San Diego CityBeat • Dec 17, 2014

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Find out what certain celebrities want for Christmas

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Our picks for N e w Y e a r ’s E v e

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2 · San Diego CityBeat · December 17, 2014

December 17 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 3

The ballad of Sherri and Todd Two weeks ago, we published an editorial urging and he might run against Faulconer in 2016. The San Diego City Councilmember Sherri Lightner to Republicans know he’s popular; removing him from “stand down” amid a Republican scheme to install leadership (which means eliminating him from her as council president and end the reign of Todd many solo and joint photo ops and press conferencGloria. Some folks seemed offended that we’d be es) takes him down a peg. The only other Democrat telling Lightner what to do: Doesn’t she have the in San Diego who stands a chance of beating Faulright to pursue her desire to lead? It was also sugconer is state Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins. gested that we were being at least unintentionally Two days after the vote making Lightner the counsexist by telling a woman to step aside. cil president, she told U-T San Diego that she didn’t Those who thought we were sexist must have lobby for votes, confirming that the position was ofnot been paying attention every time we said Donfered to her by the Republicans. We’ve learned from na Frye should be mayor. By their logic, favoring a sources inside City Hall that at least two council Reman over a woman for a leadership position at any publicans were iffy on Lightner and high on Gloria, time is sexist and unacceptable. That’s all it was: We strongly suggesting that the impetus didn’t originate favored Gloria over Lightner. It’s insulting to even with the four elected council Republicans. It’d be a have to say that gender had nothing to do with it. safe bet that it was some combination of Faulconer, And, yes, Lightner had the right to accept the offer Republican political consultant Jason Roe, City of leadership that was handed to her. She had more Councilmember Scott Sherman and possibly an outDavid Rolland support among council members than side conservative group like the Lincoln Gloria did. She won, fair and square. But Club. We’re told that the council memit’s overly simplistic and, frankly, naïve bers who were on the fence were finally to conclude that because Lightner drew convinced to go with Lightner a day or more support, the council believed that two before the vote. Done deal. The only she’d be a better leader than Gloria. Let’s open questions were: Would the council be clear: Lightner, a Democrat, is council Democrats abandon Gloria? Would Glopresident because the interests who back ria himself vote for Lightner in the name Republican political leadership in San of unanimity?

Diego moving forward wanted Gloria That day was fascinating to watch. out, and, with five Democrats and four Dozens of citizens spoke passionately; Republicans on the council, there was all wanted Gloria to remain president. no path leading to a Republican council Not a single speaker favored Lightner.

Sherri Lightner president. Lightner was the least objecDemocrat David Alvarez nominated tionable Democrat for the Republican establishment, Gloria, and his nomination failed, as expected, but and she decided to go along with their plot. Clearly, all of the Democrats, except Lightner, voted for she feels no allegiance to the progressive movement.

Gloria. Then, Democrat Marti Emerald nominated She’s in it for herself. It’s good to know that.

Lightner. That vote ended 7-2, with Emerald and There was no risk to Republicans in boosting fellow Democrat Myrtle Cole joining Lightner and Lightner’s political profile: She has no plans to run the Republicans. Alvarez and Gloria cast defiant for any other office when she’s termed out after votes against Lightner. For her part, Lightner never 2016. And she sometimes votes for their policies, said a word about her desire to lead—not to the melike pitting private companies against city workers dia in the run-up to the vote (she refused to return for government service contracts, for example. phone calls) and not at the council meeting before On the other hand, Gloria was leading down an or after the vote. unambiguously progressive road. But, more imporWe’d have preferred if Emerald and Cole had tantly, he only stands to gain by being in a leadership stuck with Gloria, but we’re not going to make a fedposition. Though he and Mayor Kevin Faulconer eral case of it. Getting in line behind the inevitable are ideologically at odds, Gloria has smartly struck leader is at least understandable. What irritates us a tone of amicable partnership with the mayor. He’s is that it was Emerald who nominated Lightner. not constantly lobbing grenades at the Mayor’s ofShe should have forced a Republican to do it, since fice, and that’s attractive to most San Diegans. Gloria this was their game. So, not only were they able to is widely credited for restoring order to City Hall as CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 interim mayor after Bob Filner blew the place up, This issue of CityBeat finds the War on Christmas season simply enchanting.

Volume 13 • Issue 19

Cover illustration by Lindsey Voltoline

Arts Editor Kinsee Morlan

Contributors Ian Cheesman, David L. Coddon, Seth Combs, Michael A. Gardiner, Glenn Heath Jr., Peter Holslin, Dave Maass, Scott McDonald, Jenny Montgomery, Susan Myrland, Mina Riazi, Jim Ruland, Ben Salmon, Jen Van Tieghem

Staff Writer Joshua Emerson Smith

Production Manager Tristan Whitehouse

Web Editor Ryan Bradford

Production artist Rees Withrow

Art director Lindsey Voltoline

Intern Narine Petrosyan

Columnists Aaryn Belfer, Edwin Decker, John R. Lamb, Alex Zaragoza

Vice President of Operations David Comden

MultiMedia Advertising Director Paulina Porter-Tapia

Publisher Kevin Hellman

Editor David Rolland Associate Editor Kelly Davis Music Editor Jeff Terich

Senior account executive Jason Noble Account Executives Beau Odom, Kimberly Wallace Circulation manager Beau Odom Accounting Alysia Chavez, Linda Lam, Monica MacCree Human Resources Andrea Baker

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

Vice President of Finance Michael Nagami

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 2014.

4 · San Diego CityBeat · December 17, 2014

December 17 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 5

engineer a coup to replace Gloria with their choice; Emerald allowed it to look like they were innocent bystanders. Sherman was the only Republican to say a word on Lightner’s behalf; Mark Kersey, Lorie Zapf and Chris Cate remained silent. Typically, council members can’t wait to heap praise on an incoming president, especially one whom they support.

One of the most important ways council presidents exert their power is by assigning colleagues to influential committee posts; committee chairs, in particular, wield considerable power. On Friday, Lightner made her recommendations, and they didn’t deviate in any meaningful way from the status quo under Gloria. So, so far, we’re still waiting to find out why she felt the need to oust Gloria.

Gloria was—and is—an outstanding leader. In public, he’s positive and forthright. He connects with people in an easy, natural way because he’s genuine.

He’s real. He’s also funny and charismatic. Sure, those are superficial qualities and not terribly consequential when it comes to making public policy, but they are important when it comes to leadership and the power of persuasion. Gloria gained a tremendous amount of respect from folks of all political stripes in the way he led after the Filner mess, and he maintained it by being amiable and civilized.

More importantly, he charted a progressive policy course and stayed true to it all year. He led the campaign to raise the minimum wage. He fought for increased funding for housing for working people and homeless folks. He stood strong by the residents of Barrio Logan. He saved a plan to dramatically reduce San Diego’s contribution to climate change that was buried in the Filner rubble.

To say Gloria deserved another term as council president is an understatement. Lightner indeed has a tough act to follow.

6 · San Diego CityBeat · December 17, 2014

Clarification In CityBeat’s Nov. 12 “Spin Cycle” column, John R. Lamb wrote that “[former City Attorney Mike] Aguirre frequently considered one’s academic underpinnings as an accurate measuring stick of culpability—among council members, he considered [Rep. Scott] Peters most liable in the city’s pension-underfunding debacle because he attended Duke University.”

We want to clarify that Lamb was not implying that Aguirre believes that Peters was culpable in the scandal merely because he went to Duke. Aguire asked CityBeat to clarify that in 2005 he issued a San Diego City Attorney report finding “Mayor (Murphy) and Council Member Scott Peters have the most relevant training for understanding the underlying complex facts and circumstances. Both are Phi Beta Kappa graduates with economic degrees. Mayor Murphy holds a Masters of Business Administration Degree from the Harvard Business School. Council Member Peters is a graduate of Duke University. Mayor Murphy has a law degree from Stanford University; Council Member Peters has a law degree from New York University.”

Aguirre believes that under federal law, a person’s experience, education and expertise are properly used to assess a person’s guilty knowledge, or “scienter,” in certain matters. Aguirre pointed out that the report also found that Murphy had more experience than Peters. Aguirre issued the 112-page report detailing the basis of his findings regarding Peters and other council members’ role in the pension debacle, at http://sdcityattor ney.com/Interim_Reports/IR-02_Fraud_By_City_ Officials_20050209.pdf

man, aka James DeWolfe Soler stands charges based on the fingerprint compariconvicted… and is now found to be in the son, and Soler was released from jail. It’s State of California.” It’s unclear how law not clear why Soler was kept in so-called enforcement came to believe that Dishman administrative segregation. and Soler were the same person. he public should be concerned,” When deputies showed up at Soler’s said Jeremy Warren, vice president house in January, Soler told them he hadn’t escaped from a prison in Arkansas and that of the San Diego Criminal Defense Bar Ashe suspected his neighbors of lodging a sociation. “These are just allegations right false accusation as the result of a long-run- now, but, if proven, this was a pretty outraning feud. One of the deputies said he was geous violation of the poor man’s civil and aware of the conflict and reassured Soler human rights.

“It’s a red flag,” he added, “in the sense that a fingerprint check would clear up the that way too many things appear to have matter within hours.

However, when they arrived at the Sher- gone wrong here—that at each step of the iff’s Department substation in Alpine, Soler way, somebody failed to do their job corwas told the fingerprinting machine was rectly, and an innocent man suffered.”

It’s important that policy makers not broken. At the same time, some deputies noticed that Soler didn’t match Dishman’s overreact to such situations by making it description—specifically that he didn’t have increasingly difficult to detain suspects, a forehead scar. One of the deputies volun- said former federal prosecutor Jason Forge. teered to drive Soler home, but that sugges- “The biggest challenge in the aftermath of tion was rejected and Soler was taken to San such an inexcusable aberration, though, is to avoid the kind of reflex response that would Diego Central Jail, Downtown.

There, Soler continued to tell jail of- make it too difficult for prosecutors to deficials that he wasn’t the guy they were tain the right man the next time around.

“What’s most surprising,” Forge added, looking for. The officials responded with “abusive and profane” language, calling “is that Mr. Soler’s own lawyer requested a one-week delay after learning both that no Soler a liar.

The next day, Soler went before a Su- one had compared Mr. Soler’s fingerprints perior Court judge. But he couldn’t con- to the fugitive’s and that Mr. Soler denied vince his court-appointed public defend- being the fugitive. In this type of situation, er, Salvatore Tarantino, that he wasn’t the the prosecutor and judge feed off defense man authorities were looking for. Taran- counsel, who should have demanded an tino even referred to Soler in court as immediate fingerprint comparison.”

The lawsuit against the county, which “Mr. Dishman.”

Alleging legal malpractice, Soler and seeks punitive damages, alleges that Soler his attorney argue in their lawsuit that af- was wrongfully arrested without probable ter Soler definitively stated he was not the cause and that his detention was “unreafugitive, Tarantino should have filed a writ sonably prolonged,” calling the county’s of habeas corpus, contesting his detention actions “wanton and reckless.” The lawsuit also alleges that the county and the Sherand extradition.

“If I can, your honor, Arkansas needs to iff’s Department failed to employ “reabe notified to come pick him up, that there sonable, common sense customs, polices, is no writ going to be filed,” Tarantino told practices and procedures.

“Put simply,” the lawsuit states, “Mr. the judge, according to the court transcript. “So there is no impediment to them Soler’s available fingerprints could have been compared with picking him up.” the fingerprints of Mr. The judge was in mid“These are just Dishman before Mr. sentence, about to order Soler was arrested or the extradition, when allegations right immediately after Mr. Tarantino interrupted. now, but, if proven, Soler was arrested.”

Having “just spoke” to In November, the an officer involved in the this was a pretty county filed a motion to extradition, the public outrageous violation dismiss the case, argudefender said, it’s beof the poor man’s civil ing that law enforcement come known that Soler’s arrested Soler in “good fingerprints have yet to and human rights.” faith” based on a warrant be compared with those —Jeremy Warren in which he was named. of the escaped fugitive.

However, instead of The motion also argues then challenging Soler’s that failing to fingerprint detention, Tarantino suggested keeping Soler doesn’t constitute a violation of the his client in jail for seven days while the Fourth Amendment, which prohibits unfingerprints were checked. reasonable search and seizure. In response “I think the quicker way is to continue to allegations of inadequate policies, practhis matter for a week,” Tarantino told the tices and procedures, the county argues judge. “They can give me the print compar- that there must be a “widespread pattern” ison. And then if I am satisfied, then I will and that this was an isolated incident. tell the court again that I am not going to The motion to dismiss is scheduled to file a writ. And I believe also if, by chance, be heard on Feb. 9 in front of U.S. Court they don’t match, then what they are going Judge Michael Anello. to do is ask that he be released.”

After a week in solitary confinement, Write to joshuas@sdcitybeat.com the District Attorney’s office dropped the and editor@sdcitybeat.com.

“T

A mug shot of Steven Dishman, the escaped convict whom authorities were looking for when they mistakenly arrested Alpine resident James Soler

Trapped in the system Mistaken identity landed an Alpine man in an isolation jail cell for a week

by Joshua Emerson Smith On Jan. 13, 2014, two sheriff’s deputies approached a man at his home in Alpine, placed him in handcuffs and said they were taking him into custody for escaping from prison nearly 30 years ago. Standing in his driveway, James Soler and his wife protested, arguing that there must have been some mistake. Nevertheless, the deputies put the 50-year-old man in a squad car and drove away.

In a Kafkaesque sequence, Soler spent the next seven days locked away in solitary confinement at a San Diego jail, was nearly extradited to Arkansas and then, after authorities realized they had the wrong man, was abruptly released.

As a result, Soler, in October, filed a civil-rights lawsuit in federal court against San Diego County, the Sheriff’s Depart-

ment and the public defender who represented him, alleging, among other things, wrongful arrest, false imprisonment, negligence and legal malpractice.

As the case is ongoing, none of the parties involved would comment for this story, including Soler’s lawyer, Todd Burns. Everything reported here was gleaned from court records. CityBeat reached out to the American Civil Liberties Union of San Diego and Imperial Counties, which also declined to comment.

T

he story starts in 1985, when Steven Dishman escaped from an Arkansas prison while serving a seven-year sentence for burglary. Years later, to alert law enforcement to the wanted fugitive, authorities posted a notice to the Internet with a description of Dishman, which included a forehead scar.

Fast forward to November 2013: Peter Krause, a California interstate rendition officer, issued a warrant for Dishman that included Soler’s name as an alias. In the warrant, Krause stated that the Arkansas Governor’s office notified him that “Dish-

December 17, 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 7

edwin

sordid tales

decker The asinine petition to bring back a dead TV character Warning: This column is a spoiler for those who haven’t seen Season 5 of The Walking Dead.

Third, Daryl isn’t Beth’s closest counterpart.

Her sister Maggie is the most likely to gain dimension from Beth’s death. And Maggie’s already quite On the show The Walking Dead, there’s a 16-year an ass-kicker. Indeed, almost all of the female reguold, female character named Beth Greene (played lars on the show are brave, smart and strong, which

by Emily Kinney), who was, at first, written as onehelps explain why it’s a huge hit among women. Acdimensionally weak and whiny. However, in recent cording to Ad Week, the third season was “the most episodes in the fifth season, she started coming into watched show on U.S. cable among women.” You her own, gaining strength, smarts and courage. And just don’t get that large a female audience with sexjust when you thought this young woman was goist plot lines. ing to survive the zombie post-apocalypse—that at And that leads to my last point: Even if these any minute she’d toss her hat into the air while the female characters are just supporting roles for soundtrack jangled, “You’re gonna make it after all”— males—so what? That’s no more wrong than when she got shot in the head in the mid-season finale. the men on, say, Desperate Housewives, are supYeah, it was devastating, but whatever: It’s a porting roles for female characters; it is from a TV show. However, there are some people, mostly female perspective after all. On the other hand, young women, who want her written back into the the zombie genre is historically male-oriented. show. They believe it was an act of sexism to kill her.

