameless food cart at Tijuana’s first carwash. Now, at its location near the Tijuana Xolos Estadio Caliente (one of four) Tortas Washmobile (Trincheras, Hipodromo, 22020 Tijuana, B.C.) has returned again to its carwash roots.

Along with tacos, tortas are at the very core of Mexican street food. From the torta ahogada (“drowned torta”) of Guadalajara to the incredible creativity of Mexico City’s street vendors to the carnivorous festival that is the torta cubana (no particular relationship to the similarly named Cubano sandwich), tortas are Mexico’s answer to the sub sandwich. However, whereas subs are about multiple layers of ingredients on an enormous roll, tortas are generally focused on one or more meats with accompaniments like avocado, pickled vegetables and salsa on telera bread. They are, in essence, tacos done up in sandwich form.

Washmobile’s menu consists of carne asada tortas, carne asada tortas and, as a demonstration of their commitment to variety, carne asada tor-

10 · San Diego CityBeat · December 14, 2016

Carne asada tortas at Tortas Washmobile tas. Carne asada tortas is what it does, and it’s the only thing it does. And when a restaurant makes the call to do one thing and only one thing it must do that very well. Washmobile does.

Washmobile starts by butterflying beef brisket—a tough but incredibly flavorful cut of meat—so that it will cook to tenderness quickly.

Then the beef is marinated in a spicy citrus marinade for 12 hours. Washmobile gives the brisket a quick grill over mesquite coals. Once done, the chopped meat sits in a pool of its own juices as the bread is toasted next to it on the grill. While Washmobile calls its bread “telera,” it seems more like a cross between true telera bread and something resembling ciabatta. The tortero builds the torta by giving the toasted bread a swipe of mayo, a dollop of guacamole, pickled onions, an acidic salsa and the tender, juicy, caramelized and savory brisket.

So while the name may bring to mind a vintage SNL sketch and send mixed messages, there’s no ambiguity when it comes to Tortas Washmobile.

The central message is the big flavors of the meat.

The accompaniments retain their individuality and each serves to complement that central message. It’s possible that the best part is the way the meat juices soak into the toasted bread.

And that’s no joke.

The World Fare appears weekly.

Write to michaelg@sdcitybeat.com.

#SDCityBeat

UP FRONT | FOOD

BY JAMES VERNETTE

DISHING IT

sauce. It was spicy and strong, but didn’t have as much depth as I’d like. Next time, I might swap out the mezcal in the drink for the Reposado tequila.

We were hungry, but wanted something that seemed almost healthy. We answered that craving with the charred Brussels sprouts topped with Late nights, good bites Parmesan, bacon and a garlic vinaigrette. Those are all strong flavors, but they managed to stay ecause I’m a working stiff, I don’t do as in line and support the Brussels sprouts, which many late nights as I used to. Sadly, I miss were crisp with just the right amount of bitterness out on the best part of staying out at all that comes from charring. That bowl was quickly hours: Eating bad food. I believe that anything cleaned. eaten after 10 in a state of inebriation doesn’t acSo too were the bacon-wrapped dates. My tually count. Yes, I’m probably wrong, but we’re friend Anthony hadn’t tried dates before so I was living in a post-election, post-truth era and I’m wondering what he would think. It was pretty going to own it. damn perfect. The bacon strips around the dates On the rare nights when I am out and about, my were thick and crispy while still being flexible lack of knowledge forces me to go to diners or taco enough to wrap around the sweet dates. There were four of them and three of JAMES VERNETTE us, so I took the extra one when no one was looking. Yeah, I’m a bad friend.

The bone marrow is also a nice, if not a slightly unusual dish for me. It comes with a poached egg, grilled octopus and butternut squash puree and lots of bread.

We needed that bread to sop up the bone marrow, which, for those who are unfamiliar, is fatty and meaty with a mouth-feel that is the definition of “umami.”

On the other hand, the kale Caesar with halibut was just ok.

I liked the salad, but the fish was slightly overcooked and a little small for the price ($11.50, plus an $8 fish upcharge). We ended Bacon-wrapped dates at West Coast Tavern the meal sharing the chipotle mussels, which are served in a shops. There’s nothing wrong with those, but it’s spicy and almost cheesy cream sauce, with tomato always good to have options. I’m glad I found one and garlic butter. It was tangy and the mussels with West Coast Tavern (2895 University Ave.) were tender and not rubbery at all. It was a great in North Park. The kitchen is open until midnight end to a great late-night meal. and has some great nighttime noshes in the front, North Park is justifiably one of the city’s best even as North Park’s beautiful people are partying neighborhoods for dining and there is always a in the back (well, they looked beautiful to me, but new place worth trying, but it’s nice to have West it was the first time I had a chance to celebrate Coast Tavern in my back pocket. The mussels Prop 64’s passage, if you get my drift). and the bacon-wrapped dates are calling me back My friends were more in the mood for beer, right now. but I wanted the Sriracha Talkin’ South cocktail, a tequila drink with lemon, agave and the famous hot Dishing It Out appears every other week.

OUT B

#SDCityBeat

December 14, 2016 · San Diego CityBeat · 11

UP FRONT | DRINK

THE

BY ANDREW DYER

BEERDIST Finest Made is more than a rebrand

W

expensive restaurants for wine pairings.

“Now you’re seeing that with beer,” he said. “Sorry, wine people, but beer is way more food-friendly.”

It has always been his goal to brew beers with food in mind.

“When Butcher’s was created we wanted to do pairings, but would constantly get pulled into just pairing with meat,” Knight said about his early challenges. “We had people come here every week trying to buy steaks. ” With Finest Made, Knight hopes to further blend beer and cuisine. Its logo features three stars as homage to the Michelin three-star rating system for restaurants. Knight conceded that it was difficult to get people “over the hill” on state Route 52.

“We do face the challenge of being off the beaten path,” he said. “You’ve got to want to come

hen Rey Knight opened Butcher’s Brewing in 2013, the small suburb of Santee was known for a number of things—not all of them good—but beer was not one of them. Not much had changed by the time Butcher’s rebranded as Finest Made Ales (finestmade.com) in August 2016. People might know that Twisted Manzanita closed this year or about BNS Brewing & Distilling’s impressive run of gold and silver medals at the Great American Beer Fest, but many still do not think of Santee as a destination for great beer.

This needs to change.

The makeover to Finest Made Ales was not just corporate rebranding, Knight said, but a significant upgrade and investment in the brewing process and quality of the beer. “[Back] then it was a three-and-a-half barrel brew house,” he said. “It was glorified home brewing. In November of last year we bought the new brew house and went to seven barrels.”

Not only has Finest Made increased the volume of beer produced, but its process has also improved.

“Everything we purchased was to make the product better,” Knight said. “We don’t have a brite tank; we do our carbonating inside the vessel. We inject our yeast in-line and have a closed-loop system to add the hops for dry hopping. It all happens in one Rey Knight, Founder and Head Brewer, Finest Made Ales vessel so there’s no risk of contamination.”

This process, said Knight, creates a “super clean, aromatic product,” and I cannot argue with here. We’re very lucky we have the support of the him. The IPA was bright and crisp without being too community out here.” bitter and the Hefeweizen, a favorite of mine from The beer community should not sleep on East his Butcher’s days, was better than I remembered.

County much longer. Groundswell Brewing will “People ask if we’re brewing the same reci- be moving into the old Twisted Manzanita brewpes—yes and no,” said Knight. “It’s the same base ery soon and should be open next year. That, coubut we’re able to tweak things now that we were pled with the quality beer being brewed by Finest never able to do before. We’ve got a HEPA filter Made, BNS and El Cajon’s Burning Beard should cleanroom lab for us to do our in-house testing, be more than enough to get people thinking “east” something a lot of small breweries don’t have. It’s for great beer. the most expensive room in here.”

Knight, who was a chef for 15 years, adds that The Beerdist appears every other week. in culinary school he would save money and go to Write to andrewd@sdcitybeat.com

12 · San Diego CityBeat · December 14, 2016

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SHORTlist

EVENTS

ART

the

THREE YOU HAVE TO SEE

COORDINATED BY

SETH COMBS

DOWNTOWN

1

OTHER DIMENSIONS

It’s hard to recall a time when San Di- rican American Museum of Fine Art. And while the ego cultural institutions seemed so de- exhibition seems particularly timely, Graham says voted to the causes of the culturally marginalized. that these “seminal pieces” transcend topicality.

While 2016 itself will likely go down as a shit year, “These questions are always timely and part it also made for some amazingly brave shows and of an ongoing conversation,” says Graham. “It exhibitions. adds a sense of urgency, but I think it’s not topiThe Museum of Concal in that these quesCOURTESY OF THE ARTIST AND SALON 94, NEW YORK temporary Art San Diego tions should be part of a has been on a bit of a roll sustained conversation lately. From the stirring about race and identity protest pictures in the in art.” recent The Uses of PhoA few highlights from tography exhibition (up the exhibition include through Jan. 2 at the La Sam Gilliam’s color Jolla location) and the field painting, Martin racially charged, “don’t Puryear’s tar-coated shoot” images of black sculpture work and the hands in Damon Davis: photos of Carrie Mae All Hands on Deck, to the Weems. Graham also more recent statements “Guarded Conditions” by Lorna Simpson points out that MCASD on immigration as found will be holding special in DeLIMITations: A Survey of the 1821 United events and programs throughout the run of DiStates-Mexico Border, MCASD is taking chances mensions of Black (up through April 30), including again and we’re all better for it. a food event and a screening of the documentary, Now, the museum is ending the year on a high Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child. The exnote with Dimensions of Black, a majestic survey hibition itself opens at MCASD’s downtown locaof over 50 years’ worth of African-American con- tion (1100 Kettner Blvd.) on Friday, Dec. 16 and temporary art culled from MCASD’s permanent Graham will also lead “A Curator’s Perspective” collection. Assembled by Curatorial Manager An- tour of the works on Monday, Dec. 19 at 2 p.m. thony Graham, the exhibition is the first-ever col- Admission for MCASD ranges from free to $10. laboration between MCASD and the San Diego Af- mcasd.org

SOLANA BEACH

EAST VILLAGE

2 GIVING TREES

Our industrialized metropolis often leaves few places for city-dwellers to enjoy the benefits of the great outdoors, but this season SMARTS Farm (1326 Broadway) is hosting the Holiday Open House, providing the chance for urbanites to connect with Mother Nature and dig into the holiday spirit—literally.

Taking place from 10:30 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Dec. 17, the event features holiday-themed activities such as tree decorating, wreath making, kid friendly arts and crafts, a winter gardening class and complimentary hot cocoa and fresh garden pizzas made from food grown in the garden. This is one of many community events that the urban garden will feature to connect San Diego families and residents through horticulture. There is a suggested donation of $5 for adult participation and proceeds directly benefit SMARTS farm future programs and projects.

