S.D. Trade Show to Feature State-of-the-Art Music Gear

The music-technology trade show known as “MusicTech” has prospered by following its own rule: Find a niche and scratch it.

In contrast to the international scope and dealer orientation of the mammoth “NAMM” shows (presented every January in Anaheim by the Carlsbad-based National Assn. of Music Merchants), the scale of the consumer-oriented MusicTech encourages an educational exchange among equipment manufacturers, famous performers and San Diego’s working musicians. The fifth-annual installment, “MusicTech ‘92,” takes place Saturday and Sunday at the Holiday Inn at Montgomery Field.

The MusicTech series originated in 1987 as a keyboards-only show at New World Audio, a store in an industrial park in Kearny Mesa. The shop has since been relocated to Clairemont Mesa Boulevard and renamed New World Music & Sound. Two years later, the store’s sales manager, John Hernandez, broadened the focus of the show and moved it to a larger venue. Nearly 4,000 attended last year’s show, at which representatives of more than 40 manufacturers answered questions and gave demonstrations. Mini-concerts and clinics featured such recording artists as Chris Isaak, Yes drummer Alan White and Jellyfish guitarist Jason Faulkner.

Given the show’s emphasis on equipment, the ’92 event is propitiously timed to coincide with the introduction of the Alesis company’s ADAT--a rack-mounted, 8-track digital audio recorder that was the most talked-about product at the recent NAMM show (after which Alesis was flooded with 10,000 advance orders for the machine). Many feel that the relatively inexpensive ($4,000) ADAT will revolutionize the recording industry by giving home-users the power to make CD-quality recordings of original music.

Also participating in this weekend’s show are makers of state-of-the-art keyboards, guitars, drums, computer hardware, software, sound reinforcement and MIDI (musical instrument digital interface) equipment. Clinic-performances will be conducted on both days, and portions of some mini-concerts will be broadcast live over Rock 102.1, which will do an all-day remote from the site Saturday.

Performers featured on Saturday include guitarist and former San Diegan Stevie Salas; members of the RCA Records hard-rock band Kik Tracee, who will play acoustically, and Russ Parish, guitarist for the L.A. band War and Peace (at press time, the Saturday show times had not been fixed). Sunday’s schedule includes performances by former Santana keyboardist Tom Coster (2 p.m.) and former Journey and Jean-Luc Ponty drummer Steve Smith (11:30 a.m.). Although Coster and Smith are members of the band Vital Information, they will perform separately.

Smith’s appearance was originally scheduled for Saturday at 5:30 p.m., but that slot instead will be taken by a panel discussion titled “How to Break into the Music Business.” The panel convenes representatives of each segment of the music-industry conveyor belt, including record companies (Rick Lull from Capitol Records’ artist-and-repertoire department); record producers (Stevie Salas); concert promoters (David Swift of Avalon Attractions and Bella Lagmay, a former exec with A&M; and Capitol records whose current duties include promoting the Sound FX shows); radio program directors, and record retailers (a district manager from Tower Records).

Tickets for MusicTech ’92 are $5 in advance at all TicketMaster outlets and at New World Music & Sound (4792 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.), or $8 at the door. A single ticket is good for both days. The Holiday Inn is on Aero Drive, near Kearny Villa Road, in Kearny Mesa. For more information, call 569-1944.

This city’s answer to the Grammies--the San Diego Music Awards--have added a new venue and expanded the list of categories since last year’s inaugural program. A couple of months ago, it was reported in this column that proceeds from this year’s event would go to the county’s Elementary School Music Programs (the previous beneficiary was the Mary Lou Clack center in Vista).

The second annual awards program will be held Aug. 19 at Humphrey’s outdoor concert facility, which seats 1,200. Last year’s event was held in La Jolla’s 500-seat Sherwood Auditorium. The increase in awards categories--from 12 to 21--addresses the concerns of many 1991 participants and observers, who felt that the categories were either limited or somewhat confusing.

Held over from last year are the following categories: Best Solo or Duo, Best Contemporary, Best Country, Best Blues, Best Classic Rock, Best Original Rock, and the Artist and Group of the Year honors. The Best Nightclub Rock category now becomes Best Hard Rock or Metal Band. The too-encompassing Best Jazz kudo is now divided into Best Mainstream or Progressive Jazz and Best Pop-Jazz. The Best Vintage American designation is now divvied between Best Dixieland and Best Big Band subgenres. The Best Reggae category has been expanded to include World Beat.

New to this year’s event are: Best Folk or Acoustic, Best Latin, Best Alternative Rock, Best Independent Album or E.P. (locally produced), Best Album (major label or national distribution), Best New Artist, and Club Band of the Year.

The 1992 San Diego Music Awards will be co-produced by Kevin Hellman of the local Backstage Entertainment Agency and Ron Neifert of Coconut Productions.

BOOKINGS: (Tickets for the following concerts will be sold at all TicketMaster outlets unless otherwise specified.) Ethyl Meat Flow has been added to Nitzer Ebb’s Feb. 25 concert at UCSD’s Price Center Ballroom. . . . Top R&B; vocalist Alexander O’Neal was scheduled to perform Feb. 29 at Sound FX, but abruptly canceled his tour. By the time he had changed his mind and wanted the date back, the club had filled that slot with White Trash, McQueen Street and Saints Severe. Watch this space for O’Neal’s re-booking. . . . Molly Hatchet’s March 1 gig at Sound FX has been moved back to March 3. . . . Russ Irwin has been added to Roxette’s March 17 show at the Spreckels. . . . Pato Banton has been added to Santana’s March 21 show at Tijuana’s Bull Ring by the Sea. The lineup also features Carlos Santana’s father, Jose Santana, in a special performance with area mariachi musicians. Tickets, priced at $10 (in the shade), $15 (in the sun), and $20 (reserved), are now on sale at all TicketMaster outlets and at LF Racebook offices in Tijuana, Tecate, Mexicali, Rosarito, and Ensenada. . . . ‘70s honcho Peter Frampton will perform at Theatre East on April 18 (on sale March 13; for information, call 440- 2277).

CRITIC’S CHOICE / A LOOK AT LIFE’S DARK SIDE

Robyn Hitchcock’s work remains the private reserve of connoisseurs. Like Richard X. Heyman and XTC’s Andy Partridge, Hitchcock writes melody-laden pop-rock that blithely deals with society’s darker side. It’s a mix that might be too rich for the blood of the masses, but it’s hard to imagine an album as appealing as 1991’s “Perspex Island” escaping notice for too long.

Hitchcock and his band, the Egyptians, will perform at 8 p.m. Saturday at UCSD’s Mandeville Auditorium. Opening is power-popper Matthew Sweet. Tickets are $18 for the general public and $16 for UCSD students. For more information, call 278-TIXS.