Arts & Entertainment
East County Nightlife: Fall Is in the Air! (Kinda)
Your Patch guide to East County nightlife, Sept. 22-25.
Considering we don’t have seasonal indicators here in Southern California to tell us when summer ends and fall begins, we have to rely on more commercial cues, such as the prevalence of pumpkin-flavored everything and thick coats appearing in department stores incongruously next to clearance swimsuits. But sometimes, the weather isn’t so coy with its shift in seasons, and it actually begins to—gasp—feel like autumn.
For example, the mornings have been rather crisp this last week, even in areas where the midday temperature still shoots into the 80s. And then there are the clouds (!) that, while not producing that thing they call rain, still give certain parts of the day a definite seasonal gloom. So even though we’re all still wearing tank tops and flip flops (and likely will well into “winter”), there’s still a sense that the unbearable summer is over—until the Santa Anas come, that is, so enjoy it while you can by attending the couple fall-themed festivals in East County this weekend, or any nighttime event that requires you to wear a jacket.
THURSDAY
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Where/when: Cuyamaca College Performing Arts Theatre, 900 Rancho San Diego Parkway, El Cajon, 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday.
Why Go: George Harrison of the Beatles helped bring the sitar, a traditional music instrument from North India, to the international stage. Many rock, alternative and pop bands have followed in his footsteps, while others have focused on the instrument’s regional roots, such as Miles Shrewsbury, who will perform on the sitar with Rahul Neuman on the tabla for a transporting program of North Indian classical music.
Find out what's happening in Santeefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Price: $8, $5 students and seniors.
FRIDAY
Where/when: St. John of the Cross Catholic Church, 8086 Broadway, Lemon Grove, 5 to 10 p.m. Friday, noon to 10 p.m. Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday.
Why Go: It’s been months since the last big fair/festival filled our arteries with fried grease and covered our shirts with cotton candy crust and the lingering scent of barnyard animals. Thank goodness fall church festivals are an East County tradition! This weekend, St. John of the Cross will host thousands of festival goers with live music, rides, vendors, a beer garden and—new this year—a laser light show every night. Radical!
Price: Free admission.
Where/when: Sycuan Showcase Theatre, 5469 Casino Way, El Cajon, 9 p.m. Friday.
Why Go: You don’t have to be from the Deep South to appreciate the irreverent hilarity in a stage name like Uncle Kracker—in fact, such a moniker would not be out of place in certain areas of East County (cough—Lakeside—cough). So if you enjoy country rock that grew from rap-rock roots (true story!), check out this nationally-known Kracker at Sycuan this Friday.
Price: $35-$45.
Where/when: Dirk’s Nightclub, 7662 Broadway, Lemon Grove, 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Why Go: No, vampires, werewolves, mummies and mutants didn’t form a rag-tag band to tour the county with tunes and terror—these Monsters of Rock are more apt to playing classic rock and metal covers, but they might howl at the moon if you ask them real nice.
Price: Free.
Where/when: Lacey J’s Roadhouse Saloon & Grille, 8861 Magnolia Ave., Santee, 9 p.m. Friday.
Why Go: You could say that East County is crawling with cover bands (no offense, though—we love you guys, and how else are we going to hear “Freebird” live?), which is why it’s especially important to support local, unsigned bands playing original music, like the alternative/blues-focused Zach Kingsley Band. Wouldn’t you like to say you were there at the beginning for the next big thing?
Price: Free.
Where/when: Prescott Promenade, Downtown El Cajon, 6 to 8 p.m. Friday.
Why Go: Blues master Stoney B and his band will play the penultimate show of El Cajon’s Concerts on the Green series. If you haven’t been yet—what’s wrong with you? It’s free!—now is almost your last chance, so come get your blues on (tissues not provided) in El Cajon.
Price: Free.
SATURDAY
Where/when: Town Center Community Park East, 550 Park Center Dr., Santee, 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday.
Why Go: Sorry, bluegrass fans under 21 years of age—since this event is as much about sampling fine wine and beer (and a complementary taste of Santee restaurants) as it is about celebrating one of America’s original genres of music, young’uns aren’t welcome. .
Price: $35.
Where/when: Fannie’s Nightclub, 9143 Campo Road, Spring Valley, 9 p.m. Saturday.
Why Go: Amazingly, there’s not one, but two bands named for the puntastic punchline to the classic joke told to a delusional friend (Q: What’s the name of that river in Egypt? A: Denial—or de Nile, as it were). Not to be confused with its British doppelganger, San Diego-based classic cover band D’Nile will play at East County landmark Fannie’s this Saturday.
Price: Free.
Where/when: Viejas V Lounge, 5000 Willows Road, Alpine, 8 p.m. to midnight Saturday.
Why Go: In its 1980s heyday, the saxophone was a way to “class up” the average pop single, a direction completely divergent from the instrument’s jazz roots. Eddie Estudillo, named one of the finest sax players in L.A., will revive interest in the seemingly forgotten wind instrument with the Hush band this Saturday at Viejas.
Price: Free.
SUNDAY
Where/when: Spacebar Internet Café, 7454 University Ave., La Mesa, 8 to 10 p.m. Sunday.
Why Go: In their ongoing effort to be awesome, Spacebar Internet Café will screen the film “Changeling” this Sunday, starring Angelina Jolie in a tear-based performance about a mother who loses her child and has another foisted on her by a police department unwilling to admit making a mistake.
Price: Free.
