Blogs | Rock Around the Town
New Dark/Goth Club, U2 in SD, Tim Curry Rocks, Love-In Musical, Local Recording Studio Spotlights, more
By Jay Allen Sanford | Posted March 28, 2009, 11:12 a.m.
San Diego Music Encyclopedia & Database Online Now
Press illo to play the Overheard song!
NEW COMPREHENSIVE LOCAL MUSIC DATABASE IS LAUNCHED
IT'S DONE!!!! And growing every hour....
If you wanna see a list of over 1,3000 San Diego performers, with links to full profiles, photos, discographies, articles, MP3s, etc, checkout http://www.sandiegoreader.com/bands/search/
Believe it or not, you can click on ANY MUSICIAN'S NAME, and bring up a list of every notable band they've ever been in!
AND, if that wasn't cool 'nuff, click on an instrument, like "drums" - BAM, a list of EVERY DRUMMER IN SAN DIEGO!!!
We've been working on this massively cross-linked Local Music Database for over two years now, covering a century of San Diego history --- if you're a local performer who wants to add or edit a page, go to http://www.sandiegoreader.com/band/edit/
More anon!!!! JAS
HERE'S THIS WEEK'S NEW Overheard in San Diego
AND THE NEW Famous Former Neighbors
ROCK AROUND THE TOWN TONIGHT/SATURDAY, MARCH 28
Live Music
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Metal Brigade
Molly Malone's -
Chris Duarte
Humphrey's Backstage Music Club -
Cash'd Out, Rasputina
Casbah -
Fleetwood Max
McCabe's Beach Club -
Shari Puorto and the Rhythm Addicts
Patrick's II -
Atomic Punks
Belly Up Tavern -
Red Handed
Bar Leucadian -
Bordertown Blues
McP's Irish Pub and Grill -
Which One's Pink?
House of Blues -
TrunkMonkey
Dublin Square -
Folio - 710 Beach Club
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The Love Rangers - The Alley
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Wild Child Doors tribute - Anthology
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Red Handed - Bar Leucadian
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The Western States Motel - Bar Pink
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Ian Will Surf Again Benefit with the Cathryn Beeks Ordeal, Rusty and Sean, Christopher Dale - Bare Back Grill downtown
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Echo Revolution, Azure Down, Sirens of Shipwreck, Stalkers - Beauty Bar
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Atomic Punks - Belly Up Tavern
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Live Music - Café La Maze
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Candlebox - Canes
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Billy Watson - The Coyote Bar & Grill
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West Wind Boyz - Desi N' Friends Bar and Grill
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An Evening of Jazz Guitar with Mundell Lowe, Bob Boss and Jamie Valle - Dizzy's
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Sara Petite - Dos Picos County Park
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Cash'd Out and the Full Monty - El Cajon Harley-Davidson
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Peter the Prince of Piano - Georges on Fifth
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Joe Wood & the Lonely Ones - Hensley's Flying Elephant Pub and Grill
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The Ideas - Hooleys Irish Pub & Grill— La Mesa
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Piano Bar - Jack's La Jolla — Ocean Room
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Etched in Red - The Jumping Turtle
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Sunnyside - The Kensington Club
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Serious Guise - The Kraken
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Calico Horse, Demasiado - Live at Luce Loft
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Jay Dancing Bear - The Living Room Coffeehouse - Point Loma
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Ladytron DJs Reuben Wu and Mira Aroyo - Lobby Tijuana
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Joe Rathburn - Nature's Express
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San Diego IndieFest - North Park
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Emergenza Music Festival with V Child - O'Connells Pub and Nightclub
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The Clay Colton Band - O'Sullivan's Irish Pub of Carlsbad
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San Diego City Guard Band - Old Town State Historic Park
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Night Shift - Pal Joey's
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Black Seven - Pierview Pub/Bub's Whiskey Dive Bar
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Stepping Feet - RT's Longboard Grill
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David Maldonado - Ramona Mainstage Nightclub
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Jerry Melnick & Tom Bishop - Rancho Bernardo Inn
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The Ed Rapacci Duo - Red Fox Steakhouse
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Live rock - Riley's Music Lounge
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Split Finger - Rock Bottom Brewery, Downtown
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Pushin Rope - The Royal Dive
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Windenwood - San Carlos United Methodist Church
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Paradigm - Santa Ysabel Resort & Casino
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Hapa - Sherwood Auditorium at Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego
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Sight and Sound with Secret Apollo, Burning of Rome, Gregory Page, Di Nigunim, Pickles the Gorilla, the Brothers Nazrat, Tango All-Stars, Fire Fairy, Crescendo, the Vaginals, Flatland - Planey Rooth and 4 Walls Galleries
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The Old Palominos, No One and the Nobodies, Mother's Sons, Mississippi Man - Soda Bar
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Sonny, Endless Hallway, Dan Sena - Soma
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Open Blues Jam - South Park Bar & Grill
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Hank Deluxe and the Elbow Benders, Lil A and the Allnighters, the San Pedro Slim Band - Stingers Bar and Nightclub
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John Cain - Tangier Bar at the Bahia Hotel
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Agave - Tiki House
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Cotton Fever CD release party - Two Roses Tattoo
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Nadja Nara - The Upstart Crow Bookshop and Coffee House
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Siren's Crush - Valley View Casino
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Big Bad Voodoo Daddy - Viejas Casino DreamCatcher Show Room
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Particle - Winstons
DJ and OtherEvents
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Club '80s with DJ Bryan Pollard
9:00 p.m., Bacchus House -
Jason "Idol" Videna
9:00 p.m., On Broadway -
Grapes of Jade
9:00 p.m., Flame -
DJ Chuck
8:30 p.m., El Cajon Grand -
What's Good
9:00 p.m., Moondoggies Pacific Beach -
America's Got Talent Auditions - Valley View Casino
MY PERSONAL HOTPICK FOR TONIGHT...
NEW CLUB EVENT: DEADLINE’S DARK CABARET
Tonight, Tragic Tantrum Cabaret headlines the newest dark music/art club in
“Deadline was formed by friends DJ Synexx and Mr. E in January of this year,” according to zOe and Zeph of the Cabaret. “We stopped in last month and were very impressed with the crowd, the vibe and the people.”
Support the local underground music and art scene at Club Deadline's Dark Cabaret tonight - doors open at 9 pm and Tragic Tantrum are on at 11:30. “Come early to see bellydancers and hang out with us! You won't see us until May after this, as we're going back into recording…”
"Our band blends the f-ck-it-and-just-play mentality of punk with the theatrics of cabaret," says Tragic Tantrum cabaret-singer/guitarist Zephyrus "Zeph" Rex.
"I think there's also an element of circus to our act," says singer/lyricist zOe. "There's something about painting your face that allows your true self to come out. With both Zeph and myself having a background in theater, it was a very natural thing to fall into. If our show were a dessert, I think it would be Red Hots mixed with chocolate, strawberries, and licorice. Hot, sweet, tart, and manufactured."
