Thee Sacred Souls, La Lom, The Womack Sisters
Will the least-known act steal the show at Friday night’s concert at Gallagher Square at Petco Park?
That could be a tall order considering that San Diego’s Thee Sacred Souls has a well-earned reputation for delivering impeccably polished, crowd-pleasing performances.
Add in the mid-evening set by the Los Angeles trio La Lom — which specializes in a dance-happy mix of cumbia, boleros, rockabilly and more — and trying to steal the show becomes an even more daunting challenge.
But don’t be surprised if The Womack Sisters, whose opening set at Friday night’s concert will mark their San Diego debut open, score the biggest triumph of the evening.
The siblings — Kucha, Zeimani and BG — are fresh, vibrant singers who have deep musical bloodlines as the granddaughters of Sam Cooke. They are the daughters of singer-songwriters Cecil and Linda Womack, whose resumé includes writing memorable songs that have been recorded by Wilson Pickett, James Taylor, Teddy Pendergrass, Eric Clapton, The O’Jays and Bobby Womack, who is the late Cecil’s brother.
The three sisters cut their teeth as harmony singers on tours with their parents, whose own hits included “Teardrops,” “Love Wars,” “Celebrate” and “Uptown.” Their parents’ careers resulted in a lot of traveling and the sisters grew up in Bangkok, Paris, Johannesburg, Amsterdam and — primarily — London.
The sisters were kids when they made their recording debut, along with their four other siblings, on their parents’ terrific 1993 album, “Transformation to the House of Zekkariyas.” One of the sisters, Zeimani, was a baby when she appeared on the cover of Womack and Womack’s 1983 album, “Conscience.”
Released Aug. 14, The Womack Sisters’ self-titled debut album is an unassuming delight. Steeped in classic 1960s soul, the sisters deftly trade off on lead and harmony vocals. Their songs sound both fresh and nostalgic, and at times, evoke a reborn Diana Ross & The Supremes, by way of Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings.
By coincidence, the sisters record for Daptone Records. That’s the same Brooklyn label whose roster also includes Thee Sacred Souls and was the home to Sharon Jones until her death in 2016.
The sisters’ songwriting chops are solid — no surprise given their lineage — and their interplay as singers is a constant delight. Standout selections on the album include the blues-drenched “I Just Don’t Want You (To Say Goodbye),” the musically jaunty “If I Let You,” the alternately yearning and empowering “Chauffeur” (a song inspired by the sisters’ experiences as Uber drivers in Los Angeles) and the gospel-drenched “My Sisters and Me” (which stylistically sounds like an homage to their legendary grandfather)
Speaking of Sam Cooke, missing from the album is a Cooke classic that is a stirring staple of the sisters’ live shows, a terrific 2022 version of “A Change Is Gonna Come.” Their concerts also include a potent rendition of their parents’ biggest hits “Teardrops.”
Having performed recently at the nearly 18,000-capacity Hollywood Bowl, The Womack Sisters are no strangers to large concert settings. Here’s hoping their concert here in the shadow of Petco Park will be a home run.
7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28. Gallagher Square at Petco Park, 899 J Street, downtown. $93.02. ticketmaster.com
Susan J. Weiand / Courtesy Stinkfoot Orchestra
The Stinkfoot Orchestra will salute the music of Frank Zappa with former Zappa band singer and saxophonist Napoleon Murphy Brock, shown at center in back and white t-shit. (Susan J. Weiand / Courtesy Stinkfoot Orchestra)
The Stinkfoot Orchestra, featuring Napoleon Murphy Brock
Quick! Name each and evert Frank Zappa tribute band that has emerged since the 1993 death of Zappa, the iconoclastic composer, guitarist, band leader and cultural provocateur who drummed in the San Diego band The Blackouts and attended both Mission Bay and Grossmont high schools.
That’s a near impossible task given how many Zappa tribute groups have performed around the globe. They range from Connecticut’s Z3 and New York’s Ed Palermo Big Band and Project Object to Brazil’s Let’s Zappalin, Japan’s Zoot, England’s Zappatistas and the mid 1990s Irish band The Sons of Mr. Green Genes, which featured the then-19-year-old actor Cillian Murphy on guitar.
Closer to home, San Francisco’s brassy Stinkfoot Orchestra was launched in 2021. Stinkfoot, which boasts a 14-member lineup, made its San Diego debut in 2024, with former Zappa band mainstay Napoleon Murphy Brock as its featured guest.
The group’s return gig here Friday night at Music Box again teams them with singer and saxophonist Brock, who will be featured on such Zappa favorites as “Montana,” “Uncle Meat,” “Camarillo Brillo,” “I’m The Slime” and more. And for those who want to hear a Zappa live in the flesh, Frank’s oldest son, Dweezil, will perform here Nov. 27 at The Magnolia in El Cajon as part of his “Like Father, Like Son” tour.
9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28. The Music Box, 1337 India Street, Little Italy. $31.66 (must be 21 or older to attend). ticketweb.com
Former Miles Davis and Roberta Flack basisst Marshall Hawkins will perform Sunday at the Bass Summit at Tio Leo’s in Bay Park. (Courtesy of Scott Edwards-Silva, Idyllwild Arts)
Rob Thorsen’s Bass Summit, featuring Marshall Hawkins
Six bassists walk into a bar…
That’s no joke.
San Diego jazz standout Rob Thorsen debuted his annual bass summit concerts 18 years ago to showcase the wealth of area musical talent on the instrument he has devoted his life to.
This year’s lineup will team him with former Miles Davis and Roberta Flack bass great Marshall Hawkins, Katie Thiroux, Collier Keitani, Justin Grinnell and Julian Esparza. Each will be featured individually and will team up for two songs together.
Pianist Melonie Grinnell and drummer Richard Sellers will accompany all of them. Admission is free, so arrive early to ensure you get a good seat — or any seat at all.
5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 30. Tio Leo’s, 5302 Napa Street, Bay Park. Free. tioleos.com