Well time for a new MyWeek in Music. It's been an eventful week in music but I am having a tougher time getting to events or being able to afford to go. I try to go to open mic's but didn't make many this week.
I started off Wednesday at farmers market in O.B. Where I usually start off my week! Usually I have a slim idea on who is playing down on Newport and Bacon. But this week I had no idea at all? This week I was a little early and I met up with Johnny Janiga from Podunk Nowhere and we proceeded to have a couple of beers at Winston's and talk music. From there we went to the corner to see whom Beach Music Mafia had lined up for this weeks music. While we watched them set up I recognized half of the Kyle Phelan band setting up and I looked around for Kyle. Thinking that he was going to perform? But it was only Enrique Platas on Drums and Cameron Westfall on piano/keyboard. They were setting up to play in another band. While it isn't unusual in San Diego, you will find quite often that many musicians will play in several different bands. Sometimes as backup players, but most of the time just to play in other bands to do different music than what they normally play or just to play with someone else they like. In this case the boys were setting up to play as Victoria Robertson's band. Victoria Robertson has been singing around San Diego for quite sometime but I had never actually seen her? Now she sings Electronic Pop and some of it has a little bit of a jazzy feel. She is supposed to have a new CD in February of 2007. She has a beautiful voice and is quite stunning looking herself. I can only imagine how she would look all dressed up. She sang at farmers market in jeans and modest blouse with her hair loosely up. She has very blue eyes and could easily be on the supermodel circuit if you ask me. She was once Miss San Diego and is currently Miss USO. But perhaps I was just a little infatuated with her at the time. If you get a chance to see her singing around town, be sure to tell her, " Scott from MyWeek in music sent you!"
After Victoria played a dinner group called Nomads showed up a couple of guys in middle eastern style dress set up drums and one was going to play a miniature electric Sitar (I think that's the name). There were also three very pretty girls who would be belly dancing. Now you can find this show every first Thursday of the month @ 9pm at Portugalia in O.B. As I watched the crowd the girls had the crowd mesmerized and it was one of the largest crowds I had seen in a while. The crowd wasn't mostly male like you'd think; men women and dogs were enthralled equally. The music was very authentic sounding and when the girls stopped dancing and the main guy broke out his regular axe the spell was broken and people started moving on. The guitarist's name was Greg Vaughn and he won the Guitarmageddon Champion of 2005. He was one of the best guitarists I have heard. He got back some of the crowd as he played several classic songs. So if you are interested in that Middle Eastern sound or belly dancing or just classic guitar. Go see them at Portugalia.
After farmers Market we headed for Winston's for the Girls In Rock Bands or Girls Who Rock were several of the names but the actual title was "Hot Chicks in Bands" and was the debut of a new supergroup of my friends called "Not Your Mom" which consisted of Cathryn Beeks, Astra Kelly, Marcia Claire and Bernadette Gallegos. Other Hot chicks in bands that night were: 8:00 Podunk Nowhere (hot chick was Heather Janiga 8:45 Julia Othmer (she's a hot chick but was a no show) 9:35 Barbara Nesbitt (wow I guess you can tell who the Hot chick was here) 10:25 Compass Rose (this hot chick was Amy Castner) 11:15 Not Your Mom (above) 12:05 Revenge Club (last hot chick known to me only as Amy).
This was a great night for music! I missed most of Podunk's set because of farmer's market and got there just in time to see most of Barbara Nesbitt's set who is a personal favorite singer of mine. She is just finishing her CD or just finished her CD with Jeff Berkley, so we'll all be on the look out for that soon! Then came Compass Rose and Amy sure plays a mean fiddle I love this band they are really fun and a really good band too! But the fun was just starting because it was time for the debut of "Not Your Mom". Bernadette is new to me but the other three hot chicks are some of my favorite singers and musicians in San Diego. And they did not disappoint! Astra and Cathryn took turns on doing lead vocals on songs, but these gals kicked ass and I hope they are around for a long time! The last band was a punk band by the name of Revenge Club and for a punk band they were loud but great. I went through a punk phase a few years ago and I usually like male punk bands but hearing a punk band with female vocals was a great change for me! It was lots of fun and made a great end to a great night of music! And this was just the first day of MyWeek in music.
Since it was a late night for me on Wednesday I skipped Thursday. But on Friday I went to Hot Java with Chelsea to listen to Chelsea without the Dreamstalkers, Brenda Panneton, and Amy Shamansky. This was a great night for girls only in an acoustic setting. Brenda has been a friend for a while but I had never heard her sing and I just me Amy. All these women have lovely strong voices and write wonderful songs. They all three write and sing in differing styles although Brenda and Amy were more closely suited in their styles. Chelsea even when she says she is doing a slow song tends to have more energy to her songs and the way she sings. Brenda's songs are a little more personal and sometimes sad and Amy's were right in the middle fun and upbeat, not sad but they were personal on some points. It was a fun musical night at Hot Java in Carmel Mountain. After that Chelsea and I went to a private party of our friends where it had a Roaring Twenties Theme (and of course I stood out as the guy who wasn't dressed right) Chelsea can fit in anywhere! It was a birthday party for Erica a close friend of Cathryn Beeks and so there were a lot of people from the music scene there. So I got to hear Sweettooth, Barbara Nesbitt, Sven-Eric Seaholm, Deadline Friday, Not Your Mom, Podunk Nowhere and a few others here and there it was a great party and lots of fun!
Saturday was another Birthday party this time at Winston's. It was Sherri Stoli's this time and most of the time she sings with Siren's Lure! A lot of folks showed up for Sheri's b-day and first up was Chelsea and the Dreamstalkers and Sheri herself sang with them on several songs and the Dreamstalkers really sounded good tonight although they were missing their new drummer. There were huge pizza's (I mean huge, must have been 50 inch or so) from Sunshine company I think and birthday cake of course! The next group up was Podunk Nowhere who really cranked out their songs to the crowd's delight and they are so cute looking together it is so much fun to watch them on stage. The last but not least performer up was Chuck Schiele sans "The Grams" who does an incredible impersonation of being the Grams all by himself (but not quite) he is a very talented singer/songwriter and a heck of a performer. All in all I hope it was a great night for Sheri to remember! It was a fun one for me!
Sunday I will just mention here because I meant to go out because so much was going on…J. Turtle was debuting his complete band at Lestats and then Neilfest was going on down at Dizzy's. I couldn't afford either so I stayed home that night but Dave Sawyer told me later (unfortunately too late) that I was on the guest list at Lestats. I was told later that the debut of Jason's band was a total success and you can see a video of it here: J.Turtle debut of complete band. I have yet to hear how well the Neilfest went but Dizzy's mini-fests are usually very good!
Monday was another stay at home days but Tuesday was the end of the week and I went to the O.B. Restaurant Walk. Which happens once a year I am told where you buy a ticket for approx. $15. You walk around O.B. sampling food or wine from merchants and restaurants around O.B. and in several strategic places you will find bands playing from 5:30 to 8:30pm. I was helping with sound for Chelsea and The Dreamstalkers at O' Bistro on Voltaire Street. This time it was the full band and it was lots of fun to listen to Chelsea's wonderful voice and great songs. I really suggest people come out and see Chelsea play at some of the places she plays at! She will be playing at Farmer's Market today in O.B. at Newport and Bacon so come on down to Ocean Beach where you will find fresh produce lots of crafts and merchants. Some of the best food around and don't forget the cookie tent and of course great music put on by the local community and Beach Music Mafia! I'm Out!
Ciao
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