Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, July 9-Wednesday, July 15, 2026: Kurt Vile | 5SOS | Fresh Veggies Micro Brass | Chris Stapleton | Jim Rao Fan Club | The Farmers & Friends | Wynonna Judd & Melissa Etheridge | Dylan Leblanc | Afroman | Jack Botts | The Spits | Babe Rainbow |

6 year old Ama always loves to mug for the camera (7.6.26)

I was thinking this would be a chill week...I did most of my listings overnight on Monday thinking it would give me the free time to get more zoo time in since I didn't get much in the week leading up to Independence Day. But no. Not a chance. On Tuesday I had a whole situation where I found a dog in the alley and it became a whole episode, and then Wednesday I was up early for plumbers who have now found a gas leak and ended up working three hours longer than I expected. So. Here are listings. I probably missed a couple things, but I am jonesing for some zoo time and might actually still have time to see my gorilla boys. Stay safe out there. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, July 2-Wednesday, July 8, 2026: Squid Pisser | The McCharmleys | Gothic Summer Dance Party | Band Argument | Dance Dance To The Radio | Independence Day!! |

The Belugas were so happy to show off their new barrel toy (Taken 6.29.26)

I had gotten pretty good about starting my listings on Monday nights, so then I wouldn't have it bearing on my mind all week, but with it being Independence Day and also the beginning of a new month, I'm pretty checked out for the week. Like, I know I still have to work, but running ads this week is just a waste of money and effort because everyone else seems pretty checked out, too, and honestly, it's just too nice in San Diego right now to sit on a laptop for hours on end. Plus, it's just such a weird time in general right now...like 250 years is kind of amazing, and then it's black-clouded by the POS in office. I can't even buy a renewal for my Parks Pass without his ugly bloated face on it. So gross. So yeah. Enjoy World Cup wins, laugh at Country Fair fails, and enjoy your 4th of July, however you choose to spend it. And ffs, lock your pets in your house because losing them is a heartbreak that never really goes away. 

Stay safe out there. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. RIP, KD. 

Rosey's Diary & Newsy Things: Baby Fever - New Dolphin At SeaWorld/New Baboon At San Diego Zoo | Children's Reinstates Gender Care | Get A Free CA Parks Pass | TFG Continues US Destruction |

  

Mother Baboon Anakin and her 1 1/2 Day Old Baby (Taken 6.27.26)

Things are super busy. If it's not work stuff, it's trying to plan or organize something with the fam, running around trying to maximize my summer outings, cleaning up around the house when we get an invasion of ants or just trying to manage space as the kid has moved back home for summer, or trying to manage digital space, as my phone fills up with videos and photos that get moved to my laptop, which in turn, is also running out of space. Some of the busy is fun. Some of it is super tedious. But the world keeps spinning and time ticks on. Never enough of it, that is for sure. 

So while I intended to get this post up last week, it was nice to work through my email and make sure I got all the links in that I wanted from the past couple weeks, but wanted to publish by Monday morning because SeaWorld is offering $25 tickets if you wear Padres gear to the ticket counter, but it's only good on Monday and Tuesday. Sorry I missed the weekend, but it was so crowded, I assure you it would've been unfun for a one-time visit anyway. I've been spending a lot of time at SeaWorld, because on Thursday night I got to talk to a trainer who answered all my questions about the new baby dolphin born last Sunday. She is super cute, but dolphins don't stop swimming once they're born...it's a learned behavior which takes several days to perfect, so they suspended the Dolphin Adventures show and had a baby presentation. So that's how I spent my Friday morning...you can see a full video here. And while it was super special to see a 4 day old dolphin, San Diego Zoo said, "hold my $17 beer!" and on Thursday night, a baby baboon was born. So that's how I spent my Saturday morning...trying to take photos of this little nugget. Failed horribly and someday I'll stop being so cheap and just buy a better lens, but this will have to do for now. 

So yeah, that's life now. I try to pack in my days full of activity so that when I actually put my head on my pillow, no matter what time that actually happens, I maybe actually get sleep. Which I shall do now. Stay safe out there. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, June 25-Wednesday, July 1, 2026: Tim Kasher | Dawes | Tulengua | Maren Morris | OB Street Fair | Three Bad Jacks | Missing Persons | Kid Cudi | Anna Ballew |

Karen & Kaja Sharing A Bounty of French's Mustard (Taken 6.24.26)

I just haven't been feeling right this week. I guess this is life when you're born the year of our country's bicentennial, but ICK. Do not like. 0/10, do not recommend. So I I missed an Open Alpaca Ranch day over the weekend and haven't had a whole lot of Zoo and SeaWorld time this week, and , but the little time I've had still manages to fill my soul with the good good. I also had a couple merch gigs this week, with Skillibeng on Sunday and Aaron Hibell on Wednesday. I didn't get my act together this year, so I missed out on a few opportunities to hit the San Diego County Fair, but it's still going until the 6th if you're trying to make a day of it. The Casbah had a few announces this week and the Brian Fallon (from Gaslight Anthem) show nearly sold out in just a few days, so keep eyes out for an announcement on that front. The 4th of July holiday coming up usually messes everyone up and things get out of rhythm, and with it being on a Saturday this year, I don't expect any less, but maybe I'll sneak off to the mountains or something to get away from the noise. 

Also wanted to mention if you haven't heard, Tara and Dean Reis bought the bar on El Cajon Blvd formerly known as Cricket Pub. They've been cleaning it up and making it nice, but I just read that they're doing a Bar Pink takeover because Lorenxo & Barb will be in town. So if you wanna come hang out at the super fun new bar, literally across the street from my house, check it out on Monday. Like Bar Pink, it's cash only, so come prepared and then leave a 5 star review on the platforms. 

