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2 · San Diego CityBeat · December 18, 2013

December 18, 2013 · San Diego CityBeat · 3

2013’s biggest failure U-T San Diego issued an apology on Monday for its poll. An NBC News / Wall Street Journal poll had the careless placement in the Sunday paper of a gunnumber favoring stricter laws at 52 percent. show coupon next to a story about the latest school Why won’t Congress act? The culprit widely shooting in Colorado. There was no apology for the blamed is the powerful gun lobby. Last week, the story being placed on Page A7, but we’ll take what Sunlight Foundation reported that, as far as it could we can get. glean through public records (which, Sunlight notThe snafu was symbolic of the overall gun deed, are hampered by loopholes in disclosure laws), bate in the United States: Both just make us shake pro-gun groups spent $6.2 million on lobbying in our heads in disbelief and disappointment.

2013, about four times what gun-control groups It was a year ago this week, days after 20 wee spent. The silver lining was that the $1.6 million children were murdered at Sandy Hook Elemenspent by those favoring gun control was a huge intary School in Newtown, Conn., that we published crease in spending over the previous year. an editorial that noted there was hope among gunIndeed, while legislative inaction on the federal control advocates that the killing spree was going level was shameful and disgusting, strides were to be the tragic event that finally spurred Congress made at the state level and in the national battle’s to do something. trenches. Eight states—California, Colorado, ConWe shared that hope, arguing that the time had necticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey long since come for a renewed ban on military-style and New York—enacted meaningful new gun laws. assault rifles and high-capacity magazines that allow And several new gun-control groups have taken for dozens of bullets to be fired rapidly without reroot, such as Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense load, as well as universal backin America, the Sandy Hook Voice of America ground checks with all gun Promise and Americans for sales, particularly at the type Responsible Solutions, which of gun shows advertised in the is spearheaded by gun-vioU-T, which are not currently lence survivor and former subject to background checks.

U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords Boy, did we overestimate and her husband, Mark Kelly. this Congress’ will to do the Lanae Erickson Hatalsky, right thing. At this time last director of social policy and year, even the conservativepolitics at Third Way, a cenleaning Rasmussen poll trist think tank, told Politico showed 55 percent of Amerilast week that the gun-control A Sandy Hook memorial cans favoring a ban on semi“infrastructure” wasn’t in automatic and assault-type weapons, which just 36 place a year ago, but it is now. “Now all of us know percent opposed. A month later, a Gallup poll had a heck of a lot more about this,” she said. “We won’t 60 percent of Americans in support of such a ban. need to take so much time to figure that out. If there Regardless, a proposal by Sen. Dianne Feinstein to is a tragedy that specifically involves one of the polirenew an expired assault-weapons ban never even cies we’re talking about, we’re going to see more got to a vote. swift action.”

And in April, when a more targeted proposal to As we did a year ago, we again urge our readers require background checks on sales at gun shows who can afford it to give generously to groups fightand over the Internet, led by pro-gun Democrat ing to strengthen the nation’s gun laws; they’ll need Joe Manchin of West Virginia, went down to dethe help in their battle with the mighty National Rifeat in the U.S. Senate—because it fell six votes fle Association. We also continue to urge our readshy of the 60 needed to break a Republican filers to demand gun-control policies from candidates ibuster—multiple polls showed that a whopping for public office at all levels of government, for it’s 86 percent of Americans wanted strengthened the school-board and city-council members who background checks. rise to the statehouses and the Congress.

Just this month, a CBS News poll showed that Unlike a year ago, we won’t express hope for 2014—we’ll just wait and see.

49 percent of Americans think gun laws should be made stricter, compared with 36 percent who like What do you think? Write to editor@sdcitybeat.com. things the way they are—almost identical to a Gallup This issue of CityBeat is dedicated to all the people using it to wrap their gifts, especially those who dare to wrap Grandma’s robe in nudie ads.

Volume 12 • Issue 19 Editor David Rolland Associate Editor Kelly Davis Music Editor Jeff Terich Arts Editor Kinsee Morlan Staff Writer Joshua Emerson Smith Web Editor Ryan Bradford Art director Lindsey Voltoline Columnists Aaryn Belfer, Edwin Decker, John R. Lamb, Alex Zaragoza

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

Cover illustration of Bob Filner, Vladimir Putin, North West, Sarah Palin and Amanda Palmer by Lindsey Voltoline Circulation / Office Assistant Giovanna Tricoli Intern Connie Thai Accounting Alysia Chavez, Linda Lam, Monica MacCree Human Resources Andrea Baker Vice President of Finance Michael Nagami

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Call 619-281-7526 or e-mail advertising@sdcitybeat.com. The advertising deadline is 5 p.m. every Friday for the following week’s issue.

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San Diego CityBeat is published and distributed every Wednesday by Southland Publishing Inc., free of charge but limited to one per reader. Reproduction of any material in this or any other issue is prohibited without written permission from the publisher and the author. Contents copyright 2013.

4 · San Diego CityBeat · December 18, 2013

December 18, 2013 · San Diego CityBeat · 5

A proposition Your Dec. 4 “U-T nutters are at it again” editorial once again mentioned the quest for a new stadium by Doug Manchester.

While I don’t want to buy a new stadium for the Chargers, I do enjoy watching them, and I want them to stay in San Diego. Also note that the city of San Diego currently loses money on the stadium each month.

As such, I have a reasonable business proposition for billionaire Chargers owner Alex Spanos to build a new stadium on the same site. The city can give Spanos the stadium and the land, along with reasonable zoning rights for additional structures. Once this asset is transferred, Spanos will be responsible for maintaining the stadium. This will save the city money immediately.

Give him five years to build a new stadium on the property, along with a property-tax deferment for five years. Once the stadium is completed, San Diego should become a 10-percent partner of the Chargers forever—even if they decide to leave San Diego. If the new stadium is not completed at the end of five years, fine Spanos $50,000 per month until it’s completed.

Provide tax-exempt status for the stadium as long as the Chargers remain in San Diego. Any other structures that Spanos or anyone else builds on the original stadium property should not be tax-exempt.

I’m sure that someone will mention that the NFL will not allow a city to become part owner of a football franchise. This argument is in line with those who voted not to free slaves and not to allow women to vote. It’s bullshit. Business is business, whether it relates to the private sector or the public sector.

While there are many details to be ironed out in the above

6 · San Diego CityBeat · December 18, 2013

proposal, the real point is that it represents an example of a business agreement that will benefit the Chargers and the residents of San Diego.

If Doug Manchester and gang are able to talk people into forking over $500 million with no direct benefit to the residents of San Diego, it will be a travesty.

This will put us on the path to becoming the next Detroit— bankrupt with a nice stadium.

Ron Harris, Scripps Ranch

Let them pay for it Excellent commentary on U-T San Diego [“Editorial,” Dec. 4].

I had been a 20-plus-year subscriber to the U-T and canceled it shortly after Manchester bought it. Many of my neighbors did likewise.

If Manchester wants a new stadium, let him and Spanos partner and build it. Oh, and let them provide the maintenance funding, too.

We taxpayers want our streets, water and sewer lines maintained, along with restoring library and rec-center hours as the top priority.

Jarvis Ross, Point Loma

North / south Regarding your Dec. 4 editorial about U-T San Diego: Does Doug Manchester own water interests in Northern California?

Why would he want the south to depend on the north? The split is not at all in our interests but would be a grand gift to the northerners. It was good in the Civil War, but not in Paradise.

Saul Gritz, Hillcrest

Kelly Davis

Victor Darilek hoped St. Vincent de Paul Village’s transitional-housing program would help him get his life together, but an altercation with another resident landed him back on the street.

Rethinking the route Once considered a way to solve homelessness, transitional housing faces an uncertain future

by Kelly Davis You’d never guess that Victor Darilek is homeless. His hair is short, kept in a military-style buzz cut and his clothes—a polo shirt, Padres jacket, jeans and white sneakers—could be any guy’s casual outfit. He’s been at San Diego’s emergency homeless shelter for less than two days after spending three weeks on the street.

Prior to that, Darilek had a bed at St. Vincent de Paul Village, in one of the social-services provider’s transitionalhousing programs. An alcoholic who’s been sober since April, Darilek, 54, had lost almost everything to addiction. His goal is a full-time job, and he figured St. Vincent was the place.

“I heard that they had good programming,” he said. “I had three square meals and a place to sleep. I could get up early in the morning and look for work.”

But the week before Thanksgiving, Darilek said, another resident accused him of going through his stuff—the sleeping arrangements are dorm-style—and punched Darilek in the face. Darilek ended up in the hospital for four days with a concussion, broken nose and damage to his eye socket.

He said that when he was released, he tried to re-enter the program but was told he was too emotionally unstable.

Darilek agrees he’s kind of a mess right now: He’s in pain and shell-shocked—worse off than he was before.

“I’ve had the sense knocked out of me,” he said.

Keith Burke, director of supportive services for St. Vincent de Paul Village said privacy laws bar him from confirming whether Darilek had been a resident there, let alone whether he’d been denied re-entry.

“I can tell you that St. Vincent de Paul Village does not deny anyone entry for mental-health issues,” Burke said.

“On the contrary, we are one of the few programs that essentially takes people as they are with whatever barriers they may present.”

Whether Darilek was denied readmission or opted not to return, the fact that he landed back on the street is considered an unsuccessful exit from transitional housing, a type of homeless-services program that offers temporary residence, anywhere from 30 days to a year or more. It’s usually combined with other services and aimed at moving people into permanent housing. There are currently more than 2,000 transitional-housing beds in San Diego County, some of them for special populations, like domestic-violence victims, but most for families and single adults coming in off the street.

In the ’90s, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) saw these programs as an important step to getting people permanantly housed. Organizations like St. Vincent de Paul, the largest transitional-housing provider in Southern California with more than 800 beds at its East Village campus alone, built up programs in response to HUD’s direction. People would move from the street into one transitional-housing program and then work their way up to the next level. Those who refused to engage were asked to leave so that their bed could go to someone more willing to participate.

“The idea was kind of, get your feet on the ground, maybe take some preliminary classes and then move to the transitional-housing program that was going to be fully case-managed, have career counselors, etcetera,” says Ruth Bruland, executive director of St. Vincent de Paul Village.

Now, that model—fix people first, then move them into permanent housing—has fallen out of favor, replaced by what’s known as “housing first,” which emphasizes getting people off the street as quickly as possible and into their own place. Once the person’s housed, they can work on the issues that caused them to be homeless in the first place.

“There’s a magic of putting somebody in a unit… that they don’t have fear of getting kicked out of. If we live in fear, we don’t do as well,” says Michael McConnell, who sits on the boards of various entities focused on homelessness, like the Regional Task Force on the Homeless, the Campaign to End Homelessness in Downtown San Diego and the Regional Continuum of Care Council.

Statistics highlight transitional housing’s shortcomings.

HUD tracks the programs it funds and, last year, less than one-third of single adults who entered a transitional-housing program in San Diego County went on to permanent housing. Leaving one transitional program to enter another is considered by HUD to be an unsuccessful outcome, even if that second program’s more tailored to a person’s needs.

This month, HUD announced that programs should aim to move 80 percent of their clients into permanent housing.

Since HUD grants are competitive, programs that fall short of this goal risk not only having their funding cut, but also

Housing CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

December 18, 2013 · San Diego CityBeat · 7

Housing CONTINUED from PAGE 7 negatively impacting the amount of money HUD grants the region.

“There’s just not money nationally, and so the communities really need to make hard choices about how they rank projects,” said Matthew Doherty, regional coordinator for the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness.

Indeed, HUD has asked all Continuums of Care—the regional planning groups that decide how federal homelessness grants are to be spent locally—to cut their 2014 funding requests by 5 percent. In San Diego County, the impact of that cut fell largely on two lowerperforming transitional-housing programs; St. Vincent de Paul Village was one of them. Further putting pressure on transitionalhousing providers, a consultant hired earlier this year by San Diego County’s Regional Continuum of Care Council to do a system-wide analysis found that the county has 800 more transitional beds than it needs and a shortage of more than 3,700 permanent units.

McConnell emphasized that the analysis is meant to be a tool and not a mandate. But, he hopes

the findings shake things up a bit— another consultant was brought in, for instance, to assist providers who might want to turn their transitional beds into permanent housing or spend the money they receive on what’s known as “rapid rehousing”: providing assistance to people before they become homeless. Two pieces of legislation that take effect on Jan. 1 provide funding to do both of these things.

“There hasn’t been a willingness up to this point to sit down and have a meaningful conversation about what our outcomes really look like and how they can be improved,” McConnell said.

The folks at St. Vincent have been making changes, Bruland said. On July 1, they stopped moving people from one program to another. They also reduced the length of stay to no more than one year.

“Somebody comes in knowing that’s the maximum amount,” she said. “We really are going to put every effort into supporting them to get to their own place as soon as possible, so everything that we do now when a resident comes in… is about income and housing—to get that income so they can get the permanent housing and move out. It sounds so easy, but for the homeless population, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all.”

Nor, as the countywide analysis showed, are there available units. Most people who exit transitional housing are on a fixed income—Social Security, disability or veteran’s benefits.

“We have staff that their fulltime job is to find market-rate housing that is as affordable as it can get in San Diego,” Bruland said.

Doherty agrees that San Diego’s housing market poses a challenge.

“But there definitely are other communities that are similarly expensive markets whose transitional-housing success rates are much higher than San Diego’s,” he said.

McConnell points to Nashville as an example of an innovative approach to dealing with a shortage of deeply affordable housing. There, in June, large-property owners agreed to rent apartments to chronically homeless people for as little as $50 a month and, at most, one-third of the person’s income—the same amount someone would pay under the federal Section 8 subsidizedhousing program. In five months, they were able to house 189 people, according to an Oct. 7 story on the public-radio show Marketplace.

“It can be done, but it’s not easy, I’ll admit that,” McConnell said.

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

8 · San Diego CityBeat · December 18, 2013

December 18, 2013 · San Diego CityBeat · 9

aaryn

backwards & in high heels

belfer Drive fast and take chances (but be discriminating) “The car is crazy. We know of the incident Leno 885 and 1,550 times in one season. Pretty dangerhad (where he spun it at Talladega) and of course ous, right? the one at Fontana, where those two guys died in Yes. And that is exactly why some schools are 2005—that one was REALLY sad because it was saying ix-nay to anything un-fay. This past fall, Wevery similar circumstances to this—a guy went for ber Middle School in Port Washington, N.Y., banned a ride, then crash, both died, at least one left behind all balls. As reported by CBS News, there will be no a young family. There was also the German prince “footballs, baseballs, soccer balls, lacrosse balls or who smashed up a Gemballa version, and (at least) any other equipment that might harm a child or one serious accident in Europe.” school friends.” Are balls too dangerous? Like fast That’s Doug DeMuro, a former manager at cars, they are!

Porsche Cars North America, describing the (It’s not just balls that wield the evil specter of Porsche Carrera GT to Jalopnik.com. childhood injury. “Rough games like tag or cartImmediately after the deaths in a car crash of wheels” must now be supervised at Weber. RememFast and Furious star Paul Walker and his friend last ber all those rough games of cartwheels from childmonth, the media wasted no time in turning the diahood? My god, how did you live to be reading this?) logue toward deeper introspection. Much the way Speaking of balls, shaving them, dipping them into every mass shooting of the last 40 years has prosomeone else’s mouth or nailing them to cobblestone pelled the question Why did this happen?, CNN got are extremely dangerous activities. These are such right to it: Is the Porsche Carrera GT too dangerous? obvious hazards that the question Are they too danIt may seem ridiculous to wonder such a thing gerous? is redundant and probably why CNN hasn’t about a car specifically made for racing, with a top dispatched a team of journalists to investigate. speed of 208 mph, of which only 1,300 exist on the Continuing to speak about balls, my friend Carplanet (or 1,299, if I’m to be precise about it). But rie makes chocolate-covered peanut-butter balls this is the highly respected at the holidays, and they CNN. They are on it! This are dangerous. But are they car is a menace to society. Or, too dangerous? Solid quesThe two of them were at $450,000, it’s a menace to tion. Certainly, they can’t be probably naked and covered the lives and wellbeing of baserved at any school funcin flour at the time, given jillionaires, something about tion because, you know, the which we should all be deeply deadly peanut allergy looms that their relationship is concerned. But grappling with like the Grim Reaper at the young and fresh. this humanitarian issue has site of a Porsche Carrera GT me thinking of other pressing crash. But these delicious questions of societal safety. little death bombs present For instance, is football too dangerous? There’s an obvious choke hazard. Personally, it’s a risk I’m been a lot of focus lately on our modern-day gladiwilling to take. The Archduke of Walmart would be ill-advised, though, to ingest one of these while ators and their Slurpee brains. Tony Dorsett, who trying to corner in the Carrera. That sort of danger, suffers from depression and suicidal thoughts, was CNN, would be worthy of a one-hour special. recently diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephDanger is everywhere, people. The mandolin, alopathy (CTE), a condition caused by repeated for instance, is a violent predator. My house sitter head trauma. He admits he gets lost while driving nearly removed his thumb over Thanksgiving when familiar routes and has uncontrollable outbursts slicing apples for a pie he and his lover were makthat frighten his kids. ing. The two of them were probably naked and covBrett Favre spoke to the Washington Post reered in flour at the time, given that their relationcently of his mental issues. “I don’t remember [my ship is young and fresh. I suspect—but don’t know daughter] playing soccer,” he said. During a top-sefor sure—that they made wild gay love on the tile cret exclusive interview with CityBeat, Favre looked floor of the kitchen after tending to the mangled confused when we showed him the infamous text thumb meat. Gay sex on Saltillo tile while already photo of his shriveled Willie. “That does not look injured? Total minefield. familiar at all,” he said, stupefied.

Other dangers to ponder before getting into the OK, that last part never happened. proverbial passenger seat for a quick spin include: The theory at Chez Belfer is that this new CTE the temperature of hot tea served at Café Madinfo will result in an influx of soccer players, as eline, Megyn Kelly, revolving doors and fake sign moms around the country refuse to let their sons languaging at the memorial service of a man more bang their helmeted heads together. But, wait! Is famous than Jesus himself. That, my friends, takes soccer too dangerous? According to a study of 37 serious balls. amateur soccer players published in the journal RaSo: Is the Porsche Carrera GT too dangerous? diology, heading the ball is “associated with abnorAsk me if I care. mal white matter microstructure and with poorer neurocognitive performance.” Lead author MiWrite to aaryn@sdcitybeat.com chael Lipton said evidence began to be visible only and editor@sdcitybeat.com. in players who reported heading the ball between

10 · San Diego CityBeat · December 18, 2013

by michael a. gardiner Michael A. Gardiner

the world

fare No phở

It’s not your imagination: Phở joints really have been replicating like rabbits in the spring. A decade or so ago, phở had yet to take up residence in our collective culinary consciousness. Now, by some accounts, there are more than 50 phở restaurants in San Diego, and The New York Times recognized our city as one of the “national hot spots of Viet cuisine” and a place to get “mind-numbingly good pho.”

