San Diego CityBeat • Dec 23, 2014

The business of being

Mr. Claus Santa Glen on real beards, hand sanitizer, minty-fresh breath and the realization that he isn’t completely nuts

by Kinsee Morlan •

P. 16

Sports P.3 Sixteen P.5 Biopics P.19 Cumbia P.21

2 · San Diego CityBeat · December 23, 2014

When will the Chargers propose?

Mark Fabiani, longtime special counsel and front man for San Diego Chargers owner Dean Spanos, last week announced that the Chargers will once again not take advantage of the football company’s annual contractual opportunity to flee town for a place inhabited by more appreciative people. So ended much handwringing over whether the team would move to football-starved Los Angeles in 2015.

Handwringing will resume next summer.

Fabiani told Mighty 1090 radio host Darren Smith that the “intelligence” that the team has gathered recently suggests that neither the Oakland Raiders nor the St. Louis Rams will make a move toward L.A. in 2015, buying the Chargers another year to pull together some kind of proposal to get a new stadium built in San Diego. If either or both of those teams return to L.A. after that, Fabiani says, some 30 percent of the Chargers’ current ticket buyers— who live in Orange and Los Angeles counties—will abandon San Diego’s team. (Apparently, a new stadium would come with enough opportunities for new revenue that nearly onethird of the Chargers’ current market would be rendered unnecessary.)

By most accounts, the Rams and Raiders want to be back in Los Angeles and the National Football League wants at least one team there as soon as possible. So, Fabiani says the Chargers have four choices: 1) build a new stadium in San Diego and stop worrying about L.A., 2) cobble together enough votes among NFL team owners to block the Rams and Raiders from moving, 3) somehow use politics to block construction of an L.A. stadium if Nos. 1 and 2 fail or 4) become the team that moves to L.A. We think the Chargers would already have moved to L.A. if that’s really what the Spanos family wanted, so we believe they’d like to stay. Their idealbut-impossible scenario would be for the taxpayers to gleefully pass a tax worth several hundred million dollars to help pay for a new stadium here. Because that’s never going to happen—mostly because it would require a two-thirds supermajority of voters to approve—the Chargers are talking up the idea of a multiuse facility: convention-center expansion, college-basketball tournaments, monster-truck rallies and whatever else they can think of that would fall under the “public benefit” heading.

The team really wanted the convention-centerexpansion idea to take off but couldn’t get much

traction because the powerful local hotel lobby hated the idea. That was pretty much dead until the city lost its own convention-center-expansion battle in court, which puts the Chargers’ idea back on life support. But we still think it’s going nowhere.

If that’s true—and even if it isn’t—the football company must do something it hasn’t done in the past decade-plus of talk about a new stadium: Put forth some kind, any kind, of concrete proposal.

You’d hardly know, amid all the complaining and debating and arguing and worrying, that the team has never submitted a genuine development proposal.

Here’s the proposal we’d like to see: The Chargers build a new, state-of-the-art facility, in a location where it doesn’t completely ruin the character of the surrounding area, with financing that doesn’t include any public money or free public land.

The Chargers want to leverage San Diego’s civic pride in its football team and use it against fans who are desperate to keep them here—sports teams have that unique advantage over other companies. The L.A. threat is a tool to drive up the price. But let’s remember that the Chargers are a private business run by an extremely wealthy family, and football stadiums don’t exactly produce gigantic revenue windfalls for their host cities. Moreover, no one should be rewarding NFL franchises with scarce tax dollars, given Dean Spanos the NFL’s obscene record with regard to player safety, labor, domestic violence and treatment of cheerleaders.

Bring it on, Spanos.

Holy cow, Padres!

Speaking of local sports teams: the San Diego Padres! Wow! New General Manager A.J. Preller has been busy in the past week, acquiring an all-starcaliber outfield in Justin Upton, Wil Myers and Matt Kemp, along with catcher Derek Norris and starting pitcher Brandon Morrow, and possibly third baseman Will Middlebrooks. The Padres have apparently also offered a deal to Japanese shortstop Takashi Toritani.

These deals may not all work out, but at least Preller’s trying to improve the team, which is more than Padres fans are used to and reason for excitement.

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

This issue of CityBeat contains 12.5 percent more absorbent birdcage liner.

Volume 13 • Issue 20

Cover photo by Jeff Corrigan

Arts Editor Kinsee Morlan

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

Staff Writer Joshua Emerson Smith

Production Manager Tristan Whitehouse

Web Editor Ryan Bradford

Production artist Rees Withrow

Art director Lindsey Voltoline

Intern Narine Petrosyan

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

Vice President of Operations David Comden

MultiMedia Advertising Director Paulina Porter-Tapia

Publisher Kevin Hellman

Editor David Rolland Associate Editor Kelly Davis Music Editor Jeff Terich

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

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Editorial and Advertising Office 3047 University Ave., Suite 202 San Diego, CA 92104 Phone: 619-281-7526 Fax: 619-281-5273 www.sdcitybeat.com

Vice President of Finance Michael Nagami

San Diego CityBeat is published and distributed every Wednesday by Southland Publishing Inc., free of charge but limited to one per reader. Reproduction of any material in this or any other issue is prohibited without written permission from the publisher and the author. Contents copyright 2014.

December 23, 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 3

Great piece on superheroes I got off work early today [Nov. 21]. They just let us go. I carpool with my wife. My default in these situations is a nice sit down in a pub.

I’m English.

Soon I was in Mission Brewery, reading CityBeat. I thoroughly enjoyed Ryan Bradford’s column on the Real Life Superhero group [“Well That Was Awkward,” Nov. 19]. It was affectionate yet noted the absurd. I laughed out loud. They sound awesome. Great job!

Gavin Meagher, Imperial Beach

Runaway train Your Nov. 26 editorial about UC President Janet Napolitano and the UC system was right on the money! This free-wheeling, publicbe-damned organization is a runaway train with an engineer who’s giving students and taxpayers a middle-finger salute, with the remainder of that Board of Trustees enabling this government hack to run roughshod over any and all naysayers.

Not once has there Janet Napolitano been any mention in all the UC blather of a concerted effort to reduce expenses across the system. Instead, they have callously moved forward to increase

4 · San Diego CityBeat · December 23, 2014

fees. Surely, there are expenses that can be curtailed or eliminated, but this train’s engineer comes from a government background of annually increasing budgets. She does not know how to cut costs! A place to start would be the “equality-diversity-inclusion,” politically correct sinecures on every campus and at the UC headquarters. One look at the egregiously obscene staff size (and its costs) in this sinecure at UCSD would blow your mind. Multiply that by every UC campus, and you’re talking multimillions of dollars. And this is just for openers. How about highly paid professors teaching more than three hours per week?

If the tone-deaf engineer were really interested in sparing students’ ever-increasing fees, aka tuition, she would create a task group, like the Committee Against Government Waste, to study the expense side of the UC system and then recommend where expenses could be cut (the fat) without cutting into the bone.

The one-track-mind UC engineer knows that increasing fees means that student fees will be covered by increased student loans, which will further burden them as graduates with higher debt, making it more difficult for graduates to gain career and family traction.

Why isn’t the federal government, which is now the source of all student loans, requiring school administrations to reduce expenses as a condition for having the student-loan program available for matriculating students?

The federal government is the main culprit

for the ever-escalating cost of getting a college education, for this gravy train of cash was not balanced by a mandate for strict expense control.

I hate to say this, but Gov. Brown was right on the money, too, when he opined that the UC regents need to devote more attention to cost cutting! One can’t get out of a hole by digging the hole deeper!

Lou Cumming, La Jolla

Someone else’s opinion Alegra Loewstein of Mira Mesa thanked you in her letter of Dec. 3 for publishing your endorsements of candidates and propositions, without which she could not have voted.

My greatest beef is that people without an opinion of their own should not vote, so, if she needs facts from you to form an opinion, she should get them from disinterested sources, not a newspaper. If she just copies your votes to her ballot, I beg her, and your other readers, to not vote someone else’s opinion. If she votes on the basis of your judgment, then where is hers?

If you don’t know, don’t vote the question.

A blank ballot is more informative than one with the opinion(s) of more than one mind.

I have spoken!

Saul Harmon Gritz, Hillcrest

Kelly Davis

Rhinehart doesn’t know if Cochran was coherent enough to let the jail’s medical staff know during intake that he was diabetic. She doesn’t know if he was still wearing his medical-ID necklace—it wasn’t among the items inventoried by the medical examiner. At around 12:30 p.m., less than two hours after he’d arrived at the jail, he fell face-forward off a bench. Paramedics were called, and he was taken to UCSD Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 2:15. The cause of death was diabetic ketoacidosis, a condition caused by an insulin shortage that’s rarely fatal if treated immediately.

Rhinehart says a sheriff’s homicide detective told her that deputies “did nothing wrong.” Ingrassia told CityBeat that a review of Cochran’s death is scheduled for next month.

Rhinehart’s back in North Carolina, where she and Cochran are from, living with her sister. “I don’t go out of my bedroom,” she says. “I don’t leave my bed. He was my life.”

D

Ronnie Sandoval (inset) died on Feb. 23, less than 12 hours after being booked into San Diego’s Central Jail.

An unfortunate record County jails hit a high for inmate deaths—will policy changes make a difference in 2015?

by Kelly Davis It’s likely no one will ever know for sure what happened to Jerry Cochran the night before he died. On the evening of Sept. 15, 2014, his girlfriend, Vella Rhinehart, called an ambulance to take Cochran to the emergency room—she was concerned about some swollen spider bites on his neck.

They were homeless, and Cochran had trouble walking without assistance.

The last time Rhinehart saw Cochran, he was in the back of the ambulance, his walker folded up next to him.

He was wearing his medical-ID necklace that let folks know he was diabetic, she says. The EMT told her Cochran didn’t need his wallet or medication; she told the EMT to tell the hospital to call her when Cochran was discharged—she’d find a way to come get him.

“Nobody ever called,” she says. “I called and called and called, and walked and walked”—up and down Fourth and Fifth avenues the next day, the path Cochran might have taken on his way back to their camp. Wednesday night, after two days of searching, Rhinehart got a phone call from her sister telling her Cochran had been arrested and died in jail.

Since March 2013, CityBeat’s been reporting on deaths in San Diego County jails, a series prompted by our finding that the county had the highest inmate mortality rate of California’s 10 largest jail systems between 2007 and 2012.

During that period, the county averaged 10 deaths a year,

with a high of 12 in 2009 and a low of eight in both 2007 and 2012. Twelve people died in 2013. This year, as of Dec. 19, 16 county-jail inmates have died.

“Sixteen deaths in a one year period is a concern to us,” wrote Sheriff’s Cmdr. John Ingrassia in an email to CityBeat.

He noted that several of those inmates were terminally ill— CityBeat counted four based on medical examiner’s reports.

He also noted that the Sheriff’s Department books more people into jail than similarly sized counties due to different booking acceptance criteria—a point the Sheriff’s Department’s has made to us in the past to challenge our reporting.

But, Ingrassia added, “we don’t hide behind this figure as an excuse or justification for the number of jail deaths.”

“Our goal is to have zero inmate deaths,” he wrote, “and we take each and every case very seriously.”

C

uring the six-year period CityBeat examined for its initial story, three lawsuits had been filed against the county over inmate deaths. By comparison, there have been three lawsuits filed in 2014 alone; last week, CityBeat confirmed that a claim’s been filed in a fourth case, the precursor to a lawsuit. And, in November, a jury found the county liable in the death of Daniel Sisson, a 21-year-old who was found dead in his jail cell on June 25, 2011, from an acute asthma attack made worse by heroin withdrawal.

The county is appealing the $3-million verdict.

One of the cases filed this year was by Anna Sandoval, whose husband, Ronnie Sandoval, died in the Central Jail on Feb. 23, the result of a drug overdose. He’d been arrested on Feb. 22 for methamphetamine possession. The medical examiner’s report notes that during intake, Sandoval was observed to be sweating profusely. The lawsuit argues that despite obvious signs he was in distress, he was deprived of “life-saving medical attention.”

A response filed by the county argues, among other points, that Sandoval alone was responsible for his death.

According to the medical examiner’s report, during the intake screening, he denied ingesting drugs.

“We don’t know what Ronnie told the nurses, at least not yet,” says Diana Adjadj, Anna Sandoval’s attorney.

