Live music is back in San Diego—and now it’s on four wheels.Ever since the pandemic shuttered music venues, local bands and concertgoers have been itching for a taste of live music. The solution? A souped-up, double-decker bus that doubles as a mobile music venue.
Wonderbus is a traveling concert that will feature local artists and reach audiences all across the county. The top level of the bus features a full stage ready for any gig, with lights, a drum set, and complete sound system. The bottom level hosts a VIP section with tables, TVs, and a cocktail bar.
Wonderbus will tour three days a week through different communities, featuring artists of all genres of music, including rock, reggae, pop, and country. It sticks around for a few songs before it heads off to the next street. The appeal of the bus as a mobile entertainment venue is that it can take off at any minute—specifically if the crowds don’t follow the COVID-safe rules required for the experience.
Wonderbus’s mysterious nature is part of the fun. Every weekend, it changes route and features different bands that you won’t know until that week. No neighborhood will get left behind—the party machine will be rolling from South Bay to North and East County and everywhere in between.“It’s really about taking it to all different communities and bringing the gift of music,” says Ernie Hahn, one of the cofounders. “Live music is a gift, and our plan is to make sure everybody can see it and hear it.”
Hahn, who is also chairman of the board for Wonderfront Festival, says the bus will stick around after the pandemic and become a part of the Wonderfront experience (which he hopes can take place in November). There are plans to use the music bus for more pop-up concerts, events, and even a festival-like experience with several buses.“
The entertainment and fun that can happen with it is pretty endless,” Hahn says. “I think it’s going to be a whole new way of how people look at live entertainment and spontaneity.”
No matter your niche, hobby or utmost passion, there are many worthwhile events to check out this weekend. Those opting for time inside can explore local cinema, such as a Say Anything screening and Q&A with John Cusack or the San Diego International Jewish Film Festival. Art and history will collide in Balboa Park for the Timken Museum’s Renaissance-focused Art in the Evening lecture, along with the premiere of three exhibitions at the San Diego Museum of Art to celebrate its 100th anniversary. Plus, save room for Visit Oceanside’s second annual Swell Plates Series and the return of San Diego Restaurant Week.
Sample the best of Oceanside cuisine through the 2nd annual Swell Plates Series, with 17 participating eateries offering limited-time menu items including Dija Mara’s seasonal persimmon dessert, The Plot’s banana peel torta, the espresso martini with smoked sea salt at Frankie’s, and Wrench & Rodent’s weekly catch. This year’s series will also feature weekend food tours, which come with four Swell Plates and the chance to converse with participating chefs. Tour reservations are $99 per person. Plus, most locations will also allow diners to round up or donate $1 per Swell Plate to local environmental nonprofit Wildcoast.
Oceanside
San Diego Restaurant Week
January 25 – February 1
Take your taste buds on a trip around San Diego County, with over 100 participating restaurants offering seasonal dishes, limited-edition drinks or multi-course menus as part of San Diego Restaurant Week. Beginning this Sunday, patrons are invited to peruse a wide range of culinary deals across this eight-day event. Search by neighborhood, price or cuisine, browse at random, or see what your local faves have in store, then dine to your heart’s desire. As always, reservations are highly encouraged to ensure a seat at the table of your choosing.
Citywide
Concerts & Festivals in San Diego This Weekend
Goddess Groove: A Night of Music, Art & Feminine Power at Quartyard
January 23
Vibe to the dreamy tunes of Nubella Honey and Swooon during Goddess Groove: A Night of Music, Art & Feminine Power this Friday from 6-9 p.m. at Quartyard. Nubella Honey, a North Carolina native, has a warm and inviting voice that glides through rock, funk and the blues, with her full-length debut, Sagittarius, a wonderful showcase of her abilities. Meanwhile, the music of Swooon, a melodious trio consisting of musicians Helena Holleran, Divina Jasso and Jasmine Bailey, blends its members’ voices to create a harmoniously lush sound. Tickets are $19.
