Cassie B / Honey

One of the hardest working musicians in San Diego, it’s a rare night when Cassie B isn’t onstage. An incredibly versatile singer, you’ve heard her with numerous combos including Betamaxx, The Ladies of Rouge and The DecDames, but it’s with her own band that she’s been making the biggest impact. Known for their dance floor filling sets mixing R&B, soul and rock favorites, amongst upcoming performances for Cassie B and her band are all Saturday home games as the official Padres House Band, while every Monday finds the group performing at the Zoo as part of “Nighttime Zoo.” One-off gigs include July 21 at Campland on the Bay, August 11 at the Carmel Mountain Plaza Summer Concerts and August 12 at the Tierrasanta Summer Concerts.

As great as Cassie B’s covers are, she also has a slew of tunes of her own that are just as hook filled and radio friendly as what’s currently on the airwaves. Her most recent single, “Honey,” is just out.

Cassie B is a rare native San Diegan. “I grew up in the city of La Mesa,” she said. “It’s been amazing because it is so central to everything I do. It’s taken me 20 minutes max to get to any job, or event for most of my life. La Mesa has such a sweet charm, and my stomping grounds are the little downtown La Mesa village. I’ve never really felt the need to be anywhere else.”

What inspired the new single? “We have been loving performing in clubs like Moonshine Flats and Moonshine Beach, where there is line dancing,” she said. “I have always gravitated towards the pop genre, but I also love a country flare in there. For the lyrics, my mind went to the time I met my now husband. He didn’t play games. He said how he felt and basically said take it or leave it. I loved his honesty and grounding. So, the lyrics are actually more along the lines of what he was telling me, but I spun it to come from me in this song.” While there is more recording ahead for Cassie B, fans will have to wait for a full length release. “I hope to create enough music to make an album, but for now we plan release one single at a time,” she said. “I feel like it’s so hard to get people to listen to your original work to begin with. So, my thought is, we just give one song at a time, and let each one grow on its own.”

Cassie B and her band

Cassie B credits her musicians for her success on the live circuit. “My band is incredible!,” she said. “Our bread and butter is our top 40s cover band. We are so tight since we perform every weekend together. When my husband and bassist Ryan (Kilpatrick) and I sent them our original song, “Honey,” they picked it right up, and we have been adding it to our set ever since!” She notes the importance of Kilpatrick to the project. “He is also the man behind the curtain doing our booking and managing everything. He is the real star here!” she said.

“Then we have Robert Rivera (Robby Rivers) on guitar. He has been with us since day one when we found him on Craigslist. He has been such an integral part of our music business growth. Jeffrey Starkey is also one of our main guitar players. He jumps in and shreds with us often, he’s amazing. Next, we have two amazing keyboard players that trade off based on availability. These guys are gems to come across. Jody Bagley, and Bill Pomerleau. They are both so talented, and they each add their own flare to our show. We have also been working with David Yuter on keys. We love all of the color he adds to every song. Then, on the drums we have Carlos Beltran and Nick Seiwart. Man, these two crush every time, and they are so talented. Ryan and I are super grateful for the talent and friendship we have with these fellas. Together, we really can make a night special.”

The music biz is tougher than ever – what motivates Cassie B to keep going? “The exchange of energy from the stage to an open audience is everything to me,” she said. “When people are smiling, dancing and singing along to what we are doing on stage fills my heart and soul completely. That really is the biggest drive for me. Music creates a beautiful space to exist in happiness and freedom. I feel blessed to share the gift of singing and performing that I’ve been given.” www.cbmusicsd.com