On Hiatus.

I'm still alive, though I've been out of commission for the last couple of weeks. and it looks like it might stay that way, at least 'til the end of the week. My computer is down. This brings a lot of my usual routine to a grinding halt. God, it sucks to be so dependent on technology. It should be up and running within the next few days. I don't usually get a chance to do any blogging from work, so it'll be a few days til I get back to it. I will be out of town for three of the four weeks in February. I won't be going far, but I won't be home. I'll have some catching up to do for possibly this weekend.

In the works:
some live reviews - Meho Plaza/Oso, Calico Horse/MGMT/Yeasayers, Dwarves/Cell Block 5, Buzzkill Romantics, A couple of record reviews, "Banning is a Shithole," "The Assclowns," and a Post-Mortem Scolari's assessment: a review of Chaser's as a venue.

Chasers is Scolari's is Dead.

So, I was neck deep in a fucking eulogy for Scolari's Office when I read the following bulletin from T-Bone and the entire (ex) Scolari's staff. I had a feeling...
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[The Bad News:
On Tuesday January 22nd the owners of Scolaris Office decided to pull the plug on all entertainment until after the bar officially changed hands, leaving over eighty bands without a place to play This after promising we could book shows through April. The employees at Scolari's are outraged by this affront to not only the bands but all our patrons as well.

The Good News(We hope):
Donny has worked out a deal with the owner of Chasers to become the new bar manager. We are moving the entire staff over to Chasers including doormen, bartenders and Karaoke hosts(and hopefully trivia night hosts,c'mon Kipper!) piece by piece. We know Chasers has a bad rep right now but with the right people running the show and the right clientele(that means you) we can make it awesome

In Conclusion:
All shows are still a go (with a few exceptions due to shows already scheduled at Chasers,please see below) If you have a problem with moving the show please let me know so we can discuss it . Karaoke is happening every Wednesday and Sunday including tonight!! Daryl is the host and Donny will be the bartender.

Scolari's was an amazing place that I will miss dearly, it had it's downsides and drawbacks but it touched a lot of lives. Please leave your condolences and memories as comments and please help us make Chasers even better than Scolari's.

Thanks
T-Bone and the entire staff

These are the only dates that are already booked at Chasers:
Sat.Jan 25th
Fri.Feb 1st
Sat.Feb 2nd
Sat.Mar 1st
Sat.Mar 8th

I am very sorry to the bands whose shows fall on these nights. Let's reschedule them if possible]
______________________________________
Here is the post I was about to publish:
______________________________

R.I.P.

Change, Growth, or Decay?

I was going to reply to a post on SdDialedIn concerning Scolari's having been sold (I know it's already like 2 weeks old, but I've been unavailable since then). However, I decided to give my full response as a new post. In particular, I wanted to respond to this quote from Rosey, who said "Anyway, lots of changes a' comin' in the San Diego bar scene, it appears. For now, I'm ok with that."

I don't think I'm ok with it, and I wanted to rant about the current state of North Park music venues.

Scolari's Office.

