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This is a 21+ event w/ valid ID.

Knifeplay is a band that eludes definition, existing somewhere between the nihilistic detachment of shoegaze and the emotional honesty of folk songwriting. They’ve made a slow and careful shift from being the solo bedroom recording project of songwriter, Tj Strohmer, to a collaborative, production-focused studio-recorded band. Through their ever-expanding genre palette, range of fidelities, and a long list of collaborators runs a unique mood that ties everything together.

Informed by his experiences living in Philadelphia and their contrast with his rural southern Maryland upbringing, Strohmer’s sometimes straightforward, sometimes dreamlike lyrics feature scenes of darkness from many different aspects of life. He deals with themes of death, drugs, heartbreak, abuse, and self-destruction, all expressed through an androgynous vocal style, which, combined with the band's lush, often dense orchestral instrumentation gives a beautiful lightness to the heavy subject matter.

Knifeplay has earned a dedicated cult following since their 2017 debut with their home-recorded Eps, acclaimed debut album Pearlty (2019), a lengthy B-Sides Compilation (2020), and an EP Hurt Someone (2021 Born Losers Records). The latter of which was a part of their 2021 studio work with acclaimed Philadelphia engineer/mixer/producer Jeff Zeigler.

Knifeplay is: Tj Strohmer (guitar, vocals, songwriting), Alex Stackhouse (bass), John Scortino (drums), Max Black (keys), John Klein (lead guitar)

Presented by Soda Bar.

This is a 21+ event

Knifeplay w/ Sparkler, Kan Kan

Unpretentious bar with beer & mixed drinks alongside live music from a variety of artists.

Soda Bar

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Formed in 1994, Phantom Planet is a Los Angeles band that has released four albums of melodic, energetic Alt Rock. Helping to define the early 00s music landscape, they’re best known for writing anthemic hits like “California,” (theme of the TV series: The O.C.) and their wildly exciting live shows with deep fan engagement. The band has entertained the masses through a combination of stellar musicianship & compelling song writing which now spans 25yrs.

The band, comprised of Alex Greenwald, Sam Farrar, Darren Robinson and Jeff Conrad also spend time away from Phantom Planet, and have continued to push the creative barriers outside the band. Pursuing satellite interests during times of hiatus, bassist Sam Farrar became a member of Maroon 5, singer Alex Greenwald was the musical director for Mark Ronson and The Business Intl & formed the band Phases, guitarist Darren Robinson divided his time touring with Miniature Tigers & creating Twin Terrors, drummer Jeff Conrad (who replaced founding member Jason Schwartzman) became a documentary editor and composer.

Now back together again after a 10yr break, the band makes their official return with BALISONG (produced by long-time collaborator, Tony Berg). Using this release as a launching pad in to 2019 and beyond, expect new music & touring through 2020. Phantom Planet is no longer missing and in the spot light once again.

Presented by Soda Bar.

This is a 21+ event

Phantom Planet w/ Range Life

OTR crafts loving, buoyant electronic tracks bursting with optimism and catharsis. But the truth is, they are simply an extension of their creator, producer Ryan Chadwick. For him, making music began as an escape from strange, alienating circumstances, and has since blossomed into a burgeoning career with more than 200 million global streams, and a dynamic, ambitious sophomore album—Be Quiet, They’re Listening—due on Astralwerks in the summer.

Boasting an explosion of dreamy synths and polished percussion, the first single “Heat of the Sun” showcases the scope of emotion as well as meticulous attention to detail that elevates OTR’s work. His versatility is also on display on soaring tracks like “Forever” and addictive, swaggering cuts like “Leave You Behind,” each taking listeners on a journey through a vibrant soundscape of varied tempos and moods. “I won’t leave you behind, I won’t let you go to waste,” Bipolar Sunshine sweetly sings on the ethereal latter track. “I can’t leave you behind. Not today. Not today.”

Recording sessions for the album took place in Seattle and London, where Chadwick enjoyed collaborations with the likes of JONES, Lizzy Land, and Kacy Hill. He also looked to the world around him for inspiration, as on the looming smash “In the Summer,” which was born out of writer’s block and creative fatigue.

“I was having trouble with that one, but then at the last minute, I decided to fly back home to Cincinnati, where I went to school,” he says. “I met up with some friends and brought my laptop, and without really thinking about it one evening, I just finished that entire track. It just seemed like a full circle.”

