In this weekly column, our staff hand picks a selection of events from our curated calendar to fill your weekend and beyond, helping you decide what to do when the options are too plentiful to pick just one. Perhaps we'll bump into you somewhere along the way.
Then & Now Art Show; NOH8 Campaign; Gardens & Villa; Vegucated, Craig Finn
THURSDAY
Thursday 2/16/2012 @ 10:00 PM, Gaslamp
LED presents:My Life Every Thursday featuring Aeroplane. In just three years, the Italian-Belgian producer has established himself as party-starting DJ, remixer du jour -with his spacious cosmic-disco re-rerubs of Grace Jones (William's Blood), Friendly Fires (Paris) and Sebastien Tellier (Kilometer)- and, via his own piano-sprinkled melancholic beauties like Caramellas,leaders of thenu-disco and Balearica scene. So Aeroplane's debut album, We Can't Fly, arrives with sky-high hopes. Now that our appetites have been whetted by those brief, tantalizingv excursions, what delights await us on their maiden long-haul flight. With CASSIAN. RSVP on facebook page to get in free before 10:30 PM.
FREE; 21+
FRIDAY
Friday 2/17/2012 @ 8:00 PM, Mission Hills
Gardens and Villa folds a few clear-cut influences ('90s Britpop, '80s synth-pop) into a neat package. The sparse but tight production, relying mostly on fat synthesizers and drum machines with a few twists here and there, dispenses a lighthearted Britpop vibe while also recalling obscure early-'80s R&B.
$10; 21+
SATURDAY
Saturday 2/18/2012 @ 11:00 AM, La Mesa
It's hard to believe, but @Treehouse Coffee Co and PubCakes have been sharing a storefront now for one whole year. To celebrate, they are throwing a party! with a BEER GARDEN! This year is going to be bigger and better than the last. Simply spend $3.00 at PubCakes or Treehouse Coffee Co and you will get a ticket into the beer garden for three 3 oz tastes. Partnering with the charity @Hidden Treasures, so if you bring a donation of clothing you get a free extra taste!
$3; 21+
Saturday 2/18/2012 @ 2:00 PM-5:00 PM, Gaslamp
On SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18TH the NOH8 Campaign will set up their mobile studio at HOTEL SOLAMAR in SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA! The photo shoot is scheduled to begin at 2:00PM and end at 5:00PM. SOLO PORTRAITS are $40.00, COUPLE & GROUP PORTRAITS are $25.00 per person. Funds raised by the NOH8 Campaign will be used to continue promoting and raising awareness for marriage equality and anti-discrimination through NOH8’s interactive media campaign.
$25-$40; All ages
Saturday 2/18/2012 @ 6:00 PM-10:00 PM, Pacific Beach
"Then & Now Art Show" on Saturday, February 18, from 6-10 pm, featuring the multi-media art of William Sager and hand-crafted surfboards from Josh Oldenburg. Please RSVP by indicating that you will attend on the facebook event page. The event will be DJ'd by French Kiss Collective, and there will be light refreshments. William Sager’s fine art background, graphic design career and passion as a surfer bring a unique perspective to the art world. Through the combination of multiple mediums, including painting, illustration and vintage photography, Sager develops complex layers that give his work depth and a timeless feel. He currently resides in Southern California, where he has spent the last decade producing engaging designs for clients including Adidas, American Eagle Outfitters, Diageo, Starbucks and Yamaha. His recent collaborations with surfboard shaper Josh Oldenburg feature designs that reflect Oldenburg’s classic surfboard shapes. Sager’s range of work blends a time past that can be viewed on the walls and enjoyed under the feet.
FREE; All ages
Saturday 2/18/2012 @ 5:00 PM-9:00 PM, Little Italy
The Little Italy Association is proud to present the 9th Annual Little Italy Carnevale. This year the Little Italy Carnevale will be held on Saturday, February 18th from 5:00pm to 9:00pm on India Street between Hawthorn and Cedar Streets. Last year, Carnevale drew over 12,000 attendees with people dressed in traditional Venetian Carnevale regalia. This event is mirrored Carnevale in Venice with various vignettes of entertainment, a Passaporto di Carnevale, that gives times and locations of entertainment, and a list of all the participating businesses where you need to get your passport stamped. So grab you masks and garments and come regale everyone with your costume.
FREE; All ages
SUNDAY
Sunday 2/19/2012 @ 8:00 PM, Mission Hills
Craig Finn, frontman of The Hold Steady, touring for the recent release of his new 7” single Honolulu Blues. With Mount Moriah.
