The password I use for my fantasy sports accounts is an acronym made up of the first letters of the names of the girls that broke my heart before my eighteenth birthday. Yes, I need help. Luckily, I grew up in a time and place where I was given access to the music of John Reis.
There is consensus within San Diego's indie rock scene that Rocket From The Crypt front man and Swami Records founder, John Reis is probably the coolest person on the planet.
When you hear the intro to the first Rocket song you have ever heard, you might think two things (A) I'm going to have a nightmare about the person that came up with this, and (B) This person would never care about the seven girls who broke his heart in high school. He would probably spend most of his adult life writing, recording, and performing music that would sonically drain all of their hearts, then start the most relevant record label in Southern California - and then open his own bar.
Opened in the spring, Bar Pink Elephant in North Park is The Swami's first San Diego nightlife creation. John Reis is not the only owner of the bar, but the local perception is that he built the bar with his bare hands. That is the one underlining element to the bar that is undeniably present. Besides the reasonably priced drinks and consistently interesting music lineup, you always get the feeling that everyone is there because John Reis has blessed it.
And this is perfectly okay.
When you are tipsy and trying to project a certain level provocative coolness, The elephant/bubble themed artwork on the walls allows you to have something stimulating to rest your eyes on. And no matter how crowded the place gets, it never feels like you are shoulder to shoulder with other bar-goers. Regardless if the messiah of everything hip in San Diego created and built it, or just signed a check; it feels comfortable to feel cool when you go there - just like when listening to every record that John Reis has ever made.
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