Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, August 20-Wednesday, August 26, 2026: The Midnight Pine Farewell Show | Morricone Youth | Cheekface | Jejune | The Film Company | The Breeders | IV and the Strange Band | Wayne Hancock |

I'm on my roadtrip and am doing my best to stay offline, so if any venues updated, I won't get it in here until later. I'm presently in Morro Bay and just extended for one more day because I liked the first site I stayed at so much and I'd rather camp with a reservation than take my chances in Monterey at the site with no reservations. Anyway, hope San Diego is doing okay without me though I hear there's been no relief in the heat, so hope you're hanging in there. I'm gonna publish early because the phone app won't let me schedule for the morning. See you all soon. 

Thursday, August 20, 2026:

• Sweet Myths, Someday Bloom, Elixir @ Casbah
• Rio Kosta, dejavu @ Music Box
• The Asteroid No. 4, The Meeting Places, Sparkler @ Soda Bar
• The Pine Mountain Logs @ Belly Up
• Little Stranger, Tropidelic, JARV, Damn Skippy @ The Sound
• Tucker Wetmore: The Brunette World Tour, William Beckmann, Stella Lefty @ Gallagher Square, Petco Park
• Gilbert Castellanos & The New Latin Jazz Sextet @ Lou Lou's Jungle Room, Lafayette Hotel (Ticketed Supperclub Event | 21+| 7pm | 9pm)
• Vamp @ Ken Club
• Tim Edwards (Farm Truck) @ Grand Ole BBQ, Flinn Springs
• Lastima, Fainting Dreams, D. Wrex, Breadth @ Banshee Bar
• Jeff Dewine & Friends: Mini Market @ The Holding Company
• The Back Alley Trio @ McGuffie's Live
• REVERB @ EQ 
• Mad Hat Hucksters @ Panama 66
• DJ Mitchum Yacoub of Bambu Sound Exchange/All-Town Sound @ Whistle Stop
• Mason Duke @ Winston's (8:30pm)
• Drivin’ the Bus @ Humphrey's Backstage Live
• Just Laughing, Some Gifts, Manical Laugh @ Tower Bar
• ImprovCon @ Town and Country Resort
• Broadway San Diego presents Water for Elephants @ Civic Theatre (7:30pm)
• Much Ado About Nothing @ The Old Globe (8pm) 
• We Will Rock You @ New Village Arts (7:30pm)
• Guys and Dolls @ Moonlight Amphitheatre (8pm)
• Scapin @ North Coast Rep Theatre (7pm)
• American Rhythm @ Lambs Players at Coronado Resident Theatre (7pm)
• The Family Album @ La Jolla Playhouse (7:30pm)
• LJMS Summerfest: Open Rehearsal: Tchaikovsky's Souvenir de Florence @ Baker-Baum Concert Hall, The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center (2pm | Free with RSVP)
• The Young Dubliners @ California Center for the Arts, Escondido
• Acoustic Sunsets @ Cannonball, Belmont Park
• Honey Bees @ Tio Leo's
• Headroom Collective Listening Session @ SPIN (7-9pm)
• Transcensions: AKV @ SPIN (9pm)
• Circasonic @ Coyote Bar & Grill, Carlsbad
• Lefty Martin @ Mr. Peabody's
• Happy Hour & Trivia Night @ Winston's (6:30pm)
• Victoria Robertson @ Grand Lobby, Westgate Hotel
• Aztec Open Mic @ Aztec Brewing Company, Vista (Doors/Signups 5pm | Featured Artist 6pm)
• Wine Down & Jazz Out @ Mixed Grounds Coffee (6-10pm)
• Meet John Doe (1941) | Flicks on the Bricks @ La Jolla Athenaeum Music & Arts Library
• Karaoke @ Luau Bar
• Karaoke @ 710 Beach Club

Friday, August 21, 2026:

