Loser's Guide to LakesideLakeside has tried desperately to overcome its redneck image, and it has, to a certain extent. There is plenty of new development in the city, bringing more middle-class families who want to …
September 2, 2023
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Stories by Larry Harmon
When crystal meth was big in Lakeside
Personal history of La Mesa, the charm of Encanto
Where Sweet Peace and Love Abidith During school vacations, Carl and I hopped the freight train that chugged through twice a week. It stopped in La Mesa to unload flatbeds of planks to the lumberyard. …
February 5, 2022
What chefs themselves eat, San Diego homeless remember their moms, roadside graves, will we be together forever?
Sweat Cuisine "Let's say you have a banquet. Chicken Kiev and vegetables and potatoes, 600 people. An hour before the banquet starts, you find out it's down to 500. You've got 100 leftover half-cooked chickens, …
January 10, 2021
Local rocker Chris Squire troubles, intimate murder, abortionist Bertha Bugarin
He Should Have Known Better It had been another sleepless night for Chris Squire, pedaling around San Diego delivering drugs. When the sun rolled into the sky on August 14, 2006, he knew he was …
November 2, 2020
San Diego's undercovered violent side
He Should Have Known Better It had been another sleepless night for Chris Squire, pedaling around San Diego delivering drugs. When the sun rolled into the sky on August 14, 2006, he knew he was …
July 26, 2020
Lakeside – not rednecks
Lakeside turns out “I don’t know if you noticed, but the whole town of Lakeside is here,” said local resident Barbara Sessions, pointing to over 500 people who recently filled up a 250-seat room at …
February 10, 2020
My Bono
Guitarist-vocalist Adam Gimbel has been performing under the name Cover Me Badd since 1995 and uses the name as an umbrella “brand” for his tributes to pop groups Depeche Mode, Oasis, and Weezer, along with …
December 16, 2009
Strip to This
“I’ve got to be the first person ever to play Joy Division in that club,” says DJ Atari, after being hired with Junior the Disco Punk to bring their club DJ sound to Kearny Mesa …
November 18, 2009
Tower Bar Beat-Down
Nearly two weeks after being attacked by a group of men loitering near the Tower Bar at around 1:50 a.m., the victim who sustained the worst injuries said he’s recovering, and the suspect accused of …
July 1, 2009
1971 case of murdered Barbary Coast employee gets hot
It was shortly after 2:00 a.m. when Gerald Jackson finished his closing shift at the Barbary Coast, a downtown gay bar at the corner of Fourth and C, next to the landmark California Theatre. The …
June 3, 2009
Slab City's Edge
When MTV2 started airing episodes of VBS.tv — Vice magazine’s video documentary series — it did more than introduce fans of From G’s to Gents and Cribs to North Korean tourism, Mexican death tabloids, and …
April 8, 2009
Two Down on Elevation Road
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 …
March 25, 2009
M-Theory Punks the Chains
Long before the current economic downturn, music retailers had a tough time keeping their heads above water as CD sales have dropped off while downloads, many for free, have become the typical method for fans …
February 25, 2009
Unknown Korn
Before the Casbah’s month-of-January reunion shows becomes a hazy memory, owner Tim Mays, manager Ben Johnson, and doorman Ben Heynes offer stories about the Casbah’s 20-year legacy — a few tales of near disasters, spoiled …
February 25, 2009
Rock to Riches
Mission Beach author Lee Silber has a radical idea when it comes to starting up a new business in today’s economy: aspiring business owners might be better off using Jimmy Buffett’s business model over billionaire …
December 10, 2008
Not Cool
Gary John, co-owner of the Air Conditioned Lounge in University Heights, believes his bar was unfairly implicated in news stories and broadcasts that covered the July 29 murder of 27-year-old Miguel Leon-Fregoso. In a July …
August 20, 2008
City council mum on vacation rentals in Pacific Beach, Mission Beach, Pt. Loma
The struggle to ban vacation rentals amid single-family homes.
August 13, 2008
Air It Out
The spotlight lit up Erik Peterson as he stepped onto the stage at Dreamcatcher at Viejas dressed in a plaid kilt accessorized with shaggy fur wristbands and a plastic Viking helmet with fake blond braids. …
July 30, 2008
Take Note, High-Five Idiots
Steve Weinberger wants to keep you from embarrassing yourself at the next concert. In his new book No Air Guitar Allowed, Weinberger runs down nearly every humiliating move and bad rock stereotype that can be …
June 18, 2008
Jingle Hit
What San Diego musician can claim the title of Most Local Airplay? Pinback? P.O.D.? Jewel? The honor goes to Leonard Tucker. You many not recognize the name, but odds are you know the voice. Here’s …
May 7, 2008
Victorian house preservationists worry that San Diego may kills Mills Act exemptions
The two small Victorian homes on 20th Street in Sherman Heights that Louise Torio and her husband Steve Veach have restored are examples of how the Mills Act can benefit the owners, their neighborhood, and …
April 16, 2008
Party Poopage
An anonymous letter sent to a handful of city departments and the state bureau of Alcohol Beverage Control has put a stop to Mission Bay Boat & Ski Club concerts organized by Cathryn Beeks. She …
March 26, 2008
Mortgaged Limbs
After 14 years and approximately 130 releases by bands such as the Locust, GoGoGo Airheart, and the Rapture, GSL Records founder Sonny Kay and his partner Omar Rodriguez announced in October that they were calling …
December 6, 2007
San Diego underground music mogul Chris Squire crashes
It had been another sleepless night for Chris Squire, pedaling around San Diego delivering drugs. When the sun rolled into the sky on August 14, 2006, he knew he was looking at his last few …
November 29, 2007
One of Those Guys
After being hospitalized for a protracted illness, Guy Lopez, bass player of the late-'70s punk band the Upbeats, died October 2. The younger brother of Robert Lopez (better known as El Vez and one of …
November 8, 2007
Scatter!
Bands often leave their hometown for greener pastures, but Tristeza left town because of their lack of green. "It's sad when a practice room costs the same as an apartment," says Tristeza drummer James Lehner. …
October 19, 2006
Lunchmeat Sells
It's spelled "grimmie" but pronounced "grimy," and when it comes out of TV-show host E-Low, it sounds like, "That shit is GRIIIII-ME!" E-Low is the driving force behind The Grimmie Wreck Show, 30-minute episodes of …
October 12, 2006
Confessions of a Concierge
"When the Deftones' White Pony album came out, they played a big show at the Coors Amphitheatre. When the tour manager came in to check them in [to the hotel], they waited outside on the …
August 10, 2006
Viking on the Mountaintop
"Viking on the Mountaintop petitioning the gods" is how Frank Melendez describes the sound of Riververb, his one-man experimental noise band. After watching him set up and suit up, his seven-word description makes sense. He …
July 27, 2006
Where's Angus?
Over burritos in Mission Valley, former local resort hotel concierge Juan Mas (not his real name) told of a visit paid by AC/DC guitarist Malcolm Young: "My coworker Linda assisted him and I witnessed it. …
July 13, 2006
Punx, Unite!
After being burned in a pay-to-play ticket scam, Troy Troyus of the Abrasives formed Punx Union to organize shows for local and touring acts. With the help of his band members and other musicians, Troyus …
May 18, 2006
Then Corporate People Came In...
The day after Unset played their first show in March (at Brick By Brick), the band was notified by Verizon Wireless that they'd been selected as a finalist in the corporation's "Calling All Bands" contest. …
April 20, 2006
Scandal in the Rag!
Daredevil Jane guitarist Matt Anderson put his former girlfriend back in the tabloids with a call to Howard Stern's radio program on March 28. His ex, original Buffy the Vampire Slayer actress Kristy Swanson, made …
April 13, 2006
How Much for the Pac Man Doll?
