So little Miss Tay-Tay is in town. We've covered it extensively, so if you have tickets, congratulations, and don't forget your earplugs -- which you'll need to silence the screams of children, not for the music. For the rest of you looking for live music in town on Saturday, there are some free and cheap options that are noteworthy. With artists like Chunky Sanchez, R&B performer Goapele and Rebecca Jade & the Cold Fact, the Imperial Avenue Street Festival is a local street fair not to be missed, and definitely is at the top of the food chain of all the San Diego festivals for best food. Meanwhile, on the other side of downtown, the Brew and Food Fest takes over Waterfront Park, though on this brutally hot weekend, it will be disappointing to any families hoping to cool down in the fountains. By evening, Gingger Shankar continues a residency at Bar Pink, the English Beat play a sold-out show at the Belly Up, and the Casbah hosts San Diego Freak Out with five of the best frenetic bands around.
Saturday, Aug. 29:
- Taylor Swift, Shawn Mendes, Vance Joy @ Petco Park
- Imperial Avenue Street Festival (12-8 p.m., free, all ages)
- Brew and Food Fest 2015. featuring Down North, the Routine @ Waterfront Park
- San Diego Freak Out, featuring Wild Wild Wets, JJUUJJUU, Muscle Beech, Shady Francos, Burning Palms @ Casbah
- Gingger Shankar @ Bar Pink
- The English Beat, Warsaw Poland Bros, DJ Unite@ Belly Up (sold out)
- Vicetone @ Bassmnt
- Glenn Thomas Band, the Bottled Spirits @ The Balboa
- Geoff Muldaur @ AMSD
- Fartbarf, the Stalins of Sound, Digital Lizards of Doom @ Soda Bar
- Secret Society Scooter Club 32ns Anniversary, featuring the Hi-Tones, Los Kung Fu Monkeys, the Bassics @ Irenic
- Downs Family, the Sidewalk Scene, the Joel Nowak Experience, Social Spit @ Che Cafe
- Collie Buddz, Don Carlos, Marcia Griffiths, Inna Vision @ Junior Seau Pier Amphitheatre, Oceanside Pier
- Josh Nelson & Tyler Blanton @ Dizzy's
- Tribal Theory @ Embarcadero Park North
- EC Twins @ Omnia
- Cut Snake @ Bang Bang
- Rock the House, featuring Ozzmania, the Blackout, Pyromania @ House of Blues
- Groove International: Sound the Groove @ Voodoo Room, House of Blues
- La Neta, with DJs Boogie Buba & the Office Twins @ The Hideout
- Preston Morrill, Contrvbvnd, Gorilla Disco, Adam Bomb B2B Silent Riot, Grant Rebound, Zempra b3b Realzona @ SOMA
- D.I., the Infidelz, Surrounded By Thieves, Dead on the Wire @ Brick By Brick
- Community Center, Nick Crook, Jill and Kate @ Lestat's
- Allegra Duchaine, Veronica May @ Java Joe's
- Booty Bassment, with DJs Dmitri and Rob @ Whistle Stop
- Sinners Rage, Unicorn Death, Too Fast for the Devil, Mohave Green, Bedlams Edge @ The Merrow
- DJ Bodyrawk @ U-31
- Nina Francis @ Croce's Park West (12 p.m.)
- Afrojazziacs @ Croce's Park West (7 p.m.)
- The Farmers @ Humphrey's Backstage Live
- The Natives, Policias y Ladrones, Chango Rey & His Broken Heart Beat @ Tower Bar
- Ocean Boogie @ Winston's
- Raise the Guns, Eukaryst, Voice of Ruin, Monarch @ Til-Two Club
- Adam Salter @ El Dorado
- Savi @ Fluxx
- Dante Fire @ Tio Leo's
- Barely Alive, Astronaut, and Dodge & Fuski @ Somewhere Loud
- Destructo Bunny @ Gallagher's Irish Pub
- Triloc, LIVN, the I-Ways, Seedheads @ 710 Beach Club
- Skynyrd’s Innyrds, Artimus Pyle, the Cory Wilkins Band @ Ramona Mainstage
- Martin Campbell meets Sergeant Pepper @ Spin
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.
