Picture this: it’s 1983, the era of big hair, denim jackets, and air-guitar solos in front of the mirror. You pop in that cassette tape, press play, and Def Leppard’s third studio album, Pyromania, fills the air with some of the catchiest hard rock you’ve ever heard. It’s the first album to feature guitar wizard Phil Collen, and the second produced by the legendary Mutt Lange, following 1981’s High ‘n’ Dry. 

Unleashing a slew of infectious hit singles, Pyromania would go on to sell more than 10 million copies and — along with its follow-up, Hysteria — make Def Leppard one of only five rock bands in history to have two Diamond-certified albums. More importantly, the music would launch the band into the stratosphere and ultimately define a generation. 

Fast forward to 2024: Def Leppard — still filling stadiums with their anthemic hits — is celebrating the 40th anniversary of their landmark album with a beast of a reissue on UMC/Mercury. Aptly named Pyromania 40, the 4CD + Blu-ray Super Deluxe Edition, executive produced by lead singer Joe Elliott and Ronan McHugh, comes packed with no less than 94 songs and five videos. No fa-fa-fa Foolin.’

To start, you’ve got a remastered version of the original album, sounding crisper and more powerful than ever before. “Right from the very early days we had a specific idea of how we wanted to sound,” recalls bassist Rick Savage. “A massive wall of guitars and drums supporting huge vocals and melodies. That vision came to fruition with the making of ‘Pyromania.’ Even now it still has that special quality that made it such a groundbreaking record.” 

Dive deeper, and you’ll discover a rarities disc dedicated to unheard demos, rough mixes, and studio outtakes, including the album’s long lost, unfinished eleventh track, “No You Can’t Do That.” These raw recordings give you a glimpse into the creative process behind the album, showcasing the evolution of monster hits like “Photograph” and “Rock of Ages.”

Flip to the two live CDs, and you’ll be transported to unforgettable concerts from the Pyromania era. Picture yourself rocking out in the front row at the LA Forum or joining the crowd at Westfalen Halle in Dortmund, Germany. It’s like having a time machine that lets you experience the energy and excitement of the band’s legendary performances. Even better: you can hear many of these songs live, and the band’s other hits, when Def Leppard plays Petco Park with Journey and Steve Miller Band on Aug. 30.

But let’s not forget about the Blu-ray. This audio-visual gem is a true feast for the senses. With a Dolby Atmos mix of the album overseen by Giles Martin (known for his work with another British band named The Beatles), you’ll feel like you’re standing in the middle of the studio as the band lays down tracks. Add in the 5.1 Stereo and instrumental mixes, and you’ll gain a whole new perspective of the sonically spectacular album. And the five official videos — “Foolin’” and “Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop)” among them — will have you feeling like you’re watching MTV from back in the day.

The real cherry on top of this comprehensive reissue is the beautifully curated book filled with rare photos by Ross Halfin (Led Zeppelin, AC-DC, Van Halen) and new interviews with the 2019 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees. It’s like a backstage pass to the making of Pyromania. 

In addition to the hefty Super Deluxe Edition ($99.98), there’s a 2CD version featuring the remastered album and a selection of rarities and four live tracks, as well as various single and double vinyl editions. You can purchase your preferred format (and some pretty cool swag) here. 

All in all, Pyromania 40 is worth the nostalgia trip and a must-have for any music lover’s collection. So, roll those windows down, crank up the volume, and let Def Leppard take you on a raucous ride down memory lane. 

Donovan Roche, a San Diego-based writer/editor, has covered the music, entertainment, and arts scene for more than 30 years. Send your story ideas to droche17@cox.net. 

Joshua Tree Music Festival — the eclectic, immersive music, art and community experience — returns to the Mojave Desert for its twenty-second spring event May 16-19.

Adjacent to the magnificent Joshua Tree National Park, the four-day fest will feature up-and-coming and internationally known musicians; talented visual artists; yogis, healers, and bodyworkers; and food and craft vendors. 

Like the people who attend the festival each year, this May’s music roster is vibrant and diverse. The lineup includes Grammy-winning funk-rock ‘n’ blues artist Fantastic Negrito, Brooklyn dance trio Moon Hooch, San Diego singer-songwriter/The Rugburns’ vocalist-guitarist Steve Poltz, and a cappella soulstress Madison McFerrin.

