Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, September 10-Wednesday, September 16, 2026: Helms Alee | Thievery Corporation | The Frights | Funky But Chic | Pierce The Veil | Sessions Surf Fest | Arlo Park | unsane |

Okapi Kimara recently turned 1 year old. (Taken 9.9.26)

I'm gonna save my words for my diary post because at the moment it's still hot as balls and I'm selling merch for Far at the Casbah. Ryan Hall Yall and others say we should get back to normal this weekend, and I cannot wait. It was really fun going on my California roadtrip, but I can't help but feel deep concern for so many of the people I saw on the road who were vehicle dwellers because they don't have other options. Today I saw an unhoused man and his dog was trying to find some tiny bit of shade and it broke my heart. If the dude wasn't openly pissing on the sidewalk, I would've pulled over to offer them water. We just found out Toby has Covid, and several of Darren's students have had it recently, too, so he just got this year's booster and hopefully I can find some way to get it without insurance. When I say stay safe out there, there's always reasons. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, September 3- Wednesday, September 9, 2026: LABOR DAY WEEKEND | Leavers | SHĀHERI | Fools & Fables | Pire | Tijuana No | Fenix TX | Charlatans UK | DanceDanceToTheRadio | moondaddy | Sleep | One Loud Drawing | Manchester Orchestra |

Elk Grazing at Point Reyes State Park (8.28.26)

I had a pretty amazing adventure traversing Coastal California. As you could see, I ended up staying two weeks, which means I still did listings, my work newsletters, and managed my email on the daily, with a couple long work days/nights to try and really make sure I didn't come back overloaded with full inboxes. I'm posting about the trip little by little on my Instagram, but briefly I'll just say I stayed at four different campsites and our nephew's house in Hercules and a couple of random beach and street parking to sleep when I needed it. I went to four zoos (Santa Barbara, San Francisco, Oakland, and Sacramento) and maybe a dozen or more California State Parks, plus lots of time in Morro Bay with otters and sea lions, Point Reyes with Elk, and elephant seals in San Simeon. I also so sooo many wild birds, my favorites being magpies, wild turkeys, and ocean-adjacent osprey. 

Now I'm back and I'm looking forward to Friday night at the Casbah for Fools & Fables, and was looking forward to seeing Charlatans UK again (in case you don't know, they were my first concert ever when I was 14) but I got called to work for Jerry's Middle Finger, so that should be a fun night, too. Then next week I'll be working for One Line Drawing at the Casbah which will be super rad, featuring Jonah from Far and some local faces playing support. Also, in case you don't follow, the San Diego Zoo has extended hours until 8pm this Saturday through Monday, and SeaWorld will be open until 9pm on Friday and Monday and 10pm on Saturday and Sunday. I think you know where you'll find me. 

Stay safe out there. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, August 27-Wednesday, September 2, 2026: David Byrne | FEA | GLU | NAS | La's Wasted Youth | Built To Spill | Thee Sacred Souls | Muse | The Loons | Cancerslug | MCR | Pallbearer |

23yo Gorilla Dara Loves Her Cypress Tree at San Francisco Zoo

I didn't expect to extend my trip as much as I have, but I had a bunch of stuff I wanted to see and do in the Bay Area and it's nice to have a home base that has fast wi-fi and hot showers not run by coin machines. Camping was fun for my trip up, but just setting up a bed every night can become cumbersome. It also feels like we have business to take care of up here, but I have to tread lightly, so maybe its better for another trip when Darren can be up here, too. Since I've been here so long, now it just feels like a regular week of work, so I've been alternating between listening to and/or watching the Keffe D trial and the Lindsey Clancy trial. The former is kind of a palate cleanser of the latter. I spent most of the day today packing and preparing for my drive home, though I hear San Diego has been an oven the whole time I've been gone, so I'm not in any race to be home, especially since Darren will be working an OT shift all day Saturday. I'll be home sooner or later. But in the meantime, I did this week's listings. Enjoy. 

Stay safe out there. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. 

Rosey's Diary & Newsy Things: Rescued Belugas Brought To Seaworld SD | SD Zoo To Welcome New Gorilla | SD Music Hall of Fame Inductees Announced | Beach Baño Brings Council Bickering |

View of Golden Gate Bridge from Land's End/USS San Francisco Memorial

I'm still on my roadtrip and have parked myself in Hercules, CA for a few days to take care of some things with Darren's nephew. While I've been here, we hit Oakland Zoo, San Francisco Zoo, Land's End, and our last stop was Pier 39 at Fisherman's Wharf to see the sea lions to see if Chonkers was still around. I was also able to do laundry, get caught up on a lot of work, and catch up on sleep, too. I hear the weather in San Diego has been miserable, so I keep pushing back my return home, but I promise I'm not staying gone forever. I'd still like to see elephant seals at one of the lookout spots up here, and I was considering going to the Sacramento and Fresno Zoos on my way out, but I'll skip those if the weather is still gonna be gnarly all weekend. It's been pretty mellow here, especially close to the bay or beaches, but I also don't wanna drive the van in the middle of the day with extreme heat. 

Anyhow, it's been fun and I wanted to get started on this week's listings while I have strong wi-fi, so I'm gonna post this diary a little earlier than I usually do just to get it off my plate. 

Stay safe out there. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. 

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. 

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.