Men have, by and large, produced, written and They claim the producers offed a strong female role consumed the undead (eww). It’s been that way model for no other reason than to give more depth since 1968—when George Romero gave birth to the to her male counterpart, in this case Daryl Dixon, modern zombie era via Night of the Living Dead. with whom she’d bonded. So they began a petition After that, it was nearly five decades of mostly on Change.org which, as of this crap movies that were largely, writing, has secured 40,000 sigand wisely, ignored by women. natories—and by “signatories,” I It really wasn’t until The You just don’t get that Walking Dead that women bemean “irredeemable buffoons.” large of a female audience gan tuning in. I think it’s be“Her story wasn’t over,” the cause the show’s not so much petition states. “Beth was a symwith sexist plot lines. about zombies as it is friendship, bol of hope that a lot of women family, romance and all that could relate to…. By sloppily other soap-opera shit that just killing her, it just shows that she ruins a perfectly good zombie apocalypse. You also was used to further a man’s storyline…. Emily Kinhave an ample supply of man-meat to gawk at, such ney and her character didn’t deserve this….” as recovering bad boy Daryl Dixon. I mean, show me Now, the rational response to a TV show with a woman who doesn’t melt for Daryl, and I’ll show writing you don’t appreciate is to stop watching it. you a gal whose vagina was bitten by a zombie and It is not to initiate a petition containing asinine rewho now roams the streets undead and unhorny. marks like, “Her story wasn’t over,” because, well, The point is: Buzz off, bitches! You don’t get to her story is over, you dodo! How do we know her jump on a bandwagon this late in the game and start story is over? Because the writers who invented her calling the shots. I mean, where were you when we, story just ended it. the real, true zombie fans, endured all those horrible “Emily Kinney and her character didn’t deserve flicks of the last five decades? Did you see Redneck this.” Wait, what? You’re saying both Emily and her Zombies? No? Well I did. What about Nudist Colony character didn’t deserve it? That this otherwise unof the Dead? Zombie Lake? Zombie High? Children known actor—who landed a role on one of the most of the Living Dead? I know for a fact that you never popular shows on television, became a huge celebrity saw The RetarDead—a movie about a zombie outand made tons of money—somehow got screwed? break in a mental institution—because if you had, As for her character not deserving to die, don’t you’d have blown your brains out and handed them you know? Deserve’s got nothing to do with it. Did to the zombies yourself.

Lt. Col. Henry Blake deserve to die in a plane crash?

The list of bad zombie movies is as vast and unDid Ned Stark deserve to get his head chopped off? watchable as feel-good rom-coms with a message, Did Old Yeller deserve to catch the rabies and be but we nerds of the undead have sat through most replaced by Young Yeller? Did Big Pussy deserve of them because of the ever-so-slight possibility to have his fat, bullet-riddled body dumped in the that a good or great one will pop up. And now that ocean and piecemealed by crabs? Well, OK, maybe we actually have a great zombie TV show with great he deserved it. acting, great writing, great cinematography and But of all the petition’s complaints, it’s this busigreat effects, a few fair-weather fucknuggets want ness about The Walking Dead creators being sexist to rewrite it? Well, suck my brains out, baby pop. that’s most absurd. First of all, male protagonists on Ain’t gonna happen. the show are killed at a slightly higher rate than women (I know, I counted them). Secondly, the last perWrite to edwin@sdcitybeat.com son to die before Beth was Bob, whose death clearly and editor@sdcitybeat.com. added depth to the character of his girlfriend.

8 · San Diego CityBeat · December 17, 2014

by michael a. gardiner Michael A. Gardiner

oregano and sweet spices such as cinnamon, allspice and clove. While one might expect goat to taste gamey, it’s actually milder than lamb. The secret of the dish, however, is the combination of the sweet and hot spices as they play off against the rich broth. It’s both a hearty and heady brew.

Another great option at Rincon del Oso—and another reported hangover cure (a theme appears to be developing here)—is the menudo rojo. It’s no accident that this dish features another protein that’s distinctly less than a fancy option. Menudo rojo is tripe and pig’s foot in a pork and chile broth, and it’s delicious. The restaurant’s food is not the stuff of Presidential dinners; rather, it’s cuisine that elevates the ordinary to the extraordinary. If you’re El Rincon del Oso’s menudo rojo afraid of the tripe, go with the pozole, a similar dish featuring hominy (the same sort of corn used in grits).

While chiles feature prominently in both the birria and menudo broth, neither cranks up the spice megawatts. For that, each table has a pot of absolutely nuclear salsa. Other condiments include toasted arbol chiles, finely diced white Where to get your goat onion, fresh cilantro and Mexican oregano.

If your morning after the night before doesn’t As we in San Diego mount our second major efcall for pig innards, maybe try Rincon del Osos’s fort in two years to establish a permanent public nopalitos and eggs. Nopalitos are the paddles of market, Tijuana already has a world-class exprickly pear cactus, diced or cut into batons. The ample: the Mercado Miguel Hidalgo de Tijuana nopalitos, which taste like a citrusy green bean (Blvd. Sanchez Taboada and Ave. Independencia with a texture more like okra, are sautéed with Tijuana Zona Rio). onion, bell pepper and tomatoes and cooked with Opened at its current location in 1984, it’s a scrambled egg just until the eggs curdle. It’s a bustling, energetic and extremely colorful workgood way to start any morning, hangover or not. ing market consisting of 80 open-air stalls arUltimately, though, there’s one thing that ties ranged around a central courtyard and a Virgin of together every dish at Rincon del Oso: the superGuadalupe shrine. The Mercado’s stalls feature lative, piping-hot, yellow-corn tortillas. Not the unbelievably fresh produce, dried chiles, spices, machine-made hard discs in bags at the back endfresh moles, tortillas, a wholesale meat vendor cap of supermarket aisles, these are tortillas from and kitchen supplies, along with wonderful little freshly ground maize made on site and cooked on restaurant options. the flattop to a fluffy, deeply flavorful goodness.

Perhaps the best of Mercado Hidalgo’s restauI’d always thought of tortillas as a wrapper. I had rants is El Rincon del Oso, home of a dish that no idea how good they could taste. was recently named Chowzter’s “Tastiest Soup in We in San Diego will eventually have our public market. Can we get a Rincon del Oso, too?

Latin America 2014” (nominated by San Diegan Scott Koenig). Hailing from Guadalajara, birWrite to michaelg@sdcitybeat.com ria de chivo—a hangover cure of great repute—is and editor@sdcitybeat.com. a stew of goat meat, chiles, garlic, bay, Mexican

the world

fare

December 17, 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 9

BY KELLY DAVIS

cocktail

tales

’Tis the season for cocktailing

Booze makes great a gift. Things having to do with booze make great gifts. And, for that reason, here’s the Cocktail Tales 2014 Holiday Gift Guide: For someone who loves getting a toy on Christmas, The Homemade Gin Kit ($40) is it.

Inside the box is everything necessary to turn 750 milliliters of decent vodka (not included) into two 375-milliliter bottles of gin. And, your recipient can continue gin-making past those first two bottles by purchasing refill tins (available in both “original” and “smoky” blend) from homemadegin.com. Pick up the kit at Progress in South Park (progresssouthpark.com).

Inside Polite Provisions (politeprovisions.com) is a mini store of craft-cocktail accouterments. You’ll find high-quality shakers, jiggers, strainers, spoons and a well-curated selection of bitters and syrups.

Grab a few items to put to-

Grand Poppy Organic Liqueur and The Drinking Deck

10 · San Diego CityBeat · December 17, 2014

gether a home-cocktailing gift basket. Or, tell the nice folks behind the bar that you’d like to purchase The Home Bar Enthusiasts Kit ($50). Put together by Polite Provisions proprietor Erick Castro, it includes two cocktail shakers, a Hawthorne strainer, two jiggers and a 9-ounce bottle of Angostura Bitters. The kit’s not available online—you gotta go to the bar to purchase it, giving you a good excuse to try the really nice holiday cocktails currently on the menu.

The Bar Book by Jennifer Fielder, with its bright-orange, art-deco cover, is hard to miss at the Library Shop at the New Central Library (li braryshopsd.org). This is a gorgeous book from front to back that, alphabetically—absinthe to Zombie—defines cocktail terms and includes 115 recipes. For the more serious home cocktailer, grab Death & Co. Modern Classic Cocktails by David Kaplan, Nick Fauchald and Alex Day. Day and Kaplan opened OG cocktail spot Death & Co. in New York City in 2006, and Fauchald is a former Food & Wine editor. Grab a copy at Warwick’s in La Jolla (warwicks.indiebound.com).

Earlier this year, Ryan Andrews (Heat Supper Club, Golden State Spirits), Alex Maynard (Jaynes Gastropub) and Cora Tang (a former local who’s now at San Francisco’s Holy Water) created The Drinking Deck ($10). Each card in this deck of playing cards—beautifully illustrated by Tang—has a classic cocktail recipe on the back. The suit is the type of glass in which you’d serve the cocktail and all face cards feature interesting tales about the history and culture of cocktails. Go to thedrinkingdeck.com to purchase a set.

And, finally, to make good use of those sockmonkey bottle covers (you’ve got, like, three in the wrapping-paper drawer, no?), here are some suggested spirits to give to your favorite cocktail snob: Grand Poppy Organic Liqueur (a California take on a classic aperitif ), Ballast Point’s Devil’s Share bourbon or Old Grove Gin (both won a silver medal at the 2014 American Craft Spirits Association awards). Or, head to Krisp Market (1036 Seventh Ave., Downtown) and browse the phenomenal selection of spirits, syrups and mixers that deserve a column of their own.

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

December 17 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 11

by Mina Riazi mina riazi

time-tasted favorites.

Take the breakfast chilaquiles.

Two 64-degree eggs—slow-cooked in their shells in a water bath of 64 degrees Celsius—replace the usual fried or scrambled ones. The whites flaunt a pudding-like consistency offset by a silky-firm yolk. Then, hiding beneath a generous pile of crisp-yet-limp tortilla pieces, you’ll discover another unexpected addition: duck confit. The salty duck beautifully complements the buttery, unseasoned eggs. Salsa verde, shaved raw onion and avocado Table No. 10’s Masa Benedict complete the breakfast dish.

Table No. 10 updates another breakfast classic with its coffee-soaked donuts.

The pillowy, square-ish, two-bite pastries are injected with a shot of coffee. Bite into the donut and you’ll discover a bullet-shaped coffee stain; the bitter coffee counteracts the sweet icing, creating a dangerously addictive pastry.

A solid 10 The most memorable dish on Table No. 10’s menu, though, is the Masa Benedict—another My late grandfather, stubbornly devoted to reimagining of a familiar breakfast item. A pair his usual breakfast of thick-sliced ham, sunnyof thick, corn-flour cakes replaces the standard side-up eggs and hash browns, would find the English muffin or slab of toasted bread. Smoked brunch menu at Table No. 10 aggravating. He’d brisket tops the poached eggs, and a charred onwonder aloud why smoked pork belly accomion hollandaise provides the finishing touches. panies the farm eggs and why the donuts at the It’s a sturdy, well-rounded dish, with each elenewly opened East Village joint (369 10th Ave., ment harmonizing together almost perfectly. The tablenumber10.com) are injected with coffee. corn-flour cakes flaunt a crisply chewy texture The whole fun of it, he might say, is taking the that’s spectacular; the brisket pieces are consiswarm pastry between your thumb and forefinger tently tender, never stringy and tough. and dragging it through a cup of joe.

The grits rounded out my brunch. Shrimp and Located in a nearly century-old former Carnaspicy linguica sausage richen the Anson Mills tion milk factory, Table No. 10 has all the trappings grits, and roasted tomato gravy concludes the of a restaurant that even I—an iPhone-wielding hearty dish.

Millennial hungry for Instagram-photo ops— For a place that I assumed was another fashmight initially reject. Studio Simic, a design firm ionable addition to San Diego’s culinary scene—a regularly featured in San Diego Home and Garden restaurant that looked great and lured in tourists magazine, fashioned an interior that’s annoyingly but dished out uninspired fare—Table No. 10 reimpeccable. The restaurant website describes it ally surprised me. The food reflects an uncomas “freshly nostalgic”—which ranks pretty high mon precision and thoughtfulness. Aside from up there on the list of “Most Pretentious Things a brunch, the eatery offers a dinner menu of small Restaurant Has Ever Said About Itself.” and large plates. Standouts include parmesan riNeedless to say, Table No. 10 is no place I would sotto and a “lazy” ravioli filled with braised suckling pig. I will be back. ever have dared drag my diner-loving grandpa.

Co-owned by Executive Chef Jason Gethin and Write to minar@sdcitybeat.com restaurateur Cooper McLaughlin, the restaurant and editor@sdcitybeat.com. offers a menu brimming with innovative spins on

One Lucky

Spoon

12 · San Diego CityBeat · December 17, 2014

urban

scout

by Hannah More

Where can I find…

Last-minute holiday gifts On the day this issue hits the stands, you have exactly eight shopping days left before Dec. 25.

Stop panicking! That’s tons of time, and here are a dozen ideas: For the newlyweds: Their tree has, like, five ornaments on it, and three of them say “Our First Christmas.” Head over to Solo in Solana Beach (solocedros.com), where you’ll find containers throughout the store holding pretty glass ornaments. Grab a few different ones, fill a box with crinkle-cut shredded paper or some of that sparkly, fluffy cotton stuff and you’ve got a nice little gift pack. Or, at Progress in South Park (progresssouthpark.com), pick up a copy of One Pan, Two Plates, a cookbook that’ll transform anyone’s dinner menu.

For mom: Objects with Purpose has created something called “the wearable candle.” It’s a candle! It’s skin butter! It’s a perfume! Stop scratching your head and go to Geographie in North Park (geographieshop.com), because this is an ingenious product.

For your bro: When he goes on a trip, he throws everything into a Ziploc bag. When you ask why he doesn’t own a dopp kit, he thinks you’re referring to some kind of hair product. No, dude, it’s like a cosmetics bag, but for guys. Lone Flag in the Flower Hill Promenade (loneflag.co) has some practical-yet-stylish dopp kits by Topo Designs for $25. Or, go for the decked-out dopp kit ($68) that includes two pairs of socks, some fancy soap, face balm and a razor.

For the caffeine fiend: There are a number of great coffee roasters around town.

I’m particularly fond of two: North Park’s Coffee & Tea Collective (coffeeandtea collective.com) and Dark Horse in Normal Heights (darkhorseroast ing.com). Coffee & Tea Collective’s holiday gift set ($50) includes a ceramic mug and bag of Guatemala Acatenago-Gesha coffee and comes in a charming birchwood box. Or, for $18, grab a bag of Espresso Seasonal blend. Warning: It’s addictive. Dark Horse offers three-month and sixmonth subscriptions with five different “tiers” that’ll get your recipient anywhere from 1 pound of coffee per month all the way up to 4 pounds, including exclusive Dark Horse blends. Head over to DH’s brick-andmortar location on Adams Avenue to pick up a cool mugs to complete the gift.

For your friend who left San Diego to move to San Francisco / Portland / New York / Seattle: Plastic bags are out; canvas totes are in. And what better way for a transplant to remember San Diego than a tote bag by Map Tote? Find ’em at The Grove in South Park (thegrovesandiego.com).

For your 5-year-old niece: Go to Bazaar del Mundo’s main shop (bazaardelmundo.com) and head upstairs. Near the checkout counter are very pretty bead necklaces that can’t possibly cost $3.75—but they do! Find the one that looks the closest to what the Frozen princesses would wear. (I found a number of gifts at BdelM—it’s a great one-stop shopping spot.)

For your lady friend(s): A signature feature of South Park’s Bad Madge (badmadge.com) are the dozens of vintage brooches and pins throughout the store, cleverly affixed to retro playing cards for easier display. They dress up any cardigan and hold scarves in place. You’ll find plenty in the $10 range (many for less), as well as some sweet vintage beaded handbags.

That small item you need to round out a gift (girls): Paddywax’s relish-jar candles (at Pigment in North Park and Establish in Hillcrest).

That small item you need to round out a gift (guys): A classic Opinel pocket knife at Geographie.

Stocking stuffers: Head to Scout @ Quarters D in Liberty Station (scouthome.com) and wander the former naval officers quarters, where each room in the house is filled with wonderful things. Shelves and countertops hold small, fun items like retro boxes of matches, Kusmi Tea—with its almost-too-pretty-to-open packaging—a Marc Vidal retro Cat’s Cradle game and lots of nice soaps and candles.

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

December 17, 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 13

the

SHORTlist

COORDINATED BY KINSEE MORLAN

KAREN JANSSEN

tempts to use his beautiful music to bring her back from the underworld.

Adaptations of the story typically start with the wedding, says Tom Dugdale, the co-artistic director of The Trip who wrote, directs and performs in the play.

“The mythology doesn’t give them a courtship in any way,” Dugdale says, “so I wanted to use this video thing in front to kind of give one of the most famous romantic couples of all time a proper courtship. I also thought that this is a way in which people fall in love these days, and I was interested in exploring just how you can interact online and how that changes once that online interaction becomes a live one.”

The last video chapter has The Trip’s Tom Dugdale and Jenni Putney Eurydice traveling to San Diego for the wedding. The live performances—at 8 p.m.

Wednesday, Dec. 17, through Sunday, Dec. 21 (plus If you go to thetriptheater.net, you’ll be 10:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 18), in the Arthur and linked to a series of eight videos, each just Molli Wagner Dance Building at UCSD, adjacent to a few minutes long, that chronicle the be- La Jolla Playhouse—pick the story up from there. ginning of a young couple’s relationship, which plays The performance incorporates live music, a film out long-distance via phone, text, email and Facetime. component and some dance. Otherwise, it’s a fairly This is the unconventional start to Orpheus & Eu- traditional play setting for The Trip, which is known rydice, the latest production by The Trip, one of San for its site-specific productions. This time, it’s the Diego’s more unconventional theater troupes. online-video intro that’s unconventional. Tickets are The source material for the play is 80 lines in the $15, $10 for students.

