Life Without a Helmet

June 6, 2010Sara 2 Comments

Same smiling face without the white cue ball head. It has now been a month since Thomas was freed from the headgear he wore for over seven months. For the first couple weeks after the helmet came off, every time I dressed him I glanced around looking for the helmet to put back on. The first day back at daycare the kids all wondered who the new kid was. I really don’t miss it at all. Now I can snuggle up to him without a plastic barrier.

For those that don’t know, Thomas wore the helmet because he had a flat head. When he was young, he like to sleep on one side. This became typical after parents were encouraged to place their infants on their backs to sleep due to SIDS. Although the Back-To-Sleep campaign helped decrease the number of infants dying from SIDS, there was a rise of kids with flat heads.

We attempted to avoid the helmet by doing the suggested physical therapy, trying to train him to sleep on the other side to even things out. Because we went the route of physical therapy first, we lost valuable growth time. His friend was diagnosed at the same time but was immediately placed in the helmet. Three months later, he was done. In terms of the progress made on guiding Thomas’s head back to normal, he went from 8% out of shape to about 3.5%. I believe we were aiming for 3%. It is still a little misshapen, but really, whose head is perfectly round and maybe it will be enough to convince him that shaving his head is a bad idea. A mother can only hope.

Oh, yes… his hair is definitely red with a slight curl to it. I’m hoping the prophecy of the recent MIA video doesn’t come true and that Kick-a-ginger Day never amounts to much when he grows up. The hair recently needed cutting, which I chose to do myself. Although I feel I slipped up a few times due to Thomas continually trying to look back at what I was doing, I received confirmation from my stylist that she could really do much better. Glad I saved money on that.

Nada Surf and Telekinesis, Belly Up Tavern: 5/24/2010

May 26, 2010Sara Leave a comment

Just a fore-warning, this post really won’t do this show justice. Between stress from work and preparations for travelling, as well as the sheer awesomeness of the set, my brain is mush. Perhaps the short and sweet post will have to suffice.

Nada Surf, the band that Roger finally committed to as his favorite band of all time, returned to San Diego Monday this time on the Belly Up Tavern stage. Matthew commented that they are doing a slow tour of San Diego including venues such as HOB, The Casbah, SDSU’s Open Air Theater, and even the Brick By Brick. The show was not sold out, but based on the crunch indoors, it felt like it was close. I was hoping for them not to sell out so they could move back to The Casbah. Selfish, I know.

Seattle band, Telekinesis opened the show. Quirky front man drummer dedicated a song to a girl he over heard say “tampon.” Turns out the girl was Gregory Page’s sister comparing the drummer to another musician. Since my brain is fried, I can neither remember what word she actually used (it wasn’t tampon), nor remember what band or musician she was comparing him with. Yes, totally useless information. The band did have a good vibe; giddy to be sharing the stage with one of their influences.

They managed to weave in a few songs from their latest cover album, if i had a hi-fi into the set list. The entire list is posted on Rosey’s site. The emotional highs tapping my tear ducts included “Your Legs Grow” and “Always Love”. I think I would have really lost it if I heard “I Like What You Say” and “Beautiful Beat” with special family ties to those songs. I giggled during (and after) the guitar riff slip in the Killian’s Red when Matthew Caw, guitars/lead vocals, realized he had left one of his pedals at home… so ended up stomping on nothing then scrambling to find the right sound using other pedals and knobs. No worries Matthew, most guitarist have been there and with the additional guitarist, Doug Hillard of Guided By Voices (what’d you say!?!) the riff was barely missed.

The special treat of the night was basking in the glory of “Neither Heaven Nor Space,” a song which is rarely heard live. Butterflies in my stomach, it was that good.

Of course… the shiny object, destracting the most avid Nada Surf listeners that the show was over, “Blankest Year” made it’s appearance as the final song of the encore. Really, who can resist screaming Fuck it! at the top of their lungs? Oh and who can argue with a triple-ending cause Ira Elliot, the drummer felt the need to keep it going? Not me… or the rest of the crowd who were not ready to leave the Belly Up even after the show was well over.

