Things To Do In San Diego: April 15-17, 2014

Hopefully everyone had the chance to look at the incredible eclipse last night, but if you were already asleep, just check out your facebook wall for a bazillion blurry cell phone dots and your few pro-photo friends who got some stellar shots. Tonight there are quite a few great shows. If you're thinking about Mogwai, there aren't a lot of tickets left, so I'd suggest buying them online before the show sells out. I'll be at UCSD judging a Battle of the Bands. Wednesday and Thursday listings are after the jump.

Tuesday, April 15, 2014:

• Mobb Deep, Young Farrow, Parker and the Numberman, DJ's Artistic & Tramlife @ Casbah (SOLD OUT)
• Casbah Presents: Mogwai, Majeure (AE Paterra of ZOMBI) @ Belly Up
• Casbah presents Peelander-Z, The Touchies, Pleasure Fix @ Soda Bar
• City & Colour, NO @ Humphrey's
• Sun God Festival Battle of the Bands @ The Loft, UCSD (Me and Tim Pyles are judges!)
• Sound Lupus, The Cobra Las, The Nearly Deads, Quad IX @ Tower Bar
• Tiki Tuesday @ Bar Pink
• Kid Wilderness, Joe Clarke Band, Dangerdanger @ Tin Can
• Lisa Hilton @ Saville Theatre, San Diego City College
• Soda Bar Presents: I AM THE AVALANCHE, Diamond Youth, Turnover @ Che Cafe
• Karaoke @ Kensington Club
• Hideout Karaoke @ The Hideout
• Chamber Concert with Trio Sorpresa @ Athenaeum
• Jesse Davis @ Humphrey's Backstage Live
• Comedy Night @ Til Two
• Rad! Karaoke! @ U-31
• Karaoke @ Riviera Supper Club
• The New Division & PRGRM, Pal&Drone @ Winston's
• Michelle Lundeen @ Tio Leo's
• Karaoke @ Riviera Supper Club
• Train of Thought @ Queen Bee's
• The Band Slint's Documentary "Breadcrump Trail" @ Whistle Stop
• Comedy Night @ Lestat's
• #Tr@pped with DJ Ramsey @ The Office
• Rockabilly Tuesdays with Big City Dawgs @ Henry's Pub
• High Tech Tuesdays feat Terry James, NoNDescript, eSeMCy, 3XR, Paulo @ Kava Lounge
• Soul Shakedown @ The Shakedown
• Reggae Night @ 710 Beach Club

Wednesday, April 16, 2014:

• Temples, Drowners @ Casbah (Sold Out)
• Bonobo, Nite Jewel @ Belly Up (Sold Out)
• Broken Bells, Au Revoir Simone @ Humphrey's
• 91X Next Big Thing presents Somekindawonderful + Semi Precious Weapons, DJ Mike Delgado @ U-31
• The Knew, Dustin Lovelis, Spells, DJ Mikey Ratt @ Tower Bar
• Chrome Sparks, Pal&Drome, Tiger Milk Imports @ Soda Bar
• Little Climbers, Songery @ The Hideout
• Stevie & The Hi-Staxx @ Bar Pink
• Trivia Night @ The Hideout (7-9pm)
• The Shifty Eyed Dogs, Jeramiah Red, Ben Powell @ Tin Can
• Josiah Leming @ Lestat's
• Young Lion Series feat Nora Germain @ Croce's Park West
• Gilbert Castellanos Jazz Jam @ Seven Grand
• The Tighten Up! @ El Dorado
• Records with Roger @ Bluefoot
• Club Kingston Presents: SoCal Vibes, Sandollar, DJ Carlos Culture @ Winston's
• DJ Heather Hardcore @ Til-Two Club
• West of 5 @ Humphrey's Backstage Live
• Drinkabout/Brewers Soundtracks @ Whistle Stop
• CJ's Wednesday on FIre with Kahgoo, River Up Hill @ Gallagher's Irish Pub
• Club M.A.W. @ Henry's Pub
• Future Wednesdays @ Kava Lounge
• Joe Cardillo @ Wonderland Ocean Pub
• Open Mic @ The Merrow
• Open Mic/Open Jam @ 710 Beach Club
• Johnny Tarr @ Henry's Pub (7:30-9:30)
• DJ Christopher London @ Henry's Pub (9:30-close)
• Christopher Dale Acoustic @ Tio Leo's

