CrowdMateSan Diego · Venue
Soda Bar
A 230-capacity El Cajon Boulevard room where the bar physically divides the club.
- Upcoming shows
- 74
- Capacity
- 230
- Address
- 3615 El Cajon Boulevard, San Diego, CA 92104
- Next show
- Thu, 8 Oct 2026
About Soda Bar
Soda Bar is a 230-capacity San Diego club built for close-range shows: the full bar runs through the middle of the room, creating two distinct viewing zones around the performance space. Black booths and pink, white, and brown wallpaper give the place a playful, slightly surreal finish, while the scale keeps audiences near the action. It is a useful pick for concertgoers who favor a compact crowd over a large hall.
A bar turned into a music room
Soda Bar opened in late 2008 in the former Chasers space, founded by Adam Cook and Cuong Nguyen. The new operation put local and touring musicians on the bill several nights each week, reshaping a former dive-bar address into a regular stop for live bands. Its first decade closed with anniversary shows in November 2019, a marker of how firmly the room had settled into San Diego’s club circuit.
A key handoff came in January 2018, when Cook and Nguyen sold Soda Bar to Big Soda LLC. The group brought together Casbah owner Tim Mays, Soda Bar talent buyer Cory Stier, bar manager Angie Ollman, and recording engineer Andrew Montoya. Reports at the time described a plan centered on continued nightly operation and modest cosmetic changes, preserving the club’s existing live-music focus while placing its booking and bar operation with people already working inside San Diego music and nightlife.
The room today
Soda Bar continues to book local and touring performers, with a dedicated booking contact and a calendar that suits indie, rock, folk, country, and pop bills. The rounded stage measures 14 feet wide by 9 feet deep and sits 15 inches high; a Midas M32 console, JBL line-array mains, subs, and four monitor mixes support the room. Inside, the central bar creates a social focal point, while booths offer a change of pace from the standing crowd.
Sources
- Soda Bar — San Diego Reader
- Soda Bar and Electric Guitars — San Diego Reader
- Soda Bar Changes Hands In Normal Heights — SanDiegoVille
- Contact — Soda Bar
Next 15 shows
- Thu, 8 Oct 2026 · 19:00 Julien-K + Nite View in the CrowdMate app
- Fri, 9 Oct 2026 · 19:00 Thee Marloes + Irene Diaz View in the CrowdMate app
- Sat, 10 Oct 2026 · 19:00 Death Cab For Karaoke View in the CrowdMate app
- Sun, 11 Oct 2026 · 18:00 RIN View in the CrowdMate app
- Sun, 11 Oct 2026 · 19:00 Parrotfish + Analog Dog, TRASH DAY View in the CrowdMate app
- Mon, 12 Oct 2026 · 18:00 Soulfly + Nailbomb, Incite View in the CrowdMate app
- Tue, 13 Oct 2026 · 19:00 DOSSEY + The Dimes View in the CrowdMate app
- Tue, 13 Oct 2026 · 19:30 Y La Bamba View in the CrowdMate app
- Wed, 14 Oct 2026 · 19:00 junkyard cat View in the CrowdMate app
- Thu, 15 Oct 2026 · 19:00 Dominique and the Diamonds + Elizabeth Bowersox, Ukulena View in the CrowdMate app
- Fri, 16 Oct 2026 · 19:30 Tyler Ballgame + Johanna Samuels View in the CrowdMate app
- Sat, 17 Oct 2026 · 19:00 Jordan Krimston + The Band Cope, Neutral Shirt, Brian Warren View in the CrowdMate app
- Sun, 18 Oct 2026 · 19:00 Edgehill View in the CrowdMate app
- Mon, 19 Oct 2026 · 19:00 High Vis View in the CrowdMate app
- Mon, 19 Oct 2026 · 19:00 Willy Tea Taylor & The Fellership + The Alex Lucero Band View in the CrowdMate app
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