Let the March madness begin -- and I'm not talking about sports. There are so many incredible shows this month, as it seems every band on the planet is beginning its gradual migration to Austin for the annual South By Southwest conference. This bodes well for our city, since many California and Pacific Northwest musicians will be swooping through on their way to or from Texas. Friday's many options range from the pretty indie of Jenny Owen Youngs at the Loft to Chicago hip-hop artist Twista at Spin, who once held the Guiness World Record for fastest rapper. Roddy Radiation of the Specials makes an appearance at the Casbah, while the blog-beloved Girls perform an all-ages show at Birch North Park Theatre. Madness, indeed.
Friday, March 2:
- Jenny Owen Youngs @ The Loft, UCSD
- Roddy Radiation (of the Specials) & the USA Skabilly Rebels, Ottley Mercer, The Amalgamated @ Casbah
- Jamuel Saxon, Blacks&, Clockart, DJ David Afterlife @ Soda Bar
- Casbah presents Girls, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Tomorrow’s Tulips @ Birch North Park Theatre
- Mohammed Qiang, Pressed And, Soft Swells, Legs, Art by Brittany Dumas & Megan Elizabeth Greene @ Tin Can
- The Ultimate Stones, A Tribute to the Rolling Stones, Classic Cream featuring Kofi Baker, DJ ManCat @ Belly Up
- Twista @ Spin
- First Friday with DJ Artistic, Nosucker DJ’s@ Bar Pink
- The Amandas, Soul Stomp Dance Party @ Whistle Stop
- The Farewell Drifters, the Scarlet Furies @ Sunset Temple
- Pharmacy, the Touchies & Kitty Plague @ The Shakedown
- PhoStock 2012 featuring Bill Wesley, 60s Residue, Names Divine, Terrors, Bleak End at Bernies, Human Hands @ Wind Garage (4226 Georgia St)
- Taboo the Ladies Lair @ Til Two Club
- Manganista, Unsteady, the Burning of Rome, DJ Gonzo @ Ruby Room
- Urbanist presents Tim & Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie Premiere Afterparty @ Ken Club (Movie premieres at Ken Cinema, 7:05pm)
- Eliza Rickman, Zoe Boekbinder @ Six Palms House Concert
- Melly Frances & the Distilled Spirits, the Heavy Guilt duo, the Hobo Nephews of Uncle Frank @ Eleven
- Black Market III, Hey! Ho! Lets Go!, Leanna May & the Matadors @ The Griffin
- Junior the DISCOpunk @ AC Lounge
- Feel the Noise Electro Dance w/DJs Gabe Vega & Friends @ U- 31
- Sophie B. Hawkins @ Ramona Mainstage
- Eventvibe and Disco Donnie present: Plasmapool Tour feat. Mord Fustang, Myles Dyson, Hypster & Joe Garston @ House of Blues
- Jerry 'Hotrod' Demink @ House of Blues (Voodoo Stage)
- Bret Hendry, Jarrett Killen, Shaun Hopper @ Lestat's
- The Aristocrats, Science Fiction @ Brick By Brick
- OB Comedy @ Winston's (6pm)
- Split Finger, Mikey Beats, the Working Hour @ 710 Beach Club
- Kiss the Concrete presents Thrusting Havoc @ Epicentre
- Ezra Buchla, Kevin Greenspon, Asha, Torn Humorist @ Che Cafe
- Dizzy’s presents Third Story @ 98 Bottles
- Mango Bay @ Humphreys Backstage Lounge (early show 5:00 p.m.)
- Allegra Barley @ Humphreys Backstage Lounge (late show 9:00 p.m.)
- Nihilist @ Flying Elephant
- Heather Green, Mike Rudolph, Ben Greenstein @ Mr Peabody’s
- California Celts, DJ R2 @ Gallagher's
- Hector Acosta El Torito @ Blue Agave Nightclub
- LA Riots @ Voyeur
- Zenbu Fridays with DJ Leif @ Zenbu Cardiff
- Mikeski, Jason Waterfalls, Kid Wonder, Saul Q @ El Dorado
- Risk One @ Fluxx
Rosemary Bystrak 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.