Seth Combs has covered the San Diego arts and music scene for over a decade. He's also written for Spin, Zagat, and The Hollywood Reporter. He likes dogs and comic books, but is pretty iffy on your band.
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Seth Combs
Volcano erupts on ‘The Island’
As a child of the ’80s, I can testify to the fact that there used to be a time when saying that a band sounded like Santana was a huge compliment. Read more
Fine Lines: Karla Cordero
If San Diego artists received the same amount of national attention as places like L.A. and San Francisco, local Karla Cordero would surely be in the discussion as being one of the best Chicanx poets working today. Read more
Photo by Andy Nystrom / Flickr
The Plaza de Panama revamp is dead
When readers think of San Diego design and architecture, what comes to mind? Go ahead. I’ll wait. Read more
Photo via J Gallone / iStockphoto
Words are important
And while it’s fun to pretend the past two years didn’t really happen, to deny it only serves as a convenient excuse to keep burying our progressive heads in the sand. Read more
The Spotlight: The Three Tremors
Really though, this is a pretty cool show. It features three old-school metal singers (Ripper, along with Sean Peck and Harry Conklin) combining forces like some kind of heavy metal Voltron. Read more
Photo by Scott Larson
Emo never dies
Welcome to Emo Nite San Diego, one of the many local club nights devoted to playing the somewhat obscure subgenre of indie-rock. All around me, young people are mulling about. Read more
Photo by Andrea Lopez-Villafaña
All eyes on S.D.
Whether or not Trump decides to use his executive powers to declare a state of emergency, now or in the future, California state lawmakers also see the writing on the wall. Read more
Jay James makes beautiful, atmospheric jams
Jay James released his debut LP, when all is said and done, in March of last year. Listening to it now, it’s hard not to kick myself. Read more
Here, take my money
I think that bears repeating: JFS will run the temporary migrant shelter at no cost to the county. How could anyone possibly object? Well, they found a way. Read more
Photo by Leo Cacket
Spotlight: Gang of Four
Songs like “Damaged Goods” and “At Home He’s a Tourist” still pack a punch in a live setting and Sterry does sound a lot like original singer Jon King. Read more
Photo by Seth Combs
Melissa Walter defies physics to explore the multiverse
Walter, who used to work at NASA before devoting herself full-time to art, says her initial ideas often “defy physics.” Read more
Mayoral candidates are off to the races
There’s been a lot of attention paid over the last few weeks about who will be running against Donald Trump in 2020, which may have drowned out the news that San Diego has a few declared candidates running for mayor that year. Read more
YIMBYism for dummies
There’s a certain amount of cognitive dissonance when it comes to the overall tenets of YIMBYism. Do we do it at the cost of the environment? What about parking spaces? Public transit? Rent control? Read more
Photo by Beth Ross-Buckley
Bonnie Wright is back with a new Fresh Sound
For over two decades, Bonnie Wright has been curating the Fresh Sound concert series, but even she’ll admit that devoting all of her free time to showcasing experimental musical artists can sometimes be a thankless affair. Read more
Local art curator Johnny Tran releases surprise album
Just as is the nature of pop-surrealism and lowbrow art, Tran’s music is a statement on the zeitgeist, as well as a tribute to it of sorts. Read more
Via Satellite return with beautiful, eulogistic new album
Recorded just before the death of drummer Tim Reece of a rare form of glandular cancer, the album could be seen as both a lamenting farewell and a eulogistic celebration of Reese, although it’s doubtful he’d want it to be seen as either. Read more
The Sorcerer Family takes the ukulele to a strange place
“Although I still consider myself a noise artist, I feel that The Sorcerer Family is folk music and music that speaks for the earth,” says Lopez. Read more
The coming storm: Part 4
There is more rain coming. And sure, that could be taken in a literal sense, given the forecast, but I’m more referring to the coming battles between our Republican mayor and the solidly Democratic, veto-proof city council. Read more
Photo by Dot Pierson
The Spotlight: The Posies
Don’t let anyone ever tell you that music doesn’t save lives. Read more
Exasperation and the arbitrary nature of post-punk
What is post-punk music if not a bunch of musicians who are jaded, but just not that jaded? Read more