Nate Jackson

OC Weekly Gets Nominated for a Hell of a Lot of Awards for LA Press Club, Association of Alternative Newsweeklies!

As editor of this infernal rag, I have a hard policy about awards: screw' em. I'm convinced that most national judges will always pass us over and not even bother with our stories because they assume we suck because of our OC pedigree. So I tell my colleagues to only truly concentrate on three conte ... More >>

The Five Must-See Shows in OC This Weekend

Friday, May 17 Sederra House of Blues Anaheim Anytime the punk shredders of Sederra come to the House of Blues Anaheim, they have a habit of bringing the entire Fullerton punk scene with them. Last time they played the Mouse House for free, they stuffed the place to capacity to the point where they ... More >>

The Worst of Coachella: Weekend Two

Here's everything that bothered us about Coachella's second weekend. Hey, at least there was no dust storm! Native American Headdresses These have still not gone away. In fact, one particularly irritating woman (not pictured) wore a towering feather mohawk weave, a sartorial statement that combined ... More >>

We Hang Out With Some Crazy Marines Drinking Their Asses Off at Coachella

In full grips of the dry desert heat, the fine art of day drinking at Coachella becomes a game of survival of the fittest. Sweltering temperatures in the high 90s aren't necessarily ideal conditions to bombard your liver with alcohol. And unless you've been used to trekking through sand in the Middl ... 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

Friday, March 29DSTVVBurger Records Self-proclaimed "industrial grungegaze" trio DSTVV have been garnering attention in the indie music blog circuit with only a handful of songs that permeate through your ear canals with their lo-fi vocals, fuzzy guitar and distorted synthesizer. Hailing from San ... More >>

The Five Best Concerts in OC This Week

Monday, March 4MusInk Battle of the BandsHouse of Blues Anaheim Though it may not share the same level of hipster-deigned prestige as Coachella, Musink Festival represents a high-water mark for up-and-coming bands. This year's festival, which celebrates all things tattoo, will feature an impressive ... More >>

Top 20 Greatest OC Albums of All Time: #10-1

For the past 18 years, faithful readers of the OC Weekly have counted on our music section for the continuous cycle of sniffing out the local albums. It goes something like this: We search for them (yeah, we get a shit ton in the mail too), we listen to them, separate the wheat from the chaff, remin ... More >>

The Five Best Concerts in OC This Weekend

Friday, February 22Angry SamoansThe Observatory First wave punk rockers everywhere are alive and kicking. Just look at the Angry Samoans, hailing from Los Angeles, they've been doing their thing since the late 70s. And since their inception, they've made a career out of being offensive. Rumor has it ... More >>

Top Five Concerts in OC This Week

Monday, February 11 St. Lucia The Constellation Room For the purposes of this blurb, St. Lucia is not the Swedish figure known for wearing a wreath of candles in her hair bearing gifts for Scandinavian children. Rather, it's the nom de plume of musician Jean-Philip Grobler (doesn't sound pretenti ... More >>

The Five Best Concerts in OC This Week

Tuesday, January 22 Cat Power The Observatory No, it's not a feline liberation movement (although that would be rad), but rather the on-going musical project of singer/songwriter Chan Marshall that spans the musical spectrum from punk and folk to blues and electronica. Known for her unconventional ... 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 18Stevie TombstoneThe Prospector Stevie Tombstone's sweet, soulful country croon juxtaposes delightfully with his hard craggy face. Rocking some hard-luck chic, his songs feature mentions of the undertaker and give thanks for the little things in life--such as not being in jail ... More >>

The Five Best Shows in O.C. This Week: Markus Schulz, Waka Flocka Flame

Monday, October 29Skeleton WitchSlidebar Hailing from Ohio, Skeletonwitch rocks a technical brand of schreechy metal. Be sure to check out their video for "Bringers of Death," which blends images of furries with Orwelian commentary and a zombie apolcalypse straight out of the film Easy Rider. -- Br ... More >>

The Best Five Shows in OC This Weekend

Friday, September 28The English BeatThe Coach HouseIf we had to pick one '80s band with enough energy and tenacity to put most younger acts to shame, it would probably be the English Beat. Anyone who's caught one of their shows in recent years is aware that when it comes to performing, the legendary ... 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 >>

Nora Kirkpatrick: The Accordion Goddess of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

See Also: *Milo Greene Made Their First Full-Length Film With Zero Movie Making Experience*Wayne Coyne Says 2013 is the Year of the Flaming Lips*Jane's Addiction and the Flaming Lips to Headline Doheny DaysWith the collective passion of so many members spewing an endless fountain of hippie sunshine ... More >>

Save the Date: Walk the Dog Day on Sept. 24

​What does the term "walking the dog" mean, you ask? It originates from the North East of England, where people refers to Newcastle Brown Ale as "Dog" because people would often use the saying, "Going to walk the dog" to grab a pint at the local pub. So next week, OC Weekly's Heard Mentality and ... More >>

