Northern California

Thrash Metal band Exodus Banned From House of Blues Anaheim

If you were at the March 22, stop of the 3rd annual Metal Alliance Tour, you might have noticed that one thrash metal band was not the bill at the House of Blues in Anaheim. As it turns out, we can blame the Disney Corporation for that. Northern California thrash metal band Exodus now finds itself ... More >>

Little Saigon Ecstasy Pill Ring Busted By Drug Task Force Agents

The Southern California Drug Task Force assigned to a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) designated "High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area" has busted a large scale drug distribution ring selling the party drug Ecstasy out of a Little Saigon apartment complex.According to a federal grand jury indi ... More >>

NYE EDM Festivals in 2012: Which One Was the Best?

Who would have thought five years ago that super star DJ's like Above & Beyond, Ferry Corsten, Andy Moor, Sebastian Ingrosso, Laidback Luke, Calvin Harris, Avicii and Nero would be headlining separate major EDM festivals right here in California on New Years Eve? Since Insomniac Events and Go Ve ... More >>

FBI Busts Alleged California Home Loan Mortgage Kickback Scam With Arrests

FBI agents have arrested two Southern California men, Tony Phan of Little Saigon and Troy Chattariyangkul of Los Angeles County, for their alleged involvement in a mortgage loan fraud kickback scheme, according to records reviewed at the Ronald Reagan Federal Courthouse in Santa Ana.Phan, a 35-year- ... More >>

Dave Hester, ex-Costa Mesa Thrift-Store Mogul, Sues TV's "Fake" Storage Wars for Firing Him

During a recent Nerdist podcast interview, Tom Hanks went on and on about how A&E's Storage Wars is his favorite reality TV show.Actually, the Academy Award-winning actor should refer to Storage Wars as his favorite fictional program, according to a lawsuit filed by Dave Hester, an original cast ... More >>

Diatribe with Dave: 10 Years at Santora with Chef Diego Velasco

Every second and fourth Wednesday night of the month, legendary bartender/chef/restaurant insider Dave Mau hosts Dinner with Dave at Memphis at the Santora, where he treats drinkers to a free meal and live music as the evening progresses. To remind ustedes of this great night, Dave treats us ev ... More >>

Lucero's Ben Nichols Answers Important Questions About Women and Work

Among a pack of Southern bands leading the resurgence of gritty, grown-man music, Ben Nichols, front man for Tennessee-based Lucero, stands out as a smoke-throated vocalist preaching rock-n-roll redemption to the lonely and broken-hearted.The Weekly caught up with Nichols by phone, as the band ... More >>

On the Line: Ryan O'Melveny Wilson of Five Crowns and SideDoor, Part Two

Before this chef hopped on a plane to Chi-town for business (to work on a burger blend and attend a quarterly financial meeting), Ryan O'Melveny Wilson had enough time to answer those burning questions, such as what he thought of his Chiquita-banana costume. Maybe his answer belonged in part one, bu ... More >>

The Blank Tapes Are Back

Matt Adams' band are ready to rock . . . again

Social Distortion at Fox Theatre Pomona, Feb. 17, 2012

John Gilhooley/ OC WeeklySocial D at the Palladium, not the Fox​Social Distortion February 17, 2012 Fox Theatre Pomona For as far back as this OC music fan can remember, the ultimate way to cap off a long week of slacking working for the man has always been to rock the fuck out at a punk rock sh ... More >>

Rodney Alcala Can Be Extradited to New York: Judge

​A judge in Northern California has ruled Rodney Alcala, the serial killer sitting on Death Row for killing a 12-year-old Huntington Beach girl and four women in Los Angeles County in the 1970s, can be extradited to New York to stand trial for two murders there.Alcala is currently scheduled to be ... More >>

Jeremy Kealoha Belisario Gets 12 Years in Prison and $2.6 Million in Fines and Restitution for Embezzling from Travel Firms He Managed

​What do you get if you buy stuff for your boyfriend and yourself from high-end retailers like Sony, Gucci, Neiman Marcus, Ralph Lauren, Louis Vuitton, and Van Cleef & Arpels, as well as 42 Super Bowl tickets for yourself, family and friends for a weekend of partying that includes limos, hotel ... More >>

'We Were Here': Interpreters of Maladies

Five San Franciscans remember the AIDS crisis

He's My Brother, She's My Sister: 'Nobody Dances In This Town'

Mary Bell/OC Weekly​He's My Bother, She's My Sister is comprised of--you guessed it--siblings Rachel (vocals, percussion) and Rob Kolar (vocals, guitar), joined by a colorful group of rag-tag vaudevillian musicians and performers. Upright bassist Oliver Newell sported glitter eyeshadow, grandma gl ... More >>

[UPDATED with Sentence:] Were You Ripped Off by Hoang Quoc Tathanhlong, Fake Financial Planner?

