Indie Bands Turn Up the Sound in New Off Center SeriesPeter Björn and John with special guest Sea Wolf will be the first of six bands to rock Samueli Theater on January 24
The Walkmen and Delta Spirit set to play February 28
A Special Night with Cold War Kids on March 27
Tickets for January and February shows on sale now
COSTA MESA, CA – The Orange County Performing Artscenter has added a new music element to the recently announced Off Center Series, presenting six of the music scene’s top indie bands in Samueli Theater on the fourth Thursday of the month, January through June. Peter Björn and John with special guest Sea Wolf will be the first on January 24, 2008. Doors open at 8 p.m. with a set by DJ Paul V from media partner Indie 103.1. Sea Wolf takes the stage at 8:30, followed by headliner Peter Björn and John at 10 p.m.
Samueli Theater will continue rocking into spring with the recent addition of The Walkmen with Delta Spirit (February) and Cold War Kids (March) to the lineup. DJ Paul V from media partner Indie 103.1 will return to start things off at 8 p.m. February 28 before Delta Spirit takes the stage at 8:30 p.m. The evening’s headliner – The Walkmen – will begin their set at 10 p.m. Cold War Kids will offer up the third installment on March 27. Other bands in the series will be announced in the coming months.
“Our Off Center Series is a great balance to the imaginative theater companies, solo artists, and contemporary music and dance talents already announced. This series and these bands complement the Center’s traditional programming and will help us to engage new audiences,” said Center President Terrence W. Dwyer. “We’re sure some of the Off Center performers will surprise a few people, but we also feel strongly that they will introduce us to new audiences and make new friends who may not have visited the Center before.”
Tickets for Peter Björn and John as well as The Walkmen with Delta Spirit are on sale now. Standing-room-only general admission for the main floor is $30 and VIP club-style seating in the mezzanine is $60 for Peter Björn and John. The Walkmen tickets are $20 general admission and $40 VIP. Anyone who purchases tickets for the first two shows in the series will receive a priority e-mail code to purchase tickets to Cold War Kids before they go on sale to the general public March 1 for $25 general admission and $40 VIP. The remaining bands in the series will be announced shortly and tickets to those shows will go on sale about four weeks in advance. Tickets will be available at the Performing Artscenter Box Office at 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa, by calling 714.556.2787 or online at OCPAC.org. For inquiries about group ticket discounts, call the Performing Artscenter Group Sales office at 714.755.0236. The TTY number is 714.556.2746.
Mercedes-Benz is a Presenting Sponsor of the Orange County Performing Artscenter’s 2007-2008 Season.
Indie band performances are all-ages; a cash bar will be available for adults 21 years and older with valid ID. All dates, artists and programs are subject to change.
Peter Björn and John – January 24
Peter Morén and Björn Yttling played together in Sweden for eight years before teaming with John Eriksson in 1999. The following year they started their band and called it simply, Peter Björn and John.
In 2002, their home-recorded, self-titled debut album was released and received comments from the press regarding "superior sound beds" and "upcoming classics," while songs like "Matchmaker" and "People They Know" became favorites with the indie pop crowd. Falling Out was released in 2004 with its hit song "It Beats Me Everytime." It established Peter Björn and John as a group to watch … and listen for. In 2006, PB&J’s Writer's Block showcased each member as a songwriter and lead vocalist. PB&J are international artists, performing concerts in Great Britain, Ireland, Australia, Spain, Iceland, France, Portugal and Spain. In the United States, they have appeared in New York, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, San Diego, Milwaukee, Seattle, St. Louis and many other cities. This year, the band was nominated for Best New Artist at the MTV Video Music Awards.
