Zimpala@ Ventanas
From Bordeaux France, Ventanas is pleased to welcome DJ BNX of Zimpala, spinning a select early set designed to accompany an 8PM wine tasting. BNX of Zimpala will then return, joining our resident At-sushi for a full evening of music from Bossa Descarga to the most groovy broken beat house gems. Ventanas will also be featuring “The Making of the Model,” a live ambient fashioning experience courtesy of MergeEvents and Wearhaus.

tickets: $10 cover, $5 with MergeEvents printout


Big Sandy @ The Casbah
Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys is an Anaheim band that got their start in the California rockabilly scene and have spread their wings through the No Depression scene and all the way to Nashville. “Drenched in the pure western sound of folk, bluegrass, Cajun, and mariachi styles,” they lean towards modern swing with a Texas twist. Now the question is – will the Fly Rite Boys be in attendance?

tickets: $12


Ghostface Killah @ L5 Nightclub
Dennis Coles (aka Ghostface Killah) is a Staten Island native who is known in hip-hop circles as an original member of the Wu Tang Clan. Early appearances found his face hidden behind a stocking mask, and to this day no explanation was ever given for his anonymity. Ghostface Killah was the first voice to be heard on the highly acclaimed 1993 Wu-Tang debut album, Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). Minus the mask, he made his mark in Wu-Tang Clan lore with a major contribution to Raekwon's hard hitting and now-classic Only Built 4 Cuban Lynx, adopting the Tony Starks moniker on the album cover. Further appearances on the Sunset Park and Don't Be A Menace To South Central While You're Drinking Your Juice In The Hood soundtracks, predated the release of his debut solo album Ironman in late 96. Ironman was the first release on producer RZA's Razor Sharp Records imprint, and featured major contributions from new Wu-Tang Clan rapper Cappadonna and Raekwon “The Chef” (the three appeared on the album cover together). Ironman eventually became one of the Wu-Tang Clan's most acclaimed releases - featuring a more soul-orientated production than other Wu-Tang records, the album included the highly successful duet with Mary J. Blige on "All That I Got Is You". Ironman proved to be the most commercially successful Wu-Tang Clan product until the release of the following year's Wu-Tang Forever, which debuted at number 2 on the Billboard album chart. Further work with various members of the Wu-Tang Clan preceded the release of his eagerly anticipated sophomore collection. Ghost is a tremendously skilled, extremely witty, and highly entertaining performer who can give any hip-hop fan the taste he or she needs of sharp lyrics, great beats, delivered with an over-the-top, insatiable attitude that is sure to make this yet another night of quality hip-hop at L5.

East Coast Boogiemen/Monk@ L5 Nightclub
“Ken Christensen and Juan Zapata aka the East Coast Boogiemen have received acclaim across the globe for their innovative brand of deep funky house music. Adopting an unusual and spectacular four or six turntable/two mixer tag team set-up, they use their exceptional musical talent to weave diverging elements into an amazing listening experience. Their extraordinary performances showcase their wildly unique, multi-layered sets and on-the-spot remixes, while maintaining an unyielding energy always leaving the stage with crowds begging for more!” Tampa’s Monk needs no introduction – his group Rabbit in the Moon are rave legends of the Southeast, Midwest – shit, anywhere that had a legit rave scene in the 90s featured Rabbit in the Moon’s mind-blowing interactive audio and visual performance. Monk is in the house to lay down some spacey beats in the back room, while the ECB tear the main room a new one.

Sonic Youth@ Soma
“Sonic Youth was one of the most unlikely success stories of underground American rock in the '80s. Where contemporaries R.E.M. and Hüsker Dü were fairly conventional in terms of song-structure and melody, Sonic Youth began their career by abandoning any pretense of traditional rock & roll conventions. Borrowing heavily from the free-form noise experimentalism of the Velvet Underground and the Stooges, and melding it with a performance-art aesthetic borrowed from the New York post-punk avant garde, Sonic Youth redefined what noise meant within rock & roll. Sonic Youth rarely rocked, though they were inspired directly by hardcore punk, post-punk and no wave. Instead, their dissonance, feedback, and alternate tunings created a new sonic landscape, one that redefined what rock guitar could do. Their trio of independent late '80s records - EVOL, Sister, and Daydream Nation - became touchstones for a generation of indie-rockers, who either replicated the noise, or reinterpreted it in a more palatable setting. As their career progressed, Sonic Youth grew more palatable, as their more free-form songs began to feel like compositions and their shorter works began to rock harder. During the '90s, most American indie bands, and many British underground bands, displayed a heavy debt to Sonic Youth, and the band themselves had become a popular cult band, with each of their albums charting in the Top 100.”