“Joshua Tree Music Festival has always been about pushing boundaries and celebrating the rich tapestry of music. This year’s lineup exemplifies our dedication to presenting artists who redefine genres and captivate the imagination,” says festival founder Barnett English.

For more than two decades, the festival has done a remarkable job of helping break emerging artists. Some of those who performed at the festival early in their careers and then went on to capture fame include The Avett Brothers, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, Elle King, Trombone Shorty, Ghostland Observatory, Brett Dennen, and John Butler Trio. 

“As a festival, we’ve always believed in the power of discovery. It’s incredibly rewarding to see artists who have graced our stage go on to make a significant impact in the music industry. This tradition continues with our May 2024 lineup,” English says.

Featuring 31 acts performing on four stages from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily, the festival offers an eclectic array of musical genres and styles, from Atlanta funk octet Funk You and psychedelic dance band Spacehall Sound Machine to electro-pop duo Afrobeta and virtuosic sitarist Evan Hatfield. To give them an advance listen and discover your favorites, check out the official, 74-song May 2024 Spotify playlist.

In addition to all the great music, be sure to roam the grounds and explore all the festival has to offer, including: 

Positive Vibration Station: where you’ll find everything from breath work to yoga to sound healing. 

Sanctuary: a place for mindfulness talks, tea and song, storytelling, and more. 

Queer Salon: a safe space for QTBIPOCC and LGBTQIAA+ featuring queer and trans art, performance, skills-share, and local resources. 

Astro Mojo Dojo: The festival’s tea lounge and welcoming place for experiential learning, meditation, and connection. 

Kidsville: rotating interactive activities for young ones, such as arts and crafts, face painting, puppet and magic shows.

Healing Oasis: a community of shamans, witches and therapists offering various healing modalities in a shaded space.

Visual Arts: showcased throughout the festival grounds via live painting, murals, interactive art installations, and at the festival art gallery.

Vendor Market: explore the selection of craft and artisan vendors and food and beverage purveyors in the Music Bowl.

The festival is an all-ages, family-friendly event. Four-day tickets, which include walk-in tent camping in the main campground, are $270 per adult and can be purchased here, along with kids and daily tickets. Vehicle passes, parking passes and early entry must be purchased separately, and there is plenty of local lodging for those who don’t prefer to camp onsite.

Donovan Roche, a San Diego-based writer/editor, has covered the music, entertainment, and arts scene for more than 30 years. Send your story ideas to droche17@cox.net. 

The last time singer-songwriter Grace Potter was supposed to play San Diego (March 2020), live music was shut down by the pandemic and her show was cancelled.

Even so, she came to Del Mar anyway, with her husband/producer Eric Valentine and young son, and they camped in their car alongside the beach for a week. The very same car she drove cross-country (four times!) to craft her latest, and fifth solo album, Mother Road.

“Del Mar is one of my favorite places,” says Potter, who performs at The Sound on March 16. “I’m taken with the area, its culture and people,” she adds, sharing that she often spent Christmases with relatives living here.

Potter, who received two Grammy nominations for her last album, 2019’s Daylight, is excited to share new songs from Mother Road, at times a raw memoir that addresses emotional themes such as regret, depression, grief, and loss. For example, on the cathartic title track, which Potter says is a road map for what is to follow, she sings: And I don’t really know if the day will ever come/When I’ll find that peace within/But as I roll down this rugged highway/I’m closer than I’ve ever been.

The Vermont-born musician, who now lives in LA’s Topanga Canyon, started her journey on “the mother of all roads” — a reference to Route 66 from John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath — in summer 2021. Following the historic highway across the country, Potter imagined her songs like a mirage on the horizon, and then flew to Nashville for recording sessions with Valentine and her crackerjack band, which includes renowned keyboardist Benmont Tench (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers), guitarist Nick Bockrath (Cage the Elephant), bassist Tim Deaux (Kings of Leon), pedal-steel guitarist Dan Kalisher (Fitz And The Tantrums), and longtime drummer Matt Musty.

Fueled by Potter’s trademark raspy vocals, Mother Road has the swagger of Mick Jagger (“Ready Set Go”) and urgency of Sheryl Crow (the plucky “Good Time”). An intoxicating elixir of roadhouse rock, honky tonk country, and barroom blues, the album transports you to soundscapes as evocative as the dust bowl towns Potter drove through, from ethereal (“All My Ghosts,” which is infused with haunting pedal steel guitar, organ and tympani) to cinematic (“Lady Vagabond” immediately conjures up Ennio Morricone’s score to the 1966 spaghetti western The Good, the Bad and the Ugly).

