Train
Sound check: Your backstage pass to upcoming concerts
Train
With the 2011 calendar year at the halfway point, and a slew of high profile artists like Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin having already made whistle stops in San Diego on their respective tours, it begs the question of who else is slated to appear in America’s Finest City from now until well into the fall?
It’s funny that you should rhetorically ask, as there are a wealth of performers scheduled to bring their latest musical endeavors to San Diego, with many falling under the category of being community favorites.
From Top 40 pop sensations to the artists that we have carried on decades long love affairs with, we’ve got your bases covered with these can’t miss concert experiences to mark on your calendars.
Everybody talk about pop music
Natasha Bedingfield’s “Pocketful of Sunshine” will undoubtedly get stuck in your heads, well after her set at the House of Blues concludes. However, it remains unclear if she will go the extra mile in support of her 2010 effort, “Strip Me,” as that remains “Unwritten.” July 2.
Sensitive rockers, Train, will be joined onstage at the Cricket Wireless Amphitheater by Adam Levine and the other members that make up his band Maroon 5, and there is even room on the stage for special guest star Gavin DeGraw. July 22.
Indigo Girls Long before they became synonymous with being lesbian performers, The Indigo Girls picked the first part of their name out of the dictionary, and got their stage presence perfected at Emory University in Georgia. Now, they will school the crowd at Humphreys Concerts by the bay on how to solidify the marriage between folk and rock music. July 27.
“Bubbly” pop performer Colbie Caillat will be expecting “All of You” to show up at her Humphreys Concert by the bay showcase. And, there is no excuse not to go, as she is performing two back-to-back performances on two different nights. Aug. 9 and 10.
What happens when you take a former Christian performer and slap a blue wig and a bra made out of cupcakes on her? Well, the result would be Katy Perry, who will be releasing her string of hits “E.T.,” “Firework,” “Hot N Cold,” and “I Kissed A Girl,” like so much whipped cream from the aforementioned confectionary lingerie, on fans attending her “California Dreams” tour. The Valley View Casino Center will house her show that is sure not to put anyone to sleep. Aug. 9.
Soulful crooner Josh Groban is coming “Straight To You,” courtesy of his latest tour stop at Viejas Arena at SDSU’s Aztec Bowl, which is sure to be an uplifting evening in which he will raise you up with his melodious voice. Aug. 16.
“Hey! Who sings this song?” could likely be asked of the band Death Cab For Cutie. The short answer is that they sing that one song, you know the one where they sing “This fire grows higher,” which is called “You Are A Tourist.” You can find out what the rest of their repertoire is when they hit the stage at UCSD’s Rimac Arena. Aug. 16.
Still a “Smooth Operator” 27 years into her career, Sade will land upon the “Lovers Rock”of the Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre as a “Soldier of Love” with special guest John Legend making sure the coast is clear for their unified music invasion. Aug. 23.
k.d. lang Everyone’s favorite new band, Kings of Leon, who initially hit big in the U.K. before they began charting in The U.S., circa 2008, will rock the house at the Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre. You might want to “Come Around Sundown” to make sure you catch every moment of the concert going experience, if you have the “Notion.” Sept. 4.
Are you ready to “Get Sleazy?” Then you’re in luck, because that’s what Ke$ha wants you to be when she performs at SDSU’s Open Air Theatre. You are encouraged to be a part of the “We R Who We R” set that will be kicking guys to the curb, unless they look like Mick Jagger. Sept. 18.
Marc Anthony steps out of his more famous wife’s shadow to reach Iconos status at SDSU’s Aztec Bowl, with his recent album that featured covers of revered Latin songs by artists such as Juan Gabriel. Perhaps his most recognizable hit, “I Need To Know,” illustrates San Diegans thirst to catch a glimpse of Jennifer Lopez at his concert. Sept. 22.
Former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl and the rest of the Foo Fighters will shred up Viejas Arena at SDSU’s Aztec Bowl with their school of hard rock sounds. The band is touring in support of their latest CD, Wasting Light. Oct. 17.
Taylor Swift may want to check the venue at Valley View Casino Center to make sure that Kanye West isn’t hiding in the wings to interrupt her “Speak Now” tour. The crossover cutie will be on hand to deliver her palpable glimpses into the world of teenage romance with her hits, “Love Story,” “Fifteen” and “You Belong with Me.” Oct. 20.
“Miss Chatelaine” herself, k.d. lang, will receive backup from her band Siss Boom Bang, as they “Sing It Loud” at the Balboa Theatre. The accomplished lesbian chanteuse will satiate fans’ “Constant Craving” to hear her catalog of past endeavors, as well as new efforts from her latest musical triumph. Oct. 24.
