Static-X, fronted by the animated Wayne Static, headlined House of Blues in Anaheim on Friday night. Davey Suicide and Gemini Syndrome opened.

Click here for more photos from Static-X at House of Blues Anaheim.

Photos by Jenny Montes de Oca, for OrangeCounty.com

Follow the Encore Blog on Facebook at Facebook.com/encoreOC for more music news, contests and giveaways!

The latest from Encore:

Slideshow: Static-X takes over the Mouse House is a post from: Encore

Though it’s about 1,000 degrees still outside, the summer is rapidly coming to an end. Why not celebrate the final weeks with an End of Summer Ska Splash headlined by local favorites Starpool on Friday, Aug. 24 at House of Blues Anaheim. My Super Hero, HB Surround Sound, Defunked and Stupid Flanders will also perform.

Doors are at 7 p.m. and tickets are $12.50-$15.

Photo taken of Starpool at Chain Reaction in July by Alexander Avina, for OrangeCounty.com.

Follow the Encore Blog on Facebook at Facebook.com/encoreOC for more music news, contests and giveaways!

The latest from Encore:

Music News: The End of Summer Ska Splash comes to House of Blues Anaheim is a post from: Encore

Hollywood-based rock band Steel Panther performed at House of Blues Anaheim Friday night and fans showed up decked out in ’80s rock gear.

Click here for a photo slideshow of fans and performances.

Photos by Jenny Montes de Oca, for OrangeCounty.com

Follow the Encore Blog on Facebook at Facebook.com/encoreOC for more music news, contests and giveaways!

The latest from Encore:

Slideshow: Steel Panther rocks ’80s style at House of Blues Anaheim is a post from: Encore

Dashboard Confessional, featuring singer-songwriter Chris Carrabba, performed to a crowd of loyal fans on Thursday night at the Mouse House in Anaheim.

Click here for a photo slideshow of Dashboard Confessional at House of Blues Anaheim. 

Photos by Jenny Montes de Oca, for OrangeCounty.com.

Follow the Encore Blog on Facebook at Facebook.com/encoreOC for more music news, contests and giveaways!

The latest from Encore:

Slideshow: Dashboard Confessional pleases die-hard fans at House of Blues Anaheim is a post from: Encore

Rock band Fountains of Wayne along with the Relationship and Mike Viola performed at House of Blues Anaheim Friday night.

Click here for a photo slideshow of fans and performances.

Photos by Alexander Avina, for OrangeCounty.com.

Follow the Encore Blog on Facebook at Facebook.com/encoreOC for more music news, contests and giveaways!

The latest from Encore:

Slideshow: Fountains of Wayne rocks the Mouse House is a post from: Encore

Music and beer fans turned out for Local Brews, Local Grooves at House of Blues Anaheim on Thursday night. The evening included performances by Dylan Holton and Finish Ticket and a couple of new local brews on tap.

Click here for a photo slideshow of Local Brews, Local Grooves.

Local Brews, Local Grooves happens every Thursday at 10 p.m. Admission is free for those 21-and-up.

Photos by Alexander Avina, for OrangeCounty.com.

Follow the Encore Blog on Facebook at Facebook.com/encoreOC for more music news, contests and giveaways!

The latest from Encore:

Slideshow: Fans turn out for Dylan Holton at Local Brews, Local Grooves in Anaheim is a post from: Encore

During the summer of 2010, local rock outfit Echo Echo was riding high while recording its full-length debut, Fall Like You’re Flying, at L.A.’s Henson Recording Studios.

They had decamped there with noted producer and engineer Alex Gibson, best known for assisting artists like David Lee Roth, Sting and Damien Rice, and also got to work with English musician and producer Rupert Hine, who has collaborated with everyone from Tina Turner and Stevie Nicks to the Fixx and Rush.

The actual recording process was a great learning experience, vocalist Steve Carson said in a recent phone interview. Echo Echo was able to fund the bigger-budget recording thanks to a couple of local investors – or what Carson jokingly refers to as a little armed robbery and extortion.

“The biggest bonus to having that budget was that it allowed us to work with Alex and Rupert, and that was just mind-blowing, but it wouldn’t have happened without some money,” he explains. “Just being able to work with a producer of Alex’s level of talent, and recording at Henson – it was all an amazing experience.

“It was also really good for morale, that we were in that situation, to be really creative with professionals in a professional environment. The downside of it all was that it did cost lots of money.”

Echo Echo ended up giving away around 1,500 copies of the disc (officially released last summer) at local shows, but Carson says the record did very well on iTunes. For its next release, however, an EP dubbed Dripping from the Undercoat, the group took a more do-it-yourself approach, as the quintet — including guitarist Jameson Burt, bassist Bruce Yolken, drummer Darren Carr and keys player Andrew Wesley — hammered out the five-track set in their Santa Ana rehearsal space and studio.

“The thing about doing it yourself is that it doesn’t cost that much money and you’re in complete control of how long it takes,” Carson says. “There’s no clock and you’re not worried about having to come up with another $2,000 because you need a few more days for mixing. Compared with spending the big dollars, you have more freedom to be creative and there’s a different vibe and sound.

“Obviously we’re not going to record an album in our studio in Santa Ana that sounds like a Henson record. But at the same time, as long as you’re doing what you do best, you’re recording the best you can and it sounds good and there’s conviction behind the message and the music, I don’t think it really matters. Especially in this day and age, I think people aren’t as crazy about like, ‘Hey, the frequency is a little weird on that second song.’ It’s more about what you’re saying.”

Since putting out the EP in January, the band has returned to writing mode, working diligently on new music as well as playing local gigs. Echo Echo can be found next performing Saturday at House of Blues Anaheim with Allensworth and Micah Brown, among others.

Some members (Burt in particular) have other solo projects to keep up with, but Carson says that since the group’s inception roughly eight years ago, they’ve been able to keep a pretty tight schedule and meet regularly for rehearsals, typically every Friday.

During its early years, they were known simply as the Steve Carson Band, its namesake recruiting friends Carr and Yolken to help fill out the sound at his live solo shows. After several gigs, it became apparent that a fourth member, a guitarist, was needed.

“We started auditioning guitar players towards the end of 2003 and it was a nightmare,” Carson recalls. “Just dudes with egos and people who said they were better than they were. We had guys come in who had great gear and looked fantastic, but they really couldn’t play.”

Through an acquaintance of Carr’s who was also a guitar teacher, Burt was recommended: “In rolls this 19-year-old, surfer-dude-looking kid, but he had just studied all of the material and learned the songs and parts. I told the guys: ‘Even if he’s amazing, let’s be cool, let’s not scare him.’”

The guys hired Burt — and 10 days later the Steve Carson Band played a show at the Gig in Hollywood. “I remember that gig like it was yesterday because I basically stood out in the alley with Jameson all night because he was too young to get into the club before we played,” Carson says. “From that point on, we were pretty hard-core, playing 56 shows a year, recording and touring.”

They began to build a solid fan base throughout Southern California while branching out to other areas, including stints in Seattle and along the East Coast. Their leader knew that the Steve Carson Band was no longer a fitting name, yet the guys were having a tough time coming up with something else.

It wasn’t until they were recording that debut at Henson Studios, however, that they finally made the switch. One night during the sessions, everyone, producers as well, wrote words on pieces of scrap paper and threw them in a pile. Then everyone drew two. One friend pulled out “echo” and “echo,” each written by a different person.

“It was by sheer coincidence,” Carson swears. “Rupert said: ‘Oh, Echo Echo — I like that.’ Basically we went, ‘OK, Echo Echo is awesome.’”

Carson says he was happy to shed his name from the band moniker: “It had been fine because we did start out as the Steve Carson Band, but it evolved fairly quickly. We knew, coming out of pre-production on that album and as we started to do some promotions for it, that we were ready to make that transition.

“Shortly after that, Andrew joined the band, which freed me up from being on the keyboard, so a lot of good changes happened. I’m happy that the name changed. (It) probably worked for a few years, but when you’re out meeting people and you perform for them and say the name of the band, they go: ‘Who’s Steve Carson?’

“Now I’m not Steve Carson of the Steve Carson Band. I’m a member of Echo Echo — and that just feels right.”

Echo Echo plays Saturday night at House of Blues Anaheim, 1530 S. Disneyland Drive, along with Allensworth, Chris Williams, Micah Brown and Nate Westerfield. Show time is 8. Tickets are $12.50.