Regardless, “there were objective signs” of possible overdose, Adjadj says. The limited records she’s been able to get say that in addition to Sandoval’s profuse sweating, he struggled to respond to questions. At some point, he was removed from a general-population holding cell and put in a single cell, where he remained for nearly eight hours, a possible violation of California’s Minimum Standards for Local Detention Facilities, which says that an inmate who’s placed in a sobering cell isn’t to be left there for longer than six hours without being evaluated.

“They knew something was wrong with him,” Adjadj says, “but instead of monitoring him, they isolated him in a holding cell.”

According to the medical examiner’s report, at close to 1 a.m., a guard saw Sandoval slump over and fall to the ground in a seizure. Emergency personnel showed up 20 minutes later but were unable to transport him; he was declared dead at 2:15 a.m.

ochran didn’t make it beyond a Central Jail holding cell. On the morning of Sept. 16, he was arrested “I don’t go out for trespassing only a few blocks from n his email to CityBeat, Ingrassia of my bedroom. I Scripps Mercy hospital, where Rinehart noted that while there have been five says he was taken (CityBeat wasn’t able suicides this year, none have happened don’t leave my bed. to confirm this due to patient-privacy since July, “which I believe is a positive He was my life.” rules). He was wandering in and out sign that changes implemented by our of a chiropractor’s office, “mumbling new medical director, Dr. [Alfred] Josh—Vella Rhinehart gibberish” about having lost his wallet, ua, and mandatory training received by according to the medical examiner’s reour deputies are working.” port. At the jail’s sally port, he refused Joshua was hired in January, and to get out of the police car and had to be carried inside.

CityBeat spoke with him in July about policy changes he’d Rhinehart believes his behavior was the result of him made and strategies he planned to implement to reduce the being without his medication and food for possibly a number of inmate deaths. He was looking to implement dozen hours.

“He would have been like a 2-year-old,” she says.

Record CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

I

December 23, 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 5

john r.

spin cycle

lamb Vignette from Taint Pick

with choking coal ash (The President Picker came cheap and for cash!)

“Let’s be naughty and save Santa The smoke soon did crest and the trip.”

—Gary Allan a blinking glow Spelled out the best choice to strike the Todd blow. ’Twas three months before “If it’s a coup that you opt to Todd Toss, and through City Hall, engineer, An odd rumor was stirring, a Then the obvious choice is real-life curveball.

The whispers were hung with Sherri Lightner!”

Republican eyes darted lively Republican flair, and quick, “Let us dethrone Prez Gloria.

But how to gift-wrap the plan, Just one Dem we must snare!” all nice and slick?

Contestants were measured It mustn’t appear from Repubfor right-leaning threads, licans came, Veiled snapshots of MRIs Such partisan gamesmanship, mapped lefty heads.

“That Marti’s just trouble, and that would be lame.

“Now Sherman! Now Kersey!

Cole is a sap, Now Lorie and Chris!

And David’s a shoulder we For 2015 this is a chance we never would tap!” can’t miss!”

A green light flashed on and The mayor of Couptown there came such a clatter, scrawled words on the wall, Republican heads spun as if “I didn’t say it, but that Gloria set on a platter. must fall!”

The War Room soon filled up

Into the wind the loyal elves did fly, Like hawks seeking prey from a circling sky.

So up to the 10th floor the buzzards they flew, In hopes that dear Sherri somehow would come through.

And then, in a twinkling, they heard of the split, Pro Tem Lightner proclaimed, “I’m going for it!”

But media snoops soon began sniffing around, “Hey Sherri, how does top council cat sound?”

The rumors continued for weeks underfoot, With Sherri declining to say, “Oh, kaput!”

But as vote day drew near, there was no turning back, “Boy, the liberals are angry.

What’s up with the smack?”

Her eyes, they once twinkled, now seemed only wary, “I’ll take that Scotch now, just ditch the cherry!”

Droll Republican mouths also kept a down low, “A poor secret like this, no one should know!”

The lump of a swipe they held tight in their teeth, “We’ll wait till vote day, and then we’ll unsheath!”

And when that day came, from out of the belly,

John R. Lamb

Came such a burp roar, all stale and smelly.

“This ain’t no big deal,” assured Sherman the elf.

“She’s a Dem, for crissakes.

Look, I’m voting myself!”

With a wink of a tally into which Lightner fed, Mayor Couptown declared, “Prez Gloria’s dead!”

He quickly announced that with Sherri he’d work, Somehow still sounding like a slippery jerk.

And laying a finger aside of his nose, When queries of Brown Act snubs did media pose.

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, “A re-vote, my chums. That should cure this darn thistle!”

But what can one claim from such a scurrilous sight?

“Bring on 2015, you’re in for a fight!”

Record CONTINUED from PAGE 5

On June 18 at 11:45 a.m., Carroll inquired, via intercom, when he’d get his hour in the dayroom and was told it wasn’t time yet. At 12:30, he was found with a noose around his neck, attached to the cell’s top bunk.

According to the medical examiner’s report, he’d smeared blood on the wall of his cell. He’d urinated on the floor and food and feces were stuck to the ceiling.

Carroll was only 5 feet tall and weighed 105 pounds. His family tried to help him, says his brother Ken, but he’d reject their offers.

When he was lucid, he was funny and outgoing, “full of life,” Ken says. “But mental illness just kept dragging him back in.”

Ken says the family wasn’t able to get much information about Christopher’s death. They didn’t know, for instance, that he’d scrawled a suicide note on his cell wall. When CityBeat told Ken that Christopher had been placed in solitary confinement, he wondered if that’s what pushed his brother to kill himself.

“He just didn’t like four walls,” Ken said. “He couldn’t stand four walls.”

a “step-down unit” for inmates who’d been taken off suicide watch. He also said staff would be trained to be more attentive to signs that might indicate mental distress, like the condition of an inmate’s cell or whether someone was refusing meals.

The two last suicides of 2014 highlight the need for these new approaches.

Hector Lleras, 36, the fifth suicide of the year, twice told jail staff—first a nurse, then a deputy— that he was going to kill himself.

On July 1, he was put in a safety cell and then released 24 hours later. Almost exactly 24 hours after that, he was found hanging in his Central Jail cell.

Christopher Carroll, a mentally ill homeless man, was arrested on June 14 for disorderly conduct. A chronic alcoholic who, according to his family, suffered from serious mental illness, was placed in administrative segregation because, during previous jail stays, he’d been unable to get along with other inmates. His segregated status meant he was allowed out of his cell for only one hour every 48 hours.

6 · San Diego CityBeat · December 23, 2014

Write to johnl@sdcitybeat.com.

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

aaryn

backwards & in high heels

belfer Shirley Owen and the urge to murder San Diegans San Diego City Councilmember Lorie Zapf has a probing position at Menlo College. Whether he’ll lose lem called “Shirley Owen,” which means—paging San his job remains to be seen. Walsh was discovered Diego—we have a problem called “Lorie Zapf.” by activists on Twitter who effectively doxed him, After a group of SDSU students and activists quiand he’s since put his media presence on lockdown. etly protested ongoing police killings of unarmed Who knows what his fate will be. If I were a parent black men during the City Council inauguration in his school, I’d be agitating for him to be gone. two weeks ago, a low-level Zapf staffer named ShirWhich is what I’m doing right now with regard ley Owen decided to let it all hang out. In an offhand to Owen, who needs to be fired as Zapf’s communicomment heard by KPBS reporter Tarryn Mento, ty-relations representative. With what was likely a Owen referred to the citizens at this event—who hyperbolic desire to gun down the very citizens she were peacefully exercising their First Amendment is paid to represent, she has no damned business right—as “fucking idiots with their hands up.” being all up in the public business.

Owen is obviously an asshole, and it’s not exProtest organizer and veteran Mark Jones traordinary that an asshole would say an asshole gave a list of requests to several council members. thing. What is extraordinary, though, is what she “Just imagine,” he said to Mento of KPBS, “what if said next and the fact that she still has a job.

I couldn’t get to the council member and I got to The headline KPBS chose for this story was, [Owen] instead, and it was her job to relay this to “City Council Staffer Calls Inauguration Protestors the council.”

‘Idiots.’” But this was pussyfooted abdication (I love Indeed. The woman has lost credibility and canyou, KPBS, but you need some help keepin’ it real). not be trusted to serve the public honestly.

The correct headline would have alerted readers to Not only did Owen reveal the malignancy in Owen’s detour deep into Cliven Bundy territory as her mouse brain with her remark; she also chose she bared her withering soul to us all. the same method of violence that “I wanted to shoot them,” she said the protestors were (are) struggling “Insensitive” of the fucking-idiot protestors. against. Furthermore, she made this It would be fun to chalk this up to comment within arm’s reach of the doesn’t begin to said asshole being a Republican. But second anniversary of the Sandy describe this—to if the events of Ferguson (and more) Hook massacre, at a time in our hishave shown us anything, it’s that tory when gun violence is regularly use her words— narrow, ignorant and bigoted views featured above the fold. “Insensitive” fucking idiot. know no partisan boundaries. doesn’t begin to describe this—to use In the bright daylight of recent soher words—fucking idiot. cial injustice, I’ve witnessed die-hard “Flippant” doesn’t, either, which progressives outing themselves for the bigots they is how Zapf referred to Owen’s remarks when she are. And I have to admit: Progressives are the worst: cold-fished her way through a this-doesn’t-repreThey’re the tiresome yeah-but folks; the devil’ssent-my-views statement. But we could all beg to advocaters who think there’s always another side; differ. Zapf has a history of hiring staffers with questhe craft-beer-making, kale-eating pontificators tionable judgment. In 2011, CityBeat’s Dave Maass who are great with theory but abysmal with pracreported on another Zapf staffer (say that 10 times tice. Conservatives, on the other hand, know who as fast as you can), Matt Donellan, who organized a they are, and they straight-up own that shit: Are we protest to mock Occupy San Diego for use in a funddickwads? Yes! Do we think black people are thugs raising video for the conservative Lincoln Club. who deserve to die? Well, not the ones who are poAs poignantly stated in a comment left on the lite and walk slowly—but not too slowly—and who CityBeat piece, this “[s]hows a pattern of disrespect show proper respect and don’t talk back and keep for civic engagement by Zapf staff members. If this their hands where we can see ’em! is who Zapf surrounds herself with, what does she To be fair to Owen, she is far from alone in her actually think of the people who elected her?” This is a legitimate question. repugnancy. Donald Walsh, a school psychologist in It’s pretty tough to take Owen’s contempt as the Harlem Consolidated School District of Illinois some sort of outlier. She’s an extension of Zapf, called protestors “dumbasses” on his Facebook page, and Zapf is complicit by not demanding Owen’s saying they “should be sent back to Africa.” And acresignation. So, too, are the rest of the City Council cording to the San Jose Mercury News, 20-year pomembers who sit quietly by and do nothing. Where lice veteran Phil White—who taught in a gang-preare their voices to denounce Owen’s remarks? To vention program—tweeted his disregard for citizens urge their colleague to clean house? Are they more whom he is, by definition, paid to protect. concerned with protecting their own than they are “Threaten me or my family and I will use my San Diegans?

God given and law appointed right and duty to kill If so, we have a bigger problem than Zapf and you. #CopsLivesMatter,” he wrote. He wasn’t quite the scoundrels she employs. done, though. “By the way,” he continued, “if anyone feels they can’t breathe or their lives matter I’ll be Write to aaryn@sdcitybeat.com at the movies tonight, off duty, carrying my gun.” and editor@sdcitybeat.com.

White’s since been suspended and lost a coach-

December 23, 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 7

by michael a. gardiner Michael A. Gardiner

the world

fare

Great food, great design—no spoon A guy still can’t get a soupspoon at Underbelly.

Not at the original Little Italy location and not at the new one in North Park (3000 Upas St., godblessunderbelly.com). I briefly pondered the consequences of smuggling in a spoon. Would it be ripped from my hand? Would a team of lanky, bearded, bespectacled hipsters haul me away?

That question unanswered, I returned to my Belly of the Beast ramen, a more enjoyable contemplation. My soft-boiled egg needed tending.

A spoon to cut the egg would have been nice, but a chopstick did the trick (albeit second best), allowing the yolk to mingle with the rich porky broth. It was a dish of many highlights: that yolk, and the hoisin-glazed short rib, to name two. But the oxtail dumpling was the star for me.

