Party down -- it's Saturday! To say I'm happy about the full return of festival weekends this summer is an understatement. I may not even go to all of them -- because there are so many -- but just the fact that we have them and there are enough people to support all of them pleases me to no end. Today is Taco Fest at Waterfront Park with, ahem, Nelly headlining -- plus, tacos and beer and lots of other super fun. This one is a ticketed event, but it's gonna be good. If you're looking for free, it's also Fiesta Del Sol weekend up in the Fletcher Cove vicinity of Solana Beach, and your friends at the Belly Up have booked a cool lineup of SoCal faves. By nightfall, you can find me finally seeing Cowboy Junkies for my first time ever at their sold out show at the Observatory, but if you didn't get tickets, catch local faves Trouble in the Wind celebrate an EP release at Casbah, party hard with the Dickies at Soda Bar or watch Z-Trip get wicked on the turntables at Belly Up.
Saturday, May 18:
- SoCal Taco Fest with Nelly, Super Diamond, Strange Love, Arise Roots, La Diabla, D-Rock @ Waterfront Park
- Fiesta Del Sol with Pine Mountain Logs, the B-Side Players, Betamaxx, the Professors, Atomic Groove @ Fletcher Cove (free, 9 a.m.-9 p.m.)
- An Evening with Cowboy Junkies @ Observatory North Park (sold out)
- Keb' Mo' @ Poway Center for the Performing Arts
- Trouble in the Wind, Jonny Wagon & the Tennessee Sons, Creston Line, Nato @ Casbah
- The Dickies, Razor Nights, Toothless George @ Soda Bar
- Z-Trip with Adam Deitch (of Lettuce), MC Supernatural & DJ Buck Rodgers @ Belly Up
- Fresh Veggies @ Bar Pink (8 p.m.)
- Neon Beat @ Bar Pink (10 p.m.)
- A Ship in the Woods Musician in Residence Benefit Event @ A Ship in the Woods
- One More Time (A Tribute to Daft Punk), Eric Medina, Memo Rex @ Music Box
- Nina Sky, Jackie Cruz, DJ AbJo @ The Merrow
- Enrique Toral Back to Broadway: the Songs I've Never Sung @ La Jolla Community Center
- Alejandra Guzman "La Reina Del Rock" @ Pechanga Arena
- Rasta Paw Festival featuring Josh Heinrichs, Fluid Foundation, Special Blend, Indica Roots, Synrgy, Ocean Natives, Louis & Clark, the Good Tones, DJ Carlos Culture, Selecta Reefah @ Legacy Brewing, Oceanside
- Boochfest: SoCal's First Kombucha Festival @ Liberty Station
- Game of Thrones Inspired Beer Festival at Castle Black @ The Irenic
- SiriusXM Yacht Rock Radio presents Yacht Rock Revue @ House of Blues
- The Joshua White Trio @ Dizzy's
- BYHB presents An Appetite for Distraction with the Amalgamated @ Ken Club
- Whips N Furs @ Space
- Makeout Club: What Happened After Emo @ Blonde
- Viva La Musica with Chiquis, Luis Coronel @ Sea World (free with park admission)
- Soul Scratch @ Panama 66
- Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5 @ Symphony Hall
- Chelsea Grin, Slaughter to Prevail, Traitors, Body Snatcher @ SOMA
- The Screwtape Letters @ Balboa Theatre (4 p.m. & 8 p.m.)
- Drug Hunt, Dommengang, Green Milk From the Planet Orange @ Pour House
- Alice Lost in Disneyland Mini Theatre Troupe @ California Center for the Arts, Escondido
- Into the Books Mini Theatre Troupe @ California Center for the Arts, Escondido
- The Shanghais, Action Andy & the Hi-tones @ Black Cat Bar
- The Sea Monks @ Grand Ole BBQ & Asado (1 p.m.)
- Farm Truck @ Grand Ole BBQ & Asado (5 p.m.)
- Jo James @ Rabbit Hole
- Shane Hall @ Seven Grand
- Diamante & Giovanni @ Border X Brewing
- Sophia Alone @ Martini's Above Fourth
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory @ Civic Theatre (2 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.)
- Houserockin' Dance Party @ Tower Bar
- Retra @ De Oro Mine Co.
- Martin McDaniel @ Moonshine Beach
- Brodie Stewart @ Moonshine Flats
- The Rock and Rollies, Ringo Kid, Ritual Potion @ Winston's (5 p.m.)
- Maoli, Lelandy, TFlatz, DJ Akrite @ Winston's (9 p.m.)
- Homeless Sexuals @ Til-Two Club
- The Stilettos @ Crossroads, House of Blues (free)
- Death by Stereo, Toxic Energy, Bossfight, A Hero Within @ Brick by Brick
- Casey Hensley @ Wildwood Crossing
- Fuzz Huzzi, Unknown Fate @ Himmelberg's
- Los Sleepwalkers, Chloe Lou & the Liddells @ Manhattan Bar
- Strictly Business with DJs Edroc & Heminguey @ The Office
- Goodbye to the Riv as We Know It with Doc Hammer @ Riviera Supper Club & Turquoise Room
- Sofa King Bueno, Hall Pass, the Openers "Youth Music Fundraiser" @ 710 Beach Club
- Tori Roze & the Hot Mess @ Rosie O'Grady's
- JD Crawford Band @ Renegade
- Wilder vs. Breazeale, DJ Grimm @ U-31
- Bump City Brass @ Tio Leo's
- Groove Mercenaries @ Humphreys Backstage Live (9 p.m.)
- Pop Vinyl, DJ Pocket @ V Lounge, Viejas Casino
- Strange Days, DJ Pocket @ Lobby Bar, Viejas Casino
- BK Lounge with DJs Billie Knight, Tone Capone, Dub-B @ El Dorado
- LNY TNZ @ Bassmnt
- Overdrive with Oscar Velazquez, Techniche @ Spin
- Konflikt @ Parq
- Blackout (Scorpions Tribute) @ Navajo Live
- Niiko x Swae @ Omnia
- Mihalis Safras @ Bang Bang
- AUF presents Umbrella Nights No. 4 with Memo Rex @ Kava Lounge
- Shaffy @ Fluxx
- 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.