Metamorphoses by ancient Roman poet Ovid. It’s the story of Orpheus, the god of music, who falls in love with and marries Eurydice, who’s bitten by a snake There’s no getting around the fact that, on their wedding night and dies. Orpheus then atto most people, tap sounds like the least cool dance form. Jazz hands and kitschy grade-school recitals come to mind, right? Tapper Hole in Your Stocking? That’s a great Megan McBride Moore is out to help San Diegans metaphor for the holiday season, which purge that perception. At 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 21, Mccan quickly irritate even the mellowest Bride, Claudia Gomez and Gabe Winns will perform among us. It’s also the name of the super-cool holi- three different styles of tap while Trio Gadjo, a threeday show happening at the Marie Hitchcock Pup- piece, string-jazz band, plays live. A Christmas SpecIAIN GUNN pet Theater in Balboa TAPular, happening at White Box Live Arts at NTC Park on Saturday, Dec. at Liberty Station (25290 Truxton Road, Suite 205, 20 (the performance in Point Loma), is also a sneak peak at the San Diego starts at 8 p.m., with a Tap and Jazz Dance Festival coming to San Diego in pre-show puppet-mak- January (check sdtapjazzfest.com for details on that). ing workshop at 7 p.m.). Tickets are $15 to $20. meganmcbridemoore.com Animal Cracker Conspiracy, which puts on puppet shows that blow the minds of—and charm the pants off—us grownup types, is bringing together talented folks like Max Daily, Twisted Heart Puppet Works, A puppet by Iain Gunn Peach Tiger Puppetry of Animal Cracker and, music-wise, The BaConspiracy byteeth Band and Clinton Davis and Meghann Welsh from the G. Burns Jug Band, for this evening of experimental puppet theater, adult beverages and fun-having. Tickets start at Tappers Megan McBride Moore (left) $12. adultpuppetcabaret.com and Claudia Gomez

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14 · San Diego CityBeat · December 17, 2014

ONSCREEN ACTION

SCROOGE, BE GONE

3

TAP INTO IT

ART HUnfamiliar Landscapes at High Tech High, 2230 Truxton Road, Point Loma. A high school exhibition featuring 50 kids of diverse backgrounds tackling computer coding for the first time through art and research. Opening from 5 to 8 p.m.

Thursday, Dec. 18. hightechhigh.org Raphael, The Madonna of the Pinks at Timken Museum of Art, Balboa Park. On loan from the National Gallery in London is an original Raphael painting, “The Madonna of the Pinks,” on view at The Timken through April 26. Opening Friday, Dec. 19. 619-235-5568, timkenmuseum.org HSDAI Winter Exhibition at San Diego Art Institute-Museum of the Living Artist, Balboa Park. This exhibition will include solo shows by local artists, a group exhibition featuring San Diego artists and Tijuana-based street artist Panca will debut her large-scale mural in the entryway of SDAI. Opening from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19. sandiego-art.org HAdam Belt and Jay Johnson at Lux Art Institute, 1550 S. El Camino Real, Encinitas. Join others in the Linda Formo Brandes Reception Gallery for this exhibition of recent work by Belt and Johnson, who each work in distinct sculptural processes. Opening from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19. 760-436-6611, luxartinstitute.org HOpposablism Art Movement at Dolphin and Hawk Fine Art Gallery, 7742 Herschel Ave., La Jolla. The Opposablists, a small group of San Diego artists, will be having their first exhibit featuring HSR1ONE and J.Hinos. From 7 to 11 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 20. dolphinandhawk.com HTalmadge Art Show A pop-up edition of the seasonal art fair held at local art collector Sharon Gorevitz’s home (4514 Norma Drive) and featuring local artisans selling jewelry, clothing, pottery, textiles and more.

From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 20.

858-401-9549, talmadgeartshow.com

BOOKS Captain Luis Carlos Montalván and Tuesday at Central Library, 330 Park Blvd., East Village. The New York Times bestselling author and his service dog Tuesday will discuss their inspirational memoir, Until Tuesday. At 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 18.

619-236-5800, sandiegolibrary.org Rich Wolfe at Warwick’s Bookstore, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. The author will discuss and sign his tribute to a local icon, Tony Gwynn: He Left His Heart in San Diego. At 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 20. 858454-0347, warwicks.indiebound.com HCary Elwes at Warwick’s Bookstore, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. The actor will discuss and sign his memoir, As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride. At 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 21. $10. 858-454-0347, war wicks.indiebound.com Bishop O’Connell at Barnes & Noble Santee, 9938 Mission Gorge Road, Santee. The author will sign and discuss his debut urban fantasy novel, The Stolen, which features an American setting with modern faeries. At noon Tuesday, Dec. 23. 619-562-1755

COMEDY HErik Knowles at Reds Saloon, 4190 Mission Blvd., Pacific Beach. From Man Up Stand Up, the San Diego native has opened for Sarah Silverman and Zach Galifianakis. At 9 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 17.

858-750-2513, facebook.com/RedsSaloon HKurt Braunohler at American Comedy Co., 818 B Sixth Ave., Downtown.

The L.A.-based comic can been seen (or heard) on Bob’s Burgers, Chelsea Lately, @Midnight and as host of IFC’s comedy game show, Bunk!. At 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 18, and 7:30 and 9:45 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Dec. 19-20. $18. 619795-3858, americancomedyco.com HImprov Hard at Twiggs University Heights, 4590 Park Blvd., University Heights. A completely improvised comedy show based on audience suggestions and the hit movie series, Die Hard. At 8 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 19. $5. roartheatre.com HThe World According to… Kristen Fogle at Finest City Improv, 4250 Louisiana St., North Park. A notable San Diegan’s stories inspire a crazy, hilarious montage of scenes, followed by improv teams like Lead Candy, Red Squared, Swim Team and more. At 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19. $10.

619-306-6047, finestcityimprov.com

FOOD & DRINK 12 Beers of Christmas at Waypoint Public, 3794 30th St., North Park. Waypoint will debut a special plate-and-pint pairing featuring a seasonal holiday brew accompanied by a complementary bite.

One pairing will be featured each day through Tuesday, Dec. 23. 619-2558778, waypointpublic.com Bottles & Wood Holiday Party at Bottles & Wood, 5039 Shawline St., Kearny Mesa. Come share some holiday cheer at the B&W factory showroom. There will be Fat Cat beer, food, wine and fun. From 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 18. 858-3846114, bottlesandwood.com HWinter Solstice: A Celebration of Wine, Cheese and Appetizers at

Krakatoa, 1128 25th St., Golden Hill. Dennis Fassett of Epic Wines and Emily from Venissimo Cheese will pair appetizers made specifically for this event by Krakatoa’s in-house baker, Julie Oakes. At 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19. $20-$25. 619-2300272, krakatoacafe.com

ral event will feature light displays, Polar Express trains, a Candyland area, live reindeer, real snow and photo opportunities with Santa near a 40’-tall Christmas tree. Open through Wednesday, Dec. 24. $10-$15. sandiego.padres.mlb.com/ sd/ticketing/holiday.jsp

Healthy Holidays Food Fair at Central Library, 330 Park Blvd., East Village. Held in the library’s courtyard, enjoy free food samples, recipes, cooking demonstrations, lectures, informational booths and more. From 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 20. sandiegolibrary.org

Eight Days Until Christmas Benefit at Senor Grubby’s, 377 Carlsbad Village Drive, Carlsbad. This third annual benefit and fundraiser features raffles, silent auctions, giveaways and more, all to raise money, goods and awareness for Got Your Back San Diego. From 6 to 10 p.m.

Wednesday, Dec. 17. 760-729-6040

HOLIDAY EVENTS

An Evening of Readings & Carols at Village Community Presbyterian Church,

HHoliday Wonderland at Petco Park, Park & Imperial, Downtown. This inaugu-

CONTINUED ON PAGE 17

Minor Suspension at Finest City Improv, 4250 Louisiana St., North Park. A brand new, completely improvised musical by the team Minor Suspension. At 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 20. $10. 619-3066047, finestcityimprov.com Brent Weinbach at American Comedy Co., 818 B Sixth Ave., Downtown. The comic is responsible for various internet video sensations such as Gangster Party Line and Ultimate Drumming Technique, as well as the cult web series, Pound House. At 8 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 21. $12.

619-795-3858, americancomedyco.com

DANCE HThe Nutcracker at San Diego Civic Theatre, 1100 Third Ave., Downtown.

The California Ballet Company’s glittering production of the holiday classic is choreographed by Maxine Mahon with music director John Stubbs conducting the San Diego Symphony. Performances from Wednesday, Dec. 17 through Sunday, Dec. 21. $37-$98. sandiegotheatres.org The Nutcracker at Spreckels Theater, 121 Broadway, Downtown. The holiday favorite is performed by The City Ballet, the Pacific Coast Chorus and the City Ballet Orchestra under the direction of John Nettles. Performances take place through Wednesday, Dec. 24. $29-$79.

858-272-8663, cityballet.org The Nutcracker at David H. Thompson Performing Arts Center, 1 Maverick Way, Carlsbad. The Encinitas Ballet Academy performs the holiday classic directed and choreographed by artistic directors Sayat Asatryan and Olga Tchekachova. At 2 and 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 20. $20-$25. 760436-6136, encinitasballet.com HA Chrismtas SpecTAPular at White Box Theater, 2690 Truxtun Road, Point Loma. A holiday-themed tap dance concert featuring dancers performing routines created by Fred Astaire and Eleanor Powell, Buster Brown and other dance legends. At 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 21. $15. 619-225-1803, brownpapertickets. com/event/1021856

FASHION HJaxKelly Trunk Show at Pigment, 3827 30th St., North Park. The earrings and accessories designer shows off the latest wares just in time for last-minute gifting. From 1 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 17. shoppigment.com HGala is Love Trunk Show at TJ in China Project Room, Av. Revolucion No. 1332, Tijuana. A shopping event centered around the Tijuana-based jewelry designer known for intricate earrings, bracelets and necklaces. From noon to 8 p.m.

Thursday, Dec. 18. galaislove.com

December 17, 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 15

16 · San Diego CityBeat · December 17, 2014

6225 Paseo Delicias, Rancho Santa Fe. The San Diego Pro Arte Voices presents their annual concert, modeled after the famous Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols service at King’s College Cambridge. At 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19. $5-$20 suggested donation. sdproartevoices.com Toy Drive Party at Hotel La Jolla, 7955 La Jolla Shores Dr., La Jolla. A toy-drive party where guests are encouraged to bring in a new, unwrapped toy that will be delivered to Rady Children’s Hospital Oncology floor.

There will be hot cocoa and holiday treats

in the lobby. From 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 20. 858-459-0261, hotellajolla.com Santa’s Toy Ride at Vespa Motorsport, 3955 Pacific Hwy., Midtown. Anyone with scooter is invited bring a toy and join in on this seventh annual fun ride to The Center for Children. Even those without scooters can participate. Just come to The Center around noon with a new toy. Starts at 11 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 21. 619-280-1718, vespamotorsport.com

Church, 650 Second St., Encinitas. The monumental oratorio will be performed by soloists Kelley Hart, Janelle DeStefano, Kyle Malone, Michael Blinco and the Chancel Choir and Orchestra. William Hatcher conducts. At 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 21. encinitaschurch.com LGBTQ-Friendly Catholic Mass & Hot Cocoa Social at First Unitarian Universalist Church, 4190 Front St., Hillcrest. Dignity San Diego invites you to a LGBTQ-friendly

Christmas Vespers Concert: Handel’s Messiah at San Dieguito Methodist

CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

THEATER

A Christmas Carol returns to its Victorian roots Whether it’s on the screen or the stage, Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is the gift that keeps on giving. Year after year. Adaptation after adaptation. Sometimes the gift is coal, leaving one vowing to never read, see or hear the story again.

Sometimes, however, the gift is bright, shiny and as welcome as tinsel dangling from a tree branch.

Cygnet Theatre in Old Town has demonstrated its high style for staging Dickens’ classic the past eight years, with a fun “live radio broadcast” of A Christmas Carol that was perennially the best of the many holiday-themed shows in town. This year, Artistic Director Sean Murray has shaken things up, adapting a new, more traditional stage version, featuring music composed by the talented Billy Thompson and incorporating artistic theatrical elements including pantomime and puppetry.

The Victorian-dressed cast includes faces familiar from the radio-broadcast shows: Melinda Gilb, Melissa Fernandes, David McBean, Patrick McBride, Maggie Carney and, again as Scrooge, Tom Stephenson. (Charles Evans Jr. joins the ensemble this year.) All but Stephenson play multiple roles, with McBean doing awesome duty as Marley’s ghost—the arrival of which is the production’s scariest sequence—and the towering Ghost of Christmas Present. When the actors aren’t speaking, they’re pantomiming or manipulating props on stage to move the story along. It moves swiftly, too, as a good deal of Dickens’ layered plot is cut out. In fact, the script in general departs liberally from the novel. But when it comes to modern adaptations and staying true to the book, well, that ship sailed long ago.

The use of puppets (operated by cast members) to portray the Ghost of Christmas Past and assorted minor characters requires some suspension of disbelief, but this is a ghost story after all. It’s unfortunate that the Tiny Tim puppet looks like a

KEN JACQUES

David McBean and Tom Stephenson (seated) Marx brother, but at least his part is tiny.

Music is at the heart of this Cygnet production, and its stately beauty is guaranteed to put even the Scrooges in the audience in a holiday mood. Get to the Old Town Theatre early and enjoy the cast members’ caroling.

A Christmas Carol runs through Dec. 28. $29$59. cygnettheatre.com

—David L. Coddon Write to davidc@sdcitybeat.com and editor@sdcitybeat.com.

OPENING Orpheus & Eurydice: The Trip, an experimental theater group, is telling the Greek myth of the musician and poet Orpheus and his wife Eurydice through a mix of online content (at thetripthe ater.net) and live performance, which runs Dec. 17 through 21 in Arthur Wagner Dance Studio 3 at UCSD. thetriptheater.net

For full listings,

please visit “T heater ” at sdcit ybeat.com

December 17, 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 17

Christmas Eve Mass presided by Don Greene in Clark Chapel. A Hot Cocoa Social will follow. From 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 24. 619-645-8240, dignitysd.org

MUSIC Front Porch Music Preservation Society at PowPAC, 13250 Poway Road, Poway. FPMPS is a bluegrass band known for precision instrumentals mixed with great vocals and smooth harmonies. At 8 p.m.

Friday and Saturday, Dec. 19-20. $22.

858-679-8085, PowPAC.org HFriday Night Live at Carlsbad Village.

A special holiday edition of the outdoor performance series with busker-style concerts by local musicians throughout the Village. From 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Dec.

19. 760-931-8400, carlsbad-village.com HHoliDAZE Concert at Star Theatre, 402 N Coast Hwy., Oceanside. Lee Coulter, MC Flow, Cody Lovaas, Dawn Mitschele and more play this festive concert benefiting Rock ‘n’ Roll Camp for Girls Los Angeles, a non-profit empowering young girls through music education.

At 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 20. $40. 760721-9983, feedingthesoulfoundation.org Adrienne Nims and Spirit Wind at The Headquarters at Seaport District, 789 West Harbor Drive, Downtown. Flute and sax heavy jazz and new-age music from the local group. At noon Saturday, Dec. 20. 442-232-1018, adriennenims.com HThe Casbah’s 25th Anniversary Wrap Party at SILO in Makers Quarter,

753 15th St., East Village. The local music venue celebrates the end of its 25th year with live performances from The Burning of Rome, Barbarian and Low Volts. The outdoor rock show will also include food trucks and adult beverages. From 6 to 10 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 21. $12-$15. 619702-5655, casbahmusic.com Jack Tempchin at New Village Arts Theatre, 2787 B State St., Carlsbad. The local songwriter and performer is known for writing the Eagles’ “Peaceful Easy Feeling” and “Already Gone.” At 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 21. $25-$35. newvillagearts.org Blind Boys of Alabama at California Center for the Arts, 340 North Escondido Blvd., Escondido. The five-time Grammy award-winning group mixes gospel tinged versions of seasonal favorites along with

gospel classics in a joyous evening of holiday music. At 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 23. $21-$50. 800-988-4253, artcenter.org HiFi Brass Trio at Encinitas Library, 540 Cornish Drive, Encinitas. A special holiday concert with fresh arrangements of upbeat carols and creative renditions of holiday classics. At noon Wednesday, Dec. 24. encinitasca.gov/WedNoon

PERFORMANCE Hthis: the improvised series #8 at Expressive Arts Institute, 2820 Roosevelt Road, Ste. 204, Point Loma. Liam Clancy and other performers, through improv and performance, attempt to examine the paradigm of audience as co-creative.

At 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 18. $5. expressiveartsinstitute.org HA Hole in Your Stocking Adult Puppet Cabaret at Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theater, 2130 Pan American Road, Balboa Park. Animal Cracker Conspiracy presents an evening of short form experimental puppet theater, libations, live music and puppet making. At 7 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 20. $12. 619-544-9203, animalcrackerconspiracy.com

POETRY & SPOKEN WORD HPoetry Ruckus at Ducky Waddle’s Emporium, 414 N. Coast Hwy. 101, Encinitas. The North County poetry night will feature an open mic followed by a reading from local poet Ted Washington.