3 NO POSTAGE REQUIRED

Live music during the holidays tends to lean a little heavy on camp or tradition, but since 2012 singer/songwriter Alex Woodard has been using the holiday season as an opportunity to tap into real stories from real people. His For the Sender series, which started as a book and album four years ago, features music inspired by people’s real-life letters.

On Sunday, Dec. 18, the third annual For the Sender Holiday Show will find Woodard and a cast of guest musicians—including Jack Tempchin, Sean Watkins and Tim Flannery—bringing story-songs inspired by a Vietnam veteran to a live audience at Belly Up Tavern (143 S. Cedros Ave.). There may be a few tears, but it sure beats another embarrassing rendition of “Santa Baby.”

Tickets start at $18. 21-and-up. bellyup.com CARLY LACKEY

COURTESY OF SMARTS FARM

HDimensions of Black at MCASD Downtown, 1001 Kettner Blvd., Downtown. In collaboration with the San Diego African American Museum of Fine Art (SDAAMFA), an exhibition of works by African American artists drawn from the Museum’s own multi-decade holdings.

From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 16.

Free-$10. 858-454-3541, mcasd.org HJennifer Steinkamp: Madame Curie at MCASD - Downtown, 1001 Kettner Blvd., Downtown. An immersive, large-scale video installation inspired by Steinkamp’s research into atomic energy, atomic explosions, and the effects of these forces on nature. From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 16. Free-$10. 858-4543541, mcasd.org Tristano di Robilant at MCASD - Downtown, 1001 Kettner Blvd., Downtown. New glass, metal and ceramic sculptures that balance geometric forms with light and color, and which highlight the particular qualities of the materials. From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 16. Free-$10. 858454-3541, mcasd.org HPhoto Ark at San Diego Natural History Museum, 1788 El Prado, Balboa Park.

Selections from a multiyear National Geographic project from photographer Joel Sartore to create portraits of the world’s species before they disappear and to inspire people to care. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 17. Free-$19. 619232-3821, sdnhm.org

#SDCityBeat

For the Sender Holiday Show

MUSIC Noel Noel at Copley Symphony Hall, 750 B St., Downtown. Concert of popular music of the season featuring the San Diego Master Chorale and special guests.

Popular Broadway showman (and San Diego native) Brian Stokes Mitchell will also perform. At 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 16 and Saturday, Dec. 17, and 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 18. $20-$80. 619-235-0804, sandiegosymphony.org HUkulele Orchestra of Great Britain at Sherwood Auditorium, 700 Prospect St., La Jolla. Self-described as a group of all-singing, all-strumming ukulele players, who offer a widely varying program where they play everything from Tchaikovsky to Nirvana. At 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 16 and Saturday, Dec. 17. $30-$70. 858-4543541, ljms.org HFor The Sender Holiday Show at Belly Up Tavern, 143 S. Cedros Ave., Solana Beach. Alex Woodard’s annual concert features performances from Jon Foreman (Switchfoot), Jordan Pundik (New Found Glory), Jack Tempchin and more. Benefits veteran charities. At 8 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 18. $18-$20. 858-481-8140, bellyup.com

H11) Catherine Czacki: ~ at Ocean Beach. SPF15 presents its eleventh exhibition, a solo presentation of the work of local artist Catherine Czacki who specializes in text and sculpture-based works. Exhibition takes place at the end of Santa Cruz Ave. (just past Bacon St.). Opening from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 18. Free. spf15.info

HSan Diego Mixtape Society at Tiger!

Tiger!, 3025 El Cajon Blvd., North Park.

Join fellow music lovers as they swap music at this bi-monthly event. Bring a CD or flash drive of the songs. This week’s theme is “It’s The End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Sick).” From 3 to 6 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 18. Free. facebook. com/sdmixtapesociety

BOOKS

Chanticleer at Copley Symphony Hall, 750 B St., Downtown. The 12-piece, allmale chorus is known for their original interpretations of vocal literature, from Renaissance to jazz and gospel, will perform a festive holiday program. At 7:30 p.m.

Monday, Dec. 19. $20-$65. 619-2350804, purchasing.sandiegosymphony. org/single/eventDetail.aspx?p=5830

Anne Rice at Warwick’s Bookstore, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. The bestselling author of The Vampire Chronicles will be appearing with her son Christopher Rice to promote and sign the latest book in the series, Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis. At 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 16. $31.27.

858-454-0347, warwicks.com

HOLIDAY EVENTS 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. Wednesday, Dec. 14 through Saturday, Dec. 24. $112-$168.

619-232-3121, lambsplayers.org Holiday Gift Shop at Brokers Building, 402 Market St., Downtown. Peruse art and handmade holiday gifts at this monthlong, pop-up boutique event. From 1 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 15. Free-$20. facebook.com/thebrokersbuildinggallery HSMARTS Farm Holiday Open House at SMARTS Farm, 1326 Broadway Ave., East Village. Holiday gardening and arts and crafts that includes DIY wreath making, holiday tree decorating, a hands-on winter gardening class, complimentary hot cocoa and garden-fresh pizzas. From 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 17. $5 suggested donation. humanesmarts.org Family Holiday Concert at Copley Symphony Hall, 750 B St., Downtown. A onehour afternoon version of the annual holiday concert spectacular, complete with traditional Christmas music, the San Diego Master Chorale and a visit from Santa Claus. At 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 18. $15-$25. 619-2350804, sandiegosymphony.org

SMARTS Farm

HSan Diego Bay Parade of Lights at San Diego Bay, Downtown. The 45th 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. 18. Free. sdparadeoflights.org

H = CityBeat picks

Poinsettia Bowl Gaslamp March at Horton Plaza Park, 900 Fourth Avenue, Marching bands and spirit squads from the participating universities (BYU and the University of Wyoming) will parade around the Gaslamp performing holiday classics. At 6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 19.

Free. sandiegobowlgames.com

PERFORMANCE An Irish Christmas at Center for the Arts Escondido, 340 N Escondido Blvd., Escondido. World Champion Irish Dancers Scott Doherty and Tyler Schwartz star in a seasonal performance that includes dancing, traditional singing and authentic Irish music. From 7 to 9:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 15. $49. 760 839 4138, artcenter.org HThe Eight: Reindeer Monologues at North Coast Repertory Theatre, 987 Lomas Santa Fe Drive, Solana Beach.

From Rudolph to Vixen, the reindeers dish about Santa, the elves and all the secrets of what really happens at the North Pole in a dark comedy performance. Strong language and mild adult themes. At 10 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 16 and Saturday, Dec. 17.

Friday, Dec. 16. $20-$25. 858-481-1055, northcoastrep.org Dickens Unscripted at North Coast Repertory Theatre, 987 Lomas Santa Fe Drive, Solana Beach. Improv Theatre’s winter holiday show is inspired by Charles Dickens and is completely improvised by

EVENTS CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

December 14, 2016 · San Diego CityBeat · 13

BOOKS: THE FLOATING LIBRARY Strange things

I

Take this brief excerpt from one of the stranger stories, “Go Quiet”: “Maybe a dog doesn’t remember if you cut off its tail when it’s a puppy, but maybe it does. The long part of the tail in some trash heap next to an empty potato can. Maybe it finds its way into the can and coils up in the starchy runoff.”

The excerpt infers an act of horrific violence the narrator committed, observed or is imagining as a way of distancing her pain. The second sentence is a fragment, not a true sentence in a strict grammatical sense, but places the tail in a setting. The existence of the tail, its life after its separation from the dog, refutes the violence, even though that refutation is nonsensical.

Alling’s stories live in the maybe, the part of existence in between the known and the unknowable, between what one can remember and what is lost forever. Many of the stories present familiar situations and take them to ridiculous extremes. In “Whistling Baby” a young woman is chastised for her lack of enthusiasm in a way that feels like a fable about social media. “Insubordination” imagines a home invasion as a relationship that quickly runs its course when the invader doesn’t find what he’s looking for and refuses to leave.

Alling’s wildly imaginative tales hit the right note for these strange and terrible times.

took my first fiction-writing workshop in the late ’80s. Readers were enthralled with realist fiction that sought to represent the lives of contemporary Americans in a way I found artless and boring. These stories were popular in fiction workshops because, lacking metaphors and rhetorical flourishes, they were easy to read, easy to discuss, easy to imitate. I hated it.

One of my English professors assigned the book Sudden Fiction, an anthology of extremely short stories and, for the first time, I encountered contemporary American writing that was truly weird. The collection had stories from popular realists such as Tobias Wolff and Raymond Carver, but it also had strange postmodern stories

by Donald Barthelme, Robert Coover and Lydia Davis. One story in particular held my attention: “The Artichoke”

by Marilyn Krysl.

I didn’t understand the story. I wasn’t even sure what was going on, but I loved it.

It was rich and mysterious, yet only a few hundred words long. This, I thought, was for me.

Every once in a while I encounter a work of very short fiction that provides the same thrill of discovering something new while redefining what a short story can be. Meredith Alling’s Sing the Song (Future Tense Books) is one such book. The stories are

very short, very strange and, if you can wrap your Write to jimr@sdcitybeat.com. head around what’s going on, utterly unforgettable.

14 · San Diego CityBeat · December 14 , 2016

—Jim Ruland

EVENTS EVENTS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11 the North Coast Repertory Theatre players. At 7:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 19. $20$25. 858-481-1055, northcoastrep.org

POETRY & SPOKEN WORD HLong Story Short: Naughty or Nice at The Ink Spot, 2730 Historic Decatur Road, Barracks 16, Suite 202, Point Loma.This monthly reading invites anyone to take the stage and tell a five-minute story under a common theme. This time it’s about the winter holiday season. From 7 to 9 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 17. $5 suggested donation. 619-696-0363, sosayweallonline.com

SPECIAL EVENTS H3rd Friday Open House and Anniversary Party at Sleep Bedder, 2855 El Cajon Blvd. #4, North Park. Celebration in conjunction with the BLVD Market that includes live music, art, spiritual readings, libations and fundraising for Universal Sound and Blissed Yoga. From 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday, Dec. 16. Free-$5. 619.287.2337, sleepbeddernorthpark.com Second Chance San Diego Benefit Show at Til-Two Club, 4746 El Cajon Blvd., City Heights. Bands such as The Fictitious Dishes, Gloomsday and Hocus will perform and local artists will be on site selling hand-made jewelry and more.

