Search results for

Few artists embody the spirit, resilience, and soul of American music quite like Mavis Staples. A GRAMMY-winning legend, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Kennedy Center Honoree, and civil rights icon, Staples has spent more than seven decades using music to inspire hope, unity, and change. Rising to fame as the powerful voice behind The Staple Singers, she helped create some of the most enduring songs in music history, including classics like “I’ll Take You There,” “Respect Yourself,” and “Let’s Do It Again.” Her unmistakable voice — rich with soul, grit, warmth, and conviction — has influenced generations of artists across gospel, R&B, folk, rock, and Americana music. Throughout her extraordinary career, Staples has collaborated with some of the most celebrated musicians of all time, including Bob Dylan, Prince, Jeff Tweedy, Aretha Franklin, Hozier, Bonnie Raitt, and Levon Helm. Even after decades on stage, she continues to evolve as an artist, captivating audiences with new music that blends timeless soul with deeply human storytelling. Her recent acclaimed album, Sad and Beautiful World, showcases her enduring artistry and message of compassion, resilience, and connection — themes that remain as relevant today as ever. Whether performing beloved classics or newer material, Staples brings unmatched authenticity and emotional depth to every song she sings. Audiences can expect an unforgettable evening filled with powerful vocals, uplifting storytelling, joyful energy, and moments of profound reflection. More than just a concert, a Mavis Staples performance is a celebration of music’s ability to bring people together across generations. Backed by an exceptional band and guided by the charisma and warmth that have made her one of America’s most beloved performers, Staples creates a live experience that is both deeply personal and universally inspiring. From soul-stirring ballads to foot-stomping gospel and rhythm & blues, this extraordinary night promises to leave audiences energized, moved, and reminded of the enduring power of hope through music. Mavis Staples on Facebook / Instagram

The Blank Table (TBT) is redefining San Diego's dining scene by bringing people together through exceptional cuisine, inventive cocktails, and immersive creativity, all centered around a blank table. Rooted in community, TBT champions local artists, makers, and producers, crafting seasonal, sustainable menus with layered flavors alongside bespoke cocktail pairings thoughtfully designed for each course. Each multi-sensory evening unfolds as a five-course prix fixe experience, accompanied by pairings from some of San Diego's leading mixologists. As a secret supper club, TBT embraces the thrill of discovery: guests receive the evening's details, including the menu and an undisclosed, off-the-beaten-path location, just 24 hours before the event, inviting them into an intimate and unforgettable culinary adventure. The Blank Table on Instagram

This weekend in the arts in San Diego: Glass art by Indigenous artists at the Mingei; Gustavo Romero plays Liszt; indie and new wave at Soda Bar; spinning, weaving and blacksmithing in Old Town; Hitchcock at The Old Globe; Street Level in Oceanside; and fútbol on Chicano Park Blvd.

Twanguero (Diego García), the acclaimed Spanish guitarist known for blending Spanish folk traditions, Latin American rhythms, and American roots music, returns to San Diego for an intimate solo concert. Through his signature fingerstyle guitar work, Twanguero takes audiences on a musical journey across the backroads of the Americas, weaving together influences from Spain, Latin America, and the United States in a performance designed for attentive listening and close connection. Sunday, June 28, 2026 • 5 p.m. St. Andrew's-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church, San Diego Tickets: $29–$75 Twanguero on Facebook / Instagram

Ikebana is the Japanese art of flower arrangement. It is more than simply putting flowers in a container. It is a disciplined art form that breathes life into each composition, harmonizing the elements of nature and humanity. Learn to create these stunning pieces of art that intertwine Japanese culture and the changing of the seasons. By end of the semester, you will have learned to design beautiful and professional looking arrangements for both every day and special occasions.   This class is free and open to the public. Contact Prof. Takeya at mtakeya@sdccd.edu for more information, a list of supplies that you should bring, and to register.   Audience: Adults, Seniors Location: Community Room

Premieres Monday, June 22, 2026 at 11 p.m. on KPBS TV / Stream with KPBS+. Artist Rashaad Newsome prepares to showcase "Assembly," a groundbreaking exhibit at New York’s Park Avenue Armory. By blending visual art, performance, and artificial intelligence, the project centers the global evolution of vogue while honoring Black and queer resistance and calling for a more liberated future.

This weekend in the arts in San Diego: Art made from ocean trash at The Nat; Mission Trails photography; performance art at Agua Hedionda Lagoon; jazz at MCASD; Toulouse-Lautrec-inspired ballet; dad rock and more.

The San Diego Tijuana International Jazz Festival, which debuted in 2024 with nearly $400,000 in seed money from Qualcomm co-founder Irwin M. Jacobs, will return in expanded form this fall for its third year at multiple venues on both sides of the border. The event will grow from three days in 2024 and 2025 to four days this year. Free concerts will take place in downtown Tijuana and downtown San Diego, along with a paid concert at California Center for the Arts, Escondido, for which tickets go on sale May 30 at sdtjjazz.org. This year’s roster includes drum dynamo and five-time Grammy Award-winner Brian Blade with his genre-blurring group, The Fellowship Band, and Panamanian-bred piano great Danilo Pérez, who is a three-time Grammy-winner. Blade and Pérez were both longtime members of the late saxophone legend Wayne Shorter’s quartet. Pérez, who heads the Global Jazz Institute at Boston’s Berklee College of Music, will perform here with the SDSU Jazz Ensembles and the Ensenada-based La Covacha Big Band. Also set to appear is 2022 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition-winner Lucia, a native of Veracruz. Lucia performed here at the 2025 festival with her jazz band. She is returning with a four-man son jarocho group that features her father, Ramón Gutiérrez, a keen musical improviser and master of the four-stringed requinto. In addition, the festival will present San Diego and Tijuana performances by the seven-piece Mingus Dynasty, which features tenor saxophonist Wayne Escoffery, pianist Helen Sung and Russian-born bassist Boris Kozlov. The band pays tribute to the music of modern jazz pioneer Charles Mingus and will perform some pieces from his classic 1957 album, “Tijuana Moods.” Pulitzer Prize-winning composer and UC San Diego music professor Anthony Davis is a lifelong Mingus fan. He has agreed to write a new piece for Mingus Dynasty to play at the festival, which is now seeking underwriting for what will be a world premiere if funding is found. San Diego Tijuana International Jazz Festival on Facebook / Instagram California Center for the Arts, Escondido on Facebook / Instagram

Encore Vocal Ensemble presents "Encore Hits the Road," a Broadway-style musical journey across America, on Friday, June 12 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, June 13 at 4 p.m. at the Grossmont College Performing & Visual Arts Center, 8800 Grossmont College Drive, El Cajon, CA 92020. This high-energy production transforms a cross-country road trip into a live musical experience filled with recognizable Broadway hits, storytelling, humor, and songs inspired by cities across the country, culminating in New York City as the final stop. Audiences will experience lively performances celebrating friendship, resilience, and the joy of music. Encore Vocal Ensemble on Facebook / Instagram

California lawmakers are looking to end a tax break for the owners of an immigration detention center in the Imperial Valley. Plus, why San Diego's commercial fishing industry is declining. And, San Diego's binational soccer culture shines during the World Cup.