Erin DeWitt

The Five Must-See Shows in OC This Week

Monday, June 10Levitation RoomDetroit Bar Just as their name suggests, Levitation Room's music instills the listeners' ears with the light feeling of floating. The dreamy guitar and lo-fi projections of psychedelic rock and garage are reminiscent of deep 1960s-era rock, but still grounded in an alte ... More >>

The Five Must-See Shows in OC This Weekend

Friday, May 24 LA Philharmonic with Gustavo Dudamel Segerstrom Concert Hall Classical music isn't exactly "hot" right now as most of the original artists are long-dead. But with the talent of the Los Angeles Phil Harmonic Orchestra and the leadership of conductor Gustavo Dudamel, the works of the ... More >>

The Five Must-See Shows in OC This Week

Monday, May 20 Dillinger Escape Plan Chain Reaction Dillinger Escape Plan, the New Jersey mathcore band (that's mathrock-meets-hardcore for those who were wondering) stops by the all ages venue Chain Reaction this Monday night, giving hoards of angsty teenage boys something to yell and thrash and ... More >>

The Five Must-See Shows in OC This Weekend

Friday, April 12CoachellaEmpire Polo ClubThis year's granddaddy of Southern California rolls into Indio for weekend one of an insane three-day sprawl of sound, now in its 12th year. Friday's lineup topped by Britain's revived rock legends The Stone Roses and features other marquis acts likeTrent Rez ... More >>

The Five Must-See Shows in OC This Week

Monday, April 1 The Originalites Gallagher's Pub Since coming together as teenagers (and later recruiting saxophonist Mike Belk after an impromptu jam session at a local gig), The Originalites have risen high in the ranks of Orange County's local music scene in the span of only five years. The Fou ... More >>

The Five Must-See Shows in OC This Week

Monday, March 18 The Vespertines The Constellation Room Long Beach's Vespertines do prickly prog-psych in a way that teaches you to expect the unexpected--and to expect the introspective, the contemplative and the explosive, too. (Plus, expect a trumpet--sure, it might startle you when it blooms ou ... More >>

The Best Concerts to See in OC This Weekend

Friday, March 8 Death Hymn Number 9 Unit B Studio Once, there was a band called the Gories, and there was a guy called Hasil Adkins, as well as a dude named Tav Falco, and they played like maniacs. If they weren't sweating blood, it was only because someone else bled on them first. That's what Deat ... More >>

The Five Best Concerts in OC This Week

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 ... More >>

The Five Best Concerts in OC This Weekend

Friday, January 11 Cheap Sex/Lower Class Brats The Observatory No, the band's not getting back together--Cheap Sex is reuniting for one night only to celebrate the ten-year anniversary of their debut album's 2003 release. And while fans are charged to once again hear the band's reckless, thrashin ... More >>

The Five Best Concerts in OC This Week

Monday, January 7 Big Monsta Detroit BarThe latest youthful band to grab the coveted Monday night residency over at Detroit Bar is Huntington Beach-based Big Monsta. But their sound is anything but what that name would suggest (read: not some douchy club DJ wearing fake gold chains, nor a band playi ... More >>

The Five Best Concerts in OC This Week

Tuesday, December 11Food and MicsDetroit Bar The quantity of charitable donations around the country always spikes in December--all that holiday cheer really brings out the giver in most people. Detroit Bar, in association with Buford House, gets on the generosity wagon this week with a special Tu ... More >>

The Five Best Shows in O.C. This Week: Nov. 5-9

Monday, November 5Lindsey SterlingThe Observatory It's violin dubstep from a sci-fi-loving, eccentric little 26-year old with a knack for interpretive dance. This is Lindsey Stirling and she was born right here in OC. Her sound is a surprisingly unconventional collaboration of styles and genres--b ... More >>

The Five Best Shows in OC This Week: Tropicool, Voodoo Glowskulls

Monday, October 22Harvelle'sFunk Jam Hosted By Delta NoveLong Beach band Delta Nove bring the good kind of funk to Monday nights every week at the underground lounge and nightclub Harvelle's. This live music funk jam (plus special guest DJs weekly) is a sure fire cure for any leftover traces of w ... More >>

The Five Best Shows in OC This Week: Conor Oberst, Dr. Dog

Monday, October 1 The Two FoscariSegerstrom Center for the Arts The LA Opera makes a one-night-only appearance at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts to perform Giuseppe Verdi's The Two Foscari. Verdi based his three-act opera on the historical play of the same n ... More >>