Related links
- Blurt "Thru the Looking Glass"
- www.myspace.com/tragictantrum
DURGA SOUND MAIN STAGE
- SONO CLIP 12:00 NOON
- RHYTHM & THE METHOD 12:45 PM
- GUAVA BELLY 1:30 PM
- BITTER SOBER 2:15 PM
- SOCIAL GREEN 3:00 PM
- JENNIE LAWS 3:45 PM
- Alisha Zalkin 4:20 PM
- THE BURNING OF ROME 4:45 PM
- ADAM JOSEPH 5:45 PM
- SI*SÉ 6:45 PM
- ALICIA CHAMPION 7:45 PM
- DANIELLE LOPRESTI & THE MASSES 8:30 PM
- JULIETTE & THE NEW ROMANTIQUES 9:30 PM
CRAIG YERKES ACOUSTIC STAGE
- CHRIS KLICH JAZZ QUINTET 11:00 AM
- DANIELE SPADAVECCHIA 11:45 AM
- MERLE JAGGER 12:30 PM
- AARON BOWEN & LEE COULTER 1:15 PM
- AUSTIN & OWENS 2:15 PM
- CITIZEN BAND 3:00 PM
- KYLER ENGLAND 3:45 PM
- ERIC HIMAN 4:30 PM
- BLACKRAVEN 5:15 PM
- VERONICA MAY & THE TO-DO LIST 6:00 PM
- THE GRAMS 6:45 PM
- AUSTIN JENNINGS 7:30 PM
- JOE RATHBURN 8:15 PM
- GREG FRIEDMAN 9:00 PM
- FRANCESCA VALLE 9:45 PM
GREEN STAGE
- TAM TAM MANDINGUE 11:15 AM
- COLLECTIVE PURPOSE 11:45 AM
- BIG TOE 12:30 AM
- TRIPTIC 1:15 PM
- JAMESON 2:00 PM
- CAROLANN AMES 2:45 PM
- HECTIC WATERMELON 3:30 PM
- SAUCY MONKY 4:15 PM
- (SIC)MONIC 5:00 PM
- GHOST 5:45 PM
- JIBILIAN / SETAR 6:30 PM
- THE RANDIES 7:15 PM
- LOCURA 8:00 PM
- THE COUSIN LOVERS 8:45 PM
- AUDIBLE MAINFRAME 9:30 PM
- SLAAMD 10:15 PM
WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH STAGE
- MARIE HADDAD 12:00 NOON
- LINDSEY YUNG 12:45 PM
- DURGA AWARDS PRESENTATION 1:30 PM
- AMY LACOUR 2:30 PM
- GABY MORENO 3:15 PM
- STASIA 4:00 PM
- JANE LUI 4:45 PM
- REBEKAH LEBEAU 5:30 PM
- KATIE COSTELLO 6:15 PM
- LINDSEY HARPER 7:00 PM
- LEAH 7:45 PM
- LAURA CRITCHLEY 8:30 PM
- ANGIE EVANS 9:15 PM
- TIFF JIMBER 10:00 PM
- TORI ROZE 10:45 PM
- ALYSSA JACEY 11:30 PM
MATURE AUDIENCES STAGE (21+)
- TOOTIE & THE GIRLS FROM LIPS 5:45 PM
- KIMBERLY DARK 6:30 PM
- THE PLATT BROTHERS 7:15 PM
- NOMIS 8:00 PM
- ALLISON GILL 8:45 PM
- ALU 9:30 PM
- PAULO MATTIOLI & UJJAYI SOUNDSYSTEM 10:15 PM
- MC FLOW 11:00 PM
- LOVE YOU LONG TIME 11:45 PM
- LYNSKEY-WISDOM 12:30 AM
INDIE FILM STAGE
- FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO 11:00 AM
- DJEMBEFOLA 1:30 PM
- THE STORY OF STUFF 3:20 PM
- ELECTION 2008 3:47 PM
- MIRA 4:02 PM
- THE STORY OF STUFF 4:22 PM
- RHYTHMS TO PEACE 4:47 PM
Musicpalooza contest still calling for musicians
Entry deadline is 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 31. Competition begins June 19 at the fair, held in Del Mar, Calif.
The winning band and solo artist will take home $25,000 each. Second place winners will receive $5,000 each and third place entries will receive $2,000.
Entries are made online. Information, including entry link, is available at www.sdfair.com/musicpalooza.
The contest is open to all musicians and singers, amateur as well as professional, throughout the United States and Baja California.
Judges will narrow down their selection of groups and individual performers to compete on the various stages during the Fair, beginning Friday, June 19.
Finalists will then compete on the Grandstand Stage, Friday, July 3, on which night winners of the grand $25,000 prize will be announced.
For more information about “Musicpalooza” including rules and regulations, entry materials, and contacts please visit www.sdfair.com/musicpalooza. Participants and sponsors may also call the Special Events Department directly at (858) 792-2363.
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/mar/24/musicpaloosa-contest-still-calling-musicians/
U2 IN SD - IT'S BEEN 4 YEARS ALREADY?!?!
As U2 prepare to take over the world yet again, here's a peek back at the last time they hit SD -
3-28-05 and 3-30-05 – U2 at San Diego Sports Arena: The opening dates of U2's Vertigo Tour came just two weeks after their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Ticket prices ran $49.50 to $165, though area resale agencies like Advancetickets.com were charging $1190 for fifth-row seats.
"The band sounded amazing from start to finish," says Interference.com contributing editor Devlin Smith of the opening date. "Even though Bono said at the end of the main set, 'You can screw up a little, we're amongst friends, right?' I couldn't name a single blunder."
"Bono said during 'One,' 'Did You come here to play, Jesus, because I did,' and introduced himself to the audience during the night's closer, '40,' as Little Lord Jesus," says Smith. "Edge was confident and comfortable, taking much of the spotlight for himself as he shared vocal duties on 'Miracle Drug,' sang 'La, la, la, la, de, day' on 'Running to Stand Still,' and sported a Madonna-style head mike to provide backing vocals on 'Zoo Station.'"
Smith says drummer Larry Mullen was "broadening his stage persona, supplying backing vocals for 'Love and Peace or Else' and 'Elevation,' and picking out notes on a synthesizer for 'Yahweh.' " As for bassist Adam Clayton, "He and Edge did mix it up, readopting an early-'80s tradition of swapping instruments for 40."
According to Pollstar magazine, the March 30 show grossed $2.9 million, making it the only 2005 San Diego show among that year's top 100 moneymaking concerts.
RELATED LINKS
http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2008/dec/05/29-years-ago-today-iggy-pop-at-the-catamaran-plus-/
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THE DAY NIRVANA PLAYED OFF THE RECORD: 10-24-91 - Detailed feature on Nirvana playing a tiny local record store, just as their first album was hitting the charts, featuring interviews with OTR staffers, rare video footage of the event, and more... http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2007/sep/03/the-day-nirvana-played-at-off-the-record
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THE DAY JIMI HENDRIX CAME TO TOWN - 5-24-69: From my extensive interviews with Hendrix bassist Noel Redding, here's the inside scoop on a legendary (and highly bootlegeed) local concert... http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2007/sep/03/the-day-jimi-hendrix-came-to-town
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THE DAY BEACH BOY BRIAN WILSON GOT BUSTED IN BALBOA PARK: In June 1978, Brian Wilson - without telling his wife or fellow bandmembers - decided (inexplicably) to escape his life entirely and hitchhike to Mexico. He wound up in San Diego a few days later, mentally fogged, barefoot, and unwashed. “He was on a binge," according to Stephen Love, brother of Beach Boy Mike Love and sometime-band manager..... http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2007/sep/18/the-day-beach-boy-brian-wilson-got-busted
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THE DAY THE MONKEES TURNED DEL MAR INTO CLARKSVILLE: 9-11-66 -
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WHY MEXICANS HATED ELVIS: May 1959: While Elvis Presley’s popularity in the U.S. was arguably at its all-time peak, Mexico was in the midst of a huge anti-Elvis backlash. Tijuana tabloids called him a racist and homosexual, after the singer reportedly told gossip columnist Federico de León "I'd rather kiss three black girls than a Mexican." A Mexican woman in the same column was quoted saying "I'd rather kiss three dogs than one Elvis Presley”..... http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2007/sep/13/why-mexicans-hated-elvis-plus-celeb-sighting/
TIM CURRY ROCKS – SO I DESIGNED THIS DREAM CONCERT…
Tim Curry has enjoyed a vastly and inexplicably underrated music career.
