Our picks of this week's events
From international yoga festivals to Roman De Salvo's newest works, we've got your to-do list covered
Art
Industrial installations
If you’ve walked up the stairway at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego’s newest Downtown gallery, you’ve seen the work of San Diego artist Roman De Salvo. His “Electrical Conduit” works are easy to miss. At first glance, they look almost as if they’re part of the building’s construction, but if you take a closer look, you’ll notice the design and use of light and immediately recognize the twisting metal as a work of art. De Salvo, who’s won the San Diego Art Prize and has shown in the Whitney Biennial, will present new work at the Athenaeum (1008 Wall St. in La Jolla), along with Nathan Gluck, a former studio assistant to Andy Warhol. The opening of the shows will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 19. www.ljathenaeum.org.
Sing praise
Gospel music isn’t just for Bible thumpers, and from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 20, Mandate Records Inc., City Councilmember Tony Young and others will prove it with the first-ever San Diego Praise Fest. Soul-shaking headliners include Brent Jones & The TP Mobb, who’ll be joined by more than 30 live, gospel-inspired acts throughout the day. An open-air marketplace, a kids zone, art and cultural presentations, a food court and an “education row” will help keep you stimulated and entertained. The Praise Fest goes down on Federal Boulevard between 48th Street and Euclid Avenue in Webster. www.sandiegopraisefest.com.
Kinda cute
Ugh. OK, here it goes: Dean Koontz, the mainstream moneymaking machine whose books are often predictable suspense thrillers that read like B movies rather than literature, is coming to Canine Companions for Independence’s Koontz Campus (ah, there’s the connection), 124 Rancho del Oro Drive in Oceanside, at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 20. Why publicize the event if we’re just going to make fun of it? Well, he’s Dean Koontz, and even though the book he’ll be signing—Bliss to You, a sort of self-help advice book “written” by his deceased dog Trixie—sounds as cheesy as nachos, the fact remains that millions of you read and secretly love his novels. Plus, Canine Companions for Independence, which trains assistance dogs for children and adults with disabilities, is a good endeavor, and royalties from Bliss for You go straight to the organization—so buy away. www.deankoontz.com, www.cci.org or 760-901-4300.
Seaside screen
The most interesting aspects of this year’s Imperial Beach International Film Festival and Art Walk are the student films from Iraq and the space painting by Chula Vista artist Brandon McConnell. The Independent Film and Television College was started in Baghdad in 2004 by Kasim Abid and Maysoon Pachachi as a way for the country’s war-sick youth to express themselves and use their bottled-up creativity. See what the students have come up with Saturday, Sept. 20, at the Dempsey Holder Center, 950 Ocean Lane in Imperial Beach. Call 619-934-0051 to reserve your seat ahead of time. Before the films, stop by the Port Wood Pier Plaza in I.B. from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday to catch McConnell’s rapid-fire graffiti art—he creates out-of-this-world space paintings in a matter of seconds. For the full festival schedule, which kicks off Friday, Sept. 19, visit www.ibfilmfestival.com.
Binational action
From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 20 and 21, The Border Meetup Group presents a two-day international Yoga and Environmental Festival at Border Field Sate Park (1601 Monument Road) and across the border in Playas de Tijuana. On Saturday, there’ll be a cleanup on both sides of the border fence in celebration of California Coastal Cleanup Day. At the end of the early-morning cleanup, attendees can relax on the sand and watch a cross-border kite display and contest and listen to live music pretty much all day long. On Sunday, things will calm down a bit for the yoga session, which will culminate with an international potluck and social hour. bordermeetup@gmail.com or 619-954-9710.
Here’s to beer
As the venerable Homer Simpson once put it, “Here’s to alcohol: the cause of—and solution to—all of life’s problems.” From 6 to 11 p.m. Friday, Sept. 19, beer will be the solution to cancer—sorta. The annual Festival of Beer will take place at Columbia and B streets, Downtown, and while you and your buddies sample 120 microbrews from 50 different breweries and check out live music from six bands on two stages, the San Diego Professionals Against Cancer will collect your cash and put it toward cancer research and patient services. Tickets are $25 advanced, $30 at the door, and include 10 four-once beer tastes and a nifty little souvenir mug. www.sdbeerfest.org.
Myspace man
Musician and comedian Eric Schwartz, the “No. 1 most-viewed comedian on MySpace” will take the stage at Lestat’s Coffee House (3343 Adams Ave. in Normal Heights) at 9 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 21. He’ll be joined by bands Bushwalla, Mal Hall and Mac. www.smoothe.tv or 619-282-0437.
Published: 09/17/2008
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