Sound Decisions
By Catlin Dorset
3/14-15 CRSSD Festival
Waterfront Park, crssdfest.com
SoCal party promoters FNGRS CRSSD and Goldenvoice have joined forces to bring more than 50 DJs to San Diego Bay’s new Waterfront Park March 14 and 15. Catch electro funk duo Chromeo, Aussie EDMers Empire of the Sun, deep house producer Maceo Plex and dozens of others performing on three stages during the two-day event, which rages into the night with craft beers, cocktails and booming beats.
3/1: Black Veil Brides
@ House of Blues, hob.com
This five-piece rock group wraps its North American Black Mass tour on this night in America’s Finest.
3/1: Theophilus London
@ Belly Up Tavern, bellyup.com
Kanye West produced this rapper’s most recent album, Vibes, which dropped in October.
3/3: Don Williams
@ Balboa Theatre, sandiegotheatres.org
Songs by this Country Music Hall of Famer have been covered by the likes of Johnny Cash, Eric Clapton and Alan Jackson, to name a few.
3/4: Broods
@ The Irenic, theirenic.com
Brother and sister indie pop duo out of New Zealand.
3/4: Galactic
@ Belly Up Tavern, bellyup.com
In 2012, this New Orleans jazz band performed “Hey Na Na” on Conan.
3/5: Umphrey’s McGee
@ House of Blues, hob.com
Progressive rockers touring the U.S. to promote Similar Skin, their album from last summer.
3/5: Bingo Players
@ Bassmnt, bassmntsd.com
This Dutch electro house DJ dropped a new single, “Nothing to Say,” in mid-February.
3/5: A$AP Ferg
@ Observatory North Park, observatorynp.com
Darold Ferguson, aka A$AP Ferg, is featured on Ariana Grande’s track, “Hands on Me.”
3/5: Enslaved
@ Brick by Brick, ticketfly.com
On March 10, these heavy metalers will release their new studio album, In Times.
3/5: Billy Ocean
@ Sycuan Casino, sycuan.com
Grammy Award-winning artist most known for his ‘80s hits “Caribbean Queen (No More Love on the Run),” “Suddenly” and “Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car.”
3/6: Río Roma
@ House of Blues, hob.com
Brothers José Luis and Raúl Ortega Castro front this Latin pop duo from Mexico.
3/7: Nahko and Medicine for the People
@ Observatory North Park, observatorynp.com
Acoustic jammers on their Water is Life tour.
3/7: Agent Orange
@ The Casbah, casbahmusic.com
The Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 video game features this punk rock band’s single, “Bloodstains.”
3/7: Johnny Richter
@ Ramona Mainstage, ramonamainstage.com
Former Kottonmouth Kings rapper fresh off his winter Hotbox Holidaze tour.
3/8: Gary Valenciano
@ Pechanga Resort & Casino, pechanga.com
This gospel singer-songwriter is a 12-time winner of the Awit Awards (the Philippines’ version of the Grammy Awards).
3/8: Stick to Your Guns
@ SOMA, somasandiego.com
These Orange County-natives released their newest hardcore punk album, Disobedient, in February.
3/8: Baeza
@ UCSD’s Porter’s Pub, porterspub.com
Baby Bash’s recent single “Certified Freak” features this hiphopper.
3/9: Craig Wayne Boyd
@ Belly Up Tavern, bellyup.com
Blake Shelton received his fourth big win on The Voice when this country rocker took the Season Seven title in December.
3/9: Kongos
@ House of Blues, hob.com
Alt. rockers most known for their 2011 hit, “Come With Me Now.”
3/10: Joshua Radin
@ Belly Up Tavern, bellyup.com
TV shows Scrubs, House, One Tree Hill and others have featured songs by this acoustic folk singersongwriter.
3/10: Walk the Moon
@ House of Blues, hob.com
Esquire magazine’s 2011 list of “30 Summer Songs Every Man Should Listen To” included this indie pop band’s hit, “Anna Sun.”
3/10: Uriah Heep
@ Ramona Mainstage, ramonamainstage.com
A character from Charles Dickens’book David Copperfield inspired this hard rock outfit’s moniker.
3/11: A Place to Bury Strangers
@ The Casbah, casbahmusic.com
On February 17, this psychedelic rock band released its fourth studio album, Transfixiation.
3/11: Bayside
@ House of Blues, hob.com
These punk rockers covered Sean Kingston’s “Beautiful Girls” on the Punk Goes Pop 2 album.
3/11: Datsik
@ SOMA, somasandiego.com
This dubstep DJ recently collaborated with Linkin Park, deadmau5 and Diplo, among many other artists.
3/12: Snoop Dogg
@ FLUXX Nightclub, fluxxsd.com
Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr., aka D-O-Double-Gizzle, plans to release his new Pharrell-produced album, Bush, sometime this spring.
3/12: Comeback Kid
@ The Epicentre, epicentreconcerts.org
Last May, founding band mate and drummer Kyle Profeta left this hardcore punk band to pursue culinary endeavors in South Africa.
3/12: Eric Prydz
@ Bassmnt, bassmntsd.com
DJ Mag’s 2014 “Top 100 DJs” list ranked this Swedish house music producer at No. 60.
3/13: Rebel Souljahz
@ House of Blues, hob.com
Reggae quartet from Honolulu, Hawaii.
3/13: Motionless in White
@ SOMA, somasandiego.com
Metalcore band headlining the Beyond the Barricade tour with For Today, New Years Day and Ice Nine Kills.
3/13: Twin Shadow
@ Belly Up Tavern, bellyup.com
This new wave artist drops his new album, Eclipse, on March 17.
3/14: Andre Nickatina
@ UCSD’s Porter’s Pub, porterspub.com
Before choosing the hip-hop career path, Andre Nickatina attended the Galileo Academy of Science and Technology in San Francisco. He dropped out in 1992.