Yeah, the day crowd is full of uber-creepy drug-addled inebriates that often intermingle with the night crowd, there's an ever present aroma of old beer, vomit, and urine, and some nights the live band is unbearably loud and/or unbelievably awful. Sounds terrible enough. Well, the bar that my friends and I have affectionately referred to as "Scolala's" over the years, has been sold and will soon undergo 'remodeling'. I'm really not sure exactly what that entails, but I'm doubtful that we can just consider what's happening to Scolari's "growth." I'm very weary of what's to happen. I was in the bar the day that Chandra was told who would get to keep their jobs. Both T-Bone and Chandra, bartenders there, seemed pretty distraught over the whole thing. After starting at Scolari's that night (a couple of Friday's ago), Bryan and I decided to give the newer bars a spin. We had a drink at the Pink Elephant, and then walked to U-31. At both bars, we ended up trying to finish our drinks as quickly as we could so that we could get the hell out of there and go back to Scolari's. On our way back, we ran into Chandra and T-Bone, who had both decided the take a look into the Pink Elephant. We met right at the corner of 30th and University, and with unanimous disappointment, walked back to Scolari's after Chandra turned to us and said "Let's go home." I think we spent the last hour before last call in a very nearly empty Scolari's dancing to Marky Mark and the Funky bunch (I stood on the pool table and dropped my pants saying "Yeah, come on, feel it! Yeah, come on, Dance!") and Madonna. I fear that Scolari's just won't be home anymore. I've lived in San Diego for 10 years, and lived within 2 miles of Scolari's for the last 6 years at 5 different addresses (including a the apartment complex next to Claire De Lune across the alley from Scolari's that I got booted from after they were approved for condo conversion). That is/was the appeal of Scolari's to me, that regardless of what was going on around town, no matter where I had been before, Scolari's was always there. I don't know how many times I've been to shows at the Casbah, the Che, The Tower, The Ken, The Zombie, Pink Elephant, or the Brass Rail.... and ended my night at Scolari's office afterwards. It's almost as many times as I've been to Scolari's without any idea who was going to play, only to be totally blown away by a band. Before I ever met Cullen or the Jasons, I saw The North Atlantic at Scolari's. I had no idea who was playing, and had never heard of the North Atlantic. I ended becoming good friends with them after instantly becoming a fan at Scolari's. I even took pictures. Scolari's is an institution. Playing Scolari's is a rite of passage. I have a lot of doubts about it being the same after 'remodeling.' Worries about the Bro-deo clowns infiltrating North Park aside, consider the potential consequences from the performers point of view. The canceling of their entire entertainment calendar doesn't show much consideration by the management for what the institution means for bands. This does not bode well for touring bands in particular. Different management is no doubt going to mean a different live music model. There is NO other venue in San Diego that has a more effective model for live music. There is no cover ever. I've never booked or played a show where the bar didn't have at least something to give bands as the end of the night, and always free drinks for performers.

Now, let's consider the alternatives comparatively.

U-31
I had just played U-31 with Batwings the Wednesday before our little walk. I really felt like they have a huge opportunity to take a commanding role as the premiere live music venue in North Park, but I don't think they are going to take it. I was impressed by the new layout, they have a nice PA, and they are building a stage (eh). It's really nice and cozy there. The room's a bit echo-ey but not to bad. After having played, we were informed that the owner/manager was weary about having us on the bill at all. Maybe it was because we are considerably more "aggressive" or "noisy" than the other bands on the bill. I understand that, we're not for everyone, but I still get the feeling that this doesn't indicate that they are going to make a dent with the multitude of bands that would otherwise book Scolari's... Then I was there on a Friday. No bands, just a DJ. It was not necessarily my vibe, but it seemed wildly successful. There were tons of people there. Bryan and I sat down, and in the ten minutes we were there witnessed several cases of attempted dance-rape (like most Man Diego dance venues, women were waaay outnumbered). It was kind of surreal, actually. The point is, if they could pack the place without live music, why would they go out of their way to book smaller touring independent bands? Simple answer is, they aren't going to. A lot of the staff are Beauty Bar transplants, and a lot of the security was recruited from the mixed martial arts (like UFC) gym down the block. It's AC Lounge all over again. They might have shows at first, but that'll fade just like the live music at Club Blue Foot did. Residual Buster Daly's clientele should be pleased with the change, as well as the transplanted Beauty Bar crowd.

Bar Pink Elephant
They seemed to have quickly carved a niche that seems to work just fine. There's a happy balance of new patrons, residual Dino's hip-hoppers, Fancy haircut hipsters, Punks bored with or sick of the mildew smell at Scolari's, and everything in between. Live music is a part of the equation, but a comfortably small one.

Zombie Lounge
Even when there are only five fucking people at the Zombie Lounge they charge a cover to pay for the fucking DJs who get paid on a guarantee. I like the Zombie (when there's no cover, but they have their rockabilly/greaser niche carved pretty deep. They've got their thing going.

