FRIDAY –
Halloween is next weekend, and all the haunted mansions and trails are still going strong. For those who like zombies, or drinking…there’s the SAN DIEGO ZOMBIE CRAWL, between 5th Avenue and Broadway DOWNTOWN. There are about 25 places in the Gaslamp Quarter that are participating. That’s Friday and Saturday night.
THE REVIVALISTS are at The Sound in DEL MAR.
Blues guitarist KINGFISH INGRAM is going to be at the Observatory in NORTH PARK.
Two popular local bands will perform DOWNTOWN at the House of Blues – ROCKET FROM THE CRYPT and SUPERCHUNK.
A local band I love – THE TIGHTEN UPS – will be at Humphrey’s Backstage Music Club on SHELTER ISLAND. They have an amazing horn section, and a spunky lead singer.
If you liked the show Portlandia, there’s a fun show with music and jokes at the Balboa Theater DOWNTOWN. It’s A VISIT FROM PORTLANDIA WITH FRED AND CARRIE. They would be the stars of the show, comedian Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein.
SATURDAY –
If you like marching bands, this is the event for you. The 48th ANNUAL MT. CARMEL TOURNAMENT OF BANDS. They’ll have over 35 marching bands from all over Southern California, and proceeds go to help the music program.
On the radio around Halloween, we always hear the same songs (Thriller, Spooky, Monster Mash, etc.). If you want classical music with a spooky vibe, catch the SAN DIEGO SYMPHONY, doing a “Spooky Sounds and Magical Melodies” show at Jacobs Music Center DOWNTOWN.
Along with all the haunted houses, trails, and things like that, there’s a HALLOWEEN PARTY CRUISE that starts at the Bahia Resort. It’s over 21, and has a Dia de los Muertos theme. There will be a costume contest, two live DJs, and lots of fun.
For those that like organs (not the body parts, but the keyboards), the Spreckles Organ Society is performing a 45-minute concert: PHANTOM OF THE OPERA at the Organ Pavilion in BALBOA PARK.
If you want to enjoy a deadman’s party, former members of OINGO BOINGO will be performing, along with DRAMARAMA and THE UNTOUCHABLES at Humphrey’s by the Bay in SHELTER ISLAND.
For anyone who loved throwing rice at the screen and dancing the time warp during THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW, the 50th Anniversary with original cast member Nell Campbell is at the Balboa Theater DOWNTOWN. There’s going to be a live shadow cast, bags of props handed to customers, and a costume contest.
SUNDAY –
San Diego FC open the MLS Cup playoffs tonight against the Portland Timbers at Snapdragon Stadium. Kick-off is at 6:30
Classic Albums Live is going to be performing the entire HOTEL CALIFORNIA, at The Sound in DEL MAR. Hearing Eagles songs is a nice, peaceful (easy feeling) way to unwind on a Sunday.
Comedian and actor AZIZ ANSARI has his first directorial movie out now (Good Fortune), and you have the good fortune of seeing him live (I saw him perform in Chula Vista years ago and he was hysterical). He’ll be at the Magnolia in EL CAJON.
AT THE MOVIES –
REGRETTING YOU
This is based on the bestselling book. A mom and daughter are struggling with grief after a car accident killed members of their family. So yes, there are lots of sad moments (my wife made fun of me for crying a few times). There are also a lot of funny moments. There’s also a cast that is a lot of fun to watch. Scott Eastwood is as handsome as ever. Dave Franco, not as handsome, but he has his charms. Mason Thames (How to Train Your Dragon) is the young suitor who reminds me of a cooler, better looking Jesse Eisenberg. And McKenna Grace, who I first saw as a child in “Gifted” eight years ago, has become a pretty young lady. What’s smart about how they wrote her character is that she’s not just some angry teen girl. She’s smart, sensible, and at times, rebellious. Willia Fitzgerald, who blew me (and everyone else away) in the movie “Strange Darling” from a few years ago, is also solid. Oh, and Clancy Brown has a few scenes as a grumpy grandpa. The last time I remember seeing Brown was in a few scenes as the father in “Promising Young Woman” five years ago. Are these the roles he’s relegated to now? [and people say there aren’t roles for women in Hollywood when they’re over 40]. I really enjoyed spending time with these characters, and I think most people will. There was a scene that reminded me of the better “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” and another scene that reminded me of the better “50/50” (in which they destroy an ugly painting). Of course, since 87% of all movies have a barf scene, this has one. About the only thing I didn’t like were the cheesy songs, and the manipulative strings in the score. My wife didn’t like it, saying “The whole thing was cheesy. This was just a maudlin mess.” At this point, I don’t even know who I married. A woman with no heart. I’m giving it 3 ½ stars out of 5.
SPRINGSTEEN – DELIVER ME FROM NOWHERE
Bruce Springsteen is my wife’s favorite (she’s from the Garden State, so it’s required that she love him). I had a few of his albums, but was never a fan of the “Nebraska” record (a few songs were good – Atlantic City and Highway Patrolman, but I digress). Director Scott Cooper did a great job with another singer slinging an acoustic guitar (Jeff Bridges winning an Oscar in “Crazy Heart”). And while I’ve seen a handful of critics knocking this for the cliches, really…how can you do a music biopic without a few? There were two scenes with Springsteen jamming with a local band at the Stone Pony, and watching them do “Lucille” (Little Richard) and “Boom Boom” (John Lee Hooker), to me, is all I needed to enjoy this ride. I enjoyed the other non-Springsteen songs we also heard: Let Your Love Flow, Drift Away, Winning, and The Last Mile of the Way by one of the best to ever hold a mic – Sam Cooke. Jeremy Allen White (The Bear) looked and sounded enough like the Boss that I was fine with his performance. Odessa Young did a great job as the girlfriend (although I’m a bit bothered that that was a fictional character). Gaby Hoffman is always excellent, and her look was perfect as his mom in the flashback scenes. And it’s nice that Paul Walter Hauser has carved a nice career for himself after playing Richard Jewell over five years ago. The performance that bothered me was Jeremy Strong (Succession, The Apprentice). Maybe manager Jon Landau talked like that, but it sounded weird, and some of the times he spoke. It felt like a caricature. Lots of little scenes I enjoyed, like hanging out at a greasy spoon or being at the fairgrounds. I’m also a sucker for any scenes that show bands in the studio working on songs. At times I just felt like “Deliver Me From Nowhere” felt like it was on the road to nowhere (sorry, Mr. Byrne). I felt that in the music biopic on Robbie Williams (Better Man), it dealt with childhood trauma and problems with a father, in a way that conveyed more genuine emotion. I never really got to know the Boss quite the way I would’ve liked. Scenes showing him staring out a window or contemplating his life, well…I needed a bit more. This movie was all about the making of the “Nebraska” album, and a little “Born in the USA” thrown in. I think rock fans, and especially Springsteen fans, will enjoy it.. 3 stars out of 5.