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‘I Am an Innocent Man’ Kenneth Clair speaks for the first time about his travesty of a death-penalty case

f he weren’t wearing an orange jumpsuit and sitting inside a fortified visitors’ booth under heavy guard at Orange County’s Theo Lacy Jail, you would never guess Kenneth Clair has resided on San Quentin State Prison’s death row for more than 10,000 days. Clair describes the place as “hell,” “torture” and “like living in a madhouse” where “there are fights every day.” Yet, remarkably, the traumatic setting, his CONFIDENTIAL home since Ronald Reagan’s presidency, has not broken this 56-year-old Louisiana native’s spirit. On a recent Saturday in his first R SCOTT face-to-face interview with a jourMOXLEY nalist, Clair showed no hint of being a monster worthy of state execution. He didn’t threaten, babble or rant. There were no demonic curses, as I’d previously experienced with another death-row occupant. A composed Clair is proud he has never committed violence against a prison guard or a fellow inmate during 30 years of incarceration. He smiled easily, spoke politely and was thoughtful—even funny. Having undergone 11 surgeries while living as a condemned man, Clair told the Weekly, “[State officials have] paid a lot of money to keep me together so they can kill me.” There is, of course, no joking about the crime that caused Clair’s imprisonment. In November 1984, an intruder with sexual assault, burglary and murder on his mind brutally killed Linda Faye Rodgers. The 25-year-old had been a live-in babysitter at a Santa Ana residence tied to narcotics trafficking and owned by a man with ties to a white-supremacist gang, according to court records. Police quickly settled on Clair, a transient who’d lived in an abandoned property next door, as the lone suspect. Four days before the killing, he’d been arrested for trespassing at the residence; detectives speculated he might have returned for revenge after his release from custody. Law enforcement officers faced huge problems, however. No forensic evidence tied Clair to the crime scene. Cops concluded the murderer must have been drenched in blood, but a woman who spotted the defendant shortly after the crime saw nothing out of the ordinary. More powerfully, two eyewitnesses—ages 5 and 6, both Caucasian kids Rodgers supervised—told arriving first responders that the perpetrator had been a white man. Detectives tried to rattle the

moxley

» .

description without success, according to an internal Santa Ana Police Department report. A third kid, the victim’s young daughter, separately concurred. She stated, “[They] have the wrong man. That black man didn’t do it.” Nonetheless, on Dec. 4, 1987, a judge handed the ultimate punishment to the defendant, who is a dark-skinned African-American. Five days later, Clair arrived at San Quentin, where he says prison officials asked him a disturbing question: Do you want to pick the method of your execution or allow us to decide? Relaying the memory drove Clair’s chin to his chest. He shut his eyes and remained silent for about 20 seconds. He finally said softly, “I am an innocent man.” It’s impossible to judge the sincerity of a person you’ve known for a couple of hours, but any theatrics wouldn’t change the fact the government’s case has suffered multiple devastating blows in recent years. Prosecution witnesses have recanted statements. Unearthed records show police rushed to pursue Clair despite clues pointing elsewhere. We’ve learned the prosecutor, Mike Jacobs, had a penchant for hiding exculpatory evidence and harboring a relentless, win-at-all-cost mentality. Proof of a surreptitious Orange County district attorney’s office (OCDA) deal to sway testimony against the defense emerged. Several jurors feel hoodwinked. The trial work of Julian Bailey, Clair’s defense lawyer and now a superior court judge, was so shockingly incompetent the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit last year ruled the death penalty couldn’t be fairly imposed. If he’d had even semi-decent representation, there’s “a reasonable probability” the case would have ended more favorably for the defense, the judges noted. “Bailey served me up on a platter for Jacobs,” said Clair. “And Jacobs got his conviction by using any means necessary.” The case is now in Superior Court Judge Thomas M. Goethals’ Santa Ana courtroom, where the next step will be decided: Should Clair be re-sentenced to a punishment of life without the possibility of parole, or, should the special circumstances enhancement be stricken so he can someday ask for parole? Those questions are pending because Goethals has jurisdictional concerns. In February, the parties asked a federal appellate panel to

DA TONY RACKAUCKAS: ANYTHING I SAY COULD BE USED AGAINST ME

provide guidance before a May hearing. As a backdrop, there’s a lingering forensics battle. In 2008, 21 years after the defendant landed on death row, scientific testing unavailable during the trial made a startling discovery. DNA found on Rodgers’ vaginal area matched another individual tied to a Fresno case. District Attorney Tony Rackauckas has refused to share the identity of the person, claiming the person was too young at the time of the murder to be guilty. Clair defense lawyer John Grele argued the DNA match extends to the man’s male relatives and his identity should be turned over for investigation into whether one of those individuals could be the killer. But, insisting Clair is guilty, Rackauckas refuses to cooperate, declaring the mystery person’s “privacy rights” supersede Clair’s right to due process. Grele countered that he’d agree to a protective order about the identity, but the DA rejected that proposal, too. “It’s a tough situation,” said Clair, who believes the DNA secrecy hides an inconvenient truth for prosecutors. “The race factor is self-explanatory. I’d bet $1 million it’s a white person’s, like what the kids told the first responders. . . . [The DA’s office] knew the biological evidence didn’t match me in 1985. They didn’t want to test me [before my trial]. I was the one who demanded I be tested for two years. Finally, I got a court order.” Here’s where the DA’s sinister side reemerges. With the defense signaling it has not given up on the DNA issue, Scott Simmons, one of Rackauckas’ ranking deputy DAs, declared the office, usually adamant about keeping inmates on death row, will not pursue renewal of the death penalty in

this case. Intrigue is heightened by the fact that OCDA continues to contrarily maintain Clair is worthy of execution. Did Rackauckas alter his habit to slyly serve a double whammy on Clair? Defense lawyers certainly think so. If OCDA tried to re-impose capital punishment, the agency would have to surrender the buried DNA evidence, and the indigent defendant would likely keep publicly financed legal counsel to battle prosecutors. “I look at that [OCDA decision] as their way of hoping I’d just go away and attention to my case would go away,” he said. “They’re not showing me any compassion.” Clair also isn’t happy with his legal representation. He claims Grele, his attorney for a decade, has kept him in the dark about strategy, repeatedly generated mistrust, failed to energetically demand the DNA evidence and has been unjustly dismissive of C.J. Ford, a private detective who discovered most of the holes in the government’s case. On April 2, he fired the San Francisco-area lawyer. “I no longer want him to represent me,” said Clair. “I’m always learning stuff after papers have been filed [in court] without him telling me what he’s doing. My life is the one on the line here.” Grele refused to comment. Near the end of our interview, the inmate summarized his goal. “I was wrongly accused, convicted and sentenced,” he said. “Thirty-one-and-a-half years later, I am still pleading for a fair trial.” RSCOTTMOXLEY@OCWEEKLY.COM

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“GORGEOUSLY COMPLEX,

» GUSTAVO ARELLANO DEAR MEXICAN: I’m a Latina with Mexican parents—well, parent, since my father has been nonexistent since I was 13, but, you know, you still respect him cause he’s your sperm donor? Anyhoo, the point of this letter is not only am I a lesbian, but also my partner is white. We have been together for about a year; in gay years, that’s like 12. But she doesn’t get why I’m so close to my family. We have small arguments (which she likes to call discussions) about how Mexicans take advantage of the system. After many “discussions,” we agreed it’s not just Mexicans who take advantage; it’s any race. They all have them: whites have white trash, blacks have thugs, and Mexicans have cholos or whatever they go by these days. She sees that my family takes advantage of me, but push come to shove, my family is my family, and they will be there for me now as much as they have been there for me in the past, and so will I. I’m a little out of “discussions” on how to explain the closeness Mexicans just have with their families. The other issue is she wants to learn Spanish and is having a hard time, and she doesn’t like to be around my family ’cause instinct makes us kick into speaking Spanglish or Tex-Mex, and she says it’s like she just doesn’t exist ’cause she only understands a third of the conversation. She gets irritated ’cause she says that we all speak English except for my mom, so when my mom is not around, why can’t we just stick to English? I really have no answer to that question; it’s just instinct to speak Spanish to anyone who speaks Spanish, regardless if they speak English or not. I do feel bad ’cause I know Spanish is hard to learn, but it’s kind of impossible to not speak it when my mom doesn’t understand English. So what’s the solution? I really love my white girl and hate to end up going our separate ways

EXPOSES THE SCARS OF NOT BELONGING.” –Laura Blum, thalo.com

for silly things such as these. Any suggestions? Latin Lesbian in Loss DEAR POCHA: Gabachos will never understand why Mexicans are so close to their family, just as they’ll never understand our love for midgets. But the bigger issue here is linguistics. If your lover is trying to learn Spanish, why does she get mad when you and your siblings speak en Español? Does she get agüitada when you use the language of love for your almohada talk? Seems to be underlying issues here, so I say dump la pendeja and move on to a Mexican mujer who gets you and your culture. Besides, don’t forget that gabachas are like that fifth torta de chorizo—seems like a good time at first, but it’ll leave you chingado in the end.

”You can bastardize everything else in your life, but

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LOVE IT INSTANTLY.”

DEAR MEXICAN: I work in a kitchen with many Mexicans, and they often refer to me as “Charlie.” What’s up with Mexicans calling everyone “Charlie”? Charlie Surfs DEAR GABACHO: You heard that story about the gabacho who’s suing a Mario Batali restaurant because he claimed the Mexican cooks called him “gringo,” “estúpido,” “pendejo” and even a “Chinga tu madre”? The chavala didn’t get what you don’t seem to understand: that Mexican cooks love to bust one another’s balls and will pile on the insults if you react negatively. It’s working-class culture, and if you can’t take the heat, get out of the cocina, cabrón. But since the Mexican is ever-magnanimous, here’s a tip: You can return the calor by calling your co-workers a below-the-belt insult such as “Rick Bayless.” ASK THE MEXICAN at themexican@askamexican.net, be his fan on Facebook, follow him on Twitter, or ask him a video question at youtube.com/askamexicano!

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ou were the retired group of American tourists wearing ridiculous outfits and talking loudly in the fancy restaurant of a historical hotel overlooking the Zocalo. First of all, don’t you know that Mexico City isn’t Cancun? You do not wear Hawaiian shirts and sandals in a restaurant where the waiters wear white coats. And all your offensive comments about the slow service? Maybe you’re a bit too accustomed to the early bird special at Acapulco Restaurant. Next time you visit Mexico, take the cruise and don’t get off the boat!

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HEYYOU!

