Here's where I'd be
This week in music
By Dryw Keltz
Wednesday, Nov. 14
Plan A: Married by Elvis CD-release party @ Belly Up. Married by Elvis are a talented, traditional-sounding country band from Solana Beach. How often do you get to say that? As an added bonus, the show is a benefit for Toys For Tots. MS/marriedbyelvis. Plan B: Battle of the Bands @ 710 Beach Club w/ The Bandits, Cathouse Thumpers and Circa Now. Wednesday is kinda thin as far as live choices go, so head down to the 710 in P.B., place your bets and help decide which of these three local acts will be king for a day. MS/thebandits, MS/cathouse thumpers. Plan C: Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten @ Hillcrest Cinemas. This feature-length documentary on the punk-rock legend ends its weeklong run Thursday night. Directed by Julien Temple (also responsible for the excellent Sex Pistols doc The Filth and the Fury), The Future is Unwritten is required viewing for anyone whose life was changed by this charismatic singer. www.landmark theatres.com, www.joestrummerthemovie.com.
Thursday, Nov. 15
Plan A: Misfits, Agent Orange, DI @ Soma. This one’s gonna be a bruiser. If you momentarily feel like you’re back in the early ’80s, glance around and see how many fans are there with kids in tow. If the bands still bring the same energy they did back in the day, this night could be quite memorable. (MS/the misfits, MS/agentorange). Plan B: Mr. Tube and The Flying Objects, Bartenders Bible @ The Casbah. The first is crazy, all-over-the-place fun, while the second is quality mellow alt-country in the vein of bands like Drag the River. (MS/mrtube, MS/bartenders bible). Plan C: International Farmers @ Winston’s. Stony reggae rock courtesy of Manhattan Beach, Calif. For best results, consult bong beforehand. (MS/internationalfarmers).
Friday, Nov. 16
Plan A: Big Sandy and His Fly-Rite Boys, Ghost Town Deputies @ The Casbah. If you dig that wacky rockabilly, Big Sandy is your man. Ghost Town Deputies are local country twang with some serious bite. MS/bigsandyandhisflyriteboys, MS/ghosttowndeputies. Plan B: Silverchair @ House of Blues. No need to call VH1’s Where Are They Now—if it’s Friday night, we know the mid-’90s grunge-junior Aussie trio is at House of Blues. (MS/silverchair). Plan C: Kelly Clarkson @ Civic Theater. If you get a seat close enough, ask the American Idol to tell you the real reason her tour got scrapped earlier this year. MS/kellyclarkson.
Saturday, Nov. 17
Plan A: Beta Lion, Sweetness, Squiddo, Echo Revolution @ The Alibi. Another great Saturday-night show at one of San Diego’s underdog venues. If you didn’t know it before reading about them in Spin, Squiddo = awesome—high-quality female-fronted power-pop and the most notable on this pristine, pop-dominated bill. MS/pop, MS/sweetness, MS/squiddotheband, MS/echorevolution. Plan B: Al Howard & the K23 Orchestra @ Winston’s. While Al Howard still occasionally tears up the lane on the basketball courts at O.B. Rec, he’s best known for ripping his smart, poetic lyrics atop the talented K23 Orchestra. A busy touring schedule has made these guys an airtight unit—prepare to be amazed by how well the music and the rhymes blend together. MS/alfredhoward andthek23orchestra. Plan C: Suzanne Vega, Teddy Thompson @ Belly Up. Can you believe it’s been 20 years since “Luka” was released? Wonder if that song’s protagonist still resides on the second floor. Teddy Thompson, the son of British folk legends Richard and Linda Thompson, opens. MS/suzanne vega, MS/teddy thompsonmusic.
Sunday, Nov. 18
Plan A: The Local 94/9 show with Fing, Wendy Bailey, Lindsey Cook @ The Casbah. The Local 94/9 radio show will be broadcasting from the Atari Lounge at The Casbah—the perfect opportunity to badger the hosts about why they never play your favorite local band. As for the bands, Fing are experimental freaky disco, Wendy Bailey is rocking pop, and Lindsey Cook is mellow folk. MS/fingband, MS/wendybailey1, MS/lindseycooksmusic. Plan B: Sea Wolf, Old Man Hands, Dios Malos @ Belly Up. Headliners Sea Wolf engage in interesting indie-pop experimental shenanigans and grace the same influential label (Dangerbird) as Silversun Pickups. MS/seawolf, MS/oldmanhands. Plan C: O-B-Oke @ Winston’s. O-B-Oke is the greatest Sunday night karaoke night at Winston’s, ever. If you get up on the stage to sing, tell host Jose Sinatra that he is the greatest Elvis impersonator ever. He will love you for it. MS/Winstonsob_oke.
Monday, Nov. 19
Plan A: The Hi-Lites, Social Green, The Wrong Trousers @ The Ken Club. The Wrong Trousers play pretty indie-folk songs, while Social Green dabbles in rock-reggae and The Hi-Lites are full-on ska. Quite the mix. MS/thehilites, MS/SocialGreen, MS/thewrongt rousers. Plan B: Anti-Monday League: Firethorn, Hollywood Begs, Nautical Disaster, Bamboo Rock @ The Casbah. Seventeen years ago, Firethorn’s ferocious alternative rock would have been a good fit on labels such as Sub Pop, SST or C/Z. Hopefully, the other bands can keep up. MS/firethornrock, MS/hollywood begs, MS/nauticaldisastermusic. Plan C: Electric Waste Band @ Winston’s. Sure, some people are grateful the Dead are no longer touring, but if you really miss Jerry Bear, the Electric Waste Band are a nice trip down drums-in-space lane. MS/electricwasteband.
Tuesday, Nov. 20
Plan A: Jay Reatard @ Bar Pink Elephant. Don’t be fooled by the name—this is some seriously high-quality punk/new-wave that blows away many of its influences. Hyper and fun. MS/jayreatard. Plan B: Ozzy Osbourne and Rob Zombie @ The Sports Arena. One is a former TV dad, while the other currently spends most of his time directing horror films. In past lives, both played rock ’n’ roll that scared the hell out of parents . Hopefully, the two bring some of their old charm to the arena. MS/ozzyosbourne, MS/rob zombie.
Published: 11/13/2007
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Wow! A CityBeat writer suggesting rockabilly, country and roots rock? Diversity still exists in San Diego. I don't miss Troy Johnson's snide ass. The Bop Tones are the opening act for Big Sandy - good, solid traditional American rockabilly with no cowpunk whatsoever.