2 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · DECEMBER 26, 2018
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UP FRONT | FROM THE EDITOR
We should not move on
I
’m not very good at math, but I didn’t need to have a number-swirling, Beautiful Mind-type brain to crunch the numbers in the damning report issued by the California State Auditor’s Office last Thursday. The 46-page report, which was called for by local State Assemblymember Todd Gloria back in May, goes into excruciating detail on the city and county’s response to the 2017 hepatitis A outbreak. The verdict? That the county, led by the all-Republican Board of Supervisors, did not effectively plan, coordinate or effectively communicate with the city to help prevent the spread of the disease. The result of their inaction led not only to the outbreak itself, but even more damning, the county remained ambivalent and “lacked a strong sense of urgency” even after the outbreak was at a critical point and people were dying. Of the many alarming and face-palming passages in the report, the key excerpt may be in State Auditor Elaine Howle’s introductory letter: “This report concludes that the county, which is responsible for the area’s public health matters, took steps to understand the increasing number of reported hepatitis A cases… However, the county failed to include critical details in planning its response such as identifying the number of vaccinations it would administer, the timelines for administering them, and the resources—primarily, nursing staff—needed to carry out the vaccination program.”
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The response from local politicians, media and concerned citizens has been swift and pointed. “One thing is clear: lives could have been saved,” said Assemblymember Gloria in a statement. Newly elected Supervisor Nathan Fletcher (now the only Democrat on the five-member board) pledged to do his part to ensure “a public health crisis like this never happens again.” The Union-Tribune issued a blistering editorial calling out the county’s “lethal incompetence.” Homeless advocate Michael McConnell told The New York Times that “because the people being impacted were homeless people, there was not the same sense of urgency,” adding that it was only after non-homeless citizens became infected with Hep. A, that the Board of Supervisors began taking it seriously. McConnell, along with former District 8 Councilmember David Alvarez, were among the first people to condemn the county’s inaction. But perhaps the first person to explicitly sound the alarm was also revealed in the report. In an April 2017 email, the county’s leading epidemiology expert, Dr. Eric McDonald, warned Dr. Wilma Wooten (head of San Diego Health and Human Services) of an increase in Hep. A cases, and that “if more aggressive measures are not coordinated
immediately, this outbreak is on track to be one of the worst ones in the United States since the vaccine was introduced.” His prediction proved to be prophetic. What’s more, the email was withheld by the county despite Public Records requests from Voice of San Diego. Let’s reiterate this: the county intentionally withheld that email from the media. And yet the timing of the report couldn’t have been worse. The holidays were upon us and even by the time this editorial is out, it’s likely the rage will have died down and calls for “doing better” and “moving on” will be the narrative. Supervisor Kristin Gaspar has already seemingly done so stating that “more important than pointing fingers and
laying blame, is taking the lessons learned from this incident and using them to be better prepared for future health emergencies.” If only it were that simple for the 398 people who were hospitalized during this crisis. If only it were that simple for the 20 people who are no longer living because of the county’s inaction. We should not move on. Some people need to resign. Some need to be fired. Some need to be recalled if they do not resign. And no amount of holiday cheer or calls to “move on” should make us forget this epic and unparalleled failure. Shame!
—Seth Combs
Write to seth.combs@sdcitybeat.com
This issue of CityBeat is lighting all the votives for the Notorious RBG.
Volume 17 • Issue 19 EDITOR Seth Combs WEB EDITOR Ryan Bradford ART DIRECTOR Carolyn Ramos STAFF WRITER Andrea Lopez-Villafaña COLUMNISTS Aaryn Belfer, Ryan Bradford, Edwin Decker, John R. Lamb, Rhonda “Ro” Moore
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DECEMBER 26, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 3
UP FRONT | LETTERS
BEST LETTERS OF 2018
time coming. Please don’t stop. San Diego needs this voice.
WHERE’S OUR PULITZER? I just want to thank you and the professional staffers there at CityBeat for the piece on the Hepatitis A outbreak in our community [“Hepatitis A: One year later,” Aug. 22]. The analysis made by your competent and skilled reporters brought a simplistic clarity to the news story that made it intelligible, comprehensible, understandable, outstanding work! Your thorough coverage of that deadly emergency in San Diego is worthy of a Pulitzer Prize. Keep up the good work in keeping our county educated, informed and aware of critical events that matter to all of us. Thanks again, CityBeat for a job well done. Sincerely, Jacob Regal Downtown
S.D. NEEDS THIS VOICE I’ve been a loyal CityBeat reader for the 14 years I’ve lived in San Diego. The Sept. 5 editorial [“Being an ally means more than retweeting”] was the best call to action I’ve seen in the paper since the change in leadership in 2015. I know there have been ups and downs at the paper over the years, as can be expected, but know that writing like the Sept. 5 piece will keep me picking up CityBeat for a long
Colin Santulli Ocean Beach
KEEPING ME SANE Hi Seth. Thank you for doing such great work and putting out such high-quality journalism. Please let your writers know how wonderful they are, and how sorry and sad it makes me that they’ve received the ugly messages and threats [“The critical masses,” Aug. 15]. Also thanks Ryan for the brutally honest writing he does and the light he shines on mental health issues. You guys keep me sane.
Suzy Perkins La Mesa
KEEP POUNDING THE DRUM Thank you for the courageous work you and your entire staff do. I read the CityBeat weekly and appreciate the journalism that the paper puts out. I support your vendors but especially stand by the entire media pursuing the truth and facts [“The critical masses,” Aug. 15]. We will fight this fake administration and hopefully flip the 49th and more with the blue wave. Let’s do it for Aretha, children and grandchildren. Please keep pounding the drum of getting out to vote in your paper in what appears to be our most important election in my lifetime. (I’m
4 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · DECEMBER 26, 2018
66 and fired up). Thanks again for all your hard work. James B. Doster, Carlsbad
KEEP PUBLISHING
Seth Combs, you rock! Thank you for being here. Thank you for CityBeat. Thank you for your wonderful team of journalists. Never stop. So, stand your ground! Keep publishing. Keep bringing the truth!
Anna Bowen-Davies University Heights
WE WANT FEEDBACK Email letters to editor Seth Combs at seth.combs@sdcitybeat.com, or mail to 3047 University Ave., Suite 202, San Diego, CA 92104. For letters to be considered for publication, you must include your first and last name and the part of town where you reside. Note: All comments left on stories at sdcitybeat.com will also be considered for publication.
TABLE OF CONTENTS UP FRONT From the Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Letters to the Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A Side-Eye of Sanity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sordid Tales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3 4 5 7 8
FOOD & DRINK World Fare. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Final Draught. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
THINGS TO DO
Calendar of Events. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-13
ARTS & CULTURE Theater. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Feature: Barry Jenkins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Film. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-20
MUSIC Feature: Best albums of 2018 . . . . . . . . 21 Notes From The Smoking Patio . . . . . . 22 The Spotlight. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 If I Were U . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Concerts & Clubs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24-26
IN THE BACK Astrologically Unsound . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 CannaBeat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 COVER PHOTO: TATUM MANGUS / ANNAPURNA PICTURES; ©2018 ANNAPURNA RELEASING, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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UP FRONT | NEWS
So long, 2018 A look back on the local stories that made the most headlines in 2018 By Seth Combs and Andrea Lopez-Villafaña January The story: California officially became the eighth state to allow the sale, cultivation and usage of recreational cannabis and cannabis products. In San Diego, the rollout was not without complications, as some cities within the county (Oceanside, Vista, Lemon Grove, etc.) attempted to set up their own regulations and taxes. Where are we now: The state continues to update regulations in phases (see our CannaBeat column on page 27 for the latest update), while voters in Chula Vista and Vista recently voted to allow dispensaries within city limits.
February The story: Residents tell the U-T that the city’s water department is charging them for water they did not use. The Public Utilities Department finds that meter misreading is at fault and elected officials request a city audit.
Where are we now: An investigation by NBC 7 and Voice of San Diego found that the water department has issued more than $1.1 million in “exceptional high bill adjustment” refunds in 2018 alone. However, some residents continue to wait for reimbursements.
March The story: After years of attempting to work with Mexico on the issue of sewage flows into the U.S., Imperial Beach and the Port of San Diego sue the federal government, specifically the International Boundary Water Commission (IBWC). Where are we now: The lawsuit is ongoing and spills continue. In December, the Mexican branch of IBWC announced that six-toseven million gallons of sewage are flowing into the Tijuana River Valley and the Pacific Ocean as a result of a break in a sewage collection main.
April The story: After Trump announced his intentions to send National Guard troops to the U.S.Mexico border, the County Board of Supervisors votes 3-1 to file an amicus brief in support of the administration’s lawsuit challenging California’s so-called “sanctuary state” law (SB 54). Where are we now: A federal judge upheld SB 54 in July, but some California cities are challenging the law. A state superior court judge recently ruled in favor of the city of Huntington Beach, which argued it should be exempt from the law. With the issue of immigration still making national news and Gov. Newsom pledging to pushback on Trump, this issue is likely to be back in the news in 2019.
May The story: On May 26, a distraught Earl McNeil goes to the National City police station for help and is arrested and placed in a full-body restraint with two spit hoods. McNeil died June 11, leading to protests and calls for the release of police video. Where are we now: The county’s medical examiner rules McNeil’s death a homicide, but County District Attorney Summer
Stephan announced in September she has no intention of pursuing criminal charges related to McNeil’s death. McNeil’s family and concerned citizens remain vigilant, saying that “activists arrested are pursuing a federal lawsuit for excessive force. The family is pursuing a civil lawsuit.”
June The story: U.S. District Court Judge Dana Sabraw orders the separation of migrant families to stop and for the reunification of those detained under the Justice Department’s “zero tolerance” immigration policy. Where are we now: KPBS reported in September that asylum seekers with U.S.-born children were still being separated despite Sabraw’s ruling. Hundreds of children continue to wait to be reunited with their families.
July The story: After the San Diego City Attorney deemed short-term vacation rentals (STVRs) illegal in 2017, the City Council votes 6-3 to overhaul city laws. The result was highly restrictive, making STVR company’s like Airbnb essentially illegal in the city effective in 2019. Where are we now: Companies like Airbnb went to work to collect signatures to get an initiative on the ballot. Enough signatures were gathered, which essentially forced the City Council in October to rescind their own changes. The city is back at square one, but has pledged, yet again, to make the issue a top priority in 2019.
October The story: Asylum seekers from Central America arrive in Mexico and prepare for a journey through the country to eventually ask for asylum in the U.S. Where are we now: Thousands of migrants arrived in Tijuana in November and endure deteriorating conditions at the city shelter. Some are met with tear gas from U.S. troops during an attempt to rush toward the border. Asylum claims are slowly being processed at ports of entry but thousands still wait in Tijuana.
November The story: The Nov. 6 midterm election sees a blue wave on both national and local levels. Democrat Mike Levin picks up a seat in the House in the 49th district, while progressives such as Nathan Fletcher and Jen Campbell pick up seats on the Board of Supervisors and City Council respectively. Dems even beat out highly entrenched Republican mayors in places like National City and Escondido. Where are we now: According to voter registration numbers, the city and the county are becoming increasingly more blue, but the 2020 election—where there will be another supervisor seat and a mayoral election—will be the real test.
August
December
The story: After years of excellent reporting from the U-T, local Rep. Duncan Hunter and his wife Margaret are officially indicted for using campaign funds to pay for personal expenses and vacations. Where are we now: Despite a scathing 47-page indictment that included instances of lavish family vacations and defrauding charities, Hunter was still reelected in the 50th district in November. Locals will have to wait until September 2019 for his trial.
The story: San Diego’s homeless citizens come back into the collective focus after rainstorms flood a tent shelter in the East Village, as well as a report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development ranking San Diego as the fourth-highest homeless population in the country. The month ends with a damning report from the state auditor criticizing the city and county’s response to 2017’s Hepatitis A outbreak. Where are we now: The mayor continues to push for his convention center expansion package, which would also provide funds for homeless services, but the city council has been steadfast that it’ll likely not make it to the ballot until 2020. And while this year saw the opening of a homeless storage facility and navigation center, most experts agree that affordable housing needs to be addressed in 2019 in order to see any significant progress with homelessness.
September The story: The Diocese of San Diego announces it will add eight priests to a list of individuals believed to have molested children. Bishop Robert McElroy announced public forums to address clergy sexual abuse. Where are we now: Public forums were held October and November, and five of the eight priests are now dead. Allegations continue to surface outside of the
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September list including Pastor Ben Vincent Awongo of an Evangelist Catholic Church in Encinitas, who was accused in early December of “aggressive” advances toward women.
