Notes from the smoking patio
Local. Music. Gossip.
By Bart Mendoza , Troy Johnson
Slightly Stoopid gets little respect here at home, probably because their dub-punk shtick reminds us that Sublime will haunt every single one of us until we finally give in and adopt a Dalmation with the sole intention of blowing pot smoke into its ears.
But fuck us, because the band's latest release, Chronchitis, debuted at No. 55 on the Billboard Top 200. The album sold 12,000 copies its first week, also ranking No. 2 on the magazine's Independent Record chart and No. 15 on the digital sales chart. They're co-headlining a 20-date tour with G. Love and Ozomatli, routinely selling out 8,000-seat venues such as Denver's Red Rocks Amphitheatre. The band will play at Street Scene on Sept. 22, during which they'll "neener" thrice over. MS/stoopid.
After a nearly two-year break, Grossmont College radio station KGFN 89.1-FM will be back on air for the fall semester. Local acts interested in airplay can contact music director Andrew Wehrung at KGFNFM@ yahoo.com. To see what those edgy college kids were spinning in 2005, check their website (www.grossmont.edu/kgfn). The Coldplay and Oasis entries gave us a shivering case of the mainstreams, but we're encouraged by the inclusion of Minus the Bear on the 20-year-old Wehrung's MySpace page.
In "We flippin' dig this band" news: The Sess will play a pair of release shows for their new 45 (it's a small record, made of vinyl, popular when your dad was cool). Called "**** the Navy," it's either a political statement or some sort of code for off-duty officers looking for hot hipster-on-sailor action. One show is at Kadan on Aug. 30, and the other is all-ages (Che Café on Aug. 31 with The Atoms). MS/thesess.
Open-mics are like Golden Tee Golf--every bar has one. The newest will be held on Sunday nights at O'Connells, the likeable Bay Park venue that recently expanded its seating area and dance floor. Sponsored by The Troubadour newspaper (a local-yokel treasure for fans of folk, bluegrass and lonely humans with guitars), the open-mic will be hosted by co-publisher and Jose Sinatra cohort Phil Harmonic. Bands are welcome, though they'll play in the latter half of the evening. MS/sandiegotroubadour.
Downs Family frontman Dave Dick was injured Aug. 20 when an SUV hit the scooter he was riding. Dick is expected to make a full recovery, so we feel OK asking anyone who's got a photo of this burly Irish punk riding a mechanical wuss-pony (in a cute little helmet, preferably) to post it on our MySpace page immediately. MS/thedownsfamily.
John Peel dug San Diego rock. (Sure, he dug every tiny band from thousands of cities, but shhhh--our civic ego is a hothouse flower.) As such, Ken Garner's new book about the late, legendary British deejay features an interview with The Bloody Hollies, as well as entries on Truman's Water, The Locust, Black Heart Procession, Mike Andrews, Gary Jules and Hot Snakes. The tome will be released by BBC Books in October.
Beatles compatriot Tony Sheridan, now 67, has recorded lead-guitar tracks for six songs on the upcoming album by singer-songwriter Dave Humphries. Humphries is recording at Earthling Studios, with Mike Kamoo (The Stereotypes) producing and playing drums. www.davehumphriesmusic.com.
On Aug. 29, House of Blues' local music showcase--functionally named "San Diego Rocks"--will give a few more San Diegans the opportunity to put HOB on their band's résumé. Performers include Arm the Angels, Blizzard, Inberst and The Anna Troy Band. Either realizing that the over-21 crowd hates local music or they're too busy talking about Okkervil River's new album at The Casbah, House of Blues is making the show all-ages this round. Admission is technically $10, but bands are paid by how many free tickets they can give away. So either hit 'em up at MySpace or look for them at the door the night of show, handing out tickets like so many Jesus pamphlets. MS/armtheangels, MS/blizzardtheband, MS/inberst, MS/annatroy.
Time is running out on the grassroots write-in campaign for your brother's Judeo-Satanic metal band. Voting for the 2007 San Diego Music Awards ends Sept. 5. The winners will be announced at the Sept. 17 ceremony at Viejas Concerts in the Park, featuring two-song sets by Jason Mraz, Reeve Oliver, Buck-O-Nine, Lady Dottie & The Diamonds, The Truckee Brothers and The Real Sean Jon. This year's Lifetime Achievement Award recipient is Nick Reynolds of The Kingston Trio. Music at the after-party will be provided by Mex and ¡Society! And, finally, we'd like to attribute this voluntary whoring of the "Locals Only" page to the fact that CityBeat is a major sponsor of the Awards. www.sandiegomusicawards.com.
--Bart Mendoza and Troy Johnson
Published: 08/28/2007
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