Newsy Bits & Bulletins: NPFoA, The Void, Sleep Train Amphitheatre, Che Cafe and more.

There was a time when I'd sit at my desk in my office and just pounce on new news related to San Diego or music or festivals. Perhaps I just figure everyone has the same information at their fingertips or perhaps I've lost my edge or maybe I've just been finger-wagged too many times for posting things prematurely that I just don't feel that urgency to be first or break stories. Maybe I'd rather just link you to other sources so I don't get the backlash of incorrect information. Or maybe I have been having too much fun freelancing and not being confined to a desk or laptop all day that I just figure I'll get to all of it some other time. Whatever it is, there have been some things mulling around my brain that I've been meaning to share, so I'll get to it in one long post. If you don't take the time to read, you can blame yourself for not knowing later. North Park Festival of Arts open for band submissions, Cricket becomes Sleep Train Amphitheatre, Eleven becomes The Void, Che Cafe Cracks down on bigotry, Givit sends you to SXSW, CityBeat Demo Review...read about all of it after the jump.

The Beach Boys Bring Tour To Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre Friday May 25

I don't normally just publish press releases, but this one came in today and I don't have the time to modify and add links and stuff. Full information is after the jump.

The Beach Boys Bring Historic 50th Anniversary Tour To Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre
Friday, May 25th
Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, Bruce Johnston and David Marks To Tour Together For The First Time In More Than Two Decades
Foster The People Are The Special Guest
Tickets on Sale Saturday, March 17th at 10am
Fans may purchase tickets online at livenation.com and ticketmaster.com

Blink 182: New Album, Tour, and Tickets

I know it's supposed to be super cool to hate on local bands that go on to massive success, but that's not my style. I loved Blink in high school (before the 182) and somewhere I still have a few 7" records (which I should totally sell on eBay). I saw the band dozens of times at small shows and big shows and SOMA sidestage and I even met a boyfriend at a show they played at 4th & B. I had a fake ID then, but somehow ended up backstage meeting the members of Neurotic Boy Outsiders (before they dropped the Boy) so I definitely think of those days fondly. In college I moved on to other music, but I still was pretty stoked when they played a Casbah show and 91X hooked me up with tickets. That was somewhere around 1999 (?) and the last time I saw the band live.

Blink-182 had their very public separation/hiatus and their own projects and companies and endorsements and accidents and marriages and breakups and when it all comes down to it, they're a family and they came back together to release Neighborhoods. Blink-182 has a formula to their music and it works for the music they create and if you like everything else they've ever done, you're going to like this one, too. You all know how I love my slow and quiet indie rock these days, so for me their style of music exists in my memory and another time and place, but I can appreciate that they've still loved and beloved by tweens to people my age and older. Neighborhoods is certainly helping me get work done.

They're playing at Cricket Wireless Amphitheater this Thursday night with She Wants Revenge and Matt and Kim as support. I have another show I've committed to, so I'm going to give the tickets to you. Tell me a Blink-182 memory on my Facebook wall if you want tickets and I'll pick a winner by Wednesday. I have hard tickets, so you'll have to be able to come pick them up from me before the show on Thursday.

Friday: IDentity Festival @ Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre

Awesome Fest isn't the only major event rolling into town for Labor Day weekend. IDentity Fest is coming to Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre this Friday, September 2, and is certainly going to result in a stream of "EPIC!!" tweets. Focused on EDM and DJ culture, the festival comes at a time when Deadmau5 and Girl Talk and Electric Daisy Carnival are outselling traditional live music events. It's a world I don't live in, but I just might have to explore to see what it's all about.

Featured performers include The Crystal Method, Holy Ghost, Hercules and Love Affair, afrobeta, Nero, Pretty Lights, Kaskade, Afrojack, Booka Shade, Steve Aoki and more.



Tickets are available here and range in price from $40 (general admission) to $100 (pit access). The event runs from 1-11pm.

Be sure to check the list of prohibited items and take note of the following Items PERMITTED at IDENTITY:

• Snack food in clear plastic gallon-size bag or 6-pack size soft-sided cooler
• Factory sealed plastic bottle of water (20 oz. maximum and limited to one per person)
• Empty re-usable water bottle
• Non-professional cameras
• LED gloves
• Glowsticks
• Hula hoops
• Factory sealed pack of cigarettes

Where does one find LED gloves these days?

