Tommy Maher has his finger on the pulse of the North County local music scene. He is the kind of guy you are likely to run into at any given music bar on any given night that has music. A stalwart local musician, Tommy is a musical gearbox that has connected a ton of local musicians together through jams, band projects or simply hangs – anything that involves playing live music. In one way or another, he is likely responsible for the creation of several bands that have become local staples. With a homebase in Encinitas, his stomping grounds extend up and down the coast and out into Vista. He seems to know everybody – who’s playing where and when. His own new musical project, Call of Tomorrow is picking up steam with a mix of very tastefully curated covers you don’t encounter very often as well as a growing catalog of original tunes.
There really seems to be a special kind of vibe in the local working music community in North County. With places like The Kraken, The Roxy, Mr. Peabodys, and Aztec Brewery – there is always something popping, and usually popping harder than it seemingly has any right to. You may stop into a bar with a local band, no cover charge, expecting to just have a couple beers and chill and an hour later find yourself headbanging to a seriously hard-hitting Immigrant Song or dancing to a greasy James Brown tune.
The SceneSD: What would you say is the magic sauce that makes this community special? What ties it together?
Tommy: First off, Paul, thanks for doing this. You, Tino, Concerts Cafe, and the crew have been awesome in the San Diego music community. The shows you all put on are great every time. SceneSD is a rad magazine; please keep up all the great work you do.
The magic sauce is one part people juice, one part brain extract, one part inspiration, two parts determination, divided by reality, and a dash of creativity. Set the burner on high and let it reduce to a thick layer of crystals. Lol… it’s our people here. It’s a super diverse community. It’s having so many venues, so many outlets to plug into. Each town in San Diego has its own scene. It’s absolutely about community, niche, and being open-minded. This is a city that has every facet of imagination and artistic expression. It has a life of its own.
The SceneSD: What are some of your favorite venues to attend and favorite venues to play at and why?
Tommy: There are so many venues, it’s ridiculous. My favorite venues are the Belly Up Tavern and The Casbah. I’ve seen so much amazing stuff at these two places. I’ve been going to both since I was a kid. I’ve been everywhere up and down. I’ve been meaning to go back to the Che Cafe, though I feel too old. A new place I like is the Terry Campus Borneman Theater; that place is super nice.
Locally, where I live around, Mr. Peabody’s and 1st Street Bar do so much for the Encinitas community, even for original music. Pourhouse Oceanside is awesome. They have more of an original scene. The reason I like 1st Street and Pourhouse more is because they employ a sound tech. It’s more of a show. 1st Street and Pourhouse have national artists coming through. Peabody’s in Encinitas, though, is where you’ll find me most.
The SceneSD: What are some of your favorite local bands to go see?
Tommy: Lately, I like Sacri Monti, Schizophonics, Mojo Strut, PTek, Majora, Saguaro, Most Hated, Falcon Punch, and Cold Craft. There’s also a group, Sun Jelly, that rehearses next door to me at Spaceship Studios. They sound really dope, and I’ve been meaning to see them.
The SceneSD: How did COT get started and where do you see yourself going with it?
Tommy: I didn’t want to jam in my mom’s kitchen anymore, about three or four years ago. I strong-armed my writing partner, Casey Della Veccia, into allocating money for a lockout at Spaceship Studios. Then, I got wrangled into a high school open reunion music jam, where I was tasked with finding alumni musicians to participate. I came across Corey Ross, the literal one drummer I had not met or remembered meeting or playing with in Encinitas. Corey said, “I like that you have original music,” and that was the agreement. Corey came up with the name, Call Of Tomorrow.
I see a future with our music, as long as we keep getting that call from tomorrow.
The SceneSD: The subject of covers vs. originals is a touchy one. There are plenty of bands whose members have full-time jobs, and they simply enjoy rocking out on the weekends playing well-loved songs that get the party going. Understandably, bar owners tend to gravitate to these kinds of shows because, at the end of the night, they want a big crowd with good bar sales, and it does keep the local nightlife vibrant and happening. The predominance of party cover bands, however, makes it much harder for original bands to gain any kind of traction. It’s hard to bring a crowd when no one knows you, and it’s hard to get people to know you if you don’t get gigs. You’ve played in and been around many cover and original bands. Do you have any insights on how to resolve this dilemma, or do you have a vision for what you’d like to see as the ideal scenario?
Tommy: There is a time and place for both. When I was in my last party/cover band, Upfunk, I always stressed trying to go deep with the covers, so that if someone came from another bar, they would walk into a fresh scene of music.
Still, it’s what’s familiar. I believe that there is a great amount of creativity that can go into a cover band. That’s what sets them apart from each other.
When you’re doing original music, you’re in uncharted territory. Make more friends than you lose. If people like your music, they will come back for more. Put as much effort as you can into it. Have good artwork and promotion skills, find your niche and audience. Go out to a show here and there and meet the musicians you enjoy. If you have that goal or dream, it’s not going anywhere if you don’t work for it. Fortunately, if you have the determination to get gigs, you’ll be seen and heard. Because San Diego has everywhere you’d want to play your music, it’s almost an endless sea of places to perform.
The SceneSD: Has the scene changed from pre- to post-covid? For better or worse?
Tommy: It got better, I think. It’s stronger now. Personally, for me, it felt liberating. I spent more time with myself and stopped taking musical experiences for granted. I think it brought more importance to live music overall.
The SceneSD: Where do you see the North County music scene going and what do you hope your own role and the role of Call Of Tomorrow to be in fostering this community?
Tommy: I see it going great, as usual. The history is so rich and continuous.
My role is to be a musician and a participant until whatever time that ends.
Original groups work together to make a good show. It’s more variety. I don’t want to hear the same song every weekend, no matter how good you are. But that’s me. I like going to original shows. I may not always love it, but it’s more exciting than the same cover band for three hours, hoping they mix it up. And sometimes they do! And when that happens, I’ll get down just as hard.
I really like collaboration, doing shows with other groups. Call Of Tomorrow is almost always down for a show. I’m always ready to get something going.
Call Of Tomorrow may be the name of our band, but it’s emblematic of fostering what drives us further as musicians. That, and answering the phone or email, lol.
I’ve been part of our music scene in North County since around 1994, and every decade has produced some great music, and I don’t think that’s ever going to end.
