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Entries
Jazz camping at UCSD
This is one hell of a week-long immersion into the music.
Things I wish... I wish there had been programs like the annual UCSD Jazz Camp available back when I was struggling to assimilate jazz as a young musician in the late '70s and early '80s. I spent the day hanging …
The Electric Healing Sound: Cholo Punks EP release party
Embrace the noise on either side of the mega-fence.
Jangly garage rockers The Electric Healing Sound will be releasing their first EP with local label Cholo Punks on Friday, June 28 at The Tower Bar (4757 University Avenue – City Heights). Six bucks cover includes a copy of the …
Warm Places: the Last Party on Earth, Anime Island, 3013
Sixties Guns' Tijuana-based multi-instrumentalist drops debut release from solo project
Last week, I posted a preview of a Tijuana show featuring Brainfeeder badass Matthewdavid, Karaoke (SD), Joshua Brandon (MTY), and Sixties Guns (SD/TJ). Here’s a look at how that went. Today, Sixties Guns vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Xavi dropped P A …
Third annual Comic Con Nerd-a-thon showcase at The Merrow
Tiny Nightmare Productions hosts two days of dork with Nerf Herder, Kirby Krackle, MegaRan, Dualcore, Wordburglar, Danimal Cannon, and more.
The third annual Comic Con Nerd-a-thon will span two days - July 19 and July 20 - showcasing geek rock, nerdcore hip-hop, and back-to-back performances from the geek-girl burlesque dancers of The Devil’s Playground Burlesque at The Merrow (formerly the …
The Album Leaf and Sun Kil Moon: Perils From the Sea
Jimmy LaValle and Mark Kozelek collaborate to create melancholic storyscapes.
Pickles and peanut butter. Peanuts and Pespi. Pepsi and wine. Sometimes unexpected combinations turn out to be the best, and that’s certainly been the case with Perils From the Sea, a collaboration released in April between singer-songwriter Mark Kozelek (Red …
Day two of the French
Some of France's heavy hitters were in action today trying to make the second round.
Continuing with the matches to determine the French composer of all French composers we have Godard versus Offenbach. This was a no contest. Offenbach wrote the Can-can which might be the most recognizably French piece of music in the repertoire. …
Joshua White goes it alone at Dizzy's
Straddling the "inside" and the "outside" like a colossus, White delivered the goods.
It is a rare, and beautiful thing to have the opportunity to witness a singular talent developing at a pace so accelerated that each performance is a learning experience for the listener. I've probably seen pianist Joshua White 20 times …
Young Lions display pride at Dizzy's
Gilbert Castellanos brought five young musicians together for an opportunity to shine on their own.
San Diego trumpet master Gilbert Castellanos is always involved in giving back to the jazz community, and the June 22 performance of "The Young Lions," at Dizzy's emerged as another classic example of this generosity. Castellanos introduced a quintet of …
World Cup: French round one, day one.
Could Mickey Mouse defeat Romeo and Faust? Day one of the World Cup of Composers.
The French are going to be kicking off the World Cup of Compsers. Let’s take a look at the combatants. In Baroque pool-play we have François Couperin (1668–1733), Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632–1687), Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1645–1704), and Jean-Phillippe Rameau (1683–1764). While these …
Matthewdavid, Sixties Guns, Karaoke, and Joshua Brandon at Moustache Bar
Brainfeeder artist joins musicians from Tijuana, San Diego, and Monterrey in Zona Centro
Sixties Guns are back in action following a whirlwind encounter with a carload of tweakers that left the band’s MPC wiz John (aka Oye!Simpson) with lacerations on his hand. You can see how they’ve reloaded on Saturday, June 22 at …
The World Cup of Classical Composers
Who is the greatest composer of all time? We're going to have a competition and settle this once and for now. I would say settle it once and for all but that's just silly.
We are going to have a classical composer world series or, I guess, world cup would be more appropriate given the popularity of futbol in most of the nations these composers will be representing. Each country will only be able …
Joshua White: solo, June 23
One man, one piano and a world of ideas.
San Diegan's will have the rare opportunity to experience the piano mastery of Joshua White in a solo context on Sunday, June 23, at Dizzy's (4275 Misson Bay Dr.), at 7:00 pm. I've been listening to jazz for 35 years, …
Ocean Beats: Ana Sia, Eprom, Grenier, Epcot, Mastah Syphe
Ocean Beats lines up another night of big bass at the Belly Up in Solana Beach
Nearly four years into their endeavor, Ocean Beats continues to highlight some of the best in local and touring bass music acts. For this installment, The Madero Group — the managing agency behind notables such as Ana Sia, David Starfire, …
Astro Jump: DJ Pound and Nick Leng bring fresh beats to Whistle Stop
South Park venue to host Kill Quanti showcase of magic and yum.
In accord with the unspoken mandate that third Thursdays shall be the monthly stronghold for some of San Diego’s most forward-thinking fringe music nights (see: Makeout Weird, Liquid Geometry, Galactic Reign), Kill Quanti beat collective will be stuffing the Weird-sized …
Opera fathers
Fathers in opera aren't the greatest.
I went to see Man of Steel on Father’s Day with my dad and kids. A big part of the story was about fathers and it got me to thinking about fathers in opera. There is Germont in La Traviata, …
In search of the high notes
Gigging: a lesson with Saximus, master of all things altissimo
Todd Rewoldt goes by the name of Saximus, on stage. He performs in a cutting edge avant chamber group headquartered in La Mesa called Swarmius. Saximus should give away the instrument Rewoldt plays, one that he and I have in …
George Colligan Trio live in La Jolla
Solid mainstream piano trio featuring Hamilton Price and Steve Hass.
Well traveled sideman pianist George Colligan made a trio hit at the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library on June 16, with an LA rhythm section comprised of Hamilton Price on bass and Steve Hass on drums. Opening with "Waiting For …
2013 San Diego County Fair Singer-Songwriter Contest Winners
The 2013 San Diego County Fair Singer-Songwriter Contest was held on June 14, with winners taking home Taylor guitars, cash and other prizes.
The San Diego County Fair held its annual singer-songwriter contest on June 14, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. The event was preceded by a set from the previous year’s winner, Josh Damigo. Held on the Paddock Stage, there was …
Sinfonia da give me a break
The back story on Britten's Sinfonia da Requiem.
I had mentioned that there was a somewhat interesting story about the creation of Benjamin Britten’s Sinfonia da Requiem so let’s take a look at that for a moment. For the record, Sinfonia da Requiem is a ridiculous title. Sinfonia …