But, somehow, somewhere along the way, phở overshot the runway. Perhaps more than any other dish or cuisine, we’ve come to see phở as nearly synonymous with Vietnamese food. Few Americans could name another Vietnamese dish.

It’s thus somewhat odd—if not downright courageous—that Như Ý Restaurant (4712 El Cajon Blvd., Suite A, in City Heights) doesn’t even have phở on its menu.

That’s why instead of going to Như Ý for phở, I went for its spicy central Vietnamese cousin, bún bò huế. Like phở, bún bò huế is a beef-noodle soup with different cuts of beef (and, at Như Ý, cubes of blood cake and bits of pig’s foot). But the vermi-

celli noodles are thicker and rounder than the phở noodles, and the broth is infused with lemongrass. The flavor profile is balanced between sour, salty and sweet notes with a spicy element—rare in most Vietnamese cooking— that’s characteristic of central Vietnamese cuisine. It’s a heady and addictive brew.

Another good offering at Như Ý is bánh canh tôm cua, a thick Vietnamese udonstyle noodle soup with a shrimp broth and featuring sweet crabmeat. Like bún bò huế, bánh canh tôm cua is finished with chile. For many Vietnamese, this is a nostalgic dish epitomizing Như Ý’s bún bò huế comfort food. For me, it’s the beguiling sweetness of the seafood that’s the dish’s leading pleasure.

The most common Vietnamese appetizer is gỏi cuốn, spring—or, sometimes, summer—rolls.

The most typical version in America includes shrimp, pork, lettuce, mint and noodles. Grilled meat rolls are a common option. The best version at Như Ý is bì cuốn with shredded pork meat and skin with the textural contrast of roasted rice powder. The dish is served with nước chấm (fish sauce, lime, garlic, sugar and chilies).

One of the more exotic dishes at Như Ý is bánh xèo, a fried, turmeric-laced rice-flour crepe filled with shrimp, fatty pork slivers, onions and bean sprouts. It’s a dish that comes to the table looking like an omelet but is ever so much more fun. It’s fried and crispy, and you eat it by picking it up in a piece of lettuce and dipping it in the nước chấm. That presses a sweet button, too. What’s not to like?

It’s probably too much to ask to expect bún bò huế joints and bánh xèo houses to displace yesterday’s fad tomorrow. We love our phở, yes, but we still can’t pronounce it. Still, who among us, a decade ago, could have predicted the explosion of phở on our culinary scene? So, stranger things have already happened.

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

December 18, 2013 · San Diego CityBeat · 11

by ian cheesman

beer &

chees

We wish you a beery Christmas The words “Christmas beers” always give me pause. While that designation doesn’t carry specific style guidelines, such brews invariably possess the same pitfalls: They carelessly bludgeon the ale with mulling spices. They outright insult us with overblown cranberry flavors. The sentiment seems to be that a season that continually encourages the production and gifting of fruitcake deserves to have good taste abandoned altogether.

I certainly understand brewers wanting to commemorate this festive season (i.e. cash in). It’s not as if most of us want to face the holiday completely sober, anyway. But must beer suffer in the process?

Here are three holiday ales that not only avoid the pitfalls of Christmas beers; they also manage to succeed in their own right—just like baby Jesus would want them to: AleSmith’s Yulesmith Holiday Ale (8.5-percent ABV): This red-hued amber brew summons a chewy head that’s blistered with massive bubbles like those on the surface of a witch’s cauldron. The pine aromatics are bold and plentiful. The first taste is tremendously sticky, giving those same pine notes real staying power. There’s an initial citrus flavor worth noting, too, but since it’s beaten into submission nanoseconds later by a massive kick of pine-needle bitterness, there’s no point in dwelling on it.

Despite the prominence of the pine notes, the bready malts and citrus flavors contribute enough to prevent this imperial red ale from becoming

12 · San Diego CityBeat · December 18, 2013

a carbonated mock-up of the water in the Christmas tree stand. It’s bold, hoppy and, frankly, tastes like winter.

Karl Strauss’ Four Scowling Owls (9-percent ABV): Belgian tripel is about as far from the hallmarks of a Christmas beer as you can get, making it a particularly intriguing option.

The Four Scowling Owls (the fourth entry in Karl Strauss’ annual 12 Days of Christmas beer suite) has a rich, honey-amber color with a foamy eggshell head. It somehow manages to smell both musty and zesty, which seems like a pretty good nexus for this style. It has a champagne-like character to it: Tight bubbles animate the palate, and it offers some sweetness despite finishing on the dry side. The flavor is something else entirely, though, with notes of citrus pith, white pepper, mandarin orange and pears.

Nothing about this bright beer shouts “Christmas!,” but that’s not to say it isn’t delicious in its own right.

Manzanita Brewing’s Night Before Christmas (7 percent ABV): This American stout is redolent with rich, dark chocolate. It’s earthy and slightly sweet with the aromatic chill of mint. It’s a profile that suggests a dessert beer is forthcoming, though that’s hardly the case. The experience of this beer is definitely grounded more in the full, roasty aspects of the stout. It has an earthy bitterness that quickly comes to prominence over the coffee and baker’s-chocolate notes. The finish is minty, leaving silky traces of cocoa behind.

The Night Before Christmas reminds me of a marshmallow accidentally set ablaze while toasting it. If you were expecting a perfectly sweet and golden-brown confection, you’re going to be disappointed, but if you like your marshmallow to bite back a smidge, it’s its own unique reward.

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

by Mina Riazi mina riazi

jugs of pomegranate syrup, there’s a short strip of countertop dedicated to hot-food orders. Spaghetti, yellow chunks of tachin and chicken and beef kotlet fill platters in a nearby display case. I suggest skipping the ready-to-eat grub and waiting for the fresher stuff.

This includes ghormeh sabzi, an iconic Iranian khoreshet—or stew—made from several different chopped herbs. Kidney beans and cubes of beef add texture to the slightly tart dish. Usually, restaurant orders of ghormeh sabzi sloppily forgo the dried limes that tack on a layer of bright, tangy flaBalboa International Market’s chicken kebab vor. Foolishly, they rely on bottled lime juice—which is like using instant coffee instead of real beans. Balboa Market doesn’t skimp on the lip-puckering limu omani, though. It’s no surprise, then, that its ghormeh sabzi is solid, especially when spooned over white rice, as it’s meant to be enjoyed.

A dozen or so tables form the market’s simple Don’t forget the tahdig and sparsely decorated dining area. It’s far from fancy, but, hopefully, you’ll be too focused on the In Korean cuisine, scorched rice is called nufood to care. I ordered my shirin polo—festiverungji. Spanish fare has its socarrat. Iranians dig looking sweet rice made with orange peel, cartahdig—the word literally means “bottom of the rots, pistachios and almonds—alongside chicken pot.” Sometimes, cooks will shake things up by kebab. The popular dish seems easy enough to incorporating bread or potatoes or even lettuce prepare: After soaking for several hours in a yoleaves into the golden crust of rice. Though degurt, onion and saffron marinade, the skewered licious, these dressed-up versions seldom outdo chicken is cooked on a grill. the plain and simple.

Balboa Market’s chicken kebab was seriously Second-day tahdig is much like first-day delicious. Crisp, crackly skin locked in moisture, meatloaf: not worth your time. The crunchy rice creating meat that stayed tender and flavorful ’til becomes soggy after a night in the fridge and the last bite. Don’t forget about two important loses its subtle flavor. But then again—unlike the flavor enhancers that should be on your plate: a ill-famed slab of meat—bottom-of-the-pot rice whole grilled tomato and a square of salted butter. rarely lives to see a second day because it’s just Altogether, they help achieve kebab greatness. that good.

As for the tahdig, it finally stopped playing So, when the shirin polo I ordered at Balboa Inhard-to-get and arrived at my table in a small toternational Market (5907 Balboa Ave. in Clairego box. I popped open the lid and found two lacy mont Mesa, balboamarket.com) arrived without pieces of the crunchy rice. Sure, I had barely any the customary hunk of crisped rice, I felt a little appetite left, but that’s never been a formidable let down. They’d just run out. My server kindly obstacle. With its brittle-like texture and carareassured me, though, that a new batch would be melized flavor, the toothsome tahdig ended up being a welcome replacement for dessert. ready soon. Slightly soothed, I began eating.

As its name suggests, Balboa International Write to minar@sdcitybeat.com Market is mostly a grocery store. But beyond the and editor@sdcitybeat.com. aisles of canned veggies and boxed pastries and

One Lucky

Spoon

December 18, 2013 · San Diego CityBeat · 13

the floating

library

by jim ruland

A gift guide for weirdoes Like William S. Burroughs, Jerry Stahl has made a career out of writing about his life as a junkie.

Since his memoir Permanent Midnight was made into a movie starring Ben Stiller in 1998, Stahl’s written about every perversion known to man.

But his latest novel, Happy Baby Mutant Pills, may be his strangest and his most personal.

Lloyd, “a dope fiend in Dockers” who specializes in writing side-effects copy for pharmaceutical companies, falls in love with Nora, an addict obsessed with the chemicals to which we’re exposed in the air we breathe, the food we eat and the products we use in our homes. Lloyd thinks it’s a match made in junkie heaven—until Nora gets pregnant and announces her plan to intentionally expose the fetus to a smorgasbord of dangerous chemicals and create a mutant baby.

Lloyd, naturally, is horrified. “It’s all so fucking Holocausty. Is that what you want, to be a portable Holocaust?”

Stahl got many of the ideas for the book while participating in a clinical trial to treat the hepatitis C that was killing him.

One of the side effects of the drug made him extremely toxic to pregnant women, which was bad news because his wife was carrying their unborn daughter. Stahl had to leave town for a while, but the story has the unlikeliest of happy endings: He was cured, his baby is healthy and his book is a scream. How’s that for a Hollywood ending?

•••

If you’re a well-respected author of difficult works of fiction and nonfiction that includes a sprawling, 3,300-page treatise on violence, what do you do for fun? If you said, “Take hundreds of selfies while dressed in women’s clothes,” you’d be right on the money.

The Book of Dolores, by William T. Vollmann, is a curious and complex book. While researching a novel about a Mexican transsexual named Dolores, Vollmann started to experiment with women’s clothing and makeup. At some point, that experiment turned into a pastime that’s somewhere between a fixation and a fetish.

“Transgendered people sometimes make extreme commitments to selves which could never exist but for effort, pain, anguish, humiliation and isolation.” For Vollmann, Dolores is more than a costume; it’s a way to experience “what being a woman would be like.”

14 · San Diego CityBeat · December 18, 2013

Vollmann documents these transformations, and, believe me, they aren’t pretty. (He frequently laments how spectacularly ugly he is.) But The Book of Dolores isn’t about beauty, female or otherwise. Vollmann writes, “In commencing this project, of course, I looked forward to exploiting myself with ruthless abandon, without regard for courtesy, dignity and all the rest of it.”

“All the rest of it” would be the esteem of his peers, about which he seems not to care. I have to confess, I have a newfound respect for Vollmann. My heroes have always been impervious to the cheers and jeers of the crowd, and he clearly doesn’t give a damn what anyone thinks.

•••

Movie posters have lost their luster.

So says Matthew Chojnacki, author and editor of Alternative Movie Posters: Film Art from the Underground.

When studios became soulless, corporatized, bottom-line-driven monstrosities, one sheets— the posters that have decorated movie-theater lobbies for decades—went from cherished works of art for the everyman to vehicles for marketing.

“Instead of using paint brushes to create inventive works of art, they were using them to remove blemishes and wrinkles from celebrity headshots,” Chojnacki writes in his introduction. “The poster was reduced to communicating who was in the film, instead of conveying the bigger picture—the spirit of the film.”

In recent years, underground artists have filled the gap with inventive re-imaginings of cult favorites and time-honored classics. Some of the posters were commissioned for screenings, and some of the artists were inspired by their passion. The result was a renaissance in the genre.

“Poster art is clearly back with a vengeance,” Chojnacki declares.

Chojnacki’s extraordinary compilation showcases a diverse range of styles, from cartoonish to highbrow, with artists from all over the world, including Justin Bartlett from San Diego, who takes on John Carpenter’s The Thing.

You don’t have to be a cinephile to appreciate the work. Even casual filmgoers will find posters of their favorite movies, from Anchorman to Zombieland, making it the perfect gift for the weirdo in your life.

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

December 18, 2013 · San Diego CityBeat · 15

the

SHORTlist

1

CIRCUS SCHOOL’S IN SESSION

Jean-Luc Martin was once a Cirque du Soleil performer making audiences gasp at his mind-bending feats that seemingly defied gravity and reality altogether. He retired from circus life only to return this past March with the opening of San Diego Circus Center, a nonprofit circus school that caters to both the recreational and more professional student.

At 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 20, and 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 21, the San Diego Circus Center (7735 Arjons Drive, Suite B, in Mira Mesa) will hold its first in-house showcase, The Grinch Who Stole Circus. The holiday-themed narrative performances will feature aerialists, acrobats, contortionists, wire walkers, trapeze artists, clowns and more. While there won’t be a lot of dialogue or traditional methods of storytelling, the spirit of the holiday classic will be told through movement and the type of exciting stunts you might see at a top-tier circus.

“I don’t want to say you’ll see deathdefying acts,” Martin laughs. “I think ‘spectacular’ is probably a better word…. You’ll definitely see some spectacular technique and people having fun and showing off their hard work.”

A 16-year-old trapeze student will play The Grinch. Three young contortionists—ages 13, 15 and 16—will also take to the stage, bending and twisting

ART

COORDINATED BY KINSEE MORLAN MAURA LEONARD

Julianne B. Ricksecker at La Jolla Community Center, 6811 La Jolla Blvd., La Jolla. Enjoy food and wine while the local landscape artist displays her works.

From 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 19.

858-459-0831, artbyjulianne.com

San Diego Circus Center students Kelsey Saake (shorter hair) and Nicole Mosses

THIS ONE GOES TO 11

3

16 · San Diego CityBeat · December 18, 2013

HChicanitas: Small Paintings from the Cheech Marin Collection at MCASD Downtown, 1001 Kettner Blvd.

Marin stops by the opening of his new touring exhibition of Chicano art to sign his book, which serves as the show’s catalog. From 5:30 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 19. 858-454-3541, mcasd.org HOpening House Warming Party at Tradesmen, 21 16th St., Barrio Logan.

Celebrate the transformation of the Arts & Drafts studio into Tradesmen, a creative space for artists, pop-up shops, designers and creative entrepreneurs. Enjoy craft beer, small bites, music and art on display. A portion of all purchases will be donated to Toussaint Academy of the Arts & Sciences. From 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 19. 619-940-7318, facebook.com/ tradesmenpourhouse

themselves into human pretzels. San Diego Circus Center instructors and even Martin himself will perform alongside the school’s talented students.

“You’ll see everyone from 7 years old and up doing things like trapeze, lyra, Russian bar,” Martin says. “I have a 15-year-old who does one-arm handstands.”

Martin says the event is also a chance for those who’ve always dreamed of running away to join the The sounds of guitars being strummed, circus to swing by and check out the school to see if plucked and blown out is pretty com- it might be a good fit. monplace in San Diego, but it’s rare that Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for children 12 we catch a more in-depth look at the instrument, its and younger. sandiegocircuscenter.org technical aspects and its history. However, a new exhibit will do exactly that. Guitar: The Instrument that Rocked the World will explore the science, sound Remember the giggling penguin “power and background of the iconic instrument with models, animal” that tells Edward Norton’s characposters, videos and interactive features, including a giter in Fight Club to “slide”? Well, the folks ant Flying V guitar. A series of live performances will also be held. The exhibit opens Friday, Dec. 20, at the at Thumbprint Gallery do, and they’ve designed an anReuben H. Fleet Science Center in Balboa Park (1875 El nual art show around the concept. After three years Prado), with sneak-peek tours beginning on Dec. 19. It showing at the gallery’s North Park and La Jolla will run through April 6. Admission is $13. rhfleet.org locations, the playful COURTESY: NATIONAL GUITAR MUSEUM Power Animals IV will be held at the recently opened Thumbprint Gallery 2 in Hillcrest (1475 University Ave.).

An opening reception takes place from 5 to 10 p.m. Friday Dec. 20, showcasing vari“Light Hunter” ous artists’ paintings

by Jorge Gutierrez and mixed-media art.

Opening-night music will be provided by local DJs Joemama and Pokkey. The event is free and open to all The interactive Strobe Guitar exhibit ages, and the show runs through Jan. 11. tpg2.com

2

Five-Year Anniversary at Cirello Metalsmith, 3803 Ray St., North Park. The gallery celebrate half a decade in North Park. Check out their jewelry offerings and see artists at work. From 7 to 10 p.m.

Wednesday, Dec. 18. cirellogallery.com

ART IS GRRRREAT!

HPower Animals IV at TPG2, 1475 University Ave., Hillcrest. Artists display renderings of their spirit animals. The annual show features well-known artists like Carly Ealey, Pamela Yaeger and Matt Land and dozens of others. There’ll be music from DJ Joemana and Pokkey. From 5 to 10 p.m. Friday, Dec. 20. 619-203-6030, TPG2.net HWinter Wonderland: Shadow Poems at Westfield Plaza Camino Real, 2525 El Camino Real Ste. 100, Carlsbad. Van Tran will create a site-specific work of art and performance as part of the Oceanside Museum of Art’s Winter Wonderland public-artist-in-residence project. At 2 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 21. 760.435.3721, omaexploringengagement.wordpress.com Embers at Hard Rock Hotel, 207 Fifth Ave., Downtown. Get ready to sweat through a night of fire-themed artwork, presented by art and music collective The Infusion Project. There will also be a variety of music and interactive art. From 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 21. facebook.com/theinfusionproject HOMA Pop-Up Shop at Westfield Plaza Camino Real, 2525 El Camino Real #100, Carlsbad. Local artists will offer jewelry, fiber art, one-of-a-kind art, music and good vibes, just in time for the holidays. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 21.

760-729-7927, tinyurl.com/OMAoffsite

COMEDY Adam Connie at Haritna Mediterranean Restaurant, 7303 El Cajon Blvd., La Mesa.

You may recognize the up-and-coming stand-up from the web series, Fully Staffed and Splitting the Adam. From 7:30 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 18. 619-4622722, brewhahaentertainment.com Taylor Williamson at American Comedy Co., 818 B Sixth Ave., Downtown. The Del Mar native returns home after successful appearances on The Late Late Show, Last Comic Standing and America’s Got Talent.

At 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 19, and Sunday, Dec. 22, and at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m.

Friday and Saturday, Dec. 20-21. 619795-3858, americancomedyco.com Sean McBride at Comedy Palace, 8878 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., Clairemont. He’s appeared numerous times on the NFL Net-

work and had a breakout performance in the film, National Lampoon’s Dirty Jokes: The Movie. At 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Dec. 20-21. $20-$25. 858573-9067, thecomedypalace.com HSarah Tiana at Comedy Store, 916 Pearl St., La Jolla. Tiana’s act emphasizes the ups and downs of a Southern childhood (she was raised in Georgia) while peppering in her opinions of dating and sports, or the sport of dating. At 8 and 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Dec. 20-21. $20. 858-454-9176, lajolla.thecomedystore.com Gary Valentine at Mad House Comedy Club, 502 Horton Plaza, Downtown. A 20year comedy veteran, he’s best known for his nine years as “Cousin Danny” on King of Queens. At 7:30 and 9:45 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Dec. 20-21. $20. 619702-6666, madhousecomedyclub.com

DANCE The Nutcracker at San Diego Civic Theatre, 1100 Third Ave., Downtown. The California Ballet production of the holiday classic with accompaniment by the San Diego Symphony. Performances daily through Dec. 22. See website for schedule. $40-$90. californiaballet.org HThe Nutcracker at Spreckels Theater, 121 Broadway, Downtown. Awarded the “Best Nutcracker” in San Diego by the Tommy Awards, the production features accompaniment by the City Ballet Orchestra conducted by John Nettles. Performances daily through Dec. 22. See website for schedule. $29-$69. 858-2728663, cityballet.org The Nutcracker at Casa Del Prado, Balboa Park. The holiday classic as performed by the San Diego Civic Youth Ballet. At 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Dec. 20-21, and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 21-22. $10-$15. sdcyb.org HParticular Proposition: Liminality in Performance at Space 4 Art, 325 15th St., East Village. This series, curated by Katie Lorge of the contemporary dance company Odd & Even, brings new and experimental dance experiences to San Diego. At 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 20. $5$10. 619-269-7230, sdspace4art.org The Nutcracker at Poway Center for the Performing Arts, 15498 Espola Rd., Poway.

Southern California Ballet’s production of the holiday classic. At 1 and 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 21, and 1 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 22. $18-$35. 858-748-0505, socalballet.org The Nutcracker at California Center for the Arts, 340 North Escondido Blvd., Escondido. Katie Critchlow and Ronnie Underwood, stars of CW’s television series Breaking Pointe!, will be in San Diego to perform at West Coast Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker. At 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 21-22. $22-$42. 800988-4253, sandiegonutcracker.com

FOOD & DRINK HStorytellers Pop-Up Dinner at Frauds and Swindlers, 850 Fifth Ave., Downtown.

A jazzy culinary journey with a sevencourse lineup of unique, inspired dishes and seven jazz tracks performed live by Tori Roze. At 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 19. $50-$65. 619-814-6375, facebook.com/ events/310883292383781 HThe Lomaland Christmas Spectacular at Modern Times, 3725 Greenwood St., Point Loma. Check out the decor as the winner of the holiday watercolor art contest is announced. Also enjoy special beers on tap and Christmas music. From 5 to 9 p.m. Monday, Dec. 23. 619-5469694, moderntimesbeer.com

THEATER

HOLIDAY EVENTS HGypsy Wagon Holiday Bizarre at Vin de Syrah, 901 Fifth Ave., Downtown. An evening of art, fashion and music. Shop for handcrafted gifts by more than a dozen vendors, get your photo taken with Santa and enjoy live music. From 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 18. syrahwineparlor.com Garden of Lights at San Diego Botanic Garden, 230 Quail Gardens Drive, Encinitas. The San Diego Botanic Garden transforms into a dazzling winter wonderland with over 100,000 sparkling lights. From 5 to 9 p.m. through Dec. 23. $6-$14. 760436-3036, SDBGarden.org Troubadour Holiday Open House at Queen Bee’s, 3925 Ohio St., North Park.

An evening of camaraderie and music that works like a community potluck for the artistically inclined. Bring food or drink to share. From 6:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday, Dec. 20, queenbeessd.com Holiday Market Sundays at Ducky Waddle’s Emporium, 414 N. Coast Hwy. 101, Encinitas. Now in its third year, this weekly holiday market is a great alternative to the malls and brings an eclectic group of vendors offering a selection of vintage and artist-created goods. From noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 22. 760632-0488, duckywaddles.com

MUSIC Irving Berlin's White Christmas at Birch North Park Theatre, 2891 University Ave., North Park. Seventeen songs by Berlin, performed by a 22-piece orchestra and costumed singers. Through Sunday, Dec. 22. See website for schedule. birchnorthparktheatre.net HJoyful, Joyful at Torrey Pines Christian Church, 8320 La Jolla Scenic Drive, La Jolla. The San Diego Chorus presents holiday classics and a special appearance by the cast of Scrooged from C3 Performing Arts. From 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 18. $10-$15. sdchorus.org San Diego Symphony Quartet at New Children’s Museum, 200 W. Island Ave., Downtown. This ensemble of members of the San Diego Symphony, led by Hernan Constantino, will present a lively, interactive concert introducing classical music to children. At 2 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 19.

Free with museum admission. 619-2338792, thinkplaycreate.org HHoliday Pops: An Americana Christmas at Copley Symphony Hall, 750 B St., Downtown. An annual tradition, this celebration features San Diego native and Grammy Award-winning guitar and banjo player Alison Brown performing holiday hits with a bluegrass twist. At 8 p.m. Friday through Sunday, Dec. 20-22. $20-$85.

619-235-0804, sandiegosymphony.org 1619: Praetorius in Dulci Jubilo at St. James by-the-Sea, 743 Prospect St., La Jolla. The Bach Collegium performs selections from one of the most influential composers of the early 17th century, Michael Praetorius. At 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 20. $20-$40. 858-459-3421, bachcollegiumsd.org San Diego Pro Arte Voices at St. Andrews by the Sea, 1050 Thomas Ave., Pacific Beach. Twenty singers, led by Patrick Walders and John Russell, will perform favorite carols and motets amidst a candlelit setting. At 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 21. sdproartevoices.com A Peter White Christmas at Balboa Theatre, 868 Fourth Ave., Downtown.

Saxaphonist Mindi Abair and trumpeter Rick Braunt join smooth jazz guitarist Peter White to play Christmas favorites and their own original holiday hits. From 8 to

Yes, Virginia, there is a guy in the Santa Claus suit All I want for Christmas is something new to review. Well, wish granted, thanks to the emerging theater company Circle Circle dot dot. Its Bearded, written by artistic director Katherine Harroff, is a frequently funny look behind the scenes of a shopping-mall Santa station. A quick-change, four-person ensemble (Cory Hammond, Keith Hammond, Michael Parrott and Taylor Wycoff ) plays all the precocious kids and their often annoying parents, while soft-spoken Michael Nieto dons the St. Nick duds and Soroya Rowley and Laura Kaplan-Nieto (an Anne Hathaway look-alike) portray rival Santa’s helpers. The day in the life of a San Diego mall Santa comes off much like an extended Saturday Night Live sketch, but with actual cohesiveness and, truth be told, more laughs. When Bearded makes some serious points about the meaning of the season and the innocence of children, it turns treacly, but, in large part, this new play focuses on being childlike and funny, and it is on both counts.

Bearded runs through Dec. 21 at 10th Avenue Theatre, Downtown. $15-$25. circle2dot2.com

COURTESY: CIRCLE CIRCLE DOT DOT

Michael Nieto in Bearded

year’s cast returns, including Tom Stephenson as Scrooge; ex-Channel 8 anchorman Jonathan DunnRankin as the radio host, Freddie Filmore; and the all-star talents of Melinda Gilb, David McBean, Brian Mackey, Maggie Carney, Patrick McBride and Melissa Fernandes (great animal noises, Melissa!).

Even if you saw this last year, you can’t go wrong a second time. Yes, Scrooge still reforms at the end, and, yes, the audience is still goaded into holding hands, swaying and singing “White For the second year in a row, Cygnet Theatre’s Christmas” as an encore (yours truly most relucholiday production is a live radio “broadcast” of tantly), but what the hell? Tis the season.

Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. What was A Christmas Carol runs through Dec. 24 at the novel last year is just OK this year, although a Old Town Theatre. $29-$54. cygnettheatre.com couple of changes seem to have been made to the —David L. Coddon show, including the addition of a song or two.

Cygnet’s Old Town Theatre once again is trans- Write to davidc@sdcitybeat.com formed into “WCYG Playhouse,” complete with and editor@sdcitybeat.com. sound-effects gadgets galore, applause signs to prompt audience response and shining microFor full listings, please visit phone stands for the actors. It’s a terrific set. Last “T heater ” at sdcit ybeat.com

• ••

10 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 21. $45-$75.

619-570-1100, sandiegotheatres.org

At 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 18. 619-2324855, upstartcrowtrading.com

PERFORMANCE

SPECIAL EVENTS

HThe Grinch Who Stole Circus at San Diego Circus Center, 7734 Arjons Drive, Suite B, Miramar. The SDCC’s first in-house showcase and performance features amazing aerialists, acrobats and dancers, as well as contortions, handstands, silk, rope, duo trapeze, Russian bar, lyra, clowning and much more. At 7:30 Friday, Dec. 20, and 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday Dec. 21. 858635-9522, sandiegocircuscenter.org HWinter Wonderland: Jukebox Radio at Westfield Plaza Camino Real, 2525 El Camino Real #100, Carlsbad. Artists, musicians and performers converge at Oceanside Museum of Art’s Winter Wonderland artist-in-residence project for a collaboration between Mark Dzula and Ardina Greco, who often work with shadow puppets, projections and music.

From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 21. 760.435.3721, omaexploringengagement.wordpress.com

POETRY & SPOKEN WORD Elizabeth Cobbs Hoffman at Upstart Crow, 835 West Harbor Drive, Seaport Village. Hoffman will read from Joyce Nower’s book, The Sister Chronicles and Other Poems, and will also read an excerpt from her novel in progress, My Dear Hamilton, A Novel of the Revolution.

HVoices of Barrio Logan at La Bodega Studios and Gallery, 2196 Logan Ave., Barrio Logan. Listen to longtime residents share their experiences and perspectives about their community with a multimedia exhibition. From 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 19. $1 suggested donation. facebook.com/labodegasandiego Compassion for the Houseless Gift Drive at Civic Center Plaza, 1100 Third Ave., Downtown. Occupy San Diego is collecting donations for the local homeless community. Sweatshirts, jackets, coats, socks and shoes are suggested, as are blankets, flashlights with batteries, gloves, toiletries, hats and bus/trolley passes. From 4 to 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 20. facebook.com/events/675122475865811 HGuitar: The Instrument That Rocked the World at Reuben H. Fleet Science Center, Balboa Park. The West Coast premiere of the exhibition that presents visitors with a hands-on experience with the guitar. This immersive exhibition includes performance video, audio, interactive displays, touchscreens, stunning images and photos. From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 20. On view through April 6. $11-$13. 619-238-1233, rhfleet.org SEA Days: Whale of a Tail at Birch Aquarium, 2300 Expedition Way, La Jolla.

Get up close to real whale baleen and

learn why these mega marine mammals swim more than 10,000 miles each year.

Join Scripps Oceanography scientists as they share stories of their current research.

Included with aquarium admission. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 21. $11$17. 858-534-FISH, aquarium.ucsd.edu

TALKS & DISCUSSIONS Walking the Camino at Taylor Branch Library, 4275 Cass St., Pacific Beach. Art historian Amanda Schaffer will discuss the Camino, a network of paths in Europe that lead to Santiago, Spain, that pilgrims have walked for centuries. Schaffer’s walked the Camino twice to commemorate lost loved ones. She will discuss the history of the Camino and what it’s like to make the journey. From 6 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 18. 858-581-9934, pblibraryfriends.org Power and Diversity in Ottoman Istanbul at San Diego Museum of Art, Balboa Park. UC San Diego’s Dr. Matthew T. Herbst will consider the past, present, future and lasting impact of Istanbul (formerly Constantinople). This lecture will be followed by a docent-led tour of museum galleries. At 10 a.m. Friday, Dec. 20. $8$16. 619-232-7931, sdmart.org

For full listings,

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

December 18, 2013 · San Diego CityBeat · 17

“Chicano art was being overlooked, and I had the opportunity,” Marin says. “My mantra has been that you can’t love or hate Chicano art unless you see it, so that has been my goal—to get people to see it.”

Marin is currently touring with Chicanitas: Small Paintings from the Cheech Marin Collection {size doesn’t matter}, an exhibition that opens at MCASD from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 19, at the Jacobs Building (1100 Kettner Blvd., Down“Donkey Show” by Jari “Werc” Alvarez, town). Marin will be at the opening, formerly of San Diego, is on view in Chicanitas. signing copies of the exhibition’s accompanying book.

“Cheech made it cool to collect Chicano art,” says Raul Guerrero, a San Diego painter with work in Marin’s collection. “He’s accomplished a lot because of his visibility.”

While the art world has largely been receptive of Marin’s enthusiasm for exposing the oft-overlooked Cheech’s Chicano-art obsession genre, there are those, like Los Angeles Times art “Cheech Marin” typically conjures up an image of a critic Christopher Knight, who think his private squinty-eyed, beanie-and-suspenders-wearing Mex- collection has no place being shown in public art ican-American stoner from Cheech & Chong. museums, partly because the art wasn’t selected by Nowadays, though, Marin is becoming known an experienced curator and gives viewers a look at as a serious art collector and advocate who uses his one man’s preferences rather than a researched and celebrity status to promote Chicano art. The actor educational survey. and comedian started collecting almost 30 years ago Criticisms of Marin’s personal art quest aside, because the work resonated with him. He quickly his new tour includes interesting small-scale works amassed a collection that filled up his Los Angeles by artists like Ricardo Ruiz, Ana Teresa Fernánhome and overflowed into storage. In 2001, Marin dez, Carlos Donjuán and longtime San Diego artist took his huge private collection public in Chicano Werc, and the message behind the aggressive ChicaVisions: American Painters on the Verge, a 12-city no-art PR campaign is loud and clear. touring exhibition that lasted through 2007 and in“Chicanos are taking over, so get used to it,” troduced the emerging genre of Chicano art to new Marin laughs. audiences and venues, including the Museum of —Kinsee Morlan Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD) in 2004.

Seen Local

only two or three a year. He likes to see so much art in one place, but he says it’s not shown under the “SEIZE THE MOMENT” shouted the headline of best conditions.

Blouin ArtInfo’s special print edition circulated at a “I don’t think it necessarily serves the artists series of art fairs held in Miami in early December. well,” he says. “It serves the collectors and the dealIf you missed the message, the first two lines of the ers very well, but not the artists and, to some extent, article made it clear: “These days speed is a required not the museums.” skill at art fairs. The best pieces are swept up instantGesturing toward an aisle, he adds, “I mean, look ly by collectors with long arms.” at this—no matter how well it’s presented, it’s like a Either Hugh Davies didn’t read the newspaper Costco for art.” or he didn’t care. The director of the Museum of Davies appreciates the work at international biContemporary Art San Diego (MCASD) was mov- ennials more. While fairs display what will sell, biSusan Myrland ing through Art Basel Miami ennials show what’s pushing Beach, the largest art fair in the the envelope. Nevertheless, it’s Americas, with 258 blue-chip his job to keep up with what his galleries, at his own pace—extrustees are buying and to work cruciatingly slow. with MCASD chief curator “Two years ago, I spent the Kathryn Kanjo to find art for entire fair like a lawnmower, just the museum. Currently, they’re mowing and doing every gallery,” on the hunt for pieces by abDavies says. “At the end of the stract painter Jack Whitten for three days, I realized I’d wasted a retrospective next year.

Hugh Davies (center) shows my time, because you reach over“I think this is as beautiful as artwork to collectors Maureen load after a couple of hours. You anything here—gorgeous,” says Sheehan and Steve Black. need to take a break.”

Davies, suddenly distracted by a Davies had already been through the fair at least large crack in the concrete floor. once. This time, he was accompanying Steve Black When reminded that it resembles the Maya Lin and Maureen Sheehan, a couple thinking about installation in the museum’s Downtown location a building their personal art collection. Davies was few years ago, he laughs. happy to linger in one booth after another, show“Yes, exactly,” he says. “Maybe that’s why I like it.” ing Black and Sheehan the finer details of a Brice —Susan Myrland Marden drawing or a 10-foot-square, $240,000 ThWrite to kinseem@sdcitybeat.com easter Gates painting called “Prime Real Estate.”

Davies has mixed feelings about fairs, attending and editor@sdcitybeat.com.

‘A Costco for art’

18 · San Diego CityBeat · December 18, 2013

L etters to

S a n ta

Apparently, people are just getting needier and needier every year, so Santa Claus asked CityBeat to conduct an initial vetting of the millions of letters sent to the North Pole in 2013. For our trouble, Santa has allowed us to print some of our favorites. Big thanks to my elves for their labor: Ryan Bradford, Seth Combs, Kelly Davis, Nathan Dinsdale, Nina Sachdev Hoffmann, Peter Holslin, John R. Lamb, Dave Maass, Joshua Emerson Smith and Jeff Terich.

—David Rolland Illustrations by Lindsey Voltoline

Dear Rent-a-Santa Inc., Regarding the allegations brought by the three Wise Men, I am humbled to admit that I need help. As someone who has spent a lifetime fighting for the rights of retail workers, I am embarrassed that I may not have fully respected the women who assisted me as the San Diego Mall Santa.

I understand that it was difficult for you to allow a convicted felon to don the beard and suit to fulfil his community-service obligation. I ask that you give me an opportunity to prove I am capable of change, so that the vision I have for the Winter Wonderland can be realized.

Sincerely, Bob Filner

Finally, I would love a case of GIF, because I’m a huje fan of that peanut butter.

Steve Wilhite, Creator of the GIF ----From: sclaus@gmail.com To: francis@pope.org Date: Wed, 11 Dec 2013 16:23:17 -0800 Subject: RE: Dinner?

Dude, I’m at a total loss. WHAT’S YOUR ANGLE!!?? You’re freaking people out, man.

I dig that about you.

Nick

----Dear Santa, All I want for Christmas is asylum. All I want for Christmas is asylum I . All I want for Christmas is asylum. Allwant for Christmas is asylum. All I want for Christmas is asylum. All I wantChristmas is asylum. All I want fo for ris asylum. All I want for Christmas is asylum. All I want for Christmasasylum. All I want for C Christmas hristmas is asylum. A is ll I want for Christmas is asylum. All I want for Christmas is asylum.

P.S. I’ll bring cookies Sent from my iPhone ----Original Message---From: francis@pope.org To: sclaus@gmail.com Sent: Tue, Dec 10, 2013 11:51 am Subject: Dinner?

Nicholas,

I just wanted to invite you to Rome for a celebratory feast I’m having on Dec. 26 for With my best regards, the Time “Person of the Year” finalists. It’s a potluck. Right now I have Barry down for Edward Snowden some deep dish, Miley’s bringing chicken fingers, Hassan is cooking up chelo-kabab ----from his mom’s recipe, Edith has something she’s calling Righteous Rainbow Sherbet Dear Santa, and then Bashar’s got the hummus covered.

All I want for Christmas is for people to pro- Ted, Ed and Kathleen can’t make it. Jeff is nounce “GIF” correctly, joddamnit! Gesus sending his regrets and some San Francisco Christ! Is it really that hard to understand? chowder via “special delivery.”

Can I put you down for dessert?

Think of it like the peanut-butter brand.

