Spring is in the air and it’s refreshing to see the variety of outdoor events popping up for you to enjoy some sunshine and good music.
Kicking off the first weekend in April with fun in the sun, join in on a special appearance by the legendary Timo Maas with Jimbo Jones for Solset at Firehouse on Friday, April 6. The beachside setting with some of the best house music in town is perfect for a sunset dance-a-thon to prep you for the evening festivities. After PB, head to Mission Hills as the crew from Burner Podcast hosts their Alkaline Sessions at Blonde Bar, always with a delightful, welcoming crowd filled with love and great music. If you’d rather hear the big-room sounds of techno and house, down the street at Spin Nightclub is a triple-decker of talent featuring UMEK, Toolroom Knights’ Dosem and Chicago favorite Anthony Attalla. It’ll be an all-night rager guaranteed.
For those apt for more of the bass-inducing vibes, festival favorite What So Not returns to San Diego on Saturday, April 7, for a very personal live performance at the Observatory North Park.
While the sun is set to be shining bright, a partnering of music purveyors spawns a special daytime gathering on Sunday (April 8) as Centerpiece and Tribe Out West join forces for a soiree at El Camino with all surprise guest artists! If you’re headed to North Park instead, Sunday Loud is an option for anyone seeking a brunch pre-party -- this week features Rock the Diskotek and more DJs.
Bang Bang hosts Dirtybird favorites Worthy and Option4 on April 14, both of whom are on a roll with some great collab productions and some of the hypest party atmospheres on the scene. Make sure to arrive early for some amazing sushi and stay till the end when your feet can stomp no more.
On Friday, April 20, I’ll be celebrating my birthday with a very underground-style vibe, along with Oscar P and other fabulous DJs at Danksgiving. The location is TBA, so you'll have to hunt for this one -- but it'll be an experience of a lifetime with more info to be posted about the private 420-friendly magical location on my DJ IDeaL Facebook fan page.
The next night, we continue the celebration with an open-air brunch and proper music atmosphere at "French Kiss" in North Park. Pardon My French Bar & Kitchen hosts a weekly pairing of DJs with guests Lady Verse (NYC) and Jesusdapnk on deck and at night time, Art of Sound continue the house festivities by welcoming back the gangster of house to Little Italy's Music Box, DJ Sneak.
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Finally, for those seeking the big-room energy, Parq signs up for another special event on Saturday, April 28, with none other than San Diego favorite TJR. When not collaborating on big tracks with artists like Pitbull or producing big hits for labels like Spinnin Records, TJR continues hitting city after city and whenever he makes his way back to San Diego, it's definitely a show to see and experience.
With plenty going on in San Diego, there's much more you can find in addition to my top picks -- but remember that if you can’t make it out, you can always tune in to my weekly radio show Friday and Saturday nights on ALT 949’s GLOW San Diego Radio!
Much love, see you on the dance floor!
DJ IDeaL's Top April EDM Events
- April 6: Solset with Timo Maas, Jimbo Jones at Firehouse
- April 6: Burner Podcast presents Alkaline Sessions at Blonde Bar
- April 6: UMEK, Dosem, Anthony Attalla at Spin Nightclub
- April 7: What So Not at the Observatory North Park
- April 8: Centerpiece and Tribe Out West with surprise guests at El Camino (daytime event)
- April 8: Sunday Loud ft. Rock the Diskotek and guests at Brick Bar North Park
- April 14: Worthy + Option4 at Bang Bang
- April 20: Danksgiving with DJ IDeaL, Oscar P and guests at location TBA
- April 21: French Kiss at Pardon My French
- April 21: Art of Sound with DJ Sneak at Music Box
- April 28: TJR at Parq
Tomas Serrano, aka DJ IDeaL, is the electronic dance music correspondent for SoundDiego, covering the best of San Diego's electronic music events and culture. Follow his whereabouts on Facebook, Twitter or contact him directly.
