Author: Sara

Get your NXNP tickets now!

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North By North Park (NXNP) is happening on Saturday, August 2. This day-long event includes workshops about music and the music business during the day at the Lafayette Hotel and shows throughout North Park (and the Greater North Park area) in the evening. The various shows around town are worth the ticket price alone. There is also a free shuttle to get your drunk ass around.

Tickets are $12.50 right now but the price will go up on Wednesday evening to $17.50. You can get tickets for $10.00 if you use the promo code: sdmusic

Please get your tickets now especially if you want to go to the workshops. This one day “conference” was developed and underwritten by the San Diego Music Foundation (aka City Beat’s charity of choice).

I will be there… most likely managing one of the stages in the University/30th area. Hope to see you there.

Catching Up… What a Lazy/Crazy Week!!!

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My calendar is no lie. I haven’t really done much this week.

Last Saturday was the last San Diego Derby Dolls bout/double header of the season. The Derby Dolls split into two even teams to play visiting teams: Sonoma County Roller Derby and Dockyard Dames from Tacoma. Both games were surprisingly close. I had the opportunity to manage both games… if you don’t already know the story behind why I am managing, ask me the next time you see me.

The rest of the week was pretty low key… Mainly staying in or heading to derby practice. The action really didn’t pick up until:

Thursday when we headed up to the Belly Up to see the Cheap Leis, Creepy Creeps and the Night Marchers show. We got there just in time to see the beginning of the show.

I just have to say that I LOVE the Cheap Leis! I have seen them several times before and every time I love them more. They are a mish-mosh of a number of San Diego musicians that have other bands (what San Diego band isn’t) and they play Hawaiian style songs: some covers, some originals, all entertaining. I really want to have a party poolside with these guys. Don’t be surprised if this actually happens… it is a serious thought.

The Creepy Creeps were up next. I have a bunch of friends that love these guys. I have heard so much about them but I had never seen them. I have listened to a few of their songs online… kind of a surf rock style. I like surf rock. When they hit the Belly Up stage in green masks and matching red & white striped shirts, I wasn’t too shocked. Even the dancers in fur lined monster bikinis and the big guys in Mexican wrestler masks didn’t throw me. It was definitely a production. The thing that got to me is that they didn’t really sound like what I had heard previously. They played mostly instrumental songs, “dance party” style that were more punk than surf rock. Each song sounded pretty much the same. So sad. I may give them another shot some other time… maybe they were just in a dance party mood.

We ended up heading home before the Night Marchers started. I like these guys… I wish that I could have more energy to see their entire set. I think I have seen one full set of theirs, maybe. The CD rocks, if you don’t have it already, get it or at least check it out.

Friday after work we went to the Del Mar races… for the last four races of the day. Roger won something three of the four races. Lucky. We didn’t bother to stay for Gavin Rossdale, 1) we don’t really care if we see him or miss him, 2) we were hungry and racetrack food did not sound appetizing.

Saturday morning the Derby Dolls were in the San Diego Pride parade. Contingent #77 out of 200 plus contingents. This is my only involvement with Pride this year. Roger usually plays the festival, but this year it seemed to fall through. This was also the first year that I have ever seen the parade. Wow, yes, I can’t believe it either. It was a blast to be in… we were right behind on of the floats with cute gay boys in speedos playing with super soakers. Very hot.

Listening to Rocks and the Assumptions, Lestat’s: 7/11/2008

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Thursday night I headed down to Lestat’s after derby practice to catch The Assumptions last few songs before Roger’s band, Listening to Rocks hit the stage. This was The Assumptions first live performance as they were created to fulfill Layne Sterling’s need to create. The record is complete waiting on the artwork layout for completion. The band includes Layne, her daughter (Sara), Jon Kanis, Mike Keneally and Brian “Nucci” Cantrell. Nucci ended leaving halfway through the set for another gig, presumably the standard Wednesday night Lady Dottie gig at Henry’s Pub downtown.

Layne’s voice was beautiful as the band’s rhythmic sounds put your mind and soul at ease. Sara’s vocals complemented Layne’s perfectly. You could definitely see the relation. I wish I had made it there earlier, since I know they pretty much have one more performance left… their CD release.

It is weird for me to review Listening to Rocks since I am married to the lead guitarist. I don’t know if that makes me more biased or hypercritical. Either way, I will try to make this brief. The band started as a one-off band for Roger to perform our one year wedding anniversary at the Casbah. The band includes: Roger, Jon Kanis, Dave Rizzuto (from Roger’s work), and Brad Smith (from Blasphemous Guitars). All of the guys in the band were having a great time, so they decided to keep it going. This was the third performance with at least one more on the books (Aug 23 at Jon Kanis’ Birthday party).

Lestat’s is known for great quality sound and this show was no exception. This was the best quality sounding performance for the band to date. It was great to hear how the band should sound. However when the quality is that good when mistakes are made it is more obvious to everyone. Anyhow, it is good for them to get a good quality recording (Lestat’s actually records of the board and sells it back to the artists for $20) so they can use it to improve.

