Groove: November concert calendar
Top performers coming to San Diego this month include Fall Out Boy, Halsey, Aminé and Guns N’ Roses.
11.1: The Drums
With the departure of co-founder Jacob Graham last year, the band is now solely in the hands of front man Jonny Pierce. And he wrote all of the music for, as well as played all the instruments on, The Drums’ new album, Abysmal Thoughts.
@ Observatory North Park , observatorysd.com
11.1: Bret Michaels
The longtime Poison singer and star of multiple reality shows might not even bring his guitar to this gig. He don’t need nothin’ but a good time.
@ Belly Up, bellyup.com
11.2: Jolie Holland and Samantha Parton
Holland and Parton, once band mates in the Americana quartet Be Good Tanyas, reunite for a tour and album. Wildflower Blues was released in September.
@ Casbah, casbahmusic.com
11.2: La Santa Cecilia
No better way to close out the last night of Dia De Los Muertos than with Grammy-winning quartet La Santa Cecilia. As a bonus, Mexrrissey and Mariachi Flor de Toloache will also be on the bill of this three-act Day of the Dead celebration.
@ Balboa Theatre, sandiegotheatres.org
11.2, 3: The B-52s
Founding members Fred Schneider, Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson return to San Diego for a sold-out show in Solana Beach.
@ Belly Up, bellyup.com
11.3: The Devil Makes Three
The long-running rockabilly-fusion trio of Pete Bernhard, Lucia Turino and Cooper McBean scored a No. 1 on Billboard’s Bluegrass chart with the release of last year’s Redemption & Ruin. They did that one other time with the 2009 album Do Wrong Right.
@ Observatory North Park, observatorysd.com
11.3: The Greyboy Allstars
After last playing there in February, San Diego’s perennial jazz quintet returns to the Music Box for a show with Jungle Fire. DJ Greyboy (aka Andreas Stevens), co-founder and namesake of the headliners, is also on the bill.
@ Music Box, musicboxsd.com
11.3: The Black Heart Procession
Local indie rock legends hit the Casbah with Sam Coomes (Quasi, Heatmeiser) in tow.
@ Casbah, casbahmusic.com
11.3: Gregory Porter
Porter completes the (one-time) local three-fer on this night with a show downtown. The multiple Grammy-winning jazz singer and songwriter is touring on his just-released album, Nat “King” Cole & Me.
@ Balboa Theatre, sandiegotheatres.org
11.3: Azealia Banks
Unfortunately, the Harlem rapper has gotten more attention for her Twitter tirades than her music. But maybe the combination of last year’s mixtape, Slay-Z, and the upcoming release of her sophomore album, Fantasea II: The Second Wave, will change all that.
@ House of Blues, houseofblues.com/sandiego
11.4: Son Little
Philly-bred singer/songwriter Aaron Livingston (aka Son Little) released his latest album, New Magic, in September. It was inspired by a trip Livingston took to the remote, tropical Northern Territory of Australia.
@ Soda Bar, sodabarmusic.com
11.4: Live Wire 25th Anniversary Show
The Observatory plays host to the quarter-century celebration for a bar just a few blocks away. Local legends Rocket From The Crypt and L.A.’s Mariachi El Bronx handle the music.
@ Observatory North Park, observatorysd.com
11.5: Caifanes
Ignoring the fact that they took an extended, 16-year hiatus, the rock en español godfathers reunited in 2011 and celebrate their 40th anniversary this year.
@ Observatory North Park, observatorysd.com
11.5: Cults
The New York indie pop duo of Brian Oblivion and Madeline Follin released their third album, Offering, last month. The pair shares the bill with Curls (Christopher Owens of Girls) and The Willowz - which features Follin’s brother, Richie.
@ The Irenic, theirenic.com
11.5: Halsey
Singer Ashley Frangipane released her sophomore album, Hopeless Fountain Kingdom, this summer and it reached the top spot on the Billboard 200. She hits San Diego with openers Partynextdoor and Charli XCX.
@ Viejas Arena, viejasarena.com
11.6: Noname
Chicago rapper Fatimah Warner broke out when she appeared on Chance The Rapper’s 2013 album, Acid Rap. Last year, she was featured on another one his albums, Coloring Book, and joined him during his “Saturday Night Live” performance. Warner self-released her debut mixtape, Telefone, last summer.
@ Observatory North Park, observatorysd.com
11.7: Yelle
While the French pop trio hasn’t released an album since 2014’s excellent Complétement Fou, the Julie Budet-led threesome released two singles this year - Interpassion and Romeo.
11.9: Hamilton Leithauser
The former Walkman front man teamed with former Vampire Weekend multi-instrumentalist Rostom on 2016’s excellent I Had a Dream That You Were Mine. He’ll be selling tour-only copies of the pair’s I Won’t Let Up: Live at Music Hall of Williamsburg on the current run of dates.