But Potter says the album’s sound is less intentional and more inspirational. “I think about what I like, and I interpret it,” she states. “Chasing a sound doesn’t lead to something original.”

In addition to her own headlining tour, Potter will be performing with many illustrious friends for all-star gigs in the coming months. In May and June, she’ll join Chris Stapleton for some dates on his All-American Road Show, including two nights at Hollywood Bowl.

Even sooner, on April 18, she’ll be sharing the stage with Jackson Browne, Norah Jones, Taj Mahal, and others for Mavis Staples’ 85th birthday celebration. Potter, who also participated in the legendary gospel and R&B singer’s 75th and 80th birthday bashes, refers to Staples as “the godmother of music” and a massive inspiration. “One of my first vinyls was (The Staple Singers’ 1959 song) ‘On My Way to Heaven.’ When I heard that, I said, ‘Where is this church in Vermont? This is what my soul needs!’”

But Potter’s focus this year — and for the foreseeable future — is Mother Road, and what it represents. “It’s my whole life now, and where things are going. It’s who I have accepted myself to be — the good, the bad, and the ugly to use your reference,” she chuckles. “It’s the most pure and defining version of me.”

Tickets for Potter’s show at The Sound can be purchased here. Baltimore country singer and X sensation Brittney Spencer opens the show at 8 p.m.

Donovan Roche, a San Diego-based writer/editor, has covered the music, entertainment and arts scene for more than 30 years. Send your story ideas to droche17@cox.net.

Actors becoming musicians is nothing new. Kevin Bacon, Billy Bob Thornton, and Dennis Quaid pulled it off. But Dexter? Michael C. Hall, who played serial killer Dexter Morgan on the Showtime series, is now taking a stab at singing in the alt-rock band Princess Goes.

The quirky trio – which also includes keyboardist Matt Katz-Bohen (Blondie) and drummer Peter Yanowitz (The Wallflowers) — are touring on their recently released second full-length album, “Come of Age,” which brings the band’s synthy nod to ‘80s New Wave to the Music Box on Jan. 5.

Despite Hall’s immediately recognizable looks, don’t expect to find an ominous Dexter on stage. “If people have some sort of preconception, it’s pushed aside once we’re up there doing our thing,” he says. “I go to dinner, and people are like, ‘Hey, you’re that guy!?’ And I’m like, ‘I’m not actually that guy.’ [This is] just another version of ‘I’m not that guy’.”

General admission tickets to Princess Goes are $25 and can be purchased here.

Gator by the Bay Returns

Event organizers have announced a partial list of headliners for the 21st Annual Gator by the Bay, the four-day Cajun celebration that will take over San Diego Bay’s Spanish Landing Park May 9-12. In addition to 100 music performances on seven stages — including Rosie Flores, C.J. Chenier, and Marcia Ball — the all-ages event will feature Mardi Gras parades, delicious Southern cuisine (can you handle 10,000 lbs. of crawfish?), and dance lessons.  

Covering multiple genres of music, from zydeco and New Orleans jazz to blues, swing and rockabilly, the festival’s artist lineup also includes Deke Dickerson and the Whippersnappers, Mitch Polzak & the Royal Deuces, and Sonny Landreth. A very special blues headliner will be announced in January.

Tickets to Gator on the Bay can be purchased beginning Jan. 3 here. If you attended last year and would like to share your feedback via a survey, you have the chance to win a complimentary four pack of tickets good for any day.

On the Horizon

Earlier in the new year, there are numerous noteworthy shows for which you can buy tickets to now. They include:

The Charlatans (UK) + Ride — Jan. 6 at House of Blues. The English rock band that formed in 1988 and had three No. 1 albums in the UK will be joined by British shoegazing band Ride. Tickets here.

Judge Reinhold & Screening of “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” — Jan. 26 at The Magnolia. While the El Cajon venue is known more for its musical performances, it seems fitting that the space will screen the ‘80s coming-of-age comedy based on Clairemont High School. The fact that star Judge Reinhold will also be in attendance is, like, so rad. Tickets here.

Porno for Pyros — Feb. 15 at The Observatory North Park. After a 26-year touring hiatus, the Perry Farrell-fronted alternative act is wrapping things up with the Horns, Thorns, en Halos farewell tour. Tickets here.