Like many (most?), he first hit my radar as Frank ‘N’ Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, which I first caught while visiting Austin Texas in summer 1978. A few months later, my first appearance in my hometown
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(October 16, 1978 – let the mocking commence…)
(An aside - after above pic was published, underwear girl’s parents forbade their daughter to date me…as did the parents of several other local ladies….)
Anyway, I continued to follow Curry’s musical career. Post-Rocky, he started up an amazing rock-n-cabaret band, with Alice Cooper’s fiery lead guitarist Dick Wagner.
Curry’s big, booming voice was perfectly suited for the theatrical rock opera-esque songs, most of which managed to be both gritty urban and feather-fay at the same time – think Springsteen concert as staged by Twyla Tharp.


Over several solo albums, Curry enjoyed a few moderate “hits,” including “Paradise Garage,” a snarky rocker about a famous New York City disco – the (excellent) video includes a shot of Curry making faces at a guy walking by dressed as Frank ‘N’ Furter –
PARADISE GARAGE video“I Do the Rock” was probably his best known tune, with its stream of consciousness namedropping rap. Curry even updated the tune for a performance on the Tracey Ullman show!
But most every song on Curry’s albums was a jewel, especially smoldering burners like “Sloe Gin,” an all-out “Stairway” style masterwork still frequently covered by guitar gods –
Checkout this amazing version by the amazingly(ly obcure) Joe Bonamassa (hand to gawd, if you haven't heard this guy, wailing THIS tune, you will seek me out wherever I may be in this whole wide world, just to shake my hand and thank me for turning you on to this):
However, for some reason, Curry’s rock and roll fire never quite caught – his deep voiced operatic style clearly foreshadowed the VERY similar music in the two Eddie and the Cruisers movies, as performed by the Beaver Brown band (and lip synched by the actors). In addition, groups like Sisters of Mercy, Oingo Boingo (whose original Mystic Knights cabaret act was directly inspired by Rocky), the Cult, and even Guns N’ Roses and U2 may well some of their inspiration to Curry’s music. Many similarities -----
Certainly Meatloaf’s Bat Out of Hell looks, feels, AND sounds like a direct descendent of Tim Curry’s rock and roll experiment, as do the Dresden Dolls, the Killers, and a number of other contemporaries.
Curry kept singing, tho, first in movies like the low budget Blue Money, on up through Muppet Treasure Island, Annie, etc.
Up until recently, he was rocking the stage in Monty Python’s Spamalot, as King Arthur. Just last weekend, he co-starred in an Ion TV movie The Colour of Magic, based on the Terry Pratchet stories and co-starring friend-of-Frodo Sean Astin. It was watching that movie that gave me the idea for this blog ----
Here’s a Dream Concert I designed, with what I feel would be the ultimate Tim Curry performance, assuming he’d ever agree to do such a demanding, wide-ranging career retrospective. Me, I’d like to think he could make a lot of people wealthy doing such a show, say in Vegas, but - truth be told – the musical side of Tim Curry still seems to enjoy no more than a small-but-dedicated cult fanbase.
Betcha a show like this could change that, tho ----------- click song titles for links to sound or vid files provided where possible (all highly recommended, whether or not you’re already one of the converted) -------
FIRST SET
“Charge it ”
“Hide this face”
“Birds Of A Feather” (from his 1978 debut Read My Lips)
“Wake Nicodemus” (WITH live bagpipes, of course!)
“Simple Twist of Fate” (Yep, the Dylan song, an early Curry concert staple)
“All I Really Want”
“I Will” (Curry’s wonky reggae version of the Beatles tune, from his 1978 Read My Lips album)
“Working on My Tan” (Another reggae number this one from Curry’s 1981 album Simplicity)
“Gimme Some Lovin” (another cover from his early shows)
“When a Man Loves a Woman” (Helluva cover)
"Tumbling Down" (By the Venus in Furs, from the movie Velvet Goldmine - tho never covered by Curry, it should be)
“SOS” (slow fadeout of sound and lights, with only the ringing buoy bell, accompanied by the rising applause)
INTERMISSION screened on a Drive-In style screen backdrop:
1 – Film clips from Curry’s Saturday Night Live appearance 12-5-81, including his Mick Jagger impersonation and the Rocky Horror Fire Sale with Meatloaf
2 – Curry duet with Tracey Ullman from the February 1989 ep of her TV show
3 – Clip from Blue Money (1982) of Curry singing the title song
4 – From Rocky Horror, Frank ‘N’ Furter intro scene
5 – A couple of clips from the excellent 1979 West German Der Musikladen TV show appearances
6 – Clips of Curry purring into a mic as DJ Johnny LaGuardia in the cult classic
7 – “The Pluck Song ” (“I’m such a lucky plucker…”) from the 2001 movie Blood Moon
8 – Compilation video of his many singing movie roles, including “Easy Street” from Annie, in which he played Rooster Hannigan

SECOND SET
“A Professional Pirate - ” (from Muppet Treasure Island – perhaps with a Muppet guest star??)
“Toxic Love ” (Written by Thomas Dolby, from the animated film Ferngully)
“zucchini song” (Hysterical dirty ditty from his SNL appearance)
“ Rose Tint My World ” (Rocky Horror snippet)
“Street Signs” (from his Rock Follies of ’77 show)
“ Tim Curry singing Losing My Mind ” (Piano torch tune by Sondheim)
“Cry For Love” (Iggy Pop cover – Curry has never performed it, to my knowledge, but he’d tear the mutha up)
“Fire Woman” (Cult cover, also never in a Curry setlist, but I actually thought Curry was singing when I first heard it…)
“Celluloid Heroes” (Kinks cover he used to do in the ‘70s)
“Alan” (Nice barroom croon)
“Anything Can Happen on Halloween ” from The Worst Witch (false start, a few bars only, just enough to make the audience gasp “No effin way” --- the song is Curry’s most ridiculous musical moment, from a no-budget 1986 TV special, tho a clip of the song from the show has become a popular internet laughing stock, simply for being so crappy)
"I'm Going Home" from the Rocky Horror Show (rarely performed live since the old stage days)
“No Love on the Street” (with Clarence Clemens sax solo)
“Origin of Love” (Tho never covered by Curry, this rocker from Hedwig and the Angry Inch would be OWNED by him)
“I Do The Rock”
Finale: "Sloe Gin"
Encore: Spamalot medley, accompanied at the end by surprise walk-ons Eric Idle, John Cleese, Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam, and – what the hell, it’s a dream – the late Python Graham Chapman, dressed as Brian from Life of Brian, revealed by an opening curtain to be hanging on a cross, as they all sing Eric Idle’s closing track from Meaning of Life “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life.”
