Dos (Mike Watt and Kira Roessler)

​Another school year means another slate of underground and unexpected concerts at UC Irvine courtesy of the Acrobatics Everyday crew, with mid-November being the time when another Open Melody festival takes place. And, unlike something like, say, Playground Festival or Monster Massive, this is actually happening and starting tomorrow at 3 p.m. on campus. 

The lineup ranges from up-and-comers including Synthonic Moon Daze and Black Elephant to more established noisemakers like Metal Rouge, David Scott Stone and Lucky Dragons to longtime stalwarts such as Dos, Mike Watt and Kira Roessler's double-bass project (pictured above), and the headliner Sir Richard Bishop, one of the three people behind the wonderful Sun City Girls. Full details are available via the Acrobatics website.

We spoke with Open Melody organizer Sam Farzin briefly regarding the show:

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Courtesy of OC Market Place

The SideWynders

​The SideWynders battled their way through some of the finest stand-up bass, washboard, and pompadors that Southern California has to offer, and came out victorious on Saturday. The LA-based five piece were finalists in the second annual West Coast Rockabilly Showdown at the Orange County Market Place. There, 12 rockabilly bands battled for a slot on the 2011 Hootenanny rockabilly festival lineup a slice of the $2500 pie offered in prize money.
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Christopher Victorio/OC Weekly

The Foo Fighters were the surprise guest at the Weenie Roast!

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• Check out our slideshow here!

KROQ WEENIE ROAST 2011
Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
June 3, 2011

Admit it. Musically, none of us would be where we are if it weren't for KROQ. Whether your current taste involves the quavers of dubstep, esoteric, experimental circuit bending or  rarest of punk rock, the world famous station was the foundation for a lot of us Southern Californians. It was, after all, always there for us when we had to drive our parent's CD-less car!

This last Saturday night, the Verizon Wireless theater housed a sold-out concert showcasing the latest in alternative, radio-friendly music. The Strokes, Rise Against, Linkin Park ... It was time to pay tribute to the classic '00 greats. 
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Javier Cabral

Fans eager for Cock Sparrer to play

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Its that time of year again--the 13th Annual Punk Rock Bowling Tournament & Music Festival is happening next weekend. Yup, while hipster indie fans may get random festivals in the middle of deserts, we get a  four-day-long music festival set in the heart of Vegas, baby! Thanks to the hardworking people of BYO Records and Smash Magazine, pogo, beer and punk-rock can be enjoyed with all-you-can-eat crab legs!

Man, I'm still trying to forget about the debauchery brought forth by attending last years show with my friends....we had all just turned 21 and it was our first time in Vegas.

Well, this year is looking even better with the lineup of bands being almost legendary....
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Christopher Victorio/OC Weekly

TSOL

​Click here to see the slideshow!

4th Annual OC Punk Rock Picnic
April 9, 2011
Hidden Valley Park

For the modern day punk-rock enthusiast, there is something quite affirming about attending an all-day punk rock festival. Perhaps its that sense of acceptance finally, to be amidst hundreds of like-minded individuals. Or maybe its just that warm, fuzzy feeling you get when you see a  5-year-old with a perfectly spiked Mohawk and his tatted mama and papa keeping their ground in the pit. No matter which alternative generation you were a part of, its always good to see that punk is still alive and kicking--and kicking hard, I might add.

The labyrinth-like outdoor venue housed six freaking stages so it was literally an all-out-assault on the senses. Many of the band's set times overlapped of course, but all the better to practice much-needed responsible decision-making for the modern day rebel.
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TSOL back in the day

​The 4th annual OC Punk Rock Picnic is happening this Saturday, and the lineup of bands is epic. Six stages will showcase a few foundational American regional hardcore bands, as well as young up-and-comers that keep the scene alive today.
But first, we must pay our respect to our elders. Here are five locally grown bands that made their mark in the early '80s. (And yes, they are worth taking a break from drinking in the parking lot, I promise.)
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Beth Stirnaman/OC Weekly

Crosby, Stills and Nash performed on the second day of Doheny Blues Fest

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Last weekend marked the 13th occasion of the Doheny Blues Festival, which featured 23 blues-ish kind of bands performing Saturday and Sunday at just about the most scenic venue in Orange County: Doheney State Beach in Dana Point.

Check out our slideshow before you read nine things we learned at the festival after the jump.

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Can you smell the estrogen in the air? For the first time in a decade, festival founder Sarah McLachlan is bringing the celebration of women in music back to Orange County. But as it turns out, the lineup is severely lacking. Unfortunately for OC fans, many of the biggest names like Sheryl Crow, Rihanna,  Carly Simon, Colbie Caillat, Go-Go's and Mary J. Blige, are not slated to perform in Irvine. More >>

Andrew Youssef

Avi Buffalo performing an in-store at Fingerprints on April 27, 2010.

​Solid Sound Festival, Wilco's first music festival, is set to take place at MASS MoCA on August 13-15 in North Adams, Massachusetts. And it's just been announced that Long Beach's Avi Buffalo will be joining the Chicago band for the weekend. More >>