The Ken
They might have a better PA, but hires out for a sound guy, which could mean less money for bands. Most bands we've played with are dissatisfied with the sound afterward anyway. More often than not, the Ken charges a cover. They also allow complete separation between patrons and performers. The captive audience, or the unsuspecting audience is huge for bands who tour or play out as a means of promotion. The bookers don't go to the shows that they book. They have their heads up their asses most of the time. Booking there is an absolute headache without an 'in.'

Chaser's
This place is even scummier, with even more shady regulars than Scolari's, but still my best guess for a "replacement." They've got a great layout so that the strictly sit down and drink contingent can still see what's going on on stage without necessarily having to be as bothered by it if they don't want to be. Also, I now live like 2 blocks from there (though I've only been there once).

Shooterz
I can't think of a single good thing coming from the sale of Shooterz to the owners of PB Bar and Grill. I doubt they have any interest in hosting live music anyway.

Club Bluefoot
They had a very short-lived opportunity to be a significant live music venue, but fucked that up. They seemingly instantaneously established a clientele that didn't seem to have more than a casual interest in live music.
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Scolari's is fucking dead!...?

Could this be the end of an era? Seriously, I leave town for a few days and return to find that my computer has taken a dump on me, and now this! What the fuck? I smell a boycott, I just wish the staff well. Chandra, T-Bone, Javi, Eric, Kocomo, Donny, Tony, Darrell, and everybody else... good luck.

a myspace bulletin from Scolari's office posted just minutes ago reads:

" ALL SHOWS CANCELLED AT THE OFFICE PLEASE READ!

I am so sad to have to post this bulletin. I just received a phone call telling me that all entertainment at Scolaris office has been cancelled. I have been told that it has something to do with complaints and police reports. The bar was recently sold, so I think this may be a major factor. I have expressed to the management how this will affect bands tour schedules and how much time, effort and money bands have put into playing at Scolaris. We are working on moving everything to another bar and will let you know as soon as something develops.

Bands, please feel free to message me and I will do my best to find you somewhere to play. Unfortunately due to the number of bands that this will affect I can't guarantee anything"

Reactions so far:
Matt S. (Bartender's Bible, The Long and Short of It):

"It was only a matter of time, but the yuppies win again. All I can say is fuck Bar Dynamite, fuck the developers, and fuck anyone who bought one of those hideous condos. "

The Dissimilars:

"To the new owners of Scolari's Office and the residents of the condos across the street:

Suck our dicks.

Love,
The Dissimilars"

Death on Mars:

"This is truly a shame. That place is an institution in the local and national music scene, as many of us know. Hopefully something can happen to continue the tradition of being a kickass place to see, hear and experience what live music is all about. Viva Scolari's Office!!!"

My reaction on behalf of Batwings:

"What the fuck are we going to do now!?

We had a show booked for the 16th of February that we were very excited for. We had confirmed Channing Cope (which now features Brandon Relf from Sleeping People on drums!), Totally Serious (members of Bad Dudes), The Evening Episode (members of An Angle and Scene Index), and us. It was to be a special occasion for us too, as we would be joined by our former guitarist Todd Price on stage for the very last time. WHAT THE FUCK!

Please, if you have any ideas about how to save this show, let us know. At very least, we need to find another show for The Evening Episode, who will be on tour at the time.

www.myspace.com/theeveningepisode

if T-Bone and Chandra get canned, there will be no reason to ever go back to Scolari's Office."

I am disturbed.

I am substituting for a high school History class. Apparently, the teacher did not expect to be sick today. There are no lesson plans whatsoever, and it's the first day of the semester. This sucks considering they are on a block schedule and each class is an hour and fifty minutes long. There's a TV in the classroom, and an interesting show keeps the kids behaved. So, I just let the kids watch whatever they wanted. All the previous classes had decided on the Cartoon Network, or Nickelodeon. So, during the last period of the day I started reading a bit and stopped paying attention to what they were watching until I heard an Adolescents song in the background of an episode of Wildboyz.  Shit, all I need is for the kids to come back and tell their teacher that they watched an Chameleon eat a bug out of Knoxville's ass, or Steve-o shooting mezcal and eating the worm, or Pontius trimming ass hair from his bikini line. Awesome. I'm a terrible sub. Later, a group of students had been sitting in a circle talking. When I changed the channel, the volume on the next program got much quieter, but their game of "never have I ever" didn't . What the fuck is going on....