DECEMBER 26, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 5
6 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · DECEMBER 26, 2018
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CULTURE | VOICES
RHONDA “RO” MOORE
A SIDE-EYE OF
SANITY
Fuck your apology
I
’m more of an introspective type of person than retrospective. As the year ends, however, it can’t hurt to talk about something we should all leave behind in 2018: insincere apologies. Some try to act like this is just a millennial affliction, but that’s just a way to avoid how entrenched this faux-apology phenomenona has become. I mean, it has its own hashtag; #sorrynotsorry didn’t become a thing for no reason. A bank branch with a teller who called the cops on a black man trying to cash his paycheck because they thought the amount of that check was too high? No problem. Just issue an apology for the “extremely unfortunate event” and be sure to act like it happened due to a “training failure” rather than admitting it was blatant racism-in-action. These people will continue about their day, business as usual, never having to worry about any real consequences. Other people will be discriminated against because no one called or held this teller to account or required the bank to own up to the bias that led to this mess in the first place. And if someone attempts to take issue with that? It’s almost guaranteed the pushback will sound a lot like, “but they apologized so we should drop it.” In the ordinary course of things, this incident will fade to the background with all the other issues, barely causing a ripple across societal waters. There’s little power in such an apology because the bank won’t be called to account for permitting a teller to behave like this. Society’s reached a tipping point without even realizing it. Next time—and there will be a next time—there is a new apology that turns a blind-eye to the actual hate at the heart of the matter, then let’s recognize it and call it out. This year has been riddled with so many instances of this kind of “I’m sorry but don’t expect me to really do anything about my shitty ways” insincerity. I almost made a listicle of 2018’s shittiest apologies for this column. Then, rapper Offset (of Migos fame) hijacked Cardi B’s set during this year’s Rolling Loud Festival and the need to compile such a list became moot. Offset’s crash and burn officially fills all the spots on the list. This man-boy cheated on his wife (repeatedly) until she left him. So, what does he do? He ambushes her at work. Offset thought (I use the word “thought” very reluctantly here) a big showy spectacle would distract Cardi B from the fact that his apology was utter trash. She wasn’t supposed to notice that he mostly just didn’t like being told no. To make mat-
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ters worse, his stunt completely stole her spotlight and shifted public conversation away from her professional achievement of being the first female headliner of the festival. His selfish, insensitive, disrespectful and extremely manipulative attempt to force his estranged wife into forgiving his infidelity and publicly taking him back should leave a bad taste in all our mouths and for many reasons. High on that list should be the fact that Offset’s apology wasn’t a demonstration of remorse. His gesture wasn’t just unromantic, it was coercive. He designed this entire publicity stunt to hold her hostage. Offset wanted to be forgiven without being expected to change. He never expected to be called to account. Thankfully, Cardi B was not won over by his “I’m sorry, bruh,” and had him removed from the stage. Then she went back to work. What can the rest of us learn from his buffoonery? 1.) If you suck at apologies don’t do things that create a need to make them. 2.) No apology erases bad behavior and if honestly owning up to mistakes isn’t a big part of the mea culpa, then don’t waste people’s time. It’s unlikely anyone will miss the fact that the real goal is to make the whole mess just go away. 3.) It’s not an apology if you spend all your time gaslighting the recipient. 4.) Apologizing doesn’t immediately rebuild trust, and no one who is unwilling to admit wrongdoing and actively work to do better should be trusted. 5.) Saying “I’m sorry” doesn’t entitle anyone to forgiveness. Actions have consequences and liars can’t outrun them forever. Be prepared to lose out if the harm caused is too much for someone to move past. This debacle is a timely reminder that in all aspects of life, each person sets the bar for how they’ll be treated. That goes for how we, as a society, treat each other or allow ourselves to be treated by those in our lives or even those we elect to lead us. If there was ever a time to re-engage with the better angels of our nature, the time is now, and we don’t need the excuse of a New Year to make these changes. A Side-Eye of Sanity appears every other week. Follow Ro Moore on Twitter at @ BookBlerd.
DECEMBER 26, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 7
UP FRONT | OPINION
EDWIN DECKER
SORDID
TALES
Predictions for the New Year from the great whatever
G
ood news everyone! I just received, on credible authority, a preview of how the upcoming New Year will go for us. No, it did not come from some shady, celebrity psychic’s list of yearly predictions, nor did it come from a star chart assembled by a team of astrology quacks. It did not come from a Nepalese mountain shaman, or by ESP, biorhythms or a bespectacled palm reader in a neon-blinking shack off El Cajon Boulevard. When I say “credible authority,” I’m referring to various experts in the esteemed field of numerology. Yes, numerology—the only way to predict the future with accuracy. Numerology is based on numbers, numbers are mathematics and mathematics, as everybody knows, is all sciencey and shit. According to numerology experts, the way to foresee 2019 is by using the Scientifically Calculated And Mathy (SCAM) method. First, add the individual numerals (2 + 0 + 1 + 9), then, break down the result (12) to a single-digit number (1 + 2 = 3) and, voila! Our SCAM number for 2019 is three. And how does three bode for humanity? Well, according to top mathyologists, three is badass. “The number three symbolizes happiness, creativity, and communication…” says SpeakingTree.in, a spiritual website based in India. “You’ll be more active socially in 2019, as well as more optimistic… This can be one of the happiest years of your life!” When I read that I thought, Fantastic news, yo! And not just for me. Given that this is an overall reading for 2019, it’s great news for everyone! Well, everyone who uses the Gregorian calendar of course. Screw those Zoroastrianism assholes; they wouldn’t know a real calendar if it… hey wait a minute! It says 2019 “can be” a happy year. Can be? What the flip am I supposed to do with “can be”? I mean, potentially any year “can be” the happiest, right? So are we talking, like, a 50/50 chance? Maybe 60/40? Or is there only a 10 percent possibility of 2019 being the happiest year? Now that I think about it, they didn’t even say it was going to be “the” happiest year. They said “one of the” happiest which, well, that’s no help either. The second worst year of my life was “one of the” happiest. Hmm… this might sound crazy, but it’s almost like they are hedging bets to avoid an inaccurate prediction. Well I’m sorry, Mathyology experts. I need more than “can be” and “one of the.” I need assurances! I was about to give up on numerology until I remembered there was more configuring to do. The number three applies to the New Year, in general, but I still wanted to know what it would be like for me, specifically. To do this, I would need to use the SCAM method to extract what is called my “Life Path Number” (LPN) and apply that to 2019. So I added my birthday to my birth month for an LPN of seven, then added that to three (representing 2019), whittled it
down to a single digit and lo, my LPN for 2019 is one. That’s right baby, one. As in numero freaking uno! “You’ve recently been thinking about your future,” says AstroFame.com’s entry for Life Path One. “… spring into action and make the changes you crave! Then say hello to success in 2019!” “Well hellooo success!” I said out loud. “Hello Ed,” replied Success. “How are you today?” “Doing great, thanks. Just waiting for you to bring that 2019 bling!” “I think you misunderstood. Did you not read the part where it says you have to ‘spring into action’ and ‘make changes’ and whatnot?” “Action? Changes? Sounds like work to me. Next you’ll be saying I will get the house of my dreams in 2019, so long as I build it myself from scratch.” “Well, yeah.” “But I’m Life Path Number One, mofo! Numero Uno! You owe me bling! Bring me the bling!” I’m guessing, by now, readers have guessed I’m being sarcastic. Like religion, witchcraft, astrology, chiromancy, essential oils, crystal and/or magnet therapy, homeopathy, penis enlargement, sovereign citizenship and bi-partisan politics, numerology is a fantasy. To anyone wasting money on this rubbish, please stop. You’re better off investing in a Syrian floppy disk company. Kidding aside, I am constantly amazed at humanity’s eagerness to believe such claptrap. And the fact that it’s on the rise scares the Christ outta me. Especially after coming across this eerily accurate prediction made in 1995 by Carl Sagan. “I have a foreboding of an America in my children’s or grandchildren’s time—when the United States is a service and information economy; when nearly all the key manufacturing industries have slipped away to other countries; when awesome technological powers are in the hands of a very few, and no one representing the public interest can even grasp the issues; when the people have lost the ability to set their own agendas or knowledgeably question those in authority; when—clutching our crystals and nervously consulting our horoscopes… unable to distinguish between what feels good and what’s true—we slide, almost without noticing, back into superstition and darkness.” I was blown away after first reading that. How did Carlstrodamus get it so right? Is he a time traveler? Does he have a crystal ball? Did he turn to Aleuromancy—the ancient practice of “reading fortune cookies”? Of course not! Turns out he was just one of the most brilliant and observant people to ever “spring into action.” Happy New Year, mofos! Bring on the bling!
To anyone wasting money on this rubbish, please stop. You’re better off investing in a Syrian floppy disk company.
8 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · DECEMBER 26, 2018
Sordid Tales appears every other week. Write to edwin@sdcitybeat.com.
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DECEMBER26, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 9
UP FRONT | FOOD & DRINK
BY MICHAEL A. GARDINER
THE WORLD
inders that taste of the best marshmallow on the planet. Best New Restaurant of the Year (Casual): At Lola 55 (1290 F St., lola55.com), the line between high-end and fast casual is blurred to the point of irrelevance. Intense, ethnically-rooted flavors look Best Eats of 2018: The Year in Food like composed dishes and taste like them too. For example, the pork belly tacos al pastor: it’s the est Restaurant of the Year (North of the classic combination of pork, achiote marinade with Border): A year in which I couldn’t name pineapple, but all elevated with a sexy, sinful slab of Oceanside’s Wrench and Rodent Sea- pork belly and a cool presentation. basstropub (1815 S. Coast Hwy., seabasstropub. Dish of the Year (High-End): Chef Amy Dibicom) restaurant of the year will probably be the ase’s pickled black cod with Persian cucumber, first. Few restaurants change so massively year-to- fennel, preserved plum, horseradish crema and year and while Chef Davin Waite doesn’t, his dishes malted toast at the InterMICHAEL A. GARDINER regularly do. The Kojicontinental Hotel’s Vistal marinated bluefin tuna (901 Bayfront Ct., Ste. 1, had not been on the menu vistalsd.com) was clearly until my most recent visit, one the most perfectly and it’s unlikely it had ever conceived and executed been done in a sushi condishes I’ve tasted recently. text anywhere. Wrench & It’s impeccably balanced, Rodent never changes befeels grounded and yet still cause it never stands still. manages to surprise. Best Restaurant of the Dish of the Year (CaYear (South of the Borsual): The birria tacos with der): San Diego diners have tuétano at Tuétano Tagotten used to the idea that queria (143 W. San Ysidro some of our region’s best Blvd.) are another nearly restaurants are in Mexico. perfect dish and worth Maestoso’s lemon meringue with chocolate But Tecate? Well, yes, actuthe trip to San Ysidro. The ally. At Restaurante Amores (facebook.com/res- birria itself is deceptively complex: savory, sweet tauranteamores), Chefs Marcelo Hisaki and Reyna and sour, with bitter and umami flavors rendered Venegas offer high-end cuisine befitting not only with precision, definition and balance. The tortilla their training, but the location and Hisaki’s Japa- itself would be the star in any other show, but the nese heritage as well. After all, these two met and tuétano (roasted bone marrow) takes the taco to antrained with Michelin-starred French chefs Joel other dimension altogether. Robuchon, Philippe Gauvreau and Alain Ducasse. Most Disappointing Closing: Cafe Chloe may Their pork loin with red bean tuiles in a pork, cara- not have been quite what it once was, and poorly mel fig and Tecate beer demi is a showstopper. crafted regulations may have done it in, but it still Best New Restaurant of the Year (High-End): had so much left to give. Chef Marco Maestoso’s interpretation of contem2019 Sneak Peak: Two of the most anticipatporary Roman cuisine at Maestoso (1040 Univer- ed openings of 2019 will be Huntress, a high-end sity Ave. Ste. B-101, maestoso.com) is a welcome steakhouse and Japanese whisky purveyor in the addition to San Diego’s sometimes underwhelming Gaslamp. This is especially true with the kitchen Italian restaurant scene. From dim sum-style cart helmed by James Montejano. I’m also looking forservice and creative pastas, to Roman-style pizza, ward to Louisiana Purchase, an indoor/outdoor Maestoso is full of innovation. The restaurant’s one North Park restaurant and bar designed to feel like it dessert—lemon meringue with chocolate—shows was just transplanted from the French Quarter. the extent of Maestoso’s promise with meringue on the plate in two ways: light, crisp towers on the The World Fare appears weekly. outside and airy on the inside, along with tiny cyl- Write to michaelg@sdcitybeat.com.
