The San Diego Album – An Anthology of Live Music in San Diego

January 7, 2018January 7, 2018

The Music Box

All good stories include some degree of heartbreak, including today’s story of Amy Winehouse and San Diego’s Music Box. The heartbreak behind Amy Winehouse is probably the more obvious story. After winning 5 Grammy Awards in 2008 for her Back to Black album, she passed away suddenly at the age of 27, granting her entry into The elusive 27 Club. The 27 Club is a group of performers who have all passed away at age 27, including Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain and many more. This phenomenon has gathered so much attention that the British Medical Journal actually published a study in 2011 that showed that there was no increased risk of dying at age 27. However, musicians are two to three times more likely to die in their 20s or 30s when compared to the rest of the British population. Alas, Amy Winehouse passed away following a long run with alcohol after releasing just two studio albums.

The heartbreak behind the Music Box is less obvious. Tucked in between a law firm and a hotel on India Street in Little Italy, the Music Box opened in 2015 and is a 3 story concert venue and event space. Long before the Music Box opened its doors however, another music venue inhabited this space—Anthology. Anthology opened in 2007 and was known for fine dining and primarily jazz shows. Over its lifetime, Anthology’s production team was nominated for multiple Emmy’s for the work coming out of the venue. But in 2013, Anthology closed abruptly following the divorce of its owners—enter heartbreak. The venue sat unoccupied until 2015 when it received a makeover and reopened under new owners.

The Winehouse Experience at the Music Box

The new owners of the Music Box were surprisingly difficult to uncover—some connected to Prohibition in the Gaslamp, others silent business partners. Regardless, I love the new space that they have created. Clean lines, open space, great acoustics, and a surprisingly up-close experience in a venue that holds 700+. Last night’s show was “The Winehouse Experience,” an Amy Winehouse tribute band out of LA with Mia Karter performing vocals. Mia’s voice is great, and I would love to hear her belt out her own music. Her backup dancers though might have stolen the show with their kitschy but entertaining choreography. I have to admit that I never was an Amy Winehouse fan, but last night’s show still managed to keep us dancing and enjoying the good vibes coming off the stage.

Thanks to Stacy, Sal, Sam and Jeff for their love of Amy Winehouse. And thanks to Colin, Daphne, Ken, Josh and Anna for being convinced to join in. If it weren’t for you guys, I never would have started my 2018 revival of The San Diego Album. Can’t wait for more adventures this year!

October 8, 2017October 13, 2017

Moonshine Beach

What do The Tipsy Crow, Bub’s at the Ballpark and Moonshine Beach all have in common? Good Time Design. Good time who, you ask? Low and behold, Good Time Design is a hospitality and entertainment group located in San Diego and created by Ty Hauter back in 2006. In just over 10 years, this entertainment group has made quite the impact on San Diego’s nightlife—more than 10 successful venues in just 10 years. I liken this to the impact the Cohn Restaurant Group has had on San Diego’s restaurant scene—more than 20 current restaurants in just over 30 years. Both groups seem to have found the perfect recipe for success in this city where restaurants and bars seem to turnover like they are going out of style.

Heading down Garnet in Pacific Beach, it’s hard to miss the cowboy boots lined up outside of Moonshine Beach. Similar in nature to its downtown counterpart Moonshine Flats, Moonshine Beach draws a slightly younger and more local crowd to this PB hot spot. On most days, the doors open around 7 or 8, so stop next door at Cerveza Jack’s (also by Good Time Design) to fill up on tacos and a margarita flight before the show. Also important to know—at 8pm on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, you can catch free line dance lessons mixed in with the good old Two Step. Around 10pm, the shows get started, and the dance floor fills with a mix of flip-flop clad surfers, belt-buckle wearing cowboys and a plethora of cute chicks in cutoff jeans and cowboy boots. Not quite your typical night out in PB, but it gets the job done.

When the Brodie Stewart Band took the stage on this particular evening, they said the one name that was on everyone’s mind. Jason Aldean. I reckon half the crowd at Moonshine Beach had tickets for the Jason Aldean concert that was scheduled for the same night down in Chula Vista. One week earlier though, Jason Aldean was onstage when 58 people were killed in Las Vegas, ultimately leading him to cancel a string of upcoming concerts on his tour. Some of our fellow concertgoers at Moonshine had actually been in Vegas at the Route 91 Harvest festival that night. Brodie Stewart and his band paid tribute to those who didn’t return home from the Vegas music festival—a festival so similar to Stagecoach, Coachella, or even our local Kaaboo. Then he and his band went on to play a great concert, bittersweet in the end, but still well done.

Thanks to Katie and Sean for being two of the most enthusiastic line dancers that I know. And thanks to Mitchell for being my impromptu Two Step partner and tearing it up on the dance floor.

September 29, 2017October 9, 2017

The Casbah

For the first 5 years that I lived in San Diego, I was convinced that you needed black leather, some form of tobacco and a password to enter The Casbah. The Casbah struck me as elitist in the same way that the lunch table where the kids sat with chains between their wallets and JNCO jeans did in high school. But it turns out, I was wrong. Perched on the corner of Kettner and Laurel, and easily visible on just about everyone’s way home from the airport, The Casbah is a little slice of San Diego music history, with the grunge to prove it.

The word “casbah” refers to the citadels of North African countries. Think high arches, detailed mosaics, hidden alleyways. Perhaps this also inspired the crescent moon and star that adorn the nameplate outside the front door. Inside the front door, you are led down an alley that enters into a courtyard where a small unassuming crowd waits for the next band while passing around cigarettes. A back room houses a pool table and bar, while the inner sanctuary holds a small stage and dance floor along with a promising bar. With a capacity just over 200, this is a pretty rad spot to see up and coming bands without much hoopla.

In the 28 years since it opened, The Casbah has seen shows like Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Alanis Morisette, The White Stripes and The Cult. (“Rock the Casbah” was released by The Cult seven years before the Casbah opened. Chicken or the Egg? If you’ve never watched the video or listened to the words, check this out for some political/historical/cultural context of the song.) This Thursday night, we joined the crowds to hear Lauren Ruth Ward. A combination of Bjork and Janis Joplin with some killer hips out of LA, her voice is visceral and raw, much like her lyrics. She and her band put on a show that was hard to look away from. Based on the number of photos on my phone, I might have a new girl crush.

So that’s The Casbah. I get it now. And it makes me proud to know that this gem is part of San Diego’s live music scene. Thanks to Leslie for joining in this last minute adventure only to be serenaded Top Gun style before the show. And to Jenna, who you can always count on to bring the next chapter of her epic love life. Here’s to the next adventure!

August 7, 2017October 9, 2017

Valley View Casino Center

I can’t say that the Valley View Casino Center has ever struck me as a beautiful building here in San Diego. But there it sits in the Midway district, currently home to San Diego’s professional ice hockey team, the San Diego Gulls. Built in 1966, this 15,000-seat venue has housed many of San Diego’s sport’s teams. The San Diego Rockets, for example, were based at the Valley View Casino Center from 1967-1971 until they moved to Houston and became…that’s right…the Houston Rockets. A handful of tennis and soccer teams have also called it home. Music events have included The Grateful Dead, Jimi Hendrix, Nirvana, Madonna, the Bieber, and Taylor Swift. On this fateful evening, Ed Sheeran took the stage for his Divide Tour, which blew my socks off.

But before we go there, let’s take a moment to look a little deeper at the Valley View Casino Center. Particularly the name. Originally known as the San Diego International Sports Center, then the San Diego Sports Arena, the concert center took the name “iPayOne Center” from 2004-2007 when a real estate savings company based in Carlsbad held the naming rights. The company soon defaulted on its payments to the city, and the name changed back to San Diego Sports Arena. Enter the San Pasqual Band of Digueno Mission Indians. In 2010, the tribe entered into a $1.5 million agreement giving them the naming rights to the sports arena, and the “Valley View Casino Center” was born.

