St. Patrick's Day may be March's most famous night of partying, but it won't be the biggest.
Our next SoundDiego LIVE event will be held Thursday at El Dorado. The downtown bar is known for its craft cocktails and happening late-night scene.
March's event will be hosted by FM 94/9's Tim Pyles and feature performances by Family Wagon and Crash & the Burns.
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According to Pyles, Family Wagon caught his eye (and ear) by reminding him of another local act.
"Family Wagon owes a debt of gratitude to a group like the defunct local band Dirty Sweet, playing a similar style of rock & roll," Pyles said. "Lead singer Calen has the fire and vibe of a great frontman, not to mention the hair that he whips around like a whirling dervish. Gareth the bass player of the band has the best hair, if you ask me! But it's not the hair that makes them -- they rock!"
Pyles has had plenty of opportunities to see Family Wagon lately.
"The band just finished a month-long residency at the Casbah, packing the club for every show, and it was on Mondays!" Pyles said. "They play a high-energy style of rock & roll that touches on the classics but is their own. Think AC/DC to Faster Pussycat to the Band."
The connection to Dirty Sweet continues with Crash & the Burns.
"Ryan Koontz and Mark Murino have been staples on the local music scene for years," Pyles said. "Some of you may have heard of a little rock & roll band called Dirty Sweet. Dirty Sweet ruled SD for awhile but sort of quietly went away. Well, don't worry 'cause Crash & the Burns are here to fill the gap!"
Fans of Dirty Sweet's rock-star vibe will find plenty to like in the band.
"Ryan has the swagger of a great frontman, and Mark has the riffs to go with it!" Pyles said. "So what started as a hobby has turned into a full-fledged project adding Christian Schinelli [Pocket, the Price of Dope, Dirty Sweet] and Josh Hermsmeier [the Gregory Page Band]. See them live and judge for yourself!"
Pyles is also excited for SoundDiego LIVE to be held at El Dorado.
"Anybody that has been a dive-bar connoisseur in San Diego will remember El Dorado as Hong Kong Niteclub," Pyles told us. "Hong Kong in its day was a haven for the local sailors that ruled downtown. Cheap beer and stiff drinks, with lovely Asian ladies behind the bar. The only bar that still reflects anything close to that anymore downtown is the Star Bar. Fast-forward and you have El Dorado Cocktail Lounge, a major step forward to today's standards."
The bar may have lost its Asian vibe, but there's more to love about the place than ever.
"Bands, DJs, art, music, culture and cocktails is what this place is all about," Pyles said. "Far from the Gaslamp, this place is still kind of a 'you have to be in the know' kind of place. The cocktail selection is superb and made with care by the mixologists, so see what they can do with some Jack Daniels, just ask them ..."
Kicking off the March 28 show will be the winner of our monthly Garage 2 Glory contest, an online battle of the bands. Keep an eye out for an announcement of which bands will be competing.
With three bands scheduled to play, you won't go hungry for music, but you still might get thirsty. Don't worry, we've got you covered: Get to El Dorado early and you can enjoy a VIP happy hour presented by Jack Daniel's from 7-8 p.m.
On the off-chance you enjoy all that delicious whiskey a little too much, we've got you covered there, too. The folks from BeMyDD will be on hand to provide three teams for two hours, with drivers waiting on site to drive home as many people and their cars as possible during the two hours at the end of SoundDiego LIVE. Anyone who uses BeMyDD at SoundDiego LIVE will get an annual membership for free (typically, folks get a 30-day trial with a $25 annual membership). Plus, one lucky partygoer will win a free ride to and from November's SoundDiego LIVE, courtesy of BeMyDD.
So get on the guest list now. This is going to be one Thursday night party you don’t want to miss!
SoundDiego associate editor Chris Maroulakos is also the managing editor of the San Diego music blog Owl and Bear.