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Rocket back into the Crypt

The rumors circulating for the last few weeks are true: Rocket From the Crypt is going back to the death box from which they hail.

“After 16 years of scars and ear damage, all in the name of spreading goodwill and the rock 'n' roll doctrine, we will take the stage for the last time on our favorite day of the year,” wrote frontman John Reis in a posting to the band's website.

The “favorite” day is Halloween, the last chance to see the San Diego band that reigned as the city's rock 'n' roll figurehead for nearly two decades. In the early '90s-when major labels were searching for abrasive bands that could become “their Nirvana”-it was Reis' other band, Drive Like Jehu, that was signed to Interscope Records. RFTC also signed, but mostly as a tag-along. With their rock 'n' soul and a live show rivaling old-school Stax Records artists, however, Rocket became the more popular of the two.

The RFTC split comes less than four months after Reis announced the dissolution of his other band, Hot Snakes. The guitarist-singer plans to devote more time to his Swami record label, which has a slew of releases set for early 2006.

Tickets for the Halloween finale (at the Westin Bonaventure downtown) go on sale Sept. 12. The band has announced that fans with RFTC tattoos-aka Speedo's Army-will get in free, but they must RSVP by Oct. 1 at www.rftc.com.

Music Awards this week

In the shameless self-promotion department (CityBeat associate publisher Kevin Hellman is president, and music editor Troy Johnson is host) the 15th annual San Diego Music Awards will take place on Sept. 12 at Humphrey's in Point Loma. Slightly Stoopid and former No Knife singer-guitarist Ryan Ferguson were recently added to the list of performers for the event, which already included mole-tastic pop-man Jason Mraz, heroes of dysfunctionality Unwritten Law, pint-size groove-jazzer Karl Denson and his Tiny Universe, bearded speak-hop mystic Alfred Howard & the K23 Orchestra, dainty acoustic tough-girl Anya Marina and luminous old fuckers The Farmers.

After the ceremony, the whole crowd-who will surely be sober at that point and in desperate need of libations-heads over to Humphrey's Backstage Lounge, where Lady Dottie gets all sweaty and righteous with her crack white-boy indie-blues band, the Diamonds.

The other “San Diego Music Awards Week” event is the “Acoustic Music Festival” at Claire de Lune Lounge in North Park on Sept. 9. Starting at 7 p.m., more than 30 artists will perform on two stages, including Robin Henkel, Cathryn Beeks Ordeal, Pete Thurston, The Grams, Marie Haddad, Steph Johnson, Saba and a bunch more beautiful bastards.

All money raised at San Diego Music Awards events goes to the Taylor Guitars for Schools program, which buys guitars for local kiddos. And trust us-you don't want them waiting 'til frosh year at San Diego State to pick up an acoustic guitar and think they play “a real soulful” version of “A Hard Rain is Gonna Fall.”

Reelin' in the trophies

We firmly believe that, for the good of humankind, those with stamp or coin collections should be sent to rehab. But collecting music-video footage is decidedly cooler, and it has made local company Reelin' in the Years all famous and stuff.

Reelin' took top honors in the Eighth Annual DVD Entertainment Awards held in Los Angeles on Aug. 30. Host Leonard Maltin presented company founder David Peck with a trophy for the DVD, The American Folk Blues Festival, 1962-1969 Vol. III. The DVD was special because the obscure footage was culled from various TV shows and concerts in Europe, where America's 12-bar blues maestros were treated a heckuva lot better than at home.

The awards ceremony was a bit surreal, including a “Filmmaking Legend” award for director William Friedkin (The Exorcist, French Connection) and Jerry Mathers of Leave it to Beaver infamy being named the “Television Legend.” (Bronson Pinchot got robbed, man!)

Following the company's successful series of blues releases-which also earned a Grammy nomination and a W.C. Handy Award-they will branch out a little in early 2006 with a new Jazz Icons series. Though not confirmed by press time, sources close to the band say the Rolling Stones will use a pair of photos from Peck's archive as backdrops for their upcoming tour.

What can be confirmed is that on Aug. 10, Peck was invited to a Stones rehearsal. He flew to an elementary school in Toronto, where the band was using the auditorium to stage the show and the classrooms as dressing rooms. A fervent fan, Peck met and chatted with the members, taking in six hours of rehearsal and a club show the following night. Peck said his personal coup came when he casually mentioned to keyboardist Chuck Leavell that he'd love to hear a live version of the song “Sway” (the band doesn't play it in concert). Jagger and crew finished their rehearsal with the song.