For Chadwick, musical expression has always been an important part of his life. “I was always obsessed with music growing up, but I wasn’t classically trained or anything,” he says. “My parents knew if they made me get piano lessons I would revolt.”

Music found its way into his life much more organically. Educated and trained as an aerospace engineer, Chadwick found himself heading to Japan in 2014 for an internship. It was there that OTR—the abbreviation for Over-the-Rhine, the Cincinnati neighborhood where he grew up—was truly born. “I didn’t have much else to do but write and work,” he remembers. “So that’s when I got involved with music and production as a way to escape or put words to what I was feeling.”

When Chadwick returned to the U.S., music had gone from a casual hobby to a serious pursuit and he was already honing his skills, expanding what the OTR sound encompasses, and creating music that millions of listeners would soon discover. He began steadily releasing new tracks, including the layered, atmospheric production of 2017’s “Port” and 2018’s “Cold Facts,” a stunning pop collaboration with Blondage featuring a dizzying, elegant breakdown.

Japan wasn’t the only time Chadwick found himself facing isolation and turning to music—except the second time around, the rest of the world was feeling it too. When the pandemic arrived in 2020, OTR signed with the storied electronic label Astralwerks and released his debut album, Lost at Midnight. Working with the likes of Shallou, Au/Ra, Ukiyo, WYNNE, and Vancouver Sleep Clinic among others, he crafted a series of reflective tracks that resonated—earning syncs on a Netflix soundtrack, Forza Horizon 5 and even a Super Bowl commercial.

For Be Quiet, They’re Listening, the collaboration came even easier, but isolation was still weighing heavily on Chadwick’s mind. The album’s title comes from a science fiction short story that details a transmission headed out into the vast universe and a somewhat mysterious message coming back. “I wanted to replicate that feeling,” he says of his initial pandemic mindset. But optimism continued to flow through his music: “It’s impossible to write sad music during a sad time.”

The producer found another silver lining: Now he can see fans’ and listeners’ reactions to his new music in real-time. “The pandemic reminded us of the value of art in a strange sort of way,” he says. “Human interaction makes art better. It’s a way to connect with people. Connection is the soul of art itself.”

Be Quiet, They’re Listening caps a challenging, rewarding period in which OTR found his sound and came to understand the healing power of music. “In the very beginning of the pandemic, I wrote the first single ‘Heat of the Summer,’ so it’s cool to see that out in the world,” he says. “That song is kind of a bridge between then and now. It’s just nice to close that chapter.”

Presented by Soda & Casbah

This is a 21+ event

OTR w/ Bipolar Sunshine

Sorry Girls have danced out of the darkness into the light. Since forming in 2015, the Montreal duo of Heather Foster Kirkpatrick and Dylan Konrad Obront have transformed an eerie, dreamlike sound into lush, pleasure seeking pop. Expanding upon their debut album, Deborah, the band’s deftly arranged sophomore LP, Bravo!, sings to the back rows of the stadium, drawing listeners inward with a newfound focus on personal lyrics.

“These songs are all about self-acceptance, self-affirmation, personal freedom, and letting go,” says Kirkpatrick. “There are a lot of lyrics about the creative process itself, identity shaping, and how those things intertwine.”

While Sorry Girls’ influences have evolved with each subsequent release, never have they sounded more like a live band than on Bravo!. The dramatic sound of “Sorcery” borrows a few tricks from Talk Talk, while “The Exiles” is Sorry Girls’ veritable Springsteen anthem, complete with their own Clarence Clemons. Propelled by a slinky disco groove and immaculate guitarwork, “Prettier Things” is the album’s standout among many - a “breakup song that’s about honesty, not lying to yourself, and hiding behind prettier truths,” says Kirkpatrick. –Jesse Locke

Presented by Soda

This is a 21+ event

Sorry Girls w/ Julianna Zachariou, Hot Moms Club

This is a 21+ event w/ valid ID at Soda Bar - San Diego.

Growing up surrounded by different styles of music, Pablo Alcantara "mediopicky" was curious from an early age on how to create and mix sounds. Today, this becomes electronic music pieces where you will listen to mixes from merengue to rock, or from trap to cumbia, but always loaded with a good discharge of basses and occasional vocals, to only focus the energy on what is most important, the dance. thanks to this he has received the attention of mad decent, DISCOLAI, remix, noisey, among others.

