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Suedehead's Secret to Success

How a modern soul band from OC scored a tour with Social Distortion

Metal Heads, Viking Women and Lightning Bolts: Festival Tales Through The Eyes of the Artists

By: Heidi DarbyFestivals warrant endless tales of shenanigans, close calls, extreme bladder control, and of course, unforgettable live music. Overflowing lineups and constant interaction with strangers virtually guarantee festival fans a handful of outrageous stories -not to mention a bit of wisdom ... More >>

Kevin O'Grady: The Hate Fighter

See our full OC Weekly 2013 People Issue

Ellie Goulding - Hollywood Palladium - February 12, 2013

Ellie Goulding Hollywood Palladium February 12, 2013Say this much for Ellie Goulding: at least she's honest. Pop stars are generally finely tuned machines that rarely go off script or allow fans to get to know the person behind the carefully crafted image that's been presented to the public. It's h ... More >>

Five Songs That Prove Why Sublime Still Matters

The story of Long Beach's most successful band rarely emphasizes its multicultural roots, its ability to seamlessly blend disparate genres or its importance in creating a globally appealing pop sound out of a mass of local musical influences. Instead, most considerations of ska-punk outfit Sublime f ... More >>

Give Me Serendipity or Give me Death!: Revolutionary Education in the Fifth Grade & Happy Birthday, Tom Paine!

Mr. Bib lives in a rich, and likely solipsistic world where themes, events, excitements and art conspire to help things make sense for him. This takes amazingly little effort if one pays attention, or gooses it a bit. Consider the following, and then decide whether to play along with me this weekend ... More >>

Stan Frazier's Punk Rock Culinary Quest Was a Trial By Fire

The former Sugar Ray drummer wins 'Chef Race: U.S. vs. U.K.' as a wild card

Igor Olenicoff of Laguna Sued by Ex-Banker Who Helped Billionaire Hide $200 mil from IRS

It's getting so you can't keep track of the Igor Olenicoff lawsuit related to his investments with UBS AG bank without a scorecard.In the latest twist, the billionaire who lives in Laguna Beach and oversees Olen Properties real estate in Newport Beach is being sued by the bank employee who helped hi ... More >>

Guitarist Al Anderson Won't Let Anyone Take His Wailers Status Away

Despite years of lawsuits and fallings out, Bob Marley's guitarist is still rocking steady

10 Punk Albums to Listen to Before You Die

Coming up with 10 punk albums to listen to before you die is a lot harder than you'd think. For starters, it's a morbid thought, which makes you start asking yourself why in the hell you're thinking about punk albums when you're only gonna die, so who cares? Second, the best material of many (if n ... More >>

'Argo' Brings Back Hearts and Minds

Ben Affleck's film asks you to love Hollywood again

'The Changeling': A Jacobean Fustercluck

Weekly art critic Dave Barton directs an uneven Long Beach Playhouse Studio Theater production of Thomas Middleton and William Rowley's play

Game Boy: Paul W.S. Anderson

The bigger and better mousetraps of the writer/director/producer responsible for 'Resident Evil: Retribution'

Igor Olenicoff, Billionaire Tax Felon, Has UBS Influence Excuse Confirmed by Whisteblower

Bradley Birkenfeld helped the wealthy dodge taxes, went to prison and is now reportedly getting $104 million from the IRS for whistleblowing on some clients. Among them: billionaire Igor Olenicoff, who lives in Laguna Beach and oversees Olen Properties real estate in Newport Beach. Interestingly, Ol ... More >>

Dr. Robert Sears Takes on Both Sides of the Great Vaccination Divide

The author of 'The Vaccine Book' presents his own alternatives to the CDC-recommended schedules kenneth m. ruggiano

[UPDATED with Raves:] Songs for Amy Makes Curtain Call at Newport Beach Film Fest--and Muldoon's Irish Pub

UPDATE, MAY 3, 4:07 P.M.: The full review of Songs for Amy from Jodi Coker:Poor Sean O'Malley (Sean Maguire) just can't let go of Amy (Lorna Anderson). You grieve along with him as he works out his emotions through song. Meanwhile, Amy has moved on to a new boyfriend she's not really connecting wit ... More >>

What's Good for the Michigander: UCI Librarian Catherine Palmer on Bender, Trollope & Egan Not-so-Much

Praise the spells and bless the charms, I find April in my arms. It's official National Poetry Month and this, week National Library Week. Good times! I'm reading my OC Weekly editor's new book, an unlikely and yet terrific tribute to tacos by the Studs Terkel of food, Mr. Gustavo "Ask a Mexican" Ar ... More >>

Hot Snakes Have Reunited

And no, Coachella has nothing to do with it

Megadeth at the Gibson Amphitheater, Feb. 24, 2012

​​MegadethVIEW OUR SLIDESHOW HEREGibson AmphitheaterFeb. 24, 2012 With Megadeth's recent success (they just received their tenth Grammy for Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Performance), the multiplatinum metal gods Megadeth returned to headline the critically acclaimed Gigantour, showcasing metal's ... More >>

Paulien Lombard Was a Spyentologist

A former spy for Scientology came clean on abuses. Now, she says, the church is chasing her

'Orson's Shadow' Is Citizen Screwed-Up

The Long Beach Playhouse production fictionalizes Orson Welles and Laurence Olivier playing each other for one big gig