Grace Potter – March 16 at The Sound. The Vermont-born, raspy-voiced singer-songwriter-musician is touring on her latest release, “Mother Road.” Tickets here.

Like to get your band/gig/event featured in Music Notes? Send your story idea to droche17@cox.net.

Early in his career, Prince was notoriously known for having a hard time sharing the spotlight, as his semi-autobiographical movie “Purple Rain” illustrated. With 1991’s “Diamonds and Pearls” — his thirteenth studio album and the first featuring his new band, The New Power Generation (NPG), that all changed.

A strong departure from the pop-rock leanings of his previous group, The Revolution, The NPG seemed to have no musical bounds — their universe was an amalgamation of funk, rap, R&B, jazz, blues, whatever suited them on that particular day.

While listeners got a taste of this on the original, multi-platinum album, the newly released reissue’s Super Deluxe Edition featuring 75 songs across seven CDs or 12 vinyl records, and available via all download/streaming platforms, offers a treasure trove of audible treats, and Prince seems thrilled to showcase his band’s laudable talents.

Rosie Gaines’ powerhouse pipes percolate throughout “Diamonds and Pearls (Long Version)” and “Jughead,” while rapper Tony M commands the mic on “Things Have Gotta Change” and “Call The Law.” Meanwhile, the whole band is prominently featured on “Gangster Glam” and the seven-minute juicy jam “Something Funky (This House Comes),” with the Minneapolis maestro content to hang in the shadows.

The NPG included some of the best musicians Prince ever worked with: Levi Seacer Jr. (bass, guitar), Sonny Thompson (bass), Tommy Barbarella (keyboards), Michael Bland (drums), and Kirk Johnson and Damon Dickson on percussion. On this musically diverse edition, the tight, eight-piece band shows their versatile prowess across genres — from instrumental jazz (“Letter 4 Miles”) to blues (“I Pledge Allegiance To Your Love”) to the pop confection “Standing At The Alter,” which sounds like it easily could have been included on 1999’s “Runaway Bride” soundtrack.

But make no mistake: there’s also a good dose of The Purple Wonder throughout this meticulously crafted package, which includes an astounding 47 previously unreleased songs from his legendary vault. While many are alternate versions of popular album tracks (from a 12-inch single mix of “Daddy Pop” and second take of “Cream” to a “damn near 10-minute” version of “Gett Off”), there’s also a Princely sum of previously unheard material.

Standouts among the many ear worms include the hypnotic “Alice Through The Looking Glass”; danceable B-side “Horny Pony” (which, you may have guessed, has nothing to do with the equestrian scene); “The Voice,” a smooth groove featuring Prince’s trademark layered vocals; the colorful, thumping “Violet the Organ Grinder”; and irresistibly beautiful “Open Book.”

In addition to all the new studio music, the Super Deluxe Edition includes 14 live tracks from Prince & The NPG’s 1992 concert at his Minneapolis club, Glam Slam; a Blu-ray disc featuring unreleased footage from that performance, a soundcheck and short set from The Special Olympics, and the long-out-of-print “Diamonds And Pearls Video Collection”; and a 120-page hardback book featuring unseen images by longtime photographer Randee St. Nicholas.  

This Super Deluxe Edition, available here for $159.98 on CD or $349.98 on album, would make a generous holiday gift for the Prince fan in your life. For those on a more modest budget or less interested in the deep dive, consider the newly remastered album ($12.98) or two-CD / four-LP Deluxe Edition ($16.98 / $79.98), which includes 15 B-sides, mixes and edits.

Donovan Roche, a San Diego-based writer/editor, has covered the music and entertainment scene for more than 30 years. Send your story ideas to droche17@cox.net.

California indie rock quintet Young the Giant will be wrapping up their expansive North American summer tour, which started in late May, with a third-to-last gig at San Diego State University’s Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Amphitheater on Sunday.

As an added treat, German electro-pop duo Milky Chance, which doesn’t often tour the States, joins the lineup.

The band — comprised of Sameer Gadhia (vocals), Jacob Tilley (guitar), Eric Cannata (guitar), Francois Comtois (drums) and Payam Doostzadeh (bass) — is touring on their latest album, American Bollywood. An adventurous departure for the group, the album was co-produced by John Hill (Khalid, Phantogram) and tells the multi-generational story of American immigrants via Gadhia‘s Indian heritage.

