Music News: Courtney Barnett Here And There Festival | Foo Fighters' Taylor Hawkins Dies | Wonderfront Announces Dates & Preliminary Lineup | SD County Fair Concert Series |

Wet Leg at Music Box (Taken 3.24.22)

There has been a lot of music news this week so I thought I'd bust out another post instead of tacking it all on the listings. Wonderfront is back, Courtney Barnett has a new traveling festival, San Diego County Fair announced their summer concert series, and sadly, we all learned yesterday of the death of Taylor Hawkins of Foo Fighters. It's a lot to take in. 

Stay safe out there.

KAABOO 2020 On Sale Now: Moves To Petco Park

KAABOO 2019 was sold out and is in the books and from my IG feed, looks like everyone had a great time despite San Diego being in the high 80s and low 90s alll weekend. Following up, KAABOO has already announced 2020 dates--September 18-20, 2020 and has super early-bird Hang Loose passes on sale for $199. But the biggest news is that the festival will be ditching Del Mar Fairgrounds and heading to Petco Park. I'm sure all kinds of people have all kinds of feelings about that, but with the numerous options for public transit to downtown, to me this would definitely make me more inclined to forget my festival aversion and jump on the KAABOO bandwagon. To be seen. I mean, I have a year to figure it out. In the meantime, 2020 tickets are available here. 

ALT 94/9 Selling Early Bird Tickets to Not So Silent Night 2019

NØT SØ SILENT NIGHT

I'm not gonna get dragged into radio rivalries, but the same day that 91X released information for their December show formerly known as 91XMAS, Alt94/9 sent out a save the date for their Not So Silent Night.
It's gonna take place on Sunday, December 8th at Del Mar Arena and you can get tickets before they announce the lineup for $19.75 (because, wink, wink).

Tickets and Information on this one can be found here.

San Diego County Fair Announces Live Music Lineup

This week, San Diego County Fair announced the full San Diego County Fair concert lineup. This year's fair runs May 31-July 4 (closed on Mondays and Tuesdays in June) Check out the full press release after the jump. 

KAABOO 2019 Lineup

KAABOO announced their 2019 lineup last Thursday and I'm barely getting around to posting it. What can I say? I've been busy.

KAABOO has sold out for the past couple years and the internet gets flooded with fake tickets, so if you wanna go, you should suck it up and buy your tickets sooner rather than later. KAABOO takes place September 13-15 at Del Mar Fairgrounds.

Tickets are available at KAABOODelMar.com.

Del Mar Summer Concert Series 2017

The San Diego County Fair has wrapped and the track is being prepped for the 2017 racing season. I was raised with horse racing in my life, and I know there are very valid opposing views to the 'sport', and I've not personally been to the track in a couple years because I'm morally conflicted. That being said, I'm here to give you information about music, so here's the lineup for the Summer Concert Series. Concerts are free with your track entry but admission spikes if you arrive after the last race. (Stretch run admission starts at $6). Opening day is July 19 and runs through September 4, with racing Wednesdays through Sundays.

Fri, Jul 21st Tribal Seeds
Fri, Jul 28th Violent Femmes
Fri, Aug 4th Eagles of Death Metal
Sat, Aug 5th Billy Currington
Fri, Aug 11th The White Buffalo
Sat, Aug 12th Ludacris
Fri, Aug 18th Steel Pulse
Fri, Aug 25th Lord Huron
Sat, Aug 26th Slightly Stoopid
Fri, Sep 1st The Revivalists
Sun, Sep 3rd Steve Aoki

Del Mar Racetrack Announces Summer Concert Series

I know the County Fair has only just begun, but racing season is just on the horizon and Del Mar Thoroughbred Club has announced this year's summer concert series. Gone are the days of 4 o'clock Fridays (now the first post is at 3) but the amazing music returns no matter what you call it. Also note, there are a couple weekend shows. More info here.

July 24 - G Love & Special Sauce

July 31 - The Wailers

August 7 -- The Airborne Toxic Event

August 14 -- Common Sense

August 21 -- Pinback

August 28 -- Super Diamond

September 4 -- Pete Yorn

Infield Shows:
Saturday August 15- The Flaming Lips, The White Dwarfs
Saturday August 22- Steel Pulse
Sunday September 6- Roots, Rock, Reggae Festival

San Diego County Fair: Calling All Bands

It's true that I've never been a big fan of "Battle of The Band" style competitions, but with the growing pool of talent in San Diego, if the Fair wants to hand out $25,000, then how can I not encourage musicians to participate? Anyway, here's the e-mail:

It’s “Music Mania” this year at the San Diego County Fair! To celebrate that theme, we’re looking for the best musical talent in America, and we’re going to give them $25,000!