I’ve said before that Consortium Holdings— Underbelly’s owner—creates beautiful spaces with great atmosphere, but, culinarily, too often it comes up short. Paul Basile’s design is once again spectacular, taking the indoor-outdoor connection of the original location and adding a warmer, more organic feeling. At Underbelly, though, the food is equal to the design.

While it may be tempting to think of the place as a ramen house, and it no doubt riffs on that theme, Underbelly is not exactly that. Rather,

8 · San Diego CityBeat · December 23, 2014

it’s a Japanese ramen-ya seen through a San Diego lens. Yes, it serves ramen and gyoza and beer. But the ramen dishes are highly non-traditional (though there are tonkotsu and miso options), there’s a wider variety of appetizerlike dishes and the craft-beer program is top-notch, making the most of our superlative local beer scene.

The best of the appetizers are the buns, Underbelly’s take on high-end steamed bao (pioneered by Momofuku’s David Chang). The sous vide pork-belly bun was simple, sinful and delicious: two Chinese steamed buns sitting, taco-like, on the plate, stuffed with a particularly luscious rendition of the porkiest version of pork, pickled cucumbers and microgreens. A brisket bun brought this legendarily tough cut to a tenderness I did not know brisket had in it. I could’ve cut it with a spoon (if any were allowed in the place).

Another great appetizer at Underbelly is the sunomonu salad of octopus, pickled cucumbers, seaweed and two dramatic spears of sesameseed-encrusted gobo root. It’s a beautiful, colorful dish combining the pickled cucumber of a traditional sunomonu, chukka-style seaweed and today’s “it” sea beast. Curiously, I was offered a fork.

But Underbelly’s food is all about the ramen.

With the exception of the charred kimchi version—an out-of-balance dish with wonderful elements that fail to play nicely together—they are all good. The best is the one bearing the restaurant’s name: the Underbelly ramen. Char-siu (Chinese barbecued) pork belly, applewood smoked bacon and Kurobuta sausage (a Japanese sausage made from an heirloom breed) combine to headline a dish featuring the same sexy soft-boiled egg, intense pork broth and perfectly cooked alkaline noodles. Garnishes of seaweed, chopped green onion and minced ginger tie it together. It’s a symphony in the key of pork.

In fact, it was so good, I forgot to miss my soupspoon.

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

by ian cheesman

beer &

chees

Jingle beers, Jingle beers It’s been another big year for craft beer. According to the Brewers Association, approximately 1.5 new breweries are currently opening in the U.S. daily, driving the number of licensed breweries to more than 4,500. It’s the sort of growth that enabled craft brew as a market segment to outsell Budweiser.

And as staggering as that is, I have news that trumps it all: My wife is now officially a beer drinker. After only 11 years of gentle cajoling (and considerable withholding of affection), she’ll now independently and gleefully reach for imperial stouts. IPAs, porters, hefeweizens, ESBs and essentially anything else can still go pound sand, as far as she’s concerned, but I figure at least one of those is only a decade away from inclusion.

Love truly does conquer all.

News this good demands a celebration. Here are some seasonally appropriate options for doing so:

easily paired with a full-bodied maduro cigar than most foods.

Karl Strauss Five Wee Heavy Bells (9.5percent ABV): What happens when scotch ale meets scotch? A sprawling bar fight in all likelihood, unless you’re talking about Karl Strauss’ latest entry in its Twelve Days series.

It’s a ruby-red brew with a fizzy head that lasted about as long as my belief in Santa once I realized his supposed handwriting was identical to that of my mom’s.

Mild aromatics of crusty bread and damp wood signal a gentle brew, but the flavor is far Denise Bethurum more robust. There’s tons of caramel and toffee up front with a finish that’s dank, woody, boozy and even smoky.

They’re interesting flavor combinations that evolve and elevate the Wee Heavy style (especially for those with any affection of peaty scotches).

Lost Abbey Gift of the Magi (9.5-percent ABV): A biére de garde may seem an unusual style choice among its spicier, sweeter holiday brethren, but the inclusion of frankincense and myrrh in its recipe arguably make it the most legit offering around. If it’s good enough for baby Jesus, I see no reason to split hairs.

This ruddy-orange brew Port Brewing Santa’s Little has some malt and spice in Helper (10-percent ABV): the nose that rapidly prolifThis coal-colored stout pours erate in the flavor. Up front, I out a head formidable enough detect notes of yeast, orange to be a meringue topping. Its peel, ginger and dried fruit. aromatics are no less substanThe finish is similarly potent, tial, plowing into the olfactothough swinging the balance ries with caramel, soy sauce, Wouldn’t be a tacky Christmas to more of an earthy, almost coffee, booze and dark fruits. without beer! musty finish. It’s a wild ride Don’t mistake it for some sort of psychedelic fruit cake that of confection though, because the roasty malts keeps subsequent sips exciting. It’s not what I and burnt sugar flavors quickly remind you’re seek in a holiday ale ordinarily, but that wouldn’t keep me from reaching for it. dealing with a bona fide stout. Booze and cocoa emerge in the mid-palate, ultimately finishing Write to ianc@sdcitybeat.com with coffee-like bitterness and a touch of pine. and editor@sdcitybeat.com.

This beer is definitely a fire-side sipper, more

December 23, 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 9

by jenny montgomery Jenny montgomery

over, with globs of goat cheese, rich shreds of braised short ribs and a perfectly sunny fried egg on top, spilling its golden goodness all over the place. The upgrades feel a little like adding a cummerbund to a tank top, but, somehow, it all works. This dish is over-the-top, naughty and completely awesome.

For a more balanced attempt at culinary magic, be sure to nibble on the Warm Brie Cheese Puffs. You’ve eaten a version of this at someone’s aunt’s Christmas party, but this plating is much more Local Tap House’s Warm Brie Cheese Puffs sophisticated. Puff pastry envelops chunks of almost-hot Brie in crispy, golf-ball-size bites. A thick, juicy spread of Bing cherry jam brightens the plate, and crunchy prosciutto “chips” add a great textural contrast. Bright and spicy habanero aioli could have been one flavor too many, but its punchy heat is a terrific exclamation point to Effortless and fun this appetizer.

With all that cheese and gravy, I figured I “Revitalization” might not be the right word when should at least look at a salad. Oh, hey, one with talking about the various interesting eateries popfried tomatoes! I’ll take that one. Butter lettuce ping up around Oceanside, but there’s a brash gets some bulk with avocado and roasted corn, energy to our county’s northernmost beach town along with thin slices of radish and thick ones of that’s unlike its crunchier neighbors to the south. jalapeños. The salad is lovely and fresh, although One of the newer players in the food scene is I found the fried tomatoes a bit under-seasoned Local Tap House Kitchen, and it’s the hangout and tasting as if they were fried in the morning Oceanside needs. The simple, stucco bar and resand quickly reheated once I put in my order. taurant (308 S. Coast Hwy., localtaphouse.com) Hearty main courses are in abundance, from feels like it’s been there for years, a place for both the omnipresent mac ’n’ cheese (made with a the transitory military community and the perblonde ale) to a veggie-friendly quinoa burger. manent residents in this colorful little town. It Apparently, I didn’t feel disgusting enough after joyfully combines the creativity of a gastropub the poutine, so I opted for the French dip, made with the bros-in-flip-flops casualness of a beachwith beer-braised short rib that’s sandwiched side sports bar. with a thick layer of thin, fried onions. The au A quick perusal of the menu introduces you to jus is made with stout, which adds a nice, bitter creative flavors that go well with the now-manundertone, although it did veer a bit salty. Otherdatory wide selection of craft beer. There’s a flair wise, this is a massive and tasty sandwich. for clever bar food here.

Much like Oceanside, Local Tap House feels If you can’t make it to Quebec anytime soon, easy and fun without any self-conscious attempt LTH will satisfy your craving for poutine, the at being trendy.

French Canadian gut bomb of potatoes, gravy, Write to jennym@sdcitybeat.com and cheese curds. This version is an attempt at and editor@sdcitybeat.com. giving the down-and-dirty dish a classy make-

north

fork

10 · San Diego CityBeat · December 23, 2014

[T echnology ] no life

offline

by dave maass

The worst online behavior of 2014 Sitting down to catalog all my complaints about the online world in 2014, I desperately wanted to orchestrate a way to put Taylor Swift at the top of the list.

Earlier this year, Swift took to the pages of the Wall Street Journal to moralize on the future of the music industry, writing, among other things, “It’s my opinion that music should not be free.” Now, I believe there’s room for a wide spectrum of views on funding models for and access to art and culture, but there was just something so hypocritical about Swift’s remark, considering that, at around the same time, she released a free interactive app based on her single “Blank Space.”

How was it free? Because it was sponsored by American Express.

So, here you have the artist whom Forbes named the third richest celebrity younger than 30 being subsidized by the debt industry and telling her young fans that they should spend-spend-spend. What’s worse is that the entire 360-degree, immersive music video is set on a Downton Abbey-class estate—chandeliers, ponies, hunting hounds and champagne at dinner—further glorifying opulence for its own sake.

Then I shook it off. This year has been just so polluted with gruesome behavior on the Internet that I can’t even.

OK, maybe I can even, just not politely. This hater was gonna hate, and as I tallied up the number of times I yelled “Fuck you” at my computer screen, I realized that Taylor Swift was nowhere close to the top.

For my cathartic pleasure, and hopefully yours, here’s a whole lot of profanity for the three most detestable Internet phenomena of 2014: 3. Uber: For the last year, I’ve been extolling the virtues of Uber, the popular app-based service that lets you order rides from everyday people driving their own cars. I can’t stand taxis. The little TV screens that you can’t shut off make me sick. The often-reckless driving makes me sick.

The smell of stale cigarettes makes me sick. And the way that the taxi medallion system monopolizes the industry and exploits workers makes me sick. As a substitute, Uber was a joy to use.

But then this year, a whole lot of bullshit came out about the company, including dirty corporate tricks, failures to conduct sufficient background checks and suggestions by an executive that it would be appropriate to hire a team of opposition researchers to dig into the personal lives of journalists. That last one would’ve been enough, but then there was a lawsuit over Uber drivers refusing rides to blind people. When one driver did pick up a blind person, the driver allegedly put the person’s dog in the trunk. Fuck you, Uber. Now I have to ride in a car with a pink fucking mustache.

2. Gamergate: Despite the disgusting amounts of online harassment against women the Gamer-

F U, Uber. gate meme has generated, there are those who continue to push the idea that it’s all about ethics in video-game journalism. This is just the biggest piece of disproportionate bullshit of the year (seriously, just compare the length of the Wikipedia page to that of, say, any other historical event).

Never mind that many of the allegations brought forward have been debunked; in San Diego’s journalism community alone, there have been far, far worse ethical trespasses. (How many reporters now work for the government agencies they used to cover? How many times has U-T San Diego put its publisher’s pet projects on its front page?)

Let’s not forget, this whole thing started with one of the most asshole-ish acts of the year: a jaded guy publishing a vindictive narrative about his game-developer ex-girlfriend’s romantic history.

Fuck that dude.

1. Islamic State: Years ago, when I was in grad school, I watched the entire Daniel Pearl beheading video for a final paper. It was pixelated and jumpy, but watching his captors saw through his neck was one of the most traumatic scenes to ever to touch my retina. I haven’t been able to bring myself to watch in full any of the gory beheadings from Islamic State this year, but they are widely acknowledged to be higher production value, due to a more Internet-savvy level of extremist recruits.

Whether it’s a recruiting tactic or a form of psychological warfare, these videos have turned social media into a battleground. I’m not for censoring this stuff (at the very least, journalists need to be able to access these videos); I’m for countering ugly speech with more speech. So, here’s my cluster-F-bomb strike: Fuck you, Islamic State.

Fuck you to the ninth power. Fuck you with a gravy boat. Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you.

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

December 23, 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 11

the

SHORTlist

COORDINATED BY KINSEE MORLAN

CONSTANCE KOSTREVSKI

1

LANDING A PUNCH LINE

2

IT’S TRADISH

In search of some fresh material for his New Year’s Eve standup show in San Diego, comedian Hannibal Buress said he’ll be roaming around Downtown earlier that day.

If you run into him, you might ask him for his impression of the city, which he told CityBeat is like “L.A. without the showbiz,” with an oddly placed airport.