Stay safe out there. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, June 18-Wednesday, June 24, 2026: Neil Hamburger | Metric | Emo Nite | Deceits + Past Self | The Lemon Twigs | Bob Dylan | Heavenly |

Amahle & Guadalupe Pool Party Playing (Taken 6.18.26)

Darren was sick all weekend, so I took the opportunity while I was already going to Murietta to see the twinsie babies in their new home, that I would make it a whole thing. I was gonna camp, but didn't really like the camp facilities, and at that very time, my friends messaged that they were going to LA Zoo on Monday. I reached out to my cousin who gave me her house to crash and so it was. Only thing is I have felt behind all week because of it. So I'm happy to say it's only 2am and I'm done with listings, which means staying up til 6am yesterday was worth it and I don't have to do it again.
I'm hearing from many people that San Diego Zoo will be phasing out Nighttime Zoo, and in 2027 and beyond will only stay open until 7pm (instead of 8pm as it is this year, or 9pm as it had been in the past). Let me tell you that this will be a super bummer because the animals really come alive in that 4-8pm window. Similarly, I heard there was some sort of Grand Jury audit of LA Zoo and they want to shift from being the last City-run zoo in the country to a "public-private partnership". FUCK. I HATE "public-private partnerships". Somehow the Private entity always ends up being the winner and the Public part gets fucked. 

Anyhow, that's neither here nor there for now. What is up is that Friday is Juneteenth, and while I completely expect TFG to do something completely stupid, complain about too many Federal holidays, or some other racist nonsense, I intend to enjoy the shit out of a three day weekend. There's even a Juneteenth Birders walk that seems quite appealing. Whatever the case, there's a shit ton to do this week in San Diego. I saw some Friday event on IG but forgot to save it, so if anyone knows what I'm talking about, feel free to send it over. 

Stay safe out there (the respiratory illnesses are knocking people out right now, and summer World Cup travel is only going to exacerbate the problems.) Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. 

Rosey's Diary & Newsy Things: City of San Diego Passes Budget | Persistent Public Parking Problems | FIDO Battles Bayfair And Wins | Judge To DOJ: Leave The Kids Alone |

Bat-Eared Fox Kits at San Diego Zoo Safari Park (Taken 5.19.26)

The funniest thing happened when I was selling merch for Rostam. This man came to the merch table and couldn't decide if he wanted to buy a sweatshirt...he has two from past tours that he said he wears all the time. While he kept talking, I couldn't help but ask if I knew him...his voice was so familiar...maybe he was a friend of my friend Kristian (who seems to know everyone), I asked? No, he said, but I insisted he was so familiar. He said he used to work for County Health. YOU GUYS! Remember how I literally watched every single City and County update during C-19??? It was Dr. McDonald from all those many, many daily briefings.
Anyhow, that was May 15. We're now a month later and I finally got around to finishing up a link-heavy diary post. Leading up to the election, my inbox was just out of control, and I felt like I was just trying to keep my head above water day by day...I have a few tour agents really on my tail at the moment...but hopefully spending a Saturday night getting things under control was a smart move, even though it probably means I won't be making 8:30am yoga at Seaworld. I've mentioned how Toby was moving back home after finishing his freshman year at UCSD and living on campus, and I'm so grateful that Darren handled it, even though he's super sick right now. I'm kinda worried though he's negative for the C-19, because he did that whole deep cleaning of our studio last week and I was temporarily convinced he had the hanta-v. He says he's fine and will be okay, but we'll keep an eye on him. At this point, this post is more to document the shit that has been happening in the City and State. The national craziness is just so beyond that I'll leave it to greater minds to document; mandatory reading: Letters from an American, Civil Discourse with Joyce Vance, and Popular Information. 
Stay safe (and healthy) out there. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum.

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, June 11-Wednesday, June 17, 2026: Monolord | Fruit Bats | Alain Whyte | Ásgeir | Switchfoot Bro-Am | Surf Trash | Searows | Taylor Hunnicutt | Fai Laci | The Dimes |

Half Brothers Tsundzu & Nipho Enjoying A Warm Spring Night (6.10.26)

I'm keeping it short this week. There is a ton going on right now...World Cup is kicking off with lots of spots broadcasting games for the entire run. I'd say avoid the masses and commit to Blind Lady Ale House...which normally doesn't do sports, but futbol is the exception and they have the games listed out on their calendar. It's also Fair season, so I included the big shows but obviously they've got lots of stuff happening all day, every day. We had a whole situation in my studio that had long been ignored, so Darren took the lead and handled it, but yuck...unoccupied spaces are a magnet for unwanted visitors...especially when used primarily for food storage. I've been pretty happy spending late hours at the San Diego Zoo and the animals have been...shall we say, "feisty" doing "it like they do on the Discovery Channel," if you catch my drift. This weekend Seaworld launches into their extended hours for summer and are debuting nighttime dolphin and orca presentations. So yeah, I'm keeping occupied surrounding myself with all the animals I love. I hope we've all recovered from the election and thank goodness that it appears LA dodged that Pratt bullet. What a fuckface piece of shit. 

Anyway, stay safe out there, especially as summer travel picks up and places get us more packed with people and all their summer snot. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, June 4-Wednesday, June 10, 2026: Quintron & Miss Pussycat | Racing Mount Pleasant | The Lagoons | Otis Kane | North Park Music Fest | Daniel Ezra Band | Messthetics | Paul Simon | David J | Monolord | Sir Woman |

Little Bear (Taken 4.18.26)

I've been so proud that for the past several weeks I was able to get my listings done by Monday night so that the rest of the week I can focus on actual work and getting out and about. That didn't happen this week and everything has just felt a little off all week, though it's hard to know if that's because I didn't do the work or I couldn't do the work because this week was gonna be a pit of suck. Besides the shitty election (voted for Becerra, but NOT looking forward to the next 5 months of campaigns and ads), we have an appraiser coming to our apartment on Thursday which is NEVER a good sign and has given me pure anxiety all week. Darren is a calming presence and talked me down, but I guess we'll deal with whatever that may bring when it comes. In the meantime, I'm looking forward to this weekend...I've been invited to shearing day at Hazpaca and I am hoping I can make it. 

