3.9 STREET CENTERPC.indd - San Diego Union

4 | Street
M A RC H 9, 20 0 6
●
Street |
T H E SA N D I EG O U N I O N -T R I B U N E
SOUNDS LIKE SAN DIEGO
◗ ALMOST
FAMOUS
◗ DON’T FORGET
Ben Lee, tonight at the Casbah
Dustin Shey
Minus the Bear, the Appleseed Cast,
Rocky Votalato, Crystal Skull,
tomorrow at the Casbah
Local singer Dustin Shey will
perform songs about girls
at Lestat’s Wednesday. He
answers our weekly questions:
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Elefant,
Saturday at the House of Blues
Q: Why do you play music?
A: “My family would always
play records when I was
young. I got into the music
and decided I wanted to be the
one making some melodies,
as well. Plus, I don’t need a
shrink. I tend to write a lot, so
it hits the paper and eventually
becomes a song.”
The Black Heart Procession,
Altamont, the Velvet Teen, Irving,
Sunday at the Casbah
Animal Collective, Tuesday at Epicentre
The Glossines CD release show,
Wednesday at the Casbah
◗ SPOT OF THE WEEK
Crissy Pascual / Union-Tribune
Cafe Lulu, 419 F ST., DOWNTOWN; (619) 238-0114
Ostensibly it’s a coffeehouse, but we’re
not talking Starbucks here. It’s got the
pastry display, the espresso machine
singing in the background and racks
of reading materials, but with the
traditional coffeehouse gear, Cafe Lulu
boosts a certain mysteriousness — dim
lights, Bohemian decor, the occasional
belly dance performance and, at night, a
music volume level that reaches that of
a lounge. It’s an experience that might
lend itself to the person who is slightly
sick of the bar scene, but isn’t quite sick
of being in a hip, seen-and-be-seen place.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE SPOT? Send recommendations to [email protected].
Touch And Go Records
On Friday and Saturday nights, Cafe
Lulu is busy, packed even, with a diverse
crowd of sippers. And if caffeinated
beverages aren’t your thing, beer, wine
and health-conscious organic fare also is
on the menu.
— NICOLE REINO
Q: What’s your favorite
album of all time? And could
we tell by listening to your
music?
A: “That’s like asking which
San Diego taco shop has the
best California burrito. Tough!
You can definitely tell that I
listened to ’90s wuss rock —
Gin Blossoms, Toad the Wet
Sprocket, Counting Crows,
and the list goes on. So, it
shows up. Can’t help it being a
singer-songwriter.”
Q: Describe your most
memorable/funniest
moment on stage.
A: “I guess about eight
months ago, I was on stage in
front of a small, quiet crowd
playing a set. Most people
have a filter of what you can
and cannot say when you are
on stage. I don’t, most of the
time. So, while I was tuning,
I’m just talking, and the next
thing I know, I’m saying
‘Where are all my Jews at?’
Which isn’t that funny, more
embarrassing than anything,
because, well, I’m not Jewish.”
Check it out: Shey’s debut album, produced by
Greg Laswell and Keith Orfanides, is scheduled
to be out this summer.
◗ SPOTLIGHT SHOW
◗ ADVANCE WARNING
March 25
March 28
The Subways; Epicentre, 8450 Mira Mesa
Blvd., Mira Mesa; $10; (619) 220-TIXS.
Dilated Peoples, Little Brother, Defari;
Belly Up, 143 S. Cedros Ave., Solana
Beach; $22; (858) 481-8140.
March 26
Ghostface Killah, M1, Sam Scarfo; House
of Blues, 1055 Fifth Ave., downtown; $25;
(619) 220-TIXS.
The Strokes, Eagles of Death Metal;
RIMAC Arena, UCSD, 9500 Gilman
Drive, La Jolla; $25; (619) 220-TIXS.
RCA Records
●
●
Elefant frontman Diego Garcia grew up in
Argentina. He went to Brown University
and studied economics, but the life of rock
’n’ roll called out to him and he left the
world of numbers.
Garcia moved to New York and found
his band members: bassist Jeff James,
guitarist Mod and drummer Kevin
McAdams.
Q: Who would you get to
direct your superstar MTV
video and why?
A: “Zach Braff. ‘Garden State’
was an amazing movie, and I
figure he might have Natalie
Portman’s number, so she
could be the co-star in the
video. Or her and I could just
not make a video and go grab
a pint.”
Q: If you weren’t a musician,
you would …
A: “Travel. All the time. My
job in real estate keeps me
tied here to San Diego, which
in all actuality isn’t such a bad
place to be stuck. We have an
amazing music scene, and there
is always something to do.”
ATTENTION LOCAL BANDS: Send us your answers to
these questions along with a photo to street@uniontrib.
com for a chance to be featured in this section.
◗ ADMIT IT
Elefant
If this was Sassy magazine, Elefant would
definitely be in that “Cute Band Alert!”
column. See for yourself Saturday at the
House of Blues when the band opens for
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. Then, be
sure to pick up the new album April 18.
5
COVER GUY JOAQUIN ORTIZ TELLS US
WHAT IT’S LIKE TO MAKE FILMS:
●
●
●
Elefant was signed after Kemado Records
heard the band’s dreamy four-song EP.
The band’s sound has been compared to
the Cure, Morrissey, U2, David Bowie
and Blur.
Here’s a sample from the Elefant blog:
“New York last night was a blur. What
happened? The show I think was pretty
good, Diego throwing his boots and
socks, so random but great. Crazy man
going crazy in the crowd. Seeing my
friends last night was good but too much
drinking occurred. I think I will go to Jim’s
and get a cheesesteak. too-da-loo. Jeff
James.”
Hollywood Records
“I make films because it is a means
of expressing what I see in the
world. In my opinion, it is the best
combination of visual aesthetics,
movement, light, music, sound and
storytelling. It is also something
that I am always learning and
growing at because there are always
new challenges to overcome in trying
to put what you see in your mind into
the medium of film and video.”