The hectic opening weeks of the school year are past us, and everyone should be feeling a bit more settled in at this point. The school events that were seemingly lined up one after the other will start to become a biweekly occurrence, and free time on the weekends will open up. With all that being said, one of the more fun and often affordable things you can do in your free time is attend a local concert.
Below is your complete guide to some of the notable artists who will be in San Diego during the school year, including their concert venues and ticket prices.
House of Blues
One of the more well-known venues in San Diego — House of Blues (HOB)— is tucked away in downtown San Diego. This iconic building sitting on Fifth Avenue is easy to miss among the bustle of downtown. However, once inside the cozy venue, you can typically enjoy a concert via general admission, which gives you a more personal experience with the artist.
HOB will host the brilliant Abraham Alexander on Oct. 19 with tickets starting at $15. Alexander is a soul and R&B singer from the heart of Texas. His gentle tone and Texan rasp are picture-perfect for HOB, and if you are looking for a new R&B artist, Alexander is your guy.
Three days later, the Alabama rapper NoCap will be performing with general admission tickets beginning at $33. NoCap is more on the underground side of trap music, but those types of artists almost always make for a fun show. From personal experience, I attended a Key Glock show at HOB and had a blast. NoCap is riding high off the releases of a few singles, and will surely put on a good show towards the back end of his tour.
On Nov. 30, indie singer Jeremy Zucker will be at HOB on tour. His show will cost you anywhere from $28 to $75 to attend. Zucker is even more mellow than Alexander, so expect an intimate show. He’s known for multiple hit songs that he released in the late 2010s and likely was a mainstay on many of our playlists back in high school. Zucker has plenty of sing-along type tracks like “comethru” and “you were good to me,” and his relatable lyrics will make for a great night.
Pechanga Arena
Moving on from the underground feel of HOB, Pechanga Arena is a larger and more recognizable venue just down the road on Sports Arena Boulevard.
Matty Healy and his band The 1975 will be playing on Sep. 30 for $40 with better tickets climbing into triple digits. It’s inconveniently in the middle of the week, but they are definitely a well-known group on campus and will make for an exciting night. Healy is known for his wild antics on stage, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he pulled something out of his bag of tricks while in San Diego.
You’re in for a party if you head over to Pechanga on Oct. 14. Tyga, YG and Saweetie will be performing together; the duo from Compton knows how to get a crowd wild. Saweetie will appeal to you ladies out there, and ultimately the trap trio has a solid lineup of hits to keep you on your feet. You can see the three artists in person for just $45.
Petco Park
When it comes to concert venues in San Diego, none are as well-known or iconic as Petco Park. When the stadium isn’t hosting Padre games, it’s the perfect spot for some of music’s biggest and brightest stars to perform. Keep in mind that when the park has featured names like Bad Bunny and Morgan Wallen, the ticket prices for their performers are far more expensive. Venues like the two listed above will be much more affordable.
R&B juggernaut, Daniel Caesar, will be at Petco in less than two weeks on Sept. 20. His most recent album from April, “Never Enough,” was one of the best releases this year, and his past music is still celebrated in the R&B community. Ticket prices are steep, but you’ll be seeing one of the best R&B artists from the 21st century perform.
Finally, the last notable name coming to San Diego during the final moments of the fall semester is Oklahoma’s finest, Zach Bryan. His album from late August, “Zach Bryan,” has taken the country music community by storm and now he’s on tour. Again, ticket prices are through the roof, but I can’t think of a better time to see one of country music’s top stars perform.
