The S-N-double O-P is hitting the Grove of Anaheim tomorrow as part of the "How the West Was One" tour (which also includes performances by DJ Quik and Nipsey Hussle.) You know I'd be all over this if I wasn't down with the worst flu of all time, but since I can't make it, I thought I'd pass along some info that might sway some folks still on the fence.
Advertised, tickets run between $49.50-$60. But by following this link, your tickets are $25. You can thank me by leaving a comment and telling me what I missed.
In response to its sold-out-in-minutes show June 6 at Angel Stadium, U2 have announced a second date at the same venue June 7. Normally I'm supposed to say something about bands playing, but if you don't know U2, then you're more than likely amazed at what life has become since that icicle you've been stuck in for six thousand years defrosted a few days ago.
Because you're making plans for next summer, you might also want to put a big red circle around Nov. 20, 10 a.m. to be exact, because that's when tickets go on sale at ticketmaster.com or livenation.com. Get in e-line now or you'll be lucky to get seats in Fullerton.
Judge A. Howard Matz of the U.S. District Court of the Central District of California ruled Tuesday that original Sublime members Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh cannot perform under the moniker that made them famous. This ruling, according to the Los Angeles Times, "will be upheld until the breach-of-contract/trademark infringement civil case goes to trial, or the parties reach a settlement," said Jeremiah Reynolds, the man who represents the estate of late singer/guitarist Bradley Nowell.
So what do this mean? Not sure, but more than likely, whatever Wilson, Gaugh and new singer/guitarist Rome Ramirez decide to do, it probably won't be called Sublime.
If you've ever wanted to meet Rivers Cuomo and pick up some Golden Spoon all at the same time, you're in luck: Weezer will be at both Tilly's in the Irvine Spectrum and Best Buy Chino Hills in early November to sign copies of their newest album, Raditude, to be released November 3. (They'll also be at uh, Hot Topic in Los Angeles.)
Full flier with details and the new teaser to their video for the first single off Raditude, "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To," after the jump.
It may be old news, but this photo was taken just outside of La Cave in Costa Mesa on Halloween 2008. What do you think? Hee-larious? Too un-PC? Don't care either way?
Just one day before a newly reunited Sublime is scheduled to play its first announced reunion gig at the Cypress Hill Smoke Out Festival, the estate of late singer Bradley Nowell has issued a statement explaining their position on the matter.
Basically, they ain't happy. Nowell's wife Troy, son Jakob and father Jim explain that they are very supportive of bassist Eric Wilson and drummer Bud Gaugh performing Sublime music, but not under the Sublime name. And with Nowell gone and new singer/guitarist Rome Ramirez in the mix, you can see how calling the new act Sublime might cause a problem. Furthermore, they plan to take legal action to "protect Brad's legacy."
In case you've been living under a rock for the past 15 years, Sublime was a Long Beach ska/punk/reggae/dub trio on the verge of becoming one of the most popular bands in recent memory until Nowell passed away on tour due to a heroin overdose. Immediately following his death, Wilson and Gaugh formed the Long Beach Dub All Stars with members of the extended Sublime family to carry on the Sublime legacy by playing the hits and writing new material. LBDAS broke up in 2002.
Funnyman Artie Lange was once again on another unscheduled vacation this past week from his day job at the Howard Stern Show. The comedian missed all three shows last week (the gang doesn't work Fridays and last Monday was Columbus Day) and yesterday's show, but did return today.
If the answer to that question is yes, then do you want to be in a book? Because if the answer to that question is also yes, you can. According to a MySpace bulletin posted by former Black Flag singer Ron Reyes, a book of people with Black Flag bars permanently inked on their epidermis is in the works. Here's word from Reyes himself:
Rick Berry's a lot of things. Some of these things include jazz trumpeter (currently in the Hollywood Canteen Swing Band), political candidate (he ran for Long Beach city council) and gardener (he's got a killer backyard garden). But to the rest of the world, he's got a new title that is pretty darn spiffy--marketing manager for the Long Beach Symphony Orchestra.
If you're like me, you're wondering why a jazzman is getting in bed with classical music. I just had to ask.
1. Tell the people a little bit about yourself.
I was born in Washington, DC, but my family moved to Long Beach in 1962 when I was just a baby. I've been in Long Beach my whole life, living in Alamitos Heights, the Peninsula, Belmont Shore and now downtown. I have an Electrical Engineering degree from CSULB, an MBA from Pepperdine, and a certificate in Nonprofit Arts Management from CSULB. Most of my career has been marketing electronic components for local manufacturers.
MCA, one third of my favorite band of all time, Beastie Boys, posted a message on the group's mailing list announcing his status. In case you didn't know, the man born Adam Yauch was diagnosed with cancer of the parotid salivary gland. He had surgery, kicked it with the Dalai Lama and is getting better. That's good news for B Boys nerds like me. Seriously, without the Beastie Boys, who the hell knows what sorta nerd I would have turned into.