To finance Rookie Card's upcoming release, the band took advantage of their April 3 Casbah gig and turned it into a fundraiser. Guitarist/vocalist Adam Gimble assembled musicians and dancers to entertain the audience. Near the …
April 13, 2006
Stealth Studio
Miami transplants Mario Quintero and Mike Pereira say they wanted to contribute more to San Diego's music scene than just another place to record. In November, they opened Black Box Studios. Accessible via an alley …
March 2, 2006
Don't Forget the The
"The following clauses must be agreed to prior to confirmation [of a February 17 House of Blues show] by the Sisters of Mercy. "1. The promoter must NOT USE any of the following terms, or …
February 16, 2006
Snake Business
As soon as the ink dried on the deed in 2003, Rafter Roberts says realtors and developers made offers to buy the building that housed Singing Serpent Studios. "Each time someone approached us to buy, …
February 9, 2006
Clear Violation?
Local country radio station U.S. 95.7 has a blue-and-red shield logo that resembles an interstate freeway sign. That's a problem. "The actual route shield is trademarked by a group called the American Association of State …
January 19, 2006
Joker Holds Court in Studio
Two weeks ago, Rookie Card's Adam Gimbel sent out a mass e-mail to friends and acquaintances. He asked them to meet the band at Earthling Studios in El Cajon to sing, clap, and/or say something …
December 29, 2005
Big in Australia
Rappers who start feuds to make a name for themselves are nothing new. Tupac versus Biggie, Nas versus Jay-Z, 50 Cent versus everyone...but what happens when local rapper Nomad calls out the whole black race? …
December 8, 2005
I Think I Smell a Rat!
Most musicians would feel honored to share a stage with Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore, but when GoGoGo Airheart performed with Moore and four other acts in New York on November 12... "Thurston Moore's set was …
December 1, 2005
A Pro for the People
John (not his real name) worked for Staff Pro from the mid to late '90s. "My favorite place to work was at Hospitality Point," he says. "During the Summer Pops, there was gnarly amounts of …
November 17, 2005
We Are Underaged Men
When Devo was scheduled to play the House of Blues October 9, Joey Ugalde, 20, and Kaitlin Mattick, 18, of the Chula Vista-based new-wave band the Atoms, decided to hang out on Fifth Avenue and …
November 10, 2005
No Honor
Brenda Spencer was the first disturbed teen in modern history to snap and shoot up a school. Last Tuesday she was denied parole again. It was the third time she had been denied parole since …
October 6, 2005
Cred without Critics
Ice Cube rapped about his AK-47, Bushwick Bill threatened Texas with a 12 gauge, and Warren G warned haters about his .44. But when Oceanside's SouthuNoyz raps about guns, they're the real deal. The four …
September 1, 2005
Meat Leads to Murder
On June 13, a jury found Samuel Horn guilty of the August 7, 2004, murder of Paulette Valenzuela, singer of hard rock/metal band the Abuse. Last month, the judge sentenced the 22-year-old to life in …
August 25, 2005
The Star Bar, hidden away in an ungentrified spot near Horton Plaza
"The universe is a bar," Buck says between swigs of beer, in one of those lines that led the late poet William Stafford to observe, "Everyone wanders into poetry sometimes." If Buck hadn’t just told …
April 11, 1996
Mark Quark, turntable man at the Flame
When Mark E. Quark takes over the turntables at the Flame on Monday nights, the outside world gets lost between the beats. Quark, house DJ during a venue club called G-Force, steps into the booth …
October 19, 1995
Coronado prom night – is this for real?
I never thought anyone would respond to the flier. The suit is ugly, the flower looks more appropriate for a funeral, and I’m posting with a 32-ounce can of Miller, Buttafuocco style. I’m every high …
May 25, 1995
Loser's Guide to Lakeside
Guy Castiglione, 42, a Lakeside resident, was president of the San Diego chapter of the Hell’s Angels. He was arrested May 13, 1989, with two pounds of crystal at the Border Patrol checkpoint near Temecula on Interstate 15.
November 17, 1994