“I’m weirded out by how the airport is very close to downtown,” Buress said. “That kind of throws me.

It’s like right there. That airport is so close.”

The Chicago native’s deadpan observational humor is subtle, turning mundane anecdotes into

The rats, the snowflakes, the Cossacks: The Nutcracker is a holiday tradition as important to some as hanging stockings.

Yet there are almost as many versions of the dance as there are fake Santas piling kids on their laps at local malls. So, the question becomes: Which one? The San Diego Ballet’s Nutcracker has a few things going for it. For one, it’s happening after Christmas—at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 27, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 28—which means less stress and shopping interference. Also, despite what the name implies, the ballet company features a roster of professional dancers from around the world. Plus, tickets start cheap ($20).

The shows happen at Copley Symphony Hall (750 B St., Downtown). sandiegoballetdancecompany.org

laugh-out-loud moments through impeccable timing. No matter how often you’ve seen Buress deliver the same tightly crafted joke, it feels like he’s just riffing off the top of his head.

“I talk about sex and traveling, but not necessarily in that order,” he said. “I talk about what’s interesting to me and different thoughts and observations and true stories.

I just want people to enjoy my perspective and the effort I put into putting on the show.”

After about 13 years as a comedian, Buress’ career is taking off. Beyond touring as a standup comedian, he’s on the Comedy Central show Broad City and co-hosts The Eric Andre Show on Adult Swim. He’s also working on a movie called Daddy’s Home, which stars Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg.

While his material isn’t necessarily political, Buress was thrust into the spotlight after a performance in October during which he called Bill Cosby a “rapist” at a venue in Cosby’s hometown of Philadelphia. Inspired by the public attention generated

by Buress’ comments, Barbara Bowman wrote an oped in the Washington Post a few weeks later, alleging that Cosby drugged and raped her. Since then, Cosby has faced intense public scrutiny, with a total of 20 women alleging similar stories.

Buress’ Comedy Camisado Tour stops at the Balboa Theatre (868 Fourth Ave., Downtown) on Wednesday, Dec. 31. Tickets are $35. sandiegothe atres.org, hannibalburess.com

3

STONES SOUL PICNIC

For 20 years, The Casbah held Exile on Kettner Blvd. on Christmas Eve, bringing together members of the local music community to tear through a set of classic Rolling Stones tunes. This year, “Exile” is taking a temporary hiatus, but there’s still a talent-packed classic rockand-soul Christmas Eve show for rock ’n’ rollers to revel in. Lauren Scheff leads an all-star band of locals that, once again, will play Rolling Stones covers; The Schitzophonics will play a set full of soul Christmas songs; and The Little Richards (featuring El Vez) will top it off with some old-school rock jams. It all happens on Wednesday, Dec. 24, at The Casbah (2501 Kettner Blvd.), and it’s free. Doors open at 9 p.m.; 21 and older. casbahmusic.com

The Little Richards

12 · San Diego CityBeat · December 23, 2014

ART HAwesome ‘80s Art Show at Basic, 410 10th Ave., Downtown. Come dressed in your favorite ‘80s attire for this art show entirely devoted to the “me” decade. See new works from John Freeman, Ricardo Ales, Ana Niebla and dozens more. Opening from 7 to midnight. Tuesday, Dec. 30. 619-531-8869, ThumbprintGallerySD.com

BOOKS Bishop O’Connell at Barnes & Noble Santee, 9938 Mission Gorge Road, Santee. The local author will sign and discuss his debut urban fantasy novel, The Stolen, which features an American setting with modern faeries. At noon Tuesday, Dec. 23. And, at 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 26, the author will read and sign at Mysterious Galaxy Book Store, 5943 Balboa Ave., Ste. 100, Clairemont. 858-268-4747, mystgalaxy.com

COMEDY Jodi Miller at Mad House Comedy Club, 502 Horton Plaza, Downtown. The comic has appeared on The Tonight Show and is a regular guest on CNN’s Showbiz Tonight and the Travel Channel series, The Traveler’s Guide to Life. At 8 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 23. $15. 619-702-6666, madhousecomedyclub.com Byron Bowers at Comedy Store, 916 Pearl St., La Jolla. The up-and-coming comic’s credits include multiple Comedy Central appearances, as well as BET Comic View ReBoot and Adam Devine’s House Party.

At 7 and 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Dec. 26-27. $20. 858-454-9176, lajolla.thecomedystore.com

HApril Macie at Mad House Comedy Club, 502 Horton Plaza, Downtown. She’s made appearances on The Howard Stern Show, Snoop Dog’s Bad Girls of Comedy and more. At 7:30 and 9:45 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Dec. 26-27. $20. 619-702-6666, madhousecomedyclub.com Myq Kaplan at American Comedy Co., 818 B Sixth Ave., Downtown. The 2010 Last Comic Standing finalist has appeared on The Tonight Show, The Late Show with David Letterman, Comedy Central Presents and more. At 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Dec 26-27, and 8 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 28. $18.

619-795-3858, americancomedyco.com HMonique Marvez at Comedy Palace, 8878 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., Clairemont. Known for her takeno-prisoners honesty, she has had three Showtime specials including the most recent, Not Skinny Not Blonde, based on her soon-to-be-published book. At 7:30 and 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Dec. 26-27. $20. 858-573-9067, thecomedypalace.com Doug Loves Movies at American Comedy Co., 818 B Sixth Ave., Downtown. Join a live recording of Doug Benson’s weekly comedy podcast, where the comic discusses new film releases (and often makes fun of them) along with special guests. At 4:20 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 27. $20. 619-795-3858, american comedyco.com HDat Phan & Friends at Lestat’s, 3343 Adams Ave., Normal Heights. The winner of Last Comic Standing is joined by Maria Herman, Ikaika Patria, Jessica Muchow, Gene Levin and Kathy Finney. At 7 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 27. $10. lestats.com

CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

THEATER

This Nutcracker is not what it seems to be If ballet bores you, then we’ve got something in common. But don’t let the title of the year-end production at Carlsbad’s New Village Arts Theatre—The Nutcracker—throw you. This holiday show, directed by NVA’s Kristianne Kurner, is very loosely based on the ballet libretto of the same name adapted from E.T.A. Hoffmann’s story, but its only significant dancing involves three precocious rats who speak in Cockney accents.

The Nutcracker was conceived at the House Theatre of Chicago seven years ago, with a book by Jake Minton and Phillip Klapperich and music and lyrics by Kevin O’Donnell and Minton, respectively. Its forgettable ballads, sung by 12-yearold star Abby DeSpain, take a back seat to the story about a little girl and her parents coping with grief during the holidays.

This may strike you as a downer for a yuletide diversion, but there’s frolicking and pratfalls galore on the way to Clara’s (DeSpain, a young actor building a solid résumé) coming to terms with the loss of her older brother in combat.

These take place in the child’s imagination—or, depending on your own taste for fantasy, via “magic” imparted by her visiting uncle (David Macy-Beckwith).

Not only does Clara’s brother Fritz manifest as a full-size toy soldier; her other favorite toys (played by Shaun TuazonMartin, Brian Butler and Jennifer Paredes) also come to life in colorful costumes by Jennifer Brawn Gittings. The villains are those dancing, menacing rats, portrayed with fiendish gusto by Michael Parrott, Amanda Morrow and Justin Tu-

COURTESY: NEW VILLAGE ARTS THEATRE

Edred Utomi (left) and Abby DeSpain azon-Martin). Though, the true villain is death, which took Fritz (Edred Utomi) from Clara and their parents (Steve Froehlich and Rin Ehlers).

The Nutcracker script strains for weightiness in places, and though the production lasts only two hours, getting to the universal moment of clarity at the end requires more machinations than necessary. Still, when that clarity does come, it may bring a lump to your throat or revive a memory of someone you’ve lost and miss, especially at this time of year. That alone makes New Village Arts’ holiday offering an appealing coda to the season.

The Nutcracker runs through Dec. 31. $20-$45. newvillagearts.org

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

For full listings,

please visit “T heater ” at sdcit ybeat.com

December 23, 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 13

Matt Fulchiron at Mad House Comedy Club, 502 Horton Plaza, Downtown. The L.A.-based comic has performed on the television shows Comedy Central Presents, Live at Gotham, Tosh.0 and more. At 8 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 30. $15. 619-7026666, madhousecomedyclub.com

San Diego, 2650 Truxtun Road, Point Loma. Tour San Diego’s state-of-the-art dance facility and jump start your dance resolutions for 2015 at this eighth annual event. Take classes in many styles from a variety of instructors. From 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Dec. 26. 619-260-1622, sandiegodancetheater.org

DANCE

HThe Nutcracker at Copley Symphony Hall, 750 B St., Downtown. In its 25th anniversary year, the San Diego Ballet’s performance of this classic ballet features over 100 costumed dancers from China, Japan, Russia, South Africa, Mexico and the United States. At 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 27, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 28. $20-$100. 619-235-0804, san diegoballetdancecompany.org

HThe Nutcracker at Spreckels Theater, 121 Broadway, Downtown. The perennial holiday favorite performed by The City Ballet, the Pacific Coast Chorus and the City Ballet Orchestra under the direction of John Nettles. Runs through Wednesday, Dec. 24. $29-$79. 858272-8663, cityballet.org HFree Day of Dance at Dance Place

FOOD & DRINK Bubbles & Cheese Class at Venissimo @ Headquarters, 789 West Harbor Drive, Seaport Village. Find cheeses to pair with sparkling wine, Champagne and bubbly beverages. From 6 to 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 28. $60. 619-358-9081, venissimo.com

HOLIDAY EVENTS LGBTQ-Friendly Catholic Mass & Hot Cocoa Social at First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Diego, 4190 Front St., Hillcrest. Dignity/San Diego welcomes all to an LGBTQ-friendly Christmas Eve Mass. Parking will be available in the ACE lot next to the church and a Hot Cocoa Social will follow. From 7 to 9

p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 24.

619-645-8240, dignitysd.org ‘Tis the Season Holiday Cruise at Hornblower Cruises, 1066 N. Harbor Drive, Downtown. This holiday-themed lunch cruise includes a boarding glass of champagne, background holiday music and seated lunch. From 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, Dec. 26. $45.

888-467-6256, hornblower.com 34th Annual Kwanzaa at World Beat Center, 2100 Park Blvd., Balboa Park. The annual celebration includes lectures, theatre, music, poetry and traditional food. See website for full schedule. At 6 p.m. Friday through Tuesday, Dec. 2630. worldbeatculturalcenter. memberlodge.com

MUSIC

“From the Ashes” by Michelle D. Ferrera is on view through Jan. 15 in a solo show at Co-Merge Workplace (330 A St., Downtown).

Blind Boys of Alabama at California Center for the Arts, 340 North Escondido Blvd., Escondido. The five-time Grammy award-winning group mixes gospel tinged versions of seasonal favorites along with gospel classics in a joyous evening of holiday music. At 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 23. $21-$50. 800-988-4253, artcenter.org

HDave Koz & Friends at Balboa Theatre, 868 Fourth Ave., Downtown. The Grammy-nominated sax man and special guests perform jazzy takes on holiday classics, along with some of their own most popular songs. At 8 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 23. $45-$105. 619-570-1100, san diegotheatres.org HiFi Brass Trio at Encinitas Library, 540 Cornish Drive, Encinitas. A special holiday concert with fresh arrangements of upbeat carols and creative renditions of holiday classics. At noon Wednesday, Dec. 24. encinitasca.gov/WedNoon HPersian Music Concert at Tango Del Rey, 3567 Del Rey St., Mission Bay. A night of intercultural and “intracultural” musicmaking with bands like Dornob, Afrojazziacs, Jazmahalis, and Los Bandaritos. At 8:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 26. $15. 619-6880688, facebook.com/DornobCollective Christian Taylor at Marina Kitchen, 333 West Harbor Drive, Downtown. The singer-songwriter will play a concert of covers and originals in the loung-y Marriott restaurant. At 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 26. 619312-1212, marriott.com HMannheim Steamroller at San Diego Civic Theatre, 1100 Third Ave., Downtown. Known for mixing classical and rock music with timeless holiday music, the group is celebrating 30 years since the release of their first Christmas record.

At 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 28. $40-$140. sandiegotheatres.org Pajama Jam: New Year at New Children’s Museum, 200 W. Island Ave., Downtown. Jump into your jammies and join NCM for dinner, art activities, games, music and a countdown balloon drop. Adults can also enjoy a hosted bar and the opportunity to bid on prizes in a silent auction. From 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 27. $20-$35.

619-233-8792, thinkplaycreate.rog

PERFORMANCE HHome Wreckers Holidays at Brass Rail, 3796 Fifth Ave., Hillcrest. The neoburlesque circus troupe Pink BoomBox presents a special holiday-themed show with many of the performers dressed up as sexy creatures. From 6 to 10 p.m. Sat-

14 · San Diego CityBeat · December 23, 2014

urday, Dec. 27. $5. 619-298-2233, pinkboomboxproduction.blogspot.com

POETRY & SPOKEN WORD Sunday Sontage at Bluestocking Books, 3817 5th Ave., Hillcrest. Hosted by Curran Jeffery, this friendly drop-in group shares poetry, short prose and thoughts on the reading and writing life. At 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 28. 619-296-1424, bluestock ingbooks.com

SPECIAL EVENTS HPort of San Diego Big Bay Balloon Parade at Downtown San Diego, North Harbor Drive, Downtown. In conjunction with the Holiday Bowl, “America’s Largest Balloon Parade” is presented annually in the bayside streets of Downtown San Diego. The parade features marching bands, floats, drill teams, and balloons.

From 3 to 4:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 26.

Free-$20. sandiegobowlgames.com

SPORTS San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl at Qualcomm Stadium, 9449 Friars Road, Mission Valley. The SDSU Aztecs will play the Naval Academy in the 10th annual bowl game. At 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 23. $52-$90. poinsettiabowl.com National University Holiday Bowl at Qualcomm Stadium, 9449 Friars Road, Mission Valley. The USC Trojans take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers at the 37th annual college football bowl game. At 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 27. $65-$140. sandiegobowlgames.com

WORKSHOPS Family Drop-In Day: Exploring Surrealism at San Diego Museum of Art, Balboa Park. Family-friendly, docent-led tours, gallery games and art projects for families to complete together. Activities are suitable for all ages and skill levels and center around a specific theme. From 1 to 3 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 28. Free-$12. sdmart.org

For full listings,

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

December 23, 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 15

Jeff Corrigan

The importance of authentic facial hair—and more insights into the business of being Santa

by Kinsee Morlan

F

ive men from the Fraternal Order of Real Bearded Santas (FORBS) recently set out on an important mission: Find the best location in San Diego for hosting their trade association’s 22nd Annual Santa Reunion. More than 200 guys from California, Nevada and Arizona who play the role of Santa every Christmas season will descend upon the city in January 2016. The event’s a big deal in the Santa world, so the local Claus contingent really wants to impress their visiting bearded peers.

The Sheraton Hotel in Mission Valley seemed particularly determined to score the Santas. It was early November, and the white-haired crew were on their third stop during a whirlwind tour of local hotels. Top staffers at the Sheraton lined up in the lobby with Santa hats atop their heads to greet the men. Lola and Alister, the hotel sales manager’s pugs, were even squeezed into tiny reindeer and Santa outfits.

“We went up to the 14th floor to see the hospitality suites and—wait, let me see if I can find that letter,” says Glen Bailey, or Santa Glen, as he’s better known. He heads back into his home office to retrieve a letter handwritten on Christmas-themed stationary. “So, we walk into this suite at the Sheraton and there’s this big tray of cookies and eight glasses of milk, and this letter is sitting by the cookies.

“Give it a read,” he says, sliding the paper across his coffee table. “It’s sweet.”

The note’s essentially the hotel’s clever sales pitch written in the style of a child’s letter to Santa. It’s cute and, when coupled with the pugs, cookies and competitive price, was

16 · San Diego CityBeat · December 23, 2014

convincing enough to eventually win over the Santas, who voted unanimously to book the Sheraton for the affair.

S

anta Glen is a founding member of the local chapter of FORBS, one of several splinter groups that formed after a well-documented 2008 leadership feud that shook up the original trade association, the Amalgamated Order of Real Bearded Santas (AORBS)—the story even made it into an episode of This American Life.

Of the main Santa groups that exist today, Santa Glen claims that FORBS is the only one that maintains a strict rule requiring all members to have real beards.

CityBeat later found that claim to be inaccurate, but Santa Glen’s unintentional misinformation is emblematic of the competitive streak that still exists amid the varied Santa factions and indicative of his and other Santas’ pride in having genuine beards.

“I’ve always had this thing against fake beards,” Santa Glen says, sitting on his sofa inside his Escondido home that’s awash in reds and greens and hints of Christmas even in the offseason. “It’s just not natural…. We admire any person who’s willing to assume the role and spread Christmas cheer, but if we had our preference, we would like every-

body who hires a Santa to have a real-bearded Santa.”

Santa Glen’s own beard is what initially convinced him to take on the role for the first time nearly 20 years ago. His wife, Jacquelin Balogh, was helping organize a Santa event, and their scheduled St. Nick flaked. She turned to her husband for help. He said he’d do it, but only if his beard looked OK when it grew in. The beard ended up looking more than OK. In fact, it’s so nice, white and wavy that it’s become a source of envy for other Santas who either have to dye or perm their beards to achieve the same look.

Regular Santa gigs started rolling in after that first appearance. And before Santa Glen knew it, he’d become steeped in the role, not only during the holiday season, but

almost all year-round. He converted a storage shed behind his house into “Santa’s Workshop,” where boxes are filled with hundreds of cheap little toys and other trinkets.

When he goes out in public, he makes sure to have at least a few little gifts in his pockets or toy bags (he carries Santalike bags starting as early as November, when people start noticing him more) and hands them out to kids, or even adults who approach him with, “Hey, you look like Santa.”

T

he secret to being a good Santa is astute attention to detail, Santa Glen says. Saint Nicholas, after all, is almost God-like with his omnipotence (Santa Glen uses his elf helpers to get the names and other background information on the kids he sees). Santa doesn’t eat anything except cookies (Santa Glen always says no to dinner invites when he’s hired to drop in on parties), and Santa’s breath should smell of peppermint (Santa Glen keeps a Kinsee Morlan

Santa Glen at his annual gig at So Childish in South Park

ready supply of mints and accepts whiskey shots only on his way out of a gig).

When it comes to Santa, kids tend to notice the tiniest imperfections. Santa Glen had a scratch on his hand one year, and if he wasn’t wearing his white gloves, kids fixated on it.

Santa, it turns out, is also invincible.

Santa Glen has learned some important lessons along the way. Keeping hand sanitizer or wipes nearby is essential. As he puts it, “Kids are little germ factories.” He’s also learned never to promise kids anything unless the parents give him the OK, and he’s perfected the art of keeping up the Santa illusion while stopping just short of lying.

“When kids ask, ‘Are you the real Santa?,’ I say, ‘I am a Santa’ and leave it at that,” he explains.

Early on in his unplanned, post-retirement career—he’d previously been a third-grade teacher in Chula Vista—Santa Glen felt a little uncomfortable with his new role. His wholehearted dedication to the Kris Kringle shtick had him feeling like a wacko. The first time he rubbed elbows with other Santas at AORBs events, though, he realized he was normal—at least in a room filled with guys who look like him.

“At that meeting, I thought, My gosh, this is really validating for me, because part of me says, ‘Am I nuts walking around telling people I’m Santa?’” he chuckles. “But here I was with all these other guys doing the same things, with all the same stories, all with the white beards and hair and their Santa suits and casual Santa garb. I came away from there, more than anything, being relieved that I wasn’t nuts.”

While he’s quite comfortable as Santa now, he’s also quick to acknowledge the frustrations his wife has to deal with. Being married to Santa Claus isn’t easy, he says.

“It’s kind of like being a celebrity,” he explains, detailing

Jeff Corrigan

Santa Glen and his wife, business manager and groomer, Jacquelin Balogh examples of being approached by strangers when they’re out. Many parents, for instance, will ask him if he’ll have a quick word with their misbehaving children.

Santa Glen says there are a few quieter months right after Christmas when he cuts his beard short and ceases looking so much like Mr. Claus. The break is nice, but he truly relishes his many magical moments as Santa. He says it’s a role he never asked for, but it’s become a gift he’d never give back.

“You don’t find Santa; Santa finds you,” he says.

“When I was a young man, I never thought, Well, someday I want to grow up and be Santa Claus. It just happened and it stuck.”

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

December 23, 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 17

Seen Local

Kinsee Morlan

The port’s slow comeback Last summer, the Unified Port of San Diego ruffled the local art world’s feathers when it announced cuts to its public-art program. Large deficits caused sweeping slashes to the port’s overall budget, but many arts advocates argued that the public-art program, which had collected a surplus of $2.4 million, should’ve been left alone.

The cuts came not long after the port reYvonne Wise leased its first-ever comprehensive curatorial strategy, which outlined some smart, exciting and Rivelino) at Ruocco Park, possibly as soon as the contemporary approaches to public art. A few of the end of January. port’s so-called Tidelands Art projects under the On a recent rainy afternoon, Wise walked CityBeat new curatorial strategy had even been approved, but through one significant public-art project that escaped had to be canceled. Provocative works by artists like the budget cuts of 2013 since it was a joint project with Adam Belt, Jose Parral, Patrick Shields and Mar- the city and Civic San Diego and partially funded ungaret Noble were essentially dangled in front of the der the port’s capital-improvement program. public’s face and then quickly snatched away.

The recently opened “Birds Word” installation Under the new strategy, the port was poised to be- by Los Angeles artist Pae White is part of Phase 1 of come a leader in countywide public art, but the bud- the port’s North Embarcadero Visionary Plan. get cuts have relegated the arts staff to mostly mainThe piece, which is still getting final tweaks, comtaining a collection of approximately 100 pieces. prises several working sculptures that are so well The port’s latest budget is betintegrated into the architecture ter in terms of allocating funds of the upgraded esplanade that to public art—$317,000 this fissome people might not immedical year, up from $200,000 last ately recognize it as art at all. year, but still nowhere close to “You know, I don’t know if it the $1.2 million, plus the mulreally matters [if visitors recognize timillion dollar surplus it was it as art],” Wise says. “I think what running before the cuts. Yvonne people will notice is they’re in an Wise, the port’s curator and diimmersive environment with inrector of public art, says the interesting colors and forms.” creased budget means they’re White’s work takes the form One of the pavilions slowly putting public-art projof a poured-concrete restroom designed by Pae White ects established by the curatoribuilding with words from the al strategy back in the queue and gearing up for some book Jonathan Livingston Seagull carved into the other exciting things. outside and a surprising bright-orange interior in“We’re definitely in better shape,” Wise says. “We side, plus two pavilions, a café building and an inforhave a lot of fun things planned; we just had to slow mation center, all constructed of colored glass. The down our speed on getting those projects initiated. metal roofs of the two pavilions exhibit text cutouts But they’re still there, and we’re really excited to get from the book, and the cutouts and the glass cast eyethem out.” catching shadows on the sidewalk on sunny days.

Next year, Wise predicts that a handful of proj“The colors, the shapes, the textures or an interects will be restarted, including “Wrap,” a scintillat- est in finding words,” Wise says, “there’s a lot here ing public-art piece by artist Randy Walker. The for a broad audience.” port’s also collaborating with the Mexican Consulate —Kinsee Morlan of San Diego on staging a temporary exhibition of 11 large-scale sculptures called “Our Silences” by Mexi- Write to kinseem@sdcitybeat.com can artist José Rivelino Moreno Valle (who goes by and editor@sdcitybeat.com.

18 · San Diego CityBeat · December 23, 2014

History repeating ’Tis the season for many, many biopics

by Glenn Heath Jr. Those searching for a cinematic distraction this Christmas will have plenty of options, especially if you’re a fan of the well-meaning biopic. No genre is more blindly associated with “importance” by both studio chief and audience member alike, and this assumption stems from Hollywood’s fever-pitch marketing, deeming the winter season hallowed grounds for Oscar hopefuls (and the occasional action comedy that uses assasBenedict Cumberbatch in The Imitation Game sination to poke fun at one of the world’s dictatorships). Such rationale deliberately deceives biopic, Ed Wood. Hopes that Burton will ever reclaim and distracts from the fact that good and bad films these attributes are downright futile. Big Eyes is such are released at all times of the year. Vigilant movie- a slog stylistically and thematically that it’s hard to believe this many talented performers and collaboragoers understand this all too well.

