Orange County Music Blog

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Get out those heavy coats cuz it'll definitely be reigning blood when Slayer, Megadeth and Testament hit the Long Beach Arena Jan. 22 as part of the American Carnage Tour.

In my 30 years on this planet, I've been to my fair share of concerts, but never have I seen anything like what I saw the one Slayer show I attended. It was about four years ago -- ironically, at the Long Beach Arena -- and the group had an upside cross made of guitar amps hanging from each side of the stage. It was the most metal thing I've ever seen and totally worth the price of admission. For those planning on attending in January, I hope they do this again because it was pretty fucking awesome.

Oh yeah, tickets go on sale tomorrow.

It's always good to see artists get credit where credit is due. And in the case of LMNO, it's definitely past due. Luckily, with the release of his latest album Devilish Dandruff with Holy Shampoo this week, this heavy-hitting Long Beach emcee is getting some well deserved attention. You may remember his conversation with the Weekly a couple issues ago wherein he talked about everything from his collaboration with French producer Yann Kesz (who he still hasn't met by the way) to the message behind his alphabetically sound stage name. 

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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.

​This weekend, while you're engaging in the age-old debate over what you and your friends are going to do on Saturday, why not try something weird? Sure, the term "weird" has a smörgåsbord of different connotations, some of which we don't suggest you explore with friends who may judge you harshly. But at the Party Weirdo Festival, the latest installment of hipster-centric outings sponsored by The Academy boutique store in Long Beach, "weird" takes on a slightly more specific meaning. It seems to revolve around roping it's audience into a full-day of some of OC, Long Beach and LA's craziest aural mavericks.

​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.

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Andrew Youssef

​Last Night: Vampire Weekend at the Art Theatre in Long Beach (11/02/09)

Better Than: the last time I saw them at the Glass House in September of 2008.

After a secret show in Chinatown and a last minute show in Boyle Heights, Vampire Weekend "officially" kicked off their mini tour of California at the Art Theatre in Long Beach. Vampire Weekend is gearing up for the release of their new album Contra which is due on 1/12 on XL recordings.

Selling out the roughly 400 capacity theater in a fleet nine minutes, a line of 30 people was already stationed outside the venue hoping to secure a good spot up front. With new song titles like "Horchata" and "California English", one might consider that the East coast based band have been spending some time in our state and are showing some appreciation.

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I told you last Friday that Alex's Bar was the place to be this weekend. For those of you who didn't listen, here' s a recap.

San Diegan rock 'n' roll extravaganza the Night Marchers hit Alex's Bar on Friday night for a 45-minute set comprised of killer tunes, humorous banter and even a little bit of beer thrown into the crowd. The band - singer/guitarist John Reis, bassist Tommy Kitsos, guitarist Gar Wood and drummer Jason Kourkounis - opened with "Closed for Inventory" and "In Dead Sleep" before diving headfirst into "Jump in the Fire." Wood strummed the opening chords to "You've Got Nerve" while Reis instructed the crowd to put its thumbnails together to create a quiet rhythmic sound. This, he explained, came from his third grade teacher Mr. Slater, who would have hyperactive students do this act whenever they were getting out of line.

Reis later asked the audience how the band was sounding and said if anyone had any constructive criticism, they could leave it in the white porcelain suggestion box inside one of the tiny closets at the back of the room. By the end of the set, the singer/guitarist took a tall can of Tecate and sprayed the audience, then announced, "I hope you all get DUIs!"

Similar to any band Reis is in, the Night Marchers brought a big sound that most can't handle. Rumor had it, if Alex's Bar opened its doors during the set, the tunes would still be floating through the air, on their way to China by mid-Tuesday. Again, that's just a rumor, but as I stood five feet from Reis, I can attest that this might in fact be the case.

​Happy Halloween folks in Intranets land! We all know this is by far the best time of year and you know who agrees? Alex's Bar. The famed Long Beach venue has two shows this weekend that will absolutely rule.

Tonight is the Night Marchers. Fronted by former Rocket from the Crypt singer/guitarist John "Speedo" Reis, the San Diego quartet rocks, rolls, pops and shuffles for a killer sound that could come only from Reis.