The concert ends with everyone whistling “Bright Side,” as Curry and the Pythons walk off stage, to thunderous and deafening applause……
ROCKY HORROR SPOOF from the Hillcrest-based comic book BARF
Adams Entertainment Releases Second DVD in Music Series –
Love In: A Musical Celebration
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Featuring the late Buddy Miles final performance,
Eric Johnson, Peter and Gordon and Vince Martell
On the eve of the 40th anniversary of Woodstock, Adams Entertainment has released Love-In: A Musical Celebration of the “Summer of Love.” Love In: A Musical Celebration features electrifying live performances by legendary artists, rare historic footage and a spectacular psychedelic light show, filmed at the North Park Theater.
Hosted by Tony Award-winning Broadway star, BEN VEREEN, ("Hair," "Jesus Christ Superstar," "Roots," "Pippin," "Wicked"), with live performances by some of the eras superstar artists including the late, great BUDDY MILES in his final performance as well as Grammy Award-winning guitarist, ERIC JOHNSON, lead singer/songwriter of the Youngbloods, JESSE COLIN YOUNG, British invasion greats, PETER & GORDON, classic psychedelic band, STRAWBERRY ALARM CLOCK, lead guitarist/singer of Vanilla Fudge, VINCE MARTELL, soul and blues sensation, EARL THOMAS, sitar virtuoso and foremost protégé of Ravi Shankar, KARTIK SESHADRI, and tabla master, ARUP CHATTOPADHYAY.
Love In is a feel good, high spirited view into the unequaled musical passion and creative time which can never be repeated, the explosive 60s.
For more information on the DVD go to: http://www.LoveInTheMusical.com
The stage production comes courtesy of San Diego's longtime counterculture theater maven Anthony Adams, who I first became aware of when I discovered a private-pressing rock opera LP from 1973, An Eye In Each Head.
Created by Adams (Harlequin Records), the album captured the music of a decidedly offbeat and counterculture stage production, launched locally. The show earned a measure of local fame and notoriety, not only for its (perfectly legit) nudity and (witty) drug references, but for its offbeat storyline subject matter.
The show concerned a fly who eventually becomes king of the world, due to man’s evil and self destructive nature.
Then the fly reveals that he’s really Jesus…
Show creator Anthony Adams – who was in a local sixties teen garage band the Norsemen – is credited by many as having launched the first true recording of a rock opera.
The Who’s Tommy is often regarded as a song cycle, Jesus Christ Superstar is most accurately classified an oratorio, and SF Sorrow was never truly staged, leaving An Eye In Each head a clear contender for the title, having been staged as well as recorded. Pictured here is the mind-blowing cover Art By Conchita Vesco.
“I saw this performed at UCSD with my parents,” says Gravedigger 5 vet Ted Friedman. “I think my cousin was in it. For real, I was real young. It was weird. I was maybe 10, if that, there may have been some nudity in it. A fly takes over the world. I remember my parents saying maybe it wasn't a good idea to take us there. I just remember it being really trippy and kind of long. I think it kind of scared us.”
Adams went on to a prolific and storied career in the theater, as well as working on TV series like Disney’s Duck Tales and Jim Henson’s Fragglerock.
Among his original plays and musicals that he’s directed in San Diego and London are the Adventures of Olig and Obster, A Song For Gar, the Living Cell, and the Great Relativity Bomb Plot. He also composed music for the national touring production of the Grapes Of Wrath, starring Ed Harris and John Carradine.
Adams’ Los Angeles-based Adams Entertainment has filmed DVDs of two musical stage productions produced at the Birch North Park Theatre; 2006’s Primal Twang: The Legacy of Guitar and the aforementioned Love-In, a celebration of 1967’s Summer of Love.
Both episodes are part of a proposed ten-part DVD series on the history of musical styles, featuring a mix of storytelling and performances from guest musicians including Eric Johnson, Jesse Colin Young, and San Diego’s own Rockola and Strawberry Alarm Clock (“Incense & Peppermints”).
While the filming was by all accounts a success, further productions will not be take place in San Diego. “We love the North Park Theatre,” said Adams. “It has great acoustics and is physically beautiful, but there is simply better access to musicians up north and it’s also much easier to get attention from the national press.”
The San Diego native has run his production company in Los Angeles for the past 18 years. He partially relocated to San Diego in 2005 to care for his ill father. Now all operations are moving back to Los Angeles. While the move back to Los Angeles was inevitable, Adams also considers that the production is also a victim of its own success.
“When managers and others began to see how well Primal Twang turned out, we began to get calls from all sorts of big name performers who wanted to be involved. It’s just so much easier to connect with them in a city that’s geared towards the industry already.”
Upcoming episodes include Country, Jazz and The British Invasion. The two productions so far have used numerous local musicians to back the star acts including Peter Sprague, Dennis Caplinger and Rockola.
According to Rockola guitarist Mark DeCerbo, rehearsals for “Love-In” took six weeks. “It was a lot of work and we didn’t even get much screen time,” he joked. “But it was worth it to play with people like (sixties duo) Peter & Gordon.”
Adams Entertainment’s return to Los Angeles will not exclude these local musicians from continuing to be involved in productions, though Adams makes no guarantees. “These guys were great and I really hope to work again with Caplinger in particular, but it’s a matter of best fit. I don’t care if you’re from San Diego or Nashville, as long as you’re right for the part.”
(Thanx to Bart Mendoza for portions of above)
STUDIOWEST - LOCAL FACILTY WITH WORLD CLASS ASPIRATIONS
Astra Kelly from StudioWest emails to say " We are staying super busy, here's just a snapshot of this week alone:"
"Phew!! Also, did you know that in addition to our recording services, we are also The Recording Arts Center, San Diego's only Digicertified Pro Audio school, offering beginner to expert level Pro Tools certification courses?"
Related links
- www.studiowest.com
- www.myspace.com/astrakelly
- www.myspace.com/kprihomegrownhour
- www.sandiegoreader.com/bands/astra-kelly/
Custom Radio Station
Free MP3 downloads
CHRISTIAN COMES AGAIN - 21ST CENTURY RECORDING CUTS OUT THE MEDDLE-MAN

Cummings, who also plays with Crash Encore, says that performers who record at home aren’t necessarily qualified to produce and mix. “Software like Pro Tools can be learned by reading and trying, but then there are recording techniques like mic placement, EQ, compression, and all the other sonic factors outside the computer. Those skills can only be learned by listening, studying, practicing, ear training, and style development…the recording techniques used by George Martin and the Beatles differ greatly from what Kiss did with Bob Ezrin, or even what Kings of Leon do.”
Despite the decline of studio recording, Cummings feels he’ll still earn money mixing. “New technology cost me work, but it also allows me to offer my final mixes at a cheaper price…services that once required $30,000 worth of equipment can mostly be accomplished now with $5,000 worth of gear.”
He says his current fees run “Between $10,000 and nothing. To put that into perspective, platinum multi-Grammy winning mixers can charge $10,000 per song…now, we can mix a whole album within a day, maybe costing the client $500.”
Christian Cummings began performing live at age 15 in Hollywood. By his early 20s, he'd already shared the stage with everyone from the Foo Fighters to Snoop Dogg, as well as performing in hiw own bands, Tailgunner and Crash Encore.
After graduating SDSU, he joined up with local mainman Bryan Stratman at Capricorn Studios, to hone his skills as a recordist.
