San Diego

Tim Pyles' Winter Wonderland of Shows

'Tis the season for a show: 91x's Tim Pyles picks the must-see shows in December

A December to remember! Lots of holiday-themed shows, some not listed, but those are always fun! All I want for Christmas is world peace -- that's not too much to ask for, is it? Hope you get everything you want and I've always enjoyed saying "Merry Chrismahanukwanzakah" to cover all my bases, so Merry Chrismahanukwanzakah to all and to all a good night. And on that note, I will see you at a show.

Dec. 1: The Heavy Guilt, Trouble in the Wind and Soft Lions at Soda Bar. I'm very glad the Heavy Guilt are back; their lead vocalist, Erik Canzona, has an amazing voice.

Dec. 2: Blitzen Trapper at the Casbah. Indie alt-country-rock from Portland.

Dec. 3: L.A.M.F. with Walter Lure, Mike Ness, Clem Burke and Glen Matlock performing the seminal album from Johnny Thunders at the Belly Up.

Dec. 4: Jewel at the San Diego Civic Center. Her career started here in a van playing shows at Java Joe's, which is now located in Old Town.

Dec. 5: The Used at House of Blues. The band from Orem, Utah returns to SD in support of their latest album, "The Canyon."

Dec. 6: Alex Lahey at the Casbah. Listen to her song "Every Day's the Weekend," that's how I became a fan.

Dec. 7: Whitechapel at Brick By Brick. Deathcore from Knoxville, Tennessee.

Dec. 8: Plane Without A Pilot, Mosaics, Little Empire and the Rough at the Merrow. A merrow is a male mermaid.

Dec. 9: 91x Wrex the Halls at Valley View Casino Center with the Lumineers, Vance Joy, Dreamcar, the War on Drugs, Arkells and locals Buckfast Superbee. An annual tradition...

Dec. 10: Run the Jewels at the Observatory North Park. Killer Mike and El-P are a force to be reckoned with, a true powerhouse in the culture of hip-hop.

Dec. 11: Pat Travers at the Belly Up. "Boom, boom (out go the lights)," if you know, then you know.

Dec. 12: Chris Isaak at the Belly Up. Go revisit his song "Wicked Game" -- be sure to watch the video though.

Dec. 13: Metz at the Casbah. Rad noisy band from Canada.

Dec. 14: The Album Leaf at the Casbah. Jimmy LaValle creates some of the most beautiful music you will ever hear and he is a San Diegan who has taken his sounds around the world.

Dec. 15: Cake at the Observatory North Park. "How do you afford your rock & roll lifestyle?"

Dec. 16: Strung Out at Brick By Brick. Not just metal tonight at Brick By Brick, these guys fuse punk and metal for their melodic sound.

Dec. 17: The Nervous Wreckords, Boychick and the Strawberry Moons at Soda Bar. Brian Karscig, of Convoy and Louis XIV, is the force behind the Nervous Wreckords.

Dec. 18: Martin and the Big Nativity Scene, the Screamin' Yeehaws and Drunkin' Punkin' Idiots at the Casbah. This will be a holiday show to end all holiday shows and for this one I have a feeling the spirit of Bossman might be hanging around.

Dec. 19: Jay-Z and Vic Mensa at Viejas Arena. Beyonce's husband comes to town.

Dec. 20: Ziggy Shuffledust & the Spiders From Mars at the Casbah. Gary Shuffler is a longtime contributor to our local music community and this is one of his gifts to SD every year where he emulates David Bowie.

Dec. 21: Supersuckers, the Bellrays and the Bombpops at the Casbah. I am speechless: This will rock!

Dec. 22: X, Meat Puppets and Mike Watt at the Observatory North Park. You mean I get all this!?! On one bill!?! This bill is stacked!

Dec. 23: The English Beat at the Belly Up. Dave Wakeling plays San Diego regularly, but the songs are timeless.

Dec. 24: Exile On Kettner Boulevard at the Casbah. An annual tradition started by local band the Dragons, where local rock & roll misfits convene to play the songs of the Rolling Stones. This year, Andrew McKeag (of Uncle Joe's Big 'Ol Driver, the Presidents of the United States Of America, Dirty Sweet, and the Andrew McKeag Band) curates.

Dec. 25: Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Dec. 26: Stay home and figure out your new gifts. I'm sure you got some new kind of tech you need to figure out.

Dec. 27: Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven at the Belly Up. "Take the skinheads bowling!" Two great bands for the price of one.

Dec. 28: The Dinettes, Manual Scan and Alvino & the Dwells at the Casbah. The Dinettes were San Diego's original punk-rock girl group.

Dec. 29: Mattson 2 at the Casbah. Two brothers laying down the rad jazz surf jams.

Dec. 30: Chicano Batman, Hanni El Khatib and Thee Commons at the Observatory North Park. I see bills like this with three amazing bands and I am beside myself, giddy like a schoolgirl.

Dec. 31: Alkaline Trio, Rocket From the Crypt and Sharp Shock at the Observatory North Park. If I go out on New Year's Eve (amateur night), I will be at this show.

Merry Chrismahanukwanzakah!

Tim Pyles, a longtime local who grew up in La Jolla, is the unofficial mayor of local music and hosts Loudspeaker via 91x every Sunday from 7-10 p.m. He also books local acts at the Casbah, hosts the weekly Anti-Monday League, books/hosts the monthly Maryjane's Underground at the House of Blues and is an entertainment writer for Pacific San Diego Magazine. Check out his website thelocalpyle.com and and follow him on Twitter @thelocalpyle. You can reach him directly here pyleste@yahoo.com

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