This Weekend in SD – Rock Out Downtown and Collect Gems in Del Mar

A cavalcade of concerts hits the city for one of the first weekends of the new year. From ska bands to the orchestra, there is surely a show to satisfy your musical palette.

Multi-Day Attractions:

Before checking out some of the great bands this weekend, be sure to head up to the Del Mar Fairgrounds for the Gem Faire going on through the weekend. It’s your chance to learn beading and wire work with some talented craftsmen while shopping for gorgeous gems and jewelry from over 70 exhibitors from around the world. The fair starts Friday, Jan. 7th and continues through the Sunday, Jan. 9th.

Also continuing throughout the weekend is Ax Plays Mozart at the Copley Symphony Hall. The San Diego Symphony will feature talented pianist Emanuel Ax with conductor Jahja Ling. They will play some of Mozarts early work and close with Richard Strauss’ monumental tone poem and “heroic” self-portrait, Ein Heldenleben (A Hero’s Life).

SOMA – 3350 Sports Arena Blvd,  San Diego, CA

Next, head over to the Midway District in San Diego, formerly the San Diego Sports Arena, and celebrate with In Every Breath Under The Stone for their CD release party on Friday night at 7pm. Then be sure to get your tickets to see Awaken the Alchemist the next day at 6:30 pm as they hit the  same stage that has hosted a multitude of notable rock acts including Foo Fighters, Meg & Dia and The Hush Sound.

4th & B – 345 B St, San Diego, CA

This downtown venue has hosted mainstream acts Jack Johnson, Duran Duran and The Black Eyed Peas. This weekend they will host southern rockers Drivin n Cryin on Saturday night. However, the party starts Friday night as Sean Healy presents Pharcyde, an alternative hip hop group from Los Angeles that has been rocking the mic since the late 80s and has toured alongside legends A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul.

The Casbah – 2501 Kettner Blvd, San Diego, CA

All weekend long the Casbah has an awesome line-up of bands. Thursday, check out A Scribe Amidst the Lions, Black Hondo and The Mashtis followed by The Long and Short Of It, Retox, Grand Tarantula, Scales and Drug War on Friday. Then during the weekend Family Wagon and Midnight Rivals featuring Lord Howler will take the stage on Saturday, before Kenseth Thibideau with Little White Teeth and Primitive Noyes close it out on Sunday.

Belly Up – 143 S. Cedros Ave, Solana Beach, CA

Head up north for a full weekend line-up in Solana Beach. On Thursday, enjoy the stylings of Sky Held Sun with Shawn Rohlf, the Buskers and Three Chord Justice. For each ticket purchased, $1 will go to support the local San Diego Music Foundation. The next night drink up 40 oz to Freedom with Tommy Dubs and Irieside. Take a trip back to the David Lee Roth Days of Van Halen with tribute band Atomic Punks with Dust N Bones on Saturday, then close out the weekend with some ska courtesy of The Slackers, also featuring The Bullets and Social Green and DJ Duke Duel.

Photos courtesy of karindalziel  and poopenheim via Flickr.