Appreciation: Brian Wilson, dead at 82. ‘I never knew what “genius” meant,’ he told us.
A Kennedy Center honoree and member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the mastermind of the Beach Boys charted a musical path all his own.
All Stories
San Diego musicians reflect, 5 years later, on the pandemic that paused their careers
Laura Chavez, Claudia Gomez, Gregory Page, Victoria Robertson and Richard Sellers overcame significant challenges during the pandemic in order to keep making music.
Hot to trot: Your guide to the musical fare at the 2025 San Diego County Fair
Options range from Maxwell, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Los Tucanes de Tijuana to Ozomatli, San Diego's Sure Fire Soul Ensemble and a version of Foreigner that does not include any...
The four standout San Diego concerts music fans won’t want to miss this week
Versatile English vocal powerhouse Yola has collaborated with Adele, Dolly Parton, Gary Clark Jr., Massive Attack, Ringo Starr, Ludacris and more.
Flute innovator Claire Chase’s musical field of dreams began on a San Diego baseball field
The San Diego native is one of the most innovative and acclaimed flutists in the world. The 2025 music director of the prestigious Ojai Music Festival, she also has an...
San Diego summer concert guide: 64 shows you won’t want to miss
Shakira and Wu-Tang Clan are just a few of the many artists headed this way, but the 2025 tours by Beyonce, Oasis, Metallica and others are skipping San Diego.
La Jolla Music Society announces first four resident arts companies at The Conrad
The partnership will provide higher visibility and a number of other benefits for Art of Elan, Bach Collegium, Camarada and Mainly Mozart.
The four San Diego concerts music fans won’t want to miss this weekend
Inducted into the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame in 2011, the Tannahill Weavers was formed in 1968 in the town of Paisley. Two of its four current ed...
Wonderfront concluded Sunday, rain-free, with 4 Non Blondes’ reunion and Jason Mraz
The ran that soaked the festival Saturday was thankfully gone Sunday, but attendance was higher Saturday.
Janelle Monae and Anderson .Paak shined on a wet night at Wonderfront festival
The audience on the second evening of the three-day music marathon alongside San Diego Bay was largely undaunted by the rain and cold. The headliners rose to the occasion.
Willie Nelson persevered and Bob Dylan transcended at their San Diego concert
Nelson, 92, and Dylan, who turns 84 next week, warmed up a cool San Diego night and Dylan's performance was often revelatory.
Linda Perry revs up with 4 Non Blondes reunion, new film and solo album
The 2015 Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee grew up in San Diego, where she spent parts of her teen years homeless and living in Balboa Park. 'I would definitely beg,...
Wonderfront 2025 festival full performance schedule and critic’s picks
The May 15-18 festival along San Diego Bay will feature more than 100 performances. The lineup includes Jason Mraz, Gary Clark Jr., Janelle Monae, Peggy Gou, 4 Non Blondes, Khruangbin...
Live Nation ticket sale: $30 each for 27 San Diego concerts, including Willie Nelson, Nelly
The discounted tickets are being offered to concerts at three of San Diego's largest outdoor concert venues that are owned or operated Live Nation, the world's largest producer of live...
James Taylor’s San Diego concert a triumph of skill, tenacity, charm and wit
The legendary 77-year-old troubadour sang in blissful harmony alongside his 22-year-old son, Henry Taylor, and a talent-rich band that featured three other vocal standouts.
James Moody at 100: The late music great is being celebrated near and far
His musical legacy stretched across seven decades and inspired such diverse artists as Aretha Franklin, Queen Latifah, Rod Stewart, George Benson and Amy Winehouse.
Music greats sing jazz legend James Moody’s praises: ‘He’s timeless’
A quadruple threat as a saxophonist, flutist, composer and band leader, James Moody left an enduring artistic legacy that is still being celebrated 15 years after his death.
Elton John scored big at his San Diego Curebound Concert For Cures in Petco Park
Held on a cool, foggy night, the concert was a moving testament to the transformative power of music.
