Back Issue

MyWeek in Music December 19th to 26th
by Scott Zensen

Time for MyWeek in Music and your looking at some big changes! The blog is starting to get a little more popular now, and a few people have made suggestions on what they want to see in the future. So I thought it would be appropriate to make a few changes based on those requests. Request number one is to always try to incorporate upcoming events for the week or at least some of those events. I also got a request to start putting pictures back in again, so I guess I will be carrying my crappy digital and trying to get some usable shots until I can afford a better camera again. And the third request has been to write something here and there about news in the Music Scene. So I am going to attempt to do just that with these things and because of them I thought I would tweak MySpace's blog area to allow me to make it look a little like a newsletter. Now this first week after Christmas will be photo less other than photos from the year! But most of the blog will be just telling you and showing the new changes and format. Now I expect comments and messages letting me know if you like the changes? Also if you want to see something that is not reported here and you want to see it here then let me know!

Also if anyone locally that I know is interested in sending me short stories, positive critiques or other tidbits and getting a byline for it (sorry can't pay anything) then send me a message please because I have let myself in for a lot more work. And I don't get paid anything for this! Remember I do this to let people out there know what a cool music scene we have here in San Diego. I am encouraging San Diegan's to go out and listen to the music and musicians I talk about in this blog. To go out to the fun Venues they all like to play at, to promote more interest in a closer knit music community. Also I encourage musicians out there who live in other cities to come to San Diego to play in the circuit or even to foster the idea of moving here to get a larger music scene going. There is no reason why we can't make San Diego into a Mecca for music somewhat like Seattle was in the 80's and 90's. There are lots of professional recording studio's here and promoters who would like to increase the amount of shows they do and foster a greater musical community then we already have.

Ok let's go!

On Wednesday I went to go to O.B.'s Farmers market where I occasionally help Chuck Schiele with set up for music on the boulevard. There was music scheduled originally but this is the time of the year when people decide last minute to go see family for Christmas or whatever holiday they may celebrate? That was the case here because most of the acts had decided to cancel so no music would be happening at farmer's market today. Still I was in downtown O.B. and I was dressed formally to go to the Winter Ball at Winston's. I just had several hours to waste till it was time to go. As it was I still showed up early and watched as decorations were being put up for the gig. I would have to say the winter ball was a success there were plenty of people there, mostly musicians and a few new people. It was rather slow as far as people showing up but it got better as the night went along. The music was outstanding as usual; you come to expect a very good show if you show up to a ListenLocal San Diego gig. I don't know how much food was donated but all the proceeds from the evening were being donated to the needy. The night started off with Tefflon, whom I had not heard before.

I had heard Alicia Ruggierio play lots of times by herself or with other bands or people but never with her own band. They were pretty good and got the Ball off to a good start. The lights were being run by Bobby Lights, which is his nickname. But his real name is Bobby Wilson and he runs light for most shows in the city and he is the brother of Scott Wilson of the Scott Wilson Electric. Next came Charlie Of Bigfellas, whom I have heard before and he sang a few songs and then sang a duet with Erica from Listen Local who is quite a good singer. Next came Nisha who performed admirably considering she was upset about this being the first Christmas she will be without her mom. Then came Not Your Mom who slammed everyone with a great set of their songs. Simeon Flick came up and sang several including my favorite "Money Don't Make the Man". The Castners from the band Compass Rose sang several songs including a pretty cool version of "Little Drummer Boy". Someone new to me sang after the Castners by the name of Derren Raser, but I missed his set while outside getting some fresh but freezing air outside. After coming back in I go to se Lisa Sanders play. She is one of my favorite performers. I especially like the song "Angels". Now I may have gotten a couple of these performances out of order but I was there to have fun so I didn't bring a pad of paper with me like I have been lately to gigs I go to. Also I didn't bring my camera, so even though I said I would be including pics from shows. It will have to start on the next blog after the first of the year. So after Lisa Sanders came my favorite performer in San Diego but I have made a big deal about her before and that is Barbara Nesbitt. She didn't disappoint either she was the exceptional performer she always is and I still say if you get a chance to see Barbara perform you will be exceptionally pleased you did! Sven-Eric Seaholm was there too! And he performed John Lennon's Christmas song and a couple of his own. I believe someone else was up after him and before Citizen Band but I cannot remember who it was and I apologize if I missed anyone from tonight I believe there was 17 scheduled performers for the night.
Citizen Band was the kick ass band of the night in my opinion. They got everybody's foot tapping and blood rushing and kept us from freezing in the cold air from outside. Next came Matt Silvia who played solo. Matt plays with several bands but is quite talented and a big draw on his own. He also performed "Little Drummer Boy" and a few other songs and he was accompanied by drummer Bill Coomes on his Djembe. After Matt's set came the always good Scott Wilson who was also going to perform solo tonight but he asked Matt to play with him so they sat there and jammed to a couple of songs. It was a wonderful night for music and it was lots of fun to be there in the crowd enjoying the music and all the surroundings including the raffle that happened earlier in the night. All in all I'd say the Winter Ball was a huge success. I don't know if Listen Local and Idynomite Media accomplished whatever goals they had in mind but it was lots of fun regardless.