For some reason, the bar is closed Saturday, but Sunday more than makes up for that. Sean Wheeler and Zander Schloss are returning with their acoustic folk/bluegrass/soul hybrid that is pretty much the best shit I've heard in years. Seriously folks, they rule. Also on the bill is Jace Everett, who apparently sings the theme song to True Blood, which just so happens to be filmed at Alex's. But I wouldn't know: I don't watch soap operas.

So Halloween is my favorite day of the year and my two favorite bands are playing walking distance to my house. Needless to say, this is gonna be a good one for me. I hope it'll be a good one for you, too. Sorry kiddies, both shows are 21+.

​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.

Keep reading for the estate's statement.

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Long Beach's Basement Lounge is on a roll. Lots of times, promoters come into Iowa by the Sea and claim big things are going to happen. Then they never do. But so far, the new people running the Basement Lounge have got a pretty good thing going on.

This Thursday's weekly Big Audio event includes hometown hero Greyboy spinning a set of soul music all from 45s. Watching him change records every three minutes should be pretty entertaining. I wonder when he'll find the time to take a piss break.

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That record right there, Greater California's All the Colors, was declared OC Weekly's "Best of OC" best album of the past 12 months--sure, Greater California are from Long Beach, but we've considered that to be part of our coverage area for so long that even residents there get a little confused at times.

Full of shimmering, mature and fully realized pop like "It's Great" and the title track, it's a must-listen for anyone that loves the best of '60s and '70s rock (like the Byrds: the Next Generation). Your next opportunity to hear some of that album's fine tunes is sooner than you might think: tomorrow, at the Long Beach Museum of Art, for their latest "After Dark" event. Root for culture! They're playing, and it's also a chance to check out three new exhibitions: Sweet Subversives: Contemporary California Drawings, Surviving Hard Times: WPA Artists and 3313º Fahrenheit. It's from 7 to 10 p.m.; $10, free for members. Check out the flier after the jump for more details and a sneak preview of a cool image from one of the exhibitions.

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New York City nightlife is pretty full of hipsters on a normal night, but during the five days of the College Music Journal's annual Music Marathon--an Atlantic northeast version of South by Southwest/excuse to party ostensibly serving as a college radio conference with dozens of nightly shows spread across Manhattan and Brooklyn venues which officially began today--it's dripping even more heavily with skinny jeans and ironic yet impeccably maintained facial hair.

Though there's still dozens and dozens of scheduled performers (seriously, you try reading this list without breaking your concentration before you get to the Cs) it's much less thick with bands than SXSW, and as a result, OC and LB have a much smaller representation than the gaggle of groups we had representin' in Austin this year. But we've still got a few fine folks bringing the SoCal music goodness: San Juan Capistrano's recently-signed-to-RCA the Union Line (pictured), and Long Beach bands Crystal Antlers (where are they not?) and So Many Wizards, who just played Detroit Bar last week. TUL aren't actually on CMJ's official lineup, but trust us, they're over there!

Good luck to all local dudes showcasin' over there this week, and in case you yourself happen to be in the big city for some marathon-ing, pertinent schedules are after the jump.

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Big ol' congratulations are in order for Long Beach band Avi Buffalo, who have signed with long-standing, internationally renowned Seattle-based tastemaking label Sub Pop--y'know, the label that signed Nirvana and Soundgarden back in the day, and have continued to stay cool in the '00s with acts like the Shins and Band of Horses.

Really, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise--Avi Buffalo have been gaining a remarkable amount of traction (deservedly so!) around Southern California lately, including key slots on big shows like LA's FYF Fest. Their next show is November 5 at the Echo, also in LA, but hopefully they'll no doubt add a show closer to home soon. The full text of Sub Pop's press release--including details on upcoming music--is after the jump.

This picture looks racier than it really is.

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Tonight is your chance to be among the first to watch Cold War Kids drummer Matt Aveiro's new short film, Jen in the Painting. It's premiering tonight at 9:45 p.m. at Art Theatre in Long Beach; and you can learn tons more about it through our chat with Aveiro right here. (And watch the trailer--yes, a trailer is still necessary, even if your film is only 17 minutes long. Show business!)

