Kitty Craft Delights and Dazzles at the House of Blues with Jackie Mendoza and Dead Calm

The House of Blues was transformed last Sunday night, February 15th, 2026, into a dreamy garden of pop, punk, and bursting synths by the Kitty Craft show. She’s back on a continued Socal leg of her 2025 tour, before she heads to Europe and the UK this summer. One opening act performing in her hometown and the other having come all the way from Donegal in Ireland, we were about to experience a rich and vibrant show.

The Sunday night show began with an exciting and electrifying set from San Diego’s very own Jackie Mendoza. Sporting neon yellow nail polish, matching her bandmates neon bass, they create a seamless sonic blend of Latin and electronic pop and the audience can’t help but sway their hips along to songs like Besos y Cafe.

The warm up had just begun, because next on stage was Liam McCay’s recent project, Dead Calm. The indie punk rock band brought the energy to a new level in room, playing songs from their 2025 album, Keep Moving. Their chemistry was vibrant and fun, and the crowd was ready for the main act.

When Kitty Craft took the stage and began with her opening song, Inward Jam, the room filled with flowers as she sang. The set began with songs from her first album, released in 1998, Beats and Breaks from the Flower Patch. The room fills with the dreamy sounds of Par 5 and When Fortune Smiles. With the help of her backing vocalist Carrie Hansen, their harmonies lead the crowd to ascend to the music. The audience was treated to a special cover of Androgynous, by The Replacements, and a song dedicated to her hometown, Minneapolis.

With her family in the crowd and a mention that it was her dad’s first time seeing her perform live, the night felt memorable. The night came to a sweet end with an encore performance of Sway, from the 2025 EP, Bits + Bobs From The Flower Patch Vol. II, and sway we did.