Tim Mays with his LP collection that he uses sometimes for DJing at The Casbah (Courtesy photo)
Music, Little Italy
Meet Tim Mays, the Force Behind San Diego’s Premier Music Bar, The Casbah
By Frank Sabatini Jr.
Sitting on the border of Little Italy and Middletown is an eminent live-music venue that disguises itself as an everyday dive bar.
The Casbah does indeed feature a bar that slings drinks within a comfortably grungy environment flaunting whimsical art, music-related memorabilia, and a modest stage. But first and foremost, it is a place where bands from just about anywhere on the planet come to belt out their music with the goal of establishing a following. Some of them do, and have subsequently ascended into notable fame.
Co-owner Tim Mays has seen it all ever since opening The Casbah in 1989. At the time, the bar was housed in smaller digs a few blocks north from its current perch at the corner of Kettner and Laurel streets. The patronage has steadily grown and the number of live shows each month are returning to pre-pandemic levels.
We caught up with Mays amid his continuous schedule of booking bands to learn more about The Casbah’s ever-evolving legacy.
Downtown Condo Guys: What was the catalyst for launching The Casbah nearly 35 years ago?
Mays: I used to put on rock concerts starting in 1980 all over San Diego, in mostly halls that I would rent out. A lot of them were all-ages shows. Then later with two friends, we opened The Pink Panther [bar] on Morena Boulevard near Mission Bay. We ran it for a few years before opening The Casbah. I basically wanted a place to put on shows because a lot of the bands I liked weren’t coming to San Diego.
Downtown Condo Guys: Do the three of you still run The Casbah together?
Mays: No. One of the friends moved away, and the other passed away. So now it’s me and two of my employees who have small ownership shares in the business, plus a longtime partner who we brought in during the mid 90s, when we moved to the new, current location. His name is Harlan Schiffman. He also produced shows in the early 80s and 90s all over San Diego. And he’s actually the person who booked Nirvana when I was at the old location.
Downtown Condo Guys: Few people today probably realize that Nirvana played at The Casbah. What was it like having them perform at your venue?
Mays: I was actually out of town and not there. But my business partner was. He was the sound man that night and didn’t know anything about running sound (chuckle). By all reports, it was an amazing show. The place held 75 people and there were 100 people to see them.
Downtown Condo Guys: What other noteworthy bands played at The Casbah before they hit stardom?
Mays: The White Stripes, which we booked around 2002 or 2003. They played in front of only 50 people at our current location, which has a capacity of 200. The next time they played at The Casbah, they sold out and they soon went on to perform at [the former] 4th & B, and SOMA.
Others have included Social Distortion, The Cult, and Weezer,
Downtown Condo Guys: Of the bands you book that are on the up-and-up, do you often have to contend with big egos?
Mays: Most of the time when a band is playing in a venue this small, their expectations are consummate to the size of the room. If they’re skeptical when they walk in, they always walk away saying that it was the best experience of their tour because of the intimacy with the crowd. But it can be challenging if you get a band that is rude or feels entitled, which thankfully rarely happens. Our staff is there to make everyone feel welcome. Really the hardest part about running the actual club is dealing with stuff that breaks and working with day-to-day staff and infrastructure operations.
Downtown Condo Guys: What was the craziest, most outrageous act you’ve ever booked?
Mays: It was a local band called Crash Worship. They used a lot of fluids and smoke machines. They would squirt the fluids at the audience—probably Karo syrup and food dye—and people got naked because of their tribal, rhythmic energy. They were very mesmerizing, although they don’t perform anymore. It was in the early 90s, and I still have vivid memories of it.
Downtown Condo Guys: Any big names ever drop in just to watch a show?
Mays: Yes. Keanu Reeves was in about two months ago to see The Bobby Lees. He came by himself on his motorcycle. He was very nice with people and let them take pictures. I was home. It was a Sunday night and I learned about it that evening on Instagram from patron postings.
Others have been Jack Black, Eddy Vedder of Pearl Jam, Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top, Henry Rollins, and others without us ever knowing.
Downtown Condo Guys: What is your booking ratio of tribute bands versus original bands?
Mays: We don’t do a lot of tribute bands – just a handful a year. Ziggy Shuffledust in tribute to David Bowie is one that we do every year in December as well as a Bowie tribute on the evening of Jan. 8 for Bowie’s birthday. We also do a yearly Rolling Stones night on Christmas Eve with the band Exile on Kettner Boulevard. We’ve been doing that one for 25 years.
Downtown Condo Guys: How many band bookings do you average per month?
Mays: Pre-pandemic it was almost every night of the month. Now we’re open about 25 nights a month with mostly live bands and sometimes DJs. We’re not a place that operates just as a bar.
Downtown Condo Guys: Where do you see The Casbah in 10 years from now?
Mays: I hope we’re still plugging away. After that, who’s to say. We’re firing on all cylinders right now. I never thought we’d be here for 35 years, which in 2024 we will have been.