$12; 21+
Sunday 2/19/2012 @ 5:00 PM-9:00 PM, North Park
Join Splash on Sunday, February 19th to raise funds for Project Haiti. From 5pm-9pm, 10% of all wine, beer, and food sales will be donated to bringing clean water and cholera education to communities in rural Haiti. There will also be a raffle throughout the evening with fantastic items from local businesses, such as spa packages, restaurant gift certificates, and home goods. Entry is a $5 suggested donation and includes 1 raffle ticket. Parking is free behind Splash. 2012 Project Haiti Goal: $6600 to purchase and deliver 100 water filtration systems throughout the Fond Parisian area of Haiti, providing 10,000 people with clean drinking water for 5 years! Everyone deserves access to clean drinking water!
$5 donation; 21+
INTO NEXT WEEK
Monday 2/20/2012 @ 8:00 PM-10:00 PM, Normal Heights
With a ton of hops comes a ton of hype (we know we’re guilty...) and Blind Lady Ale House is using the high demand for Russian River's triple IPA Pliny the Younger to do something very admirable: Pliny the Fundraiser. When they tap the Younger, it’ll be at a private Pliny Tasting Event to benefit two members of the BLAH family who are fighting cancer. Chris (“the Elder” at 42 years old) developed a brain tumor and Primary CNS Lymphoma. Lyla (“the Younger” at just 10 months old) developed a Germ Cell Tumor and Yolk Sac Cancer. BLAH says, “They are both awesome, strong people who are currently winning the fight because of great developments in treatment. But those treatments are not cheap.” Tickets to Blind Lady’s private, side-by-side Pliny Tasting Event are sold out, but you can still contribute: At 8pm BLAH will open the doors to the public to participate in the raffle, and 20% of the sales from 8-10 will also go to to the cause. Pliny the Younger will NOT be available after 8pm, though one of the raffle prizes is a full case of it!
FREE; 21+
Monday 2/20/2012 @ 7:00 PM, Escondido
An evening of tasting and discussion to follow up the February 13th release of 2012 Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine! "Dr." Bill Sysak will host an evening of delicious hands-on learning featuring one of Stone's favorite beer styles. You'll learn about brewing techniques, historical development, cellaring tips and more as you taste some exceptionally satisfying examples of this historic brew.
$31.94; 21+
Tuesday 2/21/2012 @ 10:00 PM, Gaslamp
FILTER and the Hard Rock Hotel San Diego invite you to a night of free music at the 207 Bar in the Hard Rock Hotel San Diego on February 21 from 10pm-1am (doors at 9pm) for music from Built to Spill, Sister Crayon, Adam Salter and Gabe Vega. RSVP at link and be sure to arrive early, space is limited to capacity.
FREE; 21+
Tuesday 2/21/2012 @ 6:00 PM, South Park
On Tuesday, Feb. 21st at 6pm, beer and food enthusiasts are invited to embrace the union of two celebrated spots in South Park: Alchemy and Hamilton’s Tavern. At The Barrel and The Beast, curious diners will be rewarded with a unique pairing of the finer things in life - beer and meat. At $75 per person, guests will be served five barrel-aged beers hand-selected by Hamilton’s Tavern’s Scot Blair, paired with a four-course feast from Alchemy’s Chef Ricardo Heredia. The spread will feature a menagerie of smoky flavors derived from pig, head to hoof, finishing with a special mead aperitif. The beer is above the ordinary, with a barrel-aged punch and deep flavors of warm oak, vanilla, smoke, caramel and apple wood. This private dinner is served once each quarter at Alchemy.
$75; 21+
Wednesday 2/22/2012 @ 7:00 PM, College Area
V&A curator Glenn Adamson will be giving a public lecture at SDSU on February 22nd @ 7pm in Peterson Gym room 153. He will discuss his recent exhibition, Postmodernism: Style and Subversion 1970-1990, as well as the production of the postmodern object, from Memphis furniture to cut-and-paste graphics and Music
FREE; All ages
Wednesday 2/22/2012 @ 6:30 PM-9:00 PM, Golden Hill
VEGUCATED is a feature-length documentary that follows three meat- and cheese-loving New Yorkers who agree to adopt a vegan diet for six weeks. Lured with true tales of weight lost and health regained, they begin to uncover hidden sides of animal agriculture and soon start to wonder whether solutions offered in films like Food, Inc. go far enough. Before long, they find themselves risking everything to expose an industry they supported just weeks before. But can their conviction carry them when times get tough? What about on family vacations fraught with skeptical step-dads, carnivorous cousins, and breakfast buffets? Part sociological experiment, part science class, and part adventure story, Vegucated showcases the rapid and at times comedic evolution of three people who share one journey and ultimately discover their own paths in creating a kinder, cleaner, greener world, one bite at a time.
FREE; All ages