FARE B
10 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · DECEMBER 26, 2018
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UP FRONT | FOOD & DRINK
FINAL
BY BETH DEMMON
DRAUGHT A year in San Diego beer For some, 2018 was the year of glitter beers and Brut IPAs. For others, it was the year of death knells signaling the closure of around a dozen different breweries around San Diego. But from the good, the bad and the hazy, it was a hell of a year for #sdbeer. Despite just under a 10-percent closure rate of local breweries over the past 12 months, there were several expansions of note during that timeframe. One standout is the Eppig Brewing Waterfront Biergarten (2817 Dickens St., eppigbrewing.com) in Point Loma. The waterfront tasting room boasts arguably the best brewery view in the county and the beers ain’t bad, either. Modern Times Beer also continued its march toward local beer domination with the October debut of their new Far West Lounge at 470 S. Coast Highway 101 in Encinitas (moderntimesbeer.com). Encinitas seems to have lost the battle against new breweries opening within city limits, so it’ll be interesting to see how the beachside town handles additional taps (even spiffily designed ones). Finally, Amplified Ale Works’ East Village brewpub in the former Stella Public House/Halcyon space (1429 Island Ave., amplifiedales.com) was a big bet on revitalization in that area—and one that seems to be paying off. East Village is quickly becoming a craft beverage destination for distilleries and coffeeshops, as well as beer, and Amplified E-Vil’s patio is one of the best in town for casual imbibing. Still, as much as I enjoy recognizing the best of 2018, my favorite part of end-of-year reminiscing is actually looking ahead. 2019 is already shaping up to be an exciting year in local beer (although probably not a record-breaking one as far as sales). California tends to be indicative of national craft beer trends overall, and the numbers aren’t looking quite as rosy as they have in the past. My prediction? San Diego brewery growth will remain fairly stagnant and we’ll probably end 2019 with a handful more breweries than 2018 (currently at 158 according to West Coaster’s count). But of the breweries that will open in 2019, I’m betting there will be a lot more geographical diversity. Lemon Grove is currently awaiting its first brewery (13 Point Brewing Company, 13pointbrewing.com), National City got its first in Septem-
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BETH DEMMON
Eppig Brewing Waterfront biergarten ber (Embarcadero Brewing, embarcaderobrewing. com), and the lion’s share of 2018 openings were outside San Diego city limits. People will always travel to beer-soaked neighborhoods like North Park, but introducing quality options closer to less urban centers may be the way for new breweries to have a shot at survival. My biggest prediction is also my biggest hope: that San Diego beer will continue to embrace its Mexican colleagues with increased cross-border collaboration and support. This year, the San Diego Brewers Guild extended invitations to other regional guilds—including Mexicali—to pour at Guild Fest during Beer Week. SouthNorte Beer Company (southnorte.com) opened the first independent American craft brewery in Mexico this summer. In January, a delegation of women brewers from both sides of the border collaborated on the “Dos Californias” American Wheat Ale, which was brewed in Tijuana and served at the Ensenada Beer Festival. I anticipate this relationship between countries will continue to break down walls, which is what craft beer should be all about. Write to bethd@sdcitybeat.com or check her out on Instagram at @thedelightedbite.
DECEMBER 26, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 11
COURTESY OF NEW CHILDREN’S MUSEUM
EVENTS ART HAlternative Projections at Bread & Salt, 1955 Julian Ave., Barrio Logan. The closing reception and artist talk on the group exhibition in expanded media. Select artists will speak about their work and the evening includes refreshments. Artists include Bill Basquin, Stefani Byrd, Judith Hamann and more. From 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 29. Free. 619-8514083, breadandsaltsandiego.com Illuminating Rhythms at San Diego Watercolor Society, 2825 Dewey Road, Point Loma. Award-winning artist Thomas Schiller juried this exhibit, which will feature about 100 original, ready-tohang paintings from local artists. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 2. Free. 619-876-4550, sdws.org
COMEDY Stand-up Comedy at Whistle Stop Bar, 2236 Fern St., South Park. Join Riff City Comedy for a post-holiday show with Zoltan Kaszas from Dry Bar Comedy and Paige Weldon from Corporate. From 8 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 26. $5. 619300-7161, whistlestopbar.com
DANCE HThe Nutcracker at Jacobs Music Center, 750 B St., Downtown. San Diego Ballet presents the classic holiday ballet with an international cast of over 100 dancers. From 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 30. $40-$100. 619-294-7378, sandiegoballet.org
HOLIDAY EVENTS Seas ’n’ Greetings at Birch Aquarium at Scripps, 2300 Expedition Way, La Jolla. A month-long holiday celebration featuring water-based, “SEAsonal” activities for the whole family. From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Through Monday, Dec. 31. $16-$19.50. 858-534-3474, aquarium.ucsd.edu HGarden of Lights at San Diego Botanic Garden, 230 Quail Gardens Drive, Encinitas. The San Diego Botanic Garden will be a winter wonderland with snow, carolers and over 100,000 sparkling lights illuminating the Garden. From 5 to 9 p.m. Through Sunday, Dec. 30. $5$20. 760-436-3036, sdbgarden.org HSkating by the Sea at Hotel Del Coronado, 1500 Orange Ave., Coronado. Now in its 13th year, the outdoor ice rink on the Windsor Lawn features views of Coronado beach. Skating sessions will be offered daily and a portion of the proceeds benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Price includes skate rental. From 3:30 to 10 p.m. Through Tuesday, Jan. 1. Prices vary. 800-468-3533, hoteldel.com Saska’s Annual Polar Plunge at Saska’s, 3768 Mission Blvd., Mission Beach. Take a chilly plunge into the ocean and enjoy Swell Coffee, a costume contest, raffle prizes and a special New Year’s Day Brunch. From 8 a.m. to noon. Tuesday, Jan. 1. $10-$20. 858-270-9900, eventbrite.com
MUSIC HSalute to Vienna at Jacobs Music Center, 750 B St., Downtown. Program includes Strauss waltzes and melodies performed by acclaimed European singers, champion ballroom dancers, ballet and more. From 2:30 to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 1. $29-$125. 619-235-0804, salutetovienna.com/san-diego
HSpreckels Organ New Years Day Concert at Spreckels Organ Society, 1549 El Prado, Ste. 10, Balboa Park. A New Year’s Day concert celebrating the 104th Anniversary of the Spreckels Organ and featuring organist Jared Jacobsen. From 2 to 3 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 1. Free. 619-702-8138, spreckelsorgan.org
NEW YEAR’S EVE HPajama Jam at New Children’s Museum, 200 W. Island Ave., Downtown. An early, kid-friendly event with NYE-themed art activities, a dance party, photo booths and a catered dinner. From 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 29. $25-$35. 619233-8792, thinkplaycreate.org HNew Year’s Eve Family Party at Living Coast Discovery Center, 1000 Gunpowder Point Drive, Chula Vista. A family-friendly event offering wildlife animal encounters, cookie decorating, photo booths and two bars—one for drinks, the other for hot chocolate. From 7 to 9 p.m. Monday, Dec. 31. $30. 619-409-5900, thelivingcoast.org HHard Rock Hotel NYE 2019 at Hardrock Hotel, 207 Fifth Ave., Downtown. This year’s theme centers on acclaimed cities of the world with themed party areas modeled after cities such as Mykonos, New York City, Beijing and more with over 15 DJs performing. From 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. Monday, Dec. 31. $80-$175. 619-7023000, hardrockhotelsd.com HEuphoric Haze at The Lafayette Swim Club and Bungalows, 2223 El Cajon Blvd., North Park. Step back into swinging ’60s with three rooms celebrating peace, love and music with 10 bands and artists throughout the night. From 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. Monday, Dec. 31. $45$630. 619-296-2101, lafayettehotelsd. com New Year’s Eve Hop Drop at AleSmith Brewing Co., 9990 Alesmith Ave., Miramar. Sample holiday beer flights while enjoying live music from a DJ, dancing on two floors, a holiday buffet, party favors and more. From 6 to 11 p.m. Monday, Dec. 31. $20-$75. 858-329-0055, newyearshopdrop.eventbrite.com
Monday, Dec. 31. $55-$65. 619-3589766, starlitesandiego.com New Year’s Eve Island Ball at Four Points Sheraton, 8110 Aero Drive, Kearny Mesa. A dinner and after-party inspired by Tahitian culture. Includes cocktails, photo ops, local DJs, a dessert bar and more. From 6:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Monday, Dec. 31. $30-$150. 858-863-7008, eventbrite.com HNYE Beach Party at Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa, 3999 Mission Blvd., Mission Beach. All-inclusive event that includes drinks and appetizers inside the Catamaran’s four ballrooms where DJs Dijital, Who, Paolo da Rosa and more will be spinning. From 8 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Monday, Dec. 31. $129 nyebeachparty.com HBig Night San Diego New Year’s Eve Gala at Hilton San Diego Bayfront, 1 Park Blvd, Downtown. Arguably the biggest party in town, this event is allinclusive and features an open bar, food, a champagne toast and entertainment throughout the eight dance floors. VIP options available. From 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. Monday, Dec. 31. $99-$2,500. bignightsandiego.com HLe Chic N Freak NYE 2018 at Coasterra, 880 Harbor Island Drive, Harbor Island. Local house and techno collectives The Deep End, Music Is 4 Lovers and Staybad host this party featuring big-name DJs such as Matthew Dear and Francesca Lombardo. Also includes a silent disco, virtual reality stations and a GIF photo booth. From 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. Monday, Dec. 31. $49-$79. facebook. com/events/272044990320907 New Year’s Eve Bachata Bash at Queen Bee’s Art & Cultural Center, 3925 Ohio St., North Park. Jazz 88.3 FM’s DJ Chris hosts the night, which includes music by DJ Malakaii and resident DJ Ulkeim. $75 includes access to the open bar. From 8:00 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Monday, Dec. 31. $25-$75. 619-255-5147, eventbrite.com New Year’s Eve Bash at Estancia La Jolla, 9700 N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla. This event is all-inclusive, with live entertainment and a Moët & Chandon Champagne bar, bubbly-inspired cocktails, an oyster bar, risotto bar, sushi and more. From 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. Monday, Dec. 31. $165. meritagecollection.com
HBlack and Gold New Year’s Eve Party at Berkeley Steam Ferry Maritime Museum of San Diego, 1492 N. Harbor Drive., Downtown. The historic steam ferry will be decorated as a classy lounge with music from the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s. Includes complimentary party favors, champagne and more. From 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Monday, Dec. 31. $60. 619-234-9153, sdmaritime.org
Bottoms Up: Party from the Street to the Sky at ALTITUDE Sky Lounge, Marriott Gaslamp Quarter, 660 K. St., Downtown. Start on the street with a DJ in the lobby featuring an array of California culinary creations, a chocolate fountain and more. Take it up to the sky for unlimited drinks, champagne and gourmet food. From 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. Monday, Dec. 31. $189. sandiegogaslamphotel. com
Shakespeare Pub New Year’s Eve Celebration at Shakespeare Pub, 3701 India St., Mission Hills. Celebrate New Year’s Eve on British time. Begin partying in the morning and join the countdown happening across the pond at 4 p.m., which is when the clock strikes midnight in the United Kingdom. From 10:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 31. Free. 619-299-0230, shakespearepub.com
HNew Year’s Eve in Spain at Cafe Sevilla Restaurant and Tapas Bar, 353 Fifth Ave., Gaslamp. There will be a fourcourse prix fixe menu, and Flamenco dinner show performances. From 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. Monday, Dec. 31. $79. 619233-5979, cafesevilla.com
HNYE Soiree on the Bay at the Loews Coronado Bay Resort, 4000 Coronado Bay Road, Coronado. Enjoy complimentary nibbles, a sweets bar and a champagne toast at midnight, all while listening to Redwoods Music bands such as Dani Bell & the Tarantist, The Midnight Pine, Cardinal Moon, Birdy Bardot and more. From 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. Monday, Dec. 31. $50. casbahmusic.com. Starlite NYE Dinner Party at Starlite, 3175 India St., Mission Hills. The restaurant and bar combo offers a three-course prix fixe dinner. Includes entry to an afterparty that features DJs and drinks. Afterparty admission is also available with the option to buy drink tokens. At 8 p.m.
