"I love playing San Diego, you can’t beat the weather and the laid back atmosphere,” said guitarist Bruce Kulick earlier this week. He'll be performing with Grand Funk Railroad on Saturday, July 2, at the Fair in Del Mar. After …

Dead//Technology is a strictly vinyl and dubplate night at the Kava Lounge curated by local DJ/producer/promoter EshOne. “Nothing with a play or eject button allowed,” says EshOne. “Live//Technology is something Walknasty and I came up with to merge my night …

Friday, July 1, brings an unusual amount of choices for the jazz lover. Those lucky enough to have planned ahead can attend the sold-out Anat Cohen Quartet show at the Athenaeum Music and Arts Library in La Jolla; tickets are …

Brian Lewis didn’t hire the entertainment while serving as venue manager for Humphrey’s bar and concert showcase on Shelter Island. However, he feels the experience he gained there from 1990 to 1992 prepared him for booking and marketing jobs at …

While complaining about Mozart and his treatment of tenors, I mentioned that Verdi may be the composer who wrote the most great music for each voice type. It could be that Verdi wrote 28 operas and there's bound to be …

Hundreds of Placebo fans submitted video of themselves lip-synching the band’s cover of Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill,” for a planned video consisting entirely of fan-made clips. 21 year-old singer/songwriter Roberta Hofer, AKA Rob'n, was among around a dozen …

Local jazz stalwart Peter Sprague has owned and operated his recording studio SpragueLand since the late 1990s. In that time, over 250 albums have been recorded there. SpragueLand is a full service, totally professional studio with the added esthetic benefit …

“Di Nigunim's borrowed trailer was stolen in Chicago on Sunday night,” the band wrote in a Facebook note dated June 14. “Within it was Aaron's drum set, Andy Campa's guitar amp, Robert Martin's bass head and cab, and our p.a. …

You squeeze behind the wheel before noticing that someone’s slipped a flyer beneath one of the wipers. Especially in North Park. For the last month or so, the nearby sidewalk’s been increasingly splattered with postcards announcing various performances. Apparently my …

I did manage to stop whining and sing it the way Mozart wrote it on Saturday evening. The concert of highlights from Don Giovanni was an amazing value. The room was intimate and paneled with wood. The voices were big …

Trumpeter Gilbert Castellanos will bring a special ensemble to Dizzy's this Friday, July 1. The band will include his regular pianist, Irving Flores, Lorraine Castellanos on vocals, bassist Evona Wascinski, and on percussion...tap dancer Claudia Gomez Vorce. These days, the …

"I'm releasing a new single this week called Yoga Girl," says Scott Wilson. "I'll probably be shooting a video for it, as soon as I can find a yoga studio that doesn't pay attention to lyrics." The tune includes an …

Folky duo Berkley Hart will play two release parties at Swedenborg Hall for their new full-length Crow; July 8 (with pop duo the Lovebirds opening) and July 9 (with rock duo Bug Guts). “We had originally wanted to call the …

"Man," said the Italian as we peed into roadside shrubs at an Ocotillo turnout. "I feel like I'm in a clothes dryer." It was about ten o'clock on a Friday night and we had just dropped into the Imperial Valley …

As the music industry continues to be shaken up by the decline of traditional record labels in favor of DIY recording and self-marketing, several local recording studios have found themselves developing their own record labels as well. One new facility …

I got to Bar Pink (3829 30th Street, North Park) before 9pm to beat the $10 cover charge. After grabbing a $5 vodka tonic and taking a few pictures, I noticed the eclectic mix of people who started to come …

I've been rehearsing for a small concert of selections from Mozart's Don Giovanni. That's pronounced Joh-van-nee, not Geo-van-nee. Please, let's be a tad bit refined. I'm singing three pieces as the tenor Don Ottavio. In learning some of the sung …

