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The Casbah

2501 Kettner Boulevard, San Diego, CA 92101

The White Stripes, Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana, Weezer, the Cult, Modest Mouse, and countless more indie rockers have played the stage with the padded walls that, in truth, came from an ice cream parlor. Owners Tim Mays and Bob Bennett essentially bought the interior furnishings of a Farrell’s Ice Cream when it folded. The stuff became the new decor for the original Casbah, which opened in 1989 at 2812 Kettner. In its present 220+ capacity location since 1994, the iconic stage backdrop has been replaced at least once. But the question remains: does that padding help cut the noise any for the tenants in the airport view apartments perched over the night club?

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