Back To OC: For Starters, Beaches and Music

There's a reason it took me 25 years to finally move away from CA. There are times I miss the energy and people of New York and Houston, but there's a lot about CA that has me happy to be back. It's been a weird transition. Not bad, but not great. I went from quasi-suburbia to the big city circuit, back to the quasi-suburbia. Getting away was good for me. It made me appreciate what I had and also made me realize there was more going on in OC than I was taking advantage of. My new gig with OC Weekly has been helpful, as it demands that I'm more aware of what's going on in the 34 cities that fall within the counties' border. Been spending a lot of time at the beach, trying to make up for my mostly surf-less year and a half away. The following photos aren't waves or surfing, but they're back on familiar territory.

Up close and personal. Close enough to gather the spit that misses the microphone. I'm not not the agro, overly-obsessive with a band type, so this was pretty gross. Even the saliva flying from the perfect glands of Minka Kelly would make me cringe. Nonetheless, with my photo and VIP pass for KROQ's Almost Acoustic Christmas show at Gibson Ampitheatere near the Universal City Walk, I was close enough to reach out and touch Mike Ness' shoe. I was inches from Jimmy Eat World, then My Chemical Romance (not my kind of music, but the lead singer with the burning red hair was engaging) and, finally, Social Distortion. I missed Bad Religion (blame LA traffic!) and The Smashing Pumpkins had some weird rule against photogs in the pit. Was part of a feature I'm working on for OC Weekly. First time shooting a big concert. Fun experience. Lessons learned. A few goods images found in the bunch. Music fans are crazy, and some scary.

Burly Man Known as 'The White Buffalo' Fills the House at Detroit Bar

The White Buffalo • Dec. 14, 2010

Detroit Bar (Costa Mesa, CA)

Not much is known or written about singer-songwriter, The White Buffalo. Just finding his real name is difficult.

But to those who know his music or have heard him play, they're sold. The following isn't great, but it's growing. It's how the elusive figure likes it; an organic, word-of-mouth happening.

There was enough talk to fill Detroit Bar on Tuesday night, a venue usually reserved for the punk and indie scene, not a country-rocker built like a mountain man.

He stepped onto the low-light stage, two beers in hand: "Alright mother fuckers, I'm going to do a few by myself and then bring the boys up."

His look is striking, like a man who stumbled out of the deepest reaches of the backwoods, with a guitar in hand. He's tall and burly, with long, greasy, brown hair and an unkempt, grizzly beard. He wore plaid, keeping with the dress code of the opening acts.

With his Eddie Vedder-like vocals, he sang of the "madman," a man who "descended from hell"; he then dropped into his deepest baritone to tell of falling in love with his wife in "Love Song #1," or lauded the merits of the "Bar and the Beer," serving as salvation and therapy. The substance of his songs was varied, but struck a pleasant balance. Some were were ideal for a listen just before bed ("10 'til 2"), others better for whiskey nights when trouble is likely to ensue ("Oh Darlin' What Have I Done," about going on a killing spree to win the affection of a woman).

While his look is indeed striking, his voice is compelling. Very much Vedder: pitch-perfect, but with range. From singing the deepest, darkest blues, to an Alice Cooper screetching scream to a drawn-out, melodious hymn. All this from a man who's music has yet to even appear on radio.

The White Buffalo (aka Jake Smith) is Oregon-born, but Orange County-raised; the majority of his upbringing coming in Huntington Beach. Despite his OC roots, he grew up listening to country (Merle Haggard and George Jones), which is apparent in the majority of his music. In high school, he was drawn to the punk scene, listening to The Descendants, Circle Jerks and Bad Religion: "I think that's where the aggressive side [in my music] comes from," he explains--a la the racing guitar pace in "Devil is a Woman."