All proceeds go to Second Chance. At 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 16. $8. facebook.com/ events/386543575017917 4D Movie and Unlimited Tacos at San Ysidro Trolley Station, 700 E. San Ysidro Blvd., San Ysidro. Join Wild Foodie Tours to enjoy unlimited tacos at the original Ta-

cos El Gordo in Tijuana followed by the premier of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story in 4D. From 4:30 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 17. $69. wildfoodietours.com/ Turista Libre: Baja Winery Hop at Turista Libre Meeting Spot, 727 E. San Ysidro Blvd, Tijuana. Excursion to Valle de Guadalupe wine country, a cluster of vineyards scattered between Ensenada and Tecate. Tickets include roundtrip border transport, tastings at three wineries and dinner at Finca Altozano. From 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 17. $170. 858754-9406, turistalibre.com Whale Watching at Flagship Cruises & Events, 990 N. Harbor Drive, Downtown.

Witness gray whales migrate off the coast of San Diego on educational whale watching excursion and listen to real-time commentary on the whales, dolphins, sea lions and other sea creatures. From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 17. $20-$55.

800-442-7847, flagshipsd.com Holiday Home Tour in Historic Kensington at Historic Kensington, Canterbury Drive and Westminster Terrace, Kensington. Tour of five historic homes in Kensington, each decorated by professional interior designers. Proceeds will be donated to the San Diego Center for Children by way of the Women’s Iris Auxiliary.

From noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 18. $25. eventbrite.com/e/kensington-holiday-home-tour-tickets-2833985125

SPORTS San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl at Qualcomm Stadium, 9449 Friars Road, Mission Valley. The University of Wyoming Cowboys will face off against the BYU Cougars in the 12th annual bowl game. At 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 21. $20-$80. poinsettiabowl.com

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December 14, 2016 · San Diego CityBeat · 15

THEATER SIMPATIKA

Mystery science theater

T

he miracle of The Mystery of Love and Sex is how Jonny (John W. Wells III), a well-intentioned but conflicted college student, doesn’t go completely flippo on account of all the self-destructive narcissists in his midst including his childhood friend Charlotte (Rachel VanWormer) and her bickering parents, Howard (Mike Sears) and Lucinda (Marci Anne Wuebben).

On one hand, this tension delivers loads of sit-commish laughs at Diversionary Theatre. On the other, the underbelly of Bathsheba Doran’s play, which finds both Jonny and Charlotte quite desperately addressing their sexual identities, flirts with melodrama. But Jonny, around whom the story should circulate (more than Charlotte), is an aching, vulnerable character that gives Mystery its heart. Wells admirably conveys that complexity and interiority.

VanWormer’s a bit frantic as Charlotte, and Wuebben’s overdrawn Lucinda brings to mind one of Designing Women’s Sugarbaker sisters. Sears makes the highly flawed Howard somehow likable, even warm at times.

Though lengthier than it needs to be and less revelatory than its title would suggest, The Mystery of Love and Sex does speak thoughtfully to questions

at the Horton Grand Theatre downtown, telling the same story as the 1947 film but with original songs and arrangements by Jon Lorenz and much more comedy. The carols included seem just tossed in, but it is the holiday season and if you’re at this show, then why quibble?

Miracle on 34th Street: A Live Musical Radio Play runs through Dec. 23 at the Horton Grand Theatre, Downtown. $30$72; sdmt.org

—David L. Coddon

Theater reviews run weekly.

Write to davidc@sdcitybeat.com.

OPENING:

John W. Wells III and Rachel VanWormer in The Mystery of Love and Sex of family, personal accountability and the courage required to acknowledge one’s capacity for love and with whom it should be shared. These are the integral concerns not only around holidays, but all year round.

The Mystery of Love and Sex runs through Dec. 24 at Diversionary Theatre in University Heights. $15-$45. diversionary.org

16 · San Diego CityBeat · December 14 , 2016

L

et’s see now, a show about a live radio broadcast set at Christmastime.

Didn’t Cygnet Theatre in Old Town do that for years (A Christmas Carol)?

Yep. Isn’t New Village Arts in Carlsbad doing that right now (The 1940s Radio Hour)? Yep again. So the concept of San Diego Musical Theatre’s Miracle on 34th Street: A Live Musical Radio Play is nothing new. That being said, it’s a fun evening

Miracle on 34th Street: A live radio show performance of the holiday classic about a department store Santa who believes he’s the real thing.

Presented by the Oceanside Theatre Company, it opens Dec. 16 for four performances at the Brooks Theatre in Oceanside. oceansidetheatre.org A Charlie Brown Christmas: Everybody’s favorite forlorn Peanut sets out to find the true meaning of the holiday. It opens for two performances Dec. 17 at the Broadway Theatre in Vista. broadwayvista.biz

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

#SDCityBeat

Shopping at the mall or a corporate chain store during the holiday season is some kind of masochistic exercise. It’s best left to people with no problem not knowing where their money is going. The last election taught us a lot, but one of the more important and understated lessons we took away was to be more conscientious about where we spend our income. Amazon, Macy’s, Nordstrom… All gave money to Trump. But there is hope. According to a recent Yelp study, San Diego was the best city in the U.S. when it came to supporting local businesses. The dozen or so items in this guide are all available at local boutiques and stores, but even if readers don’t find a gift option here, we’re still of the opinion they’ll be able to find something unique and heartfelt in one of S.D.’s many indie stores.

#SDCityBeat

December 14, 2016 · San Diego CityBeat · 17

18 · San Diego CityBeat · December 14, 2016

COURTESY OF CHEMEX

Your girl wants to ball on a budget. I get it. And you love how her buffed, filed, painted nails look and feel gliding across your skin, bereft of any (unwanted) clawing. But each time she pops into the salon to coat them with gel polish, there’s a minimum $30 price tag. Choosing the DIY at-home Essie option is a no-brainer.

But it errs on the basic side of the manicure spectrum. Maybe she can paint some stripes or polka dots, but overall they’re likely to be one solid, boring shade. On the other hand (pun intended), you can go to Artelexia (3803 Ray St.) in North Park to get decals

by Los Angeles-based, independently-run brand Cha Cha Covers. These can adorn one nail or all ten with handpainted or graphic designed decals ranging from sugar skulls and Frida Kahlo’s face to watermelons and sirenas.

Each $6 pack comes with 15 decals that she can dip into water, apply and enjoy for up to a week. There’s even a set designed exclusively for Artelexia. This beauty brand is dedicated to representing feminism, Latinas and global cultures alike so ladies can treat themselves and feel good about it as well.

—Torrey Bailey

#SDCityBeat

TORREY BAILEY

In order to stray from the cliché plant gift, Craft Atmosphere, or Craftmossphere, has developed the innovative combination of moss and art. Its preserved moss frame with air plant is $38, and is a legitimate piece of framed art, just with moss instead of acrylic. These moss pieces are easy to care for, requiring a hot and dry location (aka San Diego), and occasional water spritzing. Craftmossphere’s products are at Stroll Boutique (2360 India St.) in Little Italy. Additionally, Craftmossphere creates customized moss pieces when purchased online (craftmossphere.com).

If you want something more playful, Coyote Creative sells air plants in animal figurines.

The air plant raptor is only $10 and includes both the raptor and the plant. Coyote Creative has a wide variety of animal air plants in addition to terrarium kits and other planters. Coyote Creative’s products can be purchased at its Ocean Beach shop (4966 Santa Monica Ave). Also catch Coyote Creative at its Ocean Beach Farmer’s Market booth every Wednesday. coyotecreativesd.com —Jordan Packer —Sofia Mejias-Pascoe

For those friends who spend half their paycheck buying double-frappe-latte-whatevers from pretentious coffee shops, this stylish coffee brewer concocts the perfect cup of Joe, satiable to even the most particular coffee enthusiast. In fact, a true coffee snob will recognize the Chemex name for its distinguished designs, which won it a spot at New York’s Corning Museum of Glass. The 40-ounce Chemex Coffeemaker modernizes the pourover method of brewing by using a scientifically-designed glass frame and elegant wood collar guarantees quality in every cup. Even if you’re not a morning person, the contemporary shape and user-friendly simplicity almost makes waking up every morning worth it.

The local, minimalist cafe, Coffee & Tea Collective (2911 El Cajon Blvd.), has several Chemex Coffeemakers in store for $50 along with the specially made Chemex coffee filters for $15. We also recommend the pungent and rich Las Palomas coffee beans to complete the package. All merchandise can also be purchased online. coffeeandteacollective.com

#SDCityBeat

December 14, 2016 · San Diego CityBeat · 19

20 · San Diego CityBeat · December 14, 2016

Three cups flour, two cups sugar, one stick of butter, bake for 11 minutes and VOILA! Burnt holiday cookies. If your kitchen skills are questionable, but buying corporatemall desserts is not your style, pick up a batch from The Good Stuff Cookie Co. located inside 5&A Dime (828 G St., Downtown). Packaged in mason jars of six, the original Good Stuff Cookies are, in essence, mini-cheesecakes.

They’re rich and so moist that they verge on cookie dough.

These cookies are satisfying to say the least, but supporting local brother-sister shop owners Jason and Darcie Huggins is the whip on top. The combination of Darcie’s cookies and Jason’s streetwear in the store might seem unusual at first, but it works when you can tell the items they carry are from personal passions. At $12 a jar, the Truffle Shuffle-inducing stacks come in cheesecake, chocolate-cheesecake, s’mores and chocolate-peanut butter flavors. They are the perfect, thoughtful-enough gift for your co-worker, neighbor or winter booty call. Or Santa. Santa will definitely like them.

COURTESY OF THE GOOD STUFF

Instead of gifting the latest Stephen King mega-seller, get your horror aficionado the States of Terror trilogy, available at Verbatim Books (3793 30th St.) in North Park. This locally published anthology series has a killer concept: writers pick a state and write a horror story based on the regional monsters, legends and lore (New Jersey’s Jersey Devil, for example). However, these stories dive deep into the lesser-known monsters that fill American nightmares, showcasing the esoteric, eccentric and diverse fears that define our great but tumultuous nation. For example, San Diego writer Jennifer Corley’s chilling take on South Carolina’s infamous and silly-sounding Lizard Man of Scape Ore Swamp reinterprets the legend into a frightening commentary on Southern racism. Lauren Becker’s entry takes on the Demon Cat that is purported to haunt government buildings in Washington, D.C. (although it’s now difficult to imagine anything scarier in D.C. than the president-elect). It’s fun to see how each author interprets the prompt—the stories range from pulp to poetic—but there’s an unabashed love of genre, monsters and America that runs through each story, and if that doesn’t restore some patriotic pride, then you’re as doomed as the characters in these books. verbatim-books.com

MATT LEWIS

Hostess gifts aren’t always the easiest to come by, nor are they always the first thing on our minds as we prepare to celebrate the holidays. A bottle of prosecco procured at a liquor store on the way to the party is the frequent M.O. for many of us. But fear not, last-minuters! We’ve gone ahead and done the legwork for you. Swing through Vocabulary Boutique (414 W. Cedar St.) in downtown to pick up a set of Rosanna Dotted Champs AARYN BELFER Coupe Champagne Glasses to offer your favorite stylish hostess. (If you’re a real mensch, you’ll bring the bubbly, too).

