Photos: The Head & The Heart and Dreamers @ Soma, 4.9.17

There's no question that I love The Head and the Heart. I've lost track of how many times I've seen the band between their very first Casbah show, House of Blues, The Observatory OC, Coachella and others, but I was especially excited when they were booked in San Diego because I knew I'd be able to take Nova and Darren along for her first backstage experience at Soma. She had a soccer game that evening, we grabbed dinner, then went to Soma with enough time for a quick drink at Modern Times, then walked to the show.

I had a photo pass, which isn't super fun at Soma because there's no easy access to the pit, but once you're in, the lighting, the energy of both the band and the diehard fans along the rail make for an exciting show. It was also great catching Dreamers again and I'll probably get fired for implying they're coming back to town, but all I can say is stay tuned.

I was fully feeling both bands and just a quick funny story, after Dreamers, Nova said she needed to use the bathroom. We walked through the lobby and the line was crazy long, so we asked to use the backstage bathroom which is upstairs. Turns out we were waiting for the lead vocalist who diligently brushes his teeth while humming his songs before a set (we know this because he opened the door and did that talking with the toothbrush in his mouth thing to us), then let the other guitarist ahead of us, and Nova got to hear what vocal exercises sound like. They were super cute to her or I wouldn't mention it otherwise, and eventually we went back to our places on the side of the stage until I left to shoot. It was past Nova's usual bedtime as TH&TH came onstage, so eventually they left early. Later, I was able to find my friend Regina and bring her and her friend backstage which was awesome because she does so much for me at the Observatory even though I'm no longer employed there. Anyway, it was an amazing night and was made all the more special when we were able to hear their Coachella set on SiriusXM and think we'd only just seen them a week prior. I cannot wait for them to come back.

More pictures of The Head and the Heart and Dreamers are after the jump.

Get Your Tickets To 91X Lump of Coal!

I'm so behind and totally meant to post the whole press release and yada yada last week, when it was announced that Jane's Addiction dropped off the bill for Wrex The Halls. With that news, refunds were supposed to be issued at point of purchase, and the whole show--without Jane's--moved to Soma with a lowered ticket price of $25. Tickets to Wrex the Halls will NOT be honored at Soma. You have to buy a new ticket for this event. The show is all ages. (Tickets are ticketed through Ticketmaster or Soma. I've provided the Soma link because historically their fees are lower than TM)

Get your tickets here.

Casbah Presents M.I.A. at Soma, May 30, 2014

There's just all kinds of good stuff to tell you about this week. This one came on me with short notice, but it's exciting nonetheless.

The Casbah presents M.I.A. at Soma
May 30, 2014
All Ages
Doors  7pm
Tickets are $35 advance/$40 day of show
On Sale HERE Friday at 10am.

After you grab your tickets to The Head and the Heart and Arcade Fire, you've got this one, too.

Preview: The Wonder Years arrive at Soma tonight

The Wonder Years is a wildly popular television show that ran from the late 80’s to early 90’s that focused on a family in the late 60’s and early 70’s. The Wonder Years is also the name of a pop punk band whose newest album and tour is named The Greatest Generation. A lesser band would have produced an adequate album that eventually would have been lost underneath a sea of links to the TV show or Tom Brokaw in any Google search. However, after only a minute into the rousing opening track “There, There”, The Wonder Years cements themselves as an important force in the revival of a genre. After a successful jaunt overseas, The Wonder Years are now in the middle of a Spring tour of the US, stopping in San Diego tonight at Soma with their friends Defeater, Citizen, Real Friends, and Modern Baseball. A limited number of tickets are available online here for $16 and doors for the all ages show are at 6:00p. Be sure to check out the music video for “There, There” after the jump.

San Diego Show Announcements

Have you been paying attention to the Interwebs today? It feels like all kinds of announcements were made, like the S.S. Coachella cruises to The Bahamas and Jamaica this winter (tickets on sale Saturday).

Now, I'm not sure if you know this, but I'm the one who goes into the Casbah website to post new show announcements (and I attempt to create Facebook events for a lot of them, too), and we've had our share of announcements that I am personally SUPER excited about, so in case you missed them, here are just a few shows the Casbah has announced (click the event for ticket info):

• 9/2: Two Gallants @ Casbah
• 10/11: The XX, John Talabot Live @ Soma
• 10/20: Frightened Rabbit, Arc In Round @ The Irenic
• 11/1: Lord Huron @ Casbah
• 11/4: Other Lives, Indians @ Casbah
• 11/11: Minus The Bear, Cursive, Girl In A Coma @ House of Blues

and a few older ones for your radar in case you missed them...