Stay safe out there. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, May 28-Wednesday, June 3, 2026: Old Mervs | Kinky | Caskitt | Ringo Starr | Fiesta Del Sol | Egg Records Fest | Los Lobos | Foxtide | RnR Marathon | The Last Dinner Party | Mikaela Davis | The Human League | Allah-Las |

Rostam at Music Box, 5.27.26

There is such a strange feeling when you become acutely aware of time. Darren is in his final week of his work project in the mountains, and you would think that being home alone for four weeks, at least Monday-Friday, that I'd have this big swath of free time, but it didn't work out that way at all. Instead, I feel so rushed. I sleep in increments, 3 or 4 hours, then wake to work, then try to get back to sleep. Toby will be coming home from school soon and then my unusual schedule is just gonna really mess with everyone. Is Lestat's still 24 hours? because maybe I'll have to weave that into my life. 

At any rate, I'm just trying to keep up with all of it, and the Casbah is going bananas right now with fall and winter booking as well as filling out the rest of spring and summer calendars, so it's busy. And maybe election season's looming deadlines makes me feel a bit of anxiety, too. Can you imagine if either of the republican fuckers end up in the run-off? Gross. Anyway, I hope you find a good show or two this week, because there are some good ones, plus lots of free stuff if the budget is a problem. Don't forget to plan around Rock N Roll Marathon this weekend, as everyone seems to forget about parking restrictions and blocked off streets. Stay safe out there. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, May 21-Wednesday, May 27, 2026: Bike Anywhere Day | Nathan Raney | Dry Cleaning | Supersuckers | Swingin' Utters | Afghan Whigs | Mac DeMarco | World Goth Day | Broncho | The Paper Kites |

I was hoping to get up to Palomar to camp this week, but since it didn't work out, I'm just enjoying that I busted out listings early this week. I also understand Memorial Day is a day to be solemn and honor the men and women who've lost their lives while serving in the Armed Forces, but Memorial Day has long been the unofficial kick-off to summer and I'm pretty much checked out and ready for a three-day weekend. There are a lot of great shows this week but I'm already overextended so I am not committing to anything. Also, don't forget to look to the sky if you're in the area, as SeaWorld kicks off their drone shows to replace their fireworks shows. Whatever you do and however you choose to spend your time, may you find some joy however that may come. 
Stay safe out there. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. 

Rosey's Diary and Newsy Things: SDMA Winners | Nighttime Zoo | R.I.P. Paul-Donn | SeaWorld Reopens Shark Encounter, Dolphin Stadium, Kicks Off Drone Shows | Living in Kleptocracy |

 

Paul-Donn at San Diego Zoo Safari Park (Taken 12.26.25)

If I'm being honest, I have controlled and fixed my notifications and algorithms so much that I didn't know anything about the shooting at the Islamic Center until several hours after it happened. So I'm making the choice not to post any links about that story in this latest news roundup. Not because I don't care or because I don't want to acknowledge the tragic loss of life at the hands of radical incel-adjacent shitheads, but the links are everywhere and the discussion about it is super triggering and angering. I'm sure you've read every detail that is known and many that are unknown and I just don't have the bandwidth for it. I'm trying to live in La La Land these days. The election, the City and County budget wars, the abject corruption by TFG, and the many wild things going on in LawTube...it's enough to make anyone crazy. So yeah. I'm soaking in a lot of zoo and SeaWorld time, I spent Tuesday doing work (namely, these listings) and then going to Safari Park, and exploring North County, since I was already up there. I even went to Oceanside Harbor to see their sea lions, and I can't believe I've never explored that whole area north of the pier. So this post is short, even though I haven't really posted a diary in a couple weeks. I'm trying my best to be out living and off the laptop. I recommend the same for you. 

Stay safe out there. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, May 14-Wednesday, May 20, 2026: Holy F | St. Lucia | Emo Nite | P!NK | Daikaju | Electric Six | Ben Folds | Bob Log III & Strange Vine | Echo & The Bunnymen | Alex G | Babes In Canyon | Yumi Zouma |

Road Shadows at Palomar Observatory (5.13.26)

I tried to bust out of town this week, so listings were done on Monday. So I'm sorry if I missed anything. May is super busy...we had a great Mother's Day having a picnic at Liberty Station, my niece is coming home from college, plus lots of end of the school year stuff for lots of people in my family so things feel extra hectic, and all I wanna do is get 10 hours of sleep a night and spend my days among the animals. So yeah. But listings are done and I'm super proud. But also, the Casbah is crazy busy and we've announced like a dozen shows this week, so go take a gander and grab your tickets to some great summer shows that won't leave you bankrupt or taking out loans. 

Stay safe out there. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, May 7-Wednesday, May 13, 2026: Robert Lester Folsom | Gator By The Bay | Forester | Mrs Magician | Vincent Neil Emerson | El Ten Eleven | Avett Brothers & Mike Patton | Palmyra | Tyler Halverson |

Cousin Connie, Mama Rosie, Me, and Sister Christy at Gator 2015

Not gonna lie. I'm kinda feeling some FOMO this weekend. Back in the day, my family would all gather up our smugglers backpacks and beach chairs and head to Gator By The Bay. It was our Mother's Day tradition for many years, but that was back when comps flowed abundantly and if they didn't, tickets were like $20. We missed several years when my dad became too unhealthy to be left alone, and then one year lapse turned into two, three, four. Now we'd love to resume the tradition, and I understand the costs associated with throwing a festival of this size, but we are priced out. I hope everyone goes has a super great time and enjoys all the music, but we can't justify paying $400 for the family to just hear a couple zydeco bands. Maybe we'll just sit outside on the harbor. The cool thing is there are still plenty of other things to enjoy this weekend, from the Powwow at Balboa Park to the Viva La Musica festival at Seaworld that is included with admission. Plus, I'm gonna have to get some Darren time since he's been gone all week on his work trip. If you're planning on shows for the week, the Casbah's Thursday and Saturday shows are almost sold out, and Friday might sell out the night of the show, so get there early if you wanna pay at the door. Also, Plosivs tickets went on sale this week, and the tickets are almost gone. Grab them at the Casbah site. 