​UPDATE, JUNE 15, 12:12 P.M. Westminster's Hoang Quoc Tathanhlong has been sentenced to three years in state prison for lying about being a certified financial planner and stealing more than $650,000 from a widow he met at a funeral home.The 50-year-old, who did make a couple payments to the wido ... More >>

Patrick Rue Is the Brue-master

From a Placentia industrial park, Patrick Rue and his Bruery have revolutionized craft-beermaking in Southern California

Lake Forest Cannabis Crackdown Continues

Protesting Lake Forest's Cannabis Crackdown​If you're a medical marijuana user who lives in south Orange County, you may want to consider moving somewhere else. Yesterday, the Orange County Register reported, the city of Lake Forest won a temporary restraining order allowing it to shutter seven st ... More >>

[CORRECTED: Ex-Groomer Arrest] Pervs, Molesters and Creepers--Oh, My! DA Seeks Victims of Accused Pastor as County Parks Sex Offender Ban Sought

"Oh, Coker . . ."​UPDATE, MARCH 31, 4:27 P.M.: The original version of this post has been corrected. At one point, the previous version referred to David Montano, who was picked up in Coto de Caza earlier this month on a child-molestation arrest warrant out of Turlock, as a "horse trainer." Later ... More >>

Soka University of America Is a School On a Hill

The Aliso Viejo college was founded by a Buddhist sect that preaches peace—so why are so many former professors alleging the opposite?

Food Profiling: Uncle Iceberg's Hawt Products

​Is it hipster salad dressing?  No. Maybe it's cool and refreshing?  Not that either. So what is Uncle Iceberg's? It's comparable to the balsamic vinegar in a caprese salad--that extra 'oomph' to make mozzarella and tomato sing. The slogan says it all: "The most miraculous hawt sauce eve ... More >>

David Russo Spreads the Surf City Charm in Red Bluff

​When police in the Northern California town of Red Bluff went to help an injured man lying in the street early Saturday, they were confronted by another man who told the cops to leave the guy alone. When he refused commands to back off, the man rushed the officers and became combative. Robert Rin ... More >>

Were You Ripped Off by Hoang Quoc Tathanhlong, Fake Financial Planner Who Allegedly Preyed at Funeral Home?

​Hoang Quoc Tathanhlong, 49, of Westminster, lied about being a certified financial planner while working at a funeral home and stealing more than $650,000 from a widow through fake investments before using the money for his own personal expenses, including buying himself a Mercedes-Benz, prose ... More >>

Ninth Circuit Upholds Sheriff Mike Carona's Corruption Conviction

Teflon Mikey loses his magic​Orange County's long, disgusting law enforcement nightmare is finally over.Disgraced ex-Sheriff Mike Carona, once absurdly hailed as "America's sheriff" by CNN's Larry King, is going to federal prison.This morning an all Republican panel of federal judges at the Ninth ... More >>

Newest Fuzzy Wuzzy at the Aquarium of the Pacific: Ollie the Orphaned Sea Otter

Aquarium of the Pacific ​Get ready to go Elmyra in this hizzle. Ollie, a three-month old orphaned sea otter rescued off the coast of Santa Cruz, has a new home at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. Don't you wanna hug her and squeeze her into itty bitty pieces? More pics and ... More >>

The Kottonmouth Kings: 'We're Too Stoned to Come Up With A Good Answer'

​Marijuana graduated from being just a garden variety intoxicant in the Kottonmouth Kings' world a long-ass time ago. Instead, the self-ordained "rip-hop" outfit from Placentia have spent their decade-plus-long career exalting the plant as if it were some kind of transcendental manna made to be co ... More >>

Gabe Gordon of Beachwood BBQ, Part Two

Photo by Todd Barnes​ Today we continue our Q&A with Gabe Gordon, chef and owner of Beachwood BBQ in Seal Beach. Stay tuned for a recipe from our chef tomorrow. If you missed the first part, click here. What show would you pitch to the Food Network? I don't really watch the Food Network, so ... More >>

Fees Charged Students in Tustin and Long Beach Cited in ACLU Lawsuit Against State

​Fees charged to public school students in Tustin and Long Beach are part of the evidence the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is citing in a class action lawsuit filed today against the state of California and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.The suit contends the state is violating the Californ ... More >>

As Rape Apology, Guilty Father Buys Teen Daughter New Clothes

​Twice in 2007, Orange County's Arthur Elmer Whelchel Jr. arrived home intoxicated, raped his 16-year-old daughter and then promised to make amends by being generous. Once, he bought her new clothes.And then--following the second rape--he paid for his daughter to take a secret trip to Norther ... More >>

Groups Step Up Opposition to Punishment for UC Irvine's Muslim Student Union

​Meant to get this up yesterday, but a group that protects the legal rights of Asians and Pacific Islanders sent word that it has joined 14 other civil rights organizations and professional bar associations from across the nation in condemning the recommended suspension of UC Irvine's Muslim Stude ... More >>

Mark Moen, Marijuana Martyr

The arrest of 215 Agenda's owner has OC's medical-pot community wondering if it has a prayer of avoiding trouble with the cops

OC is a Killer County

Have a seat; this could take a while.​Serial killer Rodney Alcala received the death sentence for the third time in as many decades today. Could sentence number three mean he'll be mainlining the state's death-cocktail sometime soon? Hardly.

