COMIN-CON NOT MOVING TO ANAHEIM
Or LA, for that matter. Comic-Con International, the largest comics convention in the world, announced last week it will be staying in San Diego “for the foreseeable future.” Although Comic-Con has had to cap attendance at about 125,000 people every year since it reached capacity in 2007 and its lease at the San Diego Convention Center ends in 2012, it will stay in San Diego through 2015. From a Sept. 30 Heard Mentality blog post.
MEGAN MULLALLY MOVES ON
Megan Mullally, more recognizable as the outrageous booze-swilling Karen Walker from the hit sitcom Will N Grace, takes the stage Oct. 7-10 at the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa with Supreme Music Program. The band consists of Mullally, plus Orange County punk stalwart, keyboardist Greg Kuehn from TSOL, drummer Joe Berardi, multi-instrumentalists Doug Livingston and Stuart Mathis, violist/percussionist Peter Jandula-Hudson, and trumpet player Larry Williams. As Megan Mullally and Supreme Music Program, the act will interpret classic pop, jazz and country songs with an idiosyncratic twist, tackling tunes by everyone from Bobbie Gentry to Hoagy Carmichael. For the most part, Mullally says, audiences know what they’re getting: “There might be about 20 percent of the people who think they are going to get a Will N Grace experience—but it’s not that at all.” (Kuehn adds, “It’s really rare that people don’t get it. They usually get onboard.”) It’s not a theater piece, Mullally says, as ”we would look stupid. You know, it’s just a band.” From an Oct. 4 post by Danielle Bacher.
FAR EAST MOVEMENT PICK FAVE ASIAN-AMERICAN ACTS
Hip-hop outfit Far East Movement, who recently celebrated their single “Like a G6” reaching No. 1 on the iTunes chart and No. 10 on the Billboard charts, are not only an inspiration for Asian-American musicians, but they’re also at the forefront of promoting up-and-coming artists. Member Kev Nish says it’s something they do “out of love for our community and family.” Plus, it’s a good time to break into the mainstream. “[Asian-American artists are] starting to make some noise at a time when race is becoming less important. . . . People hear you in a club, and they don’t care what race you are; they just like it.” On their list of favorite acts? Lyrics Born (“We’re fans til the day we die”), David Choi (“He can utilize the Internet and legitimately write great music”), Blue Scholars (“They’ve always come with knowledge and music; their artistry is unnatural”), AJ Rafael (“His personality is tremendous—he’s going to take over”) and 454 Entertainment (“Straight street cred”). From a Sept. 30 post.
LENNY KRAVITZ TO OPEN FOR U2
Some cities got Interpol to open for U2’s 360° Tour. Us? We get Lenny Kravitz, who hasn’t had a hit in more than a decade. He’ll open on both Anaheim dates, but who cares? You’re not going for the opening act; you’re going so you can see Bono fully recovered from his back injury. The rescheduled Southern California performances at Angel Stadium—for June 17 and 18—have a few tickets left for sale on www.livenation.com, www.ticketmaster.com, as well as via Ticketmaster’s retail locations. From a Sept. 29 post.
