"Tori [Amos] was screaming and swearing at two girls in the front row," reads a post on the toriforum message board concerning the singer's December 12 concert at Copley Symphony Hall. A YouTube video posted …

When K.C. & the Sunshine Band appear at 4th&B on Saturday, December 29, KC's dressing room requirements include a bucket of fried chicken ("fresh"), a large bag of Ruffles ("light"), a deli tray of meat …

James Brown died about one year ago, on Christmas day. Greyboy Allstars saxophonist/singer Karl Denson played with Brown five years ago -- 12/21/02 -- when Brown made a surprise appearance at Madison Square Garden with …

"I hope it's a long lunch, 'cause I have a long list of things to cover with Dubya."

Hundreds of Placebo fans submitted video of themselves lip-synching to the band's cover of Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill." The band made a video consisting of fan-made clips. Local singer/songwriter Roberta Hofer's work was …

Nearly 22 years ago -- on 12/15/85, the Dead Kennedys played one of their final shows with original singer Jello Biafra at downtown's California Theatre. As the set wrapped up, fans tore up the seats …

"My boyfriend, Marine captain David T. Russell, just got sent to Iraq for the third time," says singer/songwriter Jenn Grinels. "There are a couple of songs on the new album that deal with his past …

"Our shows include a band, vaudeville, black-light puppets, aerialists, flame-handlers, jugglers, magic, sideshow performers, and just about anything else you can think of," says Glenn Allen, music director for the Technomania Circus. While putting together …

Twenty-eight years ago this week, Bob Dylan brought his Gospel Tour to Golden Hall for two nights -- November 27 and 28, 1979 -- during which he was reportedly booed during monologues about his newfound …

Some gems from November posts on the San Diego Musicians page at craigslist.org: "Looking for some people to jam with. I'm not looking for the best.... Must be willing to piss off neighbors, must like …

Since 2002, the insectoid stage outfits worn by the Locust have been created by fashion designer Ben Warwas. "The first outfits I did were green, with masks that had mesh over the eyes," he says. …

Record labels and music publishers owned by EMI are suing locally based MP3tunes for copyright infringement. MP3tunes owner Michael Robertson is named in the suit, which accuses MP3tunes' sideload.com of illegally providing free access to …

"I always wonder how such brilliant musicians could be so unsatisfied with themselves when they have the ability to create art that touches so many people."

High Mountain Tempel's new CD, A Screaming Comes Across the Sky, includes the song "Fluctuat Nec Mergitur," which pays homage to Elizabeth Clare Prophet of the Church Universal and Triumphant. "She had a free cable-access …

When Ozzy Osbourne plays the Sports Arena on Tuesday, November 20, the venue "must have a real ear, nose, and throat doctor on site [and] must be able to administer if required a B12 shot …

The just-released Madonna tribute Through the Wilderness includes the Prayers, who cover her 1989 single "Cherish." "We originally wanted to do the song 'Like a Prayer,' " says singer/sax player Brandon Welchez, "not only because …

Casbah patron Marc Pierce got a surprise October 27 while watching Southern Culture on the Skids perform. "About three-quarters of the way through the show," he blogs, "midway through the song, [guitarist] Rick [Miller] pulls …

I was homeless exactly one year, from March 2001 to March 2002. I'd known it was coming, and I even sort of welcomed the impending challenge(s), but I had no idea how long it would …

Mike Stax moved from the U.K. to San Diego in 1981 to join his favorite band, the Crawdaddys. Two years later Stax launched Ugly Things magazine. "We cover underground garage bands, many of them obscure …

Forty-three years ago today -- 11/1/64 -- the Rolling Stones played an evening show at Balboa Park Bowl after appearing that afternoon at Long Beach's Civic Auditorium. Tickets cost $3.50, and the show started at …

"We probably spent $400 promoting an event that never happened," says Agave drummer Chris Flores of the band's scheduled October 13 CD-release party at PB's Longboard Grill. "We were aware that they already had a …

"The shitheads at the House of Blues in San Diego said they didn't know that [the Black Crowes] was going to record the show ourselves, he didn't read the contract," writes Boa at Crowesbase.com. Since …

Thirty-seven years ago today -- 10/18/70 -- Pink Floyd performed in San Diego for the first time at the Intercollegiate Baseball Facility (a.k.a. the Polo Field) at UCSD. Touring behind their Atom Heart Mother album, …

When Jennifer Lopez appears at Cox Arena on Wednesday, October 24, expected munchies include chocolate chip cookies, brownies, an apple pie ("à la mode"), honey peanut Balance Bars, mango, and papaya. Her dressing room requires …

Some excerpts from online venue reviews written by patrons: The Aero Club: "The owner, Bill, is meticulous about his beer lines. He uses a mix of nitrogen and CO2. He uses a special dishwashing detergent …

