Biggs. Hurley. Delgato. Decade. Vega, Satler, Diaz. These and more are the names on the scene. Electric Feel. Colour Vision. Night Vision, Bombs over North Park, Footdown. These are some of the parties now in effect. Electro Dance Party has apparently become the name of the game in the San Diego music scene and DJs are invading every the nightlife. Once the side acts, the fillers, the off day performers theyve now become the main attraction in most San Diego bars and clubs. And although most of them are pretty cool cats in person the entire concept as a whole has become really bloody annoying. Since the fall of Scolari's Office, the move in of True North and the dwindling live performances of U-31 this scene has been growing in our once hip neighborhoods which bellowed with the sound of rock and punk music during the night. But what came first? The DJs or the Scene?
Ive pondered about the takeover for a while now and still cant figure it out. Perhaps it can be traced to the overall bar scene change in the area, something we should probably examine a little more closely. Lets start with the heart of it all, North Park. Within a period of two years or so five different bars have fell and been reincarnated. The Wolf, now known as The Bluefoot. Buster Dalys, now U-31. Dinos changed into Bar Pink Elephant, and then just into what is now Bar Pink. Shooters, now turned into True North, aka lil PB, and finally the fall of a true legend in San Diego, Scolaris Office, now known simply as The Office. Each bar brings a unique characteristic to North Park, but it seems, with the expectation of one or two, all found themselves costumed tailored to fit DJs at the main attraction.
Bluefoot Bar
The Bluefoot has its own curse; being where it is located the city cannot permit it to have loud live music and shuts its doors early on the weekdays at 12am and is only open till 2am on Fridays and Saturdays. Not that the venue is built for live acts, the bar is a nice place to be in the day, a happy hour bar if anything. And if you actually want to relax a bit and have a conversation during the night then youll most likely end up there as well.
U-31
U-31 (once Dinos) had an early hay-day when it first opened and was managed by Erica Jessup, who by herself is a rock star in the local bar and club. Every club she manages generally turns to gold and then looses its shimmer once she leaves. Bars such as The Beauty Bar, which was a juggernaut of attracting larger band acts in an area of town where no one thought possible to sustain a bar of its measure. Then after moving to U-31 for a stint and bringing her talents along the bar made it in the scene as a decent live music venue. Sadly though after her departure its now primarily become a DJ bar, with a rare live act reserved for the weekdays less the weekend and an out of place Lady Dottie and the Diamonds every Monday night.
Bar Pink (Elephant)
Bar Pink. Once Bar Pink Elephant, but due to a rumored pending lawsuit by another establishment named the same, were forced to change their name. The last stand for North Park Id have to say. Nothing surprising coming from its owners John Reis and wife, Bar Pink is the only venue in the area that consistently promotes and puts on live music events and maintains a clout and reputation for being one of the best place in town to see a live show despite its smaller size compared to its competition.
True North Tavern
Shooters. The once hip little pool house has now turned into the bane of North Parks existence. Owned by the notorious Verant Group, owners of such beach gems as The Tavern at the Beach, Sandbar Sports Grill, and offshore Tavern and Grill, have thought it wise to open up a similar establishment in the heart of North Park. True North Tavern has attracted the rowdiest of the rowdiest to our small, quaint corner of San Diego and has grown progressively worse since its conception. Between Bar Pink and True North there is a line in the sand, drawn by local kids and PB like invaders that generally erupts into some form of scrap in between to two venues. More of a culture clash there never was between the plaid and jean clad tattoo covered indie kids of Bar Pink and the rest of North Park vice the two sizes too small preppy shirt and ball cap wearing Bras from the beach venture into each others territories, prompting a new ever present police force parked across the street near nights end on a Friday and Saturday night. Now admittedly True North, for what the bar truly is, isnt a bad place. If you are looking for a sports bar and place to hang out during the day the off nights you might actually enjoy yourself. Just try to avoid on the weekend nights when the line, for whatever reason, is stretched around the corner.
The Office
The Office, once the crusty, dank and dirty crown jewel of North Park; Scolaris Office (actually originally names The Office) has been transformed into one of the swankest joints off 30th Street.The pillowed leather executive barstools, dark wood, clean lighting and primo bar is the exact opposite of its predecessor. When Ted Lithopoulos (owner of Bar Dynamite) and Joe Balestrieri (formally of The Beauty Bar) took over Scolaris they came at it with a totally new vision of swank Mad Men quality finishes, good drinks, good times, a touch of classy downtown without having to go there. Admittedly when doors opened a good portion of the long time local community didnt want to like the bar. But it sure has grown on people. Featuring primarily DJs the bar has made a conceded effort to sport live music when the occasion calls, although the small size and now classy feel somewhat tone down the, what would have been mayhem of the past, when the walls werent painted and shiny. But overall The Office Bar has become one of the more successful transactions in the area.
So what has this gigantic transition done again to our fine part of town? Has it effectively killed live music in North Park? Will DJs such as Vega, the Coreys, Shark Attack, Turbo Teen and so forth rule the scene for years to come? Its hard to say, due to the fact that the local San Diego music scene may have lost a tad bit of steam over the years, but as chatting with an old friend at Bar Pink made me realize that our scene goes in stages at some points. We all started playing and coming on to the scene at the same time, he said, now a couple years later we need to step back and evolve, write new material cause we cant just keep playing the same thing. Bars however do need to make a dollar, and sometimes at any expense. Some say theres no room for another bar around University and 30th, I feel there is. There is room for a new live act venue, when itll open, who will own it and when it will come only time will tell but I feel we need to make an effort to bring the music back to North Park. The live acts, the energy created is like nothing else. But for now well have to last as is. And with the new mixture of the downtown scene and the kids on the hill going to places like El Dorado and Voyeur who knows how things will progress down the line. At least there is refuges around the area though, places like the Soda Bar, Radio Room and Ruby Room have all made transitions but kept on marching with live acts. I guess time will only tell when the bands of San Diego come out of their studios with new material to rock the scene once again.
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