At 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 17. 760632-0488, duckywaddles.com HVAMP: Home for the Holidays at Whistle Stop, 2236 Fern St., South Park.

So Say We All’s holiday storytelling revue features stories about all kinds of holiday awkwardness. At 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 18. $5 suggested donation. 619-2846784, sosayweallonline.com HMake it Snow: A Holiday Reading Show at The Hideout, 3519 El Cajon Blvd., City Heights. The Radvocate Magazine is holding a special holiday reading show featuring Juliet Escoria, Scott McClanahan, Ryan Bradford, Lucy Tiven, Jos Charles and more. From 7 to 9 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 20. 619-501-6540, the radvocateisamagazine.com

SPECIAL EVENTS Holiday BINGO at The Pearl Hotel, 1410 Rosecrans St., Point Loma. Come on in, grab a drink and get ready to play some good ole’ fashion Bingo. RSVP to rsvp@ thepearlsd.com. At 9 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 18. 619-226-6100, thepearlsd.com A Very Merry Doggie Mixer at Hotel Indigo, 509 Ninth Ave., Downtown. Hotel Indigo teams up with the Humane Society for this pet-friendly happy hour event with all proceeds benefitting the Humane Society. From 5:30 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 18. sdhumane.org HGypsy Wagon at Vin De Syrah, 901 Fifth Ave., Downtown. A special holiday edition of The Grand Artique’s makeshift swap meet featuring 15 independent designers along with music, art and tarot card readings. From 8 p.m. to midnight.

Thursday, Dec. 18. thegrandartique.com Gem Faire at Del Mar Fairgrounds, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd., Del Mar. A marketplace for gemstones, beads, jewelry, minerals, fossils, meteorites, metaphysical items and more. From noon to 6 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 19, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 20, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 21. $7. gemfaire.com

18 · San Diego CityBeat · December 17, 2014

Urban Mobile Market at The Headquarters at Seaport District, 789 West Harbor Drive, Downtown. Food trucks, fashion trucks and mobile businesses hang out every Friday. There’s also outdoor games, musicians and more. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19. urbanmobilemarket.com HBLVD Market and BLVD Nights A blend of the popular BLVD Market and BLVD Nights events that highlight the enclave of shops, services and eateries on El Cajon Boulevard between Utah and 28th streets. Participating businesses include Media Arts Center, Thrift Trader, The Homebrewer and more. From 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19. 619-686-8715 Escondido Roots Celebrates Russia at San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum, 320 North Broadway, Escondido.

This event will include Russian folk tales told by Marilyn McPhie and the San Diego Ballet performing segments of the Nutcracker, as well as activities focused around Russia. From 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 20. 760-233-7755, sdcdm.org Whale and Dolphin Watching Adventures at Hornblower Cruises, 1066 N. Harbor Drive, Downtown. Whale watching in comfort on a large Hornblower whale watching boat. Enjoy live educational narration by captains and trained naturalists from the Natural History Museum. At 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 21. $44. 888-467-6256, hornblower.com HThe Shop and Roll Christmas Round Up at The Casbah, 2501 Kettner Blvd., Midtown. An afternoon of music, art, last-minute shopping and barbecue.

Bands include Subsurfer, Shake Before Us and Neighbors to the North, with art and design by Victoria Licht, Trashy Chic, Loa Design, Jimmy Ovadia, Evgeny Yorobe Photography, Remedy Naturals and Falling Sky Pottery. From 3 to 8 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 21. $6. 619-708-8605 Poinsettia Bowl Gaslamp March at Gaslamp Quarter, Downtown. Marching bands and spirit squads from the participating universities (SDSU and the Naval Academy) will parade from each end of Fifth Avenue performing holiday classics, meeting up at Market Street for a Battle of the Bands. At 6 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 21.

619-233-5227, sandiegobowlgames.com

SPORTS Poinsettia Bowl at Qualcomm Stadium, 9449 Friars Road, Mission Valley. The SDSU Aztecs will play the Naval Academy in the 10th annual bowl game. At 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 23. $52-$90. poin settiabowl.com

TALKS & DISCUSSIONS Jacob Glass at Vision Center for Spiritual Living, 11260 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., Clairemont. The spiritual teacher and writer will speak on “New Thought” and “Metaphysics.” From 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Dec. 20. $10. visioncsl.org SEA Days: Understanding Ice at Birch Aquarium, 2300 Expedition Way, La Jolla.

Meet Scripps researchers studying ice in far-off places. Hear about their travels, learn about the equipment they use, and discover the importance of ice. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 20. $11$17. 858-534-FISH, aquarium.ucsd.edu

For full listings,

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

Letters

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idja see the news about the fiery crash involving a postal truck and a large reindeer-driven sleigh on the outskirts of the North Pole? Miraculously, the truck driver is in stable condition after having been airlifted out, and no reindeer were injured. Once we learned about the accident, we dispatched a team to pick through the wreckage and salvage a bunch of letters to Santa, who was so appreciative that he allowed us to publish our favorites, plus a few electronic correspondences that he was nice enough to forward. Special thanks to our team for going above and beyond: Nathan Dinsdale, Jeff Terich, Seth Combs, Dave Maass, Ryan Bradford, Gus McShane, John R. Lamb, Peter Holslin and Joshua Emerson Smith.

Hey, hey, hey, Mr. Claus, it’s Bill Cosby!

Santa Claus,

Santa bud,

So, I’m totally asking for a friend, because, ya know, only total pussies believe in Santa.

And I’m not a pussy. Go ahead, punch me.

No seriously, punch me! Can’t hurt steel, ya know what I’m saying? Anyway, can you do that Jedi Mind Trick thing? Except, you know, instead of the whole “These aren’t the droids you’re looking for” nerd alert, maybe, and I’m just spitballin’ here, something like, oh, I don’t know, “SHE FELL DOWN THE STAIRS… on an elevator.” Women, so clumsy, right? I mean… whooooo. Right?

I have to tell you, being the biggest musician in San Diego (your loss, Jewel!) has been great. La doo da doo day ba. And getting a Jason Mraz Day this year was sweedle-dee-dee. But why stop there? How ’bout next year we get a Jason Mraz Week? Fa da da day. Or Jason Mraz Month? Shoop de doop de doop. Or how about temporarily changing San Diego County to Jason Mraz County? Mah na mah na. I think together we can make this zip a zwee dow even more ba da ba doo. You feel me?

Roger “The Hammer” Goodell

Sincerelee-dow-un-dip-a-dow,

Jason Mraz

P.S. You’re looking ripped. No, really. Maybe we can work out together sometime. I __________________________________ mean, can I change my request to “two tickets to the gun show”? Psssssstttt. I’m totally fucking with you. But seriously though, ENTERED INTO EVIDENCE—UNITED you’re looking good.

STATES v. JOSE SUSUMO AZANO MATSURA __________________________________ Letter, postmarked Dec. 10, 2012 Santa baby,

Dear Santa,

This is totally embarrassing but I enrolled my son into an Anti-Vax school and now he has picked up polio, yellow fever, smallpox, whooping cough, measles, lockjaw and scurvy. So, yeah. My bad. What I’d like for Christmas is the number to the nearest Rite-Aid. Do you have that handy? And maybe send a fruit basket to the Centers for Disease Control.

You know me. You never need to get me anything. If I want a Lotus, I’ll buy myself a Lotus. If I want a Bvlgari watch, I’ll buy myself a Bvlgari watch. If I want a district attorney, I’ll—.

Ah. Actually, there is one way you can help me. All I really want for Christmas is to see that good, strong leadership in law enforcement is rewarded in San Diego County. One problem, Santa. In the United

Jenny McCarthy

So, in lieu of my usual Christmas sweater (trust me, I have enough) and powdered-Rohypnol requests, I’m afraid I’m gonna have to respectfully ask you for a bit more of a favor this year. You see, unless you live in the North Pole or something, you’ve probably heard that everyone thinks I’m some kind of creepy rapist. Look, just because a guy likes to have sex with unconscious women doesn’t mean he’s up to no good. I’d really like to get the truth out there, but Rolling Stone already said they’re not interested in an exclusive, so I come to you out of desperation.

The Nick at Nite residuals are gonna dry up soon, and sales of Ghost Dad aren’t what they used to be, so I started thinking I needed a miracle to resuscitate my career. And then it hit me: A miracle is exactly what I need!

So I need to know if you still have that guy Fred Gailey’s contact info. You know the guy—the one that helped you get out of Bellevue when everyone thought you were some crazy drunk in Miracle on 34th Street? If that guy can convince a judge that some bearded geezer is, in fact, Santa Claus, then surely he can also convince a judge that I’m not some sociopathic somnophiliac with serious dominance issues. Seriously, daddio, I need a legal team that would make O.J. scream, “Zip zop zoobity bop.”

I’ll expect some business cards in my stocking. The peppermint pudding pops will be in the freezer.

Bill

States, you aren’t allowed to show your gratitude to police and prosecutors like you are in Mexico. This is very sad, especially for Bonnie Dumanis, District Attorney for San Diego County, who deserves so much of our appreciation.

Here’s what you’re going to do: You’ve got your nice list and your naughty list, and now you have your Susumo list, which I have enclosed. All of the names have two things in common: Each are going to show up on Bonnie’s campaign-donation reports and, in recognition of being such good, generous little boys and girls, Santa Claus is go-

ing to leave each one of them an extra $500 Amazon gift card.

You’ll also find in this envelope a small token of Christmas cheer from me to you.

Just to be clear, this check for $200,000 is totally unrelated to the $200,000 you are spending on those gift cards.

Can you also send Bonnie’s staff a fruit basket? That one you can attach my name to.

Sincerely,

Susumo Azano CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

December 17, 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 19

Letters to Santa Saint Nick, I should probably warn you that I’ve written this letter in blood. Boo! Remember me!!?? J/K. LMAO. I totally had you all, like, “Whuuuuuutttt?” No, but really, I’m a totally deadly and highly contagious disease still devastating real-life people. You should probably send some gloves or moist towelettes or something to, like, Liberia. Just sayin’.

Infectiously yours,

Ebola

they are who they say they are. I think the three of them might be six or nine or 12—at least two, if not three of each person, but maybe four.

If you could send me a few locks of your hair along with some signature samples and maybe a certified birth certificate, we should be able to clear this whole thing up.

I know I’m asking a lot, but I don’t know who else to turn to when everything seems so unknowable.

Hugs and Cookies,

Carl

__________________________________ Dear Santa, For Christmas, we want: • Mega Bloks. Most people prefer Legos, but we feel that Mega Bloks have a cleaner, streamlined design, and they’re definitely not as complicated.

• A DVD copy of Mac & Me. Most people like E.T., but we’re different.

• The new Interpol CD. Because they’re way better than Joy Division.

• A case of Mr. Pibb.

Sincerely,

__________________________________ PUSH NOTIFICATION:

Dear Santa, It’s been a long time since I wrote you, but I really need your help. I need to know that you’re real.

I know that you know you’re real. And I know that I know I’m real. But how can I know what you know unless I know what you know about yourself?

I know this sounds like a weird request, but everything I thought I knew seems so unknowable now.

I thought I knew Todd Bosnich and Justin Harper and Alison Rentschler, but knowing what I know now, I don’t know if

To believe that you’re real is a practice in futility—something only those with an unconscious disavow of logic and a blind adherence to misplaced divinity could indulge in. You are but a dream, a demented symbol concocted by the first monkeys who looked up into the sky and felt emotionally entitled to the concept of more.

Somewhere down the line, the notions of “want” and “need” became perverted in the bioluminescent stew of man and we projected that into our dreams, dreams that end with you as the monster.

AMBER ALERT for Iqaluit, Canada, and surrounding areas. Approximately twoFuck you, dozen bewildered children wearing pajamas were abducted last night by a uniformed man calling himself “The Conductor” whom eyewitnesses described as looking “sort of like Tom Hanks—but with a ’70s porn mustache.” The man and the children were last seen headed north on a Pere Mar- Dear Santa, quette 1225 steam locomotive.

Rust Cohle

The developers of Ello __________________________________

Dear Santa,

__________________________________ Hey, Mr. One-Man Max Capacity, We’re hoping you can put us in touch with an agent or a Kardashian or the TMZ folks or something. We had a huge year, a lotta high-profile appearances (Ray and Janaye, Solange and Jay-Z, etc.), and what did we get out of it? Nada, my friend. If this is our time to shine, we wanna get paid, know what I mean? Hey, we’re equal opportunity voyeurs: Joel Osteen taking hookers up to his hotel room; the Koch brothers popping Mollies with Ted Cruz; like, 10,000 hours of people picking their noses; Bill and Melinda Gates having raunchy, awkward nerd sex—whatever you want, we got it.

Elevator Cameras of America

@AmandaBynes

So I didn’t get any response from @Drake so I’m going to throw the gauntlet to you. I want @TheReal SantaClaus to murder my vagina. #HELPMESOMEBODY

20 · San Diego CityBeat · December 17, 2014

I’ll skip over my usual “war on Christmas” and Super Bowl tirades and get right into what I’ll be needing this year.

1) I need a gosh darn center that’s worth a dang! All of mine are made of glass like that Samuel L. Jackson guy in Unbreakable.

I love M. Night Shyamalan.

2) A running back that’s worth a gee whiz. Between Ryan, Brandan, Donald and that scrub Danny, you’d think one of these guys would be able to take a little pressure off me, but noooooooo. They’re not big and tough like me. I told Danny that if he just accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior, Jesus would fix that broken fibula faster than he turned water into wine, but Danny just told me, ‘Uh, gee, Phil, I don’t think it works that way.” Hogwash!

3) I need you to get the Pope to stop saying things like it’s OK to be gay. Love and marriage is between a man and a woman (or in Shawne Merriman’s case, a lot of women) and is good for one thing and one thing only: Having more kids than those frickin’ showoffs, the Duggars. Heavens to Betsy!!

4) And shoot, Claus, I sure would like some sweet new bolo ties. Kirk Cameron hit me up today and he told me we’re gonna hit up some sweeeeeeet L.A. parties when I’m playing there next year. By golly, I’m finally gonna be a star and get the recognition I deserve.

globe in the wee hours with improbable stealth and speed, I’d appreciate it if you can spend a couple extra seconds discreetly switching out fuel lines in a few Chevys, Buicks and Cadillacs (see attached list of 375,000 specific addresses).

You see, we can’t really afford another recall, and nobody wants to ruin Timmy’s Christmas just because he and his family might randomly be engulfed in a fiery inferno when their vehicle goes above 35 mph. OMG, right?

I’ve thrown in a Mrs. Fields gift card and a 2007 Buick LeSabre to sweeten the deal.

Happy holidays!

Mary Barra, CEO, General Motors __________________________________

Hey Santa Schmuck,

Mr. Kringle,

Consider this a goddamn warning: If you continue with the fucking handouts, we at the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce will be forced to pursue all legal avenues to stop your unbridled, bullshit ability to bring cheer. You’ve seen our track record: “Bah!” to Barrio Logan and the minimum-wage hike! “Humbug!” to the housing linkage fee! Do yourself a favor—retire, take a cush $300K-a-year job on top of your pension like me and dump the fucking cookies-and-milk crap!

At the very least, demand a fucking Stone IPA for the trouble of shimmying down a bullshit chimney. By the way, your elves are shitty signature gatherers—way too honest! Send more beer—chilled this time, you son of a bitch!

Given that you’ll already be circling the

Jerry Sanders

Your friend in Christ,

Philip Rivers

__________________________________

Jaden Smith has invited Willow Smith to chat. Add another person.

Willow: What’s up, bro?

Jaden: Getting ready to tell Santa what I want on Gchat.

Willow: You should write it. I’ve been writing them in novel form since I was in the womb. And then I re-read them.

Jaden: I thought Claus would appreciate something a little more current. What are letters if not just patterns of letters spread out on a page like an expanding universe.

Jaden has invited Kris Kringle to chat. This is now a group chat. Add another person.

Kris Kringle has joined.

Willow: Santa, I truly hope we’re not on the naughty list this year.

Jaden: I mean, what does it even mean to be naughty? Think of the duality of it: naughty and nice. Yin and yang. Subject and object.

You can’t have one without the other.

Willow: I haven’t been naughty. I don’t even know what that means to be. If I’m to believe Rousseau and the law of conservation of mass, all of us are nice on a metalogical level.

Jaden: Yes, think of all the people we’ve inspired with our music. Surely that’s nice.

All our dad ever did was “Parents Just Don’t

Understand” and that “Jiggy” song. It’s all so pedestrian and imprecise.

Willow: That’s because he wasn’t at one with himself. He was infatuated with the bright lights of stardom, when all that really is or was is a holographic reality that a higher consciousness created out of its own expelled id.