San Diego concert picks: Elton John, Willie Nelson, Diana Krall, Los Mirlos
With Elton John, Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan and James Taylor all playing here between Friday and next Thursday, it may be a record week for San Diego concerts by music...
Elton John at Petco Park: 13 tips if you are going to today’s concert (and yes, there are still tickets left)
The pop-music superstar's Friday "Curebound Concert For Cures" benefit performance is his only scheduled performance for the rest of 2025.
Wynton Marsalis on music, Louis Armstrong, and his early funk band days
He'll visit San Diego May 18 with "Louis," a silent film with live music event honoring the late, great jazz trumpeter
Young music phenom D.K. Harrell lighting up the blues: ‘He has this electricity’
This Louisiana native, who was homeless just two years ago, is winning awards and an international audience for his robust singing and no-nonsense guitar playing.
What you need to know about this weekend’s Gator by the Bay festival
Zydeco, Cajun, blues, rockabilly and other styles will be showcased at the four-day San Diego festival, which bills itself as "Mardi Gras in May."
San Diego Music Awards: Kimmi Bitter, Boostive, Daring Greatly each earn two wins
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to bass guitar great Nathan East. It came just hours after East flew back from Tokyo, where he performed eight concerts with Eric Clapton, his...
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2025 inductees include Soundgarden, Cyndi Lauper, OutKast
Soundgarden drummer Matt Cameron, a San Diego native, will become the first drummer to be inducted as a member of two different bands. He was previously inducted with Pearl Jam.
Adams Avenue Unplugged: Here’s Saturday’s full performance schedule
This year's performers at the largely all-ages acoustic-music event include Terry Reid, Sara Petite, Gregory Page, Patty Hall Jerry Raney & Joey Harris of the Beat Farmers, and many more.
Terry Reid is a longtime favorite of rock legends: ‘He’s tremendous,’ says Graham Nash
The esteemed musician expresses no regrets about not ing Led Zeppelin or Deep Purple, preferring to follow his muse wherever it takes him.
This week’s three San Diego concerts music fans won’t want to miss
The Grammy-winning sister duo Larkin Poe has been featured on albums by Elvis Costello, ZZ Top guitarist Billy Gibbons, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Dierks Bentley and more.
Nathan East is the the bass great for the greats: ‘I feel blessed beyond belief.’
He was 14 when he made his recording debut and 16 when he did his first national tour. Eric Clapton, Phil Collins and Kenny Loggins are just some of the...
James Taylor on his new musical, songwriting, Ukraine and more: ‘It helps to have a deadline’
The beloved troubadour discusses the thrill of performing, "the bus factor" on tour, and his new musical, which teams him with Tony Award-winners Tracey Letts and David Cromer.
The three San Diego concerts music fans will want to check out this week
Singer-songwriter Em Beihold, a 2020 UC San Diego graduate, was a standout fencer who majored in communications and minored in business.
Heart reschedules San Diego concert following Ann Wilson’s cancer recovery
The band has been co-led since 1974 by Ann Wilson, a San Diego native, and her sister, Nancy Wilson. Ann underwent chemotherapy after being diagnose with cancer last summer.
The three San Diego concerts music fans won’t want to miss this week
Jazz sax dynamo Joe Lovano last performed in San Diego with Diana Krall. He has also collaborated with Paul Simon, Lady Gaga, McCoy Tyner, and many more.
Queen of boogie woogie Sue Palmer celebrates 25 years with her Motel Swing Orchestra
The award-winning pianist and band leader has been hailed as one of San Diego's cultural icons. She toured Europe multiple times as the musical director for singer Candye Kane before...
Gene Simmons won’t retire from music, post-Kiss: ‘My ego won’t allow it’
The co-founder of Kiss is 75 and has a reported net worth of $400 million. He formed the Gene Simmons Band in 2017. Kiss performed its final farewell tour show...
