San Diego's largest concert venue, the 20,000-capacity outdoor Coors Amphitheatre, has not had a good year; 84,450 tickets were sold during the first nine months of 2006, making it the 51st-most-used amphitheater in the country. …

During a two-year period, Amy Hall, 19, promoted metal, goth, and death-metal shows at two different church facilities. All the proceeds went to charity or directly to the church. "I still want to promote but …

Seven years after he launched www.menwholooklikekennyrogers.com, Vista's Jaimie Muehlhausen says his website of Rogers look-alike photos still gets 1500 hits a day. "This was a big year. He had a new record, and then the …

"This is party central," says 20-year-old Jim Portinga of Ramona. "Everyone you talk to says, 'Where's the party?' There is a big drug epidemic up here. I would say 70 to 80 percent of the …

John Monteagudo spent four years and $10,000 on ...at the street level, a documentary of San Diego's music scene between 1996 and 2000. The interviews and performances feature P.O.D., Sprung Monkey, the Dragons, Buck-O-Nine, Ghoulspoon, …

"We had the practice place for about a year," says drummer Josh Arend of Morning Riot, a four-man punk-rock band based in Encinitas. "We couldn't afford the single room for $500, so we split it …

Singer/songwriter/guitarist Todd Dulawan has an issue with the way bands are booked for the third annual San Diego Indie Music Fest scheduled for March 3, 2007. "Most of the slots reserved are for bands that …

"They picked us over Channel 9-3-3 and Z-90 because they thought we were the station with the most high school appeal," says Blazin' 98.9's Cesar "DJ Seize" Gonzalez. P Diddy's appearance at Chula Vista High …

A couple of weeks ago, before he played the Killers' unreleased single "Sam's Town," 91X morning DJ Chris Cantore asserted that it was a "leak"; the song's airing was unauthorized by the record company. "That …

Destroy the Runner, a Carlsbad metal-core band, just returned from a six-week tour that followed the release of Saints, their first CD on Solid State. The Seattle indie label distributed by EMI is known for …

In 1984, Tony Suraci was a 17-year-old Fallbrook High senior who sang in local bands and acted in school plays. He remembers the day he became part of a "sobriety cult." "I had the lead …

Last week's free Saosin show in the parking lot of Lou's Records in Encinitas did not sit well with a local who sells concert tickets for a living. "How do they get away with it?" …

Charlie Recksieck of the Bigfellas says being known for their bawdy tune "I Wish That I Were Gay" has its plusses and minuses. "The good side is it gives people something to remember you by, …

When Jeff Fagan ("Dr. Jefe") began piercing noses in 1994, he says there was one other body piercer in town. During his glory years (1994--'98), Fagan's shop would have 50 to 60 customers per day. …

Scolari's Office, the North Park bar on 30th Street that has hosted local and touring bands for five years, won't be offering music for at least a little while. "The entertainment license ran out," says …

Ten days before the San Diego Music Awards ceremonies, a former L.A.-based limo-company owner hosted a two-day music event at Squid Joe's in Carlsbad. Al Bowman describes his "Rockfest" as part of a showcase series …

After four years as a live-music venue, San Marcos's Longshot Saloon has shut down. The owner of the building, Paul Eckert, says that three weeks ago the fixtures were removed, and the Longshot will no …

Earlier this month, former blink-182 members Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker played their first show with their new band (+44) at the Roxy in West Hollywood. Until August, Hoppus had been silent about the band's …

Richard "Boogeyman" Martinez, a three-year veteran of the Freak Show (an eight-member break-dance crew), says the local b-boy culture will not accept anything rock-edged. "I have a mohawk. I'm into industrial music. I was raised …

4th & B employees learned last week that owner Ali Nilforshan sold the club to House of Blues Concerts. A former employee says 25 of 75 employees will be retained, and there are plans for …

Jenny Keene met singer/songwriter Jason Mraz "...back in '99, when I was 16. I had just moved to San Diego. I knew him before he even started at Java Joe's. He was playing at the …

Six Degrees, "The place where it's women's night every night," closed its doors on August 30. The Middletown building and business at 3175 India Street have been purchased by a partnership called Casbah Rock, Inc. …

In an August 31 article titled "Given the Boot: Country Music Is Out in L.A.," the U-T pointed out that L.A./Orange County lost its only country radio station and considered whether one of San Diego's …

"We called every sub shop in Jersey and we couldn't find him," says guitarist Mike Santos about his effort to locate drummer Scott Clark. Their former band, Lucy's Fur Coat, was asked to regroup for …

Carnifex vocalist Scott Lewis says America's leading death-metal band has become stale. "Cannibal Corpse is part of the old regime. The whole satanic image with corpse paint and long hair and gauntlets like Slayer is …

"A guy saw me play on KUSI [TV] and called me up and asked to play Java Jo'z," says local singer-guitarist Josh Damigo. "I thought they went out of business." Java Joe's, the Ocean Beach …

Lil Uno says the San Diego Music Awards nominee selection process as it pertains to hip-hop is "embarrassing. It's a joke. I don't know who puts it together, but they obviously don't know what the …

Singer/songwriter/guitarist Jefferson Jay says there was a conspiracy that led to his firing from KCR, SDSU's all-volunteer radio station (heard online at kcrlive.com or through cable systems). Jay's bawdy six-hour Monday-night music-and-comedy show prompted complaint …

"My teachers used to skip over my name and say, 'Oh, you're here,' " says Hargobind Hari Singh Khalsa. "Kids started calling me Hargo when I was 7." Hargo, 21, is Sikh. "People say, 'What …

"I knew it was coming a couple months ago," says Accident Experiment guitarist Marcos Curiel of Atlantic Records' decision to drop P.O.D. from its roster. With drummer Wuv (Noah Bernardo Jr.), Curiel cofounded the South …

"It's Time to Face My Demons," said 91X DJ and music director Marco Collins. Last week, he left San Diego to spend six to eight weeks at a live-in recovery center in Georgia. "I have …

An insider connected with Street Scene says the injuries that occurred during Tool's August 5 performance could have been prevented. "They were dragging [injured] people out by the end of the first song," says the …

For six years, Rodney Garcia played bass in Dukkha, one of about 20 roc en español bands based in the San Diego--Tijuana region. "When the big labels saw the success of Los Fabulosos Cadillacs and …

Mike Pierce, 21, has been playing on the streets of P.B., I.B., O.B., and downtown for two and a half years. For the past six months, he and his buddy Tex Gibbons, 20, have been …

"When I was in Sol Power, we used to play with P.O.D. at Crowns [in Tijuana]," says Tim Pacheco, hired last fall by P.O.D. "This was in the early '90s, before they got signed to …

Hot Monkey Love Café is the only all-age venue in the county that has offered a weekly hip-hop open-mike night. MC Tran Kwell (Scott Finnestad) has been going to the College Area hangout since it …

Sirhan Sirhan founder/guitarist/vocalist Jason Blackmore used to be in Molly McGuire, a Kansas City band that had one album on Epic. "We played a leg on the last official Lollapalooza tour in '97," says Blackmore. …

"Sheer Greed" is how one person described the price bump for parking at ipayOne Center's Slayer show on July 20. In the past, parking has cost $10 per car; Slayer fans paid $15. Through Arena …

Since Tom DeLonge pulled the plug on blink-182 in February 2005, the other two members -- Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker -- haven't said much about their breakup...until last week. Barker spoke to MTV.com about …

"I walked in one night, and it was dead," says Jeff "Mono Mono" Beringer about the open-mike night at Hillcrest's Brass Rail. "No one was there, so I approached the manager. I said, 'Give me …

"Sicko Records Runs San Diego," says Sicc Made of the label founded by Southeast San Diego rapper Lil Uno. "We are all over the radio. We perform at car shows in front of 2000 people. …

Rock 105.3's Mikey Esparza once called members of a local Hispanic band "beaners" on the air and was once suspended after making a joke about the murder of a young girl ("...that's why I don't …

Brian Barrabee, bassist for the Long and Short of It, is paralyzed from the chest down. He's been in a wheelchair since May 2004, the victim of a hotel-room accident. He explains how he was …

Jensen Rufe joined the Zappa-esque punk band Puddletown Tom after he left Poway High. "I was ahead of the blink guys at Poway High by about two or three years." During his UCLA years ('91--'95), …

Meaty Diabetes keyboard player Chad Tomlinson says he and the other four guys in the band have had it with the image-conscious all-age scene. "They aren't going to shows for the music. They are going …

Though he injured his knee in Iraq, Marine sergeant Gabriel DeJesus reenlisted for another four years last August. The Camp Pendleton--based motor-transport mechanic is on "light duty" due to his knee tear, but now he …

"It's Like Borg in Star Trek; it just keeps eating stuff." This is the comment made last week by a local independent promoter who heard about Live Nation's purchase of House of Blues Entertainment for …

The only local station that will play new music by Tom Petty, Neil Young, and Ziggy Marley may soon be reaching your ears for the first time. Triple-A (adult album alternative) station KPRI was recently …

"I have a kiosk -- actually, it's a cart -- in the Mission Valley mall," says assistant bank manager Persis Knipe, 28. Named My Stuff, Knipe's outdoor CD and clothing store opened July 1. "[The …

Last week, Hilary, who had been a 91X DJ since 1997, was shown the door. Her firing is curious because recent Arbitron ratings indicate she was doing well. For the past two months, among listeners …