Dizzy's

Dizzy's is one of the most purely idealistic live music venues in Southern California, a performance collective founded by Chuck Perrin in April 2000 that has survived multiple location changes and a global pandemic to remain exactly what it set out to be: a place where the music matters most and nothing else gets in the way. The current home is Arias Hall, the back building of the Musician's Association of San Diego at 1717 Morena Blvd in Bay Park, a room with a 200-person capacity, 40 parking spots, no bar, no restaurant, no blaring television, and no club scene. Just music, seats, and listeners. The programming centers on jazz in all its forms, though Chuck Perrin has said from the beginning that anything creative is fair game: singer-songwriters, bluegrass groups, 17-piece big bands, mambo orchestras, flamenco dance masters, and experimental performers from around the world have all taken the Dizzy's stage. Locally, it has been a vital platform for San Diego's jazz community for over two decades. Tickets are inexpensive, parking is free and plentiful, and the all-ages policy means jazz lovers of every generation can attend together. Shows happen 8 to 9 times each month, mostly on Friday and Saturday nights, with Thursday and Sunday slots rotating in. There is a refreshing honesty to what Dizzy's is: Perrin has described it as a collective where the shows belong to the musicians, who set their own parameters and split the door. If you want to hear original jazz performed by people who are fully present for the music, this is one of the best rooms in San Diego.