MCCARTNEY RETURNS TO HOLLYWOOD BOWL
Almost a year after thrilling fans a third his age at Coachella, Paul McCartney returns to Southern California to play the Hollywood Bowl on March 30 and 31. It will be Sir Paul’s first performance at the venue since 1993; he made his debut there with the Beatles in 1964. “The new show will feature a typically diverse set list drawing on two-hours-plus’ worth of selections spanning the catalogs of the Beatles, Wings and McCartney’s solo career, including tracks from the Fireman’s 2008 album, Electric Arguments,” reads the e-mail from PR firm Nasty Little Man. “There will be some never-before-played-on-U.S.-soil songs added to the set list, as well as the U.S. live premiere of ‘(I Want to) Come Home,’ McCartney’s Golden Globe-nominated track from the Robert De Niro movie Everybody’s Fine.” Tickets, which run from $50 to $350, go on sale Sunday at 10 a.m. From a Feb. 22 Heard Mentality post.
OC MUSIC AWARDS FINALISTS ANNOUNCED
After seven consecutive Tuesday-night showcases—all of which were free, fun and full of quality local bands—the OC Music Awards have announced the finalists in two categories. I Hate You Just Kidding, Billy Kernkamp, Stacy Clark, Marc B and Mike Vitale are the five Best Live Acoustic finalists, and The Colourist, The Steelwells, Dusty Rhodes and the River Band, The Union Line, and BLOK will compete for Best Live Band. The 10 acts play the Showcase Finals, at which the category winners will be announced at the end of each night. The winner of each category then performs at the awards show on March 6 at the Grove of Anaheim; each will receive a $2,500 voucher from Fender and a four-day recording session at Red Bull Studios. From a Feb. 17 post.
TRAVIS CLARK READY FOR FALL OUT BOY CALL
“It’s definitely surreal,” We the Kings front man Travis Clark told me before a gig in 2007. “Every show is like the biggest yet.” His punk-pop band’s self-titled debut disc had just come out on S-Curve (Fountains of Wayne, Joss Stone), and the group was about to elate a crowd of some 1,000 screaming teens at Jannus Landing Courtyard in St. Petersburg, near Clark’s hometown of Bradenton, Florida. Since then, We the Kings have gone from Florida faves to one of the biggest acts in the pop-punk world. Their debut album produced the Top 40 single “Check Yes Juliet (Run Baby Run),” and in December, the band released Smile Kid, which features the even-bigger smashes “Heaven Can Wait” and the title track. Plus, We the Kings headlined the Hot Topic Presents Sub City Take Action Tour that hit Anaheim’s House of Blues Feb. 20. But as happy as he is with his band, Clark would definitely consider a side project if Fall Out Boy leader Pete Wentz (a fan of We the Kings) calls about a replacement singer. “It would be awesome!” Clark says. “I think he’s looking for a female singer, but I can hit those high notes.” From a Feb. 19 post.