The weekend is finally upon us, and with so many great shows to choose from, you can kick it off on the right note. San Francisco's Judgement Day, who take the olde world spelling for their name, return to San Diego tonight at the Soda Bar. I have never seen the San Francisco "string metal" band perform when they didn't leave at least half of the room in absolute awe. Proficient and classically trained in their string instruments, the band creates their own genre with their epic intensity. They played here earlier this year and are returning for one night of string-metal mayhem.
If that's not your scene, I've been spending some time with the new Menomena album, and while I've enjoyed their music for some time, this new record is the best of their career. They'll be at the Casbah (close to sell-out at press time), but you can also check out the band doing a DJ set at M-Theory Records in Mission Hills before the show.
There's plenty of other goodness, too, with Swim Party over at the Tin Can, Dirty Sweet and Geezer From the Crypt at Bar Pink, and the Howls and Low Volts over at the Ken Club -- you're certain to find something fantastic tonight.
Friday, Sept.17:
- Judgement Day, Sleep Lady, the Burning of Rome @ Soda Bar
- Menomena DJ Set @ M-Theory Records (free, all ages, 7 p.m.)
- Menomena, Suckers, Tu Fawning @ Casbah
- Swim Party, Ghost Shores, Scruffles, Chilltown DJs @ Tin Can
- Dirty Sweet, Geezer From the Crypt, Uber Monk @ Bar Pink
- The Northern Tigers, the Sundelles, the Last Years @ Tower Bar
- The Howls, Low Volts @ Ken Club
- Candye Kane @ Belly Up (happy hour, benefit for Casa Feliz, 5:30 p.m.)
- Baja Bugs, DJ Hector Penalosa (the Zeros) @ Eleven
- A Scribe Amidst the Lions, Incomplete Neighbor, Sundrop Electric @ O'Connell's
- Wild child, Jumping Jack Flash @ Belly Up
- Thrillrazr, Watchlist @ The Shakedown
- Uptown/Ocean Beats with Ana Sia, Djunya, Inspired Flight, CRMNL & Austin Speed, Dr. Nickel & iD @ Ruby Room
- Mike Posner @ House of Blues
- Marlon Asher, Psydecar @ Sound Wave
- Joey Ryan, Ari Herstand, Kenneth Pattengale @ Lestat's
- Celtic Chaos "Halfway to St. Patty's Day," featuring the Mighty Regis, Lexington Field, Hard Fall Hearts, Cameron Highlanders Pipe Band, DJ Amadeus @ Brick By Brick
- Destructo Bunny, Afro Classics with the Foundation, Cizflow, Audios @ Winston's
- Brad Paisley, Darius Rucker, Justin Moore @ Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre
- Los Temerarios @ Open Sky Theatre, Harrah's Rincon Casino
- Halfway to Patty's Day: Dannicus Live, California Celts @ Gallagher's
- Organika Music present Robert French, Cualli, APR Creation Sound System, Chunky Roots & Selecta Fari @ 710 Beach Club
- Stay Hungry pre-release, featuring Mah Name Amon, Seph, Uncommon Value, Nathan Tabs featuring Josh McNeal, Shiny, Wang the Emcee, ProVenFactz @ Epicentre
- Forever Ends Now, Thy Kingdom Come, Comes the Horseman, Colossal, At the Surface, Mortify Your Enemies @ Soma
- Incan Abe, The Shade @ Che Cafe
- 321 Stereo, Crashing Marbles @ Dreamstreet
- Daniel Jackson, Marshall Hawkins, Gilbert Castellanos @ Dizzy's (San Diego Wine and Culinary Center)
- Rockola @ Humphreys Backstage Lounge
- The Fab Four -- the Ultimate Tribute @ Humphreys Concerts By the Bay
- Fight the Quiet, Good Morning Milo @ Hensley's Flying Elephant
- Jennifer Knapp @ Anthology (early show, 7:30 p.m.)
- Roy Rogers and the Delta Rhythm Kings @ Anthology (late show, 9:30 p.m.)
- Gregory Michael @ Donovan's Circle of 5ths
Rosemary Bystrak writes about the San Diego music scene, events, and sometimes whatever creeps into her head on her music blog San Diego: Dialed In. Check it for even more listings. Follow her updates at twitter.com/sddialedin or submit your music listings.
