Things To Do In San Diego: Tuesday, May 31-Thursday, June 2, 2016

I think I just set a personal record in not going to shows. The week was just far too insane and work was crazy. On Friday we did go rollerskating at SkateWorld for a bit and I got a lesson from Nova's teacher and later that night I just went to the Ken Club for a bit. Nova stayed with my sister for two nights...I guess she's trying to get as much time in before she leaves for part of her summer break. On Saturday, we hung out at J Street Marina to shoot photos of my godsister and her boyfriend before their prom, and that night Darren and I bar hopped around with Eric. Sunday was a lazy day and we had my nieces over for a slumber party, and Monday we went to Balboa Park and were decompressing from the weekend when at 9pm, our dog ran outside and was sprayed by a skunk in our yard. So yeah, super fun way to end the weekend. If you see me out this week, you'll probably smell me first. I'm missing listings from Black Cat, Bar Pink, Sycamore Den, Whistle Stop, El Dorado, Gallagher's because of the new month, but there's plenty going on this week to keep you entertained. Tuesday through Thursday archives are after the jump.

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, May 26-Monday, May 30, 2016

Memorial Day Weekend is supposed to be this awesome weekend where we all kick our brains into gear for summer and slow things down and I'm hoping it will be just that. But to be honest, my week has been insane, partially because everything just pushes forward and deadlines get shorter, but also because Darren has a cousin visiting LA that he hasn't seen in years. While I'm excited about a mini-road trip to meet her and check out La Brea Tar Pits, the loss of a day of work means I haven't been able to get out at all since Nada Surf on Sunday, which I left early because I wasn't feeling well. The good news is that I don't feel quite so buried in work after three all-nighters in a row so I'll definitely get my fill of fun this weekend. I made this little Memorial Day Weekend guide for DoSD if you wanna check it out, and tell me if there's some big event I missed in the listings. I haven't had any photo ops this week, so I'm posting an oldie from a couple months back at the little secret beach at La Jolla Cove. Friday through Monday archives are after the jump.

Secret rope access beach at La Jolla Cove

Photos: Frightened Rabbit at Belly Up (5.21.2016)

I was nothing but excited about last weekend's music offerings, but after being slightly disappointed by Damien Jurado (mostly because he chose to sit the whole show), I tried not to get too excited about Frightened Rabbit on Saturday. Fortunately, there was nothing to be disappointed about. Scott was as amazing as always, his banter with the crowd makes his crowd adore him, and the band played everything we wanted them to play, including the bold move of starting their set with their latest single, "Get Out". I adore Frightened Rabbit and though I know there probably won't be any small Casbah shows where we all hang out and do shots after the set, it's great to see them and hear them still playing amazing music.

It was definitely a crowded show and thus I enjoyed our table by the soundboard without moving around and basically took a million pictures that look pretty much identical but that's how I roll. The more excited I am about a show, the more pictures I take. You can see a bunch of them after the jump.

Here's the setlist:

2016 Del Mar Summer Concert Series Announced!

In case you missed it, yesterday the Del Mar Summer Concert Series lineup was released. Formerly Four O'Clock Fridays, these concerts have grown massively, back from when entry to the track was still $3.50 to the still very low price of $6 for StretchRun tickets. Of course, you have to arrive before the last race or you get jacked for full price concert admission ($20) and parking usually increases, too. You can plan ahead and buy tickets to concerts, special races, the weekend events, parking and more here. All shows are 18+ and standing room only. I honestly don't know that I'll make it to any of these, but CWK, Fitz, Girl Talk, and Chromeo are always amazing live performers. 

2016 Del Mar Summer Concert Series

2016 Summer Concert Series

Friday, July 22nd
Cold War Kids

Friday, July 29th
Fitz and the Tantrums

Saturday, July 30th
Ziggy Marley

Friday, August 5
Girl Talk

Saturday, August 6th
Brian Setzer's Rockabilly Riot!

Friday, August 12th
Chris Young

Saturday, August 13th
311 & Matisyahu

Friday, August 19th
Thievery Corporation

Friday, August 26th
Pepper

Friday, September 2nd
The Wailers

Saturday, September 3rd
Chromeo

NOTE: Concerts are 18 and up. Pre-paid tickets, complimentary tickets and season passes will not be accepted for concert admission after the last race.

Upcoming Casbah & Casbah Presents Shows (Updated 5.23.2016)

The Casbah has been really busy adding a ton of shows over the past week. If you ever want to see the latest stuff, you can click here and if you ever want to find that page, just add a "/latest" after casbahmusic.com. Of the new stuff, I'm particularly excited about the return of Jagwar Ma and Okkervil River. It looks like just after I publish this there are another 5 or so shows announcing, so as I always say, I can never really be caught up on anything.  

