The Songwriter Sanctuary Series is an intimate monthly concert series featuring San Diego songwriters, produced in partnership with Normal Heights United Church, which formerly hosted the ambitious Acoustic Music San Diego concert series. Upcoming EventSongwriter …
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Stories by Jay Allen Sanford
Upcoming EventAviator Stash and IndréSaturday, August 19, 2023, 8:30 p.m. to 11:45 p.m.Navajo Live, 8515 Navajo Road, San Carlos, CAAge Limit: 21+ / $12 - $15MoreFounded in 2014 and based in Carlsbad, Aviator Stash released …
While going through a stash of vintage Betamax videotapes in search of local band footage for the Youtube channel BetaGems, we found September 1989 clips of the costumed King Koopa hosting the controversial King Koopa's Kool Kartoons …
When the Smashing Pumpkins bring their The World Is a Vampire Tour to Chula Vista, opening acts will include local 1990s heroes <a href="http://www.sandiegoreader.com/bands/stone-temple-pilots/">Stone Temple Pilots </a>, who like the Pumpkins aren’t staffed by their original …
Oakley Hll explains The Corpus of Joe Bailey In San Diego, Corpus of Joe Bailey also made a noteworthy entrance. The book was denounced from San Diego pulpits for being too sexy and provoked Mission …
The pre-Gaslamp, premultiplex downtown of 1979 exists today only in the fond memories of cinemaniacs old enough to recall a time when Jaws made you afraid of the water, Friday the 13th made you afraid …
Lead Pony can already spot the VulturesPsychedelic blues rock has never really gone out of style — not locally, anyway. And now, San Diego is rapidly becoming a hotbed of related “concept albums,” from the space …
Hey, Chels was founded by Jacque Mendez (New Way On) on vocals and electric piano, Stephanie Presz (the Newports) on drums, Kevin White (Squarecrow, Londons Falling) on guitar, and Ricky Schmidt (Western Settings, Caskitt) on …
Indie pop singer-songwriter Tamar Berk grew up playing piano and started writing songs on guitar as a teenager. While living in Chicago, she played in regional bands — like her first, power pop group Starball, …
Departing Dystopia is an interactive, immersive, post-apocalyptic-themed cyberpunk theater-nightclub hybrid featuring displays and performances, including a live musical EDM rendition of Romeo & Juliet. The Hillcrest event will include performance art featuring elements of dance, …
Psych/blues rock group Lead Pony released their debut EP Eclipse in 2017, followed the next year by a double-single, “Two Love Songs.” The band toured behind the records and landed a song on the TV …
Classical Salsa guitarist Israel Maldonado moved with his family to Carlsbad when he was 14, learning percussion on the drum line at Carlsbad High and playing in guitar ensembles at Palomar College and SDSU. A …
Blues-rock duo Little Hurricane released a children’s album earlier this year, Life Is But a Dream. Among the fifteen tracks are standards such as “Wheels On the Bus,” “This Old Man,” “Three Blind Mice,” and …
Daring Greatly at Belly Up Tavern June 22 Describing their music as blood harmony rock, Daring Greatly relocated from Calgary, AB Canada to San Diego in August 2015. The band is fronted by Dail Croome …
Rock, reggae, alternative, indie, and rap music comes to Sycuan Recreation Center on June 16 and 17 with a two day music festival in El Cajon. The Friday bill includes Sprung Monkey, Urethane, Project Sell …
Originally hailing from Outer Banks, NC, before relocating to Ocean Beach, Sensi Trails has collaborated with artists and producers such as KBong and E.N. Young. They’ll share a bill on June 8 at the Music …
The Sess (shorthand for sessions) began in the early 2000s with members playing in Riverside punk groups. After relocating to San Diego, they earned a nomination for Best Rock Album at the 2008 San Diego …
“This year’s Beatles Fair will be a special pop-up in collaboration with The Cavern Club in Liverpool for their 66th anniversary,” says Creative Director Christopher Leyva, regarding the event happening June 3 at Queen Bee’s …
After graduating from La Jolla High in 2011, singer/songwriter Josh Blevins attended Pepperdine before enrolling at SDSU and launching Gunner Gunner around 2014. After a long period of inactivity, the band will perform a reunion …
Temblad (Spanish for “Tremble”) was founded as a metal cover band before developing original music. The group will debut their album Hallucignosis at the Soda Bar in City Heights on Friday, May 19, with other …
Founded in 2019 and led by guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Parker Griggs (Radio Moscow), El Perro is a psychedelic rock band with a second guitar and percussionist pushing the music into syncopated Latin and funk grooves. The group …
Temecula-based melodic punk group Strike Twelve has a new album due at the end of June, Last Band Standing, preceded by a video for “Smart Phones, Stupid People” filmed with the members’ cell phones. “I …
Jimmy LaValle formed his meditative electro-organic musical project The Album Leaf in 1999, going on to several acclaimed releases and touring with acts such as Sigur Rós. May 5 will see the release of a …
“I used to perform nearly full-time in cover bands, but left the live music world behind many moons ago to ‘find myself’ when it came to the music industry,” says singer-songwriter Audrey Callahan, whose original …