Cummings teaches occasional recording workshops at the Signature Sound recording studio.
"This might sound strange based on the current trends," he says, "but I have no intention of covering much on Pro Tools, besides answering basic questions. The reason being is that Pro Tools is a piece of logical software that can be explained via textbooks in a very quantitative fashion."
"Despite what your local music retailer would like you to believe, the quality of your gear is only a very small part of the overall equation. Learning to trust your ears, use your equipment properly, and playing your parts well will get you much closer to where you want to be."
"However," he says, "all technology aside, songwriting trumps recording 99 times out of 100. If you write and play a great song, even a bad recording of it will be great.”


(A few of Cummings' recordings)
Saturday 3/28 - Ian WILL Surf Again - benefit for our little buddy Ian at The Bare Back Grill downtown. Music starts at 7pm with Rusty and Sean followed by The Cathryn Beeks Ordeal and Christopher Dale. For more info about how you can help, go here.
Sunday 3/29 - Couch Sessions is BACK and there's a few spots open! Bring your unplugged stringed instruments, small percussion toys (no hand drums, please) and your voices to The Oasis in Sorrento Valley. Play along or book a featured spot below and hear others playing along to your songs. $5 per person, refreshments available. YOU MUST RSVP to Cathryn@ListenLocalsd.com to get the address and directions to The Oasis. 6:00 OPEN 6:20 Crystal Goodman, 6:40 Cathryn Beeks, 7:00 Wesley Wilkes, 7:20 Karen Real, 7:40 OPEN, 8:00 Jeffrey Joe Morin, 8:20 OPEN, 8:40 Charlie Imes - Reserve a spot or ask questions.
MUSIC NEWS
Artist of the Week: Catch Charlie Imes in an intimate setting during Couch Sessions this Sunday at The Oasis in Sorrento Valley. Sign up to play or come to watch, $5 for all and everyone must r.s.v.p. to get directions. See you there!
Link of the Week: Listen Local is proud to announce that Chris Virgin Designs has joined the Listen Local family in offering our members amazing work at even more amazing prices. Give Chris a shout to discuss all of your design and printing needs, tell him we sent you!
Hey! Another great house concert at The Oasis with Chris Trapper, Lisa Sanders and Gregory Page this Friday, march 27th. $15 donation, for reservations go here.
From Hilary's blog "Kristen Cusato over at KUSI is the coolest. On March 15th, she invited Maria Degitz, organizer of the "Ian Will Surf Again" benefit, as well as musicians Christopher Dale and Matt Sylvia to be on the morning news so they could promote the event. Click here to read the story of the horrible accident Ian and his family were in, and c'mon down to the Bareback Grill downtown on Saturday, March 28th, after 6pm to help us raise money for Ian's rehabilitation! Cathryn Beeks and Sean & Rusty Jones will play live music too, and a DJ will spin after 10pm. And Sector 9 donated a full skateboard for the raffle! Because nothing goes better with good karma than a nice, juicy burger, are you with me?"
From Bviolin: "The new album has completed production! With Sven the Zen Seaholm's magical touch as producer Bviolin is releasing his next album less than a year after the first release! The new album is entitled "Stretch Reach" and contains Bviolins original Persian Gypsy Funk instrumental dance compositions, the release Date is Late May 2009 Go here for info on the Spring Tour!"
New Dates on the Calendar. We're hosting every Wednesday in May Backstage at The Bitter End. Book a show, bring a crowd and get your own night. Excellent sound, swanky room. Check the calendar for openings, email me to reserve one. No cover
Will you bleed for the blues? Schedule an appointment to give at the 10th annual Spring Harmonica Festival in the Parking lot of 9550 Milden St, La Mesa,CA 91941 on April 11, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM Sponsor Code: HARP Click here to make an appointment.
Help support a new venue in Chula Vista The Brewhouse awaits! This Thursday hear sets from Elliot Lawrence, Paradigm and Matt ARcher. NO COVER ALL AGESCATHRYN BEEKS MP3S:
Desert Music - Add to playlist Drive America - Add to playlist Good To Be - Add to playlist Keep Walking - Add to playlist www.sandiegoreader.com/bands/cathryn-beeks-ordeal
ListenLocalSD.com | The Calendar | FAQs | Venues and Partners |Contact
A HUNDRED AND FIFTY FREE UNUSED BAND NAMES -
Free for all who wish to use, here’s a list of band names I’ve been dreaming up, all so far unused (as far as I know). I designed many for maximum internet search possibilities and cult tie-in potential – if anyone ends up getting rich and/or famous using any of my band names, I expect you to at least buy me a large pizza, and maybe a Porsche ---
Oh yeah, I design band logos too, so maybe hire me for that…
Jay Allen Sanford
3-20-09
Danish Plato
Watchers From the Blind
P Test
Duodnym Duo
Same To You Bud
Why You I Oughtta
George LeRoy Tirebiter
Rizzuto’s Revenge
The Hell You Say
Sickon U
Strapon Dickoff
Schwing Kings of Bling
Aiiieeeggg!
Manos Hand of Fate
Zoey Loves Zeus
Aaark Aaark
The Steekin Badgers
There’s No Need To Fear
Restless Natives
Nightmare Feet
The Saggy Baggies
My Fellow Terrariums
Pudding Pipers
Things Won’t Leave
Crooow!
Not Wearing Pants
Spa Fon
Squa Tront
Quitcher Wining
Opposing Bums
MiniMiniMini
Icy
Icy
Eye See Eeew
I.C. Underpants
He’s Dead Jim
Giant Rats of
Monsters Due
Orion Slave Traders
Jenna’s Douche
Way 2 Bigg
Mylar Zone
Bees, She Sees
Lionel and the Security Blankets
Thank You Mask Man
So Far So What
Zoso Mofos
The Whoop Woops
Jerkin Gerkins
WTF Whitey
Alba’s Abs
Overlord Obscura
Yorga Counts
I Said Goode Daye
Broken GayDar
Suckit
Stickit
Takeit
Tara La Bouvier
The Shoephones
Tents On Fire
Bitten by Barnabas
Attaway Castaway
Jay Men Forever
Beware of Torgo
Milk Me Dammit
Freaky Fantasm
Phrankly Phinks
Wish You Were Beer
It Takes Beef
Coconut Radio
Eggplant Revenge
I Got a Rock
Who Killed Todd Loren?
