Humphrey’s, Fair Sets the Stage for San Diego
Bonnie Raitt, Kansas, Smokey Robinson, Little Big Town & More Coming to Town
Two of San Diego’s highly anticipated seasonal concert series have announced their acts, and the eclectic lineups cover just about every musical genre, from classic Motown to contemporary country, ‘80s new wave to Spanish pop rock.
Situated adjacent to Shelter Island’s picturesque, boat-filled marina, Humphrey’s Concerts by the Bay will host a seven-month run from April 18 to Nov. 16. Artists performing in the intimate, 1,400-seat outdoor theater include 10,000 Maniacs vocalist Natalie Merchant, Grand Funk Railroad, Tower of Power, Thievery Corporation, Chris Isaak, Bonnie Raitt, Little River Band, Kansas, and English alt-rock band Keane (which I’ll be reviewing in a future installment of D-Constructed).
Most of the shows are seated, but this season will also see eight general admission/standing-room-only nights with acts such as Alabama Shakes’ Brittany Howard, Australian singer-songwriter Xavier Rudd, and Hawaiian reggae trio Maoli.
The calendar also features numerous special engagements, from tribute bands (TUSK – the world’s No. 1 Fleetwood Mac tribute, The Australian Pink Floyd Show) to milestone events (Clint Black’s 35th Anniversary of Killin’ Time Tour, Average White Band’s Farewell Tour) to theme nights (Lost ‘80s Live featuring A Flock of Seagulls, Wang Chung, The English Beat, and more).
See the full schedule here. Tickets go on sale March 16 at 10 a.m. and are available at Ticketmaster.com and Humphrey’s box office, located at 2241 Shelter Island Drive.
The San Diego County Fair’s Toyota Summer Concert Series will feature 12 acts this summer on the Del Mar Fairgrounds Grandstand Stage, beginning with Pacific Islander reggae group Kolohe Kai on June 12 and closing with Spanish pop rock band Hombres G on July 7.
In between, you’ll find everything from country (Old Dominion, June 13; Little Big Town, June 27) and R&B (TLC, June 14; Smokey Robinson, June 26) to rap (Ludacris, June 28; Yung Gravy, July 3) and Latin music (Pepe Aguilar, June 16; Los Tucanes De Tijuana, June 30). There’s even an evening of comedy featuring the Kings of Late Night – Jay Leno, Craig Ferguson, and Arsenio Hall (June 21).
Tickets include same-day admission to the San Diego County Fair and can be purchased here.