San Diego Music Awards Postponed

A forecast of rain has prompted a delay of the San Diego Music Awards at Humphreys By the Bay.

Rain and unseasonably cold weather were the reasons for putting the awards off a week -- instead of Wednesday night, the event is now slated for a week later, on Wednesday, Oct. 16.

“For the comfort and safety of the attendees and performers, we have made the decision to postpone the event for the first time in its 23-year history” San Diego Music Foundation Board President Kevin Hellman said via a press release.

The current forecast for next week is clear and seasonally warm, with highs forecast in the high 60s and no rain expected.

With one exception, the same performers are scheduled to appear, and all tickets will be honored for the later date, awards officials said.

As always, the 2013 field is a who's who of the local music scene, but the addition of a couple new awards -- for Best Live Band and Best Music Video -- has made things even more interesting this year.

Local music fans will still see performances by Sara Watkins (a member of Nickel Creek and a 2013 nominee for Best Americana), singer/songwriters Tristan Prettyman (nominated for Best Album of the Year for Cedar + Gold and Song of the Year for “My Oh My”) and Sara Petite (a Best American nominee as well),and the Blackout Party (Best Rock nominee).

The Heavy Guilt, with four noms -- Artist of the Year, Best Alternative, Best Alternative Album for a eponymous release, and Best Live Band) and the Palace Ballroom (Best Rock Album nomination for “This Is the Plan ...”) -- will be unable to appear due to a touring commitment.

"We're disappointed -- we were really excited to be a part of the ceremony this year," lyricist/percussionist Al Howard of the Heavy Guilt told SoundDiego. "It's one of those rare nights you get to see every musician in town under one roof. There are cats I know from the days with my old band that I don't get to see too often. The part that gets me is, it will likely be a nice evening 'cause we live in San DIego and the weather is our friend, but I get the pressure they're under, with all the changeover and people coming to the stage. You don't want it to be slippery or dangerous. If this was back in Boston, we'd do that s--- in a hailstorm. But this is San Diego; the impending drizzle is an affront to our way of life."

Special recognition will be made this year with a Lifetime Achievement Award for local jazz saxophonist Daniel Jackson, who has worked with such artists as Ray Charles, Cannonball and Tat Adderley and Charles McPherson.

Based just on the number of nominations, this could be the year the Burning of Rome or the Silent Comedy, both with five nominations, clean up. Or could it be the Heavy Guilt, Pinback, Gilbert Castellanos or Wavves, each with four? Or what about lyricist/percussionist Alfred Howard, who is in the Heavy Guilt and the Midnight Pine, which picked up a pair of nods, too, for a total of six? The nominees in the major categories are:

Album of the Year:
Mike Keneally: Wing Beat Fantastic
P.O.D.: Murdered Love
Pacific Air: Stop Talking
Pinback: Information Retrieved
Slightly Stoopid: Top of the World
The Burning of Rome: With Us
Tristan Prettyman: Cedar + Gold
Wavves: Afraid of Heights

Artist of the Year:
Family Wagon
Gilbert Castellanos
Little Hurricane
Pinback
The Burning of Rome
The Heavy Guilt
The Silent Comedy
Wavves

Song of the Year:
A.J. Croce: "Rollin’ On"
Pacific Air: "Move"
Pinback: "Proceed to Memory"
P.O.D.: "Beautiful"
Slightly Stoopid: "Don't Stop"
The Silent Comedy: "God Neon"
Tristan Prettyman: "My Oh My"
Wavves: Demon to Lean On"

Best Live Band:
Gilbert Castellanos
Lady Dottie & the Diamonds
Little Hurricane
The Burning of Rome
The Creepy Creeps
The Heavy Guilt
The Silent Comedy
The Styletones

Best Music Video:
Cuckoo Chaos: "Shanghaied"
Mrs. Magician: "There Is No God"
P.O.D. "Beautiful"
Pinback: "Sherman"
Slightly Stoopid: "Don't Stop"
Social Club: "Slow Motion"
The Silent Comedy: "God Neon"
Wavves: "Afraid of Heights"

Best New Artist:
Chess Wars
Barbarian
Flaggs
Soda Pants
Teenage Burritos
The Filthy Violets
The Midnight Pine
The Phantoms