When I talked to a guy in a popular indie rock band after a recent show, he said that they got burritos and went to the beach and had the full San Diego experience.

On a national level, San Diego was home to the two most nondescript franchises in the four major sports, and one of them now plays in Los Angeles I’d estimate the crowd at your average Chargers game is 75% for the away team.Īside from a bizarre period in the early ’90s when bands with Spock haircuts and V-necks were getting looks from major labels and a blip in the late 2000s with bloggy garage rock, San Diego has been an afterthought in pop - you’ve got Stone Temple Pilots and Blink-182, and most people seem to assume that Sublime is either from here or that Sublime cover bands still do brisk business. Unlike Los Angeles and the Bay Area, there’s no pervasive industrial complex that defines its economy, mandates an influx of new residents, or warrants the skyrocketing rent, just unyieldingly perfect weather - gotta factor in that no one really needs to pay for central air or heating.

Chino’s vocals are warm, rich, and clear, and Stephen’s guitar really slices through each track- all supported by Abe’s punchy drumming and Chengs present basswork (really nice to be able to hear and feel the bass in these recordings! *cough* gore *cough*) Terry Date’s production work is great too, and in 2020 it was a nice return to form with his contribution on Ohms.When I ask people what they think about San Diego, I mostly find out that they don’t. Almost not surface noise present here, and the sound is amazing and dynamic. The record was pressed nice and flat, and the labels are really pretty in white (no idea why they changed from the original color, but ce la vie). Was lucky enough to score a copy for $25 on here recently, and boy was it worth it.

Deftones albums live at san diego