3/14: Ringo Starr
@ Pala Casino, palacasino.com
One-fourth of the “Fab Four,” this former Beatle will release his 19th solo studio album, Postcards From Paradise, on March 31.
3/14: Set It Off
@ The Epicentre, epicentreconcerts.org
In 2012, the debut album from these pop rockers, Cinematics, debuted at No. 174 on Billboard’s “Top 200 Albums” chart.
3/15: The Expendables
@ House of Blues, hob.com
This band’s Facebook page describes the band’s musical genre as, “Reggae had sex with metal, punk got in the mix and ska videotaped it all. Then out pooped The Expendables.”
3/15: Doro
@ Ramona Mainstage, ramonamainstage.com
German heavy metalers touring internationally through May.
3/15: Gondwana
@ Belly Up Tavern, bellyup.com
Chilean reggae group that performs en Español.
3/16: Ani DiFranco
@ House of Blues, hob.com
Folk rock singer and guitarist with her own label, Righteous Babe Records.
3/17: Shpongle
@ House of Blues, hob.com
Psychedelic musicians from across the pond.
3/17: J Boog
@ Belly Up Tavern, bellyup.com
When reggae artist J Boog was nine years old, his mom made him sing Whitney Houston’s “One Moment in Time” at a family reunion.
3/19: Dan and Shay
@ House of Blues, hob.com
In 2014, this country duo opened for Blake Shelton and Hunter Hayes on their respective tours.
3/19: Trampled By Turtles
@ Observatory North Park, observatorynp.com
Indie rockers from Duluth, Minnesota, doncha know.
3/19: This Will Destroy You
@ The Casbah, casbahmusic.com
Alt. rock band touring to promote its recent album, Another Language, which dropped in September.
3/20: Tony Junior
@ Bassmnt, bassmntsd.com
Progressive house beatmaker most recognized for his 2014 collaboration with Carnage on the track “Michael Jordan.”
3/20: YelaWolf
@ House of Blues, hob.com
This hip-hopper released his new single “Whiskey In a Bottle” on February 17.
3/20: Lonestar
@ Sycuan Casino, sycuan.com
Country foursome most known for their hits “Mr. Mom,” “I’m Already There” and “Amazed,” among many others.
3/20: Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea
@ Copley Symphony, ljms.org
Christina Aguilera, John Mayer and Paul Simon are among the A-list celebs with whom this jazz pianist has collaborated.
3/21: Lee DeWyze
@ House of Blues, hob.com
AMC’s The Walking Dead features this American Idol Season Nine alum’s single “Blackbird Song.”
3/21: Bakermat
@ Bang Bang, bangbangsd.com
Deep house producer Lodewijk Fluttert, aka Bakermat, is expected to drop his debut album sometime in 2015.
3/21: Cash Cash
@ Bassmnt, bassmntsd.com
The 2013 smash hit “Take Me Home” featuring Bebe Rexha has been this EDM trio’s biggest single to date.
3/21: Railroad Earth
@ Belly Up Tavern, bellyup.com
Americana bluegrass sextet out of New Jersey.
3/23: Jake Shimabukuro
@ Belly Up Tavern, bellyup.com
This jazz musician had his first ukulele lesson at age four.
3/23: The Ting Tings
@ House of Blues, hob.com
British indie rock duo most known for their 2008, “That’s Not My Name.”
3/24: Pete Rock
@ UCSD’s Porter’s Pub, porterspub.com
In 2012, this hip-hop artist and producer won a Grammy Award for his contributions to Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy album.
3/24: Talib Kweli
@ Observatory North Park, observatorynp.com
Brooklyn-based rapper expected to drop his new album, Radio Silence, sometime in 2015.
3/24: David Choi
@ House of Blues, hob.com
This YouTube sensation has garnered more than 117 million views of his pop song covers.
3/25: Marie Osmond
@ Sycuan Casino, sycuan.com
This pop/country star ditched her brother Donny Osmond for a month-long solo tour called An Intimate Evening With Marie, My Life Through Music.
3/26: Weedeater
@ The Casbah, casbahmusic.com
Stoner metal trio from North Carolina.
3/26: Hawthorne Heights
@ UCSD’s Porter’s Pub, porterspub.com
Hardcore rockers headlining the Stripped Down to the Bone U.S. tour with Courage My Love, Mark Rose, Shane Henderson and Dayseeker.
3/27: Chelsea Grin
@ SOMA, somasandiego.com
Deathcore band on the road in support of recent album, Ashes to Ashes, which dropped in July.
3/27: Young Thug
@ Observatory North Park, observatorynp.com
Birdman says this rapper from the ATL looks “like an animal locked in a cage, ready to eat the world up.”
3/28: The Color Morale
@ SOMA, somasandiego.com
These rockers performed on the Monster Energy stage during 2014’s two-month-long VANS Warped Tour.
3/28: Pepe Aguilar
@ Pala Casino, palacasino.com
In 2012, this Grammy Awardwinning singer-songwriter received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
3/29: IAMSU!
@ Observatory North Park, observatorynp.com
Wiz Khalifa, 50 Cent and 2 Chainz are just a few of the hip-hop giants with whom this rapper has collaborated.
3/29: Echosmith
@ House of Blues, hob.com
Indie rockers enjoying mainstream success with their current hit, “Cool Kids.”
3/29: Ricardo Arjona
@ SDSU Viejas, sdsu.edu
Nearly 17 million fans “like” this Latin pop star on Facebook. Dictate My Reality, in March.
3/31: SoKo
@ UCSD’s The Loft, theloft.ucsd.edu
Indie artist Stéphanie Sokolinski (aka SoKo) is set to release her sophomore album, My Dreams