The Musicpalooza contest will determine the best band of three or more members, and the best solo singer. The winners of each division will take home $25,000! The judging committee consists of high-profile music industry professionals, so you’ll get some great exposure to the right people.

Do you have the talent, but you just need a break to make it big? Enter now through March 31, make it through the first rounds of judging, and you may be performing live on the Fair’s Grandstand Stage on July 3 as the opening act for a major recording star.

Spread the word! Forward this message to your cousin in Colorado, your friend in Florida or your nephew in Nebraska. The contest is open to all musicians in the U.S. and Baja California.

Get all the details at www.sdfair.com/musicpalooza.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008: Opening Day At Del Mar

There's a certain buzz this time of year in San Diego. I don't know how much it has to do with the ponies at Del Mar, but I'd guess that's definitely a part of it.

I'm going to admit right now that I've never been to opening day at the track. I mean, c'mon, we all know it's not my style to wear 'pumps' and act all high-falootin at any event, ever, but it still gets me excited. Back in the day (like the 1950s), my grandpa used to raise and run horses at Agua Caliente. He was a farmer through and through, always in a long sleeve khaki shirt with rugged khaki bottoms. His hands and face were weathered from being on his land, growing numerous crops, but in my lifetime, cutting back to watermelon and sweet white corn. I've yet to ever taste watermelon or corn as sweet as my Tata's- but when we'd go to the races- my grandpa pimped out.

It was those weekends that he lived for. Sometimes we'd head down to Tijuana to watch the ponies run; he taught me how to handicap (though choosing "the pretty outfit" seems to have just as much luck when it comes to me betting). On really special weekends, however, we'd go to Del Mar- way before it was the yuppy hotspot and that grandstand didn't exist- and we'd pack our coolers and head to the infield to hang out, enjoy the sun, and watch the races.

Even when he was in his late 70s, he never bet on a horse unless he saw their mannerisms and behavior in the paddock. So as soon as one race ended- which we'd watch from the infield finish line, just to the left of the main handicap board- we'd haul ass through the tunnel to go see the horses as they pranced around the paddock. I had a few favorite jockeys- Chris McCarron, Alex Solis, and Gary Stevens- but he always knew which horses to bet on.

So, while I might not be at opening day, there's something in the spirit of the track that always takes me back to the days when my Tata would actually shave, put on his dress clothes and boots, slap on a gallon of Old Spice, and try and teach his granddaughter about the beauty of horseracing. That said, I welcome another season of horseracing where the turf meets the surf.

Del Mar Race Track Summer Concerts Announced

I was checking out the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club's site today and noticed they already announced the summer concert schedule. The Friday shows are all part of 91X's 4 o'clock Fridays. The Saturday shows happen after the final race (around 4ish usually).

Fri, Jul 18 Gavin Rossdale (Bush)
Fri, Jul 25 Super Diamond
Sat, Jul 26 Gnarls Barkley
Fri, Aug 1 Pinback
Fri, Aug 8 The Bravery
Sat, Aug 9 Reggae Fest ft. Ziggy Marley
Fri, Aug 15 Special Guest
Fri, Aug 22 Black Francis (The Pixies)
Fri, Aug 29 Steel Pulse
Sat, Aug 30 Devo
Wed, Sep 3 The English Beat

San Diego Fires: Del Mar Fairgrounds Seeks Volunteers

If you can volunteer at the shelter and/or assist in animal care, call Kina Paegert 858-792-5245
Feed store 858-509-5245 if you can provide feed and hay.

They need volunteers around the clock and will be assigning people in shifts.
Even if you do not have experience with large animals, you can be trained.

"And Away They Go": Opening Day At Del Mar

Growing up, one of my favorite family activities was heading to the races. In his younger days, my grandpa owned horses that raced at Caliente in Tijuana. Many years after his horses were long gone, his passion for thoroughbreds never diminished. Tata was a farmer and as a result, his daily apparel consisted of long sleeve khaki shirts and long khaki pants, scruffy beard, and his old stetson hats that had a distinct sweet smell, the combination of sweat, Prince Albert in the Can, and his Old Spice. When he'd kiss me as a child, I would throw tantrums, the rough of his beard cutting into my face. His uniform never changed, except on race days.

On Race days, my family would load up a cooler of snacks and beverages, lather on the sunscreen, and head to the races. While we were all sporting shorts and flip flops, Tata was dressed in his long sleeve blue button down shirt, nice slacks, his leather boots, and his "good" hat, his face as smooth as a baby's bottom from his straight razor shave reserved for track days only. We'd head to the track and into the infield, finding a nice area in the grass, equidistant from the tv monitors by the pond and the betting windows. My dad and tata would sit handicapping with the Daily Racing Form while my mom, sister, brother and I mostly picked the ponies by their names, or in my case, if I liked the name of the horse and found that Gary Stevens or Chris McCarron (or in my Tata's accent, "Macaroon") were riding it. Part of my grandpa's ritual was to race through the tunnel to the Paddock to see all the horses, then race back to place his bets, and my sister and I would join him, trying to keep up with his speed walk.

