In early 2019, I more or less accidentally fell into the hands of the San Diego local music scene, and my only regret is that I didn’t look into the scene sooner.
From the time I first moved to San Diego in summer 2018 to early spring 2019, I didn’t go to any concerts or shows, and I was starting to feel a bit deprived of live music (if that’s possible), so Mikko (co-curator) and I decided that we’d look for concerts within the following few weeks. After we began our search to find a concert that wasn’t too far, on a school night, or outrageously expensive, we stumbled upon SOMA’s website which listed some of their upcoming concerts. One of the first shows listed was the EP release show for a local band called Life in Discord, accompanied by a few other local bands. At the time, we knew nearly nothing about the local scene, but we figured it was only $10 and we’d get to see several bands, so it was worth a shot. When I was buying tickets to this show, I never would have imagined that shows would become such a significant part of my life.
On the day of the show, we carpooled to SOMA, only to realize we were there before the bands had even loaded in. We weren’t exactly sure what we were getting into, but we knew we were excited. After the bands loaded in and did soundcheck, the doors opened and we headed inside. Once we were inside the sidestage where the bands were performing, we saw that there were maybe 7 or 8 people in the room, including us. It was much less crowded than we had originally anticipated, but then again we didn’t really know what to expect in the first place. Over the course of the show, more people came, and by the time Life in Discord came on stage, almost the entire room was full. Although we were almost entirely sure that we were the only people who stayed to watch Life in Discord who weren’t their family or friends, I can confidently say with that this show was one of the best nights I’ve ever had.
Over the following couple months, we continued going to shows at SOMA and learning more and more about the scene. Soon enough, we discovered the Che Cafe, where we sometimes volunteer.
Since I’ve joined the scene, I’ve met some amazing people and seen so many talented, creative artists perform. I’ve also started to get into concert photography as well, which is a unique way to connect with artists and promote your work. If you live in San Diego (or in any semi-decently sized city), don’t miss out on your local music scene. If you’re not sure where to get started, look for local artists on social media, check out local blogs and magazines, or look for local music venues! SUPPORT YOUR LOCALS!
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