Wanted: Local Music

[Mental Notes] We're reviewing local releases. In other news, you can buy the Sublime tour van, watch the Growlers at HOB or go to Fearless Records' tour

Last Night: Reflection Eternal at the Grove of Anaheim

Nate Jackson​The Hype: Any time revered MC/producer duo Talib Kweli and Hi-Tek get together (which is usually most of the time), you better believe there's an audience of knowledge-hungry hip hop heads waiting to devour every last track they put out. It had been a decade s ... More >>

Weenie Roast Lineup Doesn't Suck

[Mental Notes] Also: Buzz about the Golden Bear, the Dirty Heads' no. 1 hit and how you can get on the warped tour next year

Over the Weekend: E-40 at the Grove of Anaheim

Nate Jackson​The Hype: Local hyphy heads were bound to show up in full force at the Grove on Saturday night to catch Vallejo-born hip-hop legend E-40 ( a.k.a."40-Water") deliver a fresh batch of club banging street tales from his new double album Revenue Retrievin': Day Shift/ Night Shift. Aside f ... More >>

K-Pop Go the Wonder Girls

[Mental Notes] Also: The condiment artists at Burger Records, Pop Noir's quest for southern hospitality

Burger Records Curates VICE Sampler, Becomes More Famous

John Gilhooley / OC WeeklyThe Burger Records extended family come together​When we put the founders of Fullerton's Burger Records on our cover last year, the idea of an everything-but-CDs music store and label seemed, you know, crazy.Judging by the attention they've been getting, though, things se ... More >>

The Shys, Steelwells, More Set for House of Blues Anaheim

Andrew Steven​Playing the House of Blues in Anaheim is a big deal for a national touring act, but for a local band, the opportunity to gig at one of Orange County's premier venues--nestled in Downtown Disney, no less--has to be even more of a treat.

Four Local Bands in Top 15 of 98.7's Rockstar Contest

​Of all the ways to make your band's wildest dreams come true, winning a radio station contest might not have the most street cred, but it certainly seems efficient.

Heard Mentality: Headed to Street Scene!

​Seeing as how we're the closest Village Voice Media paper to San Diego, we feel a profound sense of obligation to cover this weekend's Street Scene festival. Yes, that's right, obligation--not the opportunity to hang out in the Gaslamp District checking out awesome bands. It's all about obligatio ... More >>

TONIGHT: Buskerfest in Long Beach, E-40 at Galaxy, More

​The next person who says "there's nothing to do around here" is officially wrong. This can be scientifically proven. Or just be clicking on the jump.

Flier of the Week: Death Hymn Number 9, The Dig, Head Sounds at Detroit Bar

​OK, so this is just the poster of the movie Vertigo. But we're not looking to bust anyone for copyright infringement here. It also reminds me of Spirograph. Two great things. It says so much in only two colors (well, only one if you consider that white is technically the absence of color, yadda y ... More >>

Flier of the Week: Park the Van Tour at Detroit Bar

​A traffic cone with teeth? Sure, why not!Nate Jackson blogged earlier in the week about Park the Van tour headliners Floating Action and Generationals, but here's let's focus on two key things: the fun artwork on that flier, and opening band Golden Boots, from Tucson, Arizona.

Slideshows: So Much Weekend Stuff! New Kids on the Block (Really), 'Made You Look,' More

Robert FayetteThe youngest member of New Kids on the Block, Joey McIntyre, is 36. But age isn't stopping the five reunited "kids" from touring, and they hit up Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Irvine on Friday. Robert Fayette, bless him, was there. Here are the pics. Click on them "step by step." Th ... More >>

[Sound Guy] The Best of the Music Blog for the Week of June 15-21

Slideshows: Tour Des Artistes! Strung Out! Billy Ray Cyrus! (Really.)

"We all know art is hard." That's what Cursive said, at least. They didn't play Saturday at the Tour Des Artistes in Long Beach, but a lot of other folks did. You might have read Nate Jackson's recap earlier today (and if not, why not, huh?), and if you would like to see some lovely, lovely pics to ... More >>

Slideshow: Busywork at Detroit Bar with My Pet Saddle and So So So

Busywork--a weekly DJ night with residents Dan Sena, G-Mo, Clifford Lidell and Rock Berry--may happen every Wednesday at Detroit Bar in Costa Mesa, but last night was the first in the "summer house party" series, with bands So So So and Fullerton's My Pet Saddle (who our own Nate Jackson wrote about ... More >>

TONIGHT: 'KUCI Nights' Get Started at the Yost in Santa Ana

Here at the OC Weekly, we're rather big fans of KUCI, UC Irvine's community radio station. So it's a no-brainer to suggest checking out their first ever "KUCI Nights," tonight at the Yost Theatre in Santa Ana. It's five bands, all from southern California: LA's Castledoor and Death to Anders, and OC ... More >>

Live from Coachella: Blitzen Trapper, Other Stuffs

Watching Blitzen Trapper RIGHT NOW in the Gobi tent. Rootsy rocky. Y'know. Pleasant enough. "Kinda boring," said OC Weekly''s Nate Jackson. "Not bad if I was seeing them at the Gypsy Den." Or maybe he said Gypsy Lounge? Who could say. Saturday has gotten knocked for not being up to par, but it's mor ... More >>

Live(ish) from Coachella: Final Friday Thoughts!