Tom Petty Rescheduled Show Is A Go

Tom Petty was supposed to perform at Cricket Wireless Amphitheater on Tuesday, September 28. The show was postponed, however, because Tom was suffering from bronchitis and sinusitis. He's been cleared by his doctors to perform, so the new show will be on Tuesday, October 5. All tickets for the original date will be honored. Though ZZ Top had been opening the tour, the rescheduled date will instead feature Los Lobos in the opening slot. For the full press release, click 'keep on reading'


LOS LOBOS WILL APPEAR WITH TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS AT
CRICKET WIRELESS AMPHITHEATRE ON OCTOBER 5

San Diego, CA (October 1) – Celebrated rock band LOS LOBOS will appear as Special Guest on the TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS show at CRICKET WIRELESS AMPHITHEATRE on Tuesday October 5. Los Lobos replaces ZZ Top who is unavailable for the rescheduled show due to prior tour commitments in Europe.

Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers’ Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre appearance is the second to last show on their Mojo Tour 2010. Tom Petty, who was unable to perform on the show’s previous date of September 28 due to sinusitis and bronchitis said, “I am feeling better and looking forward to our show in San Diego. Thank you to everyone for being so patient and my apologies for the inconvenience.”

More than three decades have passed since Los Lobos released their debut album, Just Another Band from East L.A and since then Los Lobos has consistently evolved artistically while never losing sight of their humble roots. They have just released Tin Can Trust on Shout Factory Records, their first collection of new original material in four years.

Tickets for Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers with Special Guest Los Lobos at the Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre on October 5 are currently available now at http://www.livenation.com. Tickets for previously scheduled San Diego dates will be honored on October 5.

Jason Mraz Free Show Info Released

The full info on the Jason Mraz free show in San Diego has been released.

NEW THIS WEEK :: FREE GETS YOU IN, $1 GETS YOU A SEAT :: LIVE ON EARTH CD/DVD ARTWORK REVEALED! :: NEW TWITPICS SUBMITTED BY FANS LIKE YOU!

Hey everyone, as promised here are the details regarding Jason's San Diego concert! The show takes place October 11th at Cricket Wireless Amphitheater, starting at 6pm with Brett Dennen as special guest and Bushwalla hosting.

"This free show is our way of saying 'thank you' to all our friends in San Diego and Southern California for their incredible support over the past 10 years. We will present the opportunity for San Diego to have a great night of music and sing-alongs with us, and to invite our friends and families and community to join us in supporting some great work being done by charities like Surfrider Foundation, VH1 Save the Music and San Diego Youth Services." -jason

For full info, click 'keep on reading'


Reserved seats will be available for $1, while lawn seats will be FREE, with NO additional service charges. The reserved seats will be sold utilizing Ticketmaster's new paperless ticketing method to discourage resale of tickets. The paperless ticketing requires that the credit card used in the transaction also be presented at the gates for admission to the show. There is a limit of 4 tickets per person. Tickets (both free and for purchase) will be available this Saturday, September 26, at 10am PST through LiveNation.com and Ticketmaster.com, and will be available online only.

There will be a limited number of VIP seats at the front of the reserved section to defray the costs of the show and to maximize proceeds to the charity recipients. The VIP seats will be $75 plus service charges and offer best locations only.

In addition, 30 of the best pairs of tickets in the seated pit will be auctioned, and these 30 packages (only) will include a special after show meet and greet with Jason. All auction proceeds will go towards The Surfrider Foundation, a non-profit environmental organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world's oceans.

Likewise, in the spirit of being green, carpools of three or more people will park for free. Cars containing less than three people will be charged a parking fee.

On-site at Cricket Wireless Amphitheater on the night of the show, Jason will be inviting all the fans in attendance to learn about ways that they can contribute to the work of the non-profit groups, including by way of donations.

"This has become a 'pay what you like' show in reality. We'll give the show up to the fans for free, and ask them to drop in at the charity tables and give the non-profits the money that they think the show is worth. With no obligation to do so, of course, just a suggestion."

