2009 Del Mar Summer Concert Series schedule

G. Love & Special Sauce, Friday, July 24, 3 p.m. (time denotes first race)

For G. Love, it all began busking the streets of Boston in Harvard Square. As the intellectual effete stroked its beards and tomorrow’s leaders learned snobbery and elitism just a few steps away at Harvard University, G. Love (Garrett Dutton) performed for change while learning from the school of blues (college of hard knocks), earning a B.S. in stylish, boundary-leaping blues with a minor in hip-hop lyricism.

Joining forces with Special Sauce (Jimmie “Jimi Jazz” Prescott on stand-up bass) and Jeffrey “Houseman” Clemens, the trio relocated to Philadelphia and set the world afire with its 1994 self-titled debut disc. Since then, G. Love and Special Sauce has released seven albums and played more than 1,500 shows. Special Sauce added Mike Boyce on keys last year. With harmonica strapped on his neck and dobro in hand, G. Love brings the blues to the hip-hop generation.

Dado on G. Love: “G. Love and Special Love sort of falls into the Jack Johnson family of performers that do very well in San Diego.”

The Wailers, Friday, July 31, 3 p.m.

Rocksteady. Reggae. Ska. The tiny island of Jamaica has made major contributions to popular American music. Like the Motown and doo-wop groups almost 50 years ago in the United States, ska artists Prince Buster, the Skatalites and the Wailers (which included Bob Marley, Bunny Wailer and Peter Tosh) serve as the backbone for Jamaica’s storied musical history. Since Bob Marley’s death in 1981, The Wailers continue to spread the legend’s distinct brand of roots reggae.

Mikel Toombs: The Wailers, Dave Alvin

Dado on the reggae bands: “For whatever reason reggae does extremely well in San Diego. The Wailers do well for us. Steel Pulse does extremely well for us. And it’s unbelievable when we have Ziggy Marley. We’ll have 35,000 people here or more.”

The Airborne Toxic Event, Friday, Aug. 7, 3 p.m.

Don DeLillo is one of my favorite novelists from the past couple of decades. His writing captures the increasing internal confusion and angst that goes along with the constant buzz of technology and media. An “Airborne Toxic Event” - a toxic cloud caused by a train crash — appears in DeLillo’s novel “White Noise.”

I guess lead singer Mikel Jollett is a literary type. Jollett, along with guitarist and keyboardist Steven Chen, bassist Noah Harmon, drummer Daren Taylor, and keyboardist and violist Anna Bulbrook, formed the band in the L.A. neighborhood of Los Feliz in 2006. They released their self-titled disc in 2008, which featured the single “Sometime Around Midnight.”

Dado on TATE: “The one new band in the lineup this year is The Airborne Toxic Event. Their hit single was played quite a bit on 91X. The station strongly recommended that we book them.

Common Sense, Friday, Aug. 14, 3 p.m.

Straight out of Laguna Beach, Common Sense plays San Diego so often they seem like a local band. Their first live album was recorded in Solana Beach, “Live at The Belly Up.” Common Sense’s mellow reggae vibe continues to draw big crowds throughout San Diego.

Dado on Common Sense: “Another Southern California band that does well. If we were in another state, I don’t think Common Sense would work.  But here in Southern California and San Diego, the fans just love them.”

Fearless freaks indeed. Whether playing with nun puppets on stage or smearing fake blood on his face, lead singer Wayne Coyne is always pushing the boundaries of his stagecraft.  The band also recruits audience members before each show to dress in large animal costumes (a bear, a bunny, etc.) and dance onstage during the concert. Flaming Lips shows are epic. When they played Street Scene in the Qualcomm Stadium parking lot a few years back, Wayne and friends performed a stellar version of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

Pinback, Friday, Aug. 21, 3 p.m.

If you love music from the sun-kissed streets of San Diego, then just the mention of Pinback will probably bring a sly smile to your face. It’s hard not to feel possessive about the beautifully crafted transcendent indie rock songs Pinback creates. But it’s time to share one of our best bands with the world: Zach Smith and Rob Crow are no longer just a San Diego phenomenon. “Summer in Abaddon” produced an infectious single “Fortress” which found a foothold on alternative radio station nationwide. The latest record, 2007’s “Autumn of the Seraphs,” reached no. 69 on the U.S. charts.

Dado on Pinback: “We’ve had Pinback for three or four years now. They’re a local band and they have a great local following. They draw vey well.”

Steel Pulse, Saturday, Aug. 22 (infield show), 2 p.m.

Straight out of Birmingham, England, Steel Pulse has been carrying the banner for roots rock reggae since the mid ’70s. Anchored by David Hinds (lead vocals, guitar), Basil Gabbidon (lead guitar, vocals) and Ronald McQueen (bass), the lineup has changed over the years, but the devotion to the traditions of reggae and the Rastafarian religion remained through the 30 plus years of playing professionally. The band’s Web site claims that Steel Pulse is “still the greatest reggae band on the planet.” While there are a lot of young reggae groups out there, not too many can claim the resume of Steel Pulse.

Super Diamond, Friday, Aug. 28 , 3 p.m.

Who says you can’t make a living in a cover band? Sorry, I mean “tribute band.” After 15 years of spreading the gospel of Neil, this campy six-piece group makes a good living delivering kitsched-up versions of the Diamond songbook: “Kentucky Woman,” “Song Sung Blue” and “Sweet Caroline” to name a few. Led by Randy Cordero, a.k.a. Surreal Neil, Super Diamond packs the Belly Up every time they make the journey down from their hometown of San Francisco. Everybody sing along: “Girl, you’ll be a woman soon…”

Dado on Super Diamond: “They’ve got this cult following. Every time they come they have a huge crowd. How can we not rebook them?”

Pete Yorn, Friday, Sept. 4, 3 p.m.

This New Jersey-bred drummer turned songwriter exploded on the music scene with his debut “musicforthemorningafter.” I still bust this album out every once in a while. With songs like “For Nancy,” “Strange Condition” and “Your Closet,” the disc is so sugary and infectious it’ll make your teeth ache. But I keep coming back to it. Yorn’s put out a few albums since, but 2009 looks to be a big year for him. He just released the Mike Mogis-produced “Back & Forth” and is working with Frank Black another album.

Dado on Pete Yorn: “Pete Yorn has done really well for us.”

Roots Rock Reggae Festival with Ziggy Marley, Sunday, Sept. 6, 1 p.m.

Living in the shadow of a legend is a tough gig. When Ziggy released 1989’s “One Bright Day,” Bob Marley’s eldest son by Rita looked like he was on a trajectory for stardom.  Coming on the heels of the popular Chris Frantz-produced “Conscious Party,” “One Bright Day” showcased the skills of his crack band The Melody Makers. Ziggy has been focusing on his solo career since 2003’s “Dragonfly,” and is still drawing big crowds in San Diego with his brand of root reggae.

Chris Nixon is SDNN’s music editor. You can reach him at chris.nixon(at)sdnn.com.

Tags: Common Sense, Del Mar Racetrack, Del Mar Toroughbred Club, Flaming Lips, G. Love and Special Sauce, Pete Yorn, PinbackSteel Pulse, SDNN, Super Diamond, The Airborne Toxic Event, The Wailers, Ziggy Marley

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