Saves the Day@ Epicenter
Saves The Day's earnestly emotional rock is striking a chord with audiences and subsequently winning over fans around the globe, with their melodic and powerful sound. Saves The Day was formed in the winter of 1997, and released their self-titled demo not long after. Pretty good for guys under 20 at the time. They almost immediately began playing shows not only in their home state of New Jersey, but along the East Coast with some of punk and emo’s best acts. With the August 1998 release of their Equal Vision Records debut LP "Can't Slow Down," and the two subsequent tours they did in support of it, STD was able to build a tremendous buzz about themselves, and have broken down some of the expectations of what a hardcore emo band should be. Finding lyrical inspiration in heartbreak, teenage insecurity, and the romance of youth, and musical inspiration in bands as disparate as The Police, Lifetime, Dag Nasty and The Smiths, Saves The Day found their own niche in an oft-limiting scene.

They proceeded to shock the music industry by selling more than 120,000 copies of their fourth album, Stay What You Are, which debuted in mid-2001, in the Top 100 of the Billboard album chart with no corporate push and practically zero radio airplay. This was the band’s first release on Vagrant Records, making STD feel right at home on their independent label, while having no regrets about sticking to the underground punk ethic. Subsequently and quite ironically, the band then reverted to a more typical pop-rock-sound reminiscent of Weezer and as thoughtless as Green Day and the rest of the once-underground punk and emo bands; change was the only thing on their mind - well that and money of course. Anywhere With You was released on DreamWorks in September 2003, which somewhat moved away from their traditional emo sound into a more mature resonance, to attract a wider fan base (and a wider distribution plan of course).

Saves the Day's love MO gets the band lumped in with the "emo" scene. Most bands hate the emo label, but not lead singer Chris Conley. "I tend not to hate too many things," he admits. "I'm more a distributor of love than hate. I don't care if anyone thinks I'm a cheese ball. I think it's OK whatever people wanna call it. It could be called 'hula-hoop music' - I don't care. We are what we are." Seeing them live, you probably won’t think of it as Hula-Hoop music, but you will find great melodies with a hardcore touch of emotional lyricism. Hot Rod Circuit and BoysNightOut open.

tickets: $13 online


Café Tacuba @ 4th and B
My first Café Tacuba experience lead me to believe that fate had a hand in their discovery. At the 2003 Coachella Festival, Sonic Youth reigned down a barrage of feedback-laden noise that overwhelmed tens of thousands of fans in the open field surrounding the main stage. For fans of the art-rock legends, the set was a can’t-miss. For those of us who were looking for music to suit our mood, hearing Sonic Youth’s aural assault mid-day Sunday might have been a bit too much. It was right then that I began to feel the warm pulses of Latin music faintly in the distance. I couldn’t quite make out who it was nor could I pinpoint the sound – yet somehow I was drawn to these warm rhythms sneaking into my consciousness amidst Thurston Moore’s frenzied screams. I wandered my way towards the welcoming sounds, and found Café Tacuba in the middle of an amazing set on the second outdoor stage. Surrounded by palm tress and purple mountains, barefoot in the lush green lawn, I used my backpack as a pillow as I laid down on my back and immersed myself in the music and the moment. I let the warm bright sun warm my body, as Café Tacuba’s brilliant concoction of classic latin, ska and hip-hop warmed my soul. It was a brilliant Coachella moment – letting music be my only priority, my only compass, the only roadmap I followed that weekend. And Café Tacuba felt like an intoxicating Mexican fiesta in the middle of the desert.