I’ve jiven the Internet so much—pretty much ensured the stardom of cats—and all Humbly yours, I jet for thanks is a mispronunciation of my Francis creation. What a bunch of gerks!

----Next on my list is a DVD copy of The Jreat Jatsby. Loved that movie! Had that actor Toby McJuire in it, who I always confuse Papa Christmas, with that other actor, Gake Jyllenhaal. And don’t get me started on that bumping sound- I would like one black light, a couple boxes of Nag Champa incense sticks, an LP of track by Gay Z and Ferjie. Jood jracious!

Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, some Juicy Jays (grape), the Harold and Kumar trilogy and 35 large bags of Cool Ranch Doritos.

----Hi… Santa?

District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis

It’s me, the “New Generation Republican.”

Pffffffft.

I’d rather chew on a cat turd than hear ----one more person say, “Hey, Carl, Pepsi called and they want their 1984 ad camHey there, paign back.” Har, har, har. neighbor to the north, It’s time for me to bail on this place and I need your help. I’d like two Canadian passSo in last year’s letter, I asked you for an ports, 20,000 pounds of German Butterball unlimited amount of crack and booze and, organic potato seeds, 40 acres of land in well, I’m thinking that might have been a Saskatchewan and a one-year subscription bad move. I mean, I appreciate you coming to Off the Grid magazine. Do all that and through, and I know that may have led to there’ll be a Shepard’s Pie waiting for you some naughtiness on my part, but I think next year. you’ll find this year’s list to be a bit more practical: In service, eh, • A copy of Hockey for Dummies. My Carl DeMaio love of American football and the CFL, not to mention my behavior at games, has got----ten some people angry. Need to figure out ASAP who exactly the Maple Leafs are and Hi… Santa? what the hell they’re doing out on that ice (I mean, WTF is “icing”? Is that a rule?). I Hey. It’s Kathleen. I’m leaving you a voicefigure goin’ to a couple hockey games will mail because, well, I’ve been too busy to get me back in the locals’ good graces, eh? send an actual letter because I’m spending, • Some coal to give all these know- like, 19 hours a freaking day taking these nothing City Council members who are damn HTML classes and I didn’t want to riding my ass with, “Oh, yah, hey Rob, you send an email because, as you can probably shouldn’t smoke crack in the bathroom, guess, the Internet has totally been fucking eh” and “Oh, Mr. Mayor, you shouldn’t tell with me for, God, it’s been months. Literwomen you want to eat their pussy in the ally, months. And it’s just so… ergh… right? workplace, doncha know?” Screw those Sorry. Listen to me, rambling. Anyway. guys. I do what I want!

I really, really need a pair of ruby slippers.

• I figure you have some extra Santa Don’t ask. Just go with me on this one. costumes lying around. What size are Thanks. Please. Thanks. OK. you? I could use one so that people think I’m festively jolly as opposed to just fat and It’s Kathleen. wasted.

Sebelius.

That’s about it. Maybe you could get Bob Filner and Anthony Weiner to start acting Give my best to Mary. OK? Bye. out so it takes a little of the spotlight off me, There’s no place like home, there’s no place but I saw Filner at a strip club the other day like home, there’s no place… [click] and dude says he’s trying to keep it “low key” these days. What a quitter. Anyway, ----I’d leave out some milk and cookies for you, but to paraphrase myself, I know you have Dear Rent-a-Santa Inc., plenty to eat at home with Mrs. Claus. LOL! Sorry, I had to go there. Plus, I ate the cook- I take very seriously the allegations made ies. Had a mad case of the munchies. against me regarding the “Santa Squeeze” and the “Santa Sleigh Ride.” I am commitLet it snow (no pun intended), Mayor Rob Ford CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

December 18, 2013 · San Diego CityBeat · 19

ted to ensuring a full, complete and independent investigation into any complaint against me, which I’m sure will vindicate me. I will not sacrifice the Christmas cheer that San Diego’s boys and girls deserve by bowing to the slander from eight anonymous reindeer.

Sincerely, Bob Filner ----An open letter to Santa Claus, re: Christmas I grew up worshipping you and your enormous sack of toys and your refusal to sign up to our bullshit Western standards of beauty. You let that big bowl of jelly swing freely and kept that white beard flowing, even after the Grizzly Adams trend was long out of fashion. You brought me my first Victrola and my Weimar Republic playset, and though I don’t have any proof it was you, I’d like to thank you for making the ukulele popular again—I just KNEW somebody out there would want to hear me play Radiohead songs on a comically tiny Hawaiian guitar.

But I think it’s TIME I spoke up about the “Naughty / Nice” list you’ve been keeping. I mean, I GET it—I make lists, too. Like the list of important and meaningful topics I spoke about at my TED Talk. Or the list of volunteer musicians I sent thank-you emails to after my last tour. But who are we to JUDGE what’s naughty or nice? It’s so stifling and patriarchal (I know you’re “Father Christmas,” though “SinterKlaas” just sounds so much cooler, doncha think?).

Look, I’m no stranger to controversy— I’ve been called naughty (that Dzokhar Tsarnaev poem didn’t go over well, did it?), and it’s a bummer. Don’t be a TROLL, Santa.

Children need to be FREE from this sanctimony and allowed to EXPRESS themselves without fear of PUNISHMENT. We’re all beautiful, IMPERFECT little creatures. Even those disgruntled elves of yours who don’t realize the joy of making toys just to create.

With immense respect, Amanda Palmer PS: I’m running out of people to write open letters to, so any help on that would be great. That next Kickstarter isn’t going to generate its own publicity.

PPS: Also, maybe bring something stuffy and English for Neil.

Hello Santa,

in San Diego 2015,” “Nate, Like, Totally Gets ----It—OB Neighborhood Association 2016” Wow, it’s been a hectic year! Parts of Da- and “Born Again: Fletcher Puts the ‘Fun’ in Dear Rent-a-Santa Inc., mascus are in ruins, the rebels aren’t giving Fundamentalism 2020.”

Following the resignation of Rudolph, Bob up and now I’m losing all of my precious Filner has temporarily appointed the Singchemical weapons because the U.N. decided Yours, ing Fleece sheep from the San Diego Counto get all up in my biznatch. Eugh. Interna- Nathan Fletcher ty Taxpayers Association to assist with tional relations are such BS. Can you please ----day-to-day management of Santa’s Factory. fulfill this order for assorted compounds Filner has entered an in-patient treatment and equipment? I need them for—er, cleanDear Santa, facility, where he will receive daily updates ing purposes. on the naughty and nice lists.

• 5,000 gallons methylphosphonyl difWhat I want for Christmas is for you to luoride Sincerly, • 5,000 gallons isopropyl alcohol (99.9- think about your job. Hear me out.

I want you to think really hard about what Twistle-nip percent molecular-biology-grade, preferyou do. Making toys and delivering them Interim Communications Elf ably) • 5,000 gallons O-ethyl S-[2-(diisopropyl to the Christian children of the world is no Office of the San Diego Mall Santa doubt a demanding task. I respect your hard amino)ethyl] methylphosphonothioate ----• 5,000 gallons Bis(2-chloroethyl) sulfide work. But think about all that plastic. Think • 500-gallon stainless steel mixing tank about the war and horror fought over the • Two Dupont-brand Tychem indus- petroleum bubbling up cancerous out of the Santa, Your Holiness, Sir, ground that’s exploited to make the latest actrial garments tion figure. Then imagine some young child, First off, let me apologize again for suggest• 1 iPad Mini (for the wife!)

Please deposit the materials via armored completely unaware of the blood and trea- ing that the North Pole would be better off sleigh at the following address: Under- sure spilled and spent, the young lives ripped outsourcing your “Village” enterprise to ground Bunker 2A, 34°55’5”N 38°42’34”E, apart by machine guns and roadside bombs. private hands. Had I known you were nonHoms Governorate. Sergeant Youssef will Think about that young boy or girl playing union and overseer of Santa’s Shipyard Rewith the toxic fruit of our capitalism. See the pair (who knew you had a harbor?)—well, wave you in. plastic figures now quickly discarded for next let’s just say, like some of my old PR clients, Thank you, and Merry Christmas! month’s fad, helping to clog our landfills and forgive and forget, right ol’ Nickster? *wink* choke our dolphins. I don’t want to get you Now, I need your help. Could you put Bashar al-Assad down. But think about it. If you ever want to in a good word to your boss, Papa Doug President, Syrian Arab Republic leave your old life behind, call me. We’ll do Manchester, because I’m neck-deep in a some transcendental meditation. mayor’s race here, and I could use some se----rious coinage for negative ads and Spanish Sincerely, lessons. OK, mostly negative ads. Oh, and a Heya neighbor, David Lynch respirator in case we schedule a debate in Barrio Logan. Cough cough, if you get my Me again. I was just hopin’ you could send ----drift! Haha… that Martin Bashir guy a copy of the Ice-T movie Surviving the Game and just attach a Staying positive, cute little notecard with it that says “Run.” Mr. Claus, Kevin Faulconer I want a solid gold chain with a matching Sarah Palin diamond pendant that says “Like a Boss.” You ----know, sometimes you gotta treat yourself.

----Old Man, Jerry Brown Hey Santa, Got your memo, re: the request from Mr. Faulconer, or, as I like to call him, Mr. Not Can you get me a whole Papa’s First Choice. Been a bit busy these bunch of bumper stickdays planning a wedding here. Reminds ers and lawn signs? I’m me—I need two of your reindeer (preferably thinking 10,000 each Dancer and Vixen) for a few hours to serve of “Fletcher: The Proas “ring bearers.” Oh, and your costume— gressive Choice 2014,” the fiancée insists on it for some reason.

“Fletch Lives! Socialism Anyway, tell Mr. Not that, yes, the honey will soon arrive in the hive.

Make it happen or I’ll split your village in two and eliminate the cookies-and-milk tax you rely on.

Capeesh? OK, gotta go. The little blue pill is kickin’ in and the sauna’s steamy.

-----

Get on it, Papa Doug Manchester ----Oh Great White One, Received the check for Faulconer, although I’d thought I’d made it clear this was to be delivered via Santa-gram to state party offices in Sacramento. Now those California

20 · San Diego CityBeat · December 18, 2013

Republican Party snoots won’t know about my exemplary fundraising skills (by knowing one multimillionaire). Thanks a lot, you arrogant, self-centered prick who sees himself as God’s gift to Christmas!

Sorry to get prickly (love that word!), but it’s not easy skippering a sinking ship, even if I do get free cigars out of the deal. BTW, was that book you sent me last year, The Power of Charm, a joke or something? This year, just give me the damn Hooters gift card, will ya?

Growing impatient, San Diego Republican Party Chairman Tony Krvaric -----

Santa,

awesome?! The look on Obama’s face during that Syria chemical-weapons speech was No requests. Just wanted you to know that priceless. Oh, no! A humanitarian crisis of you’re going to need an umbrella when we historic proportions, and nobody in America hit up Vegas in March because I’m totally wants to go to war again! What am I to do?!?!?! gonna make it rain, son! You know how we Don’t worry, Pussy-Face, I’ll get you out of this mess. I’ll broker a deal with Syria do it, Fed-style. LOL. to get rid of their chemical Holla, weapons, sure. And I’ll look like a hero and get major J-Yellen brownie points with the international community do----ing it, too. Ha ha, fucker.

Santa, I just want one thing Dear Santa, this Christmas, and that’s to see Oh. My. God. Did you see that? Wasn’t that Obama get caught up in another

diplomatic crisis, ideally one that requires the help of good ol’ Uncle Vladimir. That was just so much fun—it’ll make my year to do it all over again. Maybe China can crush a Tibetan uprising? Or arms-control violations will surface in Kazakhstan? Ooh, ooh, how about some good old-fashioned nuclear testing!

Oh man, that would be so sweet. But you make the call, Santa. Surprise me.

Best, Vladimir Putin Russian President, Man of Action, Cool Guy

CONTINUED ON PAGE 22

December 18, 2013 · San Diego CityBeat · 21

----Dear Santa, Please disregard my last letter asking for a new name. I really could just use some new parents.

The son of God (at least my dad likes to call me that), North West ----Dear Santa, I would love a solid, high-speed Internet connection. A recent discovery has led me to believe that this 56K modem just won’t cut it. I mean, I’m not a beginner to surfin’ the ’net by any means (I’ve been known to use the Electronic Bay every now and then). Plus, I’ve found myself with a lot of free time lately.

I was at the café, reading the classifieds, when I saw a person watching a movie on his handheld tablet. I asked where the DVD went and he told me about “streaming” movies.

“But where do I return it? And what are the late fees? How do I get a membership card to ‘streaming’?”

After interrogating a few more patrons, I realized that the key to streaming is a high-speed Internet connection. So I want that, and then maybe some food. Oh, also a bed that’s not made from discarded Bringing Down the House DVDs. Sean “Be Kind Rewind” O’Shaunnaghssy Blockbuster employee ----Um Santa, OK, clearly a few things are off the wish list for the coming year. No speakership (fine!). No Mayor / Governor / President Nathan Fletcher (your loss, world!). No slam-dunk opponent for my Stanford Cardinal in the Rose Bowl (what’s a Spar-

tan?). But, hey, it’s all good. I have this state Assembly gig. Great family. No more Filner (ick!). Warming up to David Alvarez and reconnecting with my old union pals. What else do I need? Well, I did see this pair of fabulous pumps…

Fashionably yours, Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez ----St. Nick, So, hey, I don’t think I ever wrote you a “Thank you” note to express my gratitude for your help on annulling that deal with Satan I made back in the ’90s. I mean, sure, I never had another hit after “Achy Breaky Heart,” but I made so much money off that one awful song that I was able to get my daughter some singing lessons (the voice coach said there was only so much that could be done) and I was able to pay off the right people to get her on a Disney show.

Thing is, though, uh—things have gotten a little out of hand. My evil wife cheated on me and took what was left of my money, and since my daughter turned 18, she just points at her crotch, sticks out her tongue and says, “Suck it, dad” whenever I ask for some emergency cash to make the mortgage payment on my mansions.

What an ungrateful little brat!

All the hand jobs I had to give at Disney just for them to finance her first album and this is how she treats me?

She says all her money is tied up in her twerkfriendly fashion line at Walmart, but how much could that really cost? I fear she may have a drug problem, but I got my own issues.

Anyway, I was hoping that maybe you could help reinstate that deal

22 · San Diego CityBeat · December 18, 2013

with Beelzebub. I think the time is perfect for a comeback album. I have some great songs in mind: “My Heart Still Aches,” “Please Don’t Tell My Heart (Again)” or just “Achy Breaky Heart, Part 2.” Plus, my hair-plug doctor says the pubes they used to regrow the hair on my head should support growth so I can regrow my mullet. I’ll show that ungrateful, blunt-smoking, nobutt-having daughter who’s boss again.

I’M THE ORIGINAL CYRUS, MAN! That little pixie skank better recognize!

Your pal, Billy Ray ----Hey Santa, Check out my attachment.

[A.Weiner.jpg] Carlos Danger

----Dear Rent-a-Santa Inc., I hereby tender my resignation as mall Santa. There are well-organized interests who have run the Christmas racket for 2,000 years. They pointed the gun, and the grinches and humbugs pulled the trigger. Sometimes, my jolliness and hubris led to lap behavior some found offensive, but not one allegation has ever been proven in court. I have never sexually Christmassed anyone.

Sincerely, Bob Filner

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December 18, 2013 · San Diego CityBeat · 23

Escape from tomorrow Melancholy is the melody in Joel and Ethan Coen’s new film

by Glenn Heath Jr. Caught somewhere between resentment and exhaustion, struggling folk singer Llewyn Davis (Oscar Isaac) wanders through a snowy and gray Greenwich Village in 1961 with a guitar slung over his shoulder. While not quite a human zombie, the young man appears lost in thoughts of disappointment and resignation, weighed down by more than just his instrument.

Oscar Isaac gets inside Llewyn Davis.

The human centerpiece of Joel and Ethan Coen’s wonderful Inside Llewyn Davis is indeed a it never gets old, then it’s a folk song.” Originality is man of melancholy. We learn that his sad songs, mu- Llewyn’s only currency, but he keeps butting up against sically and otherwise, are beginning to overwhelm the realities of artistic commodification and commerciany hope for a brighter future. Even worse, Llewyn ality. The people want what the people want. fears he might be disappearing into the present, havWhether Llewyn ever makes peace with this fact ing failed to illicit interest in his first solo record and remains ambiguous. Yet, Inside Llewyn Davis isn’t live up to his own expectations as an artist. about answers; the Coens are more interested in the No one in the film has a “blueprint of the future,” a questions posed by revealing patterns of a given jourphrase lobbed at Llewyn by his disapproving sister. But ney—more specifically, how each character, especially the curly-haired musician can’t even reconcile his trau- Llewyn, is trying to escape from their current path matic past. Still haunted from his songwriting partner’s and jump to a more idealized direction in life. suicide, Llewyn never fully confronts the idea that his This is why Jean (Carey Mulligan), a fellow singer early success could have been attributed to their collab- whose hatred for Llewyn stems from the possibility oration, not his individual talents. Herein lies the foun- that she may be pregnant with his child after a onedation of the character’s elaborate self-made prison. night stand, becomes so deeply enraged whenever Pluck any one Coen brothhe’s around. Being reminded ers film from their amazing of your failures on a daily basis Inside canon and you’ll get a differmakes life contentious. Llewyn ent variation on earthly purgaexperiences this, as well, setLlewyn Davis tory, but Inside Llewyn Davis tling to the sidelines to watch Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen is unique in that it doesn’t sufthe world pass by, as if he was Starring Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, focate its character’s humanity under self-imposed exile from Justin Timberlake and John Goodman with condescension. Llewyn’s feeling any type of joy.

Rated R sadness is not ridiculed; it’s exThankfully, Inside Llewyn amined as a product of an imDavis—which opens Friday, mensely talented performer perpetually baffled by the Dec. 20—juxtaposes its lead character’s dour mood relationship between artist and audience. with bursts of pure expression, be it through artistic Each musical performance in the film explores this creation or just a fleeting connection with the world very idea. During the great opening sequence, Llewyn around him. The breezy, strangely non-traditional narsings one of his early hits at the dimly lit Gaslight Café rative allows for such wondrous moments to reveal in front of a moderate-size crowd. At first, the camera themselves organically. stays tight on the microphone as the character’s raspy When Llewyn accidentally lets out a friend’s ginvoice sings a sobering tale of a man confronting mor- ger tomcat and is forced to carry it across town on tality before getting the hangman’s noose. the subway, the inquisitive feline looks out of the But like the similarly constructed prologue in the window spellbound by the images it sees. It’s tragic Coens’ great gangster film Miller’s Crossing, the frame that Llewyn will never be as open to such possibility, eventually opens up, revealing an expanded and deeper but that’s his cross to bear. The world will keep spincinematic space. People listen intently as billows of ning nonetheless. smoke fill the air, then kindly applaud upon the song’s completion. Llewyn smiles to himself and says, “You’ve Write to glennh@sdcitybeat.com probably heard that one before. If it was never new and and editor@sdcitybeat.com.

Con artists

American Hustle

24 · San Diego CityBeat · December 18, 2013

David O’Russell’s surefire Oscar nominee American Hustle is a bona fide mess, melding stylistic references and tones with reckless abandon. Based on the reallife Abscam case, where con man Melvin Weinberg worked with the FBI in the late 1970s on a sting operation created to catch corrupt politicians, the film reinvents

history through the lens of farce.

Except this glitzy and raucous vision doesn’t go far enough down the rabbit hole of absurdity to make the necessary impact. Instead, O’Russell gives the viewer a haphazard mosaic of shifty archetypes constantly verbalizing their internal conflicts in exhaustive fashion.

Weinberg’s cinematic standin is Irving Rosenfeld (Christian

Bale), a slightly pudgy grifter with a comb-over that would make Donald Trump feel inadequate.

After getting caught selling illegal loans to unsuspecting marks, Irving and his sly business partner, Sydney (Amy Adams), are forced to collude with undercover agent Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper) to avoid prison.

The opening shot is a bit of a stunner: Irving attempts to corral his elaborate hairpiece with a thick mist of hairspray as the camera watches in a single take.

Once finished, he joins his two cohorts working to entrap a New Jersey politician (Jeremy Renner) hoping to gain funds illegally in order to restore Atlantic City’s

Opening American Hustle: Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence star in David O’Russell’s retelling of the infamous Abscam sting established by the FBI in order to capture corrupt politicians and gangsters in the late 1970s. See our review on Page 24.

Anchorman: The Legend Continues: Infamous San Diego newscaster and lothario Ron Burgundy (Will Farrell) brings his motley crew of wacky colleagues to New York City in hopes of making it big on a national television channel. Opens Dec. 18.

Desert

Runners:

Ultra-marathoners

gambling havens.

American Hustle then jumps back in time, as so many of these films do, to chart how and why these characters have arrived at this juncture. Voiceover narration is prevalent, as is the standard Scorsese-esque tracking shot. It’s all style and very little substance.

If O’Russell’s last three films prove any one trend, it’s that he’s a director pandering to those critics and Academy voters easily swayed by pomp, circumstance and a lot of showboating. In the immortal words of the precocious titular tween of Three Men and a Little Lady, “What a crock.”

—Glenn Heath Jr. and their experiences traversing some of the world’s most dangerous landscapes are the focus of this intense and personal documentary by Jennifer Steinman.

Through Dec. 26 at Digital Gym Cinema in North Park.

Inside Llewyn Davis: Joel and Ethan Coen’s latest odyssey is set in 1961 Greenwich Village, where a struggling folk singer (Oscar Isaac) comes to grips with his failure as an artist and a human being.

Nosotros Los Nobles: A business mogul forces his spoiled children to work for a living if they want to have a chance at inheriting the family fortune. This comedy from Mexico was a box-office sensation in its home country. Through Dec. 26 at

Digital Gym Cinema in North Park.

Saving Mr. Banks: Marry Poppins scribe P.L. Travers (Emma Thompson) travels to Los Angeles to discuss a potential film adaptation by Walt Disney (Tom Hanks) in this whimsical biopic about two artists struggling to compromise.

One Time Only House of Frankenstein: Classic monsters of the Universal Studios canon (including Dracula, Frankenstein and The Wolf Man) converge in this 1944 all-star horror film. Screens at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 18, at the San Diego Public Library in East Village.

The Willow Tree: Majid Majidi’s 2005 drama follows a blind professor who’s diagnosed with a fatal disease and travels to France for treatment. Screens at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 18, at Scripps Ranch Library.

Christmas Vacation: Join the Griswald family as they try to survive multiple pitfalls during the holiday season. Screens at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 18, at The Pearl Hotel in Point Loma.

A Christmas Story: All young Ralphie wants for Christmas is a Red Rider pumpaction BB gun, but he might be destined for disappointment in this 1983 holiday classic. Screens at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Dec. 20 and 21 at Cinema Under the Stars in Mission Hills.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Give your friends and family the demented gift of Dr. Frank-N-Furter for the holidays.

Screens at midnight Saturday, Dec. 21, at the Ken Cinema.

It’s a Wonderful Life: George Bailey (James Stewart) learns the ultimate Christmas lesson when he’s given a glimpse into a world where he was never born. Screens at 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 22, at Arclight La Jolla.

Paradise: Faith: Religion and repression form the central struggle at the heart of Ulrich Seidl’s second film in the Austrian director’s trilogy of modern-day emotional angst. Ends Dec. 19 at Digital Gym Cinema in North Park.

Bringing Up Bobby: Olive (Milla Jovovich) is a con artist trying to escape her dangerous past in order to give her 10year-old son a better life in Famke Janssen’s directorial debut. Screens at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 23, at the San Diego Public Library in East Village.

Paradise: Hope: Set at a camp for overweight teens, the third film in the Austrian auteur’s trilogy concerns a 13-year-old who falls in love during a summer of emotional revelation. Ends Dec. 18 at Digital Gym Cinema in North Park.

Bad Santa: Billy Bob Thornton plays a drunken con man who poses as a mall Santa in order to pull off a heist on Christmas Eve. Terry Zwigoff’s foul-language classic is the anti-Christmas movie in the best way possible. Presented by Flicks by the Fire, it screens at 8 p.m. Monday, Dec. 23, at The W Hotel’s rooftop bar.

Now Playing 20 Feet from Stardom: Backup singers for today’s superstars finally take center stage in this music documentary featuring a range of inspirational stories about artistic endurance and passion. Ends Dec. 19 at the Ken Cinema.

Hours: The late Paul Walker stars as a conflicted father attempting to wait out Hurricane Katrina in a hospital while protecting his newborn daughter, who’s breathing with help from a ventilator. Screens at AMC Plaza Bonita in Chula Vista.

Paradise: Love: The first segment in Ulrich Seidl’s trilogy, the film follows a middle-aged woman who travels to Kenya to partake in sex tourism. Ends Dec. 18 at Digital Gym Cinema in North Park.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug: Bilbo (Martin Freeman), please meet Smaug, fire-breathing dragon and protector of all things gold. Have a nice three hours together.

The Last Days on Mars: Sci-fi film about a disobedient scientist who leaves his team of astronauts on a Mars mission in order to follow a lead that could potentially reveal an astounding discovery.

Ends Dec. 19 at the Ken Cinema.

Tyler Perry’s A Madea Christmas: Filmmaker Tyler Perry’s wildly popular fictional creation, the titular massive and sassy grandma, wreaks havoc on a small rural town during the holiday season.

Narco Cultura: The rise of corridos, folk songs that celebrate narco culture and violence, is juxtaposed with real-world consequences of the bloody drug war in Mexico. Screens at AMC Palm Promenade.

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

December 18, 2013 · San Diego CityBeat · 25

26 · San Diego CityBeat · December 18, 2013

alex

there she goz

zaragoza Confronting fear by consulting the stars “They look dooown, at the grooound, missing / but I date, time and location of my birth. She explained neeeever go in now / I’m looking at the big sky.” in great detail how every planet and sign was posiAt 6 a.m. every weekday morning, Kate Bush’s tioned the exact moment I peeked out of my mom’s angelic voice forces me out of a beautifully restful insides, and what it meant. slumber, like a gorgeous wood nymph whose sole Astrology is something I choose to find truth in, purpose is to make me miserable. and it’s hard not to when some of the stuff that comes With her voice emitting from my boyfriend’s iPup in a reading hits close to home. “You’re a water hone alarm, I pull myself out of bed, furiously rub sign,” she said. “You’re very emotional, and sometimes my eyes, then shower, deodorize and spackle on people don’t realize how deep you feel things.” my face for a day of white-collar labor. While Kate Recently, I watched a video online in which an Bush is looking at the big sky, I’m all, “Fuck you, big airline surprised passengers on a flight to Calgary sky. I want to sleep for another four hours.” But this with Christmas gifts, all wrapped up and waiting is the life I chose. at baggage claim. I faked a bout with diarrhea and After years of rolling out of bed at 10 a.m., shovwent to the bathroom to cry in peace. So, yeah. I ing gummy bears in my mouth, and then heading have a lot of feelings. off to a work place where I can now admit I spent Jannine pulled out an astrological oracle she plenty of my time G-chatting dick jokes to my friend invented called the StarCaster—a piece of velveMichelle, I decided to set off in a new direction. I teen fabric printed with an astrological chart. She left a job I loved at CityBeat for a “real job” in a norhanded me a velvet bag filled with glass pieces that mal office. I’m now writing on a freelance basis. each were inscribed with a symbol for a planet As a result of this new career path, I fall into or astrology sign. I was to pull four out based on bed exhausted at 9 p.m., unable to get through an which were radiating energy, hold them in my fist episode of Scandal. Fun mid-week drinks have and then drop them on the StarCaster. From the gone the way of Miley Cyrus’ position in which the pieces pants—rarely seen. I started landed, “the universe” would taking vitamins. Vitamins! give me a message.

People were staring at Who am I? to follow your what they probably assumed gut,”“Youshetendsaid.

With all this bratty whin“Intuition were sage-burning hippies ing, you might be asking why comes from the gut. A lot of I left a job that allowed me to times, you’ve just got the anperforming a Wiccan spell. roll joyously in the pits of my swer to something and there’s own woman-child tendencies. no reason why. You didn’t People have asked, and my answers are usually a read it in a book. No one told you it. You just know. patchwork of general justifications. Stress, money; That’s your gut. You can trust it.”

I wanted to develop other skills; I wanted more free I wanted confirmation, and I guess it’s what I time, etc. While those are all very true and valid, it got. To dispel any leftover uncertainty or fear, Janwas mostly just a gut feeling. nine had me do a tapping protocol. In the middle of This wasn’t, and still isn’t, easy on me—and not the restaurant, she had me gently tap 11 parts of my just because of the crappy early-morning wakebody, including the top of my head, my chin and my ups. I’ve always defined myself by what I do. When chest. As I tapped, I vocalized my fears and evensomeone says, “Tell me about yourself,” my answer tually assured myself that they can easily be overis “I’m a writer,” quickly followed by “I like eatcome. The statements Jannine had me repeat were ing and watching TV in my underwear, preferably recited in a rhythm to match the tapping. simultaneously.”

People were staring at what they probably asFear is very hard to overcome when you feel vulsumed were sage-burning hippies performing a nerable. Should I even trust my gut? That thing’s probWiccan spell. Maybe it was the tapping, or just ably pickled in wine and high-fructose corn syrup. confronting my vulnerabilities, but I realized that it You can never know with full certainty if a choice was silly to think I’d lose myself just because my job you’ve made is the right one, even if you overthink title had changed. I still watch TV with no pants on, eat way too much candy and write every day. every detail with the exhaustive attention of an emo Fear has a way of keeping us complacent. It’s kid with a prolific LiveJournal account, circa 2001. important to push past it in order to move toward All I can do is go with it and hope that the outcome something bigger. Failing sucks donkey nuts, but feels right. Thus far, my wine-pickled gut has given not trying at all because you’re too chicken-shit me the a-OK. sucks even more. My gut is usually pretty good at Even so, I looked to the stars for reassurance— directing me. Even though it makes too many pit or, rather, looked to Jannine Oberg, a wellness stops at Taco Bell, I still trust it. coach and astrologist who claims to have inherited The following night, I set my alarm for 6 a.m., the gift of intuition from her mother. “It’s a family ready to look at the big sky. trait,” she assured with a smile when I met her at Veggie Grill in University City.

Write to alexz@sdcitybeat.com There, she presented me with an intricate asand editor@sdcitybeat.com. trological chart, all mapped out according to the

December 18, 2013 · San Diego CityBeat · 27

New Year’s Eve Guide 2014 C

locksy the clock has polished his bells, and he’s ready to party on New Year’s Eve. No, that’s not a euphemism, you sick weirdoes; he just wants to look his best on the big night. And to help him plan his excursion into 2014, as we do every year, we’ve assembled a guide to New Year’s Eve in San Diego.

Mind you, this is not a comprehensive list. For example, if Clocksy simply wants an early threecourse prix-fixe dinner before hittin’ the pillow at 10 p.m., there are lots of restaurants doing just that, but for our guide, we chose places that are doing something a little extra—like dinner and dancing till midnight. San Diego is all growned up, and CityBeat doesn’t have unlimited space for all it has to offer.

Still, we think we have a pretty good selection for Clocksy—and you—to chose from. So, follow along over the next few pages as we lay it all out in four sections: Drinks, Dinner, Dancing and Performance. But be sure to skim the whole thing, because some events include several of those elements, and events that were placed in one section could easily have been placed in another.

As you’ll see in Lindsey Voltoline’s artistic dramatization of the progression of Clocksy’s evening, there’s a lot of alcohol involved, so all the usual “Be safe out there” warnings apply. We want Clocksy’s face—and yours—to make it to 2014 without a scratch.

We think it’s going to be a fine year.

Drinks

Trio and a champagne toast at midnight. The adjoining Soda & Swine will serve food until 1:30 a.m. $60-$70. politeprovisions.com

Ask a lot of folks what they’re doing for New Year’s Eve and they’ll tell you they’re staying at home, keeping it mellow with their significant other and / or a few friends.

That’s what makes the party at Blind Lady Ale House (3416 Adams Ave., Normal Heights, blindladyalehouse.com) so cool. It starts early (3 p.m., with a toast to the New Year as the clock strikes midnight in Brussels) and ends early (9 p.m., with last call at 8:15). And, as any hip parent knows, Blind Lady welcomes the kiddos, meaning parents can get festive without having to stay up past bedtime.

The theme’s Belgian: There’ll be a number of Belgian beers on tap, Belgian-beerglass giveaways*, Belgian appetizers (like BLAH’s excellent moules frites) and desserts and maybe even some Belgian tunes. * Show up at 11:30 a.m., when BLAH opens, to get your paws on one of 100 Belgian stemware glasses. Don’t be greedy; this ain’t a Best Buy Black Friday sale.

If you want to keep the party going past 9 and a quality drink’s the key to your good time, add one of these events to your evening:

Quality Social 789 Sixth Ave., Downtown. Prefer your whiskey with a brogue? QS teams up with Tullamore Dew for “Happy Dew Year.” Ticket includes an open bar from 9 to 10 p.m. and a midnight toast of your choice of champagne or a Tullamore pickleback. $40. qualitysocial.com Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens (both locations) 1999 Citracado Pkwy., Escondido and 2816 Historic Decatur Road, Suite 116, Liberty Station. Beer geeks can sample rare and vintage Stone Brewing Co. bottles while enjoying food, live entertainment, a heated outdoor cigar lounge and midnight toast in a commemorative glass. $99. stoneworldbistro.com/newyears Sycamore Den 3391 Adams Ave., Normal Heights.

Everyone’s favorite newish dad bar (we mean that in the best possible way) will be serving up its craft cocktails with ’70s dance music as a soundtrack. There’ll be $35 punchbowls, and a free champagne-cocktail toast at midnight. sycamoreden.com

Polite Provisions 4696 30th St., North Park. From 8 p.m. to 1 a.m., the cocktail bar puts on what it’s calling the “Bourbon & Blues Ball.” A ticket gets you two cocktails, entertainment by the Fred Heath

28 · San Diego CityBeat · December 18, 2013

Tiger!Tiger! 3025 El Cajon Blvd., North Park. Don your best “futuristic” attire and celebrate the New Year in each time zone, starting with a $3 East Coast beer from 8 to 9 p.m., $3 Central beer from 9 to 10 p.m. and so on. tigertigertavern.blogspot.com U.S. Grant 326 Broadway, Downtown. The hotel’s Celestial Ballroom transforms into a 1920s speakeasy with champagne towers, jazz (and some more modern) tunes and craft cocktails. Haul out your best flapper garb for this one. $55-$80. usgrant.net World Famous 2014 New Year’s Eve Pub Crawl Start at Taste & Thirst (715 Fourth Ave., Downtown) and hit up several Downtown locations offering drink specials and other deals to the pub-crawl crowd. $20 and up. californianightlife.com

Carlsbad). Chef Lucas Stenser will guide guests as they whip up a gourmet tapas menu that includes seared shrimp with tomatoes and saffron, flat bread with piquillo peppers, spicy mussels with chorizo, manchego croquettas and more. The hands-on cooking class ends with each attendee sampling the self-made food, which means you could be eating either the best or worst meal of 2013.

Want someone else to cook you a nice dinner on New Year’s Eve? Here’s a bunch of other food options:

Dinner

BiCE 425 Island Ave., Downtown. Starting 4:30 p.m. the restaurant offers a four-course prix-fixe menu of authentic Italian cuisine from $50 to $85 a person. bicesandiego.com

“Become a better cook,” isn’t as popular as the “lose 20 pounds” New Year’s Eve resolution, but it’s a good one and certainly easier to achieve. This New Year’s Eve, you can get started on self-improvement a day early and educate yourself at the New Year’s Eve Tapas Dinner Party, a cookingclass that ends in a five-star meal (as long as you pay close attention and follow the chef’s advice).

The class will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 31, at Sur La Table (1915 Calle Barcelona in

Café Japengo 3777 La Jolla Village Drive, La Jolla.

Housed within the 11-acre Aventine complex, this upscale sushi spot has “dine and stay” and “dance and stay” packages starting at $189. Both include admission to the countdown party at Michael’s Lounge, featuring DJs, dancing, dessert buffet and a balloon drop. cafejapengo.com Craft & Commerce 675 W. Beech St., Little Italy. The craft-cocktail spot puts on its second annual “Black Tie (Or Something Sorta Fancy) Party.” There’ll be a four-course, prix-fixe menu and two dinner seatings—6 p.m. ($75) and 9:30 p.m. ($90, includes a champagne toast at midnight). craft-commerce.com

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December 18, 2013 · San Diego CityBeat · 29

New Year’s Eve Guide required: 858-759-6246. ranchovalencia.com Romesco 4346 Bonita Road, Bonita. The Mexiterranean (Mexican-Mediterranean) restaurant features an ’80s-themed party with DJs, tapas, mini desserts, a champagne toast and take-home menudo. romescomexmed.com Starlite 3175 India St., Middletown. One of San Diego’s hippest eateries gives you two choices: a threecourse prix-fixe dinner ($45 before 8 p.m, $55 after) or a pre-paid three-drink token for $50. The token and the later dinner seating include admission to a party, fueled by DJ Heather Hardcore, that starts at 9:30 p.m. starlitesandiego.com

Leroy’s Kitchen & Lounge 1015 Orange Ave., Coronado. Cross the bridge to Coronado for a three-course prix-fixe menu and a 9 p.m. champagne toast (for the East Coast’s midnight), followed by a proper one at midnight. $55. leroyskitchenandlounge.com

Cucina Urbana 505 Laurel St., Bankers Hill. The popular restaurant has three- and four-course dinner menus, as well as live music, champagne cocktails and pairings. $50 for three courses before 6:30 p.m., $75 for four courses after 6:30. cucinaurbana.com Duck Dive 4560 Mission Blvd., Mission Beach. From 5 to 8 p.m., enjoy “Sinatra & Scotch” dinner specials.

From 8 p.m. to close, the Waldo and Friends NYE Showcase will include music, dancing, party favors and a champagne toast. $20. theduckdive.com Fish Public 4055 Adams Ave., Kensington. Get your seafood fix in a three- or four-course prix-fixe menu or sidle up to the bar if you want to play it fast and loose without reservations. Champagne specials and wine pairings are also part of the menu. $40 for three courses before 6:30 p.m., $55 for four courses after 6:30 p.m. fishpublic.com Henry’s Pub 618 Fifth Ave., Downtown. DJ Jimmy Boykin will provide the musical entertainment while guests dig in to their three-course dinner ($50 for outside tables, $80 for inside) and bottle of champagne. Nontable cover charge is $20 and up. henryspub.com Jaynes Gastropub 4677 30th St., North Park.

Jaynes brings back its “New Year’s Eve Feast,” a prixfixe three-course dinner. See website for menu. $65. jaynesgastropub.com

Marina Kitchen San Diego Marriott Marquis & Marina, 333 W. Harbor Drive, Downtown. They’re calling it the “VIP Party” for a reason: From 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., you can enjoy an elegant, seven-course buffet (including a caviar tasting and house-made root beer floats) and bottle service. In between courses, the dance floor will be there for you to work off some of those calories. It’s $200 per person with a minimum of four people per table.

Marriott Gaslamp 660 K St., Downtown. The party starts at the bottom of the hotel in Soleil@K with a raw seafood bar, street tacos and cocktails and moves up to the Altitude Sky Lounge rooftop bar where you can chow down on fresh-rolled sushi, carving-station offerings and desserts. DJ Miss Dust will spin tunes, and there’ll be a champagne toast at midnight. $165. sandiegogaslamphotel.com/nye Pacifica Del Mar 1555 Camino Del Mar, Del Mar. The early seating (reservations from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. available) includes a four-course meal. $55. The later seating (8 p.m. and later) includes a five-course meal, wine or champagne, party favors and a live DJ and dancing. pacificadelmar.com The Pearl Hotel 1410 Rosecrans St., Point Loma.

Start with a three-course dinner ($59), followed by a no-cover cocktail party starting at 9:30 p.m. with tunes

by DJ Dex Diego and a champagne toast at midnight.

Room packages available. thepearlsd.com

Katsuya 600 F St., Downtown. Starting at 6 p.m. the restaurant offers a four-course menu with a selection of sashimi and sushi for $75 a person. At 11 p.m., the venue transitions into a club with a live DJ, dance floor and bottle service starting at $100. sbe.com/katsuya

Rancho Bernardo Inn 17550 Bernardo Oaks Drive, Rancho Bernardo. Enjoy one of two dinner-and-hotel packages. Starting at 5 p.m. Veranda restaurant offers a three-course meal for $48 or $299 if you also want to stay the night. At the other restaurant, Avant, starting at 5 p.m., enjoy a four-course meal for $75 or eat and stay the night for $349. There will be dancing and live music until 1 a.m. at both locations. ranchobernardoinn.com

La Valencia Hotel 1132 Prospect St., La Jolla.

Choose from two dinner seatings—6 to 8 p.m. ($75 for four courses) or 8 to 10 p.m. ($95 for five courses)— then stick around for live music and a countdown in the La Sala Lounge. lavalencia.com

Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa 5921 Valencia Circle, Rancho Santa Fe. Enjoy a dinner of four or five courses, starting at 6 p.m. for $95 and 9 p.m. for $125, respectively. Then dance to live music from Tim Wray Duo until 12:30 a.m. Reservations

30 · San Diego CityBeat · December 18, 2013

W San Diego 421 West B St., Downtown. The W will cook up a four-course prix fixe dinner in its Kelvin restaurant—$130 with wine / champagne pairings, $85 without. For a separate price, starting at $125, the hotel will throw an open-bar Black & White New Year’s Party. kelvinrestaurant.com, thewsandiegohotel.com West Coast Tavern 2895 University Ave., North Park.

Executive chef Abe Botello crafted a four-course meal to be paired with your choice of wine or beer. Seatings at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. will include a champagne toast. $75 per person plus tax and tip. RSVP required. westcoasttavern.com Westgate Hotel 1055 Second Ave., Downtown. Mad Men might be on hiatus, but its spirit lingers, like at this MM-themed party that starts with a 7:30 p.m. craft-cocktail reception followed by a wine-paired dinner, dancing and a balloon drop and champagne toast at midnight. $179. westgatehotel.com

Dancing Looking for a party you don’t have to worry about driving home from?

Big Night San Diego at Hilton Bayfront (1 Park Blvd., Downtown) celebrates its 10th anniversary of ringing in the New Year with this all-inclusive blowout bash, which provides a dozen party areas, six dance floors, unlimited food and booze, as well as a place to sleep right next to the action.

Partygoers can roam the massive waterfront hotel, beverages in hand, getting down in different dance-club atmospheres and listening to live bands.

DJs include Kristina Sky, Glimpse, Happee, Deejay Al, J.Louis, Retep and Eric Love.

Indie band Gone Baby Gone will play their dancey grooves. For Latin-music fans, Agua Dulce will jam with their jazz-, soul- and funk-influenced rhythms. For blues-rock fans, the JT Douglas Band will perform.

The party starts at 9 p.m. and goes until 3 a.m. Tickets include all food and drinks and cost $110 to $240 (subject to increase).

bignightsandiego.com If that’s not your cup of tea, here are lots more ways to get your groove back on Dec. 31: Air Conditioned Lounge 4673 30th St., North Park.

The bar hosts its annual “Masquerade Ball” with DJ Junior at the helm. Complimentary masks will be provided. Knock back a free shot of Ole Smoky Moonshine and a midnight champagne toast, then immediately regret doing it. $30. airconditionedlounge.com Analog 801 Fifth Ave., Downtown. DJ Cheyenne Giles takes over the 1s and 2s for the ’70s-themed bar’s “Nu Disco” shindig featuring a light show, laser-light countdown and midnight disco-ball drop. analogbar.com Bamboo Lounge 1475 University Ave., Hillcrest.

The “Glitter and Gold” party features DJs, dancing, party favors and a free champagne toast. No cover. sdbamboolounge.com Bar Pink 3829 30th St., North Park. DJs Junior the Discopunk and Vaughn Avakian ring in the New Year with a special edition of “Neon Beat” that includes a champagne toast. $10. barpink.com Bluefoot Bar & Lounge 3404 30th St. in North Park.

Dance the night away at the neighborhood bar’s “NYE #Jam” with DJ Peso. No cover. bluefootsd.com The Brass Rail 3796 Fifth Ave., Hillcrest. Wired and Rivalry bring their “R-Night: For Girls, By Girls” party to the gay bar for a night featuring DJs Kiki and Laszlo, go-go dancers and a midnight champagne toast and balloon drop. thebrassrailsd.com Bristol Hotel 1055 First Ave., Downtown. The 12thfloor ballroom features a retractable roof, and the “Midnight Kiss” party includes top-40 DJs, a six-hour open bar, room packages and more. $100 and up. californianightlife.com Catamaran Resort 3999 Mission Blvd. in Pacific Beach. VAVi Sports and Social Club is throwing a beach party with a lineup of Sleeping Giant Music’s biggest DJs, including Artistic, Fresh One and Chris Cuts. They’ll man the wheels of steel in four rooms and an outdoor party area. VIP tickets include admission to a party boat loaded with party favors and stocked bars. $129-$159. newyearsevesandiego party.com/beach Double Deuce 528 F St., Downtown. From 7 p.m. to 2 a.m., the Gaslamp club presents its “Get Buckin’ Wild” party, featuring DJs Jiffy and Rodeo, mechanical-bull riding, bar-top dancing and party favors. $20$25. doubledeucesd.com El Dorado Cocktail Lounge 1030 Broadway, Downtown. Veteran party starters Saul Q and Adam Salter tap into Martin Scorsese’s Casino with a ’70s-Vegasthemed party, “Stardust New Year’s Eve.” Bonus points if you wear a fat-Elvis suit. $15-$20. eldoradobar.com F6ix 526 F St., Downtown. This swanky hip-hop club puts on a bash with Dre Sinatra laying down the beats. Enjoy a champagne toast as 2014 arrives. $15$45. f6ixsd.com FLUXX 500 Fourth Ave., Downtown. DJ Karma spins

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December 18, 2013 · San Diego CityBeat · 31

New Year’s Eve Guide the party jams as special guest Rico DeLargo blows the trumpet at the club’s circus-themed “New Year’s Big Top Extravaganza.” $60-$70. fluxxsd.com Four Points by Sheraton Hotel 8110 Aero Drive, Downtown. The hotel will host the five-room, festivalstyle blowout “We Are NYE 2014,” with a lineup of EDM DJs to keep the raging going ’til the wee hours. Room and dinner packages are available, as well as free parking and shuttle service. $40-$79. wearenye.com Hard Rock Hotel 207 Fifth Ave., Downtown. Put your dancing shoes on and groove to three floors of music by Sidney Samson, Eva Simons, Tony Arzadon & Chris Garcia, DJ Loczi, Scooter & Lavelle, Starry Eyed Music and DJ Fingaz. $75, $100 at the door. hardrockhotelsd.com Hotel Indigo 509 Ninth Ave., Downtown. The posh hotel’s two venues, Level 9 and Table 509, host their second annual party featuring an open bar, appetizer stations, party favors, champagne toast at midnight, DJs and dancing. $100 per person, $185 per couple. hotelinsd.com House of Blues 1055 Fifth Ave., Downtown. HOB is throwing a Great Gatsby-themed party, with DJ sets from Battlestar Massive, DJ Melo-D, Ed Roc and Julz, plus music from Andrew Garcia, a $1,000 balloon drop and complimentary appetizers. $25, $45 at the door. houseofblues.com/sandiego Jasmine Seafood Restaurant & Lounge 4609 Convoy St., Kearny Mesa. Fill your belly at the seafood buffet, then dance the calories away to oldschool and R&B jams spun by DJs T-Bone and Dnyce. smoothjazznation.com Jolt’n Joe’s 379 Fourth Ave., Downtown. DJs GiGi and Stick D will get you on the dance floor, and an open bar and $2 street tacos will make sure you’re fully fueled through the night. $60. joltnjoes.com Kava Lounge 2812 Kettner Blvd., Little Italy. Step onto the dance floor and slip into the future with some beat-heavy sets from Omega Squad, Austin Speed, Arkon, Sarah Cranberry and Gage b2b and Joey Animals. Plus, get treated to a special New Year’s Eve

menu of tasty treats. $10. kavalounge.com Live Wire 2103 El Cajon Blvd., North Park. Have a cold beer with warm friends, and then go wild on the dance floor as DJ Marsellus Wallace spins ’70s, ’80s and ’90s jammers. Totally free. livewirebar.com LOUNGEsix 616 J St., Downtown. The heated rooftop bar features live music, dancing, party favors and a complimentary midnight toast. $25-$30. jsixrestaurant.com The Merrow 1271 University Ave., Hillcrest. Add a little bit of intrigue to your New Year’s Eve with a mermaidthemed masquerade ball. There will be DJs, dancing, a complimentary champagne toast at midnight, plus champagne and bottled-beer bucket specials. $7 if in costume, $12 if not. facebook.com/TheMerrowSD Moonshine Flats 344 Seventh Ave., Downtown. Get down with the countdown Diddy-style at this new club’s “White Party.”

A long lineup of DJs, including Donald Glaude, Tantrum, Kray-Z-K and Discotech Panda, will keep the bash going strong. There’s currently a ticket deal on Living Social going for $60.

Search for it and save on your revelry. But you must wear all white. whitenye.com New Year’s Eve Yacht Party 2014 1800 N. Harbor Drive, Downtown. Your ticket aboard this three-level luxury yacht includes dancing to DJs Demon, Chris DeVoy, Who and Paulo Da Rosa, appetizers served until midnight, gourmet donuts with a variety of dipping choices and a glass of champagne served upon arrival. $169. newyearsevesandiegoparty.com/yacht Onyx Room / Thin 852 Fifth Ave., Downtown. Rage

32 · San Diego CityBeat · December 18, 2013

into the New Year in three party rooms equipped for your booty-shakin’ pleasure. Sip on complimentary cocktails from 8 to 9 p.m., and then partake in a midnight champagne toast and a balloon drop. $20. onyxroom.com Porto Vista Hotel 1835 Columbia St., Little Italy. The boutique hotel hosts a “New Wave New Year’s Eve,” an ’80s-themed affair with music, rooftop access, fireworks and an option to take advantage of a prix fixe menu at The Glass Door. $35 and up. facebook.com/ PortoVistaSD Rooftop 600 at Andaz Hotel 600 F St., Downtown. The dance party at the nightclub formerly known as the Ivy will feature a long lineup of DJs, including Ayla Simone, Brady Spear, Huy Believe, Engage, Hot Mouth and Alex Kenji. Room packages are also available. $40. rooftop600.com Sandbar Grill 718 Ventura Place, Mission Beach. This casual beach party includes half-price drinks, DJs, dancing, free champagne at midnight and a special $10 VIP cover for folks who work at nearby businesses. $20. sandbarsportsgrill.com Side Bar 536 Market St., Downtown. A Great Gatsby-themed affair with DJs and dancing. $20, or $50 for VIPs. sidebarsd.com Spin 2028 Hancock St., Midtown. Two rooms will be available for your New Year’s Eve needs. Room 1 has party jams spun by DJs D-Rock, Mr. Hek and Grove Boy, while Room 2 is all mellow reggae vibes from DJ Reggie, Winston T and Lucky. $20 before midnight. spinnightclub.com Stingaree 454 Sixth Ave., Downtown. DJs Fashen

and Kaos drop the fist-pumping jams while Sex Panther releases musical pheromones on the roof top all night long. Bottle service is available. $50 pre-sale. stingsandiego.com Tango Del Rey 3567 Del Rey St., Pacific Beach.

Run away and join the circus for one night only at this Cirque du Soleil-style masquerade. The fancy ball calls for semi-formal to formal attire, so leave your spaghetti-stained sweatpants at home. $75. tangodelrey.com U31 Cocktail Lounge 3112 University Ave., North Park. U31’s keeping it simple this year with dancing to the sounds of DJ Bacon Bits and friends. u31bar.com Urban Mo’s 308 University Ave., Hillcrest. The lively gay hotspot will have all-you-can-eat spaghetti and show-tunes karaoke from 5 to 10 p.m. and then a dance party with DJ John Joseph. No cover. urbanmos.com Venga Venga Cantina & Tequila Bar 2015 Birch Road, Suite 710, Chula Vista. Celebrating its first New Year’s Eve, the high-end Mexican restaurant features a midnight “12 Grapes of Luck” ceremony and complimentary champagne toast. As the tradition states, eating a grape at the ringing of each bell will result in a prosperous new year. Guest can party in the New Year dancing to Latin beats. richardsandoval.com Viejas 5000 Willows Road in Alpine. The casino goes buck wild with a “Fire & Ice” extravaganza featuring live performances on the outdoor stage, DJ 2-Rille spinning in the DreamCatcher Showroom, food and drink specials all night, a ball drop and more. Room packages available. $10. shopsatviejas.com Whiskey Girl 702 Fifth Ave., Downtown. Resident DJs Marc Thrasher and Romeo drop the house music until 2 a.m., preceded by a gourmet buffet dinner from 7 to 9 p.m. $40. whiskeygirl.com Whistle Stop Bar 2236 Fern St., South Park. Booty Bassment, the Whistle’s hip-hop party, returns for another round of ball-dropping. DJs Dimitri and Rob will spin the rump-shaking jams. $10. whistlestopbar.com

Performance

cocktails, party favors and a midnight champagne toast are included in the ticket price. $125 and up plus $10 self-parking or $15 valet. hiltonlajollatorreypines.com

If you prefer a little ringing in your ears when you ring in the new year, there are plenty of options to catch live music in San Diego on Dec. 31. Sure, you could go have a fancy prixfixe meal, or gather with thousands of people Downtown, but sometimes a dark, cozy and uproariously loud dive bar is the way to go.

Soda Bar (3615 El Cajon Blvd., City Heights) will host a very special reunion show featuring darkly psychedelic indie rockers Scarlet Symphony. The group, founded in 2000 by brothers Josh and Zach Wheeler, have broken up at least three times, but the band is playing together again for the first time in three years.

Joining Scarlet Symphony are San Francisco goth ’n’ roll outfit Zodiac Death Valley and soulful indie-pop group Hills Like Elephants. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door at sodabarmusic.com; might be worth getting them early so you’ll have a few extra bucks for a refreshing Christpuncher.

But if that’s not exactly what you had in mind for New Year’s Eve, here are some more recommendations for ways to spend the evening:

The Lafayette 2223 El Cajon Blvd., North Park.

From 8 p.m. to 1 a.m., The Casbah takes over the historic hotel, with live bands—Dead Feather Moon, Ziggy Shuffledust, Low Volts, In Motion Trio and more. $25, with room packages starting at $229. casbahmusic.com

American Comedy Co. 818 Sixth Ave, Downtown.

Stand-up heavyweight and two-time New York Times bestselling author Jim Norton helps you laugh in 2014 with two performances—7 p.m. and 10 p.m.—to cover the countdown on both coasts. Admission, including dinner, party favors and a champagne toast, is $70. americancomedyco.com Balboa Theater 868 Fourth Ave., Downtown. Feel like laughing until your gut sprouts an ulcer? Then spend New Year’s Eve with veteran comedian Paula Poundstone. $25-$42.50. sandiegotheatres.org Belly Up Tavern 143 S. Cedros Ave., Solana Beach.

Vibe out to The Expendables’ fusion of punk-rock and reggae sounds. Seedless will also perform. $45, $50 at the door. bellyup.com The Casbah 2501 Kettner Blvd., Middletown. Los Angeles rockers Terraplane Sun are bringing some bluesy, soulful and hard-rocking jams to a bill that also includes singer/songwriter Jackson Price. $20. casbahmusic.com Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines 10950 N. Torrey Pines Road. The hotel’s ballroom will host party band Wayne Foster Live Entertainment, plus a live cooking station, passed appetizers, dessert and cocktails. Three free

Lips 3036 El Cajon Blvd., North Park. The drag queens pull out all the stops and present their “Third Annual Masquerade Ball,” including masked drag shows and dinner. Early seating starts at 6:30 p.m. ($15 food minimum and $10 cover) and midnight seating starts at 9:30 p.m. ($49 includes a three-course dinner, party favors, champagne toast and post-midnight dance party). lipssd.com Martinis Above Fourth 3940 Fourth Ave., Hillcrest.

Enjoy a four-course dinner and live jazz by the sexy, all-male string quartet Well Strung. Multiple seatings. $150. martinisabovefourth.com Seven Grand 3054 University Ave., North Park. The upscale whiskey spot’s becoming quite the live-music venue. Celebrate 2014 with psych-rockers Wild Wild Wets, Barbarian and DJ Barry Thomas. Keeping with the “wild” theme, there’ll be Wild Turkey specials and a whiskey toast at midnight. sevengrandbars.com Til-Two Club 4746 El Cajon Blvd., City Heights. Have yourself a noisy little punk-rock party with a headlining show from San Pedro El Cortez, who’ll be joined

by Go Go Lords, Sailing Stones and The Pheasants. $7. tiltwoclub.com Tin Can Ale House 1863 Fifth Ave., Bankers Hill.