Mon May 23 - The Little Richards, The Bassics @The Casbah

Tue May 24 - Son Little, Doe Paoro @ Casbah

Tue May 24 Oddisee @ Soda Bar

Wed May 25 - Ivan & Alyosha, The Whiskey Circle @ The Casbah

Wed May 25 - Mayer Hawthorne, Gabriel Garzon Montano @ Observatory North Park

Thu May 26 Moving Units - Damage with Care Tour 2016, Billy Changer, Visions, Glass Spells @ The Casbah 

Thu May 26 Trails and Ways @ The Hideout

Trails and Ways

Fri May 27 - D.O.A., The Executives, Social Spit, Records with Roger @ The Casbah

Sat May 28 - Dillinger Four, Off With Their Heads, Toys That Kill, Night Birds @ Casbah (SOLD OUT)

Sat May 28 UPSILON ACRUX, Ahleuchatistas, Innerds @ The Hideout

Sun May 29 - Big Black Delta, James Supercave @ Casbah

Upcoming Observatory Shows (Updated 5.23.2016)

Here's your weekly Observatory update. Some new shows were added last week, including the Faint, two nights with Bryson Tiller, Jeremih, Blind Guardian, and The Temper Trap. Full calendar after the jump.

Tuesday, May 24- Kaytranada, River Tiber, Lou Phelps, 8pm, All Ages

Wednesday, May 25- Mayer Hawthorne, Gabriel Garzon Montano, 9pm, 18+

Friday, May 27- Moderat, Telefon Tel Aviv, 8pm, All Ages

Saturday, May 28- Barrington Levy, 8pm, All Ages

Monday, May 30- GZA - playing "Liquid Swords" ($5 show!), 7pm, 18+

Things To Do In San Diego: Monday, May 23-Wednesday, May 25, 2016

It has been a crazy busy week and this upcoming one is going to be just as crazy, so I'm gonna try to keep it together. I'll get around to posting about all the madness some other time. Memorial Day Weekend is just around the corner, so I did listings through the holiday so you can plan accordingly. Monday through Wednesday archives are after the jump.

Things To Do In San Diego: Wednesday, May 18-Sunday, May 22, 2016

This week has kicked off nicely and getting to take Darren to Local Natives was particularly awesome. The sound was mixed perfectly and the band played plenty of old favorites while playing 8 tracks from the new record. Nova was at my sister's overnight, so we took advantage of the time off to hit up Bar Pink and The Office afterward. Tonight I'm looking forward to BØRNS at Birch Aquarium and Geographer at the Loft, and the rest of the week is pretty great, too, like Andy Hull at the Irenic, Damien Jurado at Casbah, Frightened Rabbit at Belly Up, and Nada Surf at the Irenic. I added some events this week so I thought I'd repost the listings. Wednesday through Sunday archives are after the jump.

Upcoming Observatory Shows (Updated 5.16.2016)

Here's the updated list for the Observatory. There are a couple big announcements this week, so keep an eye out on Wednesday, but in the meantime, here's what's on the books. Note that several of the hip hop shows are now 18+, so always double check the Observatory website before you head to a show to make sure the door time or age limits haven't been changed.

Tuesday, May 17- Tech N9ne, Krizz Kaliko, Rittz, Mayday, Stevie Stone and more, 7pm, 18+

Thursday, May 19- Chief Keef, 7pm, All Ages

Friday, May 20- J Boog, Hirie, 8pm, All Ages

Saturday, May 21- Father, 7pm, All Ages

Upcoming Casbah & Casbah Presents Shows (Updated 5.16.2016)

We had a big week at the Casbah with the Local Natives announcement, but there are awesome shows all the time. Since the last update, we've added shows with Sloan, Ducktails, Tobacco, Honne, Autolux, Boris and more. The full list of shows past Sunday are after the jump.

