Student Deejay Is on Way to Becoming Record Artist

Discounting the occasional novelty record or compilation bearing the name of a deejay, radio personalities haven’t exactly worn a path from the broadcast booth to the recording studio. But if they ever do, we can look back at the local kid who started the ball rolling.

Kale is the recording name of David Maricich, 20, a San Diego State student and deejay at the school’s student-run radio station, KCR. While attending high school in L.A., the keyboardist-bassist played in garage bands and gradually developed a songwriting obsession that, after graduation, produced the tunes “Nature,” “Creatures and Monsters,” and “Invisible Caterpillar.” Last year, the sometime musician got sufficiently serious to enter a studio with his songs.

The result, “Shambles,” is a seven-song cassette (and limited-edition vinyl album) just released on Maricich’s own Principle Records label. Drummer Dave Tabone of the Orange County recording act, Eli Riddle (formerly Eggplant), and guitarist and Berklee School of Music alumnus Dave Mollen assisted on the project, whose completion was delayed until Maricich could finish a summer stint working on a fishing boat off Kodiak Island, Alaska.

“Shambles” is an intriguing debut that runs from the ruminative, melodic pop-rock of “Blind” (about JFK) to the mood-ambient Zen-pop of “Jade,” a piece written in memory of a high school surfing buddy of Maricich’s who committed suicide (with music somewhat reminiscent of the ‘70s “texture” band, Jade Warrior). The release is available locally at all three Off the Record stores, as well as the El Cajon Boulevard and Sports Arena Tower Records stores.

Since the completion of “Shambles,” Maricich, who remains at SDSU and KCR, has been working with guitarist Brian Crook, 21, and drummer Chris White, 21. As Kale, the trio will perform a Nov. 22 gig at SDSU’s Monty’s Den.

You can’t really get away. Recently, your vacationing columnist ventured to Hana, the semi-isolated community on Maui’s eastern tip that boasts the densest concentration of native Hawaiians of any of the five major islands.

Hana remains relatively unspoiled because the main access (if you don’t fly there in a small plane) is a bumpy, tortuous, two-lane (frequently one-lane), cliff-hugging road, known euphemistically as the Hana Highway. Because the winding road features 617 hairpin turns and 56 one-lane bridges, it takes as long as three hours to traverse its 44 miles, a fact that discourages all but the most intrepid, strong-stomached tourists. Which made the following discovery all the more bemusing.

Rounding a particularly treacherous curve about 15 miles into the notorious trek, one slowed to a crawl to cross yet another one-lane bridge. And there, on a rough-hewn post almost obscured by tropical vegetation, was a 91X sticker.

Amid all the downbeat talk of a recession-ravaged concert scene, Humphrey’s just-concluded 10th anniversary season was its most successful to date. According to statistics compiled by series producer Kenny Weissberg, the 1991 “Concerts by the Bay” campaign--which opened with a May 12 performance by Joan Baez and closed with an Oct. 10 performance by the Pointer Sisters--presented a series-record 52 shows, of which 21 were sellouts. Humphrey’s also broke the 100,000 attendance mark for the first time.

The Musicians Who Care organization and San Diego Music Magazine continue their “Industry Insider” series of instructive workshops for musicians tonight when they co-sponsor “RadioRound: Getting Your Music on the Air.”

The two-hour workshop, which begins at 7:15 p.m., will feature guest panelists Lou Niles of 91X, Coe Lewis (KGB), Peg Pollard (KIOZ), Jeff Gelder (KKOS/KCEO), and “Squibby,” of UCSD’s student-operated KSDT.

P.J. Grimes, of Musicians Who Care and Imagination Station Communications, will serve as moderator of the program, which will be held at the Better World Bookshop and Art Gallery, at 4011 Goldfinch. Admission at the door (there is no pre-reservation) is $3 for Musicians Who Care members and San Diego Music Magazine subscribers, and $5 for all others. Seating is limited. For more information, call 632-0770 or 462-8485.

GRACE NOTES: (Tickets for the following concerts will be sold at all TicketMaster outlets unless otherwise specified.)

A “Tenth Anniversary Salute to Bob Marley,” featuring the Wailers Band, Rita Marley, Marcia Griffiths, Andrew Tosh, the Maccabee Band, and the Gnarly Braus, has been booked into the Belly Up Tavern for Oct. 28 . . . .

“Q-106’s Haunted House Party,” featuring Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam, Kid ‘N Play, Tony Terry, and DJ Jazzy Jeff, hits the La Jolla Hyatt Aventine Regency Ballroom on Oct. 31. . . .

The Houston-based quartet of rockin’ eccentrics known as Galactic Cowboys plays Iguanas in Tijuana on Nov. 1, with Overkill opening. . . .

David Cassidy, perhaps inspired by Donnie Osmond’s recent success, joins the list of exhumed teeny-bopper idols when he performs a Nov. 2 gig at Sound FX (formerly the Bacchanal). . . .

David Byrne’s latest effort, an orchestral opus called “The Forest,” gets its San Diego premiere when Byrne, eight vocalists, and the San Diego Symphony perform the work at Symphony Hall on Nov. 3. . . .

“Juke Joints and Jubilee,” a revue combining soul, blues, gospel, and juba dance, and featuring the Holmes Brothers, Fontella Bass, John Dee Holeman, and the Birmingham Sunlights, alights at UCSD’s Mandeville Auditorium on Nov. 5. The program is being produced by the National Council for the Traditional Arts, the same folks responsible for such past triumphs (artistically and otherwise) as the “Masters of the Steel String Guitar” and “Masters of the Folk Violin” shows. (Tickets are on sale now at TicketMaster outlets and at the UCSD Box Office). . . .

Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora (also known as as one of Cher’s most recent flings), performs at the Spreckels Theatre on Nov. 16 (on sale Friday). . . .

Ozzy Osbourne’s Nov. 17 date at Golden Hall is sold out, as is Oingo Boingo’s Saturday show at SDSU’s Open Air Theatre.

CRITIC’S CHOICE: A BAND THAT SHOULD BE HEARD

At the risk of turning an endorsement into a browbeating, go hear the Larry (Arkansas) Davis band this weekend at Elario’s! The guitarist-vocalist, author of the blues standard, “Texas Flood,” made hundreds of new fans with a scorching set at the recent Michelob Street Scene. The local crew that so ably backed him on that gig--guitarist Bill Thompson, drummer Paul Kimbarow and bassist Kevin Hennessey (formerly of the Mighty Penguins), plus organist James (Rudy) Akins, will hold the same line Thursday through Sunday. Shows are 8:30 and 10:30 p.m.