Acoustic music takes center stage both figuratively and literally this week, culminating with the Adams Avenue Unplugged street festival this Saturday, April 25. But if you want to get your undistorted groove on, you might want to hurry: Acoustic Evenings concerts at the Athenaeum aer coming to an end this Friday.

Acoustic Evenings

This season’s Acoustic Evenings concert series at the Athenaeum comes to a close on April 24 with a particularly strong three-artist bill featuring guitarist Fred Benedetti, pianist Sue Palmer with singer Liz Ajuzie, and baseball legend Tim Flannery.

Hosted and curated by Jefferson Jay, everyone on this bill is an amazing performer, with Palmer, who Is known locally as “The Queen of Boogie Woogie,” Flannery a masterful tunesmith as well as storyteller, and classically trained guitarist Benedetti being one of the finest players in town. Music aficionados won’t want to miss a note at this concert.

San Diego Music Awards Showcase

On April 24, the 710 Beach Club will host a special San Diego Music Awards Showcase spotlighting this year’s nominees who are signed to locally based label, Pacific Records. While the label does not work exclusively with San Diego-based musicians, many of the artists on their diverse roster are from the area.

On hand for this event will be award-winning Hawaiian-themed trio Slack Key ‘Ohana, reggae favorites Sandollar, surf rockers The Tourmaliners, and actor/guitarist Eric Sage, all headliners in their own right with new releases imminent. It’s a great bill offering up a nice cross-section of top local talent, with proceeds going to the San Diego Music Foundation and their Guitars for Schools program.

  • San Diego Music Awards Showcase: Friday, April 24, at the 710 Beach Club, 710 Garnet Ave., 8 p.m.

Cheap Trick

Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame inductees Cheap Trick return to Humphreys Concerts by the Bay on April 24. Still featuring singer Robin Zander, guitarist Rick Neilsen and bassist Tom Petersson, alongside drummer Dax Nielsen, the band is currently touring behind a new album, “All Washed Up.”

Cheap Trick’s latest continues their five-decade run of great power-pop inspired tunes, with new single “Twelve Gates,” showing them to still be at the top of their game. The band changes their set list every night, but fans can rest assured such sing-a-long favorites as “Surrender,” “I Want You To Want Me” and “Dream Police” will be part of the night’s closing set of songs.

The Mothmen

San Diego’s hottest beat and rhythm ‘n’ blues combo The Mothmen play at Winston’s on April 26. The band features members of some of the area’s best loved groups of the past few decades, including singer Ray Brandes (The Tell Tale Hearts), bassist Dave Doyle (The Unknowns), guitarists Chris Davies (The Penetrators) and Pete Miesner (The Crawdaddys), drummer Craig Packham (X), and multi-instrumentalist Ron Silva (The Nashville Ramblers), performing a mix of vintage tunes by the likes of Charlie Rich, Chuck Berry or the Velvet Underground alongside like-minded originals.

Excellent songwriters all, the band penned tunes such as “The Party’s Over” and “I Know You’re In Love Again,” slot in well among the classics in their setlist. Fans of The Kinks or any of the various Mothmen’s previous groups will find much to appreciate here. Rounding out this show’s eclectic bill will be Siouxsie & The Banshees tribute This Unrest, Bowie tribute Funky Thigh Collectors, and indie rock quartet Star Crossed.

  • The Mothmen: Sunday, April 26 at Winston’s, 1921 Bacon St., 3 p.m. Free.

Live Music Showcase

San Diego’s burgeoning music community has a new showcase series, taking place monthly at Humphreys Backstage Live.

A four-band concert set for April 30, hosted by Jeff Ousley, will feature four new groups including indie combo Payback & Associates, rockers Good Fun, reggae trio Sweet Deal, and month-old cover band Guilty Party. It’s a fun bill with plenty to offer music fans. All the bands are good, with Payback & Associates in particular being well worth hearing, with their new single, “Always, Sometimes, Maybe,” sounding radio ready.

  • Jeff Ousley’s Live Music Showcase: Thursday, April 30, at Humphreys Backstage Live, 2241 Shelter Island Drive. 6 p.m. $5.

Zebra

New Orleans-based reunited hard rockers Zebra stop in at Music Box on April 24 for a rare West Coast concert. Formed in 1975, the trio is touring in advance of a new album, their first in over two decades. Still including all three original members; Randy Jackson (guitar, lead vocals), Felix Hanemann (bass) and Guy Gelso (drums), Zebra’s show features a career spanning setlist topped by their two biggest hits, “Who’s Behind the Door” and “Tell Me What You Want.”

Fans will want to stick around for the final encore, which this road trip is a version of Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven.”

  • Zebra: Friday, April 24, at Music Box, 1337 India St., 8 p.m. $51.

Euphoria Brass Band

Fans of New Orleans-inspired jazz won’t want to miss an appearance by Euphoria Brass Band at Panama 66 on April 25. The award-winning, horn-driven band is an instant party — the sound of celebration.

Led by saxophonist JP Balmat, the group performs a mix of genre classics as well as originals, with an authentic sound that could double as a soundtrack to a Louisiana-styled Mardi Gras. The Euphoria Brass Band isn’t just lots of fun — it’s also one of the few groups in San Diego that includes a tuba solo.

  • Euphoria Brass Band: Saturday, April 25, at Panama 66, 1450 El Prado. 6 p.m. Free.

Alejandro Escovedo

Legendary musician Alejandro Escovedo headlines the Adams Avenue Unplugged festival on April 25, with a solo set taking place at the Normal Heights United Church.

Part of the famed musical Escovedo family who also gave us Shiela E, The Zeros, and The Dragons, Escovedo has been part of a string of acclaimed band that crossed genres, including punk (the Nuns), roots rock (True Believers), and alt-country (Rank & File). Long considered a musical treasure, Escovedo’s heartfelt, plaintive songs are especially effective when played in solo mode. If you haven’t seen him live, this show in an acoustically excellent venue is the perfect opportunity.

If they haven’t already, fans of Springsteen, Ian Hunter, or latter day Joe Strummer, should give Escovedo’s recorded oeuvre a listen. While most of the festival is free, there is a charge for Escovedo’s concert.

  • Alejandro Escovedo: Saturday, April 25, at NH United Church, 4650 Mansfield St. 7 p.m. $40.

Shelbi Bennett

On April 25, singer Shelbi Bennett hosts a combination art show and release party for her new single, “I’m Fine, But I’m Lying,” at Broker’s Gallery. One of the area’s musical treasures, the former singer for acclaimed group, The Midnight Pine, Bennett is blessed with a beautiful evocative voice to match her songwriting talent.

Attendees on the night will be able to see several dozen of Bennett’s paintings on display, with her solo performance offering the perfect musical accompaniment to a nice evening in downtown San Diego.

International Jazz Day 2026

World jazz vocalist/bandleader Allison Adams Tucker is joined by some of San Diego’s finest musicians to celebrate the 15th Annual International Jazz Day 2026.

Joined by Melonie Grinnell (piano), Harley Magsino (bass), Monette Marino (percussion), Joe Amato (guitars), Tripp Sprague (sax/flute/harmonica), and Mike Holguin (drums), multi-lingual singer Tucker will feature stories and jazz inspired classics from around the world including Brazil, France, Mexico, Africa, Cuba, Italy, Japan, and the United States. Anyone who enjoys jazz will love this concert, which allows local jazz fans to do some musical globe-trotting from the comfort of their seat in San Diego.

  • 15th Annual International Jazz Day 2026: Thursday, April 30, at Dizzy’s at Arias Hall, 1717 Morena Blvd. 8 p.m. $35.