December Concert Calendar

By Tim Pyles
12/11: Snoop Lion @ Belly Up Tavern, bellyup.com
Snoop’s coming to Solana Beach, but now the D-O-Double-Gizzle is a Lion, not a Dogg. No shizzle. Smoking weed in Jamaica can do that to a rapper, apparently.

It’s a slippery slope from “gimme some of that sticky-icky” to “Irie, Mon,” and now a legendary rapper has gone reggae. Puff, puff, give - and the circle of life is complete. At this point, I don’t even know what I’m talking about, but Cheetos sure sound nice. -DMP

12/2: Yellowcard @ House of Blues, hob.com
Floridian pop punk band that’s been at it since 1997.

12/2: Rick Ro$$ @ Viejas Arena, ticketmaster.com
Rapper Rick Ro$$, whose 2012 album “Teflon Don” was co-produced by Kanye West, was the first artist signed to Sean “Diddy” Combs’ Ciroc Entertainment record label.

12/3: Paul Banks @ House of Blues, hob.com
The lead singer of Interpol (post punk revival band from NYC) Paul Banks tours solo under the name Julian Plenti.

12/4: Streetlight Manifesto @ House of Blues, hob.com
Punk, ska, jazz...and a little bit of New Jersey.

12/4: A John Waters Christmas @ Belly Up Tavern, bellyup.com
The man behind the films “Hairspray” and “Pink Flamingos” (among other biggies) puts on a racy one-man holiday show that’s been said to put the “X” in X-mas.

12/5: Death Grips @ Casbah, casbahmusic.com
Electro hardcore rap punk!

12/5 & 6: Bret Michaels @ Sycuan Live & Up Close, sycuan.com
Former front man of Poison and resident of the Love Bus never seems to stop touring.

12/6: Tiesto @ Valley View Casino Center, ticketmaster.com
One of the world’s most popular EDM DJ/producers. If you haven’t heard of this guy yet, it’s high time to grab a light stick and get with it. Could 13 million Facebook fans be wrong?

12/7: Ed Kowalczyk of Live @ Sycuan Live & Up Close, sycuan.com
Solo since 2009, and with a new EP coming soon, he’s sure to play some of LIVE’s biggest hits.

12/7: The Killers, M83, Passion Pit and more @ Viejas Arena, ticketmaster.com
91X’s Wrex The Halls holiday concert - always a rockin’ good time.

12/7: The Whammy (Slim Jim Phantom of Stray Cats, Tim Polecat from The Polecats, Jonny Bowler of the Guana Batz) @ Casbah, casbahmusic.com
Rockabilly legends from the ‘80s now in one revival band.

12/8-9: Chris Isaak Holiday Show @ Belly Up Tavern, bellyup.com
“Wicked Game” sounds as cool now as it did when it came out in 1989.

12/10: Supersuckers @ Casbah, casbahmusic.com
They claim to be the “Greatest Rock ‘n’ Roll Band in the World.” If you see them, you just might believe it.

12/12: Public Enemy @ 4th & B, 4thandbevents.com
Flavor Flaaaaaaaav. Bring your bigclock necklace and celebrate good, old-time hip-hop. Yeah, boooooyyyy.

12/12: Aaron Neville @ Anthology, anthologysd.com
Soul, R&B singer from New Orleans (and a member of The Neville Brothers, in case you couldn’t guess).

12/13: ALT -J @ Casbah, casbahmusic.com
This British alternative rock band recently won the Mercury Prize in the UK. Previous winners include PJ Harvey and The XX.

12/13: AC Slater Later @ Fluxx, fluxxsd.com
Big-bass DJ/producer who opened for Chemical Brothers at age 16. Maybe Mario Lopez will show up for a dance off.

12/14: The Temptations @ Sycuan Live & Up Close, sycuan.com
Motown group from the ‘60s with hits like “My Girl” and “Papa Was a Rolling Stone.”

12/14: Jonny Lang @ Belly Up Tavern, bellyup.com
Blues rock guitarist who’s often been called a virtuoso.

12/14 & 15: The Growlers @ Casbah, casbahmusic.com
They call themselves beach goth.

12/16: Boys Noize @ House of Blues, hob.com
Indie electro dance music DJ/producer who has remixed Snoop Dogg and Depeche Mode.

12/16: Los Lobos @ Belly Up Tavern, bellyup.com
Legendary rock band from East Los Angeles.

12/19: High On Fire @ Brick By Brick, frontgatetickets.com
Metal/stoner rock.

12/20: Norin & Rad @ Fluxx, fluxxsd.com
EDM DJs/producers. They hail from Orange County but are known internationally.

12/27: Lee Dewyze @ Anthology, anthologysd.com
Singer/songwriter and “American Idol” season nine winner.

12/27: Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven @ Belly Up Tavern, bellyup.com
Two bands featuring the same members, one from the ‘80s and one from the ‘90s. “Take The Skinheads Bowling” and “Euro-Trash Girl” will be played!

12/27: Primus 3D @ Balboa Theater, ticketmaster.com
See the alternative progressive punk funk legends from the ‘90s and experience Quad Surround Sound.

12/27: Zed’s Dead @ House of Blues, hob.com
Electronic duo from Canada that mixes dubstep and electro.

12/28: Buck-O-Nine @ 710 Beach Club, 710bc.com
Ska punk band formed in San Diego in the early ‘90s.

12/28: Rebelution @ House of Blues, hob.com
Cali-reggae band that formed in Isla Vista, party central for UC Santa Barbara.

12/30-31: OMFG! @ Valley View Casino Center, mylifeeveryday.com
Ages 18+ EDM super-show with an all-star two-day line up featuring Calvin Harris and many more. Dance, sweat (with teens), repeat!

12/31: Reverand Horton Heat @ Belly Up Tavern, bellyup.com
New Year’s Eve with one of the greatest rockabilly/psychobilly artists of today.

12/31: DJ Z-Trip @ Block No. 16, finestcitynewyear.com
DJ Times named Z-trip “America’s best DJ.” LA Times says his frenzied turntable performance was “one of the great musical moments of Coachella.” Check him out in an exclusive New Year’s Eve performance at Block No. 16.

Sound Gift Ideas
Give an earful or a mouthful to the music lover in your life

Zip It
Get caught up in the music without getting wrapped up in the cords. Zipbuds earphones, with their unique zipper design, were named Travel + Leisure Design’s Best Personal Gadget of 2012. Founded in 2007 by lifelong friends and CSU San Marcos alumni Rob DeFay and Erik Groset, Zipbuds are ready to rock in a wide range of juiced-up colors, unabashed style and premium sound. zipbuds.com

My Fi
High-fidelity audio and supreme comfort come together in JLab’s waterproof MP3 player headphones. With an ergonomic, cordless design and 800+ song capacity, they can rock your favorite jams while you’re catching a gnarly wave. Send your old buds in to the company’s office in Oceanside for 30 percent off new ones as part of the company’s recycling (and creative marketing) program. jlabaudio.com

Wines That Rock
Send your message in a bottle with Rock ‘n’ Roll inspired wines. Whether filled with the fruity, juicy notes of The Police’s red wine blend, or the bold cedar and vanilla aromas of Pink Floyd’s cabernet sauvignon, each bottle (with its nostalgic album cover art) is sure to rock your stockings off. wines-that-rock.com