The Ché Café
The Ché Café is a legend of West Coast DIY. Founded in 1980 by UCSD students and run as a worker co-op on campus, it became an internationally recognized staple of the hardcore and punk underground in the 1990s, and it has survived repeated clashes with the university over the decades. Today its all-ages stage regularly crosses into heavy territory with bands like Trench, Cataract Stare, Mescaline Maniacs, Vicio, Cadavered and Transmutation.
This is the no-frills, community-run side of San Diego heavy music. There’s no bar, the shows are all ages, and the room is run on a DIY ethic that has inspired generations of local bands. If you want to see where a lot of SD’s heaviest players first got loud, start here.
Venue Info
- Location: UC San Diego campus, La Jolla, CA 92093
- Neighborhood: La Jolla (UCSD)
- Age policy: All ages; no alcohol
