To view Lindberg Skies "Between You and I" music video, visit WSC Films on Vitmeo.com.

It's been a particularly eventful week at San Diego's Alternative radio station 91X. On Monday morning, May 10th, word came my way that the morning show crew with Matt Diablo was let go. It was somewhat of a surprise given that FM 94/9, San Diego's Free Form radio station, recently pulled the plug on their all music morning program. In their case, they did a complete about face by going against what they used to claim was bad radio programming in the morning.  For the sake of boosting ratings, they changed their morning show to talk with the God Aweful Mikey Show. Interestingly, 91X is now doing what 94/9 was doing, playing all music in the morning -- which is how it should have stayed, but ratings are the enemy and dictate everything in broadcasting. It's funny in a way how stations have to put their programming changes so delicately by saying, we had to make a change to keep things fresh. Please. We all know that's not true.

Can't blame 91X completely for their decision because it is about survival, but at the same time, it makes no sense that they pulled the plug on a show without a back-up plan. The only reason they're playing music all morning now is they don't have a real host. They're still actually searching for a new one. I've seen the job postings online. Now poor Capone, the Program Dir., has to fill in the gaps in the morning until the station finds someone else while he also has to continue doing his regular broadcast at 2pm. But, that's the radio biz. You've gotta know what you're getting into before you pursue a career in this field.

The current music in the moring on 91X is great, so enjoy it while you can. It won't last long. Any day now, we'll be hearing about a new host and a new show. Let's just hope it's not as dreadful as the Mikey Show on 94/9.

I did actualy put in my two cents the other day. I wrote Capone and suggested that they do either comedy in the morning (and with real seasoned comedians) or hire a prominent musician to host the show (Johnny Rotten or Trent Reznor would be cool) so they could talk about the music biz and of course rant a bit. A certain amount of ranting is require in radio to keep audiences stimulated.

I know it's highly unlikely that 91X will consider either of my ideas, but I had nothing to loose by sharing my thoughts. If by some miracle 91X did do something along the lines of my ideas, you'll defintiely be reading another blog from me on this topic soon!

Meanwhile, if you're curious about reading what Capone at 91X wrote to the San Diego community to explain what happened at the station, you can read it here. See below:              

An Open Letter To The 91X Community

Dear Friends,

As you may already know, Friday  May 7th, 2010 marked the final broadcast of “The 91X Morning Show w/  Mat Diablo”. Fans of the show have (of course) reached out to us on all  platforms, asking the most obvious question:

“What the F%&! happened?”

First off, I apologize for not  addressing this sooner. Friday was a hard day for everyone at 91X. Letting  someone go from their job is never easy…three people whom you respect, appreciate,  even consider friends? Unimaginable.

On April 7, 2008, we  launched “The 91X Morning Show” with the express purpose of offering an alternative  to traditional morning radio. No phony puker DJs, no cackling bimbos, no  preaching, no pretense. Just smart, savvy, dedicated people on a mission to  entertain San Diego.  And to some extent, we really succeeded. For over two years Mat, Carlos, &  Sammi worked hard, played hard and made great strides in our quest to re-write  the rules of morning radio.

Fast forward to May 2010. 91X  is still locally and independently owned, still fighting the good fight, still  competing in a town with dozens of fine radio stations. All these options mean  great things for the listener – but it also means a lot of broadcasters,  all vying for the same audience.

The good news is that, for  the most part, 91X is succeeding within this crowded radio landscape. While I would  never discount the efforts of Mat, Carlos & Sammi; a very tough decision  had to be made in the best interest of 91X’s future.

That decision was made last  week and we severed ties with “The 91X Morning Show w/ Mat Diablo”. To be fair,  this didn’t just “happen”. We all worked very hard for a very long time to grow  the show, develop it, and make it as successful as possible. At the end of the  day, the station needed to go in a different direction. No pointing fingers, no  laying blame - things just simply didn’t work out.

I don’t expect you to agree  with this decision, or the rationale, or to stop being upset about our friends’  departure. I can only hope you understand that all we want is the best for this magnificent town of ours and to make 91X the very best it can possibly be.  Just like any other team, sometimes we come out on top. And sometimes we have  to go back into the clubhouse and re-think our game strategy.

91X has managed to survive and thrive here for over 27 years by constantly evolving and adapting to  change. Our number one priority will always be to do the greatest amount  of service to the greatest amount of people. Over the next few weeks, we will  begin working on the opening paragraph of the next chapter in the long &  storied history of mornings on 91X.

Thank you for listening to  91X – past, present and future.

Garrett Capone
91X Program Director
(858) 535-2568
capone@91x.com

The Viejas Dreamcatcher Showroom was really jumpin' last night. The "Kings of Gangster Bop," the Royal Crown Revue, instantly heated things up with their savvy style, sly sass, and swingin' tunes like "Bim Bam," "Stormy Weather," "Walkin' Like Brando," and "Misirlou." 

The master of ceremonies and producer of the event, Jazz Singer David Patrone, and co-host, swing dancer/instructor Jim Cruzen of 2toGoove were a class act.

The bands still keepin' pretty busy after 20 some years. For their next gig -- the bands off to Egypt. 

Check out these videos for a taste of the music: 

"Walkin' Like Brando" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qC5FydBnCcQ

 LA Thing "Hey Pachuco"  http://www.rcr.com/videos/video03.html

After hearing the new Mikey Show during morning drive on San Diego's 94/9, I was compelled to write the Program Manager Garett Michaels.

---------------------

Hello Garett,

I have to share that I'm extremely disappointed with 94/9 for introducing such a lame morning talk show program. It's pretty atrocious. I thought the 91X morning show was annoying, but the Mikey Show..... Mon dieu!

I support the survival of commercial radio, but when you convert to the same kind of programming as everyone else, you make it impossible for listeners to remain loyal. Banishing Halloran from the station was another really bad move.       

I've heard and read many many comments from people that feel the same way as I. Do our comments matter at all?

Better get a new tag line now because it's definitely not "About the Music" anymore.

The Coachella Music Festival announced last week, to many peoples surprise and disappointment, that single day passes would not be sold for the April 2010 weekend long event. Only 3-day passes will be sold for $269 per person. A pretty funky situation for many during this time of recession. The single day passes, which were about $100 per person, were already expensive. The problems this year are.....

......... On top of the higher cost of passes, you still have the cost of food, transportation, and accommodations to consider. 

.........Not everyone wants to or can get away for all three days.

.........Even with the layaway plan, you must pay half up front which exceeds the cost of the one day pass.

.........Even if you sign up to be a volunteer, they charge you an application fee, ask you to buy a 3-day pass, and a camping permit, and then..... sometime after the event (probably months later) you get reimbursed for the 3-day pass and camping permit.

Some naive Coachella fans have made some ridiulous comments like..."You're not a real fan if you don't go no matter what the cost" and "The cost is justified if you divide up how much you would pay to see each band individually." Please..... How many people can afford to see every individual band they like when they come to town?  

What Coachella has done this year is a brilliant strategy to make more money, but it's also a blatant and sleazy scheme to take advantage of fans. What I have found even more unfortunate is that some fans have been brainwashed into thinking the high cost is justified. Most likely those people have never experienced financial hardship and they can't see the big picture. 

This year, I have decided to skip Coachella. Mainly due to the expense, but also out of principle. The only way Coachella producers will acknowledge how they have wronged their patrons is by loosing money in their ticket sales. I suspect that if enough people simply hold off on buying  3-day passes until March, Coachella producers will panic and revert back to selling single day tickets.

The official news about Dancer Magazine transitioning from a monthly print medium to a strictly online outlet is starting to spread. For writers like yours truly and editors that have fully dedicated themselves to contributing valuable dance news content to a national audience, it's a maudlin time. 

Everyone knows that all print media has been suffering for a long time and it's only a matter of time before most print publications exclusively rely on the web to report their news. Regardless, that doesn't make the reality any easier for those directly affected. As publishing company goals change, products change, and as a result some loose their jobs. Sadly, some have been let go and freelance writers like myself are on hiatus while the dust settles.  

As a writer for Dancer Magazine for the last three years, I have been blessed to have worked with such a talented group of professionals and to have been given so many wonderful opportunities to write on subjects that I find fascinating. 

Now -- after 20 years in print, Dancer Magazine will embark on a journey into cyber space on route to its new domain -- Dance.com (formerly DancerUniverse.com). To those loyal readers of Dancer over the last 20 years, it's been a pleasure serving you -- the dance community.

Spending four days and three nights in Vegas earlier this month was just the right amount of excitement to jump start the new year. Visiting for the sake of writing an article on Late Night Dining in Vegas was one of the primary points of the trip. The other -- to forget getting older. Four decades will do that to a person.   

The overall restaurant experience was positive. Found some great spots worth returning to and some worthy of trying on the next trip. Details will be outlined in my upcoming article on LasVegasRestaurants.com.

Taking advantage of the great hotel rates this time of year was also a major incentive. With rates from $49 a night at some 3.5 - 4 star hotels and offers to Stay 2 Nights and Get the 3rd Night Free, it was hard to resist. My experience at the Monte Carlo was pleasant and worthwhile given the outstanding rate, good location (in proximity with the NY,NY, MGM, Luxor and Mandalay Bay), the fantastic view of the strip from the 23rd floor, and the comfortable bed. The pool was closed unfortunately, but I had plenty of other distractions to keep me busy. 

Visiting all the popular hotels after several years was a renewing experience. It's impressive that even with all the new theme hotels going up, Caesars and MGM remain the most popular. I took in a little nostalgia by visiting the Tropicana for the first time and was glad I went. These days, one never knows if the last remaining Vegas originals will be there during your next visit. Yes the casino felt somewhat dated, but the vibe was good and it felt more like the old Vegas.      

Tasteful and extravagent Vegas for today's standards are hands down the Bellagio, Palazzo, Wynn, and Encore. Guests can experience these luxurious hotels for a mere $130+ these days. These rates won't last come March. 

