The Five Must-See Shows in OC This Week

Don't forget to check out our constantly updated OC Concert Calendar.

Monday, August 19

Gardener's Logic
The Constellation Room
Perfectly in sync with headliner Stacy Clark is another acoustic indie act presenting strong vocals and carefully orchestrated productions. Gardeners Logic have been gaining momentum here in Orange County in the last few months with a Detroit Bar residency in April, their first EP and a tour. There's a cheery atmosphere even in their most melancholy tunes, characterized by upbeat acoustic chords and booming drums matched by belting vocals and electric guitar. This band somehow has found the perfect way to balance country flavorings and indie rock together in amazing harmony. Catch them tonight at the Constellation Room during Stacy Clark's residency with Some Gifts and Grizfolk. (Aimee Murillo)

]

Bombon
The Continental Room
San Pedro's all-girl trio Bombon drag surf from the shoreline to the subterranean punk underworld–this is fast, fun, nasty rock & roll, just like the kind the 5-6-7-8s or the Trashwomen rode to international fame. The oceans the girls in Bombon must be thinking of are filled with sharks and shipwrecks, and the rhythm of the tide doesn't kick in until someone shouts out a Dee Dee Ramone-style “1-2-3-4!” This week, Burger Records presents the band at the Continental Room along with South Bay Surfers and Habibi. (Chris Ziegler)

Tuesday, August 20

The Polyphonic Spree
The Observatory
The Polyphonic Spree are weird. They'd admit it, and one look at any of their videos or concert footage might scare the bejeezus out of average indie music lovers. Evoking flashbacks of Jim Jones and his Kool-Aid kooks spliced together with visions of Godspell, just about every PS video on YouTube has one post asking, “is this a cult?” Probably. It's unnerving, to be sure, to hear Nirvana's “Lithium” played like a praise-be-the-day Psalm, and lead singer Tim DeLaughter really can't sing. Still, there's something so bizarre about the group (and rather melodic) that they have no problem sucking in a certain segment of society (who helped them raise 100K on Kickstarter last year to fund a new album and DVD). If you haven't experienced them, now's your chance. Just be sure you leave a contact number at home for your mom, and be leery of anyone measuring you for a robe.
(SR Davies)

[

Wednesday, August 21
KYLE
The Constellation Room
With phrases like “up-and-coming,” “buzz,” and “rising star” consistently attached to his name on music blogs, KYLE (and that's in all caps if you don't mind) has a lot of fire power fueling the release of his debut album, Beautiful Loser, released just two weeks ago. The California hip-hop artist began as a teenager, dropping mixtapes under the alias K.I.D., eventually changing his moniker to his real first name, forever causing challenging Google searches. But Beautiful Loser is an impassioned launch, and though he had production help from the Cataracs, Dave Cappa, Carnage and more, tracks like “Fruit Snacks & Cups of Patron” and “This Is a Hit” have a disarming DIY quality. If he keeps on this path, he'll have to come up with a more appropriate title for his next album. (Erin DeWitt)

Friday, August 23
The Adolescents
Alex's Bar
A quadruple fix of Orange County punk rock is just what the doctor ordered for the summertime blues. Three legendary bands on the bill- The Adolescents, The Middle Class, and The Crowd are up for celebrating Adolescents member Steve Soto's birthday with a show at Alex's Bar. Noted as a “punk supergroup” The Adolescents have been a beloved presence in Orange County for the thirty-plus years of their existence, and don't seem to be showing any signs of slowing down (lucky for us). And even as Soto celebrates the big 5-0, the guys are still as young and kick-ass as any adolescent in Orange County. Tonight the trio of bands play with Rats In The Wall. (Aimee Murillo)

Follow us on Twitter @OCWeeklyMusic and like us on Facebook at Heard Mentality.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *