Releasing a movie for just a few days in theaters is so Neil Young. The stubborn iconoclast once put out a sequel (“Chrome Dreams II” in 2007) to a record (“Chrome Dreams,” a bootleg) that had never been released. He once put out a 25-minute-“long” album (“Everybody’s Rockin’” in 1983) just to middle-finger his boss at Geffen Records.
Young’s new documentary film “Coastal,” directed by his wife Darryl Hannah, will have a very limited release in theaters worldwide next week. In San Diego County, it will play Thursday night only at AMC Mission Valley, AMC Fashion Valley and Reading Cinemas Grossmont. Then there are two follow-up afternoon screenings at the Regal Mira Mesa on April 19 and 20. Showtimes can be found at coastalthemovie.com.
The movie chronicles Young’s return to performing after a COVID-era hiatus when he did a number of select West Coast dates, including in July of 2023 at the Rady Shell at Jacobs Park in San Diego.
The solo acoustic “Coastal” tour itself was Young doing the unpredictable. Other than a “Heart of Gold” here and an “Ohio” there his set featured numbers only diehard fans would recognize – tunes like “Homefires” and “If You’ve Got Love,” never released until on his later “Archives” collections; songs from the radio-unfriendly “Sleeps with Angels” and the collaboration with Pearl Jam, “Mirror Ball.” A couple of Buffalo Springfield chestnuts not named “Mr. Soul.”
I sitting among a horde of restless and quiet fans at the Shell who had to be wondering what they’d paid for. Where was “Cinnamon Girl”?
Me, I dug every minute, but then I wasn’t surprised at all by Young’s choice of material. Like I said, the guy never does the expected. So I don’t know what to expect of “Coastal” the movie. I know this: I’ve only got one night to find out.
Music festival
The time to sit in traffic, step over people and slather on sun block is upon us. The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival returns on Friday in Indio for the first of two star-studded weekends. Hello, Lady Gaga. Once again, if you’re not inclined to sit in traffic, step over people and slather on sun block, you can livestream the festival this year on YouTube at https://www.coachella.com/youtube-livestream.
A so-called multi-view system will allow you to watch up to four stages simultaneously both this weekend and next.
That won’t tempt those who prefer to make the trip to Coachella for the in-person, visceral experience. But it’s nice to have the option of watching from home, car in garage.
Dance/acrobatics
The innovative San Diego company Lighthouse Circus Theatre is bringing an acrobatic production to the City Heights Performance Annex this weekend. “Between” tells a story about mental health and the human condition.
Those who’ve frequented the San Diego International Fringe Festival, which returns next month by the way, may the Lighthouse Circus productions “Incandescent” from 2017 and “Embers” in 2016. The immersive “Between,” directed by Lexii Regina, features two pieces, one of them new and another based on the previous “Incandescent.”
Performances are 7:30 p.m. Friday; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday; and 1 p.m. Sunday. Tickets at lighthousecircus.com.
Streaming
In February, the New Yorker magazine marked 100 years of publishing. That’s more than 5,000 issues. Like all print products striving to survive, however, the New Yorker has been compelled to embrace multimedia. One of its most engaging digital offerings is the online-accessible “New Yorker Radio Hour” co-produced by WYNC Studios.
New Yorker Editor David Remnick hosts episodes, which are usually less than a half-hour in length and are concerned with politics, business, history and even entertainment. Recent interviews you can listen to include those with the novelist and art critic Katie Kitamura, CNN anchor Kaitlin Collins and surgeon/writer Atul Gawande.
Point of interest: I recently watched an interview with editor Remnick in which he shared that the New Yorker magazine now has more subscribers in California than it does in New York. I used to be one of them, but those unread issues kept stacking up. Listen at newyorker.com/podcast/the-new-yorker-radio-hour.
Jazz
When it comes to sax appeal, few possess more of it than the estimable Joe Lovano. The tenor saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist is a product of the Berklee School of Music and the Woody Herman orchestra and is, not surprisingly, a Grammy winner.
On Friday night, the 72-year-old Lovano brings his Paramount Quartet to the Baker-Baum Concert Hall in a La Jolla Music Society performance. https://theconrad.org/events/paramount-quartet/ That foursome features Julian Lage on guitar, Asante Santi Debriano on bass and Will Calhoun on the drums.
Tickets are $59 and up.
U-T arts and dining stories you may have missed this week
- Old Globe’s new ‘Regency Girls’ musical will be a Jane Austen-style road trip comedy
- Tony-nominated San Diego costume designer calls ‘Regency Girls’ assignment a full-circle moment
- Top local chef Andrew Bachelier and skate legend Tony Hawk partner on new North County restaurant
- Queen of boogie woogie Sue Palmer celebrates 25 years with her Motel Swing Orchestra
- Restaurant industry steps up for pastry chef Gianna Buzzetta, who died in hiking accident
- The Dish: Two new restaurant openings, one closure, Drew Deckman on TV and more
- Review: Roustabouts’ fiery, funny ‘True West’ a timely tale of the toxic male
- Review: OnWord Theatre makes impressive debut with well-crafted ‘Hillary and Clinton’
- Review: OnStage Playhouse’s ‘Knock Loudly’ is stylish but unfocused
- Review: Oceanside Theatre’s ‘Once on This Island’ a vibrant musical folk tale
- Loud Fridge Theatre Group returns with ‘Gruesome Playground Injuries’
- UC San Diego professor shares broader history of Black Americans along the Pacific coast in public exhibition
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:
“A Conversation with Mitch Albom”
Bestselling author, screenwriter, journalist and philanthropist Mitch Albom has inspired readers around the world with his heartfelt storytelling and powerful reflections on life. He is the author of multiple fiction and nonfiction titles that have sold over 40 million copies in 48 languages, including “Tuesdays with Morrie,” the bestselling memoir of all time. With eight No. 1 New York Times bestsellers to his name, Albom’s work explores themes of love, loss, purpose, and human connection. As part of the 30th anniversary of the Writer’s Symposium by the Sea, he s host Dean Nelson for a wide-ranging and deeply personal conversation at Point Loma Nazarene University.
Can the biology of love help us understand — and even transform —hatred? This fascinating talk explores the neurobiology of hatred through the lens of love, focusing on systems like oxytocin, attachment networks, and biobehavioral synchrony. These systems, rooted in early bonding, not only close relationships but also group cohesion—and, at times, hostility toward outsiders. Drawing on this science, researchers developed Tools of Dialogue© for Israeli and Palestinian youth. After eight sessions, participants showed reduced hostility, increased empathy, and hormonal shifts such as lower cortisol and higher oxytocin. Remarkably, many retained attitudes of compromise and cooperation seven years later, offering hope that social synchrony can foster peacebuilding across deep divides.
“Stem Cell Scientific Publishing”
Karen Christman, Sheila Chari, Stella Hurtley and Robert Stephenson —editors from leading scientific journals — offer an inside look at academic publishing in stem cell research. They discuss the importance of reproducibility, collaboration, and clear public communication, as well as strategies for curating high-impact research and responsibly sharing clinical trial data. The conversation also addresses challenges in scaling and standardizing therapies, the role of open access publishing, and how to bridge disciplinary silos. With a focus on advancing precision regenerative medicine, these experts highlight how thoughtful publishing practices can scientific progress and bring innovative treatments closer to patients.
And finally, top weekend events
The best things to do this weekend in San Diego: April 11-13.
