Do It. San Diego Music Thing.

Summer may soon be over, but you've still got an excuse for a road trip this weekend. The San Diego Music Thing -- great name, right? -- looks like pretty much the closest thing Southern California may get to its own SXSW, and while it isn't exactly boasting something along the lines of a Death From Above 1979 reunion, it's still got some cred. A few L.A. highlights include Abe Vigoda, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. and Exene Cervenka (from X), and that's alongside some 150 other bands over the two-day event. Plus there'll be speakers straight from the heart of the music industry, offering their insights and probably some fun stories to boot.

Best of all, an all-access pass -- meaning every concert and speaker panel -- is only $45 right now (or $50 the days of). For both days! It's a pretty sweet deal. And if you just want to check out the bands alone, it's only $20 a day.

Musical road trip sounds pretty good now, huh?

The San Diego Music Thing takes places this Friday and Saturday at The Lafayette Hotel, located at 2223 El Cajon Blvd. in San Diego.

-- Chau Tu

Check It. Coachella weekend essentials.

You can't be a young person in Los Angeles and not at least acknowledge that Coachella is this weekend. Here's is a list of what you'll need to do it right. If I've missed anything, please leave your suggestions!

Basic road trip skills (a "BEAT" post from yours truly back in October)

Awesome sunglasses

A big hat

Good sunscreen

Comfortable sandals

Plenty of water

A place to hang your hat in the desert

A list of must-see bands, and their set times

... and of course a weekend pass!

Enjoy!

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: poorlittleitgirl.com

Advance Notice. KJEE Summer Round-Up in Santa Barbara.

June sounds like a nice time for a weekend getaway, right? And if you needed a bigger excuse, you've got it with the KJEE Summer Round-Up happening June 3rd at the Santa Barbara Bowl. With a line-up that includes Lykke Li, Peter Bjorn and John, Foster the People and Cage the Elephant, you know you'll be starting off summer just right. Plus, tickets are only $18-25! Definitely a steal, and worth that beautiful drive up the coast.

Presale begins today at 10am with the password "elephant" or you can wait until the official onsale tomorrow.

The KJEE Summer Round-Up begins at 4pm on Friday, June 3rd at the Santa Barbara Bowl, located at 1122 N. Milpas St. in Santa Barbara.

-- Chau Tu

Advance Notice. Four Day Weekend in San Diego.

I still remember the first time I saw The Dodos. I was at the El Rey to see Les Savy Fav, and was frankly taken aback when this two-man band walked onstage to start playing an acoustic set. That was it -- two guys, one on drums and one on guitar, both singing and both totally on their game. The passion and care they took to their music was blatant and beautiful, and I instantly fell in love with their easygoing, simple yet intricate songs.

They're still not playing huge venues, but I can only imagine seeing them in small spaces anyway; I'm sure that's the best way to experience them. Which is why the Four Day Weekend in San Diego, hosted by Sezio at Sushi Art in the East Village seems like a worthy road trip. The four-day (duh) event is aimed at bringing music to its audience in an intimate and special setting (last year's event took place in a loft; Sushi Art is just a tad bigger), and highlight local bands. Besides the Dodos, you have a chance to check out LBC's own Avi Buffalo, as well as Dominant Legs and The Tree Ring.

The best part is each of the shows is only $10. But be sure to grab these tickets early -- the venue is small, after all. Start planning!

Four Day Weekend takes place Nov. 4-7 at Sushi Art in San Diego. Buy tickets here.

-- Chau Tu

Etc. Road trip essentials.

Going on a road trip can be a lot of fun if you're well-prepared. Aside from the obvious (a clean windshield and a full tank of gas), I've compiled a list of road trip essentials in anticipation of my trip down south tomorrow. Los Angeles is a great starting off point for drive-able getaways--Palm Springs, San Diego, San Francisco ...

Jack Nicholson had it right (of course he did) in As Good as It Gets when his character Melvin Udall has a bunch of different CDs made for their famous road trip in the convertible Saab. Music is key for a fun journey. This should be step one, as some research may be needed--mood, amount of songs you'll need to get you there and back, and subject (ex. The Mamas & the Papas if you're headed to San Francisco).

Map it out the day before. There's nothing worse than having all bags packed, front door open, and realizing you have no directions. This is even a good idea if you have a GPS, especially if you're going somewhere new. Using both Mapquest and Google Maps is fail-safe, to proof them against each other and check for any possible confusing parts or errors.

Choosing a good and clean stop along the way is best done before the trip begins--otherwise you may end up eating oatmeal for lunch in a Chinese-American diner where most of your fellow customers are surviving by oxygen tanks.

If the start time is early, coffee is a must. Either brew some of your favorite kind at home and thermos it, or make a pit stop at a reliable local place in the direction you're headed before the big trip really begins (for the Palm Springs to L.A. journey, Koffi is a great).

Bottles of water, granola bars, tissues, hand sanitizer (for post-gas pumping) are all great to have handy in the car, along with a fully charged cell phone of course.

Buckle up & enjoy the ride!

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: Texaco / Jasperdo on flickr

Check It. Hearst Castle.

Hearst Castle (Hearst San Simeon State Historical Monument), William Randolph Hearst's estate, is an amazing place to see. It's about four hours north of L.A. and a really beautiful drive up the coast. They are open daily for tours and reservations are recommended. Twenty-eight years in the making, the castle is phenomenal. The newspaper and magazine man really knew how to live it up. Not only is the sheer size of the place (115 rooms in the Main House--"Casa Grande") impressive, but the priceless art each room holds shows the lavish lifestyle Hearst experienced. The pool area, shown above (and also featured in the film Spartacus), is only the beginning. There is Tour 1, the Experience Tour, for first-timers, and then four additional detail tours best suited for returning visitors.

San Luis Obispo (about three hours north of L.A.) is a convenient place to stay the night on the way up or back from San Simeon.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins