One of the things I really love about being involved in music is seeing so many of my friends succeed in different areas of the business, when once upon a time they were just fans hanging out at the old Soma or Casbah or Beauty Bar, all trying to find their niche. One friend in particular interned in radio, started DJing at small clubs, moved to L.A., started managing bands, then tour managing, and now is an agent. I may not keep in close touch with those friends, but through social media, I get a grasp of what to watch out for, what new trends are happening in music, and which bands might be the next big thing. When I saw him gush about Metz, I was pretty happy because I was already scheduled to sell merch for the band [read SoundDiego's interview with frontman Alex Edkins]. Their show is Wednesday at the Casbah, and if my friend is still as visionary in music as he was when we met more than a decade ago, this is a show not to be missed. Of course, there are plenty of other choices, like George Clinton at House of Blues, Leon Russell at the Belly Up, and the genre-defying music of Chilean-born, German-raised Matias Aguayo at Soda Bar [read SoundDiego's interview with Aguayo here].
Wednesday, Aug. 19:
- Metz, Retox, Hot Nerds @ Casbah
- Leon Russell, Venice's Mark & Michael Lennon @ Belly Up
- Matias Aguayo, Echo Park Social Club, DJ Viego Lowbo @ Soda Bar
- Ilya Shatov, Noble War, Gideon's Army @ The Merrow
- Fear Control, A Hero Within, Malison, Steeltoe @ Brick by Brick
- George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic @ House of Blues
- Gilbert Castellanos Jazz Jam @ Seven Grand
- Jamming Out @ Voodoo Room, House of Blues
- Liz Grace Duo @ Croce's Park West
- Billy Bacon @ Tio Leo's
- Tropical Wednesday with Mo Lyon @ U-31
- Open Mic with Jefferson Jay @ Winston's (6-9 p.m.)
- Club Kingston Presents: Ease Up with DJ Carlos Culture @ Winston's
- The Ratts Revenge: DJ Tiki Thomas and Mikey Ratt @ Tower Bar
- Walter Gentry @ Humphrey's Backstage Live
- Dzeko and Torres @ Omnia
- Ciarrai @ Gallagher's Irish Pub
- West Coast Wednesday @ El Dorado
- Open Mic/Open Jam @ 710 Beach Club
- A.O.K. Musik @ 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.