{"id":88346,"date":"2025-12-09T23:59:08","date_gmt":"2025-12-09T23:59:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/88346\/"},"modified":"2025-12-09T23:59:08","modified_gmt":"2025-12-09T23:59:08","slug":"10-san-diego-concerts-to-celebrate-the-holidays-this-week","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/88346\/","title":{"rendered":"10 San Diego concerts to celebrate the holidays this week"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Western<\/a>Western Standard Time Ska Orchestra\u00a0will play at Lou Lou\u2019s on Dec. 12. (Photo courtesy of Sarah Fosa) <\/p>\n

Some of San Diego\u2019s top local talent hits stages across the county this week, from blues guitar masters and punk legends to ska orchestras and prog-rock supergroups.<\/p>\n

Here are ten shows you won\u2019t want to miss<\/a>, especially if you\u2019re looking for some live music to put you in the Christmas spirit.<\/p>\n

Blues guitarist Johnny Vernazza celebrates the release of his new album, \u201cHome by Christmas,\u201d with a special event at Humphreys Backstage Live on Dec. 17. Best known for his hit recordings with The Elvin Bishop Group, for this show Vernazza will be joined by the same all-star lineup that performs on his album, including guitarist Anthony Cullins, singer Mercedes Moore, saxophonist Walter Gentry, bassist Rob Burnham, and drummer Edward Cleveland. Vernazza\u2019s bluesy take on classics such as \u201cMerry Christmas Baby\u201d is the perfect soundtrack to get anyone in the Christmas spirit.<\/p>\n

Johnny Vernazza: Wednesday, Dec. 17 at Humphreys Concerts by the Bay, 2241 Shelter Island Drive. 6 p.m. $15. humphreysconcerts.com.<\/p>\n

Guitarist Roni Lee holds her annual Christmas party on Dec. 18 at The Holding Company. Lee was a pioneer in the early Southern California punk scene, playing with Venus & The Razor Blades and writing the song \u201cI Wanna Be Where The Boys Are,\u201d recorded by iconic all-female group, The Runaways. Fifty years since those initial forays into music, Lee is still touring the world and releasing great music, most recently an EP, \u201cFeels Good 2 Be Bad,\u201d featuring a rock \u2018n\u2019 roll take of the Michael Jackson hit, \u201cDirty Diana.\u201d Opening the show will be Manzanita Blues and The Taz Taylor Band.<\/p>\n

Roni Lee: Thursday, Dec. 18 at The Holding Company, 5046 Newport Ave., 8 p.m. $20. theholdingcompanyob.com.<\/p>\n

Hard rock fans won\u2019t want to miss Black Sabbath tribute group, Zakk Sabbath at the House of Blues on Dec. 16. Led by Zakk Wylde, former lead guitarist for Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne, the group plays hard-hitting versions of some of the biggest rock songs of the 1970s, including \u201cSnowblind,\u201d \u201cHand of Doom\u201d and set closer, \u201cWar Pigs.\u201d Fans of either Osbourne or Zakk Sabbath\u2019s namesake group will love the passion Wylde and his bandmates pour into their concerts, playing with an authenticity that can only come from having actually performed with the artist being honored.<\/p>\n

Zakk Sabbath: Tuesday, Dec. 16 at the House of Blues, 1055 10th Ave., 6 p.m. $99. sandiego.houseofblues.com.<\/p>\n

Lou Lou\u2019s famed shell-shaped stage is going to be extra crowded on Dec. 12, when the 20-piece Western Standard Time Ska Orchestra returns to the historic venue for two free shows. For these sets, the band will feature music from their new album, Fire and Water, as well as seasonal favorites. The band\u2019s updated version of classic uptempo 1960s Jamaican sounds will have the audience on their feet most of the night, with highlights sure to include such inspired song choices as The Beatles\u2019 \u201cBlackbird\u201d and \u201cSanta Claus Is Coming To Town.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Western Standard Time Ska Orchestra: Friday, Dec. 12 at Lou Lou\u2019s, 2223 El Cajon Blvd., 8 and 10 p.m. No cover. loulousclub.com.<\/p>\n

San Diego has one of North America\u2019s healthiest jazz communities, and that\u2019s largely due to the region\u2019s thriving music education programs. Anyone wanting to hear the area\u2019s top new jazz talent should head to Dizzy\u2019s on Dec. 12, when two of SDSU\u2019s jazz combos will perform under the direction of instructors, trumpeter Gilbert Castellanos and tenor saxophonist Brian Levy. Both Castellanos and Levy are headliners in their own right, but for this event, they will keep the focus squarely on their students, with a set list full of \u201950s and \u201960s era jazz standards sure to please even the most critical jazz buff.<\/p>\n

