on September 8, 2002
World-class artists like George Clinton (and the P-Funk Band), Jewel and Mick Fleetwood have really rocked the rafters. Celebs who have graced the stage (or disgraced the stage, depending on your taste) include Woody Harrelson, Keanu Reeves and First Brother Roger Clinton. And one night prior to the 1998 Super Bowl, several Green Bay Packers came in and danced the night away.
Consistently excellent and refreshingly eclectic bookings have kept the Belly Up playing a critical role in the San Diego County music scene for some 25 years.
Artists on the order of John Lee Hooker, the Fugees, Erykah Badu, George Clinton, the Cowboy Junkies and Etta James have preferred playing in this wooden WWII-era Quonset hut over larger venues for its outstanding acoustics combined with the B.U.T.'s top-notch engineering staff. Beside the sound, fans happily make the drive up I-5 to Solana Beach for the B.U.T.'s large dance floor situated in front of the stage -- and because whether they sit in the adjacent terraced benches or in the sloped seats farther back, their sound and sightlines will remain uncompromised.
Tickets here tend to sell out, so you'd do well to secure them in advance. Brace yourself: Tickets for national acts can cost as much as $25. If you arrive early enough, you can snag a meal at the B.U.T.'s Wild Note Cafe right next door.