The Los Angeles Lakers open the preseason tonight with a game at the Honda Center against the Golden State Warriors. That means a lot of things (namely, my life will once again have meaning), but most importantly, it gives me the opportunity to post this video. Sure, it ain't the current Lakers, but the message is still relevant.
Long Beach has a lot of bands, but none of them exemplify pure rock 'n' roll as well as D-Strutters. The group--singer/guitarist Joe Roads, guitarist George Velvet, bassist Tony and drummer Heath--leave all pretense behind for a straight-ahead bombastic blast like the Stones would be writing if they weren't 90 years old.
If you don't know them, now you do, because here's an interview with Roads.
If you can't catch D-Strutters Friday at the Slide Bar, you're in luck because they're also playing Oct. 17 at the House of Blues, Oct. 18 at Alex's Bar and Halloween at Fern's.
Halloween is just around the corner and if you don't have an idea for your costume yet, then you're a slacker. I've had my mind made up since February. For those still on the fence, here's a link to some officially licensed Elvis gear. They'll run you more than the knock-off "rock star" wigs and jumpsuits you can get virtually anywhere, but if you're not into file-sharing because it hurts the artists, then you shouldn't be buying fake Elvis crap either. Come on, his family needs the money.
forgetters (yes, lower-case "f"), a Brooklyn trio comprised of former Jawbreaker/Jets to Brazil frontman Blake Schwarzenbach, former Bitchin' bassist Caroline Paquita and former Against Me! drummer Kevin Mahon, are recording a few songs in October slated to be released for a 7-inch. No word on when said record will be available, but a new Schwarzenbach recording is always news to me.
For more forgetters news, check out this interview Schwarzenbach did with some website I'd never heard of.
There's not much to say about the Costa Mesa man/myth/legend that is Alfunction.that hasn't already been said, so I'll keep it at this. When he's not playing guitar in SiX, he's screen printing t-shirts, stickers and whatever else he can put ink on and currently he's the guitar tech for Maryland-based rockers Clutch. Oh, he's also got killer facial hair.
Alfunction's also my friend and I hadn't heard from him in a while. With the hectic world that is rock music, it's difficult to get him on the phone, so like the Y2K guy that I am, I emailed him. And now, for your reading pleasure, is the result of our techno-conversation.
I was a musician in my former life and played many a Sunday evening at Alex's. In fact, I played lots of Wednesday, Friday and Saturday evenings, too. But Sundays are the ones that stand out most to me. Not sure why. Take advantage of this offer and you too can have a memory that will last a lifetime.
According to his myspace page, new Sublime singer/guitarist Rome is from Orange County. I've been trying to track him down for a story and have got nothing. I sent a message to said myspace page and haven't heard back, so now I'm taking it to the streets (so to speak) and asking for the public's help?
So public, do you know Rome? If so, can you get him in touch with me? If you can answer yes to either (and hopefully both) of these questions, please leave a comment with some contact info.
Unless you've been living under a rock for the past month (and if you have been, is the rock renting? Cuz I could use a cheaper place), you know that today -- 9/9/09 -- marks the official release date of The Beatles: Rock Band.
That's right folks, the music industry sucks so hard that not only is it relying on the Beatles to generate some cash, it's relying on a freakin' video game with the Beatles in it to generate some cash.
As someone over the age of 25 with hobbies, I've never played Guitar Hero or Rock Band. Wanna know why? Because I know how to play real instruments. If I wanted to jam along with the Beatles (which I did many times as a teenager learning how to play guitar and bass), I'd do what us dinosaurs used to do: Throw on some headphones, put on the record and play.
Ah...but what do I know? These games are a bazillion dollar business and I recycle cans for lunch money.
And in case you were wondering...the game is available everywhere anything is sold.
In an attempt to get down with the kids, national cheapo hotel chain Motel 6 is offering free rooms to touring, shall we say less than popular, bands. Yes, you read that right: Free rooms to touring bands.
In return, groups have to put some reference to Motel 6 on their websites and a shout-out from the stage isn't frowned upon either. I'm sure there are lots more loopholes than the aforementioned, but that's all I'm getting right now.
As a former musician who toured the country a few times, this sounds like a great idea. No more sleeping on dirty floors at the punk house? Awesome. Clean showers for everyone? Perfect. If this offer was on the table when I was in bands (circa 2000-2002), I might still be on the road.
My computer ain't working right, which means I have no idea what's going on in the world. But from memory I do know that tonight is karaoke at the Foxfire Restaurant in Anaheim Hills. Should I know that? No. But I do.
I've never been to the Foxfire, but I've heard magical things about the place for more than a decade. Singing "Suspicious Minds" to cougars has been on my list of things to review for this here blog for a while now, but I just haven't made it yet. Soon folks, soon.
Until then, why don't you go and tell me what the word on the street is.
And if you're that one person in all of Orange County who doesn't know about the Foxfire, supposedly it's where sexy women above the age of 35 go to meet young dudes. Or something like that. Like I said, I've never been.
