Jake Peterson

San Diego

Journalist at San Diego Reader

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sandiegoreader.com

Articles

Have piano, will MindTravel

1 week ago | sandiegoreader.com | Jake Peterson

Music as meditation on Powerhouse Beach A silent disco is one thing, but a silent piano concert immersed in nature is a whole other escapade. Combining music with the elements, renowned composer Murray Hidary has been performing his MindTravel concert series for the past decade. Although the show is staged outside, the direct feed of the live music goes into your ears via headphones. “It’s very immediate and direct,” says Hidary.
Unexpected violence at the San Diego Zoo

2 weeks ago | sandiegoreader.com | Jake Peterson

First Place WinnerCHANGING OF THE GUARDWhen people found out I worked security at the world famous San Diego Zoo, they asked: “What’s the craziest thing you’ve seen?” It wasn’t until my last night of employment that I was able to give them a good story. The zoo had just adopted a new deadly predator earlier that day...a lady saltwater crocodile. She was put with the male crocodile; they shared a tank and small sandy beach.
Zeroes minus two equals '77

2 weeks ago | sandiegoreader.com | Jake Peterson

There has always been a crack in the foundation of The Zeros, whose story has passed into punk rock legend. In 1976, four teenage kids from Chula Vista got a call from The Nerves to play a gig at The Orpheum in LA, an event that would change their young lives. Those four kids were Javier Escovedo (guitar/vocals), Robert Lopez (guitar/vocals), Hector Penalosa (bass), and Baba Chenelle banging the drums. Then in 1977, the band released Don’t Push Me Around for Bomp! Records.
Winning with the winners at the San Diego Music Awards

1 month ago | sandiegoreader.com | Jake Peterson

Bets by the Bay A recent Tuesday evening found me on Shelter Island, there to attend this year’s San Diego Music Awards at Humphreys by the Bay. Because the show was sold out, I was advised to show up early to secure a photo pass. Riding solo for the evening, I rolled up to the first point of entry. A woman at the table wrapped a blue band around my wrist to let the Authorities know I was allowed to buy alcohol. “I don’t think I’m going to be drinking tonight,” I said.
Abundance and acceptance at Cannival

1 month ago | sandiegoreader.com | Jake Peterson

Music, games, and lots and lots of marijuana My first writing credit came when I was 10 years old. I’d won the D.A.R.E. essay contest, in part by vowing to McGruff, the cartoon Crime Dog, to never touch a drug or take a drink of alcohol. Standing in front of a gymnasium full of community leaders, police, parents, peers, and teachers, I nervously read the essay into a center-stage microphone. Thinking back, I sure could’ve used a toke to take the edge off.
Soul Shakedown Studios gets ready to shake the earth

2 months ago | sandiegoreader.com | Jake Peterson

Soul Shakedown Studios started in founder Jakob John’s North County garage. It stayed there for two years before moving into a space in San Marcos. Now, five years later, the studio has grown into a still larger space where John produces all genres of music, but with a heavy lean towards hip-hop. “We’ve been able to run the studio without a loan, investor or outside source,” the producer says.
Gonzo Report: Fans follow Harry Mack to Soma in Point Loma

2 months ago | sandiegoreader.com | Cathy Rozy |Jake Peterson

“What do they call the people who follow a band from show to show across the country?” asked my friend as we stood outside Soma in Point Loma. “Lot lizards?” “No,” I replied, “lot lizards are prostitutes who crawl around truck stops.” I knew that much, but I wasn’t sure of the term for what he was asking about. "Superfans" seemed too generic, and "groupies" made me think of people who actually traveled with the band or met up backstage for “behind closed doors” activities.
Ray Riley: comfortable with being uncomfortable

2 months ago | sandiegoreader.com | Jake Peterson

Nature or nurture? Maybe both. San Diego born hip-hop artist Ray Riley has been around the scene since youth — because in the late ‘80s, Riley’s father, MC Willy Will, was one of the members of local rap group Legion of Doom. Thanks to that exposure and some support from his pops, Riley started his own musical journey eight years ago. “He loves hip-hop,” Riley says of his father, “and I was infatuated with it as well, because I was around it. That’s what really sparked the whole thing for me.
Wonderfront '25 is what's going on

Mar 27, 2025 | sandiegoreader.com | Jake Peterson

Hear that? That's not the first robin of spring; that's the sound of the local music festival season bursting into song. The fourth Wonderfront Music and Arts Festival will be taking place on May 16-18 at Embarcadaro Marina Park North. This year, the festival begins a new era under Event.com’s ownership; one that promises event enhancements and a heavier entertainment budget.
Ozzy and Angus tributes rock out at the Ramona Mainstage

Mar 20, 2025 | sandiegoreader.com | Jake Peterson

A bloody nose presaged a bloody good time After Ozzy Osbourne was fired from Black Sabbath in 1979, he launched one of the most successful solo careers in music history. The stories of his rock-star antics — snorting ants, licking up his own piss, and biting the head off a bat — have passed into legend. Oh, and do you remember the time he was arrested (while wearing a green dress) for taking a drunken squirt on the Alamo?