Robert Bush All-Star Benefit Concert
Veteran San Diego jazz journalist Robert Bush was released from the hospital this week, but his battle against Stage 4 cancer continues.
Some of the area’s top musicians are banding together Monday to help raise funds for Bush at a Sunday concert at Tio Leo’s.
The lineup includes trumpeter Gilbert Castellanos, flutist Holly Hofmann and former Ella Fitzgerald/Sarah Vaughan pianist Mike Wofford, bassists Marshall Hawkins and Rob Thorsen, pianists Joshua White and Mikan Zlatkovich, saxophonist Tripp Sprague, drummer Jim Plank, and more.
As an added bonus, multilingual singer Allison Tucker Adams — who in May released her thoroughly arresting new album, “RETRO Trilogy” — will also perform.
6 p.m. Sunday. Tio Leo’s, 5302 Napa Street, Bay Park. (619) 542-2562. Admission is free, but donations for Bush will be accepted at the performance via checks, cash and Venmo. tioleos.com/music
Kelsea Ballerini will perform Sunday at Waterfront Park.
(Amy Harris / Amy Harris/invision/ap)
Kelsea Ballerini, with Chris Janson and Thompson Square
In a country-pop music world long dominated by rote formulas and cookie-cutter conformity, Kelsea Ballerini isn’t afraid to rock the boat.
The native Tennessee singer-songwriter did so most recently in April hosting the 2023 CMT Music Awards, where she lamented “the ever-growing list of families, friends, survivors, witnesses and responders whose lives continue to forever be changed by gun violence.”
That night also saw Ballerini make a powerful statement against anti-LGBTQ legislation when she performed “If You Go Down (I’m Goin’ Down Too)” with four celebrity drag queens from “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” Expect the song to be a highlight of her open-air concert here.
Noon Sunday. San Diego Waterfront Park, downtown. $69 (general admission), $145 (VIP). tickets.countryonthecoast.com/event/country-on-the-coast-2023
Dutch DJ Tiesto will headline Saturday’s electronic music concert at Waterfront Park.
(Taylor Hill / Getty Images)
Horizon Music Series, with Tiësto, Loud Luxury, Imanbeck and more
In 2009, Tiësto recorded the dance-floor favorite “Knock You Out” with Emily Haines, the lead singer in the Canadian band Metric.
In 2014, Tiësto (real name: Tijs Verwest) knocked himself out and was concussed when he walked into a giant video monitor while taking the stage at a San Jose concert. That may or may not explain why a recent photo finds the Dutch DJ — who earned $39 million in 2017, according to Forbes magazine — wearing a helmet.
Either way, his thumping trance and house music set should shake things up here this weekend when headlines the Horizon Music Series festival.
Will Tiësto play a mash-up of his 2010 song with Tegan and Sara, “Feel It In My Bones,” the 1990 L Cool J favorite, “Mama Said Knock You Out,” and the 1968 Dionne Warwick classic, “Do You Know the Way to San Jose?” Fingers crossed!
2 p.m. Saturday. San Diego Waterfront Park, 1600 Pacific Highway, downtown. $89 (general admission), $199 (VIP); must be 21 or older to attend. intothehorizon.com