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Mr. Elevator and the Brain Hotel

The first Plugged Into Local of the new year is slated to be on big psychedelic affair. Coming to you tomorrow night at 9 p.m. from Detroit Bar, our time-honored Costa Mesa stomping ground, we've put together a lineup of acts that trade in multiple types of layered, looped and luscious sounds. It's the kind of stuff that was made for  dark rooms splashed with images of kaleidoscopic tornado action. Headlined by South County-bred power trio Mr. Elevator and the Brain Hotel, there's no doubt that the wah-wah keys of "Staring at the Sun" and "Nico" will supply you with your fix of Doors-inspired grooves and fiery-fingered licks that would make Emerson Lake and Palmer proud. Still don't know much about Mr. Elevator? Hopefully this little video we put together will give you a clue before you go check them out tomorrow alongside Drinking Flowers and Flying Hand. Check it out after the jump. For more info on the show, click here. More »

Daniel Lee Everson

Mr. Elevator and the Brain Hotel

Having made it to the other side of 2013, we're glad to announce that Plugged into Local is still alive and kicking. Time to celebrate with some psychedelics--well, of the aural variety at least (note: that is not the same thing as "oral." But if you're going to take acid before the show, we definitely suggest that method). This month, PIL lands in Costa Mesa as we take over Detroit Bar to bring you a mix of technical prowess and time-warp insanity courtesy of Mr. Elevator and the Brain Hotel, Drinking Flowers and the Flying Hand.

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Eugene Owens, the man behind Slow Learner

Picking a new lineup of bands and a new venue every month can be a tough exercise, just ask any promoter. But putting together a bill is more than just snatching up quality bands, it's about the dynamic they have between them. The motto for December's line up might as well be "Sharing is Caring." Each band on this month's bill has members that float around in different projects, have played side gigs in various combinations and are generally freewheeling when it comes to people moving in and out of the band depending on the day.

This week, Long Beach bands the Slow Learner Collective, Pebaluna, the Dovelles and Whiteboy James and the Blues Express bring a collaborative spirit to the last Plugged In before the end of the world...or at least 2012. To get you caught up on what we'll be doing tomorrow at Harvelle's in downtown Long Beach, we sat down with Slow Learner, fronted by singer-songwriter Eugene Owens, to get the basics on his band and watch them bust out a song on the spot. Check out the video after the jump.
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Eugene Owens

Long Beach is a city for musicians who like to spread themselves around. It's nothing new to hear about a guitarist or drummer who happens to play in four or five bands at a time. Sure, we wouldn't call that exclusively LB behavior. But we'll be damned if musicians in any other city do it as effortlessly and as often. For the perfect example, look no further than the Slow Learner Collective. Fronted by sharp-dressed, rail-thin Renaissance man Brandon Eugene Owens (Eugene for short, formerly of Eugene and the 1914), a rotating line-up features player's from all over the spectrum--respected practitioners of jazz, rock, folk, blues and pretty much anyone who kicks ass at their instrument.

Though he's had his experiences as a card-carrying member of a traditional band, this new project is definitely reminiscent of Owens' days as a session bass player working with jazz musicians and touring demigods like Lauryn Hill and Stevie Wonder in his teens and early 20s. In those the days where he'd hardly never play with the same musicians for a long period of time. The only difference is that all the members hang out together more than they practice together and they all seem to have a wealth of music gigs that sound nothing like what they're doing with Slow Learner, which is undoubtedly a good thing. But before you hear their stirring mix of apt eclecticism at this month's Plugged Into Local at Harvelle's in Long Beach on Dec. 19, we chatted Owens' up for a few minutes to find out what the group is all about.

