I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that for better or worse, the celebration of Dia De Muertos is starting to outshine Halloween itself. Now maybe it's just convenient this year for how the calendar landed, but so many of us in the region identify culturally with Dia De Muertos that even if the meaning of the day gets a little mangled or lost in translation, the acknowledgement still feels like movement forward. Old Town, California Center for the Arts and the Sherman Heights Community procession are all notable celebrations. By night, Dia De Los Deftones returns to Petco Park, and this year's lineup is a super eclectic mix of bands, and I gotta say, I'm looking forward to Chvrches shining bright while taming the surely testosterone-heavy audience. Meanwhile, our pal Steve Poltz is back in town with a special show at Poway Center for the Arts, Black Mountain return to the Casbah for the first time in ages and Cults play their second night of the Soda Bar 10-year anniversary weekend. Maybe we'll have time to get there after Petco Park is all wound down.
Saturday, Nov. 2:
- San Diego Beer Week Guild Fest @ Embarcadero Marina Park North (11:30 a.m.-5 p.m.)
- Dia De Muertos @ Fiesta De Reyes, Old Town
- Dia De Muertos Procession & Community Altars @ Sherman Heights Community Center ( 4 p.m.)
- 24th Annual Dia De Muertos Festival/Cultura Fest: Noche De Muertos @ California Center for the Arts, Escondido
- Steve Poltz, Jack Tempchin @ Poway Center for the Arts
- Dia De Los Deftones with Deftones, Chvrches, Gojira, JPEGMafia, Hum, Youth Code, Brutus, Megan Thee Stallion @ Petco Park at the Park
- Black Mountain, Ryley Walker @ Casbah
- Eagle Rock Gospel Singers, Malachi Henry & the Lights @ Pour House
- Cults, Jacob Turnbloom, Beating (fka Beaters) @ Soda Bar
- Noah Kahan, JP Saxe @ House of Blues
- Felipe Esparza @ Humphreys Concerts by the Bay
- The Spazmatics, Rockgarden @ Belly Up
- GrampaDrew's Flim Flam Revue @ Whistle Stop (5 p.m.)
- Low Volts @ Grand Ole BBQ & Asado (5-8 p.m.)
- DJ Milky Wayne @ Bar Pink
- DJ Professor Shadow @ Seven Grand
- Three Chord Justice @ Grand Ole BBQ & Asado (1-4 p.m.)
- San Diego Gulls vs. Colorado Eagles @ Pechanga Arena
- Sayed Sabrina @ Dizzy's
- Vis Vires, Rat City Riot, Mortalis, Claymore @ Ken Club
- Lewis Black @ Balboa Theatre
- Just Like Heaven '80s Night @ Blonde
- Robin Henkel Jazz Quartet @ Panama 66
- Through the Roots, Pacific Dub, Brothers Galvez, Cydeways @ Music Box
- Anthony Wilson Quartet: Songs and Photographs @ TSRI
- Tributo a La Reina @ California Center for the Arts, Escondido
- SM Familia, Revival @ Winston's (9:30 p.m.)
- Peter Pan @ California Center for the Arts, Escondido
- XXV: the Silver Anniversary Exhibition @ California Center for the Arts, Escondido
- Clinton Ross Davis, Mara Kaye @ Black Cat Bar
- Payare Conducts Beethoven & Tchaikovsky @ Copley Symphony Hall
- Penelope Isles @ Voodoo Room, House of Blues
- Jackie Venson's "Joy to the World" Tour @ Art Soul & Horses Barn Concert
- MA4 LIVE! with Soulfire @ Martini's Above Fourth
- Mystic Ritual, Genestealer, Nibiru, Mortar @ Tower Bar
- Kick-Stomp Ensemble @ De Oro Mine Co.
- Glamourbomb @ Bancroft Bar
- Stone & Friends Beer Week Celebration @ Quartyard (free, 6-10 p.m.)
- Cassie B @ Moonshine Beach
- Jerry Jacobs @ Moonshine Flats
- All Men Are Brothers @ Winston's (5 p.m.)
- The Rockabilly Shakeout @ Til-Two Club
- Aniversario Discos Morocomix Y Kikin Dias @ Queen Bee's
- Suffocation, Belphegor, Necronomicon, Abiotic, Gravespell @ Brick by Brick
- Whitney Shay @ The Rabbit Hole
- Dia De Muertos Celebration @ Border X Brewing
- Custard Pie @ Wildwood Crossing
- Bear Night San Diego @ The Merrow
- Steph Johnson @ Plaza Bar, Westgate Hotel
- Sideshow, Hyperactive Slackers, Tomorrow Can Wait @ Salty Frog
- Strictly Business with DJs Edroc & Heminguey @ The Office
- Country Brunch Live with Sickstring Outlaws @ House of Blues (10 a.m.)
- Nathan Hubbard Quartet @ Riviera Supper Club & Turquoise Room
- Anesthesia, Hey Ho Let's Go @ The Manhattan
- Bulevar Descarga @ 710 Beach Club
- Thump Juice Halloween Jam @ Rosie O'Grady's
- "Art of Flamenco" Dinner Show @ Cafe Sevilla
- Joe Kaplow @ Amplified Ales
- Sound Vault @ Mr. Peabody's
- Full Strength Funk Band @ Tio Leo's
- Rising Star @ Humphreys Backstage Live (9 p.m.)
- Dia De Los Tiki @ Park & Rec
- Noizu @ Bassmnt
- Detroit Love feat. Carl Craig, Stacey Pullen, Kenny Larkin @ Spin
- Serious Guise @ Navajo Live
- Ivy Lab @ Bang Bang
- Shaffy @ Fluxx
- Ascension Day of the Dead @ Kava Lounge
- 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.