Photo: Echo Echo in front of their Santa Ana studio. From left: bassist Bruce Yolken, drummer Darren Carr, guitarist Jameson Burt, vocalist Steve Carson and keyboardist Andrew Wesley. Photo by Gary Carson.

Follow the Encore Blog on Facebook at Facebook.com/encoreOC and on Twitter @encore_oc.

The latest from Encore:

Orange Pop: Echo Echo goes DIY with latest EP is a post from: Encore

As the lights dimmed, members of Fullerton rock quintet Lit began to appear on stage, and die-hard fans who turned out at House of Blues Anaheim Saturday night went absolutely bananas. Though the gig wasn’t completely sold-out, this passionate bunch crammed in as close to the stage as possible, clearly ready to have a good time. Surprisingly, a majority seemed to have already memorized lyrics to all of the new tracks off the band’s fifth studio album, The View from the Bottom, just released on Tuesday.

Click here for a photo slideshow of Lit’s House of Blues performance.

Coming out hard with the anthem “The Broken,” vocalist A.Jay Popoff emerged through a side door and sang his way into the pit to get to the stage, flanked by several security guards and a camera guy. Leading off with such a big-sounding new song was a perfect example of how much fuller this band sounds now with the addition of guitarist Ryan Gillmor. Lit thanked the audience on several occasions throughout the performance for celebrating the new album in its home county. As A.Jay put it, the night would be way more of a party than a “professional” gig, so “let’s all get drunk tonight together!”

You could tell this night was special for the band, as members all had Jack Skellington-sized grins on their faces, beaming from ear to ear. Even more stoic guitarist Jeremy Popoff couldn’t help but crack a smile during some obvious high moments.

Since the house was packed with family members and close friends, the group gave several shout-outs: Jeremy to his 10-year-old son Jake, who rocked out in the pews; A.Jay singled out late Lit drummer Allen Shellenberger’s father, who sang along amid the crowd; and bassist Kevin Baldes took a moment to congratulate his parents on 51 years of marriage before blasting into “Lipstick and Bruises.” That track also brought out Mulletron, the mullet-sporting robot which appeared in the song’s music video, something A.Jay admitted was “our most expensive self-indulgence ever in the history of Lit.”

As the band dove into new tracks like “You Tonight,” “C’Mon,” “Same Shit, Different Drink” and “Miss You Gone,” there were people on hand screaming out every last line. The songs fit seamlessly into Lit’s repertoire, getting these fans as excited as older favorites like “Over My Head,” “Zip-Lock” and the loudest audience singalong of all on “Miserable.”

This was definitely a rock ‘n’ roll show, with intensely bright lights, plenty of guitar solos, a half-dozen shots of Jäger and a frontman who makes absolutely no apologies for the animal he becomes once he hits the stage. Call it what you will, but the crowd ate it up, especially the ladies, when 38-year-old A.Jay peeled off his shirt, revealing a physique that’s still very cut. I guess if you look like that, it’s easier to get away with flirty glances toward the crowd and the occasional, totally obvious crotch grab.

“She Don’t Know” and “Here’s to Us” — the latter of which was dedicated to Shellenberger, who lost his battle with brain cancer in 2009 — were slow and sincere. During that song a fan handed A.Jay a photo of the band with Shellenberger, which he held up for the crowd to see, then put into his pocket.

On several occasions Lit called for audience participation, and their local devotees eagerly delivered. A.Jay would leap onto the barrier and pass the mic to a fan to finish off a verse or two – sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t. The spotlight seems to sometimes make people forget the lyrics, or maybe they just didn’t know them in the first place. One rabid fan belted out “Something to Someone” like he wrote it, prompting A.Jay to comment, “That was badass. You’re hired.”

The band didn’t only stick the crowd with new material, however. They blasted through numerous tracks off 1999’s A Place in the Sun and a handful from 2001’s Atomic and 2004’s self-titled release. Lit ended the main set with “The Wall,” a new cut they had yet to play to a live audience. Following an extremely brief break, they returned for “My Own Worst Enemy,” then treated fans to back-to-back covers. Baldes gave fans the option of either hearing something from Elvis Costello or Iron Maiden. When both songs received equal applause, Lit decided to do each one, delivering a way rocked out version of Costello’s “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace Love and Understanding” (technically by Nick Lowe) and a fiery performance of Maiden’s “Wrathchild.”