12 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · DECEMBER 26, 2018
Albert’s Mildly Wild New Year’s Eve Dinner at Albert’s Restaurant, San Diego International Zoo, 2920 Zoo Drive, Balboa Park. A gourmet dinner prepared by Executive Chef Carissa Giacalone and Albert’s Chef Grant Toraason. Wine pairing is available for an additional $15. Seating from 5 to 8:15 p.m. Monday, Dec. 31. $65. Admission required for nonmembers. zoo.sandiegozoo.org New Year’s Eve Gala at the Hotel Del Coronado, Celebrate the New Year with a five-course meal, open bar and dancing to the sounds of the Mighty Untouchables. There will also be a kids and teens party including dinner, ice skating, games, s’mores and a midnight toast with sparkling cider. From 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. Monday, Dec. 31. $125-$425. hoteldel.com
Pajama Jam, Saturday, Dec. 29 at New Children’s Museum The Grand New Year’s Eve Party at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar, 5300 Grand Del Mar Ct., Del Mar. Dance the night away with music by a guest DJ as the Lobby Lounge and Bar is transformed. Admission includes one glass of sparkling wine. Table and bottle service from $250. From 9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Monday, Dec. 31. $85. 858-314-2000, fairmont.com/san-diego HNew Year’s Eve Greatest Hits at The Shout! House, 655 Fourth Ave., Gaslamp. Enjoy a prime rib buffet while listening to dueling pianos belt out the hits. Champagne included. At 6 and 9 p.m. Monday, Dec. 31. $50-$160. 619231-6700 x 313, theshouthouse.com HNew Year’s Eve at Vistal, 901 Bayfront Ct. Ste. 1, Downtown. A champagne welcome followed by a five- or seven-course dinner by chefs Amy DiBiase and Paul McCabe. Performances from the Gregory Page Quartet complete with a sparkler countdown. From 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. Monday, Dec. 31. $89-$125. eventbrite.com
New Year’s Eve at Comedy Palace, 8878 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., Kearny Mesa. National headlining stand-up comedians will perform followed by a dinner buffet, open bar, dancing, champagne and more. From 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. Monday, Dec. 31. $20$60. 858-492-9000, comedypalace.com HThe Second City Improv Stars at the California Center for the Arts Escondido, 340 N. Escondido Blvd., Escondido. After a performance from the improv comedy troupe, a Premium Fan Reception Pass will be available, which includes a bar and autographs and photos with the talent in the lobby. At 8 p.m. Monday, Dec. 31. $37.50-$48.50. 760-839-4138, artcenter.org Boombox at Music Box, 1337 India St., Little Italy. The electronic group—known for mixing house, blues, funk, rock and soul—will perform along with Omega Squad and Ryan Bauer. $45. From 8:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Monday, Dec. 31. $45. 619-836-1847, musicboxsd.com
New Year’s Eve Vintage Vegas Celebration at The Abbey on Fifth Avenue, 2825 Fifth Ave, Downtown. A high-end cocktail party including casino tables, themed music, entertainment and classic cocktails. Vintage dress code suggested, but not required. From 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Monday, Dec. 31. $79-$144. 619686-8700, hornblower.com
HA Vintage New Years Eve at The Pearl Hotel, 1410 Rosecrans St., Point Loma. A three-course prix fixe menu including a no cover party with party favors, complimentary champagne toast at midnight and entertainment by DJ Jon Wesley. From 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. Monday, Dec. 31. $70-$86. 619-226-6100, thepearlsd.com
Latin New Year’s Eve at The Westgate Hotel, 1055 2nd Ave., Downtown. This Latin-inspired party features pre-dinner cocktails and a Latin-influenced buffet dinner with a live performance from Julio De La Huerta. Dress code is cocktail attire. From 7:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Monday, Dec. 31. $125-$164. 619-238-1818, westgatehotel.com
New Year’s Eve Rooftop Party at Andaz Hotel Rooftop, 600 F. St., Downtown. This party includes an open bar, Top 40 mash-ups selected by the live DJ complete, and complimentary champagne and party favors. VIP options available. From 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. Monday, Dec. 31. $29-$4,000. eventbrite.com
HNew Years Eve Skate at Skateworld San Diego, 6907 Linda Vista Road, Linda Vista. Admission includes skates, large pizza slice, drink with refill, hats horns and glow sticks. From 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. Monday, Dec. 31. $20 in advance, $25 at the door. 858-560-9349, skateworldsandiego.com Craft Beer New Year at Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens Liberty Station, 2816 Historic Decatur Road, Point Loma. Admission includes three drink tickets, light bites, a celebratory toast pour at midnight with souvenir glass, two dance floors and more. From 8:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. Monday, Dec. 31. $99. Special group pricing available. 619-269-2100, stonebrewing.com NYE with Roy Wood Jr. at The American Comedy Club, 818 Sixth Ave., Downtown. The Comedy Central star rings in the New Year with two special shows including party favors and a champagne toast. At 7 and 10 p.m. Monday, Dec. 31. $25-$30. 619-795-3858, americancomedyco.com New Years Eve Spectacular at National Comedy Theatre, 3717 India St., Little Italy. Comedy performance followed by a party with the cast of the show including a catered buffet and champagne toast. From 8:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Monday, Dec. 31. $79. 619-295-4999, nationalcomedy.com
New Year’s Eve Dance Party at Manhattan Bar, 400 Broadway, Chula Vista. DJs Isreael and Disorder will spin new wave, old skool and freestyle while bartenders sling craft beer. From 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. Free. Monday, Dec. 31. facebook.com/events/263775891160297 Detroit Underground at Humphrey’s Backstage Live, 2241 Shelter Island Drive, Point Loma. Patrons can choose to see the show for $80 or purchase the Dance the Night Away package which includes two tickets to the show, breakfast buffet for two, party favors and a champagne toast. Rates for the package start at $349. At 9 p.m. Monday, Dec. 31. halfmooninn.com
PERFORMANCE 2018 In Review: An Original Sketch Comedy at The Women’s Museum of California, 2730 Historic Decatur Road, Liberty Station. “A Living Newspaper,” directed by Tisha Tumangan and written by Kathryn Schellinger, covers the past year’s newsmakers. Various times through Saturday, Dec. 29. $16. blackkattheatre.com
H = CityBeat picks
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EVENTS
BOOKS: THE FLOATING LIBRARY
EVENTS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12
POETRY AND SPOKEN WORD VAMP: Home For The Holidays at Whistle Stop, 2236 Fern Ave., South Park. So Say We All’s monthly curated storytelling showcase with stories and multimedia presentations about the awkward holiday moments with family and friends. From 8:30 to 10 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 27. Suggested donation of $5. sosayweallonline.com
SPECIAL EVENTS Solar Turbines 5K Run/Walk at Harbor Drive and Ash Street, Downtown. The 24th annual Holiday Bowl charity 5K will take place along the harbor and parade route. At 9:45 a.m. Monday, Dec. 31. $40-$45. holidaybowl.com HHoliday Bowl Parade at Downtown San Diego, North Harbor Dr., 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. At 10 a.m. Monday, Dec. 31. Free. holidaybowl.com
SPORTS San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl at SDCCU Stadium, 9449 Friars Road, Mission Valley. The University of Utah takes on Northwestern University at the 41st annual college football bowl game. At 4 p.m. Monday, Dec. 31. $45$185. holidaybowl.com
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Most anticipated
A
nother year has come and gone and, as usual, there are more books in my to-be-read pile mixed in with the stack of books I actually read this year. Nevertheless, there are a handful of books that will go to the top of the pile as soon as they are published next year. The Testaments by Margaret Atwood You could almost see this coming. In 2017, Audible released a special edition of The Handmaid’s Tale read by Claire Danes, which included a new afterward read by Margaret Atwood herself, as well as a special addendum to the original book that expanded on its ending. The Handmaid’s Tale has also been adapted for television, and with the #MeToo movement and its associated scandals, the spectral figure of red-cloaked handmaidens are part of our collective consciousness. So it should come as no surprise that Atwood would be interested in expanding the narrative further even if it’s in a sequel that comes some 30 years after the original was published. Night Boat to Tangier by Kevin Barry A new book by this Irish novelist is a cause for celebration. This comical, existential tale of a pair of Irish gangsters en route to Africa sounds like a mash-up of Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot and Martin McDonagh’s In Bruges.
Mostly Dead Things by Kristen Arnett It’s rare that a debut novelist with an indie press generates the kind of attention that Arnett is receiving. Then again, Arnett is anything but ordinary. The Orlando librarian’s Twitter feed, which is mostly about her pets and her trips to 7-11, showcases her generous wit and has endeared her to thousands. Your House Will Pay by Steph Cha The new novel by the author of the Juniper Song detective series examines the L.A. riots and its aftermath from the Korean-American perspective. A native Angeleno and the noir editor for the Los Angeles Review of Books, Your House Will Pay promises to be extraordinary. San Diego is blessed with a plethora of New York Times bestselling thriller writers. In 2019, we’ll get new books from two of them: The Border by Don Winslow and The Night Agent by Matthew Quirk. The former is Winslow’s follow-up to The Cartel and completes the trilogy he began with The Power of the Dog. Quirk’s novel features a new set of characters, but a storyline straight from the headlines: a young FBI agent must flush a Russian mole from the White House.
—Jim Ruland
The Floating Library appears every other week.
DECEMBER 26, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 13
THEATER COURTESY OF SIMPATIKA
The Best Theatre of 2018
T
he most hyped, and probably the most impressive, production of the year was back in January when the national tour stop of Hamilton came to town. Still, locally produced and staged dramas and musicals shone brightly in 2018 as well, with many of them addressing vital and sensitive issues. Here are my picks for the best of 2018. A Thousand Splendid Suns, Old Globe Theatre: Discomfiting in its brutality yet breathless in its beauty, the stage adaptation (by Ursula Rani Sarma) of Khaled Hosseini’s 2007 novel could not have been more impactful. The two leads, Nadine Malouf and Denmo Ibrahim, delivered striking performances as two Afghan women trying to survive and striving for freedom in Kabul at its most repressive period (the years between 1979 and 2001). Directed by Carey Perloff, the play also featured original music by David Coulter, who contributed another layer of artistry to a remarkable production. Cloud Tectonics, New Village Arts Theatre: Teatro Pueblo Nuevo, New Village’s bicultural outreach initiative, mounted its first mainstage production with this emotionally rich interpretation of Jose Rivera’s dreamlike 1995 play. Cloud Tectonics was challenging in its non-linear perceptions of both time and love, but still managed to transport audiences to an L.A. that was at first grim, then pulsating with possibilities. NVA’s associate artistic director Nadia Guevara starred in this sensual outing directed by Herbert Siguenza. COURTESY OF CYGNET THEATRE
The Last Wife The Last Wife, Cygnet Theatre: The last wife referenced in the title is Katherine Parr, wife number six in King Henry VIII’s marital history. As written for the stage by Kate Hennig and powerfully portrayed by Allison Spratt Pearce, Katherine challenges not only her boorish and bul-
14 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · DECEMBER 26, 2018
her closeted father (Jim Stanek). What could have been self-conscious instead resonated as honest and vulnerable. The Madres, Moxie Theatre: One of four American companies rolling out the world premiere of the Alison Walker play, Moxie Theatre honored the madres of the sons and daughters kidnapped or killed by the Argentine dictatorship circa 1976-’83. A sense of desperation and claustrophobia prevailed in the storytelling, all of it occurring in the Buenos Aires apartment of a madre named Josefina (Maria Gonzalez).
Cardboard Piano lying king (Manny Fernandes), but the impenetrability of the monarchy. She also exudes and indulges a sexuality that adds heat to a production that was anything but a staid historical drama.
The Father, North Coast Repertory Theatre: North Coast Rep. relies heavily on comedies and safer dramas, but I give them credit for effectively presenting Florian Zeller’s anguished play about a father slipping further and further into Alzheimer’s disease. None of that would have been possible without the taut direction by David Ellenstein and a superior performance from James Sutorius as the 81-year-old Andre. DAREN SCOTT
Cardboard Piano, Diversionary Theatre: Shocking moments of violence can sometimes unnerve audience members, but probably not at Diversionary Theatre, which consistently stages uncompromising works. Hansol Jung’s Cardboard Piano, which had its West Coast premiere at the University Heights theater, was no exception. A love story couched in the turmoil of Uganda at the turn of the new millennium, this was a production that epitomized intensity. The committed cast included Kate Rose Reynolds, Andrea Agosto, John Wells III and Wrekless Watson. Once, Lamb’s Players Theatre: How could such an overly sentimental movie become such a joyous theater experience? The answer rang out loud and clear in Coronado during Lamb’s Players Theatre’s loving presentation of Once. As the story’s lovers, Caitie Grady and Michael Cusimano spoke their heart’s best with music (Grady on keyboards, Cusimano on guitar), and were backed by a talented ensemble of actor/musicians who turned the goingson into a foot-tapping, Irish-inflected concert. Seize the King, La Jolla Playhouse: Will Power, the playwright known as the pioneer of hip-hop theater, dared to reimagine Shakespeare’s timeless Richard III in streetwise, frequently profane vernacular. The essence of Richard’s depraved ambition, however, was not sacrificed in the name of artistic license, which made this Playhouse world premiere a treat for academics and pop culturalists alike. Fun Home, San Diego Repertory Theatre: A graphic novel by Alison Bechdel was the inspiration for this reflective musical and was the highlight of a very good season at the San Diego Rep. As the grown Bechdel, Amanda Naughton recounted the life-changing moments of her discovering her sexual identity while also learning the truth about
The Madres A Jewish Joke, The Roustabouts Theatre Co.: The year’s finest solo show featured Roustabouts Theatre Co. co-founder Phil Johnson as screenwriter Bernie Lutz, who was torn between his dreams of a Hollywood hit and his conscience (the House Un-American Activities Committee is pressuring Bernie to inform on his partner). In 90 sweat-inducing minutes, Johnson created a painfully sympathetic character who, even amid his torment, managed to crack a few jokes. Honorable Mention: San Diego Repertory Theatre’s A Doll’s House, Part 2; the Old Globe Theater’s The Wanderers; La Jolla Playhouse’s What Happens Next (with Cornerstone Theatre Co.); Diversionary Theatre’s The Loneliest Girl in the World.
