By Sean Simpson
©Copyright 2008 SDAM.com/Sean Simpson

Ocean Beach – The night started off on an eerie tone, as power went down on Newport Ave in Ocean Beach. Dazed & drunken revellers poured forth from the numerous watering holes that fill to the rim on Friday nights, unable to see in the darkness that engulfed most of the bars. Dejected, many of them started talking about going home. But not at Winston's, where the crowd only grew during that half hour. Candles adorn all the tables and the bar at Winston's, transforming it from it's usually psychedelic feel to a more intimate and cozy environment. Hipsters chatted nonchalantly over the candlelight and their drinks, eagerly awaiting the return of power and the first set of the Price of Dope. I used the moment to snap off a couple of photos of the band in the alley behind Winston's, a place almost as famous as the club itself.    With a name like the Price of Dope, you might expect a bunch of long-haired hippies playing jam music all night. Not so (in fact I'm the one with the long hair in this photo!) Without question, the Price of Dope is the best acid jazz band in San Diego, though the members would cringe to hear me describe them as such. To be fair, PoD plays anything and everything jazz, as long as it grooves. From Cannonball Adderly to John Scofield, these guys play the classics with precision and feeling. They have many original pieces as well, which fit in so tightly with the classics you would swear Davis, Coltraine and Hancock had been sitting in during the compositions.    The mood in the venue was typical as the band began to play. Conversations slowly waned, as more people got up to dance or just tap their feet on their stools to the undeniably groovy tunes. Many would describe PoD as loungy, and the lounge crowd has a tendency to hide in the back (in a comfy couch, if one is available) and sip martinis all night. Indeed, many tried to partake in that type of evening, and many succeeded...for a little while anyway. As the music intensified, it became harder and harder to ignore the brilliance of the musicianship on stage, and when Ryan Matzinger really cut loose and let his sax wail, it was over for the chair dancers. The band commanded attention, and no one was disappointed for giving it to them.    PoD had a couple of surprises for the Winston's crowd. Kiko Cornejo from the LA-based Quetzal sat in on percussion, and towards the end of the night Andy Geib (Wise Monkey Orchestra, the Damn Dirty Apes, and about a dozen other bands lucky enough to get him to sit in) hopped up on stage with his 'bone to fatten up the brass and provide yet another lead instrument for the stew. All the members of PoD are extremely proficient on their instruments, and can take a lead break on command. At one point, guitarist Andy Holmes threw a solo that was so blisteringly hot even drummer Jeff Kelley was screaming "yeah!" at the end of it!    Sooner than expected, the lights began to flash, the warning sign given by the venue when it's time to drink up and go home. It took a long time to disperse the crowd, who stood around outside the venue fired up from PoD's performance for a good half hour after the show. Alas, all good things must come to an end, but don't worry, there is plenty more PoD where that came from. Be sure to check them out at their upcoming gigs. For more information, log on to PriceOfDope.com