As June came to a close, Vestal, a surf watch and eyewear company, parked more than 50 “glamping” tents and many surf vendors and artists, along with several stages for over 40 musicians to rock, dance and bathe in the piping hot sand Thursday, June 28 thru Sunday, July 1 at Bolsa Chica State Beach. […]
Vestal Village at the Beach Combines Sand, Surf and Sounds of OC
Vestal, a local company known for their stylish watches and beachy eyewear, will celebrate their 10-year anniversary and all things sand and surf at Bolsa Chica State Beach with the Vestal Village @ the Beach event in a non-stop party fashion through Sunday. Originating from Vestal Owner Johnny Gehris’ Coachella V.I.P. house parties during the […]
Take a Bite Out of Burritos: A Brad Nowell Tribute Band Created For a Good Cause
Ever since Casey Sullivan was a kid, he has had a deep connection to music. His dad (alias: “Pops” at shows) introduced Sullivan to the Beatles, Phil Collins and many other classic legends, but when his brother tossed the then 11-year-old a Sublime tape (yes, TAPE), it was love-at-first-note. Growing up in Santa Ana, Sullivan […]
Slacktone Open Surfin' Sundays Concert Series in Huntington Beach
Despite windy conditions at Huntington Beach Pier, classic surf punk band Slacktone warmed things up with bright surf guitar riffs and flawless drum solos backed by…(shall I say it?)…a gnarly swell combing through the pier pilings. Once a month, the International Surfing Museum will host a summer concert series featuring classic surf tunes, this event […]
The Humpers – Alex's Bar – January 17, 2015
The Humpers Alex's Bar 1/17/15 Although The Humpers haven't been consistently rocking houses until lately, you'd never know if you were at Alex's Bar in Long Beach, Saturday night. Despite their crazy shows from days past, I only spotted one, count 'em ONE, PBR per band member while they were on stage. Lead Singer Scott […]
Toad the Wet Sprocket Still Crank Out Vulnerable, Ego-less Alt Rock
Seventeen years ago, Toad the Wet Sprocket's infamous song "All I Want" was one of those inescapable songs on the '90s airwaves competing with the likes of Nirvana and Soundgarden. After a few more Billboard hits from their 1991 album "Fear" along with multiple albums following, the Santa Barbara-based group took an extended break from […]
8 Scariest Musical Halloween Costumes
Halloween is that awesome time of year where you can be completely creepy and simultaneously showcase your musical obsessions with costumes that turn you into your favorite singers and band members. So forget the sexy nurse and boring pirate costumes. Why not make yourself into one of the guys from GWAR? Or a fuck-all punk […]
The Best Free OC Concerts in October
Don't forget to check out our constantly updated OC Concert Calendar 'Free' is a word we all love to hear, but it sounds even better when there's live music involved. After constant free summertime concerts in the park, who says the fun stops there?Keep jammin' through fall with the Best Free OC Concerts in October. […]
Our St. Paddy's Irish Bar Breakdown
Since Thursday evening, slowly but surely I've been training my body for Tuesday's inevitable hangover with shots of whiskey and Guinness, corned beef and hash and shepherds pie like a good Irish girl, bikini season be damned. Whether you decided to sacrifice a sick day to the HR gods or at 5 p.m. you're butt […]
The Grand Finale – Detroit Bar – February 28, 2014
The Grand Finale (Abstract Workshop and Dirty Science) Detroit Bar February 28, 2014 Orange County D.J. collectives Abstract Workshop and Dirty Science closed out Detroit Bar's 13 year history with a bang to the beat of classic hip-hop tracks last Friday night. The packed house barely fit into the balmy interior of what was left […]
The Dirty Heads – Pacific Amphitheatre – July 28, 2013
The Dirty Heads Pacific Amphitheatre 7/28/13 About seven thousand people flocked to the Pacific Amphitheater in Costa Mesa to catch Huntington Beach's finest stoner rap-reggae group The Dirty Heads on Sunday.This band addresses all ends of the genre spectrum, making them somewhat difficult to categorize: A bunch of white boy rappers from Orange County? They […]
Doheny Blues Festival-Doheny State Beach – May 18, 2013
Doheny Blues Festival Doheny State Beach May 18, 2013 Summer festival season officially started in south Orange County over the weekend as the 16th annual Doheny Blues Festival kicked off the 2-day concert series at Doheny State Beach. Although weather remained temperate with cool ocean breezes, the bluesy tunes turned up the heat from all […]
The Top 15 Orange County Dive Bars
Over the past few months, we've dropped into the smallest, darkest corners of local nightlife to bring you a list of the best dive bars OC has to offer. It hasn't always been pretty. But our search brought us in contact with plenty of stiff drinks, salty drunks and crazy stories. Whether you're looking for […]
Top Five Dive Bars in North Orange County
The last horse finally crosses the finish line! As we conclude our OC dive bar hunt, the north corner of the orange curtain contains a few noteworthy watering holes within its borders. Before you decide to burn a tank of gas getting to LA, don't forget the gloriously grimy crevices lurking between La Habra and […]
Bettman and Halpin Turn Folk Into Fine Art
To the high-class culture hounds of OC, the Soka Performing Arts center is typically synonymous with suit-wearing symphonies, renowned jazz giants and cultural dance troupes. But duo Stephanie Bettman and Luke Halpin don't fall under any of those categories. In fact, their folk/Americana sound and spirit already make them an anomaly of the venue's concert […]
OC Music Awards: Night 2 Puts Singer-Songwriters On a Frosty Pedestal
OC Music Awards: Night 2 The District at Tustin Legacy January 15, 2013 The second night of the showcase series for the OC Music Awards featured five more acts to the mix of local hopefuls on Tuesday evening at the open-air District at Tustin Legacy. Dedicated patrons donned thick sweaters, jackets and beenies while the […]
OC Music Awards Showcase: Night 1-Detroit Bar-January 8, 2013
The OC Music Awards kicked off its weekly seven-part series at Detroit Bar in Costa Mesa Tuesday night and featured five local Orange County bands who rocked the house while several D.J.'s kept the party flowing. Local standouts like Robert Jon and The Wreck left one hell of an impression as their explosive rock sound […]
Kevin Miso Takes a Clear-Headed Approach to Island Soul
Though we stumble across plenty of summery singer/songwriters during festival season, most of them seem pretty forgettable by the time winter rolls around. When Kevin Miso came onstage and owned his set during the Doheny Surf Festival in August, his smooth, soulful, acoustic tunes carried bright notes that made it impossible to stand still. Given […]
Young Girls – Still Water- December 12, 2012
Despite much hesitation about Googling their name, Houston-based band Young Girls were not, in fact, girls. Being of the distinct opposite sex, these Texas boys knew how to put on a good show, even if Still Water's often reputed 'older' Wednesday night crowd was sparse at best. The two-year old band has chosen a post-punk garage […]
Toots and the Maytals – The Coach House- November 21, 2012
Toots and the MaytalsThe Coach HouseNovember 21, 2012 Straight from Kingston, Jamaica, classic soul reggae group Toots and the Maytals brought those good island vibes to a not-too-large crowd at San Juan Capistrano's Coach House on Wednesday night. Despite the fact that it was the night before turkey day, everyone in the crowd was smiling […]
Top Five Dive Bars in Central Orange County
Deep in the very red heart of central Orange County's clogged arterial domain, dive bar culture is alive and well. Although some are more hidden than others, you might be surprised what lurks within the dark crevices between Newport and Santa Ana. Those of you who never learned to associate PBR and jukeboxes with good […]