Other benefiting charities will include the following:
San Diego Youth Services- an organization that has worked to stabilize the lives of over 500,000 homeless, runaway, and abused and at-risk youth in the San Diego area.
VH1 Save The Music- a non-profit organization dedicated to restoring instrumental music education in American public schools.

"Live Nation and Ticketmaster have been extremely helpful and creative in finding ways to help us implement our plan of a free show. We really could not have offered this opportunity to our fans without their incredible enthusiasm and assistance. Both companies have donated their time and their fees to bring this event together, and I am truly grateful for their support." - jason

A special team will be monitoring customary resale outlets and any tickets for this show found to be offered for resale will be voided an re-offered for public sale at their original prices to protect YOU the real fans!!

Depeche Mode at Cricket Wireless: Canceled!

DJ Edgartronic posted this link on Twitter:

08.14.2009

DEPECHE MODE FORCED TO CANCEL APPEARANCE AT CRICKET WIRELESS AMPHITHEATER TONIGHT DUE TO DOCTOR'S ORDERS FOR CONTINUED VOCAL REST

Depeche Mode has been forced to cancel their appearance tonight, Friday, August 14th at Cricket Wireless Amphitheater in San Diego due to doctor's orders that lead singer Dave Gahan continue on complete vocal rest. Because of their busy schedule, a new San Diego date will not be rescheduled this year.

"We are incredibly disappointed to not be able to perform for our fans tonight in San Diego," said Dave Gahan. "We hope to be back soon to play for all our fans in the area."

Refunds will be issued at the point of purchase.

The tour will resume on Sunday with the band's sold out two night stand at the Hollywood Bowl.

Blink-182 Tickets On Sale/ Meet Tom Delonge

This is straight from CityBeat's newsletter, but I thought it was worth sharing:

There will be a limited number of pit tickets and $20 lawn tickets for blink-182's highly anticipated September 16th show at Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre - available from Tom Delonge himself at the House of Blues Downtown.



The $20 lawn tickets have NO charge for parking, ticketing fees, no tax, no nothing! There is a four ticket limit per customer. Cash only.

House of Blues San Diego will offer $1.82 tacos and domestic draft beers complete with blink-182 music videos playing throughout the restaurant.

Blink-182
With Weezer, Taking Back Sunday, Asher Roth
Wednesday, September 16
Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre

Concert News: Street Scene 2009, Green Day, Slightly Stoopid

A friend sent me some info to share with my blog readers.

Street Scene will be August 28 & 29 this year

Green Day is coming somewhere in San Diego on August 20.

Slightly Stoopid/Snoop Dogg/Stephen Marley are coming July 25 to Cricket.

Man, I really need a camera.

Concert Preview: Maroon 5, Counting Crows, Augustana, Cricket Amp 9.13.08

I love Counting Crows. I am not even kidding. There were two albums in high school that were transformative for me and one of those was August and Everything After. It was senior year. My parents had gone away for a few days of spring break which conveniently overlapped with Sara's parents going away for the remainder of spring break. There were 6 days straight of parties, late night talks with the girls, random people making out in bedrooms, alcohol, Scrabble, skinny dipping, and most of it happened with August and Everything After as the soundtrack.

While Mr Jones was the radio hit, we were all about Anna Begins, Omaha, and of course, Round Here, which still gets the full sing-along treatment when I'm with my girls. While my music taste changed over the years, Counting Crows were long my go-to band. Since that release in 1993, they've released several albums, some successful, some not so much. I still think there were gems on many of those albums, and I think Adam Duritz has an amazing poetic ways of stringing words together that puts him with the top brass of songwriters of our time. He's had bouts with depression, dated Hollywood starlets that did nothing more than drag him into tabloid fodder, and had a couple hiccups along the way. The songs that seem to have been overplayed (see Accidentally In Love and his cover of Joni Mitchell's Big Yellow Taxi) put him solidly into playlists on pop radio, but it's the other few songs that kept me holding on to my fandom. I have seen the band about 6 times, which would've been more except that they cancelled the show that was supposed to take place on my birthday nearly 10 years ago. I had 3rd row seats. I will say having the opportunity to meet the band at a soundcheck when they were touring on Hard Candy made up for it.