Mon May 16 - Local Natives, DJ Claire@ The Casbah (SOLD OUT)

Tue May 17 - Taking Back Tuesday @ The Casbah (SOLD OUT)

Tue May 17 - Modern English @ The Hideout

Wed May 18 - Yuna, Bosco @ Casbah

Thu May 19 - 91X Loudspeaker and Magic Flight present Idlehands Amigo, Dime by Dime @ The Casbah

Thu May 19 Wreckless Eric, Davey Tiltwheel @ The Hideout

Fri May 20 - Damien Jurado & The Heavy Light, Ben Abraham @ Casbah

Fri May 20 - The Thermals, Summer Cannibals, Colleen Green @ Soda Bar

Sat May 21 - Frightened Rabbit, Caveman @ Belly Up

Sat May 21 - Fruit Bats, Kyle Craft @ Casbah

Sat May 21 Dreams Made Flesh, Bit Maps, Blood Ponies @ The Hideout

Sun May 22 - Idlewild, The Jaguar Club @ Casbah

Sun May 22 - Nada Surf, Prism Tats @ The Irenic

Nada Surf

Things To Do In San Diego: Monday, May 16-Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Why can't the weekend last a little longer? I'm not quite ready for Monday. This weekend was really nice. On Friday night, I caught Andrew Bird at Music Box then Night Moves at the Casbah. On Saturday I dragged Darren and Nova to Balboa Park for the San Diego Zoo 100 Year Anniversary Celebration. It was bittersweet, because it was a really cool celebration, but also a reminder of how bad our City blew the 100 year Balboa Park celebrations of 2015 that never came to be. On Sunday, we had Nova's friend's birthday party in La Mesa and after decided to hit the outlets at Viejas to get Nova some new Vans. I'm not quite ready for another week of work, but I'm excited for some amazing shows this week, including Local Natives, Damien Jurado, Frightened Rabbit, and Nada Surf. It's gonna be busy all week long, Monday and Tuesday archives are after the jump.

Photos: Charles Bradley @ The Observatory, 5.12.2016

Thursday night was magical, as Charles Bradley returned to San Diego with a show at the Observatory. It was bittersweet for me, because I had the worst merch night of my life with his tour manager back in 2011 when he played the Casbah. Man, that guy was such a prick and he get the privilege of being the only tour manager who has ever made me cry. Anyway, 5 years have passed and whether he has the same tm or not, I had no interaction, so it was nice to just be at the show and soak in all the greatness that Charles Bradley brought to the room. The crowd was fully captivated by his set, even during his wardrobe changes. It was an honor that he chose San Diego to kick off the tour and it was definitely a show that people will be talking about for some time. More photos after the jump.

Surprise Show: Local Natives & DJ Claire at the Casbah- Monday, May 16 (SOLD OUT)

Things To Do In San Diego: Friday, May 13-Sunday, May 15, 2016

It was a rough start to the week, but I'm healthy again and fully taking advantage. We did a nice hike around Mission Trails and went to the Georgia-Meade Bikeway Open House on Tuesday, I caught Wild Belle at the Casbah on Wednesday, and after a day babysitting yesterday I caught Charles Bradley at the Observatory. This weekend is super busy- I suspect I'll catch Andrew Bird and Night Moves on Friday, I'll try to convince my family to go to Balboa Park for the Zoo celebration on Saturday, and Sunday we've got Nova's friend's birthday and I might try and shoot Pennywise at some point this weekend, too. Stay tuned for a big 10am Casbah announcement that has me doing imaginary cartwheels. The announce and on sale are the same time, so be prepared to buy tickets. Friday through Sunday archives are after the jump.

The In-Ko-Pah Offers Camping & Music On Saturday, May 21

Some friends have asked me to post about The In-Ko-Pah camping and music experience taking place about an hour outside of San Diego. It sounds like an amazing time and if camping and music sound like your jam, you don't want to miss this event:

The In-Ko-Pah emerged from the desire for a classic desert 'High Jinks.' We wanted to recapture the raw, non-commercial experience of outdoor music in a beautiful and unique location. Now in its third year, this non-profit event offers an evening of music and frolic under the wide-open sky at the Desert View Tower. Perched on a rocky hillside, the site hovers over the Anza-Borrego Desert, approximately 70 miles east of San Diego. In-Ko-Pah 3 offers music lovers and naturalists alike a chance to experience an authentic overnight event within our Southwest region.You will need to purchase a ticket before coming to the event and sales are available online. Ticket sales are limited to 350 attendees to ensure an intimate setting, so reserve before it sells out.  Tickets and more info online at www.inkopah.org


You will need to purchase a ticket before coming to the event and sales are available online through Brown Paper Tickets. Ticket sales are limited to 350 attendees to ensure an intimate setting.  They are $47 per adult. A ticket includes entry to the event, parking, and camping. There are no additional costs at the event. In-Ko-Pah 3 takes place rain or shine.

