It was 25 years ago when major record label reps came to town to scout local bands such as Inch, Lucy’s Fur Coat, and Truman’s Water. San Diego was called the “next Seattle,” suggesting the …

The coast was clear for the Belly Up Tavern to take over booking for the state-of-the-art concert venue located on the Del Mar Fairgrounds. A committee appointed by the board that oversees the fairgrounds (the …

Lt. Steven Behrendt of the San Diego Police Department’s Vice Operations issued the following statement this morning (January 17th): “Based on the incident that happened at the Observatory on June 7, 2017, and other prior …

Fire department spokeswoman Monica Muñoz didn’t respond to a request for comments on specifics, but a different government source explains that the North Park Observatory won't be putting on any shows this week due to …

As of 2018, Private Domain guitarist Jack Butler and front man Paul Shaffer have been playing together locally, nonstop, for 40 years. Shaffer began in 1977 when he led Bratz through Aerosmith, Stones, and Zeppelin …

If the cliché held true, you’d think any local reggae band would endorse the arrival of the new pot laws. Not necessarily, says guitarist/singer Cory Mahoney of Dubbest (pronounced dah-BEST). “The whole tax they added …

While no locals dominated the national scene in 2017, Unwritten Law, Clint Westwood, Cattle Decapitation, Little Hurricane, Quel Bordel, and Earl Thomas continue to tour the world. And while the fall-off in record sales continues …

Last we heard from Aaron Thompson he was playing about 100 dates a year in Stranger's Six. After over six years, Stranger's Six folded in 2009. Members Tommy Garcia and Evan Ehrich went on to …

Before the Go-Go’s became famous, there was the Dinettes, San Diego’s first (and only) all-female new-wave band that was there right alongside San Diego’s first-generation punksters the Zeros, Dils, and Hitmakers. “We weren’t really punk, …

Will longtime anchor Barbara-Lee Edwards be shown the door when News 8 gets swallowed up by a Virginia company next year? Could sports anchor Kyle Kraska get the axe when new owners get the keys …

San Diego–born-and-raised guitarist Scott Szikla, 29, who grew up Poway a few years after blink-182 and Unwritten Law became popular, played his first awkward teenage gigs at the Epicentre. He eventually became assistant manager and …

Frontman Dave Wakeling is the only original member of the two-tone British ska band that moved from England to Southern California over 25 years ago. He calls all the shots. “The rest of us are …

Brian Witkin’s dad performed at Woodstock as a member of Sha Na Na. The son had experienced success running a CD store at the all-ages Epicentre music venue. But a major setback ten years ago …

“In some cities, like New York, if you bring the goods they appreciate you for your art,” says homegrown jazz chanteuse Sacha Boutros, who just returned after spending a month in Paris (where she’ll move …

Although there are some decent surf breaks back home, pro surfer Lindsay Perry says Central Florida is nothing like San Diego. “My dad used to catch alligators with his hands,” she says about her upbringing …

Alma Rodriguez is meeting with city officials to launch a Queen Bee’s in Oceanside. Since 2009, the Puerto Rican–born impresario has hosted bands, poetry slams, and swing, salsa, and samba dance lessons at the 250-capacity …

Meth Breath lead singer Jimmy Rodgers was hoping that by giving his band a tongue-in-cheek name it might help defuse the uptight attitude some have about straightedge bands. Straightedge punks don’t drink, smoke, or do …

Oceanside, San Diego County’s third largest city, has seen a boom in the opening of music venues. Three breweries — Midnight Jack, Black Plague, and Legacy — now host bands on a regular basis. Co-founder …

Punk Yacht Club happened after Connecticut-raised Jesse Goodwick and ex-Bostonian Greg Marsh moved out here from the East Coast. For a while, Goodwick had a real job that used his mechanical engineering degree. “Then I …

After four and a half years, two albums, and two EPs, Bad Kids are finally getting a buzz. The poppy surf punkers from Imperial Beach played to a standing-room-only audience at the House of Blues’ …

Listeners of Energy 103.7 were given a rude awakening Friday, November 17, when they discovered their favorite station wasn’t playing the hits by Pink, Kesha, and the Chainsmokers. Instead they were hit with some country …

When retired veterinarian Jim Palenscar opened the Steel Guitars of North County store 15 years ago, he knew his storefront was destined to be more about personal gratification than a business slam-dunk. “It’s such a …

To help launch her career internationally, North County blues belter Casey Hensley turned to Vizztone Records’ more streamlined approach to market her first album, Casey Hensley Live, featuring Laura Chavez, released three weeks ago. “This …

The Irenic, the 70-year-old North Park church building that for the past six years doubled as a 450-capacity music venue, seemed to be the perfect place for headliners who wanted an all-ages venue but were …

The point of the Spice Pistols — a bunch of middle-aged rocker dudes who sing Spice Girls songs as if they were played by the Sex Pistols — is not just about gender-bending camp. ”It’s …

Anna Lee Fleming was born and raised in North Park. “I have definitely seen a transition,” says the founder/songwriter/lead singer of Finnegan Blue. “When I was first going to school my parents wouldn’t let me …

As noted in a September 6 “Blurt” article, the popularity of reggae was pointing to a resurrection of the all-day reggae festival that had been held at the Valley View Casino Center (Sports Arena) every …

P.O.D., the South Bay rap-metal band that broke out 25 years ago with radio hits such as “Alive” and “Youth of the Nation,” was on the radio recently to announce its Lower Left Fest, a …

Singer/songwriter/guitarist Timothy Joseph never imagined his band playing the Sports Arena, which over 50 years has also hosted everyone from Bowie to Zeppelin. The Buckfast Superbee indie-rock quartet launched in 1997 and went dormant eight …

Homelessness tormented singer/songwriter Lena Evans for much of the past two decades. “I grew up in San Diego. I’ve been homeless on and off since I was 14 by simple choices and mistakes I made …

Paul Hartley is a Point Loma real estate broker with a power boat moored at Shelter Island. “My grandfather taught me to sail before I was five,” he says. He’s also known as the singer/guitarist …

For the 40th anniversary of the pioneering San Diego punk band the Zeros, cofounder Hector Penalosa has planned...not much. “There doesn’t seem to be a big brouhaha about it,” the singer/bassist says. “No one is …

“When Metallica [played with an orchestra], it blew me away,” says Jason Lee, a veteran rocker who has fronted the surf-guitar-inspired Riptides for 13 years. Lee took the orchestral plunge with his other band called …

Orange County proto-punkers the Vandals haven’t had a new member since 1989. Joe Escalante joined shortly after the band formed in 1980. “If you told me back then I’d still be playing in my 50s …

Mike Tatar has been proudly playing bluegrass for 40 years, in spite of the hayseed prejudice. “I know a lot of [venue owners] who say, ‘I love your music in general,’” he says. “But they …

If you’ve ever hiked in the woods near Julian, you’ve seen those holes in hillside boulders where the native Americans used to grind acorns for food. Dean Osuna, drummer of hard rockin’ Warpath, explains what …

On August 22, the Vista City Council approved a one-year experiment to allow unleashed dogs at the “Trails” area of Buena Vista Park in Vista’s Shadowridge area. Its passage allowed dogs to legally run free …

It’s unusual that a local band can share stories about their latest tour to Europe. Cattle Decapitation, the extreme metal band that goes whole hog to support animal rights and other environmental issues, did its …

Joe Troutman, one of the few local independent music promoters, has outlasted most the venues he’s booked over 16 years. North County’s Jumping Turtle, Royal Dive (formerly owned by this reporter), Metaphor Café, Del Dios …

A bizarre rift between Oceanside-based Magic Bullet Records and one of its bands, a Canadian four-piece punk band named Zex, makes one wonder if there was a real label-versus-band issue or if the beef was …

Although they’ve dressed up like doctors onstage during their 18 years as a band, don’t expect any messy Gwar-like antics from Thanatology. “We try and set ourselves apart from that cliché that many bands have …

Oceanside mayor Jim Wood, recovering from his fourth stroke, is wheelchair-bound and, according those close to him, not always completely understandable. While his council colleagues are careful to be publicly respectful of the popular mayor, …

After three years off the air, Lee “Hacksaw” Hamilton is returning to the radio airwaves. “I still think I have the passion to do this,” Hamilton said in a interview shortly after he had been …

Of the 50-some bands picked to play at the 23rd Van’s Warped Tour, Mainsail was the only local band to make this year’s lineup. The Oceanside pop-punk band played August 5 at their hometown show …

Slacker Radio, the Rancho Bernardo–based music-subscription service that has tried to compete with Pandora and Spotify but has yet to make a profit in its 14 years as a company, has been sold and its …

Although it’s not immediately clear to some, those “Funner, California” commercials are actually promoting Harrah’s Casino in Valley Center. “They actually changed the name of the property where the casino sits to ‘Funner,’” explains videographer/editor …

When Oceanside’s double Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Jason Mraz left manager Bill Silva after 18 years, the separation was proclaimed to be friendly and drama-free. But Green Day’s termination of San Diego’s highest profile resident rock manager, …

Bridal-show planner Joel Jones wanted to host an event for local geeks who didn’t make it to Comic-Con. His first one-day Nerd-Con mixed fantasy nerd culture with live bands and drew 3000 to the California …

Oceanside platinum-selling singer/songwriter-turned-farmer Jason Mraz has fired Bill Silva after 18 years, saying he would prefer to now manage himself. Silva got his break promoting shows as a UCSD student in the ’70s. His on-campus …

The only known San Diego casualty caused by Hurricane Harvey was Cave Bastard’s August 26 show in San Antonio. The extreme metal band’s tour of nine southwestern cities intersected with the catastrophic storm. They learned …