—David L. Coddon
Theater reviews run weekly. Write to davidc@sdcitybeat.com.
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DECEMBER26, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 15
TATUM MANGUS / ANNAPURNA PICTURES; ©2018 ANNAPURNA RELEASING, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
CULTURE | FILM
If Beale Street Could Talk director Barry Jenkins (third from left) pon winning the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2016 for Moonlight (in thrilling fashion, no less!), Miami-born filmmaker Barry Jenkins found himself at a crossroads. “There were many different things that I could have done,” he confesses during a phone interview with CityBeat, willfully admitting that there was money to be made with other mainstream projects. Instead of selling out, Jenkins doubled down. He decided to adapt the James Baldwin novel, If Beale Street Could Talk, the deeply felt story of two hopeful young Black people in 1970s Harlem, whose burgeoning love affair and potential shared future is disrupted by faulty mechanisms within America’s justice system. Through this heightened lens, Jenkins explores the pressures and stresses put on people of color facing consistent inequality in all facets of society. The strong Black characters in If Beale Street Could Talk defy the current representation gap found in Hollywood. When asked why this issue persists, Jenkins responds with refreshing optimism. “It’s still a glaring issue but I think it’s getting better. Filmmakers like myself, Ryan [Coogler], Ava [DuVernay] and Jordan [Peele], all have to keep pressing forward. I chose to do Beale Street to help fill that void because it’s a story I care very much about.” That sense of tenderness can be felt from the film’s very first scene. With his camera looking down fondly from overhead, Jenkins tracks 19-year-old Tish (KiKi Layne) and 22-year-old Fonny (Stephan James) as they quietly stroll through a New York City park. It’s the kind of bravura opening found in the classic melodramas of Douglas Sirk or David Lean, signaling that this raw story of injus-
tice will nevertheless be filtered through the prism of heightened emotion. Their personal connection is quickly disrupted. Jenkins cuts from the two young lovers staring deeply into each other’s eyes, free as birds, to those same characters now separated by thick prison glass. Fonny has been falsely accused of rape and Tish finds herself pregnant with his baby. Their respective families experience very different reactions to this flurry of life-changing transitions. Consequences of societal injustice are infinite for those families impacted. When asked how themes of family develop over the course of the film, Jenkins says, “To me this is a very honest depiction of how the justice system feeds itself in a way. You see how these traumas that we assume only affect the person who’s in peril, we very clearly see how the reverberations impact the family unit.” If Beale Street Could Talk addresses these tensions honestly, while also making clear that Tish and Fonny’s kin will go to great lengths to help their cause. “You have all these characters orbiting around the child doing everything they can to try and protect it,” Jenkins says. “There’s a sequence very late in the film where the two fathers of these families are out hustling, trying to raise money to bail out Fonny, who’s committed no crime. So you have these two Black men now committing crimes to try and save a Black man who’s committed no crime.” Cable news headlines present similarly bitter ironies on a daily basis. Jenkins was drawn to this project in part for the way it depicts the pervasiveness of inequality across institutions, something that’s sadly still relevant.
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“This book was published 45 years ago and yet, in the last few months, three or four Black men, ‘good guys with a gun,’ whether they be security guards or innocent bystanders trying to help in an active shooter situation, have themselves been killed. Certain rights that we assume apply to all people don’t really apply to all of us in the same way. This story felt extremely pertinent for reflecting that reality.” ANNAPURNA PICTURES
If Beale Street Could Talk While it portrays suffocating bureaucracies and unfair laws that allow disenfranchised Americans to get swallowed up by the prison system, If Beale Street Could Talk is still, first and foremost, a love story. Whereas Moonlight unfolded in linear order, transitioning between three stormy segments in a gay Black man’s life, this film willfully jumps back and forth in time. The use of flashbacks, slow motion, jump cuts, dream sequences and yearning musical interludes has drawn comparisons to Hong Kong auteur Wong Kar-wai. Yet, If Beale Street Could Talk never fully immerses the viewer in a torrid romance. Jenkins juxtaposes those heightened highs with debilitating lows, and includes pragmatic experiences between those two extremes that make up the bulk of most relationships.
If the film’s final shot is any indication, Tish and Fonny will never stop fighting the societal forces that have so effectively separated them. Nevertheless, Jenkins finds hope in their endurance. Much like the raging debate around representation, he views their struggle not as an endgame but a positive step forward. “We can’t say, we’ve got change so we’re done. We have to keep our foot on the gas and keep heading in that same direction.” Jenkins has been wildly successful doing just that over the course of his brief career, which spans three features beginning with 2008’s Medicine for Melancholy. “One of the things I’ve always said ever since I was a film student, my goal is to create productive images, not positive or negative images. This latest piece is an illustration of what’s important to me as a filmmaker.” If Beale Street Could Talk (which opened Christmas Day at the Landmark Hillcrest Cinemas and Angelika Carmel Mountain Cinemas) perfectly balances his convergence of passion and societal critique. Most importantly, it is a film that is seemingly without end in that it deals with ongoing traumas and forces that are still at play for Black communities all over the U.S. “The conclusion of our film is not a happy ending per se, because it’s grounded in a certain level of truthfulness and verisimilitude, and yet I think it still contains a sense of optimism,” Jenkins says. “By grounding it in truthfulness, someone who’s watching it can see this as an authentic depiction of what this situation feels like.” And what this situation feels like for Tish and Fonny, well, that’s just impossible to shake.
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DECEMBER26, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 17
18 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · DECEMBER 26, 2018
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CULTURE | FILM
Enough is enough
A Bread Factory
The best films of 2018 are fed up with the status quo by Glenn Heath Jr.
W
as 2018 the year people finally became fed up with our nation’s recent moral and political backslide? Historic wins for progressive female candidates in November’s congressional, gubernatorial and local elections suggest so. The defiance didn’t stop there. NBA superstars Lebron James and Stephen Curry pushed back vigilantly against the “stay in your lane” rhetoric used to silence athletes and professionals of color. Motivated and enraged students from Florida’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School challenged the gun lobby’s bully tactics after surviving one of the worst mass shootings in recent memory. These acts of resistance remind us that bravery comes in many shapes and sizes. The same can be said of this year’s finest cinematic efforts. Collectively, they confront what it means to live in a world where empathy and safety are under constant attack, while also probing critical social themes with kinetic authority. While each is singular and enigmatic, all share a disdain for the banal aesthetic norms and emotional simplicities that reinforce passive viewership. First, some great honorable mentions generating the same spirit of purpose. Joel and Ethan Coen’s boisterous The Ballad of Buster Scruggs and Chloe Zhao’s melancholic The Rider are diametrically opposed Westerns, but both beautifully consider the humanity of unglamorous roughnecks living on the edge of frontier mortality. Travis Wilkerson’s searing documentary/art installation Did You Wonder Who Fired the Gun? and Spike Lee’s thunderous BlacKkKlansman address white supremacy through booming historical/generational reflections. The professional and personal liberties men seem to think they can take with women are pivotal to the scathing subtexts of Alex Ross Perry’s prickly Golden Exits and Andrew Bujalski’s rousing Support the Girls. Perceived personas are questioned, fractured and ultimately reinvented in Luca Guadagnino’s Suspiria, Jennifer Fox’s harrowing The Tale and Josephine Decker’s magnetic Madeline’s Madeline. Psychological unease morphs into something or-
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ganically sinister in Lee Chang-dong’s smoldering Burning and Steven Soderbergh’s insane Unsane. Claire Denis’ Let the Sunshine In and Hong Sangsoo’s Claire’s Camera are two breezy portraits of women searching for something substantive beyond the masculine frame. Bing Liu’s Minding the Gap, Paul King’s Paddington 2 and Carla Simón’s Summer 1993 are three bracing stories of wounded children trying to make peace with new family dynamics. John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein’s Game Night, Leigh Whannell’s Upgrade and Christian Gudegast’s Den of Thieves were an energized pop trio that reimagine the mechanics of subterfuge. Now, on to the year’s best. 10.) Araby: Finding your way in this beautiful meditation on class means giving into the idea that stories only lead to more stories. João Dumans and Affonso Uchoa’s malleable Brazilian road film features one of the most striking (and jarring) narrative shifts, becoming a fitting testament to the rambling nature of transient life. 9.) If Beale Street Could Talk: Barry Jenkins’ loving, woozy and pragmatic adaptation of James Baldwin’s novel looks into the heart of American inequality through the haze of spellbinding melodrama. Crucial thematic threads connect this 1970s Harlem-set story to our present day, specifically how a failing justice system chooses to erase people of color with unfeeling efficiency. 8.) Western: Every archetype and expectation associated with the genre is thoroughly upended in Valeska Grisebach’s assured and enigmatic character study. One austere German roughneck working construction in the Bulgarian countryside is magnetically drawn to the local townspeople and their customs. For him, liberation does not come through violence, but silent immersion into a new destiny. 7.) First Reformed: Environmental radicalism and religious fundamentalism are flipsides to the same dissolving coin in Paul Schrader’s sobering explora-
FILM CONTINUED ON PAGE 20 DECEMBER 26, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 19
CULTURE | FILM
Zama
FILM CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19 tion of broken faith. Torn between the two ideologies, Ethan Hawke’s crumbling man of God must choose between slow self-destruction and dangerous epiphany. Neither offers complete solitude, making this an emotionally bruising portrait of 21st century uncertainty. 6.) Bisbee ’17: Director Robert Greene goes to the titular Arizona mining town for the centennial anniversary of its darkest hour, looking to excavate its traumas and memories through reenactment. But no one involved could have imagined it would conjure up something as riotous and confrontational as the very historical event they came to document. History’s restless ghosts are never truly gone. 5.) 24 Frames: Abbas Kiarostami’s final film, released posthumously this year, merges two-dozen still photographs and paintings with carefully placed animation and live action details. For a master director who spent his entire career carefully watching life enter (and exit) the cinematic frame, it is a stirring culmination of style and grace, a subtle ode to life’s sonic and visual surprises. 4.) A Bread Factory: Technically a duet, Patrick Wang’s fourhour diptych follows the stalwart stakeholders of an upstate New York arts space fighting for its financial and creative existence. No other recent film has combined this level of formal creativity, linguistic rigor and emotional truth. 3.) El Mar la Mar: The immigration debate is so often shaped by simple binary terms, but J.P. Sniadecki and Joshua Bonnetta’s monumental documentary, which traces the Sonoran desert border crisis, refuses to do so. Utilizing the immersive and disorienting techniques born from Harvard’s Sensory Ethnography Lab, the filmmakers create an elemental experience that poses some of the great moral questions of our day. 2.) Lean on Pete: Andrew Haigh’s windswept Western weep-
ie stings like no other film of 2018. A teenager living on the fringes of society finds meaning and spirit working with a racehorse named Pete only to have his passion crushed by circumstance. Charlie Plummer’s haunting wayward performance evokes all of the desperation and panic found in an age where the American middle class is slowly disappearing before our eyes. 1.) Zama: For the last two years, our democracy has been mired in ethical purgatory. Argentine master Lucrecia Martel made a staggering portrait of colonial stagnation that captures that very same mood almost too perfectly. An entitled officer of the Spanish crown serves in South America for decades. Professional advancements are blocked by red tape and false promises, and in the officer’s waning years, his mind and spirit become fused with the unforgiving tropical locale. By the end, we can no longer see where the man’s soul begins and the fever dream ends. Film reviews run weekly. Write to glennh@sdcitybeat.com
OPENING Destroyer: Nicole Kidman stars as an alcoholic cop chasing down her past demons in this hardnosed Los Angeles crime film from director Karyn Kusama. Opened Tuesday, Dec. 25 in wide release. Holmes and Watson: Will Farrell and John C. Reilly star as the iconic characters created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in this comedy about the legendary forensic duo. Opened Tuesday, Dec. 25 in wide release. If Beale Street Could Talk: Based on the James Baldwin novel, this Barry Jenkins drama follows two young lovers as they encounter the extreme stresses of racism and injustice in 1970s Harlem. Opened Tuesday, Dec. 25, at the Landmark Hillcrest Cinemas and Angelika Carmel Mountain Cinemas. Maria by Callas: The first film to tell the life story of legendary Greek-American opera singer completely in her own words. Opens Friday, Dec. 28, at the Digital Gym Cinema in North Park.