SDSU Jazz Combos: Friday, Dec. 12 at Dizzy\u2019s at Arias Hall, 1717 Morena Blvd. 7:30 p.m. $20. dizzysjazz.com.<\/p>\n

Roots-rock combo Ypsitucky mark the release of their debut album, \u201cHow The Hell,\u201d with a performance at Panama 66 on Dec. 13. Featuring singer-guitarist Ian Trumbull, fiddler Heather Vorwreck, bassist Ruben Ramos, and local drum legend Paul Brewin, the quartet plays music that country music fans in particular will love. Tracks on the album and in their current set, such as \u201cFall Out Of Love,\u201d sound like they could\u2019ve been sung or played by a lost band from the 1970s, while songs such as the title track could score airplay on modern country radio.<\/p>\n

Ypsitucky: Saturday, Dec. 13 at Panama 66, 1450 El Prado. 6 p.m. No cover. panama66.com.<\/p>\n

On Dec. 14, Daniel Cervantes holds a matinee release show at The Casbah for his new live album, \u201cThe Ride Or Die of Dude Cervantes and The Panchos.\u201d Best known for his work in acclaimed bands like Chest Fever and Mrs. Henry, Cervantes\u2019 own group shows a range of influences, from the glammy stomp of opener \u201cLesson Learned\u201d to the heartfelt cover of Santana\u2019s \u201cSamba Pa Ti.\u201d Making this show a must for local music fans, opening the afternoon will be The Sleepwalkers, whose infectious cumbia rhythms will be sure to keep the dance floor packed.<\/p>\n

Originally from Calgary, Canada, harmony-driven rockers Daring Greatly have built a tremendous following since relocating to San Diego in 2015. Headlining Music Box on Dec. 18, Daring Greatly<\/a> has a sound centered on rock \u2018n\u2019 roll with touches of Americana, country and folk, all wrapped around anthemic song hooks, as heard on their most recent single, \u201cOh Brother.\u201d Winners of the 2023 San Diego Music Awards\u2019 \u201cSong of the Year\u201d for their single \u201cNever A Goodbye,\u201d the band is stadium-ready with a big sound and stage presence to match. Opening the show will be Jesse Ray Smith and Alex Bergan.<\/p>\n

Daring Greatly: Thursday, Dec. 18 at Music Box, 1337 India St., 9 p.m. $26. musicboxsd.com.<\/p>\n

The San Diego Troubadour holds its annual Christmas party at Tio Leo\u2019s on Dec. 14. The year\u2019s biggest holiday gathering for the local music community, a who\u2019s who of the area\u2019s performers are usually in attendance, with an ongoing tented jam session during the event, as well as main stage performances from the Zzymzzy Quartet, Dolly\u2019s Revenge, Chuck Schiele\u2019s American Grind, Zavala Sol, Blame Betty, and The Bastards. All these groups are great and well worth hearing, but the Bastards are standouts, with an impressive lineup that includes some of San Diego\u2019s best players, including Jeff Berkeley, Shawn Rohlf, Tim Flannery, Ben Zinn, Patrick McClory, and Danny Campbell.<\/p>\n

The San Diego Troubadour Christmas Party: Sunday, Dec. 14 at Tio Leo\u2019s, 6333 Mission Gorge Rd. 7 p.m. $25. www.tioleos.com<\/p>\n

Acclaimed prog-rock super group Stick Men stops in at The Bornemann on Dec. 14. The band features percussionist Pat Mastelotto of King Crimson, guitarist Markus Reuter, and one of the most recorded bassists in history, Tony Levin. This is a dream gig for prog-rock aficionados. Each night\u2019s set opens with an improvisation piece before heading into tracks from their 14 albums to date. While the concert\u2019s focus is on new material, several King Crimson covers have been included in recent shows, including \u201cRed\u201d and \u201cLarks\u2019 Tongues in Aspic, Part Two.\u201d Opening the night will be Chapman Stick player Tom Griesgraber, joined by guitarist Andre Cholmondeley of Project\/Object.<\/p>\n

Stickmen: Sunday, Dec. 14 at The Bornemann, 555 Deer Springs Road. 5 p.m. $35 and up. thebornemann.com.<\/p>\n

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