"Our last drummer disappeared and [went to] jail for art theft," says Tim Malley, guitarist and singer for Tim and the 23s. "After our second practice with him, we couldn't get ahold of him. It …

Both shows at the San Diego Arena on Eighth and Harbor Drive (aka Glacier Garden skating rink) for Presley's first full-length California concerts were sold out and police presence was heavy. "Some girls broke into …

Brian Lewis is the former venue manager for Humphrey's. "I liked the backstage responsibilities best of all," he says, "because of the interaction with performers.... "Dana Carvey would come into the inside stage and just …

When the Steve Miller Band appears at Pala Casino's Palomar Starlight Theater on Friday, October 5, their hospitality room requires tortilla chips ("one bag unsalted, two bags salted"), a pint of guacamole ("no supermarket prepackaged"), …

Hip-hop artist MC Flow -- a.k.a. Abby Schwartz -- raps about politics and women's issues. She grew up in New York City and moved to San Diego in 2000 at the age of 30 to …

Anya Marina recently appeared on The Shit Show Sirius radio program with comedian Andy Dick. "We made out once. I know you don't like to admit it," Dick told her. "We were drunk and I …

"Metal music kept me going for a lot of years," says Tom Wren, creator of locally based online 'zine Metal Nightmare (www.metalnightmare.com). The thirtysomething software engineer published the first print edition of Metal Nightmare in …

"Random, mindless hilarity is always good."

Artist Mike Clift has drawn gory, zombie-heavy record covers for bands such as GutRot, Nocturnus, DiamondHead, and Skinlab. He's probably best known for his sleeve artwork for long-gone locals Psychotic Waltz, whose drummer, Norm Leggio, …

Rapper Tonex (pronounced toe-NAY), a pastor at Truth Apostolic Community Church, has generated controversy because he curses in his song "The Naked Truth": "I got out alive, nigga...I did it, I made it, [I'm] the …

Pinback, Goblin Cock, Thingy, Heavy Vegetable, Optiganally Yours, Other Men...man of a thousand bands Rob Crow has referred to the Star Wars film series in nearly all his musical projects: "She purrs and sabers light, …

Todd Loren launched Rock 'N' Roll Comics in 1989 to spin unlicensed comic-book biographies of rock stars. Some, like Frank Zappa and Kiss, were supportive, while others -- such as the New Kids on the …

When Toby Keith performs at Coors Amphitheatre on Sunday, September 9, "artist has his own roaming glow ring, glow rose and live rose operation...no glow products of any nature or any live roses are allowed …

Phil Spector hasn't let a murder trial slow him down. In early April, he produced "Crying for John Lennon," a song by local singer/song-writer Hargo. The song will likely be included on a documentary film …

"For a young girl trying to get recognition in the music industry, your morals are tested on a daily basis," says soul/jazz singer Amber Ojeda, 23. "My first experience meeting a record producer [three years …

"This isn't [Richard Simmons's] 'Sweatin' to the Oldies,' " says Techno Sweat CEO Rick L. Frimmer, whose Carlsbad company sells music downloads and CDs remixed at various BPM (beats per minute); the music is designed …

The Death Squad posts songs on their MySpace page (http://www.myspace.com/thexdeathxsquad) such as "Emo Arab Turbins" [sic] and "White Power": "Hail Hitler, white power, supremacy is the best, tattoo a swastika on my chest/ I pay …

Happy Songs About the War, set to debut in January '08 at Sixth@Penn in Hillcrest, is a one-man musical being developed by singer/songwriter J.D. Boucharde and local theater maven Leigh Scarritt. "It started as a …

Some gems from July posts on the San Diego Musicians page at craigslist.org: "Seeking U2Heads to portray U2's Boy/October era in sight and sound...seeking a Bono, Adam, and Larry. The Edge portrayer position is taken. …

Some of the Beatles' first recordings -- before they became "The Beatles" -- were collaborations with English rocker Tony Sheridan. Today Sheridan frequently appears at Fab Four events, though Blizzard singer/guitarist Chris Leyva says, "I …

"We went to a soundstage in L.A. and got clown makeup put on us," says Shoestring Strap singer/guitarist Dave Lowenstein of his band's appearance in the upcoming film Circus of Life. "We waited around for …

When Manganista chartered a "party bus" for a gig at L.A.'s Viper Room at the end of June, they decided to record on the way. "I wanted to record a crowd of about 30 or …

Rosey Bystrak's blog (sddialedin.com) has fueled the debate over fans shooting concert videos to post online. After a July 6 Band of Horses show at 'Canes, Bystrak posted, "So there I am with my tiny …

Singer/songwriter J.D. Boucharde's four-album project Contra Mundum (Latin for "against the world") is a biographical odyssey about his experiences with addiction, abuse, and depression. He specializes in telling stories, though not all are based on …

Inside story of a porn empire