Sounding on records or special events, his love for Music means that as a producer, musician or promoter, mediopicky expresses himself musically in one way or another on the local scene of Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic and the world.

“What interests me is that people feel something from what I can create, it doesn't matter what it is, but that they feel something and dance without thinking about what kind of music they are listening to.”

Presented by Soda Bar.

This is a 21+ event

mediopicky w/ Tulengua

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After what seems like an eternity, Australia's bastard sons of grind King Parrot have finally announced their much anticipated return to North America. The band last ventured across the pond back in 2018, and with their latest EP "Holed Up in the Lair" released during the Covid era, the band are ready to hit the road and do what they do best... Destroy stages everywhere across the US as only they know how. Not only will they appear at swag of festival dates, they'll appear alongside Pantera and Lamb of God at \_\_ select shows on the East Coast as well as touring the rest of the US and Canada   The band recently completed an Australian tour with old pals Unearth, and have been keeping busy touring throughout Australia since live music resumed. Their  7" EP "Holed Up In The Lair" released on Housecore Records is a blistering example of what the band is capable of and features guest vocals by Philip Anselmo on the track "Nor Is Yours". The ridiculous animation film clip for the track "Kick Up A Stink" keeps true to the King Parrot theme of absurd videos to accompany their unique and off-kilter take on grindcore, thrash and punk rock.   Vocalist Matt Young comments on the impending tour "We couldn't be happier to announce our return to the US and continue the work that we have done over the last decade. It really was our second home before the world stood still for a minute, so to have this opportunity to pick up where we left off is something we are truly grateful for.  The honour of getting to play alongside Pantera is something only dreams are made of, and there was no way in hell we were going to turn down that opportunity. Our little old band from Australia has still got a hell of a point to prove, and we have just as much venom in us as the day we first set foot in the US in 2014. We'll see you all this September!".

Presented by Soda Bar.

This is a 21+ event

King Parrot w/ Filth Is Eternal, Spirit In The Room

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Egg Records showcase!

Presented by Soda & Egg Records

This is a 21+ event

Lydon, Big Blue World, Flower Animals, Delahcruz, Rodrigo Morelos

This is a 21+ event w/ valid ID at Soda Bar - San Diego.

\*This event will be mixed seated/standing. Arrive early for best seat selection.

Presented by Soda Bar.

This is a 21+ event

Pound House with DJ Douggpound & Brent Weinbach

This is a 21+ event w/ valid ID at Soda Bar – San Diego.

Violence and melancholy, sweetness and brutality -- SIERRA blends various styles and moods to create her own unique brand, inspired by synthwave, EBM and darkwave. She released her first EP entitled “STRANGE VALLEY” in 2017. With their dark and vivid undertone, the six tracks describe a journey beyond an uncanny desert. In May 2019, she released “GONE”, her second EP. That same month, she gave her first live performance at STUNFEST, a gaming convention who had previously hosted well-known artists such as Perturbator and Carpenter Brut. In February 2020, she was the opening act of Carbon Killer’s European tour across 7 countries. In December 2020, she released her third EP: “ALL ABOUT LOVE”. In November 2021, she released her fourth EP “INNER SPEECH” composed with Matteo Tura. In January 2022 she released her fifth EP "See Me Now" then she supported Carpenter Brut on a world tour that includes over 20 dates.

Presented by Soda Bar.

This is a 21+ event

SIERRA w/ Street Cleaner

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As Night Beats, Texas-born, LA-based artist Danny Lee Blackwell creates music like one might assemble a puzzle. The Western psychedelic auteur builds his work from one moment, an initial spark, that must fit a certain criteria: it must give him goosebumps. If that sensation arrives, Blackwell will pursue the idea relentlessly until he has a new song; if not, he moves onto the next moment, constantly looking for the perfect molecule of a song. On his new Night Beats album, Rajan, the songwriter is at his strongest, creating works that shine with captivating melodies and hypnotic rhythms, but are underscored by subtle choices of craftsmanship that can only be achieved after countless hours in the studio. Blackwell creates a work that lands somewhere between Spaghetti Western film score and psych-pop opus, a career-defining album that reveals much about Danny Lee Blackwell’s artistic philosophy while keeping that ever crucial air of mystery intact.