I am glad to see that each of them are having fun with it.

Derby Weekend

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Since vacationing to New York with family, I am having a tough time attempting to catch up with my blogging. So this is what you get… a quick snapshot of what actually happened a week and a half ago.

On the last weekend of June, my weekend plans were sent into a spiral spin… Friday night, I wasn’t feeling well so I crashed around 9:00 pm, leaving Roger to enjoy Tan Sister Radio and Scarlet Symphony at the Ken Club. At least one of us could represent.

Saturday, we headed up to LA at 11 am for the first banked track tournament since roller derby’s revival in 2002. The tournament was set up with an A bracket and a B bracket of 3 teams each. The LA Derby Dolls (Ri-ettes), Texas Roller Derby (TXRD), and Team Awesome were in the A bracket, while LA Derby Dolls (Golden Girls), OC Rollergirls and the San Diego Derby Dolls.

I wasn’t skating this tournament (as I have little practice on the banked track), so I offered to manage on Saturday. The tournament was set up over two days. On Saturday, each team would play a 30-minute game (two 15-minute halves) with the other teams in their respective brackets. On Sunday, there would be two games: (1) first and second place team in the A bracket and (2) the third place team in the A bracket versus the first place team in the B bracket.

After the upset last month against the LA Derby Dolls, I thought that making it to Sunday was nearly impossible. So I made plans to go to the Del Mar Fair (yes, it’s true name) to see the Demolition Derby. I love derby of all kinds!

To my surprise, as well as to the surprise of nearly everyone at the tournament, San Diego Derby Dolls ruled over the B bracket Saturday. First with a crushing victory over Orange County, then in a vicious battle against LA Derby Dolls’ Golden Girls.

So hastily, I made the decision to return on Sunday to help with the game. I did drive up and back on both days. What it would take to fill my Mini Cooper’s tank is about half of what it would cost to get a hotel room for the night. Plus, their is something to be said for wearing clean underwear and sleeping in your own bed.

I would love to recap the gory details of each of the games, but I would like to eventually get caught up with the rest of my life and blog so I will leave it to the ones who have already covered the insanity.

Derby News Network – covered the tournament, play-by-play with commentary (archived for your enjoyment) and summerized the aftermath including an official statement by the head ref regarding the issues with the rules.

Los Anjealous – an LA blogger who conducts semi play-by-play of every LA bout as well as this tournament (Here is part 2)

LADD’s flickr photostream

End the end, I will say this… the rules were written by a doosh (his words, not mine) there by causing much controversy and confusion. The crowd was chanting “bullsh*t” at one point in the tournament. But despite the turmoil, those who attended this tournament can attest to witnessing some of the most amazing derby that they have every seen – nail biting endings, blocks that make you cringe, strategic plays that seemed impossible to execute – this weekend had it all.

Ingrid Michaelson, House of Blues: 6/25/2008

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I am finally getting around to updating… Last Wednesday, June 25 Roger and I headed down to House of Blues for Ingrid Michaelson. Our plan was to meet up with friends for dinner then head in for the show. We ended up eating at the House of Blues restaurant for some decent Southern semi-Cajun food. After some good conversations over gumbo, we threw down some cash to pay for the meal (since the wait staff seemed to be taking forever) and headed outside for will call.

Now, Roger and I have always had problems with HOB… and this time was no exception. When we first arrived, the will call list was not even available (yet doors were open) so we went to go eat. When we returned, there was a short line for will call and a line around the block for security. Only one guy was checking bags, while another guy was making sure no one blocked the entrance to the 7-11 next door. My thought… if you had more than one person checking bags, you wouldn’t be blocking the 7-11.

Anyhow, after a half hour in line missing most of Greg Laswell‘s set… we found out that we didn’t need to stand in line since we had dinner at the HOB restaurant. What a waste of time. Already irritated, we headed in to a pretty crowded HOB. The room seemed off. The crowd was loud, even with an acoustic set. Lame people.

Roger and I had the privilege of seeing Ingrid Michaelson before at a small venue at SXSW. Unfortunately, the circumstances were off for that show too. The venue was a tent in a park, with 3 other tents with bands playing at them. The tent directly behind the stage that Ingrid was playing on was the British Indie Rock Fest. She was having trouble keeping time… but her voice was beautiful and I knew I wanted to see her again.

The show itself was good… the crowd, however, was not. The best thing about both Greg and Ingrid is that they connect with people. Even when there is 400 people in the room, you feel like you know her or feel like you could be her best friend. Many artists, famous and not so famous are disconnected with their audience to the point they make you feel small or that they are so much better than you. I love seeing bands and artists that make you feel like they are letting you into their life through music and stories.

At the end of the night, I felt satisfied. Though I still feel like I need to see her again in a proper setting… maybe the rooftop bar at the Hilton Garden Inn at SXSW?? Who knows.