2010

March 13, 2010April 20, 2010Sara 3 Comments

A week ago Thursday, a gathering of postive energy in celebration of the San Diego music community occured at Bar Basic with the launch of SoundDiego, NBC San Diego’s new platform for showcasing music in San Diego. Two of San Diego’s most beloved music acts, Gregory Page and The Silent Comedy hit the stage in support.

Brain child of Cantore Creative, Chris Cantore’s “full service social media agency, specializing in networking / interaction, content management, and events (”tweet-ups.”),” the SoundDiego blog connects the San Diego music scene on a whole new level. The site brings together San Diego’s most involved music bloggers Rosemary Bystrak from SD Dialed In as well as T. Loper and Chris Maroulakos from Owl and Bear. SoundDiego’s posts include music news, weekly listings, music features through videos, interviews and show reviews.

The SoundDiego blog’s vision is to serve as a platform for connecting people to music and (eventually) people to other people. Engaging the listener will take on a new level as people share the music experience online and then meet in real life through shared live music experiences. Individuals from Legit Radio community (another Cantore Creative Project) represented in this same capacity. Many individuals were meeting for the first time in real life as opposed to on Twitter and in the Legit Radio chatroom, expanding social circles in the light of a common interest: the San Diego music community.

Here are a few of my favorite photos of the night:

Gregory Page

Steve Poltz and Gregory Page

Joshua Zimmerman from The Silent Comedy

Ian Kesterson and Andy Ridley from The Silent Comedy

Joshua Zimmerman, Ian Kesterson and Jeremiah Zimmerman from The Silent Comedy

The tweet-wall was in full effect giving shoutouts to Chris Cantore and the whole SoundDiego crew using the #sounddiego hashtag. Photos of individuals and fashion wares were dispayed through TwitPics taken throughout the night. Even people who were missing out due to needing to stay home with family or had other obligations seemed to be following the trend.

SoundDiego Tweet-Wall

At the end of the night Roger and I felt contented to to feel a part of something so good, a community of people that support each others’ talents.

Steve Poltz’s 50th Birthday/CD Release Party, Belly Up Tavern: 2/19/2010

February 25, 2010April 20, 2010Sara 2 Comments

Friends, border-lining family, of both past and present gathered at the Belly Up Tavern last Friday to celebrate the aging of Steve Poltz and the release of his newest CD, Dreamhouse. Not much tweeting going on that night since everyone was living in the moment whether that was chatting with a long time friend or watch the continuous stream of musicians taking the stage throughout the night and into the morning.

Steve wanted to celebrate with all of his friends and family in one place. He was joined on stage by Lisa Sanders, Mojo Nixon, Fred Van Vactor, Patrick Dennis and Christopher Hoffee (the Cynics), Anya Marina, Cindy Lee Berryhill, Berkley Hart, AJ Croce, Gregory Page, as well as Jeff “Stinky” Aafedt, “Dr.” Robert Driscoll and John Castro with The Rugburns.

Due to a crash on the ski slopes while in Rossland, B.C. he broke his left arm, which could have put a damper on things. Steve exclaimed that no shows will be cancelled and continued his tour and the planning of his birthday bash/CD release.

Shawn Rohlf of the 7th Day Buskers generously stepped up to the plate by learning a large number of Steve Poltz and Rugburns songs… and that was not an easy feat. Steve had previously commented that the new Dreamhouse album is very guitar heavy, with more complex chord combinations and picking patterns than he has ever done before. Shawn certainly pulled it off even working collaboratively with Steve for “You Were Meant for Me.” If you closed your eyes, you couldn’t even tell there were two people there.

Steve Poltz and Shawn Rohlf

Before the show, there was talk of a set list. A set list?! I didn’t even know that Steve knew what one of those was. Here is a tweet that came from Patrick Dennis about a week before the show:

Via @Wirepony: Poltz and a 25 song set list for his guest heavy show next week. Set list?!? Don’t ever believe him. Even with his broken hand.

However, the night of the show Joe Daly tweeted the following:

Via @JoeDaly_SD: Soundchecking at the BUT! @stevepoltz in top form. Just heard “Hey, do we have a set list yet?”

