I had a great conversation Sunday with Sergio from Hair Theatre. We talked about how early parenthood complicates musical forays (both playing out and keeping up). Add to my predicament 24 years’ and 3,000 miles’ separation from San Diego, and I confess complete ignorance of what’s hot in my hometown beyond recent projects by friends from my youth.
This seems a disgraceful lapse if I’m curating a blog ostensibly about music and San Diego! I don’t expect to become an instant expert, but I would enjoy a decent 360-degree view of what people of every age are creating and listening to … After all, many of the people who contribute here remain vital, active participants in various segments of the SD music scene, and they’re the people who can help me connect the dots from San Diego then to the town of now.
Where are people of various ages gathering? What music and art are provoking excitement and debate in San Diego County? I know the town’s more cosmopolitan than the last time I lived there, but I’m sure San Diego’s city fathers are still capable of working themselves into a decent lather on occasion over the fringier elements of the arts and music scene.
And did we leave any sort of mark on history? Bonus points for insights into any influence our own early efforts may have had on current San Diego shenanigans!
Mark Rude
>>Mark Rude
Lou: As noted earlier, the band Fono certainly owes a debt to Mr. Rude. …
I’m totally ignorant of the SD scene post 1980. I would agree that graphic artist Marc Rude left an impact, my old roomy Tom Grizwold is still writing about music and is an authority on the SD scene, Eric Riife is a major documentary film maker, and Cliff Cunningham has to be the longest lasting punk in SD. He was at the first show and will probably be at the last…
He left his mark, rude
Would Jim ?
the handlebar mustache is making a comeback
medical marijuana and oxycontin for the head
vegan-ism is at an all time high
there is a large group called
kata
that i liked seeing
Kata’s a trip. Long ambient passages interspersed with aggressive metal.
Somehow I came across the band Dominici on the net. The singer, Charlie Dominici, who lives in La Mesa, was the singer for prog-metal band Dream Theater’s first album. With an Italian band he created Dominici. They released a trilogy which seems to be a creationist-leaning sci-fi retelling of the apocalypse story of the Book of Revelation. I’m not a much of a metal head, and certainly not a fundamentalist Christian, but these guys certainly know their way around their instruments. It’s fun (in an apocalyptic Christian kind of way). They played a handful of gigs in Europe in 2007, released the third part of their trilogy in 2008, and haven’t done anything since then.
http://www.sandiegoreader.com/bands/dominici/
How friendly is San Diego to new music and art space nowadays? Zoning laws and licenses and things are a pretty good metric of how receptive a town is to the arts, especially loud arts!
San Francisco — the last place I really paid attention — had a whole shoving match between music clubs that had long occupied South of Market and owners of new condo spaces who didn’t like all the racket. (Which raises the question of why the latter moved next to the former in the first place!)
And of course we all remember the travails of joints like the Skeleton Club in SD decades ago. Are the town’s cabaret laws, festival permits and such friendlier now?
Maybe
Art space? We don’t know.. But Space Art? UNARIUS!
RUTH NORMAN welomes you, SPACE BROTHERS!
That makes me homesick.
The San Diego noise ordinance under which we operated … “Audible” at 50 feet from the source does leave a lot of room for aggressive prosecution!
DIVISION 5
Public Nuisance Noise
(Added 9-l8-73 by 0-ll122 N.W.; Ammended 9-22-76 by 0-l1916 N.S. which changed the title to Pubfic Nuisance Noise-formerly General Noise Regulations.)
Sec. 59.5.0501 General Prohibition
A. It shall be unlawful for any person to make, continue, or cause to be made or continued, within the limits of said City, any disturbing excessive, or offensive noise which causes discomfort or annoyance to any reasonable person of normal sensitiveness residing in the area.
