& C U L T U R E
BEST FESTIVAL THAT STARTED AS HOMEWORK Blacktronika When DJ, producer, and professor King Britt introduced his UCSD lecture course, “Blacktronika: Afrofuturism In Electronic Music,” his homework assignments asked students to experience a spectrum of Afrofuturist performances firsthand, to actually feel what they’re studying. Thus one of the city’s most interesting and distinctive new festivals was born, debuting virtually in 2021. A year later, it made its in-person premiere. Having hosted the likes of singer-songwriter Xenia Rubinos and free-jazz group Irreversible Entanglements, it’s an experience that transcends dusty fields and beer gardens, connecting ancestral history directly to bodies moving to the rhythm. –JT library.ucsd.edu/news-events/events/ blacktronika-exhibitblacktronika BEST RADIO PLAYLIST REBOOT 91X Scant few locals of a certain age lack fond memories of hearing new-wave hits by Oingo Boingo and The Cure on 91X in the ’80s, even if the format has undergone a few phases of metamorphosis in the years since. After celebrating its 40 th anniversary this year, however, the station charmed its way back to the FM presets with a so-called return to its roots, bringing bands like The Clash and INXS back into regular rotation while leaving plenty of space for next-gen artists such as The National and Wet Leg. That kind of musical omnivorousness is refreshing to hear. –JT 91x.com BEST NEW NORTH COUNTY NOISE The Sound Nearly 50 years after local institution Belly Up Tavern opened in Solana Beach, it finally got a sibling—one three times as large. The Sound, a new 1,900-person- capacity concert hall operated by the Belly Up and housed on the San Diego County Fairgrounds, brings a much-needed mid- size venue to North County. With a state- of-the-art sound system and the space to accommodate headliners such as M83 and The Flaming Lips, it’s a thrilling addition to the live music landscape. –JT thesoundsd.com
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