My music tastes have grown up and have gained in diversity, but there is still a place in my heart for Counting Crows. Their latest 2 CD release, Saturday Nights and Sunday Mornings, is perfect for exactly what it describes, and I look forward to seeing the band again under the sky this weekend at Cricket Amphitheatre. Local boys Augustana are opening the night and Maroon 5 is sharing the headlining spot.

Rearview Look at the Past Week: Casbah, Radiohead, etc.

I really envisioned my Labor Day at home, parked in front of the TV, writing some posts and making my listings, however I'm now at the Casbah, selling merchandise for Southern Culture on the Skids who were incredibly nice and have their merch situation down to a tee; definitely the most organized band I've worked for, and with their credit machine, they're already moving some product. I also like that they used the entire counter space because it deters the leaners and people who like to set their drinks down.

I will try and recap my past week and post some pictures while I'm here for the next 3 hours. That includes Tuesday night for Circa Now, Fing, and Whiskey Circus, Wednesday night at Radiohead, Friday night for Writer and The Postals, Saturday night with Republic of Letters, AM Vibe, and Lanterns, and last night at Radio Room for Team Abraham, then The Down Family and Jivewire at the Casbah. It was definitely a busy week. All of it after the jump.


On Tuesday, Jake and I headed down to the Casbah for Whiskey Circus, Fing, and Circa Now's CD release. The show was incredibly loud; I was even wearing ear plugs on the patio. Whiskey Circus is a band from LA and they sound exactly like what you think when you hear "Whiskey Circus". They were very 'Sunset Strip' complete with foot on the monitor posing, spins, and using the mic stand as prop. Not my cup of tea, but whatever. I've enjoyed Fing a lot in the past, but with the sound as loud as it was, a lot of the dance stuff got lost and jumbled. Same can be said for Circa Now who are a local punk/rock band. We didn't make it to the end of the night.

On Wednesday I was having a crisis day at work coupled with the fact that I hadn't secured a ride to Radiohead and I was close to just giving up and selling a ticket. It was frustrating because I knew so many people who were going but everyone had a different plan on when they were leaving or their cars were full. Finally Xavie came through and offered a ride, plus he had an extra ticket, so I called the guy who was going to buy my ticket and offered him the other one instead and he accepted. Before the show, we had no problem getting into the lot and to the parking, but it was crazy to see the lines into the venue wrapped around so long that they merged into one another. We had some pre-show beers in the lot while waiting for Bahv as he was coming from LA, then hung out with him for a while. The line was still incredibly long, so we missed Liars entirely, but made it into the venue well before Radiohead started. They went to their seats and I made my way to the pit. I ran into James and ended up hanging with him the majority of the show.



I never considered myself a huge Radiohead fan, and I chose to skip the shows at the Embarcadero because I was just so sick of hearing people talk about them, but honestly, this show blew me away. They played 25 songs (full setlist on Street)and from the first note to the last I felt transported. It was incredibly powerful and a moving experience that made me want to laugh, cry, and hug everyone around me.












After the show, it took over an hour to get out of the parking lot because evidently CalTrans has closed the northbound 805 for road work, so we snaked through Brandywine, stopped at Xavie's and ended up at the Ken Club for a nightcap.

Thursday night I opted to stay home and watch the DNC, but then I had a very strange and uncomfortable situation which I won't go into here, but the result meant that I bunkered at the Ken Club until the situation was resolved. I am an open person, but even I have my limits.

Friday was a half day at work which was perfect. Jake and I had dim sum for lunch at Emerald then I went home and took a much needed long sleep. It was nice knowing that the huge project I'd been working on at work was finally in a place where we should meet our deadline by the end of the day tomorrow because it allowed me to wash away the week and really get into full weekend mode.

Friday night I had planned on stopping by Habitat, but I got a late jump on the night and instead went to South Park and hung out with Kristian for a while before we headed to the Whistle Stop. There was a line at the door, so Kristian didn't stick around but I wasn't gonna miss Writer so I opted to stay. They were amazing as always. I really wish there was better lighting because I recorded some video but you can't see any of it. I'll upload it regardless, because the sound is still pretty rad.