These retro-themed, wide-rimmed goblets with gold polka dots are a throwback to a romantic era and while they’re certainly holiday festive, they don’t stay in their lane and are perfect for any occasion. Each time your hostess friend pulls them off the shelf, she’ll think of you and how drunk you got at her holiday soirée. She’ll smile and forgive any of your antics because: Hello, adorable champagne glasses.

—Aaryn Belfer

—Carolyn Ramos

—Ryan Bradford

#SDCityBeat

KATIE HOWARD

#SDCityBeat

—Torrey Bailey

Tote bags aren’t the most personal gift, but given the recent plastic bag ban, totes can totes be a practical gift.

The usual suspects such as Target and T.J. Maxx sell some super cheesy bags that look like they’ll buckle if we put more than six bottles of wine in them (what? Don’t judge!). What’s more, there’s no sense of fashion or individuality in those bags. So that’s why we love L.A. artist/designer Sarah Faith Gottesdiener’s pro-woman “You Are Nothing Without Feminist Art” tote bag ($20), which is available at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego gift shop (700 Prospect St., La Jolla) and on its website (mcasd.org).

The message is also available on t-shirts and men’s sizes are also available for $28. We also love the “Stop Telling Women to Smile” totes and shirts, which help support the Brooklyn-based public art project by Tatyana Fa z l a l i z a d e hw h i c h .

While not available at the MCASD gift shop, they can be found at stoptellingwomentosmile.bigcartel.com for $18 and $20.

—Seth Combs

December 14, 2016 · San Diego CityBeat · 21

COURTESY OF THE ARTIST

The ‘90s fashion resurgence became clear years ago with mom jeans, quickly followed by tattoostyle chokers and confirmed by Pokemon Go. The decade also tapped into our old school creativity with coloring books, aka the essence of my childhood. Rather than pages of Jasmine or Ariel outlines, 2016 took coloring books for a twist by filling them with Ryan Gosling physiques, R-rated fantasies and expletive-laced mandalas. So I’m going to take it down a notch, refer back to an age of innocence and suggest a product that’s even more nostalgia-inducing than a coloring book. Fuzzy. Velvet. Posters. These were the gold standard of coloring practices, and now a UCLA-alumnus has made them available to adults at Little Dame Shop (2942 Adams Ave.) in Normal Heights for $15. Don’t worry about staying within the lines on these. The velvet borders soak up any wine-induced pen swerves. So, keep the bottles coming. littledameshop.com

Homebrewing is a rite of passage for aspiring brewers, but it can also be an irritatingly precise hobby easily abandoned by the impatient. Expert guidance is key for success (that and proper sterilization techniques) and despite big-box stores such as Walmart, Target and Bed Bath and Beyond cashing in on the craft beer craze, their generic homebrewing kits just don’t measure up. With bare-bones equipment, infeBETH DEMMON rior ingredients and no hands-on instruction, it’s no wonder most of these cheap kits face near-instant abandonment after the would-be brewer’s first attempt. Skip the frustration and go straight to the connoisseurs of craft at The Homebrewer (2911 El Cajon Blvd). Its $300 starter kit includes everything needed for a successful homebrewing experience, plus 10 percent off your first batch of ingredients (either from a box or custom recipe) as well as entry into its Intro to Homebrewing Class (a $20 value).

Upgrades are easy with their all-grain expansion kits, and they carry a huge variety of malts, yeast, hops and adjuncts for those who actually want to try homebrewing vs. those who just want to look cool. thehomebrewersd.com

—Beth Demmon

22 · San Diego CityBeat · December 14, 2016

—Jeff Terich

AARYN BELFER

Clothing on animals is a subjective thing. There’s a thin line between eye-rolls and gushing over the unbearable cuteness. It also really helps when the animal involved is your pet. We love them so much that we think anything they do is cute, and anyone who thinks otherwise is a heartless idiot. And while sweaters on pets are one thing, don’t even try to resist a dog with a scarf. Howlistic (930 W. Washington St. in Mission Hills and 2820 Historic Decatur Road inside the Liberty Public Market in Point Loma) carries stylish and totes adorbs scarves by Phillybased company Chilly Dogs that are made with organic wool and natural plant/fruit dyes. They’re also free tradefriendly and handmade in the northern highlands of South America by Incan descendants. The scarves are $12.99 and, while great for dogs, chances are your cat will hate it and just use it for a scratching post. So pick up a sweater ($34.99) for the cat so they don’t get jealous. Trust us, cats love sweaters. howlistic.com

—Seth Combs

Appreciation of clothing as a holiday gift tends to waver by age group—younger recipients might roll their eyes at a sweater and socks, whereas the more mature friends and family members cherish the idea of being showered with bespoke outerwear. One thing we can all agree on, however, is T-shirts. You have better options than ironic MySpace Tom or Shania Twain shirts from Urban Outfitters. Urban Octopus, located inside The Glashaus in Barrio Logan (1815 Main St., Ste. B), silkscreens original designs on t-shirts (as well as posters, COURTESY OF URBAN OCTOPUS wood prints and other merchandise) featuring the original designs of Jere Dean. Dean’s art style is surreal yet elegant, with designs that range from the straightforward—a camera or a bicycle, for instance—to more mind-bending creations such as a man with a movie camera for a head or his namesake Urban Octopus. Shirts are poly-cotton blends and range in price from $28 to $33, or for those who’d prefer a year’s supply of Urban Octopus tees, its T-Shirt of the Month Club comes in six- or 12-month subscriptions, starting at $109. urbanoctopus.com

Pretty sure we can all agree that this year has been a big ole libido killer, and we’re here to say that lacy underthings are not going to cut it this holiday season. What is gonna cut it—or rather, suckle it—is The Womanizer. Sure, the name could remain in the dust bin alongside 2016, but when the gift recipient is gasping, screaming and writhing like a demon-possessed Sigourney Weaver in Ghost Busters, nobody’s going to care if it’s called the Pussy Grabber. At $165 at Pleasures and Treasures (2525 University Ave.) in Hillcrest (pleasuresandtreasures.biz), this masterpiece of masturbatory devices is at the high end of sex toys and worth every damned dollar. The soft silicon tip of The Womanizer fits over your clitoris and simulates the best oral sex you’ve ever had, times a jillion. Trust us on this one. With varying levels of suckling/vibratory intensity, this device takes you from zero to OH GOD! in less than a minute. After that one, there’s another. And another. Be prepared to stay in bed all damn day. Every damn day.

—Aaryn Belfer

#SDCityBeat

CULTURE | FILM

Soul asylum

Jackie

Natalie Portman questions faith, doubt and trauma as Jackie Kennedy

by Glenn Heath Jr.

T

here has to be a day one.” Billy Crudup’s name- es the film into the territory of spirituality with an less Journalist character tries to pin down the overwrought sequence involving John Hurt’s cathoorigins of legacy with Jacqueline Kennedy lic priest. Less emphasis is placed on the spaces that (Natalie Portman) during a punchy one-on-one in- remind us of guilt, instead focusing on double-sided terview. It’s been some weeks after her husband, words we tell ourselves to subdue the pain.

President John F. Kennedy (Caspar Phillipson), was Larraín has explored this terrain before, havassassinated in Dallas, Texas and the mood is expect- ing made multiple films in Chile about the overlap edly somber. There’s talk of how royalty and tradition between history, memory and trauma in Pinochet’s need time to flourish in the public consciousness. dictatorship. Tony Manero and Post Mortem are both Perception, reality and truth are discussed openly as horrific looks at the fortification of Fascism through malleable ideas that suit individual concerns. working class citizens. He sees tangential parallels Their formidable back-and-forth challenges con- in the story of Jackie and the utopian “Camelot” her ventional biopic lore, with the storyteller’s usual power family came to represent, but all the pomp and cirin shaping the narrative hijacked by the subject herself. cumstance has a self-pitying demeanor.

Pablo Larraín’s Jackie immerses you in this seJackie is used to getting her way. The entire film questered conversation before flashing back to the makes this very clear, so it becomes about the process events immediately leading up to of revising history, on both a perand after Nov. 22, 1963. The woozy sonal and national level. Larraín vignettes are flushed with period reinforces this sentiment, posiJACKIE piece detail, filmed in Super 16mm tioning a deeply subjective pointDirected by Pablo Larraín to accentuate deep impressionist of-view. Notions of remembrance Starring Natalie Portman, colors and layered textures. Mica consistently define her motivations Billy Crudup, Greta Gerwig Levi’s beautifully volatile score and thought-processes, creating a wails at will, as if the air were cycle of self-doubt that is horrifyand Peter Sarsgaard slowly being let out of an inflated ing for a person so long encased by Rated R memory. privilege. “Characters on the page Swooping through moments are more real than the men who in history, the film dances around Jackie while she stand beside us,” Jackie later confesses. Peter Sarsnavigates the role of First Lady, which includes con- gaard’s Bobby Kennedy, distraught and stoic with a ducting an interview tour at the White House and hint of underlining jealousy, is the only one who tranhosting lavish parties featuring intimate concerts. scends this notion.

Portman’s darting eyes suggest someone experiencJackie, opening Friday, Dec. 16, ultimately refuses ing a constant learning curve with her responsibili- to “settle for a story that’s believable,” to quote Crudties. This particular reality is shattered the moment up’s scribe. Larraín’s film appears to be participating those shots ring out during that fateful motorcade in a funeral procession all its own, reveling in the swolride, splattering Jackie’s watermelon pink suit with len emotions of a young woman who cannot fathom blood. Lyndon B. Johnson (John Carroll Lynch) is taking one step forward. The viewer simply watches immediately sworn in, the capture (and murder) of from afar, and that distance makes it difficult to see Lee Harvey Oswald becomes front-page news, and Portman’s character as anything beyond a suffering funeral arrangements must be made. archetype. While many small details are profoundly As a response to the jarring narrative pivot, Jackie beautiful, Larraín’s attempt feels weighed down by becomes a monument to disbelief. Portman’s perfor- self-importance, as if history were a wet blanket of mance embodies this trauma with small, desperate one’s own making that is ultimately inescapable. moments that lead to larger outbursts and acts of defiance. At times caricature threatens to overtake the Film reviews run weekly. performance, and it doesn’t help that Larraín push- Write to glennh@sdcitybeat.com.