Twitter Concert Experience: Broken Bells

May 20, 2010Sara Leave a comment

Some shows you don’t even need to leave the house for, especially if you follow the right people on Twitter. Last night the Broken Bells started off their first national tour, with The Morning Benders by kicking off the Humphrey’s Concerts By the Bay 2010 concert season and even though I wasn’t there, is was easy enough to follow along with the action online.

Dave Maass and Seth Combs from San Diego City Beat and Rosey Bystrak from SD Dialed In were among the not quite sold out crowd tormenting the Elite security assigned to keep the calm. Not that anyone was causing chaos, but venues such as Humphrey’s, Spreckel’s and Copley’s are known to have frequent anxiety attacks when bands that normally play bars and rock shows, entice the crowd to, of all things, dance.

The following tweets caught my eye and made made giggle just a little imagining the security trying to stop the crowds and Seth sitting there bitter:

@sddialedin 4th row. Awesome. @TheMorningBenders just called everyone to the front. Elite security heads are exploding.
@CombsSeth Humphrey’s is the worst place to see a show in the city. I’m two songs in and I already want to leave. Fascist security. Crappy sound. Suck.

From what I was able to gather from the fragmented tweets from the crowd, the Broken Bells managed to cover their entire album, as expected with one unexpected cover:

@DaveMaass Now Broken Bells are covering Crimson and Clover (very faithfully I might add)

In the end of the show, as always, the crowd came away with mixed reviews:

@CombsSeth God, Broken Bells are even more boring than The Shins
@sddialedin That was the first time I saw the whole crowd standing at a Humphrey’s show, even if only for the encore. Great show, Broken Bells!

Thank you all for making my night in that much more entertaining!

Ben Folds, House of Blues San Diego: 5/12/2010

May 19, 2010Sara Leave a comment

There are a few shows I do not miss when they come through town (if I can help it). And two of them are in May this year: Nada Surf on May 24 at the Belly Up Tavern (yay!) and Ben Folds which happen on May 12 at the House of Blues.

My first thought about opening act Kate Miller-Heidke from Australia was, “Why her?” Once I got over the shock of her 80’s inspired red, sequined prom dress and her husband/guitarist, Keir Nuttall looking exactly like Ben Folds (well, at least from a distance), I realized she was an awesome match. Her vocals rivaled Ben folds skills on the piano. Classically trained but wildly creative, Kate throws her voice and captures you for the duration of her performance. Favorites of mine included “Caught in The Crowd” (which reached the top of the charts in her native land) and this awesome song:

Note: This version was filmed by VEVO @ SXSW 2010.

Ben Folds strolled on stage to his solo piano waiting for him to storm the hall. Starting out with “Annie Waits” and left us wanting and not waiting for more. Mixed into his set, he weaved stories of his life including the recent loss of one piano, some keyboards, amps and tapes due to the flooding in Nashville. And then took at least half of the set to satisfy requests. I managed to recall most of the set list from the evening (not necessarily in exact order… at all):

“Annie Waits”
“All You Can Eat”
“Landed”
“Bitch Went Nutz”
“Army”
“Not the Same”
“Jesus Land”
“Rockin’ the Suburbs”
“Brick”
“Still Fighting It”
“Kate”
“You Don’t Know Me” (w/ Kate Miller-Heidke)
“Levi Johnston’s Blues”
“Zak and Sara”
“Morgan Davis”
“The Ascent of Stan”
“Carrying Cathy”
“Steven’s Last Night in Town”
“Fair”
One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces”

Some “of the best moments in his show included:

His drum solos in “Steven’s Last Night Town” and “One Angry Dwarf”, where the techs built the drum kit around him.
“You Don’t Know Me” duet with Kate Miller-Heidke. Really, this was just too cool to describe. Well… Here it is from Indiana University last September.
The incredible fan base. I never actually wrote about any of the previous Ben Folds shows I have been to, but I have to say, they completely amaze me. He tours through San Diego once a year (maybe) and yet the fans know ALL of his albums PLUS all of the rarities. You know, the ones that aren’t officially released and tucked away under someone’s mattress (or perhaps drowning in a Nashville basement, ouch… to soon).