"The boys" he alluded to were a bassist (Tommy Andrews) and drummer (Matt Lynott, "The Machine"), who he supposedly "found in a pawn shop," for a bargain price. With the threesome on stage, the music took on a different layer; Lynott's Ska-like chops raising the energy, and enticing several in the crowd out of their head-swaying funk, into a foot-stomp, hand-clapping, hip-swaying swing. Even White Buffalo added a jive between lyrics and riffs.

The mysterious man known simply as "Buffalo" – which was shouted out by males in the crowd with varying degrees of emphasis put on the "o" – is no stranger to Detroit. He's played the venue on multiple occasions. The stop last night was the first on a mini California tour, promoting his new EP, "Prepare For Black & Blue," which is his first with Ruff Shaw Records.

He'll be heading back into the studio in January to work on his second full-length album, which he expects to be out next summer.

After his set, he hung around the merchandise booth, signing CDs and the set list one of his female fans stole off the stage, and took a photo with a guy who wanted a side-by-side beard comparison.

I wasn't there when White Buffalo finally departed, but we imagine him driving off on a Harley or in an old pick-up. Either would have been fitting for the man who's far from fame, but slowly creeping toward the limelight.

Personal Bias: In this era of a cookie-cutter music scene, nice to see a different look and sound. Could probably walk into any bar or venue across the U.S. and convert a few listeners into fans within two songs.

The Crowd: In very un-Detroit Bar-like fashion, especially for a lesser-known show, it was packed early.

Overheard in the crowd: "I think the bassist works at my Vons," referring to the bassist playing behind The White Buffalo.

Random Notebook Dump: The White Buffalo thanked the "Tuesday night drinkers" for coming out, "the working class." He does know he's in Orange County and those are all designer hipster jeans, right?

Set List:
"The Madman"
"Into the Sun"
"Where Dirt and Water Collide"
"Oh Darlin' What Have I Done"
"10 'til 2"
"Devil Is a Woman"
"Stuntdriver"
"Good Ol' Day To Die"
"Damned"
"Hold the Line"
"Bar and the Beer"
"Love Song #1"
"Pilot"

MGMT's "Kids" by PS22, As Good or Better Than the Original

Stumbled on this video courtesy of a friend on Twitter. I retweeted it, but I also wanted to post it on here for future viewing purposes. As fine arts departments in school districts are facing dwindling funding and interest, implementing modern music seems like a great way to enthuse the young. PS22 is a glowing example. Enjoy.

"Yes We Can" Musical Collage

This is an old video, but I hadn't seen it. There's a lot of negative talk about President Barack Obama's first term in office swirling about the media, but there really has been a lot of oversight on what he has accomplished. Let us not forget the shitstorm he walked into courtesy of George W. Anyway, the video reminded me why his becoming president inspired a lot of hope in me and millions across the country and world. Enjoy.

Aushua (Salud!) @ Detroit Bar!

If you live in or around Costa Mesa, Calif. and are looking for some FREE entertainment tonight, consider stopping by Detroit Bar on Placentia Ave. to check out local super-group, Aushua.

A bit about the band: they've been on the rise for longer than they probably care to remember; they've compiled a solid library of original tunes and have had numerous U2 comparisons (which I prefer not to acknowledge); they're loved by Kat Corbett, resulting in a fair amount of play on KROQ's "Locals Only"; toured with Thrice; Nate's vocals make ladies go weak at the knees; were scheduled to perform on The Carson Daly Show, so on and so forth ... the point of listing the credentials is to atone for requesting your sacrificing a few extra hours of shut-eye.

Come by, have a drink, enjoy Nate's witty humor, watch Lee work up a sweat, scream for Phil and consider it an evening well spent. Oh, and try to coax Eric into expressing some degree of emotion. If you do, I'll give you $5.

Lastly, I'm sorry, I know, the photo is poor quality. I blame Canon and my low-end 18-55mm lens. Give me $1,000 and I'll upgrade.

You can find a few of their songs and more about the band @ myspace.com/aushua.