Friday, July 19th
Adam Ant
Grove of Anaheim
Supporting his new album Adam Ant Is the Blueblack Hussar in Marrying the Gunner's Daughter, Adam Ant is back in the states and back on the road. As one of the strangest characters to come to America as a part of the changing music scene of the late 70's, Adam Ant has reinvented himself with his new album. Distancing himself from the new-romantics movement and aligning himself more with punk or post-punk, the new album doesn't try to bridge the gap Adam Ant has created between his own adventurous over-the-top persona and the pop music world that once loved him. If you are an Adam Ant fanatic, or someone who just loves 80's pop-culture, you have to see Adam Ant at least one last time.
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Seahaven
Chain Reaction
From Torrance California the boys of Seahaven grew up going to shows at Chain Reaction, now when they play it, they sell it out. Breaking out of the LA/OC DIY scene Seahaven has grown to headline this West Coast tour and open for The Story So Far in a European tour this fall. Playing house shows in 2008 with bands like Touche Amore, Joyce Manor, and Pianos Become the Teeth, Seahaven along with all of the bands quickly outgrew the Torrance DIY scene they helped to grow. Seahaven's carefully crafted sound of post-hardcore with a softer pop-punk side has become more popular as of recent, but Seahaven definitely has their own way of doing it.
Saturday, July 20th
Matchbox Twenty
Verizon Amphitheatre
Rob Thomas and the boys from Matchbox Twenty are back from their second hiatus. In September 2012, the band reunited with a new album “North” and have since been on tour. This summer's tour includes another 90's favorite, The Goo Goo Dolls. With neither band landing on our list for “The Lamest Bands of the 90's” not only can you bring your mother who loves both bands to the show, you can sing along to every radio single without a hint of embarrassment. Who doesn't love a little 90's nostalgia?
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Sunday, July 21st
Counting Crows
Pacific Amphitheater
Another 90's favorite pop rock band is going to be in town the same weekend. Berkley based Counting Crows are on a full US tour bringing along The Wallflowers and playing some of the insanely catchy hits they are known for like “Mr. Jones” and the cliché ridden, almost political, “Big Yellow Taxi” (you know the song about paving parking lots.) With some of their most recent successes being an award for a song in the movie “Shrek 2” and their latest release Underwater Sunshine is only cover songs, you clearly can expect to hear the bands biggest hits without the drag of boring new material that comes with seeing older bands.
Dillinger Escape Plan
Observatory
Coming off the bands most critically acclaimed albums to date, The Dillinger Escape plan are joining up to headline The Summer Slaughter Tour. The New Jersey Mathcore or experimental hardcore outfit has not gotten weaker with age. This year's One of Us Is The Killer is one of the most experimental hardcore punk albums of all time. The tour also features Animals As Leaders, Periphery, Norma Jean, Cattle Decapitation, The Ocean, Revocation, and Aeon. With each band known in their own genre as some of the heaviest and most experimental bands, the Observatory is going to see old and new come together in one motion of loud and confusing rage.
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