1301 Market Street, East Village
The Silo Room One-Year Anniversary
January 24
Since January 2025, local music fans have entered through the alley of Bread & Salt and into The Silo Room once a month for secret concerts. After a year full of experimental shows, the Logan Heights venue will embark on Trip 13 this Saturday at 7 p.m., a one-year anniversary celebration and retrospective highlighting a few previously featured artists. Expect a DJ set from Preston Swirnoff, as well as performances from ethereal electronic artist Irwin and Floodflower, who headlined The Silo Room’s inaugural show. Tickets are $23.
1955 Julian Avenue, Logan Heights
Camarada: Creativity & Madness at The Conrad
January 24
Chamber music ensemble Camarada continues its 2025-26 residency season at The Conrad with Creativity & Madness this Saturday at 7:30 p.m. This concert will feature a harmonious array of instruments, with musicians playing the marimba, flute, cajón, piano, guitar and more whilst performing famous Baroque pieces. These enduring works will be paired with narration from Robert John Hughes and three contemporary selections, including composer Jordan Kuspa’s biodiversity-inspired Breath of the Ocean. Tickets range from $28 to $98.
7600 Fay Avenue, La Jolla
San Diego International Jewish Film Festival
January 24 – February 4
See global cinematic perspectives throughout the 36th annual San Diego International Jewish Film Festival at Lawrence Family JCC. The festivities will include dozens of feature film screenings, plus short film programs, guest speakers and community engagement events, including receptions and a Holocaust Remembrance Day reading. This Saturday, the festival will kick off with The Joyce Short Film Series Program 1 (free) at 4 p.m. and the opening night film Once Upon My Mother ($22) at 7 p.m. Explore the screening schedule at David & Dorothea Garfield Theatre for individual tickets (some are complimentary, and most are $22 per person).
Ryan Hardison is a freelance arts and entertainment writer and recent graduate of San Diego State. When he's not staring at his laptop, he's likely eating an adobada burrito or getting sunburnt at the beach.
Out with the old, in with the new (year). While you tinker with a new set of resolutions, there are many ways to savor the remainder of 2025 and welcome in 2026. Partygoers can spend New Year’s Eve exploring the Hard Rock Hotel’s annual end-of-year bash or enjoying bass drops around Petco Park during Proper NYE/NYD. Sports fans can catch the San Diego Sockers or keep up with the many features of the Holiday Bowl, including the Band Bash, the downtown parade, the Game Day 5K and of course, the big game. In addition, the Salute to Vienna New Year’s Concert, the musical SIX and Thumbprint Gallery’s Creative Blocks: Sublimity exhibition are great ways to start the new year feeling inspired.
For those wanting to splurge on their last meal of 2025, look no further than Valle, the Michelin star Mexican eatery located on the ground floor of Mission Pacific Beach Resort. This Wednesday, chef/owner Roberto Alcocer will guide patrons on a multi-course eating expedition with seasonal components, optional curated wine pairings, and a scenic (hopefully rain-free) view of the Oceanside coast. Tickets are $305 per person, including tax and gratuity, with seatings every half hour from 5-8:30 p.m.
222 North Pacific Street, Oceanside
Timeless NYE at Hard Rock Hotel San Diego
December 31
Dance into 2026 at Timeless NYE this Wednesday from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m., with over a dozen local DJs, plus tunes from Sam Blacky, Alibi and DJ Five across three floors and seven distinct party spots at Hard Rock Hotel San Diego. Vanderpump Rules and The Valley star Brittany Cartwright will host the proceedings, which will include pop-up bars, arcades, a rooftop photo booth and a red carpet entrance. This year’s event will also feature the Bubbly Fast Pass, which grants attendees front-of-line access, entry to two exclusive lounges and four complimentary glasses of champagne. General admission starts at $91, plus there are several VIP options ($800+).
The final installment of The Westgate Hotel’s seasonal Winter Wonderland Tea will run daily this Wednesday-Sunday inside the hotel’s Grand Lobby. Guests will select their preferred tea and be treated to an individual teapot, a wintery selection of sweets, scones and snacks and harmonious live music from a harpist. Reservations are available via OpenTable, with seatings every 15 minutes between 1 and 2 p.m. Tickets are $65 (plus tax and gratuity) and come with a take-home gift as well as a glass of champagne for 21+ guests.
