When 16-year-old guitarist Ted Friedman founded the Gravedigger V in his parents' garage in the early '80s, little did he know it would become one of San Diego's most influential bands. "We didn't feel too …

"The Longboard Grill wanted to introduce live-band karaoke to San Diego," says bassist Rob Renovales, whose group Pickford's Party plays the PB venue's "Rock Out Karaoke" each Wednesday. "We knew a bunch of covers already, …

"The tour is about inspiring people to make space in their own hearts for peace," says Carlsbad musician Jerry Leggett, who is touring the U.S. in a yellow teardrop-shaped trailer he calls the Peace Bubble. …

"Marc and his group of scary-looking punk-rock friends [would] cruise the streets of downtown San Diego wearing armbands which read F.O.N.O., Friends of No One," recalls aspiring filmmaker Carl Schneider. He refers to punk artist …

The song that played during 19-year-old snowboarder Hannah Teter's gold-winning halfpipe run at the 2006 Winter Olympics -- "Communicate" -- is by local band Strive Roots. Singer/guitarist Eli Lieberman is Hannah's boyfriend. "We got 150,000 …

Local performers whose MySpace sites include references to illegal drug use: Cheez and Mac Jabronie from El Cajon post songs with titles such as "Big Phat Bluntz" ("Grab the fire and burn one down"), "Stoner …

"We manage to sneak some humorous covers in, even if people rarely notice," says Paper Moon guitarist Daniel Dever. "The theme from Borat works great in a Gypsy jazz format, and nobody in the crowd …

"I wanted to get out of Brick By Brick [because of problems with] one of the partners," says former Brick co-owner Chris Heaney. "He wouldn't let us buy him out, plus we always had to …

When the Who plays ipayOne Center tonight, Roger Daltrey's private dressing room requires six bottles of tonic water, a bottle of Belvedere vodka, a jar of honey, two packs of Throat Coat lozenges, and a …

When Christina Aguilera appears at ipayOne Center tomorrow, March 2, her dressing room should have an assortment of Power Bars, Cliff Bars, and Balance Bars, a half-pint of fat-free small-curd cottage cheese ("Knudsen or Clover …

"With the resurgence of Bill Shatner's acting career, there's been a lot of interest in his music," says Dan Lederman, a.k.a. ShatMan, the One-Man Shatner Tribute Band. "I started doing karaoke shows to discs of …

Top Five Gems from recent posts on the San Diego Musicians webpage at craigslist.org: "CD artwork...can provide samples on speculum." "Metal guitarist looking to form or join group...not into Cookie Monster sounding vocals." "Death metal …

Kiss bassist Gene Simmons is working with local comic publisher IDW on a horror anthology comic to be titled Gene Simmons House of Horror. The first issue is scheduled for a July release, with Simmons …

"Everyone was either fighting, puking, or making out," says Two Word Name guitarist Dag Stylez of the "party bus" to and from the band's January 25 gig at L.A.'s Whiskey a Go Go. For $35, …

'Mike Chartrand bailed for a lot of reasons," says Off Track drummer Jared Hren of the band losing its longtime bassist. "We've been friends since the high school marching band, but now he wants to …

"We'll be filming at Mardi Gras and several clubs downtown from February 19 through the 21st," says XL Staffing and Security owner Joe Mackey of the still-unnamed reality show being produced about his firm. "It'll …

With their Kiss-like makeup and occult lyrics, Crimson Moon released their first recording 12 years ago, though they never performed live until 2006. Core members Scorpios (bass, vocals, lyrics) and Nocturnal Overlord (guitars, keyboards, drum …

Twenty-seven years ago today (2-1-80), eccentric punk pioneer Gary Wilson played downtown's Skeleton Club along with locals Four Eyes. "Gary Wilson had tape and stuff wrapped around him and there's flour being thrown all over …

"The Fabulous Rudies have been picked up to play the entire 2007 Vans Warped Tour," says singer Tom Voris. "We were the second band announced, right after Bad Religion, and we're already getting label and …

"Maybe Guns [N' Roses] canceling the two local shows is why we're getting a bigger turnout lately," says Dust N' Bones singer Richard Gwaltney. "[Last month] we were contacted through MySpace by this indie record …

"I didn't really know what I was doing," says Seventh Soldier singer Hyun Soo of his recent attempt to book a tour for his band. "I found this guy on MySpace, Captain Grind Me Booking, …

"I was driving on my own to a gig in Colorado when my tour van skidded on some black ice," says singer/songwriter Astra Kelly. "When the wheels hit the dirt, the van started rolling over, …

"I don't know what's going on, but 'Neo-Conservative Blues' suddenly jumped to number 88 on Neil Young's Living with War website," says Mark DeCerbo. A week earlier, the song -- cowritten with comic book and …

Carlsbad-based Van Halen tribute band OU812 concentrates on the Sammy Hagar years. "Plenty of bands do David Lee Roth, but we don't think anyone wants to see us in Spandex," says bassist John Osmon. OU812 …

