This is a stacked Saturday. RuPaul is playing a day party at Liberty Station, Sammy Virji is at Petco, and Particle FM has a secret location techno night for anyone who would rather sweat than queue. Before that there is Shiner at the Casbah on Thursday, drum and bass at Spin on Friday, and reggae all weekend on Mission Bay.
21 picks, Thursday through Sunday. This is the SD Scoop email that went out Wednesday morning; read it on sdscoop.co or get next week's in your inbox.
Parties
Insomniac presents RuPaul + Bambii B2B LSDXOXO
Sat, Oct 17 · 5pm · Ingram Plaza, Liberty Station
RuPaul DJing outdoors at Liberty Station is the kind of thing we will be talking about for a while, but the real reason to go is Bambii back to back with LSDXOXO, which is the best club pairing on any flyer this month. Chippy Nonstop and Alex Chapman open. It ends at 11pm, so you can still make the warehouse after.
Particle FM presents Kiernan Laveaux, Malzof and Aloe F
Sat, Oct 17 · 10pm · Secret location, San Diego · $20
Particle FM books the stuff the big promoters skip. Kiernan Laveaux plays strange, fast, emotional techno and this will be the loudest small room of the weekend. Address goes out to ticket holders.
LED presents Sammy Virji with Joy Anonymous
Sat, Oct 17 · 5pm · Gallagher Square at Petco Park, East Village
UK garage in a ballpark at sunset. Sammy Virji is a crowd pleaser in the best way, and Joy Anonymous on the same bill makes this worth the ticket if the Liberty Station lineup is not your thing. Pick one, both end before 11pm.
SD Union 16 Year Anniversary: London Elektricity, Dirtyphonics
Fri, Oct 16 · 9pm · Spin, Midway · from $20
Sixteen years of drum and bass in San Diego and they are bringing London Elektricity (the man behind Hospital Records) to celebrate. Dirtyphonics is the heavier half. Goes until 4am.
FNGRS CRSSD Palms Beach Club with Prospa
Sun, Oct 18 · 4pm · Beach House, Mission Beach
Sunday day party on the sand with Prospa, who make rave music that actually works at 5pm in daylight. Bring a towel, a cooler with a few SUNGODs for the beach beforehand, and leave your Saturday on Saturday.
Shows
Shiner and Fotocrime
Thu, Oct 15 · 7:30pm · Casbah, Middletown
Shiner are a 90s Kansas City band that got loud and precise and never got the credit. Fotocrime is Ryan Patterson from Coliseum doing dark post-punk. Best rock bill of the week, and it is at the Casbah, which is where it belongs.
Daniel Sloss: Bitter
Thu, Oct 15 · 7:30pm · Balboa Theatre, Downtown
The Scottish comic whose specials have reportedly ended thousands of relationships. He is dark and smart and the Balboa is a good room for comedy. Go with someone you are sure about.
Gilbert Castellanos and The New Latin Jazz Sextet
Thu, Oct 15 · 6pm · Lou Lou's Jungle Room, North Park
Castellanos is the best trumpet player in the city and this is his Latin jazz group in one of the best rooms to hear it. Early start, so you can do this and still make the Casbah.
Turnpike Troubadours, Steve Earle and Reckless Kelly
Thu, Oct 15 · 7:30pm · Petco Park, East Village
If you like country that is not made for a truck commercial, this is the one. Steve Earle alone is worth the ticket and Turnpike are as good live as anyone in that lane right now.
Easy Star All-Stars: Dub Side of the Moon
Thu, Oct 15 · 7:30pm · Belly Up, Solana Beach
Pink Floyd done as dub, start to finish. It sounds like a gimmick and it is not, the record has held up for twenty years. Good North County option on Thursday.
Out
Mission Bayfest
Fri, Oct 16 · 12pm (through Sunday) · Mariner's Point, Mission Bay
Three days of reggae on the bay with Rebelution, Steel Pulse, SOJA and, somehow, The Offspring. Steel Pulse is the set we would plan around. The $1.50 tacos are real and the view across the water is the point.
Becoming Heirlooms: A Craft Desert Exhibition
Thu, Oct 15 · 12pm · Central Library, East Village
A craft and art show about objects that get passed down, put together for the Handwork 2026 initiative. Worth an hour downtown before dinner, and the library building itself is still underrated.
Free
Headroom Listening Sessions
Thu, Oct 15 · 7pm · Spin, Midway · Free
Free, early, and on a proper sound system. Headroom is a listening session, not a club night, so you can actually hear the music and talk to people. Done by 9pm.
Weee're Ghosts with QNTMZ
Sat, Oct 17 · 9pm · Breakpoint, Pacific Beach · Free
Free house and tech house in PB on Saturday night. Not a destination, but if you are already out that side of town after the beach it beats whatever is on Garnet.
Donna Miscolta: Ofelia and Norma
Thu, Oct 15 · 7:30pm · Warwick's, La Jolla · Free
Miscolta is a San Diego native and this novel about two sisters is getting real attention. Warwick's readings are free and small, which is the right way to see an author.
Fright for Future
Fri, Oct 16 · 5pm · 37ECB, City Heights · Free
A free haunted maze on El Cajon Boulevard where the scares are climate and animal issues. Weird idea, independently run, and it is free, so go in with an open mind.
Food
Taste of City Heights
Sat, Oct 17 · check the link · 4007 Euclid Avenue, City Heights
City Heights has the best cheap food in the city and this is the easiest way to try a lot of it in one afternoon. Go hungry and skip lunch.
Taste of Mission Hills
Wed, Oct 14 · 5:30pm · Mission Hills
Tonight. Twenty five restaurants in a walkable neighborhood, which is more useful than it sounds because Mission Hills has a few places you have been meaning to try and never do.
North Park Thursday Market
Thu, Oct 15 · 3:30pm · North Park Way at 30th, North Park
Still the best weekday farmers market in the city. Get there before 5 for the good bread and stay for a taco on the way to Lou Lou's.
This week's order
Dish of the week
Miso black cod
Zuma · The Guild Hotel, Downtown
Troy Johnson just reviewed the first California Zuma and it is a big, expensive show. If you go, skip half the menu and get the miso marinated black cod, which is the dish that built the brand and the reason to be there.
Drink of the week
A daiquiri
Lou Lou's Jungle Room · Lafayette Hotel, North Park
Order a daiquiri, nothing fancy, and sit with it while Castellanos plays on Thursday. The room does the rest.
SUNGOD this week
- New places carrying SUNGOD: Dick's Liquor in La Jolla, Party Time Liquor #3 in San Diego, and The Havens Country Club in Vista.
- New on the Bulletin: what a hardwater actually is, and our guide to a perfect beach day in Encinitas.
- Also on the Bulletin: the green flash in San Diego, and how to see one.
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