1055 Second Avenue, Gaslamp
Photo Credit: Alan Gelati
Concerts & Festivals in San Diego This Weekend
Proper NYE/NYD
December 31 & January 1
FNGRS CRSSD will conclude its 10th year and enter year 11 on a high during its 21+ Proper NYE/NYD festival at Petco Park. This Wednesday from 3 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. and Thursday from 2-10 p.m., see a range of EDM performers across five stages, including Purple Disco Machine, Justice, Disclosure, and a back-to-back set by Four Tet and Chris Lake. Plus, the return of CRSSD also means intimate After Dark shows are back for the ball drop and new year nightlife action. Tickets for Thursday ($205) and two-day passes ($335) can be purchased here.
100 Park Boulevard, Downtown
Salute to Vienna New Year’s Concertat Jacobs Music Center
January 1
Inspired by the annual Neujahrskonzert performed by the Vienna Philharmonic, the Salute to Vienna New Year’s Concert embraces the renewing spirit of Austrian classical music. This Thursday at 2:30 p.m., enjoy the exuberant music of Johann Strauss Jr., including the luscious and ultra-recognizable Blue Danube waltz, along with other composers of his era. This concert will feature an ensemble of international singers and costumed dancers, the Strauss Symphony Orchestra and members of the San Diego Ballet and San Diego Symphony. Tickets range from $80 to $132 for this concert at Jacobs Music Center.
1245 Seventh Avenue, Downtown
Dolphins on Acid + Guests at SOMA
January 2
It’s hard not to take the (typically) sunny San Diego weather for granted. But even on the occasional rainy day, the music of local indie rockers Dolphins on Acid helps recall the warmth and oceanic splendor that comes with the SoCal lifestyle. This Friday, concertgoers of all ages can see a plethora of local talent with Dolphins on Acid, plus San Diego musicians Tommy Ragen, Faux Fur, Roadtrip and Kook performing on the SOMA sidestage. Tickets are $13 for this concert, with doors opening at 6:30 p.m.
Ryan Hardison is a freelance arts and entertainment writer and recent graduate of San Diego State. When he's not staring at his laptop, he's likely eating an adobada burrito or getting sunburnt at the beach.
Success as a musical artist is a highly subjective thing. It’s not something you can necessarily determine by Spotify streams or licensing agreements; brandy glasses full of M&Ms or hot tubs full of Schedule II substances; record contracts or units moved—which in themselves are measures whose definitions have changed a bit in recent years.
Perhaps it’s up to the artist, then, to decide when they’ve reached the next echelon. For San Diego synth-pop duo Glass Spells, it came down to a moment.
The band opened up Huntington Beach’s Darker Waves Festival in the fall of 2023, performing for tens of thousands of people and sharing the stage with some of the most legendary new wave and post-punk bands, including New Order, Echo & the Bunnymen, and Tears for Fears.
“[I] felt like, ‘Is this real life?’” says keyboardist Anthony Ramirez. “I was blown away. Just being around all the other artists—walking to your trailer and [seeing] all these other musicians, it’s like, ‘Whoa. I never expected to be near these people.’”
Glass Spells’ ascent to this stage, crossing paths with new wave and goth royalty, was a long time coming. Ramirez first launched the group back in 2013 with an entirely different lineup and a somewhat darker sound, leaning heavily on the more pronounced gloom of post-punk groups like Joy Division. (The genre descriptor the band used at the time was “disco goth,” which also became the name of the still-ongoing, seasonal, curated event that they launched.)
But when the members of that version of Glass Spells eventually parted ways, Ramirez saw a new opportunity for the band and asked his friend Tania Costello if she was interested in making music together. After an inaugural trial run in a DIY performance space in San Diego in early 2019, the duo hit the ground running, quickly building up an audience that connected with their goth-tinged, synth-driven pop, carrying the influence of some of their favorite artists from the ’80s.
“We overlap in our love of ’80s music,” says Costello, the band’s vocalist. “That’s definitely where we connect the most. [Ramirez] comes from more of a Siouxsie and the Banshees background—more punk in a way. And then I’m over here with the Cyndi Lauper, Human League side of the ’80s.”
