Em Beihold’s Super Small Semi Secret Piano Tour
Singer-songwriter and UC San Diego alum Em Beihold sounds nothing like Neil Diamond or Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson, to the likely relief of all three.
But each of them was a standout fencer in their teen years, with Diamond earning a fencing scholarship to New York University and Beihold earning a UCSD’s Chancellor’s Scholar-Athlete Award in 2019 for her academic achievements and competitive fencing.
Beihold’s earnest, heart-on-her-sleeve songs are not saber rattling or piercing, but they are thoughtful, artfully constructed and well-performed.
Her chart-topping 2022 hit, “Numb Little Bug,” and the same year’s “12345” thoughtfully address mental health issues. “Bug” examines the numbing, soul-sapping effects of antidepressants, while “12345” was inspired by the use of counting to manage anxiety attacks. Another of Beihold’s songs, “Roller Coasters Make Me Sad,” addresses the pressures of living up to expectations from within and without.
Beihold, 26, has generalized anxiety disorder, which is a recurring theme in her work. At a time when a growing number of young music artists have shared their mental health issues, including Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan, Doja Cat, Ariana Grande, Lizzo, Camila Cabello, Kid Cudi, Halsey, Selena Gomez and Shawn Mendes.
A singer and pianist who also plays guitar and ukulele, Beihold graduated with a major in communications and a minor in business in 2020 from UCSD, where she performed at the Epstein Family Amphitheater in 2023.
Beihold cites fellow troubadours Regina Spektor, Fiona Apple and Sarah Bareilles as key inspirations, and their influence on her music is evident to varying degrees. But her best songs ring true very well on their own.
7 p.m. Wednesday. Lou Lou’s Jungle Room at the Lafayette Hotel, 225 El Cajon Blvd. $30 (must be 21 or older to attend). loulous.turntabletickets.com
Orianthi, with The Blitz Brothers
Australian native Orianthi gets around, musically speaking.
A Los Angeles resident since 2005, the 40-year-old guitarist, singer and songwriter counts Carrie Underwood, Alice Cooper, Mary J. Blige, Michael Bolton, Tokyo Police Club, Jason Derulo, Steve Vai and former San Diegan Adam Lambert among her many collaborators.
Had all gone according to plan, she would have been the lead guitarist in Michael Jackson’s 50-concert residency at London’s O2 Arena in 2009 and 2010, but the troubled pop superstar died a month before the scheduled opening show. (Jackson’s previous guitarist, you may recall, was San Diego-bred virtuoso Jennifer Batten).
Orianthi has seven solo albums to her credit, with another, “Some Kind of Feeling,” due out this year. Also in the works is a Jimi Hendrix Band of Gypsys-inspired power-trio album with Santana drummer Cindy Blackman Santana and former Prince/Jeff Beck bassist Rhonda Smith.
Perhaps not coincidentally, Orianthi’s recent concerts have been concluding with her version of Hendrix’s pre-Band of Gypsys’ classic, “Voodoo Child (Slight Return).” Her 2010 live-in-Japan version of the song has had more than 10 million views on YouTube.
8 p.m. Sunday. Belly Up, 143 South Cedros Ave., Solana Beach. $35-$62 (must be 21 or older to attend). bellyup.com
Mackenzie Leighton Celebrates Charles Mingus
There is a third enticing option for area jazz fans who don’t already have tickets for Tuesday’s UCSD Loft concert by Nubya Garcia and Thursday’s Athenaeum concert by the Ben Wendell Quartet, both of which are sold out.
That option is Friday night’s tribute to iconic jazz bassist, composer and band leader Charles Mingus by a band headed by leading San Diego bassist Mackenzie Leighton.
The director of the jazz ensemble at Cal State San Marcos, Leighton has collaborated with Pat Metheny, Geoffrey Keezer, Holly Hofmann, Gilbert Castellanos, Kamau Kenyatta and Peter Sprague, among others.
He has put-together a top-notch ensemble for tonight’s Mingus tribute. The lineup features two top San Diego saxophonists, Brian Levy and Christopher Hollyday, pianist Ed Kornha and drummer Tyler Kreutel.
8 p.m. Friday. Dizzy’s at Arias Hall (behind the Musician’s Association building), 1717 Morena Boulevard, Bay Park. dizzysjazz.com
