Summer Art Festivals
In a world that springs forth a steady stream of calamities, art is not only an escape but also, as John Cheever once said, “The triumph over chaos.” Among the many reasons that Golden State locals and international travelers escape to Laguna Beach each summer are its life-affirming, soul-enhancing art festivals. Clustered along Laguna Canyon Road, the Big Three annual outdoor art fairs – Sawdust Art Festival, Art-A-Fair, and Festival of Arts, featuring Pageant of the Masters – draw epic crowds on weekends and more navigable ones during the week.
Deep fried fun at the OC Fair
Where can you find tasty food, live entertainment, a midway full of exciting games, and rides that will leave you breathless all in one place? Well if you’ve been in Orange County in the past 120 years then you know of course that I’m talking about the Orange County fair.
The OC Fair invites guests to a deep-fried summer on a stick as opens its gates to the public once more for the 120th anniversary celebration July 16-August 15, 2010. Open Wednesday-Sunday the OC Fair will feature the premiere of a 120th anniversary exhibit showcase cataloguing a decade-by-decade look into Orange County’s favorite tradition.
Interview with Olivia Munn
Life was loud, messy, fast and a lot of yelling. A lot of the yelling was because I had a crazy family. The other yelling was just because there are loud ass Asians in my family. There are two types of Asians: There is the kind that laugh with their hand over their mouth and shy away and then there are the Asians that chew with their mouths open and speak at a constant level of shout. And really competitive. I had a stepsister who was the same age as me and naturally very smart. I always had to work so much harder than her to just try and keep up. Our parents felt that because we were same age (she was 6 months older than I), that I should be in all the same honors classes as she was.
World Cup Who's Who
The appearance in the CONFED finals last summer was only the beginning of the U.S. National teamÕs roller coaster ride to the 2010 World Cup. They finished atop the CONCACAF standings, but they needed a grueling 3-2 win at Honduras to qualify for the World Cup. Then, tragedy struck. Star forward Charlie DaviesÕs nearly fatal car accident in October 2009, sobered the U.S. team from the elation of World Cup qualification to the devastating sense of incompletion created by DaviesÕ absence. Luckily, his injuries were treatable and, over the winter, his improvement looked significant. He and U.S. coach, Bob Bradley were hopeful that he would be back in time. So, Davies rehabbed and hoped to get a call in the spring and an invitation to the Cup.
Anaheim Angels Update
Numerical yardsticks dance around in a baseball fan’s head: a .300 avg, a 99 MPH fastball, 100 RBI in a season, a 5.40 ERA, a 40 -homer year, a no (0) hitter. These values and others signify success (and failure) in a nutshell. One in particular, which is significant to the 2010 Angels, is the number 27. No, it’s not Vlad Guerrero’s old number missing from the lineup; it’s one of the snarkier statistical values in baseball. “Age 27”. This is the age when big leaguers reach their peak physical output. If a hitter suddenly “breaks out” and hits 15 more homeruns than last year or if a pitcher suddenly dials in his stuff and toys with a 20 win season there is an uncanny likelihood that the guy just had his 27th birthday.
Crow No More: The Black Crowes Final Show
At #92 on VH1's "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock", The Black Crowes are no strangers to success. With over 20 million albums sold, kudos from some of the greatest publications, including being voted 'Best New American Band' by the readers of Rolling Stone in 1990, and an unending number of devoted fans the Black Crowes truly are Rock ‘N’ Roll royalty. So what has prompted what seems like such an abrupt end to an illustrious career? In order to look forward we must first look back. In 1989, the band, who have been heavily influenced by, and indebted to, The Rolling Stones, The Faces, Buddy Guy, Otis Redding, and Humble Pie, made a demo cassette tape that got them signed with American Recordings
Doheny Blues Festival
Doheny State Beach in Dana Point will be host to a two-day convergence of soul shakers, folk rock legends and blues masters on Saturday May 22 and Sunday May 23. This weekend of rhythm and soul is the DOHENY BLUES FESTIVAL, now a dazzling and increasingly popular music event. In its 13th year, this Festival has grown into a main music attraction in South Orange County. This awesome event will feature everything from 26 acts on 3 stages of Blues, Rock & Soul music, a waterfront grass park with two main stages at opposite ends of the venue The Backporch Stage, where fans can enjoy acoustic performances in an intimate lawn area
Interview with Scott Weiland
Every musical decade has a certain thematic element that encapsulates the mood and tone of that decade. There was the disco era, the jazz era, and in the ‘90s there was rock. What split the country in the 90’s was not politics but preference in music as hip-hop became big and fans started to distribute by preferences. One of the rock groups leading the way, producing great music, was the Stone Temple Pilots (STP). For over ten years STP has been bringing the heat and has refused to stay cold. But as with any band, the band is defined by its leader, and STP’s leader is the eccentric and unforgettable Scott Weiland.
Interview with Orianthi
The Internet can be your friend or your enemy depending on how you use it. The music and the entertainment industries are still learning how to tame this giant, but some artists have already benefitted greatly from the web. Orianthi is one such artist. From the great down under (Australia), Orianthi has been on the music scene for only a short time, but has still managed to make her mark in a huge way. She has a hit single, “According to You,” and was hand-selected to be a guitarist for the biggest name in music—Michael Jackson. That’s right. Michael Jackson handpicked Orianthi to be his guitarist during the “This is It” concert tour before his untimely death.
Interview with Radha Mitchell
In the entertainment world where actresses are so prevalent, one has to really be notable to generate any hope of success. Success for an actress depends upon the ability to maintain a healthy flow of work. Radha Mitchell is one of those successful actresses, who is found over and over again in a variety of roles. First finding success and fame on television, Mitchell made the difficult jump into film where she has achieved even greater success. From “Pitch Black,” to “Phone Booth,” to “Man on Fire,” Mitchell’s career started snowballing, boosting her into bigger and more prominent roles. Last year she starred alongside Bruce Willis in “Surrogates.”