In 2021, Glass Spells released their debut album, Shattered, a super catchy, beat-driven set of pop songs that pair the immersive melancholy of The Cure with the pop immediacy of Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark—or for those born after 1981, a little bit of M83 or Nation of Language. The group followed that album with their 2023 single “Hechizos,” a bright and danceable synth-pop anthem draped in neon and featuring Costello singing lyrics in Spanish. As of yet, they haven’t announced a new album to go along with it, but that doesn’t mean it’s not in the works. “We’re cooking,” Costello says.
And they’ve been busy nevertheless. Despite leveling up to bigger audiences and stages with more impressive square footage, the duo remain almost totally DIY behind the scenes, handling most of their business affairs on their own (though they do have a booking agent), including social media. Their 131,000-follower (at time of publishing) Instagram feed is rife with videos depicting the duo performing their dreamy pop anthems in front of familiar San Diego locales such as Chicano Park and Balboa Park, as well as in cities they’ve played on tour.
“It’s been a learning experience,” Ramirez says of their do-it-yourself approach. “We didn’t really think about all the admin work that goes into it. It’s a lot of emailing back and forth and messages, and it can get overwhelming on top of trying to play your shows.”
Courtesy of Glass Spells
Fresh off a turn at Pasadena festival Cruel World (where they shared a venue with Siouxsie Sioux), Glass Spells is now embarking upon a headlining tour that will see them deliver a hometown show at the Observatory North Park. The bar for success is likely to creep ever higher, but they’re still taking the moment to enjoy where they are, to savor the memory of that sea of faces at their afternoon set at Darker Waves.
“We didn’t think many people would come out, because, normally, people might think, ‘Oh, I’ll wait until the sun goes down,’” Costello says. “But we looked out into the crowd, and it kept getting bigger and bigger and bigger as we were playing. People were singing along in the crowd, and the front row had quite a few fans wearing Glass Spells t-shirts. Even speaking about right now just gives me so much euphoria.”
Jeff Terich is the music critic behind the blog The Setlist. His writing has been published in Stereogum, Bandcamp Daily, American Songwriter, Fodor's and Vinyl Me Please.
Stake Chophouse & Bar isn’t your average steakhouse. Blue Bridge Hospitality’s Coronado outpost is a modern interpretation of a big-city steakhouse nestled in the heart of the small coastal community. The team at Stake has reimagined the whole steakhouse experience. By prioritizing a seasonal farm-to-table sourcing philosophy, a personalized guest experience, and unique service touches, like a formal steak presentation and a bespoke knife selection process, Stake distinguishes itself in a sea of steakhouses.
Exceptional steaks, including Wagyu from Japan, Australia, and the U.S., and fresh seafood flown in daily form the core of Stake’s culinary identity. The menu features a five-course omakase-style steak experience highlighting house favorites, plus an array of cuts, and classic steakhouse staples—think a wedge salad, baked potato, or pasta carbonara—refined for a contemporary palate without losing their traditional appeal. Stake focuses on seasonal sourcing from the region’s best family farms and specialty purveyors, and incorporates intentionally unexpected touches to create something truly unique.
“I challenge our chefs and myself to take it a step further in sourcing,” says Chef Ronnie Schwandt. “It’s important to us to highlight different farms, unique one-off farms—whether it’s cattle, strawberries, a local fisherman or from anywhere in the United States, we’re always trying to find that niche.”
Beyond the menu, Stake emphasizes outstanding service, says Vinny Spatafore, Director of Hospitality Operations. Staff maintains detailed notes, allowing them to remember guests by name, recall previous orders such as a favorite martini (also memorable for the customer since it’s served in an extra tall, distinctly-shaped glass), and celebrate special occasions like birthdays and anniversaries.
“When you have those points of topic that you remember about a guest, they appreciate that,” he says. “Our servers are really good with that—we have a couple servers who have been here since the beginning and they’ll remember somebody from years ago, their name, their kids’ names, where they live. I’m really thankful to have a great front of house staff.”
Award-winning wines, rare whiskeys, special events, and a complementary black car service that provides transportation for guests throughout Coronado add to Stake’s appeal.