The Phoneups
The Homegrownups
Minor Murders
Max Madder
Themes of Josette
Chef Schweaty
The Shaft Workers
Scary Serling
Servants of Sexploitation
Cathouse Theater
The Hairy Poms
See Thru U (abbreviated as C/U)
Put That Thing Away
Robert’s Ridge
Munchin Brady
Mystic
Future Faire
Joel VS Mike
Miss B. Natural
Psycho Tsunami
The Friendly Giants
The Fraidy Scats
Sax Afire
Margo Escargot
The Pullout Nows
Nobody For President
Ducking Howard
Bare Whiz
The Golden Hind
Planxton
Kitten Kundalini
Bunches of Hooey
Knot Insane
Fuggit Forgot
SlamSlam
Fleas on Feet
Peeble’s Pet
Wholly Moley
Cheez Toe
Demons of Demi
Penisaurus
The Tube Grooves
Groovy Groo Bees
Bozo Buskers
The Dwarf Crushers
Rotten Cratchet
Cartman’s Probe
More Science High
Steppenfetch
See Sigmund
The Vulcan Itch
Whynot Measles
Ribsey’s Treat
Clams Got Legs
HellCowz
Highway Bloody Hwy
Starkweathermen
Whacko Mole
R.U. Nutts
Tearaway Newsome
WrongWrongRight
SaveSum
Eyes of
Duz Not Die
Know Duh
Nose Hoes
Ghostly Trioka
Takeout Wrenched Ankle
Gallery of Night
Lowbrow Unibrow
The Unibrowser
Bundy’s Bride
Buddy Buddha Breath
Zeta Zilch
The Beta Rays
Already1
Almighty1
The Crankups
Indoor Outhouse
Freddie Fullasheet
Return of Mr. Hand
Faster Phoebe and the Fallouts
Wot the Hey
V.A. Jay Jay
Gamma Made Me Green
Collector’s Attrition
Lela’s Eyeball
Tubby
Finches of
Busted Chifarobe
Busted by Boo
The Tumblin’ Tombstones
Stewie Luvs Rupert
The Giggity-gigs
YesNoMaybe
Pigga Fuggen Name
UNCLE JUNKIE AT BRICK BY BRICK 3-19-09
Record Release Roundup
U.K. transplant Taz Taylor releases his new album Straight Up on March 27, featuring his self-named band’s new singer Keith Slack, formerly of the Michael Schenker Group (who replaces another MSG vet, Graham Bonnet). Guest players include Don Airey (Deep Purple, Ozzy Osbourne).
Cotton Fever’s release party for their album Tall Tales of the West happens March 28 at Two Roses Tattoo on Logan Avenue.
Realcide release their new CD/LP on March 29.
Bobby Fantasy’s new album (recorded at Jason Hee’s studio) is being prepared for release; he appears March 29 at O’Connells.
The new CD from fusion jazz guitarist Patrick Yandall, A New Day, debuts March 29, with a release party at Humphrey’s. Yandall informs, “I’ll have a guest keyboardist, Kevin Flournoy, an amazing player and producer who tours the world with the Pointer Sisters and Harvey Mason.” The Samoan-born, Michigan-bred Yandall appears regularly at local casinos, a sometimes thankless gig. “A manager at one place — who’s not there anymore — told me to tell the band to turn down, since the people were there for the food and not to listen to us. Makes you feel really special.” A New Day will be available at Amazon, CD Baby, and at patrickyandall.com.
A.J. Croce releases Cage of Muses March 31.
Nautical Disaster's release party for their new EP Interceptor happens Tuesday, March 31st, at the Casbah, with the always invigorating Apes of Wrath and the incorrible stylings of White Denim. This one's $10 in advance, www.casbahmusic.com, or $12 at the door.
The gigaholics of Likewize are holding a release party for their debut album Real Livin’ on April 3, at 710 Beach Club. “I moved out to San Diego because I’m in the Navy and had orders to the USS Nimitz about three years ago,” says bassist Matt Albrecht, who currently serves a shore command at the 32nd street base.
Albrecht says the local music scene differs from where he grew up near Austin, Texas. “Instead of beach and reggae music, in Austin you’ll see country rock. The biggest difference is the most popular bands in Austin are local original bands, and in San Diego it’s the cover and tribute bands.” Real Livin’ (self-released by Likewize) contains ten tracks and will be available via MySpace, iTunes, likewizemusic.net, and CDs sold at shows.
Nickel Creek fiddler-gone-solo Sara Watkins releases her self-titled debut, produced by Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones, on April 7.
As I Lay Dying release a three-DVD set, This Is Who We Are, on April 14, which includes performances taped at the Jumping Turtle in San Marcos.
Children of Nova are holding a CD release party at Soma on April 17.
The Drabs are nearly done with a new album containing ten songs, some of which can be heard when they play April 21 at the Beauty Bar.
Locals with upcoming record release info, please send details thru the Reader link or to me at jas2669@aol.com -
TOWER BAR REBUILD NEARING COMPLETION!
From the Tower Bar's MySpace blog, March 21:
The “Euclid tower” was a spire that loomed as a local icon for nearly seven decades until 1999, when the city of San Diego ordered it torn down because it was leaning precariously.
With $225,000 in city redevelopment funds, a South Bay firm was contracted to build an aluminum-alloy replacement of the original wooden tower, designed in 1930s art-deco style to resemble New York's Empire State Building.
The replica was trucked in sections from Chula Vista and hoisted by crane to its rightful perch atop the namesake Tower Bar on University Avenue just east of Euclid Avenue.
The tower's history is almost as colorful as the spire eventually became. Erected in 1932, it rose 110 feet above what was then a hamburger drive-in at the end of the former trolley line from downtown San Diego.














http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=7690879&blogID=478096326
LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN, CBS
Th 3/26: Jason Segel, Brian Kiley, U2 (R 3/6/09)
Fr 3/27: Joe Torre, Demetri Martin, Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt (R 2/4/09)
Mo 3/30: Seth Rogen, Tom Dreesen, Adele
Tu 3/31: Bill O'Reilly, Marianne Faithfull
We 4/1: Marg Helgenberger, Ray LaMontagne
Th 4/2: Michael J. Fox
Fr 4/3: Denis Leary, Diana Krall
THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO, NBC
Th 3/26: Paul Giamatti, Emma Roberts, Prince
Fr 3/27: Dana Carvey, Billy Mays, Prince
Mo 3/30: Vin Diesel, Lisa Lampanelli, Gavin DeGraw
Tu 3/31: Amy Poehler, Paul Walker, Fall Out Boy
We 4/1: Michael Caine, Dennis Rodman, Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer
Th 4/2: Ben Affleck, Taylor Swift
Fr 4/3: Miley Cyrus
LATE LATE SHOW WITH CRAIG FERGUSON, CBS
Th 3/26: Eva Longoria Parker, Neal McDonough (R 10/5/08)
Fr 3/27: Lauren Graham, the Damned (R 10/31/08)
Mo 3/30: William Shatner, Regina King
Tu 3/31: Isabella Rossellini, Linda Cardellini
LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY FALLON, NBC
Th 3/26: Ray Liotta, Cheryl Hines, John Rich
Fr 3/27: Ted Danson, N.E.R.D.