About to head out to take on another day. Whee! Beth Stirnaman is here in OC Weekly Central (Motel 6 in Palm Springs) uploading pics, so soon you'll have some stuff to look at instead of just these awesome plain text posts. Heard Mentality blogger Nate Jackson is here, too. Say hi, Nate!Before shovi ... More >>

Heard Mentality: Gone Coachella-in'!

Oh yes. We're road tripping out early in the morn' to the beautiful (sure, why not?) Empire Polo Field for Coachella. I'll be there all three days; my blogging brethren Spencer Kornhaber and Nate Jackson are also hitting the event for a couple days and just might share their thoughts.You won't be ab ... More >>

TONIGHT: Fourth Week of OC Music Awards Showcases

It's the fourth and final week of the OC Music Awards showcases at Detroit Bar--starting next Tuesday, they move over to Chain Reaction in Anaheim for a couple of weeks.Tonight they've got Huntington Beach piano rockers Champagne Blvd, Starving for Gravity, Fullerton's Sederra, and fellow Fullertoni ... 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 >>

Last Night: Crystal Antlers at The Smell

BY NATE JACKSONLast Night: Crystal Antlers, Ancestors, Slang Chickens and Magic Lantern at The Smell, Los Angeles.Better Than: Missing Obama's inaugural address because you were stuck at your crappy job. Good thing there's TiVo.If you could choose one place to celebrate the inauguration of the 44th ... More >>

A Bad Week at the Weekly

Ordinarily, I keep pretty quiet about personnel matters at the Weekly. But the economic times we're living in are anything but ordinary. They're extraordinarily shitty, in fact. Which means that, all across the country, in all sorts of businesses (but especially the news business) extraordinarily sh ... 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)

What You Missed Over The Weekend Part XXV

My goodness, what a weekend. Friday night Dave Segal saw New York hipster/mashup DJ supreme Ayres of the Rub at Detroit Bar, Nate Jackson watched some disco dancin' at Sutra's first annual Dirty Disco Party, and Fever Dragon shot LA punk group X at the House of Blues. While most of the OC Weekly ... More >>

What You Missed Over The Weekend Part XXIV

The big news of the weekend was the OC Weekly's two wins at the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies Awards in Philadelphia. Gustavo Arellano took home the award for Best Column with "Ask A Mexican" while R. Scott Moxley bagged second place in the prestigious public service category for his cover ... More >>

What You Missed Over The Weekend Part XXIII

This weekend Gustavo Arellano sharpened his writing pen and wrote a post calling-out historian Chris Jepsen for not referencing his pieces on a historical blog. Alex Brant-Zawadzki reported (again) on the continuing construction cost climb on estimates for the 241 Toll Road through Tressles. Been ... More >>

What you missed over the weekend: Part XIV

Dave Segal and Tom Child spent the weekend in Austin for the South By Southwest Festival, which they live-blogged out of Heard Mentality. Browse the SXSW blog for their coverage here, and do scroll down and flip through some slide shows while you're there. Chelsea Ide wraps up the SXSW weekend quite ... More >>

What you missed over the weekend: Part XI

Dave Segal moved into Detroit Bar on both Friday and Saturday nights: "Free the Robots' thrilling [Friday] live show blew away Afrika Bambaataa's moldy DJ set. Local upstarts overshadowed a legend!" And on Sat, "DJs Josh One, Hyder, James Pants and Peanut Butter Wolf spun loads of great hip-hop cuts ... More >>

What you missed over the weekend: Part X

Cobra Starship landed at the Pomona Glass House Friday night for the closest-to-OC leg of their "Really Really Ridiculously Good Looking Tour." Christopher Victorio caught the main act and support band Metro Station (but missed out on We The Kings and The Cab, also on tour with Cobra). The venue was ... More >>

Cal State Fullerton student: American Gladiator?

Car keys, check. Protein bar, check. Sleeveless workout shirt, check. Reebok Classics laced up tight, check. Short-shorts, neon green...double check. There comes a time in every man’s life when he must answer the call to greatness. For my friend Garret and I, that call rang loud and clear with on ... More >>