Jesse Hughes might be tough to love at times--calling President Obama a communist in a recent interview, for instance-but there's no denying that he knows to rock out. And no matter what his politics may be, he's got one of the most charming on-stage presences out there (he's adorable!). All good reasons to consider the Eagles of Death Metal (pictured) show on Saturday, June 6, at the Glass House in Pomona. Tickets are $15, and on sale tomorrow (Friday, May 1) at noon.

Their most recent record, Heart On, was legit good (I'm trying to make that happen, is it working?). Peep my review here.

Also coming to the Glass House: Cursive, on Monday, June 29. Tickets for that are on sale Saturday at noon, also 15 bucks. Doug Wallen reviewed their most recent, Mama, I'm Swollen, for us, check that here. Combichrist, Julien-K, Aesthetic Perfection and Dismantled hit the venue on June 16; tickets are Saturday at noon and $18. Combichrist are "aggrotech." Yep, that's a genre.

Long Beach's Greater California, who I talked to a couple of weeks ago in the Weekly, are celebrating the release of their excellent new album All the Colors with a show tonight at Art Theatre in Long Beach. They'll be playing the record in its entirety, accompanied by visuals from Warren Woodward of the Valley Arena.

Two other LB faves, Free Moral Agents and The Fling, open up the show. $10 at the door. Sounds like it could be a pretty special night.

Move over April, concert goers have a new spring fling...her name is May, and she's finer than a motha fucka. With many great summer shows on the horizon, those of you who are into that whole recycling and bettering man kind trip might consider coming out to a weekly concert series going on right under your nose. Starting on May 3, a local performance venue TRASHed at The Camp is hosting another installment of it's Cans and Bands Concert Series, bringing a reliable roster of acts to the stage, including a few bands we've written about in The Weekly (i.e. Audacity, The Studio Fix, DJ Old Boy and more).

The idea behind the event, as you might have guessed by the title, is to host a weekly jam session and can food drive for the betterment of your ears and the hungry mouths waiting to be fed by the OC Rescue Mission where the cans are being donated. C&B is just one of the eco-centric events hosted by non-profit organization Global Inheritance, operated largely by Jenna Eyrich (bassist for The Studiofix).

 In an attempt to cultivate a progressive social moment of creative youth to bring awareness to environmental and political issues, turns out GI can also throw some pretty sweet concerts too. Continuing with their weekly performances gives audiences a chance to experience both established and emerging bands. Ten cans gets you in for free. But if you'd rather keep your stock pile of earth quake food all to yourself, it will only cost you $5. The first show this month features The Atlantic Line, Davis Fetter of Venus Infers and Backseat Bingo. See you out there.

Check out more info on the event HERE!

Self-described "flower punk" Atlanta quartet the Black Lips have teamed with the Wu-Tang's GZA. Maybe that sounds like an unusual mix, but now you can decide for yourself.

Click the link to hear the track "The Drop I Hold."

Last Night: Rufus Wainwright and Lucy Roche Wainwright at the House of Blues Anaheim. Better Than: A night at the Met.
Best Overheard Question: "Is Rufus gay?"  
Download: Poses; "14th Street" off Want One

It was the most dressed down I'd ever seen Rufus Wainwright, which, if you've ever had the pleasure, is a pretty big deal. His un-ironed denim button-up was tucked into an average pair of jeans; strappy Jesus sandals  adorned his feet. The only hint of Rufus' usual thought-out (and/or just plain bizarre) digs was the single rhinestoned brooch that topped it all off.  The outfit, actually, was akin to the overall feeling of the evening's set: Stripped down, casual, intimate, comfortable. Wainwright performed without his usual backing band--which at any time can even include a full-on schmaltzy brass band--it was just him and the guitar or piano, whichever the song called for. And it was nice. Pleasant, even.  More >>

Yep, that's a pizza box. And it's on my desk. There's no pizza in it. Normally, that would be pretty disappointing, but I'm OK with it.

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The Newport Beach Film Festival rages on--the last day is tomorrow, April 30--and tonight a movie shot at Chain Reaction in Anaheim, All Ages Night, will be screened at the Edwards Island theater at 6:15 p.m. It's a comedy starring Django Stewart, son of Dave Stewart (y'know, the dude from the Eurythmics). Why yes, the same Django Stewart that just played Detroit Bar on Monday with his band, the Midnight Squires! (See slideshow here).

Here's the trailer:

Apparently Black Lips are all about Southern California. Not too surprising for a band from the south (Atlanta, Georgia specifically). After all, we do have ultra-hip towns like Long Beach inside our borders. As a matter-of-fact, you can find them in the LBC this Saturday on their way into Pomona for a Glass HOuse show on May 2 and a Detroit Bar gig the next day on May 3. They will be playing a scaled-down, fully-clothed performance at Finger Prints record store at 2p.m. of Saturday. Together, it sounds like this dusty garage rock four-piece is looking to get as many thrills out of us as possible before taking off to tour Europe. Luckily, us Californians don't mind being used for a good time.More >>

Sorry, For the Love of Ray J fans. Not just sorry because you admit to liking For the Love of Ray J (that just means you're honest), but sorry because Ray J's show at the newly reopened Galaxy in Santa Ana, scheduled for Thursday May 7, has been canceled. Truly disappointing news for anyone hoping to attend and soak up some of his smooth playa ways.

Word from the Galaxy is that Ray J's booking agent double-booked him, and given that Ray J's MySpace has him playing in New York that night, there was clearly some epic miscommunication going on. According to the Galaxy, that night will instead feature Colby O'Donis, the featured artist on Lady Gaga's smash hit "Just Dance." Plus, he's never, to our knowledge, been in a sex tape with Kim Kardashian, so he's got that going for him. Ticketmaster still has the Ray J show listed, but it's gone from the Galaxy's site.

On the horizon for the Galaxy: the English Beat on May 9, De La Soul on June 20 (they were originally supposed to play the reopening of the venue in March), the Smithereens on July 24 and OMG, Warrant on August 14. Should be a cool drink of water; possibly a sweet surprise.

EDIT: Apparently the Colby O'Donis show isn't happening either: it's not on his MySpace, or the Galaxy's Web site.