Gregory Page filmed a video for the song "That's You" (from the album My True Love) at the Ideal Hotel downtown on Sunday night, June 12. With a 1930s motif, his backing group for this clip consisted of bass, piano, …

Stalking the stage with intensity, Charles McPherson snapped his fingers briskly and tore into "Crazeology" (a bebop staple based on the harmonic sequence of "I Got Rhythm") in lockstep with trumpeter Gilbert Castellanos. The alto saxophonist has arrived at a …

"Wobble Events was born out of a mission to widen the view of club dance music in San Diego,” says promoter Bryen Beglinger. “It's a little depressing to have to go up to LA or San Francisco whenever you want …

“I had American Idol's Adam Lambert show up to my dinky little weekly Sunday night gig at the Turf Supper Club this last weekend,” local singer/songwriter J.D. Boucharde tells the Reader. “He got up and did a song with me, …

When free jazz trumpeter / electronics specialist Jeff Kaiser wants to put out a record, he doesn't have to shop demos around or hope for corporate approval. Kaiser moved to San Diego four years ago, having spent a long time …

In one of a series of events to raise funds for San Francisco via Algeria DJ Cheb I Sabbah, who was recently diagnosed with stage four stomach cancer, the Kava Lounge will be hosting Austin-based ambient exotic beat producer Govinda …

Flutist Holly Hofmann has been doing her thing in San Diego for years now, both as a renowned musician and a concert series curator. Last month, she finished up her latest recording, "Turn Signal" at Studio West in Rancho Bernardo. …

I love the story of Gianni Schicchi as presented by Puccini. Throughout the show, Schicchi keeps singing this creepy tune to warn the family of what will happen it they're discovered altering the will. "Farewell, Florence, I wave farewell with …

Live music is returning to one of San Diego’s most iconic music venues, The Lafayette Hotel’s Mississippi Ballroom. Rockin’ the Boulevard is a weekly event that will showcase local acts every Friday night. On hand through July will be a …

Tenor saxophonist and clarinetist Anat Cohen is coming to San Diego on July 1, at the Athenaeum Music and Arts Library, 1008 Wall St. La Jolla. Unless you've already got your tickets, be advised that the performance is sold out. …

Canadian punks Dayglo Abortions have been deported and their slot at the Shakedown Bar this Friday, June 24, will be filled by infamous old school San Diego hardcore punks Battalion of Saints. Verbal Abuse (with the original lineup from the …

Photo on left: Gianni Schicchi poster At the beginning of Puccini's Gianni Schicchi, the Donati family has a problem. Buoso, the wealthy pater-familias has died. The bulk of the inheritance is a house in Florence, the mills in Signa, and …

Privatized Air is currently on a U.S. tour, including Santa Ana, Monterey, Oakland, SF, Portland, Seattle, Bozeman, Cheyenne, Denver, Albuquerque, El Paso, and Tucson, wrapping up July 9 in Las Vegas. “We’ve been focusing on playing to a wider audience,” …

In a world dominated by the futuristic self-transforming machine krunk of dubstep, Temple of Roots transports us back to simpler times, when Jamaican DJs sound clashed limited run dubplates through huge homemade speaker walls. Tonight’s show at the Kava Lounge …

Summer jazz clinics, or camps, are a staple of sorts for universities that have viable jazz programs. There are also a few privately run institutions, the most well-known being Jamey Aebersold's summer jazz workshops, this year being held at the …

Photo on left: Darryn Kelly “I was diagnosed with a polyp on my vocal chords,” says singer/guitarist Darryn Kelly, whose band Heretic had to cancel their recent record release gig at Eleven. “My throat had been sore for a few …

If I'm listening to the Grieg Piano Concerto, it means I'm also listening to the Schumann. The two almost always go together on recordings. They're both in A minor, and they both have a similar feel even though Schumann wrote …

