With more than 50 listings of things to do today, it's hard to tell you just one or a handful of shows that are worth checking out. This is a good problem to have, really, and, believe me, San Diego wasn't always like this. There's a DIY yard party, a jazz festival downtown, a bike ride/pub crawl and some fun "end of the world" parties. Come nightfall, I'll be at the sold-out Yeasayer show up at the Belly Up, which is a long time coming since the band has skipped San Diego on several of their tours, but there's also a really great show at Eleven, Queen Bee's sees the return of Sight & Sound, Chula Vista gets rocked by System of a Down and Gogol Bordello, and the Whistle Stop celebrates 10 years with the return of Transport. It is going to be a very good day.
Saturday, May 21:
- Bike The Boulevard! kicks off at Til Two Club with free BBQ (12-1:50 p.m.)
- Mas Fest, featuring Marquez, LERA, Windsurfer, Vegan Flytrap, Space Town Savior, Falling Trees, Bruisecaster, Freddy Cougar, Shades McCool, Island Boy, Master Bitch, Trash Can Fires, Bruin @ Maple Montclair Compound (2611 Montclair/3612 Maple)
- Casbah presents Yeasayer , Smith Westerns , Hush Hush @ Belly Up (sold out)
- River City, Candle, the Heavy Guilt @ Eleven (9 p.m.)
- Sight & Sound, featuring Republic of Letters, Kevin Martin, Todo Mundo and more @ Queen Bee’s
- System of a Down, Gogol Bordello @ Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre
- Voodoo Glow Skulls , the Bombpops!, Drunkin Punkin Idiots @ Casbah
- Still Ill (San Diego's tribute to the Smiths and Morrissey), Raymonde Raye and the New Sideshow Roundup and DJ Robby Nigel @ Soda Bar (9 p.m.)
- Neon Beat, featuring Junior the DISCOpunk, Mr. Vaughn Avakian @ Bar Pink
- Wendy Bailey and the True Stories, Sunken Ships, Oh Air Night, Lucy and the Electrolytes @ Tin Can
- Smooth FM 98.1 Gaslamp Festival, featuring Norman Brown, Craig Chaquico, Eric Darius, Spencer Day, Richard Elliot, Euge Groove, Jessy J, Steve Oliver @ Gaslamp Quarter
- End of the World Party/Klub Therapy, featuring Starcrossed, the Very@ Til Two Club
- Roxy Blue and the Handful @ Eleven (6 p.m.)
- Ol' Skool Car Show & BBQ Day, night show with the Lords of Altamont, the Lonesome Ones and Fink Bombs @ The Shakedown
- 10 Year Anniversary with Transport, featuring Gabe Vega and Saul Q @ Whistle Stop
- End of School/Graduation Party, featuring Hyena, Cheyenne Giles @ Analog
- SD UNION ft GRIDLOCK (UK) with: Alex Flux b2b Wolf, Headshake, Ghost M.D., Hevrock b2b SYRUS, featuring Dirty Lapel
- The F--- Cops, the Cut Downs, Horror Squad, the Davey Quinn Experience, Ross Hughes @ Soda Bar (4 p.m.)
- The Sleazy Listening DJs @ Tower Bar
- House Party, featuring Ayla Simone vs Miss Dust, DJ Bakspin @ U-31
- Viva Musica, featuring Prince Royce @ Sea World
- Lady Cellie and the Band, E.N. Young, Jakko Beats, TRC Sound System@ O'Connell's
- The Burnsville Band @ House of Blues (Voodoo Stage)
- Alison Lonsdale @ Lestat's (6-8 p.m.)
- Oculus Sinister, Ruby Summer, Third Person @ Lestat’s
- Eric Gales with Vagabond Junction (members of Asphalt Ballet) @ Brick By Brick
- The Devastators, Jamquest @ Winston's
- Dust n Bones@ 710 Beach Club
- Murder Death Kill, King Conquer, Bermuda, Float Face Down, As They Burn Alive, Lord of War @ Soma
- Peter Asher and the Peter & Gordon Band @ AMSD (Acoustic Music San Diego)
- Mira Mesa’s Got Talent @ Epicentre
- Alex Nowitz @ The Loft, UCSD
- Smooth Jazz 98.1 Gaslamp Festival, featuring Jesse LaMonaca and the Dime Novels @ Marble Room
- Peter Sprague, Steph Johnson, Tripp Sprague @ San Dieguito United Methodist (7:30 p.m.)
- Con Alma @ Humphreys Backstage Lounge (5 p.m.)
- Rockola @ Humphreys Backstage Lounge (9:30 p.m.)
- Hello Trouble @ Hensley's Flying Elephant
- Plastilina Mosh, Gustavo Lindo, Money Mark @ 4th & B
- Don’t Stop Believin @ Anthology (7:30 p.m.)
- Radio Latina Fiesta Latina Live with Manny Cepeda @ Anthology (9:30 p.m.)
- The Styletones, DJ R2 @ Gallagher's
- Iza Moon Dance Collective @ Portugalia
- Love Handles @ El Cajon Grand
- Light Year, Adam Salter @ El Dorado
- Detour @ Kava Lounge
- Savoy, Savage Skulls @ Voyeur
- Groove Jet Saturdays, with Colette and Giano @ Spin
- Funk Deluxe with Danny Massure, Jon Wesley, Colagey @ Kadan
- FLUXX*adelic with Birthday Boy DJ Sid Vicious @ Fluxx
- Scream Louder @ World Beat Center (18-plus)
- La Grange, Given Life, Cage9 @ Ramona Mainstage
- Jacobs’ Masterworks presents "The Firebird" @ Copley Symphony Hall
- Carlsbad Dance Centre presents "Illuminate" @ California Center for the Arts Escondido
Rosemary Bystrak writes about the San Diego music scene, events, and general musings about life in San Diego onSan Diego: Dialed In. She does social media for the Casbah, books at West Coast Tavern West Coast Tavern, and is trying her hand at band management. Follow her updates on Twitter or contact her directly.