Mo 3/30: Bill Hader, Emma Roberts, Glasvegas
Tu 3/31: Glenn Close, Kristen Wiig, Gomez
We 4/1: Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Stevie Nicks
Th 4/2: Seth Rogen
Fr 4/3: Lauren Graham, Cold War Kids
LAST CALL WITH CARSON DALY, NBC
Th 3/26: Iglu & Hartly
Fr 3/27: Jack & Kelly Osbourne, Ben Harper & Relentless 7
Mo 3/30: Charles Hamilton (R 3/3/09)
Tu 3/31: Robin Thicke
THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART, Comedy Central
Th 3/26: Nandan Nilekani (R 3/18/09)
Mo 3/30: Jack Cafferty
Tu 3/31: Seth Rogen
We 4/1: Peter Orszag
Th 4/2: Tom Zoellner
THE COLBERT REPORT, Comedy Central
Th 3/26: David Grann (R 3/17/09)
Mo 3/30: Derrick Pitts
Tu 3/31: David Plotz
We 4/1: Dambisa Moyo
Th 4/2: Biz Stone
Th 3/26: Ozzy, Sharon, Jack and Kelly Osbourne, Bobby Cannavale
Fr 3/27: Paul Giamatti, Jim Gaffigan, Keri Hilson featuring Lil Wayne
Mo 3/30: Jaime Pressly, Kirstin McMillan, the Pretenders (R 3/11/09)
Tu 3/31: The latest "Dancing with the Stars" castoff, Will Arnett, Michelle Rodriguez
We 4/1: Amy Poehler, Jordana Brewster
Th 4/2: Vin Diesel, Anna Faris
Fr 4/3: Paul Walker, Lily Allen
Mo 4/6: Dwayne Johnson, Kristin Stewart, The-Dream (R 3/13/09)
Tu 4/7: Portia de Rossi, Melissa Rycroft, Motley Crue (R 3/20/09)
We 4/8: Andy Samberg, Ashley Scott, MSTRKRFT (R 3/18/09)
Th 4/9: The latest "Dancing with the Stars" castoff, Zach Braff, Cheryl Hines, Charlie Wilson sits in with the band (R 3/24/09)
Fr 4/10: Amy Poehler, Jordana Brewster (R 4/1/09)
SECRETS BEHIND AXL VS GN'R PHOTOG, AS TOLD BY LOCAL “ROCKET QUEEN”
“For years, I drank and used drugs out of shame over it,” says Adriana Smith, known by Guns N’ Roses fans as the girl heard having sex with Axl Rose in the recording studio, during the song “Rocket Queen.” 
Today, Smith fronts the local band Ghost in the Graveyard, which includes guitarist Dave Wagner, brother of famed session guitarist Dick Wagner (Alice Cooper, Tim Curry, etc.). The current lineup made its debut on Halloween, 2008, at Bailey BBQ in Julian.
“There’s a song on our CD [Wars in the Graveyard] called ‘CFM, Come Find Me,’ which is actually written to Axl,” says Smith. “I have no doubt that at some point we’ll meet up again. Maybe the gas will be on the fire again!”
Smith’s MySpace page was recently revised with a post containing her own insider's takeon the ongoing dispute between onetime Guns N' Roses official photographer Robert John and the band's current lead Pharisee Axl Rose, who said some fiery things about John in a recent interview. Excerpts include:
"It seems Robert is attempting to sue Axl for his words. Furthermore, Robert is creating a public spectacle of himself and Axl for his own attention-seeking, without regard to his past mistakes."
"I am someone who has been blessed with being 'in the know' and will not tire until all things untold are told truthfully. Robert John and I met in the '80s when GNR was still playing clubs. He and Axl were like brothers. As a matter of fact, they were almost look-alikes to some degree, with the hair colr, skin tone, and height, except Robert was always heavier, and is even more so now."
"Because of his relationship with Axl, Robert was signed by Geffen Records under exclusive contract to be the only photographer on GNR's tours. This was not kosher with the whole band, or the top industry dogs, but Axl is a very loyal and trusting friend, and would have it no other way."
"Robert's work began to decline as a result of his personal inadequacy to keep current with necessary equipment and technology, and so the effects of his work resulted in crappier pictures. Axl was there to stack the bux behind him for better more expensive equipment, with no avail. The drugs, the pace, the stress, or whatever, lead to Robert's innability to do his job. I was privied to the info that out of 2000 pictures, only two were acceptable, but low quality, and below standard; trash."
"Robert John took Axl Rose to court to sue him for this event recently. It did not go well for Robert. He lost the litigation and lost the best friend he ever had. Did he appologize or try harder? Nope. He, like Slash and Steven, continue to badger and berate Axl & live in denial of their self-made shortcummings just to blame others for where they are in life. This makes me sick!"
"Robert was going through many personal things in the time before he was relieved as photographer for GNR. He was losing his long-time girlfriend Shannon and the house they so desperately loved. Axl bailed him out in the amount of approxiamtely 160,000 bux. That was prior to Robert John suing Axl, by the way. Oh, and the rub is that Robert gave the house to Shannon in the end and lost everything anyway."
"All of us used to hang out and party back in the day. At some point, the party changes, and people usually trade vices for virtue; usually."
"The reason that I am posting this blog is simple. I can't stand liars and people who were supposed to be my friends forever, perpetuating anguish and animosity toward Axl."
"So I want none of you to believe it is Axl's fault Robert John is not on tour with GNR, he gave him everything: a career, the equipment to use, sole photographic rights , and a house, and his credit! Robert John sued him, and is now gonna try again, because Axl repeated what he heard about Robert being on meth. Well Robert, if you are gonna sue anyone it should be me. I am the one who told him about it, and you told me, remember?"
"No one can trust anything you say and that is heartwrenching. Let me know when you are really sorry. By the way, saying sorry isn't best related by trying to sue the person who cared about you most."
Related links
Related links
Former Dream Theater Singer is Going to the Movies
Over the past few weeks, the band Dominici had frequently held the daily "top downloads" spot here on the Reader website with their song The Calling. The songs are from the musical concept trilogy 03.
“I’m talking to scriptwriters and producers about bringing the story to the big screen,” says former Dream Theater frontman Charlie Dominici, who fronts the self-named band. “The three CDs have a storyline that’s perfect for a movie, and the soundtrack is already done.”

Photography by Veronique Broquet
The singer/guitarist spent the last year recording and touring with his band Dominici, whose members are based in Sardinia (off the coast of Italy), but he recently returned to San Diego. “The 03 story is very international,” he says, “concerning a young boy taken from his home, placed in a foreign land by his captors, and trained for months in the desert by religious fanatics who seem to be planning some sort of terror attack.”

“He develops a love for the foreign country, where he meets a girl, falls in love, builds his own business, and is living as a free and prosperous man. But then his captors resurface and want him to carry out his sacred mission.”
Dominici says the story ultimately concerns religion, with a touch of sci-fi. “The true nature of the apparent terror plot is something that has been prophesized in the Bible, among other religious and philosophical writings, but involving beings from another world. I don’t want to give away the ending, but some who have figured out the CDs say it’s pretty shocking.”
“A movie version would be sort of a science fiction twist on the Greatest Story Ever Told.”
As for potential casting, Dominici says “I would love to see Michael Chiklis, Russell Crowe, or Denzel Washington become interested in the project. Al Pacino would be great as one of the so-called terrorists; Scarface of the desert.”
Charlie Dominici - the original singer for Dream Theater - spent several years living in an apartment on Spring Street in La Mesa, beginning in May 2003. "I chose La Mesa because it really is a nice place to live and I knew the area well," he says (he also resided in San Diego from 1998 to 2000). "It's very rustic and kind of like an old classic western."
Dominici joined famed prog rockers Dream Theater in November 1987, co-writing seven of the eight songs on the band's debut album When Dream and Day Unite. He was booted in 1989 and replaced by Kevin James LaBrie, reportedly because of "personality conflicts."
Dominici spent the next 15 years as a "virtual recluse" (his description). "I needed to get some financial stability and also wanted to return to music only when it felt good again."
He was asked to leave Dream Theater after their first album. Wikipedia quotes Mike Portnoy saying, "It was like having Billy Joel sing in Queensrÿche."
Only Dominici didn't completely disappear -- he sang at Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy's wedding in 1994 and joined his old band onstage in L.A. for two songs in March 2004 (filmed for the DVD When Dream and Day Reunite). "I was so out of practice, vocally...after that I realized how much I had been like a fish out of water since I had not been doing much musically. I quit the car business and started writing."