​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.

​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. 

Saturday was SoundWalk 09, a free event that takes over the East Village Arts District for a few hours every year. Similar to years past, the event is a good idea that never reaches its maximum potential. So, for SoundWalk 10 organizers, here are a few suggestions.

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Comic books, here we come. We'll be at the Long Beach Comic Con at the Long Beach Convention Center all day tomorrow, tweeting and blogging and all that good stuff. Guests include comic book super-legend Stan Lee, Seth Green and the rest of the Robot Chicken fellas, and one-time James Bond George Lazenby. Oh yes. Get excited. (And ready for the typical wondering of what that stuff has to do with comics, exactly.)

​When it comes to Detroit Bar's ever-impressive acquisitions of national acts, local faves and surprise guests, September was far from a dry spell. But it was this kind of success that forced them to forego their free, Monday night residency shows. To be fair, it probably worked out for the best.

Thankfully, this king of shopping center music venues resumes it's status as a local hipster launch pad for shaggy, eclectic up-and-comers.

Case in point: the next four Mondays will be dominated by Long Beach psych-pop outfit the Fling. With a steady amount of touring through the summer months, this 60s inspired four piece (which includes Dustin Lovelis on vox and guitar, Graham Lovelis on bass, Justin Ivey on drums and Justin Roeland on guitar) prepares to cast their net every Monday, hoping to snag some Detroit regulars.

Obviously this isn't the first time their jangly, lo-fi rumblings and polished vocal harmonies came up on our radar (see Dave Segal's Locals Only praise wayyyy back in 2008).

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Thursday marks the opening of a new weekly club night at Long Beach's Basement Lounge. Called Big Audio, the kick-off event includes former From First to Last frontman Sonny Moore (aka Srkillex) spinning electro re-mixes, DJ Japson and DJ Jahmontee.

There are drink specials and the first 50 people to RSVP here get in for free.

Before the owners were busted for allegedly running a sex club, the Basement Lounge was the closest thing to Hollywood-style nightclubs that Long Beach had. Velvet ropes, dress codes, men/women way out of your sorry ass league, overpriced drinks...the whole nine. Let's hope Big Audio steers clear of all that mess.

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A lot of exciting developments are happening in the world of Long Beach folk rockers of Eugene and the 1914. Aside from the fact that you'll see their names in print very shortly, in a music feature penned by yours truly, they've also been invited to record some tracks at the historic Westlake Studios in Santa Monica, where anyone who is anyone in the music business has recorded...seriously, check out their credits.

Either way, it's all well and good except for one thing: their show tonight at The Prospector is going to be their one around here for a little while, as front man Eugene Owens and drummer JP Bendzinsky travel to New York at the end of the week for a brief outing with the Rosewood Thieves, joing up again w/ the 1914 for a show in Seattle. Though tonight may be bittersweet, Eugene fans should definitely come out of the wood work as Owens and his band, including Bendzinsky, guitarist Michael J. Salter, bassist Timmy Samorile and keyboardist Alfred Hernandez take to Long Beach's best cramped bar stage armed with their infections hybrid of pop, folk and inventive indie hooks.

They're also playing tonight with fellow  female folksters Red Sweater and the Seattle shoegazers of Levator. Oh, are you a new or soon to be fan of the 1914? Wanna see what they're all about? Follow me.... 

Cass Bird

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It's a good thing humans invented alliteration, it just makes things so easy to remember. But even with a blog title like Free In-store by A Fine Frenzy at Finger Prints (try saying that five times fast) the band's appearance tonight was a kind of a last minute addition to the record store's ever-sweetening live performance schedule. So don't feel too bad for missing the memo. But regardless, now you know, so you should go.

For those who may not be familiar with the tender pop sounds of this L.A. act, spearheaded by 24-year-old front woman Alison Sudol (note their big 2007 radio hit "Almost Lover"), AFF released the sophomore effort, Bomb in a Birdcage, Tues. Sep. 8 on Virgin Records. And of course, where else would a budding young band want to kick off a tour if not at a long beach record store (hey, if it's good enough for Pete Yorn...). The show starts tonight at 7 p.m.


Fan's of Sudol's soft, ethereal song style should get ready for a slight departure from their delicate debut One Cell in the Sea (2007). Sporting shards of rock-n-roll energy and a range of layered synth sounds, AFF shows a bit more of a wild side on this record (or, as wild as you could expect from such music). But you can definitely expect a wild time at her free Long Beach show tonight as the crowd files in. Hopefully, true fans heard about this last week when the guest list was open to those who pre-ordered Bomb in a Birdcage. If not, I would call the store now. Maybe you'll get lucky. But even if you don't you can still check out a live 18 min. video of the bands live performance recorded for Hulu.com after the JUMP.

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There's a three-day weekend coming up, y'know. (Whee!) So what better way to celebrate the day of our nation's labor to drive uptown to Chinatown and partake in some musical entertainment?

This year's FYF Fest (formerly the F Yeah Fest), takes place this Saturday at the Los Angeles State Historic Park, and features not only headliners like Black Lips (who just played Detroit Bar a couple of times in the spring), hilariously off-beat Adult Swim comedy duo Tim and Eric and No Age, but also several Long Beach bands: Crystal Antlers, Avi Buffalo and Dios. Good job, guys! No OC representation, sadly, but there are a couple of out-of-town acts we've written about lately in the OC Weekly: Kurt Vile and Telepathe. Overall, seems like a fun day at the park. Lineup info, straight from the official site, after the jump.

Oh, one more cool thing to tell you about: whichever band donates the most canned goods (all vegetables, no meat) to FYF Fest's LA offices, gets a midday slot on one of the stages. You don't even have to be in a band. As their site says, "if you want to do tell jokes, play guitar hero, tap dance or meditate on stage we are all for it." Finally, a chance to unveil my revolutionary glockenspiel/See 'n Say routine. Details here.

I'd tell you all about the Long Beach Funk Fest, happening tomorrow from noon to midnight on the corner of Pine Avenue and Broadway, but the flier does such a good job that I don't have to.

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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.

The term "blues jam" sends douchechills down my spine. Typically, a blues jam is a few old white guys who've never met running through haphazard versions of some of the genre's most well-known tunes. This always (and I do mean always) is a problem because, for example, the bass player might know "Back Door Man," but he's always played it the Willie Dixon/Howlin' Wolf way, not the Doors. Or maybe the guitarist absolutely shreds Robert Johnson's "Ramblin' on My Mind," but the rest of the group knows a more Chicago blues take on the song.

As you can tell, blues jams can be a mess. But, like a broken clock, sometimes they can be pretty good. Take last night for example. I was enjoying a white sangria at downtown Long Beach's Sevilla when my friend told me he got a text from another friend who was at the Liquid Lounge. I didn't want to leave Sevilla, but I also didn't want to drink by myself.

Vickie Chang

Deep Sea Diver: no longer busking Friday.

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We got word from Buskerfest organizer Justin Hectus today that two previously scheduled bands, Free Moral Agents and Deep Sea Diver, both had to cancel--FMA due to a family illness, and Deep Sea Diver because of another commitment. Hectus describes both bands, key parts of the Long Beach music scene, as "genuinely bummed to have to miss the event."

But, as we all know by now, whenever gig God closes a door, he opens a window: in their place are two more cool Long Beach bands, Avi Buffalo and Eugene and the 1914. Buskerfest is this Friday in Long Beach's East Village, it's free, and starts at 7 p.m. Cold War Kids headline at 9:30.

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BY MICHAEL COYLE

Long Beach's Fidorust Records is throwing the 2009 Fidotrust Fest. It's in four Long Beach bars with mostly Long Beach bands, but Fidotrust label owner and fest promoter Jackie Ojeda hopes to draw people from all over.

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So, apparently everyone else already knew this a year ago, but apparently Alex's Bar in Long Beach is used as the location for "Fangtasia," the vampire bar on HBO drama True Blood, currently in its second season.

I just learned this yesterday through a post on The District's site. I posted about it on our Twitter, and got some typical responses, like "good question, because i think everyone else in the OC figured it out last season.. lol," from the amusingly Twitter-named "drnkandfkedup."