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COACHELLA GETS VANDALIZED OC punk’s merry pranksters claim a place in the sun T

here are probably a few punks out in San Pedro who remember the first time the Vandals lived up to their name. It was sometime around 1982. The band’s former lead singer Stevo Jensen was working as a janitor at Fountain Valley High School, where he used to steal formaldehyde frogs that were waiting to be dissected by students. However, during a gig at Dancing Waters, as the band banged out the power chords and thwacking drums of the song “The Frog Stomp,” Jensen unleashed the deceased hoppers into the crowd.

by Mary Carreon “The bouncers were trying to stop Stevo from squishing the frogs, but they were slipping and sliding everywhere, and everyone in the crowd was going insane,” remembers Mike Martt of LA punk band Tex & the Horseheads. As he retells the story, he’s overcome with laughter. “It was absolute mayhem. Frogs were everywhere.” Not too long after the incident, the Vandals were booked to play another show at Dancing Waters, but only under the provision that no amphibians were allowed. “So Stevo shows up to the venue with frogs hidden in the bass drum of

[Joe Escalante’s] drum set,” Martt says. This time, the venue was packed—at least a thousand people were in attendance. “The beginning of ‘The Frog Stomp’ started, and Stevo brought out the frogs, if you catch my drift,” Martt says. “The venue exploded into chaos, and the frogs exploded, too.” It’s been decades since those early days of West Coast punk, and the Vandals have consistently raised a middle finger to cookie-cutter Orange County culture and punk’s holier-thanthou ethos. The reputation they gained after throwing dead frogs into the crowd only inten-

AN UPGRADE FROM FROGS TO FLAMINGOS

| | | | | | | | |

hile riding shotgun in a journalist’s red Toyota Corolla on a recent Sunday afternoon, Escalante would rather pass himself and his band mates off as a bunch of cantankerous old men. “We’re probably the grumpiest group of musicians you’ve ever met,” Escalante says in a dry tone, as the car turns onto Pacific Coast Highway from his beachfront property in Seal Beach. “I don’t know of a [punk] band who’s stayed together longer than we have— it’s been, like, 30 years now. It’s like we’re married.” A subtle smile cracks on the side of his mouth, suggestm ing maybe the Vandals’ decades of matrimony haven’t been s bad. so Minutes later, the car pulls up to the driveway of drummer Josh Freese’s house, just north of Belm mont Shore in Long Beach. Es Escalante calls him to come out aand hitch a ride only to

find out that Freese is actually at his home away from home, the popular Second Street taco joint Super Mex. There, Freese and lead singer Dave Quackenbush are huddled around a table, munching on tortilla chips while cracking jokes. “Took [you] long enough,” says Freese to Escalante as he arrives. “I thought when you said ‘Here,’ you meant your house,” Escalante shoots back. “We’ve been here the whole time,” says Quackenbush. The ball-busting remarks and short stints of laughter continue as a waitress comes by to take drink orders. “I’ve been drinking iced teas all week,” Escalante tells the server, Mayra. “I think I’ll have a Coke.” As he places the menu on the table, he makes eye contact with Quackenbush. “Sundays are my Coke day,” he says as he shrugs his shoulders and a wide smile forms. Quackenbush and Freese crack up at Escalante’s double-entendre. Yep: they never turn it off. The Vandals trace their roots to 1981,

» CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

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happens when you’re put on the Coachella lineup,” says Dexter Holland, lead singer of the Offspring. Nitro Records, a label Holland created with Offspring bassist Greg K. and ran until 2013, put out four of the Vandals’ 10 albums. (In 1996, Escalante—who is also a former entertainment lawyer, TV executive and radio host—started Kung Fu Records with band mate Warren Fitzgerald and released their past three records, including 2004’s Hollywood Potatochip.) “It’s almost like being knighted in a certain way because Paul Tollett has a very specific agenda of how he wants Coachella to be and the image he wants it to have,” says Holland. Like Holland, plenty of thee band’s longtime supporters view their sets on April 17 and 24 as an acknowledgement of the Vandals’ enduring legacy. “It’s a testament to the iconic status they’ve finally achieved in punk rock,” Holland says.

ril -14,X2, 016 MAp ON TH08 X X–X 2014

sified with the beef they started with the shit-kicking cowboys at Zubie’s, the country-and-western bar next door to the legendary Cuckoo’s Nest, that was immortalized in the Vandals’ song “Urban Struggle.” And as the years passed, their unrepentant joy at not just playing but performing as OC punk’s merry pranksters never ceased. The band that once packed in riotous crowds in the ’80s now entice the children of those fans to shows such as their Annual Christmas Formal, a jolly tradition that has lasted more than 20 years. And now, OC’s favorite punk rock dads, who span in age from 43 to 55, are gearing up to play one of the biggest festivals in the world—even though they haven’t put out a new record in more than a decade. They knew Goldenvoice CEO and Coachella founder Paul Tollett when he was a scrawny college kid, so it seems oddly fitting they’ve finally been given their place among 168 bands on the sun-soaked festival’s lineup. “I think for a lot of bands, there’s a weird thing that

JOHN GILHOOLEY

Coachella Gets Vandalized » FROM PAGE 9

AT THE 2014 ANNUAL CHRISTMAS FORMAL

Coachella Gets Vandalized » FROM PAGE 9 back when wearing studded jackets and starching Mohawks with egg yolks meant you were begging to get razzed by jocks and spit on by preppies. Founded in Huntington Beach by original lead guitarist Jan Nils Ackermann and the late Steven “Stevo” Ronald Jensen, the band’s lineup saw major changes throughout their first decade. “The band existed for about six months before I was even in it,” says Escalante, who joined as the drummer but switched to bass in 1988. He already knew Stevo because he once dated Escalante’s sister Mary Ann. Some of Escalante’s friends, including Todd Barnes from TSOL, were lobbying the current members of the Vandals to bring in Escalante because the band’s original drummer, Vince Mesa, and Stevo didn’t like each other, causing a lot of tension. But, Escalante says, he also didn’t care too much for Stevo at that time. “When he was dating my sister, Stevo used to torment me with joy buzzers, fake dog poop and bad magic tricks. And he had Sammy Hagar hair,” Escalante remembers. “I didn’t want to be in some clowny new wave band. “At the same time, though, the guys in TSOL were calling the guy I knew as ‘Steven Jensen’ something different,” Escalante added. “They kept telling me that I should be in this guy ‘Stevo’s’ band named the Vandals. Then I saw the Van-

dals play at a party, and I was like, ‘Yeah, I want to be in that band.’ I still didn’t realize Stevo was Steve Jensen.” That was the beginning of a 36-year career for the now-53-year-old. Stevo, Ackermann and Escalante were the band’s only consistent members through the early years. Their crazy performances enticed crowds from beyond Orange County to their shows. And their music attracted a fan base that consisted of many wide-eyed young punks who would go on to use the Vandals’ raw, witty style as a major source of inspiration. “We were fans of the Vandals all throughout growing up and while we were trying to start our band during the ’80s,” Holland says. “There was Social Distortion, TSOL and a couple of others, but the Vandals were . . . already Orange County icons while we were getting the Offspring together.” By 1985, the Vandals lineup went through some major shifts. They kicked out Stevo for getting too intoxicated to perform a couple of high-profile shows, causing them to adopt Quackenbush—the band’s current front man. In 1987,, o guitarist Fitzgerald came into the band, giving the Vandals a bigger, heavier sound. And in 1989, the band brought in Freese, one of the industry’s most indemand drummers, who has performed with Guns N’ Roses, A Perfect Circle, Sublime With Rome and 311,,

among others. “You can go to a Vandals show simply to watch Josh play drums because he’s that good and also very entertaining,” Holland says. Jensen getting kicked out sparked the band’s transformation from literal frog stompers to intelligent comedians who called out Orange County for its bullshit. “The original front man, Stevo, was great but he was such a provocateur—he just wanted to get a rise out of the audience,” Holland says. (Jensen passed away in 2005 from unknown causes.) With the new lineup, “they were even smarter than the audience a lot of times,” Holland says. “So they began really messing with crowds a lot—and fans ate it up.” One such example is the song “Pizza Tran” from 1990’s Fear of a Punk Planet. The song about one man’s love for a Vietnamese immigrant girl delivering pizza in her dope white Supra delivers a slice of life that could make punks laugh while subliminally absorbing references about Vietnamese migration to OC after the Fall of Saigon. The Vandals’ unrelenting humor has always made them stand out. The have a way of talking to They au audiences that sounds as i they are making fun of if them while at the same time entertaining them. The band’s buffoonery is perfect for putting a c crowd on edge, sometimes pis pissed off, and always ready sla to slam.

JOHN GILHOOLEY

fter a decade of tearing up stages across Orange County, the Vandals really took off in the mid-’90s, along with many of their OC peers and acolytes. They toured nationally with bands such as No Doubt, NOFX and Pearl Jam and released seminal albums including 1995’s Live Fast, Diarrhea and 1998’s Hitler Bad, Vandals Good. It was also during this time that they found wild success with younger generations of fans. “When I started the Vans Warped Tour in ’95, I wanted to take [the Vandals] on tour with me,” says Kevin Lyman, the festival’s founder. “They were more than just friends; they were great musicians who put on an awesome show.” By that time their snide, aggressive wit mixed with childish yet on-point humor was polished enough to set the tone for OC’s thriving punk scene and beyond. Bands such as Blink-182 and Less Than Jake have placed the Vandals as one of their biggest influences. But, as Martt points out, it’s uncommon for bands to stay as relevant or prominent— or together, for that matter—after experiencing a complete transformation, as the Vandals did. “A lot of bands fall into the cracks of obscurity,” Martt says. “They never get to make it because they’ve fallen off to the side into the punk-rock hole of nothingness—but that didn’t happen with the Vandals, and that’s what makes them great.” The band members refer to themselves as “old farts” and explain that they don’t do interviews anymore because they’re

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s a fan and friend, Holland vouches for the Vandals’ live show. “Whenever we were on tour, if the Vandals were on at 4:30 p.m., everyone was on the stage at that time because we all knew that was going to be the best part of the whole day,” he says. “You never knew what they were going to do.” As a seasoned front man, Quackenbush is always sure to have some witty line ready. “There was one time they were on tour and Quackenbush says to the crowd, ‘George Bush is the worst president we’ve ever had,’ and, of course, the crowd goes nuts,” Holland recalls. “Then [he] follows that up with, ‘It’s quite interesting

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Performing at Coachella represents a step up for the Vandals, who have played just about every grimy, disgusting European mega-fest you can name. because his son George W. Bush is the best president we’ve ever had!’ And, of course, he’s immediately bombarded with an overwhelming chanting of boos.” Holland laughs hysterically. “Their shows are like a reunion for everyone—it’s like a family because we all know one another,” he continues. “We all have this connection. It may not always attract the biggest crowds, but it sure is the rowdiest crowd.” The band may have once thrown frogs for attention, but they’re not going to do that at Coachella, alas. Nevertheless, they march into Indio ready to raise their gleeful anarchy for fans and firsttimers alike. “There’s honestly a million reasons why those guys are punk-rock legends,” says Holland. “Coachella needs a band like the Vandals to shake them up a bit and give them a taste of what Orange County punk rock is really about.”

where Paul McCartney walks around and does his thing,” says Escalante. “It’s become that kind of festival.” The band recall playing festivals in different countries and running into Tollett. “We used to see him all the time at other festivals,” Quackenbush says. “And we’d ask him what he was doing there, and Tollett would always say, ‘I’m just doing my homework.’” Performing at Coachella represents a step up for the Vandals, who have played just about every grimy, disgusting European mega-fest you can name. “Even at, like, Bonnaroo, it’s hot as fuck, and there isn’t a whole lot around,” Freese says. “And Bonnaroo is dirty. Coachella is on-point. The weather is right when it starts getting hot, but it’s not that hot yet—it’s right at the cusp. Coachella is the perfect festival. Tollett’s done an awesome job.”