Stay safe out there. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, April 30-Wednesday, May 6, 2026: ADULT. | Thundersmack | Club Ascension 20 Year Anniversary | Beach Vacation | Crocodiles | Snail Mail | Mariachi El Bronx | Manic Hispanic | SPORTS |

I'm feeling my age these days. Whereas I usually can pull an all-nighter to get listings done, this week I had to get actual sleep and then woke up at the crack of dawn to get them done on Wednesday...which is a bit more challenging as I can get so distracted by the volume of email that pours in starting at 6am daily. But I turned on a LawCast, closed my email windows, and just got it done. I wanted to get max time at the zoo, but it actually just meant that I laid in bed for an hour and half trying to take a nap which never really came. So then Zoo and now I'm at the Casbah selling merch for King Tuff, which is always fun when he rolls through town and probably the third or fourth time I've sold for him. I have high hopes of getting to bed the second I get home because I have Thursday plans, but we'll see how that goes. I hope everyone has a really nice weekend, things seem pretty mellow at the moment and you'll get no complaints about that from me. Stay safe out there. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, April 23-Wednesday, April 29, 2026: Weird Nightmare | Matteo Lane | Book Crawl | ArtWalk | Adams Avenue Unplugged | Earth Day | Chicano Park Day | James Taylor | and more...

I'm no less exhausted today than yesterday, and I failed to plan ahead when doing these listings because I didn't realize just how many extra events were happening this weekend. So many festivals and earth day events and more. So I hope I got it all, because I did a keystroke that seems like maybe it deleted some work, but I just don't have it in me to double screen everything. Shoot me a dm if I'm missing something. In the meantime, I'll be working at Music Box on Thursday, Friday and Sunday. If I have it in me, I'm hoping to get some time in at Adams Avenue Unplugged and ArtWalk, in addition to my usual Zoo and SeaWorld time. We will see. Maybe I'll just sleep a whole lot. Whatever. It's good to be a San Diegan. And as of finishing this post, there were only 5 tickets left for Saturday night at the Casbah. Consider yourself warned. 

Stay safe out there. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. 

Rosey's Diary & Newsy Bits: SDMTS Approves Fare Increases | Parking Meters Continue To Infuriate | Citizens Outraged Over Budget Proposal | Coastal Commission Approves SeaWorld Drone Shows |

Sunset at San Elijo

I'm feeling a little discombobulated at the moment. I've been picking up some side hustle gigs, and it was tax day, and then my niece came down for a camping weekend for my sister's birthday, and in between camping nights, I took an extended trip to the alpaca ranch. I haven't been to the zoo since Thursday, which feels like a very long time for me, but I guess I needed some home time and spring cleaning and time to hang out with Darren instead of being on the go non-stop. Tonight I worked at SOMA for a couple hours, and later this week, I've got a few shows at Music Box, so I just really wanted to get this posted before I dive into this week's listings. 

I hope everyone is doing well, enjoyed the little sprinkles that dropped earlier on Tuesday night, and I'm gonna get on to the rest of my work. Stay safe out there. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, April 16-Wednesday, April 22, 2026: Twen | Pleasure Pill | Emo Nite | Olivver The Kid | Icepield | Langhorne Slim | Cypress Hill | Casbah Matinee | Kate Clover | The Pharcyde | ps goner |

Hazpaca Open Ranch is this weekend (Saturday Only)

I'm finally watching the latest season of Secret Lives of Mormon Wives on Hulu, and I know, it's so stupid and their lives are all a disaster, but what really has me fuming is the political ad that is running right now about "predatory billboard lawyers" and frivolous lawsuits. Of course, the ad is paid for by Uber, because they're pissed they continue to get sued. Darren was a driver. My friend Jeff is still a driver. But fuck if I don't hate Uber...and the "uberfication" of literally everything, from housing, to shopping, to vacation rentals. If you wanna look at where inflation really started increasing at a rapid clip, look no further than everything being sucked up by venture capitalists, gamified, and then fed back to us on Uber-like apps. It's gross. 

But we still have our independent venues selling tickets on fair ticketing platforms, so fuck-it, right? Go out to a show. Or to an Earth Day event (which will also take place next weekend). Or go meet my alpaca fam. Whatever you do, don't waste your time binging this terrible show...unless of course, it helps you zip through your work like it did for me:)

Stay safe out there. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. And Fuck Uber.

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, April 9-Wednesday, April 15, 2026: Weatherbox | FKA Twigs | Witch Face | miniaturized | Devotional | Colin Hay | SDMA Showcases | Habibi | The Messengers | Royel Otis | Dale Watson | Sutton James |

OB Cliff Walk at Sunset

Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but tac day is right around the corner, so this is kinda your last weekend to get'em done if you haven't already. I say this, obvuously, because I have not and I'm stressing. But it will all be okay, not like I'm raking in the dough over here, but I plan to spend most of the weekend relaxing, including another Orca Yoga session at SeaWorld, which is kinda the best thing ever. I should actually be celebrating tax day, because Darren got a sweet little return and is buying me a new camera, so I can get back to shooting again, which I've really only done with my phone the past couple months. Neither here nor there. 

There are obviously a ton of great shows this week and plenty of fun things to do in San Diegoto occupy our time and our brains in these crazy ass times. 

Stay safe out there. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, April 2-Wednesday, April 8, 2026: Marshall Crenshaw | Pump Action | Wallice | Schizophonics | Saintseneca | NP Festival Of Beers | Bay Faction | Elise Trouw | H8BB | DAIISTAR | Pink Turns Blue | Casualties | Years Around The Sun |

Extended San Diego Zoo Hours end on Sunday, April 4

It's Easter weekend, which as a reformed Catholic means almost nothing to me, but it's also my parents' anniversary weekend which also means we just passed the anniversary of my sister-in-law dying from breast cancer and we're coming up on the anniversary of my dad's death, which happened two weeks after her passing. It's hard to believe it's been three years for both of them, and the whirlwind that came in the months before and after both. Everything is so different, I feel like a whole lifetime of change has come in the last few years, and yet there's also so much that feels exactly the same, as time ticks on. It's probably why I've grasped so hard to spending so much time among animals at the Zoo and SeaWorld: while some have passed, new babies are born, and animals transfer, there is so much comfort in their daily routines...the zoo itself as a living breathing organism that has to wake up every day, with animals that have to be fed every day, animals that only feel the rhythm of the day, of the year, of the change in seasons, the change in guests, adapting when it's slow days or insanely busy days, but their lives in general don't really care about all the outside noise of this crazy world. Makes sense that I feel so much peace there, a calm it can be hard to find when you watch the news or exist anywhere in this mad world. 

