This year’s crown jewels of local musical talent will be celebrated over the next week with the 35th annual San Diego Music Awards, with an assortment of excellent acts — both related and unrelated — leading up to the big event. Mark the dates on your calendar and get out and about if you can, because these musical acts are not to be missed.
San Diego Music Awards
The year’s biggest event for the area’s music community, the San Diego Music Awards, takes place on May 6 at Humphreys Concerts by the Bay. The 35th annual ceremony will honor nominees in 28 categories, with this year’s Lifetime Achievement award going to troubadour Steve Poltz.
The night will include a performance from a special one-off group, The San Diego Blues Allstars, featuring Whitney Shay, Anthony Cullins, Robin Henkel, and Sue Palmer, as well as music from Agent 51, The Frights, sullvn, Obed Padilla, and the Young Lions.
It’s a great party with many of the area’s musical movers and shakers and top artists in attendance, making this a great event for anyone interested in San Diego’s music. All funds raised on the big night go to the San Diego Music Foundation and the Guitars for Schools program.
35th Annual San Diego Music Awards: Wednesday, May 6 at Humphreys Concerts by the Bay, 2241 Shelter Island Dr., Shelter Island. 7 p.m. $46 and up. humphreysconcerts.com.SDMA Showcase
In advance of the big show on May 6, the Casbah hosts a final 2026 showcase concert for the San Diego Music Awards on May 2.
Set to feature nominees Agent 51, Beta 7, Slacker, and Thee Allergic Reaction, the night gives the area’s rock fans a chance to check out a lot of talent in one go, with funds raised going to help keep music in San Diego County’s schools.
All the groups are worthy listens, but fans will want to make sure and get there early to catch the set from fuzz-drenched, Farfisa-driven, garage rockers Thee Allergic Reaction. As heard on their nominated self-titled debut album, for anyone who appreciates mid-1960s-inspired rock, it doesn’t get much better.
San Diego Music Awards Showcase: Saturday, May 2, at The Casbah, 2501 Kettner Blvd. 8:30 p.m. $16.High Tide Society
Yacht rock aficionados won’t want to miss an appearance from High Tide Society at Winston’s on May 1. The group performs excellent renditions of pop-rock hits from the 1970s and 1980s, ranging from obvious choices such as Looking Glass’s “Brandy” and The Bee Gees’ “Jive Talkin,'” to genre-stretching favorites such as The Doobie Brothers “Long Train Runnin’” and Michael Jackson’s “PYT.”
A veritable jukebox of sing-along favorites, with a focus on dance floor fillers, High Tide Society’s shows are always a lot of fun.
High Tide Society: Friday, May 1, at Winston’s, 1921 Bacon St., 7 p.m. $10.Vanessa Falabella Duo
Fans of bossa nova and Brazilian sounds in general will want to check out a free concert from the Vanessa Falabella Duo, taking place as part of the free lunchtime Concerts in the Courtyard series at the La Jolla Community Center. Falabella will perform a tribute show to the giants of bossa nova: Tom Jobim, João Gilberto, and Astrud Gilberto.
Backed by a solo acoustic guitar, Falabella does a wonderful job of singing the classic standards, capturing the music’s joyful nature. Touring in support of her latest album, Goldmine, Falabella’s mix of jazz, pop, and Brazilian rhythms in concert will appeal to fans of artists such as Brasil 66 and make for a great start to a work week.
Vanessa Falabella Duo: Friday, May 1, at the La Jolla Community Center, 6811 La Jolla Blvd. Noon. Free.Peter Sprague
One of San Diego’s most gifted artists, Peter Sprague, performs with his trio at the Athenaeum on May 4 as part of the venue’s free lunchtime concert series. Sprague is one of the foundations of San Diego’s music community.
Best known for his jazz work, he’s been performing since the 1970s, at first with the Dance of the Universe Orchestra, then with a succession of groups including Blurring the Edges, playing along the way with a long list of music notables including Charles McPherson, Chick Corea, and Dianne Reeves. Sprague’s latest recording is a Beatles tribute, “All You Need Is Love,” but whatever he chooses to play at this show promises to be a treat for the audience.
