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RIP Blitz Recording Studios and Bohemia After Dark
More longtime local institutions are closing up shop
Although we're only partway into 2026, San Diego is losing two more longtime local institutions. "Heading into final spins season, Bohemia After Dark goes dark April 3, 2026," says Claudia Russell, host of the KSDS Jazz 88.3 FM weeknight radio show, broadcast from City College.
Claudia Russell photo by Cathryn BeeksThe program, named after a famed Greenwich Village jazz club, played a variety of adventurous songs, including jazz informed by influences such as hip-hop, Latin music, and even rock ‘n’ roll. Most recently airing weeknights from 7pm until midnight, the show often shined a spotlight on local musicians, particularly on the occasion of a player's birthday, when a full tribute set would often be programmed.
"Thank you, San Diego, for letting me share the music we adore for 25 years on KSDS," says Russell. "I love you and I’ll miss you. To the musicians who have made my broadcast career possible, I can never fully express my appreciation for your art and for your support. Thank you for every note. And to those of you who listen and have tuned in over the years, thank you for spending time with me and trusting me with your ears."
Asked what she plans to do next, Russell (aka The Jazz Kitty) says "I have no idea. Going to take some time for myself."
Also closing up shop is local recording oasis Blitz Recording Studios, which has long offered recording, mixing, and mastering services. The studio is operated by Richard "Blitz" Livoni of longtime locals The Blitz Brothers, a popular rock band who frequently opened for touring headliners in the 1970s and 1980s. Livoni began playing guitar at the age of eight and continued through college, eventually opening for the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Hoyt Axton, Tim Buckley, Jackson Browne, Linda Rondstadt, and others.
"After 31 years at Blitz Recording Studios, my landlord served me a 30 day eviction notice," Livoni posted online. "He's selling the building and didn't want to repair it after several floods. We are still trying to figure out the future plans. But, when one door closes and another door opens. I'm very thankful to the thousands of musicians who recorded there. It was a magical place. I will be up and running somewhere soon. I started Blitz Recording Studios in 1986 and have loved every minute of this incredibly lucky career."
Livoni was playing in an Orange County band called Fast Eddie when he left them to start the Blitz Brothers in 1973. The Blitz Brothers migrated south to San Diego, where they went through the first of several breakups around 1986. Looking for work, he told the Reader “I put an ad in the Reader advertising myself as a recording engineer and I’ve been booked steadily ever since.”
The first Blitz Studio in 1986 was in the basement of his home in Mission Hills. Blitz went on to record bands and write music in a private stand-alone state-of-the-art digital studio in south Mission Hills on Reynard Way. In order to maintain operations, Livoni says "I have decided to move [back] into my basement. It's a really cool space and I think I'll be up and running in about six weeks. Sometimes change is good!"
Blitz Brothers circa 2011 (Richard Livoni on right)
The Blitz Brothers reunited in various configurations over the years, while Livoni kept Blitz Studio operating constantly, even during the Covid shutdown. Livoni is the recipient of the San Diego Music Award's Lifetime Achievement Award for 2020.
The closure is the latest in a succession of longtime local institutions winding down, including the iconic OB head shop The Black. "My studio Thunderbird Analog has been in storage for 4 years," notes Thomas Yearsley, the bassist for the Paladins who spent years recording bands in a building that formerly hosted the Oceanside Department of Motor Vehicles. "The address is still vacant."
Here's something you might be interested in.
RIP Blitz Recording Studios and Bohemia After Dark
More longtime local institutions are closing up shop
RIP Blitz Recording Studios and Bohemia After Dark
More longtime local institutions are closing up shop
Although we're only partway into 2026, San Diego is losing two more longtime local institutions. "Heading into final spins season, Bohemia After Dark goes dark April 3, 2026," says Claudia Russell, host of the KSDS Jazz 88.3 FM weeknight radio show, broadcast from City College.
Claudia Russell photo by Cathryn BeeksThe program, named after a famed Greenwich Village jazz club, played a variety of adventurous songs, including jazz informed by influences such as hip-hop, Latin music, and even rock ‘n’ roll. Most recently airing weeknights from 7pm until midnight, the show often shined a spotlight on local musicians, particularly on the occasion of a player's birthday, when a full tribute set would often be programmed.
"Thank you, San Diego, for letting me share the music we adore for 25 years on KSDS," says Russell. "I love you and I’ll miss you. To the musicians who have made my broadcast career possible, I can never fully express my appreciation for your art and for your support. Thank you for every note. And to those of you who listen and have tuned in over the years, thank you for spending time with me and trusting me with your ears."
Asked what she plans to do next, Russell (aka The Jazz Kitty) says "I have no idea. Going to take some time for myself."
Also closing up shop is local recording oasis Blitz Recording Studios, which has long offered recording, mixing, and mastering services. The studio is operated by Richard "Blitz" Livoni of longtime locals The Blitz Brothers, a popular rock band who frequently opened for touring headliners in the 1970s and 1980s. Livoni began playing guitar at the age of eight and continued through college, eventually opening for the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Hoyt Axton, Tim Buckley, Jackson Browne, Linda Rondstadt, and others.
"After 31 years at Blitz Recording Studios, my landlord served me a 30 day eviction notice," Livoni posted online. "He's selling the building and didn't want to repair it after several floods. We are still trying to figure out the future plans. But, when one door closes and another door opens. I'm very thankful to the thousands of musicians who recorded there. It was a magical place. I will be up and running somewhere soon. I started Blitz Recording Studios in 1986 and have loved every minute of this incredibly lucky career."
Livoni was playing in an Orange County band called Fast Eddie when he left them to start the Blitz Brothers in 1973. The Blitz Brothers migrated south to San Diego, where they went through the first of several breakups around 1986. Looking for work, he told the Reader “I put an ad in the Reader advertising myself as a recording engineer and I’ve been booked steadily ever since.”
The first Blitz Studio in 1986 was in the basement of his home in Mission Hills. Blitz went on to record bands and write music in a private stand-alone state-of-the-art digital studio in south Mission Hills on Reynard Way. In order to maintain operations, Livoni says "I have decided to move [back] into my basement. It's a really cool space and I think I'll be up and running in about six weeks. Sometimes change is good!"
Blitz Brothers circa 2011 (Richard Livoni on right)
The Blitz Brothers reunited in various configurations over the years, while Livoni kept Blitz Studio operating constantly, even during the Covid shutdown. Livoni is the recipient of the San Diego Music Award's Lifetime Achievement Award for 2020.
The closure is the latest in a succession of longtime local institutions winding down, including the iconic OB head shop The Black. "My studio Thunderbird Analog has been in storage for 4 years," notes Thomas Yearsley, the bassist for the Paladins who spent years recording bands in a building that formerly hosted the Oceanside Department of Motor Vehicles. "The address is still vacant."
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