May you all have a great weekend, see some great music, enjoy a beerfest, celebrate Easter, or Ēostre, or Pascha or just that we live in this amazing place with endless opportunities to find peace. 

Stay safe out there. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum.  

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, March 26-Wednesday, April 1, 2026: Girl In A Coma | Bad Cop Bad Cop | House of Heavy | Tiltwheel | Digable Planets | NO KINGS MARCHES | Creature Canyon | Charlie Parr | Sarah Kinsley |

I had planned to go on another camping trip with Darren and his work but the dates got pushed back and I have to work, so no camping for me after all. I'm a little disappointed, though with gas through the roof and my minor ear infection, maybe staying home in pajamas isn't the worst thing in the world. I'm currently following the Kelsey Fitzsimmons trial in Massachusetts and there's nothing that will make you distrust the cops more than any Massachusetts case, though the problems seem to be rampant everywhere. If you haven't yet watched the Afroman trial, do yourself a favor and watch the actual trial beyond just the headlines. 

As far as music goes, there are some great shows in San Diego this week, plus Tara and Dean have officially taken over the bar across the street from my house, so maybe when I feel a little better, I'll pop over to High Seas Bar for a cocktail. 

Things are crazy out in the world, stay safe out there. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. 

Rosey's Diary & Newsy Things: Outta Control Ticket Prices | Rattlesnake Season | SD Lowering Speed Limits | SDZWA Gets Lease Extension | Beware Mosquitoes |

Darren is out of town and it's so funny because I cannot remember the last time I was home alone. He's traveled before but I don't think since Toby's been in college. It's strange, even though he's often asleep when I'm up working or writing or whatever anyway. I hope he's enjoying his trip to Ocotillo and that his students stay in line. In the meantime, I am looking forward to the weekend, mostly because I have zero plans whatsoever. That is a very nice feeling, to have literally no obligations or commitments and all of San Diego to explore should we feel inclined to do so.

I've been continuing to do these diary posts, with links that catch my attention, but obviously TFG is just so outta control it would be unhealthy to even try to summarize what garbage he wreaks upon us multiple times daily...if you want that kinda content, you should be following Heather Cox Richardson or Anne P Mitchell, especially in light of our local channels being sucked up by Nexstar (though illegally, I might add, and I suspect there could be litigation on it as the State has already sued). Nonetheless, you know our local Nexstar stations were already garbage, so maybe find something else anyway. I hope to make it to some NO KINGS events this weekend, but if not, I hope everyone stays super safe out there. Have fun if baseball Opening Day is your jam. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. 

 

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, March 19-Wednesday, March 25, 2026: Liz Cooper | Marissa Nadler | Emo Nite | Radium Dolls | The White Buffalo | Alex Bergan | Bre Kennedy | Jesse Welles | Serengeti | Redd Kross | PEACHES | The Third Mind |

Denny trying to keep cool during a winter San Diego heatwave

I was fully consumed by the Kouri Richins murder case on my LawTube for the past few weeks, so after she was convicted on all counts on Monday, it felt like I needed to decompress, even though I literally have nothing at all to do with any of it. I guess that's how people feel with sportsball and their favorite teams or something, but I was definitely invested since her arrest in 2023 and following the case through all the pretrial motions to the actual jury verdict. So that said, I feel like I was in a bit of a cocoon and can reemerge, just in time for Friday's vernal equinox. 

If you've been out of your house this week, you have certainly felt the Spring Break fever in the air. It feels like the whole country is being devastated by snowstorms, tornadoes, flooding, and they've all decided to escape to San Diego. The Zoo has been packed, SeaWorld has been bananas, every store feels busy, there is no "rush hour" on our freeways as they are just constantly congested. So here's my two cents: s-l-o-w d-o-w-n. Leave earlier when you've gotta be somewhere at some specific time. Load up your phone with podcasts or music or youtube that you love and put on your headphones and just chill out. Take a bus or a cab if parking is gonna stress you out. Get your shit done early mornings or later at night, when things aren't packed to the gills. If you're traveling, incorporate the extra hours on the road, parking, and getting through airports. Almost 400 TSA agents have quit because of the government shutdown, which we are fighting because we cannot concede more money to ICE, this orchestrated and illegal war on Iran, and supporting the chaos muppet in chief. So take a breath. We live in San Diego. 

Stay safe out there. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, March 12-Wednesday, March 18, 2026: Slady | Elefante | Twin Ritual | moondaddy | Margo Price | Creepy Creeps | Fitz & The Tantrums | CRSSD | Ally Nicholas | Son Little | Nefesh Mountain |

I had to get listings done a little early this week because I can never count on my merch nights leaving me enough time to get them done and I had two this week; Rio Kosta at the Casbah and Band of Skulls at Music Box. I was happy to get them mostly done enough on Monday that I spent all of Tuesday at the Safari Park, finally checking out the new Elephant Valley. It really is a stunning space, and I got there early enough that I got to see my other favorite parts of the park, have lunch near the elephants' watering hole at some of the high-top tables, and did all the things so that I could time my afternoon tram near the end of the day. One benefit I didn't know about was that since they have the new fancy restaurant situation in Elephant Valley, it restored Kijama Lookout to a public space; the Watering Hole restaurant is now just a snack bar, which made me so very happy. I got to sit and work for awhile while looking down the Africa habitat at the 3 baby giraffe--one born Jan, one born Feb, and one supposedly born on Monday! If you're a zoo person, Spring Break hours kick in on Saturday, so the Zoo will be open until 7pm through April 5. Hopefully the Safari Park reconsiders their summer hours so people can enjoy the eles when they're at their best...the late afternoons to sunset. 

