Cool jazz, hot jams, poppy fun, and Devo – Live music this week ...Middle East

A week of jazz, Britpop-inspired beats, dance-happy pop and old-school musical heroes shows that even when San Diego’s music scene is a little mellow, it’s far from boring. Check out some of the stellar musical acts going on around town this week and you might find your toes tapping along too.

Acoustic Evenings

The Acoustic Evenings concert series at the Athenaeum continues on April 10 with a show hosted by Jefferson Jay and set to include Evans Kontopuls and Jerry Raney, Joel Rafael and Gayle Skidmore.

It’s a strong bill. Kontopuls and Raney are key members in two of San Diego’s top bands, Switchback Railway and The Beat Farmers, respectively. Meanwhile, Rafael is one of the most beloved singer-songwriters in San Diego, with more than three decades of playing local stages to his credit. Rafael is such a good tunesmith that he’s been covered by the likes of David Crosby and Graham Nash. Finally, award-winning multi-instrumentalist Skidmore is playing in advance of the release of a new single and video, “The Road to Nowhere.”

Fans of any of these artists will love the rare opportunity to hear their music in one of San Diego’s best listening rooms.

Brian Levy Quartet

Jazz aficionados won’t want to miss the Brian Levy Quartet, who play a free, hour-long, afternoon concert in The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center’s courtyard on April 10.

The quartet is led by saxophonist Levy, who has inspired generations of musicians as both the director of jazz studies and as associate professor at SDSU. It also features gifted pianist Mikan Zlatkovich among its members. The show is part of the venue’s celebration of jazz giant John Coltrane’s centennial, and is set to feature a mix of his compositions and original songs inspired by him.

Devo

Great news for Devo fans! The band makes a stop in San Diego on April 15 at Humphreys Concerts by the Bay on what is billed as their “farewell tour.” Fans will be treated to a multi-media show covering Devo’s 50-plus year run as one of the most adventurous and iconic groups in music, with multiple costume changes, short films, and classic songs including “Uncontrollable Urge,” “Whip It,” and “Girl U Want.”

Longtime listeners won’t want to miss this chance to see one of the ’80s best-known groups, but the odds of a third local farewell show are slim.

The Memphis Soul Revue

Fans of classic 1960s and 1970s R&B and funk will want to head to Winston’s on April 11 for a special afternoon show from The Memphis Soul Revue of San Diego. The ten-piece, horn-driven band plays a fun set of crowd-pleasing dance floor fillers, with songs in their set lists from the likes of Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, and Kool & The Gang.

Attendees at this show are advised to look sharp as the band will be filming music videos of their versions of “Shake A Tail Feather,” as sung by Ray Charles in the 1980 film classic, “The Blues Brothers,” and Robert Parker’s 1966 hit, “Barefootin,” for release later this summer.

Kekoa the Artist

Hawaiian singer-songwriter Kekoa the Artist plays The Holding Company on April 11. Nominated for “Best World Music Artist” at the 2026 San Diego Music Awards, Kekoa’s mix of reggae and pop music, as well as relentless gigging, has built him a strong following in Southern California.

Kekoa’s versions of cover songs, such as late, former La Jollan, Bobby Caldwell’s standard “What You Won’t Do For Love,” are superb, recasting them with island rhythms, but fans are also drawn to his original socially conscious material, like the new single, “People Unite.”

The Moss

Hawaiian alt-rock trio The Moss stops in at The Quartyard on April 10. Formed in 2015, The Moss eschew the expected heavy reggae influences and traditional island sounds, instead mixing guitar-fronted rock ‘n’ roll with strong pop hooks.

The band has a long list of earworms in their set list, featuring songs such as “The Place That Makes Me Happy,” which have a youthful energy that’s irresistible, meant to play loud while you jump around. Fans of The Replacements or Weezer will find much to appreciate in The Moss.

Colin Hay

Australian singer-songwriter Colin Hay, frontman for ’80s hitmakers Men At Work, performs at the Balboa Theatre on April 11. Currently touring in support of his latest album, “Man @ Work Volume 2,” the night’s focus will be on Hay’s solo works of the past 30 years. Fans can rest assured Hay is still in great voice and does include several of Men At Work’s best-known songs in his sets, including “Who Can It Be Now?,” “It’s A Mistake,” and, sure to get the night’s biggest response, “Down Under.”

Fun fact: Hay returns to San Diego next month as a member of Ringo Starr’s All-Starr Band for a concert at Humphreys.

Whitney Shay

Blues and jazz singer Whitney Shay performs outdoors at Balboa Park’s Panama 66 on April 12. Located in the park’s Sculpture Garden, Panama 66 offers up one of the biggest bargains in San Diego: free music performances while you dine in one of the city’s most scenic locations, under the California Tower.

Meanwhile, Shay is one of the busiest performers in town, playing with several combos including The Styletones. For this show, she will be in solo mode, featuring songs from her acclaimed album, “A Woman Rules the World,” with dancing encouraged.

San Diego Music Awards Showcase

A terrific San Diego Music Awards Showcase takes place at The Casbah on April 12. The early afternoon concert features performances from a diverse lineup featuring several of this year’s nominees, including The Farmers, Go Scarlet, The Reckless, and Tamar Berk. The bill opens strong with pop/rock songstress Tamar Berk, with performances from up-and-comers Go Scarlet and The Reckless before wrapping up with long-running favorites, roots rockers, The Farmers.

These four artists have been packing local venues on their own; this concert, combining all their talents into one concert, should be at the top of the list this week for fans of the area’s burgeoning music community.

Bonus: Funds raised at this show go to the San Diego Music Foundation, helping to bring music education to the schools countywide.

Pleasure Pill

Brit-pop-inspired band Pleasure Pill will play at the Soda Bar on April 16. Just back from a West Coast tour, the band’s current album, “Hanging On A Star,” stands up well among their 1990s-era influences such as Oasis, The Stone Roses, and The Charlatans, with most of the songs sounding like potential singles. Pleasure Pill has a knack for penning original, atmospheric, post-punk sounding anthems, complete with sing-along choruses.

If you enjoy any of their aforementioned inspirations, you’ll love Pleasure Pill.

Hence then, the article about cool jazz hot jams poppy fun and devo live music this week was published today ( Wednesday 08/04/2026 - 12:23 AM ) 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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