I guess things don’t really change. Speaking of things that don’t change, Julia Sanchez Harris and I spent half the show discussing if we should sneak backstage. We never ended up doing it, mainly because we didn’t want to miss any of the show. And with no set breaks, there was never a good time to leave my awesome spot in the front.

I tried to be a good blogger and take photos, but if there was a time to sit and bask in the experience, it was this night. Here are the photos that I managed to take:

Mojo Nixon and Steve Poltz

Steve Poltz and Christopher Hoffee

Steve Poltz and Gregory Page

Steve Poltz, Dennis Borlek and John Castro

Steve has touched the lives of many over the fifty years he has been on this earth. And just about every one of those people were packed into the Belly Up Tavern last Friday. Included among the crowd were “Java Joe” Flammini, Frankie Lee Drennen, Kevin Hellman, Halloran, Dennis Borlek, “Happy Ron” Hill and more.

I think Rosey from SD Dialed In stated it best with this tweet:

Via @sddialedin: There is some sort of magic knowing that every single person in this sold out crowd has a @StevePoltz story or more. That’s why we love him.

This is exactly how I would like to spend my 50th birthday, when it comes along… with good friends, family and a dueling drum finale.

Via @Wirepony: A dream was realized. Stinky and I sent @stevepoltz off in a dual drumming frenzy for his birthday bash two full kits flying. Goodnight!

Bob Schneider, House of Blues: 2/18/2010

February 23, 2010April 20, 2010Sara Leave a comment

After an amazingly inspiring night at Bar Basic, I briskly hurried over the 15 blocks to the House of Blues San Diego to see Bob Schneider perform. Glad to see my press pass waiting for me, I rushed down the stairs, bypassing a stiff drink for a spot near the front of the stage. Sadly, I missed one or two songs of Bob’s set, as well as the opening act, Smile Smile, whose music I’m sure I would have loved based on the dancy, energetic stuff that I have listened to over the internets.
Over the years I have seen Bob’s sets diversify from the solo, sappy, ballad-singing songwriter to the drunken rebel-rouser, cursing and rocking with a full band backing. This show was another experience to add to the list. To understand the context of the contrast… recently, as in less than two months ago, Bob played a KPRI show solo at the Bernardo Winery to an all-ages crowd. Roger and I watched as he appeared to struggle finding age-appropriate songs, songs he could play solo and/or songs that were in his current playlist. If that was your first introduction to him, this HOB show must have come off as a shock. For the KPRI chill, happy family-types, you’re probably thankful he didn’t go so far as playing “Sons of Ralph” or better yet, “Ass Knockin’.”

After several years of playing to Belly Up Tavern crowds, moving back to the House of Blues main stage brought the inevitable disconnect between the audience and the performer. Bob tried his best to connect with the crowd by using eye contact to those individuals he could see through the glaring stage light. I smiled as I caught a bit of that action during “40 Dogs (Romeo and Juliet).” Sweetness.

Unlike other musician-types, he is not the type to make a standard set list. He’s more of just going on the fly kinda guy, rarely informing the rest of the band of the path they are taking. They just have to be ready. At one point in the set, I watched as Bob leaned over to the lead guitarist and said, “Feel Good”. The guitarist smiled in acknowledgement, and started setting up for the song. However, as Bob launched into “Metal and Steel”, the guitarist’s smile was crushed as he rushed to catch up to the correct tuning. After “Metal and Steel”, Bob did end up playing “Capn’ Kirk (I Just Want to Feel Good)”. Was this a case of a scatter-brained musician, purposeful prank or me, completely missing something? We’ll never know.

The newest addition to the Bob Schneider band is comic relief, Ollie (I think that was his name). His primary job was playing trumpet, keytar, accordion, but attempted to add to the show by performing slip-stick comedy falls, crazy dances and a variety of extreme facial expressions during nearly every portion of the show. His behavior struck me as odd, since Bob Schneider has always served as the focal point of the performances. In essence, Bob shared the stage with Ollie, forgoing his usual ego (or just taking some sort of a break from the crowd adoration). The crowd loved Ollie, however, I was annoyed. His antics really didn’t fit in to the overall feel of the show. But again, perhaps it was just me.

