Gonzo Report
Everything was going my way, including a cancer-free pathology report that finally came just hours before this event: the inaugural concert at the newly constructed Park & Market. It felt like I’d been waiting forever …
It’s a Wednesday at The Belly Up in Solana Beach, and I pass the time eavesdropping in line as a young woman named Abby discusses a helicopter that is flying at that very moment over …
The recent storms and floods didn’t deter hundreds of electronica and house music fans — myself included — from bundling up and rendezvousing at downtown’s Bang Bang Japanese restaurant and nightclub on January 14. Electronic …
January 15, a rainy Sunday. It’s 1 pm; my friends Ted Winter, Sandra McBride and I are pregaming by drinking Heinekens and doing White Runtz bong hits. At 1:45, I get a text from my …
Chula Vista’s North Island Credit Union Amphitheater is less than 30 miles from D.Z. Akin’s, the place from which Mrs. Steffenhagen and I set out at 4:30 pm. The Iron Maiden show isn’t slated to …
I’ve always imagined the Til-Two Club as the kind of haunt where you might have found the late author Charles Bukowski buzzing around. If he dressed in black leather and lived in San Diego when …
A short trolley ride brings me to San Diego’s House of Blues, where a video monitor at the entryway — emblematic of the modern concert venue — warns “Hate will not be tolerated here!” The …
Debbie Gibson’s Winterlicious concert at Viejas Casino & Resort in Alpine was an early Christmas gift bestowed to local “Deb Heads” on Thanksgiving weekend. “That’s Debbie’s name for her core group of fans,” Jenny Corriveau …
Nothing like a little sea moss in the system before the battle kicks off. Sixty-three-year-old Miss Sherry Elie, owner and organizer of the CRS (Cut it, Roll it, Smoke it) San Diego Rap Battle League, …
The orange cat jumps into an older man’s lap like they’re best friends. I never catch the animal’s name, or at least I don’t retain it, because there are at least ten more of her …
When Full Contact Rock-N-Roll owner Davit Buck tells me that KISS guitarist Ace Frehley once came into the store and asked if they carried any albums by his former band, I could feel my inner …
I step into the frigid November air, bundled up in sweaters, gloves, and a knit cap, rushing to meet the Uber that is to escort me to down the hill to East Village. It’s my …
On October 28, there was a punk rock revival at the San Diego House of Blues, with Total Chaos opening for Black Flag. This article about that show may not be for the faint of …
I’m officially a concert junkie. Since attending my first one (Led Zeppelin in August 1970 at the Sports Arena), I’ve witnessed more than 1000 shows. Once I started writing about music 13 years ago, this …
Noose Sweat’s van broke down on their way down from Vancouver. They’re supposed to headline the hardcore punk show on this early autumn night, but due to their shitty circumstances, they won’t be able to …