Larger Live Venues--San Diego is a popular destination for major and minor recording artists. In fact, there's a worthwhile concert just about any night of the week--you just need to know where to find it. The free San Diego Weekly Reader, published on Thursdays, is the best source of concert information, listing dozens of shows in any given week; check the website at www.sdreader.com for an advance look. Tickets typically go on sale 4 to 10 weeks before the event--dates are usually announced in the Thursday Reader or the Sunday San Diego Union-Tribune. Depending on the popularity of a particular artist or group, last-minute seats are often available through the box office or Ticketmaster (tel. 619/220-8497; www.ticketmaster.com). You can also go through a broker like Advance Tickets (tel. 858/581-1080; www.advancetickets.com) if you're willing to pay a higher price for prime tickets at the last minute.
The city has two monster venues--hopefully an act you want to see isn't scheduled at one of them. The San Diego Sports Arena (tel. 619/225-9813; www.sandiegoarena.com) is located west of Old Town. Built in 1967, the 15,000- to 18,000-seat indoor venue has lousy acoustics, but many big-name concerts are held here because of the seating capacity and availability of paid parking. Qualcomm Stadium (tel. 619/641-3131), in Mission Valley, is a 71,000-seat outdoor stadium and is used only a few times a year for major tours like the Rolling Stones. But since the Padres have their own stadium opening in 2004, and the Chargers are thinking about abandoning San Diego for another locale, the future of "the Q" is in doubt.
The Open Air Theater (tel. 619/594-6947), on the San Diego State University campus, northeast of downtown along I-8, is a more intimate 4,000-seat outdoor amphitheater. It has great acoustics--if you can't get a ticket, you can sit outside on the grass and hear the entire show. Cox Arena (tel. 619/594-6947), also located at SDSU, has equally superb acoustics in an indoor, 12,000-seat facility that is used for bigger draws--for both of these facilities, parking is tight. Coors Amphitheatre (tel. 619/671-3600) is a slick new facility located seemingly a stone's throw north of the Mexican border, in Chula Vista. Built in 1999, the 20,000-seat venue has excellent acoustics and good sight lines, and it lures many of the summer tours. The drawbacks: overpriced snacks and drinks, and the location is 25 to 45 minutes south of downtown (depending on traffic).
Humphrey's, 2241 Shelter Island Dr. (tel. 619/523-1010; www.humphreysconcerts.com), is a much-beloved 1,300-seat outdoor venue on the water. It has ideal acoustics, and Humphrey's seasonal lineup covers the spectrum of entertainment--rock, jazz, blues, folk, and comedy. Although there's not a bad seat in the house, you can often snag a seat in the first eight rows by buying the dinner/concert package (usually $47 extra) for the adjoining restaurant of the same name--the food's nothing special, but if sitting up front is of value to you, it's a good deal. Concerts are held from mid-May to October only, and tickets for most shows go on sale in early April. (Seats are also available through Ticketmaster.)
The Spreckels Theatre, 121 Broadway (tel. 619/235-9500), and Copley Symphony Hall, 750 B St. (tel. 619/235-0804), are wonderful old movie houses which also are used by touring acts throughout the year; past shows have included Annie Lennox, Margaret Cho, and Forever Tango. For both venues, tickets are available at the box office or through Ticketmaster.
