Reports from the scene

Locals Only

Singer-songwriter Rhythm Turner was assaulted on Thursday, May 14, outside of ’Canes Bar & Grill in what she called a hate crime. Turner, a lesbian, was playing a show with her band, Dropjoy, at the Mission Beach club, and, according to her and witnesses at the scene, she was attacked by a man after hugging her girlfriend.

“It was early, around 10 o’clock,” Turner tells CityBeat, “We were all hanging out and chatting, and I went to walk my girlfriend to her car and I was giving her a hug goodbye. Then this guy came up right in our face and asked if we were lesbians. I was really put off by it, and I said, ‘Hey, man, you need to get away.’” Turner says the man, accompanied by another male, kept insisting that they wanted to see Turner and her girlfriend kiss.

“I started getting really stern with him, and I started cussing at him like, ‘Hey, man, get the fuck away,’” she says. “And then he said, ‘Don’t talk to me like that or I’m going to slap you.’ I said, ‘No, you’re not going to slap me.’ And then he proceeded to slap me with an open palm.”

Turner says the man turned around at first as if to run away but then seemed to change his mind and turned around again and punched her in the eye. She says she tried to defend herself when the man punched her once more in the nose. At that point, Turner’s girlfriend managed to get the attention of Turner’s brother, who tackled the guy and pinned him.

“At one point, I was face-to-face with him after my brother apprehended him,” Turner says. “I was standing there, looking at him, and I told him, ‘Look what you did to my face,’ and it seemed like he didn’t even know what he had done until that moment and he looked at me and had a look on his face like, Oh, shit.”

The suspect escaped, but security at ’Canes helped grab him, and he was handcuffed until police arrived, which, Turner says, was two hours after the assault. She says that while the man was handcuffed and sitting in front of the club, he was saying things like, “God’s the only one that judges.”

“I don’t know if it was supposed to be a justification for what he did or if he was talking about himself,” Turner says. “I just thought it was interesting to invoke the name of God after he just did something that horrible. I’m sure God wouldn’t approve of what you just did.”

Turner has posted a video on YouTube, under the title “Rhythm Turner: Hate Crime Survivor,” in which she recounts the experience. Turner says the police have told her that the man is in custody on felony battery charges. Neither Detective Garrick Nugent, nor police spokesperson Monica Muñoz, returned CityBeat’s calls as of press time.
Turner suffered two facial fractures, one on her nose and underneath her eye, the latter she believes will require corrective surgery. A full-time student at Grossmont College, she doesn’t have health insurance. An account has been set up to take donations: www.myspace.com/rhythmandthemethod.

“It’s a whole new set of hoops that I’m jumping through to get this surgery scheduled,” she says. “It’s been really difficult.”

In happier news, indie-rockers Demasiado will play a CD-release show at The Casbah on Sunday, May 31, with QQC, The Secret Seven and Brian Holwerda opening.

The Enrique Experience

Memorial Day found me roaming the streets of Ocean Beach, celebrating the unofficial start of summer and tying a yellow ribbon around my liver at Cheswick’s West (5038 Newport Ave.). Although a stone’s throw from the sand, this isn’t your average beach bar. No, this one has a rough-neck, get ’er done attitude and biker flare.

A community bulletin board sporting an image of O.J. Simpson behind bars, with the message “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas,” welcomes you, surrounded by ads for local businesses, including one for Bikers Bling, a female-friendly helmet bedazzling service. “You bring it... we’ll bling it!” its pamphlet promises.

Inside, Old Glory hangs proudly by the pool table, which, on a busy night, is trumped in popularity only by the ultimate sign of a dive, the Golden Tee golf arcade game, as tunes by Johnny Cash and Chaka Khan make both the manatees (a beach-specific type of cougar) and international backpackers from the nearby hostel, go wild. A sign that reads “These colors don’t run” hangs by the bar, as does an extensive collection of hockey memorabilia and three papier-mâché parakeets.

“We hung them up for Cinco de Mayo and have been too lazy to take them down,” barkeep Michelle pointed out.
Outside, with my sobriety level at half-staff, a drifter asked me for spare change to buy new underwear. She told me she was going commando—or “hum bumming it,” as she put it—because, earlier that night, she’d given her long johns to a displaced rich princess so she could sit on the sidewalk without getting her gown dirty.

The details after that are blurry, but I believe they involved a jar of mayonnaise and a Louisville slugger. Man, I love the holidays.

Night Moves

Our new semi-regular guide to the after-dark events we’re either crazy about or just really looking forward to.

Manwhore Wednesdays @ Kensington Club: We went to check this out just because we were curious about what a “manwhore” night entails. While we didn’t find any Deuce Bigalow wannabes, the night is gaining momentum among the hipster set because DJs Albert Camote and Adam Zerote spin and it includes $2 PBRs all night, which gets any kind of whore running. Sorta gives “hump day” a whole new meaning.

Silent Disco @ Kin Lounge: We’re reluctant to recommend anything remotely affiliated with the Manchester Grand Hyatt since the owner of the hotel is a raging homophobe, but this is something unique. All the rage in parts of Europe, but not seen much in the U.S., patrons wear wireless headphones to listen to the DJ. Could be trendsetting, could be a bust, but we’re definitely checking it out. Every Thursday starting May 28.

DJ AM, DJ Jazzy Jeff and Auto Erotique @ On Broadway: The super DJ and that other guy from the rap group that did “Parents Just Don’t Understand” join forces to raise money for the VH1 Save the Music Foundation. Thursday, May 28.

Sleeping Giant 5 Year Anniversary Party @ The Office: A four-night party for the local music firm includes stops at Stingaree, Wave House and Bar West, but The Office kicks it off right with hip-hopper Miki Vale and DJs Beatnick, Demon and Mike Czech performing. Friday, May 29.

DJ Claire’s End of the Month Happy Hour Party @ Whistle Stop: Start the night out with Claire’s funk collection while special guests DJs Gabe and Hippoh (of new crew The SDZoo) spin some booty-bouncin’ hip-hop. Saturday, May 30.

Satan Dance Party @ Tin Can Ale House—One of our staffers described this recently renamed bar as “cozy” and “unpretentious,” which may change when this pirate-music version of Devo plays. Saturday, May 30.

Too Many Creeps @ Whistle Stop—DJ Mario Orduno’s record collection is way better than yours. After a rough weekend, this is the best place to chill out and actually, you know, listen to the music. Sunday, May 31.