• 8/2: Murder By Death, Cory Chisel and the Wandering Sons, Ha Ha Tonka @ Casbah
• 8/4: The Hood Internet, Psalm One, Tanya Morgan @ Casbah
• 8/10: Langhorne Slim and the Law, Jessica Lea Mayfield, Quiet Life @ Casbah
• 8/11: Saint Motel, Tribes, Italian Japanese @ Casbah
• 8/17: Y La Bamba, The Heavy Guilt, Ivan and Alyosha @ Casbah
• 9/4: AA Bondy @ Casbah
• 9/18: Moonface @ Casbah
• 9/28: Menomena @ Casbah (my birthday)

It has been months since I've actually booked a show of my own, so I also wanted to let you know that I have a show on August 14 at the Casbah with Old Tiger, Lowly Spects, Western Scene, and Michael McGraw. The show is only $6 and should be a great time with some of my favorite locals (and Lowly Spects from OC).



and lastly, my friends at the Hard Rock Hotel are once again teaming up with Filter for another SoundCheck. The show is FREE on August 7 at 207. Click the flyer to RSVP.

Bright Eyes & Kurt Vile at Soma, 9.21.2011

Wednesday night was the Bright Eyes show at SOMA. I took my friend Nick who has done work with Conor and played in Neva Denova and is all tied into that little Saddle Creek circle, so I was a little surprised that Conor was back to his reclusive ways and wasn't backstage at all before or after his set. Bummer. It was still an awesome show, especially when during their final song, he requested someone on timpani and that someone ended up being Tim Pyles. I was by the soundboard and Matt made sure I caught Tim on video. These are some of my shakiest videos ever...the further from the subject, the more dramatic any movement on my little handheld, but hopefully you enjoy them nonetheless.

See Photos of Kurt Vile and Bright Eyes here

Click the "next" button to see all six videos.

Tonight! Bright Eyes & Kurt Vile and The Violators at SOMA

I stayed up all night working just so that I could call it an early day and head to the Sports Arena area. Pre-drinks at The Shakedown followed by Bright Eyes at SOMA. For fun, here's the playlist of Conor's appearance at the Casbah last year with the Felice Brothers. 8 videos and I don't think I ever posted them here. Check em.

There are tickets available at the box office. Don't miss it.

Deadmau5: 10/26 at Soma Cancelled; Tickets Honored At Petco Park 10/28

Press Release:

deadmau5's

SAN DIEGO STOP OF THE Meowingtons Hax Tour

NOW SET FOR

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28 at PETCO PARK

Avicii, Tommy Lee & AERO, Feed Me AND SOFI
JOIN ELECTRONIC MUSIc'S top live act FOR HIS FIRST EVER BASEBALL STADIUM SHOW

"The level of spectacle that the Canadian electronic musician/producer commands is not just beyond any other electronic act, it's beyond any other act period; even the Muses and Coldplays of the world seem like community theater by comparison."

– SPIN.COM (August 8, 2011)


Due to popular demand, world-renowned electronic music producer/performer deadmau5 will now be bringing his Meowingtons Hax tour to downtown San Diego's PETCO Park Friday, October 28. Tickets for deadmau5's first ever baseball stadium show go on sale Friday, September 16 at noon PST. The show was previously set for October 26 at SOMA. Tickets for the original SOMA date will be honored at PETCO Park or refunds will be available at point of purchase.

Named after his cat Professor Meowingtons, deadmau5's Meowingtons Hax tour encompasses over 40 shows across North America and made its debut at Lollapalooza in Chicago where SPIN.com SPIN hailed it as the #1 set at the festival. It features incredible production—a menagerie of lights and LED (check out a clip from Lolla here: VIMEO—which complements the electronic artist's live repertoire of hits, classic cuts and brand new music. During his set, deadmau5 is joined by his mau5trap label artist vocalist SOFI on "Sofi Needs a Ladder" and "One Trick Pony." (Look for her Locked and Loaded EP to be released in October). The evening also features sets from his mau5trap label artists Tommy Lee & Aero and Feed Me with SOFI, along with special guest Sweden's Avicii for his only appearance on the tour.

Meanwhile, Ultra Music—deadmau5's North American label—has made available deadmau5-LIVE @ EARL'S COURT, a live DVD that captures deadmau5's 2010 performance as the first electronic artist ever to sell out London's historic 19,000-capacity Earl's Court. The package includes the hour-long performance with the electronic artist performing a selection of his songs from his catalog enhanced by captivating visuals and of course his one-of-a-kind LED face mau5head all helmed from his cube. Check out the trailer at: HERE.

There is also the Meowingtons Hax tour trax album via mau5trap. The Beatport exclusive compilation features new and exclusive tracks from deadmau5 and a host of artists featured on the tour, as well as a selection of tracks from new additions to the label that you can expect to hear a lot more from in the coming months: Skrillex, Feed Me, Tommy Lee & Aero, Excision & Datsik, Zedd, Moguai featuring SOFI, Al Bizzare and James Njie. The video for "Static," from the compilation (featuring Lee & Aero along with deadmau5, SOFI and other friends) is available for viewing and reposting at:
YOUTUBE.