Café Tacuba is a Mexico City band that is currently at the forefront of the rock en espanol movement. The band’s sound is more dance-friendly than Mana, and significantly more experimental, while still retaining a rich latin flavor. Their live sets provoke a flurry of celebration and instrumentation, and their recordings have been compared to the Beatles’ White Album in terms of their impact on Latin music genres. With special guests Maldita Vecindad & Liquits, their performance at 4th & B will be un celebracion de musica y vida!

Ed Rush & Optical, DJ Friction@ Canes
45psi presents the Rapture, San Diego’s newest drum n’ bass party – Ed Rush and Optical are the legendary producers whose imprint on the dn’b community is indelible. From their unforgettable Essential Mix in ’99 to their releases on Virus Recordings, the duo have been junglist favorites for at least a decade. Yet somehow, their recent productions even detect hints of some four-to-the-floor house. “Ed Rush had previously received rare acclaim in the tiny brotherhood of the Dark Step drum-n-bass squad when he produced Torque, a compact machine of gleaming terror and galactic awe inspired by the cyborg visions that his third eye projected as he attempted to achieve mantric relaxation. His then assistant, Nico (not the scooter- felled German fashion model), added his own voodoo nightmares to the project. In the fallout from Torque, others, such as the Source Direct team, attempted to emulate the intestinal crunch of Ed Rush and Nico's sound but were found to be sorely wanting. Yet even Torque, despite first appearances, wasn't enough of a jolt to the system to wake the hominids from their empty, wakeful daze. Ed Rush resolved to abandon the planet and he selected Optical as his steadfast co-pilot. Into the Wormhole they thrust themselves with not even a probe to guide them. They recorded their flight on two discs. But because of the peculiarities of the Einsteinian universe, Wormhole (the album) zapped backwards in time, twenty years before the duo had blasted off into dimensionlessness.”

The Rapture will also be featuring special guest DJ Friction – “At the age of 26, Brighton-raised Friction is one of a small number of young talented DJ/Producers that has made a significant impact in drum & bass in recent years. A clear indication of this is highlighted by his recent award for 'World Best New Comer of 2002' in the Drum & Bass Arena Poll Awards. Now a regular on the UK club circuit, Friction knows every bump on the Brighton to London road as he travels to his regular bookings at top venues across the country. He is rapidly developing legendary status at London's 'End Club' after many jaw-dropping sets. As the releases flow and word spreads about his ability to enthuse a dance floor, regular flights out of London take him to play at events in Holland, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Australia, Japan, USA, Singapore & France to name a few. Friction recently demonstrated his skills to a global audience when he was one of the first artists to feature on the newly formed Radio 1 Xtra station. Soon after this he was offered a role as the stations official 'Mix DJ'. The year was topped off with Friction winning the title of 'Best World Newcomer 2002'.”

Ani DiFranco@ SDSU Open Air Theatre
Ani DiFranco is the epitome of the DIY aesthetic – the folk legend has self-produced all her albums without any major label support – her Righteous Babe label has maintained an artistic integrity and pure vision that is unmatched in the modern music world. As Ani put it: "I don't think the music industry is conducive to artistic and social change and growth. It does a lot to exploit and homogenize art and artists. In order to challenge the corporate music industry, I feel it necessary to remain outside it. I could be selling a lot more albums. Life could be a lot more cushy. But it's much more interesting to try and hammer out an alternative route without the music industry and maybe be an example for other musicians. You don't have to play ball." Through her own self-production and self-promotion, she has maintained a rabid fan base for over a decade and through over twenty albums which have never once lapsed in quality, emotion, or musicianship. She pens her own music and lyrics, creates her own album art, and produces and distributes her own records – Ani DiFranco is a living celebration of self-expression. Andrew Bird opens.

Barrington Levy@ belly up
Kingston’s Barrington Levy has been a master liaison between reggae and other popular music – his collabos with the likes of Guru, Biggie and Snoop put rasta vocals into hip-hop beats and brought a soul to rap that was sorely missing. He has also made tracks together with reggae greats like Bounty Killer, Beenie Man, and Sugar Minott, not to mention recording duets with the likes of Whitney Houston and Bono. Barrington has one of the most unforgettable voices in reggae, and remains a dancehall legend to this day. He played 4th & B earlier this year – this event finds Levy in a more intimate venue, the space that has housed more than a handful of global reggae legends this year, the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach. DJ Slopoke opens.

