Your guide to San Diego's winter concert lineup
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Belly Up has a busy start to 2025. Photo: Belly Up Tavern
Forget San Diego's lackluster reputation as a music town. The next three months feature plenty of shows worthy of your time and money.
State of play: Touring acts seem eager to avoid the cold rain and snow promised by winter tours through the East Coast and Midwest, elevating the quality of live music in town through April.
Here's our roundup of 39 great shows, big and small, over the next three months.
January
8 — Peach Cooler is a local indie-pop act playing at Belly Up.
10 — Dogs in a Pile is back after a month-long Winstons residency last year, and they've graduated to Belly Up.
11 — Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, 90s rap superstars, are playing the Observatory.
15 — Railroad Earth play real deal bluegrass at Belly Up.
16 — Jackie Mendoza brings her electro pop to Whistle Stop.
16 — Futurebirds is a rocking cosmic country co-op headed to Belly Up.
16 — Alex Kautz Quartet concludes the fall jazz concert series at Athenaeum Music & Arts Library.
17 — Lee Fields and Monophonics are soul legends headed to the Observatory.
18 — Holo Holo Music Festival, the traveling island fest, heads to the brand-new Frontwave Arena.
18 — Bright Eyes and indie rock singer-songwriter Conor Oberst are playing The Sound.
20 — Auz Fontaine is joined for its Monday-night residency by standout local rapper Ric Scales at Soda Bar.
22 — Lettuce & GZA, the funk band and hip hop legend, are performing "Liquid Swords" at The Sound.
23 — Francisco Torres and Javier Cabanillas kick off the spring jazz series benefitting Mission Bay High's music program at Meraki.
24 — Boostive & Sure Fire Soul Ensemble bring a reggae/soul 1-2 party punch to Music Box.
24 — The Loons headline an anniversary party with their psychedelic freakout at the Casbah.
25 — Greensky Bluegrass takes its jam-focused bluegrass to The Sound.
26 — Tank and the Bangas perform their funky, soulful spoken word show at Music Box.
29 — Ruby G brings her jazzy-pop sound to Lou Lou's Jungle Room.
30 — Jesse Ray Smith, a San Diego Music Award nominee for best Americana album, plays the Music Box.
32 — ALO, a veteran jam band with laid-back California sound plays the Belly Up.
February
1 — Disco Biscuits, Philadelphia's trance fusion road warriors, are playing The Sound.
1 — Houndmouth is bringing its radio-friendly indie rock to the Observatory.
5 & 6 — moe. is a jamband playing a two-night run at Belly Up.
8 — Tijuana Panthers takes their surf rock to Soda Bar.
12 — Wild Pink is a heartland rock outfit playing Casbah.
14 — Warren G is keeping the G-Funk era alive at the Observatory.
16 — Steve Poltz is a local music legend playing at the Music Box.
18 — Balthvs is a Colombian psych funk trio and they've got a fitting opener in local band Spacehall Sound Machine at Quartyard.
19 — Shane Hall, the local blues man, is hitting Belly Up.
23 — Eggy, a young jam band with a yacht rock vibe, is playing Belly Up.
March
8 — Rose City Band is a 70s southern California throwback playing Soda Bar.
9 & 10 — Tyler, the Creator, one of the best active rappers, and Lil Yachty and Paris Texas are headed to the Pechanga Arena.
16 — Joy Oladokun, a folk and R&B singer-songwriter, is playing the Observatory.
16 — Oh, Rose takes its atmospheric pop led by frontwoman Olivia Rose to Soda Bar.
20 — Mikaela Davis & Circles Around the Sun play their psychedelic groove at Belly Up.
22 — CountryFest brings four acts headlined by Justin Moore to Gallagher Square.
23 — This is Lorelei deserves indie rock fame, and is headed to Casbah.
26 — Papa Roach is bringing the nu metal renaissance to Gallagher Square.
30 — Kim Deal, alt-rock pioneer and the original Pixies bassist, is headed to Observatory.