It’s no secret that our animal friends often need a hand, and on March 10, San Diego’s music community will come together for a special benefit concert, Barkapawlooza, to raise funds for Dog Rescue. Beginning at 5:30 p.m., music will be provided by Cathryn Beeks, Bviolin and the Mystic Groove, Charlie Imes & The Hodad Surf Club, Reverend Stickman and Christopher Dale, with an all-star encore promised. The night will also include raffles, including a chance to win an autographed guitar, but even if you don’t win, this opportunity to help animals in need, all while taking in an evening of great music, should not be missed. Barkapawlooza: Thursday, March 10, at Tiki Oasis, 3130 Moore St. 5:30 p.m. All ages. $10. www.tikioasis.com. Los Angeles-based alt hip-hop duo Academy appears at the 710 Beach Club on March 18. While the pair certainly has hip-hop elements in their sound, there are also heavy doses of soul and touches of reggae and an above-average use of melody. It all adds up to songs that are instantly catchy, set to a groove-filled beat. At their best, songs such as “Hold Me Down” have cross-genre appeal that would slot perfectly on mainstream radio. Academy is currently unsigned, but that likely won’t be the case for long. Academy: Friday, March 18, at the 710 Beach Club, 710 Garnet Ave. 9 p.m. 21 and up. www.710bc.com. Acoustic music has a new home in Pacific Beach, The Duck Dive, with music from local singer-songwriters on Wednesdays, dubbed “Girls With Guitars” night, and Fridays with a “Live at the Duck Dive” concert series. Fans of acoustic troubadours will want to give Andy Mauser, performing on March 18, a listen. Mauser has the perfect happy hour repertoire for Mission Beach, equal parts Bob Marley, Tom Petty and John Mayer, with the voice and solid rhythm guitar to back it up. This show would be a great preamble to the start of a great weekend.
Andy Mauser: Friday, March 18 at The Duck Dive, 4650 Mission Blvd. 5 p.m. All ages. www.theduckdive.com. Classic rock fans have a great three-tribute band bill on March 19, featuring Open Arms (Journey), The Song Remains The Same (Led Zeppelin) and Naked Sunday (Stone Temple Pilots). All are well worth hearing and focus on the hits, but the night’s standout will likely be Open Arms, who surprisingly feature a female lead singer, “Tee, taking the place of Journey frontman Steve Perry. The band really plays up many of the songs, bluesy roots, turning in terrific versions of hits from “Wheel In the Sky,” to “Faithfully,” for a set that is sure to please even die-hard Journey fans.
Open Arms: Saturday, March 19 at Brick by Brick, 1130 Buenos Avenue. 8 p.m. 21 and up. $10. www.brickbybrick.com. Formed in 1987 by former La Jolla High School students Peter Kenvin (vocals), Tommy Andrews (guitar), Randy Willert (drums) and Todd Hoffman (bass) with David Inglish (keyboards), alternative rockers The Voices never got the break they deserved. Their sole self-titled 1989 album was lost in the abyss that was MCA Records at the time, with songs like “Falling of the Rain” certainly as good as anything on the radio of the day. The band makes a rare appearance on March 19 at Beaumont’s, giving anyone who is curious what all the fuss was about back in the heyday a rare opportunity to hear the band in their element. The Voices: Saturday, March 19 at Beaumont’s, 5662 La Jolla Blvd. 8 p.m. 21 and up. www.beaumontseatery.com. Jazz venue Dizzy’s continues to be one of San Diego’s best bets when it comes to adventurous music. Such is the case with the presentation of A Thousand Butterflies, being staged by percussionist Nathan Hubbard on March 19. The night will feature original jazz/chamber/flamenco compositions inspired by the work of the Spanish poet Lorca, featuring musicians Kris Apple (violin), Sharon Taylor (cello), Dillon Casey (classical guitar), Louis Valenzuela (tres guitar), Mackenzie Leighton (bass) and dancer, Claudia Gomez, tapping out percussion. Hubbard remains one of the area’s most creative musicians, raising the bar for everyone as he goes. Nathan Hubbard’s A Thousand Butterflies: Saturday, March 19 at Dizzy’s, 200 Harbor Drive. 8 p.m. All ages. $15. www.dizzysjazz.com