Education of the Modern Doctor: Marcus Welby vs. House 
As music fans began placing their votes for the San Diego Music Awards this week, hiphop blog SDRaps.com launched a write-in campaign for Mitchy Slick, a gangsta rapper from Southeast San Diego who wasn’t nominated. The blog will enter voters in a raffle to win a free mp3 player—a bit of payfor-play that Kevin Hellman, president of the San Diego Music Foundation (and City- Beat’s publisher) says “compromises things big-time.” The write-in campaign is the latest development in a debate playing out on the blog over the hip-hop nominations, which some observers have criticized as out of touch with the local rap scene. In the comments section, Slick wrote that he doesn’t expect to get nominated for any award, adding, “RT ARTIST IN THE WRONG CITY!” Polls for the San Diego Music Awards close Aug. 20.
If you missed Newport Beach pop-rockers Young the Giant at The Casbah last Monday, don’t fret: They’ll be playing there Aug. 16, 23 and 30 as part of a month-long residency. Growing in popularity amid tough economic times, residencies are becoming a key part of the concert circuit for some bands. “We’ve done a couple residencies in the past and do like doing them,” says Casbah owner Tim Mays. “We’ll hopefully see more in the future.”
Jazz players Louisa West & Jimmy Patton will mark the release of their new CD, Sambarina, at Dizzy’s on Friday, Aug. 6. Also that night, alt-rockers Endoxi will celebrate the release of their new record, Earthbound, at Epicentre.
—Peter Holslin
The Enrique Experience
Boasting the motto “go ugly early” and conveniently located in front of a methadone clinic and next to a sober-living facility, there are only two words to describe Last Call (4977 El Cajon Blvd.): dive heaven.
With prices that seem to be stuck in a time warp—and a clientele to match—it’s the place where good taste came to die. Polaroids of customers in several stages of undress, whose beauty could only be enhanced by a burka, line the walls, and an endless array of decorations best described as tweaker chic—including a motion-activated, singing Rodney Dangerfield doll, a “shocker” hand-gesture mural and a framed certificate of completion from a domestic violence course—call this place home.
“You taking in all the sights?” bartender Kelly asked, noticing my kid-at-Disneyland-forthe-first-time wonderment. Intrigued, I asked her about the provenance of a gigantic plastic cockroach affixed to a twirling disco ball.
“I dunno, why is there a plush parakeet? Why is there a dangling Chinese straw hat?” she replied. “I guess someone just started putting shit up and never stopped.”
An accidental environmentally green dive, nothing is discarded here. Encrusted Jger bottle caps glisten up high like broken-down blood diamonds on a popcorn-ceiling cave, and empty Absolut Mandarin bottles take on new life as makeshift pendant lights.
Still taking it all in, I struck up a convo with Artie, my barstool neighbor. “This place ain’t bad for a joint that only serves wine and beer.” Confused, I pointed out the endless array of liquor, to which the wide-eyed retired glassshop worker responded: “When did that happen? I’ve been coming here since 1985, and that’s the first time I’ve noticed.”
An impromptu stripper-pole dance-off on one of the bar’s supporting beams broke out shortly thereafter. One of the participants decided to go for the win, and with a hooch-tainted sense of depth, she slammed herself against the structure, face first. Poor thing did end up going ugly early as her Criss Angel look-alike boyfriend scraped her off the floor and ushered her out.
Unfazed,
Artie introduced me to his brother—whose motor home, he claimed, had
just been torched by jealous neighbors—and invited me to go bar-hopping
with them. “Best part is, if we overdo it, the halfway house is right
next door. I’m driving!” Thanks, but no thanks, bud. Also down the
street? The aptly named Goodbody’s Mortuary.
—Enrique Limón
Books and balance
With Craft & Commerce (675 W. Beech St. in Little Italy), Arsalun Tafazoli says it’s all about finding some middle ground.
Tafazoli and his partner, Nathan Stanton, are the duo behind Downtown’s Neighborhood and Noble Experiment. Tafazoli says Craft & Commerce, their newest restaurant and bar, will be somewhere between the two. While Neighborhood could be considered close to the straight business meaning of the word “commerce,” Noble Experiment is certainly closer to the embodiment of the word “craft.”
“So, with Craft & Commerce it’s kind of all about the balance,” Tafazoli says, pushing up his hornrimmed glasses. “What we realized with Noble Experiment is, it’s a great program, but it’s not practical. It’s not accessible. The program is so involved that we have to have two people come in at 11 o’clock prepping every day. It takes seven people to serve 40 seats, and each cocktail will take an average of six minutes to make.”
Tafazoli is wearing what, at first glance, appears to be an Iron Maiden T-shirt. Further investigation reveals that the name on the shirt is actually film director Ingmar Bergman, printed in the recognizable Maiden typeface. Tafazoli’s sitting on a green booth inside Craft & Commerce with a pile of books stacked in the bookcase behind him. His back is literally touching a quote by one of his favorite authors, David Foster Wallace, which is handpainted on the back of the booth.
The restaurateur is a bit of an intellectual, whether he admits to it or not, and while Craft & Commerce may have started as a project that would be somewhere in the middle of his last two in terms of quality and efficiency, for Tafazoli, it seems to have become more of a social experiment.
“I’m a huge fan of social engineering—going back to conversations,” Tafazoli says. “Not to glorify what I do, but I feel like places like this have a huge impact on communities. This is where people get together. It’s a public place where they converse.”
The written word is the visual theme of the new space—implemented by local designer / builder Paul Basile—and creating a good place for conversation is Tafazoli’s ultimate goal. Craft & Commerce will feature tables on a rolling track system so people can either join together or pull apart. There are no TVs or distractions. The restaurant’s background music will be curated by local record shop M-Theory Music, and books on tape will play in the bathroom.
As for the menu, Tafazoli says the food will be simple and meatcentric with a few vegan and vegetarian options. The bar has 25 taps, plus a good collection of bottled sour beers. The cocktails, created by famed cocktail man Phil Ward of New York, will be creative and come with the option to be served in a communal punch bowl.
As of now, the plan is to open Aug. 9. “Just come in and communicate,” Tafazoli says. “Come converse.”
—Kinsee Morlan
