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
Back to profile
Stories 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
Jimmy the Magnificent
Several songs into his solo acoustic set at Bar Pink, Jimmy Eat World singer Jim Adkins let the crowd know how the evening was going to shake out. Vowing to play a mix of brand-new …
February 27, 2015
Make a wish with Mariachi El Bronx
One year removed from its month-long 25th birthday party, the Casbah celebrated the big two-six by inviting mariachi-punk band Mariachi El Bronx and a sold-out crowd. But the iconic club wasn’t the only one who’d …
January 23, 2015
Jump, jive, and Ho ho ho!
Though he has made music for decades, Brian Setzer’s own influences extend to the early 20th century. Which is why it only makes sense that one of his guitars now hangs in the Smithsonian Museum …
December 26, 2014
The Kooks cut two ways at House of Blues
If fans who turned out for the Kooks’ sold-out show at the House of Blues weren’t sure whether the British indie-rock band’s recent turn toward a more danceable sound was an accident, drummer Alexis Nunez’s …
October 10, 2014
OK Go showers hot fans with confetti
Thanks to an unusually hot Belly Up Tavern, fans attending the club’s OK Go concert may have felt during the show like they would need to rinse off once they got home. The band, however, …
August 1, 2014
Wanda Jackson's still one hard-headed woman
Just one night after appearing at Long Beach’s Ink ’n’ Iron Festival, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Wanda Jackson played for a smaller, but no less enthusiastic, sold-out crowd at the Casbah. For many, …
June 14, 2014
Switchfoot's arena-sized set at Casbah
The Casbah’s 25th anniversary, celebrated throughout the month of January, featured some of San Diego’s best bands from years gone by, playing the way we remember them: a little too fast, a little too sloppy, …
February 14, 2014
"The Last Time" for Exile on Kettner?
At first glance, the three-page set list that Mario Escovedo and friends followed during their annual “Exile on Kettner” show looked like little more than an intimidating list of randomly assorted Rolling Stones songs. But …
January 3, 2014
Jack Johnson fans win lottery
The last time Jack Johnson played in the Gaslamp, the crowd watching his 2004 Street Scene set seemed to stretch a mile from the stage. So when his latest gig at the intimate Balboa Theatre …
October 25, 2013
Herrera in the sun
For someone who has made his living for the past two decades playing punk rock in gloomy Washington state, things were going a little too smoothly for MxPx frontman Mike Herrera. The weather for his …
September 27, 2013
Rocket roars back at Ink-N-Iron
And you thought Rocket from the Crypt ended abruptly the first time around... Nearly eight years after prematurely bidding its career farewell, Rocket roared back to life as part of the 2013 Ink-N-Iron Festival on …
June 14, 2013
Let's go crazy: Prince packs 'em in at the Hard Rock Hotel
When Prince sang the words “let’s go crazy” during the third of his four Hard Rock Hotel shows, was he talking about the people who forked over an eye-widening $250 a ticket? Was he referring …
May 17, 2013
Muffs revisit glory days with a full Soda
If Muffs front woman Kim Shattuck regrets days gone by, as she sang during the final song of her band’s 100-minute set at Soda Bar, you’d never know it — she and bandmates Ronnie Barnett …
March 8, 2013
Comedy Roadshow Rolls into Town
News out of Hollywood suggests that Tom Cruise is considering coming back for a Top Gun sequel. If that movie gets made, we'd all better hope it's nothing like the version Vince Vaughn and Kevin …
November 20, 2010
Stone Temple Pilots Surprise Viejas
After nearly 20 years of live performances, it might not be fair to expect Stone Temple Pilots to bring anything new to the table. But, during the band's rescheduled date at Viejas Arena, often-aloof singer …
October 31, 2010
Hellraiser
Toby Keith's new single is entitled “Trailerhood,” an ode to life in a mobile-home park. But if you attended his 2010 tour stop at Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre and still weren't convinced that the country singer …
August 19, 2010
Still Pretty Alright
About halfway through his engaging summertime set, Kenny Loggins told the people who had gathered to see him at the San Diego County Fair that, given the venue's proximity to MCAS Miramar, "We'll probably have …
June 28, 2010
The Red Rocker
The last time Sammy Hagar had a hit single, The Karate Kid was a new story, the San Diego County Fair was called the Del Mar Fair, and the speed limit really was 55. But …
June 23, 2010
McHale, a Bust
“Did you say something about boobs?” Comedian Joel McHale, who about 30 seconds earlier had indeed told a boob joke, shifted from shock to ignorance when a large-breasted woman walked up to the stage, interrupted …
February 9, 2010
Stella!
Pechanga Casino's concert theater isn't exactly where you'd expect rock-music veterans like Aaron Lewis to entertain beer-swigging fans. Its plush carpeting, luxurious seats, and blazer-clad ushers make it better suited for something more cultured, say …
January 20, 2010