06.14.2023

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Today’s Forecast

🎸Rock on, SD

Rock on: epic concerts in San Diego history

The Rolling Stones played this high-profile gig on Oct. 7, 1981, at The Murph. | Photo via San Diego City Clerk Archives

We know San Diego rocks — and music’s biggest acts have proven this. Let’s tune into some of the most epic concerts to hit San Diego’s live music scene over the decades.

🎶 Hint: We’re “All Shook Up,” ready to “Come Together” to feel the “Good Vibrations” of these musical memories.

Elvis Presley, 1956

Before becoming The King, Elvis rocked San Diego Arena — and fans went wild. The icon would return in 1970 to perform to a sellout crowd at the International Sports Arena.

Did you know? Elvis sang “Heartbreak Hotel” at a live studio taping of “The Milton Berle Show” in 1956 aboard the USS Hancock, docked in San Diego.

The Beatles, 1965

During their US and Canada tour, the Fab Four added this last-minute performance for 17,013 fans at Balboa Stadium — their only show in San Diego. Tickets cost $3.50-$5.50 and 10,001 tickets went unsold. The 31-minute setlist included “Twist and Shout” and “Ticket to Ride.”

SD Beach Boys 1975 — Beach Boys fans had “Fun, Fun, Fun” at this Balboa Stadium show on Aug. 10, 1975.
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Photo via San Diego City Clerk Archives

The Beach Boys, 1975

Nine years after the infamous “Pet Sounds” album cover incident at the San Diego Zoo, the surf rockers headlined Balboa Stadium. The show featured Jesse Colin Young and Pure Prairie League, too.

SD Fleetwood Mac 1975 — This all-day, multi-artist lineup — including Fleetwood Mac — rocked Balboa Stadium on Aug. 31, 1975.
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Photo via San Diego City Clerk Archives

Fleetwood Mac, Loggins + Messina, Rod Stewart + Faces, Lynyrd Skynyrd, 1975

General lawn admission to this jam-packed lineup at Balboa Stadium cost $7.50. Fleetwood Mac’s setlist included bangers like “Rhiannon” and “Station Man.”

The Rolling Stones, 1981

To the “Satisfaction” of nearly 70,000 fans at Jack Murphy Stadium, this was the biggest concert San Diego had ever seen. Tickets averaged $16, and this was the year’s highest-grossing tour. The Stones also played in SD in 1965, 1972, 1998, and 2005.

Tina Turner, 2000

She was simply “The Best.” The beloved late icon performed many times in San Diego, but her final local show was at Sports Arena in 2000 where her powerhouse vocals owned the stage.

Asked

What’s your favorite concert you’ve ever been to in San Diego? Share your memories — the show, the year, the best moment.

Keep the fandom going

Events

Wednesday, June 14

2023 San Diego County Fair | Through Tuesday, July 4 | 11 a.m.-10 p.m. | Del Mar Fairgrounds, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd. | Fair season continues, so “Get Out There!”
San Diego Padres vs. Cleveland Guardians | Wednesday, June 14 | 6:40 p.m. | Petco Park, 100 Park Blvd., San Diego | $24-$91 | Score a free Hawaiian shirt at tonight’s giveaway.
Carly Pearce | Wednesday, June 14 | 7:30 p.m. | San Diego County Fair, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd. | $40-$55 | The Grammy Award-winning country crooner headlines the Grandstand Stage at the fair.
“Love All” | Through Sunday, July 2 | 7:30 p.m. | Mandell Weiss Theatre, 2910 La Jolla Village Dr. | $25-$75 | This play explores the extraordinary life of tennis champion and social justice trailblazer Billie Jean King.

Thursday, June 15

Erykah Badu: “Unfollow Me Tour” | Thursday, June 15 | 7:30 p.m. | Pechanga Arena, 3500 Sports Arena Blvd., San Diego | $39-$156 | The Queen of Neo Soul brings her one-of-a-kind talent to the stage.
La Mesa Classic Car Show & Music Event | Thursday, June 15 | 5-8 p.m. | 8393 La Mesa Blvd., Downtown La Mesa | Free | This is the coolest community event with four wheels — with live music, to boot.
Samantha Bee: “Your Favorite Woman” | Thursday, June 15 | 7 p.m. | Balboa Theatre, 868 Fourth Ave., San Diego | $40-$80 | The comedian, writer, actress, host, and former correspondent of “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” takes the stage at the downtown venue.