Get raw and noisy with a blend of hardcore and metal courtesy of Portland’s Raw Nerves. Age of Collapse, Sleep Walk and Piglife also play. $5. thetincan1. wordpress.com Tower Bar 4757 University Ave., City Heights. From Scars, Pageripper and Caskitt throw down for a hardcore-punk party. $5. thetowerbar.com Valley View Casino Center 3500 Sports Arena Blvd., Sports Arena. “OMFG!” is back with another two-day EDM extravaganza (Dec. 30 and 31), featuring Boys Noize, BRAZZABELLE, Bro Safari, Cole Plante, Diplo, DJ Snake, Feed Me, GTA, Henrix, Laidback Luke, Madeon, Nero, Nervo and Ookay. $164, $304 VIP. valleyviewcasinocenter.com Victory Theater 2558 Imperial Ave., Logan Heights.

Join the circus freaks of Technomania for a night, beginning at 8 p.m., with DJ dancing, a bar and several live musical acts, including Duckmandu and his punkrock accordion. $20. technomaniacircus.com WorldBeat Cultural Center 2100 Park Blvd., Balboa Park. Achieve higher states of consciousness at “Alternative New Years 2014.” Join a healing drum circle, get treated to African music and dance and participate in Hatha yoga. No cover, voluntary donation suggested. worldbeatcenter.org

December 18, 2013 · San Diego CityBeat · 33

Zen

and the

art

of

partying

Andrew W.K.’s almost spiritual devotion to celebration • by Jeff Terich To know Andrew W.K. is to know the way of the party.

34 · San Diego CityBeat · December 18, 2013

one of my favorite people or characters or figures, and he’s definitely, to me, as ‘party’ as it gets,” he says. “I try to emulate him and also want to make him proud and also try to live up to the kindness and good cheer that he’s exuded.”

When Andrew W.K. isn’t gracing an actual stage, he uses social media as a platform to deliver daily affirmations of celebration and debauchery. His Twitter feed is a long and frequently hilarious string of “Party Tips” that range from the silly (“PARTY TIP: Candy dinner”) to almost-Zen-like koans such as, “On a good day we party. On a bad day, we party until it becomes a good day.”

He’s channeling that party-driven wisdom into a lengthy tome—yes, he’s writing the literal book on partying—titled The Party Bible.

It’s due for release in 2014 through Simon & Schuster, and W.K. explains that it’s intended to cover as much topical ground as possible on his party-positive way of life.

“It’s the world as seen through the party mindset,” he says. “I’d like to touch on everything as much as I can. But there’s a lot of fun ways to improve the definition of partying, as far as how it can help one person get cheered up or view the world through this attitude.

“It’s not a book about my life; it’s not a memoir or autobiography,” he clarifies.

“It’s really just a book about partying.”

Between touring, writing the book, hitting the academic and motivational lecture circuit and various excursions into product endorsement—which includes Kit-Kat bars and Playtex hygienic wipes (no, really)—it would take an unnatural level of energy to keep up the kind of schedule that Andrew W.K. does. And it’s possible that he’s the result of a government experiment to create a superhuman party

machine—as he put it recently in a tweet: “My body is a piece of party equipment.” But the answer to how he stays upright, even after more than a decade of intense, nonstop festivity, it turns out, is much simpler than that.

“I don’t feel like I work very hard at all, and I don’t know if that’s because 99 percent of what I’m doing I enjoy so much,” he says. “When you’re partying all the time, it’s hard to make it feel like work. It’s just constant, nonstop celebration. It has its own fuel source built-in.

“It’s like a perpetual-motion machine.”

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

Jonathan Thorpe

The endlessly enthusiastic New Yorker is more than a musician—he’s an icon for positivity and, more importantly, partying hard. Andrew W.K., whose real name is Andrew Wilkes-Krier and who plays a guitar that resembles a slice of pizza, didn’t launch a career with his 2001 debut, I Get Wet, so much as he launched a lifestyle and a brand. That album, packed with hard-driving 4/4 stadium-rock anthems like “Party Hard,” “It’s Time to Party” and “Party Till You Puke,” introduced the world to a figure who would soon become America’s foremost authority on uproarious revelry.

Since the release of his debut, Andrew W.K. has taken innumerable career left turns, having released an album of improvised piano pieces called ’55 Cadillac, participating in The Boredoms’ 77-drummer “77 Boadrum” concert, opening the Santos Party House club in Brooklyn, hosting the Cartoon Network show Destroy Build Destroy and even giving a number of motivational speeches. He’s a one-man celebration—a conduit for good times and a traveling distributor of mirth and merriment. Whether he’s delivering a lecture at Yale or overseeing operations at a New York rock club, all of these efforts eventually lead back to Andrew W.K.’s raison d’etre: partying.

For W.K., it’s only natural to take advantage of the holiday season to spread his gospel of riotous good times with a Christmas-themed tour. The Party Hard Holiday tour brings him to San Diego on Friday, Dec. 20, where he’ll play the Epicentre. He tells CityBeat that the tour allows him to give a less-structured performance that encourages audience participation.

“It’s a very festive and very open format for a show, and it does give us the flexibility to play holiday songs, to make up songs with the folks in the room,” he says. “It’s as interactive and intimate as we can possibly make it.

“I like the feeling that the whole room is the stage and everyone is just performing for each other,” he adds. “In a way, I’m as much an audience member as a performer. So, whoever’s in the room that night, that’s my band. I want it to have that feeling of a real sing-along, friends-hangingout-and-partying vibe.”

This set of special holiday shows also allows Andrew W.K. to pay homage to a personal hero: Santa Claus. “He’s

notes from the smoking patio Locals Only Mrs. Magician are calling it quits.

The surf-inspired indie-rock group announced via their Facebook page that they’ll play their final show on Friday, Dec. 27, at Soda Bar. “So… this is gonna be our last show,” the post reads. “Thanx for being a part of our band for the last 4 years. Peace doods. RIP MRS MAGICIAN.” Shortly after, Soda Bar also posted on its website, “Sadly, this will be the last ever Mrs. Magician show.”

When CityBeat reached out to Mrs. Magician frontman Jacob Turnbloom, the singer and songwriter declined to comment on the reasons behind the split.

Drummer Cory Stier, who took a break from the band during the fall because of touring commitments with Cults, said he was disappointed to hear of the breakup, but he also said that there are no hard feelings about it.

“I am bummed it’s coming to an end, because I felt the band had at least another great record left to record,” Stier said in an email.

Mrs. Magician formed in 2010 and released their debut album, Strange Heaven, in 2012, via Swami Records, which was recorded by label founder and Rocket from the Crypt frontman John Reis. In September, the band released a collection of b-sides and rarities, titled B-Sides, though the group never re-

Mrs. Magician leased an official follow-up to their debut. Shortly before announcing they were splitting up, Mrs. Magician released a new 7-inch single featuring the songs “Friday Night” and “Crosses,” which was issued as part of a vinyl subscription series on Windian Records.

•••

Rock duo Little Hurricane have announced that their second album, Gold Fever, will be released on March 4, via Death Valley Records. The album was produced by singer Tone Catalano, and the group is launching a tour in February with John Butler Trio to support the album.

—Jeff Terich

Holiday rock-show guide As Christmas creeps ever closer, holiday music becomes not just ubiquitous, but also inescapable. So if you can’t beat ’em, you might as well join ’em— on your own drunken, deafening, messy terms, of course. To help holiday revelers find just the right Yuletide blow-out to attend, I’ve assembled a guide to notable events around town.

The Casbah is hosting no fewer than three holiday bashes in the coming week, each one with its own unique vibe. On Wednesday, Dec. 18, Black Hondo, Marsupials and Nick Bone and the Big Scene are performing at The Dublin Mob XXXmas, a bikersand-brawlers ball sponsored by Dublin Mob Choppers. Then, on Sunday, Dec. 22, local legend El Vez and rockabilly filly Rosie Flores are headlining the Mexmas Show, a Latino-style rockabilly party that also includes the duo Two Wolves. Lastly, on Tuesday, Dec. 24, the annual Exile on Kettner Blvd. show full of Rolling Stones covers goes down, and it’s free.

Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach is also holding several shows with a Christmas or winter theme, including the sold-out Brian Setzer Orchestra gig on Friday, Dec. 20, The Greyboy Allstars’ Winter Solstice Celebration on Saturday, Dec. 21, and surfguitar legend Dick Dale’s own holiday show with The Tilt on Sunday, Dec. 22. (And if you don’t think surf music and X-mas mix, listen to The Ventures’ “Frosty the Snowman” for proof otherwise.)

America’s No. 1 authority on the party lifestyle, Andrew W.K., is throwing his own shindig on Friday, Dec. 20, at The Epicentre, as part of a winter tour. He’ll be joined by So Far Gone and Advocators of Fun. For more

El Vez on that, look over there to the page on the left.

Brick by Brick is hosting two ear-penetrating holiday blow-outs. On Friday, Dec. 20, it will hold 12 Years of Christmas Chaos, a benefit for Toys For Tots; it’s free with a toy donation. Snail Fight, Godhammered, The Empire State and One Inch Punch perform. The 2nd Annual Slabby Holidaze Show takes place on Saturday, Dec. 21, and features highprofile punk bands like Good Riddance, Pulley, Battalion of Saints, Skipjack and Maniacal Laugh.

And if your Christmas isn’t evil enough, on Wednesday, Dec. 18, you can have your picture taken with Satan at Tower Bar, while DJ Mikey Ratt spins records and one lucky reveler wins a $30 bar tab in a competitive-eating contest.

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

December 18, 2013 · San Diego CityBeat · 35

if i were u

BY Jeff Terich

Wednesday, Dec. 18 PLAN A: Polica, Avid Dancer @ Belly Up Tavern. Minnesota’s Polica are part of the Doomtree collective, but rather than specialize in hip-hop like P.O.S., or smooth yacht rock like Gayngs, they do dark, electronic pop, making them one of the most intriguing of the bunch. PLAN B: Tiny Telephones, Lost Ships, Amerikan Bear, Diatribes, DJs Mike Delgado and Colourvision @ Soda Bar. It’s feeling a lot more like winter in San Diego, which is the perfect time to soak in the atmospheric vibes of Tiny Telephones’ electronic pop. Don’t forget to wear a scarf!

Thursday, Dec. 19 PLAN A: Pere Ubu, Octagrape @ The Casbah. Ohio’s Pere Ubu are post-punk icons, responsible for some of the most groundbreaking (and weirdest) albums of the late ’70s and early ’80s. Prepare yourself for a unique, abrasive kind of freak-out.

PLAN B: Perfect Pussy, The Natives, Empire Pleasure @ Soda Bar. Their name catches you a bit off-guard (and seems engineered for Google confusion), but Perfect

Pussy are already making waves off of hype Matadors, Gone Baby Gone, Neighbors surrounding their self-released cassettes. to the North, Sexrat @ The Griffin.

Get in on the ground floor with these upand-coming punk rockers.

Sunday, Dec. 22

Friday, Dec. 20 PLAN A: Andrew W.K., So Far Gone @ Epicentre. One guaranteed way to turn your low-key holiday party into an absolute rager is to crank up Andrew W.K.’s “Party Hard.” Read my feature this week (Page 34) on the motivational party rocker to learn more about his holiday hijinks. PLAN B: Holograms, TV Ghost, Tropical Popsicle, DJ Art Vandelay @ Soda Bar. Now that Tropical Popsicle’s new album, Dawn of Delight, has been pressed on vinyl, the band’s holding a record-release show at Soda Bar. Make sure to stick around for post-punks Holograms and TV Ghost, who’ll keep the dark, abrasive vibes going strong. BACKUP PLAN: Trashaxis, Platypus Egg, Ugly Boogie @ Tin Can Ale House.

Saturday, Dec. 21 PLAN A: White Mule, Dark Watcher @ Tin Can Ale House. White Mule features quite a few indie-rock veterans from bands like No Knife, Sirhan Sirhan and Molly McGuire, and they’ve got the kind of kickass post-hardcore sound you’d expect from a résumé like that. BACKUP PLAN: Deadly Birds, Leanna May and The

36 · San Diego CityBeat · December 18, 2013

PLAN A: The El Vez and Rosie Flores Mex-mas Show!, Two Wolves @ The Casbah. I don’t know about you, but a holiday party that involves El Vez, rockabilly tunes, Latino tradition and lots of campy fun is a holiday party that I’d love to attend. Check out this week’s “Notes from the Smoking Patio” (Page 35) for a more complete roundup of holiday-related shows. PLAN B: Bone Thugs-N-Harmony @ House of Blues. OK, I’ll admit it—I didn’t even know that Bone Thugs-N-Harmony were still around. The group had some serious jams back in the ’90s, which they’re almost certain to bump tonight. BACKUP PLAN: Dick Dale, The Tilt @ Belly Up Tavern.

Monday, Dec. 23 PLAN A: Deck B, Requiem for the Rockets, Mascara Monsters @ Soda Bar. The fine folks at Soda Bar are offering a free show featuring headliners Deck B, a Tijuanense group with a dreamy, electronic approach. Drop in and chill out— the price is definitely right. BACKUP PLAN: Sonidero Travesura, Sonida De La Frontera, Cumbia Machin, Perros Cobardes, DJ Unite, DJ V-Rock, Audio Amazon @ The Casbah.

Polica

Tuesday, Dec. 24 PLAN A: Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Jack Frost nipping at your nose @ Your House. It’s Christmas Eve—no time to be going out and getting wasted at a dive bar (unless it’s a family tradition or something, in which case, carry on). Most venues are closed anyway, so spend some time with your family, rest up and get ready for more shows after all the Yuletide cheer runs dry. PLAN B: Exile on Kettner Blvd. @ The Casbah. On second thought, Christmas is a time of celebration, so why not get the party started a little early. Every year, The Casbah hosts Exile on Kettner Blvd., a show in which a revolving cast of local musicians plays Rolling Stones covers. And if holiday shopping has drained your bank account, you’re in luck: The show is free.

HOT! NEW! FRESH! Mobb Deep (HOB, 1/10), Mr. Tube and the Flying Objects (Casbah, 1/22), Islands (The Griffin, 1/25), Wild Cub (The Loft, 1/30), A Minor Forest (Casbah, 2/7), Ras Kass (Porter’s Pub, 2/8), Hospitality (Soda Bar, 2/14), G-Eazy (Soma, 3/1), Gary Numan (BUT, 3/5), JD Samson and Men (Bar Pink, 3/6), San Fermin, Son Lux (The Loft, 3/8), Scale The Summit (Soda Bar, 3/9), St. Vincent (HOB, 3/19), G. Love and Special Sauce (HOB, 3/21), The Alarm (Brick by Brick, 4/24).

GET YER TICKETS No Knife (Casbah, 1/8), Janelle Monae (HOB, 1/13), X (Casbah, 1/16), The Penetrators (Casbah, 1/17), Skinny Puppy (HOB, 1/25), OFF! (Casbah, 1/29), Mayer Hawthorne (HOB, 1/30), The Menzingers (Che Café, 1/30), Oneohtrix Point Never (The Irenic, 2/8), Young The Giant (SOMA, 2/9), Brandon Boyd and Sons of the Sea (HOB, 2/11), New Politics (HOB, 2/17), Marissa Nadler (Soda Bar, 2/23), The Wailers (BUT, 3/2), Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings (HOB, 3/22), Xiu Xiu (Soda Bar, 3/25), Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks (Casbah, 3/29), Cut Copy (HOB, 4/2), Tiger Army (HOB, 4/16), Lady Gaga (Viejas Arena, 6/2).

December Wednesday, Dec. 18 Orgy at Brick by Brick. Polica at Belly Up Tavern.

Thursday, Dec. 19 NOFX at House of Blues. Pere Ubu at The Casbah. Perfect Pussy at Soda Bar.

Friday, Dec. 20 Andrew WK at The Epicentre. Holograms at Soda Bar.

Saturday, Dec. 21 U.S. Bombs at Soda Bar. The Greyboy Allstars at Belly Up Tavern.

Sunday, Dec. 22 Dick Dale at Belly Up Tavern.

Monday, Dec. 23 Kut U UP at Belly Up Tavern.

Thursday, Dec. 26 The Growlers at Belly Up Tavern.

Friday, Dec. 27 John Oliver at Spreckels Theatre. Cash’d Out at Belly Up Tavern.

Saturday, Dec. 28 Get Back Loretta at The Casbah. Donavon Frankenreiter at Belly Up Tavern.

Sunday, Dec. 29 Cracker, Camper Van Beethoven at Belly Up Tavern.

Monday, Dec. 30 Donavon Frankenreiter at Belly Up Tavern.

Tuesday, Dec. 31 Candye Kane at Belly Up Tavern. Scarlet Symphony at Soda Bar.

January Thursday, Jan. 2 Matthew Sweet at Belly Up Tavern.

Friday, Jan. 3 Pato Banton at Belly Up Tavern. Poison Idea at Brick By Brick. The Paladins at The Casbah

Saturday, Jan. 4 Tower of Power at Belly Up Tavern. The Dragons at The Casbah.

Sunday, Jan. 5 Califone at Soda Bar.

Monday, Jan. 6 Corrections House at Soda Bar.

Tuesday, Jan. 7 Three Mile Pilot at The Casbah.

Wednesday, Jan. 8 No Knife at The Casbah.

Thursday, Jan. 9 No Knife at The Casbah. Sea Wolf at Luce Loft.

Friday, Jan. 10 Jonny Lang at Belly Up Tavern. The Rugburns at The Casbah. Mobb Deep at House of Blues.

Saturday, Jan. 11 The Dickies at Soda Bar. Beat Farmers at Belly Up Tavern. Sweet and Tender Hooligans at The Casbah. Nipsey Hussle at Porter’s Pub.

Sunday, Jan. 12 Tennis at Soda Bar. David Lindley at Belly Up Tavern.

rCLUBSr

710 Beach Club, 710 Garnet Ave, Pacific Beach. 710bc.com. Wed: Open mic, open jam. Thu: Gnarlys Angels, The Tarr Steps.

Fri: Johnny Richter, Timothy H, DJ Matty Mac. Sat: ‘Hotel California Fashion Show’ w/ DJ Chuckie V, Comfort in Chaos, Wet, Factory Seconds, Dirty Black Summer.

Mon: ‘Mondays with Maegan’.

98 Bottles, 2400 Kettner Blvd. Ste. 110, Little Italy. 98bottlessd.com. Thu: Steph Johnson. Fri: The Benedetti Trio. Sat: ‘The Soulful Sounds of the Season’ w/ Daneen Wilburn.

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

Wed: ‘BrokenBeat Sessions’ w/ DJs Justin Conrad, WalkNasty, Her Majesty. Thu: DJs Bala, Ledher 10, Impera. Fri: ‘Unwind’ w/ DJs Zachary Noah, Jaby Bames (6 p.m.); DJ Junior The DiscoPunk (9 p.m.). Sat: ‘Juicy’ w/ Mike Czech.

