For nearly three decades, The Casbah has been a sanctuary for music lovers in San Diego and a stepping stone for countless artists on the rise. Behind its enduring legacy is Tim Mays, the co-owner whose passion for live music and unwavering commitment to local talent have shaped the venue into an iconic part of the city’s cultural landscape. As The Casbah celebrates its rich history, Mays reflects on the challenges, triumphs and defining moments that have made the venue a cornerstone of San Diego’s vibrant music scene.

The Casbah, located in the heart of San Diego, has become synonymous with the city’s music scene, playing a significant role in the development of its local culture. Since opening its doors in 1989, Mays has witnessed the venue grow from a small local bar to a cultural institution. As he reflects on this transformation, he credits the venue’s success not just to its physical space but to its ethos of cultivating community and artistic development.

Mays’ journey with The Casbah began long before he became a co-owner. A lifelong music enthusiast, he first arrived in San Diego in 1972, where his love for live music evolved from attending large arena shows to championing smaller, more intimate performances. 

Considering his early years in the scene, Mays said, “I used to go to shows, like big arena shows with Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin,” but by the early 1980s, he gravitated toward the underground punk scene.

His passion for live music led him to begin booking shows in San Diego at venues like the Skeleton Club among other local spots. Mays’ experience promoting punk rock performances during this time shaped his understanding of what audiences wanted and solidified his belief in booking acts that resonated with him personally. 

“I would book with my heart rather than my brain. You know, the best lesson you can learn doing this kind of stuff is by losing money. You have to find the balance,” he said, acknowledging that these early years were about cultivating a genuine scene rather than focusing solely on profits.

In 1989, Mays and some friends opened The Casbah in its original location, a small venue with a 75 person capacity. Despite its humble beginnings, the vision for the club has been built on creating a space for artists, by artists, where the focus is on the authenticity of the music and creating a space where bands can play and sincerely connect with fans.

Thinking back to this early phase, Mays explained, “Our guiding principle has always been to book bands that we like […] we always try to present something in a comfortable atmosphere with full respect for our patrons and the bands. That’s been our philosophy all these years: creating an experience for everyone, including the fans, the bands and our staff, that makes them want to come back to see another show as soon as they can.” 

As The Casbah began to solidify its place within San Diego’s music landscape, it became evident that the venue’s success wasn’t just about offering a physical space for bands. Mays made sure the club encouraged a sense of community that extended beyond its four walls. 

Over the years, The Casbah has been a vital part of a broader network of local venues that share similar values and goals. For Mays, building these connections has been key to the venue’s sustained relevance and success.

“We work together a lot with other venues in the city,” Mays explained, highlighting the importance of these partnerships. “Casbah is a part owner of Soda Bar, and we definitely have a very symbiotic relationship with them. We book a lot of shows over there and Cory at Soda Bar books a lot of shows at The Casbah.” 

This sense of community stretches across other beloved local bars and venues like the Black Cat, Till Two and The Whistle Stop, where deep-rooted friendships with owners and staff have led to a dynamic exchange of opportunities and ideas. These relationships have not only supported but also strengthened San Diego’s live music scene, helping to sustain it and ensure continual growth. 

Throughout the years, The Casbah has earned a reputation as a launchpad for artists on the brink of major success. From the White Stripes to Death Cab for Cutie, countless now-iconic bands played its stage early in their careers. For Mays, the process of discovering talent has always been deeply personal, evolving alongside the industry itself. 

In the beginning, he booked shows purely by instinct, seeking out bands that resonated with him personally and fit within the DIY ethos of the scene. “When I first started, it was DIY because nobody knew anything… you were [just] flying by the seat of your pants,” he recalled. 

Back then, without the internet or streaming platforms to scout talent, he relied on word of mouth, local buzz and his own experiences watching bands perform. The process was less structured, but it allowed him to cultivate a space that felt organic, booking acts he wholeheartedly believed in rather than chasing commercial trends.