After they finished I didn't stick around and made my way back to Kensington to catch The Postals at the Ken Club. I only got to see Freddy and the guys do their thing for about 2 songs, but they're always rad. Particularly if you think Fred is this quiet Ken Club bartender, then you see him break into character and you wonder how that can be the same dude.


I stayed late, and for no apparent reason, ended up staying up till 6 am watching TV and playing on the internet.
Kensington Sky at 6:06 am

It was a pretty dumb move considering I was having the BBQ on Saturday. After just a few hours sleep I went to buy the carne asada and beer.

I was tired from preparations and cleaning, but was still in a good mood when everyone started to show up close to 6 pm, and the food was good. A lot of people brought hot dogs and sausages and I bought pre-marinated carne and made some rice and beans and we had plenty left over that I ended up grilling for my family on Sunday.

Sadly, the turnout for the show was pretty weak. I don't know why people are averse to the Ken Club but whatever, it's my spot and I love it. All three bands were great. Lanterns gave a great set despite the singer having a nasty cold, A.M. Vibe sounded great with Lisah smiling through the whole set as she does, and Republic of Letters were excellent despite Chris losing his voice toward the end of the set.

There was plenty of beer left over at my house, so Jake, Laura Jane and Abraham came over and hung out for a few hours meaning another late night for me. I love it though, and finally got to sleep in on Sunday before spending the day at my parents' house and getting some quality time with my niece.

I went home around 7 and was losing motivation to do anything, but I saw a flood of tweets and couldn't resist the peer pressure, I guess, so I started my night at the Radio Room for Team Abraham. The guy who played before them was David Dundero and he was really good. It was mmy first time going to the Radio Room and though the bathrooms are a huge improvement, the room still feels stark and boxy. I'd like to see them put some curtains behind the stage or something...even sconces or something to pep it up a little bit. Team Abraham played their set and then Abraham and I dropped my car off and went to the Casbah for the Downs Family and the Jivewire dance party. The Downs Family was always one of my favorite local bands to watch when I was in high school and they still bring a total party when they play. The crowd was really enthusiastic and it was incredibly crowded. A lot of the scooter club didn't stick around for Jivewire but enough people replaced them that it stayed pretty crowded all night long. I got dropped off at home and was asleep before my head hit the pillow.

Finally today, I slept in once again, had a late lunch/early dinner with Daye and Jake at DiMille's then we hung out in Normal Heights at the rec center before I got the call that I was needed to sell merch, and here I am.

So there it is, a longwinded post and I've got probably another half hour behind this booth. I'm ready for some sleep and then back to the day job in the morning. Hoping it passes swiftly because I'm already looking forward to next weekend.

Radiohead Tour Dates Announced

Radiohead tourdates were announced today. But you already knew that.
San Diego tickets are listed at $35-$55. Comparing these prices to other shows, you can expect to add approximately $10-15 in service charges, convenience charges, and building facility charges via Ticketmaster.

August 1 - Lollapalooza - Chicago, IL
August 3 - Verizon Wireless Music Center - Indianapolis, IN
August 4 - Blossom Music Center - Cleveland, OH
August 6 - Parc Jean Drapeau - Montreal, QC
August 8 - All Points West Music & Arts Festival/Liberty State Park - Jersey City, NJ
August 9 - All Points West Music & Arts Festival/Liberty State Park - Jersey City, NJ
August 12 - Susquehanna Bank Center - Camden, NJ
August 13 - Tweeter Center For the Performing Arts - Mansfield, MA
August 15 - Molson Amphitheatre - Toronto, ON
August 19 - Thunderbird Stadium - Vancouver, BC
August 20 - White River Amphitheatre - Auburn, WA
August 22 - Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival @ Golden Gate Park - San Francisco, CA
August 24 - Hollywood Bowl - Los Angeles, CA
August 25 - Hollywood Bowl - Los Angeles, CA
August 27 - Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre - Chula Vista, CA
August 28 - Santa Barbara Bowl - Santa Barbara, CA

Goodbye Coors, Hello Cricket Amphitheater

I had heard that Coors Amphitheatre was gonna be title sponsored by Sleep Train Mattress Centers, but alas, it appears Cricket Wireless has secured the naming rights instead. Read George Varga's article here or the full press release here.