La Jolla SummerFest cooks up something new with onstage pairings of chamber music greats and prominent chefs
Bestselling author and New York Times food columnist J. Kenji López-Alt will cook onstage while a chamber music group led by pianist Inon Barnatan performs a Dvorak piano concerto
The three San Diego concerts music fans should definitely hear this week
The Motown vocal legend and 1987 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee turned 85 in February and releases his new album in April. His 2025 tour dates extend into...
Todd Rundgren honors Burt Bacharach on new tour: ‘You don’t want to murder the melodies!’
Rundgren, who boycotted his Rock Hall induction, cites former Del Mar resident Bacharach as a key early influence on his songwriting.
Spring Arts Preview 2025: Guitarist Eric Wesling is a rising star on the San Diego music scene
The 2021 Berklee College of Music graduate is an accomplished jazz, classical and rock guitarist, bassist, band leader, accompanist, arranger and teacher
Spring Arts Preview 2025: Our top 10 music picks for the season
The season promises an array of musical treats, from Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan and Janelle Monae to Omar Sosa, Rhiannon Giddens and James Taylor
Music: The three San Diego concerts you don’t want to miss this week
Veteran singer-songwriter James Lee Stanley is a former U.S. Air Force Chinese-language specialist and the subject of an award-winning film documentary who had a six-season run on "Star Trek: Deep...
Del Mar Grandstand Stage 2025 concerts to feature Ziggy Marley, Maxwell, Yeah Yeah Yeahs
The San Diego County Fair's 2025 Toyota Summer Concert Series on the Corona Grandstand Stage will be augmented by the new Summer Nights at The Sound series.
James Taylor extends 2025 tour, which includes 2 San Diego concerts
James Taylor is excited to be expanding his 2025 summer tour with 17 new dates. He is also very concerned about the future of Ukraine and America's shifting role in...
Humphreys Concerts 2025 season to feature Boz Scaggs, America, Elvis Costello and many more
The 54-show lineup at the 44-year-old San Diego venue includes Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Frankie Valli, 90, and country upstart Sam Barber, who turns 22 on April 15.
Anoushka Shankar reflects on storied legacy: ‘Am I a torch bearer, a tradition breaker, a pioneer, or a silver-spoon kid?’
Growing up as the daughter and prized student of Ravi Shankar, the world's most famous Indian classical musician, provides unique challenges and opportunities.
Elton John Petco Park ‘Curebound’ concert tickets go on sale Friday for general public
The fundraising concert has the potential to be the highest-grossing stadium show in San Diego history. It comes three years after his sold-out 2022 farewell tour date at Petco Park.
Rady Shell summer season will include Smokey Robinson, Beck, Cynthia Erivo and the Beach Boys
The San Diego Symphony’s $85 million amphitheater will hold its fifth anniversary summer season this year. The lineup includes venue debuts by Maren Morris, Beck, Ludacris, Chicago and more.
KAABOO goes kablooey: Music fest at Del Mar Fairgrounds canceled for second year in a row
The upscale music festival at the Del Mar Fairgrounds has been dark since 2019. KAABOO lost a reported $59 million in its five-year run and has been mired in litigation.
The three San Diego concerts you surely do not want to miss this week
A three-time Grammy Award-winner, Fantastic Negrito is not the first former small-time criminal to find personal salvation through music, but he is one of the most talented and distinctive.
Elton John is un-retiring for a night to perform Curebound benefit concert at Petco Park
The pop superstar concluded his farewell tour in 2023 and vowed he would not tour again. But he will hit the road, at least for one night, to perform a...
Wu-Tang Clan announces farewell tour, including concerts in San Diego and Los Angeles
The pioneering New York hip-hop group's two-month concert trek will feature its eight surviving origonal : RZA, GZA, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Method Man, Inspectah Deck, U-God and Masta Killa/
Rock Hall of Famer Colin Blunstone goes beyond The Zombies. ‘It all began in 1964,’ he says.