Another awesome show that I’m pretty sure many of you missed… or else you really should have come over to say “hi.” Next time I guess.

Upcoming Event: North Park Festival of the Arts 5/16/2010

May 11, 2010Sara 1 Comment

I’m a little bias for believing that this year’s North Park Festival of the Arts on Sunday, May 16^th from 10AM to 6PM, will be one of the best festivals of 2010. Four years ago, I attended as a volunteer and thought the small one day festival could use a little work including representation of local bands, the involvement of North Park businesses and collaboration with the art community.

After three years of hard work, the community is finally beginning to see significant changes for the better, especially regarding the involvement of North Park businesses. There are a number of contributing factors to the success of the Festival, but mainly it is due to the willingness of newer businesses to help make North Park and this festival the best that it can be. Say what you will about businesses that have left North Park in the past few years, but as cool as they were, they did not really contribute (both money and time) to North Park Main Street who coordinates this festival year after year.

Check out the exciting activities and events happening this year due to the collaboration and energy from North Park businesses and residents:

Craft Beer Block: Enjoy this miniature taste of North Park from noon to 6PM on Ohio Street, by sampling 8 tastes from San Diego’s thriving breweries/wine bars and 10 tastes from North Park’s finest restaurants. $25 in advance online or at the following participating North Park restaurants: Splash Wine Lounge, Sea Rocket Bistro, West Coast Tavern and Toronado San Diego. Limited tickets will be available on the day of the event for $30. Additional drink tastes will be available onsite for $10 for 8 tastes. This is a cash only event, so be ready. Also, we are still looking for some beer pourers, so let me know if you are interested.
Quick Draw Event – “Plein Air” Painting Project: I personally think this is the coolest new addition to the festival. Registration for artists will be 9:30-10am at San Diego Art Department (SDAD) on Ray Street (all artists welcome to participate). The public is invited to watch participating artists during the Quick Draw event complete a “Plein air” painting within a two-hour time frame from 10am – Noon. The artists will be within walking distance of the Art Department, giving onlookers the opportunity to watch any or all the painters while the work is being done. The paintings, completed at noon, will be framed by each artist and displayed for public viewing on easels in front of SDAD. The works will be judged at 1pm by Stuart Burton. The wet paintings will be on sale from 1pm – 6pm during the festival.
North Park Craft Mafia: This crafty crew has joined forces with the festival for the last few years. Make sure to stop by and meet the crew and see their Spring Line Up of Usual Suspects. Don’t miss the two fashion shows happening on the Main Stage in between sets, including one doggy fashion show right before Josh Damigo goes on.
Hands On Art Area: This year, The Rare Hare Studios, Young Audiences of San Diego, McKinley Elementary Parent Teacher Club, and Outside the Lens will provide hands-on projects for kids and their parents to enjoy together. Enjoy origami making lessons, learn how to craft with recycled items, engage in multi-media and photography and take part in other fun interactive arts projects.
Free Bike Valet: Velo Cult Bike Shop has teamed up with the San Diego Bicycle Coalition to offer free bike valet service on Iowa Street at University Avenue. The festival also happens to fall at the beginning of the Bike to Work Week. So ride your bike to the festival and park in the bicycle valet to receive 20% off your first beer in the Beer Garden, located on 31st Street at the Drowsy Maggies Stage or just do it for the environment.
Plus!!!: Six stages with an eclectic mix of performers, juried arts, a whole host of things going on along Ray Street and a beer garden with a stage dedicated to the historic Drowsy Maggies (oddly enough, an alcohol-free live music venue).