Orville Peck | Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre
Prior to albums “Pony,” “Bronco” and his newest, “Stampede,” country crooner Orville Peck drummed in punk bands, danced ballet and acted in Shakespeare plays. But what he really wanted to do was country music because it lets him be his true self.
“It's the genre of storytelling, you know? I mean, they say country is three chords and the truth,” Peck told NPR.
A fringed mask he hides his identity with (although some outlets have unearthed that secret) has also allowed him to be more vulnerable and sincere.
What he doesn’t hide, however, is being out and proud. Peck has said being gay is one of the “least interesting” things about him, but has acknowledged his visibility is important for LGBTQ+ country music fans.
“And now it's funny because I totally take that on as a very welcome responsibility that I know I have,” Peck told NPR.
Details: Orville Peck. 8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 1. Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego. $25.83 and up (lots of resale tickets at the moment).
Death Valley Girls, Drug Hunt | Casbah
Rock band Death Valley Girls’ lyrics and sound take inspiration from the occult and supernatural beings. Singer Bonnie Bloomgarden yelling “hail Satan” into a mic at some shows isn’t completely unheard of.
Their newest album, “Islands in the Sky,” recalls the band’s garage rock roots but explores more atmospheric sounds. There’s sweeter melodies and lyrical nods to artists like No Doubt and Madonna.
Local psych/post-punk rockers Drug Hunt will be opening. Rory Morison of Drug Hunt recently spoke to KPBS about their new album “Feast.” It’s something of a concept album — each track has a scenario or evolutionary situation for humankind.
"Feast to me has two different connotations. One is like, oh my God, look at this feast we have in front of us, how amazing. And the other one is, we feasted, we gorged, we took this abundance and completely defiled it," Morison said.
Bonus San Diegan at this show: Guitarist Heather Nation is now playing with Death Valley Girls, replacing Larry Schemel. She’s toured with Chvrches’ Lauren Mayberry and played in local bands Baby Bushka (a Kate Bush cover band) and Belladon.
Details: Death Valley Girls, Drug Hunt. 7:30 p.m., Friday, Oct. 4. Casbah. 2501 Kettner Blvd., San Diego. $21.13.
Mannequin Pussy | The Observatory North Park
Mannequin Pussy’s music ranges from punk/hardcore to garage rock, with Marisa “Missy” Dabice’s voice often transforming from a roar to a coo. The duality is apparent in many songs like “Control” and “Loud Bark,” making them a band easy for fans of all types of rock to come around to.
One of the Philadelphia-based band’s biggest barriers to visibility online has probably been their name. Dabice has been very vocal online about the unfair challenges Mannequin Pussy has faced. She’s pointed out that media referencing other types of genitalia are not flagged as often online as her band name. She sums it up to pure and simple sexism.
But that hasn’t stopped Mannequin Pussy fans from being able to find and listen to the band. Like their 2019 release “Patience,” their newest album “I Got Heaven” (2024) is also critically acclaimed. The title track of “I Got Heaven” is partially inspired by Dabice’s religious upbringing and being diagnosed with cancer as a teenager.
Details: Mannequin Pussy. 8 p.m. Oct. 10. The Observatory North Park, 2891 University Ave., San Diego. $31.50-$56.50.
Elyanna | The Observatory North Park
Palestinian Chilean singer Elyanna marries Arabic music with Latin beats — a nod to both of her heritages. The result is a unique sound that’s been a hit with audiences all over the world.
Elyanna’s music is making it big on the global stage, hitting 1 million followers on Instagram and 1.1 million monthly listeners on Spotify.
With many world famous artists singing in English, Elyanna told NPR she thought she would too. Most of her songs have been in Arabic, however. Last year at Coachella she even performed her set entirely in Arabic.
“I think it's beautiful how all these amazing Arab artists sing. But it's not my style. It's not who I am,” Elyanna told NPR. “So we started making this music in Arabic, and it sounded so unique. And I'm like, ‘OK, let me do something new. Let me do something that I've never heard before.’”
King Diamond | Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre
The fandom around Danish metal artist King Diamond is pretty serious; e.g., My cousin’s girlfriend traveled all the way from San Diego to Seattle for an appointment with a tattoo artist that specializes in King Diamond tattoos.
King Diamond, the alter ego of Kim Bendix Petersen, is known for an almost operatic falsetto, occult-inspired lyrics and white and black “corpse paint” makeup. King Diamond was developed in the late ‘80s, putting out iconic albums like “Abigail,” and has been rocking with the same backing band since 2001.
King Diamond concerts are known for being real show stoppers — expect Peterson in full goth getup, a hellish set and lighting design and theatrics meant to transport the audience to a satanic world.
Details: King Diamond. 7 p.m. Dec. 1. Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego. $49.40-$570.
