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Live Five: Songwriter Sanctuary, Lady Dottie & the Diamonds, Boostive, Satanic Planet, Camila Fernández
Acoustic blues, boogie-woogie soul, dub-hop reggae, industrial punk, and Mexican regional music in Normal Heights, El Cajon, Mission Beach, Little Italy, La Jolla
Whitney Shay will headline Songwriter Sanctuary
Songwriter Sanctuary at Normal Heights United Methodist Church
April 24
The monthly Songwriter Sanctuary series features local songwriters sharing stories behind their songs in a Nashville-style in-the-round format. Hosted in a hundred year-old sanctuary that was once home to the Acoustic Music San Diego series and curated by Lovebirds singer-songwriter Lindsay White, the performances emphasize inclusivity by offering ASL interpretation, promoting LGBTQ+ and diverse artists, and operating on a donation basis. This month’s edition teams up local blues icon Whitney Shay with jazz guitarist Aaron Lind. Shay has won five San Diego Music Awards (including Artist of The Year), and has toured extensively throughout Europe and South America. In 2020 Shay’s album Stand Up! debuted at number one on the Billboard Blues charts. Lind holds a Master’s Degree in Jazz Studies and is currently a professor at Grossmont Community College, the jazz band director at Coronado School of Arts, and he performs around town with the Voices of Our City Choir. Also appearing is acoustic blues master Robin Henkel and indie-folk singer-songwriter Jay Freed.
Lady Dottie & the Diamonds at Grand Old BBQ Flinn Springs
April 25
Originally a gospel singer, Dorothy Mae "Lady Dottie" Whitsett's early career included performing with Kool and the Gang and Clarence Carter, among others. Back then, she called herself Miss Dynamite, moving around from residences in Alabama, New Jersey, Portland, Seattle, and Atlanta. After moving from Atlanta to San Diego in 1984, she eventually formed a jazz duo after meeting keyboardist Joey Guevara in a local piano bar, which eventually led to building a full band they named Lady Dottie & the Diamonds. The band performs originals as well as re-imagined covers of songs by Etta James, Muddy Waters, BB King, Buddy Holly, the Everly Brothers, the Staple Singers, Sam and Dave, Ray Charles, Howling Wolf, and many more. They won two 2007 San Diego Music Awards, for Best Blues and Best Blues Album, as well as landing Best Blues again in 2008. They earned another Best Blues Album award in September 2009, as well as winning Best Blues (again) in 2011 and 2012.
April 25
Originally based in Santa Cruz and often featuring ten or more members, Boostive is known for blending Afrobeat, hip-hop, world music, and ambient electronic music. After putting out a series of EPs, their debut album Cream Supreme was released in April 2019, with cover art by local artist Thomas Condry of the Malarkey Collective. The album features 14 different musicians from all over California. They’ve gone on to work and record with locals Slightly Stoopid, who signed the group to their record label, and collaborated with artists such as Divina Dub on the single for “Grow Along.” Their Wickedness Dub EP dropped in 2023, and they released a new single last year called “I Smoke Pot.” The Mission Beach show is headlined by California reggae rockers Fortunate Youth, known for their rootsy sound, positive vibes, and constant touring. Opening the show will be rising Costa Rican reggae jamsters Earthstrong, celebrated for their uplifting lyrics and interactive, high-energy live shows, which aim to share joy and feel-good messages.
April 28
Industrial punk rockers Satanic Planet features Justin Pearson (The Locust, Dead Cross, Swing Kids, Retox, owner of Three One G Records), who specializes in music that sounds like bees living in your head, along with hip-hop producer Luke Henshaw (Sonido de la Frontera, First Power Crew) and social activist and Satanic Temple co-founder Lucien Greaves. Their Little Italy appearance is part of a short tour with the trio backed by Kevin Avery, Scott Osment, and Emma Tiemann. The set will reportedly feature material from the band’s upcoming album. The bill includes fellow locals and Three One G label-mates Silent, founded in Mexicali, Baja California in 2015 by singer/percussionist Jung Sing (Maniqui Lazer, All Leather) and guitarist Alejandro Lara. The band has toured the USA and Mexico, alongside San Diegans like Dead Cross, Retox, the Locust, and Author & Punisher. Opening the show will be RX.pinknoise, a 90s-inspired underground punk band influenced by and reminiscent of Hot Snakes and Drive Like Jehu.
Camila Fernández at Epstein Family Amphitheater
April 29
Camila Fernández has established herself as a force in the Mexican regional genre, leading her to become the lone female voice of the Fernández Dynasty. Born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, she’s the daughter of Latin Grammy-winning singer Alejandro Fernández and the granddaughter of Vicente Fernández, a well-known Mexican actor, film producer, and mariachi singer. Her love of music grew through her experiences performing in musical theater, school choirs, and religious pageants. She’s known for modernizing mariachi music and blending traditional ranchera sounds with contemporary production, representing a new generation of Mexican regional music. Sometimes called the Queen of Modern Mariachi, she is praised for keeping Mexican cultural tradition alive for new generations with songs featuring romantic themes and powerful vocals. Following a self-titled debut album in 2023, she released a follow-up last year called La Fernández, scoring viral hits with tracks such as “La Loca Era Yo,” “Se Cancela La Llorada,” and “Pudimos Ser.”
Here's something you might be interested in.
