Powerpop fans won’t want to miss the return of traveling music festival, International Pop Overthrow, to the Black Cat Bar on August 21 & 22. Over a dozen performers will take part across the two nights, with the unifying factor being songs with high melodic content and a bit of rock ‘n’ roll infusion. This year includes ten area artists, including Tamar Berk and Super Buffet, and three from the Orange County / Los Angeles area, including Courtney McKenna. A true labor of love produced by David Bash and his wife Rina, additional IPO Festivals are held around the world, including events in Liverpool, Stockholm, Glasgow and Vancouver, as well as Los Angeles, Chicago and New York. IPO was founded in 1997, with 12 San Diego events taking place since 2009. “We missed some years due to COVID and other reasons,” said Bash.
What motivates Bash to put so much time and effort into staging IPO? “More than anything, I love the music,” he said. “I’m in a position where I can book only acts I like, so in many ways I’m a fan who gets to see all kinds of cool bands from all around the world. Plus, the musicians and fans are almost all really nice, and it’s been great getting to know them. I honestly can’t think of anything else I’d rather do; if I had to work in an office, you may as well put me out to pasture because I’m not a team player (LOL)!”
What’s been Bash’s favorite thing about hosting shows in San Diego? “San Diego is a gorgeous city, and it’s usually my only trip down there from LA. If you’ve travelled from LA to San Diego, you know the horrors of the traffic, in several different locations. It can take as long as four hours to go 120 miles on a freeway! So, IPO is a great reason to be there. Plus, I really like the Black Cat Bar, and Matt Parker, the owner, is a good guy who gets what we’re doing.”
Next year will make mark 30 year’s since IPO’s inception and Bash is happy with the impact it has made. “If you like melodic rock ‘n roll that hearkens back to the ‘60s and ‘70s without cloning that sound, then the IPO festival is for you,” he said. “I’m always gratified that many people who come compliment me on the quality of the bands, and when I play tracks from the three CD compilation we do every year, people outside of the “pop cognoscenti” will say “I’m shocked that there are people who still do this music”, because it’s not what they’re used to hearing on the radio or on streaming sites these days. They’re usually very pleasantly surprised.”
Several of this year’s IPO artists are veterans of the event. “My favorite thing about IPO is seeing some great bands that don’t play out that much,” said Tamar Berk (Friday, 9:45 p.m.). “Plus, I’m a big fan of power pop!” Meanwhile, Scott Samuels (Friday, 9 p.m.) is an IPO veteran. “This year marks twenty years for me of playing the IPO festivals,” he noted. “One of my favorite things about this event is that it puts a spotlight on power pop, and gives a chance for all the artists who create in this genre to perform their work in front of the power pop community, which always spells a great time.” Does he have any surprises in store for the night? “This year my backing band is basically the same band, minus one member, that performs in my Neil Diamond tribute, so it’s a fun diversion for all of us. We do have a cover song planned, but it’s not even close to Neil Diamond,” Samuels hinted good naturedly.
https://internationalpopoverthrow.com/artists/ipo-san-diego-2026/