FAT-BURNING INJECTION

“What’s crazy is that he did it—he actually did it all on his own,” adds Freese. “He made it, he bought all the land. . . . He’s fucking nonstop.” Freese—who played at the first Coachella when he performed in 1999 with A Perfect Circle—remembers that inaugural festival being considered a failure. “[Tollett] was so bummed,” he recalls. “I had lunch with him about six months after, and he was devastated. He was talking about how Goldenvoice was going bankrupt and how he was totally fucked. He actually took me to lunch to see if I’d give him a hundred bucks.” He and the rest of the band erupt into laughter. “But, seriously, now people fly in from all over the world to this world-famous desert destination.” The band’s memories of Tollett (and even the jokes at his expense) show that they have more than just a fondness toward the Goldenvoice founder; they also have a deep respect for him. “It’s a place

not releasing any new music. But their spot on the ever-trendy Coachella lineup speaks of a whole new level of relevancy. “That just shows you the state of music that’s coming out of this area right now,” Quackenbush says jokingly of OC’s music scene. “The best they can do is some old, crusty-ass band! “We’ve played a million fests, but being on the Coachella lineup is big,” Quackenbush continues. “It’s the best because people out here believe it’s a big deal, so it is. People are like, ‘I don’t even like music, but this is awesome!’ It adds some excitement to the performance.” Their inclusion this year is even more special considering how far back Tollett goes with the band. Escalante says that without Tollett and his influence on the overarching music scene, Los Angeles—and the world’s—music history would look a lot different. “We’ve always respected him because of the efforts he made to save Goldenvoice concerts at the very beginning of his business venture,” he says. “He worked so hard to make Los Angeles the friendliest city in the world to the kind of punk rock we played, too. So we kind of can’t help but be fans.” According to Lyman, who became friends with Tollett during their college days at Cal Poly Pomona, the Southern California punk scene is very near and dear to Tollett. “But it’s so great to see how [Tollett] always pays homage to the roots of where we all came from and, more important, where he came from,” he says. “There’s always that kind of connection to his past.”

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Fresh off of a string of SXSW concerts and just weeks ahead of their Coachella Music Festival performance, the Dead Ships will be making an intimate appearance at Pomona’s Acerogami venue at the Glass House. The LA-based trio have already proven they’re a band on the rise, delivering upbeat, sunny garage jams punctuated by singer Devlin McCluskey’s smoky vocals. With a recent EP produced by Broken Social Scene’s Brendan Canning under their belt, their first fulllength album is expected to be released later this year. Tonight, they’re performing alongside groovy pop band the Soft White Sixties for a seasonally appropriate dance party. The Dead Ships with the Soft White Sixties at Acerogami at the Glass House, 228 W. Second St., Pomona, (909) 8650979; www.theglasshouse.us. 9 p.m. $7. 21+.

The Dead Ships

—AIMEE MURILLO

Metal Jam 2016

Metalheads with a dream to rock out with your favorite big-time band:Your day has come. Musicians of all levels are invited to play with some of the best heavy-metal tribute bands for an annual concert benefitting the Autism Speaks foundation. More than 20 newcomer groups will get their chance for rock glory alongside more established bands such as Damage Inc., Electric Funeral, DIA, Just Like Priest and Ed Force One. Fans can also volunteer as a doorman, ticket salesperson, stage manager or merch tabler. And, of course, you can show your support in the audience.This raucous rock fest will surely be a headbangin’ good time for a worthy cause. Metal Jam 2016: Shredding for a Cure at the Gaslamp, 6251 E. Pacific Coast Hwy., Long Beach, (562) 596-4718; www.metaljam. org. 5 p.m. $5-$10. —AIMEE MURILLO

Turtle Power!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Everybody’s favorite pizza-eating, sewerdwelling, Italian artist-named anthropomorphic turtles are making a MORE comeback: LeonONLINE ardo, MichelanOCWEEKLY.COM gelo, Donatello and Raphael are returning to the silver screen this summer with a new CGI sequel, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows. But the Frida Cinema is pre-gaming with a screening of the original 1990 live-action flick, trivia, prizes and giveaways. And no celebration of turtle power would be complete without boxes of gooey pizza! Fully costumed characters such as Master Splinter and Raphael will be on hand for Instagram photo-ops, and attendees are welcome to cosplay. Cowabunga, dudes! Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles at the Frida Cinema, 305 E. Fourth St., Santa Ana, (714) 285-9422; thefridacinema.org. 8:30 p.m. $15-$18. —GABRIEL SAN ROMÁN

| ocweekly.com |

Get ready to geek out at this three-day magic festival aboard the Queen Mary. For FantaSea, the ship will be crawling with top hats and tails, runaway rabbits and Harry Potter superfans. There’s a fancy Mysteries of Magic Dinner Show, parlor performances inside the Hocus Pocus Parlor & Pub, an Abracadabra Brunch with strolling magicians, upclose-and-personal tricks down the Enchanted Corridor, training at the Magic Academy for spell enthusiasts, and even Magic Mixology classes throughout the entire event (should you desire the effects of a more common alchemy). Splurge for a Weekend Wizard Pass and send pics to all your friends waiting in three-hour lines at Universal Studios. FantaSea: Magic Festival at the Queen Mary, 1126 Queens Hwy., Long Beach, (877) 342-0738; www.queenmary.com. 7 p.m.; also Sat.-Sun. $15-$159. —ERIN DEWITT

HEADBANGER’S BALL

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Get Onboard

[FILM]

Apr il

Time to Fantasize

[CONCERT]

FantaSea

county

sat/04/09

[FESTIVALS]

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fri/04/08

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calendar *

sunday›

WALKING BACK TO MUSICAL RELEVANCE

| | contents county

[THEATER]

Crazy About Patsy Always . . . Patsy Cline

Hailed as one of the most influential, successful and acclaimed vocalists of the 20th century, Patsy Cline helped to pave the way for women in country music. Her distinctive contralto voice was a rarity in a genre that hardly celebrated women—certainly not those with a bold, expressive style—and it propelled her to the top of the charts with

standout hits “Walkin’ After Midnight,” “I Fall to Pieces” and “Crazy,” among others. This 1988 musical focuses on the unlikely friendship between Cline and one of her fans, housewife Louise Seger, recounting their story through lines from their actual letters to each other. It’s more about Seger than Cline, but you can still experience a heavenly night of “Sweet Dreams.” Always . . . Patsy Cline at Gem Theatre, 12852 Main St., Garden Grove, (714) 7419550; www.onemoreproductions.com. 2 p.m. Through May 1. $15-$26. —SR DAVIES

[CONCERT]

In Our Sights Again Third Eye Blind

There are few bands that captured the seemingly upbeat alt-rock/pop of the 1990s better than Third Eye Blind. The band’s self-titled album remains a classic, having spawned singles such as the drug-inspired “Semi-Charmed Life,” “Graduate,” “How’s It Going to Be,” “Losing a Whole Year” and “Jumper,” basically songs that soundtrack

high school for people of a certain age. While the group haven’t matched the success that followed that album, their latest album, Dopamine, shows that Stephan Jenkins and company aren’t ready to hit the casino and state-fair circuit quite yet. With an extensive tour and upcoming Lollapalooza appearance, Third Eye Blind show no signs of drifting away quietly. Third Eye Blind at the Observatory, 3503 S. Harbor Blvd., Santa Ana, (714) 957-0600; www.observatoryoc.com. 8 p.m. $40. —DANIEL KOHN

mon/04/11 [FILM]

Weirdos Unite!

Theory of Obscurity The Residents have long been a group of mystery musicians who came from nowhere and sound like no one before them. To this day, no one really knows who they are. Even so, everyweirdo who’s anyweirdo knows what they look like: “Eyeballs! Top hats! That’s the Residents, goddamn it,” says big fan Matt Groening in the trailer for this documentary, and that’s exactly right. This film revels in the Residents’ obstinate—or enthusiastic—secrecy and explores the way they inspired generations of freaks to go public. Theory of Obscurity: A Film About the Residents at the Frida Cinema, 305 E. Fourth St., Santa Ana, (714) 285-9422; thefridacinema.org. 6 & 8 p.m. Through April 14. $8-$10. —CHRIS ZIEGLER

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sun/04/10

tue/04/12 [TRIVIA]

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We’re All Geeks Here

| ocweekly.com |

Apr il

Geeks Who Drink

TICKETS ON SALE NOW AT NewportBeachFilmFest.com

Are you a geek? Do you like to drink? If you’ve answered yes to both questions, then head to Brix Sunset Beach’s weekly Geeks Who Drink trivia night, where nerds unite to win cash prizes, free drinks and more. Modeled after the U.K. model of pub trivia, Geeks Who Drink is a quiz night held all over the country, testing your knowledge on everything from pop culture to wordplay, with questions created by a team of 100 writers, fact checkers, quizmasters and more. Solo geeks will be placed with a team to increase their chances—so there’s no excuse to not get your pencil pouch-packin’ butt down here! Geeks Who Drink at Brix Sunset Beach, 16635 E. Pacific Coast Hwy., Huntington Beach, (562) 592-3167; www.geekswhodrink. com. 7:30 p.m. Free. 21+. —AIMEE MURILLO

[ART]

BEAUTIFUL MESS

‘Pretty/Dirty’

As both a painter and photographer, Marilyn Minter is a rebel in the art world, fearlessly going against the grain with her dark subjects in photography, video and porn painting in the late 1980s and ’90s.The artist also works on hyperrealistic T H I S CO D E paintings that pose TO DOWNLOAD THE FREE seductive glimpses OCWEEKLY of women’s IPHONE/ANDROID APP FOR MORE EVENTS OR VISIT faces meditating ocweekly.com in moments of ecstasy—an eye here, a large pair of lips encircling a tongue there, a face draped in glitter or behind foggy glass, etc.—toeing the line between conceptual and commercial art. Her latest works are included as part of a traveling retrospective, titled “Pretty/ Dirty,” making a stop at the Orange County Museum of Art. See how Minter’s show really earns the adjectives pretty and dirty, as well as spectacular. “Marilyn Minter: Pretty/Dirty” at the Orange County Musuem of Art, 850 San Clemente Dr., Newport Beach, (949) 7591122; www.ocma.net. 11 a.m.Through July 10. $7.50-$10. —AIMEE MURILLO

SCAN

[CONCERT]

Summer In the City The Summer Set

[COMEDY]

Freaks and Geeks

Judd Apatow and Friends You’ve seen writer/director/ producer Judd Apatow’s friends in a lot of his work, so you’ll not only recognize them, but also appreciate the range and influence of Apatow’s DAVID SHANKBONE contribution to America’s extended cultural moment of self-reflecting, self-deprecating, passiveaggressive jollity. Back in standup himself after 20 years, with a recent solo show at the Irvine Improv, the multitalented creator of Knocked Up, Freaks and Geeks, Walk Hard, and Trainwreck has invited his reliably brilliant if sardonic and/or sentimental pals to join him onstage. The Judd Apatow and Friends tour brings to the City National Grove witty hangdog singer/songwriter/ legend Loudon Wainwright III (Knocked Up) and cartoonist/comic Pete Holmes (The Pete Holmes Show), as well as surprise additions to the lineup. It could be any one of Apatow’s impressive pals. Judd Apatow and Friends at the City National Grove of Anaheim, 2200 E. Katella Ave., Anaheim, (714) 712-2700; www.citynationalgroveofanaheim.com. 8 p.m. $40-$60. —ANDREW TONKOVICH

[FOOD]

TALKIN’ BOUT TACOS

Wild & Crazy Taco Night

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Catch us stuffing our faces at Share Our Selves’ 23rd Annual Wild & Crazy Taco Night, where more than 20 local restaurants and chefs will gather to experiment, reinvent and create tacos you’re guaranteed to never have tried or imagined before.The culinary lineup includes Alan Greeley from the Golden Truffle, Rachel Klemek from Blackmarket Bakery, Andrew Gruel from SLAPFISH, Sean Masucci fromTaco Asylum, Deborah Schneider and Octavio Flores from SOL Cocina, and way, way more.The cost of admission grants you all-you-can-eat access to everything, and proceeds will benefit SOS Food Pantry, an organization that aims to feed nearly 300 families in Orange County every day. Wild & CrazyTaco Night at Share Our Selves Community Health Center, 1550 Superior Ave., Costa Mesa, (949) 2702100; www.shareourselves.org. 5:30 p.m. $80-$150. —AIMEE MURILLO

Ap ril 08 -14, 2 016

Spring has just begun, but we predict warmer weather and good vibes coming to us via Arizona five-piece the Summer Set. As a pop-punk group, they have lifted many spirits through their upbeat, catchy tunes; optimistic lyrics; and tender, relatable emotions exuding from MORE every track. If ONLINE their recently OCWEEKLY.COM released album, Stories for Monday, through Fearless Records, is anything like their last release, Legendary, Brian Logan Dales and the bunch will continue with more assured, confident lyrical prowess and musical accompaniment. Join their buoyant pop-punk party tonight at the House of Blues. The Summer Set with Handsome Ghost and Royal Teeth at the House of Blues, 1530 Disneyland Dr., Anaheim, (714) 778-2583; www.houseofblues.com/anaheim. 6 p.m. $20-$35. —AIMEE MURILLO

thu/04/14

wed/04/13

HOLEINTHEWALL

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Beach of Love

BRIAN FEINZIMER

At Playa Amor, Thomas Ortega cooks bolder, bigger and better seafood BY EDWIN GOEI

your face and its steam fogs your vision. It inevitably reminds you of the roasted corn you ate last summer at the OC Fair. But you get two ears for $7 here—far cheaper. Though Playa Amor is a smaller restaurant, the menu is more expansive than its predecessor. In addition to the array of tacos, burritos and enchiladas, there’s a whole striped bass, butterflied from head to tail. Ortega roasts its flesh to the gorgeous golden brown of a crème brûlée, stopping just when the consistency of the meat becomes as wiggly as pudding. Spoon the fish onto a warm corn tortilla that came straight from the griddle, which is placed near the entrance and attended by a woman who presses and toasts all the tortillas for the restaurant from balls of masa. The tortillas are wondrously pliant, and Ortega’s fish is amazing, but an appetizer of charred octopus confirms the chef has always been a master of all things seafood. The dish comes with two curlicue tentacles dribbled with aji verde and a cauliflower purée. It’s so tender it cuts with the blunt edge of a fork. As you chew, marvel in wonderment at how Ortega has managed to turn the usually rubbery critter into a substance so moist and fluffy it could pass as carnitas—easily the best thing you’ve tasted this year. And what’s this? A split whole-roasted lobster brushed with butter? Shrimp and grits with fat Mexican white prawns as large as sausages? Who knew that the man who reveled in Doyer Dogs and Doritos chilaquiles had such command in taming Poseidon’s

minions? But along with that, you notice that Ortega’s cooking is bigger, better and bolder here than at Amor Y Tacos. The Harissa & Caramel Sticky Pork Spare Ribs is a mouthful to say—and even more of a mouthful to eat. The dish easily feeds three: Ortega gives you at least a pound of the boneless, falling-apart glazed pork meat that straddles the line between Southern barbecue ribs and osso bucco. It’s also served over heaps of esquites—a buttery, rich, Mexican approximation of creamed corn. Save for the esquites, you ask yourself, “Are these ribs even Mexican?” It doesn’t matter. The dish transcends any classification, belonging instead to a higher plane of existence along with anything Roy Choi makes. If it’s anything, it’s soulful and personal, almost as if it’s from a secret family recipe Ortega decided to finally share with the world. Even more subversive is the New Mexico Green Hatch Chile Spaghetti. At first glance, it resembles a standard tangle of pasta slicked with butter and cheese. But the stinging heat of the Hatch chiles slowly bubbles up. And as the burn builds and builds until you finally have to reach for a napkin to dab your brow sweat, you realize it’s more Mexican than anything Rick Bayless has ever done. PLAYA AMOR 6527 E. Pacific Coast Hwy., Long Beach, (562) 430-2667; www.playaamorLB.com. Open Mon.Thurs., 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 11:30 a.m.midnight; Sun., 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Dinner for two, $30-$60, food only. Full bar.

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hef Thomas Ortega’s seafoodcentric sequel to his wonderful Amor Y Tacos in Cerritos is a smaller, more intimate affair. Since there’s barely any wall space for Ortega to put up posters of his favorite lucha libre legends, as he does at Amor Y Tacos, you could almost call it classier—romantic, even. Inside Playa Amor—a cozy space behind a BevMo and tucked away in a sprawling shopping complex—people crowd around a horseshoe-shaped bar under twinklingstar lanterns that dangle from the ceiling. Nearly all the tables sit outside; because of the recent nippy weather, it’s tarped in plastic, but it overlooks a gurgling fountain in a man-made concrete pond. When you settle in, a basket of fried tostada rounds arrives alongside a tingly salsa. And while the waiters always try to sell customers on the guacamole, the menu has more than a few of Amor Y Tacos’ greatest hits, and they’re much more interesting than the guac. There are the chile-and-lime-dusted crickets that taste like ultra-crisp, mini soft-shell crabs. And though they’re called a poutine here, Ortega’s famous mole tots—tater tots smothered by mole negro, dotted with queso and zigzagged in crema—are present, identical to the ones he cooks at Amor Y Tacos. The elote is also irresistible, frosted in gobs of garlicky aioli and covered in chile and cotija. And when you bite into the juice-spurting whole ear of corn—one hand gripping the handle made by the bent-backward husk—its girth eclipses

ome years ago, I was at a farmers’ market—was it the Old Towne Orange one? Irvine? Laguna Hills? Can’t remember—when I came across an empanada maker. A guy and girl chatted me up and gave me their card, and I bought a few. The empanadas were spectacular: golden crusts, awesome fillings, with knots stretching across each like the most elaborate angler’s loop ever created and a blindingly potent chimichurri on the side. I promised to get in touch . . . and I never did. Cut to earlier this year, when I was walking down Pacific Coast Highway in Laguna Beach, ready to pig out at Penguin Cafe, when I saw a new business next door: Sergio’s Empanadas. Lo and behold, inside were the same empanadas I had enjoyed during my halcyon farmers’ market days—except now with more offerings. In addition to the traditional Argentine ones I had previously tasted, such as carne (olives, raisins and sweet ground beef) and prosciutto, there was a mushroom one (tart with shallots) and another that did a great impression of a chicken pot pie, the gravy inside steaming and sticky. The sweet potato empanada was too hippie for my tastes, but my wife ate it up as if it were a special at the Stand. And the dulce de leche dessert variety was the perfect finisher, oozing Patagonia’s version of caramel and freshened up with bananas. Discovering Sergio’s anew was a delight—as was finding out it also sells frozen empanadas, with instructions on how to reheat them at home. Laguna Beach too far for you to travel? You can still buy owner Sergio Ciba’s empanadas at farmers’ markets—current spots are in Anaheim Hills, Laguna Beach and Laguna Niguel—but a trip to the mothership to get some fresh-from-the-oven empanadas, followed by a walk down to the beach, is as perfect an Orange County spring weekday as hitting San Onofre at sunrise with no surfers whatsoever.

M ON TH X X–X X , 2014

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THE PERFECT OCTOPUS

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GOOD JOB, ‘MANOS

GUSTAVO ARELLANO

Boyle Heights In Santa Ana Wednesday-night pastrami taco special at Lola Gaspar

’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again: Lola Gaspar in SanTana is one of those rare restaurants that improve every year. And the future looks brighter than ever for the brothers Perez (Luis is the chef, Eddie the bartendercum-host). This month, they’re knocking down a wall so they can expand their everpacked place. They hope to get gas into their restaurant—yep, all of Lola Gaspar’s great Mexican-Spanish dishes have been cooked on electric heaters. And Eddie has been traveling through Baja California, to let Luis’ mind run wild with new dishes. But for the Perezes latest must-eat, los hermanos turned to an unlikely source: Boyle Heights. Not for the stew tacos of Guisados, but something even more oldschool: pastrami tacos, the legendary union

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» GUSTAVO ARELLANO of the Los Angeles neighborhood’s Jewish and Mexican communities during the 1940s. Luis brines his pastrami perfectly and places it atop a tangy peach mostarda, then adds a layer of repollo. And to cut the rich flavors? Small chicharrones straight from SanTana’s legendary Carnitas Uruapan. Fatty, sweet, spicy, crunchy: These spectacular tacos come four to an order and are available only on Wednesdays. GO, GO, GO! LOLA GASPAR 211 W. Second St., Santa Ana, (714) 972-11723; www.lolagaspar.com.

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DRINKOFTHEWEEK » GUSTAVO ARELLANO

THE DRINK A great summer drink is light but bites, and that’s the Vesper Rosso. Caruso’s barrelaged grappa mixes menacingly with French and Italian vermouths in a champagne

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coupe, with a maraschino cherry added to become a beautifully boozy dessert. One can knock you out, mostly because it goes down lightly, with a syrupy aftertaste. Can’t wait to spend sweltering days at Ortica. And Joel: May your cocktail coaching tree be as extensive as Bill Walsh’s. PIZZERIA ORTICA 650 Anton Blvd., Costa Mesa, (714) 4454900; pizzeriaortica.com.

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o much for El Niño, right? It’s already time to start thinking of summer cocktails, and an early contender for the drink of the season is the Vesper Rosso at Pizzeria Ortica, perhaps the best bar in Orange County not named 320 Main. Head bartender Joel Caruso recently added a mujer to his stellar sausage-party crew, and the young woman (whose name I forget since I was busy reporting news of the Orange County Register’s demise) whipped up the Vesper Rosso pronto.

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Vesper Rosso at Pizzeria Ortica

Will a bigger lineup help this year’s Vietnamese International Film Fest go mainstream? BY AIMEE MURILLO BIG FATHER

howcasing work by Vietnamese directors from locations as farflung as Australia and Norway, this year’s Vietnamese International Film Festival (VIFF) includes an expanded program. Though the Vietnamese film industry continues to grow, according to festival programmer and co-founder Ysa Le, finding a mainstream audience for the culture’s stories remains a challenge. “Vietnamese cinema is mostly ignored,” Le says. “We want to provide a venue for these stories to be featured. . . . Otherwise, they would be lost.” Over the festival’s four days, attendees will be given the opportunity to see more than 24 films, with Q&A conversations afterward, and weigh in on their favorites with the Audience Choice Award, plus check out various after parties at Café Tu Tu Tango and Brodard Chateau. Additionally, as VIFF promotes community engagement in social issues, there are a few panel discussions and films of note that delve into national issues. For example, “Instafame: How Youth Are Using Digital Media to Change the World”

will discuss the ways in which selfie culture and advanced technology have been applied to indie filmmaking. After the documentary Finding Phong, which follows Phong and the physical and emotional toll in her journey to transition from man to woman, was screened for Vietnam’s National Assembly in November 2015, its members passed a law to recognize transgender rights in 2017. The festival’s screening will be followed by a panel discussion concerning the state of LGBTQ life in the Vietnamese community. The short-film program “Painted Nails” will look into manicurists and the industry, a topic of national contention since the release of a recent New York Times article detailing the harsh working conditions of Vietnamese nail-salon workers in America. #NailedIt: Vietnamese & The Nail Salon Industry, Long Story Short and Painted Nails both dive into the issue head-on, with a special panel on the treatment and safety of the workers afterward. Even better: a pop-up salon will provide free manicures to the public, sponsored by American Beauty College. PAINTED NAILS

CRUSH THE SKULL

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can pay off their financial debts. They team up with another pair of burglars to raid the riches from an isolated mansion in the mountains, only the home belongs to a serial killer, who uses the site to torture women. Can they rescue the alreadyimprisoned women and escape certain doom? VIFF’s closing-night film was a blockbuster hit in Vietnam. Sweet Twenty is a zany comedy about an elderly grandmother who feels rejected by her son after he sends her away to tend to his wife’s illness. She sits for a portrait and leaves magically transformed as herself at 20 years old, so she sets out to relive the youth she lost during war time. It’s a delight for the whole family—and a strong cinematic bookend to a stellar festival lineup. AMURILLO@OCWEEKLY.COM VIETNAMESE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL at AMC Orange 30, 20 The City Blvd. W., Ste. E, Orange; www.vietfilmfest.com. April 14-17. Visit the website for screening and ticket information.