The Best Five Shows in OC This Week

Monday, September 24Pawn Shop Kings The Constellation RoomA unique musical style often comes from superior talent and vision, though it can also be a product of geographical diversity. Case in point: Pawn Shop Kings. They're a musical melting pot--a whole lot of Arkansas blended with SoCal's sunshin ... More >>

Top Five Shows in OC This Weekend

Friday, September 21Lila DownsCity National Grove of AnaheimSince she emerged in 1999, Lila Downs has developed into one of the world's quintessential world music artists. Combining powerful, multilingual vocals and culturally diverse musical arrangements, songs like "Ojo de Culebra" help ... More >>

The Five Best Concerts in O.C. This Week

See Also: *Free Ticket Wednesday: She Wants Revenge at the Observatory*The Hives - The Observatory - September 11, 2012 [w/Video]*Jim Norton Wants to Sleep With You, if You Can Stand His Sleep ApneaMonday, September 17Martin Sanchez (Residency)Detroit Bar Martin Sanchez is an absolutely manic rappe ... More >>

Free Ticket Tuesday: Young Dubliners at the Coach House

​Get your fill of St. Patrick's Day shenanigans with Celtic rockers the Young Dubliners, who, as our calendar editor Erin DeWitt says, are always down to bring their raucous, whiskey-soaked live show onstage. Better yet, we'll just quote from DeWitt's 2011 calendar pick: "The continual tourists, f ... More >>

Ten Sports You Can Play With a Beer in Your Hand

[Summer Guide] Neither mandatory nor helpful to your performance, a little hops can definitely enhance the sporting experience

Beyond the Headliners

[Coachella 2010] Nine acts that stand out from the sweaty, dusty crowd

Fullerton's Audacity Start US Tour This Week

​Though Fullerton's Audacity called Orange County's music scene "a joke" in a recent interview with the District, we still heart them and their sloppy poppy ways. So it's cool to see them about to embark on a 15-date national tour, starting this Thursday in Tucson, AZ, and joined by a variety of o ... More >>

Claira's Daze

Never heard of them and not sure of how they found me, but an Orange County group named Claira's Daze just befriended me on myspace. After listening to a couple of tunes, I figured they were worthy of promoting their show Wednesday night at Kona Restaurant in HB.   I won't pretend to know anyt ... More >>

IN A COUPLE OF HOURS: Audacity Beach Party in HB

Hey, here's some short notice for you: Fullerton "teenage space punk" band Audacity are playing a free show the Huntington Beach pier (corner of Main and PCH) at 6:30 tonight--a beach party, if you will. Beach blanket bingo, perhaps, even. Quick, leave work now!It's an event put on by Burger Records ... More >>

TONIGHT: The Valley Arena at Detroit Bar

Detroit Bar's weekly "Busy Work" night is known for its DJs (like resident "spinner," ugh, hate that term, Dan Sena), and getting folks from bands--like Efrem Schulz from Death by Stereo, to name a recent one--to man the 1s and 2s. But tonight, there's an actual live band performing there, as well? ... More >>

Free Crap That Came In The Mail: The Slow Poisoner Strikes Again

I feel some definite cognitive dissonance (cog dis, if you will) for calling this "Free Crap That Came In The Mailm" because the negative connotation of crap--things that are worthless and lame--doesn't seem to apply. This is actually all kind of cool. But the more non-judgmental meaning of "crap," ... More >>

TONIGHT: OC Music Awards Showcases Continue at eVocal

The OC Music Awards showcases just keep going--after tonight, they'll have featured 36 local acts, if my math is correct--and tonight's free, all ages show at eVocal will include Costa Mesa's The New Limb, who are not only pictured here, but also featured in Locals Only in the latest Weekly. They're ... More >>

TONIGHT: Last Night of Mothers Sons/Daniel Morones Detroit Bar Residency

After you've completed your traditional Chinese New Year meal--your fish, your long life noodles, your mandarin oranges--and you're looking for something to do, you should seriously consider heading to Detroit Bar for the last night of the Mothers Sons/Daniel Morones residency, a chance to see both ... More >>

OC Weekly Local Music Compilation 2008

Whew! We made it. OC Weekly is proud to present the best of Orange County. Download one or download 'em all! (we recommend them all, of course)

Tonight: Francisco the Man!, The Sweet Sweet Things, Free at Detroit Bar

One thing that I've noticed since moving here is that the local TV news, the ABC affiliate at least, seems to be obsessed with "Dancing with the Stars." Sure, it's a popular show (still?), I get that, and it's filmed in LA and our local news is from LA. I've been known to watch it a time or too myse ... More >>

