Of Note
December 17: I was moving a little slower than usual that Sunday afternoon. Hangover? Nah. More likely lethargy. But after stirring up a quick kratom-and-water cocktail, I perked up like a proud poppy and texted …
It was the day of my company’s holiday luncheon at Eddie V’s in La Jolla. That meant happily filling up on filet mignon and beers on the company’s dime. Afterwards, a couple of my supervisors …
I booked 6:30 reservations for two at Madison on Park Boulevard. I had decided to ask a date out for the evening, and to my amazement, she had accepted. Our Lyft dropped us off under …
“Does anyone complain about the dicks on your shirt?” I ask Keshaun, one of the bar staff at Little Italy’s Music Box. He’s sporting swaag from Dwarves, a punk band as notorious for their shock …
Years ago, I watched a full band open for comedian David Cross at ‘Cane’s in Mission Beach. I thought it was the most unusual opening act/headliner combo I had ever witnessed — at least until …
I thought I bought tickets to see Citizen Cope. Instead, my scattered head bought tickets to see a band called Citizen. A blunder of this magnitude told me I needed to meditate and turn away …
It started with three of us. I was driving, while Matt and Francisco held down the passenger duties of radio selection and wry commentary, respectively. With a Spotify Destroy Boys playlist spilling through the speakers, …
“I think I dropped a couple of verses there,” jokes <a href="http://www.sandiegoreader.com/bands/color-forty-nine/">The Color Forty Nine</a> singer-guitarist Phil Beaumont. “Maybe they’re on the floor.” Or maybe it’s drummer-singer John Meeks who’s talking. I can’t see either …
The Mountain Goats are an intensely personal band. Last year, I had the chance to spend a couple of days in Palm Desert with my wife. We set out in the evening at the end …
In late September, I headed north to Vista’s Aztec Brewing for Brew Game Plus 5, an eight-and-a-half hour overdose of bands performing video game songs. My friend and I had never been to the brewery …
In my youthful and more formidable years, I typed out Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas line for line, chapter by chapter, just as the original gonzo journalist did with The Great …
The tears came before we even made it down to The Shell to see Counting Crows on September 3. She didn’t expect them. But she hadn’t heard their hit “Round Here” in close to 30 …
“What’s with the boots?” I ask several people as they pass the empty footwear resting on the overpass leading to Corazon Del Barrio. The boots, sturdy workman types, could be protecting the feet of any …
On a whim, I decided to check out some Jazz at Eddie V’s in Seaport Village. I’m not talking about 98.1-style Kenny G-sounding Smooth Jazz. As great a musician as Kenny G is, he’s not …
I should probably have picked up a pack of smokes for this one, because I could hear the echoes of San Diego’s punk past as it enthusiastically got the band back together for My Town …
When my brother came back from his freshman year at Berkeley, he was eager to show me a short video clip he’d taken at a concert up north. “This song isn’t out yet,” he burbled, …