Costa Mesa pop-rockers Handsome G (click for interview), We Are the Pilots, Pawn Shop Kings, the Steelwells (click for recent guest blogging by front man Joey Winter) and Argyle Smile compete for the title of 2010's Best Live Band at the third OC Music Awards showcase, taking place tonight at the Continental Room in downtown Fullerton.
But wait, there's more. Following sets by the OCMA acts, Brandon Saller, drummer for famed OC metalcore act Atreyu, is scheduled to perform his second solo show–ever! It might also be the first time fans get to witness the Huntington Beach resident go solo/acoustic. He'll be singing and playing guitar. Click for recent Q&A I did with Saller. This evening's show is free, the Continental Room is cozy (read: small) and there's much talent on the roster. Arriving fashionably late could result in being denied access.
OC Music Awards Showcase, the Continental Room, 115 Santa Fe Ave., Fullerton, Today, 7:30 p.m., Free, 21+
After the jump: the Showcase schedule.
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The Awards countdown continues with weekly showcases culminating at the Best Live Acoustic Finals Feb. 26 at Yost Theater in Santa Ana and the Best Live Band Finals at Samueli Theater/Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa Feb. 27, where the finalists from both categories perform and the winners are announced on stage at the end of each night.
2010 Showcase & Awards Schedule
Tue. 1/05, 7:30 p.m. – Detroit Bar, Costa Mesa (Live Band, FREE, 21+)
Kiev (Orange)
Melanoid (Fullerton)
Yellow Red Sparks (Tustin)
The Union Line (San Juan Capistrano)
Make Moon (Newport Beach)
Tue.. 1/12, 7:30 p.m. – District Tustin Legacy, Tustin (Live Acoustic, FREE, All Ages)
Matt Kollar and the Angry Mob (Huntington Beach)
Barrett Johnson (Santa Ana)
Billy Kernkamp (Costa Mesa)
Stacy Clark (Costa Mesa)
Canvas (Santa Ana)
Tue. 1/19, 7:30 p.m. – Continental Room, Fullerton (Live Band, FREE, 21+)
Handsome G (Costa Mesa)
We Are the Pilots (Anaheim)
Pawn Shop Kings (Santa Ana)
The Steelwells (Fullerton)
Argyle Smile (Anaheim)
Tue. 1/26, 7 p.m. – Gypsy Den, Santa Ana (Live Acoustic, FREE, All Ages)
The Vacuum Bell (Laguna Beach)
Kurt Hunter (Fullerton)
Marc B (Huntington Beach)
Mike Vitale (Fullerton)
I Hate You Just Kidding (Costa Mesa)
Tue. 2/02, 7 p.m. – Chain Reaction, Anaheim (Live Band, FREE, All Ages)
Moostache (Huntington Beach)
Halos (Brea)
The Colourist (Costa Mesa)
The Bolts (Irvine)
Blok (Irvine)
Tue. 2/09, 7:30 p.m. – OC Tavern, San Clemente (Live Acoustic, FREE, 21+)
Skee (Sunset Beach)
Carly Layne (Laguna Niguel)
Parker Macy Blues (Orange)
Christina Dietz (San Clemente)
Allensworth (Huntington Beach)
Tue. 2/16, 7:30 p.m. – Gypsy Lounge, Lake Forest (Live Band, FREE, 21+)
Duress (Huntington Beach)
The New Limb (Costa Mesa)
Dusty Rhodes and the River Band (Fullerton)
Stereofix (Costa Mesa)
The Color Turning (Santa Ana)
Fri. 2/26, 8 p.m. – Yost Theater, Santa Ana – (Live Acoustic Finals, FREE, All Ages)
Sat. 2/27, 8 p.m. – Samueli Theater, OCPAC – (Live Band Finals, FREE, All Ages)
Sat. 3/6, 8 p.m. – Grove of Anaheim – (OC Music Awards, $25, All Ages)
