Every Tuesday night, local DJs Wankchops and Cardboard Box (Scott Caligure and Jordan Snodgrass) spin chill beats at the Whistle Stop. If you had to categorize their style, it'd probably be "IDM" (intelligent dance music), but the boys claim to dislike that genre because it implies you gotta be intelligent to listen and that the music is danceable, neither of which is necessarily true. Mostly, the ill-named DJs spin a chill mix of ambient, jazz, indie, blues and other turntable delights. But that's not even the best part. There are board games! Yep, all the stuff you liked as a kid (Candyland, Connect 4), more grown-up games like Chess, Scrabble and Trivial Pursuit, and a game about the show "Friends" that Jordan Snodgrass claims is a joke. (Yeah, right, Cardboard Box, we know you've memorized every episode!) For a Tuesday night, Friends Chill draws a big crowd. It's a good mixture of hipsters, regulars and newcomers, and the mood -- as the name implies -- is very mellow." -- AnnaMaria Stephens
San Diego City Beat - Best of San Diego 2004 Issue, November 10 2004
"The bars residing in South Park and Golden Hill are neighborhood bars, popular with the locals and destinations for outsiders looking to escape the Gaslamp or the beach areas. The Whistle Stop Bar (2236 Fern St.) is a must. With live music and CD-release parties, the spot attracts an indie-rock crowd. Try 'Friends Chill' night on Tuesdays, characterized by mellow tunes, board games, pool and darts."
"So when we were setting up the turntables two weeks ago for Fahrenheit's Keep It Like A Secret night, Bryan Welsh and I came across Friends Chill's boardgames stuck underneath the DJ station. Bryan held up a battered Operation box and smiled big. 'Yep,' I said. 'Those are for Friends Chill ... DJs spin while you sit around, drink beer, and play board games.' And just then I realized, I fucking love living in San Diego." -- AG
"Every Tuesday night starting at 9:00 p.m., the Whistle Stop opens up the game cupboard and lets the drink specials flow for Friends Chill, an evening of Monopoly, chess and other board games, good jukebox music and extended happy hour prices. Duck in for a quiet night at this unique South Park neighborhood gathering spot." [Note from Snodgrass: Thanks for calling the DJs "good jukebox music" ... hah!]