Ghostly International Art & Artifice Tour@ The Casbah
Not content to rest on his laurels and bask in the glow of the reviews from his end-of-year debut album Leave Luck To Heaven, the brightest spook in the Ghostly International family brings his live PA to San Diego to drop some new tunes from his forthcoming EP Backstroke. You get the feeling that keeping busy is nothing new for this Detroit-by-way-of-Texas producer, who has previously recorded as False (for Plus 8 and Jabberjaw (Perlon). Matthew Dear packs more floor-friendly funk than any other recent minimal techno/micro-house producer working. He and Clark Warner kept the terrace at Privilege in Miami full of distilled ambient tension, while Hawtin and Magda brought the crowd into more dramatic oscillations of audio. This is Ghostly’s 5th year in existence, so in celebration the crew decided to penetrate the nation’s more avante-garde rock venues instead of their standard club fare. Expect Dear to provide vocals over his easel of robotic beats - Ghostly support for the evening comes in the form of Midwest Product, a live PA from Dabrye, and Ghostly founder Sam Valenti IV deejaying throughout the evening. Also featured will be Twine, who was featured at Broken Beat at Kadan earlier this year.

We are bringing what seems to be somewhat lacking in the club scene in San Diego ­- an eclectic, mixed-crowd, music-focused monthly with art and video, a juxtaposition of sounds and attitudes, in a downtown-located environment, with multiple rooms and styles of music for the varying tastes of our CultivateLife family. We are a community of artists, musicians, and those who appreciate quality art, music and culture ­- we want to celebrate these outlets of expression in a way that is pure, free, and fun, with people who all share a similar passion for art and music. Too often the nightlife scene in San Diego is separated by aesthetics ­- too many dress codes, so little substance, so little diversity. We plan to change that through the Broadcast Sessions ­- we want to bring the CultivateLife community together, and create a unique, open, positive vibe that all will feel comfortable participating in.

Not an easy task by any means ­- so how did our vision come to fruition? Well first, we secured a venue smack in the middle of the Gaslamp, with two beautiful, enormous, contrasting areas. The Ventanas lounge is a spacious, Latin-decored, vibrant area where you can find Brasilian women dancing with reckless abandon as easily as you can find a plush couch to sink into. And the back warehouse space ­has an unmistakable warehouse feel - dark, high ceilings, lots of brick, but a cozy and clean ambience about it, perfect for minimal and tech-house music.

We found artists that suit the moods of the respective rooms in Ventanas, and also welcome some discovery from those who may not have previously been exposed to certain genres of music ­- are you into jazz, latin, or bossa nova? How about combining these genres with electronic music and live percussion from el john of Thievery Corporation? Soulphonic Soundsystem bring all these genres together live and will forever change your perception of these sounds. Ever seen someone create electronic music live using synthesizers and drum machines? If not, experiencing a nominal live PA will leave you with a newfound respect for digital production. Looking for electronic music that is not overbearing or cheesy, nor do you need to be on drugs to appreciate, but still provokes physical and spiritual movement? Come feel the vibe in the warehouse start with subtle minimalism and escalate into a pulsing rhythm with layers of warm, mechanical sound in a seamless blend that Dan Mnookin effortlessly creates.

So why Broadcast Sessions? Well, one thing we found that the contrasting sounds of our artists have in common, is their commitment to quality output of their music. And in today’s Clear Channel radio monopoly, it’s almost impossible to find new, interesting music on the radio ­- that is, on your standard analog frequencies. We found that internet radio is an open frontier of honest artistic expression ­- the exact kind of freedom of expression that we look for in the artists we feature in CultivateLife. So it seemed only natural to bring some of the pioneers of the internet radio revolution together, and showcase them to a community who celebrates the same ideals ­- hence, the Broadcast Sessions at Ventanas was born!