Back to Ed Sheeran. I always chalked up his fame to screaming groups of giddy girls who loved his red hair. Then his most recent album “Divide” came out. And I listened. I actually bought the CD, put it in my car, and listened to it on repeat for… 4 months. It’s that good. Imagine Ed Sheeran sitting next you at a bar and telling you about his life—love, death, friends, the stupid things he does when he is drunk, human existence—those are his lyrics. Throw in an acoustic guitar, some traditional Irish sounds and there you have it. In concert, he is a one-man show, just him, his voice, his guitar and a loop recorder. And yet his music is complicated, layered, interesting, and captivating. I’m so glad I became a convert before he made a stop in San Diego. And more importantly, I’m glad Ed Sheeran is 26, leaving decades of good music to come. Just ask Tom Petty, who has been touring for 40 years.

So there you have it. Valley View Casino Center. Not the most pleasing to the eye, but a piece of San Diego history, and home to many a talented team and musical performer. Thanks to Jenna for convincing me to buy Ed Sheeran’s new album, and then screaming her lungs out at the concert with me. And thanks to Karl for reminding me how much I love to research and write my blog, even when life seems too hectic to sit down and breathe.

August 6, 2017October 9, 2017

Del Mar Racetrack Summer Concert Series

Driving on the 5 through Del Mar, it’s hard to miss the Del Mar Racetrack to the west. You may wonder what horse racing and live music have to do with each other. So did I .

At the end of the 19^th century and the beginning of the 20^th, horse racing had become not only a popular sporting event but also a social venue. It also was an informal way to gamble. In 1909, California passed the Walker-Otis Anti-Race Track Gambling Bill, which made betting on horses illegal. Soon after in 1918, the Eighteenth Amendment better known as “Prohibition” dried out sporting events. Southern Californians started to cross the border to the Agua Caliente racetrack in Tijuana for all their gambling and drinking adventures.

Enter the Great Depression of the 1930s, and people started to rethink their outlook on horse racing and alcohol. Both were seen as possible sources of revenue, if only they were legalized, regulated and then taxed. In 1933 the California State Legislature passed Proposition 3, legalizing and regulating horse racing. The same year, the Twenty-first Amendment was passed, repealing Prohibition. The California legislature earmarked some of the income from horse racing to fund state and local fairs, in an effort to promote California’s agricultural economy. This move would link horse racing and the San Diego County fair for the next century.

As racetracks started to reappear in California, San Diego sought out its own location to combine the county fair and horse racing. Initially planned for Crown Point, the racetrack and fairgrounds finally found their home in the San Dieguito River Valley where the old Del Mar golf course once stood. And so the Del Mar Fairgrounds was born.

Fast forward to 2017. The Del Mar Fairgrounds is owned by the state of California and managed by the 22^nd Agricultural District Association. Each year the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club leases the location for their horse races. Over the past decade, attendance at the races has been declining steadily. A combination of aging aficionados and bad publicity surrounding the deaths of 17 horses during last year’s season, this decrease in attendance has demanded innovation to increase revenues, innovations such as Food and Beer festivals, family days at the track, and the Del Mar Summer Concert Series.

Billy Currington, Stay Up ‘Til The Sun Tour

The Concert Series brings live music to the races, every Friday and Saturday night after the final race. The concert is free with admission to the racetrack, making this one of the most affordable concert series in San Diego. This specific Saturday, Billy Currington headlined the show. It felt as though every single one of San Diego’s country music fans had shown up to see him, as we were sardined in front of the stage. The concert was amazing though, with the setting sun and ocean as a backdrop. He kept us all belting at the top of our lungs, far into his encore performance, as we danced the evening away.

So there you have it, horse racing and live music in San Diego. Who knew. Thanks to Katie for sacrificing her personal space radius to join us in the sea of sardines, Sean for fighting through the crowds with beer in hand, and Jenna for not letting me get into a fist fight with the drunk guy throwing his beer next to us. People are Crazy.

July 30, 2017October 9, 2017

Til Two Club

It’s 1948 and we are on the corner of Euclid and El Cajon Boulevard in City Heights. Above you is a neon red sign reading “til-two CLUB.” Inside you find a checkered floor and black booths. Fast forward to 2017 and the bar looks exactly the same. You’d never know that between 1948 and now, this location hosted a feisty biker bar, Playhouse, as well as the beauty salon turned Beauty Bar as recently as 2010. Now, Til Two hosts up-and-coming bands, everything from rock to punk to funk. Funk, you say? That’s still a thing?

