John Reis and The Casbah

When Tim Mays started promoting shows, he used the somewhat obvious moniker “Tim Mays Presents.” That all changed in 1989 when he opened up the Casbah, a 75-capacity venue, in San Diego. Today, Mays is the owner of the new Casbah, holding more than 200 people, standing right down the road from the original location and famously at the very end of San Diego International Airport’s only runway.

Mays is joined by John Reis who performs under the equally obvious moniker “Swami John Reis.” As is the case with many San Diegan musicians, Reis has been part of multiple successful bands, most notably Rocket from the Crypt.

You don’t come from San Diego without having your own story, or stories in this case, of the Casbah. Join Tim Mays and The Swami as they talk through their memories of this storied room and the venue’s vital role in San Diego’s constantly evolving scene.

'Independent Venue Speak' is produced by Marauder in partnership with See Tickets. For more independent venue stories, please visit welcome.seetickets.us/