Jaden: Is that what you’re all about, Santa? Someone trying to cleanse their subconscious of all its naughtiness? And they forced this ethos onto the world’s children to keep them from following a truly selfactualized path.

Willow: I’m going to write a book about it. It will be about how people should write

letters to Krampus, the Christmas goatman.

The one who steals misbehaving German children. Like so many, he is just misunderstood and just needs to meditate.

Jaden: Yes, we should hit up Krampus instead of Santa. Ask him to kidnap our parents so that we may be unburdened by the fallacies of stardom and finally be uplifted to a higher state of being.

Willow: Cool. Bye, Santa. Punk bitch.

Willow and Jaden have left this chat.

Kris Kringle:

CONTINUED ON PAGE 22

December 17, 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 21

Letters to Santa Dear Santa,

Santa,

What I want for Christmas is—wait, what’s that? No, I don’t want any pretzels, especially not any salty chips, but thanks for offering. Now, what was I saying? On my list is—well, yeah, no, I agree with you that my beaches are dope, but that’s not relevant to what I’m saying. What I mean is—dude, I’m the first to admit that these politicians are fucked-up but I just want—yeah, totes in agreement that that person who takes long showers is a little annoying but, BRO, QUIT INTERRUPTING ME! I JUST WANT A GODDAMN GLASS OF WATER!

You have no idea how hard it is to be me.

People think I’m just sitting around in a box all day, kicking back, and then, boom!

Suddenly I’m perched on that guy’s dome, sitting pretty for the cameras. Noooooo.

There’s a lot more to it than that. I’m dusted off at 5 a.m. every day. I go to the dry cleaners three times a week just to maintain my resilient, cotton-y brown glow. I’m always checking Twitter and Facebook. I’m at all the sound checks. I even pitched a blog to Entertainment Weekly because, obviously, I’ve had a cranial-eye view to some of the biggest industry happenings.

I have thoughts about the contestants on The Voice, too, ya know. I could totally be a judge on that show. But nobody ever wants to know what I think. To them I’m just a hat sitting on Pharrell’s head.

Well, that’s not fair. Santa, this year I want to be respected for me. I’m sick of all the Smokey the Bear jokes. I don’t want to be defined by the man to whom I’m constantly attached. I mean, come on, I’m too proportionally large for Pharrell’s head anyway! You know I’m a singer, right? Nobody can hear me, but it’s not because I’m an inanimate object—it’s because they’re not listening. I need a bigger stage. I need a record deal. With a major label. And a budget for touring and marketing.

Jesus Christ,

The State of California __________________________________ Nicholas, How’s bout I give you gift. A photo of me, shirtless, on a horse. Real man. That is what I am talking about.

Also, 500 crates of Levi’s blue jeans.

Vladimir Putin HOLLA NICK!

Great seeing you last summer in Vegas at the annual Village Council President Association retreat (your talk on “Sexy Sleigh Rides” still inspires me!). Unfortunately, I won’t be attending this year. As you predicted based on your Naughty List, Sherri Lightner and her new Republican BFFAYs (Best Friends For A Year) scrooged me big-time. One minute I’m a “no brainer” pick; the next, reindeer road apples! As a result, please disregard my previous “Wish List” request for a new gavel engraved with “To Threepeat is Keen in 2015!” Go ahead and change that to “Pound This!” I’ll be regifting it to a certain someone.

Watch your back!

Councilmember Todd Gloria

22 · San Diego CityBeat · December 17, 2014

Hey, you big fat permafrost parasite, This is your Mommy talking. SO LISTEN UP!! You like blue balls? You do, don’t you? You big, jolly, subservient piece of Tollhouse dough.

I’ll give you the bluest balls ever. You really, really want to let it go, don’cha? Well, I’m going to frostbite your nipples and make you so hard you’re going to need an ice pick and crampons to climax, you dirty yellow snowdrift. Olaf is the cuckold this year and, I gotta warn you, he’s been watching Hostel, like, non-stop for months.

Queen Elsa of Arendelle P.S. Same time, same place on the North Mountain. Safe word is “carrot.”

Just give me a chance, Santa. Please. I need this.

Sincerely,

Pharrell’s hat __________________________________ Dear Santa, We would absolutely love more drone strikes from Western forces. It’s like datesand-honey cake for the recruiting cause. Do you know how many innocent civilians get blown to Allah every time the U.S. drops a bomb on the Middle East? We were watching Democracy Now the other day, and they totally cited a report that said that for every intended target, drone strikes kill, like, 28 other random people. Come on, big guy, make it rain.

Sincerely,

ISIS

Dear Santa, Hey big guy [drip, drip], think you could bring me a towel? [Drip, drip, drip] Appreciate it. [Drip, drip] Cheeks,

Kim Kardashian’s Butt __________________________________

From: sclaus@gmail.com

To: sclaus@gmail.com Date: Wed, 17 Dec 2013 16:23:17 -0800 Subject: Treat yourself to the new you Reminder: Stow one of those FitBits away.

Who’s going to miss it? Plus, you’re totally going to do it this year! If you believe it, you can achieve it!

Sent from my iPhone

December 17 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 23

Kinsee Morlan

Seen Local Palm fronds as public art Large, exotic-looking masks made from painted and pieced-together palm fronds have been popping up on street poles in North Park, Hillcrest and East Village. The “BOBHA Masks” are the creation of artist Pennie Vollet, a transplant from San Francisco.

“I never, ever put my work up on private property—always public,” Vollet says, sitting at a North Park café with his wife and artistic collaborator, Budska Vollet. “Coming from San Francisco, there’s a lot of public art, so that’s what I’m doing. I want to try to get people interested in public artwork and taking over public space.”

Vollet and his wife used to live close to San Francisco’s famed Clarion Alley, a narrow street in the Mission District filled with graffiti-style murals that’ve become so popular, tourists and locals alike frequent the spot. He cites the alleyway as one of his main inspirations for his BOBHA Masks Project, which seeks to motivate others to use recycled materials in their art and increase the amount of artwork in public spaces.

He also has a personal connection to the masks; making them has served as an ongoing art-therapy session that’s helped cure his grief. He recently lost a close friend, and he found that connecting with organic materials like palm fronds simply made him feel better.

Vollet scouts his desired locations for the masks using Google street views, looking for alleyways with ample foot traffic. Once he finds a spot, he drives out and, in broad daylight, mounts the masks on street and electric poles. He always attaches a stack of fliers with information about the project and his email address, offering strangers a free workshop on how to make the masks (his email is 2vollet@gmail.com).

After leaving the North Park café, Vollet makes

Budska and Pennie Vollet his way to his car, opens the trunk and pulls out a finished BOBHA Mask and a dried palm frond.

“Each mask takes about three of these,” he says, holding up the dried leaf. “I paint each one up, and sometimes I’ll add clay noses.”

He hops in his car and heads to a Hillcrest alley just off the intersection of University and Fifth avenues—he’s had his eye on the spot for a while. Once there, he jumps out, grabs the mask and quickly hangs it on an electric pole. Passersby barely notice.

“I’d really like to take away the [stigma] about street art being defacement, because it doesn’t have to be vandalism,” Vollet says. “See that?” he asks, pointing to a scribbly tag written across a street sign.

“That’s vandalism. I’m not doing that. I put these up so hopefully someone will take them down and put them in their room.”

Vollet and his wife are musicians—they play under the name Magnathea—and they both believe in the importance of public art so much that they’d rather busk in Balboa Park than book shows in clubs.

“Public space means public space,” Vollet says.

“Anyone can grab easels, go to a park and show their artwork. Not everyone’s trying to sell art; we’re just artistic, and want to share our work with the world.”

—Kinsee Morlan Kinsee Morlan

Back to the beginning Adam Belt is an experimental, conceptual artist inspired by the Light and Space movement, but his newest body of work is an interesting return to his roots as a landscape painter.

“I’m kind of reexamining,” Belt says, surrounded by new works in various stages of completion that are spread across his Carlsbad studio. “After the last solo show I had a year ago at [Quint Contemporary Art], I started wanting to do landscape paintings again. But now I also have 14 years of being an artist, and all these new ways of looking at things, so the work is kind of taking its own turns.”

From 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19, at Lux Art Institute’s new Linda Formo Brandes Reception Gallery inside the Education Pavilion (1550 S. El Camino Real, Encinitas), Belt will show a handful of new pieces in an exhibition with San Diego artist Jay Johnson. While he’s still working on a series of more traditional paintings depicting highly saturated Kodachrome landscape photos from the 1970s and ’80s, the show will consist of more experimental works that have splintered off from his original idea of returning to landscapes.

The new series includes custom-made, threedimensional topographic maps covered with a blend

24 · San Diego CityBeat · December 17, 2014

Adam Belt of fine glass beads and paint that reflects light in unexpected ways. Those same beads are used in his abstract flow paintings, which evoke beautiful, aerial landscape views.

“This isn’t a huge departure, because my work always has natural process, phenomena and a little bit of landscape in it,” Belt explains. “There’s just always been this unfinished business when it comes to my landscape paintings.”

—Kinsee Morlan Write to kinseem@sdcitybeat.com and editor@sdcitybeat.com.

Mommy dearest Jennifer Kent’s horror-film debut is terrifying

by Glenn Heath Jr. Broken shards of glass fly into Amelia’s face as her body spins into orbit. Seconds later, her crashing car slides to a halt. She looks over at her injured husband in the driver’s seat while oncoming headlights approach. Right before impact, she begins falling again from her metal-encased tomb slowly toward a comfortable bed.

The sound of a child’s screams can barely be heard as she descends, growing louder until her eyes violently open. Panicked Essie Davis and Noah Wiseman are living a nightmare.

6-year-old Samuel has just seen a monster under his bed and needs his mother’s protection. vade Amelia’s brain), angular and maniacal to maxiIt seems nightmares run in the family. mize dread. Yet much of the film’s terror stems from So begins The Babadook, a brilliant Australian how Kent handles intense sequences, often playing horror film that marks the staggeringly assured de- with directionality through layered sound design bebut of Jennifer Kent, a writer and director keenly in- fore reaching a sudden visceral payoff. terested in how themes of trauma and loneliness fesThe Babadook’s immaculate craft would be ter within the daily routines of parenting. Repetitive enough to warrant its place as one of the best horror activities, duties and reactions dominate the opening films in years, but elevating it even more are the two act, all of which revolve around the behavioral prob- lead performances. Davis balances patience, frustralems that Samuel (Noah Wiseman) is having at home tion and anguish all at once, masking repressed feeland school. Every day feels like its own nail in the ings of guilt and rage that have taken root since her coffin, and Amelia (Essie Davis) is starting to break husband’s death. As Samuel, a character that could down. Asked by a caring neighbor about her state have easily been one-note or obnoxious, Wiseman of mind, she responds, “Nothing five years of sleep captures the volatility and desperation of a vibrant won’t fix.” young boy being ripped apart by But exhaustion is just a symphis own family tree.

The Babadook tom of her immediate family’s Kent returns to imagery of rot Directed by Jennifer Kent isolation. Mother and son are and collapse as a way of compleStarring Essie Davis, Noah each other’s keepers; Amelia’s menting these performances. A Wiseman, Benjamin Winspear husband was killed the day she cockroach infestation steadily gave birth, and what family they streams from a hole in the kitchand Hayley McElhinney have walks on eggshells and en. Amelia’s bowl of porridge Not rated keeps a distance due to Amelia’s contains a sharp surprise. The permanent malaise and Samuel’s basement becomes home base piercing outbursts. This alienation provides the per- for all of the horrific subtext that has taken hold of fect breeding ground for madness and supernatural their abode. Like the best films of Joe Dante, The Bapossibility. When Samuel finds a mysterious pop-up badook, which opens Friday, Dec. 19, at Digital Gym children’s book on his shelf titled Mister Babadook, Cinema in North Park, positions the home as a place its gothic expressionist content begins to manifest in suitable for hiding past traumas, destabilizing it as a their everyday lives. The opening sentence confirms refuge from fear. Every corner of Amelia’s two-story what’s to come: “If it’s in a word or in a look, you house turns into a battleground for sanity during the can’t get rid of the Babadook.” film’s goose-bump-inducing finale.

At first, the monster remains unseen, compartUltimately, The Babadook suggests that our inmentalized by Samuel’s rapid-fire imagination. “It ternal horrors can never truly be erased, only conwants to scare you first, then you’ll see it,” he screams. tained. Learning to respect the inspiration of those Amelia shrugs off her son’s warning, but she eventu- shadowy creatures in our midst allows sunny days to ally begins to see a gangly top-hat wearing demon come again. with sharp knives for fingers. The practical design feels influenced by the great ghouls of silent cinema Write to glennh@sdcitybeat.com (surrealist flashes of Melies’ A Trip to the Moon in- and editor@sdcitybeat.com.

Passing into legend

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

The clash between mythology and identity defines both Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy and his (some say unnecessary) trifecta of Hobbit films.

Characters great and small collide in the alternate universe Middle Earth, a diverse, subtextriddled world inhabited by magic and evil and housing thematic

parallels with our own.

Proclaimed by its marketing campaign as “the defining chapter,” The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies can certainly boast the longest title of the series. It begins immediately where its predecessor, The Desolation of Smaug, left off, with the titular dragon swooping down

CONTINUED ON PAGE 26 December 17, 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 25

upon Lake-town to decimate its inhabitants after Bilbo (Martin Freeman), Thoren Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) and their dwarf companions successfully survived its fire-breathing attack inside The Lonely Mountain.

Anticipating a shift in power, armies from all over the kingdom, including the evil orcs mobilized by the dark lord Sauron, converge to lay claim to the dragon’s wealth of riches inside its cavernous abode. The stage is set for Jackson to do what he does best: orchestrate multiple fronts of action that are perfectly coherent and exciting. He’s a master of continuity, and the camera glides from one series of battles to the next with effortless precision.

The impressive swordplay would mean very little if it were not complemented by our investment in the fates of Bilbo, Gandolf and Thoren. With less plot and more emotional tension, The Battle of the Five Armies—which opens Friday, Dec. 19—succeeds, much like Smaug, as a series of moral tests taking place within a brilliantly elaborate and detailed fantasy environment.

As these legendary characters “pass into legend,” as one character so astutely puts it, Jackson focuses on how friendship endures, even as the threat of Golem’s precious ring looms over the proceedings. We know where this story is heading, but now it’s clear how and why it needed to begin in the first place.

—Glenn Heath Jr.

Opening Annie: Hollywood’s latest reboot of the famous musical about an orphan adopted by a wealthy tycoon features Jamie Foxx, Cameron Diaz and Quvenzhané Wallis as the titular melodist.

Life Partners: The close friendship between two women is tested when one of them begins a relationship with a new man. Screens through Dec. 25 at the Ken Cinema.

Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb: Sadly, Robin Williams’ last performance exists within this silly universe of an inexpressive Ben Stiller, an expressive monkey and artifacts brought to life.

The Babadook: Single parenting has never been more horrifying as it is in Jennifer Kent’s astonishing horror-film debut about a young boy tormented by a cryptic storybook character named “The Babadook.” Screens through Dec. 25 at Digital Gym Cinema in North Park. See our review on Page 25.

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies: The final chapter in Peter Jackson’s bloated three-part adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s famous novel ends in a massive battle between elves, dwarves, men and the nefarious orcs. See our review on Page 25.

Violet: A young man falls in love with a woman he sees in a photograph, sending

26 · San Diego CityBeat · December 17, 2014

a journey for a cure. Musical numbers ensue. Screens at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 24, at The Pearl Hotel in Point Loma.

Now Playing Antarctica: A Year on the Ice: The incredible true story of the scientists, researchers, chefs, technicians and other professionals who make up the population of people who live year-round in Antarctica. Ends Dec. 18 at the Ken Cinema.

Annie him on an adventure to discover her name and whereabouts. Screens through Dec. 25 at Digital Gym Cinema in North Park.

One Time Only The Closet: In order to avoid being fired, a man spreads a rumor of his own homosexuality. It stars Daniel Auteuil and Gérard Depardieu. Screens at 1:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Dec. 17, at the La Jolla Community Center.

Bikini Beach: The public library’s ongoing SchlockFest, a tribute to Hollywood B movies, presents this campy flick about a billionaire who wants to prove that his pet chimp is smarter than American teens.

Screens at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 17, at the San Diego Central Library in East Village.

2 Autumns, 3 Winters: Happenstance and fate collide when a man and a woman run into each other—literally— on a jogging path in Paris. Screens at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 17, at the Scripps Ranch Library.

Tootsie: Dustin Hoffman in drag? Who could ask for anything more than that?

Screens at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 17, at Hillcrest Cinemas.

The Polar Express: Robert Zemeckis uses revolutionary motion-capture animation to tell the story of a cynical boy who boards a train headed to the North Pole.

Screens at 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 18, at Arclight La Jolla.

Some Like it Hot: Jack Lemon and Tony Curtis disguise themselves as women in order to flee the state after witnessing a murder. Screens at 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 18, through Saturday, Dec. 20, at Cinema Under the Stars in Mission Hills.