Noted contrabassist and UCSD professor Mark Dresser maintains the busiest of schedules. He has several active ensembles including Trio M with pianist Myra Melford and East Coast drummer Matt Wilson, another trio with Melford and trombonist Michael Dessen, a Southern …

I have dozens of answering-machine messages from Larry "Wild Man" Fischer, onetime Frank Zappa protégé and Doctor Demento perennial. We became friends while he lived at various downtown flophouses in the late '80s and early '90s. Fischer made occasional public …

“We got their attention with our song Cowboys and Aliens,” says singer/songwriter Scott West of landing his first publishing deal with Greenlight 360, a Boston company that specializes in placing music on television and in movies. “As a result, we …

Photo on left: Mike Pinto The monthly Ocean Beats has been hosting some of the best in local and touring names in reggae, island, dub, hip hop, dub step, electro, glitch hop, and other genres at Winston’s in Ocean Beach. …

If you’re still wondering how best to spend your Thursday evening, you’re in luck. Every third Thursday, two of my favorite monthlies happen at the same time. Makeout Weird at the Whistle Stop fuses experimental, punk, and dance music into …

“I was chastised and threatened with being banned from competing in the future by the contest promoter, for allowing my fans to confront the judges,” says Elvis impersonator James Kruk (aka King Kruk), who won fourth place at Pechanga’s Ultimate …

It's occurred to me that I have neglected to write about sex and classical music for months now. I've said that if one wants to learn how to kiss, listen to Bruckner's 8th Symphony 3rd movement. Furthermore, this isn't sex …

“Celtic Crossroads will probably be my last performance in Southern California until the end of the year,” says Colin Clyne of the June 25 event at Oceanside’s Sunshine Brooks Theatre. Celtic Crossroads, will feature three San Diego based, Celtic influenced …

“This show is very comical, and explores those late night thoughts that can keep any of us awake,” says singer/producer Harold Sanditen of his musical show Thoughts ‘Round Midnight, which he’s performed in London, New York, and Chicago. The former …

Pianist Joshua White kicked off the summer season of KSDS Jazz 88's concert series last night at the Saville Theatre. His quartet recruited two young cats from LA, bassist J.P. Maramba and drummer Jens Kuross, and a wily San Diego …

“Right now, our singer Spencer Rabin has been going to art school in San Francisco,” says Anthony Levas by phone from his home in Bankers Hill. “When he comes down here on break, we cram in time to record or …

The first I ever knew of the old Fat City building on Pacific Highway was probably when I saw the original Fattburger band, with founder Hollis Gentry, playing there as the house band, circa 1986. I'd been noticing the distinctive …

"I'm working with James R. Spring from Lloyd Pest Control on a few VERY cool projects involving local music and local schools," says Cathryn Beeks. "Each month, Lloyd Pest Control and I are heading out to an area school to …

Tyler Rosier (MC Ridda) and Sean McGowen of Technical Support TV, a web-based electronic music video magazine, will be celebrating the one year anniversary of their SD Union monthly at the Ruby Room on Saturday, June 18. Outfitted with DEEP’s …

I hate to return to A Sea Symphony so soon but it came up in a way I wasn't expecting. I received a text from a friend who explained her day and the two personal catastrophes it contained. I sent …

Iconoclastic NYC guitarist/bassist/saxophonist Elliott Sharp made his first performing visit to San Diego on June 7, when outward-leaning promoter Bonnie Wright snagged him on his way to gigs in LA and San Francisco for an "invitation only" show at her …

The New Regime has released a 24 minute documentary on the making of the new album Speak Through The White Noise. The piece chronicles 22-year-old Ilan Rubin's journey from being in Lostprophets to joining Nine Inch Nails, all the while …

Saxophonist Jason Robinson made his impending exit from the area official with a blistering 2 hour plus concert on June 2, at Dizzy's. A healthy crowd of friends and fans gathered for the affair, which featured some of the best …