For complete movie listings, visit Film at sdcitybeat.com.
20 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · DECEMBER 26, 2018
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MUSIC
Wanderer The wanderings of which Cat Power (Chan Marshall) speaks on this record are mental and metaphorical rather than literal. They represent the notion of moving forward, whether by leaving a lover behind or by getting over a sense of make-believe. It’s with the purity of this genuineness that Cat Power reaches new heights. A piano, a guitar and her whispered voice are all she needs to express how much selfawareness she finally has inside.
This Night Falls Forever The Denver band’s first album since 2011, This Night Falls Forever is a hymn to the simplicity of nostalgia, and that blissful and bittersweet pain one experiences while reminiscing about the intangible wilderness of youth. The record is crowded with places and people, loves and regrets, all of which have been lost along the way, and yet somehow persist. If bringing back time is not possible, then memories are. And a handful of orchestral strings may be the best way to defeat time’s corrosive effect.
—Ombretta Di Dio
Our Raw Heart It’s one of the great mysteries of the universe how three guys from Oregon can somehow create a sonic onslaught like that of the world’s surface being split wide open. Doom metal trio Yob go ever slightly more colossal on their eighth album, Our Raw Heart, with songs born of real-life trauma. In the end, they express a rare vulnerability in spite of the sheer heaviness of the album’s seven tracks. It’s the kind of metal album that’s affecting on a deeper, subsonic level. Your Queen Is A Reptile The hype surrounding London’s jazz scene seemed to boil over in 2018, and Sons of Kemet had a lot to do with that. The quartet, led by saxophonist Shabaka Hutchings, crafted a tense, funky album of Afrobeat and Caribbeaninspired protest jazz that both slaps and claps back at post-Brexit England’s Tories. For as much talk as their was about punk being better after 2016’s political chaos, nobody ever seemed to predict that jazz would be on fire.
—Jeff Terich
Double Negative I might get in trouble among those who worship at the altar of Things We Lost in the Fire, but Minnesota vets Low just seem to get better with age. Where most bands their age (they’ve been around since 1993) are returning to replicate the sounds that made them famous in the first place, Low seem only interested in testing the limits of their moody, dreamy indie rock. Double Negative, the band’s 12th album, is filled with bizarre, ambient and sometimes disorienting soundscapes anchored only by Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker’s somnolent voices. For a band that’s been so consistently prolific over the years, it would be highly declarative to say this is their best album ever. But I’m tempted.
soil I got my heart broken this year. I was lied to and gaslit. Josiah Wise (aka serpentwithfeet) then brought me the most beautiful, baroquepop statement of what it means to be obsessed with our own grief. Black, queer and raised in the church choir, Wise manages to embody and transcend all of these things while speaking to the longing natures of anyone who has felt like the sadness was all they had left. “I’m annoyed with clothes today/I’d rather swaddle myself in sorrow today/I don’t want to be small, small sad/I want to be big, big sad/I want to make a pageant of my grief,” Wise bellows on “mourning song,” before adding, “I’m sure my friends are tired of me talking about you/But it’s a gift to miss you.” That it is.
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Cold Air In the past, Kyle Bates used his main musical vehicle Drowse to explore things that happened to him in the past: a severe breakdown, experiences with prescription drugs, memories that come and go. But on Cold Air, the Portland-based artist tackles his ongoing mental health struggles directly, threading reflections on fear, dreams and death through warped drones, lo-fi pop, staticky shoegaze, overcast noise and snippets of an interview with Bates’ mother. The end result is beautiful and refreshingly honest, if not a bit unsettling.
—Ben Salmon
—Seth Combs You Won’t Get What You Want
boygenius EP Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus’ boygenius project is the only thing that’s ever truly deserved the title of “supergroup.” The six-song EP they put out this year is a testament to how transcendent collaborative art can be when it’s unhindered by literal and figurative dick-swinging. Each member brings her own brand of sadness—complementing rather than competing. It’s difficult not to get shivers at some point during the 20 minutes of this album.
POSTPOST- came out way back in January, which seems like a lifetime ago. But it still feels like a pivotal, even prescient, punk rock soundtrack to the turbulent year we had. Not since Titus Andronicus has a band or musician been so keenly aware of the world around them. This is felt hard on POST-’s seven-minute opener “USA.” Simultaneously nervous, assured, funny, scared and apathetic, Rosenstock’s opus is a buzzing album of complexities, but it’s also fun as hell.
Invasion Of Privacy I must confess: I did not expect Cardi B to follow up her 2017 mega-hit single, “Bodak Yellow” with an album full of killer songs that are vibrantly produced, richly written and rightfully defiant. But the charismatic Bronx rapper’s much-anticipated debut delivers banger after banger as Cardi details her rise from stripping to pay the bills (“I was covered in dollars…” she spits in the bracing opener, “Get Up 10”) to global superstar (“...now I’m drippin’ in jewels.”). The lesson? You underestimate her at your own peril.
Politics and current events aside, one could be forgiven for thinking they actually live in hell simply after listening to Daughters’ You Won’t Get What You Want. The Rhode Island band’s first release in eight years is a dark, discordant and dirge-laden siren’s wail that rewards pain and endurance with hidden, dissonant melodies. An allegory for the times? Maybe, especially if one believes that healing can be found in releasing.
Golden Hour Country songbird Kacey Musgraves’ latest release, Golden Hour, is truly the last thing I’d ever expect myself to like. I didn’t grow up listening to country music and am a cranky bitch from New York. But what hooked me is Musgraves’ universal appeal, which lies in her quietly astute observations dressed up as mundane, everyday happenings. Add to this her fuzzy, ethereal melodies and the catchiest of hooks and I’ve become a fan for life.
—Jackie Bryant
—Ryan Bradford DECEMBER 26, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 21
MUSIC
BY RYAN BRADFORD
NOTES FROM THE SMOKING PATIO
THE
SPOTLIGHT
THE 10 BEST LOCAL ALBUMS OF THE YEAR 1.) Tulengua Baja Funk This group needs national attention now. The crossborder, co-ed hip hop trio made one of the most head-bobbing statements of the year with this amazing, bilingual mixtape. What’s best about it, however, is how they address larger issues such as immigration, racism and the hypocrisy of politicians. It’s both beautiful and bombastic, profound and playful, and best of all, the group is donating all the proceeds from album streams to Border Angels. Tulengua member Alan Lilienthal put it best in a CityBeat profile back in August, “It’s a celebration of a borderless ideal… Humans connecting with other humans.” 2.) The Gloomies Romance The Gloomies have evolved so quickly in the five or so years they’ve been playing and Romance is the culmination of this. Ten tracks of romantic, highly melodic, but moody AF (hence the name) indie-pop that gets stuck in your head all day. The album’s best track, “Palms,” manages to filter all those influences (electro, indie rock, chillwave and even surf music) into a beautiful pop gem that’s perfect for anyone who wears all-black to the beach. 3.) Monochromacy Living Posture Drone and ambient music aren’t for everyone, but even for those unfamiliar with the genres, it’s hard to not be impressed with Monochromacy. That’s not to imply that the one-man project of Esteban Flores is accessible, what with the black metal flourishes (“Animus,” “Spiritless”) and monk-like chants (“Ultima Voz”), but Living Posture is still a strikingly gorgeous statement.
4.) Author & Punisher Beastland Speaking of profound statements from one-man bands, please go back and read Ryan Bradford’s excellent article on Tristan Shone, who plays highlymelodic, but nonetheless jarring industrialmetal as Author & Punisher. His Relapse Records debut, Beastland, is filled with politicized statements that listeners will hopefully make out through Shone’s home-built drone machines. 5.) The Gift Machine New Tangles The core of this Escondido band moved here from Olympia, Washington, and what an amazing addition to local scene they’ve been. With nods to bands like Wussy and Eleventh Dream Day, husband and wife co-vocalists Dave and Andrea Matthies are producing some of the best indie rock I’ve heard in a while. 6.) The Color Forty Nine The Color Forty Nine A group of local scene vets craft an album of dark, alt-country ballads perfect for sipping whisky alone and thinking about the one that got away. I think I said it best back in June when I wished this album “had gone on forever” and I can’t wait to hear more. 7.) Warsaw Wires This is a band that needs to be seen live to truly be appreciated, but concertgoers will almost immediately run to the merch table after to grab a copy of this dark, synth-laden and gothy debut album.
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ARLENE IBARRA
8.) Beira Vol. II Former CityBeat music editor Jeff Terich raved about these doom-metalers back in September, and man, he was right. Six savage and scathing tracks made all the more impressive by Ruby Haynes’ vicious wails. 9.) Planet B Planet B Fans of Justin Pearson’s head-scratching All Leather project will almost certainly like this more electronicheavy collaboration with fellow weirdo Luke Henshaw. Pearson’s banshee wail is a nice accompaniment to the spooky beats and special appearances from Kool Keith and Martin Atkins. 10.) The Havnauts Go For It! Shelbi Bennett has always had one of the best voices in San Diego, blowing audiences away as the frontwoman of indie rock band The Midnight Pine. Havnauts is her foray into peppy punk rock, but through the riffs, she’s tackling serious issues such as body image (“Gained Weight”) and indecisive boys (“Don’t Have the Time”). And throughout it all, that voice still shines. Honorable mentions: DJ Pnutz - Play That Beat Mrs. DJ Parker Meridien - Twentyfirst Street Sessions Pocket Hole - Marine Layer EP Montalban Quintet - Under the River Of Ennui - Tone Poems Wild Wild Wets - PRISOM Optiganally Yours - O.Y. in Hi-Fi
—Seth Combs
T
Hot Snakes
here are right opinions and there are wrong opinions and what I’m about to say is, objectively, a wrong opinion: Hot Snakes are better than Drive Like Jehu. I know this is a wrong opinion because I’m not a San Diego native. I did not grow up with a hometown connection to Drive Like Jehu—a band that, even to an outsider, is every bit deserving of its legacy. I did not have the fortune of letting their seminal punk album, Yank Crime, into my blood during my formative years. Sure, it’s one of those untouchable soundtracks to outsider youth that come along every couple years and it’s a spark that couldn’t be replicated, even when guitarists Rick Froberg and John Reis reunited to form Hot Snakes. And perhaps it’s that deep-seated bitterness of missing something monumental that fuels my wrong opinion. Still, I feel Drive Like Jehu in my brain, whereas I feel Hot Snakes in my gut and in my heart. Jehu feels like a nervous, brilliant friend who keeps you at arm’s length. Hot Snakes, on the other hand, is the friend who will give you a hug, who tells you to get out of bed and come drinking. In 2018, Hot Snakes released Jericho Sirens, their first album in 14 years, but it sounds like nothing has changed. It’s ferocious, tight and up there with the best stuff they’ve ever made. There isn’t a better way to start off the New Year than having your brain exploded by this band. Hot Snakes play Jan. 4 at The Casbah.
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MUSIC
IF I WERE U
BY CITYBEAT STAFF
Our picks for the week’s top shows
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 26
PLAN A: The Havnauts, Giveaway, Nancy Sin @ Soda Bar. The Havnauts made our list of the best local albums of the year (see previous page), but show up early for Giveaway. Despite having an ungoogleable name, they’re a really cool band who’s fronted by visual artist, poet and all-around awesome creative Lora Mathis. We saw them open for Tacocat at The Casbah and they were super rad. BACKUP PLAN: It’s the day after Christmas so, uh… eat leftovers?
THURSDAY, DEC. 27
PLAN A: Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, DJ Z-Trip @ Belly Up Tavern. Saxophonist and vocalist Karl Denson is local royalty for having founded The Greyboy Allstars, as well as for being the touring saxophonist in a little-known British band named… what were they called again?... oh, yeah, The Rolling Stones. Anyway, Tiny Universe is Denson’s soul and funk project, and they always put on a great show. BACKUP PLAN: Sol Orchid, The Values @ Soda Bar.