As the music industry evolved and the sheer volume of emerging artists skyrocketed, Mays’ approach adapted. “It’s gotten really hard to spot emerging talent nowadays because there’s so many bands out there—that it’s really almost impossible to keep up,” he admitted. 

To help navigate the constant influx of new acts, he now balances his own musical instincts with the expertise of trusted booking agents. “If they sign a band and want them to come and play a show, I trust that they’re going to be a really top-notch band,” Mays said. 

But even with outside input, Mays remains hands-on, taking the time to personally listen and evaluate artists.

 “Spotify is your friend, right? … I have certain tastes that I stick to, and if I hear something that fits, I’m like, ‘Yeah, this works.’” While the tools and methods have changed, his goal remains the same: to bring in bands that excite listeners and create an experience that keeps audiences anticipating the next show.

As The Casbah marked its 35th anniversary in January of 2024, Mays recounts the venue’s journey, noting the significant shifts and challenges the venue has faced along the way. 

One of the most notable moments in the club’s history came in the early 90s, when it moved to its current location in 1994. This expansion allowed the venue to grow its booking capacity and attract bigger touring acts, while still staying true to the spirit of the local scene that had been its foundation.

“Back in the early days, we were working with bands like Rocket from the Crypt and Drive Like Jehu, and as the venue grew, we were able to bring in more diverse and established acts,” Mays explained. This ability to adapt and expand set the stage for The Casbah to become an integral part of San Diego’s cultural community.

Even so, the real test of resilience came in 2020, when the pandemic brought live music to a halt. With the venue shuttered for more than a year, Mays and his team still found creative ways to stay connected with the community.

 “We sold a lot of merch during the pandemic [and] did some streaming shows which helped keep us afloat,” Mays shared, recalling the uncertainty of those days, but also the resilience of his team.

The Casbah’s reopening in 2021 further brought new challenges, but also new opportunities. In response to changing audience behaviors post-pandemic, the venue adjusted its hours and began hosting earlier shows to accommodate fans who were now eager to make plans in advance rather than take a more spontaneous approach to concertgoing. 

“It was all about adapting to the new reality,” said Mays, noting how these changes reflected broader shifts in the music industry and audience preferences. 

Reminiscing about the events that have made the Casbah what it is today, Mays points to some truly iconic and defining moments. In a 2001 performance, The White Stripes, then an up-and-coming band, played to a small crowd of about 50 people. Mays recalls the surreal scene vividly: “I think going back to The White Stripes playing there, I think it was in 2001, there were only like 50 people there and Jack White had to wait outside because he wasn’t old enough,” Mays said.

 In retrospect, this intimate show, where the future rock icons were just a blip on the radar, perfectly encapsulates The Casbah’s role as a breeding ground for what would become massive acts.

Another unforgettable show that stands out in Mays’ memory took place a few years later, when Arcade Fire took the stage at The Casbah while not yet being established. Despite their obscurity at the time, the crowd was already in full swing, singing every word.

“Arcade Fire played there early on in their career and they were relatively unknown, but everybody knew the words and was singing along,” Mays recalled. 

These moments are a testament to the venue’s unique ability to forge lasting and tangible connections between artists and fans, making every show an experience that’s become increasingly rare to replicate in today’s over-saturated live music landscape.

As The Casbah continues to shape San Diego’s identity, Mays takes great pride in the venue’s cultural significance. With 35 years of history behind it, The Casbah remains a beacon for live music in the city. In January 2024, the City Council declared “Casbah Day” in recognition of its enduring impact on San Diego’s music scene.

“I never imagined that something I started would become such an iconic part of San Diego,” Mays said. Yet, despite this honor, he remains focused on what has always mattered most: “It’s all about treating people kindly with respect and making it comfortable,” he said.

In hindsight, reflecting on his experiences and offering advice for aspiring venue owners, Mays shared a few words of wisdom shaped by decades in the industry: “Start small. Learn your craft. Learn how to do it. Learn how to treat people. Learn how to operate in a professional, respectful manner, and just get out there and do the best you can,” he said. “Give people opportunities to play and be prepared to be pleasantly surprised by what bands can do and what people can offer.”