BARS AND CLUBS
San Diego
ROCK CITY

Bob Log III at Bar Pink Elephant

Once dismissed as a rest stop for Tommy Bahama–clad tourists, San Diego long ago

got over its L.A.-size inferiority complex, if not its soul-squashing cost of living and Bradley Nowell worship. But plenty of

killer musicians—such as the Locust and Pinback—have chosen to endure those hazards in return for perfect weather, supremely casual

cosmopolitanism, and unbeatable carne asada cheese fries. It’s a place where three million people do a good

impression of a small town. This is Rock City San Diego, spackled with insight from deeply rooted local legend and former Rocket From the Crypt frontman John Reis.

LOCAL HEROES

The Casbah
2501 KETTNER BLVD., 619-232-HELL
The epicenter of the city’s
underground music scene since 1989,
this is where people come to catch
tomorrow’s blogosphere darlings
seven days a week. Essentially a
smoking patio connecting two
rooms—both of which are dimly
lit and painted in foreboding black
and red—the Casbah has hosted
the likes of the White Stripes and
Death Cab for Cutie.

Tim Mays is the czar of SD’s indie scene. As owner of the Casbah, he treats touring bands like kin (no-namers who flop often get gas money regardless), and his employees—who have included members of Pinback and the Album Leaf—are encouraged to tour. Says Reis, “He created a great template for musicians to get kinky on.”

band, the Night Marchers, just released their debut album.

The Tower Bar
4757 UNIVERSITY AVE.,
CI T Y HEIGH TS, 619-284-0158
“This is one of the most exciting
places to be thrilled by live music,”
says Reis. Located beneath a tattoo
parlor, Tower owns Monday nights
thanks to soul-rock regulars Lady
Dottie and the Diamonds. With
chipped paint covered by historical
photos and performers pinned into a
corner, what it lacks in space it makes
up for with dancing-on-top-of-the-
band religiosity.

Since 1980, Lou Russell’s Lou’s Records has been a beacon for obscure-music junkies across the world. Astute tour managers often schedule a few morale-boosting free-time hours here for their bands. “It’s one of the greatest record stores, not only in San Diego, but in the world,” says Reis.

As the man who penned “Don Henley Must Die” and “Debbie Gibson Is Pregnant With My Two-Headed Love Child,” Mojo Nixon is a lord among loudmouths. The psychobilly pioneer was a longtime radio DJ in San Diego and now hosts three shows here for Sirius: one on country music, one on Nascar, and a political forum called “Lyin’ Cocksuckers.”

Bar Pink Elephant
3829 30TH ST., 619-564-7194
Co-owned by a pseudo family of
scene vets (including Reis), it’s the
newest hot hang in San Diego’s
newest hot hood (North Park).
Gloriously decked out with comfy vinyl
booths, neon elephants on the walls,
and an impeccably curated jukebox,
this little room is where cult groove
junkies such as Bob Log III preach to
their unshaven choirs.

Belly Up Tavern
143 S. CEDROS AVE., SOLANA BEACH,
858-481-8140
If not for this hangar-shaped venue,
the city’s northern coast would
be mired in martini blues bars. Its
beach vibe and studio-grade sound
mean both Super Furry Animals and
Adrian Belew fit well, playing for a
diverse crowd of bros, hippies, indie
scenesters, and yacht rockers.

For more than a decade, Rocket From the Crypt was San Diego music. (RFTC tattoos are common sightings on thirtysomething rocker arms.) Postbreakup, lead singer John Reis has retained local-god status with his own label (Swami Records) and a garage-rock radio show on 94. 9 FM (“The Swami Sound System”). His new

KNOW
YOUR
HISTORY

The cover of the Beach Boys’ 1966

classic Pet Sounds was
photographed at the
San Diego Zoo, but the
band’s craziest local
appearance happened
more than a decade
later. After Brian Wilson
hitchhiked to Mexico and
back, the police found
him passed out in Balboa
Park with soiled white
pants, no shoes, no
wallet, and no money.