Blaise Guld at Rustic Root Solana Beach
November 6
“I make music for people who crave adventure, honesty, and a good laugh, sometimes all in the same song,” says singer-songwriter Blaise Guld. Hailing from the Philadelphia suburbs, Guld has been performing in musicals and with bands since the age of fifteen. He first earned local notice fronting rock-n-reggae group Mad Traffic, later signing with Blindspot Records and releasing a number of solo works. His album Past Forward was nominated Best Pop Album at the 2014 San Diego Music Awards. Citing influences such as 311, Mike Bedard, Oingo Boingo, and local heroes Slightly Stoopid, he’s also collaborated with a number of artists, including Santa Barbara synth wave artist Brian Rumsey, aka Night Viber, who worked with him on a 4-song EP also named Night Viber.

November 7
Miniaturized was founded in 2021 as a one-off project for a MusiCares charity show honoring Tom Petty. Guitarist/vocalist Timothy Joseph (Buckfast Superbee, The Palace Ballroom, Phasers on Stun) decided to continue the project. After making their concert debut at the Casbah in July 2022, their singles “Why Don’t We Play God,” “Cave In,” and “The Most” preceded a self-titled debut album that dropped in March 2023, recorded and produced by Mitch Easter (R.E.M., Pavement, Wilco). For this Little Italy performance, “We will be premiering brand new songs from our forthcoming sophomore release,” according to the band. The all-local bill includes dream pop quintet Moondaddy, who will debut a new full-length, as well as Cardiff’s Dark Alley Dogs, and Kut U Up-spinoff band Sunbendr featuring singer-bassist Chris Cote and singer-guitarist Brandon Parkhurst.

Please Ask For Paul at the Casbah
November 8
Founded in 2023, Please Ask For Paul features singer-guitarist Marlo Smith (Golden Howl), guitarist Joshua McCleskey (Coral Bells, Strange Planet), bassist Sean Cox (Jesse Ray Smith, The New Locals), and drummer Jules Stewart (Lindsay White, Shane Hall, The Morning Room). The band’s debut EP New Runes, produced by Scott Seader (the Lucy Ring, the Sinclairs), was released in October 2023, preceded by a single for the track “Books.” It earned them San Diego Music Award nominations for Best New Artist and Best Indie/Alternative Artist. Their most recent single “Thumbnails” is taken from a forthcoming release, The Realm Of Hungry Ghosts. The show is headlined by California-Denmark-rooted dream pop duo Moon Panda, whose album Dumb Luck dropped in October, and includes a set from local duo Sleepy Pearls, known for their soulful sound blending California beach music and Western folk from the '50s and '60s.

Leavers at the Tower Bar
November 9
Originally known as Daggers 86 (their name inspired by the denim-vest-loving skate gang in the 1986 film Thrashin’), the members of Leavers would get together during the Covid lockdown in bassist Alex Brewins' backyard and have acoustic jams and “hammer out some ideas” according to guitarist John Mattos (Stewardess, Warsaw, Dreams Made Flesh), who co-founded the band with guitarist Ryan Allen (Powerballs, Cedar Fire). Around that time, they decided to rebrand as Leavers. “It just kind of made sense to sort of break it off and change our name,” Allen explains. “That was kind of just John and my thing and now we’re an actual band, not just two dudes in a living room.” They’ve released several singles, including 2022’s “Somebody To Leave (Everybody Needs).” The City Heights show also includes local dark ghost-punk band Hauntu, whose debut EP I earned them a 2025 San Diego Music Awards nomination for Best Indie/Alternative.

Taryn Donath at Humphreys Backstage Music Club
November 10
“I discovered blues at the age of eleven, and since then I have expanded my playing style from blues to West Coast swing, Chicago blues, and even a bit of western swing,” says singer-pianist Taryn Donath, who plays jump, funk, blues, and stride piano. Specializing in soulful jazz and bluesy boogie, she has also performed with local blues master Billy Watson and Americana-soul band Blue Largo. On her own, she won San Diego Music Awards in 2020 (Best Jazz Album) and 2022 (Best Blues Artist). “I would describe my playing as tenacious and deliberate,” she says. “Some people say my voice is very strong, but I like to sing more relaxed and natural best. I try my best to bring excitement and spontaneity to every performance.”

