If the past few weeks (especially since Christmas/New Year’s) have been extra stressful, why not just laugh it off? Worried about the few extra pounds in the belly area? I hear laughter is a great ab workout. Okay, maybe I just made that up to make myself feel better, but I know my guts hurt after a vigorous laughing session.

Check out the plethora of quality stand-up comedians coming to Orange County soon…

Jon Lovitz - Known for his stint on “Saturday Night Live” and his voiceover work on “The Simpsons,” “The Critic” and Lovitz served as the voice in multiple Subway commercials. Various show times, Friday, Feb. 15-Sunday, Feb. 17, at the Irvine Improv.

Dana Carvey - Also known as “Garth” from “Wayne’s World” and his hilarious skits on “Saturday Night Live” including the “Church Lady.” 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 20 & Thursday, Feb. 21, at the Brea Improv.

Todd Glass - “Last Comic Standing” contestant and frequent late night television guest comedian. 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 4, at the Irvine Improv.

Bob Saget - WARNING - this is not your typical “Full House” Bob Saget! Saget’s act is rude, crude, raunchy and super hilarious. 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 8, at The Grove of Anaheim.

Norm Macdonald - His deadpan style of comedy has landed him roles in several “cult classic” style comedy flicks and he also did his time on “Saturday Night Live.” He’s most popular for his delivery of the “Fake News” and his impersonations of Bob Dole and Burt Reynolds. Various show times, Thursday, March 6-Sunday, March 9, at the Brea Improv.

Also…check out some great up-and-coming comics at Detroit Bar in Costa Mesa.

In an effort to draw younger audiences, the Orange County Performing Artscenter launched its first indie-rock music series, “Off Center,” on Thursday night, with Peter Bjorn and John and Sea Wolf performing at the still somewhat-hidden gem of a new venue, Samueli Theater.

Hooking up with Indie 103 FM as a promotional partner for this series of monthly events, is, I think, a brilliant move by the Artscenter. Consider the stellar, must-see lineup of upcoming “Off Center” concerts: Delta Spirit (Feb. 28, $20-$40), Cold War Kids (March 27, $25-$40) and Matt Costa (April 24, $20-$40).

And the classy Samueli is a perfect venue for this series, providing an intimate, warm, almost-lounge feel balanced with plenty of space to walk around - a nice change from the cold, sometimes-grungy industrial spaces that typically host “indie” acts.

Orange County Register pop critic Ben Wener dug the venue and the show, too. Check out his complete review here.

 Detroit Bar in Costa Mesa is a great place to check out new and local music and occasionally they bring in some big acts.  Ima Robot, an alternative pop/rock group from Los Angeles, pay a visit to the venue on Friday, Feb. 1 with opening support from Long Beach’s grunge/rock act Thinking Aloud.

The Raveonettes  stop by Detroit Bar on Sunday, March 2. The Danish duo of Sune Rose Wanger and Sharin Foo have a vintage, noir look and sound and play music that’s often foggy, dream-like, yet charming.

Tickets for both shows are available now, $12 for IMA Robot, $13 for The Ravonettes. Tickets can be purchased at the venue or by calling 1-800-594-TIXX (8499) or online at detroitbar.com.

In the meantime…check out Detroit Bar’s Monday Night Resident bands, going on every Monday night at 9 p.m. with no cover. January’s Resident band is Sparrow Love Crew, a hip-hop group outta Long Beach and February brings We Barbarians, an indie rock band from Long Beach.

- KELLI SKYE

Is the holiday season already weighing down on you? Stop at one of these local venues for a drink with friends to help rekindle some holiday cheer.

Beer and Wine Tasting, 7-9 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 12, at Mutt Lynch’s, Newport Beach. Featuring tastings courtesy of Deschutes Brewery and Beringer Winery. Appetizers will also be available.

Pizza & Pinot Wednesdays, 4-8 p.m. every Wednesday, at Palm Terrace Restaurant and Lounge in The Island Hotel, Newport Beach. Four specialty pizzas and choice of six Pinot Noirs.

Champagne Tasting, 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 13, at Bacchus Secret Cellar, Irvine. Sample Moet and Chandon champagnes to pick the best bubbly to toast to the New Year.

Wine Tastings, 5-9 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 13, at WineStyles, Irvine. Sample various wines and appetizers.

Singles Night Wine Tasting, 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 14, at WineStyles, Irvine. Mingle with other singles and taste a flight of seven new wines.

Wine & Jazz, 8-11 p.m. Friday, Dec. 14, at CasaVino Wine Bar, Long Beach. Wine tasting and live Jazz music by The Steve Harris Jazz Collective.

