live-music-venue - All Comments

losguy — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 22:08:35 GMT

Journal Pavilion is a great venue to watch a concert, but is lacking the understanding of traffic control and parking.

If a major popular act is going to perform, get there at least 1 to 1 1/2 hours early to see the whole show.

If you plan to get there after the opening acts, proceed with caution and add at least 1 hour of time and have enough gas to sit in your vehicle during that 1 hour of added time.

The sitting part is traveling 4-5 miles from either Broadway or 1-25 exit at Rio Bravo to the parking lot.

If you leave, make a run for your car to get out within a timely manner... even sacrifice the encore on a school night.

If you have to see the encore make sure it's worth 1 hour of waiting to get out of the parking lot. Just like getting there fashionably late, getting out is just as bad or worse.

So to sum it up for a newbie consider - time to get there - 1 hr wait - see the show - 1 hr wait - time to get home.

Sarah — Mon, 04 May 2009 02:26:04 GMT

A Great New place to enjoy live music in the outdoors.

Ashlie Rodriguez — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 05:22:14 GMT

The Office Bar has a great setup. Small, sleek and sheik. I went on a Sunday night and there were two artists painting in their own spotlight, giving you the option of watching them work live and even buying some of their work if it interested you that much. The stage is small, and the sound system is horrible, but the bar is full of delicious and cheap treats. I guiltlessly ordered $6 dirty martinis all night. The staff was pleasant, cool, and very friendly making even the lone attender feel apart of the crowd. The crowd on the other hand ranges from urban, to hippie, to indie, to fashionistas -- and I spent the entire night trying to figure out how all these different people ended up coming together in one spot. For the art lover, this is the bar to go to. It allows you the opportunity of filling your senses with both visual and musical artistic expression.

Nicho — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 07:57:52 GMT

The Soda Bar is a nice little venue, though in a not so nice area. There is usually not any big bands, but sometimes there are good ones and you can't go wrong with their low to no cover charge. The place it divided in half so that the entertainment area is on one side and the bar on the other. They also have a pool table in the back and art hanging on one side of the place. I have not had any bad experiences here, but if you call and expect anyone answering the phone to know much about the night's bands or the cover, you may be disappointed. The stage is also small, so I feel sorry for the bands, but it's not my problem so, oh well.

Ashlie Rodriguez — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 17:21:56 GMT

The phone number for Casbah is something like 444-HELL. When I first found that out -- it all made sense: The exterior is bordered in orange flames, and the interior is dark, loud, and can get hot hot hot during the right show. Regardless of your feelings toward Hell, Casbah is a lot of fun. The small bar offers plenty of options and there is a separate room just for pool and games. Don't get me wrong -- every inch of Casbah is grimy, gross, and in need of a good cleaning -- but it's inside the griminess that one can feel the heart beat of what indie music really is. Its small too, so people usually can't help but introduce themselves after they've been stepping on your feet all night. I've met some great people at Casbah, real, wholesome music lovers, who know that the best sounds of our generation can't be found on MTV, but in the dark, dank, dive venues hidden in the city.

Ashlie Rodriguez — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 14:36:44 GMT

Belly Up is probably one of the best venues San Diego has to offer. Dark, with vintage pictures, posters, and signs on the wall, Belly Up is like your neighborhood dive venue, but lies in the midst of beautiful Solana Beach, making even a $5 dollar show seem grandiose. Its large enough to fit a good amount of people comfortably, but can get crowded for a good show. Go early if you expect to sit down, since most of the seating is first come first served. There are two bars, and sadly, both are cash only. I once asked for a cute cocktail, and they didn't even carry the liquor -- so beware of expecting more than hard alcohol and a cold beer. There is also a smoker's lounge (and for smoking of all types!) right out the side door. The venue gets some really amazing artists to come play, and I recommend giving any artist a try that can book a night at this local favorite.

Mr. Webb — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 05:18:32 GMT

I saw my second favorite live show here back in high school. The set list in order: The Secret Machines, DeathCab for Cutie, Muse, Franz Ferdinand, and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. The show was going alright until I smoked a doobie right as Muse came on. Half way through the joint, I found myself in a hypnotic state of awe thanks to the gigantic sound coming from the little english three piece. So for that memory I have to acknowledge the sound quality, especially for an outdoor venue.

Mr. Webb — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 05:08:28 GMT

I actually saw Rush twice. Both times were here and somehow free, so I cant complain. Definitly not an intimant place. But who wants to get intimant with Rush? Gross, not me.

Mr. Webb — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 05:04:16 GMT

Smaller venue. I dont recall if they sell beer or not. Better for younger shows...definitly cant smoke here.

Mr. Webb — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 04:52:47 GMT

I saw my first concert here along with recalling several other early concert memories. It's definitly a good place to see big acts. I saw Tool from the top left nose bleed sections and still enjoyed the show better than up-front five rows deep in the pit at coachella. The sound is epic.

Mr. Webb — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 04:44:26 GMT

Real nice venue. Got some nice looking concert posters decorating the walls of the bar. The bar counter seems to be congested even though theres a two of them. Good size crowds could fit. You can grab a good seat if your early. The sound is good especially for reggae shows but too small to smoke in. You also have a hard time trying to find a good place to smoke in the classy neighborhood of solana beach.

Mr. Webb — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 04:32:04 GMT

Great atmosphere. I saw the local bands The Soft Pack and Christmas Island. Everyone seemed to know everyone and the surf rock was very appropiate since the bar is only a couple hundred yards away from the beach. But between the ocean and the Casbah is the San Diego Airport. It is pretty neat having an underbelly view of the planes landing as your waiting outside. Waiting was a problem though. Perhaps I arrived to early, but it seemed that it took forever for the bands to begin. The bar has gotta make it's money though.

Nicho — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 11:04:23 GMT

I don't usually expect to see a good band play at this theater, but it has happened.

Nicho — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 10:59:28 GMT

I have only been here once, but it is definitely worth going to again. I enjoyed how it was indoors, air conditioned (nice on a hot summer day when you are standing in line waiting to get in), and large, but still intimate.

Nicho — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 10:52:28 GMT

I admit, I am biased against large stadium like venues. If you are sitting far away you could still be paying high prices to see a band on a large screen. This is a place for big bands, so if you like such a band, you don't really have a choice in seeing them in an intimate setting. If you like to feel a part of a mass of people to vindicate your love for a band, then come here.