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There has also been an increase in such genre films as horror, action, romantic comedies and thrillers. Opening-night film Bitcoin Heist, directed by Ham Tran, feels like Ocean’s 11 mixed with Mission Impossible. In order to expose a dangerous hacker named “The Ghost,” a special agent pulls together a team of expert criminals ranging from a League of Legends nerd to a father-daughter duo of con artists to a street magician/pickpocket to pull the ultimate heist in Bitcoin currency. The action-comedy Kung Fu Pho is exactly what the title suggests: the fierce prowess of kung fu combined with the calm act of cooking, creating the perfect noodle soup. It’s the art form that Master Co practiced in his youth, and now, as an older man on the brink of death, he needs the help of his plucky delivery boy, Doan, to raid his rival’s dojo to steal the recipe for the perfect Kung Fu Pho so they can save his bankrupt restaurant. Horror and comedy strike in Crush the Skull, directed by Viet Nguyen. A young couple who enjoys robbing rich homes need to pull off just one more job so they

MO N TH X X–X X , 2 014

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Better Luck This Time

film»reviews|screenings

BY MATT COKER

BRAVE NEW WILD

WAYNE MERRY

Sound Choices

Like Water for Chocolate. This muchlauded film based on Laura Esquivel’s much-lauded novel is presented by Student Life at Chapman U (with food!) as part of the World Languages & Cultures

Food and Film Series. Argyros Forum 119A, Chapman University; chapman.edu/ wilkinson/languages/arabic-chinesegreek.aspx. Thurs., April 14, 6:30 p.m. Free. MCOKER@OCWEEKLY.COM

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The Champions. The Frida Cinema and Newport Beach nonprofit Paw Prints In the Sand Animal Rescue co-host screening of this documentary about pooches who survived Michael Vick’s dog-fighting ring. The Frida Cinema, 305 Fourth St., Santa Ana; www. printsinthesand.org/events. Thurs., April 7, 6 p.m. $12-$20. Brave New Wild. One-night-only, Orange County premiere of this doc about climbers of the 1960s, narrated by director, daughter of a climber and Mission Viejo High grad Oakley Anderson-Moore. Audience Q&A follows. (The film will also be released via iTunes on Tues.) Regency Cinema, 25471 Rancho Niguel Rd., Laguna Niguel; tugg.com/events/86419. Thurs., April 7, 7:30 p.m. Visit website for ticket info. The Rocky Horror Picture Show. K.A.O.S. leads the shadow casting. The Frida Cinema; fridacinema.org. Fri., 11:30 p.m. $8-$10. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. It’s the original movie from 1990, when April had ’80s hair. The Frida Cinema; fridacinema.org. Sat., 8:30 p.m. $15$18; kids younger than 3, free. How to Train Your Dragon. This 2010 Dreamworks animated hit is the Calle Cuatro Sunday Matinee flick. The Frida Cinema; fridacinema.org. Sun., 11 a.m. $1-$5. Sara Gomez & Nicolas Guillen Shorts. UC Irvine’s Latin American Film Festival continues with short Cuban films. McCormick Screening Room, 4100 Humanities Gateway, UC Irvine, West Peltason and Campus drives, Irvine, (949) 824-6117. Mon., 5 p.m. Free.

Bill: How Bill Became Shakespeare. Special presentation of this comedy about William Shakepeare’s “lost years” is beamed to movie screens nationwide. Aliso Viejo 20, 26701 Aliso Creek Rd., Aliso Viejo; also at AMC 30 Orange,

20 The City Blvd. W., Orange; Irvine Spectrum, 500 Spectrum Center Dr., Irvine; Orange Stadium Promenade, 1701 W. Katella Ave., Orange; Tustin Legacy, 2457 Park Ave., Tustin; Cinemark Long Beach, 99 S. Pine Ave., Long Beach; and Long Beach 26, 7501 E. Carson St., Lakewood; fathomevents.com. Mon., 7 p.m. $15. The Blazing Sun. The 10th anniversary of Arabic studies at Chapman University is celebrated with this Arabic film and food. Doti Hall, Classroom 104, Chapman University, 1 University Dr., Orange; chapman.edu/wilkinson/ languages/arabic-chinese-greek.aspx. Tues., 7 p.m. Free. El abrazo de la serpiente. The Latin American Film Festival continues with this Colombian film I translate to “The Rice of the Serpent.” McCormick Screening Room, UC Irvine, (949) 8246117. Mon., 5 p.m. Free. Free Angela and All Political Prisoners. The African American Film Festival continues with this documentary about civil-rights activist Angela Y. Davis, followed by an interview with director Shola Lynch. Crystal Cove Auditorium, UC Irvine, 311 W. Peltason Dr., Irvine; humanities.uci.edu. Thurs., April 14, 6:30 p.m. Free.

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Special Screenings

film»reviews|screenings

» AIMEE MURILLO

Chekhov As Chaplin?

A fine Uncle Vanya in Newport reminds us of the Russian legend’s comedic pathos BY JOEL BEERS LISA BLACK IS THE BEST!

a Chekhov purist, but they’re probably insufferably boring, stick-up-their-butt people anyway, so who cares? For the rest of us, it creates a far-more-engaging, accessible play, one that retains all of Chekhov’s themes, subtleties and craft, but doesn’t feel like a dusty museum piece, one of those things that people should see. A good example is the character of Astrov (a strong Sean Hesketh). In the original, he’s an unhappy country doctor resigned to a life of drudgery and loneliness, his only apparent passion planting trees in de-forested areas of the countryside. But here, he’s more of a protean crusader against human impact on the environment, warning that the climate is already beginning to change in pre-Revolutionary Russia, and it’s only going to get worse. The characters of Vanya and Sonya are also refurbished. Vanya (a powerfully nuanced Mark Coyan) is not the depressed, broken man of so many productions, but rather a bitterly frustrated powder keg, one who processes his inner anguish through outbursts and cynical asides. His niece, Sonya (a marvelously textured Alexandra Burke), is less brooding and pathetic and more resolute and passionately in love with the aforementioned Astrov. Rather than reacting to everything, she seems to be the fulcrum of the play, running the household and trying to keep not only her erratic uncle in check, but also the source of so much of his bitterness, his pedantic stepbrother Alexander (an irresistibly cloying and annoying Rick Kopps), a recently retired professor who has decided to move into the family estate. The supporting characters (such as Lisa Black—who also happens to be this infernal rag’s proofreader!—as a sweet-natured nanny) are also strong, though Carla Nara-

gon, as Elena, doesn’t project the elusive sexuality of the character who basically upends this already-precarious household. Her unattainability drives two characters to extreme actions, leading to the comical climax, in which one lovesick, frustrated character is unable to shoot someone at point-blank range—twice. But this Elena doesn’t seem to deserve the fuss, as there is little spark to the characterization. There is a great deal going on beneath the surface, but this adaptation makes it more apparent and, consequently, engaging. Even though the lives of melancholy, disaffected, upper-middle-class Russians in the turbulent years before 1905’s Bloody Sunday and the inexorable slide toward revolution a decade later are obviously far removed from ours today, what makes Chekhov brilliant—and this adaptation and production succeed—is that, as people, they’re not. These are the people we all know who live in places they don’t really like, who have the same boring conversations with the same boring people all the time, who are stuck in unfulfilling jobs or relationships and who know what they need to do, but just can’t seem to do it. Nowadays, of course, we can drug ourselves into avoidance or endlessly amuse ourselves to death, but outside of vodka, there was little Chekhov’s characters could do except dwell on the roads not taken and ask themselves, to channel a rather (at times) Chekhovian bard from New Jersey, is a dream a lie if it doesn’t come true, or is it something worse? UNCLE VANYA at Newport Theatre Arts Center, 2501 Cliff Dr., Newport Beach, (949) 631-0288; www. ntaconline.com. Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m. Through April 17. $17.

ince its debut in 2014, Somatic Good Fortune has explored Long Beach’s art scene with a revolving series of tattoo artists from all over the world, plus art objects and fine jewelry you can’t find elsewhere. Standing next to its parent company, Somatic Body Piercing, it maintains a cool, edgy, modern vibe thanks to owner Ericka Smicenski’s curatorial displays and decorative sensibilities. “This one time, an older couple in their sixties from the Midwest was on vacation in Long Beach and just casually walked in to take a look and ended up buying a lot of art,” Smicenski says. “Everyone from rock-star wives to sweet grandmas buy art here.” Smicenski owned Somatic Body Piercing for more than 20 years before taking over the space next door. With 15 years of curating art shows in the tattoo world under her belt, she aimed to build Good Fortune as a platform for tattoo artists to showcase original, personal art. To do so, she partnered with Thomas Hooper of Raking Light Projects, a publisher/retailer of fine art and a like-minded ally who had the same vision of bringing unconventional art to the forefront. Together, they’ve showcased limited-edition etchings, screenprints and paintings by the likes of Valerie Vargas, Bert Krak, Eli Quinters, Mike Roper and others. Once in a while, Smicenski steps out of her comfort zone to host photography exhibitions, including those by legends Edward Colver and John Gilhooley (our dude!). Besides the art, find yourself some affordable, handcrafted designer jewelry with an edge by makers DMD Metals, Yael Levin and Smicenski’s own shop, Eleven Arrows; there are also specialty items including switchblade necklaces, engraved lighters, belt buckles, aromatic candles, wallets, fine-art books and gorgeous silver body jewelry. This Saturday, Somatic Good Fortune and Raking Light Projects open their latest exhibition, “Provocative Squats,” featuring world-renowned tattoo artist and painter Bob Roberts. Come see what interesting treasures you’ll covet for your own personal collection. AMURILLO@OCWEEKLY.COM “PROVOCATIVE SQUATS” at Somatic Good Fortune, 3410 E. Broadway, Long Beach, (562) 434-5555; instagram.com/somaticgoodfortune. Opening reception, Sat., 6-11 p.m. Exhibit runs through May 7.