Peter Sprague Trio: Monday, May 4, at the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library, 1008 Wall St. Noon. Free.Meshell Ndegeocello
Iconic bassist Meshell Ndegeocello takes the stage at the Epstein Family Amphitheatre on May 6. A gifted player, Ndegeocello has only had one chart hit, 1994’s “Wild Night,” but she has cast a large shadow over music in the ensuing decades. In addition to her own works, she’s also recorded with a diverse group of artists that includes the likes of Pat Metheny, Madonna, and The Blind Boys of Alabama.
Three decades in, Ndegeocello continues to be a vital performer, with her latest album, “No More Water: The Gospel of James Baldwin,” recently scoring a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Jazz Album.
Meshell Ndegeocello: Wednesday, May 6, at the Epstein Family Amphitheater, 9500 Gilman Drive. 7 p.m. $20 and up.Crocodiles
Currently touring in support of their new album, “Greetings From Hell,” noise pop band Crocodiles make an appearance at The Whistle Stop on May 1. Fans are going to want to get there early for this one, as the venue is tiny in comparison to most of the places the band plays. Formed in 2008, the new single, “Time Is Wasting Me,” shows the band hasn’t slowed down one bit, offering up a terrific blast of adrenaline-charged rock ‘n’ roll.
Crocodiles: Friday, May 1, at the Whistle Stop, 2236 Fern St., 9 p.m. $18.Jacqui Rivera
Singer Jacqie Rivera comes to The Music Box on May 2. The daughter of Mexican music icon Jenni Rivera, she’s perhaps best known for reality shows, “I Love Jenni” and “The Riveras,” but that’s changing with the release of her excellent debut album, “En Otra Vida.” Singing in both Spanish and English, Rivera has a strong ear for melody.
Songs such as her current single, “300 Veces,” are hook-filled modern pop gems, while her updated version of another music icon’s daughter’s song, Nancy Sinatra’s “These Boots Are Made For Walking,” shows that her arranging skills are top-notch as well, adding a bluesy zydeco touch to the evergreen tune.
Jacqie Rivera: Saturday, May 2, at Music Box, 1337 India St., 9 p.m. $60.Jim Messina
Legendary singer-songwriter Jim Messina stops in at The Belly Up Tavern on May 5. Not many artists get a chance at the brass ring once, let alone three times, but Messina is a gifted musician. Even Messina’s garage band days of the early 1960s playing with His Jesters, a surf-inspired band, have become iconic, but it’s the run of groups that followed it that cemented his reputation: The Buffalo Springfield, Poco, and Loggins & Messina, three of the best-known hitmakers of the 1960s and 1970s.
Fans can rest assured that Messina includes songs from all three groups in his current set list, with highlights sure to include “House at Pooh Corner” and “Danny’s Song.”
Jim Messina: Tuesday, May 5 at The Belly Up Tavern, 143 S. Cedros Ave., 8 p.m. $103.Fred Benedetti
Acclaimed guitarist Fred Benedetti has a new, monthly residency at Dizzy’s, kicking off on May 7. There are many great guitarists in San Diego, but Benedetti is in a class of his own, a virtuoso at playing any stringed instrument, classical and jazz a specialty. For this show, however, Benedetti will be performing the music of The Beatles, recasting songs such as “Here Comes The Sun” and “Strawberry Fields Forever,” and “Eleanor Rigby” as acoustic instrumentals.
Benedetti’s arrangements of Beatles favorites are brilliant. Fab Four fans will enjoy every second of this show, but anyone who appreciates classical guitar will find much to enjoy as well.
Fred Benedetti: Thursday, May 7, at Dizzy’s at Arias Hall, 1717 Morena Blvd., 8 p.m. $20.Hence then, the article about san diego music awards season with all that entails and much more live music this week was published today ( ) and is available on Times of San Diego ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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