#SDCityBeat

December 14, 2016 • San Diego CityBeat · 23

CULTURE | FILM

La La Land

Dancing fools

A

ccording to jazz-obsessed Sebastian (Ryan Gosling), Hollywood social climbers “worship everything and value nothing.” His holier-than-thou attitude rings true with Mia (Emma Stone), an aspiring actress who works as a barista on the Warner Bros. lot. The two young artists keep running into each other at the beginning of Damien Chazelle’s weightless musical La La Land, seemingly drawn together by mutual dissatisfaction with their artificial surroundings.

Sebastian and Mia get to know each other and eventually fall in love by spontaneously bursting out into song and dance. Chazelle’s ambitious project is a rein-

24 · San Diego CityBeat · December 14, 2016

vestment in old-school Hollywood genre filmmaking. Glitzy champagne montages pass the time. Ascending crane shots survey posh urban spaces littered with dancing fools. The camera lens seemingly refracts all the colors of the rainbow. Despite plenty of reasons to be skeptical about their future, Sebastian and Mia don’t adhere to cynical hipsterdom. They love being wide-eyed and busy tailed.

Borrowing (or repackaging) liberally from 20th century musical titans (e.g. Busby Berkley, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Gene Kelly), La La Land often appears drunk on nostalgia. Chazelle impressively maneuvers the camera around elaborate set pieces, swinging through space with the gracefulness of Derek Hough.

The showy opening atop a freeway overpass is filmed in one take, gratingly depicting a fantastical moment of freedom for some Los Angelenos stuck in traffic.

At the center of it all, Gosling and Stone develop a sincere chemistry their voices can never match. This topsy-turvy tale of love and dreams and sacrifice and heartbreak is not inherently fresh, but Chazelle believes, like Sebastian does with jazz, that “it’s new every time.”

La La Land, which opens Friday, Dec. 16, exists in a world where race is never an issue and your dream job is but a brave decision away. It’s a traditionalist that so longs to be a revolutionary, but not really.

—Glenn Heath Jr.

OPENING Beyond the Gates: Two brothers use an old VCR board game to enter a nightmarish dimension where their father’s soul is trapped. Presented by Horrible Imaginings Film Festival. Opens Friday, Dec. 16, and screens through Thursday, Dec. 22, at Digital Gym Cinema in North Park.

Collateral Beauty: After experiencing the loss of a child, a depressed advertising executive (Will Smith) goes through a spiritual awakening when a trio of mysterious strangers visits him.

Evolution: Nicolas lives on a remote island inhabited only by children and women. After being subjected to strange medical experiments, he begins to uncover the nightmarish truth of his surroundings. Opens Friday, Dec. 16, and screens through Thursday, Dec. 22, at Digital Gym Cinema in North Park.

Jackie: Pablo Larraín directs this experimental biopic about Jackie Kennedy (Natalie Portman) set during the days leading up to and after President John F. Kennedy’s assassination in 1963.

La La Land: Two aspiring artists played

by Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone) sing and dance though the competitive confines of modern Los Angeles in this new musical from Damien Chazelle (Whiplash).

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story: In this spinoff to the traditional Star Wars plotline, a group of outcasts band together to steal the plans to the Death Star, a weapon of mass destruction.

The Brand New Testament: In this comedy from Belgium, God is a jerk who lives in his pajamas atop a Brussels highrise causing trouble for all those he encounters. Opens Friday, Dec. 16, at the Ken Cinema.

The Founder: Michael Keaton portrays Ray Kroc, the man who maneuvered his way into buying McDonald’s from its original owners and created a billion dollar fast-food empire.

For a complete listing of movies, visit “F ilm” on sdcitybeat.com.

#SDCityBeat

MUSIC

Generik and Tall Can he essence of hip-hop is collaboration. Since the beginning, hip-hop music has been formed out of a central partnership between the DJ and the emcee. As it rose to prominence in the ‘80s, many of its most iconic artists were presented as partnerships rather than pseudonymous group names: Eric B and Rakim, Kool G Rap and DJ Polo, DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince. Over time, technology and DIY spirit has enabled solitary artists to build up their own homespun productions into cohesive, even professional sounding records. And yet, adding an extra voice into the mix, or having a different producer put his own spin on it, can turn those tracks into something new entirely— often something better.

Tall Can and Generik are proof positive

#SDCityBeat

of the creative spark that can ignite between two artists from different backgrounds. Jesse Cannon, aka Tall Can, got his start rapping over boom-bap beats in cannabis clubs and dispensaries in Los Angeles, raised on the hardcore hip-hop sounds of artists like Brotha Lynch Hung. Brian McClure, aka Generik, was inspired first by the Ghostbusters II soundtrack and later the indie sensibility of hip-hop duo Atmosphere, and got his start in hip-hop by entering beatboxing competitions as a teenager. Together, they combine to form something much more mind-bending entirely. They’re a psychedelic hip-hop head trip.

Dressed conspicuously in a simple black hoodie against a bizarre backdrop of drunken revelers in Santa and elf costumes at Coin-Op in North Park, Tall Can offers a

mission statement of sorts about the duo’s music.

“It’s gonna make people get up out they soul,” he says.

Early in 2016, Tall Can and Generik released their debut album, Fungi.Psyche.

Boots, which earned the coveted “ExtraSpecialGood” designation in CityBeat’s annual Great Demo Review. It’s a fluid partnership between emcee (Tall Can) and producer (Generik, who also raps), over the course of 18 diverse and consistently disorienting tracks. Generik layers samples of obscure international psych records, including Thai religious music, while Tall Can balances clever wordplay, occasional autobiographical anecdotes and frequently strange imagery. Intermittently, the record features sketches featuring a character named DJ Boots who Generik says is “kind of a dick.”

The hypnagogic listen comes about partially as a result of the duo’s shared admiration for vintage psychedelia, in particular Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd. That helped formed a bond between the two five years ago, which in turn accelerated the creative process.

“A lot of it came together really fast. He would send me some music and then we’d just exchange tracks,” Generik says. “It was one of the first things I made that was really in the moment. I did a bunch of things I’d never done before.

But I tried to keep it really raw, because I have a tendency to overproduce shit.”

“It goes back to what Jerry Garcia said...it’s all around the psychedelic experience,” Tall Can adds. “Not like I’m tripping while I’m making music, but I’m taking the audience on a journey.”

The partnership between Tall Can and Generik also resulted in bringing out more adventurous performances from each other. In particular, the track “Route 11” finds Tall Can rapping about a period of heavy drug use in his past, as well as a period of time during which he was homeless, or “asleep in the gutter,” as he puts it in the song. So as much as the duo is about a disorienting, out-of-body musical experience, it’s one that doesn’t shy away from honesty.

“I wanted to test myself,” says Tall Can. “I told him ‘send me some weird ass beats’.

I was sick of rapping over the same boombap beats. I wanted to rap about some real soul shit. He sent me some tripped out beats and it put me into some honest mode, painting pictures with my words.

That’s why it came out like more of a personal sketch.

“I was telling him stories from when I was homeless when I was 21, 22. And he said you should rap about that,” he continues. “And I said, alright, I’ll try. It was hard at first.”

The project brought about a different sort of test during the spring. Tall Can and Generik held a release party for Boots back in May at Kava Lounge, where Generik— one of the hardest working musicians in San Diego—performed three sets: One with Tall Can, one with LeftinCompany, and one with his punk-rap band Terrans.

Generik pushed his physical limits and, combined with an underlying heart condition, ended up going to the emergency room the next morning.

“At the time I was working overtime and not really sleeping. But I was just like, ‘I can do it!’” he says. “I have this weird heart condition—and it’ll just jump to 230 BPMs. And I was blacking out and stuff.

It was fucked up. My doctor was like, ‘you have to live like a 60 year old’. I’ve been trying to sleep as much as I can, rest my body.”

Catching up on sleep aside, Generik has already begun work on the beats that’ll make up the duo’s next album, due in 2017. And from a pair that already embraces the weird, album number two— which they say is inspired by industrial and funk—promises to be even weirder. So maybe it’s not for Drake stans, but that’s just fine with them.

“I spent a lot of time in my life trying to please other people, and that’s not what it’s about,” Cannon says, as another dozen or so partygoers in ugly Christmas sweaters queues up on 30th St. “Think for yourself.”

Write to jefft@sdcitybeat.com and follow him on Twitter at @1000TimesJeff

December 14, 2016 · San Diego CityBeat · 25

MUSIC

NOTES FROM THE SMOKING PATIO LOCALS ONLY

W

eight of the Sun is releasing a new beer in conjunction with the debut of their new album, Vermont. On Jan. 14, the band will debut their Weight of the Sun IPA, brewed by Eppig Brewing, at a release party at Beerfish in University Heights (2933 Adams Ave.). The beer will be on tap at the party and will also be featured at Eppig’s tasting room in North Park (3052 El Cajon Blvd.). This is the second time the band has collaborated on a beer, having previously worked with Amplified Ale Works. The new brew, however, coincides thematically with the band’s new album.

“We didn’t want to do a typical album release show,” says vocalist David Martin on a Sunday afternoon at Fall Brewing. “We wanted to work with Eppig because it’s a small, startup-type brewery. It’s going to be a Vermont-style beer, like Heady Topper.”

The group’s new album is named after Martin’s home state, and it was written mostly in Vermont or on planes back-and-forth between there and San Diego after Martin’s mother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She passed away in the summer of 2015 and the album was written as a tribute to her. In her honor, the band is also using the release as an opportunity to raise money for charity.

“We decided, if we’re going to do this, it has to have a benefit aspect to it,” he says. “Benefits from t-shirt sales benefit the National Pancreatic Cancer Foundation.”

To date, a live album-release show hasn’t been confirmed just yet, but Weight of the Sun will be getting back onstage soon.

ALBUM REVIEW

their songwriting aesthetic, even if it’s packaged in a more concise and immediate manner. Yet while the aesthetic is certainly in line with recent post-punk and darkwave acts, it’s not so obviously derivative.

Having played in heavier and more atmospheric post-rock groups gives the members of the band a unique sensibility that breathes life into their eerie approach. Warsaw is anything but ‘80s-style EBM by numbers, and thank the Dark Lord for that.

There’s a good variety among the tracks they offer on their debut release, from the heavier death rock of “Shadows” (with a synth melody that sounds a little like New Order’s “Elegia”), to the buzzing industrial of “Machines,” and the twin standouts, both versions of “Haven” which come in both dense and skeletal varieties. “Haven,” which prominently features the lead vocals of Rebecca Antuna, brings about one primary but important criticism I have with the EP: There isn’t enough of Rebecca’s vocals here. Though her male counterpart Demetrius is perhaps a more logical choice for the heavier tracks, her pretty and ethereal approach would provide more of an interesting counterpoint to some of those dense and doom-laden moments. Still, there’s always an opportunity to switch it up on the next EP. For now, I’m thankful that there’s another band invested in making San Diego goth again. wearewarsaw.bandcamp.com

Warsaw Self-titled (Self-released)

S

an Diego just isn’t goth enough. Sure, we have a few popular goth nights, a public park where you can have a picnic next to some tombstones (Pioneer Park) and a giant, mysterious pentagram in Old Town. But that alone isn’t enough to combat the image of the city as a haven for laid-back beachgoers, who understandably prefer their summer jams spun year round. But there are a few artists still holding a torch for vintage darkness here, including darkwave trio Nylon Apartments and the dreamily sinister Hexa.