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e wasn’t talking about dick jokes or snappy one-liners, but Russian writer Anton Chekhov thought most early productions of his plays weren’t comedic enough. Sure, you don’t think of laugh riots when you think of Chekhov characters, this sad lot of ennui-stricken people who can’t connect with one another or make active choices to improve their lives. But all too often, the productions he saw seemed mired in his characters’ tragic paralysis when he apparently thought it was better to laugh along with them, to recognize their shared humanity, to feel for them, rather than write them off as losers. Unfortunately, far too many contemporary Chekhov productions don’t consider the playwright’s own note. Most are way too long, oppressively bleak and dreary, and not a great deal of fun. They are Serious Productions of Serious Plays by a Serious Writer, and by God, if theater people think he’s important, then the audience is going to think so as well—or else. That’s not the case with Alex Golson’s production of Uncle Vanya, currently on the boards at the Newport Theatre Arts Center. Much of it, of course, has to do with his spirited direction and a vibrant cast that includes a few of the county’s most stand-out actors. But it also has to do with the script he’s using, a 1998 adaptation of Chekhov’s original by Irish playwright Brian Friel. Not only did Friel translate the turn-of-the-20th-century language into a more contemporary idiom, but he also created bits of dialogue to punch up the proceedings, leading one New York Times scribe to opine that the characters seemed less Russian than Irish, with their witty insults and quick comebacks. The result is a play that might disappoint

NEWPORT THEATRE ARTS CENTER

LBC’s Good Fortune

M ON TH X X–X X , 2014

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The Clown Prince of Inksters

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WE ARE

Orange County’s

Adam Hathorn of Guru Tattoo

NICE EYES

COURTESY ADAM HATHORN

UNDER THEIR SKIN » JOSH CHESLER

GURU TATTOO 1122 Garnet Ave., San Diego, (858) 270-1070; www.gurutattoo.com. Follow Hathorn on Instagram: @honkeykonger.

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background. “Now, would I suggest it for an aspiring tattooer? It’s not mandatory by any means. I’m sure a majority of the greatest tattooers don’t have a degree, and you certainly don’t need one to be a tattooer.” Hathorn knows you can’t learn everything in school. He has plenty of advice for young artists (although he’s saving the best tidbits “for an apprentice [he’ll] never have”). Aside from providing great customer service (“Treat your customers like they’re paying your rent—because they are”) and taking care of your body (“Stretch more—that always helps”), Hathorn believes that staying humble and constantly wanting to improve is the key to being a successful tattoo artist. “Humility will always be your best friend in this game,” Hathorn says. “Always be open to learn from people because the second you stop is the second the world forgets about you. A plateau is a high plane by definition, but it can be career suicide in most artistic fields, especially tattooing.”

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n the other side of Camp Pendleton and past some rich suburbs sits Guru Tattoo, right in the heart of San Diego’s Pacific Beach. Up a flight of stairs and tucked into a corner, Adam Hathorn can generally be found cracking jokes as he inks clients. His illustrative style is closer to old skateboard graphics and humor-magazine cartoons than it is any standard type of tattoo: bright colors, bold lines, ridiculous details, with designs such as Virgin Mary Minnie Mouse, Frankenstein Notorious B.I.G. and greaser sloths. While some may argue his work is just a take on neo-traditional tattooing, Hathorn believes it’s more about the roots of his artistic interest. “I got into art through cartoons, skateboarding, graffiti, and magazines such as Mad and Cracked and whatnot,” Hathorn says. “I’m not a huge fan of the neo-traditional tagline or ‘new school’ or any subcategories just because I think they sound corny. I draw silly shit, and I try to apply them as traditionally as I can. I’m sure a lot of traditionalists may not agree.” And the humorous ink slinger believes many artists share the same roots. The only difference is “they grew up and are actual adults these days,” while Hathorn sticks to what made him fall in love with art in the first place. “It seems like tons of tattooers were graffiti writers at some point,” Hathorn says. “If not that, they were into the rest of that shit, for sure. Skateboarding and all of that goes pretty hand-in-hand with tattooing.” But Hathorn is quick to mention that he “was never a huge graffiti guy.” He jokes that he got into tattoos to look tougher (“and it didn’t work”) and says tattooing provides an outlet that frees him from worry about getting arrested or injured on a regular basis. “I got busted a couple of times [for graffiti], and then called it a wrap in the early 2000s,” Hathorn says. “I occasionally paint something with a friend here or there. The skate thing—I think I can pick out of a lot of tattooers across the board of styles. I think we all skated. I was never that good at that either, but I really loved doing it.” His decision to stick with tattooing is paying off. With a steady clientele from all over the country and rappers from Action Bronson to Killer Mike of Run the Jewels sporting his work (Killer Mike has even worn Hathorn’s shirts on television), Hathorn has come a long way from being an illustration student at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia. “I think any education is a positive thing, and I think a lot of tattooers out there could use it,” Hathorn says of his art-school

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RIP, Nathan Alfaro

Remembering the life of a devoted fan of Orange County music BY NATE JACKSON GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

athan Alfaro loved being a face in the crowd. A typical weeknight always held the promise of something more for the tall, husky 23-year-old whenever live music was involved. As with most of us, it was his chance to slip out into the night to be with friends. He sought energy and escape in the form of screaming amplifiers and pounding drums. But knowing that Alfaro enjoyed such pleasures on the last night of his life is little solace to his family and friends. Just after 10:30 p.m. on March 3, Alfaro lay on a downtown Santa Ana sidewalk, bleeding and fighting for air after being stabbed in the chest area during a fight inside the Underground DTSA. An ambulance carried him to UC Irvine Medical Center in Orange, where the Golden West College student was pronounced dead. Everything happened so fast. Details of the incident are still being pieced together by people who were there. Alfaro’s longtime friend Danny Baiza was standing with him when the fight broke out and held him after he stumbled out of the club to the sidewalk and took his last breaths, both of their shirts and pants soaked with blood. “I was just freaking out; I couldn’t believe it was him,” Baiza says. “He didn’t

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know what was going on, and I was trying to keep him calm. . . . Then the ambulance came, and I just kept telling him, ‘You’re gonna be all right, man. Just relax; they’re here to help you now.’ That’s the last thing I told him.” The next day, Santa Ana Police arrested Juan Angel Rivera, 21, for Alfaro’s murder. Rivera is currently awaiting trial; if convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 26 years to life in state prison. The news hit a lot of people close to home. Not just because Alfaro was an affable, well-liked guy taken by another senseless act of violence. Not just because it happened in the kind of setting so many of us in the local scene take for granted. But also because for those who knew him, Alfaro embodied the spirit of local music. He was a fixture in the pit of OC’s top venues and a music junkie whose tireless love of his favorite artists infected everyone around him. “He was a good kid,” says Lorena Ortega, Alfaro’s mentor and counselor who ran Golden West’s Intercultural Program. “This is leaving a huge void in my heart. The hardest part is knowing that I have a daughter his age, and she goes to shows like he goes to shows.” If you didn’t know Alfaro, chances are you stood next to him at a show or know

someone like him. The night he died, he was supporting his friends in Ghali, the second band on a five-act bill headlined by LA psych-punk band Feels. “We consider him a member; he was with us all the time, just part of the group,” Ghali bassist Nick Espinoza says. “He’d be part of our road crew, take pictures and videos.” Whether he was acting as a roadie for a band, jamming with friends or just lying on his bed absorbing records, Alfaro’s connection to music has always stuck out about him. He not only devoured music, but he also respected it. In November, Alfaro found his father’s body after he committed suicide in their Westminster apartment. Alfaro’s parents had divorced when he was 14, and his mother took his two younger sisters to live with her in Arizona and later Fresno. He and his father bounced around OC and were close to their extended family, who lived nearby. In the wake of his father’s death, friends and family say Alfaro depended on his music. “He’s had a rough upbringing; his father passed away last year, and he didn’t let it break him,” Espinoza says. “He was trying to overcome a difficult bump in his life, and he was trying to do the best he could with whatever he had.” He went to shows religiously and was

a huge fan of Burger Records and bands such as the Garden, the Growlers and Mac Demarco. His uncle, Joshua Alfaro, describes him as an omnivore of styles from current bands ranging from the Drums to traditional Latin music and underappreciated ’60s psychedelic bands. “He would always introduce us to these new bands,” Joshua says. “He would always text me, ‘Hey, check out this new band, check out this new song.’ . . . Music was in his blood. He was a fan, a supporter. Never had a bad word to say about anyone. He was a modern hippie.” He’d also summoned the courage to try standup comedy during open-mic nights and even attended improv acting classes. Most important to him, though, was the ability to play his own music, which he did as a member of the West Boys, which he started with Espinoza. What started as an excuse to smoke weed and strum guitars with his longtime friend eventually morphed into a real band. Their sound, with Alfaro on bass and vocals and Espinoza on guitar, conjured the twangy garage-rock explosions synonymous with the Burger bands he adored, with a helping of thrashy, gutter-punk panache. They released an EP last April, On a Mission. Alfaro, who spent his days studying psychology and working at Golden West’s cafeteria, convinced Burger to let his band open for the Sloths during a Burger Hump Nite at the Continental Room in May 2015. It was a show not unlike the one he’d attended on the last night of his life. In that moment, he made sure to savor every ounce of the experience. In the wake of his death, four benefit shows were announced in Alfaro’s honor. The last of those shows are scheduled for this week: at the dA Center for the Arts in Pomona on Friday and at Fullerton’s Programme Skate & Sound on Saturday. “My brother lived life to the fullest, and he made the best of everything,” Alfaro’s sister Mariana says. “He worked really hard. He had a hobby; he had talent. . . . He had dreams of touring; he wanted to be famous and for people to hear his music, and now he’s getting that. He’s getting his dream.” NJACKSON@OCWEEKLY.COM BENEFIT FOR NATHAN ALFARO featuring YAAWN, Layman, Frisco Dykes and little prince xoxo, at the dA Center for the Arts, 252 S. Main St., Pomona; www. daartcenter.com. Fri., 7 p.m. $5 donation. All ages; also featuring Death Hymn Number 9, Michael Vidal, Moaning and more, at Programme Skate & Sound, 2495 E. Chapman Ave., Fullerton; programmehq. com. Sat., 7 p.m. $5 donation. All ages.

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music» FACEBOOK/HOBANAHEIM

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ANAHEIM

Far Out Fun

fter four years of gathering buzz in the Orange County and Los Angeles music circuits, Highland Park’s Levitation Room have finally released their debut full-length album, Ethos. At times, the album feels like a fun acid trip meant to cleanse the melancholy soul, but through it all the throwback psych-rock group raise political awareness and promote somber introspection. Lead singer Julian Porte chatted with us about the band’s signing to Burger Records, their relationship with Top Acid and the philosophy behind Ethos.

OC WEEKLY: I read that you played guitar

on the streets of Uptown Whittier for tips. . . .