• The Midnight Pine (Farewell Show), The Color Forty Nine @ Music Box
• Emo Nite @ Casbah
• Los Tranquilos, Burgundy Blues, Los Paisanos @ Soda Bar
• Billy Nation: Never Die Young - A James Taylor Show @ Belly Up
• J.B. Smoove @ The Sound (Seated Comedy Show)
• Morricone Youth: Live score of Rene Laloux's 1973 Czech/French sci-fi animated classic "La Planete Sauvage" (aka Fantastic Planet) @ Golden Ghost (624 Broadway, downtown San Diego | Doors 7:30/show 8:30 | Limited Seating)
• The Mustache Bash Family Band @ Lou Lou's Jungle Room, Lafayette Hotel (Ticketed Event | 21+| 8pm)
• PawPaw Rod: Picture Day Tour, Casper Sage @ SOMA Sidestage
• Mochilero @ Panama 66
• International Pop Overthrow: Mess of Fun, Ralph Covert, Scott Samuels & Friends, Tamar Berk, Hector Penalosa, Super Buffet @ Black Cat Bar
• Human Future presents: Axe Collector, Animated Violence, Blinding Glow @ Banshee Bar
• The Crotches, Let Me Downs, Corporate Citizen @ Tower Bar
• Sean Jones/Billy Childs/Ben Williams | Farrell Family Athenaeum Jazz @ La Jolla Athenaeum Music & Arts Library
• Josh Moore & His Quartet | The music of Chick Corea @ Dizzy's
• Atomic Groove @ Belly Up (Happy Hours 5-8pm)
• Switchback Railway @ Grand Ole BBQ, Flinn Springs
• Ash Easton @ Moonshine Flats 
• Ikana, boygrim, A Different Kind of Giant, Sloane @ Voodoo Room, House of Blues
• Flow State @ Aztec Brewing Company, Vista
• Kenny Eng & Rob Deez @ The Rabbit Hole
• Elote (Tribute to Korn), The Linkin Park Experience, Self Esteem (Tribute to The Offspring), Jane's Addicted @ House of Blues
• Baseball: San Diego Padres vs. Minnesota Twins @ Petco Park (6:40pm)
• Nat at Night @ San Diego Natural History Museum (5-11pm | 1/2 Price Museum Admission | Concessions | Cash Bar | Family-Friendly | Parking free after 6pm in Balboa Park Lots)
• ImprovCon @ Town and Country Resort
• Broadway San Diego presents Water for Elephants @ Civic Theatre (8pm)
• Cyrano @ The Old Globe (7pm)
• Much Ado About Nothing @ The Old Globe (8pm) 
• Guys and Dolls @ Moonlight Amphitheatre (8pm)
• American Rhythm @ Lambs Players at Coronado Resident Theatre (7pm)
• The Family Album @ La Jolla Playhouse (7:30pm)
• We Will Rock You @ New Village Arts (7:30pm)
• City Ballet of San Diego: Expressions of Magic In The Moonlight: Serenade @ UCSD Epstein Family Amphitheatre
• LJMS Summerfest: Musical Prelude with Prometheus Quartet @ Baker-Baum Concert Hall, The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center (6pm | Free with RSVP)
• LJMS Summerfest: SummerFest at 40! @ Baker-Baum Concert Hall, The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center (7pm)
• Broken Hearts: Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers @ Winston's 
• The Wild$ide Band @ Tio Leo's
• Brian Jones Rock’n’ Roll Revival @ Humphrey's Backstage Live (5pm)
• Groove Therapy @ Humphrey's Backstage Live (8pm)
• Sonic Moonshine, Copy Cat Killers @ McGuffie's Live 
• F#!KIN’ IN THE BUSHES @ Whistle Stop (9pm)
• Friday Happy Hour w/ DJ Shoeshine @ Whistle Stop (5-8pm)
• Bad Rabbit @ Fast Times 
• The Evidence Band @ Coyote Bar & Grill, Carlsbad
• Joshua White Presents: The Music of Daniel Jackson (PART I) @ The Jazz Lounge
• Jonathan Ford @ 5 o’clock Somewhere Bar, Margaritaville Hotel (7pm)
• Sean McCole @ LandShark Bar & Grill, Margaritaville Hotel (4pm)
• Heartland Country @ Renegade Country
• The Quickies @ Mr. Peabody's
• Ron Houston & The Berry Pickers @ Riviera Supper Club
• CRSSD presents Mindchatter (DJ Set) @ EQ
• LED presents Nitefreak @ SPIN (9pm)
• Bingo Loco @ Quartyard 
• DJ Danny @ Lobby Bar, Sycuan Casino Resort (10:30pm-1:15am) 
• Jason Hanna @ Bull & Bourbon, Sycuan Casino Resort (5–8pm) 
• DJ Cros One @ Retreat Pool, Sycuan Casino Resort (3-7pm)
• Open Mic Fridays @ Pop Up Winona (El Cajon Blvd @ Winona)
• Vinyl Slices @ Blind Lady Ale House
• Flashback Fridays with Junior theDISCOpunk @ Mo's
• Karaoke with Corey Glasper @ Winston's (9:30pm)
• Karaoke @ Luau Bar
• Mikan Zlatkovich @ Grand Lobby, Westgate Hotel
• The Groove Line - 619 Gurlz | Vinyl Open Tables | Dj Speedy & Rosas @ Mixed Grounds Coffee (6-10pm)
• Two Friends @ NOVA
• Kiki @ Moonshine Beach 
• DJ Gary B & DJ Treflip @ Coyote Bar & Grill, Carlsbad
• HP and the Sorcerer's Stone™ in Concert @ The Shell
• Masters of Illusion @ Live and Up Close, Sycuan Casino Resort

Saturday, August 22, 2026:

• Cheekface, Catbite @ Casbah 
• Born At Midnite, Paycheque @ Soda Bar
• kublaii, Postcards For Sympathy, Alex Bergan @ The Holding Company (1-4:30pm)
• Tainted Love, DJ Organic Hispanic @ Belly Up  
• The Commodores & The Spinners @ Heritage Event Center, Sycuan Casino Resort
• DJ Quik, Suga Free @ The Observatory 
• The Soto Six plays the Music of Jeff Lorber @ Dizzy's
• Paul Pigat @ Museum of Making Music
• Egg Records: Ian Curtis, The Egg Factory, Paint Thinner, Loose, Lyon X Faeth, Dj Nalla @ Ken Club
• Montalban Quintet @ Panama 66
• Mad Hunny, Beth and the Baysides, The Microblades, Girls Got Nerve, Khymera, Trial Endeavor @ SOMA Sidestage
• 2000s Night @ Music Box
• Booty Bassment w/DJ Dimitri, Rob Moran, and Guests @ Whistle Stop
• Summer Spectacular Concert Series with Uncle Kracker |Bayside Bands, Brews & BBQ Festival @ Bayfront Amphitheatre, SeaWorld (Free with Admission | Reserved Tickets Available | 6pm)
• International Pop Overthrow: Suite 100, True Stories, Michael Culhane, The Colour Monday, Courtney McKenna, The Rightovers, The Glimmer Stars @ Black Cat Bar
• @ Pour House (5-8pm) 
• "Nina's Breast Cancer Benefit" Come together for a day of live music, raffles & community while helping Nina & her family through the fight <3 @ Pour House (12-8pm) 
• Sandollar (Album Release Party), Seapoodle, Selekta Dubstin & Live Art by Krystal Dyer | Hosted by Ras I One & Ras Mike @ The Holding Company 
• Aztec Open Mic Matinee @ Aztec Brewing Company, Vista (1:30-5pm)
• The Brass Cats @ Aztec Brewing Company, Vista (7-10pm)
• Deke Dickerson And The Whippersnapper @ Grand Ole BBQ, Flinn Springs (2-4pm)
• Lady Dottie And The Diamonds @ Grand Ole BBQ, Flinn Springs (5-8pm)
• Bleach: 30 Year Anniversary, MorZan, Watashi Wa, Hopeful. @ House of Blues
• Raq baby Presents - Robert Johnson Tour @ Voodoo Room, House of Blues
  
• Los Tortugas @ The Rabbit Hole
• Soul and Reggae with DJ B.B. Ruffins, Mr. E.N., Chango Rey 4 pm @ Tower Bar (4-8pm)
• Pacific Ocean Relics @ Tower Bar (8pm)
• Que Rico Es Ser Latino @ Quartyard (4-9pm)
• Ash Easton @ Moonshine Flats 
• Custard Pie @ Mr. Peabody's
• Soccer:  San Diego FC vs. Colorado Rapids | Native American Heritage Night | Fan Giveaway @ Snapdragon Stadium
• Baseball: San Diego Padres vs. Minnesota Twins @ Petco Park (5:40pm)
• Marcus Garvey Day feat Dezarie @ WorldBeat Center
• Concerts By Candlelight: Coldplay and Imagine Dragons @ Mt. Helix Park (8pm)
• ImprovCon @ Town and Country Resort
• Broadway San Diego presents Water for Elephants @ Civic Theatre (2pm & 8pm)
• Cyrano @ The Old Globe (2pm & 8pm)
• Much Ado About Nothing @ The Old Globe (8pm) 
• Guys and Dolls @ Moonlight Amphitheatre (8pm)
• Scapin @ North Coast Rep Theatre (2pm | 8pm)
• American Rhythm @ Lambs Players at Coronado Resident Theatre (2pm | 7pm)
• The Family Album @ La Jolla Playhouse (2pm & 8pm)
• We Will Rock You @ New Village Arts (2pm & 7:30pm)
• City Ballet of San Diego: Expressions of Magic In The Moonlight: Serenade @ UCSD Epstein Family Amphitheatre
• LJMS Summerfest: Open Rehearsal: Elgar's Piano Quintet in A Minor, Op. 84 @ Baker-Baum Concert Hall, The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center (10:30am | Free with RSVP)
• LJMS Summerfest Gala @ Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (5:30pm)
• Just In Case, Spin the Heavens, Home by Five @ Winston's (4pm) 
• Shakedown String Band @ Winston's (9pm) 
• Betamaxx @ Tio Leo's
• Manzanita Blues Band @ Humphrey's Backstage Live (5pm)
• Groove Squad @ Humphrey's Backstage Live (8pm)
• Hazmatt, Beta 7, Natty Prophets @ McGuffie's Live 
• Ristband @ Fast Times 
• Mia & The Dad Bods @ Coyote Bar & Grill, Carlsbad (1-4:30pm)
• Totally 80s Band @ Coyote Bar & Grill, Carlsbad (6-10pm)
• DJ Mari @ 5 o’clock Somewhere Bar, Margaritaville Hotel (7pm)
• Babylon Rockers @ LandShark Bar & Grill, Margaritaville Hotel (10am)
• Jackson Wagner @ LandShark Bar & Grill, Margaritaville Hotel (4pm)
• Big City Hillbillies @ Renegade Country
• Croondog, Sonafire @ 710 Beach Club
• Zb Savot & Friends @ Riviera Supper Club
• Puro Feeling @ Lobby Bar, Sycuan Casino Resort (3:30-7:30pm) 
• Trey Hill @ Lobby Bar, Sycuan Casino Resort (9pm-1am) 
• Fre3sty13 @ Bull & Bourbon, Sycuan Casino Resort (5–8pm) 
• DJ Josh Lee @ Retreat Pool, Sycuan Casino Resort (Noon-4pm)
• Classic Journey Tribute @ Ramona Mainstage
• Sacha Boutros @ The Jazz Lounge
• Vinyl Slices @ Blind Lady Ale House
• Karaoke @ Luau Bar
• Jazz on the Terrace @ Fountain Terrace, Westgate Hotel 
  