It was just after 11 on this random Saturday night when we showed up at Til Two. We sat at the bar, ordered a drink, and looked around. Couples cuddling in the booths, a few locals at the bar, some random guy asleep on a pile of suitcases, and the setup for what seemed to be a large band on the stage in back. Every now and then, this chick would wander by, decked out in an astronaut costume, bleach blonde wig and striped knee high socks. You know, the usual. But by midnight with no glimpse of a band, we started to wonder if we missed the show.

Then from the back of the club, DJ Boogieman starts to warm up the crowd with his funkalicious vibes. A lone musician takes the stage behind the keyboard. The lights dim. With a plastic tube dangling from his lips, Throwback Zack emerges from the shadows. Then the fun begins.

We’ve all heard a Talkbox. You just may not have known you heard it. That guitar solo in Peter Frampton’s “Do you feel like we do” was created using a talkbox. Tupac’s “California Lovin’” is heavy on the talkbox. Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, they all used it for some pretty memorable songs. How does it work? Here’s an example: The performer plays some notes on a keyboard. The sound from the keyboard is sent into a plastic tube instead of an amplifier. The tip of the tube is tucked inside the performer’s mouth. By “mouthing” sounds or words, the sound from the keyboard is modulated into a new sound which sounds a lot like a robot voice. This robot voice is picked up by a nearby mic and sent out into the crowd. Here’s an example from Throwback Zach.

Next up, Honey Sauce Band. Remember the astronaut chick? Turns out, she’s Saucy Lady AKA Noe Carmichael AKA frickin’ amazing vocalist for Honey Sauce Band. The band is a self-proclaimed “experimental disco funk band out of Boston.” After about 30 seconds of their music, you realize there is more depth and talent than your average up-and-coming band. These are Berklee trained musicians who will knock your socks off with their improv skills and sheer talent. And did I mention their conga player, Noriko Terada? She was on fire and so animated—she looked like she was having the time of her life!

What started off as a near miss of a night turned into a crazy introduction into Funk in this City Height’s historical jewel of a bar. Can’t wait for the next. A special thanks to Jenna for convincing me that we should stick around for just a few more minutes, a decision that turned into this surprise of a night.

Honey Sauce Band. Just can’t get enough.

July 17, 2017October 9, 2017

San Diego Symphony Bayside Summer Nights

The San Diego Symphony played its first concert 106 years ago in 1910. For a city that was supplied only by sea and the distant Colorado River until 1878 when the railroad arrived, that’s a pretty quick start for what would become one of the leading symphonies in the country. (The country’s oldest, the New York Philharmonic, was founded in 1842. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 1891. San Francisco Symphony in 1911.) A quick glance at the San Diego Symphony’s website and you will soon realize this is not the symphony experience you may remember from childhood. Six different concert series encompass over 140 concerts this year. The concert series are aimed at different audiences within our San Diego community—everything from jazz to Broadway classics, movie play-alongs to outdoor concerts by the bay. And of course, there is a series that focuses solely on classical symphonic music. I urge you to click on their website and be amazed at how many concerts you want to add to your calendar right now.

The Symphony’s “Bayside Summer Nights” series is one of my favorites in San Diego. Perched outside on a thin strip of land known as Embarcadero Marina Park South just behind the convention center downtown, this venue gives you plenty of options for enjoying the concert. You can reserve “champagne service” at reserved tables that come with a namesake bottle of champagne, enjoy a more laid back atmosphere in the grandstands, or spread your picnic blanket right next to the water and enjoy gazing at the evening stars. Arrive a few hours early, bring your own picnic and buy a bottle of wine on your way in to make it a perfect San Diego night.

Over 10 guest conductors will grace the symphony’s stage this season as we search for a new music director. That didn’t keep last night’s audience from showing their appreciation for Sameer Patel, the symphony’s associate conductor. Multiple groups around me yelled out his name and cheered when he took the stage—a welcoming I don’t often associate with symphony concertgoers. This guy has an incredibly warm and personable onstage personality, and I could have listened to him chat about each piece indefinitely. Way to connect with your audience!

