So where does that leave us?
After the whirlwind that was the announcement that Chaser’s had been sold, we thought to ourselves - “Hey, so what now?” So we decided it would be best to just take a look at what the bars that were still booking shows have to offer to us, the general public. And that’s all we are, we’re just some guy who wants to have cheap fun, see some bands, see some friends, have some drinks. In the year of our Lord 2008 this appears to be fucking impossible, but hey we’ll give it the old college try. And before we really get into this, we feel it should be known we don’t fact check every little thing, all that matters is the knowledge that we go in, as we feel that makes us closer to the average guy checking SDdialedIn for whats going on this weekend.
The Radio Room: For some reason, they’ve handed over the keys to Another Zeke Productions, which we quite frankly do not understand. Sure, they do a fantastic job of booking touring bands and making sure they get a show down here in our humble fishing village but it’d be nice if they booked those bands with local acts, with SOME acclaim, so that way we’ll go check it out.
And if you will grant us a moment- we really, really dislike how on every single goddamn flyer for a show Another Zeke Productions puts on, they have to put their stupid production company on the flyer. You didn’t do anything aside from send a few e-mails, maybe made a phone call. There is no goddamn reason to put yourself over the band. If you want to have your shit on the flyer, put it in size 8 font on the bottom. And put it in Comic Sans MS, so everyone knows you’re a faggot.
But back to The Radio Room- We did some math, 5 of the 27 bands that are listed to play (or 18%) are local bands that we have heard of- not listened to, but heard the NAME of. That number has to go up if you want to put butts in seats. Once again we don’t and cannot possibly know every local band off the top of our head, so if we missed a local band we apologize. And despite all of our bitching, we feel they are doing a solid job. Just y’know, variety is the spice of life, dude.
Kadan: We checked their myspace page for show listings but nothing was to be found. So we assume that they have never, ever had a show. But, being enterprising journalists we went to their honest to god “website” and found this. Looks like nothing but DJ’s to us. Sooooo, pass.
The Whistlestop: Everyone and their brother has long complained about the drink prices (5.50 for a Whiskey and Coke! Not in this lifetime!) And looking at their calendar of events, they have just that- events. And we’re more willing to let that go over bands with this particular place because there’s a lot of creativity behind them. They host both Adam Gimble and Kipper’s Trivia night, Debaser- a monthly get together of people reading from their teenage diaries, Sunday afternoons bring a knitting club together, they show movies from local favorites Citizen Video, etc…
But they have their show listings form 8/22-8/31 up on the page and they do have 4 nights where it looks like there are honest to god shows with people playing music for enjoyment. On the 22nd it’s Donkeys and a touring band form SF, the 27th has Hotel St. George, the 29th says “Writer CD release” and the 31st has some touring bands one of which has members of the late Blood Brothers. Hey, thats all cool. We totally support what you guys are doing.
If we had one small, tiny complaint it’s that we’d book at least 1 local band on the DJ nights. We think an Atoms set would go along great with a Skull Kontrol set. We also do recognize its not completely out of the realm of possibility that they are weary of having a ton of shows do to the bars location and proximity to houses, and we do completely understand that.
Bar Pink: First off, we completely empathize with the owners about having to change the name because there was some other bar in New York City that already had that name - totally lame. More like the least coast amirite? When this place opened up I thought they would be the kind of place that has shows from time to time - whatever no big deal. I loved the Swami Sundays thing where they had bands play at like 2pm. Live music, the Chargers game and a couple of beers - hell yeah! But for what ever reason that has slowed down.
Rather than criticize the shows- and my stars do they have a lot - I think we’d do our best work here talking about the bar itself. The bartenders are, for the most part, extremely rude, if you ask for a Whiskey and Coke (it’s our drink, can you tell?) they will give you a COKE featuring a cameo of some whiskey, once they come down from their high horse. They look so miserable when they are there, do they hate the kids that much? We also would rather not pay a cover for local bands, its kind of stupid. The $5 they spent in gas from Golden Hill, does not mean there should always be a cover, so knock it off. And stop it with this whole “If you leave to get a smoke, you can’t come back in unless you get back in line,” bullshit. Why don’t you make a smoking area so this doesn’t happen. I know I’m not the only one who just keeps on driving if they see a line outside because I might have to wait in some line 2 or 3 times. The wrist band method you guys use for larger shows is perfect, use that more often. Like every night there could be a sell out. Either way, keep on keepin’ on Bar Pink, our problems with your hallowed halls are not enough to start a boycott and its not your fault the place is too packed to move on weekend nights.
