Blurt: San Diego Music News
“I’d heard about the Festival of New Trumpet Music [an annual multi-day New York City event co-curated by UCSD professor Stephanie Richards and founder Dave Douglas] around a dozen years ago, and I thought it …
While the Casbah’s 30th is a milestone, the Penetrators reunion show packs a bigger numerical punch. Their first reunion show in five years on Friday marks the 40th anniversary for the trailblazing band that dominated …
The Multisensory Aesthetic Experience hasn’t toured in years. But they remember the sweet spots in the lower 48, and how to celebrate them. “San Diego is a uniquely special place for the band,” explains MAE’s …
It might seem strange to fixate on the upside of a condition that turns your life into chaos and just might kill you. But singer/songwriter Veronica May is determined to stay optimistic. “So many upsides,” …
Christopher Hollyday — jazz saxophone prodigy, composer, teacher — wasn’t sure he’d landed in a good jazz town when he moved here in 1996. “I checked the San Diego Reader [for jazz listings]. I listened …
“I’ve been looking for that footage for 35 years,” says Ray Brandes of a recently uncovered 1983 video performance by his influential garage band, the Tell-Tale Hearts. “I don't remember much, other than going out …
Bassist Bertram Turetzky retired with the title professor emeritus from U.C. San Diego 15 years ago, but he’s not planning on slowing down anytime soon. Even though he’ll celebrate his 86th birthday in February, Turetzky …
Formed in 1994, Chinchilla started as a trio of female musicians hailing from local acts Drip Tank, Liquid Sunshine, and Crash Worship on the hunt for a bassist. They found their low-end via Krista Kansas …
Nine years after their last recording, Demasiado has reunited to release a two-song cassette, Dark Summer, featuring rerecorded versions of two vintage tracks, “Soul Coat” and “Blood Filled Fly.” The band essentially became inactive in …
This is the 50th anniversary of “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” by San Diego’s Iron Butterfly. The 17-minute rock opus was known for taking up one entire album side. Its mid-song drum solo helped grease the wheels for the …
It took the producers from ABC’s reboot of The Gong Show three attempts before they got Flashpants to bite. Their persistence paid off. The group decided to go for it, even though they knew crashing …
Consider XIV, a loosely-structured La Mesa congregation that joyfully lives in the loungey music groove known as Big Sonic Chill. Nathan Samuels (keyboards, trumpet, vocals) and wife/partner Kelly Samuels (vocals, flute, keyboard, percussion) have anchored …
“It’s not an interpretation of Steely Dan,” says guitarist Hank Easton, whose tribute band Steely Damned II will stage a rare performance at the Music Box on December 30. “It’s like the records, but with …
“I’ve done lots of gigs in Mexico, and until now I’ve never had a problem,” says San Diego bassist Jacob Miranda, who was caught up in the border-closure fiasco on November 24. Miranda’s weekend began …
“David Bowie embraced being different and made it sexy,” says the frequently masked frontwoman of Dani Bell & the Tarantist, who arrived in San Diego in 2005 but didn’t don a superhero cape and start …
“My attitude has changed over time,” explains flutist Wilfrido Terrazas, UCSD’s latest addition to its notable music faculty. “Years ago, I was trying to ‘un-flute the flute’ by exploring with an expanded sound pallet and …