I'm not going to lie, it's always kinda bothered me that Adams Avenue Unplugged (formerly Art Around Adams) couldn't be bothered to change their weekend so they didn't always go directly against ArtWalk, especially considering both events often borrow from the other's lineup, but so it is, another year where both Normal Heights and Little Italy will be packed with music, art, vendors and tons of people. Both events are awesome, though Adams will be a little more low-key being that it's just using the existing businesses along the Avenue to host music and isn't an outright street fair. But there's other stuff, too, like In Your Neighborhood Fest in Oceanside, La Mesa's Earth Day, the Mission Valley Craft Beer and Food Festival and others. I always like to look at those smaller festivals and ask, "Are they free?" If not, where is my ticket money going? Is this a local event that benefits local charity or is it some corporate festival thrown in multiple cities with a high yield profit for the organizers? But you do you how you need to. By nightfall, the always amazing Telekinesis play Casbah, Kiefer headline Soda Bar and Odd Future alum Earl Sweatshirt headlines Soma.
Saturday, April 27:
- ArtWalk Little Italy @ India Street between Date & Grape
- Adams Avenue Unplugged (Noon-10 p.m.)
- La Mesa’s Earth Day Festival @ Harry Griffen Park (10 a.m.-1 p.m.)
- Mission Valley Craft Beer & Food Festival 2019 @ San Diego County Credit Union Stadium Practice Field
- The Quintessential Festival @ Nobel Athletic Fields & Rec Center
- Tequila & Taco Music Festival 2019 @ Embarcadero Marina Park South (12-7 p.m.)
- Telekinesis, Sontalk @ Casbah
- In Your Neighborhood Block Party with the Paragraphs, Western Settings, Mistress 77, Parker Meridien, Cheyenne Benton, El Camino High School Jazz Septet @ Pour House (12-8 p.m.)
- Unplugged After Party with Coral Bells, Johnny Wagon & the Tennessee Sons, Clint Westwood @ Ken Club
- Jonah Matranga, Bad Daughter @ Private House Show
- Alisha Marie & Remi Cruz: Pretty Basic Live @ Observatory North Park
- Adams Avenue Unplugged featuring Tomcat Courtney, Moonsugar, Paul Lopez, DJ Viejo Lowbo, Fred Heath, Johnny Deadly Trio @ Ken Club (2-8:30 p.m.)
- Kiefer, Swarvy @ Soda Bar
- Com Truise, Jack Grace, Ginla @ Music Box
- Earl Sweatshirt @ Soma
- Marujah (album release) @ Border X Brewing
- Bruin, Manorlady, Nowhereland @ Black Cat Bar
- Adams Ave. Unplugged & Sycamore Den Six Year Anniversary Extravaganza with the Liquorsmiths (6:30 p.m.), Julia Sage & the Bad Hombres (4:30 p.m.), High Tratas (2:30 p.m.) @ Sycamore Den
- Banding Survivors with Tru7h, Iris Mone, Saba @ Quartyard (6:30-10 p.m.)
- Coffee With Your Councilmember Chris Ward @ Quartyard (10-11:30 a.m.)
- Still Ill, Thieves Like Us @ Manhattan Bar
- NW vs. SW: Noise-a-Tron, Gloomsday, Meridian Arc, Brushed @ San Diego Content Partners
- Sibelius and John Williams @ Symphony Hall
- Livin' on a Prayer, Lies 'N' Roses @ Belly Up
- Cirque Du Soleil Volta @ The Grand Chapiteau, Del Mar Fairgrounds
- Last in Line: the original Dio band, Sledd, Symbolic, RDG @ Ramona Mainstage
- Queen Bee Market @ Del Mar Fairgrounds
- Milky Wayne’s B-Day Get Down @ Bar Pink
- Booty Bassment with DJs Dmitri and Rob @ Whistle Stop
- Raffi @ Balboa Theatre (1 p.m.)
- Transmission: '80s New Wave Dance Night @ Space
- Squarecrow, Look Up Here, Corporate Citizen @ Himmerlberg's
- Quinteto Aleatorio @ Panama 66
- NuVintage @ Pour House (9 p.m.)
- Infest, Heat, Violencia, Adult Crash, Drug Control @ Che Cafe
- Convergence/Convergencia @ California Center for the Arts, Escondido
- San Diego Ballet -- Romance En Pointe: Poetry in Motion @ California Center for the Arts, Escondido
- Sophia Alone @ Martini's Above Fourth
- TLC @ Pechanga Resort and Casino
- Starving Wolves, Flaunt, Artowar, Gay Agenda, Missing Limbs @ Tower Bar
- The Lady Start Blues Band @ De Oro Mine Co.
- Jesus & the Dinosaurs, Que Oso, Con.tact @ Bancroft Bar
- Adams Avenue Unplugged @ Lestat's (12-10 p.m.)
- Seth Cook @ Moonshine Beach
- Wes Cook Band @ Moonshine Flats
- Coyote Blues Redemption @ Winston's (5 p.m.)
- Dubbest, Ocean Natives, Kyle Rising of Sensi Trails @ Winston's (10 p.m.)
- UTK Party @ Til-Two Club
- Rivals, A Hero Within, Hollow Stage, Here From the Start, Zero South @ Brick by Brick
- Greg Douglas @ Wildwood Crossing
- Disco Goth Nite! With Glass Spells, the Electric West, Famblood @ The Merrow
- Strictly Business with DJs Heminguey & Gabe Vega @ The Office
- Safety Orange, Black Salt Tone, Getaway 95 @ 710 Beach Club
- Unplugged After Party with Alvino & the Dwells @ Rosie O' Grady's
- JuniortheDiscoPunk @ U-31
- Rick Holmstrom Band and Blue Largo @ Tio Leo's
- The Reflectors @ Humphreys Backstage Live (7 p.m.)
- Viva Santana @ Humphreys Backstage Live (9 p.m.)
- Los Nuevos Rebeldes, Los Incomparables De Tijuana, Los Dinamicos Del Norte @ El Gran Patron Night Club
- Happyron, Patrick Greeson, Thana Fayad, Trains Across the Sea @ La Mesa Spacebar (6:30 p.m.)
- Undercover, DJ Pocket @ V Lounge, Viejas Casino
- The Buckleys, DJ Pocket @ Lobby Bar, Viejas Casino
- Butts Ta Nuts with DJ Jason Waterfalls, Julz, Kev Mighty @ El Dorado
- Oolacile @ Bassmnt
- Bouquet Presents: Road to Dusk with Bouquet Soundsystem, Oren Marzam, Massimiliano Pagliara, Surround (Heidi Lawden, Jeniluv, Masha) @ Spin
- Copycat Killers @ Navajo Live
- Hands & Knees with DJ Lady Verse & Wolfgang Alexander @ AC Lounge
- DJ Scooter @ Fluxx
- Offaiah @ Bang Bang
- Jermaine Dupri @ Parq
- DJs Dancing @ Henry's Pub
Rosemary Bystrak is the publicist for the Casbah and 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.