B. The characteristics and conditions which should be considered in determining whether a violation of the provisions of this section exists should include, but not be limited to the following:
1. The level of the noise;
2. Whether the nature of the noise is usual or unusual;
3. Whether the origin of the noise is natural or unnatural;
4. The level of the ambient noise;
5. The proximity of the noise to sleeping facilities;
6. The nature and zoning of the area from which the noise emanates and the area where it is received;
7. The time of day or night the noise occurs;
8. The duration of the noise; and
9. Whether the noise is recurrent, intermittent, or constant.
(Amended 1-3-84 by 0-16100 N.S. )
Sec. 59.5.0502 Disturbing, Excessive, Offensive Noises -- Declaration of Certain Acts Constituting
The following activities, among others, are declared to cause disturbing, excessive or offensive noises in violation of this section and are unlawful, namely:
A. Horns, signaling Devices, etc.
Unnecessary use or operation of horns, Signaling devices, or other similar devices, on automobiles, motorcycles, or any other vehicle.
B. Radios, Television Sets, Phonographs, Loud Speaking Amplifiers and Similar Devices
1. Uses Restricted
The use or operation of any sound production or reproduction device, radio receiving set, musical instrument, drums, phonograph, television set, loud speakers and sound amplifier or other similar machine or device for the producing or reproducing of sound in such a manner as to disturb the peace, quiet, or comfort of any reasonable person of normal sensitivity in any area of the City is prohibited. This provision shall not apply to any participant in a licensed parade, or to any person who has been otherwise duly authorized by The City of San Diego to engage in such conduct.
2. Prima Facie Violations
Any of the following shall constitute evidence of a prima facie violation of this section:
(a) The operation of any such sound production or reproduction device, radio receiving set, musical instrument, drum, phonograph, television set, machine, loud speaker and sound amplifier or similar machine or device between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. in such a manner as to be plainly audible at a distance of fifty feet from the building structure, or vehicle in which it is located.
(b) The operation of any sound amplifier, which is part of, or connected to, any radio, stereo receiver, compact disc player, cassette tape player, or other similar device when operated in such a manner as to be plainly audible at a distance of fifty (50) feet and when operated in such a manner as to cause a person to be aware of vibration accompanying the sound at a distance offihy (50) feet from the source.
3. Enforcement of Prima Facie violations
(a) Any person who is authorwed to enforce the provisions of this Article and who encounters evidence of a prima facie violation of this section is empowered to confiscate and impound as evidence, any or all of the components ampifying or transmitting the sound.
(b) Any peace officer, as defined in Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 830) of the Penal Code, who encounters evidence of a prima facie violation of this section whereby the component(s) amplifying or transmitting the sound are attached to a vehicle may, in accordance with the provisions of California Vehicle Code section 22655.5, impound the vehicle, as containing evidence of a criminal offense, when the amplifying and/or transmitting component(s) cannot be readily removed from the vehicle without damaging the component(s) or vehicle.
C. Animals
1. The keeping or maintenance, or the permitting to be kept or maintained upon any premises owned, occupied, or controlled by any person of any animal or animals which by any frequent or long-continued noise, shall cause annoyance or discomfort to a reasonable person of normal sensitiveness in the vicinity.
2. The noise from any such animal or animals that disturbs two or more residents residing in separate residences adjacent to any part of the property on which the subject animal or animals are kept or maintained, or three or more residents residing in separate residences in close proximity to the property on which the subject animal or animals or kept or maintained shall be prima facie evidence of a violation of this section.
D. Hospitals, Schools Iibraries, Rest Homes,Long-Term Medical or Mental Care Facilities
To make noise adjacent to a hospital school library, rest home, or long-term medical or mental core facility, which noise unreasonably interferes with the workings of such institutions or which disturbs or unduly annoys occupants in said institutions.
E. Playing of Radios on Buses and Trolleys
The operation of any radio, phonograph, or tape player on an urban transit bus or trolley so as to emit noise that is audible to any other person in the vehicle is prohibited.
F. Playing of Radios, Phonographs, and Other Sound Production or Reproduction Devices in Public Parks and Beach Areas and Public Parking Lots and Streets Adjacent Thereto.
The operation of any radio, phonograph, television set, or any other sound production or reproduction device in any public park or on any public beach or any public parking lot or street adjacent to such park or beach, without the prior written approval of the City Manager or the Administrator, in such a manner that such radio, phonograph, television set or sound production or reproduction device emits a sound level exceeding those found in the following table at any point ten (10) feet or more from the noise source is prohibited:
For planet Jupiter?
Europa
and San Diego- a little