Ken Club: Whenever The Punkboard gets all in a tizzy about bars shutting down or gentrification, no one ever mentions the Ken. We don’t get it, its perfectly fine. $3 wells, consistently good shows, or at least good enough to drag us out there 2-3 times a month. We are weary about going to bars that require us to take the freeway (but thats a personal issue, not their fault), the staff is super, duper efficient.
Our big complaint, and our complaint with all of the bars mentioned (save Kadan and Whistlestop) is that there is always, always a cover when there is a show. Regardless of who it is or where they are from. We feel that we should need to pull out $20 from the ATM (We aren’t all lawyers, sadly) to have a good night at the bar, and if we have to fork over $5 to get in we’ve lost 1/4 of our money and aren’t any more drunk nor have we had anything resembling fun. A cover makes us feel obligated to stay somewhere, especially now that cover +1 drink and your looking at half your budget blown already.
Now that Chaser’s (and the Tower Bar can no longer have shows) is gone, we no longer have that place to go where its like “Wait, I’ve got $8 in my wallet, lets get 2 drinks and hang out with friends and say bad words while smoking, see some bands, who cares if they suck?!” And maybe we are asking too much, but on a Saturday night with $20 in our pocket, that would get us in, and one drink at the Office, U-31, or any downtown place. Makes you think how different they really are, doesn’t it? When less than a year ago, we could go to North Park and throw a rock and hit 3 bars we could have fun at with $8 in our pocket.
So our ultimate statement with the 1300 words you’ve patiently read through is this- we challenge any of the bars we’ve mentioned here tonight to knock it off with the covers for local shows or DJ nights, charge $3 for a well and/or domestic, $4 for a premium beer and/or semi nice booze, and wherever you want to go from there with the Patron and stuff like that - or a bar like El Bar, Tobacco Rhoda’s or Lancer’s to get a cabaret license. We guarantee if you cater to us and the rest of the Punkboard and our hangers on, we’ll cater to you until your old and decide its time to retire like George Scolari did, and you can do the same thing he did to us, to our kids.
To anyone who think we’re a cheap piece of shit, we say this: Our innocence was lost in November when we lost Scolari’s. We’ve had expectations and lived our lifestyle for the last few years without complaints from anyone, we have no DUI’s, never gotten into a fight, arrested, raped anyone, been raped, though we have puked in a lot of fun and interesting places, it just shocks us how quickly everything we had, everything we admittedly took for granted can be taken away. We’ve had to make serious life changes (We can’t buy 6 DVDs a week anymore! Wtf?!) to continue to party how we’ve always had. You people crawl out from whatever rock you’ve been under and in a blink of an eye, everything is different. We think thats what most shocking - just how quickly everything has changed.
And in the meantime shiny shirt-wearing motherfuckers who lose their shit whenever Shark Attack graces North Park with their presence and feel like paying $7 a drink (all without the stigma of being one of those gaslamp types) we hope you enjoy what we paved the way for you to enjoy. Without artsy types and the gays living in North Park for years making things safe, you wouldn’t have any of this. And we look forward to you guys kicking us out of Barrio Logan and Golden Hill in 2011. We’ll keep a light on for you.
Comment by Wayne Swellinard
who is the “”we”" writeing these article? It’s fucking biased with a prefurence to Kippler and his events. I fuckingg know who you are and im going to kill you the next time you host a trivia nite you little peace of shits.
Comment by tweedsdawgy
you little peace of shits.
it’s pieces of shit…thanks
Comment by demetrius
If you spent more time working and less time crying you could afford to go out, douche.
Comment by cat dirt
great post- again.
Comment by sophie
the golden hill moose lodge, $3 drinks, $6 pitcher(!) of stella, wine served in a pint glass with a straw, shuffleboard - sadly no more shows, for now. and gaslamp/pb-free.