Stay safe out there. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, March 5-Wednesday, March 11, 2026: Bad Bad Hats | Gurriers | Aimee Mann | Lala Lala | SoundCheck Flix Party | Grieves | Donny Benet | NIN | RIO KOSTA | Band of Skulls | Shannon McNally |

Earlier this week, a friend of mine showed me a post from some dude who was like "it's just so hard to find things to do in San Diego, so I've made a website to do just that!" or something to that effect. Good luck, Buddy! Hope that works out for you.😂This site will turn 20 years old in November. 

It's been a nice week, I mean, if you ignore all the parts about people continuing to die in ICE custody, the US just "randomly" starting a war in Iran--then saying it's not a war, and Texas demonstrating how far Rs will go to stop people from voting. Yeah, BESIDES ALL THAT, we're in beautiful San Diego, with almost always perfect weather, and we've got lots of things to do to try and keep ourselves sane is these insane times run by sociopaths and oligarchs and pedophiles. Sheesh. It's a lot. Take care of yourself. Stay safe out there. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. 

Rosey's Diary & Newsy Bits: SDZWA Opens Elephant Valley (Don't Say His Name) + Zoo Lease Extension To Be Heard In Council on Monday | SDPD Ends Press Pass Program | Traffic Stops Down/Traffic Deaths Up | Voters Will See Controversial City Budget Items On Ballot | SeaWorld Acquires Two Female Walruses |

Kora, a new SeaWorld Walrus (Taken 3.4.26)

I decided I would get a quickie post up instead of continuing to gather news and links. I have to be real, I can't really even watch news right now. We're bombing the shit out of Iran, ICE is still out here running amok, everyone in the Epstein files is still being protected except for the actual victims, and instead of fearing what TFG is gonna do next, we have to worry about the real ones behind the puppetry who are vying to succeed him when they can't weekend-at-Bernie's him any longer. So instead, I do my days at the Zoo and Seaworld, I bought a new couch, so actually working from home is no longer miserable, Darren and I take every chance we can to drive to the mountains or desert for quick daytrips, and last week when he was sent on a work job in Ocotillo Wells, I joined the group for a night of camping, then a trip out to The Living Desert when they all had to go back to their project. So yeah, things can be good and amazing and then all around terrible at the same time, so I'm just trying to focus on the good and keep my head above water. I hope you can do the same. 

Stay safe out there. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, February 26-Wednesday, March 4, 2026: Night Blooms | Violent Femmes | Makeout Reef | Matt Pryor | Band Argument | A Wilhelm Scream | Yellow Days | Cochemea | Allie Paige | Sturdivant | Indigo De Souza |

I'm beat. I just got home from a quick camping trip in the desert. I was not planning on 90+ degrees in February, but Darren was going for work, so I met up with his group for camping, then went my own way on Wednesday to hit The Living Desert, which sadly got rid of their reciprocal membership pricing, meaning it might be a long time before I go back even though it's a lovely place. So yeah, I'm wiped out. Van camping in the desert ain't for everyone, though I was impressed by the seemingly random campsite where we stayed which had clean bathrooms and showers and was free to stay. 

So while I go get some sleep, note that the San Diego Music Award nominees have been announced. The awards take place on May 6th at Humphrey's and you can get tickets here. Showcases are also being announced, but weren't yet posted when I put these listings together earlier this week.  

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, February 19-Wednesday, February 25, 2026: Benefit for Soda Bar Dave | Sudan Archives | Cold Cave | rum.gold | Rebirth Brass Band | Steve Poltz | Tim Lowman Celebration of Life | SDMA Nominee Announcement Show | Noeline Hoffman |

There's so much to pack in this week and weekend, no matter what the weather may bring, but I thought I'd highlight the benefit for Dave Castaneda at Soda Bar on Thursday night. Times of San Diego did a nice little article about it, but Dave's been a good friend for a long time, and though I'll be working at Music Box, if you can make it out to support this benefit, I know he'll be super appreciative. He is fine, by the way, but his apartment with all of his things in it, flooded and was condemned, leaving all of his possessions inaccessible. 

This weekend is also the public Celebration of Life for Tim Lowman on Sunday at the Bali Hai. If you plan on attending, please RSVP first so they can have some estimate of how many guests to expect. Please also mind the schedule: Doors will open at 3:00 PM, allowing time for guests to arrive, connect, and spend time together. Formal programming—including remarks, tributes, and special moments of remembrance—will begin at 4:30 PM. 

Additionally, there's a bunch of Lunar New Year events, it's Hazpaca Open Ranch, and there is probably gonna be some snow in the local and near mountains. 

I've got lots of stuff on the agenda, but still hope to take in some more Winter Olympics at home with MY NEW COUCH! which finally arrived after waiting for it all day Wednesday. I love it, I'm so happy with my purchase, it's changed my whole work vibe on the couch. 

Stay safe out there...flu is on the rise so get your vax if you haven't already!! Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. 