• Mixed Grounds Summer Market | Dj Teewalkaa @ Mixed Grounds Coffee (10am-3pm)
• Ditch Day Community Event | Film & Music @ Mixed Grounds Coffee (6-10pm)
• Real Hypha @ Moonshine Beach 
• DJ J-Stylez @ Coyote Bar & Grill, Carlsbad
• Beginner Swing Classes with Mercedes Moore @ California Center for the Arts, Escondido (2pm)
• Fit Yoga @ The Shell (Free, RSVP Required, 9:30am) 
• HP and the Sorcerer's Stone™ in Concert @ The Shell
  

Sunday, August 23, 2026:

• Morricone Youth, The Nephews @ Casbah
• Jejune @ Quartyard (SOLD OUT)
• The Film Company, Axxident, Sun Jelly @ Soda Bar
• WITCH (W.I.T.C.H.), Brainstory @ Belly Up 
• Toad The Wet Sprocket, Steve Poltz @ Humphrey's Concerts By The Bay
• Jeff Goldblum & The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra with the San Diego Symphony Orchestra @ The Shell
• Hulvey 'Could Be Tonight' Tour, Kijan Boone, indie tribe @ The Observatory 
• Whitney Shay @ Panama 66
• ElectricLouieLand presents Changüí Loüíe @ Lou Lou's Jungle Room, Lafayette Hotel (Complimentary Entry | 21+ | No Reservation Required | 7pm)
• Marcia Forman Band /// Jazz & Swing @ Whistle Stop (Free | 4pm)
• The Punk Chef Presents: Subversive Intent, Saint Didacus, Mad Peaceful, Ursula @ Banshee Bar
• Pants Karaoke!! @ Ken Club
• Echo Chamber, DJ Bloodline @ Tower Bar
• Omar Courtz: Por Si Mañana No Estoy USA Tour @ Viejas Arena 
• The Train Times | Ashlxn | Black Cat Coalition @ The Heart OB (Humble Heart| 4873 Newport Ave | OB)
• Anees: The Lucky Duck Tour @ Moonshine Beach 
• Baseball: San Diego Padres vs. Minnesota Twins |  Kids Giveaway: Ruff Plush Keychain @ Petco Park (1:10pm)
• Concerts By Candlelight: Tribute to Fleetwood Mac @ Hotel del Coronado - Crown Room (6:15pm)
• ImprovCon @ Town and Country Resort
• Broadway San Diego presents Water for Elephants @ Civic Theatre (1pm & 6:30pm)
• Cyrano @ The Old Globe (2pm)
• Much Ado About Nothing @ The Old Globe (8pm) 
• Guys and Dolls @ Moonlight Amphitheatre (8pm)
• Scapin @ North Coast Rep Theatre (2pm)
• American Rhythm @ Lambs Players at Coronado Resident Theatre (2pm)
• The Family Album @ La Jolla Playhouse (1pm & 7pm)
• We Will Rock You | Artist Talkback @ New Village Arts (2pm)
• LJMS Summerfest: Old Country, New Age @ Baker-Baum Concert Hall, The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center (3pm)
• Sunday Night Jazz | Tio's Yearly Duo-rama @ Tio Leo's (5-7pm | All Ages | No Cover) 
• Soundivision, Thread The Lariat, Don, Great Demise @ The Holding Company
• Raney Evans Raney @ Grand Ole BBQ, Flinn Springs (2-5pm)
• Super Buffet, T.B.D. @ McGuffie's Live
• The Buckleys @ Coyote Bar & Grill, Carlsbad (1-4:30pm)
• A Leonard Patton Birthday Celebration Concert @ The Jazz Lounge
• DJ Qenoe @ 5 o’clock Somewhere Bar, Margaritaville Hotel (11:30am)
• Dylan’s Steel Drum Duo @ LandShark Bar & Grill, Margaritaville Hotel (10am)
• Concert in the Park @ Spreckels Organ Pavilion (2pm, Free)
• Sunday Night Jazz Jam @ Mr. Peabody's (6pm)
• Wondergate: Oliver Koletzki @ SPIN (3-9pm)
• High Noon Grateful Dead Party (12pm-Sunset) @ Aquarius Bar & Grille
• Pocket Change @ Humphrey's Backstage Live (8pm)
• Street Heart @ Fast Times 
• Tim Ford @ Lobby Bar, Sycuan Casino Resort (10am-12pm) 
• Psydecar @ Lobby Bar, Sycuan Casino Resort (1-5pm) 
• Reggae Sunday: Ginger Roots & The Protectors, DJ Dom King @ Retreat Pool, Sycuan Casino Resort (12-4pm)
• O.B.-o-ke @ Winston's (8pm)
• Karaoke @ Neon Moon
• Karaoke @ 710 Beach Club
• Sunday Delight | Dj Lesteezy & Friends @ Mixed Grounds Coffee (11:30am-3:30pm)
• An Evening with MandoBasso @ New Village Arts (7:30pm)
  
