Entertainment/Arts

Blogs, Books, Dean Weissmann presents, Featured February 16, 2023

Surveillance Pelicana Chapter 29: ‘Pie in the Sky at Peace Camp’

SURVEILLANCE PELICANA BY DAN WEISMAN The entire book appears at this link with chapters added after appearing online: Chapters 1-10: https://www.escondidograpevine.com/surveillance-pelicana-full-book-chapters-added-as-they-appear-online/.) Chapters 11-20: https://www.escondidograpevine.com/surveillance-pelicana-part-ii-chapters-11-to-20-chapters-added-as-they-appear-online/) Chapters 21-30: https://www.escondidograpevine.com/surveillance-pelicana-part-iii-chapters-21-to-30-chapters-added-as-they-appear-online/ CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE The convention hits full stride as Tyger embarks on guerilla protest. He spends a lot of time with convention protesters and reveals all the counter-culture events pertaining to the gathering. Much time is spent at the…

Arts, Entertainment, Entertainment/Arts, Escondido, Music, The World, Theater February 4, 2023

Dancing for the apocalypse (another Doug Porter joint)

A widely advertised dance performance this week (Feb. 8-14) at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido — tickets are $90 to $200 — and San Diego Civic Center (April 21-23) is actually part of an international right wing propaganda effort. Images of a beautiful dancer in a midair leap grace the web and billboard ads for local performances of Shen Yun, one of eight touring…

Business, Entertainment/Arts, Escondido January 23, 2023

Escondido Stadium 16, Imax closing, Regal Cinemas says

Bad news, Escondido lovers of the cinema. Regal Cinemas has included the Escondido Stadium 16 and Imax at 350 W. Valley Parkway in its list of 39 US theaters to close due to the corporation’s bankruptcy filing. Parkway Plaza Stadium 18 and Imax at El Cajon also was scheduled for closing. Regal Cinemas, the second-largest chain of movie theaters in the U.S., will close 39…

Books, Education, History, San Marcos January 15, 2023

CSUSM: Little-known FDR ‘Black Cabinet’

As a Cal State San Marcos professor of history, of course, Jill Watts is also a student of history. Watts knew that many U.S. history textbooks, in the all-important pages about the hugely consequential Franklin Delano Roosevelt presidency, make passing references to what the black press of the day coined the “Black Cabinet,” an unofficial group of African-American advisers to FDR as he navigated the politics of the Great Depression and the New…

Blogs, Columns/Blogs, Del Mar/Solana Beach/Encinitas/Carlsbad, Entertainment/Arts, Media, Opinion, Rancho Santa Fe January 6, 2023

‘Married at First Sight?’ If you must, reality TV show shoots at the Inn at Rancho Santa Fe this week.

Lights, camera, weirdness. “Married at First Sight,” the Lifetime Channel reality TV show matching total strangers in unholy matrimony upon first meeting, shoots its brand of unreal magic through Feb. 5 at the ultra-exclusive Inn at Rancho Santa Fe. Check it out. If they’ll let you. They threw me off the set for having the audacity to walk up the Inn’s primrose path, lingering for…

Entertainment, Entertainment/Arts, Music January 4, 2023

An interview with Escondido

Ever wondered about the western indie duo Escondido, otherwise known as the team of Jessica Maros and Tyler James? They’re based at Nashville, but adopted Escondido as a name, and claim Mayor Sam Abed keeps emailing them. Will they ever play at their namesake town, who knows? But for now, listen to them speak courtesy of University of Toronto student Michaela Fuchs who interviewed them when they…

Arts, Entertainment/Arts, Surprising and Strange December 30, 2022

Dat Punk Timbo interview plan (comics)

(Editor’s note: Mild-mannered student and Escondido t-shirt designer by day, Ricky Fang flies through the cartooned sky at night. He draws girls, cartoon characters and comics. Other than art, he enjoys playing video games, listening to music, taking walks around the block and hanging around with friends. For more of the inimitable Mr. Fang’s DPT and such, check out his work at http://hooksnfangs.com/.) It’s about…

Blogs, Books, Dean Weissmann presents, Featured December 25, 2022

Surveillance Pelicana Chapter 1: ‘Good Morning, New Orleans’

SURVEILLANCE PELICANA BY DAN WEISMAN The entire book appears at this link with chapters added after appearing online: Chapters 1-10: https://www.escondidograpevine.com/surveillance-pelicana-full-book-chapters-added-as-they-appear-online/. Chapters 11-20: https://www.escondidograpevine.com/surveillance-pelicana-part-ii-chapters-11-to-20-chapters-added-as-they-appear-online/ Chapters 21-30: https://www.escondidograpevine.com/surveillance-pelicana-part-iii-chapters-21-to-30-chapters-added-as-they-appear-online/ CHAPTER ONE On Christmas Day 1987, Tyger Williams, video artist, discovers a classified ad for an insurance investigator which he answers. On New Year’s Day, he burns the “box of troubles” at the abandoned 1984 World’s Fair site…

Blogs, Columns/Blogs, Dean Weissmann presents, Entertainment, Entertainment/Arts December 24, 2022

Ebenezer Scrooge just needs better PR

Ebenezer Scrooge could have used a better PR agent; the poor, dear misunderstood gentleman. Scrooge’s problem was bad publicity, the cynical media. However, I admire the poor sap, and not just because he is so darn cute. You’ve heard all the stories. Scrooge was the guy who (allegedly) messed with good old Bob Cratchit’s Christmas. And don’t even start on Tiny Tim. Bah, humbug. People…

Community, Entertainment, Entertainment/Arts, Escondido, Music December 24, 2022

Ukulele Ray Christmas Ranch Sing-A-Long

Escondido’s Ukulele Ray was a man of many faces, many names and many talents, always entertaining and many time surprising. Scroll down the right sidebar and you’ll see one of his “Only in Esco” cartoons he drew for The Escondido Grapevine. Ray also drew the winter cartoon atop this story, which he captioned: “Harry didn’t always dress like ‘The Grimace!’ We moved to Escondido, so…