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Stories by Ken Leighton

Problems at the Palace

“It’s just sitting there empty,” says local reggae radio personality Makeda “Dread” Cheatom of the 1800-capacity Tijuana venue named Iguanas. “We’re coming in to reclaim it.” Iguana’s will have its first headlining show in over …

September 16, 2009
That Was Then, This Is Buju

Lyrics from a 17-year-old song are costing Buju Banton gigs. The Jamaican dancehall singer had some of the dates on his 2006 U.S. tour canceled because his 1992 song “Boom Bye Bye” urges listeners to …

September 9, 2009
Metal in the Blood

Gabey D’Schiavone spent the ’80s on the Sunset Strip in L.A.’s glam-band scene. His band, Ambush, played the same clubs — Gazarri’s, Troubadour, Roxy — that cradled Poison, Ratt, and Mötley Crüe. “All my friends …

September 2, 2009
The Case of the Blue Violin

Jennifer “Spags” Spingola and her blue violin have been around the world. The flying V, six-string electric violin was made for her nine years ago by Wood Violins of New York. “It’s one of a …

The City Needs Me

Gregory Page, one of San Diego’s most prolific singer-songwriters, says he plans to stay put even as many artists leave town for New York and L.A. “It seems that we have an exodus. If everybody …

August 26, 2009
Rack 'Em

A 4th&B show headlined by LBC, a Long Beach Sublime tribute band, ended with the bassist beaten and hospitalized by an unhappy fan and an opening band claiming they were underpaid by $1000. “It was …

August 19, 2009
Canes Unscathed

The latest on Canes: it’s open for business, and the $2 million damage estimate from a July 17 fire was “way too high.” But the most significant news from owner Eric Leitstein is that he …

X-Fest Takes a Rest?

Last year’s X-Fest, headlined by Offspring and Pennywise at the Concerts on the Green facility near Qualcomm, may have ended the event’s 25-year run. When it became clear that 91X would not bring back X-Fest …

August 5, 2009
Underage Dance Jams Not in the Starz

Orange County–based promotion company Club Starz organizes weekly teenage dance parties. The event is booked into nightclubs on slow nights. The booze is put away but security is on duty, and the kids have a …

July 29, 2009
This Is Not a Good Time

High Tide singer-guitarist Ed Barrena thinks his reggae band may be the last band to play at Canes. High Tide was loading out its gear after playing for some 600 fans last Friday when a …

Rave Wrecked

DJ/promoter James Reynolds thought he had found the perfect place to throw a rave. According to the drum-and-bass DJ who goes by the name DJ Rabid, his May 16 party called Shipwrecked “…was the most …

July 15, 2009
He's Got the Cheese

A local promoter of live hip-hop events maintains that San Diego’s dominant promoter has become such a force in the scene that he can freeze out competitors. Because he is afraid of repercussions, the smaller …

July 8, 2009
Pay the DJ

SDSU recently remitted $3000 to a former student who claimed that KCR, the on-campus radio station, damaged his chances to get a job in radio. KCR is a free-form radio station where DJs (unpaid students …

July 1, 2009
Unfair Fair?

The theme for this year’s Del Mar Fair is “Music Mania.” Chris Behar of reggae band High Tide thinks that’s false advertising. “The fair is supposed to be all about music this year. They are …

June 24, 2009
Guevara with a Guitar

It’s awkward when Joaquin McWhinney’s students recognize him as Quino, lead singer of Big Mountain, the local reggae band that had a top-ten hit 15 years ago with single “Baby I Love Your Way.” “They …

June 10, 2009
Tick, Tick, Tick...