Exodus: Gods and Kings: The story of Moses (Christian Bale), Rhamses (Joel Edgerton) and the Ten Commandments gets super-sized.

I Am Eleven: Filmmaker Genevieve Bailey spoke with 11-year-olds from around the world to construct this insightful and funny documentary portrait of childhood.

Ends Dec. 17 at Digital Gym Cinema in North Park.

Palo Malo: When a 9-year-old asks his mother to have his curly hair straightened for a yearbook picture, the request causes a rift between the two that becomes difficult to fix. Ends Dec. 18 at Digital Gym Cinema in North Park.

Top Five: Set to marry a reality star and have their wedding taped for public consumption, a popular comedian (Chris Rock) returns home to his old neighborhood, hoping to gain some clarity.

Wild: Based on the best-selling novel, this drama tells the story of Cheryl Strayed, who trekked more than 1,000 miles along the Pacific Crest Trail to reassess her troubled life.

Balboa Park: The Jewel of San Diego: An engaging time capsule, this 30-minute documentary takes viewers through the long and fascinating history of the local landmark. Through Dec. 31 at the San Diego History Center in Balboa Park.

The Homesman: A lonely farmer (Hilary Swank) living in the old west agrees to transport three women who’ve gone insane across state lines with the help of an ornery old louse (Tommy Lee Jones).

Horrible Bosses 2: Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis and Charlie Day get another chance to turn the tables on their selfserving bosses and exact revenge.

Penguins of Madagascar: A trio of goofy penguins must join forces with a secret underground organization to defeat a villain trying to destroy the world.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Tim Curry stars in the longest-running midnight movie of all time, about a young couple who stumble upon a mansion full of eccentric characters. Screens at midnight on Saturday, Dec. 20, at the Ken Cinema.

Foxcatcher: Bennett Miller’s dark sports film tells the tragic true story of the Schultz brothers (Mark Ruffalo and Channing Tatum), wrestlers who became forever entwined with the wealthy heir to the du Pont fortune (Steve Carell).

Amigo: During the Philippine-American War, a U.S. Army platoon occupies a Filipino village, fending off insurgent attacks and negatively influencing the townspeople’s lives. Screens at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 22, at the San Diego Central Library in East Village.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay— Part 1: Having just destroyed the Hunger Games infrastructure, Katnis returns home to lead the rebellion against the corrupt forces of the capital.

Skeleton Twins: Estranged twins played

by Bill Hader and Kristin Wiig cheat death on the same day and try to mend their relationship. Screens at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 23, at the Point Loma / Hervey Branch Library.

A Gesar Bard’s Tale: An illiterate Tibetan nomad begins orating King Gesar’s epic story from memory, becoming a famous bard and cultural luminary for the Chinese government. Screens at 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 23, at Digital Gym Cinema in North Park.

Frozen: A princess is stricken with a curse that turns everything she touches to ice, driving her adventurous sister on

Beyond the Lights: On the brink of superstardom, a talented young musician struggles with the pressure of the public limelight.

Dumb and Dumber To: In this sequel to the 1994 hit comedy, walking morons Lloyd (Jim Carrey) and Harry (Jeff Daniels) return to the big screen to grace us with their idiocy.

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

ryan

Well, That was awkward

Bradford Do you even immersive-puzzle-solve, bro?

Listen folks, you don’t get your own hubris-infusing We arrived, caffeinated and jittery. Right away, column by being book-smart. In this biz, quick-witI spotted Streeper by his magician’s top hat and tedness, perseverance, the ability to create emotionsword—classic puzzle-master attire. His receptionally driven headlines and—to a much lesser extent— ist, whom he introduced as “Jackie,” wore a sheerthe ability to write well are the keys to becoming a black boar’s mask. It was totally not weird or unsetsuccessful writer. tling at all.

In fact, I wasn’t aware of how little I used the Streeper took us into a stark office, stood in front left side of my brain until a couple weeks ago, when of the entrance to the escape room—an eerie, antiI watched the dystopian sci-fi flick Snowpiercer. In quated portal that jutted out of the office wall—and the movie, failed efforts to combat global warming laid out the ground-rules: We’d have one hour to have turned Earth into an uninhabitable, frozen find the key. Once we were in, there were no bathwasteland, and the remaining survivors live on a room breaks. Cellphones turned off (even though I super-train that circles the globe every year. secretly recorded the audio of our experience. SorEven with my dumb-dumb writer brain, I didn’t ry, Stevenson). He spoke in a practiced, theatrical buy that scenario. I Googled the circumference of the voice that was both exhilarating and intimidating.

Earth, divided it by the number of days in a year, and And when he left momentarily to remedy an overlearned that—if travelling along the equator—that sight, Nate thought it was a test and tried to break train has to travel only about 3 mph to meet its goal. into the escape room, unassisted.

But this train is going, like, a gajillion mph, so even Now, two things I learned that night: on the most divergent track, it seems implausible.

1. The Puzzalarium is (sung in high voice) ahhNot gonna lie: Solving that problem felt good. hmazing. It’s difficult to talk about the experience Like, winning-a-YouTube-comment-board-arguwithout spoiling it for the uninitiated, because, sadment-good. So, when I heard about the Puzzalarily, the only real drawback is the lack of replayabilty. um, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to pracBut the room itself is smallish, painted red and tice more smarty logic. full of antiques—a cross between The Puzzalarium (841 14th St., the game Clue and Agent Cooper’s Downtown, puzzalarium.com) is nightmares. The work, care and inYes, there was among a growing number of esgenuity Streeper has put into it is one point where cape rooms popping up across the astounding, to say the least. country. They’re immersive games 2. I should stick to writing. As we confused a in which players are given a certain the audio recording reveals, we dresser with a desk. amount of time to solve a succession spent the majority of the time in of puzzles, which ultimately reveals tension-filled silence, inadvertentthe key that will let them out. If any ly competing against each other to of y’all are gamers, think of it like the parts in Resifind clues first or outright branching off. Most of dent Evil that don’t involve killing zombies. our sentences began with “Maybe this—” and ended with “Nope.” Streeper, who stood in the corner Stevenson Streeper, the Puzzalarium’s creator, to watch our progress, would offer cryptic hints gave me all this information over the phone. As I if we were stuck—stuff like, “Hint: Something’s mentally assembled my team, I asked him if he recamiss with the wrong-way desk.” Then, when we ommended couples doing it together. failed, he’d break character and say, “Hint: That’s “Um. No,” he said bluntly. not a desk.”

Cut to: an imagined, future scenario with my Yes, there was one point where we confused a wife and me in marriage counseling, unpacking all dresser with a desk. my inadequacies as a man, all of them stemming In the end, we failed. In his debrief, Streeper infrom my inability to get us out of the Puzzalarium. formed us that we were on the last clue when the So, I asked Steve and Nate to be on my team. time ran out and that we did better than we thought Steve and Nate are two of my best friends, both we did. Given our jitters at the beginning, that was of whom I met while I was in college. Even though reassuring to hear. He also said that it’s rare that a they’ve become well-respected and successful highgroup of males took as many hints as we did. Males school math teachers, the Spirit of Debaucherous not getting hints—am I right, ladies?

Past always reemerges when we get together.

“The best games don’t have ‘easy’ or ‘hard’ And that’s why we ended up drinking Jäger and modes,” he said, explaining our results. “Instead, playing Street Fighter 2 at Coin-Op a couple hours they will make subtle adjustments as the player before our big test of intellect, which are generally moves along.” two of the dumbest activities you can do.

Perhaps it was Streeper’s dramatics, but I took “The plan is: one more round, then we go home, the statement as more profound than he intended. sleep off this booze, get some coffee and then beat But, hey, if the world keeps letting me think I’m the Puzzalarium.” This was Steve’s plan, and in my smarter than I am, I’ll take it. state, it made the mostest sense. However, none of us actually napped because of a semi-conscious fear Write to ryanb@sdcitybeat.com that we were already living through the Puzzalariand editor@sdcitybeat.com. um, à la Michael Douglas in The Game.

27 · San Diego CityBeat · December 17, 2014

December 17, 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 27

N ew Y ear ’ s E ve G uide

New Year’s Eve 2015 Our picks for some of the best ways to celebrate the end of 2014 his year, we decided to be concise with our guide to New Year’s Eve happenings around town. There are just too many events citywide to be comprehensive, so we carefully curated and cherry-picked some of the most optimal ways to spend the last few hours of 2014.

We’ve split things up into four sections—dinners, live music, big bashes and smaller bar parties—with three picks in each category. It’s short and sweet, so read through the whole thing and you just might find the perfect booty-bumpin,’ fist-pumpin’ all-out party or the quiet, romantic, four-course dinner of your dreams.

And remember, kids, the secret to a super-duper-fun night is making sure you’ve got a safe ride home. Don’t be one of those people, please.

T

($45 for adults, $10 for kids) and the more grownup seating at 7:30 p.m. ($65 includes champagne and entrance to the after-party). The menu includes things like a truffle Littles and bigs: Hipster parents can con- bacon short-rib burger and a roasted-beet tinue to have lives thanks to kid-friendly and pork-belly salad. waypointpublic.com spots like Waypoint Public. The North Park hotspot (3794 30th St.) has a con- A foodie fantasy: Trout caviar. Maplevenient little play area to corral the kids, glazed smoked salmon. Herb-roasted which means breeders can enjoy the eve- Jidori chicken. Sticky toffee date cake. ning almost as much as singles. Waypoint If that kind of food doesn’t immediately is offering two seatings for its four-course, set off your salivary glands, you’re either prix-fixe menu: a family dinner at 5 p.m. vegan or something’s wrong with you (or

3 great dinners

28 · San Diego CityBeat · December 17, 2014

Bankers Hill Bar + Restaurant both). Bankers Hill Bar + Restaurant (2202 Fourth Ave.) has arranged the kind of four-course, prix-fixe meal perfect for all your food-porn-photo-op desires. Can’t you just see the Insta “likes” piling up after posting a saturated pic of your beautiful bowl of Chardonnay-braised artichoke

soup? Plus, our cocktail columnist says the joint has some of the best signature cocktails in town. It’s $55 with an optional $25 beverage pairing. Reservations are required. bankershillsd.com

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December 17 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 29

N ew Y ear ’ s E ve G uide Stone style: A first-rate feast on New Year’s Eve doesn’t have to fit the fancy sitdown-dinner mold. From 8 p.m. to 1 a.m., the gardens and indoor areas at Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens at Liberty Station (2816 Historic Decatur Road in Point Loma) will be filled with live music, DJs, dancing and plenty of food and dessert stations. The night’s menu includes polenta cakes smothered in pulled pork, Stone Smoked Porter-braised beef short ribs and vegetable hash. The beer list is ridiculously long, of course, but it includes excellent brews like the 2004 Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine. All-inclusive tickets are $99. stonelibertystation.com

3 great shows Abracadabra: Sometimes all you need to close out the year is a night of really good rock ’n’ roll, a round of beers and maybe a shot or two at your local hang. If this is the case, your best bet is to rock out at Soda Bar (3615 El Cajon Blvd. in City Heights) with local favorites Mrs. Magician. The group just got back together in August after a sixmonth hiatus, and they’re ready to give San Diego a “full-on rager,” according to Soda Bar’s website. They’re performing with Heavy Hawaii and Teenage Burritos and promise a champagne toast, noisemakers and balloons, so you’ll get the entire experience, even if you’re not going Downtown.

Tickets are $12 in advance, or $15 night of show. 21 and older. sodabarmusic.com

trippiest bands in San Diego are guiding your spirit animal into 2015 with a psychedelic celebration at Til-Two Club (4746 El Cajon Root down: If your idea of a New Year’s Blvd. in City Heights), including heavy-psych Eve celebration more likely involves roots- rippers JOY and hard-rocking trio Wild rock riffs than thumping house beats, then Honey, as well as Long Beach’s Plant Tribe. set your compass to the North Park Theatre Cover charge is $8, and the show begins at 9 (2891 University Ave.) for a night of soul- p.m. 21 and older. Groovy. tiltwoclub.com ful, gritty jams. Headliners Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers will ring in the new year with a good mix of meaty, bluesy rock and folk tunes that sound even better with a couple drinks in you. Likeminded blues rockers The Mother Hips are also per- Back to the future: The Lafayette Hotel in forming, so don’t forget your zippo and University Heights (2223 El Cajon Blvd.)is your air guitar. Doors open at 8 p.m., and billing its On with the Show party as a contickets cost $37.50 for those 21 and older. vergence of past and present, but it seems to thenorthparktheatre.com be favoring the past with a couple of rooms turned into a speakeasy and a roaring-’20s jazz club, in addition to an area called The City Within the City. Tickets range from $50 general admission to $175 VIP with four levels in between—a $110 ticket includes a fourcourse dinner, or you can get access to a hosted bar for $120. Music will be provided by Lady Dottie and the Diamonds, Trio Gadjo, Miss Erika Davies and DJ Man-Cat, among others. There’ll also be comedy performances and circus acts. lafayettehotelsd.com

3 great blowouts

Nicki Bluhm See you on the other side: Celebrating New Year’s Eve is like time-traveling, in a way—we cross over into a new year, and sometimes wake up on the other side without knowing what hit us. So why fight it? Some of the

30 · San Diego CityBeat · December 17, 2014

ticket fetches unlimited champagne from 9 to 10 p.m. and live music by The Boundary Birds and dancing to DJ Brett Bodley until 2 a.m. A $105 ticket adds unlimited Scandinavian cocktails by renowned mixologist Jeff Josenhans. Bottle service and premium seating for six is available for $890. You don’t have to wear white, but it’s strongly encouraged; then again, that little black cocktail dress might draw extra attention. usgrant. net/san-diego-new-years-eve

Big Night San Diego

Hi-bro entertainment: If you’re looking to throw back a few vegetable wontons before getting hammered on Canadian Club, slip on your Dolce & Gabbana jeans and get ready to rock Big Night San Diego. Once again, this all-inclusive New Year’s Eve The white night: You look fabulous in white, blowout is being held at Hilton Bayfront (1 no? The Bivouac Club in the U.S. Grant Ho- Park Blvd., Downtown), so there’s no need tel (326 Broadway, Downtown) is throwing to Uber home. You can crash at the hotel, a wintery-white New Year’s Eve party that whose party provides various-themed arwill also hark back to the hotel’s days of CONTINUED ON PAGE 33 hosting a Prohibition-era speakeasy. A $75

December 17 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 31

32 · San Diego CityBeat · December 17, 2014

N ew Y ear ’ s E ve G uide eas, dance floors and unlimited eats and booze. Live musical acts include Fishbone, Agua Dulce, George Acosta, as well as a number of DJ sets, including by Mike Czech, DJ Happee and DJ Bakspin. The party starts at 9 p.m. and goes until 2:30 a.m. Depending on the VIP package, tickets are $110 to $270. bignightsandiego.com

All about that bass: South Park locals probably stay away from the Whistle Stop (2236 Fern St.) during the every-other-Saturday Booty Basement party, but with the regular brahs that go elsewhere on New Year’s Eve, this could be the night to reclaim one of our favorite neighborhood bars. DJ Dimitri is one of the most underrated spinners in town, with a damn-near encyclopedic knowledge of bass-heavy, hip-hop bangers that get the throngs sweaty. There will be champagne at midnight, and Dimitri (along with DJ Rob Moran) will give out free mix CDs for home twerking.

The cover is $10 before 10 p.m. (we suggest getting there early, anyway) and $15 after 10. Either way, a bargain. whistlestopbar.com Jump around: Bar hopping in the Gaslamp Quarter on New Year’s Eve sounds like a quick lesson in futility. Unhappy bouncers, drunken troglodytes and lines galore. You’ll have significantly fewer problems if you join the New Year’s Eve PubCrawl. Starting at Taste & Thirst (715 Fourth Ave.) at 6 p.m. and good ’til 2 a.m., customers will receive a wristband and a map of participating bars (more than a dozen,

Jackie Wonders

3 smaller parties

including Jolt’n Joes, Side Bar and Fuse). The wristband will get you past the line but doesn’t guarantee immediate entry since there’s those pesky fire-code laws. Still, once in, you’ll get drink specials that are exclusive to Crawl attendees, so that’s not a bad deal for $15 and up. californianightlife.com

The White Flag Flag waving: We’re already pretty crazy about 32 North Brewing Company’s lodgey brewery space in Miramar (8655 Production Ave.) and expect it to be swinging with cool kids when The White Flag hosts its first New Year’s Eve event (and fourth event, overall) there from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. White Flag’s concept is pretty simple: “Great folks. Live music. Food trucks,” and the first three events have been bustling with folks eager to try specialty drinks and one-off menus from trucks like Super Q, MIHO and more.

The band hadn’t been announced as this went to press, but we fully expect this to be one of the more intimately cool events for folks wanting a more lowkey evening. There’s a $10 suggested donation, but all are welcome. @thewhiteflagsd on Instagram

December 17, 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 33

Un

io

Matt Palmer

iv

a l au s r e d

Idyll Wild

Clockwise from top left: Eric Anderson, Ryan Cooper, Grant Martz, Jade Martz and Blake Martz.