Utility Giant, Texas Oil Companies Fight Back With California Voter Initiatives

​An anti-tax group and a coalition of businesses quietly led by Texas oil companies have launched a signature drive for a November ballot initiative that would suspend California's pioneering law to combat global warming.Meanwhile, a Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E)-bankrolled measure that cons ... More >>

Gettin' Made: South of the Border

Northern California indie crafter Tania Cavenecia Torres uses influences from her Peruvian heritage to create fabulous big statement jewelry pieces for her Etsy shop. She uses a variety of materials, from silver and semi-precious stones to leather and seeds from the Amazon rain forest ... More >>

Nick Schou Scores "Orange Sunshine"

​Nick Schou sits one cubicle away from mine at OC Weekly. And yet, I interviewed him about his new book, Orange Sunshine: The Brotherhood of Eternal Love and Its Quest to Spread Peace, Love, and Acid to the World, from my home while he was on the road to his home in Long Beach. Complicating matter ... More >>

Cult Novel 'Youth In Revolt' Must Continue Its Search for a Worthy Adaptation

TONIGHT: Joe Sib's one man show "California Calling" at The Boathouse in Costa Mesa

​If you ever hang around a group of aging punk rockers, you're ultimately going to get an earfull about the mayhem and magic of the glory days when legendary bands walked the earth and tore up the stage. Splice that in with a bag of comical life lessons, misadventures and a pinch of borderline&nbs ... More >>

Roofie & the Nightstalker Are a Little Bit SoCal, a Little Bit NorCal, All Punk Rock

Wax On, Wax Off: Surfing, Violence and You (Pt. 2)

Flickr user MikeBaird I've continued to ask local surfers to share their thoughts and experiences on surfing-related violence in Orange County. Here are some additional thoughts that have come in since yesterday: "Orange County is just as bad as anywhere else. Some 40 year old man tried t ... More >>

[¡Ask a Mexican!] Do Mexicans Think It Sucks to Be Salvadoran?

Crime Time: An Especially San Clemente/ Huntington Beach Edition

It's the Weekly's weekly round-up of local police calls--with an especially heavy emphasis on San Clemente and Huntington Beach. MONDAY, OCT. 5 He died for your remote. Who's the Patron Saint of Stupidity Again? A 50-inch Viso plasma TV was stolen out of the beer tent erected for the weekend F ... More >>

Move Over, OC, Placer County's Now Bastion of Conservatism

Thomas Shaller of FiveThirtyEight--a website that takes its name from the 535 electoral college votes as it crunches polling data and other numbers--makes a compelling case that Placer County in Northern California is the new Orange County when it comes to bastions of conservatism.While Orange Count ... More >>

Welcome to the Poorhouse: Put-a-Head-on-It Edition

One thing I do miss about my life before the soul-crushing debt, round the clock collector calls and general feeling of numb is my nightly Newcastle. Ironically, it was around the time my financial house was falling down that I noticed the price of six packs, across the board, going up. Actually, th ... More >>

Former O.C. Bishop Lies Like a Devil in Fresno Pedophile Case

Yesterday, a Fresno jury acquitted the Catholic Diocese of Fresno of culpability in the priestly rapes of innocents, and does this news really surprise you given Fresno is Fresno? We really can't expect much intellectually and morally of this town, given its head padre is Bishop John Steinbock, form ... More >>

Couple Sees Nixon Everywhere They Go in OC

Yank Lisa and Brit Andy, who consider themselves the unlikliest people in Northern California to have became ranchers and farmers, headed south for the late winter--and seemingly encountered Dick everywhere they went. In "The Good, the Bad and Richard Nixon" on their Left Coast Cowboys site, the ... More >>

More Fun With the Queen Mary of Orange Coun...uh...Long Beach

First off, an "Ahoy, matey!" with a cherry on top to "Nice try," who justifiably mocks my bleary-eyed muffing of the photo selection for Speaking of Abandoned Ships, Save the Queen [Mary] Can't Save Itself. I'm next to positive the correct barnacle collector is shown here. And I disagree with Nice t ... More >>

Deep Throat Dies

The famed and enigmatic anonymous source credited with grinding Richard Nixon's perfidious presidency to a halt, died yesterday in northern California. A career FBI director, W. Mark Felt Sr. confessed to being "Deep Throat" in 2005, after 30 years of denial. He was the man, he admitted, who walked ... More >>

More Details on Post-War Crime

Various news agencies have identified the 25-year-old suspect in the beating death of his 19-year-old girlfriend and aspiring model as a distinguished U.S. Army Iraq war veteran who earned a Purple Heart, an Army Commendation Medal and a Combat Infantry Badge. Now, the retired infantryman sits in O ... More >>

Letters

'And We Dont Give a Damn Whether Your Boobs Are Fake or Not!'

Silence Is Golden

Ride On!

Como Streets gone, but cyclists keep peddling