Crystal Antlers Score EW Mention

Long Beach's Crystal Antlers, who this year already netted an 8.5 on Pitchfork for their self-released EP (which was subsequently sntached up by Touch and Go) and just last night played the Bowery Ballroom in NYC as part of the CMJ Music Marathon, saw their good buzz streak continue with a mention i ... More >>

[Special Screenings] Local Showings of 'Evil Dead 2,' 'Carrie,' 'Dracula,' More

[Special Screenings] Local Showings of 'Breaking Away,' ' Cry-Baby,' 'Hero' and More

[Special Screenings] Local Showings of 'Big Wednesday,' 'Back to School,' More

[Special Screenings] Local Showings of 'Back to the Future,' 'Scarface,' More

[Summer Guide] The Simple Pleasures of an OC Summer

What You Missed Over The Weekend Part XXII

Memorial Day Edition Long weekends aren't just for relaxing. OC Weekly staffer Luke Y. Thompson kept himself busy by going to the Scottish festival at the OC fair, where he found some of his very distant relatives from the Clan Graham. He also attended a cookout with a bunch of other (relatively) y ... More >>

What You Missed This Weekend Part XXI

What You Missed Over the Weekend Part XVIII

This weekend had so many festivals going on that both Navel Gazing and Heard Mentality were working through the weekend. First, we had Luke Y. Thompson pulling double duty blogging his little heart out at the Newport Beach Film Festival AND attending his big movie premiere in Hollywood. While Dave ... More >>

What You Missed Over The Weekend Part XVI

This weekend found OCW's Le Receptionist, Leslie Agan, at the opening night of Phantom of The Opera at OCPAC. While our oh-so-fabulous Music Editor Dave Segal was at Kitsch Bar in Costa Mesa catching the diverse and excellent Steve "aDJective" Fisch. As usual, Managing Editor Rich Kane spent Satur ... More >>

Because You're Ugly: Sponsored by Botox

Sure, LA Fashion Week has nothing to do with Orange County, but one show did have an open bar, so OCW's Erin DeWitt and Amanda Parsons headed up to the City of Angeles for some cocktails and criticism. Plus, Kara Sahn from Project Runway (season one) was there representing Botox (Amanda needs that ... More >>

Letters from OC Weekly readers

What you missed over the weekend: Part IX

The Gothla Festival hit Fullerton from Friday to Sunday, and we were there in full force. Christopher Victorio took some beautiful pictures of the ladies gyrating in all sorts of intricate outfits at Saturday night's Gothic Gala. (Check those out here.) Luke Thompson and Derek Olson were also in att ... More >>

BUC BUC BUC: Weekend chickenshit

So my weekly "Didja do anything cool I can throw into that Monday morning post?" note to the OCW staff was meet with *crickets* and Zzzzs. Everyone's in holiday hibernation mode and your regular "What You Missed" programming will resume next week. What I hope you didn't miss was this blog entry fro ... More >>

Holy crap, we're on Perez Hilton!

No, really. It all started with Ben Westhoff's hysterical SATIRE piece on Zac Efron and Lil Wayne. Yes, satire. Y'all think this sort of collaboration would happen in real life?! With lyrics like these: Efron sings the chorus—“Everybody all for one, a real summer has just begun! Let’s rock ... More >>

What you missed over the weekend: Part II

Freelancer Shawn Smith was at Disneyland Friday night when she noticed that the Social Distortion show slated for the evening had been pulled. We bit our nails wondering if this was the latest in Disney censorship at the venue, which Clubs editor Erin DeWitt blogged in September. But it wasn't so, t ... More >>

Sprawl of Sound

Punk, Funk and Ganked: The Clinic Shrugs Off Barbs, Orgone’s Funk Proves Reich’s Theory Wasn’t Bunk, Crosby’s Ill Fortunes

The Clinic: The Cure or a Scourge?

Our latest Locals Only feature by Erin DeWitt on Santa Ana-based venue The Clinic, which was full of positive quotes by OC musicians, inspired the letter below (all of which is reprinted here unedited). The clinic is one of the worst venues that i've been to in my life. All these claims of "punk" ... More >>

The 100 Most Important OC Musicians of All Time

DJ Nobody: Twice as important as most OC musicians. Orange County has been a fertile breeding ground for musicians of many stripes since the beginning of electricity. We at Heard Mentality would like to ask you—the good-looking, intelligent readers of this blog—for your opinions on this impor ... More >>

Confessions of a Comic-Con Virgin

A non-geek follows the king of geekdom into the heart of dorkness

Letters

'Take you, your family and all the shit-smelling pho houses back to SE Aisia'