Blaise Guld at Rustic Root Solana Beach
November 6
“I make music for people who crave adventure, honesty, and a good laugh, sometimes all in the same song,” says singer-songwriter Blaise Guld. Hailing from the Philadelphia suburbs, Guld has been performing in musicals and with bands since the age of fifteen. He first earned local notice fronting rock-n-reggae group Mad Traffic, later signing with Blindspot Records and releasing a number of solo works. His album Past Forward was nominated Best Pop Album at the 2014 San Diego Music Awards. Citing influences such as 311, Mike Bedard, Oingo Boingo, and local heroes Slightly Stoopid, he’s also collaborated with a number of artists, including Santa Barbara synth wave artist Brian Rumsey, aka Night Viber, who worked with him on a 4-song EP also named Night Viber.

November 7
Miniaturized was founded in 2021 as a one-off project for a MusiCares charity show honoring Tom Petty. Guitarist/vocalist Timothy Joseph (Buckfast Superbee, The Palace Ballroom, Phasers on Stun) decided to continue the project. After making their concert debut at the Casbah in July 2022, their singles “Why Don’t We Play God,” “Cave In,” and “The Most” preceded a self-titled debut album that dropped in March 2023, recorded and produced by Mitch Easter (R.E.M., Pavement, Wilco). For this Little Italy performance, “We will be premiering brand new songs from our forthcoming sophomore release,” according to the band. The all-local bill includes dream pop quintet Moondaddy, who will debut a new full-length, as well as Cardiff’s Dark Alley Dogs, and Kut U Up-spinoff band Sunbendr featuring singer-bassist Chris Cote and singer-guitarist Brandon Parkhurst.

Please Ask For Paul at the Casbah
November 8
Founded in 2023, Please Ask For Paul features singer-guitarist Marlo Smith (Golden Howl), guitarist Joshua McCleskey (Coral Bells, Strange Planet), bassist Sean Cox (Jesse Ray Smith, The New Locals), and drummer Jules Stewart (Lindsay White, Shane Hall, The Morning Room). The band’s debut EP New Runes, produced by Scott Seader (the Lucy Ring, the Sinclairs), was released in October 2023, preceded by a single for the track “Books.” It earned them San Diego Music Award nominations for Best New Artist and Best Indie/Alternative Artist. Their most recent single “Thumbnails” is taken from a forthcoming release, The Realm Of Hungry Ghosts. The show is headlined by California-Denmark-rooted dream pop duo Moon Panda, whose album Dumb Luck dropped in October, and includes a set from local duo Sleepy Pearls, known for their soulful sound blending California beach music and Western folk from the '50s and '60s.

Leavers at the Tower Bar
November 9
Originally known as Daggers 86 (their name inspired by the denim-vest-loving skate gang in the 1986 film Thrashin’), the members of Leavers would get together during the Covid lockdown in bassist Alex Brewins' backyard and have acoustic jams and “hammer out some ideas” according to guitarist John Mattos (Stewardess, Warsaw, Dreams Made Flesh), who co-founded the band with guitarist Ryan Allen (Powerballs, Cedar Fire). Around that time, they decided to rebrand as Leavers. “It just kind of made sense to sort of break it off and change our name,” Allen explains. “That was kind of just John and my thing and now we’re an actual band, not just two dudes in a living room.” They’ve released several singles, including 2022’s “Somebody To Leave (Everybody Needs).” The City Heights show also includes local dark ghost-punk band Hauntu, whose debut EP I earned them a 2025 San Diego Music Awards nomination for Best Indie/Alternative.

Taryn Donath at Humphreys Backstage Music Club
November 10
“I discovered blues at the age of eleven, and since then I have expanded my playing style from blues to West Coast swing, Chicago blues, and even a bit of western swing,” says singer-pianist Taryn Donath, who plays jump, funk, blues, and stride piano. Specializing in soulful jazz and bluesy boogie, she has also performed with local blues master Billy Watson and Americana-soul band Blue Largo. On her own, she won San Diego Music Awards in 2020 (Best Jazz Album) and 2022 (Best Blues Artist). “I would describe my playing as tenacious and deliberate,” she says. “Some people say my voice is very strong, but I like to sing more relaxed and natural best. I try my best to bring excitement and spontaneity to every performance.”