Last night’s concert was a free “community concert” and included music by Tchaikovsky, John Williams and Beethoven. A large projection screen behind the symphony showcased the equivalent of “Pop Up Video” interesting facts about the music and the symphony, and seemed to keep the audience engaged and learning throughout the performance. I have to admit I was a huge fan of the brass section, with mad props to the trombones and French horns. Come the end of the night, the audience tried (unsuccessfully though) to pull an encore performance out of the symphony. Always a good sign.

Special thanks to Heather, little Ruthie, and Jenna for cozying up with adult lemonade out of a thermos at our makeshift picnic, and coming on this San Diego adventure with me.

June 23, 2017October 9, 2017

Black Cat Bar

Just to the east of North Park is a neighborhood that seems to go unmentioned in the live music scene. City Heights. North of the 94 and east of the 805, City Heights has a long colored history in San Diego. Formally known as East San Diego, City Heights is made up of 16 different neighborhoods and is home to one of the most densely populated areas of San Diego. Within its boundaries, you’ll find a population which is over 40% foreign born, hailing from Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Latin America. Little Saigon finds its home on City Height’s El Cajon Boulevard, mixed in with restaurants serving Ethiopian fare and Mexican street tacos. Although it is one of the most diverse areas in San Diego, it is also one of the poorest. The median income for families in City Heights is just over $35,000, barely half of the median income in San Diego county. And compared to the rest of San Diego county, the crime rate is about 40% higher in City Heights. That being said, City Heights has the highest concentration of non-profit organizations in San Diego, investing money into community building and education.

Perched on an anonymous corner in City Heights is a darkened bar with a neon red cat glowing in its front window. Welcome to Black Cat Bar. Originally built as a bank in the 1920s with the crown molding to prove it, the Black Cat Bar is different than any other bar I’ve seen in San Diego. It’s too classy to be a dive and too real to be a hipster hangout. In sum, it’s a good old fashioned bar where people stand around talking, drinking and playing pool.

First up on the Black Cat’s corner stage was Fanny and the Atta Boys. Self-described as American roots, country swing and depression-era jazz, this band made me feel like I had walked into the 1930s. Their style, their sound, and their vernacular were so amazingly authentic it was like a time machine. And Fanny’s voice, a brassy mix of Amy Winehouse and Macy Gray, held my attention for the whole set. Throw in a handful of swing dancers tearing up the make-shift dance floor, and this was a pretty great band.

Next came The Resonant Rogues. This duet is a recently married couple named Sparrow and Kevin Smith who hail from Asheville, North Carolina. A combination of New Orleans Jazz and old Appalachia, their original work pulls scenes from their everyday lives and infuses meaning into moments that would otherwise pass unnoticed. They touch on race, immigration, politics, love and family. And they do so with this lightness and ease that makes you wonder if they ever have a bad day. They are currently on a trip through the national parks on the west coast. I’m pretty sure they hike with their accordion and sing the entire time.

All in all, the night felt like a treat tucked deep within City Heights. Thanks to Chad for coming on this seedy adventure with me, and answering every question known to man about how record players work. It’s only a matter of time before my living room is filled with vinyl from all the artists I meet on my adventures with The San Diego Album!

June 22, 2017October 9, 2017

Birch Aquarium at Scripps

With history dating back to 1903, Scripps Institute of Oceanography is one of the oldest and largest centers in the world focused on studying the oceans, land and atmosphere. Its founders were committed to communicating scientific findings to the public, and since 1905 the Institute has maintained a public aquarium to do so. Birch Aquarium sits perched atop the bluff at La Jolla Shores, overlooking the Scripps pier and dozens of surfers. One Wednesday a month during the summer, the back porch of the Aquarium is retrofitted with a stage for their Green Flash Concert Series (named after the mythical green flash seen at sunset, not the brewing company.) Each month, a few hundred concert-goers show up to enjoy a killer view with tunes, drinks and food. In my mind, this falls into the category of quintessential San Diego music venues.