It was last December that long-running original powerpop band Roxy Monoxide played its farewell show at Humphrey’s, concluding a nearly ten-year run. Now a new band, Roxy Dioxide, has risen in its wake, playing its first show at the Second …

The 13th Annual Old House Fair, taking place on June 18, will include The Whistlestop Stage at the corner of Beech & Dale, sponsored by its namesake bar, The Whistlestop. The musical entertainment -- as well as the complete festival …

Humboldt County nu-grass spankers Bucky Walters are coming to town next Wednesday, June 15 at the Soda Bar, for a knee-slappin’, beer spillin’, whoopin’ and a’wailin’ hill howlin’ hullabaloo. “I’m so happy because I’m coming down to San Diego with …

"There goes the last DJ/who plays what he wants to play/and says what he wants to say/there goes your freedom of choice/there goes the last human voice/there goes the last DJ" -- lyrics from "The Last DJ," by Tom Petty …

Having now admitted to being something of a dick, I think it is only right to spotlight some classical dicks now and then. I must explain that nice guys write boring, if not downright crappy, music--or more accurately, no music …

Local jazz guitarist Peter Sprague will play the opening night prime-time slot at the Playboy Jazz Festival tomorrow evening as a member of vocalist Dianne Reeves' group. Sprague got the gig with Reeves several years back on the recommendation of …

Nostalgia is a bread and butter business. San Diegans are regularly afforded the chance to see bands whose last chart hit was in the Stone’s age, whose heydays may date back further than the first moon landing. The Grass Roots, …

“I moved back to San Diego from Austin, Texas in late November of 2010,” says Mark Stuart, founder of the alt-country Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash. But Stuart says the BSOJC never disbanded during the years he lived abroad. Being …

Because this is the future and the future is cool, I’m posting a video of a show that happened little over an hour ago at the Park Gallery in University Heights. According to one of their websites, “We imagine Aquapuke …

For anyone who ever sang “and there’s a wino down the road” during “Stairway To Heaven,” www.kissthisguy.com invites posts from those who’ve long mistaken or misheard song lyrics. Entries feature the actual lyric followed by listeners’ erroneous interpretations, with some …

The lineup for the seventh annual Switchfoot Bro-Am has been announced. The Howls, the Romany Rye, the Silent Comedy, and Jon Foreman and Friends will play the Grammy Award-winning hometown rocker’s Hurley-sponsored surf contest/beach concert Saturday, June 18th at Moonlight …

I'm going to take a risk next week and attend a concert put on by some local singers. Why is it a risk? I was invited via Facebook, so I started perusing the other folks invited. I knew a few …

The Del Mar Summer Concert series started in 1994 and has since hosted 128 free (for race attendees, $20 otherwise) concerts including Cake, Weezer, ZZ Top, Billy Idol, Gnarls Barkley, Ziggy Marley, Matisyahu, Violent Femmes, Jason Mraz, and Jack Johnson. …

I was trying to think of a good way to introduce some newbies to the instruments of the orchestra and there was Peter and the Wolf. The different characters of the story are introduced by the narrator along with the …

Local folk-rocker Astra Kelly has been the voice of commercials for outfits such as Starbucks, Motel 6, Southwest Airlines, and the American Diabetes Foundation, to name a few. From 2007 to 2009, she hosted the Homegrown Show on KPRI radio. …

“We have taken a break from long car trips and decided to play a show right here in our home city of San Diego,” says Jaye MacAskill of the comedic rock duo Pony Death Ride. “It’s our first official show …

L.A.’s beat scene has been getting a lot of attention lately with artists such as Flying Lotus, Daedelus, Baths, Tokimonsta, Nosaj Thing, and the Gaslamp Killer (named after our own downtown strip). The weekly Low End Theory night is legendary …

“With the EP, we’re gonna simultaneously release a video game,” says Ryan Solomon from Dudes. Dudes feature members of Da Bears, D/Wolves, and TV Girl. “Like, we’re the first people to do this, right?” He laughs. “At around the same …