Ali Achekza, International Man of Serial Rape, Convicted

​Ali Achekzai's New Year's resolution may involve ways to self improve over the next 80 years.That's how much prison time the so-called "international serial rapist" faces at his Jan. 27 sentencing in Santa Ana, following the 33-year-old's conviction Thursday of six felony counts including forcibl ... More >>

Gary Tovar Has His Goldenvoice

The iconic concert production company birthed Coachella, helped punk-rock luminaries early in their careers—and isn't done yet

Thee Oh Sees Are Not From OC

Still, the San Francisco band claim the geographic moniker proudly

Dntel: On Postal Service, Bjork, Male vs. Female Vocalists and Touring for the First Time

​It's not good journalistic form to say certain things about famous people, but I'll confess: James Scott Tamborello, or Dntel of Postal Service fame, is a pretty odd dude to chat with (only further hamstringed by my own awkwardness). Luckily, in Dntel's case, his music speaks ... More >>

Welcome to Sharks Week!

Come sink your teeth into some old-school young-guy punk rock

Octomom's Porn Seducer, Vivid Entertainment Has a New Target: Star of the Royal Wedding, Pippa Middleton

Official British Monarchy Flickr pageHirsch thinks Pippa has the potential to be an adult film star.​Sorry, Nadya Suleman, your claim to porn fame has come and gone. Vivid Entertainment founder Steve Hirsch has a new somewhat-famous starlet to pursue. A woman with more than just the command o ... More >>

Jack Grisham of T.S.O.L.: Bedeviled

In his new book, the infamous OC punk rocker describes how he exorcised 'An American Demon': Himself

A Life, Lip-Synched

Tumult and tragedy resurrected in 'The Arbor'

Dave Wakeling From the English Beat: 'Charity Reminds You That What You Do Has Another Use Besides Paying the Bills'

​​Sometimes a party is the best remedy for a negative situation. And when you're throwing a party, you have to have music. The people behind the Love Hope Music Strength Foundation know this, which is why The English Beat (fronted by former Orange County resident Dave Wakeling) are playing Satur ... More >>

Rolling In the Benjamin at the Bowers Museum

'Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World' shows there's more to the Founding Father than his face on the $100 bill

In Memoriam: Bassist Mick Karn Dead at 52

Myspace.com​Mick Karn, long-time bassist for Japan and then Dalis Car, has lost his battle with cancer. Karn was born Andonis Michaelides to Greek Cypriot parents in Nicosia, Cyprus. His family moved to London, England when he was a young boy. He met the other members of what would become Japan as ... More >>

An Interview with Aquabats Singer The MC Bat Commander

​After a five-year hiatus, the perennially goofy Orange County ska-punk band the Aquabats will be releasing a new album. Unless you've been living under a rock in the interim, you know lead singer MC Bat Commander (aka Christian Jacobs) has been busy creating, writing and directing the hugely succ ... More >>

The National at the Fox Pomona Theater

Andrew Youssef/OC Weekly​Check out our slideshow of the National and Owen Pallett here!The National and Owen PallettOct. 16, 2010The Fox Pomona TheaterThe show: Telling twins apart when they repeatedly switch positions on stage is hard, so I can only attribute this quote to one of the National's ... More >>

Lennon Scholar Jon Wiener's Top Five John Lennon Songs

​Had four gunshot wounds not claimed the life of John Lennon on Dec. 8, 1980, the prolific singer-songwriter would have enjoyed his 70th birthday tomorrow. The former Beatle was murdered outside of the apartment complex he shared with Yoko Ono almost 30 years ago by Mark Chapman, but his musi ... More >>

Making America's Borders Unpalatable

[¡Ask a Mexican!] Punishment for illegal crossings? And is Irvine racist?

'Wall Street' Bailout

Oliver Stone's sequel lets the bad guys off easy

Feed Your Head: Three Great Plays by Really Smart playwrights

​South Coast Repertory has produced hundreds of plays by hundreds of playwrights in its 47 years. And it's a theater that takes its playwrights very seriously. From day one, SCR has committed itself to producing highly literate plays that emphasize language over flash. That's borne out by the legi ... More >>

No Sex Please, We're British

Long Beach Playhouse

Forget Arresting the Pope--What About John Urell?

Urell: Wanted for crimes against humanity--one can only wish...​Sloppy drunkard Christopher Hitchens and wacky atheist Richard Dawkins made news recently because they want Pope Benedict XVI arrested when His Eminence visits Great Britain in September on account of the pontiff's pedo-protecting way ... More >>

Dave Wakeling Hasn't Missed a Beat

The man in the 'Mirror In the Bathroom' still marches to his own . . . rhythm

All Tomorrow's Parties Festival Coming Back to Long Beach!

​We recently got a shocking/exciting announcement that the mega-awesome All Tomorrow's Parties festival would finally be coming back to Long Beach. Are you excited? We sure as hell as are! Click the jump to see all the details.

Mphase Capture the Sea

[Locals Only] This Costa Mesa trio make waves of glassy electro-rock

Long Beach State Professor Kevin MacDonald Helps Mainstream a New White Supremacist Political Party

Black Lips Leader Cole Alexander on Keeping it Crazy and How Ryan Seacrest Has Always Been a Douche

Ricky Gervais Sees Dead People, and They Bring Him to Life in 'Ghost Town'

Soil to Soul

Orange County’s freshest farmers, farmers markets, food purveyors—and the chefs who love them

Take the Bishop Michael Driscoll Pedo-Quiz!

Little Dublin

Seal Beachs battle for the blarney heats up

A Selected OC Rock History Time Line