SUNDAY, DEC. 30
PLAN A: X, Los Lobos @ The Observatory North Park. These bands should need no introduction, but just in case, X is the iconic first-wave punk band behind the classic albums Los Angeles and Wild Gift. Los Lobos has been active since the ’70s and specialize in an almost indefinable mix of traditional Latin music and rock. A perfect show to end the weekend. PLAN B: The Great Electric Quest, The Bassics, The Petty Saints, The Oxen @ The Casbah. This is quite an eclectic lineup. There’s some Brit-pop and fistpumping punk, but what to say about The Great Electric Quest? Epic, classic metal that deals in “cavemen, interstellar aliens, Egyptian deities and temptress women.” Yes, it’s silly, but it’s also awesome. BACKUP PLAN: John Legend @ San Diego Civic Theatre. SCARLETT STEPHENSON-CONNELLY
FRIDAY, DEC. 28
PLAN A: Hideout, The Gloomies, Heavy Hawaii @ Soda Bar. Another great lineup of San Diego bands. Well, kinda. Hideout are technically from New York City, but have their roots here. The co-ed duo specializes in pleasant, singer/songwriter bops that should appeal to fans of The New Pornographers and Daughter. Local weirdos The Gloomies and Heavy Hawaii round out a solid night of music. BACKUP PLAN: Of Ennui, Con-tact, Hours @ Black Cat Bar.
SATURDAY, DEC. 29
PLAN A, PART 1: Shawn P. Rohlf @ Whistle Stop. Local Americana artist Shawn Rohlf is one of the more underappreciated artists in town. Plus, this is a happy hour performance, which leaves plenty of time to get to… PLAN A, PART 2: Keepers, Sixes @ Soda Bar. The local noise-punkers are releasing their self-titled debut album on this night and it’s a doozey. Twelve blistering tracks of distortion, sick bass lines and vocals that sound like they’re being bellowed from the bottom of a mine. PLAN B: X, Los Lobos @ The Observatory North Park. The fact that these two legendary Los Angeles bands are playing together on the same bill is usually enough to warrant a Plan A, but they’re also playing on Sunday so we’re going to let Keepers have this night. BACKUP PLAN: Get Back Loretta, The Heavy Guilt, Shane Hall, Nena Anderson @ The Casbah.
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MONDAY, DEC. 31
Hideout
PLAN A: ‘Redwoods Revue’ w/ The Midnight Pine, Dani Bell and the Tarantist, Cardinal Moon, Birdy Bardot @ Loews Coronado Bay Resort. Hopefully readers caught our last issue where we previewed the cool live music happenings on New Year’s Eve. If not, this show, which features the entire Redwoods Music roster, is probably our favorite. Not a bad band on the whole bill. PLAN B: ‘Euphoric Haze’ w/ Lady Dottie & the Diamonds, Mrs. Henry, The Rollers, Creature and the Woods and more @ The Lafayette Hotel. There will be three different ’60s-themed rooms of music at this hotel party and the mostly local bands on the bill are definitely fitting for the theme. BACKUP PLAN: ‘La Escalera’ w/ Civil War Rust, Mercy Music Band, Jennie Cotteril & Stacey Dee and more @ Tower Bar.
TUESDAY, JAN. 1
PLAN A: Keith Sweaty, Shamanest, Lorna Dune Auz Fontaine, Mystery Cave, Bruin @ Bar Pink. If you’re not completely hungover, this is a solid lineup of fun and experimental bands and artists. Otherwise… BACKUP PLAN: Netflix and chill. That’s not code for sex. Like, for real.
DECEMBER 26, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 23
MUSIC
CONCERTS HOT! NEW! FRESH!
Smoking Popes (Soda Bar, 2/20), Madball (Soda Bar, 2/23), Conan (Brick By Brick, 3/8), Welles (SPACE, 3/9), Plini (SOMA, 3/26), She Wants Revenge (Music Box, 3/29), Rubblebucket (Music Box, 3/30), Baby Bushka - Kate Bush Dance Party (Casbah, 4/13), Yob (Brick By Brick, 4/19), The Wild Reeds (Casbah, 6/6).
GET YER TICKETS Hot Snakes (Casbah, 1/4), T.S.O.L., Forest Grove, Blood Ponies (Casbah, 1/6), Jefferson Starship (BUT, 1/9-10), Adolescents (Casbah, 1/19), Via Satellite (Casbah, 1/22),Pinback (Casbah, 1/23-24), Buck-O-Nine (Casbah, 1/26), Corrosion of Conformity (Brick By Brick, 1/26), Bananarama (Observatory, 1/27), No Knife (Casbah, 1/27), Cursive, Mineral (Casbah, 2/1), Gang of Four (Casbah, 2/5), MØ (Observatory, 2/5), KISS (Viejas Arena, 2/7), Panic! At the Disco (Valley View Casino Center, 2/16), Sharon Van Etten (Observatory, 2/28), Saves the Day (Observatory North Park, 3/2), CRSSD Festival (Waterfront Park, 3/2-3),Waxahatchee (Soda Bar, 3/3), Band of Horses (Observatory, 3/6), Hatebreed (HOB, 3/7), Action Bronson (HOB, 3/13), Boy Harsher (Casbah, 3/20), Mike Doughty (Soda Bar, 3/23), Queensrÿche (Casbah, 3/27), Black Moth Super Rainbow (BUT, 3/31).
DECEMBER WEDNESDAY, DEC. 26 Easy Wind at Belly Up Tavern. The Havnauts at Soda Bar.
THURSDAY, DEC. 27 Poolside at Music Box.
FRIDAY, DEC. 28 Hideout at Soda Bar. Donavon Frankenreiter at Belly Up Tavern.
SATURDAY, DEC. 29 Donavon Frankenreiter at Belly Up Tavern. Mannheim Steamroller at San Diego Civic Theatre. X, Los Lobos at Observatory North Park. Sublime with Rome at House of Blues. Grupo Corrupta at Music Box.
SUNDAY, DEC. 30 X, Los Lobos at Observatory North Park. Sublime with Rome at House of Blues. La Beat Cantina at Soda Bar.
MONDAY, DEC. 31 Weatherbox at Soda Bar. Ekali at Bang Bang. BoomBox at Music Box. Michael Frenti & Spearhead at Belly Up Tavern.
TUESDAY, JAN. 1 Keith Sweaty at Bar Pink.
THURSDAY, JAN. 3 Aviator Stash Belly Up Tavern. DJ Claire at The Casbah.
24 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · DECEMBER 26, 2018
FRIDAY, JAN. 4 Hot Snakes at The Casbah. The Dan Band at Belly Up Tavern.
SATURDAY, JAN. 5 The Farmers at Belly Up Tavern. Illuminati Hotties at House of Blues. The Winehouse Experience at Music Box.
SUNDAY, JAN. 6 T.S.O.L., Forest Grove, Blood Ponies at The Casbah. Leo Kottke at Belly Up Tavern. Quali at Soda Bar.
MONDAY, JAN. 7 Man Man at The Casbah.
TUESDAY, JAN. 8 Gary Wilson at Che Café.
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 9 Eric Burdon & the Animals at Belly Up Tavern.
THURSDAY, JAN. 10 Eric Burdon & the Animals at Belly Up Tavern.
FRIDAY, JAN. 11 The Dragons, Drip Tank at The Casbah, Dirtwire at Music Box.
SATURDAY, JAN. 12 Kaleena Zanders and FriendZ at Music Box, Amen Dunes at Belly Up Tavern. Exasperation at Soda Bar.
SUNDAY, JAN. 13 Young Dolph at House of Blues. A.J. Croce at California Center for the Arts. Charlie Rae at Music Box.
MONDAY, JAN. 14 Mother Mother at Soda Bar. Beehive & the Barracudas The Casbah.
TUESDAY, JAN. 15 Tamaryn, Cold Showers at The Casbah.
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 16 Bayside at The Irenic. Howlin Rain at The Casbah.
THURSDAY, JAN. 17 The Donkeys at The Casbah.
FRIDAY, JAN. 18 Rob Garza at Music Box. KRS-One at Observatory North Park.
SATURDAY, JAN. 19 Mae at Soda Bar. NAO at Observatory. Sumac at Brick By Brick. As It Is at SOMA. Adolescents at The Casbah. Mae at The Irenic. Brendan Kelly at Tower Bar.
SUNDAY, JAN. 20 88 Fingers Louie at Soda Bar. Mustard Plug at The Casbah. Reagan Youth at Brick By Brick.
MONDAY, JAN. 21 Snail Mail at Music Box. The Posies at Soda Bar.
TUESDAY, JAN. 22 Via Satellite at The Casbah. Kris Kristofferson and The Strangers at Balboa Theatre.
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 23 Trombone Shorty at Belly Up Tavern. Mozes and the Firstborn at Soda Bar. Pinback at The Casbah.
THURSDAY, JAN. 24 Pinback at The Casbah.
FRIDAY, JAN. 25 Ozomatli at Music Box. The English Beat at Belly Up Tavern. Transfer at The Casbah. Larry And His Flask at Soda Bar.
SATURDAY, JAN. 26 The English Beat at Belly Up Tavern. Whitey Morgan at Observatory North Park. Buck-O-Nine at The Casbah. Corrosion of Conformity at Brick By Brick.
SUNDAY, JAN. 27 Bananarama at Observatory North Park. No Knife at The Casbah. Ana Popovic at Belly Up Tavern.
MONDAY, JAN. 28 Richard Thompson Electric Trio at Belly Up Tavern. Duster at Soda Bar.
TUESDAY, JAN. 29 Elton John at Valley View Casino Center. Sergio Mendes at Belly Up Tavern.
MUSIC CONTINUED ON PAGE 25
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BY CHRISTIN BAILEY
MUSIC MUSIC CONTINUED FROM PAGE 24 WEDNESDAY, JAN. 30 Wild Child at Soda Bar. Hawthorne Heights at House Of Blues.
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710 Beach Club, 710 Garnet Ave., Pacific Beach. Wed: Open Mic. Thu: Karaoke. Fri: Freeze Frame, Groove Factory. Sat: CitySide, So*Cal Vibes, The Sovereign Artist. Sun: Karaoke. Mon: Wheeland Brothers, Irieality, The Gravities. Air Conditioned Lounge, 4673 30th St., Normal Heights. Wed: ‘Hip Hop Wednesday’. Thu: ‘SubDrip’. Fri: ‘House Music Friday’. Sat: ‘Juicy Saturday’. Sun: ‘Chvrch’. Mon: NYE Party. American Comedy Co., 818 B Sixth Ave., Downtown. Wed: Doug Benson. Thu: Gareth Reynolds. Fri: Gareth Reynolds. Sat: Gareth Reynolds Mon: Roy Wood Jr. The Bancroft, 9143 Campo Road, Spring Valley. Wed: Karaoke. Fri: Electric Howlers. Bang Bang, 526 Market St., Downtown. Fri: Weiss, Kevin Knapp. Mon: Ekali. Bar Pink, 3829 30th St., North Park. Thu: Loosen the Noose. Fri: Scary Pierre & Julia Sage. Sat: The Rosalyns, The Night Times, Chloe Lou and The Liddells. Sun: ‘Rat Sabbath’. Mon: DJ Vaughn Avakian, Junior Discopunk. Beaumont’s, 5665 La Jolla Blvd., La Jolla. Thu: Joanna Gerolaga. Fri: Gleason Trio. Sat: Emotional Rescue. Mon: ‘NYE: Manic Fanatic’.
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Belly Up Tavern, 143 S. Cedros Ave., Solana Beach. Wed: Easy Wind. Thu: Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe. Fri: Donavon Frankenreiter. Sat: Donavon Frankenreiter. Sun: Michael Franti, Spearhead (sold out). Mon: Michael Franti, Spearhead. Black Cat Bar, 4246 University Ave., City Heights. Fri: Of Ennui, Con-tact, Hours. Sat: An Anomaly, One I Red, Shoot The Glass. Blonde, 1808 W. Washington St., Mission Hills. Wed: ‘Dance Klassique’. Thu: The Low End. Fri: ‘We Are Your Friends’. Mon: ‘Tron Themed ‘80s New Wave Dance Party’. Tue: ‘Lovelife After Party’. The Casbah, 2501 Kettner Blvd., Midtown. Thu: Hail Hail, Razor Nights, ConTact. Fri: The Paladins, Big Sandy and His Flyrite Boys, The Tighten Ups. Sat: Get Back Loretta, The Heavy Guilt, Shane Hall, Nena Anderson. Sun: The Great Electric Quest, The Bassics, The Petty Saints, The Oxen. Mon: The Schizophonics, The Creepy Creeps, The Widows, Scary Pierre. Dizzy’s, 4275 Mission Bay Drive, Bay Park. Fri: ‘Boogie Woogie Duets: Part 1’. Sat: ‘Boogie Woogie Duets: Part 2’. F6ix, 526 F St., Downtown. Thu: ‘Takeover Thursday’. Fri: DJ Isaac. Sat: ‘ShowOut Saturday’. Sun: ‘Reggae Sunday’. Mon: ‘New Years Eve at The 6ix’. Fluxx, 500 Fourth Ave., Downtown. Fri: Bad. Sat: DJ Esco. Mon: ‘Fluxx NYE’. Tue: ‘Dawn of the New Year’. House of Blues, 1055 Fifth Ave., Downtown. Wed: Robert Allen Shepherd. Thu: ‘Who’s Bad - The Ultimate Michael Jackson Experience’. Fri: Jerry “Hot Rod” DeMink. Sat: Sublime With Rome. Sun: Sublime With Rome. Mon: Miles Medina & Friends.
