Groove: August concert calendar
Concerts headed to San Diego in August include Lord Huron, Carly Rae Jepson, Death Cab For Cutie, Wiz Khalifa and Kacey Musgraves.
8.1: Talib Kweli & Z-Trip
The veteran MC/half of iconic duo Black Star played the same venue last year and returns after teaming with Damu The Fudgemunk on the single Time Leak and featuring on Connie Price and The Keystones’ Woman In My Bloodstream. This time, he also brings mashup pioneer Z-Trip with him.
@ Music Box, musicboxsd.com
8.2: Rascal Flatts
The veteran country trio returns to Chula Vista less than a year after last playing there and much has changed. Not only is the name of the venue different, the band closed last year by releasing a four-track covers EP with songs originally performed by Foreigner, Hall & Oates, Kenny Loggins and Huey Lewis. Their Summer Playlist tour also includes performances by Morgan Evans and Jordan Davis.
@ North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre, livenation.com
8.2: 91X Sun Fiesta
The long-running alternative radio station throws an all-ages party at the Padres house and invites Head and the Heart, Lovelytheband, SYML and Twin XL to play.
@ The Park at Petco Park, petcoparkevents.com
8.3: Downtown Throwdown
It’s back-to-back festivals at the ballpark to kick off the month – this one calling itself a throwdown, but it’s really more of a throwback. Vanilla Ice headlines a lineup that also includes Coolio, All-4-One, Color Me Badd and Young MC. Nice, nice, baby!
@ The Park at Petco Park, petcoparkevents.com
8.4: Jill Scott
The actress and three-time Grammy-winning R&B singer returns to Shelter Island for the first time in four years, after last playing at Copley Symphony Hall in 2017. Scott hasn’t released original music since 2015’s No. 1 album, Woman, but the Hidden Beach label did offer up a new compilation, By Popular Demand, last September.
@ Humphreys Concerts by the Bay, humphreysconcerts.com
8.5: Lord Huron & Shakey Graves
Lord Huron, the L.A.-based indie quartet, last here to close out 2018 at 91X’s Wrex The Halls holiday show, returns with Alejandro Rose-Garcia (aka Austin, Texas, singer/songwriter Shakey Graves) in tow. It’s already sold out, but there’s nothing stopping you from grabbing a blanket or canoe and listening from outside the venue.
@ Humphreys Concerts by the Bay, humphreysconcerts.com
8.6: Jeff Bridges
Dude. It’s the dude! The Academy Award- and Golden Globe-winning actor puts on his other creative hat and heads back to San Diego with guitar in hand. Bridges’ most recent album, the 15-track Sleeping Tapes, was released in 2015.
@ Belly Up, bellyup.com
8.7: blink 182 & Lil Wayne
Although America’s Finest City wasn’t included as part of this year’s Vans Warped Tour 25th anniversary reunion shows, one of San Diego’s biggest-ever musical exports will make a local stop as part of a co-headlining tour with Weezy. The two acts recently collaborated on a video mashup of their hit songs What’s My Age Again and A Milli.
@ North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre, livenation.com
8.7: Eilen Jewell
The Idaho-based Americana singer/songwriter is set to release her eighth album, Gypsy, this month. It’s Jewell’s first collection of original material since 2015 and her first time playing electric guitar on recorded material.
@ AMSD Concerts Bonita, amsdconcerts.com
8.8: Carly Rae Jepsen
The 33-year-old Canadian singer and actress released her fourth album, Dedicated, in May. The album debuted at No. 18 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and documents Jepsen’s breakup with photographer David Larkins. Texas-born vocalist and songwriter Phoebe Ryan opens the show.
@ Humphreys Concerts by the Bay, humphreysconcerts.com
8.9: Chris Young
Country singer Chris Young was the season four winner of USA Network’s Nashville Star in 2006. Young released his seventh studio album, Losing Sleep, in 2017, and followed it with two new singles this year – Raised on Country and Drowning – in anticipation of his forthcoming eighth album due later this year.
@ North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre, livenation.com
8.9: Young The Giant & Fitz and The Tantrums
Summer is the season for co-headlining tours and this double bill is no exception. Indie pop five-piece Young The Giant joins forces with the band that makes your hands clap, the Michael Fitzpatrick-led Fitz and The Tantrums. German-Canadian singer Alice Merton is also on the bill.
@ Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre, as.sdsu.edu/calcoast
8.9, 10: Death Cab For Cutie
Another band that was a part of 91X’s Wrex The Halls last December, veteran indie rockers Death Cab For Cutie return to San Diego for a two-night stint at the Observatory. The band’s ninth studio album, Thank You For Today, was released last year, and an acoustic version of album cut Northern Lights followed in February.
@ Observatory North Park, observatorysd.com
8.10: Wiz Khalifa
Earlier this year, the Pittsburgh-bred rapper teamed with New Orleans-based MC Curren$y on the collaborative album 2009. Khalifa (born Cameron Thomaz) also released his sixth solo album, Rolling Papers 2, in 2018. His current Decent Exposure tour also features French Montana, Playboi Carti, Chevy Woods and others.
@ North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre, livenation.com
8.11: Dirty Heads & 311
On this co-headlining tour, Huntington Beach reggae rockers Dirty Heads join forces with long-running, Nebraska-born funk quintet 311. Dirty Heads will release their seventh studio album, Super Moon, this month, while 311 released their 13th studio album, Voyager, in July.
