I may or may not have been babysitting a kid in the '90s and left her alone so I could sneak to SOMA to catch the Smashing Pumpkins. I mean, if it happened, she was fine, old enough to take care of herself and her building had a doorman, so I wasn't too concerned, but obviously not my finest moment ever. Decades later, the band has had its ups and down and lineup changes and plenty of public tantrums and public gaffes to last a lifetime, but the music endures, and tonight with a headlining gig at North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre, we can all dive back into that nostalgic time. Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds and AFI support, so plan for rush hour and concert traffic and get there early. Over at San Diego State, ZZ Top and Cheap Trick share the stage at Open Air Theatre to celebrate five decades in action. Around town, Casbah's got Joe Wood; Soda Bar hosts a reggaeton night with Ms. Nina; Free Throw is joined by one of my faves, Chris Farren at Che Cafe; and Hot Flash Heat Wave play the Voodoo Room at the House of Blues. My SoundDiego colleagues proclaimed Aug. 28 as the biggest music night of the summer and honestly, it's hard to argue.
Wednesday, Aug. 28:
- The Smashing Pumpkins, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, AFI @ North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre
- Angels & Airwaves @ Belly Up (SOLD OUT)
- ZZ Top & Cheap Trick @ Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre, SDSU
- Joe Wood Change Today ‘83 to ‘93’, Hard Fall Hearts, the Hellflowers @ Casbah
- Ms. Nina, Coquetas: Reggaeton Night DJs @ Soda Bar
- Free Throw, Chris Farren, Youth Fountain, Macseal @ The Che Cafe
- Hot Flash Heat Wave, Jasper Bones, Ignant Benches @ Voodoo Room, House of Blues
- Phantom Twins, Belladon, Orchid Mantis @ Bar Pink (9 p.m.)
- Burna Boy @ House of Blues
- Kool & the Gang, the Village People @ Sycuan Casino
- Sonic Tonic, Sluka, A La Carte @ The Holding Company
- Gondwana with Maxi Vargas, E.N Young, Fayuca, Marujah @ Music Box
- Protoje, Lila Ike @ The Observatory North Park
- Drip Trop with Dunekat, Mr. Hek, Dash Eye @ The Office
- Heavy Metal Bingo @ Bar Pink (Free, 7-9 p.m.)
- DJ Famous @ Moonshine Flats
- Charlie Arbelaez @ Plaza Bar, Westgate Hotel
- The Gabriel Sundy Jazz Trio @ Seven Grand
- The Jazz Pocket Swing @ Tio Leo's
- Clay Colton @ Wildwood Crossing
- Gaby Aparicio @ Rosie O'Grady's
- Reggae en Tu Barrio with Karlos Paez @ Border X Brewing
- Boss Jazz with Jason Hanna & Friends @ Riviera Supper Club & Turquoise Room
- Gilbert Castellanos' Young Lions Series & Jazz Jam @ Panama 66
- Dance Klassique with Joe Pea, Ryan Bauer, Gomez @ Blonde
- Open Mic Night @ Pour House
- Club Kingston Presents: SM Familia, DJ Carlos Culture @ Winston's
- Vicki Barbolak in "Trailer Nasty" @ Martini's Above Fourth
- The Moneymen @ Crossroads, House of Blues (FREE)
- Open Mic with Jefferson Jay @ Winston's (6-9 p.m.)
- Tradewinds @ Humphreys Backstage Live
- Office Hours with The Professor @ El Dorado
- Open Mic/Open Jam @ 710 Beach Club
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.