I can't believe I get paid for this shit. 

May the lord have mercy on the next generation.

Calico Horse and Bunky @ Scolari's Office

On Friday Dec 28, 2007 I went to Scolari's Office to see Calico Horse. Singer/guitarist/pianist, Emily Neveu, is a very talented artist and musician, and a friend of mine. She did the artwork for Cat Dirt's Sessions Fest poster as well as all the artwork for the band. She had a short stint as the bassist for The Muslims. While the band was still called The Clockwork Army they changed drummers more than Spinal Tap. They even tried out and turned down the drummer for now defunct Alta Voz, which always made me scratch my head. They recorded the aptly named A Catalyst for Change Ep, and came out of the year long process with only two members. The new lineup consists of Dave Pettijohn on bass (the only other surviving member of The Clockwork Army), and two Loud+Clear Records alumni, Matt Mournian on guitar (singer/guitarist of Goodbye Blue Monday), and Tom (I don't know his last name) on drums (Comfortable For You, Lily White, and a Drive Like Jehu cover band). They only played a 6 song set which was a little dissapointing, but Emily was sick, and didn't seem to be in the highest spirits. She seemed a little irritated that she and the two other members had to wait on stage for Matt. She has a very powerful voice, and it didn't seem too affected by her illness. She played guitar on all but one song, during which she played the piano. The songs during which she played guitar seemed a bit thin. It seemed as though Matt's guitar didn't play much of a substantive role. As for the song that she played piano, on the other hand, I'd guess that Matt had a stronger role in writing the song, but it was easily the fullest, most spirited song of the set. I did really enjoy the set, but in general, they all seemed kind of stoic. Petti's amp became unplugged a couple of times, and he just kind of casually strolled over to plug it back in. They didn't play anything off of the A Catalyst for Change Ep. One of the songs they have up on their myspace profile, "Awake in the Clouds," reminds me of the chorus in "Lose Me" by Denali, but Emily's voice is a bit deeper than Mara Davis'. They have a ton of potential, especially considering they have somewhat of an "all-star" lineup. I've always been a big fan of Comfortable for You, Goodbye Blue Monday, and everything that Emily has done previously, so I'll be anxiously awaiting a healthy and more prolific Calico Horse.

Bunky is always fun. I really enjoy it when band appears to be having a good time while they play. If you've never seen them, Emily Joyce sings while playing the drums, which is impressive. She's also a bartender at the Casbah. Rosey at Sddialedin, who saw Bunky two days later when they played again at the Casbah said "Emily has one of the sweetest voices in San Diego, and the fact that she's always laughing and joking and giggling onstage, makes her so endearing, even when she thinks she's mauling a new song. The horn section separates the band from most others, and with Rafter on guitar, you've got a sure fire crowd pleasin' band with the batch of us in the front all singing and bopping along to the music." I didn't take any pictures of Bunky. I was kind of drunk by then. There are some of Rosey's pictures from their Casbah show here.

Your New Years Resolution! (Batwings Returns)

Just before the new year, Batwings had to make some adjustments, and we took a small hiatus. We're back to play our first show in San Diego with new songs, and new member, Larry Stage. Unfortunately, Todd Price has left the band. It was a very amicable split, and we are excited for Todd as he moves on to do other things. We could never thank him enough for what he did for us as a band. We wouldn't have ever been in a band at all if we hadn't met Todd. We will be playing one more show with Todd in February as a sort of goodbye and thank you. But tomorrow (Friday January 4th) we are going to debut some of the new material, but more importantly, we set up the show for our new out of town friends Planets, Manacle, and Short Hair, from Reno. It's going to be awesome. I've already posted a little bit about Planets here.

The tour for Planets, Short Hair, and Manacle will continue with an all ages show at the Che Cafe. They will all be playing with Japandi on Sunday the 6th.

You've been warned.