There are a ton of shows going on nightly all over the county. Here are a few worth checking out that are coming up here pretty quick…

Pepper, 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 29 and Friday, Nov. 30, at House of Blues in Downtown Disney, Anaheim. $20-$23.50.

The Aquabats, 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 30, at The Glasshouse in Pomona. $17.

Handsome Devil, 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, at The Gypsy Lounge in Lake Forest. Free
admission with new, unwrapped toy donation. 21+.

Suburban Legends, 2:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 2, at The Alley in Fullerton. $15.

Kristopher Roe of The Ataris, 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 2, at Chain Reaction in Anaheim. $10.

Tyrone Wells and Molly Jenson, 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 7, at Plush Cafe in Fullerton. $15.

Death By Stereo, 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 15, at The Glasshouse in Pomona. $16.

- KELLI SKYE

Yes, guys and gals, it is that time of year again. KROQ 106.7 FM’s DJs Kevin & Bean announced night one of the annual rock concert: Linkin Park, Bad Religion, Rise Against, Serj Tankian, Angels & Airwaves, Avenged Sevenfold and Paramore.

The show will be held at the Gibson Amphitheater on Saturday, December 8.

Night two, along with ticket sale information, will be announced soon.

For more information, visit the KROQ website.

This year’s Music for a Cure benefit event brought together good music, a good cause, good hearts, plus beautiful people, places and things.

“The Heart of Rock ‘n’ Roll” party Friday night, Nov. 2, featured a concert by Sugar Ray and Smashmouth; artfully tasteful food and cocktails; a silent and a live auction, all at the gorgeous, intimate Samueli Theatre at the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa. All the event proceeds go to Music for a Cure, the heart-warming charity started by Sugar Ray bassist Murphy Karges and his wife, Julie, to bring music into the lives of sick and financially needy children.

The Kargeses have done everything from bringing performers to hospitalized kids to providing instruments and music lessons to underprivileged children. And on Friday night, the Kargeses presented a $1 million check to Children’s Hospital of Orange County to endow a music therapy program there.

Read the rest of this entry »

We get a lot of strange emails with some off the wall pitches, today SqueezeOC.com editor Iris Yokoi found a press release for Tigarah, the “critically acclaimed Japanese Rap Queen.”

The press release is really overly hyped, to the point where one can’t help but laugh out loud.

The highlight of the release are the supposed critic comments such as the one from the Los Angeles Times that comments that Tigarah sounds like “Gwen Stefani, Anglo-Sri Lankan rapper M.I.A., Hellos Kitty and crunk stalwart Lil’ Jon…”

Tigarah will be performing at the Avalon Hollywood (1735 N. Vine Street, Los Angeles) this Sunday, Nov. 4 at 10 p.m. with Peaches and Ton Loc as part of URB Magazine’s 150th Issue Celebration.

Here’s just a little taste of the rappin’ Japanese diva with her video “Japanese Queen.”

Please enable Javascript and Flash to view this Flash video.

- KELLI SKYE

Orange County screamo-rock band Avenged Sevenfold just announced that they will be playing a free show at the Key Club in Hollywood at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 20.

The set will be taped for MySpace’s “The List” which is broadcast in the videos section on the website.

The show is free, but you MUST be wearing a Halloween costume to get in. The show is first come, first in and no tickets will be made available for purchase.

The band will release a self-titled album (the follow-up to “City of Evil”) on October 30 and will be touring with Operator, The Confession and Black Tide this Fall.

The band also released it’s first single and the official version of it’s newest music video, “Almost Easy.” Check it out…

Please enable Javascript and Flash to view this Flash video.

The eccentric stand-up comedian turned actor, Dane Cook just announced his “Rough Around the Edges” Comedy Tour which makes a stop at the Honda Center on Sunday, Dec. 9. Cook is known for his wild stage humor, freakish and often, nails-on-a-chalk board style, sound effects and jokes focusing on growing up in a house of all women.

Cook has taken the leap from the small stage to the big screen, appearing in feature films alongside Hollywood heavy-hitters like Jessica Alba, Kevin Costner, Demi Moore and, dare I say, Jessica Simpson. Cooks main bread-and-butter comes from his arena comedy tours and multi-platinum comedy DVDs and CDs. He’s also a regular on the late night talk show circuit as well as the surprise guest on many nights at the Laugh Factory in Hollywood.

Tickets for the “Rough Around the Edges” comedy tour are $33-$103 and go on sale on Oct. 12 at 10 a.m.

- KELLI SKYE