The last time I caught Rachael Yamagata live in concert, there were just two of us with photo passes to shoot the show. As is policy for most concerts, photographers are only allowed to shoot the first three songs of the set. After our three were up and the other photgrapher was stepping away, she stopped her set to call him back. "Don't you know you should never shoot up on a lady?" She asked, joking that he was only getting her bad angles. So she proceeded to lay across the stage while mugging for us in exaggerated sexy poses. We laughed, the audience laughed, and then she went into another of her devastating songs. I've always loved that polarity with her. On the one hand, she seems like someone who is always joking and having fun, and then you listen to her sing and sometimes her lyrics are just soul-crushing, although often cathartic. It's why she's got such longevity in her career, and tonight at the Belly Up, she'll once again impress a seated audience with her heartbreak, and then make them laugh between songs all the same. Around town, the Paper Kites play the Voodoo Room at House of Blues, Giuda play the Casbah with our pals the Widows and "noir soul" artist Kendra Morris takes the stage at Soda Bar.
Monday, Sept. 23:
- Rachael Yamagata, Zach Djanikian @ Belly Up
- The Paper Kites @ Voodoo Room, House of Blues
- Giuda, the Widows @ Casbah
- Kendra Morris, Julia Haltigan, DJ Profile@ Soda Bar
- Jason Hanna Trio @ Bar Pink
- Druids, Call of the Wild, Garth Algar @ Tower Bar
- Pop-Up Magazine: the Escape Issue @ Observatory North Park
- Whitney Shay @ Humphreys Backstage Live
- '80s Nite with DJ JuniortheDISCOpunk @ The Merrow
- Motown on Mondays @ The Office
- Electric Waste Band @ Winston's
- Bowie Nite at Blues Monday featuring Rebel Star @ Blonde
- Julio De La Huerta @ Plaza Bar, Westgate Hotel
- Open Mic with Jay Cain @ Mr. Peabody's
- Carol Curtis @ Martini's Above Fourth
- Strictly Acoustic @ Navajo Live
- Electric Relaxation: '90s Hip-hop/Chill Beats @ Whistle Stop
- Mic'd Up at Moonshine @ Moonshine Flats
- Rosie's Jazz Jam with Louis V @ Rosie O'Grady's
- Industry Night @ Himmelberg's
- Open Mic @ Lestat's
- 31 Flavors @ U-31
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.