@ Belly Up, bellyup.com
11.10: Aminé
Portland, Ore. rapper Adam Daniel’s 2016 debut single, Caroline, has already gone platinum three times over. The 23-year-old released his 15-track debut studio album, Good For You, in July.
@ Observatory North Park, observatorysd.com
11.10: Matisyahu
Matthew Paul Miller, better known by his stage name Matisyahu, brings his The Broken Crowns Tour, to Music Box. The reggae/hip-hop artist last released an album - Undercurrent - in May 2017.
@ Music Box, musicboxsd.com
11.10: Deer Tick
After four years of no new music, the Rhode Island rock quartet made its ambitious return in September with a pair of 10-song self-titled releases (the mellower Vol. 1 and the more raucous Vol. 2). The band is currently on their Twice Is Nice Tour.
@ Belly Up, bellyup.com
11.13: Death From Above 1979
The Toronto electro-dance punks played House of Blues almost exactly one year ago on a co-headlining tour with Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. They return by themselves in support of their September-released third album, Outrage! Is Now.
@ House of Blues, houseofblues.com/sandiego
11.15: Gary Numan
Synth pop singer known for No. 1 hits like Cars and Are ‘Friends’ Electric? returns to San Diego. The songwriter and producer released his 21st album, Savage (Songs from a Broken World), in September.
@ Observatory North Park, observatorysd.com
11.15: Fall Out Boy
The Chicago pop punk vets already have released three singles - Young and Menace, Champion and The Last of the Real Ones - from their upcoming seventh studio album. Titled MANIA, it’s set to be released on Jan. 19.
@ Viejas Arena, viejasarena.com
11.16: Ariel Pink
An ode to the ‘60s singer/songwriter, the September-released Dedicated to Bobby Jameson is Ariel Pink’s 11th studio album. The 13-track collection features a collaboration with L.A. musician and producer Dâm-Funk.
@ Belly Up, bellyup.com
11.16: Chad VanGaalen
The Canadian musician and artist released his sixth album, Light Information, on Sub Pop records in September. His two young daughters appear on the closing track of the 12-song collection that VanGaalen wrote, performed and produced in his Calgary garage.
@ Soda Bar, sodabarmusic.com
11.19: Israel Vibration
Cecil “Skeleton” Spence and Lascelle “Wiss” Bulgin are still delivering quality roots reggae after more than 40 years of making music together. Their latest, and 24th studio album overall, Play It Real, was released in 2015.
@ Music Box, musicboxsd.com
11.18, 19: Gin Blossoms
Hey, jealousy! The Arizona alt-poppers celebrate the 25th anniversary of their 4x-platinum sophomore album, New Miserable Experience, with a pair of sold-out shows at the Belly Up.
@ Belly Up, bellyup.com
11.20: Mogwai
The Scottish post-rockers released their ninth studio album, Every Country’s Sun, in September. It reunited them with producer Dave Fridmann (Flaming Lips, Weezer, Tame Impala), who produced the band’s 2001 third album, Rock Action.
@ Observatory North Park, observatorysd.com
11.21: GWAR
Feel like listening to thrash metal played by men dressed as interplanetary warriors while being sprayed by fake blood and other fake body fluids? This is the night for you. GWAR’S new album, The Blood of Gods, came out last month.
@ House of Blues, houseofblues.com/sandiego
11.25: Snow Tha Product
Rapper, actress and Mesa College alum Claudia Meza has released one studio album, seven mixtapes and four compilation albums. Last year, she released her first EP, the 8-track Half Way There...Pt.1. In 2017, Meza has appeared on singles by Wolfgang Gartner and Statuz Mizury.
@ Music Box, musicboxsd.com
11.25, 26: New Found Glory
Not only did the veteran pop punk band turn 20 this year, their April-released ninth album, Makes Me Sick, hit the top spot on Billboard’s US Independent chart.
@ House of Blues, houseofblues.com/sandiego
11.28: Tori Amos
Currently on her Native Invader tour, the 54-year-old singer, pianist and composer released her 15th studio album of the same name in September.
@ Balboa Theatre, sandiegotheatres.org
11.28: Guns N’ Roses
Last August, Guns N’ Roses played Qualcomm Stadium on the supposed final U.S. date of their Not In This Lifetime... tour. From July 27 through Sept. 8 of this year, Axl and Co. turned the most recent run of dates on their ironically named revival into a top spot on Billboard’s ‘Hot Tours’ with $53 million in revenue.
@ Valley View Casino Center, valleyviewcasinocenter.com
11.30: Valerie June
The Tennessee-bred, Brooklyn-based songwriter released her fifth full-length album, The Order of Time, in March - the singer’s first since breaking out with the Dan Auerbach-produced Pushin’ Against a Stone in 2013. The Old Crow Medicine Show’s Gill Landry opens.
@ California Center for the Arts, Escondido, artcenter.org
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