Album opener “Hot Ghee” not only sets the stage for where the album will head, but establishes Rajan as a scalding-hot take on the intersection of psych-rock, jazz, blues, soul, hip-hop, and more. It’s a wildly diverse and thrilling album, yet remains remarkably cohesive in Blackwell’s deft hands. “Hot Ghee” is built around sultry guitar chords, layers of interacting vocals, swinging drums, a small army of tambourines, and subtle piano runs that gives the song a melodic edge. 

“Hot Ghee,” and all of Rajan, is such a special record because it simultaneously showcases Danny Lee’s chops as a world class songwriter, while showcasing the types of music he loves as a fan. Blackwell is one of our most impressive musicians, but he’s also an obsessive listener. Take “Hot Ghee’s” bridge, which moves the song from burnt-edge funk to Sgt. Pepper era Beatles. It’s an unpredictable move, but one that works to perfection thanks to Blackwell’s execution.

Rajan began just like every other Night Beats album. Shortly after releasing the fuzzed-out pop epic Outlaw R&B, Blackwell began itching to create new music. Writing isn’t a process that Blackwell has to sit down and engage with. As Night Beats, it’s something he’s always doing, and the only differentiation between periods of creation is what makes it on certain records and what falls victim to the cutting room. 

“Whenever my writing gets to a point where songs begin to take shape, it begins to feel like a faucet,” Blackwell explains. “As soon as Outlaw R&B was finished, I began writing and very quickly fell in love with a few ideas that encapsulated the feeling of Rajan. I think writing is a constant cycle in that it never really begins or ends, but there are definitive points where the writing is leading somewhere.” On this new project, Blackwell felt very early on that this album would be dedicated to his mother. Though thematically it doesn’t always reflect this tribute, the whole project is infused by this familial tie.

“This isn’t a concept album, because every album has a concept. That term never made sense to me. But if it’s about one thing, it’s about this pursuit of freedom that was instilled in me by my mother,” Blackwell says. “In the arts, I’m very lucky in that I have 100% control over what I want to say, and how I do it,” he explains. That means some songs toy with Anatolian funk and Western-tinged R&B. Other songs, like “Nightmare” mess around with 70s Brazilian psychedelia. There are also elements of Chicano soul, rock steady love songs, Lee “Scratch” Perry-inspired dub; essentially, in the world of Night Beats, nothing is off limits. “Rajan is just one of six examples of me doing exactly what I want, and not caring about whether it's checked out or not. I’m a journeyperson. I want to make things for the sake of making them.”

Night Beats’ new album Rajan is an ode to great music. Danny Lee Blackwell enters the canonical halls of music past and confidently inserts his voice into the conversation. It’s an album both indebted to its influences and wildly innovative in its originality. Above all, it finds Night Beats pursuing every whim imaginable. “I'm here to explore. I think exploration is the underlying reason in a way, of why we do the things we do,” Blackwell explains. “I feel lucky. What can I say? I feel blessed.”

Presented by Soda Bar.

This is a 21+ event

Soda Bar

Soda Bar

Knifeplay w/ Sparkler, Kan Kan

Phantom Planet w/ Range Life

OTR w/ Bipolar Sunshine

Sorry Girls w/ Julianna Zachariou, Hot Moms Club

mediopicky w/ Tulengua

King Parrot w/ Filth Is Eternal, Spirit In The Room

Lydon, Big Blue World, Flower Animals, Delahcruz, Rodrigo Morelos

Pound House with DJ Douggpound & Brent Weinbach

SIERRA w/ Street Cleaner

Night Beats w/ Pearl Charles

Knifeplay w/ Sparkler, Kan Kan

Phantom Planet w/ Range Life

OTR w/ Bipolar Sunshine

Sorry Girls w/ Julianna Zachariou, Hot Moms Club

mediopicky w/ Tulengua

King Parrot w/ Filth Is Eternal, Spirit In The Room

Lydon, Big Blue World, Flower Animals, Delahcruz, Rodrigo Morelos

Pound House with DJ Douggpound & Brent Weinbach

SIERRA w/ Street Cleaner

Night Beats w/ Pearl Charles