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

Wed: Adam Carolla Podcast (sold out).

Thu-Sun: Taylor Williamson.

Bang Bang, 526 Market St, Downtown. facebook.com/BangBangSanDiego. Fri: Viceroy, Colourvision. Sat: Kittens, Mossberg Pump.

Emma Hewitt.

Beaumont’s, 5662 La Jolla Blvd, La Jolla. brocktonvilla.com/beaumonts.html. Wed & Sun: Kayla Hope. Thu: Trent Hancock.

Sat: Random Radio. Sun: Kayla Hope.

Belly Up Tavern, 143 S. Cedros Ave, Solana Beach. bellyup.com. Wed: Polica, Avid Dancer. Thu: Venice, Charlie Vaughn and The Daily Routine. Fri: The Brian Setzer Orchestra (sold out). Sat: Greyboy Allstars. Sun: Dick Dale, The Tilt. Mon: Kut U Up, Second Generation, Loose Snakes.

Bluefoot Bar & Lounge, 3404 30th St, North Park. bluefootsd.com. Wed: DJ C Wizrad. Thu: ‘Butcher the DJ’ w/ DJ Iggy.

Fri: Mike Delgado. Sat: Peso. Sun: ‘VJ Bang’ w/ VJ JK. Boar Cross’n, 390 Grand Ave, Carlsbad. boarcrossn.net. Sat: Shoreline Roots, Chill Clinton.

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

Fri: ‘Go-Go Fridays’ w/ VJ K-Swift. Sat: ‘Dinner With the Dreamgirls’. Sun: ‘Soiree’.

Brick by Brick, 1130 Buenos Ave, Bay Park. brickbybrick.com. Wed: Orgy, Redmond, Squirrelly Arts, Bricklayer Bosh.

Thu: The Blood, Storta, Nerve Control.

Fri: Snail Fight, Godhammered, The Empire State, One Inch Punch. Sat: Good Riddance, Pulley, Battalion of Saints, Skipjack, Maniacal Laugh. Sun: The Animal In Me, The Young Electric, Frequency.

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

Tue: Joeff and Co. Comedy Palace, 8878 Clairemont Mesa Blvd, Clairemont. thecomedypalace.com.

Fri-Sat: Sean McBride.

Comedy Store, 916 Pearl St, La Jolla. lajolla.thecomedystore.com.

Fri-Sat: Sarah Tiana.

Croce’s, 802 Fifth Ave, Downtown. croces.com. Wed: Sue Palmer. Thu: Gilbert Castellanos and The New Latin Jazz Quintet. Fri: Lady Dottie and The Diamonds.

Sat: Daniel Jackson (11:30 a.m.); Agua Dulce (8:30 p.m.). Sun: Patrick Barrogain (11:30 a.m.); Steph Johnson (7:30 p.m.).

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

Dizzy’s, 4275 Mission Bay Drive, Mission Bay. dizzyssandiego.com. Fri: Brian Lynch.

Sat: The Gonzalo Bergara Quartet.

El Dorado Bar, 1030 Broadway, Downtown. eldoradobar.com. Wed: ‘The Tighten-Up’. Thu: ‘8th and G Party’. Fri: ‘Hickeys and Dryhumps’. Sat: Cosmic Dan, Pleasure Principle, Adam Salter.

Epicentre, 8450 Mira Mesa Blvd, Mira Mesa. epicentreconcerts.org. Fri: Andrew W.K., So Far Gone, Advocators of Fun. F6ix, 526 F St., Downtown, Downtown. f6ixsd.com. Fri: DJ Fingaz. Sat: DJ Kurch.

Fluxx, 500 Fourth Ave, Downtown. fluxxsd.com. Thu: Max Vangeli. Fri: DJ Epic Twelve. Sat: DJ Loczi.

Gallagher’s, 5040 Newport Ave, Ocean Beach. 619-222-5303. Wed: Barbarian.

Thu: Jam Kwest, TRC Soundsystem, DJ Reefah. Fri: Noise Makerz, DJ Lya. Sat: The Drinking Cowboy Band.

Bar Pink, 3829 30th St, North Park. barpink.com. Wed: ‘Funk 101’ w/ Stevie and the Hi-Stax. Thu: The Beautiful View.

Fri: DJ @Large. Sat: ‘Neon Beat’.

Hard Rock Hotel, 207 Fifth Ave, Downtown. hardrockhotelsd.com. Thu: MNDR, Little Hurricane. Fri: DJ Craig Smoove, Kurch. Sat: Embers. Sat: Embers feat.

Mikey Beats, Mr. Brown. Sun: ‘Sunday School’ w/ Sid Vicious, DJ Kurch.

Bassmnt, 919 Fourth Ave, Downtown. bassmntsd.com. Fri: ETC! ETC!. Sat:

CONTINUED ON PAGE 38 December 18, 2013 · San Diego CityBeat · 37

Henry’s Pub, 618 Fifth Ave, Downtown. henryspub.com. Wed: Johnny Tarr, DJ Christopher London. Thu: Mark Fisher, DJ Yodah. Fri: DJs Rev, Yodah. Sat: DJs E, Yodah. Mon: DJs Yodah, Joey Jimenez.

House of Blues, 1055 Fifth Ave, Downtown. houseofblues.com/sandiego. Wed: Jake Miller, Action Item, Air Dubai. Thu: NOFX, Implants. Sat: Vokab Company, Minnesota, Diego’s Umbrella. Sun: Bone Thugs-N-Harmony.

Kava Lounge, 2812 Kettner Blvd, Midtown. kavalounge.com. Thu: Nightwerks, Baglady, Hoodboi, Yngn, San Royal. Fri: Bassmechanic, Brutus. Sat: Jon Doss, Juan Carmona, Serhat Sergin.

Kensington Club, 4079 Adams Ave, Kensington. 619-284-2848. Sat: Dinosaur Ghost, Orbitrons, A New Ending. Sun: Jane Rose and The Deadend Boys, Roy Rapid and Rhythm Rock Trio, The Johnny Deadly Trio.

Lestat’s Coffee House, 3343 Adams Ave, Normal Heights. lestats.com. Wed: Ashley Raines and The New West Revue, Eric Himan. Thu: Rebecca Pidgeon, Paul Freeman, Tim Moyer. Fri: Little Galaxies, The Gaffer, Victoria and The Vaudevillains.

Sat: Allison Lonsdale, Ashley Pond, Raelee Nikole, Samantha Aiken. Sun: Kennady Tracy, Mason James, Olivia Wiese.

Mon: Open mic. Tue: Comedy night.

Mc P’s Irish Pub, 1107 Orange Ave, Coronado. mcpspub.com. Wed: Ron’s Trio. Thu: JG Trio. Fri: Ron’s Garage.

Sat: 4-Way Street. Tue: Tone Cookin’.

Numbers, 3811 Park Blvd, Hillcrest. numberssd.com. Thu: ‘Varsity’. Fri: ‘Viernes Calientes’. Sat: ‘Factory’. Sun: ‘Joe’s Gamenite’.

Onyx Room / Thin, 852 Fifth Ave,

Downtown. onyxroom.com. Fri: ‘Rumba Lounge Toy Drive’. Sat: ‘Sexy Santa Party’.

Patricks Gaslamp, 428 F St, Downtown. patricksii.com. Wed: Bill Magee Blues Band. Thu: Len Rainey’s Midnight Players. Fri: Myron and The Kyniptionz. Sat: Mystique Element of Soul. Sun: Trey Tosh and The TNT Band. Mon: WG and The GMen. Tue: Walter’s Chicken Jam. Quality Social, 789 Sixth Ave, Downtown. qualitysocial.com. Thu: DJ Saul Q. Fri: ‘90s Dance Friday’.

Queen Bee’s, 3925 Ohio St, North Park. queenbeessd.com. Thu: ‘Elevated’. Fri: Troubadour Holiday Open House.

Rich’s, 1051 University Ave, Hillcrest. richssandiego.com. Wed: DJ Taj. Thu: DJ Dirty Kurty. Fri: DJs Drew G, Will Z. Sat: DJ Shane Stiel. Sun: DJs Marcel, Cros.

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

Wed: Kice Simko. Fri: Little Kings. Sat: Bedbreakers. Tue: Karaoke.

Seven Grand, 3054 University Ave, North Park. sevengrandbars.com/sd.

Thu: ‘Acoustic Soul’. Fri: The Cherries Jubilee.

Shakedown Bar, 3048 Midway Drive, Point Loma. theshakedownsd.com. Fri: Nihilist, Groove of Death, Livin Alive, Planet Flesh. Sat: Kingsland, Hazmatt. Sun: Fallen Hero.

Side Bar, 536 Market St, Downtown. sidebarsd.com. Fri: ‘S-Bar’ w/ Wendi Cakes. Sat: DJ Slowhand.

Soda Bar, 3615 El Cajon Blvd, City Heights. sodabarmusic.com. Wed: Tiny Telephones, Lost Ships, Amerikan Bear, Diatribes, DJs Mike Delgado, Colourvi-

38 · San Diego CityBeat · December 18, 2013

sion. Thu: Perfect Pussy, The Natives, Empire Pleasure. Fri: Holograms, TV Ghost, Tropical Popsicle, DJ Art Vandelay.

Sat: US Bombs, Rat City Riot, Sculpins, Oddball. Sun: Cobra Skulls, The Bombpops, Western Settings, Talk Radio. Mon: Deck B, Requiem for the Rockets, Mascara Monsters.

SOMA, 3350 Sports Arena Blvd, Midway. somasandiego.com. Fri: Winds Of Plague, To Each a His Own, Killing The Messenger, Hundred Caliber, The I In Self, Silencer, Felonies, Within Ourselves.

Sat: Cut Your Losses, Scarlett Avenue, Short Stories, Communist Kayte, It All Starts Here, Last Call Home.

Spin, 2028 Hancock St, Midtown. spinnightclub.com. Fri: ‘Ikon Fridays’ w/ D Rock, Mr. Hek. Sun: ‘Reggae Sundays’.

Stage Bar & Grill, 762 Fifth Ave, Downtown. stagesaloon.com. Wed: Mark Fisher and Gaslamp Guitars. Thu: Van Roth.

Fri: Isleside (8 p.m.); Disco Pimps (10:30 p.m.). Sat: Seawall (7:40 p.m.); Hott Mess (9:30 p.m.); DJ Miss Dust (10:30 p.m.).

Sun: ‘Funhouse/Seismic’. Mon: Liberation Posse (7:30 p.m.); ‘Fettish Monday’ (10 p.m.).

The Brass Rail, 3796 Fifth Ave, Hillcrest. thebrassrailsd.com. Thu: ‘Boy’z Club’ w/ DJs Marcel, John Joseph, Taj, Will Z. Fri: ‘Naughty or Nice’ w/ DJ Laszlo. Sat: ‘Let’s Talk Shit’. Mon: ‘Ugly Sweater Party’ w/ DJs XP, Junior the Disco Punk.

The Casbah, 2501 Kettner Blvd, Midtown. casbahmusic.com. Wed: ‘Dublin Mob XXXmas Party’ w/ Black Hondo, Marsupials, Nick Bone and The Big Scene. Thu: Pere Ubu, Octa#grape. Fri: Queenly, Highway to Hell Cajon. Sat: Schitzophonics, The Touchies, Nformals, Spero. Sun: The El Vez and Rosie Flores Mexmas Show, Two Wolves. Mon: Sonidera Travesura, Sonida

De La Frontera, Cumbia Machin, Perros Cobardes, DJs Unite, V-Rock, Audio Amazon. Tue: ‘Exile On Kettner Blvd.’.

Tio Leo’s, 5302 Napa St, Bay Park. tioleos.com. Thu: Blue Largo. Fri: Wild$ide.

Sat: Full Strength Funk Band.

The Che Cafe, UCSD campus, La Jolla. thechecafe.blogspot.com. Fri: Loose Nuts, Bucket of Fish, Creative Conspiracy, Biblical Violence. Sat: American Haiku, Flowers Taped to Pens, Fist Benders, Snowfall.

Tower Bar, 4757 University Ave, City Heights. thetowerbar.com. Wed: ‘Xmas With Satan’ w/ DJ Mikey Ratt. Sat: The Loons, The Sidewalk Scene, DJ Tony The Tyger, Mateo Londres.

The Griffin, 1310 Morena Blvd, Bay Park. thegriffinsd.com. Thu: The Foundation Of, Jerry Olea and the 805 Drifters, CHop. Sat: Deadly Birds, Leanna May and The Matadors, Gone Baby Gone, Neighbors to the North, Sexrat. Mon: St. Cloud Sleepers, The Black Sands, Jeans Wilder, Fighting With Irons.

The Merrow, 1271 University Ave, Hillcrest. rubyroomsd.com. Thu: 22 Kings, Kevin Brennan, Patrick Lanzetta, Thoughtless Approach.

The Office, 3936 30th St, North Park. officebarinc.com. Wed: ‘Customer Appreciation Party’. Sun: ‘Uptown Top Ranking’ w/ Tribe of Kings. Mon: ‘Dub Dynamite’ w/ DJs Rashi, Eddie Turbo.

The Void, 3519 El Cajon Blvd, North Park. thevoidsd.com. Thu: Oh Spirit, Soft Limits, Simon Griffin.

Til-Two Club, 4746 El Cajon Blvd, City Heights. tiltwoclub.com. Wed: ‘A Brief History of Rhyme’ w/ DJ Heather Hardcore. Fri: Micah Schnabel, Swingchimney, Todd Allen.

Tin Can Ale House, 1863 Fifth Ave, Bankers Hill. thetincan1.wordpress.com. Wed: Shawn Rohlf, VaVaBlume, Eric Hankins.

Thu: The Lexicons, The Amalgamated, Shocks of Mighty. Fri: Trashaxis, Platypus Egg, Ugly Boogie. Sat: White Mule, Dark Watcher. Sun: ‘Tin Can Country Club’ w/ Bible Brothers.

Turquoise, 873 Turquoise St, Pacific Beach. theturquoise.com/wordpress.

Wed: Mark Hall (4 p.m.); Tomcat Courtney (6 p.m.). Thu: Talia (4 p.m.); Jade Visions Jazz Trio (7 p.m.). Fri: Tomcat Courtney (5 p.m.); Afro Jazziacs (9 p.m.).

Sat: Tomcat Courtney (5 p.m.); Son Pa Ti (7 p.m.). Sun: Sounds Like Four (4 p.m.); Middle Earth (8 p.m.). Mon: Thee Antagonist (4 p.m.); Stefanie Schmitz (7 p.m.).

Tue: Stefanie Schmitz.

U-31, 3112 University Ave, North Park. u31bar.com. Wed: ‘Listen SD’. Thu: ‘The Sugar Room’. Fri: Man Cat, Groundfloor.

Sat: DJ Qenoe.

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

Wed: DJ Qenoe. Thu: DJ Clean Cut. Fri: DJ Slowhand. Sat: DJ Billy the Kid. Tue: Mike Delgado.

Whistle Stop, 2236 Fern St, South Park. whistlestopbar.com. Thu: ‘Astrojump’ w/ Kill Quanti DJs. Fri: ‘F#ing In the Bushes’ w/ DJs Daniel Sant, Rob Moran. Sat: ‘80s vs. 90s’ w/ DJs Gabe Vega, Saul. Mon: DJs Mario Orduno, Charles Rowell.

Winstons, 1921 Bacon St, Ocean Beach. winstonsob.com. Wed: Shoreline Roots, DJ Carlos Culture. Thu: Destructo Bunny, Atlantis Rizing. Fri: So Cal Vibes, Restoration One, Smokey Hoof. Sat: Stranger, Beyond I Sight, Tribe Of Kings. Sun: Brothers Herd. Mon: Electric Waste Band. Tue: ‘SUBDVSN’.

Proud sponsor: Pacific Nature Tours

Ink Well Xwords by Ben Tausig

Across 1. Mated, as horses 5. “Beat it” 10. Chain with active cultures 14. Rock that cannot, in fact, be contained in a lamp 15. Like most parental tastes, to children 16. Joey Lawrence catchphrase on “Blossom” 17. Place to bake 18. Senator Sam who investigated Watergate 19. The I of I.M. Pei 20. Where a “Gilligan’s Island” hottie moved after striking it rich?

23. “That’s me” 24. Having a high BMI 26. Gloves worn mostly in spring, summer, and fall 29. Heavyweight org. generally assumed to be corrupt 32. Havens 34. “Children of her type contrive the purest philosophies” Nabokov girl 35. Herding sheep?

38. Ready, as fruit 40. Instrument with keys and a bench 41. Talk Like a Pirate Day phrase 42. What Gaia and Athena use to alert other drivers?

45. Child 46. Nick who played John Connor in “Terminator 3” 47. Buddhist school 48. ___ brûlée 50. Copperhead, e.g.

52. South Korea’s fourth-largest company 53. Drag, and a hint to this puzzle’s theme 60. Start to wake 62. Cry at the county fair 63. Ice-T’s wife

Last week’s answers

64. Small iPod option 65. Grammy-winning Renaissance man Steve 66. Uptight, as it were 67. Doesn’t share 68. Body images?

69. Fall faller

Down 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

Oprah’s Life Lift, e.g.

Sitarist Shankar Settled up “Fudge” Word before donor or bank 2006 Pixar hit Say you can make it to the party, say Continent with about twenty cities larger than New York 9. ___ Park, California (site of Facebook’s headquarters) 10. Once bitten, ___ 11. “Q: How does Moses make tea?

A: Hebrews it,” e.g.

12. Halloween word 13. “Yes” 21. Right on the map?

22. Certain quatrain pattern 25. Omnipotent one, in Hebrew 26. Colorful Mexican cocktails, in slang 27. Dolts 28. Evading a question, as it were 29. Rachel of “The Constant Gardener” 30. Tycho who taught Johannes Kepler 31. Great works, collectively 33. “Humble” living space 36. Some printers 37. Word incorrectly paired with “either” 39. Star and director of the biopic “Pollock” 43. Nevada city whose Shoshoni name means “pile of rocks” 44. CBS drama spun off from “JAG” 49. Big name in mobility scooters 51. U.K. university where Daniel Libeskind trained 52. Alan who lost to Obama in 2004 54. Do really well, as it were 55. Explorer on Nickelodeon 56. Depend (on) 57. Actress Skye of “Say Anything ...”

58. Org. with a self-serving category called “student athletes” 59. Eisenhower course sport 60. “Unbelievable,” in online slang 61. Telenovela family member

A pair of tickets for a 4.5 or 8 hour Pacific Nature Tour will be awarded weekly. Email a picture of your answers to crossword@sdcitybeat.com or fax it to 619-325-1393. Limit one win per person per 30 days.

December 18, 2013 · San Diego CityBeat · 39

40 · San Diego CityBeat · December 18, 2013

December 18, 2013 · San Diego CityBeat · 41

42 · San Diego CityBeat · December 18, 2013

December 18, 2013 · San Diego CityBeat · 43