What’s interesting about the last gasp of 2014’s re- tors blindly followed him down the rabbit hole.

Tip-toeing back a bit further in recent Amerilease schedule (The Interview debacle notwithstanding) is just how many biopics are being unleashed. can history, Angelina Jolie’s sophomore directorial The Theory of Everything, Rosewater, Wild, Fox- effort, Unbroken, trips over many of the same obcatcher and Exodus: Gods and Kings have all hit San stacles as Burton’s film, only the thud produced by Diego screens in the last month. The pattern won’t its fall is far louder. It proclaims Olympic athlete and be letting up; on Christmas Day, three more highly World War II prisoner of war Louis Zamperini (Jack anticipated examples get released with awards aspi- O’Connell) a mensch for the ages, superhuman in his ability to transcend challenges rations in tow. Like those in the big and small. “If I can take it, aforementioned list, each adapts I can make it,” he says time and history to reflect the complexiagain, clueing the audience in ties of its subject, with varying on a key motif of courage, just in degrees of ambition, some doing case you missed the point. so seemingly in a vacuum. None Unbroken tries to cram in is radical enough to warrant inmultiple genres within its garvasive computer hacking and gantuan running time. It’s a comterrorist threats. ing-of-age-film-meets-sportsTim Burton’s Big Eyes can movie-meets-war-saga-meetssafely be labeled the most benign cross-cultural-character-piece. of the bunch. It’s a gelatinous, teJack O’Connell in Unbroken Each of these sections fails to dious look at the life of San Francisco painter Margaret Keane (Amy Adams), whose transcend Louis past his one-dimensional status, conniving conman of a husband, Walter (Christoph leaving O’Connell, who’s an amazing young actor Waltz), took credit for her paintings and attained na- (see Starred Up for proof ), to quietly limp from scene tional celebrity. The film willfully concludes that the to scene without any room to breathe.

Whereas Burton once had talent and innovation to past may be worth revising but also that it must be done through the lens of candy-colored melodrama. spare, it’s clear from this film and her debut effort In the Land of Blood and Honey that No room for serious contemplaJolie does not. She uses a lumtion of feminism or cultural icobering flashback structure that nography here. seems pieced together via Cliff’s As with any biopic, period Notes, leaving the interactions detail (architecture, clothing, between Louis and his Japanese speech patterns) remains importormentor reeking of insincerity tant to Big Eyes as it progresses and manipulation. While it will through the tumultuous 1960s. surely be a heavy hitter in the OsBurton lazily recreates the era car race, Unbroken is the purest by focusing on public canvases example of what legendary film and reference points, places for critic Manny Farber described as characters to momentarily expeAmy Adams in Big Eyes “white elephant art.” rience and then move on without By comparison, Morten Tyldum’s The Imitation much thought to the connection between time and place. The filmmaker is working on autopilot, each Game looks like gold sterling. Cordially directed moment of Big Eyes spewing the kind of organic self- and sporting a lovely score by Alexandre Desplat importance that can be achieved only by a once-mas- (who seemingly composes for every movie these ter filmmaker finalizing his descent into irrelevance. days), the film stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Alan Known for his gothic and surrealist world build- Turing, the brilliant and eccentric mathematician ing, Burton has now completely disavowed the dan- who helped break the Enigma code during WWII. ger inherent in his wildly funny and satirical comedy Mars Attacks! and the fringe humanity of his previous CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

December 23, 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 19

Turing’s repressed homosexuality rides as an undercurrent to this historical record, important to the conflict within the film but not egregiously manipulated to seem overly progressive.

Like a proficient but unassuming quarterback, Tyldum manages the game well enough for the great Cumberbatch to chew scenery. The actor crafts a tightening ball of nerves and anxiety with Turing, elevating the man beyond mere oddball and giving him real internal conflict and external doubt. Even if the film struggles with many of the same pratfalls that hinder Big Eyes and Unbroken, such as easy resolution of human conflicts, it remains an effortless, charming and some-

times endearing throwback.

While The Imitation Game handily defeats the competition within this current crop of biopics, superior options reside on the horizon. Mike Leigh’s Mr. Turner, Ava DuVernay’s Selma and Clint Eastwood’s American Sniper are all daring in the way they supplant the standard operating procedures of the biopic to explore nuances of their central characters. Each is also aware of the way politics and the world at large impact these characters’ desires and goals, proving that “based on a true story” doesn’t have to be a death knell for filmmaking ingenuity.

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

Opening

Unbroken: Angelina Jolie’s sophomore effort examines the life of Olympic athlete and World War II prisoner of war Louis Zamperini (Jack O’Connell) who overcame extreme odds to survive a Japanese internment camp. See our review on Page 19.

One Time Only The Big Lebowski: Come see one of the latest entries in the National Film Registry.

Yes, a stoner pot comedy from the Coen brothers is a national treasure. Screens at 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 25, through Saturday, Dec. 27, at Cinema Under the Stars in Mission Hills.

The Act of Killing: Joshua Oppenheimer interviews members of Indonesian death squads who reenact their mass-killings in a variety of genres. Screens at 6:30 p.m.

Monday, Dec. 29, at the San Diego Central Library in East Village.

Mrs. Doubtfire: Dude looks like a lady.

Screens at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 30, at The Pearl Hotel in Point Loma.

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

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

20 · San Diego CityBeat · December 23, 2014

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

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

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

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

Big Hero 6: An inflatable robot develops a bond with a prodigy named Hiro, and the two become high-tech heroes.

Into the Woods: Beware the Wolf, Sondheim. Beware the Wolf.

The Imitation Game: Benedict Cumberbatch stars as real-life code breaker Alan Turing, who led a squad of British mathematicians in breaking the Enigma code during World War II. See our review on Page 19.

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

The Theory of Everything: Stephen Hawking (Eddie Redmayne) is diagnosed with motor-neuron disease just as he’s graduating with a doctorate degree in physics from Cambridge and starting a new life with his wife (Felicity Jones).

Big Eyes: Tim Burton’s film tells the story of Margaret Keane (Amy Adams), a 1960s housewife who allows her conman of a husband to take credit for her exceptionally popular paintings. See our review on Page 19.

Pioneer: A reckless deep-sea diver takes on a dangerous mission and gets in over his head during the Norwegian oil boom of the 1980s. Screens through Jan. 1 at the Ken Cinema.

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

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

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

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

Violet: A young man falls in love with a woman he sees in a photograph, sending him on an adventure to discover her name and whereabouts. Ends Dec. 25 at Digital Gym Cinema in North Park.

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

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

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

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

The Homesman: A lonely farmer (Hilary

Force Majeure: While on vacation in the French Alps, a Swedish family experiences a traumatic event that reveals the deepseated emotions and frustrations that have long simmered under the surface.

Interstellar: Christopher Nolan’s new science-fiction epic follows a group of explorers who make use of a newly discovered wormhole to find a new home for humanity.

Nightcrawler: This scathing and unsettling portrait of modern news television stars Jake Gyllenhaal as a vulture scouring the Los Angeles streets for gory events.

Mysteries of Egypt: Traverse the glorious history and legacy of the ancient Egyptians in this IMAX adventure that takes you beyond the Pyramids and the Sphinx. Screens at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center in Balboa Park.

Birdman: A burnt-out superhero actor (Michael Keaton) tries to mount a play on Broadway in order to prove his worth. It co-stars Naomi Watts, Emma Stone and Andrea Riseborough.

John Wick: After his dog is killed during a random break-in, a former hit man (Keanu Reeves) goes on the warpath looking for vengeance.

St. Vincent: A misanthropic senior citizen (Bill Murray) befriends a young boy going through familial trouble, inevitably leading to redemption for all involved.

Fury: A surly tank commander (Brad Pitt) and his small crew fend off Nazis during the waning days of World War II. Whiplash: A sadistic music teacher tortures a young drummer at a posh New York City conservatory.

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

Ana Brown

Never say

nunca

The persistent pulse of Cumbia Machin by

J eff T erich

J

oaquin Hernandez has spent most of his adult life behind a drum set. As a teenager, he started playing in punk group Chicken Farm and opened for bands like The Dead Milkmen and Green Day. Since then, he’s provided the rhythms for a variety of eclectic bands, including The B-Side Players, reggae fusion group Sol Power and salsa band Agua Dulce.

After 25 years as a musician, however, Hernandez’s career came close to ending altogether. During a recording session with Agua Dulce, his hand mysteriously seized up, leaving him unable to play drums. What he didn’t realize was that this unexpected affliction had long-term ramifications.

“My right hand just got stuck, and I couldn’t use it anymore,” he says in an interview in Chicano Park, against the sounds of a salsa band performing on the park’s central stage. “The doctor that diag-

nosed me said I would never play drums again. That just ended it all for me.”

Hernandez was ultimately diagnosed with a condition called focal dystonia, which is a neurological disorder that causes involuntary muscular contractions.

Because of the physical limitations that the condition imposes, Hernandez couldn’t continue performing the way he had been.

Yet, he wasn’t ready or willing to give up playing music.

Though holding drumsticks was no longer in the cards, Hernandez began to explore the idea of transitioning into electronic music. He was still able to use his fingers freely, and he discovered a MIDIcontrolled electronic percussion instrument called the Zendrum, which allowed him to play beats live without getting behind an acoustic drum kit. And in 2010, Cumbia Machin was born.

Hernandez, a Chula Vista native, had already been performing cumbia—a style of Latin dance music with origins in Colombia—as a member of Agua Dulce. Likewise, it’s a style of music he heard often, growing up in a Mexican family.

“It’s something at every family party—

echoing percussive sounds. Meanwhile, “Dubstep Cumbia” is more or less exactly what it sounds like, juxtaposing throbbing, wonky synthesizer bass lines against more conventional accordion touches. And “Rock the House” offers up a fun mix of distorted guitar riffs and vocoder flourishes.

As familiar and comfortable as Hernandez is with playing with the conventions of cumbia, he admits that making the transition to electronic music hasn’t been without its challenges. He was able to glean some knowledge from his younger brothers, who use samplers to make hip-hop beats. And from there, he explored how to use different instruments and devices, as well as figure out the best applications for them in his music. After a couple of solo shows as Cumbia Machin, Hernandez let go of some of the initial worries about putting aside acoustic instrumentation. Though, he does admit that he still faces the kind of challenges that adopting new technologies can bring.

“Electronics is a whole different thing,” he says. “With the drum, you don’t need a PA system. If the power goes out, the drums still continue. So, with all this electronic stuff, I had to learn how to program synthesizers everybody’s always listening to it,” he says. and MIDI. I got the hang of it, but there was With an entirely new approach, and a definitely a huge learning curve going from new set of instruments at his disposal, he a drum set to all these electronics. I’m still saw possibilities in taking the sound of afraid of power going out. It’s a nightmare.” cumbia into new, experimental territory.

Hernandez is the only permanent mem“With all the other bands, especially the ber of Cumbia Machin, though he somelast band… we were playing salsa,” he says. times performs with conga player Paul “There’s a whole dance, but it’s pretty com- Lopez and saxophonist and flautist Pete plicated. Cumbia music is different because Ortega. And, for now, all of the songs are it’s easier to dance to. When we would play instrumental, though Hernandez says he’s open to incorporating vocalists in the salsa band, we would do in the future. some cumbias, and everyone Whatever new stylistic perwould get up and dance. And it mutations are in store for Cumwas around that time that I was bia Machin, they are born of an hearing a lot of DJs experiment Dec. 31 intense passion for music and an with electro cumbia.

“Cumbia music has always Kensington Club unwillingness to let an otherwise lent itself to be able to experi- cumbiamachin.com devastating setback get in the way of pursuing that passion. ment,” he continues. “I just do “I could have just sat at home and said what I do and see what comes out.”

The music of Cumbia Machin is any- my drumming’s over. But that would have thing but traditional. In fact, his debut al- been too hard for me,” Hernandez says. “I bum, Esuper Cumbia, which was released had to find a way.

“Never give up, because you never in 2012, covers a pretty broad range of styles and sounds, all built upon a solid know—something’s gonna happen.” foundation of pulsing, persistent cumbia beats. A track like “Puro Feeling,” for in- Write to jefft@sdcitybeat.com stance, features elements of dub, with its or editor@sdcitybeat.com.