The next edition of CultivateLife will feature bios on each of the artists -in the meantime, below are links to some of the music that will be featured at Broadcast Sessions on Saturday, August 7:

Daniel Mnookin, Proton Radio, MP3 set (80 meg)
nominal
Soulphonic Soundsystem

details:
CultivateLife.org, Oceanliner Records, and Merge Events presents the Broadcast Sessions August 7th at Ventanas, 338 7th Avenue, across from Petco Park. Featuring two areas of music ­- minimal techno and tech-house sounds in the warehouse, electronic jazz fusion in the Ventanas Lounge -­ also featuring live video installations, a full bar, giveaways, guest list admission for CultivateLife members, no dress code, and more! Artists featured from global internet radio stations such as Proton Radio, Static Radio, and Transistor Radio ­ representing Chicago, Los Angeles, DC, Tijuana, and San Diego ­- pioneering a new brand of event in San Diego ­- one that reflects the relaxed, open, diverse and honest tastes and attitudes of the CultivateLife community! RSVP invitations to follow, as well as bios of the artists. Check out the flyer

Baja Bash 2004
Thursday 7.20 through Sunday 8.1
La Jolla Indian Reservation
www.bajabash.com

Promised Land Productions LLC presents a four-day camping/music and arts festival at the La Jolla Indian Reservation, located 40 miles northeast of San Diego. “Our "campfest" is a four-day energy ride, consisting of harmonious sounds from the best jambands around! In addition to the endless hours of improvisational jam music, we offer a plethora of activities including: nature hikes, fishing, inner tubing, mountain biking, go-cart racing, moto-cross racing, water park, sunbathing, drumming, singing, dancing, games, sharing & caring.” The Tribe of Kings and Winston’s residents Vegitation will be bringing those island riddims with only the best in roots, conscious and classic dancehall, dubstyle and mic checkin’ – and with the best in summertime escapes through spaced out jam sessions from bands like Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, Michael Franti & Spearhead, The Steve Kimock Band, Yonder Mountain String Band, and Particle, you can expect a weekend of idealism, sunshine and positive vibrations. Baja Bash has “Two music stages, kids programs, workshops, food vendors, arts & crafts, a micro-brew beer garden, on site transportation, parades, fire dancers, and much more.”

“We offer to you the ultimate spiritual escape of peace, freedom, fun & love.”

tickets: $75 2-day pass, $85 3-day pass, $95 4-day pass, online


Peace & Dignity Journey
Sunday 7.17 through Thursday 7.22
Chicano Park

The Peace and Dignity Journeys will be coming through San Diego County July 17th through July 22nd, 2004. This is the fourth such run which spans the North and South American continents to promote Peace and Dignity amongst the indigenous people and all people. Runners are from many communities throughout the Western Hemisphere. They are running to support the known prophecy that when the Condor from the South and the Eagle from the North unite, via the indigenous communities, that a great peace will occur in the world. It was the Elders in Quito, Ecuador in 1990 that asked for this run to happen as a way to fulfill the prophecy.

The public is invited to support the run in the following ways:
1. Contribute supplies and food for the runners while they are in San Diego County;
2. Contribute monetarily towards the Reception to receive the runners at Chicano Park.
3. Support and attend fundraisers and receptions for the run while it is in San Diego.

The public is invited to attend a fundraiser "Pena" on Saturday, July 17th from 5-9 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults and $5 for children. For more information please call 619-469-9920. Featured artists are: Jane Dumas, Jim Moreno, Saul Cruz, Gracia Pick, Gabriel Nunez, and other accomplished local artists. The public is also welcome to receive the runners as they arrive to Chicano Park at 6 PM (approximate time) on Sunday, July 18th. We hope that you will participate in making Peace and Dignity a part of our community. Please call 619-907-7030, or email information@izcalli.org for more information.

tickets: $15

Chicano Roots Festival
Sunday 7.18, 4PM-11PM
World Beat Center, 2100 Park Blvd. SD, 92101
http://vozalta.org