San Diego just lost another all-ages music venue. Sergeant Glenn Giannantonio of the San Diego Sheriff’s Department says that an April 18 show at the Jumping Turtle in San Marcos got out of control and …

Stand Still, Laddie

A multi-deejay event called Klub Therapy debuts Friday night at the 8Teen Arts and Cultural Center in North Park. It is one of the first all-ages music events at the venue, which opened last December …

Worst of the Worst

Will an unruly punk show end live music at the Jumping Turtle? Sheriff’s deputy Sgt. Glenn Antonio said every patrol car assigned to San Marcos the night of Saturday, April 18, was called to the …

Kiss My ASCAP

From 1994 to 2004, guitarist Ryan Ruiz and bassist Steve Van Wyk played in Surf Report, a band known for retooling metal songs (“Ace of Spades,” “Crazy Train”) into instrumental surf tunes. They opened for …

April 29, 2009
Train of Thought

Eric Woodard, aka Dizzy Order, has been rapping locally for 15 years. He used to freestyle at underground shows based in Encanto in the mid ’90s and frequented a short-lived rap collective in 2000 in …

April 22, 2009
Long Hair Can't Cover My Red Neck

Outlaw country legend David Allan Coe could sell between 1000 and 2000 tickets if he were to play in San Diego. But, he won’t, says Sulo King, talent buyer for Brick by Brick. Two years …

April 15, 2009
Cleaning Up After Wild Weekend

Wild Weekend, one of the San Diego buzz bands at South by Southwest, broke up just days after returning from the Austin music fest. “It was my decision,” says Wild Weekend singer-guitarist Maren Parusel, 26. …

April 8, 2009
Stoopid, Not Stupid

Slightly Stoopid is one of San Diego’s biggest-drawing bands. They sold out the Open Air Theatre last summer, and a date to play with Snoop Dogg at Cricket Amphitheatre will be announced this month. But …

April 8, 2009
Ignorant Slut?

“Why would anyone pay $55 to see Creedence Clearwater [Revisited] when you can see them for free at the Del Mar Fair?” That’s what one insider asked about two upcoming shows by the band that …

April 1, 2009
You Can't Rave All day

It’s tough for all media outlets that have to sell ads to exist, but it’s even worse for XETV/Channel 6 since the local station lost its Fox affiliation last summer. Channel 6 manager Richard Doutre …

March 18, 2009
Everyone Should Juggle

Spitting fire and juggling has helped Bushwalla get 6 European tours and some 15 U.S. tours. The singer-songwriter-guitarist says mixing magic, comedy, and circus tricks has allowed him to take his “freestyle-funk-acoustic-hip-hop-vaudeville” act on the …

March 11, 2009
Are You Smarter than a Fourth Waiver?

Defamation League MC Chaz “Khemical Ali” Lomack was probably the most famous of the 95 arrested in the Operation Sudden Fall drug sting last May. “I was sentenced to 120 days.” Lomack, 22, did his …

March 4, 2009
Get Your Own Trademark, NXNP

The operators of the South by Southwest annual music fest have had to sue to keep others from using their name. “We have to deal with people wanting use East by East West and any …

February 11, 2009
Bands on the Run

Pann, singer-guitarist with circaNow, says the musicians who rented space at Universal Sound rehearsal complex near the Sports Arena were not happy when they found out they had to vacate the property. “We got notices …

February 11, 2009
More Radio Ga-Ga

After four years as KGB’s afternoon deejay, Ditch was fired on January 20. “The entire building was on lockdown that day. You couldn’t even walk into the lobby. You had to get buzzed in. What …

February 4, 2009
Tweakers Took My Speakers

Drummer Andy Robillard has been playing in local bands for 15 years, including Butch Wax Duo and gogogo airheart. His latest band the Tighten Ups rents a room at the Universal Sound practice complex near …

January 28, 2009
Oi-o-Oi

Early on January 10, 25-year-old Christopher Hawthorne of Santee was shot and killed near O’Connell’s bar in Bay Park. Police reports say Hawthorne got into a fight outside the club, then was chased by a …

January 21, 2009
Slump Rock

All local concert venues listed on Pollstar’s year-end summary showed a decrease in business last year, with the Sports Arena and SDSU’s Open Air Theatre showing the largest declines. Cricket Wireless (formerly Coors) Amphitheatre came …

January 21, 2009
In Your Face, MySpace

Ross May, singer-guitarist with Faded Chroniclez, played twice at West Hollywood’s Whisky a Go Go last year. Each gig cost his band $600. “We had to drop a deposit of half up front when we …

January 14, 2009
Blowin' Away?