Cumbia Machin

December 23, 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 21

notes from the smoking patio Locals Only Timothy Joseph, singer and guitarist in The Palace Ballroom, is the new host of The Local 94/9. Joseph took the reins from the radio show’s former host, Tim Pyles, after Pyles left 94/9 to start a new job as a DJ with 91X. Joseph first filled in for Pyles on Sunday, Nov. 30, as a temporary host for the San Diego-centric radio program, but that’s all it took for the musician to be offered the permanent gig. Joseph says that while he doesn’t have much radio experience, the new job seems like a good opportunity to approach local music from a different perspective.

“I thought it would be cool to do. I figured we’d talk about things that don’t get talked about,” he says.

“It’s a cool forum to be able to talk to bands about what it’s like to be a musician. Young bands listening can learn from these experiences.”

His first show as the official host was broadcast on Sunday, Dec. 14; he can be heard every Sunday night at 9 p.m. Joseph has also set up an email address for local music tips at submitlocal94.9@gmail. com. And though the San Diego scene does lean a little heavier on rock than other genres, Joseph says he’s interested in hearing and featuring artists in a variety of different styles.

“I’m gonna include metal, hip-hop, electronic….

If it’s good music and making waves in the scene, I want to know about it,” he says.

One thing that Joseph says is not part of his agenda is starting a competition with rival station 91X. He’s in it strictly for the music.

“I’m not in it for station politics. That’s not my

concern,” he says. “I’m doing it because the local scene needs all the advocates it can get.”

Joseph says that being in a local band and hosting a show about local music puts him in a tricky position. However, he adds that listeners shouldn’t expect to hear him promote The Palace Ballroom.

“I’m not into self-promotion,” he says. “I’m here to give a hand to the scene. The local scene’s given a lot to me, and if I can be a voice for the questions that don’t always get asked, it’s a good thing. It’s all positive.”

•••

Systems Officer, the project led by Pinback’s Zach Smith, is at the top of a long list of notable San Diego albums that’ll be released in 2015. The band will release its follow-up to 2009’s Underslept in April.

Hills Like Elephants are also preparing to release their next full-length, in late March or early April, following their Bedroom Colonies EP from earlier this year. And Kids, Bit Maps and The Bassics all plan to release debut albums in 2015.

Other artists with music coming out next year include Teenage Burritos, ANA, Ash Williams, Neighbors to the North, Tolan Shaw, Mrs. Henry, Soft Lions, The Liquorsmiths, Speaker in Reverse, iD the Poet and Gloomsday, who have been posting studio updates on Facebook.

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

The Palace Ballroom’s Timothy Joseph (second from right) is the new host of The Local 94/9.

22 · San Diego CityBeat · December 23, 2014

December 23, 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 23

if i were u Wednesday, Dec. 24 PLAN A: Scheff’s All Star Band Doing the Rolling Stones, Schitzophonics Stone Soul Christmas Revue, The Little Richards @ The Casbah. Ordinarily this is where you’d see “Exile in Kettner Blvd.,” the annual Rolling Stones cover show at The Casbah. It’s taking a break this year, but you can still catch three sure-to-be-rollicking covers sets, including The Schitzophonics playing soulful Christmas tunes. Consider this an early request for James Brown’s “Santa Claus, Go Straight to the Ghetto.”

Thursday, Dec. 25 PLAN A: Roast Beast, Eggnog, A Charlie Brown Christmas @ Your House. If you’re looking for a show to go to on Christmas, you’re out of luck. And I’m going to go ahead and recommend that you take it easy, anyway. This is a day for feasting and family or, failing that, booze and TV marathons.

Take the night off—you’ve earned it.

BY Jeff Terich There will be grooves aplenty. BACKUP PLAN: Jimmy Ruelas @ Seven Grand.

Sunday, Dec. 28 PLAN A: Second Cousins, Rosewood and Rye @ Sycamore Den. Great folk and Americana goes well with bourbon, just as a general rule, and you can have both in ample supply at this show. Grab yourself an old fashioned and get cozy while Second Cousins serenade you with their gorgeous harmonies. PLAN B: The Cobra-Las, Save Amos, Future Crooks, Aim for the Engine @ The Casbah. The Cobra-Las are self-described on their Facebook page as “hooker-STOMP.” Need I say more?

Monday, Dec. 29

PLAN A: Jonah Matranga, Blake Bosgieter, Daniel Godfrey @ The Hideout.

Jonah Matranga has hosted a number of notable emo and post-hardcore bands, including Far and Onelinedrawing, so there’s a good chance his Friday, Dec. 26 solo shows will bring a simiPLAN A: The Adolescents, lar amount of emotion and Widows, Shady Francos, melody. So get out there and Bumbklaat @ The Casbah. feel something. PLAN B: Alright, now that you’ve got Belle Noire, Articles, The a day of rest on the books, Moderates, Hearts Like it’s time to get back out Lions @ Soda Bar. The there and thrash with the name Belle Noire might not best of them. The Adolesring a bell just yet, but the cents are hardcore-punk San Jose band has a dreamy legends, and just because indie-pop sound that recalls Jonah Matranga Local Natives, or a more popthere’s a little snow on the roof doesn’t mean they can’t still smash a friendly Grizzly Bear. There’s maybe a little few windows. Pro tip: If you dress in lay- too much polish in their music, but beneath ers, you’ll last longer in the pit. PLAN B: the gloss, the melodies are definitely worth Snuffaluffagus, Other Bodies, Tan Tien, hearing. BACKUP PLAN: Josh Damigo DJ Keith Sweaty @ Soda Bar. Or, you can and the Freeloaders, The Lyrical Groove, preserve your ribcage at a much more chill Talk Like June, B Willing @ The Casbah. show headlined by blissfully smooth group Snuffaluffagus—not every show has to rip Tuesday, Dec. 30 your face off to be good.

PLAN A: Cracker, Camper Van Beethoven @ Belly Up Tavern. David Lowery is faSaturday, Dec. 27 mous for fronting two bands—Cracker and PLAN A: Hideout, Wild Wild Wets, Other Camper Van Beethoven—and, wouldn’t you Bodies @ Soda Bar. San Diego / New York know it, they’re playing a double headlinduo Hideout are making their live debut, ing set just as the year comes to a close. Beand with two extra musicians on stage with tween the two groups, there are countless them to fully flesh out their sound. I re- classics to anticipate, but if they decide to do viewed their debut album, Rookie, recently, a medley of “Low” and “Take the Skinheads and liked it a lot, so I’d make this a high pri- Bowling,” that would really be something. ority after you spend a night sleeping off the PLAN B: Hot Chip DJ set @ The Casbah. holiday cheer. PLAN B: Get Back Loretta, OK, seeing Hot Chip at The Casbah (which Rebecca Jade and the Cold Fact, Madly, I did back in 2006) would be a little more Creature and the Woods @ The Casbah. exciting than a DJ set from two of the dudes If you’re more in the mood for an old favor- in the band, but they’ve got great taste, and ite than a brand-new group, then head to going out the night before New Year’s Eve The Casbah to see longtime local favorites sounds more appealing to me than braving Get Back Loretta, along with soulful super- the crowds on Dec. 31. Prepare to dance. group (and recent San Diego Music Award BACKUP PLAN: Lowlands, Prayers, winners) Rebecca Jade and the Cold Fact. Keepers, Angel Dust @ Soda Bar.

24 · San Diego CityBeat · December 23, 2014

HOT! NEW! FRESH! The Donkeys (Casbah, 1/23), Cadillac Tramps (Casbah, 1/24), We Are Scientists (Casbah, 1/30), Earthless (Casbah, 2/7), In Flames (HOB, 2/23), Bleachers (HOB, 3/12), San Diego Experimental Guitar Show (Soda Bar, 3/21), Quantic (Soda Bar, 3/24), Iggy Azalea (Valley View Casino Center, 4/23).

Iggy Azalea

GET YER TICKETS Pato Banton (BUT, 1/2), Little Hurricane (North Park Theatre, 1/17), Tower of Power (BUT, 1/17), Eric Church (Valley View Casino Center, 1/18), G. Love and Special Sauce (HOB, 1/18), Guster (HOB, 1/21), Big Head Todd and the Monsters (BUT, 1/23-24), The Coup (Casbah, 1/25), Russian Circles (Soda Bar, 1/25), The Wailers

(BUT, 1/27), Wale (North Park Theatre, 1/31), Patti Smith (Balboa Theatre, 1/31), Juan Gabriel (Viejas Arena, 2/6), Motion City Soundtrack (HOB, 2/11), Hundred Waters (Casbah, 2/11), The Dodos (Casbah, 2/14), Ozomatli (BUT, 2/14-15), Alan Jackson (Valley View Casino Center, 2/20), Kina Grannis (Porter’s Pub, 2/20), Gregory Alan Isakov (The Irenic, 2/22), Cursive (Casbah, 2/22), Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band (Viejas Arena, 2/25), Cold War Kids (North Park Theatre, 2/25), Taking Back Sunday (HOB, 2/26), The Church (Casbah, 2/28), Theophilus London (BUT, 3/1), Swervedriver (Casbah, 3/4), Enslaved, YOB (Brick by Brick, 3/5), Viet Cong (Soda Bar, 3/7), A Place to Bury Strangers (Casbah, 3/11), Hurray for the Riff Raff (BUT, 3/11), Twin Shadow (BUT, 3/13), Ani DiFranco (HOB, 3/16), George Benson (Balboa Theatre, 3/26), Blue October (HOB, 4/9), Andrew Jackson Jihad (The Irenic, 4/10), Buddy Guy (Balboa Theatre, 4/11), Bruce Hornsby (Balboa Theatre, 4/16), OK Go (HOB, 5/1), They Might Be Giants (BUT, 5/3), Lana Del Rey (Sleep Train Amphitheatre, 5/16), Nickelback (Sleep Train Amphitheatre, 6/27), One Direction (Qualcomm Stadium, 7/9), Idina Menzel (Open Air Theatre, 8/8), Foo Fighters (Sleep Train Amphitheatre, 9/24).

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

Sunday, Dec. 28 The Aggrolites at Belly Up Tavern. Man-

nheim Steamroller at Civic Theatre.

Monday, Dec. 29 Jonah Matranga at The Hideout.

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

Saturday, Jan. 10 Cody Lovaas at Carlsbad Village Theatre. Olivelawn at The Casbah. Jucifer at Brick by Brick. David J at The Hideout.

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

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

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

Friday, Jan. 2

Midge Ure

Pato Banton at Belly Up Tavern.

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

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

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

Friday, Jan. 9

Tuesday, Jan. 13 Midge Ure at The Casbah.

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

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

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

Katchafire at Belly Up Tavern.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 26

December 23, 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 25

The Dickies at Soda Bar.

Tuesday, Jan. 27 The Wailers at Belly Up Tavern. Cult of Youth at Soda Bar.

Sunday, Jan. 18 Eric Church at Valley View Casino Center.

G. Love and Special Sauce at House of Blues. White Arrows at The Casbah. Six String Society at Belly Up Tavern.

Thursday, Jan. 29 Keller Williams at Belly Up Tavern.

Friday, Jan. 30 Dave and Phil Alvin at Belly Up Tavern.

Brooke Fraser at The Irenic. Paul Wall at Porter’s Pub. Nothing at Soda Bar.

der’s Swamp Kitchen. Sat: Darryl Walker.

Sun: The Matt Smith Neu Jazz Trio.

American Comedy Co., 818 B Sixth Ave, Downtown. americancomedyco. com. Fri-Sun: Myq Kaplan. Sat: Doug Loves Movies.

Bar Pink, 3829 30th St, North Park. barpink.com. Wed: DJ L. Fri: ‘80s Heart 90s’. Sat: DJ Mike Delgado. Sun: ‘Rat Sabbath.’. Mon: The Husky Boy All Stars.

Bassmnt, 919 Fourth Ave, Downtown. bassmntsd.com. Sat: Shogun.

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

Fri: Fish and the Seaweeds. Sun: Kayla Hope.

Guster Wednesday, Jan. 21 Guster at House of Blues.

Wale

Thursday, Jan. 22 The Mast at Soda Bar.

Friday, Jan. 23 Ras Kass at Porter’s Pub. Big Head Todd and the Monsters at Belly Up Tavern.