When A.J. Croce was a week past his second birthday, his father, singer-songwriter Jim Croce, died in a September 1973 plane crash. Croce will celebrate two of his father’s albums, 1973’s Life and Times and …
“Our children’s album, Life is But a Dream, is available streaming worldwide,” announced dream pop duo Little Hurricane. Among the fifteen tracks are kids’ standards such as “Wheels On the Bus,” “This Old Man,” “Three …
Formed in 2016 as Sights & Sages, alt-experimental rock band Ten Bulls was founded by members who had also played together in local groups such as Neveready and Love Glow. Their debut Ten Bulls album …
On April 3, Huge Shark — the musical project of Valerie Polichar -—will drop a debut full-length called Everything, mastered by Grammy-nominated Joe Lambert (The National, The Black Crowes). Over the course of seven years, …
Blair Gun’s debut album Blaspheme Queen was just released, along with a video for “Bennet.” According to singer-guitarist Joedin Morelock, “‘Bennet’ is about a man that I met online. After years of making music and …
When your love is locked up During the two days that the jury deliberated, the rest of the world seemed on freeze-frame, and I spoke with no one besides Dee's mom. We spent the time …
Steve Poltz’s second annual BaHOOTenzie! Song School and Folk Fest will be staged in conjunction with the Joshua Tree Music Festival on May 2-4 (Song School) and May 5-6 (Folk Fest). The songwriting sessions, open …
Dallas McLaughlin was known as Dr. Cliff Mixtable when he was in the local rap spoof Bad Credit, who toured with the Aquabats, a ska band that dressed like superheroes for The Aquabtas! Super Show. …
Technicolor Dreams, the new album from Christopher Leyva’s band Falling Doves, was mixed and recorded at London’s famed Abbey Road studio by producer Chris Bolster. A promotional tour kicks off this week; Leyva is calling …
Golf Course headed for the rough? Retired Fallbrook elementary school teacher Joan McConnell had just returned on Sunday (January 24) from the site of the former San Luis Rey Downs Golf Club. Two years ago, …
Otis Barthoulameu, aka O, has passed away. The singer-guitarist played with Fluf, Makeup Sex, Systems Officer, Olivelawn, Harshmellow, Octagrape, Reeve Oliver, and Woofer. He also produced records and wrote and arranged for artists such as …
Miniaturized includes members of Rocket from the Crypt, Hot Snakes, Pinback, Earthless, Buckfast Superbee, No Knife, and others. Their new single “The Most,” precedes a self-titled debut album due March 31. “’The Most’ comes from …
The Belly Up hosts a February 14 tribute to Dolly Parton curated by Nena Anderson and featuring Brawley, with proceeds to benefit the Keep A Breast Foundation. Prizes will be awarded for the best Dolly …
Jared Mattson (The Mattson 2) releases his debut solo full-length Peanut on March 31 via Chaz Bear’s Carpark imprint Company Records, preceded by a single and music video for “Please Come Here.” “I wrote the …
Sun Room was founded in 2020 by Long Beach transplant Luke Asgian, while attending Point Loma Nazarene University. Their music has been heard on the Netflix program Outerbanks. An upcoming EP called Outta Their Minds …
On Thursday, January 19, the Music Box hosts Carry the Stone: An All-Star Tribute to the Music of Pink Floyd. The core band features locals Josh Taylor and Sam Hunt (guitars and vocals), Josh Weinstein …
Nominated for Best Rock Artist at the 2022 San Diego Music Awards, Canadian transplants Daring Greatly will headline a packed Music Box bill on Thursday, January 12 in Little Italy. Co-headliner Ash Easton released her …
The Tourmalines were founded by Deven Berryhill, son of Bob Berryhill, of the ‘60s surf rock group the Surfaris. The new Tourmaliners CD on local Pacific Records, Surfidia, continues the band’s exploration of cinematic surf …
Originally from Naples, Florida, jazz singer Cobby Brzeski graduated magna cum laude in 2018 from the Berklee College of Music. She writes, performs, and records original 1940s-inspired swing music. She recently released her debut album …
Jeff Berkley and Calman Hart, collectively known as Berkley Hart, have earned a following for their multi-performer theme concert productions, such as Oh Berkley, where Hart Thou (covering music from one particular film). The duo …
Lindsay White says her new single “No Stopping It” is about dealing with anxiety. “After my daughter was born, the coping mechanisms morphed into something called dermatillomania, or skin-picking,” she says. “Sometimes it’s frustrating to …
“We were just hired by a soccer magazine-slash-media-outlet to write metal songs for the World Cup series,” says Beekeeper drummer Dylan Marks (who has also served as a music instructor at Music Speaks Studio). “The …
“As a child, I loved hearing my grandad sing songs from The Sound of Music while strumming his old cracked ukulele,” says Jesse Daniel Edwards. “I grew up in Julian and currently live in Nashville, …
Chest Fever (members of Mrs. Henry) will be performing The Last Waltz, an ode to The Band’s iconic 1976 concert performance, on November 26 at The Magnolia in El Cajon. Also appearing will be Scarlet …
"The Locust is pleased to present the official video for our remix of Danny Elfman’s song Cruel Compensation," announced Three One G label honcho (and Locust co-founder) Justin Pearson. "The remix was the last recording …
“We are a crusty pop punk band from San Diego, [and] we have a new vinyl called Happy Accidents coming out on San Diego’s own Paper Street Cuts label on December 2,” reports Se Vende, …