Travel Agents, Coral Bells, Pinback, aMiniature & No Knife, and Jazz at the Athenaeum

Founded in Solana Beach circa 1987 and largely influenced by the psychedelic sounds of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, the Travel Agents specialize in jam band music by the likes of the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, the Allman Brothers, and Quicksilver Messenger Service. They’re frequently tapped to open for touring headliners such as Spirit and Big Brother & the Holding Company.

Coral Bells at Duck Foot Brewing Company Jan 20

Miramar brewery Duck Foot has been hosting live music lately, including Deadhead jams, bluegrass nights, and occasional original local band showcases. This free edition is headlined by acoustic rockers Coral Bells, featuring members from Oklahoma, Boston, and Imperial Beach. The band took home a 2021 San Diego Music Award for Best Americana or Country Album, for their full-length Treehouse Tapes.

aMiniature and No Knife at the Casbah Jan 20 and 21

The Casbah’s 35th anniversary celebration month continues with a two-night stand featuring reunited locals aMiniature and No Knife. aMiniature were a 1990s alternative band, while No Knife combined aspects of math rock, post-hardcore, and other indie rock. The January 29 show also features Holy Tears and UK Wongs, while the January 21 performances will be opened by sets from Sunbendr and Nanobel.

Linda May Han Oh Quintet at Athenaeum Music & Arts Library Jan 21

Jazz returns to La Jolla’s Athenaeum for the annual series of winter concerts in the Joan & Irwin Jacobs Music Room. The January 21 edition features the Glass Hours quintet, fronted by standup bass star Linda May Han Oh, known for playing with Pat Metheny’s band. Upcoming installments include jazz guitarist Gilad Hekselman on January 28, keyboardist James Francies on February 4, and Berlin-based pianist Benjamin Lackner on February 28.

Pinback at the Casbah Jan 23 and 24

The next two-night reunion at the Casbah’s 35th anniversary celebration is being headed up by Pinback, formed in 1998 by singers, songwriters, and multi-instrumentalists Armistead Burwell Smith IV (also known as Zach Smith) and man-of-a-thousand-bands Rob Crow. Besides Crow and Smith, the group has included at least a dozen other locals over the years. The bill includes one of Smith’s other groups, Systems Officer, which has included members of Goblin Cock, Thingy, Mr. Tube, and Octagrape.