Warsaw, composed of members of KATA and ILYA, are another name to add to the list of goth-influenced bands making some ripples in our sun-oppressed city. They’re not shy about their influences—their name is borrowed from Joy Division, who themselves were initially named Warsaw, and their intriguing cover art seemingly nods to artwork on classic Dead Can Dance albums or Vaughn Oliver’s design aesthetic for 4AD Records in general. That’s not a bad place to start.

The songs on Warsaw’s self-titled EP sound familiar in a certain sense. Those who’ve listened to the members’ other bands will probably recognize

26 · San Diego CityBeat · December 14, 2016

WENA VELASCO

Weight of the Sun “We really want to ramp it up,” Martin says. “It feels like these songs will be even better for playing live.”

—Jeff Terich

—Jeff Terich #SDCityBeat

#SDCityBeat

December 14, 2016 · San Diego CityBeat · 27

28 · San Diego CityBeat · December 14, 2016

#SDCityBeat

MUSIC

JEFF TERICH

IF I WERE U A music insider’s weekly agenda WEDNESDAY, DEC. 14

PLAN A: Wild Child @ The Casbah. I always get Wild Child confused with the Doors cover band of the same name, but I assure you there will be no covers of “Break on Through” at this show. Instead you’ll hear upbeat, pretty indie pop tunes with great vocal harmonies. BACKUP PLAN: Coral Bells, The Lucy Ring, Little Heroine @ Soda Bar.

THURSDAY, DEC. 15

PLAN A: Head Wound City, The Blind Shake, DJ Jules @ Bar Pink. Head Wound City gives one hell of a rib-crunching live show. For a supergroup that barely existed in the first place, they’ve been pretty active this year, and they’re closing it out with a show to benefit LGBTQ charity The Center. PLAN B: X, Mike Watt and the Secondmen @ The Casbah. Los Angeles legends X are celebrating 40 years of making punk anthems together, which includes a four-night run at The Casbah. Four-night

#SDCityBeat

passes have sold out, but there are still tickets to individual shows, so go get ‘em.

BACKUP PLAN: The Dandy Warhols, Telegram @ Belly Up Tavern.

FRIDAY, DEC. 16

PLAN A: Sky Children, Ultragash, Chill Pill, Gia George, The Fuzzy Ustins, Mirage, Blind Item, Opr8 @ Sleep Bedder.

Read my feature this week on Tall Can and Generik, who are performing at this showcase as part of the bigger hip-hop collective Sky Children. It’ll be a diverse and beatheavy set of music. PLAN B: Eukaryst, Ruines ov Abaddon, Nukem, Fadrait @ Soda Bar. If you want your evening to get progressively louder, close out the night with a set of local metal bands, including death metal badasses Eukaryst and black metal bruisers Ruines ov Abaddon.

SATURDAY, DEC. 17

PLAN A: Yasiin Bey @ Observatory North Park. Yasiin Bey, better known as Mos Def, is responsible for his share of

outstanding ‘90s era hip-hop jams (plus 2009’s awesome The Ecstatic), but he’s announced his impending retirement.

We’ll see if that sticks, but in the meantime here’s maybe your last chance to hear “Mathematics” live. PLAN B: Xasthur @ The Merrow. Black metal musician Xasthur has returned after several years of quiet with—surprise!—a new set of acoustic music. He’s gone dark folk, so if you like your evil more laid back, he can soothe that savage beast. BACKUP PLAN: The Strikers, Systematic Abuse, Christ Killer, Iguanadon @ Soda Bar.

SUNDAY, DEC. 18

PLAN A: Svelte, KanKan, Pushing Daisies, Laje @ Soda Bar. Here’s a San Diego band to keep your eyes and ears on in the new year. Svelte play a shoegazey style of post-punk that resembles late-’80s My Bloody Valentine at their noisiest. It’s awesome, in a don’t-forget-your-earplugs way. PLAN B: ‘For the Sender’ w/ Alex Woodard, Tim Flannery, Sean Watkins @ Belly Up Tavern.

Every year, around the holidays, Alex Woodard puts on a live show based on reallife letters, featuring a roYasiin Bey tating cast of guest musi-

cians. For more info, check out this week’s Short List.

MONDAY, DEC. 19

PLAN A: The Lulls, Gary Wilson, Well Well Well @ The Casbah. I recently reviewed The Lulls’ debut album, and they’ve progressed impressively since their early days as Ed Ghost Tucker.

They’re being joined by San Diego’s resident weirdo Gary Wilson, and it should be a fun, bizarre evening.

TUESDAY, DEC. 20

PLAN A: Retox, The Dabbers, Crime Desire @ The Casbah.

If you didn’t get your share of Justin Pearson this week with Head Wound City, his hardcore band Retox should ensure a good thrashing. Get there early for The Dabbers, who do a lot with a minimal instrumental setup. PLAN B: Le Chateau, Mordecai, Minor Birds @ The Merrow.

For another option featuring great local bands, albeit local bands that aren’t quite as noisy, head here for a set from excellent synth-pop trio Le Chateau, who have a setlist full of new material.

December 14, 2016 · San Diego CityBeat · 29

MUSIC

CONCERTS HOT! NEW! FRESH!

George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic (Observatory, 12/26), The Little Richards, Alice Bag Band (Casbah, 1/13), Mattson 2 (Casbah, 1/21), Ali Wong (Balboa Theatre, 1/28), Tyvek (Soda Bar, 2/13), Cody Canada and the Departed (BUT, 2/21), Laura Stevenson (Casbah, 3/4), LVL UP (Che Café, 3/10), Josh Abbott Band (HOB, 3/24), Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (Casbah, 3/25), Eisley (HOB, 3/28), Why? (Irenic, 3/30), Chronixx (BUT, 4/2), Tiffany (BUT, 4/3), Ne-Hi (Hideout, 4/28), Lionel Richie (Viejas Arena, 5/8), Matt Pryor (Casbah, 5/12).

GET YER TICKETS Gucci Mane (Observatory, 12/23), Henry Rollins (Observatory, 12/27), Citizen Cope (Observatory, 12/28), Mannheim Steamroller (Civic Theatre, 12/28), OFF! (Casbah, 12/28), Donovon Frankenreiter (BUT, 12/28-29), Kaytranada (Observatory, 12/29), Cracker, Camper Van Beethoven (Music Box, 12/29), Brian Setzer Orchestra (BUT, 12/31), The Donkeys (Soda Bar, 12/31), The White Buffalo (BUT, 1/1), The Devil Makes Three (Observatory, 1/4-5), Warren G (Music Box, 1/6), Pepe Aguilar (Civic Theatre, 1/6), Beat Farmers Hootenanny (BUT, 1/7), MxPx (Observatory, 1/13), Ozomatli (Music Box, 1/13), Sublime With Rome (HOB, 1/13-14), Tig Notaro (Observatory, 1/14), Marching Church (The Hideout, 1/20), Pepper, Less Than Jake (Obser-

30 · San Diego CityBeat · December 14, 2016

vatory, 1/25), Rick Astley (HOB, 1/26), Lemuria (Hideout, 1/26), Lydia Loveless (Soda Bar, 1/27), Cold War Kids (Observatory, 1/27), Devendra Banhart (Observatory, 1/28), Blind Boys of Alabama (BUT, 1/29), Mike Doughty (BUT, 2/1), Lilys (Soda Bar, 2/6), Alcest (Brick

by Brick, 2/8), Austra, The Range (Casbah, 2/8), Juicy J (HOB, 2/8), D.R.A.M. (Music Box, 2/9), You Blew It! (Che Cafe, 2/9), David Duchovny (Music Box, 2/12), ‘Welcome to Night Vale’ (Observatory, 2/13), Billy Crystal (Copley Symphony Hall, 2/16), Reel Big Fish, Anti Flag (HOB, 2/17), Slim Cessna’s Auto Club (Soda Bar, 2/17), ‘You Are Going to Hate This Fest’ w/ The Frights, The Garden, Antwon (SOMA, 2/18), Adam Ant (Observatory, 2/18), Circa Survive (HOB, 2/212/22), Priests (Che Café, 2/22), Tennis (The Irenic, 2/22), Pinback (BUT, 2/23), Vince Staples (Observatory, 2/24), Moon Duo (Casbah, 2/25), Steve Poltz (BUT, 2/24-25), Pinback (Irenic, 2/25), Stevie Nicks (Viejas Arena, 3/2), Senses Fail (Observatory, 3/3), Isaiah Rashad (Observatory, 3/5), Bon Jovi (Viejas Arena, 3/5), Shiner (Casbah, 3/5), Red Hot Chili Peppers (Valley View Casino Center, 3/5), Sinkane (Soda Bar, 3/5), Six Organs of Admittance (Soda Bar, 3/8), Japandroids (Music Box, 3/11), Menzingers (Irenic, 3/12), Julieta Venegas (HOB, 3/17), James Chance and the Contortions (Hideout, 3/18), Common (Observatory, 3/24), Nashville Pussy (Brick by Brick, 3/31), The Old 97s (BUT, 3/31), Passenger (HOB, 4/2), The Damned (HOB, 4/7), Green Day (Valley View Casino Center, 4/8), Aaron Neville Duo (BUT, 4/9), Reverend Horton Heat (BUT, 4/20), The Wedding Present (Casbah, 4/30), Testament (HOB, 5/16), Robin Trower (HOB, 5/19), Rodriguez (Humphreys, 5/23), Brian Wilson (Civic Theatre, 5/24),

The Primitives (Hideout, 6/6), Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (Civic Theatre, 6/26), Coldplay (Qualcomm Stadium, 10/8).

DECEMBER WEDNESDAY, DEC. 14 Wild Child at The Casbah. Coral Bells at Soda Bar.

THURSDAY, DEC. 15 Royal Teeth at Soda Bar. Sego at The Hideout. X at The Casbah. Dandy Warhols at Belly Up Tavern. Incantation at Brick by Brick. Head Wound City at Bar Pink.

FRIDAY, DEC. 16 X at The Casbah (sold out). Eukaryst at Soda Bar. Chris Robinson Brotherhood at Observatory North Park. Red Not Chili Peppers at Belly Up Tavern.

SATURDAY, DEC. 17 X at The Casbah (sold out). The Strikers at Soda Bar.

SUNDAY, DEC. 18 X at The Casbah. ‘For the Sender’ Holiday Show at Belly Up Tavern. Dave Koz at Balboa Theatre. Unwritten Law at House of Blues. Svelte at Soda Bar.

MONDAY, DEC. 19 Anuhea at Belly Up Tavern. The Lulls, Gary Wilson at The Casbah. The Gorgeous Boyscouts at Soda Bar.

TUESDAY, DEC. 20 Atomic Groove at Belly Up Tavern. Dirty

#SDCityBeat

MUSIC Pennies at Soda Bar. Retox at The Casbah.

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 21 Brawley at Belly Up Tavern. Chugboat at Soda Bar. Manual Scan at The Casbah.

THURSDAY, DEC. 22 Barb Wire Dolls at Soda Bar. Fishbone, The Aggrolites at Belly Up Tavern. Ziggy Shuffledust and the Spiders From Mars at The Casbah.

FRIDAY, DEC. 23 Hideout at Soda Bar. Gucci Mane at Observatory North Park. El Vez Merry Mexmas at The Casbah.

MONDAY, DEC. 26 Amigo at The Casbah. George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic at Observatory North Park.

TUESDAY, DEC. 27 Henry Rollins at Observatory North Park. Grim Slippers at Soda Bar.

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 28 Citizen Cope at Observatory North Park.

Mannheim Steamroller at Civic Theatre. Donovon Frankenreiter at Belly Up Tavern. OFF! at The Casbah. Dreams Made Flesh at Soda Bar.

THURSDAY, DEC. 29 Cracker, Camper Van Beethoven at Music Box. Kaytranada at Observatory North Park. Donovon Frankenreiter at Belly Up Tavern. The Downs Family at Soda Bar. Tribal Theory at House

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of Blues. Melvins, Redd Kross at The Casbah.

FRIDAY, DEC. 30 Jim Brickman at Balboa Theatre. Brian Setzer’s Rockabilly Riot at Belly Up Tavern (sold out). Big Sandy and His Flyrite Boys at The Casbah. Cherry Glazerr at The Irenic. Mrs. Magician at Soda Bar. Tribal Theory at House of Blues.

SATURDAY, DEC. 31 Cash’d Out at The Casbah. The Donkeys at Soda Bar. Rebelution at Observatory North Park. Brian Setzer Orchestra at Belly Up Tavern. Justin Martin at Music Box.

JANUARY SUNDAY, JAN. 1 The White Buffalo at Belly Up Tavern.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 4 Kathryn Cloward at Belly Up Tavern.

Caught a Ghost at Soda Bar. The Devil Makes Three at Observatory North Park.

Behind the Wagon at The Casbah.

THURSDAY, JAN. 5 The Devil Makes Three at Observatory North Park. The Number 12 Looks Like You at Soda Bar. Buck-O-Nine, Voodoo Glow Skulls at The Casbah.

FRIDAY, JAN. 6 Pepe Aguilar at Civic Theatre. TV Girl at Soda Bar. Warren G at Music Box. Damage Inc. at House of Blues.

SATURDAY, JAN. 7 Beat Farmers Hootenanny at Belly Up Tavern. 6ONE9 at House of Blues. Grizzly Business at Soda Bar. Fu Manchu at The Casbah.

SUNDAY, JAN. 8 Hannah Yuen at Soda Bar. Bowiephonics at The Casbah.

TUESDAY, JAN. 10 Dawes at Belly Up Tavern (sold out).

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 11 Kane Brown at House of Blues.

rCLUBSr

710 Beach Club, 710 Garnet Ave., San Diego. Pacific Beach. Wed: Iya Terra, Ocean Natives. Fri: Shocks of Mighty, Nothing Special. Sat: Zen Robbi, Funk Fairies. Tue: CalPhonics.

Air Conditioned Lounge, 4673 30th St., San Diego. Normal Heights. Wed: ‘Byrd Bass’ w/ DJ Byrd. Thu: ‘Libertine’ w/ DJs Jon Wesley, 1979. Sat: ‘Juicy’ w/ Mike Czech. Sun: ‘Chvrch’ w/ DJ Karma.

American Comedy Co., 818 B Sixth Ave., San Diego. Downtown. Thu: John Caparulo. Fri: John Caparulo. Sat: John Caparulo. Tue: Carlos Mencia.

The Bancroft, 9143 Campo Rd., Spring Valley. Thu: Julia May and the Penguin Players. Sat: Friends of Cesar Romero.

Tue: Tony Holiday & The Velvetones.

Bang Bang, 526 Market St., San Diego.

Downtown. Thu: Ekali. Fri: Amtrac. Sat: Breach.

Bar Pink, 3829 30th St., San Diego.

North Park. Wed: Taurus Authority. Thu: Head Wound City, The Blind Shake, DJ Jules. Sat: ‘Neon Beat’. Sun: ‘Rat Sabbath’. Mon: ‘Soul Train Dance Party’ w/ Monument. Tue: Alvino & the Dwells.

Beaumont’s, 5662 La Jolla Blvd., La Jolla. Wed: Sutton James Papanikolas. Thu: Pat Dowling. Fri: Moonage Daydreamers.

Sat: Easy Wind Band.

Belly Up Tavern, 143 S. Cedros Ave., Solana Beach. Wed: The Venice Christmas Show. Thu: The Dandy Warhols, Telegram. Fri: Red Not Chili Peppers, Vitalogy, Fooz Fighters. Sat: ‘Turtleneck & Sweater Party’ w/ Young Guns, DJ Hugh Janus. Sun: ‘For the Sender Holiday Show’ w/ Alex Woodard, Tim Flannery, Sean Watkins. Mon: Anuhea, Justin Young. Tue: Atomic Groove.

Black Cat Bar, 4246 University Ave., San Diego. City Heights. Fri: Goldettes, The Royal Orchestra of Titicaca. Sat: Crooked, The Bechdels.

Blonde, 1808 W. Washington Street, San Diego. Wed: ‘Dance Klassique’ w/ Wally Callerio. Thu: ‘Ceremony Night’.

Sat: Harvard Bass. Sun: ‘Gimmick III’ w/ Pablokey. Mon: Dude Cervantes, The Bad Vibes, Coral Bells, Jeremiah BZ. Tue: ‘The Cure Night’ w/ Saul Q. Boar Cross’n, 390 Grand Ave., Carlsbad. Thu: The Dirty Work. Fri: ‘Club Musae’.

Brass Rail, 3796 Fifth Ave., San Diego.

Hillcrest. Sat: ‘Sabado en Fuego’ w/ DJs XP, KA, K-Swift. Mon: ‘Manic Monday’ w/ DJ Junior the Disco Punk.

Brick by Brick, 1130 Buenos Ave., San Diego. Bay Park. Thu: Incantation,

CLUBS CONTINUED ON PAGE 32

December 14, 2016 · San Diego CityBeat · 31

MUSIC CLUBS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 31 Greenskull, Unblessed Domain, End of Flesh. Fri: Shot Out Hoods, The Screamin’ Yeehaws, Se Vende, The Scatter Bombs. Sat: Red Tail Riders, Boxcar Chief, Southern Reign. Sun: The Freeze, Fang, BOSSFIGHT, Modern Enemy.

Mon: Sworn Enemy, Hoods, Drowning, STAB, Pissed Regardless, Take ‘Em Out. Cafe Sevilla, 353 Fifth Ave., San Diego.

Downtown. Sat: Flamenco Dinner Show.

Sun: Buena Vista Sundays.

The Casbah, 2501 Kettner Blvd., San Diego. Midtown. Wed: Wild Child. Thu: X, Mike Watt and the Secondmen. Fri: X, The Blasters (sold out). Sat: X, Small Wigs (sold out). Sun: X, Chris Shiflett. Mon: The Lulls, Gary Wilson, Well Well Well.

Tue: Retox, The Dabbers, Crime Desire.

The Che Cafe, 9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla.

Wed: Le Wolves, Kan-Kan, Jinx Bobby, Blessed. Fri: Headstone, Instinct, Spirited Away, Bleach, Stair Step Kids. Sat: Nación de Humo, Heritage Unit, Dust Pan, Best Palm.

Chico Club, 7366 El Cajon Blvd, La Mesa. Sat: OK Electric.

Dizzy’s, 4275 Mission Bay Drive, San Diego. Mission Bay. Sat: The Joshua White Trio.

F6ix, 526 F St., San Diego. Downtown.

Thu: ‘Trill Thursday’. Fri: DJ Wellman.

Sat: DJ Playboi.

The Field, 544 Fifth Ave., San Diego.

Downtown. Wed: Devan Moncrief. Thu: Soul Brigade, Raggabond, DJ Reefah.

Fri: Lucky Tongue. Sat: Lucky Tongue.

Sun: J. Liberio. Mon: Skyler Lutes. Tue: Chris Del Priore.

Fluxx, 500 Fourth Ave., San Diego. Downtown. Fri: O-Town. Sat: Kyle Flesch.

The Hideout, 3519 El Cajon Blvd., San Diego. City Heights. Thu: Sego, Well Well Well.

The Holding Company, 5040 Newport Ave., San Diego. Ocean Beach. Wed: Lady Dottie & The Diamonds. Fri: Alien Ant Farm, The Conways, Shell Shock.

Sat: Funk Soul Social, The Routine, Soul Brigade. Sun: The Triple B. Mon: KerryOke. Tue: DJ Green T. House of Blues, 1055 Fifth Ave., San Diego. Downtown. Fri: Brothers Osborne, Lucie Silvas. Sun: Unwritten Law, Pivit, The Mandoshanks. Tue: Robin Henkel.

Humphrey’s Backstage Live, 2241 Shelter Island Drive, San Diego. Point Loma. Wed: Debora Galan. Thu: Walter Gentry. Fri: Rising Star, Michele Lundeen.

Sat: Funk’s Most Wanted, The Reflectors.

Sun: Francois Sims and Groove Squad, Mercedes Moore. Mon: The Fabulous Ultratones. Tue: Backwater Blues Band.

The Irenic, 3090 Polk Ave., San Diego.

North Park. Fri: Fat Nick, Lil Peep, Mikey the Magician, Smokepurpp, Don Krez.

Kava Lounge, 2812 Kettner Blvd., San Diego. Midtown. Thu: Greyboy. Fri: Jerusafunk, Duxsplosion. Sun: The Dangerfield, Horsefly, Soap Detergent.

Kensington Club, 4079 Adams Ave., San Diego. Kensington. Fri: Dethsurf, Revolt-Chix, Los Pinche Pinches. Sat: Someday Assassin, Fake Tides, Luna Skies, TV Icon.

Kona Kai Resort & Spa, 1551 Shelter Island Drive, San Diego. Shelter Island.