The 16-song album, originally released as four separate EPs, is divided into four acts, each reflecting a moment in Gadhia’s lineage: his “grandparents in the old world (‘Origins’), his parents finding themselves strangers in a new world (‘Exile’), his fight to maintain his culture while also trying to fit in (‘Battle’) and finally, reconciliation and transcendence for future generations (‘Denouement’).”

But, as Gadhia shares, this isn’t his narrative alone. “This is not just the story of an Indian American caught in between two worlds; it’s also our universal search to find meaning in chaos.”

Matching the thematic, Eastern sounds permeate American Bollywood, the band’s fifth album — from the rhythmic drums of the title track and swirling sitar on “Dancing in the Rain” to the ethereal vocals and tablas on “Insomnia” and hypnotic harmonium in “Guardian Angel.”

Irvine-based Young the Giant originally formed in 2004 as The Jakes while band members were still in high school. Five years later, with a different lineup and new name, the band was opening for Kings of Leon and starting to show up on festival stages.

Their eponymously titled debut LP, released in 2010, immediately put Young the Giant on the map, yielding a pair of top-five hits in “My Body” and “Cough Syrup.” From 2014 to 2018, the band released three albums — Mind Over Matter, Home of the Strange and Mirror Master – yielding numerous alt-rock hits, including “It’s About Time,” “Something To Believe In” and “Superposition.”

The high-energy group has since become a staple at music festivals, with appearances at Bonnaroo, Austin City Limits, Lollapalooza, and last year’s Wonderfront Music & Arts Festival in San Diego, where they delivered a spirited set and talked about recently becoming fathers.

The American Bollywood tour is said to be a visual experience, utilizing video screens to help communicate the storyline and make concertgoers feel like they are watching a play. To create a seamless setlist, the band has found natural homes for older catalog songs within the four-act structure.   

Tickets to Young the Giant with Milky Chance, and special guests TALK and Rosa Linn, can be purchased here. Additionally, fans can purchase VIP packages that include premium tickets, early venue entry and merch shopping, a private pre-show performance and Q&A with Young the Giant, and exclusive band-signed poster.

Donovan Roche has covered the world of music and entertainment for more than 30 years.

Tiki Oasis, the world’s largest and longest-running festival for lovers of island lifestyle, returns to Mission Valley’s Town and Country Resort for five nights and four days of tropical hijinks, Aug. 2-6.

Under the theme “The Enchanted Sea,” this year’s event features live exotica music, pool parties, fashion shows, art exhibits, educational seminars, and more.

The party kicks off on Wednesday with an opening night Meet ‘n Mingle starting at 5 p.m. and concludes Sunday with a performance by Mediterranean psych rock band Mohama Saz, beginning at 9 p.m.

Between these bookends you’ll find everything from a Polynesian marketplace with Tiki wares for sale and tropical cocktail tastings curated by mixologists to the 2023 Mx Tiki Oasis contest (the event is proudly all-inclusive) and poolside DJ sets. 

With a full schedule of activities, here are some highlights to help you plan your visit:

• Boasting 25-plus artists/bands, music options at Tiki Oasis abound. Jason Hanna and The Swingin’ Bananas take the Martini stage on Thursday, modern exotica band Tikiyaki Orchestra plays on Friday, and Man or Astroman?, an Alabama-bred surf rock group, headlines Saturday night.
• If art is your thing, be sure to check out the pop-up exhibit featuring more than 50 artists’ work 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily in the foyer area. Like the Tiki Marketplace, the art show is free and open to the public. 
• Looking to learn something? The lineup of diverse seminars, located throughout the hotel’s various ballrooms, includes “The Evolution of Surfing Movie Music 1958-1972,” “Dances from the Caribbean Islands” and “The Secret Life of Vincent Price.” 
• As eclectic as ever, this year’s event truly has something for everyone. Costume contests? Check. Magicians? Check. Belly dancers? Check. There’s even a Pooch Parade, featuring dapper doggies, and Beauty BouTIKI, offering hair, make up and massage services in the Palm Room. 
• For late-night lovers, from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Thursday through Saturday attendees can experience live music in the hotel’s Pacific Ballroom, suite soirees in the Palm Tower (21-and-up), midnight burlesque shows, and after-hours celebrations (18-plus).

