It’s that time again, the days get longer the evenings grow warmer and folks begin looking at the upcoming summer concert lineup. Here are the shows to which I am looking forward.
April 6 – Drew & Ellie Holcomb: He has been a San Diego favorite for years, and here he is joined by his acclaimed wife for what should be a wonderful evening from a pair of sterling songwriters.
May 15 – Chris Isaak: The summer is not complete without Isaak offering his witty between-song patter, often aimed at the boaters moored nearby.
May 23 – Thievery Corporation: Their mesmerizing international sounds were last heard locally at Belly Up, and it is understandable that they have moved to a larger venue.
May 28 – Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening: The drummer’s dad is one of the late great British drummers, and the son does a great job of keeping the band’s spirit authentically alive. Tickets will be more expensive than when I first saw the original quartet.
June 24 – Elvis Costello & The Impostors with Charlie Sexton: When you look up prolific and eclectic, the former computer programmer named Declan MacManus often comes up. His setlist will always be a small slice of his immense songbook, but expect myriad crucial classics. Sexton was once in Bob Dylan’s band and kicked the Minnesotan’s butt into a series of scorching shows. Expect no less here.
September 6 – Jackson Browne: He is finally looking his age, but that in no way diminishes the prowess of this songwriter from Orange County. He helped define the Los Angeles music scene in the 70s, and his songs continue to both soothe and penetrate.
June 29 – Dolly Parton: When you talk about impressive and influential women in music, Dolly Parton or Taylor Swift immediately come to mind. Here the hirsute shapely gal from Pigeon Forge will lead the San Diego Symphony in a wonderful evening of her rich, deep songbook. She held the audience in her hand when she last played San Diego, at the cavernous Pechanga Sports Arena. Surrounded by the San Diego Harbor, Parton this summer will be a long way from the holler in which she grew up, but this will be a memorable evening.
August 11 – King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard: For those unwilling to make the trek up to the Hollywood Bowl the night before, here is a great opportunity to see this prolific Aussie band closer to home in an equally impressive setting.
August 26 – Mt. Joy: This quintet by way of Philadelphia goes from strength to strength. We can expect tracks from their forthcoming album Hope You Have Fun as well as deeper cuts. They were great in Denver several years ago and reports thereafter have been equally strong.
May 30 – The War and Treaty: The duo’s fourth full-length album Plus One was released on Valentine’s Day and was recorded at the legendary FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama to leverage the studio’s historic legacy of country soul hits. Last year the duo was tapped to open for the likes of Chris Stapleton, Zach Bryan and The Rolling Stones. Catching them here will be a treat.
July 18 – The Church: Billed as ‘The Singles 1980-2025’ we should get a full survey of this superb band from Sydney. Returning to this intimate stage will be a joy for fans. I have never been disappointed seeing these Aussies.
August 5 – Steve Earle: One of the most articulate and writers of the last few decades, Earle had his LA debut at The Roxy in 1986. We in the audience witnessed the start of a career that swept from blistering title songs like “Guitar Town” and “Copperhead Road” to his far more introspective albums like I Feel Alright and Ghosts of West Virginia.
August 7 – Femi Kuti & The Positive Force: In much the same way the Marleys are the musical giants of Jamaica, the Kutis do so for Nigeria. The patriarchs (Bob and Fela, respectively) are considered the principal innovators of reggae and Afropop. Femi (and his brother Seun, who also performed at Belly Up) deliver incredibly infectious shows.
September 27 – The Waterboys: How does a country so small nurture such a huge number of fantastic musicians? The Emerald Isle is home to Van Morrison, U2, Waterboys and the rest of my favorite Irish bands. Michael Scott helms a revolving lineup of fellow travelers, who can be seen in Dublin in June at a 13,000 seat venue or late in the summer at the slightly more intimate venue in Solana Beach. I may need to attend both gigs, a pint of Guinness clutched gleefully in hand.
August 23 & 24 – Shakey Graves and Trampled By Turtles: A two night stand from two great bands. Alejandro Rose-Garcia (now better known as Shakey Graves) captured Best Emerging Artist in the 2015 Americana Music Awards. Shakey Graves starts touring soon, and will hook up with Trampled By Turtles in mid-August. The latter call Duluth home, where they love their sauna. The bands close out this powerful double bill right here in Del Mar.
May 4 – George Clinton & Parliament / Funkadelic: What more can be said of the Godfather of Funk? He will tear the roof off the arena, all the atomic dogs waving their flashlights will want and get the funk. Opening for J Balvin.
May 16 – Ryan Adams: This stunningly prolific musician has released over 30 albums, after spinning out of Whiskeytown. Last year he pushed out four albums, without any promotional fanfare. His production work for other artists likewise keeps him busy, and with an incredibly deep songbook, expect an evening of well-crafted songwriting.
September 29 – Sparks: On the scale of musical visionaries, the Mael Brothers rate quite high. Ron and Russell grew up in Pacific Palisades and were especially embraced abroad as idiosyncratic auteurs. That mystique was captured a few years ago in an acclaimed documentary. What a way to cap a summer of eclectic concerts.
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