Friday’s show was a true orgy of awesome. The ever-lively Bar Monaco is Mexicali’s go-to happening music venue and art space. Think Tower Bar meets Mos Eisley Cantina with $2 mostly imported beer and monthly installations in the upstairs gallery. …

Saxophonist Joe Marillo was instrumental to many of us in the baby-boom generation of San Diego jazz fans. Originally from Niagara Falls, New York, Marillo's career began playing R&B on the East Coast. After spending 10 years in Las Vegas …

The San Diego Rock 'n' Roll marathon went off today. I had forgotten about it until I went for a run last night at East Mission Bay and stumbled upon the finish area. I lamely explained to the security guard, …

Doublebassist Bob Magnusson has been holding down the bottom end for thousands of San Diego jazz moments since the late 1960s. His father was a classical clarinetist, and Bob spent 12 years playing French horn before taking up the bass …

"The first June Gloom was June of 2010," writes musician and promoter Sam Lopez aka Zsa Zsa Gabor, who has been playing noise music for about five years and promoting for the past three. "The music I pick for June …

Oceanside drummer Duncan Moore was born in Des Moines, Iowa and began learning the instrument at the age of 8. Percussion studies continued through high school and led him to the University of Iowa, where he majored in music and …

We all know a few vinyl junkies like the waxhead referenced in the newest Overheard comic - Back when I still had a mountain of vinyl cracking the floorboards of our La Mesa rental, I wrote a poem about our …

I first heard Kevyn Lettau in 1977, at Robb Field in OB, with Peter Sprague's Dance Of The Universe Orchestra. She sang "Over The Rainbow" and "I Get A Kick Out Of You", and even then, as a teenager, she …

“I’m an East Coaster,” says Pennsylvania native Michael McGraw at the Alibi in Hillcrest. “I have a little moodiness and I’ve come to embrace it. The music we’re making now is true to that.” McGraw moved to San Diego in …

A near life-size oil painting of Jared Mattson hangs on the wall near the band stand inside the Turquoise Lounge in Pacific Beach. You can tell it is Jared and not his twin Jonathan because of the guitar. Jonathan plays …

The 8th annual Art Around Adams fest happens June 4th from 3-10 p.m. This free, family-friendly event will showcase an array of local artists, musicians, outrageous street performers, and interactive installations. Art and music will be spilling out of local …

Welcome friends, I'm Cathryn Beeks and I host The Homegrown Hour every Sunday at 8pm on 102.1 KPRifm in San Diego, www.kprifm.com. I've been hosting live, local music showcases in SD for about a decade and I've published Listen Local …

Photo at left: Mawkus Rosario “Sweet Cheeks was inspired by the fact that, from my experiences, when one goes out to a bar or venue and wants to hear different music, no one ever thinks of the ladies, let alone …

In July, Off the Wagon will begin hosting a monthly show at the Pacific Beach Alehouse. Does the fact of choice beach gigs mean that country western bands, almost absent from the local club scene in recent years are making …

Carlsbad doublebassist Gunnar Biggs has lived in San Diego since the age of 5, and has been an important part of the jazz scene here for over 30 years. Biggs was talented enough as a high school student to be …

On May 31, local psych-folk-rockers The Donkeys will make their way back to San Diego. The band has been living on the road, promoting their newest full-length, Born With Stripes. Their return to San Diego will be short lived. After …

With opera season over, I've moved my running schedule back to evenings and have been enjoying the sunsets at Mission Beach, Torrey Pines, and Sunset Cliffs. Since I don't prefer to wear earphones while running, sometimes I'll get myself pumped …

Yeah, I only look at Courtney Love’s Twitter account (http://twitter.com/#!/courtneyloveuk ) when she gets sued over her tweets (as happened a few months ago when she allegedly defamed fashion maven Dawn Simorangkir). This time, she caught my attention by ticking …