My never-ending quest to have fun in the middle of the week led me to karaoke at Alex's Bar last night. The room wasn't packed, but there were plenty of people for a Tuesday around midnight.
After watching a few decent singers romp through tunes such as "Rapper's Delight," "Seven Nation Army" and "This is How We Do It," I took mental notes as to what not to do when you're rocking the karaoke mic.
Well, that didn't take long. Thorns of Life, the new band formed by famed zinester Aaron Cometbus, actress Daniela Sea and former Jawbreaker/Jets to Brazil frontman Blake Schwarzenbach, has broken up.
But the news is not all bad as Schwarzenbach's Facebook page says he has formed a new project with ex- Against Me! drummer Kevin Mahon and a bassist named Caroline called forgetters. No word on whether or not Caroline A. has a dime, B. if her calls are getting through or C. lives in a room alone.
And if you understand those Caroline references, then you're probably as excited for this new band as I am.
Someone forwarded me this article on Muslim punk in the United States. I read it and think you should too.
A major focus of the story is a Boston/NYC group called the Kominas, which I learned from reading means "the scumbags" in Punjabi. The article is pretty good and makes the Kominas sound like decent individuals, so of course I had to check out their Myspace page. And wouldn't ya know? They don't suck. At times they're Minor Threat, Television and Operation Ivy. Sounds weird, but it works for them.
Give it a read and pretend like it's not the first time you've visited CNN's website (although I think it was a first for me).
Maybe you noticed I didn't blog last week. Or maybe you didn't. OK, you probably didn't. Anyway, I hit the road and spent the week in Portland, Ore., a city I hope to call home one day.
The trip was amazing -- tons of killer vegan food, the weather was nice and the beer flowed all day and all night. But perhaps the coolest part of the vacation was the fact that I "discovered" Amy Winehouse.
Yes folks, three years after she became a household name, I finally heard Back to Black and guess what? It's pretty effing good.
In all fairness, my girlfriend has been into the record since it came out, but I've heard only bits and pieces of it through my bathroom door (she listens to it in the shower, like, all the time).
You've probably heard his catchy songs from that best friend of yours who loves Wicked, or from the mouth of Amy Adams in Enchanted. And you can't help but sing along, even if you don't like musicals.
Stephen Schwartz, the composer of Wicked, as well as the lyricist for Disney's Pocahantas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Enchanted (and whose musicals have played at OCPAC), has recently announced that he will be writing an opera, which will have its world premiere in Southern California.
Click here to take a '90s music trivia quiz. The entire three rounds take less than five minutes.
I scored a 22860. I missed three questions, all of which I'm proud of not knowing: The song for which Whitney Houston won her first Grammy; the title of Shania Twain's second record; and something about a soundtrack. I hate soundtracks.
PS I'm 29. Pop music from my teenager years is being wrapped and sold as nostalgia. Man I'm old.
It's not often that Pearl Jam, the Rolling Stones, No Doubt, U2, the Cure, the Dave Matthews Band and Bruce Springsteen perform a free concert in Long Beach. In fact, it's never happened. Unfortunately, you can add tomorrow as just another one of those days when that dream bill won't come to fruition.
But what do you do when you can't see the real deal? Tribute bands. Yes, that's right, a bunch of groups with names that have something to do with the artists they cover are playing a free show in Long Beach as part of the Summer and Music concert series. Scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. (sharp people!), the lineup includes Vitalogy, Satisfaction (come on fellas, you couldn't have found a less obvious name than that?), No Duh (winner of the best cover band name), Stepping Feet, the Rising, the Cured (runner-up for best cover band name) and Hollywood U2.
The bands that sound and look like other way more popular bands are playing near the intersection of Pine Avenue and Shoreline Drive, which is a pretty neat spot to waste a summer Saturday.
Irvine's Thrice is slated to release a new record in October. But like everything in the digital age, the record was leaked. Needless to say, the band isn't too thrilled.
...and a form of cancer. According to a press release, the man born Adam Yauch was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor in his left parotid gland. This means the Beastie Boy's latest record, Hot Sauce Committee, will be pushed back and all current shows have been cancelled. But more importantly, this news means we gotta send lots of positive vibes toward MCA's way. He's been a champion of the Free Tibet movement for years and is one of the most underrated bassists of our time.
Mr. Yauch, you probably won't read this, nor will anyone ever mention this here lil' blog to you, but in the off chance they do, I'm hoping for a speedy and safe recovery. I'm sure lots of others are as well.
Yauch made the announcement in a very 2009 manner by taking to Youtube. Check the video for more info (including Adrock's homemade Black Flag t-shirt).
Well, if you do, you're SOL (that's shit outta luck for the squares) because the gig's been canceled.
The full name of the event was "The Love Train: The Sound of Philadelphia" and locally it was scheduled to hit the Honda Center July 12 and the Gibson Amphitheater July 10.
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