Talkin’ the Casbah

After 20 years, the little music club on Kettner remains vital

 SAN DIEGO & ME

Few milestones are more underwhelming and less celebrated than 20th birthdays. However, if you’ve read much of the local press lately, you’ll know that plenty of ink is being dedicated to honoring the Casbah, San Diego’s longtime “it” music venue, and its 20-year anniversary this month. Far from being excessive, the abundance of coverage only signifies the importance of this unpolished jewel to our city.

Before I go any further, I must confess I’ve only been around for the past five of its 20 years. I never experienced the Casbah’s original location on Kettner (now the Kava Lounge), nor was I here for the San Diego music scene’s brief city-du-jour status as “the next Seattle.” Nonetheless, the Casbah I discovered exceeded my highest hopes for a music venue in my adopted city. Moving from the quirky, hipster-populated Northwest only to find here an abundance of indistinguishable beach bars and bridge-and-tunnel clubs downtown, I had hoped something a bit unique and, shall we say, cultured, existed. (I hadn’t yet discovered North Park — or at least the old North Park, before developers and entrepreneurs unleashed their weapons of mass gentrification.)

It was awhile before I ever ventured inside the Casbah, but until then, every time I drove past it I guessed it must be either amazing or unspeakably awful: Its memorable name, superjacent flophouses, buzzing planes, loitering drifters and steel, flame-shaped siding that’s so tacky it went past good and back to bad again; all the ingredients just seemed ... right.

Thus, with expectations like this, my first visit was quite moving. The courtyard adorned with lights; the classic arcade games; stiff drinks; decorative crescent moons; but above all, the energy. Even on a night when the club was only half-full, it felt so apparent: It was the place to be in San Diego; it was important. I knew it right away.

It speaks volumes that even as North Park steadily mutates beyond recognition and the nightlife market homogenizes, hipsters, with their notoriously fickle tastes and impossible standards of “credibility,” have never given up on the Casbah. It’s always maintained its status. It’s a destination. Because, as Troy Johnson says in CityBeat’s excellent recent oral history of the Casbah, it’s not just about the music. Whatever genre is playing, the place fosters a sense of culture. The conversations. The anticipation. The people-watching. It remains the most relevant spot in San Diego’s youthful arts scene — not only a place where local musicians ply their trade, but where the who’s-who in town come to carouse.

And though I employ the word “scene,” hardly any such thing exists inside those red walls, at least in its pejorative sense. Kudos to the open-minded owners and booking manager: I’ve witnessed rock, jazz, country, hip-hop, burlesque and John Waters grace the stage. Unless you only listen to reggae, you have no reason not to attend, and the demographics — on any given night — reflect this. Think about it: over 20 years, what other venue has been so inclusive and unintimidating?

For a fan of music, few sensations compare to that of moving to a new city and discovering the local scene. That’s what the Casbah means to me. Sure, Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins and The White Stripes played there. But its importance goes deeper. It is the conduit to San Diego’s own music scene and, by proxy, to whatever spark of soul, creativity and energy can be found in San Diego. Quite simply, at the Casbah, I feel connected to my city.

Although you might not find it in many guidebooks, make no mistake: The Casbah is a San Diego landmark. Here’s to 20 more memorable years of this San Diego institution — and a renovation of the restroom facilities.

Adam Elder is associate editor and Web editor of San Diego Magazine. His views do not necessarily reflect those of the magazine.

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