LINEUP
Three Mile Pilot • San Diego, California
Audacity • Fullerton, California
The Blank Tapes • Los Angeles, California
Shady Francos • San Diego, California
Red Tank! • Tempe, Arizona
The Rosalyns • San Diego, California
Madly • San Diego, California
The Downs Family • San Diego, California
Some Kind of Lizard • Tijuana, Mexico
The Gloomies • San Diego, California
Sunset intermezzo by the Montalban Quintet • San Diego, California
Effects and lighting by Operation Mindblow • Ocean Beach, California

For more information: www.inkopah.org

Things To Do In San Diego: Monday, May 9-Thursday, May 12, 2016

I am down for the count. I was home most of the weekend and have an appointment scheduled today, but it totally sucks. Because while it would seem that when something knocks you out enough to keep you home, it would be a good chance to catch up on work, but the reality is that when you're under the weather or in pain, the last thing you want to do is sit with a laptop and focus on a bunch of work nonsense. So hopefully I'm back in the game soon, but I will say I enjoyed keeping our Mother's Day tradition alive at Gator By The Bay, even if I pretty much laid on a beach blanket under an umbrella drinking water the whole time. I kinda wish I could lay down at all shows sometimes. So this pic is from Darren of my cousin, my sister, my mom and I. Maybe you can tell I felt like shit. But I'm sure I'll be back to my normal self soon enough. Till then, Monday through Thursday archives are after the jump.

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, May 5-Sunday, May 8, 2016

My camera hasn't gotten much use this week, so I decided to post one from a couple weeks ago from La Jolla, attempting to capture a bird in flight. I feel super behind in everything right now. Those Coachella week shows really sucked a lot of time out of me, then Nova's planning and executing Nova's birthday, then Darren threw out his back, and while he's doing much better now, it definitely caused a little setback on my schedule. I'm not trying to whine about it, we've still had a great week, but it just means my time is stretched incredibly thin. I'm looking forward to a night out tonight to catch the opera Great Scott and then Givers at the Casbah. This weekend is nuts, too, with all the fun Cinco de Mayo stuff, Beach Slang at Casbah, Gator By The Bay, Mother's Day and trying to catch up on all of this crazy work stuff, I've got to balance the work/family/fun ratios in my life. Hopefully you can, too. Thursday through Sunday archives are after the jump.

Upcoming Casbah and Casbah Presents Shows (Updated 5.5.2016)

It's been a little over two weeks since I updated this list and there have been a ton of announcements. Some of the big deal ones you should pay attention to are Savages, M83, Buck-O-Nine, The ills, Marissa Nadler, Foy Vance, Guided BY Voices, Tegan and Sara, We Are Scientists, Deerhoof, The Budos Band, Federico Aubele and so many more. Everything on the books is listed after the jump.

Thu May 05 - GIVERS, Anna Wise @ Casbah

Fri May 06 - Beach Slang, Potty Mouth, Dyke Drama, California @ Casbah

Fri May 06 - Voodoo Glow Skulls, Pinata Protest, Oceanside Sound System @ Soda Bar

Sat May 07 - Manic Hispanic @ Casbah

Sat May 07 - Torche, Wild Throne @ The Hideout

Torche

Upcoming Observatory Shows (Updated 5.2.2016)

I had this ready to post earlier in the week, but I knew the Savages announcement was coming, so I stalled on it a few days. Several of new shows are on sale Friday. If you've been trying to get Charles Bradley tickets, I think you can still grab them from the Belly Up site, which I have linked below. Anyway, full Observatory lineup is after the jump.

Friday, May 6- Jim Breuer, 8pm, 18+

Saturday, May 7- Hotline Spring Tour with Magic Man & The Griswolds, Panama Wedding, 8pm, All Ages

Saturday, May 7- The Slackers with Viernes 13 @ MUSIC BOX SD

Sunday, May 8-  X , Los Lobos, The Blasters, LP3 & The Tragedy, 7pm, All Ages

Sunday, May 8- Four Tet with Andy Stott & Ben UFO @ MUSIC BOX SD, 8pm

Wednesday, May 11 - IAMSU! 7pm, All Ages

Thursday, May 12- Charles Bradley And His Extraordinaires, MOTHXR, 9pm, 18+

Things To Do In San Diego: Monday, May 2-Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Weekends are supposed to be relaxing, but truth be told, I'm pretty wiped out. On Friday, I caught my sister Claudia's final senior year dance performance (photo below) and Saturday, I was busy adulting- cleaning the house, cupcake making, and making preps for Sunday. I did get to catch Joe Mande at the Casbah early show then stuck around for the super fun Buckfast Superbee show. And then Sunday was Nova's birthday, which meant we spent almost 7 hours at Waterfront Park. It was a perfect day for a pretty cool kid, but I'm wiped. Listings are mostly here minus updates from Black Cat, El Dorado, Gallagher's, and Lestat's. Monday through Wednesday archives are after the jump.