A look inside Idyll Wild’s sonic space • by Jeff Terich

W

hen the members of Idyll Wild close the door to their cozy Ocean Beach studio and rehearsal space, the outside world disappears. There are no windows, and when they’re practicing, they often do so by the light of only a few strings of Christmas lights. There are guitars and a computer—and a Harry Potter blanket on the ceiling that’s easy to miss if you’re not looking very hard. And toward the back of the room, behind some shelves and an old but comfortable chair, there’s a series of nuggets of musical advice from Thelonious Monk (like, “What you don’t play can be just as important as what you do play”) pinned to the wall.

sity after the band’s first few home bases per joined the band, and other members didn’t work out so well. upgraded their instruments and equipFor a while, guitarists Blake and Grant ment, growing into a fuller and more elabMartz, keyboardist Jade Martz, bassist orate group. And while there are a handful Eric Anderson and drummer Ryan Cooper of singles and digital tracks to the band’s practiced in Jade’s bedroom. And for an- name, it’s hard to hear the full spectrum other brief period, the group rehearsed at of Idyll Wild’s music without seeing them Cooper’s house, where they attracted some perform live. Their sound can fill a room, unwanted attention. certainly, and there’s an impressive syn“There was this 80-year-old neighbor chronicity about it. who lived across the street… American flag The live show is truly Idyll Wild’s elein front of his house,” Cooper says in an in- ment, and they’ve spent a lot of time and terview in the band’s practice room. “Every effort to make it that way. Taking some day, [the band would] pull up in the truck, advice from a friend, they recorded their and he’d recognize them and yell, ‘God earliest shows so they could hear where damn it! Another god damn day of noise!’ they needed to improve. Blake says that in And he’d yell it at the top of his lungs.” the process of developing the live show, he Octogenarian critics aside, the sound “learned how to be in a band.” Now, what of Idyll Wild’s music is mostly unsullied happens onstage is their No. 1 concern. by noise. It’s through the intricate “We write everything with a live instrumental interplay between perspective,” Blake says. “We want the five musicians that the to play it in a room. It’s not, like, band’s private world truly ‘Let’s write a song’; it’s ‘Let’s comes to life. On their first write a performance.’” two 7-inch singles, Idyll Idyll Wild are wrapping Wild showcased a broad up work on their debut EP Dec. 22 array of sounds, rangright now, and though the ing from densely layered finish line is in sight, the The Casbah shoegaze and post-punk last year presented a series textures on the pulsing of setbacks that kept them idyllwild.

“Bones” to a spacious, from being able to release it. bandcamp.com post-rock daydream on More specifically, Cooper and “Lullabies for Future ChilBlake Martz each separately dren.” There are a lot of moving suffered herniated discs, which parts to their music and few obviMartz says kept him from walking ous reference points (though, occasional- for six weeks. ly, groups like Foals, Radiohead and Slint Now that Cooper and Martz are on the come to mind). mend, they’re preparing to finally release There’s a lot of energy to Idyll Wild’s new music and continue to hone their live music, but there’s also a graceful qual- show. And though time might pass more ity about it, which comes largely out of a slowly inside Idyll Wild’s universe, they’d unique synergy among the group’s mem- rather get it right. bers, as well as the various effects and son“When I wanted to start a band, I ic treatments that help shape their sound. thought the most noble thing you could do Arriving on this sound took a couple years, is to try to make a new sound,” Blake says. however; Idyll Wild originally began with “Everything that we do, we’re trying to do the Martz siblings playing acoustically at a whole new thing. Maybe that slows us open-mic nights. down, but we don’t want to write the same “It was a combination of wanting to em- song twice.” ulate certain… styles or whatever, and not For his part, Grant has even bigger ambeing able to, and also, only having acous- bitions. tic guitars,” Grant says. “So… we’re playing “I’m shooting for the moon,” he says. “I acoustic guitars, but we’re trying to not want to be the biggest band on Mars.” play them like acoustic guitars.”

Not long after Idyll Wild’s humble be- Write to jefft@sdcitybeat.com ginnings in late 2011, Anderson and Coo- and editor@sdcitybeat.com.

This converted storage shed—behind a house owned by the mother of the band’s Blake, Grant and Jade Martz—isn’t unlike a lot of other rehearsal spaces, but there’s an intimacy and a vibe about it that makes it feel like you’re stepping out of San Diego and into Idyll Wild’s private universe. At times, it seems like they even speak their own language, engaging in rhythmic and witty banter and making statements like, “We’re all connected to a spirit octopus, and we kind of channel it through him,” or “What will that record sound like when the human race is extinct and another planet smashes into Earth?”

The studio space proved to be a neces-

34 · San Diego CityBeat · December 17, 2014

notes from the smoking patio K. Oyama

Locals Only Another venue on the UCSD campus is facing closure in 2015. Six months after voting to close The Che Café, the student-run University Centers Advisory Board (UCAB) has opted not to renew the lease for Porter’s Pub. A report from the UCSD Guardian student newspaper says that poor student feedback about Porter’s Pub contributed to the board’s decision. Some of the feedback included complaints about the food, as well as the lack of accessibility to students for use of the space.

UCAB posted a statement about the Porter’s Pub lease on its website, citing “annual sales and retail trends, customer feedback, analysis of vendor operations” and community feedback as factors in its decision.

“Student and staff employees in custodial, house management and tech services have experienced difficulties in working with Porter’s Pub,” the statement reads. “Student organizations reported concerns which affected their ability to program in the Stage Room, and their willingness to return to the space for future events. Double booking, lack of adherence to University Centers reservations procedures, lack of response to reservation requests, being charged for using the space, and being misled into noncompliance with Center for Student Involvement… were all cited as challenges in working with the vendor.”

The pub’s lease expires in May 2015, but the venue—an independent business leasing space from UC-

Singer vs. Song This is a recurring feature in which we ask musicians to name a song they never want to hear again.

Alexandra Faith Pratt, Soft Lions: “Santeria” by Sublime. “This song is a classic for most flip-flop wearing gals and homies, but it does nothing for me.

Even when I heard it for the first time, it sounded like the 100th. The only redeeming quality for me in this song is the bridge, because he isn’t singing.”

Gabe Lehrner, 9 Theory: “Booty” by Jennifer Lopez and Iggy Azalea. “While ‘Margaritaville’ and a few Bob Seger songs come to mind right away, I’m gonna go with a new song I just heard. I never want to hear ‘Booty’ because it represents so much that I

Porter’s Pub SD—can reapply for another lease. However, based on the UCAB statement, some of its operating procedures would likely need to change.

UCAB “wants the stage space,” Christine Clark, a student-affairs representative at UCSD, tells CityBeat. “It’s paid for by students, so they want to give students the eligibility to book events at the space.”

The pub still has several shows lined up before its lease ends. The last show on its calendar is Kina Grannis on Feb. 20.

On Saturday, Dec. 13, The Che Café posted a message on its Facebook page expressing support for Porter’s: “You are a fine venue and you will be sorely missed. If there’s a #saveporters I hope it’s a success just like #savetheche will be.”

—Jeff Terich

think is terrible about mainstream music, as well as our culture. I can’t believe Jennifer Lopez actually put that out as her new art.” iD the Poet: “Get Lucky” by Daft Punk. “I’d rather hear the Mossy Nissan jingle for eternity than hear one more bar of that awful song. Everyone trumpeted this song and album as genius because they actually used live instruments with their computers.

They had the nerve to dig up disco and somehow make it worse. The future has arrived, and it sounds like the late ’70s but with shittier lyrics. Death to disco, but this time aim for the head.”

Joaquin Hernandez, Cumbia Machin: “Probably one of my own songs. Just one of those songs that was a failure—something that didn’t work.”

Sam Lopez, Zsa Zsa Gabor / Stay Strange: “Nothing Out of Life” by Dead Times. “Listening to this song is like showering in broken glass. It’s sick and depraved—a bleak soundtrack to human suffering and it unnerves me greatly. The song is a trickster. It begins lush and hopeful but turns ugly and vile. By the end of the dirge, you’re broken and cracked. I never want to hear this song again.”

—Jeff Terich Iggy Azalea and Jennifer Lopez

Write to jefft@sdcitybeat.com or editor@sdcitybeat.com.

December 17, 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 35

if i were u Wednesday, Dec. 17 PLAN A: Francisco the Man, Sundrop Electric, Philosopher’s Ray Gun @ Soda Bar. If you don’t get Francisco the Man confused with Portugal the Man, then you’re a better person than I am. But name confusion aside, this band does great shoegaze pop with lots of big hooks and even bigger guitars.

Thursday, Dec. 18 PLAN A: Manual Scan, NE1, The Basics @ The Casbah. Mod power-pop group Manual Scan formed the year I was born (1981) and have had a ton of different members, but their hook-laden tunes are more or less ageless. They’re still kicking, and still jangling, and headlining what promises to be a fun Thursday night. PLAN B: Corners, Tropical Popsicle, Subtropics @ The Hideout.

There’s something about this time of year that makes the gloomy and ominous tones of post-punk sound extra-good. And if you agree, you should make sure to catch Corners, a Los Angeles-based group that offers a perfect balance of reverb, danceable rhythms and coldwave synthesizers.

BY Jeff Terich sound of standup bass and hollow-body honky-tonk guitar that just sounds extra-satisfying, every single time. PLAN B: Erik Canzona and the Narrows, Second Cousins, Gloomsday @ The Hideout. I’m a big fan of The Narrows, the debut album by The Heavy Guilt frontman Erik Canzona, so I’d like to recommend you have a listen before checking out his darkly soulful folk-rock songs in a live setting. Get there early to check out San Diego’s hardest-rocking duo, Gloomsday.

BACKUP PLAN: Subtropics, Shady Francos, The Cardielles @ Tower Bar.

Sunday, Dec. 21

PLAN A: Youth Code, High-Functioning Flesh, Centurion Wield, Severed Nites DJs @ Soda Bar. Los Angeles’ Youth Code make dark, ominous music that you can dance to. They’re an “industrial” band by old-school standards, which means they’re more like a 20-year-old Trent Reznor than, well, a 40-year-old Trent Reznor, I guess. Either way, wrap yourself in black and get sinister with ’em.

PLAN B: Dick Dale, The Midnight Pine @ Belly Up Tavern. Holiday music often sounds better when it Friday, Dec. 19 involves some surf guitar.

PLAN A: Eukaryst, SentiFor instance, The Ventures’ nel, Thanatology, Morbid Youth Code “Frosty the Snowman” is Eclipse @ Brick by Brick. the definitive version. So, a ’Tis the season for death metal! Who am holiday show by the King of the Surf Guitar I kidding? Every season is the season for seems like an extra-awesome way to get in death metal, and this show’s headlined the seasonal mood. BACKUP PLAN: The by some homegrown brutes. Eukaryst’s Burning of Rome, Barbarian, Low Volts new album, Dreams in the Witch House, is @ SILO at Maker’s Quarter. a mighty-fine set of riffs and growls, and this is a good opportunity to catch up if you haven’t heard ’em yet. PLAN B: Ziggy Monday, Dec. 22 Shuffledust and the Spiders from Mars, PLAN A: Idyll Wild, Boychick, Casanova Chinese Rocks, DJ Mike Delgado @ The Frankenstein @ The Casbah. See Page 34 Casbah. Perhaps ’tis also the season for for my feature on Idyll Wild, a local group glam rock. I don’t often recommend cover- that’s finishing up work on their debut EP. band shows, just because nostalgia works They combine math-rock, shoegaze and best in small doses. But since we’re never dream pop in a fluid but complex blend that going to see Johnny Thunders or the Spi- needs to be heard live to be truly appreciders from Mars again, we might as well live ated. BACKUP PLAN: The Growlers @ vicariously through some fun, local throw- Belly Up Tavern. backs. BACKUP PLAN: The Loons, Schitzophonics, DJs Anja and Mikey Stax @ Tuesday, Dec. 23 Til-Two Club.

PLAN A: The Growlers @ Belly Up Tavern. Orange County outfit The Growlers Saturday, Dec. 20 founded a music festival called Beach Goth, PLAN A: Big Sandy and His Flyrite Boys, which I suppose is what you are if you wear Sleepwalkers, The Jive Bombers @ The black in Southern California. That’s not Casbah. Big Sandy and His Fly-Rite Boys really what they sound like, though. Take have been making rollicking rockabilly and equal parts garage rock, new wave and good-time western swing for more than 25 Mac DeMarco-style stoned jangle and you years. Their sound wasn’t even close to con- end up with their cool and catchy sound. temporary when they began, but somehow it BACKUP PLAN: Nebula Drag, Fantasy feels timeless—there’s something about the Arcade, Amigo @ Soda Bar.

36 · San Diego CityBeat · December 17, 2014

HOT! NEW! FRESH! Hot Chip (DJ set) (Casbah, 12/30), David J (The Hideout, 1/10), Vonda Shepard (BUT, 2/4), Kina Grannis (Porter’s Pub, 2/20), Gregory Alan Isakov (The Irenic, 2/22), Lucinda Williams (BUT, 2/22), Brett Dennen (North Park Theatre, 2/24), Craft Spells (The Hideout, 2/28), Theophilus London (BUT, 3/1), Enslaved, YOB (Brick by Brick, 3/5), 2:54 (The Hideout, 3/13), Gondwana (BUT, 3/15), Blockhead (Soda Bar, 3/28), TV on the Radio (North Park Theatre, 4/2), Disappears (Casbah, 4/3), Blue October (HOB, 4/9), They Might Be Giants (BUT, 5/3), The Mowgli’s (Casbah, 5/7), Neutral Milk Hotel (North Park Theatre, 5/28).

CANCELED Johnny Marr (BUT, 12/18), Corrections House (Soda Bar, 12/18).

GET YER TICKETS Pato Banton (BUT, 1/2), Tower of Power (BUT, 1/17), Eric Church (Valley View Casino Center, 1/18), G. Love and Special Sauce (HOB, 1/18), Guster (HOB, 1/21), Big Head Todd and the Monsters (1/23-24), The Coup (Casbah, 1/25), Russian Circles (Soda Bar, 1/25), The Wailers (BUT, 1/27), Wale (North Park Theatre, 1/31), Patti Smith (Balboa Theatre, 1/31), Juan Gabriel (Viejas Arena, 2/6), Ozomatli (BUT, 2/14-15), Cold War Kids (North Park Theatre, 2/25), Swervedriver (Casbah, 3/4), Viet Cong

(Soda Bar, 3/7), Hurray for the Riff Raff (BUT, 3/11), Ani DiFranco (HOB, 3/16), George Benson (Balboa Theatre, 3/26), Andrew Jackson Jihad (The Irenic, 4/10), Lana Del Rey (Sleep Train Amphitheatre, 5/16), Foo Fighters (Sleep Train Amphitheatre, 9/24).

December Thursday, Dec. 18 H.I.M. at House of Blues.

Saturday, Dec. 20 Big Sandy and the Flyrite Boys at The Casbah.

Sunday, Dec. 21 Dick Dale at Belly Up Tavern. The Mighty Mighty Bosstones at House of Blues. Youth Code at Soda Bar. The Burning of Rome at Maker’s Quarter.

Monday, Dec. 22 The Growlers at Belly Up Tavern.

Tuesday, Dec. 23 Dave Koz at Balboa Theatre. The Growlers at Belly Up Tavern.

Saturday, Dec. 27 Hideout at Soda Bar. The Greyboy Allstars at Belly Up Tavern.

Sunday, Dec. 28 The Aggrolites at Belly Up Tavern. Mannheim Steamroller at Civic Theatre.

Monday, Dec. 29

Jonah Matranga at The Hideout.

Tuesday, Dec. 30 Cracker, Camper Van Beethoven at Belly Up Tavern, Hot Chip (DJ set) at The Casbah.

Wednesday, Dec. 31 Donavon Frankenreiter at Belly Up Tavern. Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers at The North Park Theater. Mrs. Magician at Soda Bar.

atre. Olivelawn at The Casbah. Jucifer at Brick by Brick. David J at The Hideout.

Sunday, Jan. 11 Flesh Eaters at The Casbah. The Darlings at Soda Bar.

Tuesday, Jan. 13 Midge Ure at The Casbah. Hibou at Soda Bar.

January Thursday, Jan. 1 Anuhea at Belly Up Tavern.

Friday, Jan. 2 Pato Banton at Belly Up Tavern.

Saturday, Jan. 3 The Beat Farmers Hootenanny at Belly Up Tavern. Cattle Decapitation at The Casbah.

Tuesday, Jan. 6 Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue at Belly Up Tavern (sold out).

Thursday, Jan. 8 The Dictators at Brick by Brick.

Friday, Jan. 9 Katchafire at Belly Up Tavern.

Saturday, Jan. 10 Cody Lovaas at Carlsbad Village The-

Dead Kennedys Thursday, Jan. 15 Dead Kennedys at Belly Up Tavern.

Friday, Jan. 16 Wild Child at Belly Up Tavern.

