Some of the musicians taking the stage at this year’s Street Scene were just babies when the event debuted in downtown San Diego in 1984, advertising “5 bands, 5 hours, 5 bucks.”
Just as those little rockers have grown, so has Street Scene, to now more than 60 bands, two days, and, well, a lot more than 5 bucks.
Street Scene returns Saturday, Sept. 22, and Sunday, Sept. 23, after relocating to Coors Amphitheatre in Chula Vista.
The local blues and zydeco festival eventually evolved into giant headliner concert event that continues to redefine itself while still trying to cling to some of its core ideals of musical variety
“Part of what has always defined Street Scene has been its vibrant eclecticism,” said Greg Terlizzi, a spokesman for Live Nation, one of the co-producers of the event. “This year’s edition will share that spirit.”
Terlizzi said that in addition to bands ranging in genre from rock, electronica, hip hop, Latin, alternative and reggae, there will be also be craft festivals, drum circles and a variety of foods for guests to enjoy.
Street Scene had its humble beginnings in downtown’s East Village in the days before Petco Park, towering condo buildings, and nightclubs with bottle service.
Over the years, its attendance swelled, and in 2004, more than 100,000 people walked through the gates over the two days.
By 2005, the event, known for its Mardi Gras-like atmosphere, had grown out of downtown and moved to the hot, sprawling parking lot of Qualcomm Stadium, where it was held for two years.
The growth had not been without incident, however. In 2004, 20 people were injured when a barrier collapsed on a crowd during a performance by AFI, and last year 17 people were transported to hospitals after a mosh pit got out of control during a performance by the band Tool.
Terlizzi said precautions are being taken to ensure a safe concert this year.
“We always view the audience experience as a top priority,” Terlizzi said. “Part of that is doing our utmost to create a safe and fun environment.”
This year’s Street Scene was originally scheduled to take place at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, but switched venues to Coors Amphitheatre in early August. Live Nation owns Coors, a significantly smaller venue, with seating for about 20,000.
Headlining Street Scene on Saturday are Muse, Panic! At the Disco, G. Love & Special Sauce, Augustana, Village People and local bands Slightly Stoopid and B-Side Players.
Headlining on Sunday are The Killers, Social Distortion, Arctic Monkeys, Spoon, Louis XIV and Eek-a-Mouse.
A complete listing of bands is available at www.street-scene.com.
Tickets are available at www.livenation.com or through Ticketmaster, (619) 220-TIXS. One-day tickets are $65 and two-day passes are $120. Saturday’s show begins at 12:30 p.m. and is ages 21 and up. Sunday’s show begins at noon and is all ages.