December Concert Calendar
12/7: Jay Z @ Valley View Casino Center, valleyviewcasinocenter.com
If this 14-time Grammy Award-winning rapper/producer/entrepreneur has “99 Problems” (seems like a high estimate), not being rich ain’t one either. In 2012, Forbes magazine estimated Shawn “Jay Z” Carter’s net-worth to be $450 million. Add to that what his better half, Beyoncé Knowles, brings home - not to mention the success of his 12th album, Magna Carta... Holy Grail, which dropped in July - and the Hard Knock Life H.O.V.A. rapped about in 1998 seems even farther from the truth.
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12/1: Less Than Jake @ House of Blues, houseofblues.com
These punk rockers recently released their ninth album, See The Light, and are touring until mid-February to promote it.
12/1: Rufus Wainwright @ Belly Up Tavern, bellyup.com
Indie pop singer-songwriter dude keen on performing Judy Garland covers while wearing red lipstick and stilettos.
12/3: B.B. King @ Belly Up Tavern, bellyup.com
The King of Blues sang “Sweet Home Chicago” with President Obama during a blues music celebration at the White House last year.
12/3: Kaki King @ The Casbah, casbahmusic.com
In 2007, this jazz instrumentalist was the only female included on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of “The New Guitar Gods.”
12/4: Star 94.1 Acoustic Christmas @ House of Blues, houseofblues.com
Pop rockers Daughtry, Gavin DeGraw, Micheal Franti and ZZ Ward perform to benefit the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank.
12/4: Tedeschi Trucks Band @ Balboa Theatre, sandiegotheatres.org
This blues band recently performed the title track of its album Made Up Mind on Conan.
12/4: Howie Day @ The Griffin, thegriffinsd.com
This Pop rocker is best known for “Collide” and “She Says,” his hits from nearly a decade ago.
12/5: Macklemore and Ryan Lewis @ Valley View Casino Center, valleyviewcasinocenter.com
The notorious “thrift shopping” hip-hop duo is currently in the midst of a world tour.
12/5: Will Hoge @ The Griffin, thegriffinsd.com
This Southern rocker’s song “Strong” is featured in a TV commercial for the 2014 Chevy Silverado.
12/6: Every Time I Die @ Che Cafe, sodabarmusic.com
These metalcore dudes will tour with (and open for) A Day to Remember throughout Europe early next year.
12/6: 91X Holiday Bonus @ Valley View Casino Center, valleyviewcasinocenter.com
In addition to its annual Wrex the Halls show (see 12/8 listing), 91X brings indie pop-rock bands Fitz and The Tantrums, The Airborne Toxic Event, Chvrches and The Royal Concept to Sports Arena Blvd.
12/6: Blood On The Dance Floor @ SOMA, somasandiego.com
According to the group’s Facebook page, God sent this electro pop band to “piss the world off.”
12/7: Fu Manchu @ The Casbah, casbahmusic.com
This stoner rock band garnered lots of exposure in 2008, when its song “Mongoose” played in a Toyota Sequoia commercial during the Super Bowl.
12/7: MS MR @ Soda Bar, sodabarmusic.com
Several songs from this indie pop twosome have been featured in TV shows Pretty Little Liars, Grey’s Anatomy and Revenge, among others.
12/8: KPRi Holiday Soiree @ California Center for the Arts, artcenter.org
Bring a new, unwrapped toy to donate to Toys for Tots and see indie rockers The Head & The Heart, Matt Nathanson and Dawes perform live.
12/8: Merle Haggard @ Pechanga Resort & Casino, pechanga.com
This country/western superstar admitted to dropping thousands of dollars on cocaine in the ‘80s, and then spending five months on a houseboat having what he called, “quite a party.”
12/8: 91x Wrex the Halls @ Valley View Casino Center, valleyviewcasinocenter.com
Queens of the Stone Age, Vampire Weekend, Cage the Elephant, Arctic Monkeys, Alt-J, The Silent Comedy and J Roddy Walston & the Business will rock 91X’s annual holiday showcase.
12/9: Tommy & The High Pilots @ The Griffin, thegriffinsd.com
These Santa Barbara rockers recently wrapped a tour with Plain White T’s and Parachute.
12/10: Third Eye Blind @ House of Blues, houseofblues.com
The limited-edition vinyl boxed set these alt. rockers spent a year-and-a-half compiling sold out within a day of its release in mid-November.
12/10: Exhumed @ The Casbah, casbahmusic.com
This death metal band just completed a monthlong nationwide tour with headliners Dying Fetus.