Live Five: Songwriter Sanctuary, Lady Dottie & the Diamonds, Boostive, Satanic Planet, Camila Fernández
Acoustic blues, boogie-woogie soul, dub-hop reggae, industrial punk, and Mexican regional music in Normal Heights, El Cajon, Mission Beach, Little Italy, La Jolla
Live Five: Songwriter Sanctuary, Lady Dottie & the Diamonds, Boostive, Satanic Planet, Camila Fernández
Acoustic blues, boogie-woogie soul, dub-hop reggae, industrial punk, and Mexican regional music in Normal Heights, El Cajon, Mission Beach, Little Italy, La Jolla
Whitney Shay will headline Songwriter Sanctuary
Songwriter Sanctuary at Normal Heights United Methodist Church
April 24
The monthly Songwriter Sanctuary series features local songwriters sharing stories behind their songs in a Nashville-style in-the-round format. Hosted in a hundred year-old sanctuary that was once home to the Acoustic Music San Diego series and curated by Lovebirds singer-songwriter Lindsay White, the performances emphasize inclusivity by offering ASL interpretation, promoting LGBTQ+ and diverse artists, and operating on a donation basis. This month’s edition teams up local blues icon Whitney Shay with jazz guitarist Aaron Lind. Shay has won five San Diego Music Awards (including Artist of The Year), and has toured extensively throughout Europe and South America. In 2020 Shay’s album Stand Up! debuted at number one on the Billboard Blues charts. Lind holds a Master’s Degree in Jazz Studies and is currently a professor at Grossmont Community College, the jazz band director at Coronado School of Arts, and he performs around town with the Voices of Our City Choir. Also appearing is acoustic blues master Robin Henkel and indie-folk singer-songwriter Jay Freed.
Lady Dottie & the Diamonds at Grand Old BBQ Flinn Springs
April 25
Originally a gospel singer, Dorothy Mae "Lady Dottie" Whitsett's early career included performing with Kool and the Gang and Clarence Carter, among others. Back then, she called herself Miss Dynamite, moving around from residences in Alabama, New Jersey, Portland, Seattle, and Atlanta. After moving from Atlanta to San Diego in 1984, she eventually formed a jazz duo after meeting keyboardist Joey Guevara in a local piano bar, which eventually led to building a full band they named Lady Dottie & the Diamonds. The band performs originals as well as re-imagined covers of songs by Etta James, Muddy Waters, BB King, Buddy Holly, the Everly Brothers, the Staple Singers, Sam and Dave, Ray Charles, Howling Wolf, and many more. They won two 2007 San Diego Music Awards, for Best Blues and Best Blues Album, as well as landing Best Blues again in 2008. They earned another Best Blues Album award in September 2009, as well as winning Best Blues (again) in 2011 and 2012.
April 25
Originally based in Santa Cruz and often featuring ten or more members, Boostive is known for blending Afrobeat, hip-hop, world music, and ambient electronic music. After putting out a series of EPs, their debut album Cream Supreme was released in April 2019, with cover art by local artist Thomas Condry of the Malarkey Collective. The album features 14 different musicians from all over California. They’ve gone on to work and record with locals Slightly Stoopid, who signed the group to their record label, and collaborated with artists such as Divina Dub on the single for “Grow Along.” Their Wickedness Dub EP dropped in 2023, and they released a new single last year called “I Smoke Pot.” The Mission Beach show is headlined by California reggae rockers Fortunate Youth, known for their rootsy sound, positive vibes, and constant touring. Opening the show will be rising Costa Rican reggae jamsters Earthstrong, celebrated for their uplifting lyrics and interactive, high-energy live shows, which aim to share joy and feel-good messages.
April 28
Industrial punk rockers Satanic Planet features Justin Pearson (The Locust, Dead Cross, Swing Kids, Retox, owner of Three One G Records), who specializes in music that sounds like bees living in your head, along with hip-hop producer Luke Henshaw (Sonido de la Frontera, First Power Crew) and social activist and Satanic Temple co-founder Lucien Greaves. Their Little Italy appearance is part of a short tour with the trio backed by Kevin Avery, Scott Osment, and Emma Tiemann. The set will reportedly feature material from the band’s upcoming album. The bill includes fellow locals and Three One G label-mates Silent, founded in Mexicali, Baja California in 2015 by singer/percussionist Jung Sing (Maniqui Lazer, All Leather) and guitarist Alejandro Lara. The band has toured the USA and Mexico, alongside San Diegans like Dead Cross, Retox, the Locust, and Author & Punisher. Opening the show will be RX.pinknoise, a 90s-inspired underground punk band influenced by and reminiscent of Hot Snakes and Drive Like Jehu.
Camila Fernández at Epstein Family Amphitheater
April 29
Camila Fernández has established herself as a force in the Mexican regional genre, leading her to become the lone female voice of the Fernández Dynasty. Born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, she’s the daughter of Latin Grammy-winning singer Alejandro Fernández and the granddaughter of Vicente Fernández, a well-known Mexican actor, film producer, and mariachi singer. Her love of music grew through her experiences performing in musical theater, school choirs, and religious pageants. She’s known for modernizing mariachi music and blending traditional ranchera sounds with contemporary production, representing a new generation of Mexican regional music. Sometimes called the Queen of Modern Mariachi, she is praised for keeping Mexican cultural tradition alive for new generations with songs featuring romantic themes and powerful vocals. Following a self-titled debut album in 2023, she released a follow-up last year called La Fernández, scoring viral hits with tracks such as “La Loca Era Yo,” “Se Cancela La Llorada,” and “Pudimos Ser.”