Blasts from the past
Diana Ross Out rocker Joan Jett follows in the appearing-at-the-San-Diego-County-Fair footsteps that fellow lesbian performer, Melissa Etheridge, set into motion earlier this month. The artist, who was born Joan Marie Larkin, will illustrate the point that she made in 1981 with her hit single, “I Love Rock N’ Roll,” as she trots out her catalog of songs such as “I Hate Myself for Loving You,” “Bad Reputation,” and her cover of Tommy James and The Shondells’ “Crimson and Clover.” June 30.
Consider this show a bargain, as you can see the Go-Go’s and Berlin for the price of one! This evening will prove to be like a “Vacation” back to the glory days of the ’80s, but you needn’t take “The Metro” to Pechanga Resort and Casino. Don’t worry the crowd will be made up of like-minded individuals looking to rekindle their pasts, so “Our Lips Are Sealed,” if you cop to the fact that you remember these groups the first time around. Aug. 20.
Want to do “The Lebanon” or perhaps “The Safety Dance” is more your speed? There’s no need to get yourself into a dither, as you can trot out your old school dance moves with The Human League and Men Without Hats show at the Dream-catcher venue at Viejas Casino. Sept. 1.
Get ready to get turned “Upside Down” when diva supreme Diana Ross headlines at Humphreys Concerts by the bay. The “I’m Coming Out” singer will treat her legions of gay fans to a virtual smorgasbord of hits from yesterday when she reaches into her songbook bag, and produces a slew of tunes that highlight the fact that she’s still “The Boss.” Sept. 13.
Rob Halford Someone else who had success with his own cover of the aforementioned ’60s group was Billy Idol, who scored a No. 1 hit with “Mony Mony” in 1987. The spiked hair, lip curling bloke will more than likely let out a “Rebel Yell” during his appearance at Humphreys Concerts by the bay. Oct. 18.
Community favorite, Rob Halford, has been a model San Diego citizen, with nary a report of him “Breaking the Law.” The front man’s heavy metal super group Judas Priest will be playing their own decibel-busting swan song, as their “Epitaph Tour” pulls into the Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre. Oct. 19.
it’s all instrumental
Dave Koz Openly gay sax man Dave Koz will be saying Hello Tomorrow to his fans at Humphreys Concerts by the bay, and this “second coming of Sanborn” is sure to soothe even the most savage of beasts with his smooth jazz. Aug. 12.
Relive the Motor City’s glory days with Motown’s Greatest Hits when The San Diego Symphony conducts the hits that redefined pop music. The male group Spectrum will perform classics from the likes of The Temptations and The Four Tops while their female counterparts, Radiance, has the tuneful task of covering Diana Ross and the Supremes and Martha and The Vandellas. July 8 and 9.
Michael Feinstein Out and proud crooner Michael Feinstein opens up the Great American Songbook with the San Diego Symphony serving as his backup band. For his two-night appearance, Feinstein will focus on the music of George Gershwin and Cole Porter, providing a “Fascinating Rhythm” for his “Anything Goes” interpretations of these chestnuts from a bygone era. July 15 and 16.
The very best of The Great White Way’s storied songs from Broadway’s Tony Winners will be sung by Debbie Gravitte, Christiane Noll and Doug LaBrecque, while The San Diego Gay Men’s Chorus will make a special appearance at The San Diego Symphony event. Unforgettable numbers from a variety of Broadway’s finest musicals, including Phantom of the Opera, Wicked, West Side Story, Les Miserables and Hairspray, will make this two-night extravaganza something to remember. Aug. 5 and 6.
it don’t mean a thang …
Sugarland Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush, who go by the group name Sugarland, will bring their brand of crossover country music to UCSD’s Rimac Field, which should have fans “Stuck Like Glue” and enraptured by the duo’s earthy harmonies. July 23.
Another group that has enjoyed its own lion’s share of crossover appeal is Lady Antebellum, a Nashville-based trio comprised of Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood, who will draw attention away from the slot machines at Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula. July 27.
Mrs. Blake Shelton, AKA, Miranda Lambert, will be staging a Revolution of a musical kind at Harrah’s Rincon Casino, as she sings about “The House That Built Me.” Aug. 20.
One half of the mother/daughter country duo, The Judds, will be making a two-night solo appearance, as part of the San Diego Symphony’s Summer Pops series. Wynonna will deliver on Rolling Stone Magazine’s assessment that she is “the greatest female country singer since Patsy Cline.” Aug. 26 and 27.