Might Canes be leaving its beachfront address this year? The lease on the 900-capacity club in Mission Beach expires in October. Canes owner Eric Leitstein says he will move the club and its 100 employees …

January 7, 2009
Slain?

Nine years ago, Francisca and Jorge Alvarez started selling Slayer T-shirts, pentagram necklaces, and Dimmu Borgir pins at Kobey’s Swap Meet and at weekly swap meets in North County. Six years ago, they opened the …

December 30, 2008
Happy Anniversary?

Lou’s Records, about to enter its 30th year of business, is in “serious financial trouble,” according to a store employee. The source and others say that the Leucadia record store is experiencing at least temporary …

December 23, 2008
What I Did Last Summer

“I had just seen the Muslims and Wild Weekend at the Belly Up,” says Embalmers singer-guitarist Gordo about a night in late July. “I stopped at a few more bars. I got pulled over on …

December 17, 2008
It’s a Convenience Charge, You Oxymoron

If you bought a ticket through Ticketmaster to see the Wu-Tang Clan last Friday, you were helping Ticketmaster’s bottom line almost as much as you were patronizing the House of Blues. If you bought a …

December 10, 2008
They Out-Draked Drake

Bill Drake, who created Boss Radio, the Top 40 format that dominated American radio from 1965 to about 1972, died November 29 of lung cancer. The radio pioneer was 71. Drake’s fast-paced Boss Radio format …

December 10, 2008
What’s in a Name?

When Coors passed on the naming rights of SD’s largest local concert venue this year, the 20,000-capacity Chula Vista concert venue formerly known as the Coors Amphitheatre became the Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre. Now insiders say …

December 3, 2008
Riding in Vans with Boys

Action sports channel Fuel TV has supplanted MTV as the best way for signed and unsigned bands to get international TV exposure. The Daily Habit airs four times a day on Fuel and features interviews …

December 3, 2008
No Bueno

Singer/drummer Joe Serrano of Paradise Hills has been playing in local norteño bands for 46 years. He guesses there are close to 2000 "Mexican cowboy" bands in the Southern California/Tijuana region. The huge number of …

November 25, 2008
No to Metal? No Thanks

For the past four years, Lisa Mettler has organized Rancho Buena Vista High's annual battle-of-the-bands contest. Over the past eight years, the spring concerts have raised more than $20,000 for the Vista school's annual on-campus …

November 25, 2008
Wal-Marts, Best Buys, and Strip Clubs

Everyone performing at the Casbah’s first local rap showcase next month was nominated in the Best Hip-Hop category at this year’s San Diego Music Awards — everyone except Kayo. “I wasn’t nominated for anything,” says …

November 19, 2008
Rap-Rock, So ’90s

P.O.D. recently canceled a planned six-city tour of the U.K. with Filter. Why? According to band members quoted by Undercover.com.au, a “recently announced hiatus” made the South Bay band “unable to fulfill touring obligations” planned …

November 19, 2008
X’ed Out

During his 25 years on local radio, deejay Steve West has survived prostate cancer, at least 16 different program directors and general managers, and a market-wide takeover by the Clear Channel conglomerate. Last week, West …

November 12, 2008
Bake It

Blitz Recording Studios owner Richard Livoni says, “I think only Signature Sound or maybe Studio West have been around longer.” Livoni’s Mission Hills storefront has been around for 14 years; before setting up shop on …

November 5, 2008
Door Deals

Anyone at the Sports Arena’s Panic at the Disco show last month might have noticed that the house was only about half full. Recent Soma shows by national touring artists Norma Jean, Haste the Day, …

November 5, 2008
For the Kids

Drummer Garrett Sisti of the punk/psychobilly Wrecking Crew played a three-band gig at the Leucadian on October 17 sponsored by No Cover magazine. “They did it for a good cause,” says Sisti, “and nobody could …

October 29, 2008

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