Schwandt stresses that Stake offers more than a meal; they aim to give patrons something unforgettable.
“It starts when you walk up the stairs and are greeted by the hostess—that sets the tone for the night. Then you’re greeted by a server, who may know you by name, and can guide you through the menu and curate as they get to know you,” says Schwandt. “Most people leave kind of blown away; they leave feeling like they just had an experience. That’s the goal, right? Whether you’re serving smash burgers or high-end steak, you want somebody to leave thinking, Wow, that was awesome.”
Blossoms and Breeze Opening Reception at La Playa Gallery
La Jolla’s La Playa Gallery current exhibition Blossoms and Breeze, opened earlier this month, captures various artists’ views on the intersection of humanity and nature. This exhibition includes several local artists like oil painters Rebecca Noelle and Cathy Carey, mixed media painter Cate Dudley, sculptor Jon Koehler and potter Maureen Raheja. The opening reception for the exhibition will be held from 5-8 p.m. this Friday, September 16. The exhibition will continue through October 25 and is free to the public. | 2226 Avenida De La Playa, La Jolla
September 16-18
San Diego Bayfair
The San Diego Bayfair Festival has been a fixture of seaside entertainment in Mission Bay for years, and at the center of it all are the exhilarating hydroplane races taking place in Crown Point, East Vacation Island and Fiesta Island. Throughout the weekend there will also be the return of hydro games, as well as a car and motorcycle show, “A Taste of East Count” craft beer festival and BBQ By the Bay. Ticket options include individual tickets for Friday, Saturday and Sunday or a three-day Superpass for the entire weekend for $45. | 1404 Vacation Road, Mission Bay
Nissan Super Girl Surf Pro
The 15th annual Nissan Super Girl Surf Pro brings together the world’s best professional female surfers, vendors and several live performances from September 16-18 at the Oceanside Pier. The surfing event will feature Olympic Gold Medalist Carissa Moore and surfing icon Bethany Hamilton leading the way on the waves along with many other high-caliber competitors. Additional features include an all-female DJ competition, a women’s beach soccer tournament, the annual Super Girl Gamer esports tourney, several women speakers, a beer garden and a food court. The Nissan Concert Series also includes 15 live performances from artists like Hoobastank, Smash Mouth and The Offspring happening throughout the weekend. | Pier View Way & North Pacific Street, Oceanside
September 16 – October 31
SeaWorld Howl-O-Scream
SeaWorld is gearing up for Halloween as the theme park prepares for frightful fun from September 16 through October 31. Enjoy haunted houses, scare zones, themed bars and live entertainment as you travel through their house of horrors, along with rides, coasters and more. Tickets to Howl-O-Scream are not included with regular SeaWorld park admission. | 500 SeaWorld Drive, Mission Bay
September 17
Bonitafest Performing Arts Festival
Come celebrate the best of Bonita this Saturday during the event’s 50th anniversary. This free festival will take place from 12-4 p.m. and give event-goers the chance to try lots of food, listen to South Bay’s best choirs and bands and participate in arts and crafts. All of the money raised from the event will go towards the Bonita Vista High School Vocal Music Department and choirs from Bonita Vista Middle School. | 5305 Sweetwater Road, Bonita
Amps & Ales
Amps & Ales is back at 3rd Avenue and Memorial Park this Saturday from 12-4 p.m where guests can try the bests craft beers and wines from San Diego and south of the border. The 20+ participating breweries include Cerveza Xteca, Third Avenue Alehouse, Setting Sun Sake among others. And there will be plenty of food including TJ-style hot dogs. Headlining this year’s musical lineup is the B-Side Players with performances by The Gravities, Cumbia Machin, The Routine and more. General admission tickets are $45 and include admission from 1-4 p.m. while the $60 VIP tickets grant admission starting at noon. | 373 Park Way, Chula Vista
September 17 – October 30
The Count’s Halloween Spooktacular
Celebrate Halloween with the Count, as Sesame Place gets in the spooky spirit. This family-friendly Halloween event will include a Halloween Parade, Halloween-themed shows, trick or treating inside the park and a spot the ghost scavenger hunt. Tickets can be purchased here. | 2052 Entertainment Circle, Chula Vista
September 18
Bad Bunny at Petco Park
Puerto Rican reggaeton superstar Bad Bunny is coming to SoCal for his “World’s Hottest Tour” and his next stop is at San Diego’s very own Petco Park for two nights of shows this Saturday and Sunday. Known for songs like “Yo Perreo Sola,” “Tití Me Preguntó” and “La Noche de Anoche,” he has quickly become one of the world’s most prolific artists. Saturday night’s show is already sold out but it’s not too late to get a ticket for Sunday night’s show here. | 19 Tony Gwynn Drive, Downtown
Ryan Hardison is a freelance arts and entertainment writer and recent graduate of San Diego State. When he's not staring at his laptop, he's likely eating an adobada burrito or getting sunburnt at the beach.