The track is a lot different now, it's a much fancier affair these days, but there's still a place for the kids in flip flops and shorts, too. (In fact, check here for the stuff you can still take into the track...it doesn't have to be an expensive trip.) Tata is no longer with us, but I still feel him with me when I stand adjacent the odds board watching the horses cross the finish line from the infield. I won't be at opening day today, but I will definitely be at the track at least a couple times this summer.

My dear friend Andrea, however, will be there today after her busy weekend at the Village Hat Shop, selling tons of hats to people heading up for opening day. The U-T Street crew were there and you can watch the video here.

If you, too, are a fan of the ponies, I highly recommend creating a profile with the DMTC site. Throughout the racing season, you will receive newsletters, e-mails, and at least two or three times a season, complimentary general admission tickets.

Street Scene 2007 Lineup: Official Released Bands

Here's the bands that have now been officially named for the 2007 Street Scene at the Del Mar Fairgrounds on September 22 and 23 (according to the U-T):

Air
Arctic Monkeys
Augustana
Brand New
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Dios
Editors
Elvis Perkins
Fair To Midland
G. Love & Special Sauce
Honeycut
Infected Mushroom
Jack's Mannequin
The Killers
Louis XIV
Matt Costa
Muse
Mute Math
Ozomatli
Panic! At the Disco
Paolo Nutini
Punk Rock Karaoke
Shut Up Stella
Slightly Stoopid
Social Distortion
Spoon
Supersuckers
Sweet & Tender Hooligans
The Acadamy Is
VNV Nation

According to the U-T, "Up to 20 more bands will be announced for the festival..." Notice that Cold War Kids are not on this preliminary list, despite sending out the date on their newsletter.

I would say I did pretty alright on my predictions, so hopefully all you people who found this site over the weekend in search of the lineup got your pre-sale tickets. Official tickets go on sale this Saturday on Ticketmaster on 10 am.

On a side note, George Varga posted on Friday on Street that he'd have the exclusive on Monday, and to George, I've respected you since I've been reading your writing in high school, but dude, aren't you supposed to have the exclusive? I mean, you should be breaking a lot more news. You don't see us little bloggers as a threat, do ya?? Not a diss, just a legit question.

My other question is to CatDirt. Now you care?

San Diego County Fair (The fair formerly known as the Del Mar Fair)

This is my going to be my only real post for San Diego County Fair. For the remainder of the Fair, if you want info, you can find it here. If you want to follow the music, you can find Grandstand information here or a general "entertainment at a glance" here. I might occasionally list the bands in my "Things to Do" listings, but seriously, don't count on me as your info source. Still, the fair starts tomorrow, so go get your deep fried cokes and twinkies, barf on the rides, and try to win me a cross-eyed teddy bear.

The 2007 San Diego County Fair is back again for another great year! As always, Opening Day is Dollar Day! Head to a Ralphs market in San Diego County or southern Riverside County, buy $10 worth of groceries, and get Fair admission for just one dollar. Regular adult admission is $12; regular senior and child admission is $6, so what a deal! The tickets are not sold at the Fairgrounds, so don't miss out!

Also, I had no idea about all this until I was looking for the "no gun" policy, but did you know you can take your own food and drinks to the fair? Not booze, of course (be sneaky!!), but I had no idea.

"Fair food" is a big reason why people visit the Fair, but if you have dietary or other reasons for wanting to bring your own food or beverages, please do. Alcohol, glass containers and metal knives and forks are prohibited. Please consume your food at one of the six designated picnic areas, which are marked on the Fairgrounds map in the daily program.

We provide complimentary cooler check-in at Guest Services, or you can check it at the stroller and wheelchair rental locations at the entrance gates. Your cooler will be searched as you enter the grounds; please do not pack alcohol, glass containers or metal knives.

Have fun at the fair.

Street Scene: "The name is the same but everything else is different"

Get out your one hitters and your "Fuck You, You Fucking Fuck" T-shirts. Street Scene is going clean this year (assuming the Board signs that little contract today) according to today's Union Trib and you'll need the goods to show what a little rebel you are.

If the producer of Street Scene signs a contract with the Del Mar
Fairgrounds, the display or sale of drug paraphernalia and anything with obscene
or offensive language or images would be banned at the music festival.

The conditions set out for Los Angeles-based Live Nation are typical of a
fairgrounds agreement, fairgrounds general manager and CEO Tim Fennell said.

