Soma San Diego facts for kids

SOMA is a popular concert venue in San Diego, California. It's located in the Midway neighborhood, right next to the San Diego Sports Arena. SOMA is known as San Diego's top spot for all-ages punk and alternative-rock concerts. You can find it at 3350 Sports Arena Blvd.

The Story of SOMA

Early Days Downtown

SOMA first opened its doors in the early 1990s. It was started by Len Paul in an old warehouse in downtown San Diego. The address was 555 Union Street. This spot was once a slaughterhouse, which is how SOMA got its name: "SOuth of MArket."

Back then, SOMA was mostly a dance club. But soon, it started hosting live music. A cool part of this first location was "The Dungeon." This was a basement area that used to be the slaughterhouse's freezer room. It could hold about 100 people.

Many local San Diego bands got their first chance to play in The Dungeon. If a band could bring a big crowd, they would get to play on the main stage upstairs. This meant they could open for more famous local or national bands.

Some well-known San Diego bands got their start here. These include Rocket from the Crypt, Blink-182, Unwritten Law, Stone Temple Pilots, and Buck-O-Nine. They built a strong fan base before becoming famous across the country in the mid-1990s.

Moving to Metro Street

In 1994, SOMA moved to a different warehouse on Metro Street. This new spot was just south of the University of San Diego. Many big artists played here, like Faith No More, Fugazi, Pavement, Radiohead, The Ramones, The Smashing Pumpkins, and Weezer. Lots of local bands also performed. This location closed in 1999.

SOMA's Current Home

Len Paul reopened SOMA in 2002 at its current location. This building used to be a movie theater with many screens. It was changed into a concert venue. The walls between the old movie theaters were taken down to make one big area for the main stage.

The main hall can hold up to 2,700 people. There's also a smaller side stage that can fit over 500 people. Many of the old movie theater offices are now dressing rooms for the bands. These rooms even look out over the audience! You can also find a snack bar and a place to buy band merchandise in the lobby.

Famous Performances at SOMA

SOMA has hosted many memorable concerts over the years.

• In 2004, the band Switchfoot played a show that sold out. This concert was later released as a DVD called Live in San Diego.
• Dave Matthews Band performed at SOMA in 1995. Their show was broadcast live on the radio. Later, it was released as part of their Live Trax music series.
• On June 16, 2018, the band As I Lay Dying played their first show together in a while. The band shared that the concert was about being thankful to play music again and for their fans.