About deadmau5
Joel Zimmerman, more commonly known as deadmau5 (pronounced 'dead mouse') is one of the world's most respected electronic producers of modern times. Enjoying international chart success with his singles "Sofi Needs A Ladder," "Ghosts 'n' Stuff" and "I Remember," he has also released three critically acclaimed albums 4x4=12, For Lack Of A Better Name and Random Album Title. The GRAMMY-nominated artist is ranked #4 in the world by DJ Mag followers and was recently voted Artist of the Year by the Beatport Community. His ability to push the boundaries of his talent grows at an equal rate to his fan-base, of which counts almost 4,000,000 on his Facebook page. deadmau5's current offerings include a remix package for "Raise Your Weapon" and the new deadmau5 Touch Remix app. deadmau5-Live At Earls Court, a live DVD is available now on Ultra Music.

deadmau5
Facebook
Twitter
MySpace
Ultra Records

Bright Eyes & Kurt Vile and The Violators @ Soma, September 21

Next week, Bright Eyes returns to San Diego to perform at Soma in support of their most recent album, The People's Key.

Since 2006 the once revolving cast of Bright Eyes players has settled around permanent members Conor Oberst, Mike Mogis and Nathaniel Walcott, with additional musicians joining them in the studio and on tour. Fully realized and bursting with charisma, The People’s Key is an assured and accomplished album, artfully arranged and filled with the engaging and mesmeric songwriting for which Oberst is renowned. Recorded in Omaha, Nebraska, at the band’s own ARC Studios, The People’s Key was produced by Mike Mogis and engineered by Mogis and Andy LeMaster.

It has been just short of a year since the surprise performance by Conor Oberst at the Casbah last year with the Felice Brothers (I remember exactly that it was September 27th because I got a birthday kiss from Conor at midnight- *blushing*) and what Soma lacks in intimacy, they'll make up for with that massive stage with a full sound and Bright Eyes' usually creative and colorful lighting schemes and live projections.

With Kurt Vile and The Violators opening, there is no doubt that this show is going to be pretty amazing. I've even been talking to "friends" on Turntable.FM who have seen the tour along the way and know that fans will not be disappointed.

The show is on Tuesday, September 21 at Soma and is ALL AGES. Doors open at 7pm.
Tickets are $25 here.
For a lucky few, I am giving away three (additional) pairs of tickets between now and Sunday. "Like" my page on Facebook and leave me a Bright Eyes memory/favorite song/ on my wall and I'll pick the best comments by Sunday.

Here are a couple downloads from The People's Key:

Photo Gallery: Cage The Elephant, Manchester Orchestra, Sleeper Agent at Soma, 6.1.2011

It isn't often I go to Soma, and it's even less frequent that I pick up a photo pass and am told, "You're the only photo pass tonight." Granted, those crazy kids who waited up front for the duration of the show probably got some good shots, and despite George telling me I need a better camera (Um, yeah, a new camera is the last of my priorities. I responded, "Well, I like having a camera I can sneak in when I still need to."...as I've done for half of my life.)

Regardless, tonight was an amazing show and I had to push past a million kids to get to the photo pit and I think I have whiplash from that and all the crowdsurfers that fell over my head throughout the night, but it was cool and I was happy to be there, and though I have very little to say about the bands and the show, it's not because I'm without words, but I'm tired and all I can really say is how tiredless all three bands are. They were all devoted and gave incredible performances and when Pyles and I reflected on the night, we acknowledged the divide between bands that play, and bands like these, that perform. I apologize that despite the photo pass, I am not a photographer, but here are some shots from the evening.





I've been told that my slideshows really mess with loading time for some people, so if you wanna check out the rest of my shots, click 'keep on reading' at the bottom of this post.

Spoon at Soma, 10.1.2010

On Friday night, me and Josh headed out to Soma to catch Spoon. We grabbed dinner at Chili's as the Soma crowd comingled with the Carrie Underwood crowd playing the adjacent Sports Arena. We walked over to Soma and had some time before Spoon started to hang out with the rest of the Casbah crew for a bit. I've seen Spoon so many times now but it really never gets old, and with the full locally hired horn section, they sounded fantastic. Here are some of the videos from the night.

Old Photographs: Good Old War, Yukon Blonde, Audra Mae @ Soma, 6/10/2010

Here are some more old photographs (from June 10, 2010). I made a last minute decision to check out Good Old War, Yukon Blonde, Audra Mae, and locals Meseta, who were playing on the sidestage at Soma. It was a fantastic show and though I was only familiar with Audra, the crowd new every word to every Good Old War song and the kids were nice enough to let me take some photos. I didn't mean to upload these so large, but the rest of the photos are after the jump. Unfortunately I got there too late to get any decent shots of Meseta, but check those kids out. This show was a perfect example of a good lineup with bands that weren't necessarily on my radar but that I thoroughly enjoyed. Sometimes you have to take a chance on a show because you might just be surprised with a killer show.