JULIAN PORTE: Yes, and I still do! Busking

COMING SOON Ap ril 08 - 1 4, 20 16

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COURTESY LEVITATION ROOM

Levitation Room’s debut album is a soaring, psychedelic trip

4/7

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153 0 S . D I S N E Y L A N D D R . I N T H E D O W N T O W N D I S N E Y D I S T R I C T FOR INFO & TIX 714.778.BLUE HOUSEOFBLUES.COM/ANAHEIM ®

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on the streets of Whittier were formative years for me. And yes, I was born and raised in Whittier. Whittier has always been a big part of who I am. They say that we’re products of our environment, and if that’s the case, then Whittier is a wonderful place to grow up and have a childhood. It’s an old Quaker town named after a poet, and you can tell that the community has preserved its natural beauty and been home to many artists, writers and musicians. I sing its praises! How did you guys hook up with Burger Records? Well, me and John [Martin, drummer] used to play for the Abigails whenever they needed fill-ins for their tours. We were on a Burger caravan tour to SXSW, and we eventually got to talk to [label founders] Sean [Bohrman] and Lee [Rickard]. We told them we had a band back home and that we would love for them to check us out. They were sweethearts and told us to come by their shop in Fullerton to show them what we had. When we finally did, they liked our music and invited us to be a part of the Burger family. How do you think your new album differs from the Minds of Our Own EP? There are a few distinctions. First off, Minds of Our Own was recorded digitally and on separate tracks in our

BY DENISE DE LA CRUZ friend’s studio. Ethos was recorded live on a six-track analog tape recorder with a few decent mics. Even though a couple of the songs from Minds of Our Own made it onto Ethos . . . the sound is a little warmer; the songs start to go in a different direction toward the end of [Ethos], and there’s more instrumentation with the addition of our keyboardist, Glenn Brigman, who actually helped record and produce the album. Why name the album Ethos? The title just came to me. The word ethos was stuck in my head for a long time after taking a philosophy course in college. So when the album was done, and we started thinking about a title in correlation to the theme of the songs, ethos was the first word that popped into my head. We wanted the album to voice and encompass everything that people believe or struggle with, personally and collectively. If you look up the word on Wikipedia, it says, “The Greeks also used this word to refer to the power of music to influence its hearer’s emotions, behaviors and even morals.” We thought that was pretty cool. Why are you so drawn to ’60s psychedelic culture? To us—well, I think I speak for most of us in the band—there’s nothing like the music from the ’60s. It was genuine, innovative and encompassed everything that is powerful about music. [The bands then] weren’t afraid to fight the establishment and be vocal about the immorality of social issues that plagued their generation. It was an era when art, music and the best minds culminated into something revolutionary and implored people to think and expand their consciousness. I guess we just wish that we could find that same kind of expression in the world today. LEVITATION ROOM perform with Rudy De Anda, Frankie & the Witch Fingers, and the Mad Walls at the Constellation Room at the Observatory, 3503 S. Harbor Blvd., Santa Ana, (714) 9570600; www.constellationroom.com. April 15, 8 p.m. $8. All ages.

THE DESERT IS ALIVE WITH THE SOUND OF MUSIC

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Breaking the Silence BEACHWOOD COYOTES perform at Knuckleheads, 1717 N. El Camino Real, San Clemente, (949) 492-2410; www. facebook.com/beachwoodcoyotes. April 16, 9 p.m. 21+. No cover.

“I

» JOSH CHESLER

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Hey, Orange County/Long Beach musicians & bands! Mail your music, contact info, high-res photos & impending show dates for possible review to: Locals Only, OC Weekly, 18475 Bandilier Cir., Fountain Valley, CA, 92708. Or email your link to: localsonly@ocweekly.com.

Apr il

“Attention spans are short, no one has that passion, and the market is just so saturated with shit now. It’s so easy to get a band together.” But among the hundreds of melody-driven indie rock bands out there, a Beachwood Coyotes show isn’t exactly the head-bobbing hipster-fest you might expect. Energy-wise, Nott and crew are more similar to a punk or hardcore show (hence the bruises); they just prefer singing over screaming much of the time. As explanation, Nott cites the Clash as his favorite band, as well as a love for 1980s hardcore. “We don’t sound anything like Black Flag or anyone like that, but I love those bands because they had attitude and they didn’t give a fuck,” Nott says. “I love anything that’s tongue-in-cheek and fun and keeps you on your toes. I dig that, and it’s always going to be part of our sets.” When he’s not busy bruising fans and other bands during his live performances, Nott’s generally cracking jokes. Whether he’s making fun of the people with their arms crossed in the back of the room or claiming to have just written the guitar riff from AC/ DC’s “Thunderstruck,” it’s a refreshing change of pace from many up-and-coming bands who take themselves too seriously. “Comedy’s always been a big part of my life, so it just kind of seeps in there,” Nott says. “I just want to be a little different if I can be. I would love to do standup comedy and music, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a musician become a standup comedian before. Maybe I’ll be the first.”

f you come see us, maybe you’ll get a bruise or two,” jokes Jason Nott of Beachwood Coyotes. “You might get bashed around a little bit, if you like that.” The front man is referencing his performance about 20 minutes prior, during which he ran into a member of one of the other bands on the bill; the singer/guitarist apologized (“I really liked his band!”) for bumping his fellow musician after climbing down from the Wayfarer’s stage to perform the last few songs of the set among the audience. But it’s that level of intensity the Beachwood Coyotes have become known for around both LA and OC. “I think being a young band is harder than ever,” Nott says. “I don’t think we stand out from anybody; it’s just about who catches us at the right moment. We just love what we do, and I think you’ll see that if you see us play.” Although Beachwood Coyotes only formed about four years ago and went through frequent lineup changes until early 2015, the 25-year-old Nott has been touring with bands since he was 16. After his last band broke up, Nott called upon his childhood friend Al Curtis (guitarist) to help him start a new band; a Craigslist search and a little networking later, and they rounded out the Beachwood Coyotes lineup with drummer Bryan King and bassist Drew Smith. Even as a relatively young band, Nott’s near-decade of experience on the road means he knows what it takes to keep a band together. “People will have a band for two years now, and they’ll stop if it doesn’t work out,” Nott says.

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BASEMENT: 7:30 p.m. The Observatory, 3503 S. Harbor

Blvd., Santa Ana, (714) 957-0600; observatoryoc.com.

THE DEAD SHIPS WITH THE SOFT WHITE SIXTIES: 9 p.m., $7. Acerogami at the Glass House,

228 W. Second St., Pomona, (909) 865-0979. FOUR COLOR ZACK: 9 p.m., $15-$20. Sutra, 1870 Harbor Blvd., Ste. 200, Costa Mesa, (949) 7227103; sutraoc.com. THE HULA GIRLS: 9 p.m., free. Don the Beachcomber, 16278 Pacific Coast Hwy., Huntington Beach, (562) 5921321; donthebeachcomber.com. KEITH SWEAT: 8 p.m., $50-$70. City National Grove of Anaheim, 2200 E. Katella Ave., Anaheim, (714) 7122750; citynationalgroveofanaheim.com. MAN OVERBOARD: 7 p.m., $15. Chain Reaction, 1652 W. Lincoln Ave., Anaheim, (714) 635-6067; allages.com. NATHAN ALFARO BENEFIT SHOW NIGHT ONE:

7 p.m., $5. DA Center for the Arts, 252-D S. Main St., Pomona; (909) 397-9716. RHAPSODY IN BLUE: 8 p.m., $25. Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, 615 Town Center Dr., Costa Mesa, (714) 556-2787; scfta.org. XYLO: 9 p.m., $12. Constellation Room at the Observatory, 3503 S. Harbor Blvd., Santa Ana, (714) 957-0600; constellationroom.com.

TUESDAY, APRIL 12

BLACKBERRY SMOKE: 7 p.m., $22.50-$45. House of

Blues, 1530 S. Disneyland Dr., Anaheim, (714) 778-2583; hob.com/anaheim.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13

PURITY RING: 8 p.m., $27.50. The Observatory,

3503 S. Harbor Blvd., Santa Ana, (714) 957-0600; observatoryoc.com. THE SUMMER SET: 6 p.m., $20-$35. House of Blues, 1530 S. Disneyland Dr., Anaheim, (714) 778-2583; hob.com/anaheim. UNDERWORLD: 9 p.m., $34.50. Fox Theater Pomona, 301 S. Garey Ave., Pomona, (877) 283-6976; foxpomona.com.

GLADYS KNIGHT

THURSDAY, APRIL 14

CHVRCHES: 8 p.m., $35. The Observatory,

3503 S. Harbor Blvd., Santa Ana, (714) 957-0600; observatoryoc.com. SILVERSUN PICKUPS WITH FOALS: 9 p.m., $35. Fox Theater Pomona, 301 S. Garey Ave., Pomona, (877) 283-6976; foxpomona.com. SUFFRE: 7 p.m. Doll Hut, 107 S. Adams St., Anaheim, (714) 533-1286. TERRAVITA: 9:30 p.m. Yost Theater, 307 N. Spurgeon St., Santa Ana. TSUSHIMAMIRE: 8 p.m., free. The Slidebar Rock-NRoll Kitchen, 122 E. Commonwealth Ave., Fullerton, (714) 871-7469; slidebarfullerton.com. WARPED TOUR BATTLE OF THE BANDS: 7 p.m., $10. Chain Reaction, 1652 W. Lincoln Ave., Anaheim, (714) 635-6067; allages.com.

IM, CHANGJUNG

APR 9

Costa Mesa, (949) 764-0039; wayfarercm.com.

AHWLEE: 8 p.m., free. DTSA Underground, 220 E. Third

St., Santa Ana.

APR 16

DAN PALMER OF ZEBRAHEAD: 9 p.m., free.

Diego’s Rock-n-Roll Bar & Eats, 220 E. Third St., Santa Ana, (888) 862-9573. DMX: 8 p.m., $15. The Observatory, 3503 S. Harbor Blvd., Santa Ana, (714) 957-0600; observatoryoc.com. HAYSEED DIXIE: 7:30 p.m., $15-$25. Don the Beachcomber, 16278 Pacific Coast Hwy., Huntington Beach, (562) 592-1321; donthebeachcomber.com. MASTA ACE: 9 p.m., $12. The Observatory, 3503 S. Harbor Blvd., Santa Ana, (714) 957-0600; observatoryoc.com.

PEPE AGUILAR APR 22 HUANG PIN YUAN APR 23

SEE WEBSITE FOR FULL LINEUP

NATHAN ALFARO BENEFIT SHOW NIGHT TWO:

7 p.m., $5. Programme Skate & Sound, 2495 E. Chapman Ave., Fullerton, (714) 798-7565; programmehq.com. PELIGRO: 7 p.m., $8. The Karman Bar, 26022 Cape Dr., Laguna Niguel, (949) 582-5909; thekarmanbar.com.

PHIDELTOPIA FEATURING DJ SNOOPADELIC:

$12. Constellation Room at the Observatory, 3503 S. Harbor Blvd., Santa Ana, (714) 957-0600; constellationroom.com. SWMRS: 6:30 p.m., $13-$15. Chain Reaction, 1652 W. Lincoln Ave., Anaheim, (714) 635-6067; allages.com. TWITCHING FINGERS: 7 p.m. Doll Hut, 107 S. Adams St., Anaheim, (714) 533-1286. ZEBRAHEAD: 7 p.m., $18-$40. House of Blues, 1530 S. Disneyland Dr., Anaheim, (714) 778-2583; hob.com/anaheim.

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DENNIS ROBICHEAU AND THE SOPHISTICATES: 9 p.m., free. Que Sera,

1923 E. Seventh St., Long Beach, (562) 599-6170; thequesera.com. MAURICIO MARTINEZ: 7 p.m.-midnight, $25. Original Mike’s, 100 S. Main St., Santa Ana, (714) 550-7764; originalmikes.com. SKYLAR STECKER: 2 p.m., $15-$75. Constellation Room at the Observatory, 3503 S. Harbor Blvd., Santa Ana, (714) 957-0600; constellationroom.com. THIRD EYE BLIND: 8 p.m., $40. The Observatory, 3503 S. Harbor Blvd., Santa Ana, (714) 957-0600; observatoryoc.com.