On Thursday I went to the Holiday Bash at Winston's which was presented by Beach Music Mafia and Studio OB 92107. The evening seemed like it was going to be even slower as far as people showing up were concerned then the gig that happened the night before? But after the music got started the place packed with people. It was really packed. It was a really huge success especially when you considered most of the people showing up were not people from bands or just musicians. They were people who came out to be entertained and drink at a holiday party. And the musicians who were scheduled to play did not disappoint anybody. There were fewer bands scheduled to play so they had longer sets and lights were provided again by Bobby Wilson mentioned above. If you go out to see a show and you really liked the light show and you see a guy with a foot long beard running them, then you have Bobby to thank and if you really want to thank him properly then buy him a Guinness or a Yaegermister! I believe Bobby doesn't get paid for these gigs, but he is a professional light guy and has done lights for larger shows for people like B.B. King and other celebrities.

First up Thursday was Podunk Nowhere who as always sounds great. I can't wait for their Valentines day CD release party next year! Like I said they always sound good but everyone's favorite sound guy was working that night and he had things sounding awesome! There was a slight echo to Heather's vocals that just made her sound even better and of course Johnny's guitar always sounds good! If fact sound was really crisp that night! They sang one of my favorite songs that have the words Stupid Girl in the lyrics but I don't know the title of the song. But I will once that CD comes out in February. I would like to say here that on their MySpace site you can here a couple of their songs with a full accompaniment of musicians. Songs like "Hanging On The Wind" or "This Will Have To End" which already has a full accompaniment. But I would like to say that sometimes I just like to hear just Johnny playing guitar and Heather's vocals. I have said they are a really cute couple and really nice people and friends. But it is a joy just listening to them without drums and other music. Just their music!
Now the next performer up was Simeon Flick who played the previous evening too! Simeon is one of the first performers I met in the music community and I have always enjoyed his style and his wonderful voice. We should hear it more often too, because he is also in a new band we should hear more from next year called "Bad Science Fiction". It will have Chuck Schiele, Simeon Flick, Mike Head and Rob Garbo and Anilh Ramashwar who I don't know yet! It looks like it will be a really fun band to listen to so look for them in 2007!

Next was a band I had never heard before called Call Down Fire. They were pretty good too! I have seen the bassist before because he occasionally plays with The Grams as he did this night but I don't know his name because we have not been introduced. Or maybe we have and I just haven't spoken with him much to reinforce his name on my addled brain. I am terrible with names sometimes. They were a fun band that night because they kept having a little elf that was sitting on the shoulders of the drummer, introduce a couple of their songs. It was sort of cute and sort of annoying but great fun for a Christmas party.
After Call Down Fire it was time for The Grams and Simeon popped back on stage to play a Djembe with the band, as did the bassist from Call down Fire. As usual The Grams rocked the house with all their familiar tunes from their award winning CD. And Craig again showed us why many in the music community consider him to be one of the hottest guitarists in town. In Fact the whole band sounded great tonight Chuck was in great form and sounded great! And Elise was fantastic as usual on the violin. When you come to see The Grams you know you are gonna hear some great music!

Next up was Scott Wilson Electric! Now this is the first time in quite a while that I saw Scott with his entire band since way back during the O.B. Street fair. And this was really the whole band with back up singers and everyone. He has played around town several times without everyone or with new people sitting in and I know he was with the whole band just recently up at the Second Wind, but I haven't seen them all since back in the summer and never with the backup singers. Boy was I happy I have never heard him sound better. He always sounds good but they were on fire. They were really that good!
The final Band of the night was called Gully and they were really loud but really crisp and clean. They were fun to listen too especially as after Scott played a lot of people decide to call it a night, but there was a few of us who have a hard time calling it a night! The whole night was a great night of music and I was especially glad I stayed I didn't feel well earlier in the night and was going to go home early but I was fine later. I was really glad I didn't go I had a fantastic night! I am sorry it is over now. In fact I don't think I will hear any music out there until the New Year. Maybe If I find a New Years party to go to or a New Years Gig!
The rest of the week was a wash for me there were several more gigs I wanted and tried to get to but I just couldn't get to them because of transportation! But this is plenty for this week's blog! I'm Out!

Ciao