The 79-year-old English singer made his U.S. concert debut in 1964 with The Zombies. His Tuesday show here will be the first San Diego-area solo show of his career.
The three San Diego concerts you definitely don’t want to miss this weekend!
Peter DeLuke was 15 when he made his professional concert debut in 1945. He will celebrate his 95th birthday Sunday at the all-ages Dizzy's with The Mellotones, his brassy Duke...
Paul Simon has unretired and will launch new tour that includes six Southern California dates
With his severe hearing loss apparently in check, the legendary singer-songwriter and Rock Hall of Famer is hitting the road again, seven years after concluding his farewell tour.
San Diego Music Awards 2025 nominees include Kimmi Bitter, Thee Sacred Souls and Daring Greatly
Nathan East will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award. Other multiple nominees this year include The Neigborhood Kids, Switchfoot leader Jon Foreman, The Tourmaliners and Jesse Ray Smith.
Readers pick their favorite albums of 1975
Guitar great Jeff Beck's "Blow By Blow" and Tommy Bolin's "Teaser" are favorites of several of our respondents. Other candidates range from Janis Ian to UFO and Joe Cocker.
28 music festivals coming to Southern California in 2025
From Wonderfront to Coachella and from Gator by the Bay to the San Diego Tijuana International Jazz Festival, music fans will have more than two-dozen major festivals to choose from...
Four very different San Diego concerts you won’t want to miss this week
Michael Shannon's two well-deserved Oscar nominations did not result in victories, but the veteran actor and musician surely deserves an award for spurring last year's on-stage reunion of Rock &...
Black Crowes, Mana, Chubby Checker, Phish, OutKast among 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominees
If San Diego native Matt Cameron is inducted this year as a member of Soundgarden, he will become the first drummer to be inducted twice into the Rock Hall as...
Wonderfront music festival’s 2025 lineup includes Jason Mraz, Gary Clark, Jr., Janelle Monae, many more
More than 80 will be featured, including Foster The People, Khrungabin, Peggy Gou, Freddie Gibbs, Julien Baker and the first full performance in 31 years by 4 Non Blondes.
The three San Diego concerts you certifiably don’t want to miss this week
Judy Collins, 85, and Veronica Swift, 30, are miles apart stylistically. But both are versatile singers with soaring voices and pinpoint dynamic control. And both are performing here next week,...
Gator by the Bay’s bite to grow even bigger with new Events.com partnership
The homegrown festival will again feature a diverse musical lineup. It receives from the San Diego Tourism Marketing District, the San Diego Arts & Culture Commission and the state...
Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan returning to San Diego with 10th anniversary Outlaw Music Festival
It remains to be seen if the tour will draw many young concert attendees whose introduction to Bob Dylan came through the film "A Complete Unknown," which stars Timothée Chalamet...
Alicia Keys a double-winner at 2025 Grammy Awards: ‘DEI is a gift,’ she told the audience
“When destructive forces try to burn us own, we rise from the ashes like a phoenix," keys told the Grammy audience. "And as you’ve seen tonight, music is the universal...
Frankie Valli, Taj Mahal, Roxanne Shante and Prince’s bandmates elevated Lifetime Grammy ceremony
The award to the late Prince was accepted by his niece. Also speaking on his behalf were four of Prince's bandmates, and his former attorney.
Review: Grateful Dead's legacy shines at MusiCares concert
The all-star concert raised more than $5 million for music industry professionals who are struggling in fire-racked Los Angeles.
San Diego Symphony unveils 2025-26 season featuring ‘a series of musical menus’
The new season will include 57 concerts between early October and late May next year. Rafael Payare will conduct at least 23 of those performances, which are being billed in...
The three San Diego concerts you positively don’t want to miss this week
Quiana Lynell is a wonderfully expressive and versatile singer who soars in any musical setting. The Texas native won first-place honors at the 2017 edition of the prestigious Sarah Vaughan...
Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock, Lainey Wilson head new additions to Grammy Awards telecast
Jacob Collier, Sheryl Crow, Renée Fleming, Taj Mahal and Coldplay's Chris Martin are among the other newly announced performers for Sunday's Grammy Awards and Grammy Premiere Ceremony.
Simple Minds’ tour is San Diego-bound, 40 years after ‘Don’t You (Forget About Me)’
The Scottish rock band, which was formed in 1977, performed as part of the 1985 Live Aid fundraising concert. The group's most recent San Diego area concert was in 2018...
Shakira, Bilie Eilish, Sabrina Carpenter among artists set to perform at 2025 Grammy Awards
The 2025 Grammy Awards has confirmed its first batch of performers. They include Billie EIlish, Shakira. Charli XCX, Teddy Swims, RAYE and Best New Artist nominees Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell...
Analysis: Will Grammy Awards strike right or wrong note in fire-wracked Los Angeles?
The 2021 and 2022 Grammy Awards were postponed because of a pandemic surge. Should this year's edition in Los Angeles also be postponed as area residents grapple with the impact...
The three San Diego concerts you definitely won’t want to miss this week
Like mother, like son: Award-winning jazz pianist Jahari Stampley, 25, leads a trio that features his mom on multiple instruments. They will perform in La Jolla Sunday.
Dave Matthews, Norah Jones, Sammy Hagar in lineup for Grateful Dead MusiCares tribute concert
Dave Matthews, Norah Jones, Sammy Hagar, John Mayer and Zac Brown are just some of the artists who will perform Jan. 31 at the 2025 MusiCares Persons of the Year...
With or without Taylor Swift, 2025 NAMM Show to boast star power with Jon Batiste, Peter Frampton, Jack White, and more
Music stars Jon Batiste, Jacob Collier, Jack White, CeCe Winans and Peter Frampton will perform at the 2025 NAMM Show in Anaheim. Will Taylor Swift, who performed at previous editions...
NAMM Show, the world’s largest music trade event, rebounds and expands in Anaheim in 2025
Hailed as the global super bowl of annual music trade events, the NAMM Show draws attendees from more than 100 countries to Anaheim each year, along with high-profile and everyday...
Terence Blanchard does it all: jazz, operas, Oscar-nominated film scores, and that Pepsi commercial with Beyonce
A modern-day renaissance man, jazz trumpeter and opera composer Terence Blanchard is an 8-time Grammy Award-winner whose film scores have earned him two Oscar nominations. "I'm learning so much all...
FireAid L.A. benefit concert to include Joni Mitchell, Stevie Nicks, Lady Gaga, Sting
The Jan. 30 FireAid benefit concert in Los Angeles will raise funds for wildfire victims with a lineup that includes such Rock Hall of Famers as Joni Mitchell, Sting, Red...
The San Diego concerts you definitely will not want to miss this week
From mariachi and funk to hip-hop and jazz, this week's San Diego concert picks include Flor de Tolache, Lettuce, Wu-Tang Clan's GZA, trombonist Francisco Torres, percussionist Javier Cabanillas and ...
Grammy week events being trimmed back in wake of Los Angeles fires
Many Grammy Awards week events are being canceled while the Feb. 2 Grammy telecast is now being reframed to raise funds for wildfire relief efforts and to honoring first responders,
Village People, led by San Diego’s Victor Willis, to perform at Trump inauguration
What led to disco-music icons the Village People's decision to perform at the inauguration of Donald Trump, after previously objecting to his use of the group's music? Money and a...
Review: Vocal dynamo Shemekia Copeland, up for three 2025 Grammy Awards, soars at San Diego concert
Blues and soul vocal great Shemekia Copeland, who is now an Oceanside resident and has three 2025 Grammy nominations, was a galvanizing musical force at her Saturday San Diego concert
Was 1975 the fourth-best year ever for albums? From Bob Marley to Patti Smith, how would you vote?
