Blair Gun, a fast-paced post-punk band from San Diego, is organizing a festival for up-and-coming bands at the Happy Battle Surf Shop this weekend. (Photo courtesy of Blair Gun)
Happy Battle does more than sell surfboards.
The small surf shop on El Cajon Boulevard has become a breeding ground for San Diego’s DIY underground rock scene. It has given young bands a venue to throw free shows in an open environment, letting them cut their teeth and build a music community.
Blair Gun, a local fast-paced post-punk outfit, has played there numerous times — and now they’re organizing a free festival this weekend along with local promoters Magnol Collective.
“We’ve grown up seeing shows there and met many friends,” said Zach Cavor, the band’s guitarist, said in an email interview.
The do-it-yourself shows taking place in Happy Battle’s parking lot have nurtured Blair Gun’s growth, after many of its members met at an early show at the venue.
Since opening his doors on El Cajon Boulevard in 2016, owner Mark Polintan has made it a goal to foster the growth of young musicians like Blair Gun.
“I have a lot of my friends that play music and I always love to support it,” Polintan said.
The latest event and first of 2025 is slated for Saturday, Nov. 1 in the Happy Battle Surf Shop parking lot from 4:30 to 10 p.m. The free event is open to all ages and features six local up-and-coming San Diego alternative rock bands: Blair Gun, Band Argument, Slacker, Sands, Kook and Chorduroy.
Polintan, who grew up in the Philippines but lived in New York City, always admired the underground punk rock scenes that flourished in mid-1970s New York, particularly the storied club CBGB that saw the birth of bands like Television, Talking Heads and The Ramones. Polintan wanted to create a space like that one in San Diego.
“There’s a lot of these spots that these [San Diego] bands played, but this one is more raw,” he said. “That kind of DIY style, I like it.”
Polintan sees it as a positive way to support the local music community and help young bands build a fanbase and let their music grow. He tries to keep these events free and open to all ages. Cavor said the free all ages show helped the band and scene grow.
“The DIY shows, especially the free ones, are always great because people need live music for much cheaper than it’s been made to cost,” Cavor said.
Sands, another band on the lineup, has a bright, upbeat punk sound. They’ve played alongside Blair Gun and others for years.
Bassist Basil Bielawski said small DIY shows create a low-pressure environment to experiment and get their music to a local audience.
She and Sands guitarist/vocalist Brandon Browning said San Diego’s scene is more collaborative than bigger cities, like Los Angeles.
“There’s a genuine spirit and energy here,” Bielawski said. “San Diego gets overlooked compared to bigger cities like LA, but bands here have more room to experiment without chasing trends or trying to climb some sort of ladder.”
Slacker, also playing the festival, is a testament to that collaborative spirit. Their new album is produced by the drummer of Band Argument, Jordan Krimston.
Band Argument is slated to play Saturday and is the most experimental band on the bill. The band’s genre-less sound feels like a dreamier Black Midi. Their new album “if the accident will” pushes the envelope of post punk.
Slacker bassist Avery Nelson said the San Diego scene displays a genre diversity that the festival will showcase.
“You have punk, shoegaze, dad rock, metal, grunge, indie and all of it can be heard in one show,” Nelson said.
When curating the lineup, Cavor said many of the bands featured recently released music or are releasing music in the near future. The groups play fast, upbeat music, a trait Cavor hopes generates energy that flows both ways between the audience and the bands. Most of all, there is a hope that they build community through their music.
“I think it’s much better that we all just come together and enjoy art made by our friends in person,” Cavor said.
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