1 Bigger than Jesus
The name alone secured this events spot at the top of this page: A Hard Days Nightstand.
Opening from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 28, and continuing from noon to 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 29, at Kensington Gallery (formerly Edgeware Gallery, 4186 Adams Ave. in Kensington), the shows an exhibition of Beatles art and artifacts, plus avant-garde furniture by grad students in SDSUs highly regarded furniture-design program.
Stephen Edelson helped organize the show and happens to be a huge Beatles fan. Items hes selected range from the quirky—a small snippet of John Lennons hair—to the historic, like a brick from Liverpools Cavern Club, where The Beatles first performed, and concert footage from a Tokyo show (filmed in color, Edelson says, really nice color).
Edelson has acquired some items from collectors whove built a reputation for being the real deal, and some hes acquired on his own, like a copy of Yesterday and Today with the original butcher cover—a photo of the band with slabs of meat and doll parts that look like theyd been sliced up. Capitol Records initially ordered its manufacturing plant to destroy the covers but then decided to simply paste the new cover over the old, creating a rare collectors item. Edelson was flipping through used records at a local shop and came across a so called paste-over cover. (The records worth hundreds of dollars; he got it for $15.)
The first 50 people who show up to the opening will get a candle featuring a Beatle on it, designed specifically for this show.
And what if someones not a Beatles super-fan?
Its quite possible that once they attend this show, they may become a Beatles fan, because I think theyll see the whole scope of what the Beatles are about, Edelson says. Were really trying to capture the spirit, and the soul, of The Beatles. And theres also very nice furniture.
2 Um, WOW!
Jean Isaacs San Diego Dance Theater (SDDT) has been creating exciting and innovative works since 1972. Whether its offbeat, site-specific performances at a trolley stop or fluid, modern pieces on a traditional stage, the companys never afraid to challenge the expected. Get a taste of both sides of SDDTs psyche as the company hits the stage at California Center for the Arts (340 N. Escondido Blvd. in Escondido) for WOW First Wednesdays, the Centers ongoing performance series. SDDT will perform selections from the latest round of Trolley Dances, as well as excerpts from its new Cabaret Dances piece, The Water Lilies (Nympheas), a concert inspired by Claude Monets famous impressionist paintings. See the free show at 4 and 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 2. artcenter.org
3 Wonder women
In November, comic-book artist Tony Harris stoked a pop-culture controversy when he posted a rant online denigrating girl geeks, particularly sexy cosplayers. Immediately, the global geek community aimed all its death rays at his nerd-on-nerd misogyny. San Diego fanboys and fangirls can stick it to Harris again by cheering on the ladies of Los Angeles-based Devils Playground Burlesque as they wrestle—yes wrestle—in costume at Comic Book Vixens: Marvel vs. DC. The bouts-and-striptease show will come to The Ruby Room (1271 University Ave. in Hillcrest) at 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 29. Theyre promising titillating matches between Rogue and Powergirl, Joker and Venom, and Catwoman and The Punisher, plus music from Science Fiction Jazz. Tickets are $20.