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1530 S. Disneyland Dr., Anaheim, (714) 778-2583; hob.com/anaheim. DARKNESS DIVIDED: 7 p.m., $12. Chain Reaction, 1652 W. Lincoln Ave., Anaheim, (714) 635-6067; allages.com. KING SHELTER: 8 p.m., free. The Wayfarer, 843 W. 19th St., Costa Mesa, (949) 764-0039; wayfarercm.com. QUEEN CALIFIA: 9 p.m. Que Sera, 1923 E. Seventh St., Long Beach, (562) 599-6170; thequesera.com. ROBERT JON DUO: 9 p.m., free. Marine Room Tavern, 214 Ocean Ave., Laguna Beach, (949) 494-3027.

3503 S. Harbor Blvd., Santa Ana, (714) 957-0600; constellationroom.com. THUMP: 8 p.m. Tiki Bar, 1700 Placentia Ave., Costa Mesa, (949) 270-6262; tikibaroc.com.

ACID DAD: 9 p.m., $7. The Wayfarer, 843 W. 19th St.,

9 p.m. Yost Theater, 307 N. Spurgeon St., Santa Ana.

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GNASH: 9 p.m. Constellation Room at the Observatory,

AVANTASIA: 7 p.m., $35-$60. House of Blues,

SATURDAY, APRIL 9

SWAMI JOHN REIS & THE BLIND SHAKE: 9 p.m.,

MONDAY, APRIL 11

concert guide»

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Germane I am a twentysomething, straight, cis-female expat. How long do I have to wait to ask my German lover, who is über-sensitive about the Holocaust, to indulge me in my greatest—and, until now, unrealized—fantasy: Nazi role-play? He is very delicate around me because I am a secular Jew and the descendant of Holocaust survivors. (Even though I’ve instructed him to watch The Believer, starring Ryan Gosling as a Jewish neoNazi, to get a better grasp on my relationship with Judaism. To be clear, I am not actually a neo-Nazi, just your garden-variety self-hating Jew.) This persists even though we’ve spoken about my antiZionist politics. Evidently, he was indoctrinated from a young age with a hyperapologetic history curriculum. I appreciate that he thinks it was wrong for the SS to slaughter my family, but it’s not like he did it himself. I know it sounds really fucked-up, but I promise this isn’t coming from a place of deep-seated self-loathing. Even if it were, it’s not like we’d be hurting anybody. We’re both in good psychological working condition, and neither of us is an actual bigot. I would try to get to know him better, but we are so different (there’s a big age difference), and I don’t really see our relationship being much more than ze sex. National Socialist Pretend Party

monogamous, opened up, dabbled with polyamory, but ran out of steam. I’m heartbroken, and I need you to weigh in on a disagreement we had about polyamory, which is one of the things that led to our expiration. I believe polyamory to be a small group of people all in love with one another, all sleeping together. He believes polyamory to be different pairings, in which a relationship between two people would be lived and enjoyed separately from that couple’s pairings with other people. He thinks my definition would be impossible to find and sustain. I think his definition sounds like child custody in a divorce dispute. Who is right? Reexamining Relationship Remnants “They’re both right,” said Allena Gabosch, a poly activist, educator and podcaster (The Relationship Anarchy Show). “What the letter writer describes—a small group of people who love one another and all sleep together—is sometimes called ‘polyfidelity.’ It’s less common, and yet I’ve seen it work. His ex’s definition is more common: a primary couple with secondary and sometimes even tertiary partners. There is no ‘one true way’ to do poly, no matter what anyone says.” I’ve been in a fantastic monogamous relationship for almost eight years, but I used to be like a lot of your other readers. I had what I would consider an adventurous sex life, with lots of partners who were GGG, and I enjoyed continually pushing my sexual boundaries as long as everything was consensual and honest. Fast-forward to my current life: I’m now married to a wonderful vanilla woman. The transition to monogamous and vanilla was difficult at first, and I had fears about not being sexually content. As it turns out, it was a great move, and I’m a better man for it. My desire to have every kind of sex under the sun has settled down considerably, and the benefit is that I have much more energy and mental focus for other areas of my life. I want your readers to know that the answer to their happiness may not be the pursuit of more outlandish sex—for some, it just might be less. Monogamous In Montana Your letter reminded me of Saint Augustine’s prayer as a young man: “Lord, make me pure—but not yet!” You’re pure now, MIM, but first, like Augustine of Hippo (354–430), you had yourself some impure fun. Perhaps you would be just as satisfied, happy and smug if you’d been in a monogamous/vanilla relationship all along. But it’s possible you wouldn’t be satisfied and happy now if it weren’t for the adventures and experiences you had then. To paraphrase St. Agnes Gooch of Mame (1966): You lived! You lived! You lived! You see all that living as time wasted, MIM, but it’s possible—it may even rise to the level of probable—that the perspective and self-awareness you gained during the fuck-anything-that-moves stage of your life made you the man you are today, i.e., a guy who was ready to make a monogamous commitment and capable (so far) of honoring it. Finally, monogamous/vanilla types routinely cross over into the ranks of the sexually adventurous/ nonmonogamous and vice versa. (And monogamous/ vanilla and sexually adventurous aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive categories.) Instead of disparaging the choices others make—or disparaging the choices we once made—we’re better off encouraging people to make the choices that are right for them. And choices that are right for someone now may not be right for them always—and that goes for you, too, MIM, even now. On the Lovecast, Dan chats with the filmmakers of the documentary Give Me Sex Jesus:.savagelovecast. com. Email Dan via mail@savagelove.net and follow him on Twitter: @fakedansavage.

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I am fresh out of a gay relationship that started

» DAN SAVAGE

Ap ril 08 -14, 2 016

“Sex writers get all the really good religion questions,” said Mark Oppenheimer. “Can we trade mailboxes sometime soon? I’m tired of dealing with all the questions about why evangelicals support a thrice-married misogynist reality-TV star who never goes to church.” Oppenheimer writes the Beliefs column for The New York Times and is co-host of Unorthodox, an “irreverent podcast about Jews and other people” (tabletmag.com/unorthodox). I invited Oppenheimer to weigh in because I am, sadly, not Jewish myself. (Jewishness is conferred through matrilineal descent, meaning your mom—or, if you’re Reform, either parent—has to be Jewish for you to be Jewish, so all those blowjobs I gave to my first Jewish boyfriend were for nothing. No birthright trip for me.) “First off, I think that Die Fraulein should make her kinky proposal ASAP,” said Oppenheimer. “Given the ‘hyperapologetic’ curriculum that her Teutonic stud has absorbed, he is probably going to freak out no matter when she asks him to incinerate—er, tie her up and fuck her. On the other hand, if he’s open and kink-positive, he’ll probably be down for whatever. But it’s all or nothing in a case like this. She can’t win him over by persuading him that she’s not one of those uptight, unforgiving Jewesses who is still hung up on the destruction of European Jewry.” While your kink didn’t really faze Oppenheimer (it’s not exactly unheard of), NSPP, your discomfort with your own Judaism did. “In her letter, she assures us that she is ‘secular,’ ‘anti-Zionist’ and ‘garden-variety self-hating’—then jokingly compares herself to the Jewish white supremacist (played by Ryan Gosling in that movie) who in real life killed himself after The New York Times outed him as a Jew,” said Oppenheimer. “Now, all of us (especially homos and Yids) know something about self-loathing, and I think Jews are entitled to any and all views on Israel, and— again—I am not troubled by her kink. That said, I do think she needs to get to a happier place about her own heritage. Just as it’s not good for black people to be uncomfortable with being black, or for queer people to wish they weren’t queer, it’s not healthy or attractive for Jews or Jewesses (we are taking back the term) to have such obvious discomfort with their Jewish heritage.” And finally, NSPP, I shared your letter with a German friend of mine, just to see how it might play with someone who benefited from a hyperapologetic history curriculum. Would he do something like this? “Not in 6 million years.”

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PUBLICATION NOTICE OF PROPOSED CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT TO: ALL PERSONS WHO PERFORMED AS DANCERS AT PARADISE SHOWGIRLS AT ANY TIME DURING THE PERIOD MAY 17, 2006 THRU MAY 26, 2015 The purpose of this notice is to inform you of a proposed settlement (the “Settlement”) of a class action lawsuit (the “Action”) against Defendant Todd & Katie, Inc., aka Paradise Showgirls and/or Paradise 2000, (“Paradise”) located at 14310 Valley Boulevard, City of Industry, California, 91746, on behalf of all persons who performed one or more Dancer Days as a dancer at Paradise at any time during the period from May 17, 2006 through May 26, 2015. The Action is currently pending in the Superior Court of the State of California, Los Angeles County, (the “Court”), Case No. BC437919. The Action includes claims of unlawful wage deduction and tip collection, denied rest periods and reimbursement for uniforms, and not providing itemized wage statements. A judgment was obtained on behalf of the class against the Defendant after trial. On February 10, 2016, the Court issued an Order which, among other things, granted preliminary approval of the Settlement and established procedures for notice, final approval of the Settlement and other related matters. A hearing will be held before the Honorable Michele Rosenblatt in Department 40 of the Stanley Mosk Courthouse, located at 111 North Hill Street, Los Angeles, California 90012, on September 21 at 8:30 a.m. to consider whether the Settlement is fair, reasonable and adequate to the members of the Class. If you believe you are a member of the Class and want to make a Claim, you must submit a Claim form. You may do this by mail, facsimile, or email; however, the mailing or other transmission must be postmarked or otherwise have date confirmation by August 8, 2016. You may be asked to submit a Settlement Questionnaire in order to assist in determining your qualification as a Class member and your entitlement under the Settlement. You can receive a copy of the Notice, Settlement Questionnaire and/or Claim Form by contacting the Claims Administration office. The completed Claim Form should be sent to the Claims Administrator at: In Re: Paradise Showgirls Claim Administrator. c/o ILYM Group, Inc. P.O. Box 2031 Telephone: (888) 250-6810 Tustin, CA 92781 Fax (888) 845-6185 Email: Claims@ilymgroupclassaction.com Website: www.paradiseshowgirlssettlement.com For further information you may also contact Class Counsel at: K.L. Myles KNAPP, PETERSEN & CLARKE 550 North Brand Boulevard, Suite 1500 Glendale, California 91203-1922 Telephone: (818) 547-5250

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If you are a Class Member and do not wish to remain in the Settlement Class, you may exclude yourself (or “opt out.”) If you wish to exclude yourself from the Settlement Class, you must file and mail a written request for exclusion, which must contain your full name, any stage name(s) utilized while you performed as a dancer at Paradise, the specific dates, if known, or date range(s), month(s), year(s) you performed as a dancer at Paradise, and your current address. Your request for exclusion must also contain generally the statement “I want to be excluded from the PARADISE SHOWGIRLS class action settlement described in the Notice dated March 11, 2016. I understand that by requesting exclusion, I will not be eligible to receive any payment or other benefit from the settlement but will be free to pursue my claims individually”, and your signature. You must mail, fax, or email your request to the Settlement Administrator at the address set forth above postmarked or delivery receipt marked no later than July 9, 2016. To object to the settlement, you must follow the procedures as set forth in the full Notice of Proposed Class Action settlement. You can receive a copy of the full notice by contacting the Settlement Administrator at the address and numbers set forth above. Any objection to the settlement must be filed with the Court by June 9, 2016. IF THE SETTLEMENT IS APPROVED, AND IF YOU ARE AND REMAIN A MEMBER OF THE SETTLEMENT CLASS, AND IF YOU DO NOT SUBMIT A CLAIM BY August 8, 2016, YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE ANY MONEY BUT WILL STILL BE DEEMED TO HAVE RELEASED YOUR CLAIMS.

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SAFE ACCESS DIRECTORY

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