• Bingo Day @ McGuffie's Live (2pm)
• Summer Series: Cars & Coffee @ Frontwave Arena (FREE | All Ages | 8-11am)
• Concerts By Candlelight: Tribute to MJ @ Hotel del Coronado - Crown Room (8:30pm)
  

Monday, August 24, 2026:

• watermedown, Desire 4, Seal Club @ Soda Bar
• Electric Waste Band @ Winston's 
• 38th Annual San Diego International Summer Organ Festival @ Spreckels Organ Pavilion (Free | 7:30pm)
• Shanti Vibrations Solo Acoustic @ Humphrey's Backstage Live
• Baseball: San Diego Padres vs. Pittsburgh Pirates| Giveaway: Merrill Robbery Bobblehead @ Petco Park (6:40pm)
• LJMS Summerfest: Listening Lounge: Vaughan Williams @ The Atkinson Room, The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center (1pm | Free with RSVP)
• Tim Flannery, guitar & vocals @ La Jolla Athenaeum Music & Arts Library (12pm | Free Mini-Concert)
• Metal Command - All Metal. All vinyl. Free! @ Tower Bar
• Gawshock, Kan Kan, Herr God, Boy with Ashes @ Banshee Bar 
• DJ Mikey Beats | Industry Monday @ Retreat Pool, Sycuan Casino Resort (12-4pm)
• Blue Monday with DJ Camilla Robina, Faux Velvet @ EQ 
• Open Mic with Jay Cain @ Mr. Peabody's
• Monday Blues & Rock Jam @ Aztec Brewery, Vista
• Blues Jam @ McGuffie's Live (8pm | No Cover)
• Open Decks @ 710 Beach Club
• Karaoke (8-11pm) @ Pour House 
• Karaoke @ Coyote Bar & Grill, Carlsbad
• Hollywood Stars of Magic at the Village @ New Village Arts (7pm)
• Trivia Night w/Kyle @ Pour House 

Tuesday, August 25, 2026:

• The Breeders, Twisted Teens @ The Sound
• IV and the Strange Band: Oddballs and Outlaws Tour, Clownvis, Rip Carson @ Casbah
• Wayne Hancock, The Doohickeys @ Soda Bar
• earlier: DJ Senzø • DJ Mr. Bold • DJ KOKO | a dance party that happens earlier @ Belly Up (6:30pm)
• Soul Persuaders @ Tio Leo's
• The Long View Band @ Humphrey's Backstage Live
• Baseball: San Diego Padres vs. Pittsburgh Pirates @ Petco Park (6:40pm)
• Much Ado About Nothing @ The Old Globe (7:30pm) 
• LJMS Summerfest: Encounter: Fellowship Artist Spotlight II with Cellist Nina Lee @ Baker-Baum Concert Hall, The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center (2pm |Free with RSVP)
• Acoustic Sunsets @ Cannonball, Belmont Park
• SAN DNB: Sanctuary DNB Tuesdays with Sonny D, MCS, Werd, Apaulo8 @ EQ
• Tuesday Open Jam @ Winston's
• Open Mic Night @ McGuffie's Live (8pm | No Cover)
• Laura Jane's Musical Trivia & Bingo @ Pour House (6-8pm)
• Jimmy and Enrique @ Coyote Bar & Grill, Carlsbad
• Swing Dance Tuesdays @ Queen Bee's 
• Karaoke @ Pour House 
• Karaoke @ Mr. Peabody's
• Trivia @ Fall Brewing (All Locations | 6pm)
• Trivia Night @ Fast Times 
• Trivia Night & Karaoke @ 710 Beach Club
• Yes And the Village: A New Musical Staged Reading @ New Village Arts (7pm)