Rosey's Diary & Newsy Things: San Diego Chases Bad Ideas With Worse | Paid Parking Installed Along ECB, Adams, More | Will Our Police Protect Us From ICE? | Rady's Gender Clinic Must Continue Care |

I mentioned that I had a pretty great week last week. After seeing Dan Mangan and Israel Nebeker (Blind Pilot) at Soda Bar on Sunday, I couldn't get their songs out of my head, which gave me the perfect excuse to go to LA. When it was raining on Wednesday morning, I thought it a great sign to drive up to spend the day at the LA Zoo, figuring the rain would drive down crowds. I was correct in my assessment and had an amazing day with the orangutans and chimps, and a little bit of time with the gorillas, too, but they spend most of their time along the rear wall of their habitat, so I didn't stay long. After the zoo closed, I freshened up and changed and made my way to Moroccan Lounge for the show, which was extra magical and my first time at that venue. You can read all the rest, after the jump. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, February 12-Wednesday, February 18, 2026: Blackwater Holylight | ALO | Los Yesterdays | The Loons | Squirrel Nut Zippers | DENM | Heartbreaker's Ball | Valentine's Day | Mardi Gras | Cat Power |

Another edition of Rosey gets a wild hair. I spent the rainy morning of Wednesday driving to LA to spend the day at the zoo, and now find myself writing this from The Moroccan Lounge to see Dan Mangan and Israel Nebeker again. Their show on Sunday at Soda Bar was incredible and I knew there was a good chance I could just grab a ticket at the door. I don't exactly have a plan after... drive home, grab a hotel, sleep in the van and maybe return to the Zoo on Thursday... all up in the air. 

It was a good week... Darren and I made a rare appearance out for Shame at the Casbah (thanks to sddi reader Bill for the drinks!) I got to spend plenty of time between Seaworld and San Diego Zoo... in fact we watched the Bad Bunny Bowl at High Tide Brewery at Seaworld among an international representation of  Bad Bunny fans, which was pretty incredible. Then like I said, I went to Soda Bar to round out the weekend.  Not gonna lie, my body wanted to quit on me until I refreshed with more sleep in a day than I usually clock in a whole week. And so here we are. I hope everyone has a really great week... lots of fun shows to catch along with Mardi Gras and Lunar New Year events. 

Stay safe out there. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum.

I'll reformat in the morning. (As I reformat, I'll tell you I opted for sleeping in my van and then hitting Griffith Observatory as soon as the road and bathrooms opened at 5am in the morning. Super cool. I can't believe I've never been up here before. But now I'm gonna get a little more sleep before the sun makes that impossible in my van. It's kind of insane how fast people drive on the road to get up here!)

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, February 5-Wednesday, February 11, 2026: shame | Cayucas | Stephen Brodsky | Fat, Evil Children | Say She She | Emo Night Karoake | Styletones | Rural Alberta Advantage | Dan Mangan & Israel Nebeker |

New Lionfish at Seaworld in the Bay Aquarium

The passage of time these days seems to be marked by whatever fucked up crazy thing this administration will do next or finding out another friend has passed. While we lost constant contact, there was a time when Nick BK and I spoke on the phone every day. He seemed to be doing well and I don't know the circumstances of his passing, but my condolences to his friends, of which he had many. 

I have been so busy this week, which I seem to only make worse for myself with my horrible sleep patterns and my inability to focus on one goal or task at a time, so I think of 800 things I need to do and brilliant ideas between the hours of 11pm and 5am, and by the time I could actually do or execute anything, I'm trying to listen to some rando sleep hypnosis video on YouTube. So, we'll see where I land, but I'm hoping to go to the shame show on Thursday, I'll be working for Rural Alberta Advantage on Saturday, and then probably watching the game on Sunday since Darren has made us a Bad Bunny loving household, and then Soda Bar has an amazing show that night with Dan Mangan and Israel Nebeker which I hope to catch. 

So yeah, the wheels keep on turning, TFG isn't dead yet, and everything is awesome and sucks all at the same time. Touch grass, go see the sea lion colony in La Jolla, watch the whales migrating, marvel at the new Lionfish at Seaworld, or sit with orangutans and gorillas at the Zoo. Our time is limited. Stay safe out there. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, January 29-Wednesday, February 4, 2026: The Album Leaf | Snooper | Mayrig | The Antlers | Tropical Fuck Storm | JD Simo | Andy Frasco | The Black Heart Procession | Triptides |

Axolotl at Sea World (taken 1.28.26) 

Man, I got so fired up about San Diego politics today, that I almost forgot I actually have to finish off my listings with a little verbal vomit and actually hit publish. So here's the news: the San Diego City Council Rules Committee didn't move to council items repealing paid parking on Sundays in Balboa Park (though Raul Campillo tried to expand the repeal to ALL DAYS-- way to go, My Guy!) nor did they move the tax on STRP and empty whole-homes. What a bunch of spineless creeps. Then today I got home to a letter that they're adding 2 and 4 hour parking meters in Normal Heights, Talmadge-Kensington, and City Heights that will be active 8am-8pm. WHAT THE ACTUAL? You guys. Don't believe what your own eyes are seeing. While in Chicago, practically everything was paid parking, but there was COMPETITION, three competing apps that you could choose spots by proximity and price, and all the housing had parking garage options. TG wants this to be a big City, but can't get out of his own way to make it worthy. So yeah. I'm grumpy. As if everything across the country isn't already rage-inducing, we have our own City turning against us. Which is actually hilarious if you recall the article that Todd's own security detail was chaufferring him around and parking in red zones. The hypocrisy is staggering. 

Get out and enjoy some music. Parking on Kettner by the Casbah is still free, for now, and you can park in yellow spots after 6. 

Stay safe out there. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum.  

Rosey's Diary & Newsy Things: How's PAID PARKING going? NOT FUCKING WELL. | SD Identifies Most Dangerous Intersections | Keep Waymo Out Of San Diego | ICE Murders Need To Stop |

Maned Wolf Cora and a pup (Taken 1.23.26)

In case you missed it while you were trying to celebrate the New Year, the CDC switched up vaccine schedules for infants, children, and adolescents, and in case you missed it, because you were watching ICE attack, beat, shoot, and kill unarmed people, the County and other counties and the State of California all clapped back. 

It's crazy that I wrote the above maybe two weeks ago, and now we have another murder by ICE and the country is reeling, but there are rumors on the internet that they are being pulled back from Minneapolis under immense public pressure (and everyone seeing with their own eyes what happened), so hopefully that's true...though if they're just getting reshuffled and redeployed to other municipalities, including here in San Diego, we need to be ready. I know there's a lot of news happening and I just don't have it in me to collect all the many links of all the terrible things, but I need to get this one up before I get around to listings this week, so click away as you see fit. Or just watch a murder trial on YouTube, because while murder is vile and disturbing, somehow watching a trial can be an escape from all of the really fucking awful things happening around us. 

