Maybe someone warned him about the Belly Up Tavern’s location in laid-back Solana Beach. Maybe it was the venue’s seated-show setup. Maybe it was because his group was playing on a Sunday night. Whatever it …
February 10, 2017
Articles by Mark Carpowich
Blind Boys of Alabama still hungry after 80 years
Stage sick — Flight of the Conchords
Musical-comedy duo Flight of the Conchords didn’t care that several fans in the front row had brought small children to their sold-out gig at San Diego State: nothing was going to stop them from boasting …
July 8, 2016
It's 311, so why not?
For the diehard 311 fans who crammed into the House of Blues for a rare small-venue performance, the band’s extensive merch offerings were a treasure trove of brand-new items ranging from $100 posters to T-shirts …
March 11, 2016
Reverend Horton Heat fires up the Observatory
Considering that his band’s set list included songs with titles like “Marijuana” and “Bales of Cocaine,” you’d think that Jim Heath would have had some pretty crazy stories of debauchery on the road to share …
December 18, 2015
Garth Brooks: Entertainment Icon
What’s the best way to get over not being named CMA Entertainer of the Year? Being christened an “icon” by someone who knows a thing or two about the subject. A day after losing out …
November 6, 2015
Lucy's last show
The last time Lucy’s Fur Coat played at the Casbah, I left in an ambulance. At the time, band members were promising it would be their last-ever show, and an enthusiastic crowd was going to …
September 25, 2015
If tears were good luck, Morrissey would be rich
Given his penchant for last-minute show cancellations, the last thing that San Diegans with Morrissey tickets wanted to see four hours before show time was an e-mail with “Event Update” in the subject line. Thankfully, …
August 21, 2015
The confounding Brian Wilson
So what if Brian Wilson took the stage 15 minutes earlier than scheduled? Or if he performed 50-year-old songs in their original key, even though some of the notes are by now a little out …
June 20, 2015
New Kids on the Block: The Main Event
It was about halfway through New Kids on the Block’s two-hour set at Viejas Arena that a female fan ran past security guards and onto the stage, only to be corralled and removed seconds later. …
May 15, 2015