Now, the most important part of the night. As you are walking up to the entrance, ticket in hand, stop by the unassuming Subaru information booth manned by a few laid back gentlemen. Get chatty. And you may find yourself with VIP tickets for the show. Subaru helped sponsor the concert series this year, and has 20 VIP tickets per show to give away to those lucky enough to stop by their booth. Moving on from my shameless plug for Subaru.

The evening started with Trouble in the Wind. A self-proclaimed “rock band,” this eclectic mix of accordion, banjo, bass, pedal steel guitar and vocals makes you want to pull up a lawn chair and crack a cold one. The group is from Carlsbad and recently scored a slot at this year’s Kaaboo. They also just won the Best Country/Americana Album at the San Diego Music Awards. They were my favorite of the night, and I’m proud to say their album “Lefty” is my first ever record purchase.

After that came Cracker. You may remember their song “Low” from the 90s. Turns out they are still making music and touring furiously. They put on a laid back show into the twilight at the aquarium. Not nearly as animated as the previous band, but the audience didn’t seem to mind.

One of the perks of being at the aquarium for a concert is you can wander the exhibits, exploring all the nocturnal creepy crawlies that live under the sea. You can’t miss the exhibit on Climate Change and its effect on our oceans. Thank you Birch Aquarium for sharing science and knowledge in an era when politics seem to have trumped both.

And special thanks to Lauren and Andrew for inviting me to be your third wheel, VIP style. Best third wheel date ever.

June 7, 2017October 9, 2017

Humphrey’s Concerts by the bay

In July, I will have lived in San Diego for 7 years. That means for about 6 years and 11 months, I have wanted to buy a boat and float up to Humphrey’s for one of their summer concerts. ‘Tis the season! The boat arrived in the mail about 2 weeks ago—100 pounds of shiny blue and grey plastic that would soon be carrying my hopes and dreams across San Diego Harbor. Really, it was rad. The maintenance guy seemed to think it was odd when he stopped by to find a 12-foot inflated raft in my living room. But when I told him about my plans, I could tell he was a tiny bit jealous.

So Tuesday afternoon rolls around. After attempting to wrestle this deflated hulk of a boat into my car, I realized I would need some help. Putting on my best “damsel in distress” face, I approached a guy getting out of his pickup truck with New York plates.

“Could you help me?” I asked.

“Uh…what is that?” he said.

He’s not from around here.

“I’m going to Humphrey’s. On a boat.” Obviously.

He was jealous too.

A short car ride later, followed by 15 minutes of vigorous exercise inflating our boat, 30 minutes of paddling, and a cup of adult hot chocolate, we had arrived.

Humphrey’s opened in 1982, initially holding performances on a makeshift stage with about 650 seats. In 1984, the location was sold in conjunction with the adjacent restaurant and hotel, to Bartell Hotels. Over the next 33 years, the Humphrey’s concert series grew from 15 concerts a season to over 60 a season, hosting legends like B.B. King, Whitney Houston, Willie Nelson and Garrison Keillor. Perched outdoors on the edge of Shelter Island, the venue now holds 1,450, plus a few dozen “boat people” who float nearby in the adjacent marina. In terms of the quintessential small San Diego concert venue, I think this is the jackpot. A disclaimer though: A raft is a great way to hear the show, but if you actually want to see the performers, shell out the cash for a ticket.

Around 7:30pm, Luk as Nelson took the stage (Willie Nelson is his dad), followed shortly after by Sheryl Crow. She played a lot of her old tunes, followed by new work from her upcoming album. She even gave a shout out to the “boat people” while concert goers snapped pictures of our rafts tied up in the marina. There was a sense of camaraderie amongst the boat people. All of our rafts intertwining, conversations mixing, ideas flowing for fun ways to make the next boat trip that much better. We gazed at other rafts who had obviously done this before, complete with cup holders and Christmas lights. Next time.

Overall, the night was magical. Music, palm trees, mugs of wine, and friends snuggled under blankets in our 12-foot floating cocoon—I think the 7-year wait was worth it.

Thanks to Stacy and the three other stowaways for signing up for the maiden voyage. Even if we got heckled for paddling in circles, I can’t wait to do it again.