New Aztec Empire Productions and Voz Alta presents the 1st Annual Chicano Roots Festival at the World Beat Center. Featuring artists such as: B-Side Players (san diego/tijuana/aztlan), Burning Star (los angeles/aztlan), Fuga (el paso/aztlan), Maiz (san diego/aztlan), Agua Dulce (san diego/aztlan), Stranger (san diego/aztlan), Special performances by Toltecas Aztlan, DJ Slowpoke, Poetry by Voz Alta Poets, and a Birthday Celebration for SOLRAK, lupita, & poke from pokez.

tickets: $10, All Ages

Napoleon Dynamite@ Landmark Cinemas Comedy
From Preston, Idaho comes Napoleon Dynamite (Jon Heder), a new kind of hero complete with a tight red 'fro, some sweet moon boots, and skills that can't be topped. Napoleon lives with his Grandma (Sandy Martin) and his thirty-year-old, unemployed brother Kip (Aaron Ruell), who spends his days looking for love in Internet chat rooms. When Grandma hits the road on her quad runner, Napoleon and Kip's meddling Uncle Rico (Jon Gries), a Tupperware salesman, comes to town to stay with them and ruin their lives.

view trailer

My Sister Maria@ Ken Cinema Documentary
Despite an unparalleled acting career with over seventy feature film appearances alongside such legends as Oskar Werner, Gary Cooper and Marcello Mastroianni and numerous awards and nominations, Maria Schell's life was filled with loneliness, debt and frequent depression. Her brother and confidant, actor/director/co-writer Maximilian Schell, blends interviews with staged scenes in this examination of their personal relationship, expressing his great respect for her lifework and the regret he felt at her later failures. (Fully subtitled, except for a few brief film clips in spoken English)

Brew and View Indie Music Video Fest@ The Abbey Festival
Brew and View brings to San Diego the IMVF- Indie Music Video Fest. The first West Coast showing of independent videos from around the world - July 23rd @ the Abbey.

Including 5 of the best LOCAL BANDS San Diego has to offer: Scarlet Symphony, Buckfast Super Bee, Ilya, the Displaced, Mike F@*%ing Flynn Also several local artist displaying mind bending woks! Please buy your ticket early in person @ M-Theory music.

Tribe of Kings – Weeklies – (Reggae)
The Tribe of Kings just don’t QUIT! And the spaces they’re now locking down are a testament to their ethic. Keeping the island riddims steady almost every night of the week, the TOK crew now comes correct in L5’s back room on Friday nights, which have already been representing the best in hip-hop past, present and future. And with Sidebar on Tuesdays and their now-legendary Downtown Top Rankin’ at Shaker Room on Sunday nights, the Tribe of Kings are making sure our souls are irie with the best in dubstyle, conscious dancehall, roots reggae, hip-hop and every damn bit inbetween:

Mondays @ Dub Dynamite @ Bar Dynamite
Tuesdays @ SideBar
Wednesday @ How The West Was One @ Martini Ranch - Encinitas
Thursdays Hi-Grade @ Galoka 
Reggae & Hip Hop Fridays @ L5 Nightclub
Legendary Downtown Top Rankin' @ Shaker Room on Sunday nights

Ooh! Ah! Shangri-La!: Paradise is Very Nice
Just minutes from the convention center and the waterfront and with easy access to the international airport, the Cassius King gallery provides the perfect five-star accommodation for fifteen artists who will stimulate your body and soul with their visions of paradise. In a lavish gallery setting under the endless sunny skies of San Diego, you will experience the wonder of independent comic book art. When you get tired of roaming the spacious gallery, you can relax by the koi pond in the garden behind the gallery and listen to the soothing tunes of DJ Steven Nereo, founder of Slabco Records.

With all the violence and death in the world today, Cassius King thought it'd be nice to revive the old trick, escapism, and imagine what it would look like in 2004. Curator, Chako Suzuki, handpicked seventeen independent comic book artists who are translating their visions of paradise onto canvas and paper just for you. Comic books are enjoying a comeback among young adults in both the theater and in print, and we'd like to show San Diego that comics aren't just for little kids - they bring about the nostalgia, craziness, and imagination that our everyday lives may lack.

