Notes from the smoking patio
The Truckee Brothers, Delta Spirit and Spell Toronto give birth
Fall is when the live-music scene goes into snooze mode. Bands put the tour van in the garage for awhile and keep their local gigs to a minimum. It’s the time of year when musicians tend to grow neck beards (the guys, at least), stay inside and record their next opus. Several locals are doing just that right now, with CDs galore being released this month alone. Delta Spirit just released their debut full-length, Ode to Sunshine. The semi-local band played a CD-release show last week and earned a few inches of love from an L.A. Times blog. Two of the Truckee Brothers released solo albums as well—quiet, multi-talented bassist Greg Friedman created Souls of Passing Feet while Truckee vocalist-guitarist Patrick Dennis recorded Home on the Strange under the name Wirepony. Both albums are on the Truckee’s own label, Populuxe Records (which also put out Cindy Lee Berryhill’s latest album). Lastly, Spell Toronto held a CD-release shindig on Oct. 23 at the Beauty Bar for their new album, Be More Careful. MS/deltaspirit, MS/truckeebrothers, MS/gregfriedman, MS/wirepony, MS/spell toronto.
For local musicians, a flexible day job is key—which is why your favorite tattooed dive-bar ’tender is often suspiciously missing for weeks at a time as his or her band hurtles up the West Coast in an Econovan. Or, they simply become their own boss and set their own hours, as is the case with Let It Ride Design, a company created by Aaron Thompson and Luke Johnson of The Stranger’s Six, Brad Bohensky of The Transit War, and Evode Sunglasses’ Javier Meneses. Their target client is their own kind: they specialize in silk-screened T-shirts, banners, stickers, business cards, stationary, kick-drum logos, concert posters, “vehicle wrap” graphics and magnetic signs. “Why would we work for someone else when we can work for ourselves?” says Thompson. “And the best thing is, when we go on tour, we can’t get fired.” After imagining a store of their own for some time, they’ve finally opened up shop in Miramar. MS/letitridedesign.
After a lively performance at Street Scene, Louis XIV hit the road with The Killers. The Latin America portion of the tour is currently wrapping up—the band got a good response in Mexico City and Guadalajara—and will next head to Australia. Louis will be passing through San Diego for a 91X-sponsored show on Oct. 30 called “Concert from the Crypt,” at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. The event is all-ages and will feature a costume contest with a grand prize of $1,000. www.91X.com, MS/louisxiv.
Other venues are celebrating Halloween over the weekend and through next week. On Oct. 26, catch the self-described “Scariest Band in the World” when Deadbolt performs with Roses on Her Grave at San Diego Harley Davidson. The Gaslamp District will host the “Monster Bash” on Oct. 27, when city blocks will be transformed into an enclosed party area. If the Gaslamp and a few cover bands aren’t your thing, catch Swedish Models, Desert Diamonds and Roses on Her Grave at the Tower Bar on the same night. On Oct. 28, be at The Casbah for the final installment of a San Diego staple—the film-art-music extravaganza known as Visual Underground. There will be free food and performances by Scarlet Symphony, Electrocrypt and Operator X (the resuscitated project from Joey Guevara of ¡Society!). The show is free if you arrive before 8 p.m. Halloween night will see Inigo and Nautical Disaster at the San Diego Sports Club, Kill Me Tomorrow and The Nightmares at the Whistle Stop and an official Halloween Party at The Zombie Lounge with The Fascination, Love Campaign and The Blakes.
Like our own heavy-metal version of Hanson, San Diego’s Light of Doom—whose members are all between the ages of 12 and 14—is getting rave reviews for their performance on Fox-TV’s new show, The Next Great American Band. The show is like American Idol, except with real bands. LOD has made it to the next round, although judges have wondered whether their “cuteness” will wear off. Check ’em for yourself on the next episode (Oct. 26 at 8 p.m. on Fox). MS/lightofdoom.
With hundreds of musicians with acoustic guitars around the city—playing at joints like Lestat’s and the E Street Café—it’s almost impossible to fit everyone into a single “Best Acoustic” category at the San Diego Music Awards. The San Diego HAT Awards (HAT stands for Honoring Acoustic Talent) attempts to remedy that with their second-annual awards show. Voting closes on Oct. 26. www.sandiegohatawards.com.
Because of the fires, please call ahead
to make sure any scheduled shows
are still happening.
Published: 10/23/2007
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