@ North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre, livenation.com
8.15: Orville Peck
The anonymous (and masked) Toronto-based country singer released his 12-song debut album, Pony, in March on Sub Pop records. In June, the album was named to the initial long list for Canada’s 2019 Polaris Music Prize.
@ Casbah, casbahmusic.com
8.16: Chase Rice
The North Carolina-bred country singer and one-time Survivor: Nicaragua contestant was here last year when he played at Pechanga Casino. Rice heads to the beach this time after releasing new single, Lonely If You Are, in June.
@ Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, dmtc.com
8.18: Julian Marley
Julian Marley, the Grammy-nominated son of Bob Marley and Lucy Pounder, is part of the Ghetto Youths International label with half-brothers Ziggy, Stephen and Damian. Julian’s fourth studio album, As I Am, was released in January.
@ Belly Up, bellyup.com
8.19: Steve Earle & The Dukes
The multi-Grammy-winning singer, songwriter, author and activist was last here as the opening act for Dwight Yoakam and Lucinda Williams. He returns once again as the headliner after releasing his 18th solo album, Guy (a tribute to country singer Guy Clark), in March.
@ Belly Up, bellyup.com
8.20: Herbie Hancock
The legendary pianist, composer, bandleader, jazz pioneer, Kennedy Center honoree and 14-time Grammy winner returns to Shelter Island for another performance at Humphreys. Hancock, who hasn’t released an album since 2010, has said that he is currently working on new material and one song will feature Snoop Dogg.
@ Humphreys Concerts by the Bay, humphreysconcerts.com
8.22: Kacey Musgraves
The Texas-born country singer has won six Grammys, four CMAs and three Academy of Country Music awards. Musgraves’ latest album, 2018’s Golden Hour, debuted at No. 4 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and took home the Album of the Year Award at the 61st Grammy Awards in February.
@ Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre, as.sdsu.edu/calcoast
8.23: The Avett Brothers
The long-running North Carolina–based family band (fronted by brothers Seth and Scott Avett) is set to release their 10th studio album, Closer Than Together, in October. Two singles from it, February’s Neapolitan Sky and June’s High Steppin’, have already been released.
@ Civic Theatre, sandiegotheatres.org
8.24: Tuxedo
The on-again, off-again musical partnership of soul crooner Mayer Hawthorne and producer Jake One is definitely on again and they return to North Park after dropping new album, Tuxedo III, last month. The pair’s latest release features guest appearances from MF Doom, Dam Funk, Gavin Turek, Gabriel Garzón-Montano and more.
@ Observatory North Park, observatorysd.com
8.24: Chaka Khan
The 10-time Grammy winner and “Queen of Funk” heads back to San Diego after releasing her 12th solo studio album, Hello Happiness, in February. It’s Khan’s first new album of original material in 12 years. And if that wasn’t enough, the one-and-only Macy Gray is set to open the show.
@ Embarcadero Marina Park South, sandiegosymphony.org
8.27: Heart & Joan Jett
As the whole pooling talents thing goes, this special show is hard to beat. Veteran sister act and classic rockers Heart bring their Love Alive tour to Chula Vista with none other than Joan Jett & The Blackhearts as the opener. It’s a show that features two Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees in one night!
@ North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre, livenation.com
8.27: Molotov
The veteran, multiplatinum-selling, Mexican rock pranksters return to San Diego after their 2012 live album, Desde Rusia con Amor, and 2014 seventh album, Agua Maldita, won back-to-back Latin Grammys. The band still boasts the same lineup it’s had in place since 1996.
@ Music Box, musicboxsd.com
8.28: ZZ Top & Cheap Trick
Hey! Look! It’s another co-headlining tour featuring two Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees! This one boasts ZZ Top, the bearded boogie-woogie and blues trio that has featured the same lineup since 1970, and Cheap Trick, the veteran power poppers responsible for hits like I Want You To Want Me, Dream Police and Surrender.
@ Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre, as.sdsu.edu/calcoast
8.28: Chris Isaak
The honorary (has to be, right?) San Diegan heads back to his favorite local venue to once again do his thing. Isaak hasn’t released new music since 2015, but the classic crooner and part-time actor hasn’t lost a step in his ability to entertain a crowd.
@ Humphreys Concerts by the Bay, humphreysconcerts.com
8.28: The Smashing Pumpkins & Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds
The Chicago-born alt rock vets celebrated their 30th anniversary last year with a tour that included a stop at Viejas Arena. They upgrade to a bigger venue this time around, and bring Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds with them.
@ North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre, livenation.com
8.30: Steel Pulse
Summer and Steel Pulse is about as iconic a partnership as peanut butter and jelly or Batman and Robin. The veteran U.K. roots reggae act (still fronted by band founder David Hinds) returns to San Diego after releasing Mass Manipulation, their first album of original music in more than 15 years.
@ Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, dmtc.com
8.31: Angels & Airwaves
So blink 182 and Tom DeLonge’s band are playing San Diego during the same month? Hmmm. Coincidence? We think not!
@ Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, dmtc.com
8.31, 9.1: The Stray Cats
Brian Setzer, Slim Jim Phantom and Lee Rocker return to the band they founded four decades ago for this double dip of 40th anniversary shows. The tour follows the release of the appropriately titled 40, the band’s first studio album in 26 years.
@ Humphreys Concerts by the Bay, humphreysconcerts.com
Sign up for the Pacific Insider newsletter
PACIFIC magazine delivers the latest restaurant and bar openings, festivals and top concerts, every Tuesday.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Pacific San Diego.
