SoundCheck Flix

Episode 14: Sulo King - ”Aliens” (1986)

This week Graham and Tim are joined by Authentic Sellout's Sulo King as they discuss the 1986 science fiction action classic "Aliens"!
Sulo King has been working in the San Diego music industry for over 20 years in many different capacities from security to booking and promoting concerts to owning and operating a recording and rehearsal studio. He has been the lead singer of the punk rock band Authentic Sellout since 2007 and is currently working on a solo project called, Sulo in Solo. Aside from working in the music industry and being a musician, he is also an entrepreneur, having owned several businesses over the years. 
“Aliens” (1986) When an interstellar terraforming company loses contact with their colony on LV-426, a crack squad of Marines and their advisors are sent in on a rescue mission. ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE. Directed by James Cameron. Starring Sigourney Weaver, Micheal Biehn, Bill Paxton & Lance Henriksen. 

Episode 13: Tom Kitsos - ”Slap Shot” (1977)

Tom Kitsos is our resident Canadian here at the Casbah. He’s into Rock n Roll & Hockey. He can usually be found behind the bar after watching his favorite team play earlier in the evening. His mood highly depends on if his team won or lost. Has played bass for Jon Reis (solo), Hot Snakes, & Night Marchers. 7 year Casbah veteran. Known for his tile wizardry on the venue's floor. 
 
“Slap Shot” (1977) Life of a minor league ice hockey team that resorts to violent play to gain popularity as thousands of local citizens are laid off from the local steel mill. Directed by George Roy Hill. Starring Paul Newman, Strother Martin & Micheal Ontkean. 

Episode 11: DJ Vaughn Avakian - ”Flash Gordon” (1980)

On SCF episode 11, SoundCheck Flix Hosts Tim Pyles and Graham Stevens sit down with Vaughn Avakian at the Casbah San Diego to discuss the 1980 sci-fi adventure movie Flash Gordon.  
 
Vaughn Avakian is a San Diego DJ known for club nights such as Club Sabbat, Black Friday, Neon Beat, and more. 
 
Flash Gordon (1980)
A football player and his friends travel to the planet Mongo and find themselves fighting the tyranny of Ming the Merciless to save Earth. The scifi movie is directed by Mike Hodges and stars Sam J. Jones, Melody Anderson and Max von Sydow.

Episode 10: Mike Turi - Repo Man (1984)

Artist and Musician Mike Turi joins SCF Hosts Tim Pyles and Graham Stevens at the Casbah San Diego to discuss the 1984 cult classic Repo Man on SoundCheck Flix episode 10. 
 
Mike Turi is an artist/musician living in San Diego and was born in the fine state of New Jersey. Frontman of the psych-rock outfit, Wild Wild Wets and purveyor of the San Diego Freak Out, an event put on at The Casbah for the past 10 Years. Mike has been submerged in art and music his whole life and what he creates comes out of an inspired force from within where it all converges and produces something for him that is unique yet familiar like an old friend.  The San Diego Freak Out is made possible with help from longtime friend/collaborator, Andrew McGranahan who also DJ's with Mike as the SDFO DJs spinning their brand of "World-Psych-Groove" all over southern California including the Desert Daze festival. He adds, "The San Diego Freak Out is also just a great mantra for our city. Come on San Diego, freak out!!"
 
Repo Man (1984)
The movie follows a young punk recruited by a car repossession agency finds himself in pursuit of a Chevrolet Malibu that is wanted for a $20,000 bounty - and has something otherworldly stashed in its trunk. The 1984 sci-fi comedy stars Harry Dean Stanton, Emilio Estevez and Tracey Walter.

Episode 9: Casbah San Diego Owner Tim Mays - ”The Wizard of Oz” (1939)

This week on SoundCheck Flix episode 9, SCF hosts Tim Pyles and Graham Stevens talk to the owner of the legendary Casbah San Diego, Tim Mays, about one of his all time favorite movies, The Wizard of Oz. 
 
Tim Mays was a punk rock concert promoter in the early 80's, owned Pink Panther 1986-1990, Casbah 1989 - present, Vinyl Junkies 2017-present, Soda Bar 2017-present.  Former owner Turf Supper Club 1998-2008, Riviera Supper Club 2008-2012, Krakatoa 2002-2023, Starlite 2007-2022. Music and film lover - Bachelor of Arts in Telecommunication/Film from SDSU.
The Wizard of Oz is a musical starring Judy Garland as Dorothy, a young Kansas farm girl who finds herself, along with her little dog Toto, in a magical land "somewhere over the rainbow" after a tornado. The musical is based on a book by L. Frank Baum and directed by Victor Fleming.

Episode 8: Austin Mahn (a.k.a Captain Auzmo) - ”The Abyss” (1989)

On SoundCheck Flix episode 8, hosts Tim Pyles and Graham Stevens sit down at the Casbah San Diego with Austin Mahn (a.k.a Captain Auzmo), the singer and frontman for Auz Fontaine. They dive into The Abyss (1989), directed by James Cameron and starring Ed Harris and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio.
Austin Mahn (a.k.a Captain Auzmo) is the singer & frontman for Auz Fontaine. Hailing from the depths of east county San Diego, Auzmo was forced to claw his way into the San Diego music scene. Through years of toil in his craft, he would find out, simply being from East County did not ‘align’ with the dogma of certain bands and venues. Seeing his options limited, he decided to forge his own path in the music scene. With the help of his loyal brethren, The Crackle Boys, they cobbled together any and all gear he could find. From crackling guitar cables, to blown out speakers and defunct audio equipment, they built the foundation for what would become known as…Crackle Pop.
 
