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Art and Music collide in San Diego during TNT, held the first Thursday of every month at the Downtown’s Museum of Contemporary Art. Featuring up-and-coming local musical acts juxtaposed with cutting-edge contemporary art, this is a cultural event you will actually enjoy. Unpretentious and alcohol-tinged, you can rock out and appreciate nice things.

TNT is open from 7-10pm; bands usually start around 8pm. The concert is outdoors during the summer months and often features images projected on a screen strung between two palm trees behind the band. Stop by the 91x tent to chat with the staff and pick up some free shwag. There are two bars: one outside in the roped-off concert area, the other upstairs on the back patio, where you can also watch the show from above. The bars provide a limited selection from local breweries and sponsored liquors, usually vodka.

The real treasure of this event is the people watching. Such a multi-faceted event draws a wide range of people. You'll see the local music set, the college art students, the hipsters, the writers, the art snobs, and the past-their-prime-but-trying-to-maintain-their-youth-ers, and they all mix surprisingly well. It’s Art and Music bringing people together as nature intended.

Get there early—parking is a pain. It's a great idea to take the trolley as it drops you off literally within the structure. The event is free, but please remember to drop in a $3 donation so they can keep TNT coming month after month.

Insider Tip: the event draws hundreds of people, but there’s only one bathroom in the museum. It's on the first floor, in the gallery furthest from the entrance and there's usually a long line. Those in the know scoot across the street to the Santa Fe Depot for expansive, private, line-free relief.

Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, Downtown
1001 and 1100 Kettner Blvd. (Broadway & Ketner)
San Diego, CA 92101
(858) 454-3541