I guess we'll have to check our guns at the gate then, too.

For the safety of our guests and employees, guns may not be brought onto the
Fairgrounds. However, off-duty, qualified law enforcement officers (as defined
in 18 U.S.C. section 926B) or qualified, retired law enforcement officers (as
defined in 18 U.S.C. section 926C) will be allowed to carry concealed weapons
into the Fair.

Aw shucks, they really wanna ruin all our fun, huh?

91X 4 O Clock Fridays Announced

Here's the schedule for this summer's 4 o'clock Fridays:

July 20: Satellite Party, Featuring Perry Farrell

July 27: Pinback

Aug. 3: Violent Femmes

Aug. 4: The Cult

Aug. 10: Unwritten Law

Aug. 17: Cake

Aug. 24: Pete Yorn

Aug. 25: Ziggy Marley

Aug. 31: Angels & Airwaves

Sept. 5: Super Diamond

Also, Saturday events this year include the annual Microbrew festival and concert on July 28, an infield concert on August 4th, the Reggae Festival on August 25, and the close of the racing season at the annual Party At The Paddock on Wednesday, September 5.

Street Scene: The Deal Ain't Sealed

According to today's Union Trib, while Rob Hagey has joined with LiveNation with the intent of putting Street Scene on at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, the Fairground Board has yet to approve the event.

...Fairgrounds general manager Tim Finnell said
yesterday that negotiations were running smoothly and that the pairing of the
fairgrounds and Live Nation would be a “perfect marriage.”...

...Finnell has briefed fair board members, as
well as the cities of Del Mar and Solana Beach, on the negotiation process. The
fair board will consider the contract at its May 8 meeting...

Everyone seemed to be really upset when Street Scene moved outta downtown, but the festival was such a nightmare once the East Village was developed, I don't know what anyone was holding on to. Plenty of people complained about "Parking Lot Scene", but I, for one, could give a shit if I'm on a parking lot downtown or a parking lot at Qualcomm...both are close to home and thus a cheap cab fare. The division of stages, the drinking areas vs non drinking areas, the quantity of port-a-potties, and of course, enough bands appearing to make the cost of the ticket worthwhile...these are the things that at the end of the day make a festival experience for me. With a possible move to fairgrounds my number one concern is driving/traffic, because one, if I go, I will be drinking and two, if you've ever sat in traffic for a 4 o'clock Friday, you have some idea what the traffic for Street Scene will be like. Comparing it to regular fair traffic is quite inaccurate because people go to the Del Mar Fair (sorry, "San Diego County Fair") at all times throughout the day, take in their fill, and leave...where most people attending Street Scene arrive within the first couple hours of the festival and most stay till the end or leave during the final headliners to attempt to beat traffic. That, to me, spells clusterfuck, and I don't like it one bit. We can pretty much bet that the Fair board will approve Street Scene, but it remains to be seen if I'll find a way to deal. And first person who tells me I can take the Coaster can suck my big toe. We all know that is not a comparable alternative.

Del Mar (San Diego County) Fair announces more bands.

Still yawn.

Earth, Wind & Fire- June 26
REO Speedwagon- June 16
Joan Jett- June 22
Switchfoot- July 3
¡Viva El Mariachi! Festival© - June 24

Street Scene Confirmed At Del Mar Fairgrounds

Street Scene will be held at Del Mar Fairgrounds and is being produced by Live Nation, those bastards who also run that little shithole we call House of Blues. You can read the press release on CityBeat's blog here or just go to the Street Scene site here to see for yourself. Most notably, the dates have been pushed back significantly. In the first several years of the festival, the dates coincided with ASR, usually the first or second weekend of September. When the festival was moved to Qualcomm, the dates moved forward to avoid interference with football and we ended up getting the leftover bands who didn't play Lollapalooza in Chicago or who were champs enough to play both festivals...This year, Street Scene is later than ever, falling on the weekend of September 22 & 23. When I first saw the dates I panicked, because that is usually the weekend of the Adams Avenue Street Fair, but this year's festival will be held on September 29th & 30th. That officially means my 31st birthday party will take place on Friday, September 28, 2007. (Mark, plan ahead!)

So what does all this mean? I can't really guess...probably a bunch of crappy headliners (in the vein of AFI, MCR, Fall Out Boy, Good Charlotte, Panic! At the disco) and hopefully more relatively good indie bands to make me not bitter about jacked up ticket prices (come on, you know LiveNation is gonna increase ticket prices by a good 20-50%). We'll see, I'm sure, but I would watch Bumbershoot bands for a clue as to who will be playing festivals in the fall.

If Crowded House plays, I will take back everything bad I've ever said about LiveNation, Clearchannel, and Street Scene.