Following a sold-out debut festival in March 2015, the new CRSSD music festival recently announced its return to San Diego this fall, Oct. 10-11, 2015. Last spring, more than 15,000 fans attended CRSSD's debut to enjoy craft beer, gourmet food and the impeccable daytime vibes of world-class musical talent in the unmatched location of downtown San Diego's new Waterfront Park. This fall's event promises more of the same great festival experience, along with top musical acts including the Flaming Lips, Jamie XX and Big Data.
Local fans have long known that San Diego's live music venues are great places to discover buzz bands before they break nationally, but with the addition of new venues and festivals around the city, visitors are quickly discovering that San Diego is a top destination for live music.
The following are a few of the new offerings and best standbys for music lovers headed to San Diego:
In addition to CRSSD's much-anticipated return, San Diego hosts several other music festivals throughout the year, some new and others that have been mainstays for years. And, with year-round nearly perfect weather, many of the city's festivals can be enjoyed outdoors.
- Held at the seaside Del Mar Fairgrounds during Sept. 18-20, 2015, the inaugural KAABOO Festival will feature performances on seven stages by more than 100 musical acts including internationally known headliners like No Doubt and the Killers, established favorites like Bonnie Rait and Spoon and emerging artists like Fitz and the Tantrums. The festival will also include a dedicated comedy stage and an after-hours dance party featuring additional performances and award-winning DJs. Food and beverages from local and celebrity chefs, craft breweries and local wineries will round out the festival experience.
- Southern California's largest free two-day musical festival, the Adams Avenue Street Fair lines up more than 100 acts on eight stages, with a handful of out-of-town headliners sharing stages with a long list of the best live acts in town. Held Sept. 26-27, 2015 in the charming neighborhood of Normal Heights, the festival takes place along Adams Avenue, which is lined with an eclectic selection of local stores and mom-and-pop cafes. Adding live music to outdoor stages makes an already interesting corner of the city even more fun. Better yet: the festival is entirely free and open to all ages. For the adults, there are craft beer tastings and beer gardens throughout the fair.
- Occuring Nov. 11-14, 2015, San Diego Music Thing transforms the festival experience by focusing on individual, smaller-venue showcases scattered around the city. Every year, the SXSW-style Music Thing features a handful of big showcases with touring headliners in venues around the trendy North Park neighborhood, along with a series of smaller shows happening at intimate clubs throughout town. The festival also features music-industry speakers during the daytime, and with the purchase of a wristband, attendees can learn something new about the state of the music industry as well as see unlimited live music. The 2015 Music Thing features indie legends Yo La Tengo as the headlining musical act.
No matter what kind of musical experience visitors favor, from punk and noise rock to low-key singer songwriters to big-name electronic dance music (EDM) DJs, the following San Diego venues offer something for everyone.
- Since the Casbah opened in 1989, lucky fans have seen the first local shows by Nirvana, the Smashing Pumpkins, the Lemonheads and more. Today, up-and-coming local and national bands hit the Casbah stage in downtown's Little Italy neighborhood at least six nights a week. Cover charges and drink prices are refreshingly modest, and the back bar offers vintage 80's video games.
- One of the longest running venues in San Diego County, the Belly Up Tavern opened in 1974 in Solana Beach and has been consistently hosting excellent local and touring acts, which range from reggae legends like The Wailers and contemporary indie rock artists like Twin Shadow to occasionally full evenings with artists such as Graham Nash or Rufus Wainwright. The venue has a capacity of 600 guests, which makes it one of the bigger bars in which to catch a show, and the Wild Note Cafe located next door offers a chance to grab a bite beforehand.
- A historic venue in the center of North Park, the Observatory (formerly known as the North Park Theatre) was built in the 1920s and still features much of its original art deco décor. Once a venue for opera and dramatic theater in its colorful past life, its acoustics make it a surprisingly strong place to catch a touring rock or pop group. The spacious floor comfortably accommodates 1,100 concertgoers. The calendar at Observatory North Park is always full, whether it's showcasing alternative-rock A-listers like Tame Impala or one-of-a-kind filmmaker and camp icon John Waters.
- There is something happening every night of the week at the Soda Bar, a neighborhood hangout in City Heights. Locals know this hidden hot spot always has music worth seeing, usually for a low cover charge ($10 or less, depending on the show). The venue regularly showcases talented, young local bands, and hosts a long list of notable touring bands throughout the year. Recent acts on stage at the Soda Bar include Sylvan Esso, Cloud Nothings and Speedy Ortiz.
- Located on picturesque Shelter Island, Humphrey's Concerts by the Bay showcases jazz, soul and rock legends in the city's most beautiful outdoor venue, perched along the waters of San Diego Bay. Fans unable to get tickets to popular shows have been known to hang out in kayaks and on inflatable rafts on the bay to catch the music from the water.
- For EDM fans, San Diego regularly hosts live performances from world-famous DJs and up-and-coming electronic acts. Downtown's historic Gaslamp Quarter and neighboring East Village are home to a number of clubs, including Bang Bang, FLUXX and Omnia, that continually book the biggest DJ names in the industry like Calvin Harris, Steve Aoki and NERVO.
- Even metal fans have a venue to call their own in San Diego. Located between Mission Valley and Mission Bay, Brick by Brick hosts rock bands - mostly of the metal variety - from around the country. With a capacity of 400 guests, this is an intimate venue to rock out with likeminded music fans.
Visiting music fans know the best way to learn about local music is to check out the city's independent record stores. San Diego has great record stores with knowledgeable staff to help visitors pick out the perfect musical souvenir or get the low-down on the hottest local shows.
- Serving local music nerds for more than 30 years, Lou's Records in Encinitas houses an impressive selection of vinyl, CDs and cassettes. Prices are reasonable, and the staff is incredibly knowledgeable.
- Off the Record, located in North Park, offers a great selection of new and used vinyl and CDs. New selections focus on the latest electro, rock and noise bands, while used selections span the decades and genres.
- M Theory Music carries indie, punk, rock, electronic and underground hip-hop at their popular Mission Hills store. The shop features an excellent selection of local music plus vinyl and hard-to-find imports. Also, M Theory hosts frequent in-store shows by local and national touring bands.
- Folk Arts Rare Records in North Park packs a huge selection into their small storefront with new and used albums that span the genres of punk, garage, funk, 60's psych, soul, rockabilly and more. The independently owned shop opened in 1967, making it one of the oldest record stores in California.
San Diego offers music lovers daytime distractions with a museum dedicated to live music as well as tours offering behind the scenes looks at world-class production facilities.
- The Museum of Making Music in Carlsbad features more than 450 musical instrument displays and interactive areas to listen to music, ranging from ragtime to rock 'n' roll.Special exhibitions are also on display throughout the year.
- Taylor Guitars, a San Diego original since 1973, makes both hollow-body acoustic guitars and solid-body electric guitars at their factory in El Cajon. Visitors can tour the facility for free at 1 p.m. Monday-Friday and see where guitars are made for artists like Dave Mathews, Jason Mraz and Taylor Swift.
- Since 1975, Deering Banjos in Lemon Grove has been making these classically American instruments and supplying them to artists as diverse as Bela Fleck, the Dixie Chicks and Jimmy Page. Visitors can tour the factor for free at 1 p.m. Tuesday-Friday.
Happiness is calling in San Diego. For more information on San Diego's offerings, including exciting vacation packages and valuable coupons for attractions, restaurants and more, visit the San Diego Tourism Authority's website at www.sandiego.org or call 619-236-1212.