Photos: Silversun Pickups, Everest, The Henry Clay People @ Soma, 8/7/2010

It took a really long time for me to post these photos, mostly because I took so many that night and with the LED lights, the ratio of crappy photos to decent ones was very high. Nevertheless, it was such a fun night, even for Soma, because I was with two great friends. Unfortunately my friend Steve brought the wrong tickets so Evan had to drive him back to his car in North Park, but it didn't take long for them to come back to hang out and enjoy the show. And it was a good one. Crowded and hot as all hell, but I think back to shows in my youth where I left a show completely drenched (in my sweat and the sweat of others) and I can handle a good crowded show every once in a while. It was fun catching up with The Henry Clay People, it was awesome seeing Everest slowly win over the crowd, and it was incredible watching Silversun Pickups absolutely dominating the stage.

This Saturday: Silversun Pickups, Everest, The Henry Clay People @ Soma

I'm really excited about Saturday's Rumble, but before I hit Bar Pink, I'll be at the sweatbox known as Soma for Silversun Pickups, Everest, and The Henry Clay People.

I've seen all three bands, SSPU and THCP several times, and this is a stellar lineup. Plan on getting there early and staying through all three bands' sets. I have a plus one if anyone wants to go with me. I wish I had more to say about the show, but at this point you've already bought your tickets or are refusing because you hate Soma, so I doubt I'll really change any minds today. Still, I think this is gonna be one of my favorite shows this summer.

This is a recent video I shot of Everest, when they opened for The Whigs at the Belly Up.


This is a really old (and dimly lit) video I shot, pre-HD camera, of The Henry Clay People playing at the Casbah. I seriously love these guys and hope you make a point to see them. And don't tell anyone that I told you, but they have a headlining gig at the Casbah on September 11. I'll be adding that to the calendar soon.

Casbah Presents: The Dead Weather 7/19 & The Black Keys 9/25

Today the Casbah announced two huge shows coming to San Diego. First, The Dead Weather will be at the House of Blues on July 19, with tickets going on-sale May 8 via Ticketmaster or the HoB box office. The second show features The Black Keys with guest Nicole Atkins at Soma on September 25, with tickets going on sale Friday, May 7 via Soma's ticketing system, Lunatiks.com.

Both bands are no strangers to San Diego, with The Black Keys last show here at last year's FM 94/9's Indie Jam and The Dead Weather's debut appearance here at 2009's Street Scene.





The Black Keys have a new record, Brothers, dropping on May 18. The Dead Weather's new record drops on May 11, and you can see them perform the entire LP, Sea of Cowards, today via MySpace at 3pm PST.

You can also Tweet-To-Download a free "Hustle and Cuss" MP3. Your tweet automatically enters you to win a VIP package and flyaway to Bonnaroo.

Casbah Presents Yo La Tengo @ Soma, 10.16.09

So there was this one time when I had amazing backstage privileges. It was soundcheck for Arcade Fire and at the time I happened to work across the street, and I had to drop something off to Tim or something, and it was a slow day at work and nobody really cared or noticed that I left. I walked across the street to Spreckels and there was Arcade Fire soundchecking and I was really there for less than 20 minutes, but I was dying to take pictures, but was told it was not ok to do so...a violation of trust with the band or something...which I totally get, but still, would've been so awesome, even if I could never share those photos. I still get the same chill up my spine at how cool that moment in time felt for me listening to them sound check "Wake Up" (which sends chills up my spine every time I see the "Where The Wild Things Are" trailer.)The concert that night delivered the same spiritual feeling.

All this to say that tonight I went to see Yo La Tengo on a totally random whim with Tim Pyles and I was petrified to even bring out my camera. Tim is an amazing friend, so I wouldn't ever wanna cross a line, but he said he thought it was ok to do my shit. Sorry, but I still geek out if I'm somewhere I don't think I'm supposed to be...in this case we were sidestage with nobody else around. I should also say I know NOTHING about Yo La Tengo except that Swim Party does a rad cover of their music and my friend Kevin was really pissed that they were playing in San Diego the one week he decided to go back to Wisconsin to visit family. He had the courtesy to call me from the cheese factory to ask what I wanted, so returning the favor, in some small way, I took photos, video, and even had him on the phone for about 20 minutes so he could hear the show he was missing. All that blah blah out of the way, here are the photos and video. p.s. to all the YLT fans, sorry I wasn't introduced sooner, but I TOTALLY get it:








More photos and video if you click 'keep on reading'.