escondido music

Mike Bickle, North Bar owner, memorial JamFest Sunday

Tributes continued to pour in this week for Mike Bickle, 53, well-known bass player and owner of Escondido’s iconic North Bar, who died in his sleep on Jan. 15, 2023. Cause of death is as-yet not known. Friends and family will host a special, free with music and food as well as spoken word, Memorial Jam Fest from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday, Feb….


An interview with Escondido

Ever wondered about the western indie duo Escondido, otherwise known as the team of Jessica Maros and Tyler James? They’re based at Nashville, but adopted Escondido as a name, and claim Mayor Sam Abed keeps emailing them. Will they ever play at their namesake town, who knows? But for now, listen to them speak courtesy of University of Toronto student Michaela Fuchs who interviewed them when they…


It’s Ukulele Ray’s Birthday! Get crunked.

Today is a day that lives in showmance-famy. This marks the birthday of an Escondido musical legend, Ukulele Ray Masters. Escondido’s Ukulele Ray was a man of many faces, many names and many talents, always entertaining and many time surprising. Scroll down the right sidebar and you’ll see some of his “Only in Esco” cartoons he drew for The Escondido Grapevine. Sharry R. Han, 58,…


TEN Tenors return to Cal Center for the Arts

WHO: The TEN Tenors WHAT: Home for the Holidays concert WHERE: California Center for the Arts, 340 N Escondido Blvd, Escondido, CA 92025 WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 30, 2018 The TEN Tenors, one of Australia’s most famous musical exports, are returning to the United States this fall, for a 38-date tour of the Midwest, South, West Coast and Southwest. Catch them while you can at…


Blast from the past, Dick Noel dead at 90

Dick Noel, a crooner with the Ray Anthony Orchestra who went on to be known as “The King of the Jingles” for his work on commercials, died Friday, Oct. 23 at Escondido after a long illness, his friend Hank Jones said. He was 90. A Time for Love, his highly regarded 1978 album made in collaboration with pianist Larry Novak, featured world-weary renditions of such…


Leading new wave folk singers take over California Center for the Arts on April 1

No April’s Fools joke here, bluegrass is in the house on Friday, April 1 at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido. Fans of the folksy country genre have the opportunity to see some of the leading ladies in the bluegrass world providing a singer-songwriter experience. Patty Griffin, Sara Watkins and Anaïs Mitchell performs a rare singers-in-the-round type show with each artist sharing their own…


Fans converge on store to meet rap star

Welcome to “underground” Escondido. The future starts now. Rapper Self Provoked was in the HypeFright house. His teenaged admirers snaked around the long building, spilling across the 239 E Valley Parkway parking lot into a well-mannered, yet energetic, line for a very special meet and greet opportunity. They were maybe 30 yards away from a staid Second Saturday Art Walk crowd trudging around the Escondido…


Ukuleles from New Zealand with love

You don’t have to ask Ukulele Ray where the hot ukulele action is this season. Simply head over to the California Center for the Arts, Escondido (CCAE). World-renowned, The Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra takes center stage at the 1,523-seat main concert hall on Tuesday, Feb. 2. The New Zealand entertainment powerhouse’s repertoire consists of “ukulelefied” versions of many contemporary pop classics by Justin Timberlake, Dolly…


Valley Center’s Morgan Leigh and band are getting around

Last June we released our first debut album, “Trouble” which was a huge stepping stone for us. It was our first project we wrote, produced, and sold on our own. Plus, it was 100 percent funded on Kickstarter with the help of our friends, family, and fans which makes it even more special to us. Last summer I got to do something I have always dreamed…


Hidden Valley Community Concert Association presents Vida Guitar Quartet

Hidden Valley Community Concert Association (HVCCA) emerges from the shadows in two weeks with a special performance by Vida Guitar Quartet at at the intimate 404-seat Center Theater California Center for the Arts, Escondido. While it may be cliche to say something or someone is a best kept secret, facts on the musical grounds suggest Hidden Valley’s hidden community concert group, while venerable, also is…