Given how many outstanding albums were released in 1975, how can any respectable music critic claim it was an inferior year compared to 1972, 1973 and 1974?
Guess who? The three San Diego concerts you won’t want to miss this week
Guess Who singer Burton Cummings is now 77 and has just released his first new solo album in 16 years. His San Diego concert will take place 55 years after...
How Ramona's Bob Knight saved the San Diego Symphony's 104-year-old organ from impending oblivion — one pipe at a time
His organ-building roots date back to King George III: 'There’s been an organ builder in our family, continuously, since then'
Inside San Diego Symphony’s 104-year-old theater organ
Walrus ivory keys? Sheep hair leather? A computer console? 48,000 pounds of pipes? These are just some of the components in the San Diego Symphony's 1921 Robert-Morton Theatre Organ.
Three San Diego concerts you surely don’t want to miss in the coming week
Shania Twain, Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood, ZZ Top's Billy F. Gibbons, Tower of Power and former San Diego bass great Nathan East are among the guests featured on "Falling...
2025 preview: The music events we most want to experience in the coming year
Likely 2025 music highlights may come from Beyonce, Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar and Joni Mitchell
2024 a banner year for live jazz here, there and everywhere
From San Diego and Tijuana to Tangier, Morocco, jazz was celebrated nearly everywhere in 2024 as a vital means of artistic expression and creative liberation
Best jazz albums of 2024 cover a heady array of rich musical vistas
Four of 2024's standout jazz albums came from saxophonists Immanuel Wilkins, 27, Charles Mherson, 85, Charles Lloyd, 86, and Marshall Allen, 100.
Year in review: From Harry Partch to Taylor Swift, 2024’s music scene was busier than ever
From Taylor Swift's guitars and the return of Harry Partch's priceless instruments to the opening of new venues, Wonderfront's return and the debut of the San Diego Tijuana International Jazz...
Prince and The Clash head list of 2025 Grammy Lifetime Achievement honorees
Other 2025 honorees include Taj Mahal, Frankie Valli, Roxanne Shante, Tania Leon and Glyn Johns.
The four San Diego concerts possibly only a grinch would miss
Belly Up-bound Samantha Fish is certifiably the only blues-rock artist who last year opened for pop superstar Ed Sheeran at a festival in New Orleans (or anywhere else) as a...
Our best and brightest guide to holiday fun and events through New Year’s Day in San Diego County
The calendar of holiday events in San Diego County has reached a high point with just a few days to go until Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and New Year's Eve.
Appreciation: Percussion master Zakir Hussain, dead at 73, soared in any musical setting
Percussion master Zakir Hussain, who died Sunday at 73, counted George Harrison, John McLaughlin, Yo-Yo Ma, Kronos Quartet, Charles Lloyd, symphony orchestras and of the Grateful Dead among his...
Javier Bátiz, pionero del rock mexicano y mentor de Carlos Santana, muere a los 80 años
El guitarrista, líder de banda y maestro de música vivió en la calle que lleva su nombre en la ciudad fronteriza
Javier Batiz, 80, Mexican rock pioneer and mentor to Carlos Santana, dies
"Once I heard the sound Javier had I knew," Carlos Santana recalled, "right then and there, this was what I would be and that this is all I would be."
The 10 best CD boxed sets to buy this holiday season
This year's array of new CD box sets includes such massive offerings as Bob Dylan and The Band's "The 1974 Live Recordings," which features 417 previously unreleased recordings that are...
What are the best albums of 2024? Here are our picks.
Our picks for the best albums of 2024 come from Andra Day, Bilal, Willie Nelson, Beyonce, Billie Eilish, Fontaines D.C., Laura Marling, St. Vincent and other gifted artists.
What were the most memorable San Diego concerts of 2024? Here are 8 of our favorites
Our picks range from Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Mavis Staples and Bruce Springsteen to The Roots, Dominic Fike, Kingfish Ingram and Chris Stapleton