In case you hadn't heard, this week is the annual SXSW music conference in Austin, which makes it six years ago to the week that I had the pleasure and honor of traveling to and from Texas with the Heavy Guilt. You learn a lot about people when you're in a van for 26 hours each way, and staying in a borrowed house, and driving through a wind storm, a rain storm, a sand storm and a snow storm all in the same trip. What I learned was that they have a tireless work ethic, amazing talent and are some of the nicest people in the San Diego music scene. All these years later and as part of the Redwood Collective, they appear on Thursday night alongside their label cohorts the weekend before the San Diego Music Awards in which the academy nominated the whole collective for Artist of the Year. Earlier in the evening, you can get a double dose of SDMA nominees at a free party at the Karl Strauss Tasting Room with the Verigolds, the Routine and Matt Smith. Around town, catch the Morgan Leigh Band at the Belly Up, Hippie Sabotage returns to the Observatory, and Soda Bar hosts several of the artists who record at Singing Serpent Studios.
Friday, March 16:
- The Redwoods Revue, featuring the Midnight Pine, Birdy Bardot, Dani Bell and The Tarantist, the Heavy Guilt @ Casbah
- San Diego Music Awards pre-party, featuring the Verigolds, the Routine, Matt Smith Neu Jazz Trio @ Karl Strauss Tasting Room & Beer Garden in Pacific Beach (5-9 p.m., all ages, free)
- Morgan Leigh Band, the Delta Saints, Electric Mud @ Belly Up
- Hippie Sabotage, Melvv, Azizi Gibson @ Observatory North Park
- Singing Serpent presents Soul-Junk, Pistolita, Miss New Buddha, Lion Cut, Daniel Crawford & the Unkind Ravens, Kenseth Thibideau, Sumatraban @ Soda Bar
- F---ing in the Bushes, with DJ Dan Sant @ Whistle Stop
- Dance Punk! Indie Blog Haus Night @ Blonde
- Shane Hall Band, Crew D'Etat Brass Band, Stephen El Rey @ Ken Club
- Shoreline Mafia @ SOMA
- The Schizophonics, Pink Eye, Dirty Pennies @ Bar Pink
- Rebecca Kleinman @ Panama 66
- Good Time Girl, Sweetie Darling, @ Tower Bar
- Off the Books/Hip-Hop/R&B Dance Party @ Space
- Band of Gringos, the Delta Saints, Electric Mud @ Music Box
- Joshua Bell: Academy of St. Martin in the Fields @ Symphony Hall
- The Benedettis Spotlight the '70s @ Dizzy's
- The Downs Family, the Widows, the Touchies @ Black Cat Bar
- Eye of Solitude and Marche Funèbre, Dhatüra, October Flame @ Brick By Brick
- Stranger @ Winston's
- Scott Stevens @ Moonshine Beach
- Redwood Black @ Moonshine Flats
- 10,000 Dudes @ De Oro Mine Co
- Kelly McGarry Presents @ House of Blues
- Jerry "Hot Rod" DeMink@ Crossroads, House of Blues
- The Tighten Ups @ Pour House (5 p.m.)
- The Focke Wolves, Bourbon Saints @ Pour House
- Trick, DJ Mateo Segade @ The Merrow
- Wakane, Pali Roots @ 710 Beach Club
- Janice & Nathan @ Martini's Above Fourth
- Blood and Gold, the Power Balls, Razor Nights @ Til-Two Club
- Tommy Regan, Jordan Renzu, Kahlil Nash @ Lestat's
- DJ Monsieur Turbeau @ The Office (6 p.m.)
- Jessica Lerner @ U-31 (7-9 p.m.)
- Kid Wonder @ U-31 (9:30 p.m.)
- Funk's Most Wanted @ Tio Leo's
- Tradewinds @ Humphrey's Backstage Live (5 p.m.)
- Viva Santana @ Humphrey's Backstage Live (9 p.m.)
- The Phoenix @ Navajo Live (9 p.m.)
- DJ Artistic & Tramlife @ El Dorado
- Matthew Anthony, Stranger, Hotfire @ Bang Bang
- Nic Fanciulli, Skream, Eagles & Butterflies, Off Of, Alex Wax @ Spin
- Heart Attak @ FLUXX
- Goodtimes @ Henry's Pub
- DJ Michael Rosa @ Kava Lounge
- Club Musae @ Boar Cross'n
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.