12/11: The Black Crowes @ Balboa Theatre, sandiegotheatres.org
American rock band that elbowed its way onto VH1’s list of “100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock” at No. 92.
12/11: Lissie @ House of Blues, houseofblues.com
Folk rock singer-songwriter on a world tour to promote her sophomore album, Back to Forever.
12/12: Willie Nelson & Family @ Pechanga Resort & Casino, pechanga.com
This country singer serves on the advisory board for NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws), supporting his long-time love - reefer.
12/12: The Story So Far @ SOMA, somasandiego.com
Pop punk band that played several dates of the 2013 VANS Warped Tour.
12/12: The Mowgli’s @ The Griffin, thegriffinsd.com
L.A.-based rock band currently headlining the Random Acts of Kindness Tour.
12/13: Slightly Stoopid @ SOMA, somasandiego.com
These psychedelic rockers from Ocean Beach will perform at the Jungle Jam in Costa Rica, January 16-19, with G Love, Dumpstaphunk, The Expendables and many more.
12/14: Joe Bonamassa @ Valley View Casino Center, valleyviewcasinocenter.com
This bluesy rock guitarist impressed B.B. King so much so that, beginning at age 12, he was invited to perform as an opening act for the blues legend.
12/14: Trivium @ SOMA, somasandiego.com
Heavy metal Floridians on tour to promote their album Trivium, released in October.
12/15: Icona Pop @ House of Blues, houseofblues.com
Singing about crashing a car into a bridge and not caring about it (in the 2013 hit, “I Love It”) made this electro pop duo an overnight success.
12/15: The California Honeydrops @ The Griffin, thegriffinsd.com
This R&B/soul band from Oakland raised $26,337 on Kickstarter last year to help fund its latest album, Like You Mean It.
12/16: Tristan Prettyman @ Belly Up Tavern, bellyup.com
Best known for her 2012 hit “My Oh My,” this indie pop singer-songwriter/surfer from San Diego had a brief modeling gig with Roxy when she was in high school.
12/18: Jake Miller @ House of Blues, houseofblues.com
The 20-year-old hip-hop artist is touring to promote his debut album, Us Against Them.
12/18: Orgy @ Brick by Brick, brickbybrick.com
Alt. rockers that performed alongside Korn, Limp Bizkit, Ice Cube and more during the 1998 Family Values Tour.
12/19: NOFX @ House of Blues, houseofblues.com
These punk rockers voiced their strong opinions of a certain U.S. president back in 2003 with two compilation albums titled Rock Against Bush, and then kicked off a U.S. tour by the same name.
12/20: Brian Setzer Orchestra @ Belly Up Tavern, bellyup.com
The rockabilly front man and his swinging blues band are on their Christmas Rocks 10th Anniversary Tour for the rest of the year.
12/21: Sheila E @ Sycuan Casino, sycuan.com
Prince’s former drummer and back-up R&B singer recently won Season Three of CMT’s Gone Country reality show, in which she competed against other quasi celebs to become a country music singer.
12/21: U.S. Bombs @ Soda Bar, sodabarmusic.com
Orange County punk rock bank rumored to be working on a new album for release in 2014.
12/21: Good Riddance @ Brick by Brick, brickbybrick.com
These hardcore punkers called it quits in 2007 to work on other projects; they reunited in 2012.
12/22: The Animal in Me @ Brick by Brick, brickbybrick.com
Check out this rock band’s cover of Carly Rae Jepsen’s hit, “Call Me Maybe” - unless you liked her version, in which case maybe don’t.
12/22: Bone Thugs-N-Harmony @ House of Blues, houseofblues.com
Recognized as one of the most successful hip-hop groups after selling 50 million records, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony won a Grammy Award in 1997 for its song “The Crossroads.”
12/26: The Growlers @ The Casbah, casbahmusic.com
These rockers from Dana Point performed at the Coachella and Lollapalooza music festivals last year.
12/27-28: The Green & J Boog @ House of Blues, houseofblues.com
Hawaiian reggae band The Green and former B2K R&B boy bander J Boog join forces for a post-holiday show.
12/28 & 30: Donavon Frankenreiter @ Belly Up Tavern, bellyup.com
This soft/surf rocker’s song “Lovely Day” was featured on the motion picture soundtracks for Snakes on a Plane and Georgia Rule.
12/31: The Expendables @ Belly Up Tavern, bellyup.com
Reggae rockers from Santa Cruz in the midst of their Winter Blackout 2014 tour with Stick Figure and Seedless.
12/31: The Spazmatics @ Lucky Bastard Saloon, luckybastardsaloon.com
Ring in the New Year with LA’s famous Spazmatics with DJ Pocket spinning late night.