Thursday, April 17, 2014:

• Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Shockwave Riderz @ Casbah
• Casbah Presents: Bombay Bicycle Club, Royal Canoe @ Belly Up (Only Loft Seats Available. Call Box Office for tickets)
• Bryan Ferry: Can't Let Go Tour, Dawn Landes @ Humphrey's Concerts (SOLD OUT)
• Cypress Hill @ House of Blues
• The Chop Tops, Hard Fall Hearts, The Gore Horsemen @ Soda Bar
• The Midnight Pine @ The Hideout
• Foreign Suns, Strange Creature @ Seven Grand
• Femme, Misun, DJ Adam Salter, DJ Gabe Vega @ 207, Hard Rock Hotel
• The Heartbeat Trail, Midnight Pine @ Bar Pink
• Julieta Venegas @ The Show Palace, Oceanside
• Tom Guarna (CD release) @ Dizzy's
• Trio Gadjo, Hillbilly Stephen Rey @ Sycamore Den
• Poontang Clam, Slutty Hearts, Johnny Polygon @ Tower Bar
• The Art of Surfing @ The Loft
• Marcela Mendez @ Analog
• Lifeblood Harmony @ Mandell-Weiss Theatre, UCSD
• OB HipHop with Parker & The Numberman, Sojourn, Atlantis RIzing @ Winston's
• Blackbird Raum, Pagan Funeral, Lynched, Winterbloom @ Che Cafe
• The Desolaters, Porter-Belles Explosion, Zack Oakley @ Tin Can
• The Sovereign Sons & Daughters Tour with The Coffis Brothers @ Lestat's
• Zombie Barbie, Cedar Fire, BatBoat @ The Merrow
• Lee Churchill @ U-31
• Astrojump with Kill Quanti DJs @ Whistle Stop
• Gio Trio @ Croce's Park West
• Ruby and the Red Hots @ Humphrey's Backstage Live
• Mercedes Moore @ Tio Leo's
• All Star Jam hosted by Howard Cowen @ Winston's (6-9pm)
• Darkwave Garden @ The Shakedown
• Kataklysm, Aborted, Dead Serial Killers, Mysidia, Gravespell, Dark Measure @ Ramona Mainstage
• IDGAF with Lucky Date @ Fluxx
• Moonlight Serenade Orchestra @ Crystal Ballroom (414 N. Magnolia, El Cajon)
• Metal Night @ The Shakedown
• The Ragga Tones, DJ Reefah, TRC Sound System @ Gallagher's Irish Pub
• Live Band Karaoke @ 710 Beach Club

Things To Do In San Diego: April 13-14, 2014

Woohoo! Two weekends in a row that I did my weekday listings on Saturday so as to leave Sunday mostly work-free. I think I'll celebrate with my own little beer crawl or something in the afternoon. In the meantime, tonight doesn't have a lot of choices musically, but that's because this week is insane. There are a ton of great shows, many of the between-Coachella ones are already sold out and if they're not, they will be, so don't wait to buy tickets. This week looks like a busy one at my jobs, with a super exciting concert announcement for The North Park Theatre next week...which means you can expect newsletters and posts and tweets and Facebook messages. Or you'll just see it here. We get a second week of Spring Break this week with Nova, which will involve swim lessons, a piano lesson, perhaps some canoeing to listen to Broken Bells, and we might get a sitter so we can go to Bombay Bicycle Club. Who knows. Sunday and Monday archives are after the jump.

Humphrey's 2014 Calendar

I'm currently at Darren's, watching Coachella via YouTube on his massive plasma screen as I try to catch up on work. It occurred to me as I'm doing my listings that I never posted the 2014 Humphrey's Concert Lineup. Willie Nelson & Family, The Cult, and Rob Thomas kicked off the season, but since I keep emphasizing all the Coachella bands coming through town, I thought it was time to post. Now that I'm working for The North Park Theatre, I can honestly say there are about a dozen of these shows that would be way better if they were booked at the theatre, but maybe we'll beat them to the punch next year.

• Tue, Apr 15 7:30P City and Colour, NO
• Wed, Apr 16 7:30P Broken Bells, Au Revoir Simone
• Thu, Apr 17 7:30P Bryan Ferry: Can't Let Go Tour, Dawn Landes
• Fri, May 09 7:00P Ingrid Michaelson, Storyman and Sugar + The Hi-Lows
• Tue, May 13 7:30P Lindsey Stirling, Dia Frampton
• Wed, May 14 8:00P Christina Perri, Birdy
• Sun, May 18 7:30P Gregg Allman  
• Sat, May 24 8:00P Raphael - Tour Mi Gran Noche  
• Thu, Jun 05 7:30P Danity Kane - No Filter Tour  
• Fri, Jun 06 7:00P Neon Trees - Pop Psychology Tour, Nightmare & The Cat, Smallpools
• Mon, Jun 09 8:00P Il Volo  
• Sun, Jun 15 7:00P Matt Nathanson / Gavin DeGraw, Mary Lambert
• Tue, Jun 17 7:30P Steve Winwood  
• Thu, Jun 26 7:30P ThePianoGuys  (Gold Circle seats available)
• Fri, Jun 27 8:00P Jo Koy  
• Tue, Jul 01 7:30P Steve Martin & The Steep Canyon Rangers featuring Edie Brickell 
• Sun, Jul 06 7:00P Bob Weir & RatDog  
• Fri, Jul 11 8:00P Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band  
• Sun, Jul 1 3 7:30P Steely Dan  
• Wed, Jul 16 7:30P Chris Isaak  
• Thu, Jul 17 6:30P Happy Together 30th Anniversary Tour  with The Turtles feat. Flo & Eddie, Chuck Negron, Mark Farner, Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels and Gary Lewis & The Playboys
• Fri, Jul 18 8:00P Jesse Cook  
• Sun, Jul 20 7:30P Jewel (solo acoustic)  
• Tue, Jul 22 7:30P Doobie Brothers  
• Wed, Jul 23 8:00P Lyle Lovett and His Large Band  
• Thu, Jul 24 7:30P Tori Amos - Unrepentant Geraldines Tour  
• Wed, Jul 30 8:00P Boston - Heaven On Earth Tour  
• Thu, Jul 31 7:00P Los Lonely Boys  /  Kenny Wayne Shepherd  
• Fri, Aug 01 7:30P Dave Koz & Friends Summer Horns Tour 2014  with Mindi Abair, Gerald Albright & Richard Elliot
• Tue, Aug 05 7:30P Amos Lee - Mountains of Sorrow, Rivers of Song Tour  
• Fri, Aug 08 8:00P Russell Peters  
• Mon, Aug 11 7:30P Iron & Wine  
• Mon, Aug 18 7:30P An Evening with YES  
• Fri, Aug 22 7:00P Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue  /  Galactic  
• Wed, Aug 27 7:30P B.B. King  
• Sun, Aug 31 7:30P Gipsy Kings - 25th Anniversary Tour featuring Nicolas Reyes & Tonino Baliardo  with special guest Ole' Noys
• Thu, Sep 04 6:30P Retro Futura Tour 2014  starring Thompson Twins' Tom Bailey and Howard Jones with Ultravox's Midge Ure, China Crisis and Katrina (of Katrina & The Waves)
• Fri, Sep 12 8:00P Chicago  
• Sat, Sep 13 7:30P Air Supply  
• Fri, Sep 19 7:30P Andrew Bird  
• Sat, Sep 20 7:30P Herman's Hermits starring Peter Noone, The Grass Roots
• Sun, Sep 21 8:00P Engelbert Humperdinck  
• Wed, Sep 24 7:30P The Australian Pink Floyd Show  
• Fri, Sep 26 8:00P Gordon Lightfoot - 50 Years On The Carefree Highway Tour  
• Sun, Oct 05 7:30P The Beach Boys  
• Sat, Oct 11 7:00P Tower of Power/Average White Band  

Things To Do In San Diego: April 12-13, 2014

As I've mentioned, this week was Nova's first week of spring break and we fully took advantage with some beach time, a trip to Safari Park, a really amazing nighttime bike ride on the San Diego River Trail, and some time with my nieces. Last night Darren and I had a group reservation to and from Pechanga for MMA. The hours between with Darren were cool and that buffet is awesome, but let's just say I'm glad I don't regularly have to subject myself to misogynist alcoholic meatheads who have no problem referring to all women as bitches. Hoping to restore my faith in humanity with some good times the remainder of the weekend, Couchella, and enjoying the blue skies of San Diego. Weekend archives after the jump.

Travelling to Coachella

In case you're going to Coachella, I just got this helpful email about traffic. It was sent by the people behind the Waze app, but it seems useful enough, so check it out if you need some road trip tips for Coachella. Incidentally, I talked to y friend Kelsey who's driving for Lyft and UberX and she says they're bringing in drivers for both services, so there's that, too. Anyway, road closures, instructions and other information after the jump.

So, you are off to Coachella! Awesome! What’s not so rad is sitting in a car that’s not moving. The cities of Indio and La Quinta anticipate major traffic delays during the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. There will be road closures, so please plan ahead and expect delays when traveling throughout Indio and La Quinta near the festival. Not to mention there will be approximately 30,000 guests shuttled into and out of the concert venue from various locations throughout the Coachella Valley to help ease traffic conditions.

Video: FM 94/9 Loud @ Lunch with Foster The People at The North Park Theatre

On Wednesday, April 9, Foster The People were scheduled to play a sold out show at the Belly Up Tavern. Before that, however, FM 94/9 hosted a Loud @ Lunch session with the band. 50 radio listeners and assorted station and venue employees were privy to a three song acoustic perfomance. The band came out and played "Houdini", "Coming of Age", and "Don't Stop" and really showed off their talents. If there was any doubt that Foster the People could pull off such a stripped down perfomance, this should forever remove any doubt.

Naturally I was excited as this was a chance to show off the beautiful theatre. The ticket winners sat in seating in the orchestra pit- our "Gold Circle" seating. There are a ton of things happening at the theatre as I type and I can't wait for all San Diegans to experience the whole new vibe of the place. We have some upcoming events, like the beer festival and concert Reader On Tap on April 25, as well as our inaugural shows with Rodriguez. The June 3 show is sold out, but there are tickets available for June 5. We'll have a huge announcement on April 21, and some other show announcements as May rolls in.

Be sure to catch the theatre on all of your social media:

Website: http://www.thenorthparktheatre.com/

Twitter: @TheNPTheatre (Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheNPTheatre)

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheNorthParkTheatre

Instagram: http://instagram.com/TheNorthParkTheatre

Here's the 3 song playlist. Lots of people were filming, so check SoundDiego and FM 94/9 for pro footage.

Things To Do In San Diego: April 9-11, 2014

I'm laying in bed, reflecting on a killer week so far. I got to see a cousin and his family whom I hadn't seen in over 10 years and all the kids got a really fun Coronado beach day out of it. Then yesterday after work, Darren drove the van with me, my sister, Nova and my nieces to Safari Park, which despite what their app says, is actually open till 7. If you ever go up there, be sure to listen for the last call for the last tram of the day. Stunning vistas, all of the animals are super active, and the driver can stall a little longer if there's something cool happening among the herds. Nova has two weeks of Spring Break and we'll continue to take advantage of the time. This weekend is Coachella weekend 1, which means YouTube will be live streaming. I didn't think I'd care, but last year was actually really cool to watch, so I suspect we'll watch some more this year, but hopefully get out, too, because this town is a lot better when you actually get out and explore it. Wednesday through Friday archives are after the jump.

Things To Do In San Diego: April 6-8, 2014

Lazy days rule. I'm trying to knock out some work early so I'm all ready for whatever Nova's spring break might bring. We'll probably visit the butterflies at Safari Park, maybe hit the beach if it gets hot enough, and just enjoy 2 weeks of no homework. There are some great shows this week, so hopefully even if you're past spring break, you can get out and have some fun. Sunday through Tuesday archives are after the jump.

SoundDiego Interview with CHAPPO

A couple months ago, I had the chance to interview CHAPPO while they were in town. The interview aired on NBC SoundDiego a few weeks ago and now the interview is available online, in case you missed it. Check it out here.

Things To Do In San Diego: April 4-6, 2014

Love is an amazing thing, isn't it? Today my parents are celebrating their 44th wedding anniversary and it seems pretty miraculous, since we're so inundated with messages about the opposite. It's funny to think that even if I was to get married today, I might not even live long enough to see a 44th anniversary. I'm pretty lucky to have such amazing parents and a lifelong example of a loving relationship (even if it gave me impossibly high relationship standards). Hopefully mom and dad are winning big at Harrah's this week. There are a ton of things going on this weekend and I added a lot more events since yesterday, so take a peek and enjoy the weekend. I hope to be out and about, but I caught the nasty cold going around, so I might just have to lay low and live vicariously through Facebook. Weekend archives after the jump.

Things To Do In San Diego: April 3, 2014

I have a partial list of weekend listings, but I'm posting raw and unformatted for now because I wanted to update a couple things for tonight. A line is already forming at the Hideout for Wavves, so get there early! Thursday archive after the jump.

Celebrating the Boulevard Sign's 25th Anniversary Showcase Banner Unveiling- Friday, April 4, 2014

This Friday, the Lafayette Hotel is hosting a little shindig to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Boulevard Sign. El Cajon Boulevard has been spruced up quite a bit over the years, and the party will also celebrate the new banners featuring business owners, residents, and local celebrities. Both Tim Mays and Tim Pyles are featured and their banners are pretty sweet. You can check out the Facebook page or just go to the ticket buying site here.
The festivities start at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, April 4 at The Lafayette Hotel's Mississippi Ballroom, 2223 El Cajon Boulevard, and include a very full and fun evening of food, drink, local merchants and special musical guests, including:

The Little Richards (w/ Robert Lopez aka El Vez)
Miss Erika Davies and Stephan Ray
Robin Henkel
Daniel Jackson
Bart Mendoza
Gregory Page

Friday, April 4
The Lafayette Hotel Mississippi Ballroom
2223 El Cajon Boulevard

$15- 7:00 VIP Reception with drinks complimentary of Sapporo and food provided by local restaurants

$10- 8 Live Music Showcase and Boulevard Ceremony

Things To Do In San Diego: April 1-3, 2014

It's always nice to wake up to rain in San Diego, isn't it? Besides some slight manageable drama, today has been pretty great. I got some super exciting concert news and had a productive morning in the office and am now off for an afternoon with my little family. Tonight and tomorrow look like good nights to wander over to Soda Bar, and then there's that Thursday night "secret show" at the Hideout, too. Tuesday through Thursday archives are after the jump.

91X Releases X-Fest 2014 Lineup: May 30 at Sleep Train Amphitheatre

Sorry, kids. Got this email on Monday but haven't had a breather to post until now. As the release states, 3 more bands will be announced on April 21. Coachella ends on April 20, which certainly leads one to suspect that the three bands are Coachella acts, which really doesn't reveal much but can at least be interesting in getting your hopes up.  

91X REVEALS EARLY DETAILS FOR ANNUAL X-FEST CONCERT FESTIVAL.

SAN DIEGO, CA – San Diego's alternative rock station 91X officially announced this year’s “91X X-Fest,” happening Friday, May 30 at Sleep Train Amphitheatre. Performing artists include 311, Panic! At The Disco, Iration, Phantogram, Bleachers, Kongos, Skaters, Cherub, and Sir Sly.

A total of 12 bands will pack the final line-up. The remaining three bands on the bill, including a co-headlining act, will be announced on Monday, April 21.

X-Fest tickets go on-sale to the public this Friday at 10:00 AM. Listeners who signed up at 91x.com have the first opportunity to buy pre-sale tickets on-line starting today, including a limited number of tickets in section 300 for $9.91. The 91X Internet pre-sale continues until 11:59 PM Thursday night.

“The 91X team is really excited for X-fest 2014, especially because so many of the bands are fresh, up and coming talent,” said 91X Program Director Christy Taylor. “But, of course, 91X will never forget our past, and this concert is the perfect mix of what makes 91X and X-Fest staples of San Diego.”

X-Fest is produced by LiveNation. Details on the concert can be found at www.91x.com.

91X (XTRA-FM) is owned and operated by Local Media San Diego, a privately held San Diego-based company. LMSD also operates Jammin’ Z90 (XHTZ-FM) and Magic 92.5 (XHRM-FM).

Things To Do In San Diego: March 31, 2014

Another great weekend for the books. Friday night was really fun at the Banker's Hill Beer Festival, and it was like a reunion at the Transfer show and it was really nice to see so many people I haven't caught up with in some time. Saturday I was pretty useless, but it was fun driving groups of people around with Darren. Then Sunday was great with CicloSDias in Pacific Beach. In my fantasy world, Garnet would just always be closed to cars. The bars and shops and restaurants were all full, so certainly nobody suffered for the loss of parking. Imagine Garnet, 30th, and 5th Avenue as pedestrian and bike only plazas! Maybe someday. Listings are a little incomplete as it's the end of the month, so Whistle Stop, Bar Pink, Sycamore Den and a few others haven't updated. I'll try to keep an eye out for additional listings. Monday archives after the jump.