San Diego CityBeat • Oct 2, 2019

OCTOBER 2, 2019 • SDCITYBEAT.COM • FREE

SMART CATCH

Chef JoJo Ruiz brings sustainability to Hotel Del Coronado FUTURISTIC (P16) • SICHUAN CITY (P5) • BREWED SELTZER (P6)

2 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · OCTOBER 2, 2019

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Volume 18 • Issue 4

FEATURES

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FUTURISTIC

EDITOR Christina Fuoco-Karasinski ART DIRECTOR Christy Byerly COLUMNISTS Edwin Decker Alfred Howard John R. Lamb Rhonda “Ro” Moore CONTRIBUTORS David L. Coddon Beth Demmon Michael A. Gardiner Sara Harmatz Glenn Heath Jr. EDITORIAL INTERN Mary Pat Abruzzo

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PRODUCTION MANAGER Tristan Whitehouse ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Steven Persitza SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Jason Noble PRESIDENT Steve Strickbine VICE PRESIDENT Michael Hiatt

FOOD & DRINK

MUSIC

5

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THE WORLD FARE

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CHEF JOJO

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WORT MENTIONING

Side Eye of Sanity___________ 4 Wort Mentioning ������������6 Top 15 �������������������10 World Fare_________________ 5 Calendar of Events ����������8 Theater �������������������11

ARTS & CULTURE

IN THE BACK

11THEATRE 15 FILM

San Diego CityBeat is published and distributed every Wednesday by Times Media Group, free of charge but limited to one per reader. Reproduction of any material in this or any other issue is prohibited without written permission from the publisher and the author. Contents copyright 2019.

THE SPOTLIGHT

Cover Story ��������������������������� 14 Film ��������������������������������� 15

ON THE COVER:

23 CANNABITCH

Futuristic ����������������������������� 16 Concerts & Clubs ������� 18-20 The Spotlight �������������������������� 17 CannaBitch ��������������� 23

Chef Jose “JoJo” Ruiz, photo courtesy Hotel Del Coronado

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OCTOBER 2, 2019 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 3

UP FRONT | VOICES

Side Eye of Sanity

It’s time to be intolerant of intolerance

By Rhonda “Ro” More

D

uring the Emmy Awards, I tweeted a wish for Tim Allen to go away and take his show with him.

It, apparently, struck a nerve because folks hopped in my Twitter mentions with the quickness. Some automatically associated the comment with Trump (how when I didn’t mention his oversized orange melon once, I don’t know).

Others tried to lecture me about calling the show bigoted. It was an interesting evening.

I get why a lot of people connect with the show. That character feels really familiar.

They see (and hear) themselves in him. Because they don’t consider themselves to be bigots or prejudiced, the show can’t be either.

Kerfuffle aside, I meant it. “Last Man Standing” leans heavily into intolerance for laughs. Although the show has a variety of personality types (played by skilled actors) and nonwhite people in the cast, its storylines often reinforce negative stereotypes by making any association with race or ethnicity a punchline. Allen uses that show to laud his version of a “real” American, while constantly perpetuating negative/ toxic images of masculinity, and animus for non-Christian religions or groups—for laughs.

Allen’s not trying to spark debate; he’s peddling confirmation bias. Particularly because for many, this show (and others like it) is the only interaction folks have with a person of another race or differing ideology. Hiding behind “comedy” to ferment intolerance shouldn’t be acceptable (stares at David Chappelle).

As a society, we expend

an insane amount of energy propping up “should be” and inserting highly tailored “supposed to” sentiments into the lives of other people, quite often without processing how reductive, regressive and downright reprehensible those actions may be. People will do a lot to defend their right to remain comfortably numb to other people’s plight so long as the ones who suffer for their comfort do it somewhere away from them.

There are so many cultural and structural norms designed to keep people in line, it’s easy to fall into defending a position that isn’t good, fair or righteous. There’s been a serious conservative narrative shift advocating maintaining the status quo at all cost. There’s a segment of society firmly convinced the collective consciousness would be fine if the disgruntled would just stop pointing out its flaws.

It’s this line of reasoning that makes way for the comfortable to accuse anyone who disturbs that comfort as being the “real” divisive element.

People like Tim Allen use their platform to sow discord under the guise of subtle commentary from the “rational seat” playing on folks’ fears and white nostalgia. If someone pointing out this problematic behavior brings “Trump” to mind and sparks defensiveness well, mayhap there’s a good reason for that.

This year has become the age of disbelieving even objective facts. Truth is often refuted or disregarded based solely on a subjective, if sincerely, held belief.

People treat beliefs as enough to trump scientific proof, informed study, lived experiences, or any other form of evidence.

If a truth contradicts a personal belief, then that

truth must be what’s wrong.

Conversations about serious issues wither on the vine or become so hopelessly circular that opportunities for understanding fade into the ether.

People behave as if protecting the collective space necessarily requires a loss of rights/access on someone (else’s) part. We permit a lot to be chalked up as just the “cost” of doing business.

I’ve been lucky. Because my father was in the Air Force, I spent the first part of my formative years living in base housing. It worked as a shield against certain types of prejudice, mostly just the kind that will get a soldier thrown in the brig. As an adult, I recognize my mother stood in the breach to ensure other more malignant forms of bias and bigotry only touched me lightly. Admittedly that changed after we moved to the South, but the steps my parents took to

create a space for their children to grow up whole held far more than many others.

Unfortunately, society saw fit to remedy that come adulthood.

As a black woman, if I bring up the fact that the level of customer service and care I receive is consistently on a subpar sliding scale where my race is the determinative factor for how I’ll be treated and that this frequently puts my life in jeopardy, I’m accused of “playing the race card” and victimizing myself.

As a black woman with a chronic illness that isn’t visible if I take steps to ensure my ability to safely participate and interact with the world around me, I’m habitually accused of trying to “game” the system or get over on someone.

When I push back, my complaints are derided as just “identity politics.” When I stand my ground, I’m accused of being obstructive and aggressive. When I speak up, I’m considered unnecessarily combative. When I refuse to accept false equivalencies as facts, suddenly I’m not “really” interested in solutions. If I say a person’s religious convictions should never be codified into law and used to deny me or anyone else rights I’m derided as being unAmerican (I’m still trying to figure out the logic behind that one).

Trust me, I have a loose hold on crazy on a good day; but trekking through this muck on the regular basis seriously tests my control. That is exhausting.

So, now I’m a firm believer in the paradox of tolerance.

The only way to have a tolerant society is to be intolerant of intolerance.

I’m not overlooking a damn thing.

EDWIN DECKER’S COLUMN WILL RETURN. 4 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · OCTOBER 2, 2019

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UP FRONT | FOOD & DRINK

THE WORLD

FARE Sichuan Redux

Toothpick lamb and other new dishes shine at Sichuan City

By Michael A. Gardiner

J

ust over half a year ago, I wrote glowingly of Spicy Hut restaurant and its Sichuanese fare. Now, after having been open for just over a year and a half, Spicy Hut is gone, replaced by Sichuan City (9460 Mira Mesa Boulevard, Suite E8). If anything, it’s better.

As the name would suggest, the food at Sichuan City is, like that of Spicy Hut before it, Sichuan. The flavor profiles lean toward the hot and spicy along with contrasting sweet and sour flavors. But while Sichuan City’s menu looks a lot like Spicy Hut’s, there are some new dishes that seriously merit a taste.

Perhaps the most extraordinary amongst these is the toothpick lamb. It’s lamb cubes speared with toothpicks and marinated in soy, Shaoxing wine, cornstarch and peanut oil then dusted with cumin, Sichuan

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Stir-fried kidney with pickled chili peppers shares a classic feature of Sichuan cuisine—the use of preserved vegetables. In this case, it’s preserved chili peppers.

(Photo by Michael Gardiner)

peppercorn, onion and garlic powders and twice fried, the second time with chili peppers.

Aside from the fact the dish is just plain fun to eat, it’s the delicious combination of the lamb’s richness, the earthiness of the cumin and the typically mala flavors resulting from the marriage of the spicy chilis and numbing Sichuan peppercorns.

One classic feature of Sichuan

cuisine is the use of preserved vegetables, and preserved chili peppers in particular. A great example of this is the stir-fried kidney with pickled chili peppers.

Kidneys are an example of why many regard offal with great suspicion. After all, their work in the living creature inherently involves urine. But, properly cleaned they are delicious: meaty with some minerality and a firm

texture the likes of typical muscle meat. The acidity of the pickled peppers is the perfect foil to the kidneys, albeit not for the faint of spice.

Perhaps the most surprising dish at Sichuan City was one of the simplest: snow pea leaf with garlic. It’s pea leaves lightly wilted in garlic-infused oil and sauced with a hit of Shaoxing wine.

Simple? Yes. But once again it was the perfection of the pairing that makes the dish. The sweetness of the pea leaves is elevated by the richness and pungence of the garlic-infused oil and it’s all tied together by the wine.

The reality is what was good about Spicy Hut is still good about Sichuan City. The old dishes are as good as ever. The new ones are great. So why did Spicy Hut close? I’ve seen many restaurant locations turn over quickly. There are locations in this town at which I’ve reviewed three different restaurants!

Usually, the reasons are obvious: chronic empty tables, bad food or bad location. None of the obvious reasons seemed to apply here.

The location is good, on multiple visits Spicy Hut was never empty (or close to it) and the food was good.

The first hint of the reason was the credit card print-out. It still said “Spicy Hut” and continued to on four consecutive visits. When I asked whether the chef and owners were new, I was told the chef was the same, but the owners were new. Perhaps now, freed of financial responsibility for the place he’s free to focus even more on the food. As good as Spicy Hut was the transition has paid dividends.

Sichuan City

9460 Mira Mesa Boulevard, Suite E8 858-578-8818

OCTOBER 2, 2019 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 5

UP FRONT | BEER

WORT MENTIONING

The Hard Facts on Brewed Seltzer Are they the shiny Miata in the midlife crisis of breweries?

By Karen Barnett

H

ard seltzer doesn’t exactly have the flavor profile of beer, but most are similarly brewed, even using hops for aroma.

Recently, IRI (a Chicago-based market research firm) reported augmented national beer sales but this includes fermented malt beverages (a.k.a. products like hard seltzer) dominating that growth at almost 28%. These products are putting a dent in the beer market. So much so that breweries, small and large, are noticing and choosing to brew their own versions of the stuff.

Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams) produces Truly

and Mark Anthony Brands (Mike’s Hard Lemonade) produces White Claw, claiming 85% of total hard seltzer sales so far this year. It poses the question: are hard seltzers the mMiata in the mid-life crisis of breweries?

Or, is there something awesome about this product that the rest of us beer drinkers are missing?

Breweries are a business, not a kumbaya circle. None are 100% charity or curing cancer in babies. The beer industry is fiercely competitive and markets, both local and national, are oversaturated. If breweries can’t sell enough of their beer to reach projected sales goals, something has to change and that just might include adding a line of seltzers to their portfolio to reach more

6 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · OCTOBER 2, 2019

customers. While alcohol trends are cyclical, seltzers are seemingly here to stay—this time.

Launched in 1993, Zima was introduced to the alcohol market by—you guessed it—a beer company. Coors hawked Zima for 15 years, removing the brand from shelves in 2008 with a short return in 2017 after Anheuser-Busch did what they do best: acquired a small business who was threatening their market share. A-B InBev bought and rebranded SpikedSeltzer with a name that sounds like characters straight off “The Real Housewives of New Jersey”—Bon & Viv. One would think that’s exactly who this product is marketed to. The figure-watching, calorie-counting wifey who doesn’t like the taste

of beer.

That’s not who is necessarily drinking it though. Hard seltzers, while not high in alcohol, are crushable. These gender-neutral consumers want to drink as much as they can over a period of time, and aren’t interested in developing a palate for a true artisan craft. Marketed as healthy, with natural ingredients, they appeal to “light” drinkers, and the gluten-free, keto-friendly and (some) vegans. People don’t want to mix cocktails at the beach, let alone learn how to actually make a decent one. It’s for these reasons that hard seltzers have found their place in the market.

So why do beer drinkers care? We shouldn’t. Personally, I think hard seltzers taste like

someone added lotion to my Pellegrino. We should continue to drink what we like and, more importantly, support whomever we want to. Care about a local brewery’s culture, or lack thereof?

Their existence depends on your dollars and support. Don’t like hard seltzers? Don’t drink them.

Breweries should focus on clean beer, improved marketing, and good behavior to keep up in any market. Retract your claws—hard seltzers aren’t the enemy. Truly.

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UP FRONT | BEER AND WINE CALENDAR LA MESA OKTOBERFEST OCTOBER 4 TO OCTOBER 6

La Mesa Oktoberfest hosts one of the largest German celebrations in Las Mesa and it does so without an admission fee. There is a beer for everyone at this longstanding festival.

La Mesa Village, 8401 La Mesa Boulevard, La Mesa, lamesaoktoberfest.org, 4 to 10 p.m.

Friday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, free.

LIBRARY VERTICAL TASTING OCTOBER 4

Winemaker Mike Embly guides guests through the hearts of cabernet franc and Malbec during this tasting. Other samples will be available.

Hungry Hawk Vineyards and Winery, 3255 Summit Drive, Escondido, 760-489-1758, hungryhawkvineyards.com, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., $60.

OKTOBERFEST IN EL CAJON OCTOBER 4 TO OCTOBER 6

Join the family-friendly festival that celebrates German culture. The evening includes performances by Guggenbach-Buam from Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany, folk dancing, beer, games and contests, vendor booths and craft stands.

German American Societies of San Diego, 1017 S. Mollison Avenue, El Cajon, 619-4426637, germanclubsandiego.org, 4 to 10 p.m.

Saturday, noon to 10 p.m. Sunday and noon to 9 p.m. Sunday, prices vary.

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PACIFIC BEACHFEST OCTOBER 5

The free festival boasts craft beer, fish taco contests, surf competitions, beach volleyball and craft beer. Guests who participate in the Pacific Beachfest 5K will receive a finisher’s medal, tank top, sunglasses, a free craft beer and live music.

Pacific Beach Boardwalk, between Felspar Street and Thomas Street, Mission Bay and Beaches, 858-273-3303, pacificbeachfest.org, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., free.

baskets.

Gianni Buonomo Vintners Winery & Tasting Room, 4836 Newport Avenue, Ocean Beach, 858-278-2788, gbvintners.com, 1 to 4 p.m., $25.

OCTOBER 5

Four wines will be showcased at this event for the wine club community.

Cueva Bar, 2123 Adams Avenue, University Heights, 619-269-6612, cuevabar.com, 3 to 4 p.m., $5.

SAN DIEGO SAKE DAY

OCTOBER 5 TO OCTOBER 6

OCTOBER 5

Celebrate the annual tradition of family fun, live music, dancing and beer on tap. The Julian Oktoberfest hosts raffles and music by Gordon Kohl Band, and will offer grilled hot dogs, beans and housemade potato salad.

Julian Town Hall, 2129 Main Street, Julian, 760-765-0613, bit.ly/2nGrPTv, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., free.

There’s a “day” for everything, so why not sake? Local chefs will present tasty treats to complement tastings of the beverage.

Japanese Friendship Garden, 2215 Pan American Road East, Downtown, 619232-2721, niwa.org, noon to 8 p.m., $35-$75.

SIP FOR THE CAUSE LUPUS FOUNDATION WINE TASTING FUNDRAISER

OCTOBER 5

The Lupus Foundation of Southern California is hosting a wine-tasting benefit at Gianni Buonomo Vintner in Ocean Beach. See the winemaking process and enter to win wine gift

OKTOBERFEST & FAMILY FALL FESTIVAL OCTOBER 5

WINE CLUB TASTING 8.0

OKTOBERFEST

OCTOBER 5

sausages and giant pretzels for snacks.

Quartyard, 1301 Market Street, East Village, bit. ly/2mqkyHf, 2 to 7 p.m., $5-$15.

The Carlsbad Rotary taps into the Oktoberfest market to raise money for its organization. Kids will have plenty to keep them busy, like costume contests, music, games, rides and domestic beers.

Holiday Park, Chestnut Avenue, Carlsbad, carlsbadrotary.com, noon to 9 p.m., $15.

OKTOBERFEST This Oktoberfest features more than 20 beers on tap, but more than that, drink specials and fun items from vendors.

Don’t forget the beer-infused

OCTOBER 2, 2019 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 7

EVENTS ART

Arts That Inspire at La Bodega Studios and Gallery, 2196 Logan Avenue, Barrio Logan. Artists, entrepreneurs and philanthropists will gather to enjoy art, performances, live music and more to raise money for educational and art programs for girls in rural communities of Mexico. From 6 to 10 p.m. Thursday, October 3. $35. labodegastudios. com Angels and Monsters at June Rubin Studio, 2690 Historic Decatur Road, Liberty Station. The local artist will present works featuring traditionally spooky characters, such as Godzilla, in watercolor pieces with a quirky twist. From 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, October 4. Free. 858-229-4571, junerubin.com Fabiola Jean-Louis’ at Lux Art Institute, 1550 S. El Camino Real, Encinitas. The artist-in-residence will discuss her background and artistic process and unveil her residency work as part of the institute’s studio series. From 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, October 4.

Free. luxartinstitute.org Traditional Print Makers: Open House at The Studio Door, 3867 Fourth Avenue, Hillcrest. Local printmakers will be showcased in an exhibition of lithography, intaglio, relief, monotype and monoprint methods of traditional printmaking. From noon to 7 p.m. Saturday, October 5. Free. 619-2552867, thestudiodoor.com Artists’ Reception at Off Track Gallery, 937 S. Coast Highway, Encinitas. Photography by Jeffrey Brosbe and oil paintings by David Rickert will be featured in a showcase alongside works from military veterans.

From 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday, October 5. Free. 760942-3636, sandieguitoartguild.com

BOOKS

Kevin Mclean at Central Library, 330 Park Boulevard, Downtown. Discussion with the author

of “Crossing the River Kabul,” which details Bar Popal’s journey to flee Afghanistan and stories of his life in Afghanistan. From 12:30 to 2:30 p.m.

Saturday, October 5. Free. 619-236-5800, sdfocl.org Walter Echo-Hawk at Barona Cultural Center and Museum, 1095 Barona Road, Lakeside. The renowned Native American legal scholar, author and historian will discuss his latest book, “The Sea of Grass: A Family Tale from the American Heartland.”

From 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, October 7. Free. 619443-7003, baronamuseum.org

COMEDY

JB Smoove: Lollygaggin Tour at Balboa Theatre, 750 B Street, Downtown. The multi-talented writer, comedian, actor and recent author will perform standup comedy as part of his international tour.

From 8 to 10 p.m. Saturday, October 5. $30-$50.

858-570-1100, sandiegotheatres.org Franco Escamilla at Balboa Theatre, 868 Fourth Avenue, Downtown. The standup comedian, singer/ songwriter and radio personality will perform his signature standup, which has earned him the nickname El Amo del Sarcasmo. From 7 to 9 p.m.

Sunday, October 6. $96-$250. 802-255-1826, sandiegotheatres.org

FILM

Mountainfilm on Tour at EUSD Farm Lab, 441 Quail Gardens Road, Encinitas. Gain insight on films, filmmakers and subjects which explore the mission to use the power of film, art and ideas to inspire the creation of a better world. From 6 to 10 p.m.

Thursday, October 3. $20. fostertheearth.org

FOOD & DRINK

Taste of Mission Hills at Goldfinch Street and West Washington Street, Mission Hills. The eighth annual neighborhood tasting will feature items from more than 25 eateries. From 5 to 9 p.m. Wednesday,

8 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · OCTOBER 2, 2019

October 2. $30-$35. 619-559-9502, missionhillsbid. com Sake Day at Japanese Friendship Garden, 2215 Pan American Road East, Balboa Park. Local and national sake breweries will offer sips alongside other local craft industries, alongside martial arts performances, food demos and art. From noon to 8 p.m. Saturday, October 5. $35-$75. 619-232-2721, niwa.org Signature Chefs Gala at Del Mar Racetrack, 2260 Jimmy Durante Boulevard, Del Mar. Enjoy a tasting ensemble of local favorites prepared and served by culinary masters from top local restaurants to raise money for the March of Dimes. From 4 to 10 p.m.

Sunday, October 6. $350. signaturechefs.org

MUSIC

Bach’s Lunch at St. James by the Sea, 743 Prospect Street, La Jolla. San Diego Baroque presents a monthly afternoon concert series featuring popular works by the composer Johann Bach. From 12:30 to 1 p.m. Wednesday, October 2.

Free. sdbaroque.com The Lightness of Dark Tour at Dizzy’s, 1717 Morena Boulevard, Morena. Award-winning Australian pianist Fiona Joy Hawkins and violinist Rebecca Daniel will perform for an evening of a classical crossover between piano, violin and voice. From 8 to 10 p.m. Friday, October 4. $25. brownpapertickets.com/event/4306933 Rafael Payare’s Opening Weekend at Copley Symphony Hall, 750 B Street, Downtown. The season opens with live performances of “Alternative Energy” from Mason Bates and “Symphony No. 5” from Gustav Mahler. From 8 to 10 p.m. Saturday, October 5 and Sunday, October 6. $23-$85. sandiegosymphony.org

Rudresh Mahanthappa’s Indo-Pak Coalition at The Loft at UC San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla. The alto saxophonist and composer and his group will perform a unique sound that hybridizes progressive jazz and South Indian classical music.

From 8 to 10 p.m. Tuesday, October 8. $9-$35. 858534-8497, artpower.ucsd.edu Record Shop Pop-Up at Liberty Station Public Market, 2820 Historic Decatur Road, Liberty Station. Vinyl Junkies will take over the outdoor patio while attendees dance the night away under string lights and listen to the sounds of Tre3BEATles and other local DJs. From 5 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, October 9. Free. vinyljunkies.net

PERFORMANCES

Haunted Tales at Eclipse Bar & Bistro, 2145 Fern Street, South Park. Members of Storytellers of San Diego, Eric Tauble, Arlyn Hackett, Jim Dieckmann and Mindy Donner, will haunt attendees with creepy and wicked tales. From 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday, October 5. Free. 619-850-2130, storytellersofsandiego.org Our House at University City United Church, 2877 Governor Avenue, University City. The all-female chorus group, Key of She, will perform works by Sarah Quartel, Samuel Barber, Anders Endenroth and more in their fall concert. From 7 to 8 p.m. Saturday, October 5. Free. 619-857-5115, keyofshe.org Sonnets n’ Speeches; A Celebration of Shakespeare’s Women at Old Globe Theatre, 1363 Old Globe Way, Balboa Park. A cast of all-female performers will take the stage and enact selections from the canon honoring the women of Shakespeare. From 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Monday, October 7. $25-$65. 619-430-6809, sandiegoshakespearesociety.org

See

EVENTS on page 22

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The Floating Library

EVENTS

The Unforgiven

Local novelist Patrick Coleman debuts ‘The Churchgoers’

By Jim Ruland

M

ark Haines, the protagonist of Patrick Coleman’s debut novel “The Churchgoer,” published earlier this year by Harper Collins, doesn’t have a lot going for him. The disgraced pastor has lost everything: his church, his family, and his reputation.

Stripped of his congregation, Mark works as a security guard on the graveyard shift and sleeps the day away in a run-down apartment in Oceanside. The highlight of his existence is the hour before sunrise when he paddles out into the surf to catch a few waves.

The rest of the time, Mark tries to keep his smoldering resentment at bay by minding his own business. But when he makes the mistake of buying a hamburger for a young woman

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in distress, his life turns upside down after she disappears.

Thrust into the role of a reluctant detective, Mark gets sucked into a sordid drama involving wild surfer parties, drug-dealing youth group leaders, and sleazy pastors with plenty of secrets. His good deed does not go unpunished and his own skeletons come tumbling out of the closet.

Despite Mark’s evangelical past, “The Churchgoer” is every bit as hardboiled as the crime novels of Raymond Chandler and Jim Thompson, who briefly lived in San Diego.

As a former preacher, Mark has a way with words and his once Christian worldview is decidedly caustic. Here’s Mark describing a former associate: “His thin lips parted to reveal a set of shimmering white teeth: perfect teeth, pristine teeth, the kind of smile you can’t help

smiling back into on a face that would give a dermatologist a spiritual crisis.”

Coleman, who lives in Ramona and works at UCSD, dispatches his detective all over San Diego and takes pleasure in puncturing the myth of San Diego as America’s Finest City.

“The Churchgoer” is a tightly plotted noir with all the classic tropes of a detective novel; but it’s also an existential rumination on what it means to come to the end of things. The detective’s search for clues to solve the mystery stands in for man’s search for meaning in a world ruled by uncertainty.

“The wish for certainty,” Mark realizes, was a wish for death.”

“The Churchgoer” Harper Perennial patrickcoleman.org/ the-churchgoer

OCTOBER 2, 2019 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 9

EVENTS

TOP15

By Mary Pat Abruzzo

1 Taste of Mission Hills OCTOBER 2

Experience an evening of tastes from all throughout Mission Hills, one of San Diego’s premiere dining destinations. From local to international, eighth annual Taste of Mission Hill features 25 participants showcasing their delicious bites. Make sure to bring your appetite as chefs, baristas and ice cream makers are preparing to captivate your taste buds.

Mission Hills Restaurants (Free trolley service included in ticket). missionhillsbid.com/taste/, 5 to 9 p.m. $30-35.

2 Raveena OCTOBER 2

Soul and R&B singer Raveena wants to make music that’s a complete expression of the self. Her latest album, “Lucid,” is conceptual and experimental threaded together by a story of healing and expression meant to experience from start to finish.

The Stage Room, 105 Eucalyptus Grove Lane, San Diego, eventbrite.com, 8:30 to 11 p.m., $17 general admission, free for UCSD students with ID.

3 Flower Crown Workshop OCTOBER 3

During this fun workshop, participants can make their own floral headpiece. Get even more creative and bring your own embellishments to further personalize your flower crown.

Sherman Heights Community Center, 2258 Island Avenue, Sherman Heights, 619-232-5181, bit. ly/2mKqQlh, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., $25.

4 Vampire Weekend OCTOBER 3

Mixing indie rock with joyful, Afro pop-inspired melodies and rhythms, Vampire Weekend found success with two consecutive, chart-topping albums. Rock out and dance to all your favorites like “A-Punk” or “Oxford Comma” or find some new favorites from its new album, Father of the Bride,” like “This Life” or “Bambina.” Soccer Mommy opens.

Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre at SDSU, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, as.sdsu.edu/calcoast/events/, 7:30 p.m., tickets start at $42.

5 The San Diego Museum of Art Screening: “Hockney”

OCTOBER 4

Complementing the museum’s previous installation of David Hockney’s “The Valley,” “Hockney” dives into the life, loves and career of one of the world’s most

10 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · OCTOBER 2, 2019

celebrated contemporary artists. This film offers a deeply personal look into the artist’s remarkable life.

Show your ticket for a free look into Art After Hours from 5 to 8 p.m.

James S. Copley Auditorium, 1450 El Prado, Balboa Park, sdmart.org, 8 p.m., $5 to $10.

6 Harry Potter Trivia OCTOBER 4

Harry Potter fans can show their stuff during this fun, themed trivia night. Teams can prove their wizardry knowledge to win magical prizes.

The Rail, 3796 Fifth Avenue, Hillcrest, facebook. com, 7 to 9 p.m., $16.

7 National Taco Day Pop-up!

OCTOBER 4

Celebrate National Taco Day and the upcoming opening of Puesto in Mission Valley with this taco pop-up outside the eatery’s future home.

5010 Mission Center Road, Mission Valley, facebook.com, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., free admission.

8 Oktoberfest OCTOBER 5

Quartyard is bringing Oktoberfest to San Diego with over 20 beers on tap, along with giant pretzels, lederhosen and, of course, beer. Join in the traditional Oktoberfest debauchery with games like cornhole and live music from a traditional German-American polka band, Oompah Katz. Prost!

Quartyard, 1301 Market Street, Gaslamp District, Eventbrite.com, 2 to 7 p.m., $5 to $20, 21 and older.

9 Pacific Beachfest 2019 OCTOBER 5

Get ready for a Saturday stacked with activities for the whole family in the heart of Pacific Beach. Imbibe in shopping, kids’ activities, a 5K, a taco contest, a craft beer garden and more.

Crystal Pier, 4500 Ocean Boulevard, Pacific Beach, pacificbeachfest.org, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m, free admission.

10 A Dirty Filthy Show OCTOBER 5

An art show that your mother warned you about.

Experience erotic and sensual art that focuses on adults-only subject matter. Ticket proceeds are given to the artist with the “dirtiest, filthiest piece.”

La Bodega Art Gallery, 2196 Logan Avenue, Barrio Logan, evensi.us, 6 to 10 p.m, $1, 18 and older.

11 Autism Speaks San Diego Walk 2019

OCTOBER 5

Start a team, join a team or come on your own.

Walk and fundraise to enhance the lives of people living with autism. Autism Speaks Walk is powered by the love of people with autism and the loved

ones who support them, accelerating a spectrum of solutions for tomorrow. Teams will compete in competitions and challenges leading up to a walk along NTC park.

Liberty Station NTC Park, 2455 Cushing Road, Liberty Station, act.autismspeaks.org, 760-960-6725, 9 a.m. registration, free but fundraising is encouraged

12 Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day

OCTOBER 5

Help your kids discover the joy of pedaling and riding in the dirt. Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day (TKMBD) is an annual event that seeks to introduce mountain biking to the next generation. With fun game stations, ramps and short trail rides, this event is perfect for daredevils and attention seekers.

Morley Field Sports Complex, 2221 Morley Field Drive, Balboa Park, facebook.com, 10:15 a.m. to 1 p.m., free.

13 “The Nightmare Before Christmas”

OCTOBER 5

Kickoff the spooky October season while still enjoying the San Diego summer beach weather. Summer Movies in the Park presents “The Nightmare Before Christmas” on Mission Bay. Set up your picnic spot early so your kids can enjoy pre-movie activities like a bounce house and arts and crafts. Movie will start 15 minutes after sunset.

Santa Clara Point, 1800 Santa Clara Place, Mission Bay, summermoviesinthepark.com. 5 p.m., free admission.

14 Neon Sunset: A Queer Poolside Session

OCTOBER 5

Feel the sun set as you dance and play at an outdoor lounge at the bay. A neon and glow in the day dance party for LGBTQ+, PoC, trans and allies, this event is a space for everyone to feel welcomed. The event is hosted by the HER app.

Hilton San Diego Resort & Spa, 1775 E. Mission Bay Drive, Mission Bay, eventbrite.com, melody@ weareher.com, 6 to 10 p.m., $10 to $15, 21 and older.

15 Paddle for Clean Water OCTOBER 6

Paddle for Clean Water is the largest noncompetitive surf event in California, where hundreds of participants paddle surfboards, SUPs and kayaks to raise awareness to clean our San Diego County oceans and beaches. Rock out to a soundtrack during your paddle with a live band on the beach and after your paddle listen in on speakers who represent the beach-loving community.

Ocean Beach Municipal Pier, 1950 Abbott Street, Ocean Beach, sandiego.surfrider.org, 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., free.

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ARTS | CULTURE

THEATER

A Musical Force

‘Almost Famous’ makes giant leap to the stage

By David L. Coddon

C

ameron Crowe’s stagemusical adaptation of his 2000 film “Almost Famous” is ebullient, joyous and warm, shining a strobe light not only on his youthful (he was 15) pursuit of a career as a music journalist but on the vagaries and excesses of the 1970s rock culture. Like the film from which it was adapted, the world-premiere musical is also, as Crowe has called it, a “love letter” to San Diego and to his mother, Alice.

Crowe’s collaborators on this adaptation being staged at the Old Globe Theatre are Pulitzer Prize winner (for the edgy musical “Next to Normal”) Tom Kitt and Tony Award nominee

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Casey Likes stars as William Miller in “Almost Famous.”

(for “Wolf Hall, Parts 1 and 2) Jeremy Herrin, who directs.

“Almost Famous” the musical relies heavily on songs written for it (music and lyrics by Kitt, with lyrics also by Crowe), with

a couple others that were used in the film (“River” by Joni Mitchell, who was in attendance at the Globe on opening night; Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer,” and “Fever Dog,” written by Heart’s

Nancy Wilson for Stillwater, the fictitious band in both the movie and this musical).

There’s no question this project is close to Crowe’s heart, and it’s his affection for this atonce thrilling and anxious time in his young life that is so eloquently brought to the fore. Casey Likes is just about perfect as William Miller (the Crowe character), mentored by acerbic rock critic Lester Bangs (Rob Colletti, colorfully playing the cynical yin to William’s wide-eyed yang.)

Stalwart, too, are Anika Larsen as William’s uber-protective mother, and both Colin Donnell and Drew Gehling as the battling but mutually charismatic frontmen of Stillwater, with whom William goes on tour as an assignment for Rolling Stone magazine. Solea Pfeiffer is “Band Aid” Penny Lane, and while her ballads feel a little repetitive, she renders each

with tenderness.

The production at the Old Globe, which Crowe as a boy used to attend with his mother, is outstanding, from Derek McLane’s versatile scenic design to David Zinn’s costumes to the sound design of Peter Hylenski.

Throughout its more than two and a half hours, “Almost Famous” looks, feels and sounds like a rock concert. Nothing could make Cameron Crowe happier than that.

“Almost Famous”

Various times through Sunday, October 27 Old Globe Theatre, 1363 Old Globe Way, Balboa Park Tickets start at $70

OCTOBER 2, 2019 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 11

12 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · OCTOBER 2, 2019

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OCTOBER 2, 2019 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 13

COVER STORY

Ingredients that Inspire Chef JoJo Ruiz brings raw ocean flavors to the Hotel Del Coronado

By Mary Pat Abruzzo

C

hef Jose “JoJo” Ruiz’s passion is pulled from fresh catches and local ingredients.

Leading the kitchen at the Hotel Del Coronado’s Lionfish and Serẽa, Ruiz prides himself on working face to face with San Diego fishermen, and using raw ocean flavors to for his creative dishes.

For his efforts, he was recognized, for a second time, as the James Beard Foundation Smart Catch Leader. Fewer than 20 of California’s estimated 76,000 restaurants are recognized by Smart Catch.

“We were committed to sustainable sourcing when we opened both Lionfish and Serẽa, not for the accolades, but because it was right,” Ruiz said.

“I grew up in San Diego.

The ocean is a part of who I am. There was never a question that my menus wouldn’t be focused on sustainability. To be recognized twice as a Smart Catch Leader is humbling, but to able to do my part to make sure future generations have sustainable food sources is even better.”

To be recognized by James Beard Foundation, restaurant menus must meet or exceed 80% sustainability, and restaurants must submit to three assessments per year. Further, “red” items, or seafood that is overfished or caught or farmed in ways that harm other marine life, can only appear twice on menus and must total 8% volume or less.

As one of the country’s most prominent culinary institutions, the James Beard Foundation’s Smart Catch is a program created by chefs for chefs with the purpose of increasing the sustainability of the seafood supply chain.

Serẽa and Lionfish are two of three restaurants in the San Diego area to have earned this Smart Catch Leader recognition.

He was exposed to the tastes of the ocean during family trips to Rosartio, Mexico, as a child.

His journey into the kitchen started when he was 16 years old, working as a dishwasher at a raw sushi bar.

His boss recognized his fishcutting talents and encouraged him to go to culinary school.

Attending the San Diego Culinary Institute after high school, he further nurtured his talent and passion for working with seafood.

“I could butcher fish just as well as I could cut a vegetable,” Ruiz said.

To expand on his seafood passion, Ruiz interned at San Diego’s Oceanaire Seafood Room, an upscale chain serving seafood and steaks. It was here he was introduced to Oceanaire’s thenhead Chef Brian Malarkey, who at the time was competing on the reality TV show “Top Chef.”

“He definitely made a big impact on me,” Ruiz said about Malarkey’s dedication to using the freshest foods and the best ingredients.

Ruiz followed Malarkey to Seasucker to work as his sous chef and to further his seafood skills. But it was his position at Herringbone La Jolla that Ruiz found his style in seafood.

“Ingredients really inspire me,” he said.

14 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · OCTOBER 2, 2019

Chef JoJo Ruiz’s cooking journey began when he worked as a dishwasher at a raw sushi bar (Photo courtesy Hotel del Coronado)

The seasons and the ingredients within them inspire Ruiz, who lets them shine in their natural state.

“I get passion every time I get a phone call from one of the local fishermen,” Ruiz said.

Whether it be an 80-pound local halibut or fresh sea urchin, he is excited about the possibilities of what he can showcase from fresh, local ingredients.

Ruiz is also inspired by people. As a chef and a manager. he finds joy in working with diverse groups of people and has learned that being personable is entirely rewarding, “I like growing cooks and

growing cooks into chefs,” he said.

His new project, Serẽa, is the ultimate showcase of his commitment to sustainability and local seafood. Located in the Hotel Del Coronado where the iconic 1500 Ocean restaurant formerly resided, “Serẽa” is dedicated to sustainability.

The restaurant, named after the word for “one with water,” offers coastal cuisine with Mediterranean flair, highlighting and honoring the naturally delicious tastes from the water.

Ruiz listed the perfect evening meal: a local tuna sashimi, local halibut ceviche, patatas bravas, a whole local roasted Baja striped sea bass and a side of farmers market vegetables of

the day.

“If I sat down and had that, I would be very happy,” Ruiz said.

He believes being a Smart Catch Leader means, “being able to trace all my seafood back to its original origin and when it is traced to its original origin that it is clean.”

Sustainability is as simple as asking where the fish is coming from and knowing the fisherman with whom he is working.

His dedication to sustainability also stems from the recent birth of his son.

“I want to have a future for not just my family, but every family,›› Ruiz said. As a chef, he believes it is his responsibility to interpret what is best for our environment and our oceans.

He believes that little by little, people who care can create change. “Change is finally happening.”

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ARTS | CULTURE

Pulling No Punches ‘First Love’ from Japan leads our rundown of movie screenings

By Glenn Heath Jr.

L

ooking for mercy in a Takashi Miike film?

Good luck finding it in any other place besides the sharp side of a katana sword. The prolific Japanese genre auteur known for staging notorious and unflinching displays of arterial carnage doesn’t really do tenderness.

His usual casts of characters, often some combination of

Opening

“Are You Afraid of the Dark?”: A film adaptation of the popular Nickelodeon horror anthology series. Opens Friday, October 4, in wide release.

“Edie:” Following the death of her husband, Edie (Sheila Hancock) breaks free from years of his control and rebels

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demented yakuza or mad samurai, are hardened by the bitter realities of a power-hungry world.

Each of these elements can be found in “First Love,” Miike’s latest high-energy genre hodgepodge about a terminally ill boxer who finds purpose by protecting a runaway call girl. Leo (Masataka Kubuto) happens upon the fleeing Monica (Sakurako Konishi) in the middle of

an elaborate drug theft gone badly, which involves a corrupt cop, one enterprising cockroach of a gangster, and an enraged gun moll.

While much of the central relationship operates at a level of relative calm, the surrounding chaos always threatens to envelope them. Falling for someone in this vicious society is always a gamble. One cynical old gun thug comforts a distraught newly minted wid-

ow by saying, “This happens when you fall for the wicked.”

Miike has a blast juxtaposing the two different narrative threads. While Leo and Monica work through her past traumas in ways that suggest a brimming possibility of intimacy, the professional killers jockeying for control of a massive drug shipment engage in a brutal war of attrition that culminates inside the aisles of a hardware store.

“First Love” (opening Friday, October 4, at Landmark Ken Cinema) will surely please the gore hounds familiar with Miike’s particular brand of stylized violence. The film also juxtaposes those shocking kill shots with genuine moments of empathy for the conflicted characters often discarded in the crime genre. Miike’s surprising sense of compassion is suitably conveyed in the film’s quietly moving final shot.

against her daughter’s wish for her to move into assisted living by embarking on an adventure she and her father had always longed for: a trip to the Scottish Highlands to climb the world famous Mount Suilven. Opens Friday, October 4, at Digital Gym Cinema in North Park.

diabolical Gotham City clown turned criminal in this dark, violent origin story that follows the character’s rise to infamy.

Opens Friday, October 4, in wide release.

lous lawyer and political power broker whose 28-year career ranged from acting as chief counsel to Sen. Joseph McCarthy’s Communist-hunting subcommittee to molding the career of a young Queens real estate developer named Donald Trump. Opens Friday, October 4, at Landmark Hillcrest and Angelika Carmel Mountain cinemas.

One-time only

“Joker:” Joaquin Phoenix inhabits the demented role of the

MOVIES

“Where’s My Roy Cohn?”: One of the most controversial and influential American men of the 20th century, Roy Cohn was a ruthless and unscrupu-

“A Star is Born:” Lady Gaga plays an unknown lounge singer who is discovered by a famous rock musician (Bradley Cooper) and the two become romantically linked on a path toward tragedy. Screens at 8 p.m. Thursday, October 3, to See

MOVIES on page 22

OCTOBER 2, 2019 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 15

MUSIC

From Schools to the Streets

Rapper Futuristic just wants to be happy

By Octavio Serrano

Z

ach Beck has been writing raps since he was 6, long before he became the Forbes-approved rapper Futuristic. He recalls recording music in his father’s studio and then hawking his albums to his classmates.

“I’d go to my dad’s house on the weekend. I’d record an album and then sell it for two weeks, go make another one, come back and sell it,” he said.

“I would literally go up the lunch line at school and see who wasn’t getting free lunch and I would be like, ‘Oh, you’re going to buy lunch? Why don’t you buy this CD.’” Now, the 28-year-old Warped Tour veteran is headed out on tour to share sounds from albums like his latest collection, “Zachary Lewis,” in the hopes of continuing his mission.

Futuristic will bring this show to North Park’s Soda Bar at 9 p.m. Saturday, October 5.

He said the show is a journey through his catalog. He’ll perform about two songs from each album he’s made since he moved from Illinois to Arizona during high school.

Grasping your roots

Beck was born in Bloomington, Illinois, where he was one of eight siblings, to his black DJ

father and Caucasian mother.

His dad, Joe Beck, opened for the likes of Snoop Dogg, so music was a natural part of the fledgling rapper’s upbringing.

“From early on, I was always rapping while he was playing drums and he’d have bands come over, so I was always around music,” said Beck, who describes his dad’s studio as having an ’80s drum machine that sounded like Eddie Murphy’s “Party All the Time.”

He began writing at 6, and two years later he laid down his first track: a remix of Michael Jackson’s “P.Y.T.” Music was in his blood.

“I felt it from the very beginning,” he said. “Literally the first time I wrote a verse, I was like, ‘This is it. This is what I’m going to do my whole life.’”

Inspired by Will Smith, Nelly and Ludacris, Beck enjoyed recording sessions with his father, who jumped on the drums as they wrote and recorded verses. The two recently toured together, bringing Beck’s career full circle.

“He drummed and DJed,” he said. “We were in New Orleans and he’s having fun. I just took a step back and I was like, ‘Man, this is what we talked about when I was 6.’”

Do it your way

Beck has had a strong indie, DIY approach since he began

16 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · OCTOBER 2, 2019

touring in 2012. He eschewed a booking agent and that proved to be a learning experience.

“My only expenses were the car and the gas and then I would just stay at my fans’ house,” he said. “I would just get on stage and be like, ‘We don’t got nowhere to go. What’s up?’ and we would just have parties with our fans and stay at their houses and it was fun as hell.”

That approach may have not been ideal, but it helped create a relationship with his fans.

“I think that as an artist you should do as much stuff as you possibly can by yourself,” he said. “You should do everything. You should sell your own merch. You should book your own shows because if you do that, you’re going to learn the process and then nobody can screw you over.”

Spread the word

Lyrics are important to Beck, as he’s adamant about spreading a message like his favorite artists.

“I’m into lyrics,” he said. “I like the artists for what they’re saying and the energy that they bring to a track. Sometimes you can get that through a beat, but most of the times it’s through the lyrics. I’m not a huge fan of artists who don’t say anything.

I like people who make you think, so I’ve always prided my-

Zach Beck has been rapping since he was 6 and is now on tour to continue to spread his message. (Photo courtesy Futuristic)

self on providing lyrics, providing a story and providing things of significance in songs.”

Beck is all about positivity as well. He encourages personal growth and speaks about making dreams a reality.

“I’ve always preached that if you believe in something, do that and do it relentlessly,” he said. “Because if you really beSee

FUTURISTIC on page 17

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MUSIC

FUTURISTIC

The

from page 16

SPOTlight

lieve it and have passion for it, you’re going to be happier doing that than anything else.”

With experiences under his belt, Beck said people should be grateful for what they have. Success and money don’t always lead to happiness.

The happiest people he’s met aren’t wealthy.

“I tell people all the time, no matter what’s going on in your life, there are millions of people who have it worse than you,” he said. “They wake up with a smile on their face every day. I was just in Mexico and Costa Rica a couple months back and there were people living in villages and tents and they’re the happiest people in the world. So how can you sit there in your house, with your car and your job and hate your life?”

Although he never really lost sight of his goals, he admits he could have been happier and more stable.

Jon McLaughlin plays a seated show at Music Box on Tuesday, October 8.

Photo courtesy on McLaughlin)

In the ‘Mood’

Jon McLaughlin turns to classical music for a break from pop

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

S

Taking control Beck considers himself passionate; someone who struggles with holding back harsh words during arguments.

It didn’t help that some of those were alcohol-induced arguments.

“I realized every dumb decision and every time I’ve gotten in trouble in my adult life had been while I’ve been drunk,” he said. “I thought, ‘When was the last time I didn’t have a dream?’ and I couldn’t remember.”

Calling himself a tad antisocial, Beck said he no longer wanted to rely on alcohol to loosen up. He challenged himself to go 50 days without drinking and chronicled the mission on his social media accounts. He did not necessarily believe he had a problem with alcohol. He just wanted to take control of his body.

Zach Beck preaches positivity, and encourages his fans to find happiness in their lives. (Photo courtesy “I needed to prove to myself this Futuristic) isn’t a real addiction to a point where I need this,” he said. “I need to know I can stop anytime I want to.”

When he is not spitting rhymes into to have fun. We all make mistakes, but He admits to going through minor the microphone, Beck plays basketball or the overall message is for fans to better withdrawal symptoms like the chills spends time with his family in his “Space themselves and to grow to be happy.” and sweats, but after a week he said he Jam”-themed game room. He doesn’t learned he could kick the habit. want to be a larger-than-life figure like “I had to do some things sober that I Futuristic w/Demrick, was used to doing drunk, so now I know the characters in that room. Beck is humble; someone who frequently conI can do those things,” he said.

Dylan Reese, tributes to the Make-a-Wish Foundation.

ScribeCash, “I just want to be known as a posiChanging his tune tive dude who did a ton of things inside Ray Vans Beck describes his latest album, and outside of music and that I helped 9 p.m.

Saturday, October 5 “Zachary Lewis,” as being more melodic people,” he said. “I see myself doing more Soda Bar, than previous efforts. He used live inand helping out a ton of artists.”

3615 El Cajon Boulevard, strumentation, something he had longed He has his fans to thank for that.

North Park to do.

“The fans definitely impacted me,” $17 in advance “I wasn’t worried about making a hit,” he said. “It’s almost like having a family. he said. “I was just making music that sodabarmusic.com Some of them really live off the music, made me feel good, and that is a little bit so I always try to give the right message of like when I was a kid making music.” and let people know it’s OK to party, @SDCITYBEAT

inger-songwriter Jon McLaughlin is in a mood.

Starting his career as a pop singer-songwriter, McLaughlin has turned toward classical music for his instrumental piano album, “Mood.” He’ll visit Music Box for a seated show to support “Mood” on Tuesday, October 8.

“I’m really pumped about it,” McLaughlin said. “It’s the first time I’ve put out a classical piano record.

“This tour should have an asterisk. It’s all-original songs. I’m not playing Rachmaninoff. This isn’t the entire set. I had no idea what the response would be to a classical piano rock, but it’s been great.”

The project was inspired by his “Dueling Pianos” video series. Each video features a new guest artist from out of town and they debut new arrangements.

He penned the first “Mood” song a year ago at an ideal time, he said.

“I needed a break from my pop stuff,” he said. “I think I was a little tapped out, in terms of writing. Writing is always tough. You have to take a break.

“The ‘Mood’ stuff had a one-two punch. It gave me a break and kept me inspired. I went through a good six-month phase where I couldn’t stop writing these classical songs. I bought a piano a year ago—the first piano I had ever owned. It was challenging, but in a good way.”

McLaughlin, who sees “Mood” as a continuing series, is working on a pop record and 10 songs are written.

“Five of them are good,” he said with a laugh. “I’ll keep writing for that. I’m also putting together a remake of 10 of my top fan favorites. I’m going to retool them, rerecord them. Some will be with a band and others will be a little more chill.”

Jon McLaughlin w/Sawyer 8 p.m. Tuesday, October 8 Music Box, 1337 India Street, San Diego. Tickets start at $25 for general admission 619-795-1337, musicboxsd.com

OCTOBER 2, 2019 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 17

MUSIC

CONCERTS HOT! NEW! FRESH!

The Writhers (Brick by Brick, 10/5), Bar1ne (Music Box, 10/12), Distressor (Soda Bar, 10/23), Enterprise Earth (Brick by Brick, 11/21), The Expendables (Music Box, 11/22), Johnny Distortion (Music Box, 11/23), Emily Afton (BUT, 11/25), Souly Had (HOB, 12/1), Authority Zero (Brick by Brick, 12/7), Valley Queen (Soda Bar, 12/8), Bayside (Casbah, 12/12), Matt Embree (Soda Bar, 12/20), Steel Pulse (BUT, 12/31), The Floozies (Music Box, 12/31), Chadwick Stokes & the Pintos (BUT, 1/9), Coco Montoya (BUT, 1/15), Queensryche (Music Box, 1/29), The 69 Eyes (Brick by Brick, 2/8), The Glorious Sons (Music Box, 2/9), Dashboard Confessional (Observatory, 2/12), Michael McDermott (Soda Bar, 3/2), Buddy Guy (BUT, 3/10), Grace Potter (Observatory, 3/18), Delta Sleep (Soda Bar, 4/6).

ALL SOLD OUT

Obituary (Brick by Brick, 10/3), Marc Broussard (BUT, 10/5), Cigarettes After Sex (Observatory, 10/5), Jonas Brothers (Pechanga Arena, 10/7), Morcheeba (BUT, 10/13), Tyler Childers (Observatory, 10/15), Caamp (BUT, 10/19), DEAN (Brick by Brick, 10/20), The Story So Far (Observatory, 10/24), Tab Benoit (BUT, 10/25), Black Pumas (Soda Bar, 10/25), Two Door Cinema Club (Observatory, 11/8), Built To Spill (Casbah, 11/14), Adam Carolla (BUT, 12/1), Thievery Corporation (BUT, 12/12), Stick Figure (BUT, 12/27-28), Dashboard Confessional (Observatory, 2/11).

CANCELED

Starcrawler (The Irenic, 10/4), Dick Dale’s Misirlou (BUT, 12/19), Christian Death (Soda Bar, 11/6), Goblin (Brick by Brick, 11/14).

GET YER TICKETS

Morrissey (Pechanga, 10/6), Lana Del Rey (Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre, 10/11), The Japanese House (Observatory, 10/11), The Who (Viejas Arena, 10/16), Judah & The Lion (Observatory, 10/17), Senses Fail (HOB, 10/19), Hozier (Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre, 10/26), Helmet (BUT, 11/7), Cold War Kids (Observatory, 11/15), The Maine (Observatory, 11/29), Aly & AJ (BUT, 12/8), King Princess (Observatory, 1/28).

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 2 Stiff Little Fingers at House Of Blues.

Ziggy Alberts at Belly Up Tavern. Avatar at Observatory North Park. Grieves at Soda Bar. Psyclon Nine at Brick by Brick. Sully at Music Box. State to State at The Casbah. BANKS at SOMA. Peter Frampton at Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre at SDSU. Chick Corea at Balboa Theatre.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3 Fruit Bats at The Casbah. Big K.R.I.T. at House of Blues. Hayes Carll at Belly Up Tavern.

Nikki Lane at Soda Bar. Berner at Music Box. Earth Groans at SPACE. Ingrid Michaelson at Observatory North Park. Vampire Weekend at Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre at SDSU. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4 Hiss Golden Messenger at The Casbah.

Beyond Creation at Brick by Brick. Okilly Dokilly at Soda Bar. The Pettybreakers at Music Box. Iron & Wine at Humphreys. Joe Hertler & the Rainbow Seekers at House of Blues. The Motet at Belly Up Tavern.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5 Grandmaster Flash at California Center for the Arts. Futuristic at Soda Bar. Fleetwood Mac vs Abba at Music Box. Westcoast Podcast Expo at Music Box. Vinyl Junkies Record Swap at The Casbah. Angela & Airwaves at House of Blues. The Writhers at Brick by Brick.

18 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · OCTOBER 2, 2019

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 6 Marc Broussard at Belly Up Tavern. Big Mountain at Music Box. Vivian Girls at Observatory North Park. Dwarves at Soda Bar. The Living End at Brick by Brick. Morrissey at Pechanga. Bad Religion at SOMA. Billy Currington at Del Mar Fairgrounds.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7 Starset at House Of Blues. Son Volt at Belly Up Tavern. IDLES at Observatory North Park.

SOURCE at Soda Bar. 1Take Jay at Music Box. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8 Jon McLaughlin at Music Box. Black Lips at The Casbah. Bit Brigade at Brick by Brick.

Deaf Club at Soda Bar. Van Morrison at North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre. Michael McDonald at California Center for the Arts. JJ Grey at Belly Up Tavern.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9 Dodie at House Of Blues. Dropkick Murphys at Park At The Park. The Parlor Mob at The Casbah. Skarhead at Soda Bar. Cass McCombs at Music Box. WAR at Belly Up Tavern. Stone Temple Pilots at Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10 Immolation at Brick By Brick. Too Many Zooz at Belly Up Tavern. Crumb at Music Box. The HU at Observatory North Park. Swervedriver at The Casbah. Nebula Drag at Soda Bar. Live at North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11 Logic at Viejas Arena at SDSU. Little Hurricane at Music Box. Led Zepagain at Belly Up Tavern. The Japanese House at Observatory North Park. Lana Del Rey at Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre. Kllo at Soda Bar. The Schizophonics at The Casbah.

Contortion at Brick by Brick. Logic at Viejas Arena at Aztec Bowl. Power Alone at Ché Café Collective.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12 The Waterboys at Observatory North Park.

Carlos Rivera at House of Blues. flor at Music Box. Tinariwen at Belly Up Tavern. El Ten Eleven at The Casbah. Mothership at Brick

by Brick. Death Cab for Karaoke at Soda Bar. The Glitch Mob at Petco Park. Patton Oswalt at California Center for the Arts. Zack Fox at SOMA. Bar1ne at Music Box. SUNDAY, OCTOBER 13 J Balvin at North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre. Kishi Bashi at Music Box. Disentomb at Brick By Brick. Collie Buddz at Observatory North Park. Brick + Mortar at Soda Bar. Bastille at Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre at SDSU. Lila Downs at Balboa Theatre. Mayday at SOMA. The Backseat Lovers at Ché Café Collective.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 14 UFO at House Of Blues. Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears at The Casbah. Wurve at Soda Bar. Badflower at Music Box. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15 Ride at House Of Blues. Godsmack at Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre. Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes at The Casbah.

Caracara at Soda Bar. The Obsessives at Ché Café Collective.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16 The Who at Viejas Arena. Surf Curse at Observatory North Park. Battle of the Bands at Music Box. The Side Deal at Belly Up Tavern.

Bloom. at Soda Bar. The Beach Boys at Humphreys. The Atom Age at The Casbah.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17 Judah & The Lion at Observatory North Park.

Lost Frequencies at Music Box. Joseph Arthur at Soda Bar. Birdy Bardot at The Casbah. The Beach Boys at Humphreys. Faim at SOMA. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18 The Rocket Summer at Soda Bar. Chelsea Wolfe at Observatory North Park. Joseph at

Belly Up Tavern. Neon Indian at Music Box. Ty Dolla $ign at Viejas Arena. Sum 41 at SOMA. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19 Lucero at Music Box. Senses Fail at House Of Blues. Maribou State at Observatory North Park. The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band at The Casbah. Alien Weaponry at Soda Bar. Bring Me The Horizon at Viejas Arena at SDSU. Havok at Brick by Brick. Tyler, The Creator at Pechanga. Kurt Elling at San Diego Symphony. Taimane at California Center for the Arts.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20 Dean Lewis at House Of Blues. Santo at The Casbah. Monster Movies For Music at Observatory North Park. GRLwood at Soda Bar. Boots in the Park at Waterfront Park.

Gus Dapperton at SOMA. Suzanne Santo at Casbah. Peter Mayer at Belly Up Tavern.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 21 Mushroomhead at Brick by Brick. Pruitt Igoe at The Casbah.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22 Todrick at House Of Blues. Mephiskapheles at The Casbah. The Speed of Sound in Seawater at Soda Bar. GRiZ at Observatory North Park.

Cavetown at Music Box. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23 Off With Their Heads at The Casbah. Danny Brown at Music Box. Caravan Palace at Observatory North Park. Subhumans at SOMA. Distressor at Soda Bar. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24 Andrew Bird at House of Blues. Al Jardine at Belly Up Tavern. Sean Hayes at The Casbah.

Dreamers at The Irenic. Half Pint at Belly Up Tavern. Lizzo at Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre. For King and Country at Viejas

See

CONCERTS on page 20

@SDCITYBEAT

MUSIC

CLUBS 710 Beach Club, 710 Garnet Ave., Pacific Beach. Wed: Open Mic. Fri: Spencer Yenson & The Fever, Governor Drive. Sat: Stay Sweet, The Good Pour, Phunky Matters. Tue: Zoofunkyou.

Air Conditioned Lounge, 4673 30th St., Normal Heights. Wed: ‘#HipHopWeds.’ Thu: ‘Trancension.’ Fri: ‘House Music Fridays.’ Sat: DJ Fingaz. Sun: DJ Pinkie. Mon: ‘Organized Grime.’ Tue: Ginger Lou. American Comedy Co., 818 B Sixth Ave., Downtown. Thu: Steve Byrne. Fri: Steve Byrne. Sat: Steve Byrne. Tue: Open Mic. The Bancroft, 9143 Campo Road, Spring Valley. Wed: Karaoke. Fri: Hallow Point, Fire & Flesh, Osmium, Zero South. Sat: The Gravities, Gold Shimmer, ChrisP. Sun: Romain & the Cowboy Surfers. Mon: Trivia. Tue: Karaoke.

Bang Bang, 526 Market St., Downtown. Sat: Devault.

Beaumont’s, 5665 La Jolla Blvd., La Jolla.

Thu: James Sutton. Fri: Dude Cervantes Band.

Belly Up Tavern, 143 S. Cedros Ave., Solana Beach. Wed: Ziggy Alberts, Emily Brimlow.

Thu: Hayes Carll, Rod Melancon. Fri: The Motet, Jennifer Hartswick & Nick Cassarino Duo. Sat: Marc Broussard & Samantha Fish (sold out). Sun: Marc Broussard & Samantha Fish. Mon: Son Volt, Andrew Duplantis. Tue: JJ Grey.

Black Cat Bar, 4246 University Ave., City Heights. Fri: Fox Medicine, Gloomsday, POOR. Blonde, 1808 W. Washington St., Mission Hills. Wed: ‘Dance Klassique.’ Thu: ‘Salvation: House & Techno.’ Fri: ‘Just Can’t Get Enough.’

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Sat: ‘Ceremony Nite.’ Sun: ‘Brit Pop Nite.’ Tue: ‘Techit Easy.’

Boar Cross’n, 390 Grand Ave., Carlsbad. Sat: Big Dude.

Brick by Brick, 1130 Buenos Ave., Bay Park.

Wed: Psyclon Nine, Striplicker, Justin Symbol.

Thu: Obituary, Abbath, Midnight, Devil Master (sold out). Fri: Beyond Creation, Fallujah, Arkaik, Equipoise. Sat: ‘The Second Annual Ghoul Gang Gala’ w/ The Writhers. Sun: The Living End, Wild Roses, The Dodges. Tue: Bit Brigade, Contra, Metroid Kirby’s Dream Band, Double Ferrari.

The Casbah, 2501 Kettner Blvd., Midtown.

Wed: State to State, Hollywood Values, Tigros. Thu: Fruit Bats, Credit Electric. Fri: Hiss Golden Messenger, Daughter of Swords.

Sat: Lido. Sun: Vivian Girls, Great Grandpa, Reckling. Mon: The Ghost Dance, Wicked Echoes, The Smokes. Tue: Black Lips.

Che Cafe, 1000 Scholars Drive S, La Jolla.

Wed: L. Martin. Fri: Dead End Pacific, Avenue Army, Art Disposal, Roger!, Bummer Dreams. Sat: Ursula, Outlier, Truce, Palace of Mourning, buriedbutstillbreathing.

Dizzy›s, Arias Hall, 1717 Morena Blvd. Fri: Fiona Joy Hawkins, Rebecca Daniel. Sat: Fred Benedetti, George Svoboda.

F6ix, 526 F St., Downtown. Fri: ‘Amplified Fridays.’ Sat: Birdie Bird vs. DJ Moe. Sun: ‘Reggae Sundays.’

The Holding Company, 5046 Newport Ave. Wed: Kevin Erksine, Colon Jones, Julianna Zachariou, Mario Luma. Thu: A Perfect Tool, All American Idiots, DJ CC. Fri: No Kings.

Sat: Noise Pollution vs. A Nightmare on ‘80s Street. Sun: Destructo Bunny, Nick Gray, Flomads, Atlantis Rizing, The Roomy. Mon: Karaoke. Tue: ‘Reggae Tuesdaze.’

House of Blues, 1055 Fifth Ave., Downtown.

Wed: Stiff Little Fingers. Thu: Big K.R.I.T. Fri: Stabbing Westward. Sat: Angels & Airwaves.

Sun: Angels & Airwaves. Mon: Starset. Tue: Highly Suspect.

Humphreys Backstage, 2241 Shelter Island Drive, Shelter Island. Wed: Tradewinds. Thu: Bayou Bros. Fri: Funk’s Most Wanted. Sat: Jim Messina. Sun: Acoustic Alchemy. Mon: January Berry Band. Tue: Fuzzy Rankins.

Kava Lounge, 2812 Kettner Blvd., Midtown.

Sat: ‘Ascension.’ Sun: Baronhawk Poitier.

Kensington Club, 4079 Adams Ave., Kensington. Fri: Mafia Rusa, Los Muertos, Johnny Deadly Trio, Beta7.

Lestat›s Coffee House, 3343 Adams Ave., Normal Heights. Fri: The Rental. Mon: Open Mic. Tue: ‘Comedy Night.’

Loft @ UCSD, Price Center East, La Jolla.

Wed: Raveena.

Mc P›s Irish Pub, 1107 Orange Ave., Coronado. Wed: JG Solo. Thu: JG Duo. Fri: Alternatives. Sat: Missdemeanor. Sun: Ron’s Garage. Tue: Glenn Smith.

Martinis Above Fourth, 3940 Fourth Ave., Hillcrest. Thu: James Torme. Fri: The Janice Edwards Trio. Sat: Dina Martina. Sun: Jimmy Webb. Tue: Don L. The Merrow, 1271 University Ave., Hillcrest.

Sat: ‘Bear Night.’

Mother’s Saloon, 2228 Bacon St., Ocean Beach. Tue: Trivia.

Mr. Peabody’s, 136 Encinitas Blvd., Encinitas.

Thu: The Sickstring Outlaws. Fri: The Chrome Domes. Sat: Sven Davison. Sun: ‘Jazz Jam.’ Mon: Open Mic. Tue: Karaoke.

Music Box, 1337 India St., Little Italy.

Wed: Sully. Thu: Berner, Hollywood,

Anonymous, R-Mean. Fri: The PettyBreakers, SantanaWays, The Black Crowes Revival. Sat: ‘Fleetwood Mac vs. ABBA.’ Sun: Big Mountain, SM Familiar, DJ Ital. Mon: 1TakeJay, AzChike.

Tue: Jon McLaughlin, Sawyer.

The Office, 3936 30th St., North Park. Thu: ‘Dig Deeper.’ Fri: ‘All-Vinyl Happy Hour.’ Tue: ‘Night Shift.’

OMNIA Nightclub, 454 Sixth Ave., Downtown.

Thu: ‘Undone on Thursday.’ Fri: Loud Luxury.

Sat: DJ Politik.

Panama 66, 1450 El Prado, Balboa Park.

Wed: ‘The Wednesday Jam Session.’ Thu: Erika Davies. Fri: Mad Hat Hucksters. Sun: The Beer Mugs.

Parq, 615 Broadway, Downtown. Fri: YG. Sat: Benzi.

The Rail, 3796 Fifth Ave., Hillcrest. Fri: Trivia. Sat: ‘Slayed Halloween.’ Sun: ‘Noche Romantica.’

Riviera Supper Club, 7777 University Ave., La Mesa. Wed: Boss Jazz. Thu: Swing Thing.

Fri: Chloe Lou & the Liddells. Sat: Nathan Hubbard Quartet. Tue: ‘The Works Jam.’ Rosie O’Gradys, 3402 Adams Ave., Normal Heights. Sat: Hell’er Highwaters, Pinkeye.

Mon: ‘Jazz Jam.’ Tue: ‘Adams Gone Funky.’

Soda Bar, 3615 El Cajon Blvd., City Heights.

Wed: Grieves, Mouse Powell, Riston Diggs, Bodie. Thu: Nikki Lane, Carl Anderson.

Fri: Okilly Dokilly, MC Lars. Sat: Futuristic, Demrick, Dylan Reese, ScribeCash, Ray Vans.

Sun: Dwarves, DFMK, Slaughter Boys, The Stalins of Sound. Mon: SOURCE. Tue: DEAF CLUB, OhCult, The Gay Agenda, Modern Love.

SOMA, 3350 Sports Arena Blvd., Midway.

Wed: BANKS, Kevin Garrett. Fri: Alternate Era, Sante Prince, The Happy Return, 33 North, Broads, Bole, Doah’s Daydream. Sun: Bad

Religion, Dave Hause & the Mermaid, Emily Davis & the Murder Police.

SPACE, 3519 El Cajon Blvd., City Heights.

Wed: Small Talk, All Hype, Lost Dakota. Fri: ‘Rituals.’

Spin, 2028 Hancock St., Midtown. Fri: ‘Booty Bassment.’ Sat: Lovelife X, Chris Liebing, Anja Schneider.

Sycamore Den, 3391 Adams Ave., Normal Heights. Wed: Paul Gregg. Tue: Trivia.

Til-Two Club, 4746 El Cajon Blvd., City Heights. Wed: ‘Stomp, Clap, Shake, Shout.’

Thu: Death Nation. Fri: Motive, Surface Tension, Dead Serial Killers, The Midas Tough.

Sat: The Sparktones, Pat James, the NoNames. Sun: ‘Pants Karaoke.’

Tin Roof, 401 G St., Downtown. Wed: ‘Rewind Wednesday.’ Thu: Keep Your Soul. Fri: L.A. Party Band. Sat: Cassie B. Project. Sun: Trivia.

Tue: Corey Gray & Jake Coco.

Tio Leo›s, 5302 Napa St., Bay Park. Wed: Uptown Rhythm Makers. Thu: Tommy Price & the Stilettos. Fri: Detroit Underground. Sat: Alan Iglesias & Crossfire. Mon: ‘Sexy Salsa & Sensual Bachata.’ Tue: Big Time Operator Orchestra.

Tower Bar, 4757 University Ave., City Heights.

Thu: Over Yonder, Los Dune Bums, The Shed, Infinite Shrug, Joel Kynan. Sun: Clowns. Tue: Missing Limbs, Bad Jesus Experience, Flaunt.

U-31, 3112 University Ave., North Park. Thu: ‘BoomBox Thursday.’ Mon: ‘#31 Flavors.’

Whistle Stop, 2236 Fern St., South Park.

Wed: Open Mic. Thu: The Memories, Good Time Girl, YUNJIN13. Fri: The Amandas, ‘60s

See

CLUBS on page 20

OCTOBER 2, 2019 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 19

MUSIC

CONCERTS

from page 18

Arena. Maldita Vecindad at Balboa Theatre.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25 The Weeks at The Irenic. Rocket from the Crypt at House of Blues. Death Valley Girls at House Of Blues. Peelander-Z The Merrow. The Story So Far at Observatory North Park.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26 Hozier at Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre. Hepcat at Music Box. (Sandy) Alex G at The Irenic. Love Revisited at The Casbah.

Agnostic Front at Soda Bar. Heartbones at The Merrow. Our Second Home at Brick by Brick.

Devendra Banhart at Observatory North Park.

Rich Brain at SOMA. Benise at Balboa Theatre.

Con at Ché Café Collective.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 27 Lukas Graham at House Of Blues. Night Club at Brick By Brick. EyeHateGod at The Casbah.

Face to Face at Observatory North Park. Cory Wong at Music Box. Ra Ra Riot at Belly Up Tavern. Cherry Glazerr at SOMA. MONDAY, OCTOBER 28 Lucy Dacus at Belly Up Tavern. Saintseneca at Soda Bar. Chameleons Vox at The Casbah.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31 The Adicts at House Of Blues. TR/ST at Observatory North Park. Dirtwire at Music Box. ‘80s Heat at Belly Up Tavern. Cold at Brick by Brick. Old Man Wizard at Soda Bar. Acid Tongue at Ché Café Collective.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1 Kikagaku Moyo at Music Box. Dinosaur Jr. at Observatory North Park. Kero Kero Bonito at Belly Up Tavern. Wovenhand at Brick by Brick. Shoreline Mafia at SOMA. Jon Pardi at Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre. Mike Watt & the Missingmen at Casbah.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2 Noah Kahan at House Of Blues. Black Mountain at The Casbah. Through the Roots at Music Box. The Spazmatics at Belly Up Tavern. Suffocation & Belphegor at Brick by Brick.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 3 Whitney at Observatory North Park. Matt Heckler at Soda Bar. Guerilla Toss at The Casbah. Mac Ayres at Music Box. Electric Guest at The Irenic. Aaron Neville at Belly Up Tavern.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4 LITE at The Irenic. Making Movies at Soda Bar. The Cadillac Three at House of Blues.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29 Sara Bareilles at Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre. Michale Graves at Brick By Brick.

Todd Snider at Belly Up Tavern. Justin Townes Earle at The Casbah. Steve Lacy at Observatory North Park. Skizzy Mars at Music Box. Last Dinosaurs at SOMA.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5 Monolord at Brick By Brick. Craig Finn & the Uptown Controllers at Soda Bar. Mellow Fellow at Ché Café Collective. French for Rabbits at SPACE. Twenty One Pilots at Pechanga. Matt & Kim at Observatory North Park. Summer Walker at SOMA. Micky & the Motorcars at Belly Up Tavern. Elephant Stone at The Casbah.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30 OK Go at California Center for the Arts.

Gramatik at Observatory North Park. The Spill Canvas at Soda Bar. Easy Wind at Belly Up Tavern.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6 Penny & Sparrow at Belly Up Tavern. Tobe Nwigwe at Music Box. Ghost of Paul Revere at The Casbah.

20 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · OCTOBER 2, 2019

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7 Helmet at Belly Up Tavern. Omar Apollo at Observatory North Park. Sloan at The Casbah.

Luke Combs at Pechanga. Shawn James at Soda Bar. Lohanthony at Ché Café Collective.

at Soda Bar. Cold War Kids Observatory North Park. Max Bemis at The Irenic. The Babe Rainbow at The Casbah. Black Belt Eagle Scout at Ché Café Collective. Los Amigos Invisibles at Music Box. Max Bemis at SOMA.

Brick by Brick. The Get Up Kids at Soda Bar. Wonderfront Festival at Waterfront Park.

Simple Plan at SOMA. Spendtime Palace at Ché Café Collective. Johnny Distortion at Music Box.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8 Hilltop Hoods at Music Box. The Pine Mountain Logs at Belly Up Tavern. SKEGSS at The Casbah. Lyrics Born at Soda Bar. Sabrina Claudio at SOMA.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 16 Twin Peaks at Belly Up Tavern. Moonchild at Music Box. Dizzy Reed’s Hookers at Brick by Brick. MyKey at Soda Bar. The Ocean Blue at The Casbah. Rufus Wainwright at Copley Symphony Hall.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 24 The Chainsmokers at Viejas Arena. Crocodiles at The Casbah. Turnover at Observatory North Park. Wild at Soda Bar. Kottonmouth Kings at Brick by Brick. Wonderfront Festival at Waterfront Park.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 17 Reckless Kelly at Belly Up Tavern. The Black Keys at Pechanga Arena. The Midnight Hour at Soda Bar. SuicideGirls at Music Box. Youth of Today at Casbah. Young Thug at Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre at SDSU.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 25 Emily Afton at Belly Up Tavern.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18 Pip Blom at Soda Bar.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27 Nile at Brick By Brick. Yachtley Crew at Music Box. Jim Breuer at Observatory North Park.

Fortunate Youth at Belly Up Tavern.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 9 Rat Boy at House Of Blues. Baby Bushka at The Casbah. Sammy Johnson at Music Box. Liturgy at Soda Bar. Homesafe at Brick by Brick. Super Diamond at Belly Up Tavern.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 10 Gloria Trevia at Viejas Arena at SDSU. Rhett Miller at Music Box. Immortal Technique at Belly Up Tavern. Gesaffelstein at Petco Park.

Lil Xan at House of Blues.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 11 Kilo at Soda Bar. Broncho at The Casbah.

Charley Crockett at Belly Up Tavern.

Stonecutters at Brick by Brick.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12 Built To Spill at The Casbah. Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors at Belly Up Tavern. SleaterKinney at Observatory North Park. The Dangerous Summer at Soda Bar. Augustana at Music Box. Jacky Vincent at Brick by Brick.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13 Frankie Cosmos at Ché Café Collective. Cave In at Soda Bar. TAUK at Belly Up Tavern.

Miami Horror at Music Box. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14 Nahko Observatory North Park. Strung Out SOMA. Hovvdy at SPACE. Jonathan Bree at Soda Bar. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15 Nekromantix at Brick By Brick. Mating Ritual

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19 ScaryPoolParty at House of Blues. Puma Blue at The Casbah.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20 Mason Ramsey at House Of Blues. Meg Myers at Music Box. Ghostland Observatory at Belly Up Tavern.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21 Tyrone Wells at Music Box. Big Freedia at Belly Up Tavern. Charlotte Lawrence at House of Blues. Enterprise Earth at Brick by Brick.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22 Cherry Poppin’ Daddies at Belly Up Tavern.

Cautious Clay at House Of Blues. Vetiver at Soda Bar. Whitey Morgan at Observatory North Park. Bad Bunny at Pechanga.

Wonderfront Festival at Waterfront Park. The Expendables at Music Box. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23 Hirie at Observatory North Park. Pinback at Belly Up Tavern. Shred for Dime Tribute at

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 26 The Dead South at House of Blues. Eddie Spaghetti at The Casbah.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29 Buku at Music Box. Morbid Angel at Brick by Brick. The Maine at Observatory North Park.

The Greyboy Allstars.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 30 Wayward Sons at Belly Up Tavern. Ten Bulls at Soda Bar. Ensiferum at Brick by Brick. Lane 8 at Petco Park.

CLUBS

from page 19

Soul Revue. Sat: ‘’80s vs. ‘90s.’ Sun: Bit Maps, Strange Ages, Adeumazel.

Winstons, 1921 Bacon St., Ocean Beach. Wed: ‘Club Kingston.’ Thu: Safety Orange, El Dub. Fri: AJ Froman, Aunt Cynthia’s Cabin, Cabin Banana Gun. Sat: Kyle Merrill. Sun: Karaoke.

Mon: Electric Waste Band.

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OCTOBER 2, 2019 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 21

EVENTS

from page 8

POETRY & SPOKEN WORD

Poetry Day featuring Kristin George Bagdanov at Point Loma Nazarene University, 3900 Lomaland Drive, Point Loma. The poetry editor of “Ruminate” and the author of the new poetry book “Diurne” will lead a reading, Q&A and book signing to celebrate all-things poetry. From 7 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, October 2. Free. pointloma.edu

SPECIAL EVENTS

notch German food and beer to yodeling contests, musical chairs and more.

Times vary. Friday, October 4, through Sunday, October 6. Free. 619-233-5008, lamesaoktoberfest.org Sneaker & Vintage Clothing Swap Meet at Kobey’s Swap Meet, 3500 Sports Arena Boulevard. More than 175 sneaker and vintage clothing vendors will showcase their merchandise while shoppers browse along to a live DJ and snack on treats. From 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Saturday, October 5. $2. 619-523-2700, instagram.com/kobeysswapmeet

Lens will host a fundraiser dinner with photography by local artists, drinks, music from a DJ, opportunity drawings and dancing. From 5:30 to 11 p.m. Saturday, October 5. $20-$195. outsidethelens.org DreamMakers at Hyatt Regency La Jolla at Aventine, 3777 La Jolla Village Drive, La Jolla. Fundraiser providing support to low-income teens with festivities such as music and dancing, a live auction, charity gambling, live entertainment and more.

From 6 to 11 p.m. Saturday, October 5. $200-$250. abridgeforkids.org

“Shutter & Stout” Gala at The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center, 7600 Fay Avenue, La Jolla. Outside the

Ghoul Gang Gala at Brick by Brick, 1130 Buenos Avenue, Morena.

Halloween kick-off party featuring

MOVIES

“Island of Lost Souls” and “White Zombie:” A Pre-Code Hollywood double feature with stories about an obsessed scientist who conducts profane experiments in evolution, and a Haitian plantation owner who persuades his young friends to wed at his residence in the hopes he can use the opportunity to lure the woman away from her fiancé. Screens at 1 p.m. Sunday, October 6, at Digital Gym Cinema in North Park.

of a postapocalyptic future world who makes a living selling salvaged machinery. When some robot parts he’s collected rebuild themselves, the reborn creature sets out on a murder spree. Screens at 7 p.m. Monday, October 7, at Digital Gym Cinema in North Park.

from page 15

Saturday, October 5, at Cinema Under the Stars in Mission Hills.

“El Incidente (The Incident):” In this thrillingly original mind-bender, a cop pursues two criminals down an endless stairwell while a family is stuck in an infinite road trip setting these two parallel narratives on an unforgettable collision course. Screens at 6 p.m. Saturday, October 5, at Digital Gym Cinema in North Park.

Ad Proof

La Mesa Oktoberfest at 8401 La Mesa Boulevard, La Mesa. Munich-inspired celebration offering everything from top-

“Hardware:” Richard Stanley’s cyberpunk thriller stars Dylan McDermott as Mo, a survivor

“Edward Scissorhands:” Tim Burton’s fantasy film stars Johnny Depp as a young man with scissors for hands who becomes a lightning rod for controversy in his small suburban town.

Screens at 8 p.m. Wednesday, October 8, at The Pearl Hotel in Point Loma.

live art, a pop-up gallery, a costume contest, musical performances by 13 Wolves, Qbomb, Intrepid Mutants and more. From 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday, October 5. $12-$15. facebook.com/ events/480133732778289/

TALKS & DISCUSSION

Comic-Con Museum at Seaport Village, 849 W. Harbor Drive, Downtown. The museum professional will dive into hype behind experience-based attractions and his role in the new Comic Con Museum as part of the Seaport Sessions series.

From 7 to 8 p.m. Thursday, October 3.

Free. 858-866-6889, seaportvillage.com San Diego Art’s Coverage at The Studio Door, 3867 Fourth Avenue, Hillcrest.

Michael James Rocha will speak on arts coverage, explain what journalists do and why certain stories are better than others as part of the Artist Almanac series. From 11 a.m. to noon. Saturday, October 5. Free. 619-255-2867, thestudiodoor.com

WORKSHOPS

Make Cheese & Tour the Warehouse at Specialty Produce Warehouse, 1929 Hancock Street, Mission Hills. Tour the largest local produce warehouse and learn how to make mozzarella, ricotta and other fresh cheeses. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, October 5. $50. venissimocheese.vendecommerce.com

The Japanese movie “First Love” opens Friday, October 4, at Landmark Ken Cinema. (Well Go USA)

DVD Sales & Rentals Classics • Parodies • BlockBusters & More!

Mercury Books

Clairemont Video

8081 Balboa Avenue, San Diego 7435 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., San Diego (858) 571-9673 (858) 569-8772

22 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · OCTOBER 2, 2019

Client: Mercury Books Ad Size: 1/5

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APPROVED AS IS

IN THE BACK

Cannabitch Insiders: SAFE Banking Act will bring more transparency

By Jackie Bryant

U

ntil now, arguably the largest hurdle to success in the cannabis industry has been the lack of banking options available to cannabis companies.

Cannabis is still federally classified as a schedule 1 drug, which means it is illegal and defined as a drug with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. While those of us in-the-know are aware this classification is not only untrue but harmful, that reality unfortunately exists.

So, up until now, cannabis companies have not been able to have access to access banking and financial services the way a normal company would—to do so would put banks and other institutions engaging in state-to-state commerce at risk for criminal and civil liability.

Much of the industry operates

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in cash, creating a variety of issues, including serious security risks for business owners and incentive for companies to stay in the illicit market or engage in money laundering.

The Secure and Fair Enforcement Banking Act, known as the SAFE Banking Act, seeks to alleviate those risks. It was passed by the House of Representatives on September 25 by a vote of 321-103 with nearly half of the Republican caucus voting “yes.”

Next up is a vote in the Senate.

While passage of the bill will not change the legal status of cannabis, it will provide “safe harbor” for financial institutions who do business with cannabis companies.

Craig Nandoo, president of JBK Wellness Labs, a luxury CBD skincare line based in San Diego, is excited for what this means for the future.

“This is a great step toward untangling a very contradictory

set of laws—with cannabis being legal on one side and banking for cannabis businesses being illegal on the other. Having worked with numerous hemp and nonhemp businesses, we understand that these businesses are only asking for access to banking and the security that comes from it as it is afforded to other legal industries,” Nandoo explains.

Derek Du Chesne of EcoGen Laboratories, which has a presence in Colorado and Los Angeles, is optimistic that the Senate will follow in the House’s footsteps. “With the overwhelming support in the House I hope that the Senate will reflect the same stance. This bill will help bring much needed financial services and support to an industry that has operated in the shadows with cash transactions for far too long,” Du Chesne says.

He is a longtime industry vet.

Prior to joining EcoGen, Du

Chesne created and developed a number of cannabis brands, including Select, a high-quality manufacturer with a large presence in San Diego.

“It will bring more transparency and allow more taxes to be collected to help overall sector growth and compliance,” he explains. “This [the SAFE Banking Act] will have a huge impact on the industry and we’re excited to see the banking policy finally catch up with legislation.”

Tom Gavin, CEO of Chicagobased CannaTrac, speaks to the partisan issues behind the bill-like many things these days, the issue of legalizing and legitimizing any aspect of the cannabis business is often divided by party lines. CannaTrac, in particular, has been on the front line of this issue as a company that offers financial solutions for cannabis companies and banks, including cashless transactions.

“We saw the overwhelm-

ing support for the bill in the Democratically controlled House [last week]; however, the Republican-led Senate has not been as big a proponent on marijuana-related bills, in spite of unanimous support by the States› Attorney Generals and the President›s commitment to sign off on the bill. We hope the Senators will look past any personal bias and do what is best for their constituents; vote to approve the bill, begin creating the infrastructure to regulate the industry effectively, and add liquidity to the banking system for re-investment into our communities,” Gavin says.

In my opinion, the days of federal prohibition of cannabis are limited. The hopeful passage and adoption of acts like the SAFE Banking Act offer realtime solutions for the cannabis industry and consumers while also providing a glimpse into the future.

OCTOBER 2, 2019 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 23

24 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · OCTOBER 2, 2019

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