Last weekend I was invited to be a judge at the San Diego County Fair's Musicpalooza contest. As I sat with the other judges, I was chatting with Andrew DeGregorio of AMD Entertainment about local music, about promoting and about feeling compelled to work in the music industry when everyone seems so convinced it's a dead end. He told me about a band he was working with called the Yes Team: "I decided I would only manage bands who work harder than I do." Not a bad philosophy to have in this business. On Saturday, you can hear the multipart harmonies of the Yes Team, along with a couple dozen other bands as the annual OB Street Fair and Chili Cookoff takes over the streets of Ocean Beach. This year, they've added a new stage at Electric Landlady, and if you've neve seen 3D street painting, be sure to check out the installation by Coors Light artists. By nightfall, you can't go wrong with Tin Can, where Cuckoo Chaos, Little Deadman and Ditches offer the best lineup of the night.
Saturday, June 23:
OB Street Fair & Chili Cookoff, featuring Mike Pinto, Concrete Project, Low Volts, Euphoria Brass Band, Tommy Dubs & Seismic Leveler, Country Rocking Rebels, Nick Bone & the Big Scene, Skid Roper, Todo Mundo, the Yes Team, Revolt-Age, the Hips and more @ Newport & Participating OB Venues, (10 a.m. to 7 p.m.)
Cuckoo Chaos, Little Deadman, Ditches @ Tin Can
Capital Cities, Speakers, Midi Matilda, DJ Profile @ Casbah
Egyptian Lover, Erleen Nada, Jewels of the Nile, DJ Heather Hardcore & Miggs @ Til Two Club
Art on the Edge, with Inspired Flight, Jim & John (of Sky Held Sun), Rheana Downey, Tower 7 @ Belly Up (2 p.m.)
Gregory Page (album release) @ Swedenborg Hall
Eliza Rickman (CD release) @ Six Palms Entertainment (7 p.m., free, BYOB, must RSVP via eventbrite)
Diego’s Umbrella, Amy LaVere @ The Griffin
Volar Records presents Destruction Unit, Stalins of Sound, Baby Coyote, Sleazy Listening DJs @ Tower Bar
Tu Fawning, Montalban Quintet, Street of Little Girls @ Soda Bar
91X presents Matt Skiba & the Sekrets, Weatherbox, the Short Eyes @ House of Blues
Tributefest, featuring Queen Nation, Ticket to Ride (Beatles), Petty Cash(Johnny Cash/Tom Petty) , Hollywood U2, the Police Experience, the Journey Experience, Steppin' Feet (Dave Matthews Band) and Elton the Early Years @ Liberty Station
Six Cents, D.P.I., Hammercocks, the Atom Age, Social Spit @ Eleven
Secret Fun Club, Lozen, Innerds, Gloomsday & Hot Victory @ The Shakedown
DJ Claire’s End of the Month Happy Hour @ Whistle Stop (5 p.m.)
The D.A., Bulletproof Tiger @ The Stage
Booty Bassment @ Whistle Stop (9:30 p.m.)
Art Laboe Freestyle Explosion, with Stevie B, Lisa Lisa, Expose, Connie, Shannon, Debbie Deb, Trinere, Stacey Q @ Valley View Casino Center