As for the crowd, it could be best described as a reflection of the Gaslamp scene. Club-going frat boys and shiny, skimpily dressed girls clamored toward the stage, while the typical Belly Up goers of the older, upper-middle-class-hippie variety sat up in the balcony and left well before the end of the night. Bob again catered to his perception of the crowd. Songs with mambo and other Latin rhythms provided a groove you could really dance to. Club-like beats from “Mudhouse” bounced the house and “Ready, Let’s Roll” finished off the night like the aftermath of some good sex.

Continuing the awesome tradition, Bob recorded the night’s performance and sold those CDs immediately after the show (also known as the Frunk collection). Every show is unique. Not a cookie cutter in sight. I usually purchase one from each show I attend but due to the long line and knowing it will eventually turn up in the archives, I skipped out on this one.

Holiday Matinee’s Book Launch Party, Bar Basic: 2/18/2010

February 21, 2010April 20, 2010Sara Leave a comment

For one night, Bar Basic was transformed into a place of positive collaborative discussions where creative minds could be set free. The space was packed with people interested in doing good and making a difference. This past Thursday night, Holiday Matinee launched his book, I Swear to Good You Are God at This, an inspiring look into 25 projects and individuals who are thinking beyond the four walls to, as Dave Brown says, “make awesome.”

Several projects highlighted in the book were featured at the party, allowing guests to be entrenched in the awesomeness.

As you arrived to the event, a bed with a bleach blonde-haired mannequin tucked under the covers, was parked directly outside the bar. Passers by stopped in curiosity pondering the purpose of object’s placement, satisfying Mark Jenkins’ artistic mission.

Guest received complementary gift bags from Baggu, a maker of reusable, zip-stop nylon bags. Stylishly made and super compact, guests were given a choice of seven or eight colors, a mere percentage of the actual colors in stock.

To completely engage the guests, a section of the bar was set up where individuals could live their “Dreams of Flying” through a physical representation of Jan von Holleben‘s photographs. Natalie, from Too Sunny Out Here and I were given “wings” and became fairies in our own version of Jan von Holleben’s piece, Peter Pan.

Both T-post and Anthony Burrill’s work were displayed and Sezio was there silk screening shirts on-site.

A couple of my personal favorite things exhibited at the launch included the “Wall of Dave” (as Seth Combs from City Beat called it) , which was a visual timeline of Holiday Matinee’s accomplishments, and the wall of concept cover designs for the book, each equally cool that I am not sure how a decision was made.

If you missed the launch party, that is sad. However, the real good comes not from being seen at a party but from the impact you make on the world at large. By supporting projects and people like those featured in I Swear to Good You Are God at This, you are making steps towards making the world a better place.

Upcoming Show: Samuel Stewart, The Casbah 2/22/2010

February 19, 2010May 6, 2010Sara Leave a comment

Nurtured with music and arts as a child, Samuel Stewart certainly embraces his genetics. His father is Dave Stewart from The Eurythmics & Stewart/Gaskin, and his mother, Siobhan Fahey played with both Shakespeare’s Sister and Bananarama. Not to say that is the defining characteristic of his artistry. He has found his own through listening to a variety of music including Smashing Pumpkins, the Pixies, Leonard Cohen, the Beatles, Morrissey, The Smiths, Nirvana and Bowie. You can see bits and pieces of each of these bands in his music that he brings to life.

I often disagree with how publicists describe their artists’ music but in this case, I really feel that this description accurately portrays what I have heard in Samuel’s music: “Samuel Stewart’s solo project is like a fractured waltz from that carnival troupe lurking in the shadows at the edge of town, ominous yet richly atmospheric songs with an irresistible energy that is both timely and timeless.”

Take a listen for yourself. The Beginner EP is filled with melodies that trip and stumble through the dark and the fantastical. Yeah, I know that’s not a word, but it seemed appropriate. His voice carries hurt and sadness, but the pop and buoyancy of the musical arrangement keeps you riveted.