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

News Notes

Civic

A final public hearing on the county’s $8.11 million recommended budget for fiscal year 2023-2024 is tomorrow in room 310 at the County Administration Center at 5:30 p.m. It’s open to the public, or you can watch the livestream. Budget deliberations and adoption are expected on Tuesday, June 27.

Open

South of Nick’s — a sister concept of Nick’s Del Mar — has debuted at One Paseo in Carmel Valley. The Mexican restaurant is open for dinner only (4 p.m. nightly), but it plans to later add lunch. The menu includes birria tacos, enchiladas, tequila cocktails, and more.

Arts

The Chicano Park Steering Committee has launched its 2023 Mural Restoration Project at Chicano Park. The group will collaborate with the landmark’s original muralists to restore 15+ works within the park — “to ensure they can continue to educate our gente for generations to come.”

Edu

Local researchers say the drying of SoCal’s Salton Sea has stabilized the southern section of the San Andreas Fault, possibly staving off earthquakes. This new paper details how major quakes off the fault over the last 1,000 years have happened when the basin is filled, adding weight stress. (Scripps Institution of Oceanography)

Transit

More powerful than a locomotive. It’s a bird, it’s a plane — it’s MTS Trolleys all dressed up for Comic-Con 2023. Some trains are now wrapped in honor of next month’s pop culture convention, with designs featuring “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,” Nickelodeon’s “Monster High,” and “SpongeBob SquarePants.” (SDCC Unofficial Blog!)

Award

This calls for a toast. Lost Cause Meadery at The Gärten recently won a gold medal for its Wolf: The Dawning mead at the inaugural US Mead Open. The local business is run by Billy and Suzanna Beltz, and the winning mead was made to celebrate the birth of their son, Wolf.

Pets

San Diego Humane Society is waiving dog licensing fees and offering free microchipping through Sunday, July 2, for locals who live within the agency’s jurisdiction. Licensing must be done in person at campuses in El Cajon, Escondido, Oceanside, or San Diego. Microchipping can be scheduled by appointment.

Environment

This is buzzworthy. With 600+ bee species, San Diego could become America’s largest “Bee City” by joining Bee City USA — an organization that works to conserve native pollinators. A memorandum will be presented to the City Council; supporters say the recognition would signify SD’s commitment to “safeguarding our ecosystem.” (Times of San Diego)

Sports

Are those Terrible Towels, we see? Pacific Beach bar Break Point says it’ll become a hub for Pittsburgh Steelers fans this fall — complete with game broadcasts and Steelers-themed dishes like the Roethlisburger. Bub’s at the Beach in PB was a Steelers fan hangout, but it closed earlier this year. (Fox 5)

The Word

Sandía. Start using it in conversation in three weeks.*

Drink

Summer is here, which means so too is aperol spritz season. Enjoy as many as you’d like (without regretting it the next day) when you make yours with Ritual Zero Proof’s aperitif alternative — an alcohol-free take on the Italian classic. Bonus: Use it to make the summery aperitif sour.*

DYK

History

History of the California flag

Adopted in 1911, our flag’s history is much older. | Photo by Wikimedia Commons

If a picture’s worth a thousand words, a flag is a whole textbook.

Our state flag is a record of California history that experts read like a secret code. Every part carries some meaning, from hoist to fly end.

The colors

Like the US flag, California’s red stripe and star (and the bear’s tongue) symbolize courage, while the white field symbolizes purity. With the green under the bear’s feet, our flag shares a color scheme with Mexico’s. In that flag, green represents hope and victory.

The canton

A flag’s canton is its upper lefthand corner, where the 50 stars are in the US flag. California has just one star.

If that reminds you of Texas’ Lone Star flag, you’re on the money: both states gained independence from Mexico and briefly became independent republics. As Texas gained statehood just five years before California, we took inspiration from the Lone Star State.

The bear + SD's flags

The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Monica

From the editor

You know we love live music around here, so you can imagine my joy researching historic local concerts.

As your pal, I think it’s important for you to know a few more fun facts about the 1965 Beatles show: Per their contract, the group had two tubs of Kentucky Fried Chicken backstage (it’s unknown if they actually ate it, but one fan says Ringo gave her a piece), their post-concert ride broke down and SDPD officers helped, and due to low attendance, the Fab Four made around $50,000 for the quick gig.

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