Monday, February 18
DJ Hype
The Observatory
Pre-iPods, pre-laptops, pre-everyone's-a-DJ, DJ Hype was circling the globe, bringing his turn table skills to millions of party people. Born in Belgium, Kevin Ford began as a DJ on Fantasy FM, a pirate radio station in London. But he hit mainstream mega stardom in 1993 when his drum and bass single “Shot in the Dark” shot up the UK charts. The '90s proved lucrative as he could do no wrong–his Ganja Record label earned dance floor cred around the world and compilation albums got passed around clubs like nondescript little pills. Fast-forward two decades, and he's still spinning drum and bass to the masses, schooling young'uns with their fancy mixing software all the while.–Erin DeWitt
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Wednesday, February 20
Marilyn Manson
City National Grove of Anaheim
Nobody is blaming school shootings on rock provocateur Marilyn Manson anymore these days. That doesn't mean the “Antichrist indie star” hasn't experienced a creative resurrection. Manson's latest album Born Villain, released last year on Cooking Vinyl Records, received praise as his best effort in years, and the single “No Reflection” netted him a Grammy nomination for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance. Accolades aside, with Twiggy in tow, the rocker is hitting the road, returning to Anaheim for the first time in more than three years as his current tour winds down. There may be a smattering of protesters outside, but they'll easily be outnumbered by a multigenerational legion of goths and other assorted Mansonites looking for anthems of alienation from their dark lord. — Gabriel San Román
Thursday, February 21
Cold War Kids
The Observatory
A lot of the praise (and blame) for the current state of indie rock can be traced back to bands like the Cold War Kids. In effect, the explosion of the Fullerton-bred quartet was a bi-product of what we'll call the Garden State-era of indie rock–bands ushered in by a Zack Braff film that, for one reason or another, basically helped kickstart our modern love affair with all things folky, depressing and old-sounding. Watching them develop in tiny concert dens like Plush Cafe (R.I.P.), even we couldn't have predicted how big they'd get on the heels of their 2006 debut Robbers and Cowards. Even with the forthcoming release of their fourth studio album this April, we guarantee you that even half a decade and albums later, there is a generation of hipster bands who still hold that songs like “Hospital Beds” and “We Used to Vacation” close to their flannel-covered hearts.–Nate Jackson
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Dead Meadow
Alex's Bar
Mixing psychedelic, stoney '70s rock with hypnotic, ambient fuzz, Dead Meadow draws on the past to plan their future. With a new album coming out this spring, Warble Womb on The End Records/Xemu, the group sets off on an early mini-tour through the state, making a stop at Alex's Bar this week. They gave fans a quick taste of what's to come with a single titled “Mr. Chesty,” showcasing the band's dreamy acoustic, and in some opinions, more appealing side. They play this night with support from tourmates Strangers Family Band and Matthew J. Tow, both on co-run Xemu. — Erin DeWitt
Friday, February 22
B.B. King
House of Blues Anaheim
Sorry if this sounds melodramatic, but B.B. King is playing Orange County, and you should go see him before it's too late. Merely sticking around long enough is reason for some critics and fans to anoint a new monarch, but King's legacy reigns supreme due to its merits, not some sort of woeful wishing by those latching onto the remnants of a vital culture because they were too young to experience firsthand a genre's halcyon days. No, King is not the best simply because he's outlived manyof his contemporaries: He's atop the blues list because the man wields a Gibson guitar like Michael Jordan knifed through defenders. This week, the 87-year-old icon returns to the House of Blues with support from guests Detour 91. —Ryan Ritchie
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