A guitar player and singer since he was 12 years old, Dominici was a La Mesa auto finance accountant for several years. "I'm sure there will be some people who'll be looking at my CD and saying, 'Hey, that guy sold me an alarm, a LoJack, paint sealant, and a service contract. '"
In summer 2007, he temporarily relocated from La Mesa to Sardinia, off the coast of Italy, to join his new band Dominici, for recording and touring overseas.
His solo material is acoustic singer/songwriter music reminiscent of Cat Stevens and Harry Chapin, while his rock band Dominici is more influenced by the Queensryche/Dream Theater/Roger Waters school of theatrical, classical metal. 03 part one is acoustic, while the other two CDs in the trilogy are heavy progressive metal, recorded with a full band.
www.myspace.com/charliedominicimusic
sdreader.com/news/2007/may/31/let-music-do-talking
Download "The Calling"
MORE NEW MUSIC STORIES THIS WEEK
One Rapper's Reality by Jay Allen Sanford, Published March 25, 2009
“I call my genre of music ‘reality rap,’ ” says hip-hop impresario Kayo. “It describes the things that I went through. It’s reality because I ... More
Two Down on Elevation Road by Larry Harmon, Published March 25, 2009
Brick by Brick’s Max Paul says there was no confrontation during a hip-hip show at the club that led to the shooting of two men about a half mile away from the club Friday, March 13. ...More
Road Reports by Jay Allen Sanford, Published March 25, 2009
Around 20 San Diego bands performed as part of the annual South By Southwest festival in and around Austin, Texas. Writer band members gigged their way to SXSW in a Honda Element equipped with a ...More
The Smell of Heavy Metal by Jay Allen Sanford, Published March 25, 2009
Nightclubs in San Marcos offering live music have had an uneven history. The Longshot closed in September 2006, mainly over ABC violations. The Boulevard, opened in 2004, also had its liquor license suspended for a ...More
MORE STORIES
Captures Hinder at 4th & B - The four-camera shoot features hundreds of screaming, slam-dancing fans... http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2008/dec/23/hinder-4th-b-gig-goes-global-plus-this-weeks-backs/
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FRANK ZAPPA COMICS AND STORIES - Here's a full length Famous Former Neighbors comic, unfolding the life story of San Diego's most famous and acclaimed musical alum... http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2007/nov/10/frank-zappa-comics-and-stories
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STAR WARS ROCKS – LOCALS WHO FEEL THE FORCE
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WORST AMUSEMENT PARK ATTRACTIONS EVER - http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2008/dec/23/hinder-4th-b-gig-goes-global-plus-this-weeks-backs/
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Worst Musical Halloween Costumes Ever - from Donny and Marie to the Monkees, Kiss, the Village People, Michael Jackson, and more.... http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2007/sep/13/worst-musical-halloween-costumes-ever
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Midnight Movie Culture in San Diego - Didja know that the first ever live costumed performance during a screening of Phantom of the Paradise took place at the Ken Cinema on July 29, 1983? Here's part one of a five-part history of local midnight movies .... http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2007/sep/27/midnight-movies-a-local-history-part-1-the-80s


Why Jackson Browne Hates Former Reader Contrib Richard Meltzer - The first time Jackson Browne was profiled Rolling Stone [June 22, 1972], writer Richard Meltzer talked about hanging out with Browne and Velvet Underground icon Nico, who Browne had a serious crush on. Members of Nico’s mostly-gay and/or transvestite entourage were said to have unnerved “innocent” Browne with homosexual advances, and Meltzer went on to call the singer "one hell of a prototype sex symbol for the gay rock underground," pissing off Browne mightily.... http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2007/sep/29/why-jackson-browne-hates-former-reader-contrib
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ZZ Top: An Illustrated Rock Tale: the ZZ Top story, in words and artwork! http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2007/oct/03/zz-top-an-illustrated-rock-tale
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Tales of the Palms Hotel - from 1978 thru around 1983, I lived at the floppiest of downtown flophouses, the Palms on 12th and Island. This biographical history of those years includes rare photos and tales like the time Chuck Norris came to the Hotel to film a scene for the 1979 movie A Force Of One. http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2007/oct/04/tales-of-the-palms-hotel-in-downtown-san-diego-70s
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The Day I Sold My Albums - vinyl adventures of an album hoarder! http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2007/oct/21/the-day-i-sold-my-albums-to-off-the-record
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Rockin' Tattos - Locals talkin' rockin' tats! Parlor by parlor coverage... http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2007/oct/27/rockin-tattoos-locals-talkin-rockin-tats
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Tijuana Bathrooms - Everybody's Gotta Go Sometime - C'mon along as I explore the bathrooms of our neighbor to the south - bring your own TP! http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2007/oct/06/an-excrement-job-tales-of-tijuana-bathrooms
Beginning with their debut award-winning album, "Wreck 'n' Sow," the duo set a precedent of excellence that they've lived up to with each subsequent award-winning album. The duo is currently at work on their 5th studio album, entitled "Las Vegas", and we can't wait to get our hands on it.
Berkley Hart is best known for having also created their own personal "house concert revolution" by encouraging and helping friends and fans to host their own house concerts, using Berkley Hart as their first show, and having them back annually.
Chris Trapper may not be a household name yet, but you've heard this Grammy Nominee's songs in films such as August Rush, The Devil Wears Prada, and There's Something About Mary. As the principal songwriter and singer for nationally acclaimed alt-rock trio The Push Stars, Trapper has also been making quite a name on his own, having recorded and released 5 critically-acclaimed solo albums. His words and music can best be described as an interesting blend of 1950's pop, 1990's rock and old-timey jazz with the ever-present understory of Chris' distinctive bari-tenor. It's intricate power-pop with a compelling knack for telling everyday stories. (www.christrapper.com)
Lisa Sanders is a singer/songwriter whose life of joys and sorrows is laid out for all to share through the beautiful and heartfelt songs that she writes and sings. A multiple San Diego Music Award winner, Lisa has gone from knowing the highs of artistic success to the lows of living in her car, and come back again to tell the tales. Lisa has shared the stage and opened for such music legends as B.B. King, Paul Simon, Bob Dylan, James Taylor, Stevie Nicks and Sting and we're pleased to welcome her to the Oasis to sing for you the songs of her soul. (www.lisasanders.com)
Gregory Page has quickly emerged as the artist-in-residence at the Oasis, as he makes his 3rd appearance in our young history... but that's ok. A multiple San Diego Music Award-winner and a nationally known and respected singer/songwriter, Gregory Page is an amazing performer whose songs have a beautifully simple complexity that will take you to places and times like few others can. If the San Diego music scene is a treasure chest of riches (and it is), then Gregory Page is one of the crown jewels. (www.gregorypage.com)
Like this blog? Here are some related links:
OVERHEARD IN SAN DIEGO - Several years' worth of this comic strip, which debuted in the Reader in 1996: http://www.sandiegoreader.com/photos/galleries/overheard-san-diego/
FAMOUS FORMER NEIGHBORS - Over 100 comic strips online, with mini-bios of famous San Diegans: http://www.sandiegoreader.com/photos/galleries/famous-former-neighbors/
SAN DIEGO READER MUSIC MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/sandiegoreadermusic
JAY ALLEN SANFORD MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/jayallensanford
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