Top music stories of 2015

Out with the old and in with the new — from venues to radio stations

Author

By Various Authors

Publish Date

Dec. 29, 2015

KPRI went off the air at 3:30 p.m. Monday with Bob Dylan’s “Forever Young,” then immediately flipped to the K-Love feed.

John McCaw, who bought the guitar from a friend in 1969 for $175, never knew what he had.

John Lennon's guitar found in San Diego

Julien’s Auction House in Beverly Hills calls it “one of biggest finds in music history.”

Intravaia and McCaw found video of Lennon playing the guitar and noted several remarkable similarities to McCaw’s guitar, too numerous and detailed to list here but including specific scratches, wear marks, and – most telling – wood grain patterns.... “He made it very clear that this might be a forgery and that he needed better pictures of the wood grain, because, in his words, ‘the wood grain is the DNA of the guitar.’” +more

By Jay Allen Sanford, June 7, 2015

After 16 years, no more shows at Epicentre. The collective birthed a few good careers along the way.

Epicentre cuts the cord

All-ages venue calls it quits in Mira Mesa.

The Epicentre, like Soma, was the place where many young bands got to play their first real gig, maybe even with a touring headliner. Maroon 5, Thrice, Boxcar Racer, and Snow Patrol all played the Epicentre. +more

By Ken Leighton, July 15, 2015

Observatory North Park

O.C. interest purchases North Park Theatre

KPRI finds Jesus

"K-Love" Christian radio format takes over KPRI 102.1 FM

All 20 KPRI employees were told at a 10 a.m. meeting Monday that the station was sold and their jobs were over. KPRI is now known as “K-Love” and will carry EMF’s syndicated music format featuring artists who make adult contemporary songs with Christian-conscious lyrics. +more

By Ken Leighton, Sept. 28, 2015

Chancellor Khosla intervenes and tells his administration to save the Che.

University offers to foot the bill for Ché Café repairs

With the Ché on the heritage organization's endangered list, UCSD has a change of heart.

Four specific improvements to the building have been identified that UC administration has agreed to pay for. They include a new fire suppression sprinkler system, a fire alarm pull system, tempered windows, and a “travel/exit path evaluation.” +more

By Ken Leighton, Sept. 3, 2015

Rendering of all-purpose venue Platform 1888, on Fletcher Parkway in La Mesa, planned for a December opening date.

Platform 1888 approved

Fletcher Parkway in La Mesa about to get a whole lotta venue.

Dean said the rock, jazz, country, acoustic, and comedy artists who will perform at Platform 1888 will get paid, even though there is no cover charge. “We would probably be cautious about heavy metal and punk. But if Metallica wanted to come here and play their acoustic album, we’d be happy to have them.” +more

By Ken Leighton, May 27, 2015

Radio personality Sue Delaney, photographed here at KGB, “raised the bar,” says her morning show cohost Coe Lewis.

San Diego radio personality Sue Delaney remembered

Goodbye to Sue

“Sue Delaney was a game-changer,” Lewis explains. “I think she was the first local female deejay to obtain that level of fame and notoriety. And,” she adds, “Sue was the reason I got into radio.” +more

By Dave Good, Sept. 16, 2015

Hard act to follow — 100.7 FM will try to hew closer to the DSC's demographic with its new (classic rock?) programming

Goodbye Bieber, hello AC/DC!

Jack is dead, long live 100.7 FM and the DSC show.

After admitting that the music “sucked” on his own radio station, Dave Rickards, anchor for the Dave, Shelly, and Chainsaw morning show, announced in a prerecorded statement Saturday morning that his station, long-known as Jack-FM, was in the tank. +more

By Ken Leighton, Dec. 26, 2015

Sarah Chang

Sarah Chang + Bruch = Barry White

The Symphony's concert with superstar violinist Sarah Chang was nothing short of sexy.

Sarah Chang playing Bruch and Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6: Pathetique was the moon and stars on Saturday night at Symphony Hall. There was a sunny piece of new music by Judd Greenstein, but as soon as Ms. Chang placed bow to strings, nothing else mattered. +more

By Garrett Harris, Nov. 9, 2015

Rita Coolidge

I am the Delta Lady

Joe Cocker lifted Rita Coolidge.

Perhaps no one owes more to the recently departed soul singer Joe Cocker as does Rita Coolidge. A Fallbrook resident for 19 years, Coolidge has won two Grammys, released 17 solo albums (plus three with ex-husband Kris Kristofferson), and had a string of hits in the 1970s and ’80s, including “Higher and Higher,” “We’re All Alone,” and “The Way You Do the Things You Do.” +more

By Ken Leighton, Jan. 7, 2015