Arts & Entertainment
East County Nightlife: Giving Pops a Break from the Same Ol’ Song and Dance
Your Patch guide to East County Nightlife, June 16-19.
Mother’s Day is easy—you buy some flowers, maybe a card, take her out to brunch and BOOM! Done. Father’s Day is a little trickier. A six-pack of some local brew is a clever substitute for a floral bouquet, but not all dads drink, and very few appreciate the sappy sentimentality of a card (or worse, one of those new singing varieties). And brunch? Sure, no one can resist the charms of an omelet bar, but one two-hour wait for a $30-a-head breakfast is enough for one year.
So what do dads really want for Father’s Day (aside from being left alone to watch the game/read the paper/tinker in the garage in peace)? A taste of that old-time nightlife—the kind they enjoyed before kids and all their accompanying responsibilities came along. Maybe he’s got a thing for classic cars, or rock covers, or silly comedy, or Middle Eastern fusion (hey, you never know until you ask). Either way, there’s plenty to choose from this weekend. So grab Dad off the couch, promise Mom you’ll bring him back in one piece, and give him memories that will last much longer than a case of mimosa-bacon heartburn would.
THURSDAY
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Where/when: La Mesa Village, 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday.
Why Go: Take a stroll down memory lane (or La Mesa Boulevard, rather) and check out over 300 classic cars on display—but be sure to look, and not touch, lest you suffer withering glares at best and a swift hand slap at worst. Live music and food will also be available.
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Price: Free.
Where/when: , 7787 Alvarado Rd., La Mesa, 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday.
Why Go: Entertainment consumers take for granted all the hard work that goes into their favorite books, film scripts, paintings and other works of art, which is why they are encouraged to attend “Spiral Bound,” an exhibit of sketchbooks and notebooks where great artistic ideas were conceived.
Price: Free.
FRIDAY
Where/when: West Main Street and North Magnolia Ave., El Cajon, 6 to 8 p.m. Friday.
Why Go: Before you Frodo fans and Gandalf groupies get too excited, this is not a Tolkien tribute band. The Middle Earth Ensemble is actually Middle Eastern fusion, but you’ll have to come down to El Cajon’s to see what it’s actually fused with.
Price: Free.
DANA CARVEY
Where/when: Sycuan Casino, 5469 Casino Way, El Cajon, 8 p.m. Friday.
Why Go: Although his glory days portraying George Bush Sr. and Garth Algar are long behind him (let’s just pretend “The Master of Disguise” never happened), Dana Carvey has not quite reached has-been status—he still delights audiences around the country with his deep well of observational and improvisational humor.
Price: $45/$55.
Where/when: , 3338 Main St., Lemon Grove, 7 to 10 p.m. Friday.
Why Go: Need to tone up a little but can’t stand the thought of running in place at a gym (not to mention the silent, judging stares from all directions)? Try dancing, which is a fantastically fun way to burn calories. ¡Muévete! hosts this free night of Mexican folk dancing and music every third Friday of the month.
Price: Free.
SATURDAY
Where/when: Hooley’s Rancho San Diego, 2955 Jamacha Rd., El Cajon, 9 p.m. to midnight Saturday.
Why Go: You might be in relatively fancy Rancho with a Crown and Coke in one hand and a corned beef taco in the other, but you’ll feel like you’re in the heart of the Emerald Isle when Irish Music Association award nominee Tony Cummins is playing.
Price: No Cover.
JUST PRESS PLAY
Where/when: Viejas Casino V Lounge, 5000 Willows Rd., Alpine, 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday.
Why Go: While there’s a good chance a cover band show will feature at least a handful of songs you know and like, there’s never a guarantee they’ll rock your favorite jam from the 80s or disco guilty pleasure. Just Press Play, on the other hand, is all request, all the time, so don’t be afraid to shout out your favorites (just please, please don’t say “Freebird”).
Price: Free.
Where/when: , 7662 Broadway, Lemon Grove, 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday.
Why Go: The members of FX5 are touted as consummate professionals, which is a key trait for cover bands (if you wanted to hear someone slaughter your favorite contemporary tunes, you’d go to karaoke night on Sunday, amirite?).
Price: No cover.
SUNDAY
Where/when: , 9550 Milden St., La Mesa, 6 p.m. Sunday
Why Go: Say your last few attempts at Match.com magic were less than successful. Was it the underage band in the dingy bar that turned the date sour? Or the greasy taco shop that is apparently only tasty to you? Maybe this time around, try a touch of class--like an outdoor performance by the San Diego Concert Band during the .
Price: Free.
