39 acts ready to rock the house in six locations

Now in its 33rd year, there are few events in San Diego that compare to the Ocean Beach Street Fair. From the scenic beach to a wide variety of vendors, the festival offers up a wonderful, free, daylong experience for the whole family. While there is no shortage of activities, the musical component of the street fair is one of the event’s biggest draws. Booked by Ted Wigler, owner of Winston’s Beach Club and the 710 Beach Club — along with Michael Head of Head Trap Recording Studios — the 2012 Ocean Beach Street Fair will include six stages, featuring music from 39 performance acts. Everything from New Orleans-style jazz to indie rock is on the menu.?”We pick from an array of local and national bands with all different styles,” said Head. “This year we’re celebrating 125 years of OB, so we tried to have a great showing of artists based in the area.” With tens of thousands of guests, it’s clear that a spot on the street fair bill is a prime gig for any artist. “We get hundreds of physical and web submissions, so it’s not hard to fill the slots,” Head said. The stages follow general themes, based on their location. The Artists’ Alley Stage will feature roots, blues and jazz; Wonderland will host groove, acoustic and kids. The Bacon Sun Stage will feature rock, pop and Americana, while the 92107 OB Stage will play host to the most diverse types of acts and genres, with a focus on Ocean Beach musical artists. “Musicians from everywhere want to play here, do the gigs in OB and play the street fair,” Head said. “I run a weekly gig at the OB Farmers Market, just feet away from where Jewel was first seen and signed at the old Java Joe’s. So OB is just kind of a magical, musical place.” He considers music to be a major part of what makes Ocean Beach special. “The people of OB really appreciate a good show,” he said. “I’ve heard more than one band say, ‘If we can rule OB, we can rule the world.’ And that just might be true.”