"I don't do drag, I do impersonation," says Louis Padilla of his Shakira lookalike act. "Drag is about looks, about being as much like a lady as possible, but an impersonation is a whole show; …

Thirty-seven years ago today (5/11/69), the Grateful Dead headlined SDSU's Spring Fling concert at the Aztec Bowl. One of Spring Fling's promoters was future city mayor Roger Hedgecock. The Dead appeared along with Canned Heat, …

Cheap Sex is on a growing list of local performers sounding off with politicized lyrics. The title track of their debut album, Launch Off to War, paraphrases the old Country Joe cheer ("What the fuck …

When Minnesota State University (Mankato) students voted for the band they wanted to play their annual spring concert, first choices included My Chemical Romance, Jack Johnson, Dashboard Confessional, or Brooks & Dunn. Because the fees …

"We were contacted by lawyers for Babyshambles a few years back," says Shambles front man Bart Mendoza. "When the Libertines broke up, they wanted to call their new band the Shambles. We'd already had records …

“There are three types of people in this world: sharks, guppies, and shark bait.”

Some Girls -- comprising members of the Locust, the Plot to Blow Up the Eiffel Tower, and Unbroken -- have left lasting impressions in Europe. "One young lady [in Vienna] who had been acting like …

Jeff Moore and the Witchdoctors recently ended their seven-year-long Thursday-night residency at Cardiff's Kraken. On April 13, Moore and club owner Doug Aldred had a disagreement. According to one attendee, "[Aldred] approached the stage and …

A couple years ago, New York billionaire Bob Sillerman paid $114 million for an 85 percent stake in Elvis Presley Enterprises. Recently, in advance of a planned Elvis Presley Las Vegas cabaret act, Sillerman is …

After a year booking events at the Boulevard in San Marcos, Mike Beard of Man Down Productions says, "I am moving my shows to a new place in San Marcos, the Longshots Saloon." In an …

Chimichanga and the Sour Chives recently opened up for Plague of Society at a San Marcos bar. "[Some of the patrons] were acting up and saying shit as soon as they saw us," says Plague …

"We've already talked two [local] venues into canceling all future 'pimp 'n' ho' events," says SDSU student Teri N., who heads a newly formed women's coalition named DM (Demand Respect). "We made [clubs] aware that …

Before playing New York's CBGB on March 26, Rat City Riot roadie "Brock had filled up a Gatorade bottle full of piss," says singer Noah Bricker. "You know how sometimes you have to piss in …

'Poetry-drenched, lyric-oriented folk jazz" is how Randy Phillips describes her music. "With a little Joni [Mitchell] and Ani [DiFranco] via Sarah McLachlan and Mary Chapin Carpenter." The 1976 SDSU graduate (with a degree in sociology) …

Hector Penalosa's MySpace page says he's 37, which would have made the onetime Zeros bassist around 8 when the punk pioneers released their debut single in 1977 ("Wimp"/"Don't Push Me Around"). "Yeah, I lie," Penalosa …

Eighty-five-year-old Raúl "Socio" Crespo Villardel, founder of Mike's Bar in Tijuana, died on March 8 of natural causes. In the '60s, members of Vanilla Fudge, Love, and Spirit could be found hanging out with Carlos …

"They had to put him into a medically induced coma, and they ended up removing half his skull," says Grandview guitarist Casey Jenkins of the skateboarding accident that nearly killed their drummer, Craig Winger. "We …

Irradio bassist Anthony Rogers-Wright says producer Alan Parsons mixed three tracks on their upcoming album (One Sound) and invited the band to his home in Goleta, just outside of Santa Barbara. "For a guy worth …

Michael Robertson, former CEO of the once legally embattled www.MP3.com, is risking the wrath of the recording industry again. His new locally launched website, www.sideload.com, offers free access to "29,000 songs from more than 7,000 …

"We played a song called 'Methamphetamine,' " says Jake Precht, bassist for the punk band Misled Citizen. His band represented La Costa Canyon High School at a March 14 battle of the bands held at …

Former Nine Inch Nails drummer Jerome Dillon recently told MTV.com that his "cardiac disorder" during a September 2005 San Diego show led to his dismissal from the band. He says bandleader Trent Reznor never called …

The former members of No Knife (who split in 2003) are turning up all over. Bassist Brian Desjean's new band, Get Your Death On!, played their first gig on February 19 at the Ken Club; …

One of the people who campaigned for the cancellation of Seattle's Summer Nights concerts this year is Mike Silva, brother of longtime local concert promoter Bill Silva. Mike lives near Gas Works Park, where the …

"I wouldn't eat a dog or cat, a seagull or parrot, and I wouldn't eat a horse," says singer Christopher Greenslate of the all-vegan band Tamora, "so why would I eat a pig, chicken, fish, …

Thirty-one years ago tomorrow (3/10/75), Led Zeppelin -- on tour behind their Physical Graffiti album -- played a 14-song set at the Sports Arena. No band opened for them. Doors for the sold-out concert opened …

'I bought my first bass at age 18 for $99 at a pawn shop," says singer/songwriter Scott Wilson. "It was a piece of crap, but it was a good thing to learn to play with …

Drunkin Punkin Idiots bassist James Herrault says his band and the Gizzards chartered a bus on February 17 to take fans to one of their Orange County shows. For $20, bus riders got admission into …

"We must stay anonymous because of threats we have recieved [sic] via e-mail and in person when protesting concerts," read the press release from Mothers Against Noise, a group claiming to be based in San …

OB's Defamation League calls itself "the official band of the Bryan Barton for Congress Campaign." The onetime Arizona Minuteman volunteer hopes to win the seat to represent California's 53rd District. "Barton's opponent is [incumbent Democrat] …

Brother Love -- Gary Day's heavy-metal tribute to Neil Diamond -- came about, he says, because of American Idol forerunner Your Big Break. "In 2001 a camera crew from Dick Clark Productions came down to …

"Our guitarist, Gretchen, moved to Leucadia about two years ago, and three of us are still in San Francisco, so we don't get to practice that often anymore," says Zepparella drummer Clementine, "but we know …

Jason Sears of Rich Kids on LSD died January 31 in a Tijuana clinic that reportedly specializes in alternative methods of drug detox. The clinic, operated by the U.S.-based Ibogaine Association, occupies a two-story house …

A January 24 hip-hop show at 4th & B reportedly ended in a melee after an onstage comment by rapper Tony Yayo (whose debut CD Thoughts of a Predicate Felon was mostly written while he …

Aerosmith plays the Sports Arena tomorrow, February 10. From thesmokinggun.com: "Police escorts must be arranged in order to facilitate Artist arrival to and departure from the venue." On load-in, the production manager expects to be …

When I heard the Beauty Bar was opening at the corner of El Cajon Boulevard and Euclid (the same place my convertible was carjacked at a stoplight), I thought I must have heard wrong. But …

"We started this one off with a nice 20-second feedback solo," says Crash Carter singer/guitarist Casey Gee of the band's "worst gig ever," at the Hard Rock Café in La Jolla. Drummer John Mears elaborates …

“This is somewhat of a false dichotomy for me.”

"It was a four-star hotel, and there was our roadie Gizmo, naked and duct-taped to a cot that was propped up in the hallway," says Kicking K8 drummer Billy Nychay of the band's stay late …

If you like the beat writing of Kerouac or spoken-word essays by the likes of Henry Rollins and Eric Bogosian, then Adam Gnade may be your cup of tea. If you're accustomed to innocuous pop …

Even though the FCC and U.S. marshals shut down Free Radio 96.9 in July 2005, transmissions resumed in November, and the station seems to be operating from the same rented building in South Park. "We …

Thirty-eight years ago tomorrow (1/20/68), the Strawberry Alarm Clock played downtown's Community Concourse. Though they performed their hit "Incense and Peppermints," the record's 16-year-old lead singer, Greg Munford, was not onstage. "He was never in …

Local pastor and Grammy-nominated gospel artist Tonex (pronounced Toe-nay) says his newest CD, Oak Park: 92105, is the first Christian-artist album to carry a parental advisory sticker. Released on iTunes.com, the 24 tracks document his …

Al Kooper played keyboards for the Stones ("You Can't Always Get What You Want"), Bob Dylan (the organ on "Like a Rolling Stone"), and various Beatles tracks. Yet, as of this writing, he hasn't yet …

Even before 18-year-old pianist Eldar Djangirov played on Late Night with Conan O'Brien last June, the 2005 graduate of Linda Vista's Francis Parker School had sold over 50,000 copies of his debut CD Eldar (his …

“We were signing autographs, and he actually has us sign the baby.”

"My phone is tapped," claims guitarist John Pertle of Johnny Love Sound, who pleaded guilty in late November to distributing and possessing child pornography. The 36-year-old had his mother contact me via e-mail. Through her, …

Ken Bethea, lead guitarist of Old 97s, writes on his blog about the recording of his Dallas band's sixth album, Drag It Up. "We finished up in sunny San Diego at producer Mark Neill's vintage …

"I started off with no idea of what's involved in putting on a concert," says Debbie Siegelman, "but [Dougie Maclean] hasn't been in San Diego since a 1998 show at the La Paloma Theatre, and …

An incident at a recent holiday program in Chula Vista has resulted in a lawsuit against the city. On December 3, recreation department supervisor John Gates allegedly prevented a Christian hip-hop dance group from performing. …

Twelve years ago today (12/29/93), Nirvana played the Sports Arena. The band's 24-song set was the source of two widely circulated bootleg albums: Smells Like TJ captures all 100 minutes onto a Hi8 master, while …