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It's that time of year again, when presents are unwrapped, miracles seem to occur out of nowhere, and despite the mounds of shop-o-holic debt you're about to incur, the need to give away free shit has never been stronger. That's how we feel about it, anyway. That's why we wanted to throw an extra fistful of music your way this month's Plugged Into Local at Harvelle's in Long Beach on December 19 at 9 p.m.More »

The members of Moonsville Collective are never ones to shy away from making a public spectacle of their music. And by that we mean, they'll set up and jam just about anywhere they can for as long as they can without getting arrested. As the headliners of this week's Plugged Into Local--happening Wednesday (Nov. 28) at 2J's Lounge in Fullerton, they figured it would be okay to let us catch their yee-hawing, guitar-sliding, post WWII Americana sound in their natural element.

In a back alley in downtown SanTana, we caught up with them to watch a special acoustic jam session and bug them with a few questions so you might get to know them a little better. Anyone who has had the pleasure of knocking back a tall can at one of their high-energy hootenannies in Costa Mesa or at recent good time gigs at the Observatory know what kind of boot-stomping revelry you're in for on Wednesday when the band takes the stage at 2J's along with Angel and the Badman and Vinnie and the Hooligans for a free show starting at 9 p.m. Check out the video after the jump and see you Wednesday at the show! More »

When we started this whole Plugged Into Local thing last summer, it was basically just an excuse to throw wild parties in our favorite bars and hopefully liven up our Wednesday nights a little. This month, we just might reach a new threshold of weekday debauchery thanks to the boot-stomping, whiskey-swilling, yee-hawing, tub-bass-playing badassery of roots music and outlaw country.

 Enter: Moonsville Collective. This month, the eight piece outfit--known for their packed backyard hootenannies and raucous live show--is headlining our fifth installment of PIL on Wednesday, November 28 at 2J's Lounge in Fullerton. And they're bringing a hay wagon full of talent with them. Drunk on the legacy of great American songwriters--Tom Waits, Bob Dylan, Levon Helm, you name it--this pack of multi-instrumental jam artists is quickly becoming one of the must-see acts in OC. The question is: Are you ready to party like it's 1929?As always, the event is free, all you have to do is RSVP--find out how after the jump!More »

We don't give a fuck that it's happening a week before Halloween, Plugged Into Local can and will scare the shit out of you this month. October's installment of our lil' monthly concert series returns with three bands who trade in bone-cracking aggression, blood-curdling screams, and three signature brands of slash-and-burn stage charisma. On Wednesday, October 24, psych (as in "psycho") rap troupe BLOK are headlining at Alex's Bar with guttural blues thrashing from the ghouls of Death Hymn Number 9. And last but not least, we've added the 24/7 creepiness of throat-shredding post (mortem) rock of new comers Dead Terror (we just played a game of mini golf with these dudes, trust us, they're fucking twisted). And in case you're wondering, OF COURSE we had to have this show at Alex's Bar. It might be in Long Beach, but can you think of a better Halloween bar destination? Neither could we.More »

Sarah Sundeman

Douglas and the Furs--See Mon. Sep. 24 at Commonwealth Lounge in Fullerton

The time has come once again for ye brave, music-loving souls to come from all parts of OC to check out a band you've never heard before, because we say so. The third installment of Plugged Into Local featuring Douglas and the Furs happens this Monday (Sep. 24) at Commonwealth Lounge in downtown Fullerton at 9 p.m. The Anaheim trio's blizzard of retro, fuzz rock aggression has been tested several times at this bar over the summer, along with rollicking supporting act With Strangers who are also sure to bring a crowd of local scene diehards.

For the purposes of selling you on this party one last time, we want to give you an up-close-and-personal look at D-Furs (yeah, their new nick name--spread it like wildfire!). The video, shot by local Renaissance man Mike Meza, has the boys answering questions about their sound and bashing the blistering chords of their crowd favorite "Younger and Younger." Check it out after the jump and find out how to get into this FREE, RSVP only show on Monday. See you there!

*[Locals Only]: Douglas and the Furs
*Douglas and the Furs Surprise the Shit out of Jack White Fans at the Wiltern
*[Slide Show]: Plugged Into Local with Billy Kernkamp at Timeout Tavern

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