In summer 2021, a human pile of sunburns and cutoff denim filled the yard of an infamous house in Ocean Beach—a house loved by nearby Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU) students and not-so-loved by neighbors. The swarm of 20-somethings was so tightly packed they looked like one unit, swaying to the twangy melodies and stomping rhythms of Sun Room—a foursome of home-grown blonde-mopped surf rockers. Everyone could sense it: the band was special.
Louis Tomlinson soon picked up on the same vibe. After discovering them on a playlist, the former One Direction band member summoned them from their life of noise disturbances to his world tour. “It was one of those moments where it was a little bit too crazy to wrap your head around,” says vocalist and guitarist Luke Asgian of the first time they walked on stage at a sold-out arena. “Luckily, I could only see like the first four rows because of the lights.”
But back to the house, where the members of Sun Room—Asgian, Gibson (Gibby) Anderson on drums, Max Pinamonti on bass, and Ashton Minnich on guitar—live. For almost 10 years, PLNU students have handed the residence off like an heirloom, and it’s become an off-campus clubhouse of sorts for creative students. Seeing a Sun Room house show quickly became a summer staple for pandemic- frustrated college kids.
Sun Room huddle
Courtesy of Sun Room
Asgian formed Sun Room in the summer of 2020 after being in many admittedly bad high school garage bands and independently recording music for years. Their fun, front-porch project turned serious when one of their songs blew up on TikTok, then “Crashed My Bike” was featured in the second season of the hit Netflix show Outer Banks. Sun Room’s members, all in their late teens and early 20s, hail from various beach towns across the Southern California coast, so the surf rock came honestly. Asgian’s vision for the band was simple: bring Southern California’s signature sound to a wider audience.
“[I wanted to] take the sound we all grew up with and loved, the sound that all the kids in beach cities play, and present it in a way where everyone can enjoy it [regardless of] what part of the country or even the world you are from,” he says.
They pulled that off somewhere in northern Europe.
Sun Room roof
Courtesy of Sun Room
“I had this full circle moment where we are playing these songs about summer in San Diego in the middle of France or Norway,” he recalls. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted to do with Sun Room, and now we get to do it.”
It’s been go, go, go for the band. Now they’re taking full advantage of being back home. Asgian says this summer is about working on new music, recharging, and enjoying what San Diego has to offer before they head off on their first headlining North American tour this fall.
“It’s a really cool little time in life where we’re just hanging with our friends and trying to surf everyday and work on a ton of new music,” Asgian says, embodying the dream. “The two best feelings in the world are leaving home and getting to come back home.”
While glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agents have been used to treat Type 2 diabetes for more than 20 years, their recent emergence as weight-loss wonder drugs marked a new frontier in medicine. But their effectiveness has left some patients wondering what to do once they’ve reached their goal. Stopping the medication could mean regaining some, if not all, of the weight. A Scripps Clinic internal medicine physician recently conducted a small study of whether GLP-1 patients who had reached their goal weight could maintain that weight by taking their regularly prescribed injection every other week instead of weekly. Spoiler alert: 30 of 34 patients did. Read more about the study here and what that may mean as pharmaceutical companies roll out oral GLP-1s.
For more nutrition, wellness, and healthy living tips, sign up for the San Diego Health newsletter here.
