At first, Tracey thought I was an FBI agent. I'd been bidding on his eBay auctions for weeks, purchasing CD recordings of local concerts that took place from the mid-'80s onward. Though clearly not official …
May 13, 2026
Latest News & Stories
How he bootlegged San Diego concert tapes for two decades
Judith Moore's tough-fisted regime at the Reader
"Moore wants more," I would joke to myself.Busy Fingers Are Happy Fingers — Joe DeeganI couldn't find an angle to get my story started, I told her. "Forget all about angles," she then said with …
May 12, 2026
Oceanside's Samoan gang provides protection
The Back GateThe area around the Oceanside pier and boardwalk glistens, picture perfect: palm trees, silver sand, blue water, and crowds of people. It’s easy to see how this town got its name. But there’s …
May 11, 2026
Kidnapping at luxurious Club Campestre in TJ
Under normal circumstances, it would be difficult not to stare at ten men dressed in black who brandished submachine guns. Under normal circumstances, ten men dressed in black who brandished submachine guns would be the …
May 9, 2026
How San Diego's Union-Tribune defined our town
When Ira Clifton Copley of Aurora, Illinois, first saw San Diego on a trip with his ailing brother to the Hotel del Coronado in 1891, it was a dingy town on the southern fringe of …
May 8, 2026
Live Five: Farm Truck, Mrs. Magician, Billy Galewood, Allison Adams Tucker, Laura Chavez
Farm Truck at Grand Ole BBQ Flinn SpringsMay 7Influenced by L.A.’s cowpunk scene of the 1980s, the burgeoning alternative country scene of the 1990s, and the Oklahoma/Texas Red Dirt sound, Farm Truck was formed in …
May 7, 2026
Pop goes San Diego: Gator By the Bay, Forester, Rhythm of the Earth Mindful Music Festival
Gator By the BayUpcoming EventGator By The Bay FestivalThursday, May 7, 2026, noonSpanish Landing Park, 4077 N. Harbor Drive, San DiegoAge Limit: Not availableMoreThe Gator By the Bay Festival is a Louisiana-themed experience with vendors …
May 7, 2026
Jon Kanis debuts Frequency 432 kHz: Backstory podcast
"I recently sat down with musicologist Jon Kanis for the launch of Frequency 432 kHz: The Backstory with Rock's Royalty, and we went deep," says singer-guitarist Rick Sparhawk. "Stories from the road with Johnny Cash, …
May 6, 2026
Relics of the Cold War right next to Scripps Ranch
The land east of I-15 ringed by Tierrasanta, Santee, the Sycamore Canyon/Goodan Ranch Open-Space Preserve, Poway, and Scripps Ranch was to become my zone of inquiry.I never wanted to move to Scripps Ranch — not …
May 6, 2026
Reader writers – music that shaped their lives
The Woes Of A Woman In Love — Barbarella....We've reached the end of the line. I hope your dreams turn out fine.Notes Give Pathos to Clouds — Laura McNeal.... I played Beethoven's sonatas until the …
May 5, 2026
San Diegans tell roommate horror stories
Scheming VixenIn 19771 was living with my fiancé Rick, a Marine helicopter pilot who worked night maneuvers and slept days. I was assistant manager at a delicatessen.Rick was sweet, gentle, and a great lover. He …
May 4, 2026
The development of gardens in Tijuana
I didn't recognize where I was. "Things have changed a lot," said Jorge Rodríguez, leading me out of the rain, into his two-story cinder-block house. "I came to Los Arenales looking for new horizons," he …
May 2, 2026
Wild mustard and wild rose are blooming, "Flower Moon" tonight
Wild Oats, Foxtails, and other non-native grasses growing around San Diego have mostly turned gold, but other varieties of wild grass such as rye remain green in some areas. Yellow waves of wild mustard continue …
May 1, 2026
Peacefulness of Balboa Park's Spanish Village broken
The sign on the gate tells you all about it. Annual plot fees, $10. Six months’ water charge, $6 per plot. Safe chemicals to use: beer for snails, wood shavings, mint-water soap, garlic-onion soap for …
May 1, 2026
Pop goes San Diego: Lauryn Hill, Lucia, Moonchild
Lauryn HillUpcoming EventMs. Lauryn HillThursday, April 30, 2026, 7:30 p.m.Petco Park, 100 Park Boulevard, San DiegoAge Limit: All agesMoreLauryn Hill was only 13 years old in the late 1980s when she joined the group that …
April 30, 2026