The weekend is here and I'll start with the bad news first: Deer Tick at the Casbah and Thrice at the House of Blues are both sold out. The great news is that there are so many other interesting shows available for your enjoyment. My top pick for the night is easily the Black Sands' album-release show at the Griffin. It's a four-band, all-local bill, but I guarantee that these groups give any touring band a run for its money when it comes to performance style, sound, enthusiasm and heart. If that show doesn't suit your fancy, it's easy to run down tonight's shows and enjoy some live music to kick off the weekend.
Friday, May 4:
- The Heavy Guilt, the Black Sands (album release), the New Kinetics, Dark Thirty @ The Griffin
- Deer Tick, Turbo Fruits @ Casbah (sold out)
- Casbah presents Manic Hispanic, Left Alone, Nuclear Tomorrow @ Brick By Brick
- 91X presents Thrice, Animals As Leaders. O'Brother @ House of Blues (sold out)
- RS2 Solid Sound, the Bertos, Gloomsday, Justin Rodriguez & the Brothers and Sisters @ Tin Can
- Night Beats, Cosmonauts, Wild Wild Wets, Bear Slim @ Soda Bar
- Schitzophonics, Killer Party, the Cutaways @ Ken Club
- James Morris, the Gold Standard, Scarlett Avenue, Plane Without A Pilot, Finding Francis, Gas Mask Theory @ Soma
- Pulsar 107.3 presents Latino Rock Festival @ 4th & B
- Valerie Simpson: A Tribute to Nick Ashford @ Anthology (7:30 p.m.)
- Trace Bundy @ Anthology (9:30 p.m.)
- X-35, Oogly Boogly @ Belly Up
- First Friday with DJ Artistic & Nosucker @ Bar Pink
- Pato Banton, Malaki @ Ramona Mainstage
- Trevor Davis @ Lestat's
- Lidsay & the White Lies, the Lovebirds @ The Loft
- Dizzy's presents Robin Henkel, Billy Watson, Ben Powell @ 98 Bottles
- Trenchtown, guests @ Eleven
- Bitburger presents Bonzo Goes to Bitburg Night with Prima Donna, Hey!Ho!Let's Go!, Paper Hearts @ The Shakedown Bar
- Gabriel Iglesias @ Pala Casino
- Delta Nove, Funktion @ Winston's
- BOTB with Little lamb, So Far Gone, Super Groupie, The Fixtures, Fouth and Coast, Shoot Z Pier, Timmy Denhert @ Epicentre
- Roy Rapid & the Rhythm Rock Trio @ Riviera Supper Club
- Black Out: Mayhem, DJ Gamma Ray @ Porter's Pub
- Punk vs. Hip Hop @ Tower Bar
- Wyatt Lowe @ Humphreys Backstage Lounge (early show)
- Detroit Underground @ Humphreys Backstage Lounge (late show)
- Family Matters Producer Showcase featuring Misk, Esh One, Sleeve, Abjo, Mystery Cave, Killer Swan, Zochi Beats, Will Spliff, Sasquach @ Kava Lounge
- California Celts @ Gallagher's Pub
- Amalgamated @ Flying Elephant Pub & Grill
- Nostalgic People, Afterglow, Meraki, Proud Moon @ Che Cafe
- Origin, Decrepit Birth, Cattle Decapitation, Disgorge, Aborted, Rings of Saturn, Battlecross, Condemned, Gortuary, Temblad @ Ruby Room
- Bayou Brothers @ Patrick's Gaslamp Pub
- Uptown Rhythm Makers @ Claire de Lune
- Missy Andersen @ The Marble Room
- L.E.D. Presents: Morten Breum @ Voyeur
- Lady Dottie & the Diamonds @ Croce's
- Brain Buckit @ Tiki House
- Green Today, Total Distortion, CORE @ 710 Beach Club
- Hickies and Dry Humps present Z90 Party w/ DJs Rage, Smalls, Style, Jason Waterfalls, Saul Q @ El Dorado
- Ricky Rocks, DJ E Rock, DJ J. Lewis @ Fluxx
- Fast Karma @ JP's Pub
- Funk's Most Wanted with DJ 2Rile & the V Dancers @ Dreamcatcher Viejas
- Queen Divas of the Universe @ V lounge Viejas Casino
- Fleetwood Max, Groove Kitty, Roxx Off @ The Jumping Turtle
- The Brokers Band, DJ Gary B @ Coyote Bar & Grill
- Aunt Kizzy's Boyz, Clay Colton Band @ Valley View Casino
Rosemary Bystrak writes about the San Diego music scene, events and general musings about life in San Diego on San Diego: Dialed In. Follow her updates on Twitter or contact her directly.