Saturday, Jan. 24 Big Head Todd and the Monsters at Belly Up Tavern. Helms Alee at The Hideout.

Sunday, Jan. 25 The Coup at The Casbah. Russian Circles at Soda Bar.

26 · San Diego CityBeat · December 23, 2014

Saturday, Jan. 31 Patti Smith at Balboa Theatre. Wale at North Park Theatre. Silverstein at House of Blues.

rCLUBSr 710 Beach Club, 710 Garnet Ave, Pacific Beach. 710bc.com. Fri: Sanko and the Rockaway Kings, Omnignome. Sat: ‘International Music Festival’. Sun: Karaoke.

Tue: ‘EDM Tuesday’.

98 Bottles, 2400 Kettner Blvd. Ste. 110, Little Italy. 98bottlessd.com. Fri: Nik Sny-

Belly Up Tavern, 143 S. Cedros Ave, Solana Beach. bellyup.com. Fri: Cash’d Out, Rosie Flores, Dead Rock West. Sat: The Greyboy Allstars, Amp Live. Sun: The Aggrolites, Creepy Creeps, Perro Bravo.

Mon: Tainted Love, DJ Man Cat. Tue: Cracker, Camper Van Beethoven.

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

Bourbon Street, 4612 Park Blvd, University Heights. bourbonstreetsd.com. Sun: ‘Soiree’.

Brick by Brick, 1130 Buenos Ave, Bay Park. brickbybrick.com. Mon: ‘Metal Mondays’.

Comedy Palace, 8878 Clairemont Mesa Blvd, Clairemont. thecomedypalace.com.

Fri-Sat: Monique Marvez.

Comedy Store, 916 Pearl St, La Jolla. lajolla.thecomedystore.com. Fri-Sat: Byron Bowers.

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

Wed: 45 Revolutions. Fri: Sue Palmer.

Sat: Eve Selis. Sun: Besos De Coco.

Mon: Lorraine Castellanos. Tue: Nina Francis.

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

Sat: DJ Grim.

F6ix, 526 F St., Downtown, Downtown. f6ixsd.com. Fri: DJ Craig Smoove. Sat: DJ Kaos. Sun: ‘Magnum Sunday’.

Fluxx, 500 Fourth Ave, Downtown. fluxxsd.com. Fri: Kyle Flesch. Sat: Sid Vicious.

Gallagher’s, 5040 Newport Ave, Ocean Beach. 619-222-5303. Fri: Sandollar, DJ Rox. Sat: Modern Day Moonshine, DJ Chelu.

Hard Rock Hotel, 207 Fifth Ave, Downtown. hardrockhotelsd.com. Fri: DJ Seize. Sat: Chris Cutz.

Henry’s Pub, 618 Fifth Ave, Downtown. henryspub.com. Fri: ‘Good Times’. Sat: DJs E, Yodah. Sun: Karaoke. Mon: Peach. Tue: Big City Dawgs.

House of Blues, 1055 Fifth Ave, Downtown. houseofblues.com/sandiego. Sat: ‘Holiday Hangover’ w/ The Cured, The Joshua Tree, Fears for Tears, Cosmic Thing.

Kava Lounge, 2812 Kettner Blvd, Midtown. kavalounge.com. Fri: ‘Thank Jah It’s Friday’. Sat: Marques Wyatt. Sun: Daedelus. Tue: ‘High Tech Tuesday’.

Mc P’s Irish Pub, 1107 Orange Ave, Coronado. mcpspub.com. Wed: Jackson and Jesus. Fri: Ron’s Garage. Sat: In Midlife Crisis. Sun: Ron’s Garage. Tue: Glen Smith.

Numbers, 3811 Park Blvd, Hillcrest. numberssd.com. Thu: ‘Throwback Thursday’.

Fri: ‘Uncut’. Sat: ‘Club Sabbat’. Sun: ‘Joe’s Gamenite’. Tue: ‘Karaoke Latino’.

Patricks Gaslamp, 428 F St, Downtown. patricksii.com. Thu: Jo Hell. Fri: The Bill Magee Blues Band. Sat: WG and the GMen. Sun: Rosy Dawn. Mon: The Groove Squad. Tue: Walter’s Chicken Jam. Rich’s, 1051 University Ave, Hillcrest. richssandiego.com. Wed: ‘Mischief’ w/ Bianca. Fri: DJs John Joseph, Moody Rudy. Sat: DJs Taj, K-Swift. Sun: DJ Qoolee Kid. Riviera Supper Club, 7777 University Ave, La Mesa. rivierasupperclub.com. Fri: Chickenbone Slim. Sat: Karl Cabbage.

Tue: Karaoke.

Seven Grand, 3054 University Ave, North Park. sevengrandbars.com/sd. Fri: Soul Organization. Sat: Jimmy Ruelas.

Side Bar, 536 Market St, Downtown. sidebarsd.com. Thu: ‘Divino Thursday’. Fri: ‘S-Bar’ w/ DJ Decon. Sat: DJ Dynamiq.

Soda Bar, 3615 El Cajon Blvd, City Heights. sodabarmusic.com. Fri: Snuffaluffagus, Other Bodies, Tan Tien, DJ Keith Sweaty. Sat: Hideout, Wild Wild Wets.

Mon: Belle Noire, Articles, The Moderates, Hearts Like Lions. Tue: Lowlands, Prayers, Keepers, Angel Dust.

SOMA, 3350 Sports Arena Blvd, Midway. somasandiego.com. Sat: The Domino Theory, 2 Percent Milk, Earthbound, The Bleeskiez, 4th N Cedar, Alex Lievanos, Showcash.

Spin, 2028 Hancock St, Midtown. spinnightclub.com. Sat: Twista. Sun: ‘Queen of the Dancehall Dance-Off’.

Stage Bar & Grill, 762 Fifth Ave, Downtown. stagesaloon.com. Fri: Disco Pimps, DJ Slynkee. Sat: Hott Mess, DJ Miss Dust. Mon: Karaoke.

Sycamore Den, 3391 Adams Ave., San Diego, Normal Heights. sycamoreden. com. Sun: Second Cousins, Rosewood and Rye. Tango Del Rey, 3567 Del Rey St, Mission Bay. tangodelrey.com. Fri: Persian Music Concert.

The Bancroft, 9143 Campo Rd, Spring Valley. 619-469-2337. Fri: Nikki and the Mongoloid, Emphasize, Tall Can, Lucky Daygo, XSatireX, Omni.

The Casbah, 2501 Kettner Blvd, Midtown. casbahmusic.com. Wed: Scheff’s All Star Band doing The Rolling Stones, Schitzophonics Stone Soul Christmas Revue, The Little Richards. Fri: The Adolescents, Widows, Shady Francos, Bumbklaat. Sat: Get Back Loretta, Rebecca Jade and the Cold Fact, Madly, Creature and the Woods. Sun: The Cobra-Las, Save Amos, Future Crooks, Aim for the Engine.

Mon: Josh Damigo and the Freeloaders, The Lyrical Groove, Talk Like June, B Willing. Tue: Hot Chip (DJ set).

The Merrow, 1271 University Ave, Hillcrest. theMerrow.com. Sat: ‘Tones’ w/ The Major Minus, VIS, Misc. Ailments.

Tue: The Grim Imperials.

The Office, 3936 30th St, North Park. officebarinc.com. Fri: ‘After Hours’ w/ DJs EdRoc, Huge Euge. Sat: ‘Strictly Business’ w/ DJs Gabe Vega, Pleasure Victim.

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

The Tin Roof, 401 G Street, Gaslamp. tinroofbars.com. Fri: The Bootleggers, The Upshots. Sat: Random Radio, Daniel Bonte. Sun: Sandi Shaner. Tue: King Schascha, Irusalem.

Til-Two Club, 4746 El Cajon Blvd, City Heights. tiltwoclub.com. Fri: ‘Sleepwalk-

ing’.

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

Mon: ‘Tin Can Country Club’.

Tio Leo’s, 5302 Napa St, Bay Park. tioleos.com. Fri: Joey Harris. Sat: Rising Star. Tue: Michele Lundeen.

Tower Bar, 4757 University Ave, City Heights. thetowerbar.com. Fri: Clean Room, Magellanic Clouds. Tue: Ghost Police.

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

Wed: Vera Cruz Blues (5 p.m.); Tomcat Courtney (7 p.m.). Fri: Gabriela Aparicio (5 p.m.); Afro Jazziacs (9 p.m.). Sat: Son Pa Ti. Sun: Sounds Like Four (4 p.m.); Middle Earth (7 p.m.). Mon: DJ Milen.

Tue: The Trio (5 p.m.); Grupo Global (7 p.m.).

Ux31, 3112 University Ave, North Park. u31bar.com. Fri: Lee Churchill. Sat: DJ Junior the DiscoPunk. Sun: DJ Carlos Culture. Mon: DJ Kid Wonder. Tue: Karaoke.

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

Fri: Billy the Kid. Sat: Shadow Man. Sun: DJ Clean Cut. Whistle Stop, 2236 Fern St, South Park. whistlestopbar.com. Fri: DJ W. Steele.

Sat: ‘Booty Bassment’ w/ DJs Rob, Dimitri. Mon: ‘Motown Monday’ w/ DJ Artistic.

Tue: ‘Videodrome’.

Winstons, 1921 Bacon St, Ocean Beach. winstonsob.com. Wed: ‘Club Kingston’ w/ DJ Carlos Culture. Fri: The Devastators, Smokey Hoof. Sat: Psydecar, DJ Carlos Culture. Sun: Karaoke. Mon: Electric Waste Band. Tue: Bujie and the Highrise, The Room Downstairs.

December 23, 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 27

Brendan Emmett Quigley

Across

All the trimmings

1. Suffix for bowling alleys and cinés 5. Aptly placed decoration for this theme 9. CAT scan units 13. Grape shape 14. “You may disagree with me,” initially 15. British celebrity cook Smith 16. Electricity measurement 17. Outgoing Senate Majority Leader Harry 18. Opines 19. “Take Care” director Tuccillo 20. One with braces, slangily 22. Runner Griffith Joyner, familiarly 24. Continent with both the largest and smallest countries by area: Abbr.

25. Luxury car decorations 33. Coming out of both channels 34. She played Beatrix in “Kill Bill” 35. “Between Two Ferns” comic Galifianakis 38. Loses traction on the road 40. Server’s language 41. Reply to “Who wants some eggnog?” maybe 42. Some native Alaskans 44. Seafood appetizer 49. Charles V’s realm: Abbr.

50. Some tan shades 53. Gay icon The Advocate called “The Elvis of homosexuals” 60. Affectionate letters 61. Broadway actress Kelli 62. Caucus state 63. Puzzle-within-a-puzzle puzzle 64. Largest of the Philippine islands 65. Try to get off the ground?

66. Bring home Last week’s answers

28 · San Diego CityBeat · December 23, 2014

67. Transitioning word 68. Aptly placed swag for this puzzle’s theme 69. Holiday associated with this puzzle’s theme, for short

Down 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

“The Muppets” dog To no ___ Seder bread Rockers ___-J Cortana’s cousin Counterfeit collectors Large food tunas Took Greyhound Patriot Paul whose time capsule was found on 12/11/14 10. On the safe side, nautically 11. TMZ fodder 12. Prom queen’s decoration 15. Excel bit 20. Blow a horn 21. Shepherd’s spot 23. “Inherent Vice” actor Brolin 26. ___ Plaines 27. They can get the bugs out 28. Sleigh-driver’s controls 29. “Well, obviously!”

30. Cloister member 31. Initialism said after hearing about the boss’s holiday party antics 32. Ornette Coleman’s instrument 35. Extra oomph 36. Stirring activity 37. Beat walker 39. Richard Branson’s title 40. Grp. whose colors are scarlet and gold 43. Going into overtime 45. Crawl on the bottom of ESPN, for one 46. Phantom of the Opera’s instrument 47. FDR group, or, you know, that “Crying Game” actor 48. Members of the spin class?

51. Michelob brew 52. Digitizes, as a contract 53. Wake-up shock 54. “Never gonna happen” 55. Daydreamer’s state 56. Space in a rocky relationship?

57. Track and field star Jones 58. Gchat setting with an orange circle 59. Times for some shut-eye 63. Nat. with 31 states

December 23, 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 29

30 · San Diego CityBeat · December 23, 2014

December 23, 2014 · San Diego CityBeat · 31