Growing up in the pre-streaming world of the 80’s and 90’s, Auzmo was heavily influenced by the movie theater culture. Whether hanging out at the midnight screenings of films, or debating what franchise has the best CGI, Auzmo’s affinity for the iconic movies of this era continue to play a massive role in his art today. With pop culture references throughout his songs, Auzmo blends topics of the mundane with biting, contemporary lyrics to create unique and unforgettable sound. Whether it’s science fiction, fantasy adventure or block-buster action films, Auzmo probably has 2 copies on VHS. You’ll regularly find him at Re-Animated Records in La Mesa seeking to add more hidden treasures to his cache. The crown jewel of this collection of course being a bootleg version of “The Abyss” by James Cameron, Directors Cut; that he personally recorded off a Starz free movie weekend. Please enjoy this love letter to one of the most iconic and ground-breaking films of the 20th century.
 
The Abyss (1989) - A civilian diving team is enlisted to search for a lost nuclear submarine and faces danger while encountering an alien aquatic species.

Episode 7: Ric Scales & DJ Root - ”House Party” (1990)

Episode 7 of SoundCheck Flix features two movers ‘n’ shakers in the San Diego hip-hop scene, Ric Scales and DJ Root. SCF Co-hosts Tim Pyles and Graham Stevens sit down with Root and Scales on stage at the Casbah San Diego to discuss the 1990 movie House Party starring the New York hip-hop duo Kid ‘n Play.
Ric Scales is a hip-hop artist based out of San Diego who has opened for the likes of Mos Def, KRS One, Raekwon & Ghost Face Killah of Wu Tang and more. As one half of the hip-hop group 18scales, founder of monthly showcase Slappin’ Hands, and multiple time champion of the Battlebot freestyle competition, he is most known for his freestyle ability, witty yet thoughtful content, and carefree performance.
DJ Root is currently a member of the No Sucker DJ’s, Good Vibe SD and San Diego Best DJ’s collectives where you can regularly catch him spinning at concerts, dance parties, weddings and working as one of San Diego hip-hop’s most dedicated and tireless advocates.
House Party is the quintessential 1990s American teen movie starring the hip-hop twosome Kid ‘n Play. When Play’s parents go out of town, he does what teenagers do in the movies, he plans a house party of all house parties.

Episode 6: Hillary Laughery - ”Labyrinth” (1986)

On SoundCheck Flix episode 6, Hillary Laughery (Lead Pony) joins SCF hosts Tim Pyles and Graham Stevens at the Casbah San Diego to chat about Jim Henson’s 1986 film Labyrinth starring David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly. 
Hillary Laughery is a vocalist and keyboardist who started playing music with friends in the early days after graduating high school when life was tough sometimes and music with friends made it better. 13 years later she’s still playing music with some of those friends in the San Diego Rock and Roll band Lead Pony. This year they released their full-length record “Vultures” and plan to tour extensively to promote it.
Labyrinth is a cult fantasy movie directed by Jim Henson. Sixteen-year-old Sarah played by Jennifer Connelly must solve a labyrinth to rescue her baby brother from the Goblin King played by David Bowie. Labyrinth is full of fantastical moments with music and the magic of puppetry.

Episode 5: Ben Johnson - ”Suburbia” (1984)

On episode 5 of Casbah Presents: SoundCheck Flix, San Diego Director, Author and Musician Ben Johnson joins SCF co-hosts Tim Pyles and Graham Stevens at the World Famous Casbah San Diego to talk about the punk rock coming-of-age flim Suburbia (1983), written and directed by Penelope Spheeris.
Ben Johnson is the creator of Fanboy, a feature length rock and roll thriller movie released in January of 2021. He is also the author of the Webworld Trilogy of books and has played in numerous bands throughout the years including Tourettes Lautrec, the Long and Short of It, and Hostile Combover, and is currently in Owl Be Damned.
Suburbia is a coming-of-age film written and directed by Penelope Spheeris. Bill Coyne stars as Evan Johnson, an angst-ridden kid living in L.A., who bands together with a group of other young societal rejects and immerses himself in the mid-'80s punk rock scene.

Bonus Episode 1: Alia Jyawook & Ash Easton - ”Barbie” (2023)

We have a special SoundCheck Flix Barbie episode dedicated to the summer hit directed by Greta Gerwig, during which SCF co-hosts Tim Pyles and Graham Stevens talk with the 2023 San Diego Music Award Winning Best New Artist Ash Easton and Scary Pierre’s Alia Jyawook about the summer blockbuster at the Casbah San Diego. 
Alia Jyawook is a local music teacher and multi-instrumentalist. She received her Doctorate in music education from Boston University. Alia has performed with numerous San Diego bands, and currently plays guitar in Scary Pierre. 
Ash Easton is not your average San Diego, CA artist. She came to disrupt the music scene and is doing just that as the 2023 San Diego Music Award Winning Best New Artist. Her album, “Rough & Tough,” is out now available on all streaming platforms, and is available for purchase on vinyl.
Barbie (2023) is co-written by Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach but is the only billion-dollar blockbuster solely directed by a woman. The movie stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, as Barbie suffers a crisis that leads her to question her world and her existence.