New Zealand

Rhys Darby

Irvine Improv

How to Train Your Dragon Live Spectacular

Honda Center

Bicycle Dreams Rides into Anaheim

Bicycle Dreams, an award-winning documentary that follows men and women riding in the Race Across America, rolls into Cinema City Theatres in Anaheim tonight for a screening that benefits the Orange County Bicycle Coalition.RAAM riders, as they are known, "deal with searing desert heat, agonizing mo ... More >>

Not a G'Day Down Under: Marmite Shortage Strikes New Zealand

​ 2011 was a great year for earthquakes. Not only did they manage to get the world to rethink nuclear power (something Greenpeace has failed to do since...well, ever) but now they've started to rid the world of Marmite, that off-putting yeast spread our cousins across the pond and down under seem ... More >>

Gotye at El Rey Theater Last Night

​GotyeEl Rey TheaterFebruary 2, 2012Every so often, a single comes along that sweeps across the Earth like some unstoppable force.  A song that's so sticky, you couldn't separate yourself from it if you tried.  Last year, that song was unarguably Foster the People's "Pumped Up Kicks." ... More >>

Promised Land Sees Israel Through the Eyes of Surfers

​A film about surfers of different faiths coming together in Israel, of all places, makes its U.S. premiere at a sold-out screening in Dana Point this evening.Promised Land, which was directed by Todd Morehead and produced by Morehead and Carlsbad Christian nonprofit Walking on Water, screens at 6 ... More >>

Josh Fischel

DiPiazzas

Coming Soon: Flight of the Conchords Movie?

​Bret McKenzie, one half of New Zealand's "4th most popular guitar-based digi-bongo acapella-rap-funk-comedy folk duo" Flight Of The Conchords, has been busy making the rounds promoting The Muppets movie, which featured several tracks he penned, including Oscar nominee "Life's A Happy Song." A few ... More >>

Local Record Review: 'The Invisible Empire' by Beatnik

​BeatnikThe Invisible EmpireEcovox RecordsA little out of our usual coverage here given that Beatnik are over the hills in Corona (rather than Corona Del Mar, say), but given the continuing Occupy protests -- accompanied with various articles and comments about 'where is the music or anthem of ... More >>

Hobbit Feet, 'Sting,' Gimli's Battle-Axe, a Ringwraith Costume and Other Things You'll See at the 'Lord of the Rings' in Concert

​If the final, seemingly seven-hour long installment of the behemoth film franchise wasn't enough to quench your thirst for the ring (or put you to sleep), Lord of the Rings In Concert has got you covered.  The Fellowship of the Ring (movie 1) is touring the country in 2011 (f ... More >>

Drunk After Work: The Counter

​The Place: The Counter, 6416 Irvine Boulevard, Irvine, (949) 336-7272; www.thecounterburger.com.The Hours: Monday through Friday, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Free Ticket Tuesday Wednesday: The Dan Band and Kora

​Because I was terribly ill and felt like I was close to death yesterday, it's Free Ticket Wednesday instead of Tuesday. Mostly because I couldn't let this week pass without a mention of the Dan Band, who are performing at the Grove on Saturday. We're giving away two pairs of tickets to the show t ... More >>

VnC Cocktails, Our Drink of the Week

Jessica Ford​Some nights, I just want a cocktail delivered to me without having to leave the comfort of my apartment. I've come one step closer to making this a reality with VnC Cocktails--bottles of premixed, just chill-and-serve cocktails.VnC Cocktails include Strawberry Daiquiri, Banana Daiquir ... More >>

New Zealand Blogger Paints Larry Agran Red

​A New Zealand libertarian blogger who has compiled an online list of socialist politicians in the U.S. ("Red Reps" as he calls 'em) has at No. 6 Irvine City Councilman Larry Agran.And, no, this is not another April Fools joke.

Rhys Darby

Irvine Improv

"Oh, Baby!" Valentine's Weekend Dinner Celebration

Winery Restaurant

Shock the Junkie

A hallucinogen called ibogaine has helped addicts kick heroin, meth and everything in between. Is it the trip that does the trick?

On The Line: Timothy Kast of Seasons 52, Part Two

Photo by Todd Barnes​Today we continue our Q&A with Timothy Kast, the executive chef partner at Seasons 52 in South Coast Plaza. Stay tuned for a recipe from the chef tomorrow. If you missed the first part, click here. What show would you pitch to the Food Network? Healthy cooking from scr ... More >>

3hree Things: Essential Rainy Day Albums

​Watch out for 3hree Things every Tuesday, where Riley Breckenridge, drummer of Orange County's favorite local alt-rock band Thrice, gives his take on life in Southern California as an OC native.Apparently, we're in for an uncharacteristically damp and gloomy week in Orange County. I can ... More >>

Around the World in Seven Venues, at Filter's Culture Collide Festival

​Cloning won't be necessary to see every band participating in the Culture Collide Festival in Los Angeles. Through some organizational tic-tac-toe, a number of the acts play multiple shows over the next four days scattered around the east side. Despite the abundance of gigs, those who don't stra ... More >>