Second opening act Julien-K, an electronic rock outfit based in Long Beach and O.C. and featuring former Orgy guitarists Amir Derakh and Ryan Shuck, delivered a loud, energetic set that got this crowd moving. At times, though, it just felt so over-the-top, especially when Shuck said something like, “As you can see, we’re pretty good.” The band played songs off of its new album, January’s We’re Here with You, including highlights “Breakfast in Berlin” and “Palm Springs Reset,” as well as tracks from its debut, 2009′s Death to Analog.

Local act, We Are the Arsenal has come a long way from some of the smaller stages in town to this show-launching opening set at the Mouse House. Vocalist and guitarist Ryan Terrigno came off like a natural, diving into a few of the band’s better tracks, “Ghost Town” and “Machines.”

Photos by Kelly A. Swift, for OrangeCounty.com.

Follow the Encore Blog on Facebook at Facebook.com/encoreOC and on Twitter @encore_oc.

The latest from Encore:

Review: Lit rocks House of Blues with new cuts and old favorites is a post from: Encore

Fullerton-based rock quintet Lit celebrated the release of its latest album The View from the Bottom at the Slidebar Rock-N-Roll Kitchen in downtown Fullerton on Tuesday night.  The band even brought out Mulletron (a robot with a mullet) from its “Lipstick and Bruises” music video for the party.

Click here for a photo slideshow of Lit’s CD release party at the Slidebar.

Fans lined up early for a meet and greet with the band which posed for photos, signed autographs and chatted one-on-one with the die-hard crowd.

Read a full interview with the members of Lit here.

Photos by Alexander Avina, for OrangeCounty.com

Follow the Encore Blog on Facebook at Facebook.com/encoreOC and on Twitter @encore_oc.

The latest from Encore:

Slideshow: Lit hosts CD release party at the Slidebar is a post from: Encore

Local alternative rock outfit, Ceasefire celebrated the release of its debut EP, This Love, on Saturday night at the House of Blues in Anaheim along with friends, family, fans and four other local bands.

Click here for a photo slideshow of Ceasefire’s release show at House of Blues Anaheim.

The night got off to a slow start, due in part to electronic-experimental trio Theory by Sound. The group’s set consisted mostly of instrumental material, but it seemed that the band focused too much on the experimental portion of its music while writing and forgot to include some song structure. A very evident lack of drums, along with the genre of music Theory by Sound identifies itself with, made the trio seem a little out of place while mixed in with the remaining acts.

Whether it was the change of band, the catchy melodies or the energetic performance on stage, five-piece rock outfit Forgiving Yesterday managed to turn the night around and really kick-start the evening. Amherst Aisle followed with another solid set and generated an all around feel-good vibe throughout the venue.

Mission Viejo rock band Keepers of the Sun was the final act before the headliner took the stage. The group’s female lead commanded the stage with her quirky dance moves and powerful vocals. Despite a thinned out crowd, the band kept on keeping on. Soon after it had started its set, the audience was slowly lured back into the room. Not even sound and technical difficulties deterred the quartet away from giving one of the best performances of the evening.

Ceasefire came on stage to find a rock and party hungry crowd. The group, obviously sensing the energy from the audience, fed upon the positive vibes. Vocalist Ray Alexander paraded back and forth on stage without tripping up one note. He interacted vividly with the crowd and held a confident frontman demeanor throughout the set.

Though Alexander did not play an instrument while performing, he seemed comfortable and at ease throughout his time on stage and held the poise and presence of a seasoned musician. The audience sang and swayed along to the music, and, at times, raised their arms above their heads and waved them along to the beat of the music. The energy in the room escalated when beach balls were released into the audience mid-set.

Crowd goers became even more exhilarated when the rock quartet played its latest single, “This Love Will Tear Us Apart,” which has been featured on KROQ’s Locals Only playlist. The track boasts a slightly ominous feel, but definitely manages to create a catchy melody that was enjoyed by just about everyone in the room. Never falling short of the energy level it displayed when it first hit the stage, Ceasefire ended the evening on a high note.

Article by Cassie Rossel, for OrangeCounty.com. Photos by Alexander Avina, for OrangeCounty.com.

Follow the Encore Blog on Facebook at Facebook.com/encoreOC and on Twitter @encore_oc.

The latest from Encore:

Review: Ceasefire debuts ‘This Love’ EP at House of Blues party is a post from: Encore