Arts & Culture Newsletter: Trevor Noah settles in at the Civic Theatre

Good morning, and welcome to the U-T Arts & Culture Newsletter.

I’m David L. Coddon, and here’s your guide to all things essential in San Diego’s arts and culture this week.

When Trevor Noah bids the San Diego audience farewell on Sunday, he will have accomplished something pretty special: filling the Civic Theatre downtown four days’ straight.

No surprise, though. His fans are everywhere — from his years hosting “The Daily Show” on Comedy Central; from his comedy specials; from his tenure hosting the Grammy Awards telecast; from his book “Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood,” and from his podcasts, the latest being “What Now?”

Noah’s one of those rare talents who’s prolific, funny and thoughtful at the same time. He’s also a better interviewer than he sometimes gets credit for.

What he gets a lot of credit for, and rightfully so, is his commitment to the people of his native South Africa. This was sincerely conveyed in 2019’s “Born a Crime,” which was also released later in an adaptation for kids.

Noah’s lending fellow South African comedians a hand as well on his Amazon Prime series “Last One Laughing: South Africa.”

I told you this guy was busy.

I am not, contrary to what you now may believe, Trevor Noah’s press agent. He doesn’t need my help. The Civic Theatre engagement is proof enough.

Standup comedy

One of the sneaky-good rom-coms last year was “You People,” which paired Jonah Hill and Lauren London as an interracial couple and featured a cast that included Julia Louis-Dreyfus, David Duchovny and Eddie Murphy in one of his best roles in years. It’s viewable on Netflix, by the way.

In a small but very memorable turn as the Hill’s onscreen podcast partner Mo, comedian Sam Jay snapped out some of the best lines in the picture. Here we are a year later and Jay, a former writer for “Saturday Night Live,” is on a standup tour that comes to Mic Drop Comedy on Clairemont Mesa Boulevard today through Saturday.

For a preview of what you can expect here’s the trailer from her comedy special “Salute Me or Shoot Me” that dropped on HBO last fall: youtube.com/watch?v=_tPL7PjTVDs.

Rock music

Punks of a certain vintage should be out in force Friday night for a show at North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre in Chula Vista: the Fullerton-spawned Social Distortion, which debuted in 1978, and L.A.’s Bad Religion, which formed two years later.

Social D. is a longtime personal favorite, a band I’ve seen many times: at Street Scene, at SOMA, at House of Blues, and at the bygone 4^th & B clubs to name a few. I’ve also interviewed frontman Mike Ness a couple of times, with great success — he’ll tell you what’s on his mind in a heartbeat and that includes his thoughts on what’s punk and what isn’t.

What is punk are these two veteran bands who’ve never compromised in the more than 40 years they’ve been making music.

Poetry celebration

I was fortunate enough to have taken a poetry seminar from Steve Kowit years ago at a writers conference at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur presented by The Sun literary magazine. In one class he not only made me a better poet but demonstrated the enthusiasm and passion one can have for the art form.

Kowit, who also taught at SDSU and Southwestern College, sadly passed away in 2015, but San Diego Poetry Annual and the San Diego Public Library have been honoring his legacy ever since with an annual Steve Kowit Poetry Award. This year’s will be bestowed on Tuesday night at the downtown Central Library.

Besides the honored poets, the event will feature San Diego Poet Laureate Jason Magabo Perez (pictured).

World music

The La Jolla Community Center continues its series of monthly concerts Friday with a live performance of South Indian classical music, known as Carnatic music. Onstage at 7:30 p.m. will be the Rose Muralikrishnan and the Muralikrishnan Carnatic Quartet.

This and the other shows in the series are presented by the San Diego-based Center for World Music. In our increasingly fractured world, it’s never been more important that we learn how to better appreciate our cultural distinctions, and those can be beautifully exemplified in music. It’s the universal language, remember.

U-T arts stories you may have missed this week

UCTV

University of California Television invites you to enjoy this special selection of programs from throughout the University of California. Descriptions courtesy of and text written by UCTV staff:

“Careers in the Brewing Industry”

Are you fascinated by the art and science of brewing? Have you ever considered turning your passion for beer into a rewarding career? Join Kelly Nielsen as he explores the thriving brewing industry, emphasizing the surge in craft breweries and the diverse opportunities they present. Learn how the demand for skilled brewers and brewery workers has opened doors for career explorers. From production roles to specialized brewing positions, discover the pathways available for both seasoned homebrewers and newcomers alike. Essential skills, such as technical brewing knowledge and business acumen, are highlighted as key to success. Whether aiming to craft unique beers or manage operations, this guide is your starting point towards a fulfilling career in the dynamic world of brewing.

“Discussion of the Film ‘Feels Good Man’”

Director Arthur Jones and producer Giorgio Angelini join moderator Chelsea Kai Roesch from UC Santa Barbara to discuss their film “Feels Good Man.” They share insights into their collaboration with artist Matt Furie and dissect the complex journey of Pepe the Frog — from a beloved comic character to an emblem hijacked by the alt-right. In their talk, they also dive into the unique challenges of telling a story so rooted in internet culture, and how they brought that to the big screen. They touch on the wider effects of how we interact online and the growing divide in American politics, giving viewers a down-to-earth look at the themes of the film and today’s digital world.

“Cognitive Aging in the Oldest Old”

Dr. Claudia H. Kawas discusses the complex world of Alzheimer’s disease and similar conditions in older adults, highlighting the hurdles in pinpointing accurate diagnoses due to the similarity of symptoms with other brain disorders. She talks about “resistance” and “resilience,” explaining how some people manage to keep their minds sharp even when their brains show significant changes. Kawas also shares an optimistic note, suggesting that the risk of dementia might be going down thanks to better care for heart and blood vessel health. However, she emphasizes that understanding cognitive decline is complicated and that we must keep pushing for more research to fully understand these conditions.

And finally, top weekend events

The best things to do this weekend in San Diego: April 12-14

Coddon is a freelance writer.