Last week, a song by the reunited Sassy MoFoS was ranked number 3 (of around 6100) on the alt-punk chart at www.soundclick.com. "It's called 'You Smell Like Something I Wouldn't Want to Touch (But I'm …

"I've been a fan of Jimmy Gnecco since Distorted Lullabies, the first Ours album," says local singer/songwriter Simeon Flick, who caught Gnecco's solo House of Blues performance in December. "Jimmy, about three quarters of the …

All those flyers you find on your car after a concert are the result of illegal activity. "It's considered littering," says Steven S., who used to "paper" parking lots for several local bands. "If someone …

"I just got named the national music director of the Paul Green School of Rock and will be opening a San Diego branch of the school early next year," says guitarist Mike Keneally. "I've come …

"Our band revolves around a purple electric guitar, drums, and a multicolored toy xylophone that cost $14 at Target," says Tragic Tantrum Cabaret singer/guitarist Zeph. "We aren't afraid to venture into the territory of melodicas …

"The dude [onstage] was wearing a strap-on dildo," says local scenester Dammit Dan of an unnamed band seen at Scolari's Office. "So he's wearing that, and he sprayed Zippo lighter fluid all over [it], and …

Bunky singer/guitarist Rafter Roberts releases his solo album Music for Total Chickens next month, and he'd like you to make a video for it. "There are mp3 links to four songs on YouTube, and pretty …

'I saw Tony Levin playing a Stick at the 1997 NAMM trade show in Anaheim, and I bought one that year," says Tom Griesgraber. The 12-stringed Stick (popularized by Levin during stints with King Crimson …

How would singer/songwriter Colin Clyne describe his music? "Imagine the love child of Mike Myers's Fat Bastard and Neil Young." Originally from Stonehaven, Scotland, and raised in the U.K., Clyne frequently takes jobs aboard fishing …

"All three of us really are monks, though we don't perform with shaved heads and robes," says Monk Party keyboardist Sujantra. "I spend about two months a year studying with our spiritual meditation teacher, Sri …

"The .45 Clash is one of our top sellers," says Globe Shoes marketing director Michael Marckx. Remaining Clash members gave consent for a shoe to be manufactured with the band's logos and imprinted lyrics to …

Fifty on Their Heels (named after a Max Brand pulp western) recently got a break. With only one small-press CD under their belt, the band landed two songs on the soundtrack to Sony's Playstation 3 …

"You're My Li'l Puta is an audio/visual musical satire about a medical cannabis activist and his ex-girlfriend," says video artist Tony Mindcontrole of the "popumentary" DVD he's working on with the Swollen Monkeys, a local …

"We were signed to Elektra on my 15th birthday, but the record was never released," says Lindsey Troy of the album she and her sister Anna recorded as the Troys in 2002. "They kept pushing …

In a recent report, SD police chief William Lansdowne said around 87 gangs with approximately 3500 members operate within San Diego. Many are referred to -- if not represented -- on MySpace pages. 2-11 Nayb4hood …

Iraqi-American rapper Timz is riding the anti-Bush wave with "Iraq," the first single off his new CD Open for Business. At this writing, the song is the number four most-added track on CMJ's College Pop …

When Ludacris appears at the Z-90 Jingle Jam at ipayOne Center on Saturday, December 2, "at no time shall Ludacris be without his assigned ground transportation and driver." His dressing room requirements include a large-screen …

'Rockaltcountryindiepopcatchycore" is the word singer/guitarist Adam Gimbel has coined to describe the music of Rookie Card. "I'd rather be unfocused than play the same song ten times in a row," he says. Despite their name, …

"There's no big breakup story," says singer Brandon Welchez of the soon-to-disband Plot to Blow Up the Eiffel Tower. "We're all still friends and still doing various band projects together." Recalling offbeat tour experiences, Welchez …

"It's Not Easy Being a Chick Rocker," says VV Loveland of Scary Mary. "One time at Scolari's, this guy shows me his penis while I'm onstage. He was drunk and dancing and jiggling it around …

'I'm just trying to keep real punk alive and keep rock and roll dangerous," says Tim Raldo. "I'm doing shit a lot of people wish they had the balls to do. I've cut myself onstage, …

"In the midst of setting up our equipment, [bassist] Travis [Du Bois] was being escorted outside by a campus police officer," says Suffer the Heat singer Brandon Barclay of the band's Halloween gig at MiraCosta …

After becoming one of three finalists in MySpace's "Stomp the Yard" music contest, local rapper Kevin "Juice" Orange has been disqualified. "The contest rules stated, 'The song must be composed, written, and performed solely by …

Bassist Rob "Noxious" Durham of the Shitgiveits had a heart attack November 4. "His aorta blew out and collapsed all his arteries," reads a post on the band's webpage. "He went under a ten hour …

"Kids spend a lot of time listening to the radio and DJs are considered role models, so it's a major issue when DJs flat-out promote marijuana use," says Dannah Hosford of the Youth Advocacy Coalition. …

"Some people tell me, 'No way I'm hanging out in a fag bar to see a punk rock show,' " says Davit Buck of the Homeless Sexuals, who appear at Hillcrest's Brass Rail tonight. "I …