Cool jazz, scorching jams, poppy enjoyable, and Devo – Dwell music this week

Per week of jazz, Britpop-inspired beats, dance-happy pop and old-school musical heroes exhibits that even when San Diego’s music scene is somewhat mellow, it’s removed from boring. Check out a number of the stellar musical acts occurring round city this week and also you may discover your toes tapping alongside too.

Acoustic Evenings

The Acoustic Evenings live performance sequence on the Athenaeum continues on April 10 with a present hosted by Jefferson Jay and set to incorporate Evans Kontopuls and Jerry Raney, Joel Rafael and Gayle Skidmore.

It’s a powerful invoice. Kontopuls and Raney are key members in two of San Diego’s prime bands, Switchback Railway and The Beat Farmers, respectively. Meanwhile, Rafael is without doubt one of the most beloved singer-songwriters in San Diego, with greater than three a long time of enjoying native levels to his credit score. Rafael is such an excellent tunesmith that he’s been coated by the likes of David Crosby and Graham Nash. Finally, award-winning multi-instrumentalist Skidmore is enjoying upfront of the discharge of a brand new single and video, “The Road to Nowhere.”

Fans of any of those artists will love the uncommon alternative to listen to their music in considered one of San Diego’s greatest listening rooms.

Brian Levy Quartet

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

The quartet is led by saxophonist Levy, who has impressed generations of musicians as each the director of jazz research and as affiliate professor at SDSU. It additionally options gifted pianist Mikan Zlatkovich amongst its members. The present is a part of the venue’s celebration of jazz big John Coltrane’s centennial, and is about to function a mixture of his compositions and unique songs impressed by him.

Devo

Great information for Devo followers! The band makes a cease in San Diego on April 15 at Humphreys Concerts by the Bay on what’s billed as their “farewell tour.” Fans can be handled to a multi-media present overlaying Devo’s 50-plus yr run as one of the vital adventurous and iconic teams in music, with a number of costume modifications, brief movies, and basic songs together with “Uncontrollable Urge,” “Whip It,” and “Girl U Want.”

Longtime listeners gained’t need to miss this opportunity to see one of many ’80s best-known teams, however the odds of a 3rd native farewell present are slim.

The Memphis Soul Revue

Fans of basic Nineteen Sixties and Nineteen Seventies R&B and funk will need to head to Winston’s on April 11 for a particular afternoon present from The Memphis Soul Revue of San Diego. The ten-piece, horn-driven band performs a enjoyable set of crowd-pleasing dance ground fillers, with songs of their set lists from the likes of Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, and Kool & The Gang.

Attendees at this present are suggested to look sharp because the band can be filming music movies of their variations of “Shake A Tail Feather,” as sung by Ray Charles within the 1980 movie basic, “The Blues Brothers,” and Robert Parker’s 1966 hit, “Barefootin,” for launch later this summer time.

• The Memphis Soul Revue of San Diego: Saturday, April 11, at Winston’s, 1921 Bacon St., 4 p.m. $10.

Kekoa the Artist

Hawaiian singer-songwriter Kekoa the Artist performs The Holding Company on April 11. Nominated for “Best World Music Artist” on the 2026 San Diego Music Awards, Kekoa’s mixture of reggae and pop music, in addition to relentless gigging, has constructed him a powerful following in Southern California.

Kekoa’s variations of canopy songs, similar to late, former La Jollan, Bobby Caldwell’s commonplace “What You Won’t Do For Love,” are very good, recasting them with island rhythms, however followers are additionally drawn to his unique socially aware materials, like the brand new single, “People Unite.”

• Kekoa the Artist: Saturday, April 11, at The Holding Company, 5046 Newport Ave., 7:30 p.m. $10.

The Moss

Hawaiian alt-rock trio The Moss stops in at The Quartyard on April 10. Formed in 2015, The Moss eschew the anticipated heavy reggae influences and conventional island sounds, as an alternative mixing guitar-fronted rock ‘n’ roll with sturdy pop hooks.

The band has a protracted checklist of earworms of their set checklist, that includes songs similar to “The Place That Makes Me Happy,” which have a youthful vitality that’s irresistible, meant to play loud when you bounce round. Fans of The Replacements or Weezer will discover a lot to understand in The Moss.

• The Moss: Friday, April 10, at The Quartyard, 1301 Market St., 6 p.m. $33.

Colin Hay

Australian singer-songwriter Colin Hay, frontman for ’80s hitmakers Men At Work, performs on the Balboa Theatre on April 11. Currently touring in assist of his newest album, “Man @ Work Volume 2,” the evening’s focus can be on Hay’s solo works of the previous 30 years. Fans can relaxation assured Hay remains to be in nice voice and does embrace a number of of Men At Work’s best-known songs in his units, together with “Who Can It Be Now?,” “It’s A Mistake,” and, positive to get the evening’s largest response, “Down Under.”

Fun truth: Hay returns to San Diego subsequent month as a member of Ringo Starr’s All-Starr Band for a live performance at Humphreys.

• Colin Hay: Saturday, April 11, on the Balboa Theatre, 868 Fourth Ave., 7 p.m. $50 and up.

Whitney Shay

Blues and jazz singer Whitney Shay performs open air at Balboa Park’s Panama 66 on April 12. Located within the park’s Sculpture Garden, Panama 66 presents up one of many largest bargains in San Diego: free music performances when you dine in one of many metropolis’s most scenic places, underneath the California Tower.

Meanwhile, Shay is without doubt one of the busiest performers on the town, enjoying with a number of combos together with The Styletones. For this present, she can be in solo mode, that includes songs from her acclaimed album, “A Woman Rules the World,” with dancing inspired.

• Whitney Shay: Sunday, April 12, at Panama 66, 1450 El Prado. 4 p.m. Free.

San Diego Music Awards Showcase

A terrific San Diego Music Awards Showcase takes place at The Casbah on April 12. The early afternoon live performance options performances from a various lineup that includes a number of of this yr’s nominees, together with The Farmers, Go Scarlet, The Reckless, and Tamar Berk. The invoice opens sturdy with pop/rock songstress Tamar Berk, with performances from up-and-comers Go Scarlet and The Reckless earlier than wrapping up with long-running favorites, roots rockers, The Farmers.

These 4 artists have been packing native venues on their very own; this live performance, combining all their abilities into one live performance, must be on the prime of the checklist this week for followers of the world’s burgeoning music neighborhood.

Bonus: Funds raised at this present go to the San Diego Music Foundation, serving to to deliver music schooling to the faculties countywide.

• 2026 SDMA Showcase: Sunday, April 12, at The Casbah, 2501 Kettner Blvd., 4 p.m. $16. the casbah.com.

Pleasure Pill

Brit-pop-inspired band Pleasure Pill will play on the Soda Bar on April 16. Just again from a West Coast tour, the band’s present album, “Hanging On A Star,” stands up nicely amongst their Nineteen Nineties-era influences similar to Oasis, The Stone Roses, and The Charlatans, with many of the songs sounding like potential singles. Pleasure Pill has a knack for penning unique, atmospheric, post-punk sounding anthems, full with sing-along choruses.

If you take pleasure in any of their aforementioned inspirations, you’ll love Pleasure Pill.

• Pleasure Pill: Thursday, April 16, on the Soda Bar, 3615 El Cajon Blvd. 7 p.m. $19.