I made it to a different Cirque du Soleil production this trip. Couldn't pass up on the Buy 1, Get 1 offer to see "Ka." The amazing venue and elaborate sets met expectations, but the production itself fell short in several areas. Too little acrobatics and far too much mime and pointless theatrics that made no sense made this show flat out dull for the most part. There were a few impressive highlights, but not enough to justify a $100 ticket. My advise is to pass on this one.    

If you live in San Diego and haven't heard what Luscious Noise is all about, here's the gist: John Stubbs, violinist with the San Diego Symphony and music director/conductor for California Ballet, created a live classical music production to introduce younger audiences to the music form by having the event in a cool relaxed setting and by making ticket prices more affordable. To stimulate interest further, Stubbs added multi-media elements which includes film excerpts and occasional live dance performances.    

Not only is the show unique, the venue is ideal. Anthology is gorgeous inside and out, every seat in the house is great, and they have fantastic food. Tonight's show is at 7:30. Don't miss it. You'll be glad you went. For ticket, call 619.595.0300 or visit, AnthologySD.com. 

POINTE MAGAZINE just announced the following opportunities: 

San Francisco Ballet is seeking one tall male soloist/principal. Send resume, photos, and DVD or video to: San Francisco Ballet, Ricardo Bustamente, Ballet Master, 455 Franklin Street, San Francisco, CA 94102. or apply via email: rbustamante@sfballet.org. sfballet.org

Staatsballett Berlin is looking for male and female dancers with strong classical technique. Auditions will be held on January 17, 2010 at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin, Germany. To learn more, email info@staatsballett-berlin.de and visit www.staatsballett-berlin.de

In today's music news, the 2010 Coachella Music & Arts Festival dates were announced. The three-day long annual event in Indio, CA is set for April 16 - 18 and will feature over 150 bands. The line-up is yet to be announced, but inside sources say bands such as Muse, Devo, and the Rolling Stone's are among the rumored artists' to perform. For more on Coachella, visit: http://www.coachella.com/  

For some, such as myself, "The Nutcracker" is an annual tradition. No matter how many times you've seen it, it's always special in some way. "The Nutcracker" has two unique qualities -- it has mass appeal and it creates a special holiday feeling that lasts beyond the end of Act II. 

My recommendation is... see "The Nutcracker" this year. During these troubled economic times, the ballet is the perfect escape from the monotonous. Plus, you'll help support some hard working artists in the community. And that will make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Also... spend wisely. Find a "Nutcracker" that fits your budget and do your research on the presenter before you buy your tickets so you know exactly what you're paying for. There's a lot of misleading Advertising and Publicity out there!

San Diego Ballet

All professional dancers.

Live Music: Yes. Professional Orchestra. East County performances only.

Cost: Moderate

City Ballet

Professional and pre-professional dancers.

Live Music: Yes. Youth orchestra.

Cost: Moderate

California Ballet

Professional and pre-professional dancers.

Live music: Yes. Professional orchestra. Civic Theatre performances only.  

Cost: Expensive

Moscow Ballet

All professional dancers. 

Live music:No.

Cost: Expensive

San Diego Academy of Ballet

Youth dancers with some professional guest artists. 

Live music: No. 

Cost: Moderate

West Coast Ballet Theatre

Youth dancers with some professional guest artists. 

Live music: Yes. Youth orchestra.

Cost: Moderate

Scripps Performing Arts Academy

All student cast.  

Live music: No

Cost: Moderate

San Diego Civic Youth Ballet

All student cast. 

Live music: No

Cost: Inexpensive

Bravo John Stubbs! "Luscious Noise" on Sunday, November 22 was outstanding! Fantastic turnout, enthusiastic crowd, steller performances, loads of ambiance, and great food. What more could you ask for for an Inaugural event? The staff at Anthology are also very enthusiastic about carrying these events forward.

Januray 17, 2010 is a set date for the next "Luscious Noise" performance at Anthology so promotion efforts are now full speed ahead. Those who missed the 11/22/09 show yesterday should mark their calendars now for the 1/17/2010 performance. The same production concept will remain, "An evening of live classical music, film, and dance," but a whole new program will be presented. Stay up to speed on the latest about the next "Luscious Noise" at Anthology supper club in Little Italy via the minacommunications.com "Events" page.      

Anthology, 1337 India Street, San Diego. (619) 595-0300. AnthologySD.com

August Movie Mania at Liberty Station in Point Loma returns starting tomorrow -- Saturday 8/1/09. The public is invited to attend a FREE outdoor presentation of the musical "Grease" with John Travolta and Olivia Newton John at the NTC Landing-Sail Ho Golf Course. The movie starts between 8 and 8:30pm.

Stop by to say hello -- I'll be there at the San Diego Ballet table starting at 5:30pm. Looking forward!

Sadly, within the last week it has been announced that Adam "MCA" Yauch of the Beastie Boys, has been diagnosed with treatable throat cancer.

This news has been a devastating blow to fans across the world who have made plans to see the band perform at events such as All Points West in Jersey City on July 31, Lollapalooza in Chicago on August 8, and the Outside Lands Festival in San Francisco on August 30.

The band has responded to fans admirably by expressing their sincere apologies for canceling these shows. To view a direct message from Yauch, click here.