LOCALS ONLY

The Beat goes on

When vocalist-drummer Dan McLain died in 1995, The Beat Farmers hung it up, only to return a few years ago as The Farmers. With the death last month of guitarist Buddy Blue, fans wondered if all incarnations of San Diego's legendary roots-rock band will be retired.

“We'll continue as a three-piece,” said guitarist Jerry Raney. “When Dan died back in '95, we decided to break up the band. That was a big mistake, since we just got back together again anyway. We can't play every single song we used to, but this gives us a chance to work in some different material.”

Raney said the band hasn't yet considered a replacement for Blue. Drummer Joel Kmak and bassist Rolle Love will help fill in on vocals. On May 4, Raney and The Belly Up Tavern will host a tribute concert to Blue that includes Lady Dottie & The Diamonds, Sven-Erik Seaholm and the Wild Truth, The Rugburns and the debut of the new Farmers lineup. All door proceeds from the show will go to Blue's widow, Annie Marshall and the couple's 3-year-old daughter, Tallulah.

Former Blaster Dave Alvin will join The Farmers for a short set of favorites, including “California Kid” and “Gun Sale at the Church.” Raney summed up the reason for the band's decision to persevere:

“Everybody in the band just wants to play. So I figure we'll just do this until we croak.”

An education fund has been created for Blue's daughter, and donations can be sent to the LuLu Blue Foundation, c/o Wells Fargo Bank, 8800 Grossmont Blvd., La Mesa, 91941.

Original Theory abandoned

M-Theory's flagship record store on 30th and Fern streets in South Park will be closing soon.

“The ‘For Rent' sign went up on Friday,” said store co-owner Heather Johnson. “We're not sure when exactly we'll have to be out of here, but we'll eventually be consolidating everything into our [South Park] Annex and Mission Hills stores.”

Though the store is thriving, the first of three shops under the M-Theory banner fell victim to rising area rents. Co-owner Erik Howarth said he's known for a while that the chances of retaining the original store were slim. That was partially why M-Theory opened its Mission Hills location.

“The exciting part about this is that we are now open to looking for a new neighborhood suitable for another M-Theory,” Howarth said. He and Johnson also plan to start a new record label with an emphasis on vinyl.

Notables...

Street Scene organizers won't officially release this year's lineup until late May, but sources have given us the heads up on a few of this year's performers. New blood will come in the form of The Editors and The Futureheads, while mainstays like Bad Religion, G. Love and Matchbook Romance have been booked. Michael Franti & Spearhead are also reportedly in talks with organizers of the festival, which will be held Aug. 4 and 5 at Qualcomm Stadium.

For touring musicians, life on the road can be difficult enough without having to think about what might go wrong at home. Currently on tour in Europe through May 18, blues diva Candye Kane learned on April 29 that her North County home had caught fire. While the house was saved, most of the roof was lost. Kane has opted to continue with her tour. “I can't afford health insurance on my meager income,” she said. “But by law I have to carry homeowners' insurance, so much of it will be covered.”

Art Fag Records will host a weekend-long party to promote The Plot to Blow Up the Eiffel Tower's new EP, Inri. Issued on both 12-inch vinyl and CD, it includes the band's version of the David Bowie classic, “Boys Keep Swinging.” On May 4 the group will play a DJ set at Live Wire alongside label-head Mario Orduno. On May 5, they will play an all-ages event at the Che Café. And on May 6, the group will perform a rare age-restricted show at The Casbah.

Lady Dottie & The Diamonds' first CD release looks to be a live affair, though at least four studio tracks have been cut for possible inclusion.

“The Hunt” by Louis XIV is featured in the new Rosanna Arquette film, All We Are Saying, airing on Showtime. In related news, frontman Jason Hill has been producing New York's The Virgins with Louie drummer Mark Maigaard also contributing to the sessions.

Singer-songwriter Tristan Prettyman is featured in the current ad campaign from Nixon Watches, including a full-page ad in the most recent issue of Teen Vogue.

Angels & Airwaves, the new group featuring former blink-182 vocalist-guitarist Tom DeLonge, ex-Rocket from the Crypt and Offspring drummer Atom Willard, ex-Boxcar Racer guitarist David Kennedy and bassist Ryan Sinn (ex-Distillers), sold out their entire U.S. tour in less than an hour. The tickets for the band's May 6 show at House of Blues in San Diego were gone in 35 minutes-an eternity compared to the two full minutes it took their Philadelphia date to sell out. The band will release its debut album, We Don't Need To Whisper, on May 23.

The Beauty Bar will host a party on May 4 for the The Spell, the new album by The Black Heart Procession scheduled for release May 9. In addition to the usual label giveaways and sets from DJs Siavash & Jeff Graves, there will be a DJ set from Jimmy LaValle.

On May 5, Dream Street will be the site of a CD-release party for Bleeding Memory, the new album by rock band Media Lab.

Groove rockers Deliverance Machine-featuring former Snakeoil Revival singer Oliver Fiedler and Acid Nine bassist Mike Hawkins-make their live debut at Dream Street on May 6. Admission includes a free copy of their self-titled EP.

Americana favorites The Coyote Problem's pot smoker's anthem “It's Always 4:20 Somewhere” is included on a compilation from Sacramento alt-country underground radio station, Wild West Radio 92.9. The snappily titled Sampler Volume 1 also includes tracks from Drive-By Truckers, The Bottle Rockets and others.

The fifth annual Spring Reverb Festival, hosted by The Trummerflora Collective, will take place at venues around the county May 4 through 7. While the event attracts a worldwide group of artists, one of the highlights promises to be the appearance of The Trummerflora High School Honor Band-consisting of local students directed by percussionist Nathan Hubbard and flautist Ellen Weller-at California State University, San Marcos on May 7. Check www.springreverb.com.

The latest local hard-rock heroes to hit a chord in Europe, the band Benedictum, was recently included in the British magazine Classic Rock as one of “15 Hot New Bands to Worship in 2006.” The group-which includes former Malady vocalist Veronica Freeman and former Cage bassist Jesse Wright-also has a track included on Revelations, a promotional CD issued by the magazine.

After all the mariachi music on May 5, anyone wanting to rock a little might want to check out Mario Escovedo, former frontman for The Dragons, at the Whistle Stop. Backed by some of the area's top players-including guitarists Rick Wilkins (The Nards, Sarah Petite) and Mocha Joe Camacho, drummer Brian “Nucci” Cantrell and Dragons bassist Steve Rodriguez-the night will consist of Tex-Mex favorites, including favorites from The Texas Tornados, Ritchie Valens, Los Lobos and Freddy Fender.

Hair-metal hitmakers Ratt will experience a revival this month. On May 6, VH1 will air an episode of Behind the Music, touching on the more salacious events in the group's history, including the current feud between former vocalist Stephen Pearcy and the remaining band members. Then on May 9, Pearcy will release a CD of acoustic music called Back for More. Finally, Warner Brothers in Japan will start putting out remastered versions of Ratt's catalogue, starting with the DVD title Detonator '91.

San Diego band The After Party broke up last month, but band frontman Travis Campbell has teamed with bassist-keyboardist-programmer Stan Campbell for a new electronic punk project called Qu'est-ce Que C'est. Check www.myspace.com/stanleytravis.