Check out the free opening reception on Friday, July 23, 2004, from 6 - 11:00 pm! The gallery is located right next to the convention center, so if you’re there for Comicon, come finish off your day with Cassius King. The show runs until August 23, 2004.

alt.pictureshows - Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (La Jolla)
Thursday, July 22 at 7pm
The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD) will transform portions of the exhibition space at its La Jolla location (700 Prospect St.) into the cinematic funhouse of alt.pictureshows, featuring short films by independent filmmakers from the San Diego and Tijuana region, as well as selected works from the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. alt.pictureshows is free to the general public.

Part cinematic installation, part eclectic gathering, alt.pictureshows promises to surprise and entertain even the most jaded film enthusiasts. The diversity of shorts will be looped throughout the galleries allowing MCASD visitors to traverse the museum, absorbing the menagerie of visions created by these progressive-minded, emerging film artists. The event's co-curator and participant Neil Kendricks likens the experience to physical channel surfing, where participants are encouraged to move freely from one room of projected films to another-and then back again.

Outside on MCASD's Oceanview Terrace, a series of offbeat and startling music videos and other music-driven works will be projected, followed by a performance by Tijuana-based DJ Murcof, who will add a dose of ambient electronica to the evening's proceedings.

A co-production with MCASD and local filmmaker Neil Kendricks' Muse Chasers, alt.pictureshows will feature selected works including: Teri Lang's quirky look at women bikers and contemporary blessing ceremonies, Motorcycle Prayers; Anouck Iyer's lyrical animation Hike Hike Hike; Tijuana's Aaron Soto, Aldo Guerra, and Azzul Monraz's music-propelled visual poem Ulysses; Teri Carson's nightmare comedy Poly Esther; Frank Grow's disturbing and delightfully tweaked Red & Rosy; and Kendricks'
mind-bending, experimental music video Bliss. In addition to these pieces, there will be numerous other exceptional short films embracing their low-budget means as an asset rather than a limitation.

While the range of work is deliberately eclectic, the intent behind MCASD and the Muse Chasers' second annual presentation of alt.pictureshows is to introduce the public to innovative artists making exciting and original short films. What binds the works of these individual artists is their resilient indie spirit and eagerness to tackle unusual choices in subject matters with imaginative approaches.

Urban Tribal Dance Company
Sunday, July 25th
Urban Tribal performs two dinner shows at the abbey cafe join UTDC in this beautiful candlelit environment. the abbey serves delicious mediterranean appetizers, elegant dinners and fine wines.

6:00 and 7:30pm. $5 cover. the house pays the cover charge for anyone having dinner. 127 east University, San Diego

Adult African Dance Class
World Beat Center
Develop your talent and repertoire with expert teacher, dancer & choreographer Kiki Ogulu. Dance to ecstatic rhythms of Lion King master drummer Nana Yaw Asiedu, with Menelik, Babacar & friends. Sat. 1:30 & Sun. 2:00 at the WorldBeat Center. $12, call 619-424-7242.

Monstropoly
The Object of is to maintain your freedom and stay out of jail; it's described as "a fun, exciting, interactive show about going to jail." Eveoke Dance Theatre productions onstage in Horton Plaza's Lyceum Space, through July 17.  Performances begin at 8 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays; 2 p.m. on Sundays; $25 general; pay-what-you-can one hour before curtain on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Sundays. 619-544-1000.

Voz Alta
917 F St, Downtown San Diego

Tuesdays, July 13th, 27nd
Brujas y Bellas
A Women's Writing Group Brujas y Bellas is a collective of women supporting one another in finding and refining their creative voice. They meet the 2nd & 4th Tuesday of every month. All genres welcome. For more info contact escritoras@vozalta.org, 7pm (Donations accepted)


Friday, July 23rd
The Science of Blowing Up
The Science of Blowing Up: preaching chaos in one of america's most conservative cities. Now your rum guzzling captain Jazz promises a night of lunatic fringe antics and the best spoken word in the country with local swash-buckling thinkers Michael Klam, Cecil Hayduke, and Jimmy Jazz. www.resistmuch.com 8:00 p.m. - $5.00 donation