Thank God It's Friday: Shows You Don't Want To Miss

What are you up to this weekend? There's a whole slew of shows for you to watch the next few days--here's a few you must see.​July 23, FridayTonight Ziggy Marley appears at the Pacific Amphitheatre in Costa Mesa, bringing his easy-going take on life and love across the board to the OC Fair crowd ... More >>

Katchafire

House of Blues

James Taylor, Carole King

Honda Center

Bride Flight Flies Away With Biggest Awards as 2010 Newport Beach Film Festival Wraps

Bride Flight was a favorite among Newport Beach Film Festival jurors.​Bride Flight, a drama about three women aboard a KLM airliner that won the 1953 Air Race from London to New Zealand, nearly swept the biggest jury awards at the 2010 Newport Beach Film Festival, which ended its eight-day run Th ... More >>

Director's Own Words: Clive Neeson of "Last Paradise"

Aaaaaannnd . . . ACTION!​"I'm told what sets this film apart is being able to tell the whole story with crisp original footage. That was because I began filming it in the '60s as a kid, when the world was a very different place. I conceived the script then and focused my filming on things that I s ... More >>

"Last Paradise" Director Clive Neeson's Outback Stake Out

Smile for the camera.​"Going to Extremes to Get the Shot" looks at filmmakers who hiked through mountains, hung out of helicopters and waded in shark-infested waters for their action-sports movies playing at the 2010 Newport Beach Film Festival, which kicks off Thursday and continues through April ... More >>

She & Him 'Vol. 2' Streaming, Lady Gaga Collapses, Hold Steady Album Art, Allmans Still rock

She & Him Volume Two streaming on NPR!Too much for Lady Gaga? Singer/spectacle collapses on stage in New Zealand. Check out the artsy, raised-hand album cover for the Hold Steady release Heaven is Whenever due out May 3.The Allman Brothers remain only "jam band" worth a damn. 

Pavement Launch Reunion Tour, Gorillaz Chased by Bruce Willis in New Video, Lil Wayne, Dave Grohl

Pavement fans: the reunion that hits Coachella has begun (in New Zealand). Stereogum has the set list. Coachella co-headliners Gorillaz debut video for "Stylo"--first single off Plastic Beach album out March 9--starring everybody's favorite action hero Bruce Willis in bad guy role. Click to watch ... More >>

Flipper news

San Francisco punk/art/noise band Flipper has lots of news to share. I'd tell you all about it, but they already did on their myspace page. For those too lazy to leave this site, I'll copy and paste the info.   And for those even lazier, the jist of it is this: Two new records out soon. One is ... More >>

TONIGHT: Ra Ra Riot, Cut Off Your Hands at Detroit Bar

Are you sick of hearing about Ra Ra Riot yet? Y'know, the indie band from Syracuse that have been riding a crest of Vampire Weekend-esque buzz for the past few months. Well, you can stop hearing about them and actually hear them, tonight at Detroit Bar. Their record, The Rhumb Line, was Rolling Ston ... More >>

New Zealand's Cut Off Your Hands Take Tips From Punk's Attitude, If Not Its Sound

Classy Stuff--This Time At Charlie Palmer, Bloomie's

OK, so Marché Moderne's cooking classes are all booked up - as I noted last week. But if you're quick off the mark you can sign up for one of the "kitchen technique" classes at Charlie Palmer at Bloomingdale's, South Coast Plaza. According to our sources, they're likely to sell out very quickly.Run ... More >>

International Polar Year Speaker

Bill Cooper

New Zealand Natural Ice Cream Opens in Orange

A new ice cream shop from New Zealand opened its first U.S. store at the Stadium Promenade in Orange. Appropriately, it's called New Zealand Natural Ice Cream. And though the ice cream may be made from "fresh dairy cream from cows that feed on the green unpolluted pastures of New Zealand", its pre ... More >>

Because You're Ugly: Still Uggs

Just when you thought it was over—or that it couldn't get any worse—Ugg releases its new line for Fall/Winter 2008. So other than the traditional sheepskin we're all too familiar with in the short, medium and tall lengths (ranging from $130-$200), you've got a few more options to cringe at now ... More >>

A Fresh Wave of Globally Minded Music Websites Will Broaden Your Horizons

Look Around

Alternate Views

Tuck and Roll

Courting Brodard Chateaus spring rolls

Call to Arms

We Will Not Rest Until the World Hears the Verlaines

Trendzilla

Alpha Beta Gamma Whatevers

Here and There and Back Again

With The Worlds Fastest Indian, Roger Donaldson comes full circle

Wild Game

Who Stole Christmas?

Grinch and bear it

HotFlix

Venison Benison

Eating Bambis mom at Costa Mesas Turner New Zealand

It Takes a Production Supervisor to Raise a Village

Roger Wadhams gypsy village

Girls Gone Wild

Love and death in New Zealand

Not Ha Ha Funny

Atom and His Package loves his mom

Free at Last! Free at Look a Leaf!

California ferrets on the verge of amnesty

Poor Edison

Now broke, the power company uses taxpayer cash to fund a global business empire