Wednesday, August 26, 2026:

• Cast Invade, Astronaut Fight, The Oxen @ Casbah
• Sorry It's Over, The Cabriolets, Anime Titties, Nellies & Newports @ Soda Bar
• Mason Jennings, Jack Symes @ Belly Up (Seated Show) 
• Devin The Dude, Droops @ Music Box
• Gilbert Castellanos Young Lions Series & Jazz Jam @ Copley Auditorium, Panama 66
• Chris Pierce: Songs For The Heavy Hearted, Wagner Ford @ The Holding Company
• Jason Hanna and the Swingin' Bananas @ Riviera Supper Club
• The Bad News First, WhatevR @ Winston's 
• Baseball: San Diego Padres vs. Pittsburgh Pirates| Bark at the Park @ Petco Park (1:10pm)
• Much Ado About Nothing @ The Old Globe (7:30pm) 
• Guys and Dolls @ Moonlight Amphitheatre (8pm)
• American Rhythm @ Lambs Players at Coronado Resident Theatre (2pm | 7pm)
• The Rising Dawn Documentary Screening @ The California Surf Museum 
• LJMS Summerfest: Schubertiade @ Baker-Baum Concert Hall, The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center (7pm)
• Dead Night Featuring: Ripple Effect  @ Aztec Brewing Company, Vista
• Buzz Campbell & The Heartaches @ Tio Leo's
• Michele Lundeen @ Humphrey's Backstage Live (6pm)
• Albert Castiglia @ Humphrey's Backstage Live (7pm)
• Lana Scott Duo @ Coyote Bar & Grill, Carlsbad
• A 40th Anniversary Tribute to Paul Simon's Graceland @ The Jazz Lounge
• Trivia @ The Holding Company
• Twisted Trivia Wednesdays : Avatar The Last Airbender @ Quartyard (FREE with RSVP) 
• Open Mic with Whit @ Pour House
• Open Mic @ 710 Beach Club
• Drag Bingo Wednesdays @ American Junkie
• Asian Women Comedians Show @ New Village Arts (7pm)
• Drop-In Improv with Patrick McInnis @ New Village Arts (6:30-8pm)
• Wild Wednesday with DJ Ron @ Renegade Country

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, August 13-Wednesday, August 19, 2026: Black Heart Procession | Owl Be Damned | El Tri | The Sword | Interpol | Tijuana Panthers | Noah Kahan | Black Joe Lewis | Will Sheff | ILUKA |

Grizzly Pool Party at Oakland Zoo (10.5.25)

I did it!! Thankfully it's a little bit of a slower time in San Diego right now, but I did two weeks of listings so that I can go on my roadtrip and not have to lose a whole night of my trip trying to do next week's listings, though I'm not exactly sure how long I'll be gone, so the week after might be an issue. That being said, thank you SO VERY MUCH for the amazing Venmo donations I got last week!! I started this site 20 years ago with no real mission other than to share cool shit, photos and setlists from shows, and trying to plan for upcoming shows. I've had offers to fold or sell, been trashed relentlessly for not updating my design, for not monetizing every corner of the page, for my opinions and fire/pandemic/political coverage. I've been told "nobody reads that shit," even by friends, told that it isn't work, even as it got me every job I've had in 20 years: CityBeat, North Park Theatre/Observatory, DoSD, SoundDiego, and the Casbah, a position I've had for 17 years while sidehustling the others over the years. Anyhow, I wasn't expecting the donations, but they're super appreciated. When every other site goes paywall, subscription, or membership, I've just kept doing the thing. 

All that said, I'll probably post next week's listings a day or two early while I'm camping, but didn't wanna do them all at once because they're a bit overwhelming to scroll through -- but you'll hear from me as I travel. I may go dark from socials for a day or two, but you know you can never shut me up. And fingers crossed that they can get the Timber Fire under control, or I might have to reevaluate my plans and route altogether. 

Stay safe out there. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. 

Rosey's Diary & Newsy Bits: Port Designates Kumeyaay Beach | Stop Jumping Sunset Cliffs | County Hot Spots Close For Safety | Billionaires Try To Bogart Kit Carson Park | TopGolf Wants Waterfront |

Otter at Moss Landing (10.3.25)

I know it's been a minute since I've done a diary post, but I was trying to maximize the end of my late nights at San Diego Zoo and Seaworld. Darren's job changed hours, so he's up even earlier---now waking up at 4am which is when I'm usually going to sleep, so we try to make time, but sometimes we are two ships in the night. We did a nice little weekend escape to Bates Nut Farm and the Oceanside Harbor, but at least now I'll be home when he's still awake. I think the last time I wrote, I was contemplating a little road trip, and I think it's gonna happen if the wildfires can stay under control in Northern California. With that, I'll be attempting to knock out two weeks of listings before I go. We'll see how I do. 

Stay safe out there. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, August 6-Wednesday, August 12, 2026: The Technicolors | WILLIS | Judy Collins | Beach Bunny & The Beths | Tiki Oasis | Day We Ran | Old 97s | Kid Congo | Ani Defranco | Alela Diane |

St. Vincent & San Diego Symphony at The Shell (8.1.26)

I don't wanna say we're in the clear with the oppressive weather, but it feels to have subsided some and it doesn't feel quite as bad as it has. And frankly, seeing other parts of the country and the awful fires everywhere, I'd still rather be right here. Which is funny, because in my delusion and sleep deprivation after doing these listings, I committed to my next California road trip by booking a couple campsites up the coast. I gave myself enough time that I can cancel if necessary but still book before all the sites were gone. One of my favorite campgrounds is first-come first-served, so I'll just have to take my chances on that one, but otherwise, I think I planned a little better and am more cognizant of what I need to make it happen. All that to say, I will do my best to get listings up per usual the next few weeks, but if I can't pull them off, you know where else to look, I'm certain. It is very possible that I might start weaning the listings anyway, as it is a whole ton of labor for literally ZERO pay, and apparently LiveNation no longer sees me as a valid photographer, so I don't really even get free shows in return anymore. We'll see. In the meantime, listings are below. Stay safe out there-- I've been seeing a few friends are quarantining after getting surprise C-19 diagnoses. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, July 30-Wednesday, August 5, 2026: Ghee | The Paranoyds | Zach Bryan & Ryan Bingham | St. Vincent | Black Moth Super Rainbow | Tortoise | Sarah McLachlan | Eagles of Death Metal | Death Cab For Cutie |

Morning Yoga with Turtles at SeaWorld (7.26.26)

First of all, I wanna say that it was fun seeing everyone's Comic-Con adventures on socials, but I have never been so proud of myself for making the call that it was just no longer for me. I had a very low-key, (mostly) stress-free, week and weekend. I even made it on time for SeaWorld morning Yoga with Turtles. I've also been really feeling the itch for a roadtrip, so I've been bingeing camping, gear, hiking, and all related videos. I'm not actually going anywhere when the weather is this gross, but I'm gonna make it happen sooner or later. I'm considering tagging along when my niece goes back to school in NorCal so we'll see how that planning goes or maybe if I just leave on a whim. 

Meanwhile, as I was putting together these listings, it became apparent that we're moving out of the lull of summer and the touring bands are coming in full-force. My nieces can't stop talking about Zach Bryan, who plays two shows at Snapdragon, St. Vincent is playing the Shell with the San Diego Symphony (though I've seen BOGO offers on tickets because any ticket where you might actually see her are like $117, and the Port has made sure that FREELOADERS are no longer welcome. WHAT THE FUCK ARE WE DOING!!??? So much for Public-Private Partnerships), and then Sarah McLachlan plays the same venue on Sunday. We've also got Death Cab coming back on Tuesday, and the sold out Modest Mouse show at The Sound, and then more of our indie niche bands like Tortoise, Black Moth Super Rainbow, Tortoise, among others. I'm at the stage of life where if I can't be near an a/c or shade and a bathroom, I'm probably not gonna do it. I haven't shot a show in so long that now I'm getting rejected because my entire feed is orangutans and hippos. But you go on with your bad selves. 

I will give a warning that late hours at both the San Diego Zoo and SeaWorld come to an end on August 9 (and I'm already freaking out about it), but maybe it will mean that I set out to intentionally explore more parts of San Diego that I haven't before. We'll see. In the meantime, stay cool, stay safe, and nolite te bastardes carborundorum. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, July 23- Wednesday, July 29, 2026: COMIC-CON 2026! | Monophonics | What's Golden | Guantanamo Baywatch | Rainbow Kitten Surprise | Howard Jones | dashboard confessional | The Stray Cats | santigold

This week took extra long to do the listings because of course, Comic-Con is here. While I'm not putting activations and off-site pop-ups in this list, I will have a separate post once I get myself together to do it. 

What I did wanna say this week was that I did merch for DakhaBrakha on Sunday and it's always so rad to get to work for a band that is just lovely in every way. Their merch was organized, they treated me great, their show was AMAZING, and the proceeds from their merch goes to help organizations that work to bring aid directly to Ukraine. It was a beautiful night. After work, I drove up to La Jolla Cove and watched the baby sea lions for awhile before calling it a night. I'm already an insomniac, and now that I'm in a particular age of womanhood and San Diego decided to turn hot and humid on me, I'm enjoying the hours after the sun sets until it rises again even more than ever. Which also means that after a marathon Monday and Tuesday night working on listings, on Wednesday I went downtown and walked 6000 steps after midnight to see what activations I could find, either built or in the process of being built. Not gonna lie, I can already predict the spots that are gonna have crazy lines, but even a Prize Pig like me, who LOVES free shit, cannot imagine waiting in this week's heat for any of it. I'm not knocking anyone who lives for the Con and is truly excited by this week, but I'm not regretting my retirement from the press pass pool...hopefully some young person with influencer stars in their eyes gets to break in and provide coverage. More on that in another post. For now, here are the regular listings, with Con specific events indicated by SDCC. If you wanna see my full list of Comic-Con related events, go to my COMIC-CON PAGE HERE. As for me...I'll be keeping my vampire hours or sitting in the shade at the zoo or hiding in by the a/c vents in Wild Arctic at SeaWorld...as I do. 