Comment by Dayna
when will people from the punk board stop whining?
youre all at least 30 now, i would hope youd have a job by now that would allow you to stop whining about having to PAY to go to see a fucking show. people own these places, people spent money trying to clean the office up just like many of the other places youre complaining about, and plus the door money goes to promoters, you know… the guys that would be responsible for actually BOOKING a band and promoting a show..if they dont charge a cover then why would they give a shit what the 32 year old who only buys 1 or 2 pabst wants to see the next week…
bars are businesses. thats it. they really shouldent give a shit if you feel like youre at home. if you dont like it, leave and find somewhere else… stop complaining.. or open youre own bar and book and pay bands to play and let all your friends in for free and charge $1 for drinks…. yeah? sounds like a great idea right?
Comment by Jeff
new PBer hot-spot, golden hill moose lodge!!!!! yeah I’m sooo there!!!
Comment by Max
Great article dude! I really like the eloquent use of the word “faggot”. What would be cool is if you could revise it and put a list at the end of shows and events you have put together.
Comment by ha ha
You are so right Dayna. Leaving that POS Dan was the best decision you ever made. At least you grew up finally. I agree with your comment 100%. Keep up the good work.
Comment by christie rhode
i give it danya that you might be a little whiny, but that doesn’t excuse her for being a soulless moron.
i too feel your pain at the gentrification of north park and the sacrifice of community-centric businesses (i.e. our beloved bars) to make way for profit driven, soulless clubs that cater to the vacant north park neo-yuppie trash. i’ll pay a little more for drinks and i’ll pay a reasonable cover to support music and local business because i understand that my patronage is almost a social responsibility to fight gentrification. i will not set foot or hand over any cash to businesses like U-31, the office, bluefoot or any other facsimile thereof, or any other establishment that seeks to prosper at the detriment of another business or the community at large. i have very little but vehement hatred for the heartless, soul-sucking, brain-raping and vacuous voids that would enjoy a night at such places. i mourn not necessarily for the loss of this place or that, but having to witness the gasping death of establishments the measured profit in not in terms of just a number, but in the strength and sincerity of our community.
Comment by Dayna
well when bars can pay their lease with love and friendship MAYBE places like scolaris can stay open. There’s a reason it had to close, obviously it wasn’t getting supported enough by you and the others complaining..
Comment by lol
You idiot, George Scolari retired, Scolari’s was making more then enough money. Why don’t you get your Daddy to give me a million dollars so I can open up my own bar.
Comment by ha ha
I guess your dad got tired of your unemployed ass. Go get a job, dickweed. Every lame-ass mother fucker on the punk board has 8 roommates. Or lives with their parents. Like Dayna said, grow the fuck up. Half of those idiots don’t even have a car. Is being a miserable failure that sponges off your parents and can’t keep a woman punk? I think faggot moocher is a better description.
Comment by skip carey is dead
HAHA YEAH YOU FAGGOT MOOCHERS!!!!!!
Comment by Dayna
Let’s leave my daddy out of this.
Shame on someone who worked hard to have a good life. I’ll inform him that he should have spent his life on a messageboard whining about how the gaza has no cool bars..
Comment by Dayna
oh and yes I’m an idiot for not knowing who owned scolaris and why it closed. I have no north park street cred, silly old me
Comment by lol
no, but seriously can i have a million dollars?
Comment by Bear Paw
I don’t pay covers, for drinks or merch. The bar and bands pay me to be at their shows.
Comment by tweedsdawgy
go to hell Dayna!! You obviously share a cosmic fallopian link with my ex-wife and every other black lion of the succubus voltron. Have you ever had the pleasure of watching a punkboarder drink? Granted it must be difficult to see much of anything with a mess of pubes constantly in your face, but these beer guts are well earned. 2 PBR’s my ass.
Comment by Dayna
yes dear, ive seen a few of them drink, you are very right but i was talking about the first post which said he wanted to have fun with 8$ in his pocket…I did not say all of you fell in that category…
but youd think with the experience people on that board have playing shows, putting on shows, and drinking that theyd understand the simple economics of a bar
your one visit to a bar will include a door man, the girl who takes your money, the band members, the guy doing sound, the bartender that served your drink,the barback that washed it, maybe a dj, whoever cleans up the puke in the corner… theres a million other things but these are just the people youll come in contact with at your ultra fun bar experience..WHY would you complain about paying a $5 cover?!?!
