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Monday, September 9
Santoros
Detroit Bar
Locals Lolipop Records are coming up like crazy right now, and they're bringing LA's Santoros with them–there are two Santoros tapes on deck and a star-revue residency at Detroit Bar this month, where the Lolipop roster deploys in force. Santoros do '66 garage like '79 punks, with blown-out harmonica, relentless garage-band organ and chant-along choruses, and if your record collection still has room between the albums that came out on Frontier and the albums that came out on Voxx, then this will fit in just fine. Reclassify your beer money as cassette money–you'll be glad you did. They play tonight with glam-garage enfant excellente Wyatt Blair, who does Milk 'n' Cookies via Rip Off Records on his Banana Cream Dream album and does it extremely awesomely. (Chris Ziegler)
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Tuesday, September 10
The Zombies
The Observatory
The Zombies' 1968 album Odessey and Oracle–besides being probably the greatest record ever titled with a typo–just about defined pop-psychedelia and redefined its own little piece of pop music, too. “This Will Be Our Year” is so accomplished that it demands the instant retirement of words (and actual emotions) like “melancholy” and “wistful,” since they'll never be better demonstrated than in that particular two minutes and eight seconds. And if you care to further prowl through the rest of their discography, you can find moment after moment of perfection. How many songs have we not even mentioned here? No wonder people write books. Dress up nice to go to this one, OK? They play with LA's own Allah-Las, who do Standells-y garage with Music Machine aplomb, and whose guitar tone should be some kind of national monument. (Chris Ziegler)
Focus Tuesdays
Tapas
Focus Tuesdays, the mid-week house music dance party at Tapas in Newport, might just the most underrated club in OC. With years (years!) of experience bringing in some of the best deep house DJs in the business, Focus attracts a young, beautiful crowd of house fanatics and party people each week. With resident DJs like Nonfiction, Josh Billings and Wobs, the opening sets are as much a draw as the headliners. Plus, there are three-dollar drink specials and the club's famous one-dollar tacos on the patio. Pretty great for a Tuesday night! (Erin DeWitt)
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Wedesday, September 11
Hello Pops…A Tribute to Louis Armstrong
Newport Beach Marriot Hotel N Spa
To truly pay tribute to a legend like Louis Armstrong, you better be worth your salt. So it's only fitting that modern-day jazz man Wycliffe Gordon accepted the task and nailed it. Named the 2013 Trombonist of the Year by the Jazz Journalists Association (his ninth time winning the honor since 2001) and Downbeat Critics Poll “Best Trombone” victor for the second year in a row, Gordon possesses the kind of undeniable, blow-away talent that would surely make his idol puff those cheeks with pride. Catch him in Newport Beach at the Sunset Jazz party, where he'll play from his Hello Pops! cover album (and salute the master) alongside jazz musicians Don Shelton, Llew Matthews, Luther Hughes and Clayton Cameron. (Erin DeWitt)
Thursday, September 12
Let 'Em Riot
Alex's Bar
Glowing with a romantic dreamwave sound that echos '80s film soundtrack nostalgia, Let Em Riot works wonders in transporting you to a different era while still maintaining a contemporary electro sound fitting for our younger ears. Alan Oakes' synthpop manifesto carries itself effortlessly through New Wave and ambient influences, embellishing electronic beats alongside Oakes' own vocals for a fresh, dancy listening experience. Today's music features no shortage of icy cool retro acts, but Let Em Riot has procured his own audience with only a couple EP and singles releases, inviting us all with a taste of what's to come. Let Em Riot is in good company tonight at Alex's Bar with Cosmodelion, We Are/She Is and Northern Labour Party. (Aimee Murillo)
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