Queen Bey is here! This is a crazy anomaly of a week with several massive shows (Rihanna, Beyonce, Billy Joel, Gwen Stefani), but the Q is sold out and let's be real, my winner of the night is Charles Bradley, which unfortunately is also sold out. I sold merch for Charles the first time he played in San Diego, and I've never loved a man so much in so short a time. He was kind, humble, generous, and his performance was epic (even if his manager left a lot to be desired). He played on a swampy San Diego night, and stayed for nearly two hours after his show to sign autographs, take pictures, and hug his fans. I can't wait to see him again. But, if you didn't snag tickets to that one, the ladies of Bleached are at the Casbah and JMSN is at Soda Bar, which on any other night would -- hands down -- be the top picks. I'll take my chances at the Casbah after Mr. Bradley, but really what it means is that tonight is one worth exploring.
Thursday, May 12:
- Bleached, No Parents @ Casbah (read the SoundDiego interview with Bleached here)
- Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires, MOTHXR @ Observatory North Park (SOLD OUT)
- JMSN, Snoh Aalegra @ Soda Bar
- Beyonce, DJ Khaled @ Qualcomm Stadium (SOLD OUT)
- Grown Folk Music with the Husky Boy All-Stars @ Bar Pink
- Phutureprimitive, Kaminanda & Orphic @ Belly Up
- Dumpstaphunk, C-Money & the Players, INC. @ Music Box
- Uptown Rhythm Makers @ The Black Cat
- Beyoncé After Party @ The Hideout
- Tom Cheshire, Davey Quinn @ Sycamore Den
- The No Name Gang, Vanguard, Daemos @ Brick By Brick
- John Rankin, Andrew Barrack @ Lestat's
- Veronica May @ Java Joe's
- Kelly McGarry presents @ House of Blues
- DJ Mike White @ Crossroads, House of Blues (free)
- The Shifty-Eyed Dogs, The Casey Hensley Band, Kill Chord @ The Merrow
- Sol, Brothers From Another, Otieno Terry @ The Stage Room, UCSD
- Luke Redfield @ The Pour House (Oceanside)
- Wildside @ Humphreys Backstage Live
- ArtPower presents: Alicia Olatuja @ The Loft, UCSD
- Hiding Place (WA), Sustains, Waves+Billows, Pollux Troy @ Che Cafe
- Open Jam Session @ Winston's (6-9 p.m.)
- Matt Andersen & the Bona Fide @ Winston's
- DJ Khaled @ Fluxx
- The Martinez Brothers @ Bang Bang
- Jacquelyne Silver @ La Jolla Athenaeum
- NGHTMRE @ Omnia
- Rock Out Karaoke @ Tin Roof
- Mild High Club, Minor Gems, Recommended Dosage DJs @ Whistle Stop
- NFG Presents: Immersion In Sound @ Kava Lounge
- Rockin' Aces @ Tio Leo's
- Liquid Courage Karaoke @ 710 Beach Club
Rosemary Bystrak is the publicist for the Casbah, the content manager for DoSD, 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.