Stay safe out there. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, January 22-Wednesday, January 28, 2026: Pinback | JMSN | Monster Rally | Shannon Shaw | Wand | Inspector | Steve Gunn | The Dimes | Madison Cunningham | Hannah Juanita |

Dinner at Pizano's in Chicago on 1.17.26

I mentioned I was going on a trip. So now I'm back from Chicago, still will my unpacked bag and piles of the stuff I wanted to take but had to cull from the load. As it is, I ended up buying a new suitcase while I was there because a backpack and a tote are just not big enough to carry enough clothes to stay warm in 8°. If you watched the sportsball game on Sunday, you saw how cold it was. We stayed about 2 miles from the stadium. I went with my mom, my sister, and my nieces, and while a super fun trip, I don't really get a lot of say when they booked and covered our flights, rental car, and accommodations, but at least this time we got some deep dish, and we found a little market that had some nice local beer selections, so we had fun getting buzzed in the room. My uncle drove out from South Bend and stayed with us Saturday, then we all caravanned on Sunday to meet one of my cousin's for dinner before the snow picked up and got back in time to watch the 2nd half. On Monday, we had to check out and we decided to leave our luggage at the hotel until our evening flight, so that's when I made the call that I would bail from the group while they went shopping and to lunch, and instead walked along the frigid Lake Michigan from our hotel to the Lincoln Park Zoo. I'm so glad I did. Everyone told me it was small and made it sound horrifying, but I thought it was beautiful and offered quiet and peaceful spaces for the animals when it's beyond freezing outside. I spent most of my time with the two gorilla troops and the chimps, but did venture to other parts of the zoo briefly. With their indoor habitats, it was definitely better than going in and out of overheated stores to the freezing outside on repeat. I hope to get back there again. 

In the meantime, I haven't fully caught up with life, but I was able to blast out the listings for the week. 

Stay safe (and warm) out there. There are far too many credible reports that the Not-Sees of ICE are surging in San Diego this week and going forward. Please be safe, watch out for your neighbors, and ALWAYS bear witness by FILMING HORIZONTAL if you see something unlawful, unjust, or uncomfortable. Know your rights. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, January 15-Wednesday, January 21, 2026: Lion Cut | Emo Nite | Braxton Cook | Leavers | Mariachi El Bronx | Eric Hutchinson | Hauntu | City Of The Sun | Pinback | Fuzz |

Maned Wolf (first-time mom) Cora Carries one of her three pups in her mouth to orient it to the habitat at San Diego Zoo. (1.12.26)

I'm a little glad it's a bit of the slow time of year because listings don't take me quite as long these days so I have more time to read all the things about how paid parking at Balboa Park is backfiring spectacularly (as I said it would in three separate City Council meetings), more time to watch all my LawTube which seems to be exploding with cases...turns out I'm super fascinated (and terrified) by government and police corruption, insecure men who can't handle their feelings and m* their intimate partners, and the intersection of those two. I went to Seaworld last weekend for Inside Look and if you have an annual pass, I encourage you to take advantage this weekend. It's my favorite SW weekend of the year, as you get behind the scenes keeper talks, you can watch an Orca training session, and just get to see all the animal husbandry stuff that is normally hidden from view. I won't be able to go again, however, because I have a short little jaunt that I'll tell you all about next time you hear from me. Until then, stay super safe out there. Shit its bonkers. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, January 8-Wednesday, January 14, 2025: Bowie Birthday | Band Argument | Laser Disco Drum Orgy | RJD2 | Adolescents | Weatherbox | Jim Ward | The Dimes | Odessa Kane |

Now that the kid is back in school and Darren is back at work, I thought I'd be chillin hard at home alone. But I thought wrong. The ADUs being constructed next door are almost done, but their crew shows up at 6:30 every morning and by 7 is in full blown construction noise along with the project manager parking his monster truck and blaring the radio to the construction site...like 12 feet from my pillow. So I've been trying to go to bed earlier so I can handle the early wakeups. On Tuesday, I was up so early I decided I would just drive to LA to get to the zoo before they opened. Wednesday I was up early again and went to Cabrillo Monument before going to the zoo. Now it's approaching 1am and I think I might actually be tired enough to sleep and listings are done before 4am. 

The whole world is going fucking insane right now, We are seriously living in Gilead. Find something that brings you joy. For me, it was seeing those baby apes in LA. Maybe I'll hit the free Bowie party on Thursday night at the Casbah. Find joy wherever you can. 

Stay safe out there. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Friday, January 2-Wednesday, January 7, 2026: Starcrawler & Plague Vendor | Java Joes Reunion Show | Swami Sound System | Poncho Sanchez | The Devastators | Duran Duran | Back To The Garden |

So I didn't post listings on Thursday since I'd included it on last week's events. And then I went to the Zoo bright and shiny in the morning on New Year's Day for several hours, then I went home and coerced Darren and Toby to stack in the van to go to Seaworld so we could watch the Holiday Bowl Marching Bands and Cheer Squads in a little band battle. It was the cutest nerdiest thing and we loved it. After it ended, we stayed at the park for a couple more hours and then I was wiped out, so I slept. But I knew I had work to do, so I prioritized my work newsletter before getting to the listings, even though I usually publish these earlier. Whatever. So I'm an hour late. I gotta be honest, I was tempted to make 2026 the year I just throw in the towel and stop listings altogether...there are so many other places to find such things nowadays, but I guess my need-to-know won out and so this week, we carry on. 

For anyone wondering, I've been told that there are two memorials for Tim Lowman being coordinated with his family, so hang tight and give a minute for everyone to take a breath...it was a devastating way to end 2025 and dampened any kind of celebratory yearning for hope going into 2026. So let's all take a breath. We can mourn the losses and hardships of 2025, while also trying to appreciate what we have and find all the reasons to put one foot in front of the other as we move into 2026. 

I love you all. Stay safe out there. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum.