 | |
| Address | 3350 Sports Arena Boulevard San Diego, California United States |
|---|---|
| Capacity | 2,700 (mainstage) 500 (sidestage) |
| Current use | music venue |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1990's |
| Reopened | 1994, 2002 |
| Website | |
| somasandiego | |
SOMA is a concert venue in the Midway neighborhood of San Diego, California, adjacent to the San Diego Sports Arena. It has been described as San Diego's "leading all-ages venue for punk and alternative-rock concerts." [1]
SOMA was originally opened in the early 1990s by Len Paul at an old warehouse in downtown San Diego on 555 Union Street, just south of Market Street and was originally a slaughterhouse – hence the name “SOuth of MArket." At that time, the venue was mostly known as a dance club, but eventually made the transition to hosting live music. One unique feature of the club was that, in addition to the main concert hall located on the ground floor, it had a basement area, known as "The Dungeon" (Which was the actual freezer room for the slaughterhouse)that held approximately 100 people. It was in the dungeon that many local San Diego bands got their first opportunity to play at the club. If bands could bring in a large enough following, they would be given the opportunity to play upstairs on the main stage, in support of more popular local acts or nationally touring acts. At this downtown location some well-known San Diego bands such as Rocket from the Crypt, Blink-182, Unwritten Law, Stone Temple Pilots, and Buck-O-Nine built a strong local following before moving on to tour nationally in the mid-1990s.[ citation needed ]
In 1994, SOMA moved to a former warehouse at 5303 Metro Street, just south of the University of San Diego. Major artists such as Faith No More, Fugazi, Pavement, Radiohead, The Ramones, The Smashing Pumpkins, Weezer and Oasis performed here, as well as many local bands. The venue closed in 1999.
In 2002, Paul reopened SOMA at its current home, a former multiplex movie theater that was renovated into a concert venue. Walls dividing individual theaters were torn down to create one large area for the main stage. It can hold up to 2,300 occupants in its main hall, and the side stage can accommodate 500+. Many of the theater's old production offices have been turned into dressing rooms for the bands which overlook the audience. There is a snack bar and merchandise area in the lobby.
On September 22, 2016, SOMA served beer in the side-stage room for a show by the band Descendents. This marked the first time in the venue's history that alcohol had been served. The first person to ever order a beer inside of SOMA was lead singer Mikey Carnevale of The Frights
[2] In 2004, Switchfoot performed a sold-out show that was later released as a DVD titled Live in San Diego . Dave Matthews Band's performance at Soma in 1995, broadcast live on radio, was later released as part of their Live Trax series.
On 16 June 2018, As I Lay Dying performed for the first time as a band since lead singer, Tim Lambesis was released from prison in late 2016. According to Tim, the concert was about gratitude for the opportunity to play as a band again and gratitude for fans.
Soma may refer to:
House of Blues is an American chain of live music concert halls and restaurants. It was founded by Isaac Tigrett, the co-founder of Hard Rock Cafe, and Dan Aykroyd, co-star of the 1980 film The Blues Brothers. The first location opened at Harvard Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts on November 26, 1992. The chain has been a division of Live Nation Entertainment since July 2006, and there are 11 locations throughout the United States as of July 2020.
The culture of San Francisco is major and diverse in terms of arts, music, cuisine, festivals, museums, and architecture but also is influenced heavily by Mexican culture due to its large Hispanic population, and its history as part of Spanish America and Mexico. San Francisco's diversity of cultures along with its eccentricities are so great that they have greatly influenced the country and the world at large over the years. In 2012, Bloomberg Businessweek voted San Francisco as America's Best City.
Buck-O-Nine is an American ska punk band which was formed in San Diego in 1991. The band has toured internationally and released several albums and EPs, as well as appearing on compilations and film soundtracks. During the mid-to-late 1990s, they experienced mainstream success with the release of the album Twenty-Eight Teeth and its most successful single, "My Town". As the popularity of third-wave ska waned, Buck-O-Nine stopped touring full-time in 2000, but continues to perform regularly throughout California and much of the Southwestern United States. Since 2001, the band has also performed in Japan, the UK, Canada, Mexico and Hawaii.
Downtown Phoenix is the central business district (CBD) of the City of Phoenix, Arizona, United States. It is in the heart of the Phoenix metropolitan area or Valley of the Sun. Phoenix, being the county seat of Maricopa County and the capital of Arizona, serves as the center of politics, justice and government on the local, state and federal levels. The area is a major center of employment for the region, with many financial, legal, and other national and international corporations housed in a variety of skyscrapers. Major arts and cultural institutions also call the area home. Downtown Phoenix is a center of major league sports activities, live concert events, and is an equally prominent center of banking and finance in Arizona. Regional headquarters for several major banks, including JP Morgan Chase, Wells Fargo, US Bank, Bank of America, Compass Bank and Midfirst Bank are all located within or close proximity to the area.
Little Italy is a neighborhood in Downtown San Diego, California, that was originally a predominantly Italian and Portuguese fishing neighborhood. It has since been gentrified and is now a popular neighborhood full of Italian restaurants and grocery stores, home design stores, art galleries and residential units.
A music venue is any location used for a concert or musical performance. Music venues range in size and location, from a small coffeehouse for folk music shows, an outdoor bandshell or bandstand or a concert hall to an indoor sports stadium. Typically, different types of venues host different genres of music. Opera houses, bandshells, and concert halls host classical music performances, whereas public houses ("pubs"), nightclubs, and discothèques offer music in contemporary genres, such as rock, dance, country, and pop.
The culture of Ann Arbor, Michigan includes various attractions and events, many of which are connected with the University of Michigan.
Golden Hill is a neighborhood of San Diego, California. It is located south of Balboa Park, north of Sherman Heights, Grant Hill and Stockton /Highway 94, and east of Downtown.
South Park is a neighborhood in San Diego, California adjacent to the southeast corner of Balboa Park. It stands out in San Diego for its tree-lined streets and walkable business district.
The performing arts community in Louisville, Kentucky is undergoing a renaissance. The Kentucky Center, dedicated in 1983, located in the downtown hotel and entertainment district, is a premiere performing arts center. It features a variety of plays and concerts, and is the performance home of the Louisville Ballet, Louisville Orchestra, Broadway Across America - Louisville, Music Theatre Louisville, Stage One, KentuckyShow! and the Kentucky Opera, which is the twelfth oldest opera in the United States. The center also manages the historic W. L. Lyons Brown Theatre, which opened in 1925 and is patterned after New York's acclaimed Music Box Theatre.
Downtown San Diego is the city center of San Diego, California, the eighth largest city in the United States. In 2010, the Centre City area had a population of more than 28,000. Downtown San Diego serves as the cultural and financial center and central business district of San Diego, with more than 4,000 businesses and nine districts. The downtown area is the home of the San Diego Symphony and the San Diego Opera as well as multiple theaters and several museums. The San Diego Convention Center and Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres, are also located downtown. Downtown San Diego houses the major local headquarters of the city, county, state, and federal governments.
The culture of San Diego, California is influenced heavily by American and Mexican cultures due to its position as a border town, its large Hispanic population, and its history as part of Spanish America and Mexico. San Diego's longtime association with the U.S. military also contributes to its culture. Present-day culture includes many historical and tourist attractions, a thriving musical and theatrical scene, numerous notable special events, a varied cuisine, and a reputation as one of America's premier centers of craft brewing.
The Warehouse Live is a large club/small theater-sized live entertainment venue located in East Downtown (EADO), Houston, Texas.
The Midway area, also referred to as the North Bay area, is a neighborhood of San Diego, California. It is located at the northern (mainland) end of the Point Loma peninsula, northwest of Downtown San Diego and just west of Old Town. It is often considered to be part of Point Loma, although the city treats it as a separate Planning Area.
Mile of Music is an annual all-original music festival located in downtown Appleton, Wisconsin. Started in 2013, the four-day festival runs the first weekend in August, Thursday through Sunday, and is a collaborative community event with support from nearly 50 business and community sponsors. The festival concept was created by marketing executive Dave Willems and Willems Marketing, Inc which specializes in community and non-profit projects. Willems recruited then Nashville-based touring artist and Appleton hometowner Cory Chisel to join the founding team along with Willems' staff.
The Center Theatre is a performing arts venue and movie theater located at 20 East Main Street in Dover-Foxcroft, Maine. The theater was built in 1940 and was closed for several decades before being renovated and revived in the early 2000s. Its main auditorium contains 264 seats, while its second auditorium contains 40 seats. The Theatre hosts live stage performances, music concerts, community events, and movies. Its second screen was completed in February, 2021.