It's time for another installment of What Would Tim Pyles Do? and that's me, so take notes and get out to see a show. The choices in May are endless, and I'm going to highlight some of my favorites, so let's get on that rock & roll bus and head on down the road.
Friday, May 4, Manic Hispanic returns for a must-see Quatro de Mayo show that will surely last into Cinco de Mayo. Manic Hispanic are punk rock with a cholo twist and it's fun, fun, fun. The show goes down at Brick By Brick. If that's not your cup of tea, Los Angeles punk rock icons X take the stage at the Belly Up Tavern on the same night.
May 5 finds the Jagermeister Music Tour swinging into town over at 4th & B, with Portugal. The Man and the Lonely Forest. Oh, and I get to host this one, so join me for some Jager on this night.
The Wombats from Liverpool hit up the Casbah on May 9. I love their song "Let's Dance to Joy Division!"
May 10 at the Casbah, Brendan Benson comes through town supporting his new solo record, What Kind of World. I assume you know he is in the Raconteurs as well.
May 12-13, the good ol' boys of Delta Spirit return to their roots of SD in support of their new self-titled record, Delta Spirit. Welcome them home with some friends!
The wall will fall on May 13, when Roger Waters of Pink Floyd stages a show at the Valley View Casino Center, aka. the Sports Arena.
May 14, a punk-rock supergroup known as OFF! play the Casbah. The band features Circle Jerks/Black Flag singer Keith Morris, Burning Brides frontman Dimitri Coats, Redd Kross bassist Steven Shane McDonald and Rocket From the Crypt/Hot Snakes drummer Mario Rubalcaba. They play an all-ages show at the Che Cafe on the campus of UCSD on May 15.
Also on May 15, it's the Flight to Mars 10th Anniversary Tour. Flight to Mars are a UFO tribute band featuring Pearl Jam's Mike McCready and special guests. The show is at the Casbah.
May 16, Dum Dum Girls play the Belly Up Tavern. They have a great '60s girl-group sound with fuzz! Dee Dee, the lead singer, used to play drums and sing for locals Grand Ole Party.
May 19, one of the two bands in the documentary Dig! play the Belly Up Tavern. Yes, the Dandy Warhols will rock you and tease you at the same time, because they are Bohemian just like you...
May 20 requires a return trip to the Belly Up for Spiritualized. From the ashes of UK space-psych rockers Spaceman 3 comes Spiritualized, a band so good they will show you the way to enlightenment.
Monday, May 21, is a tough one. The choices are: Plants & Animals at the Casbah, the Sights at the Griffin or Trampled By Turtles at the Belly Up Tavern. Please pick one and go.
May 22, Daughtry plays the San Diego Civic Theater, but who cares? I don't ...
On the same night, the former frontman for the Smiths, the man known as Morrissey, plays the Valley View Casino Center. Plus it's his birthday, I think ...
May 23, it's some hard-hitting rock & roll at the Casbah with the Riverboat Gamblers, the Biters and locals Slut Machine, my new favorite band!
May 25, it's either the Cult at Humphreys Concerts By the Bay or the Beach Boys with Brian Wilson at Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre. Which one would you pick?
May 27, the I Love This City festival comes to town with a huge lineup headlined by Skrillex and the Crystal Method. Just don't call it a rave. This goes down at the Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre.
May 31, UK punk rockers G.B.H. will rattle the walls at the Casbah. Expect a little mosh pit, since the Casbah is just not that big ...
That is just a small sampling of what our city has to offer. Why not do yourself a favor and get out and see some shows. Music can heal your soul!
Tim Pyles hosts The Local 94/9, FTP show and the Coup d'Eat on FM94/9 on Sundays from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. He also books local acts at the Casbah and hosts the weekly Anti-Monday League. Check out his website and follow him on Twitter @thelocalpyle. You can reach him directly here pyleste@yahoo.com