Stay safe out there. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. 

Comic-Con International 2026 Is Here!

Okay. So I've updated my Comic-Con 2026 PAGE  with all the activations and events I could muster the energy to gather. But more fun than that, I went downtown on Wednesday night around 11pm and drove/walked the majority of the footprint. I was done by 1:30am and even more crews were rolling out, so I'm certain many worked through the night after the bars closed. I got about 6000 steps on my little path, but that was with no sun, no people, no traffic, and no time constraints. Photos and such below. After the jump. 

Rosey's Diary & Newsy Things: Driverless Waymo To Bring Chaos To SD Streets | Street Junk Vendors Return in Full Force | SD Closes Beach Bathrooms | SD to Emerald Hills: Whoopsie!

SeaWorld Beluga Up-Close Interaction (Taken 8.25.25)

The longer I make this post, the longer we're still being told that Mitch McConnell is still alive. What a fucking farce. I'm not much of a history buff and don't know a whole lot of world history and dynamics, so maybe this is hyperbolic, but it just feels like never in the history of the world has an entire country (and thereby the world) been gaslit so hard by our own government. In the day and age where EVERYTHING is on camera/video, SHOW US THE MAN or shut the fuck up. 

We also got to enjoy soccer, yet hate-watch FIFA and the corrupt ass-kissing organization, which literally has an office in T Tower in NYC, over the past few weeks. There is some sweet justice in Spain winning the Cup, since they have very publicly butted heads with TFG over the Israel-Palestine situation. 

So yeah, it's been a couple too-hot weeks in San Diego and I've had to buy camisoles for pajamas, but I guess it's par for the course, as I think of Comic-Cons past and remember several times when it was excessively hot, with the local news racing downtown to interview Stormtroopers and other Cos-players to ask about the weather and surviving the week. As I mentioned before, I did not renew my standing as Press for Comic-Con, which means I might have some slight FOMO this week, but my inbox is grateful not to have the additional dozens of emails every day for the past several weeks. I might try to go down and shoot all the pop-ups and such as I did last year, as I found it really enjoyable to do in the middle of the night. We'll see how I do with actual work and listings before I commit. 

In the meantime, stay cool and safe out there. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. May Mitch and Lindsey be toasting smores over their eternal hellfire that they deserve. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, July 16-Wednesday, July 22, 2026: San Diego PRIDE | Evanescence | Friendship | Mohama Saz | Low Cut Connie | Starcrawler | Alex Lahey | DakhaBrakha | Wic Whitney | San Diego Comic-Con |

Denny manspreading while trying to keep cool (Taken 7.15.26)

I really should've done these listings sooner, because it has been a week. I'm ready for a mid-summer rainstorm if I'm being honest. And not that little weak rain we got on Saturday (while Darren and I were birding in South Bay)-- I mean like sky-clearing, jacket-requiring cold rain. You would think I would just find a public Cool Zone and go work from there, but I'm stubborn and you should've seen my laptop, backpack, shade umbrella and supplies that I carried around on Tuesday to watch World Cup with the Orcas at Seaworld. It was comedic, if I'm being honest, but definitely a unique way to watch a soccer game and I'm glad I did it. 

As for this weekend, I tried to track down Pride stuff for the weekend, but obviously a lot of events spring up at bars and venues that don't otherwise host events year round, so I only checked a couple obvious spots. The same thing is gonna happen next week for Comic-Con. This is the first year I didn't request a press pass after more than a decade of going, so I'm not on all the lists and whatnot for events, parties, and activations, so I'll just have to dig around. I will say that other local guides do a pretty good job of making lists, but you can sometimes tell they have to reach a certain word count, so I'll extract the info into the easiest morsels that I can. 

And lastly, if you still subscribe to DoSD, good for you. I haven't been a part of the org for a very long time, and the people running the local part seem to do a good job, but Faye, yours is not the first live music event DoSD is hosting, Young Lady. Back in my day...

well, let's just say Marjy and I busted our asses to launch that site for a whole lot of people who weren't us to make bank. So yeah. Good luck with that. 

Stay safe this weekend. The MAGA fucks will certainly be out to harass and oppress the LGBTQIA+ communities this weekend, so be a good ally and if you see something, say something. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. 

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.