Notables...

On Sept. 11, the Casbah will host “When the Levee Breaks,” a benefit for New Orleans families hit hard by Hurricane Katrina. Some of the rock dive's top regular bands will perform, including Goodbye Blue Monday, Ilya, Arabella Harrison, Via Satellite, Manuok and Firstwavehello. All proceeds will go toward disaster relief.

Switchfoot release their long awaited fifth album, Nothing is Sound, on Sept. 13. The album will be available as both a regular CD and a dual-disc (CD/DVD combo), with 5.1 Surround Sound and footage of the band on the road and in the studio. They'll also make an appearance on NBC's Late Night with Conan O'Brien.

The Hoodoo Gurus' album Crank has just been reissued, and the bonus track is their version of “Wimp” by seminal San Diego punk outfit The Zero's.

Nickel Creek's new album, Why Should the Fire Die, debuted at an impressive No. 17 on Billboard's Top 200. Even better, it entered the Internet charts at No. 1, proving that CMT viewers do know that “broadband” doesn't just refer to the Dixie Chicks.

Eight-piece reggae combo Tribe of Judah drop their second album, Bloom Where You Plant It, on Sept. 11. Frontman Butch “Papa-Dread” Hillman also works with funk group MC Funk, which just recorded two tracks for a promotional film for the Brunswick sporting gear company called Foosball: The Movie. The film-which promises riveting footage of men hunkered over a table spinning metal bars lined with little wooden soccer players-will be shown at sporting events and online beginning in December.

The Spring Collection has their track “But I Did” included on Hook Heaven, a compilation of Not Lame Music Distribution's top sellers.

'Canes will host a “Rock for Literacy” fundraiser on Sept. 7 with music from Spoken Gun, Cape May, Swim Museum, Swim Party and DJs between sets. All proceeds go to the San Diego Literacy Americorps program.

Jazz guitarist Peter Sprague hosts a CD-release party for his latest offering, Taking It All In, at Dizzy's on Sept. 9. The album title is literal as Sprague hauls in various styles, from straight-ahead jazz and Brazilian samba to pop, topped off by a superb acoustic guitar and sax duet with his brother, Tripp Sprague. For the concert, bassist Bob Magnusson and drummer Duncan Moore will join the brothers.

Sex is part of their allure, and it's also part of Louis XIV's Achilles heel. The band was recently scheduled to play a post-game concert for ESPN's broadcast of Hoover High School's state championship team, which would've given them some nice national airtime. But after Hoover parents read the lyrics to Louis' album Best Little Secrets Are Kept and saw the hot, naked chick on the cover, they decided the band should keep its little secrets away from their little darlings. They called a special meeting and voted to replace Louis with a local band. But it's probably because of their dirty little lyrics that they landed the gig as the opening act for the anniversary screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Hollywood Bowl last week. Lose some, win some. In other news, collectors might wanna check out www.louisxiv.net, which is selling the last few copies of custom Japanese tour posters designed by local artist Scrojo.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Old Mission Bay Athletic Club's (OMBAC) annual “Coming Out Party.” The event was started in 1954 to celebrate the release of OMBAC member Delmar Miller from a Korean prisoner-of-war camp. For the first time in 47 years, the event has been moved from its traditional second weekend in June to Sept. 10 at Mariner's Point. The Smithereens will headline, with opening acts Eve Selis, The Farmers, Modern Rhythm and Sharon Hancock with her group, Orbitz.

Singer-songwriter Lindsey Yung releases her second album, Fusion, at Lestat's on Sept. 11. Recorded with the production team Brainfire Technology (aka bassist Chad Tuthill) and DJ Gar Gar (aka keyboardist Edgar Alminar), Fusion's new-wave, funk and disco breaks Yung out of the coffeehouse mold. Tuthill and Alminar are also both members of indie-rock band Irradio, but Tuthill has just announced his imminent departure from the group because it's “time for me to leave band life and concentrate on studio work.” He'll continue his bass duties through the current tour dates, but interested replacements can contact dan@irra diomusic.com for an audition.