Launching in 2001, originally in Palm Springs, Tiki Oasis migrated to San Diego in 2006. Now celebrating its 22nd anniversary, the event has found a good home in Town and Country hotel, which completed a $70 million renovation in 2020.

For available ticket packages to Tiki Oasis 2023, go here.

Donovan Roche has covered the world of music and entertainment for more than 30 years.

After a two-year, pandemic-prompted hiatus, the Wonderfront Music & Arts Festival returned to downtown’s scenic waterfront for its sophomore outing Nov. 18-20. While it felt like not much had changed since its 2019 debut, there were noticeable advancements this year and areas where the still-fledgling three-day fest can improve.

Featuring more than 80 bands on eight stages (inclusive of one on the Spirit of San Diego Flagship vessel Marietta), Wonderfront has much to offer spread across an approximate 1.5-mile footprint. If you came to see headliners like Gwen Stefani or popular acts like Big Boi or Schoolboy Q, you were in luck as they performed on either the side-by-side Events.com and Port of San Diego stages, situated at the end of Embarcadero North, or nearby Coors Light stage in Seaport Village.

Getting from these stages to the northernmost Ruocco Park required more of an effort. And on busier weekend nights, it could be challenging accessing the third-largest Coors Light stage due to the herd having to cross a two-person-wide stairwell. One of the bigger snags occurred on Sunday, when a throng traversed to see R&B bassist Thundercat. While the purpose for the bridge is to allow cross-traffic on the pathway below, it would significantly improve flow if organizers can devise a workaround for next year that allows those making their way to the Coors Light stage to remain on the wider, ground-level path.

This year, Wonderfront bookers amped up their lineup from 2019, which included Miguel, Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals, and MGMT. Saturday’s headliner Kings of Leon sounded spectacular, festival stalwarts Cage the Elephant and Young the Giant both thrilled with high-energy sets, and emerging acts like Quinn XCII and Saint Motel proved why they deserved to be here. Many artists, such as Fitz and The Tantrums, had new music out, and commented on how great it was to perform for live audiences again.

Noticeably absent in 2019, country acts also showed up in force this year — from Friday headliner Zac Brown Band to recent CMA Female Vocalist of the Year award-winner Lainey Wilson. Regrettably, though, classic rock remained overlooked. I would love to see some ‘70s and ‘80s bands next year, along with some crowd-pleasing reunions and surprise guests.

In terms of timing, Wonderfront scores high marks. Most bands were very punctual about starting and stopping on schedule; after all, there wasn’t much wiggle room between acts, so if they were running late (as Swae Lee was) they would have to truncate their set. As one band was playing on the Port of San Diego stage, the crew would be setting up for the next act to take the Events.com stage, yielding a seamless transition for festivalgoers.

Of course, as its name suggests, there were more than just satisfying sounds at the Wonderfront Music & Arts Festival. Live art installations lined the bayfront, engaging activations like Diageo’s The Cantina (one of the few if only spirits sampling areas in the venue) were clustered throughout Embarcadero North’s main thoroughfare, artisans sold their wares (from crystals to cowboy hats), and food and drink (both alcoholic and non-) abounded.

But the real differentiator between Wonderfront and other music festivals I have attended is its focus on putting San Diego in the spotlight. Perhaps even more than the artists themselves. The locale is obviously a big part of this, sandwiched between sunsets over the bay and downtown’s striking skyline. So, too, is the festival’s encouragement to come and go, so visitors can ferry over to Coronado Island, check out a bar/restaurant in the Gaslamp, or dip their toes in the sandy shores of Del Mar.

When I went to Austin City Limits, I made a point to go a few days early so I could experience all the fun college town had to offer, from its honky-tonks to its BBQ joints. With the support of Port of San Diego and San Diego Tourism Marketing District, Wonderfront invites you to soak it in all at once. This is nowhere more evident than cruising along the harbor’s shore in the Spirit of San Diego, a charter yacht with bars on all three levels, live band on the second, and DJ spinning house hits on the rooftop deck. Traveling from the newly erected Rady Shell at Jacobs Park to the historic USS Midway, with music swimming through San Diego’s perfect weather, how could you not view this as a love letter to America’s Finest City?

That’s the wonder of Wonderfront.

For more than 30 years, Donovan Roche has covered the world of music – from the release of Nirvana’s “Nevermind” to Prince’s unpronounceable name change. Send your story ideas to droche17@cox.net.