I actually like a lot of the people on the board… i just dont understand why every change has to be a negative thing…
Comment by punkboard news reporter #2
We don’t know what bars you go to, but “the girl who takes your money?” shouldn’t the door guy do that? Is checking IDs AND taking money all of a sudden rocket science? The sound guy? What the hell are you talking about we’re talking about going to “The Bar,” not getting all gussied up and going to the House of Blues or the Casbah. Jesus. We have no problem paying a cover for touring bands, not to brag but we know a couple people at a couple places and could get in for free sometimes, but we always will pay if there is touring band. Gas isn’t cheap, y’know? The whole $8 in our pocket thing was just y’know “Hey, it’s 11pm, we’re kind of bored, tired of sitting at home, lets go to Scolari’s/Chasers or whatever and hopefully run into someone.” Now that’s impossible.
Comment by Dayna
everything you say is right, everything i say is wrong.
i understand the problem, yes your bars are gone, but that doesnt mean whats there now is bad… its just not for you.
i dont really remember why i even got into this in the first place.
i didnt go to the old places and prob wont be going to the new ones very much either..
Comment by punkboard news reporter #2
When did we ever say you were wrong? We understand that people have differences of opinion in “the Scene,” but hey we got problems with what the world (North Park) is coming to and we’re gonna sit around and complain until something changes. Simple brass tacks, if we could afford to buy El Bar, or Rhoada’s and get a cabaret license, and basically hand it over to Donny and T-Bone, lord knows we would. But we can’t. Whatever reason George Scolari and Michael Chasers decided to sell. I imagine that the guys who bought those places are like Troy’s Dad and we/The Fast Crowd/The Punkboard are the Goonies. We just need to find our own treasure to reclaim what was once ours.
(We are not Chunk)
Comment by Dayna
fuck it, im on your side now.
when those jews invaded our holy land my parents threw stones
have you tried throwing rocks?
Comment by crawler
Maybe if anyone on the punk board did anything worth more than $10/hr (or sat on their asses with government cheese) they could actually afford to band together to buy a bar. It really is sad, lonely losers in their mid to late 30’s trying to get fucked up 5 nights of the week and lose 40 pounds.
Comment by SICKY
I’m at the Radio Room every night…
Come Talk to me…
sicky-
Another zeke productions-
Y que…
Comment by amador
Is Dayna that little rich cunt on punkboard whos dad has some fat mansion in the hills? Is she even old enough to drink yet?
Comment by Dayna
yes I am that rich cunt. And yes I’m old enough to drink.
You people HATE money you think it’s the dumbest idea ever huh?
Comment by executioner
let me propose a thought:
The libs say 911 never happened. Why would they do that?
What can easily be seen now seven years later is that the libs were just as complicit in the 911 attacks as the arabs flying the planes.
8 years of gutting this country’s military and ignoring the Al Qaeda threat were all due to the Clinton presidency. Since 911 libs have been doing EVERYTHING they can do to aid and comfort Al qaeda. Reid, Murtha, Pelosi, Obama, Biden, and all liberals have done everything in their power to continue the attacks on the US way of life since 911. This country is currently in a CIVIL war. The trillions spent for the war on terror and to fill our gas tanks each day are the real catalyst behind the banks failing each day.
The enemy of the US is here. It is called the Democrat party. They merely facilitated Al Qaeda to do their actual dirty work on 911. Clinton’s presidency weakened the military enough to allow Al qaeda access to this country to make the attacks.
Further expenditure of US funds should be spent rounding up the treasonous liberals in the US. Both elected officials, deep-pocket supporters (Soros, move-on, etc) should be jailed, tried for treason, and executed. Period. Only then will the US be safe.
Our enemy is not Al Qaeda, the taliban, Hezbollah, or Islam.
Our enemy is the Democratic party. They are leading the attack on this country. Time they are all rounded up and shot.
Comment by yawn
being one of the two people who post here you need to update this shit, biotch.