MUSIC CONTINUED ON PAGE 26
ASTROLOGICALLY UNSOUND Weekly forecasts from the so-called universe ARIES (March 21 - April 19): Some days are about making the mistakes and other days are about learning the lessons. Supposedly. Haven’t seen any evidence of those “other days” so far.
LIBRA (September 23 - October 22): Optimism is a cruel trick your benevolent brain synapses play on you to believe that maybe those shoes will hurt less as the night goes on.
TAURUS (April 20 - May 20): There is a precise time this week when you will be able to freehand draw a perfect circle, but there is no telling when that time is. You’ll just have to try it out a few times.
SCORPIO (October 23 - November 21): Kindness is always the best policy right after “don’t make your ATM pin ‘1234’” and right before “if kindness isn’t possible, try sabotage.”
GEMINI (May 21 - June 20): Life never gave you lemons. If we’re being literal, they’re the result of crossbreeding a citron and a mandarin. If we’re being figurative, you created all your problems intentionally.
SAGITTARIUS (November 22 December 21): Here is a widely known secret: If you become the person that you want to be, then you won’t have to spend so much time telling people who it is that you are.
CANCER (June 21 - July 22): A seemingly empty parking space in a crowded parking lot almost never means you caught a break. It almost always means that someone else rides a motorcycle.
CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 19): Life is easy, breezy and beautiful this week. Wait, is that from something? “Easy, breezy, beautiful”? Do I have to pay someone if I say it? Well, I don’t have any money so don’t ask.
LEO (July 23 - August 22): You will be inspired this week to begin a journey that will carry you all the way through the next 45 minutes. Then you’ll realize your big idea was just the plot to The Matrix.
AQUARIUS (January 20 - February 18): Treasure cannot actually ever be found because whoever put it there meant for it to remain there forever. It was never lost and, at best, it can be seen, and at worst, stolen!
VIRGO (August 23 - September 22): Staring at your phone all day is not good for you—physically, mentally, or spiritually. What does that matter though? You could be base-jumping, and that’s way worse.
PISCES (February 19 - March 20): You’ll almost have the answer to “what came first: the chicken or the egg?” but it will slip from your mind the minute you realize you’ve solved it. Ah, oh well. We could have used that.
Astrologically Unsound appears every week. Follow Christin Bailey on Twitter at @hexprax.
DECEMBER 26, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 25
MUSIC MUSIC CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25 Humphreys Backstage, Island Drive, Shelter Island. Bros. Thu: Kim Jackson. Sat: Wildside. Sun: Jason Detroit Underground. Tue: ley.
2241 Shelter Wed: Bayou Fri: R:Tyme. Brown. Mon: Casey Hens-
The Irenic, 3090 Polk Ave., North Park. Mon: Magic Giant, Kosta. Kava Lounge, 2812 Kettner Blvd., Midown. Sat: ‘Pre-NYE Masquerade’. Lestat’s Coffee House, 3343 Adams Ave., Normal Heights. Sat: Sahara Grim. Mon: Open Mic. Mc P’s Irish Pub, 1107 Orange Ave., Coronado. Wed: Jackson & Billy. Thu: 4-Way Street. Fri: Never 2L8. Sat: Pat Ellis & Blue Frogs. Sun: Ron’s Garage. Mon: Misty and The Moby’s New Year’s Eve. Martinis Above Fourth, 3940 Fourth Ave., Hillcrest. Thu: Suzanne Westenhoefer. Sun: ‘Keep It on the DL’. The Merrow, 1271 University Ave., Hillcrest. Thu: Roger!, The Lucy Ring, Fools Like Me. Fri: Sat: Planewrecks, Eirdia, Wine, Project Wormhole. Mr. Peabody’s, 136 Encinitas Blvd., Encinitas. Thu: Three Chord Justice. Fri: Custard Pie. Sat: Grey Illusion. Sun: Anthony Ortega Jazz Quartet. Mon: Open Mic. Music Box, 1337 India St., Little Italy. Thu: Poolside. Fri: An-Ten-nae, DATPHAT, Stoik. Sat: Bar1ne, & Friends, BLCK XPRESSN, Sound Collage. Sun: The Steely Damned. Mon: BoomBox. The Office, 3936 30th St., North Park.
26 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · DECEMBER 26, 2018
DAVID LEELAND BAIN
Thu: ‘No Limits’. Fri: ‘After Hours’. Sat: ‘Strictly Business’. OMNIA Nightclub, 454 Sixth Ave., Downtown. Fri: Tyga. Mon: Party Favor. Panama 66, 1450 El Prado, Balboa Park. Wed: Young Lions, ‘The Wednesday Jam Session’. Thu: Robert Dove. Fri: Red Fox Tails. Sun: Lorraine Castellanos. Parq, 615 Broadway, Downtown. Fri: GEazy. Sat: Kyle Flesch. Sun: Mon: ‘NYE 2019: Ball on Broadway’. Pour House, 1903 S. Coast Highway, Oceanside. Wed: Open Mic. Fri: The Nightengayles. Sat: The Havnauts, Mittens, Pinkeye. Proud Mary’s, 5550 Kearny Mesa Road, Kearny Mesa. Wed: Steve Pandis. Thu: Tomcat Courtney. Fri: Chris Fast Band. Sat: Michele Lundeen. The Rail, 3796 Fifth Ave., Hillcrest. Sat: ‘Sábados En Fuego!’. Rich’s, 1051 University Ave., Hillcrest. Wed: ‘Mischief’. Thu: ‘#LEZ’. Fri: ‘Dirty POP!’. Sat: ‘Voltage’. Sun: ‘Stripper Circus’. Riviera Supper Club, 7777 University Ave., La Mesa. Wed: ‘Boss Jazz with Jason Hanna & Friends’. Thu: Rosa’s Cantina Duo. Fri: Taryn Donath Duo. Sat: Blue Largo. Rosie O’Gradys, 3402 Adams Ave., Normal Heights. Wed: Karaoke. Thu: DJ Doug and HOUSE PARTY. Fri: Ron & the Reapers. Sat: Johnny Deadly. Mon: ‘Jazz Jam at Rosie’s with Louis V’. Soda Bar, 3615 El Cajon Blvd., City Heights. Wed: The Havnauts, Giveaway, Transit. Thu: Sol Orchid, The Values. Fri: Hideout, The Gloomies, Heavy Hawaii.
Keepers play Soda Bar on Saturday, Dec. 29 Sat: Keepers, SIXES, Infinity Eyes. Sun: La Beat Cantina, Exoskeleton Delusion. Mon: Weatherbox, Pistolita, positioner.
‘The Corner’. Thu: ‘Keep Your Soul’. Fri: Jaw. Sat: Chad & Rosie. Sun: Tony P. Mon: ‘Keep Your Soul’.
SOMA, 3350 Sports Arena Blvd., Midway. Fri: Khofa, Fresh Breakfast Muk Dipped in Butter, TAC XII, Kahill, Nash, Shon Hill & Foxtide.
Tio Leo’s, 5302 Napa St., Bay Park. Thu: Blue Largo. Fri: ‘Winter White Affair’. Sat: SantanaWays. Mon: ‘NYE Party’.
SPACE, 3519 El Cajon Blvd., City Heights. Thu: ‘BrokenBeat Night’. Fri: ‘Transmission’. Spin, 2028 Hancock St., Midtown. Fri: Chromeo. Sat: ‘Club Sabbat Masquerade Ball’. Sun: ‘Boombox Cartel’. Mon: Animal Talk. Sycamore Den, 3391 Adams Ave., Normal Heights. Mon: ‘NYE at the Den’. Til-Two Club, 4746 El Cajon Blvd., City Heights. Fri: Killer Whales and the HA. Sun: ‘Pants Karaoke’. Tin Roof, 401 G St., Downtown. Wed:
Tower Bar, 4757 University Ave., City Heights. Thu: ‘Sad Dance Party’. Sat: Aunt Cynthia’s Cabin, Ripening, Full Blast Fun Boy. Mon: ‘La Escalara New Years’. U-31, 3112 University Ave., North Park. Mon: ‘#31 Flavors’. Whistle Stop, 2236 Fern St., South Park. Thu: ‘VAMP: Home for the Holidays’. Fri: ‘drift’. Sat: ‘Fantasy’. Winstons, 1921 Bacon St., Ocean Beach. Wed: Sandollar, DJ Carlos Culture. Thu: Eric Lindell and the Grand Nationals. Fri: Diggin Dirt. Sat: Psydecar, Gentle Giants. Sun: Karaoke. Mon: Electric Waste Band.
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IN THE BACK
CannaBeat Special delivery
T
he Bureau of Cannabis Control (BCC) released the newest changes to regulations for adult-use cannabis and manufacturing earlier this month. Some proposed rules have bummed out the cannabis industry while others are relatively exciting. One of these proposals is the allowance of cannabis delivery throughout California—even to municipalities that have banned it. Released Dec. 7, the language in the Phase III regulations says that “a delivery employee may deliver to any jurisdiction within the State of California provided that such delivery is conducted in compliance with all delivery provisions of this division.” Such needs for compliance include driving an unbranded car and tracking the vehicle with GPS. Matthew Shapiro, a San Diego lawyer specializing in cannabis law, says that the proposed regulations on cannabis delivery—as well as the rest of the Phase III regulations—must first be reviewed by the California Office of Administrative Law (OAL) before implementation. He says this could happen as soon as mid-January. Shapiro says this proposal brings clarity to questions surrounding cannabis delivery. “There wasn't a definite answer—which is a pretty common theme in cannabis law—as to whether somebody that was legally licensed in municipalities could deliver into another municipality,” says Shapiro. “Because of
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the lack of clarity, most of the time license holders didn't want to subject themselves to the risk.” Shapiro hasn’t heard of specific San Diego municipalities opposing new proposed delivery regulations, but says that many cities in California aren’t keen on commercial cannabis in their communities. In particular, the League of California Cities, California Police Chiefs Association and United Food and Commercial Workers Western States Council are reported to oppose new delivery proposals. KTLA reported on Dec. 7 that the League of California Cities would wait for OAL’s decision before deciding its next move. While this might disappoint some local governments, some San Diego cannabis businesses like Torrey Holistics and Urbn Leaf are pleased with the new delivery ruling. “We're gonna start delivering much farther north,” says Kyle Dukes, delivery manager at Torrey Holistics dispensary. “It's a pain because we're the most northern dispensary in San Diego and all of our clientele typically is from North County.” Dukes says that Torrey refuses 15 to 20 orders a day in an attempt to take a conservative approach to compliance. Howerver, he knows his competitors are delivering to places they shouldn’t be. Will Senn, founder and CEO of dispensary Urbn Leaf, says new delivery regs will allow for his company to go into new areas that currently prohibit delivery such as San Marcos, National City and Poway. Senn adds that more jobs might be created, as well. Leaf’s deliveries are fulfilled through cannabis delivery app, Eaze.
BY LARA MCCAFFREY COURTESY OF TORREY HOLISTICS
A package of cannabis products being prepared for delivery “We currently have a pretty large driver fleet,” says Senn. “I’d say north of 90 drivers currently, and I think that that number will further expand to around 150 to potentially 200 drivers in the future.” Both Senn and Dukes wish that drivers could carry a greater amount of product. Proposed regulations would allow for $5,000 worth of product in a car at a time— $3,000 worth can be unprepared orders and $2,000 can be prepared. Overall, they’re satisfied with the proposed delivery regulations. “I think the delivery community is very happy with it,” says Dukes. “Especially the ability to deliver to other jurisdictions because that opens up a lot more territory.” CannaBeat appears every other week.
DECEMBER 26, 2018 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 27