Sea Wolf – January 24
Los Angeles-based indie band Sea Wolf, named for Jack London’s eponymous novel, currently includes Alex Brown Church on vocals and guitar, Lisa Fendelander on keyboards, Theodore Liscinski on bass, Aniela Perry on cello, Byron Reynolds on drums and Aaron Robinson on guitar. The group’s debut LP, Leaves in the River, was released in late September, earning the band a place among 2007’s top ten “new and notable” Southern California bands, according to the Los Angeles Times. The band recently rocked Late Night with Jimmy Kimmel and the video for “You’re a Wolf” can be seen on MTV. The band tours extensively, at times with such artists as Silversun Pickups and Nada Surf, recently playing LA’s Greek Theater alongside electronic French duo Air. Sea Wolf has performed at The Troubadour in Los Angeles, the Treasure Island Music Festival in San Francisco, the Mercury Lounge in New York City and the Belly Up Tavern in San Diego. They have also been featured in the Los Angeles Times, Flaunt, Paste and Magnet.
The Walkmen – February 28
The Walkmen got together in the year 2000 in West Harlem, up towards the top of Manhattan and over by the river. The band is made up of Hamilton Leithauser (vocals), Peter Bauer (organ), Walter Martin (bass), Paul Maroon (guitar), and Matt Barrick (drums). In the summer of 2000, the five members built an analogue studio in an abandoned Nash Rambler car factory, naming the place Marcata Studios and recording three records there over the next six years. During that time, the band began touring around the United States, and then on to Europe, Brazil and Japan. Over the past two years, the guys have done many recording sessions in studios from New Jersey to Mississippi, and in 2006, The Walkmen released Pussy Cats, their latest album. They have written and released three additional records, Everyone Who Pretended to Like Me is Gone (2002), Bows and Arrows (2004) and A Hundred Miles Off (2006), and have appeared several times on The Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Kimmel Live and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. For more information, go to
www.marcata.net/walkmen or
www.myspace.com/thewalkmen.
Delta Spirit – February 28
Hailing from San Diego, Delta Spirit got its start when bassist Jon Jameson and drummer Brandon Young joined forces to found the group Noise Ratchet in 1999. They signed to Rick Rubin’s American label, later meeting vocalist Matthew Vasquez, guitarist Sean Walker and multi-instrumentalist Kelly Winrich, with whom they formed Delta Spirit. After releasing the EP I Think I’ve Found It in 2006, the band toured with Cold War Kids, Dr. Dog and Tokyo Police Club. Ode to Sunshine, Delta Spirit’s latest LP, was released earlier this fall and the band is currently on tour with Matt Costa. Find out more at
www.myspace.com/deltaspirit and
www.deltaspirit.net.
Cold War Kids – March 27
Cold War Kids are Nathan Willett (lead vocals, piano, guitar), Jonnie Russell (guitar, vocals, percussion), Matt Maust (bass guitar) and Matt Aveiro (drums). They got their start in historic downtown Fullerton in Jonnie’s apartment above Mulberry St. Restaurant and are now based in Long Beach. Their music is heavily inspired by artists like Jeff Buckley, Bob Dylan, Velvet Underground, Radiohead and Johnny Segment. Recently, Cold War Kids starred in an MTV2 special titled Cold War Kids Takeover! and have been guests on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and on The Late Show with David Letterman. They have toured in support of Two Gallants, Tapes 'n Tapes, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Sound Team, Muse and The White Stripes. They have released three EPs via Monarchy Music and appeared at the 2006 SXSW Music Festival and both 2006 and 2007 lollapalooza music festivals. The album Robbers & Cowards was released in the US in October 2006 on Downtown and in the rest of the world February 2007 on V2. Said the Los Angeles Times about the album, “A sound so original and timeless you wonder how it sprang from the Los Angeles suburbs and not the dark, rich loam of the bayou.” Rolling Stone added, “Gorgeous … Bravo, kids!” In 2006, they signed with Downtown Records and, in October 2007, released their debut LP, We Used to Vacation, on that label. This year, the band also contributed to OKX, a tribute to the 10-year-old Radiohead album OK Computer, recording a version of the track "Electioneering." Learn more at
www.coldwarkids.com or
www.myspace.com/coldwarkids.
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