Saturday, Jan. 17 Powerman 5000 at Brick by Brick. Tower of Power at Belly Up Tavern. Little Hurricane at North Park Theatre. The Dickies at Soda Bar.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 38

December 17, 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 37

rCLUBSr

710 Beach Club, 710 Garnet Ave, Pacific Beach. 710bc.com. Wed: Open mic.

Thu: Live band karaoke. Fri: Casey Turner (5 p.m.); Ki, Feelgood, End of Ever (9 p.m.). Sat: Daddy Issues, The One and Onlys, Natalie Emmons. Sun: Karaoke.

98 Bottles, 2400 Kettner Blvd. Ste. 110, Little Italy. 98bottlessd.com. Sat: ‘Tribute to Thelonious Monk’ w/ Gilbert Castellanos. Sun: The Matt Smith Neu Jazz Trio.

Air Conditioned Lounge, 4673 30th St, Normal Heights. airconditionedbar.com.

Wed: DJs Miss Dust, Dirty Disciple. Thu: DJ Jamison D. Yergler. Fri: DJ Junior the DiscoPunk. Sat: ‘Juicy’ w/ Mike Czech.

Sun: ‘Church’ w/ DJs John Reynolds, Karma, Tripsy.

American Comedy Co., 818 B Sixth Ave, Downtown. americancomedyco. com. Wed: Christian Duguay. Thu-Sat: Kurt Braunohler. Sun: Brent Weinbach.

Tue: Open mic.

Bang Bang, 526 Market St, Downtown. facebook.com/BangBangSanDiego.

Thu: Lee Foss. Fri: Lee K, Boys Don’t Disco. Sat: Tube and Berger.

Bar Pink, 3829 30th St, North Park. barpink.com. Wed: Taurus Authority.

Thu: DJ Girth. Fri: ‘Turn It Loose’ w/ Mr. Blow. Sat: ‘Neon Beat’. Sun: ‘Rat Sabbath’. Mon: Tori Roze and the Hot Mess.

Tue: ‘Tiki Tuesday’ w/ Old Man Johnson.

Bassmnt, 919 Fourth Ave, Downtown. bassmntsd.com. Thu: Tom Swoon. Fri: 12th Planet. Sat: Donald Glaude.

Beaumont’s, 5662 La Jolla Blvd, La Jolla. brocktonvilla.com/beaumonts.html.

Thu: Adam Block Duo. Fri: Camino Paz.

38 · San Diego CityBeat · December 17, 2014

Sat: Melanie Taylor Band. Sun: Matt Bolton.

Belly Up Tavern, 143 S. Cedros Ave, Solana Beach. bellyup.com. Wed: Nancarrow, Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash, Brawley. Thu: Bangladesh, Ocelot, Luke Williams. Fri: Who’s Bad, DJ Rashi. Sat: The Young Guns, DJ Hugh Janus. Sun: Dick Dale, The Midnight Pine. Mon: The Growlers. Tue: The Growlers.

Boar Cross’n, 390 Grand Ave, Carlsbad. boarcrossn.net. Fri: ‘Club Musae’.

Sat: Rootsical, AOK. Brick by Brick, 1130 Buenos Ave, Bay Park. brickbybrick.com. Thu: TheObscure80’s. Thu: Children of the Grave, Alice and the Cooper Gang. Fri: Eukaryst, Sentinel, Thanatology, Morbid Eclipse.

Sat: Symbolic, Quor, The Approach and The Execution, Big Tooth Comb. Mon: ‘Metal Monday’.

Croce’s Park West, 2760 Fifth Ave., #100, Bankers Hill. crocesparkwest.com.

Wed: Chans Valdez. Thu: Gilbert Castellanos and the Park West Ensemble. Fri: Besos de Coco. Sat: Todo Mundo. Sun: Danny Green Trio. Mon: Mark Fisher.

Tue: Steph Johnson and Rob Thorsen.

Dirk’s Nightclub, 7662 Broadway, Lemon Grove. dirksniteclub.com. Fri: FX5.

Sat: DJ Alex.

Dizzy’s, 4275 Mission Bay Drive, Mission Bay. dizzyssandiego.com. Sat: JazzMikan Trio.

Epicentre, 8450 Mira Mesa Blvd, Mira Mesa. epicentreconcerts.org. Fri: Our Last Night, Richard Rogers, Dayseeker, Geneva Pina, Dylan Scheidt, Fourth and Coast.

F6ix, 526 F St., Downtown, Downtown. f6ixsd.com. Sat: DJ Kurch. Sun: ‘Mag-

num Sunday’.

Fluxx, 500 Fourth Ave, Downtown. fluxxsd.com. Thu: 3LAU. Fri: Common. Sat: ‘Crystal Kingdom’ w/ Karma.

Gallagher’s, 5040 Newport Ave, Ocean Beach. 619-222-5303. Thu: Kindle, To Ember, TRC Soundsystem, DJ Reefah.

Fri: Funk’s Most Wanted, DJ Lya. Sat: The Fooks, DJ Chelu.

Hard Rock Hotel, 207 Fifth Ave, Downtown. hardrockhotelsd.com. Thu: Prayers, Julian K, Pleasure Fix. Fri: DJ Schoeny. Sat: DJ Este. Sun: ‘Sexy Santa Costume Contest’ w/ DJs Sid Vicious, Kurch.

Henry’s Pub, 618 Fifth Ave, Downtown. henryspub.com. Wed: The Fooks. Thu: DJ Antonio Aguilera. Fri: ‘Good Times’.

Sat: DJs E, Yodah. Sun: Karaoke. Mon: Dale Peters. Tue: Big City Dawgs.

House of Blues, 1055 Fifth Ave, Downtown. houseofblues.com/sandiego. Thu: HIM, Motionless in White, Wounds. Fri: Dylan Gardner, Josh Damigo. Sun: The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, The Interrupters, Oceanside Sound System.

Kava Lounge, 2812 Kettner Blvd, Midtown. kavalounge.com. Wed: ‘Indentation’. Thu: ‘Luminous’. Fri: ‘Naughy Elves Invasion’. Sat: ‘Seria Star’. Sun: TV Broken 3rd Eye Open, Blackass, Divinity Music.

Kensington Club, 4079 Adams Ave, Kensington. 619-284-2848. Sat: ‘Therapy’.

Mc P’s Irish Pub, 1107 Orange Ave, Coronado. mcpspub.com. Wed: The Sophisticats. Thu: Ron’s Trio. Fri: Mystique. Sat: Upshots. Tue: 3 Guys Will Move U. Numbers, 3811 Park Blvd, Hillcrest.

numberssd.com/.

Thu: ‘Throwback Thursday’. Fri: ‘Vogue Decadence’. Sun: ‘R and B Divas’. Tue: Karaoke Latino.

Onyx Room / Thin, 852 Fifth Ave, Downtown. onyxroom.com. Fri: ‘Rumba Lounge’. Sat: ‘Onyx Saturday’.

Patricks Gaslamp, 428 F St, Downtown. patricksii.com. Wed: The Upshots. Thu: The Bill Magee Blues Band. Fri: Johnny Vernazza. Sat: Mystique Element of Soul.

Sun: The Fuzzy Rankins Band. Mon: The Groove Squad. Tue: Walter’s Chicken Jam. Porter’s Pub, 9500 Gilman Dr., UCSD campus, La Jolla. porterspub.net. Sat: Chris Gee. Queen Bee’s, 3925 Ohio St, North Park. queenbeessd.com. Tue: Open mic.

Christmas Round Up. Sun: Subsurfer, Neighbors to the North, Shake Before Us, DJ’s Ladypills, Bettie Blue, Robert Been. Mon: Idyll Wild, Boychick, Casanova Frankenstein. Tue: ‘Hip Hop Beat Battle’ w/ DJs Artistic, Tram Life.

The Hideout, 3519 El Cajon Blvd, City Heights. thehideoutsd.com. Thu: Corners, Tropical Popsicle, Subtropics. Sat: Erik Canzona and the Narrows, Second Cousins, Gloomsday.

The Merrow, 1271 University Ave, Hillcrest. theMerrow.com. Sat: Mediks.

Sun: The Dread Crew of Oddwood, Rainbowdragoneye, Kirby’s Dream Band. Tue: Grizzly Business, Spero, Hello Penelope.

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

ficebarinc.com. Wed: ‘Dub Dynamite’ w/ DJs Rashi, Eddie Turbo. Thu: ‘No Limits’ w/ DJ Myson King. Fri: ‘After Hours’ w/ DJs EdRoc, Huge Euge. Sat: ‘Strictly Business’ w/ DJs EdRoc, Kanye Asada.

Sun: ‘Uptown Top Ranking’ w/ DJs Tribe of Kings. Tue: ‘Trapped in the Office’ w/ DJ Ramsey.

The Tin Roof, 401 G Street, Gaslamp. tinroofbars.com. Wed: Pat Hilton. Fri: Betamaxx, The Tarr Steps. Sat: New Jam City, Erik Marcek.

Til-Two Club, 4746 El Cajon Blvd, City Heights. tiltwoclub.com. Fri: The Loons, Schitzophonics, DJs Anja, Mike Stax.

Sat: Snail Fight, Accept that You have suffered, Look Up Here, Godhammered.

Sun: Open mic. Mon: Karaoke.

Tio Leo’s, 5302 Napa St, Bay Park. tioleos.com. Thu: Nathan James. Fri: Serious Guise. Sat: Detroit Underground.

Tower Bar, 4757 University Ave, City Heights. thetowerbar.com. Wed: ‘The Ratt’s Revenge’ w/ DJs Mikey Ratt, Tiki Thomas. Thu: Little Debbie, Downstat, Subtle Control. Fri: The Paper Thins, Telling Lies, Swift Beats. Sat: Subtropics, Shady Francos, The Cardielles. Sun: Gentlemen Prefer Blood.

Ux31, 3112 University Ave, North Park. u31bar.com. Fri: DJ Kid Wonder. Sat: DJ Qenoe. Sun: Arise Roots, Project out of Bounds, Irieality. Mon: DJ R-You. West Coast Tavern, 2895 University Ave, North Park. westcoatstavern.com.

Thu: DJ Pound. Fri: DJ Este. Sat: DJ

Nvious. Sun: DJ Kaos.

Whistle Stop, 2236 Fern St, South Park. whistlestopbar.com. Thu: VAMP: Home for the Holidays. Fri: ‘F#cking in the Bushes’ w/ DJs Rob Moran, Daniel Sant. Sat: Silence de la Rue (5 p.m.), ‘80s vs. 90s’ w/ DJs Gabe Vega, Saul.

Mon: ‘Motown Mondays’ w/ DJ Artistic.

Tue: ‘Kiss and Make Up’ w/ DJs Jon Blaj, Kyle Baudor.

Winstons, 1921 Bacon St, Ocean Beach. winstonsob.com. Wed: Skank Roots Project, SM Familia. Thu: Left In Company, Lana Shea, Ciz Flow, Mr. Acks, Atlantis Rizing. Fri: The Red Not Chili Peppers, The Concrete Project. Sat: ‘SUBDVSN’. Sun: Karaoke. Mon: Electric Waste Band. Tue: Stephen Roth.

Reds Saloon, 4190 Mission Blvd, Pacific Beach. facebook.com/RedsSaloon. Wed: Erik Knowles.

Rich’s, 1051 University Ave, Hillcrest. richssandiego.com. Wed: DJ Marcel.

Thu: DJ K-Swift. Fri: DJs Drew G, Will Z. Sat: DJ Luke Allen. Sun: DJ Cros.

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

Wed: Westside Inflection. Thu: Man from Tuesday. Fri: Black Market III. Sat: Lady Star.

Seven Grand, 3054 University Ave, North Park. sevengrandbars.com/sd. Wed: Gilbert Castellanos jazz jam. Fri: Rebecca Jade and the Cold Fact, Jessica Childress. Sat: Stevie and the Hi-Staxx. Mon: ‘Makossa Monday’ w/ DJ Tah Rei. Side Bar, 536 Market St, Downtown. sidebarsd.com. Thu: DJ Jay Valdez. Fri: Epic Twelve. Sat: DJ JLouis.

Soda Bar, 3615 El Cajon Blvd, City Heights. sodabarmusic.com. Wed: Francisco the Man, Sundrop Electric, Philosopher’s Ray Gun. Fri: Willie Watson, Ypsitucky, Jake Loban and the Bender Band.

Sat: The Chop Tops, Hard Fall Hearts, Embalmers, The Blackjackits. Sun: Youth Code, High Functioning Flesh, Centurion Wield, Severed Nites DJs. Mon: Snot, He Is Legend, Speaking the Kings, Lydia Can’t Breathe, Eken is Dead,. Tue: Nebula Drag, Fantasy Arcade, Amigo.

SOMA, 3350 Sports Arena Blvd, Midway. somasandiego.com. Fri: Lobster Party, Inspired and the Sleep, Paper Days, Bakkuda, The Chili Banditos, Big Bad Buffalo.

Somewhere Loud, 3489 Noell St, Midtown. somewhereloud.com. Thu: Brillz, Snails. Fri: ‘Nightmare Before Christmas’.

Spin, 2028 Hancock St, Midtown. spinnightclub.com. Sat: ‘Revive619’.

Stage Bar & Grill, 762 Fifth Ave, Downtown. stagesaloon.com. Thu: Superbad.

Fri: Disco Pimps, DJ Slynkee. Sat: Hott Mess, DJ Miss Dust. Mon: Karaoke.

Sycamore Den, 3391 Adams Ave., San Diego, Normal Heights. sycamoreden. com. Thu: Stephen Rey and the Sextette.

Fri: Jon Runion. Sat: DJ Ramsey. Sun: The Liquorsmiths.

The Bancroft, 9143 Campo Rd, Spring Valley. 619-469-2337. Thu: Local Rhythm, Slum Summer. Fri: Nathan Hubbard’s Passengers, Grex, Blackberry Tongues, Tan Tien. Sat: ‘Club Therapy’.

The Casbah, 2501 Kettner Blvd, Midtown. casbahmusic.com. Wed: Ghetto Blaster, Madly, Moonshine. Thu: Manual Scan, NE1, The Bassics. Fri: Ziggy Shuffledust and the Spiders from Mars, Chinese Rocks, DJ Mike Delgado. Sat: Big Sandy and His Flyrite Boys, Sleepwalkers, The Jive Bombers. Sun: The Shop and Roll

December 17, 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 39

Brendan Emmett Quigley

Across

Coming back in

1. New York city on the Mohawk river 6. “Get out!” in a text 9. HTML5 alternative 13. Like Santa’s digs 14. ___ Fighters (“Sonic Highways” band) 15. In the basement 16. Corrupt with cash 17. Ring bearer’s poker giveaway?

19. Black Power haircuts from just outside San Francisco?

21. Cry at the top of a roller coaster 22. Trask twin in “East of Eden” 23. Bronco buster’s saying 27. Bok ___ (Chinese cabbage) 29. Puddle jumper 30. Stockholm import auto 32. Window-closing key 33. Chunk of turkey leftovers 34. Wander through a Catholic school kicking people out of the priesthood?

39. “Real Money With ___ Velshi” (Al Jazeera America show) 40. Quick turnaround?

41. God in the “Iliad” 42. Marco Polo’s destination 45. With 47-Across, rightsize, as a company 47. See 45-Across 48. Invoice figure 49. Expert with a stethoscope?

53. Magnus Carlsen in Antarctica without a jacket?

56. Lady who lives for soft serve?

59. Map on a fun run website, e.g.

Last week’s answers

40 · San Diego CityBeat · December 17, 2014

60. Sanders of football 61. Acadia company 62. Its anthem is “Jana Gana Mana” 63. Org. that fights voter suppression 64. Go out on a date 65. One who can get you a gig

Down 1. V, to a violinist 2. Bar mitzvah text 3. “Nice, real nice” 4. San Francisco transport 5. ___ of expertise 6. When no game is scheduled 7. Point of a cute animal story?

8. Silly typo, e.g.

9. Super-rich set 10. Microbrewery selection 11. Tennessee athlete 12. Sharp punch 15. Stereotypical Eagles fan 18. Fog machine substance 20. Corp. or Sgt. 24. Storm off a movie set?

25. Camel’s relatives 26. Melon coverings 28. “The Leftovers” channel 29. Blonde hue 30. Word ending Psalms 31. Blazing 32. Sorbonne saison 34. ___ Punk 35. Made-to-order 36. Shoat : hog :: fox : ___ 37. “Bali ___” (“South Pacific” highlight) 38. Military ditty that includes the lyrics “goes rolling along,” with “The” 43. Words of restrained aggression 44. Jesse’s portrayer on “Breaking Bad” 45. Honor card combo, in bridge 46. “Crush With Eyeliner” band 48. ___ fatale 50. Conservatory piece 51. Hack’s order 52. Ginormous 54. Turns the other way?

55. Battle hymn?

56. Grp. that grants OTC status 57. Parks’ partner, for short 58. Tanner’s application

December 17 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 41

42 · San Diego CityBeat · December 17, 2014

December 17 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 43