Sat: Robin Henkel & Whitney Shay.

Lestat’s West, 3341 Adams Ave., Normal Heights, San Diego. Normal Heights.

Wed: Zane Carney, Matthew Phillips.

Thu: Richard Smith, Tom Fertsch. Fri: Justin Werner, Soul Ablaze, Mike Wojniak.

Sun: The Robin Henkel Band.

Mc P’s Irish Pub, 1107 Orange Ave.,

32 · San Diego CityBeat · December 14, 2016

SPOTLIGHT I was a fan of Unwritten Law when I was a wee high school freshman living in Utah—which says a lot about how popular these Poway homeboys were in the late ‘90s. Back then, two songs really spoke to my undeveloped pre-teen brain (both from the 1998 self-titled album): “Teenage Suicide,” which is selfexplanatory, and “Sorry,” a song about coercing girls into putting out. I should also mention that I was also fan of other cliché, mediocre and misogynistic music back then, too. Unwritten Law plays December 18 at House of Blues.

—Ryan Bradford Coronado. Wed: Harmony Road, Harmony Road. Thu: JG Trio. Fri: Ron’s Garage.

Sat: Manic Bros. Sun: Ron’s Garage.

Tue: Glen Smith.

The Merrow, 1271 University Ave., San Diego. Hillcrest. Thu: Hand Drawn Tree, The Drabs, Mariel, The Change in Color.

Fri: Midnight Track, Making Incredible Time, The Roman Watchdogs, Sameland.

Sat: Xasthur. Tue: Mordecai, Le Chateau, Minor Birds.

Mother’s Saloon, 2228 Bacon Street, San Diego. Sat: Mango Habanero.

Mr. Peabody’s Encinitas, 136 Encinitas Blvd., Encinitas. Thu: California Rangers.

Fri: Dirty Taxi. Sat: Adrienne Nims. Sun: Tony Ortega jazz jam.

Numbers, 3811 Park Blvd., San Diego.

Hillcrest. Fri: ‘Vogue Decadence’. Sun: ‘R&B Divas’.

The Office, 3936 30th St., San Diego.

North Park. Wed: ‘Grand Ole Office’.

Sun: Tribe of Kings.

OMNIA Nightclub, 454 6th Ave, San Diego. Thu: Julian Jordan. Fri: Cheat Codes. Sat: Andrew Rayel.

Panama 66, 1450 El Prado, Balboa Park.

Wed: Gilbert Castellanos. Thu: Citrus, Common Souls. Fri: Besos de Coco. Sat: Montalban Quintet.

Parq, 615 Broadway, San Diego. Fri: Direct. Sat: Slick.

Patricks Gaslamp, 428 F St., San Diego. Downtown. Wed: The Upshots.

Proud Mary’s @ The Ramada Hotel, 5550 Kearny Mesa Road, San Diego.

Kearny Mesa. Wed: Ty McKnight. Thu: Tomcat Courtney. Fri: Billy Watson. Sat: Aubrey Fay. Rich’s, 1051 University Ave., San Diego.

Hillcrest. Wed: DJ John Joseph. Thu: DJ Moody Rudy. Fri: DJs Drew G, Moody Rudy. Sat: DJs Hektik, Luke Allen. Sun: DJ Hektik.

Riviera Supper Club, 7777 University Ave., La Mesa. Wed: ‘Boss Jazz’ w/ Jason Hanna. Thu: Man From Tuesday. Fri: Clint Westwood. Sat: Blue Largo.

Rosie O’Grady’s, 3402 Adams Ave., San Diego. Normal Heights. Fri: Mango Jennings.

Seven Grand, 3054 University Ave., San Diego. North Park. Wed: Miss Erika Da-

vies and the Men. Fri: Ed Kornhauser’s Organ Trio. Sat: DJ Barry Thomas. Tue: Juice Box. Soda Bar, 3615 El Cajon Blvd., San Diego. City Heights. Wed: Coral Bells, The Lucy Ring, Little Heroine. Thu: Royal Teeth, Kolars. Fri: Eukaryst, Ruines ov Abaddon, Nukem, Fadrait. Sat: The Strikers, Systematic Abuse, Christ Killers, Iguanadon. Sun: Svelte, Kan-Kan, Pushing Daisies, Laje. Mon: The Gorgeous Boyscouts, Turtle Turnip, Jesse Lee. Tue: Dirty Pennies, Fictitious Dishes.

SOMA, 3350 Sports Arena Blvd., San Diego. Midway. Sat: In Her Own Words, For The Win, Mariner, Headstone, Soap Detergent.

Til-Two Club, 4746 El Cajon Blvd., San Diego. City Heights. Fri: ‘Benefit show for Second Chance San Diego’ w/ Hocus, Gloomsday, Fictitious Dishes, DJ Heather Hardcore. Sat: One Inch Punch, Big Goat, Snail Fight, Snail Fight, Look Up Here.

The Tin Roof, 401 G Street, San Diego.

Gaslamp. Wed: The Heart. Thu: Jimmy Lewis Band. Sat: Chad & Rosie. Sun: Kenny and Deez. Mon: Chad Lada Duo. Tue: Lauren Leigh and Sam. Tio Leo’s, 5302 Napa St., San Diego. Bay Park. Thu: Mercedes Moore. Fri: Funks Most Wanted. Sat: Detroit Underground.

Tower Bar, 4757 University Ave., San Diego. City Heights. Fri: Pissed Regardless, Que Oso, Mandoshanks, Bastardsect, Die Raldo. Sat: The Atom Age, Babewatch, Behind the Wagon, Ninja Night Race.

Ux31, 3112 University Ave., San Diego.

North Park. Wed: DJs Artistic, Tramlife. Fri: Kid Wonder. Sat: DJ Qenoe. Sun: Kush.

Whistle Stop, 2236 Fern St, San Diego.

South Park. Wed: ‘Is This It?’ w/ DJ Rees Withrow. Thu: ‘Recommended Dosage’ w/ Jigsaw Seen. Fri: ‘F-ing in the Bushes’ w/ DJs Daniel Sant, Rob Moran. Sat: ‘80s vs. 90s’ w/ DJs Gabe, Saul. Sun: Giant Surprise, Quali, Iris Jupiter. Tue: ‘Videodrome’.

Winstons, 1921 Bacon St., San Diego.

Ocean Beach. Wed: The Smashup, DJ Carlos Culture. Thu: Jelly Bread, Robert Jon & the Wreck. Fri: Electric Waste Band. Sat: Sure Fire Soul Ensemble, The Infinite Points. Mon: Electric Waste Band.

Tue: Meeting of the Meyends, Huggapup

#SDCityBeat

#SDCityBeat

December 14, 2016 · San Diego CityBeat · 33

LAST WORDS | ADVICE

AMY ALKON

ADVICE

GODDESS Present Tense Women are really cuckoo when it comes to gifts. If my lady didn’t get me a present on my birthday, I wouldn’t really care. But if I didn’t buy her something for hers or if I chose badly, brace yourself! Don’t get me wrong; I love my girlfriend. I just wish I understood how to avoid the minefield here.

—Lost In Santa’s Wonderland Unfortunately, you can’t just tell her that your relationship was “a gift from God.” So was the plague of locusts.

Gift-getting generally is a bigger deal to women than it is to men (like, if you miss the mark on her birthday, you might have to call in the U.N. peace negotiators). To understand why, consider that our emotions aren’t just feelings; they’re motivational mechanisms that evolved to guard our survival and help us pass on our genes. For example, you feel jealousy when you sense a threat to your relationship—like that your

girlfriend’s compleeeetely platonic male BFF really has her back…because that’s the best position for a reach-around to her front.

Of course, both men and women feel jealous and are deeply hurt by both sexual infidelity (“Did you have sex with him/her?!”) and emotional infidelity (“Do you love him/ her?!”). However, evolutionary psychologist David Buss finds that men and women differ in which type they find more distressing. Because men experience “paternity uncertainty” (“Mama’s baby, Papa’s maybe”), they’re more distressed by sexual infidelity, which could chump them into raising a kid who’ll pass on some other dude’s genes.

There’s no such thing as “maternity uncertainty” because babies are delivered not by storks but by obstetricians—who coach screaming, profanity-spewing mothersto-be to push a bowling ball-sized human out a very small opening. Accordingly, Buss finds that women are more distressed by the prospect that a man might be emotionally elsewhere, leading him to divert his investment in their children into diamond-

34 · San Diego CityBeat · December 14, 2016

encrusted loot for that hussy he’s been stepping out with.

In light of this, it makes sense that a woman puts more weight on a male partner’s displays of love and commitment—which is ultimately what gifts to your girlfriend are. Maybe understanding that can help you convert gift-giving from a perilous chore to a way to tell your girlfriend that you love her, that you don’t take her for granted, and that it means something to give her a little burst of happy.

Unfortunately, this may not make your shopping any easier on Official Girlfriend Holidays (Christmas, Valentine’s Day, your anniversary, and her birthday). What might is asking for advice from women close to her—her mom, her sister, her BFF. As a bonus, they’re likely to gab about what a loving, thoughtful boo you are. As a secondary bonus, if some gift is a bust, they’re also handy targets for blame.

However, there’s a way to minimize the effects of any big-gift fails, and it’s with semi-frequent little gifts—like picking up her favorite overpriced smoothie or that special cheese she raves about. Doing this tells her something very important: that you love her enough to pay attention—uh, to more than the game scores from a hidden earpiece while she’s telling you about all the intrigue at Book Club.

ming in cash. I adore my girl, but I don’t have money to spend on her like her previous rich ex (who’d buy her expensive jewelry and designer handbags), so I feel weird buying her anything at all. What can I get her that shows my love without breaking the bank?

—Underfunded

It probably hasn’t escaped her that you sometimes prepare for dates by visiting the Coinstar machine.

Money—even just a little bit of money— actually can buy happiness, but it helps to know what to spend it on. Research by psychologist Thomas Gilovich finds that money spent on experiences tends to make people happier than money spent on material stuff. That’s because we quickly acclimate to the new things in our lives and they stop giving us the same happiness bump they did at first. But an “experiential gift” —like writing a song for your girlfriend and singing it to her in a romantic location—is what we might call “reusable happiness.”

Experiences are a renewable resource because we re-enjoy them as we reflect on them and talk about them. They also become part of a shared relationship history, and that’s very bonding.

Who knew? It seems there’s an upside to not having a bunch of money to spend: your girlfriend looking back fondly on a day Poor Your Heart Out with you in a way she never could with all I’m a struggling musician (singer/song- those romantic afternoons she spent with writer), so let’s just say I’m not swim- her Ford Fiesta-priced Prada purse.

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December 14, 2016 · San Diego CityBeat · 35