Beth Stirnaman

​

Do you not know Chromeo by now? Really? Well, that's them up there, playing Street Scene in San Diego this past Friday night. They were awesome. Also awesome: Beth Stirnaman's photographs from day one and day two of the festival. It was like Coachella, but less people, not as many bands, but less time in the hot sun and in the middle of a lovely downtown area instead out in the desert in the middle of nowhere. So, an even trade?

But Street Scene wasn't the only event we were all over this weekend. How about Andrew Youssef's photos from Sunday night's Def Leppard and Poison show at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Irvine? The pictures are VH1 reality series-riffic! Do you enjoy beer? How about a fest celebrating the beverage? Keith May was at the Orange County Beer Fest in Irvine Lake, look at his pics here. Keith May also saw this week's Weekly cover subjects Los Cojolites in Santa Ana, taking these fab photos.

Matt Jacoby

​

If you didn't make it into tonight's free Used show at Chain Reaction by pre-ordering a copy of their new album, there's still another option for free music in Orange County, albeit 180 degrees musically and culturally in the other direction: try Dawes, in the final night of their Monday night August residency at Detroit Bar (appropriate enough, seeing how this is the final night in August and all that).

More >>

​

After attending Street Scene, the two-day downtown San Diego music festival that took place on August 28 and 29, I was left with this impression: it's better than Coachella.

More >>

Beth Stirnaman

Don't be fooled. This picture is actually from Friday at Street Scene in San Diego, not Saturday at the Grove of Anaheim.

​

You've heard what clubs editor Spencer Kornhaber thought about Saturday night's Modest Mouse show at the Grove of Anaheim, and sure, it was great, and we all loved reading it. But what of the rest of the showgoing public? Why, that's what Twitter is for, friends. Enjoy these nuggets of 140-character-or-less wisdom from the big gig. Apparently the openers, the Night Marchers (whom we wrote about in this past week's Weekly), didn't win over some folks. It happens.

@strider820 Modest mouse concert, first band: FAIL

@ANN_Bamboo At a Modest Mouse concert. The opening band reeks of douchebag.

@KZimZam Apparently im clothed in the sound of rock n roll. Maybe i really will be when Modest Mouse comes on.

@japanese_motors Hanging out w/ Modest Mouse @ the Grove of Anaheim. One of the guys working here has a great jheri curl!

More >>

​

MCs Slug and Murs have released their third album under the moniker FELT. In 2002, the group issued A Tribute to Christina Ricci and followed that up in 2005 with A Tribute to Lisa Bonet. Then it comes as no surprise that the last offering is titled A Tribute to Rosie Perez.

On the real, straight up or however else rappers say it, I've never heard of FELT, but I gotta lotta love for them. Particularly the Rosie Perez tribute. Don't get me wrong, I love me some Christina Ricci, and to a lesser extent Lisa Bonet, but when I first saw White Men Can't Jump, I couldn't get Perez (or her naked boobs) off my mind for years. Please keep in mind, I saw this movie when I was about 12 and Rosie Perez's naked boobs can do damage to a 12-year-old boy. 

Beth Stirnaman

​
It's Monday morning and another Street Scene is officially in the books. And while it's important to note that this parking lot extravaganza of fog-filled stages, oddly eclectic line-ups, mind-altering drugs and festival food has reached it's 25th year, it's also worth mentioning that I'm no longer a stranger to this two-day Coachella by the sea. Although for anyone that was there, the temps this weekend were actually fit for a desert, or maybe Satan's ass crack.

But harsh heat aside, Street Scene had plenty to offer the locals and those (like our Music Editor Albert Ching, photographer Beth Stirnaman and myself) who drove across SD County lines just to be there. Even as an avid concert and festival goer, losing my Street Scene virginity involved many images that I 'll never be able to unsee, for better or worse. A handful of those images inspired this short list of some of the best things I witnessed while traipsing around this coastal asphalt cluster fuck of color, sound and light. Here it goes, the top 12 things I'll always remember about street scene '09

#12) Drunk Speedo Man: First of all, it's not a real festival (or concert for that matter) until security has to throw someone out for partying too hard. And while I'm sure SD's "Scene Team" security guards did plenty of ass kicking and cop calling and zip cuffing between Friday and Saturday, the best example I saw came on Saturday as Albert and I were schlepping over to see The Dead Weather at the Fulano Stage. Swarmed by 3 big dudes in neon yellow security shirts, a rail-thin, pale Street Scener wearing nothing but a blue Speedo and sandals was being hauled to the front gates with his arms pinned behind his back. As the hurricane of shouting and semi-male nudity passed us, all I could hear was the fattest security guard of the bunch yelling "make a hole!" as the authorities dragged their  half-naked captive through a sea of people. Word to the wise: If you're planning on getting shit faced and out of control at a  concert, try to be a little bit more discerning about the undergarments you decide to wear that day. Regrettably, I don't have a photo of this, but I'm sure you can use your imagination.  




More >>

I'm really excited to share this indie artist and crafter with you; Melissa Contreras of Axelhoney is one of the reasons I got into the indie craft scene to begin with. We used to work together at t-shirt company Mighty Fine--while we we designed all kinds of licensed character tees during the day, I was always really impressed with everything she had going on with her own work on the side. We shared a table as the Lady Scouts at the holiday 2006 Felt Club and Bazaar Bizarre events in Los Angeles, and I was hooked!

Melissa Contreras of Axelhoney poses with some of her creations

​

After the jump, learn all about this influential artist and enter to win one of our best giveaway prizes yet!

More >>

​
Last Saturday, really: Modest Mouse and The Night Marchers at the Grove of Anaheim, Aug. 29, 2009.

Better than: Getting into a thumb war during a night at the opera. Read on...

I don't remember a whole lot from the last time I saw Modest Mouse, which was in 2004 at Soma in San Diego, but I do remember this: There were some lame people at that concert. As in, I left wondering, "Who moshes at a Modest Mouse show?" Similar takeaway this time at the Grove. But worse!  Two dudes right next to me got into a three-round fist fight, complete with pinned-to-the-ground-sorta-choking-one-another action. What the hell?

In a fundamental way, it seems ridiculous that a Modest Mouse show would be a testosterone party. After all, it's indie rock, the wussy, quirky emotional stuff that Natalie Portman is supposed to listen to. The public knows Modest Mouse as the guys behind "Float On" and "Dashboard," two unashamedly hummable, sunny-sounding songs. They like to make albums that are the color of Pepto-Bismol. Plus: Their name is Modest Mouse.
More >>

Just yesterday, I was remarking how much more comfortable Street Scene is than Coachella. That was after the sun went down. Standing here in the late afternoon on the pavement watching Ra Ra Riot on the main ("Fulano") stage, I'm not so sure. They sound just fine, though, doing tracks like "Each Year" and "Oh, La." This is the third time I've seen them in six months, and I'm still into it. It's an absolutely PACKED day today. Headed over to the "green" stage in a few minutes to watch Costa Mesa-based singer Zee Avi, whom I wrote about in this week's OC Weekly. The Los Campesinos! Then Public Enemy. Then Faint, Busta Rhymes, Ted Leo, etc. etc. Yikes! Saw Crocodiles earlier, also BlacK Joe Lewis and the Honeybears. Yay for wacky contrasts! Sorry for the lack of photos on this blog--doing it from my phone, and couldn't connect on WiFi on my laptop at the hotel last night. Also, phone blogging makes every post just one long paragraph. Trust me, I'm hitting return. (For naught.)

We're representing the OC down south at San Diego's Street Scene. I'm RIGHT NOW watching Girl Talk mix "One" (Metallica), "Under Pressure," "Single Ladies," "I Want You to Want Me" and "Keep Their Heads Ringin'" together. Among other things. Also caught: Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band (Jenny Lewis joined them on stage to duet with Conor on Rilo Kiley number "Portions for Foxes"!), Chromeo (who ruled, natch, and had a moment of silence for DJ AM), the end of Band of Horses and parts of Modest Mouse. Check our Twitter! Gotta get back to the dance party. Now he's playing with the main riff of "Connection."