Ahi Extravaganza

For this super-awesome upcoming event, I think I can best inform (read: tantalize) you by listing a few carefully chosen keywords: celebrities, sports stars, ahi hors d'oeuvres, gourmet sushi entrees, cocktails, open bar (hello), premium desserts, coffee bar, silent auction, valet parking. Are you sold? Is your mouth watering like mine is? Good. Everything I've listed is what will be offered at the Geisha House in Santa Ana on Sunday, September 19th, for The Ahi Extravaganza. Simply purchase a ticket on their site and you get all this - a sushi dinner, cocktail, open bar access, dessert, coffee bar access- all the while brushing elbows with some big whigs and "surprise guests!"Also, making a special appearance and signing autographs will be Chester Bennington from Linkin Park. The best part is, a generous portion of each ticket sold goes to Someone Cares, a Costa Mesa based nonprofit soup kitchen and kids tutoring organization. The event will help the Someone Cares to raise funds to feed the hungry in Orange County. Your donation is tax deductible. Call (949) 548-8861 for more info.

Time to break out your dressy duds and party with a purpose!

-Blythe

on my blip: Feist's "When I Was a Young Girl"

Tall Ships Festival in Dana Point this Weekend!

This weekend, the Ocean Institute is hosting the 26th Annual Toshiba Tall Ships Festival at Dana Harbor in Dana Point! On September 10th - 12th, there will be real, working tall ships, filled with blacksmiths, scrimshaw artists, and the infamous Port Royal Privateers. Explore Ocean Institute's efforts to protect local watersheds through hands-on labs and art activities, get up-close and personal with some sea creatures (including sea stars, jellies, rays, and an octopus). New this year, your child may participate in a "Friendly Pirate School." Humor your child's suppressed dream to be a pirate and watch as he or she learns to talk like a pirate, walk like a pirate, and sing like a pirate! Ahoy matey!

Explore the majesty and wonder of tall ships through the smells (yep), sounds, and sights of real, working tall ships. Interactive living-history encampments including blacksmiths, scrimshaw artists, and the infamous Port Royal Privateers.

Grass Park activities, Chantey concert, art & crafts show, food court, living history encampments and vendor area are all FREE and open to the public. There will also be face painting, gold panning, knot tying, interactive demonstrations, and storytelling. For additional fees, you can purchase Pirate Adventure Passes, Parade tickets, Parade Escort Cruise tickets, Cannon Battle Cruise tickets, and more.

Take the whole family and make a day of it!

Arrrrrr you with me?

-Blythe
on my blip: Jenny Lewis' "You Are What You Love"

NB Jazz Series to feature saxophonist David Sanborn on Sept 10

Hyatt Regency Newport Beach Summer Jazz Series Features One of Greatest Saxophonists of All Time: David Sanborn on September 10

The Hyatt Regency Newport Beach Summer Jazz Series continues with Grammy award-winning David Sanborn performing this Friday, September 10 at 8pm in the Hyatt Regency's outdoor amphitheater.

 [the man with the plan: David Sanborn]

Revered the world over as one of the greatest saxophone players of all-time, David Sanborn is an artist whose music has inspired countless other musicians while creating a body of work that spans the genres of rock 'n' roll, R&B, pop, and jazz. A naturally gifted performer, David has helped defined the saxophone’s modern sound while influencing a generation. With 24 solo albums released since 1975, Sanborn’s latest CD “Only Everything” was released earlier this year. He has performed with incredible musicians including Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, James Taylor, Stevie Wonder, The Eagles, and more. His work can be heard on a number of albums with music superstars including Billy Joel’s “An Innocent Man,” Steely Dan’s “Goucho,” for Carly Simon, and Elton John to name a few.


With 15 consecutive weeks of live jazz concerts, the annual Hyatt Regency Newport Beach Summer Jazz Series is the longest running jazz series in the country. Through October 1st a diverse collection of jazz musicians will entertain audiences in the intimate outdoor amphitheater, surrounded by a serene and lush landscape, at Hyatt Regency Newport Beach.  Following are the remaining show dates and performers:

• Sept. 10                                David Sanborn
• Sept. 17                                Spencer Day and Jake Shimabukuro
• Sept. 24                                Euge Groove with Special Guests Paul Brown & Marc Antoine
• Oct. 1                                   Peter White

Ticket prices range from $40 to $95 and can be purchased at www.SummerJazzSeries.com or by calling the box office at (949) 729-6400. Dinner packages, reserved seats, sky boxes, and overnight accommodations are available.  

Jazz it up, folks!

-Blythe
on my iTunes: St. Vincent's "Actor Out of Work"

OC Fashion Illustrator Danny Roberts

There is certainly a lot to be excited about lately. Sometimes, I just can't take it. For instance, in this month's issue of The OC Gazette, we spotlight a local fashion illustrator Danny Roberts. Danny has created stunning illustrations for the likes of Gwen Stefani, Forever 21, Lancôme, and many more. And we were able to nab his time to answer our questions!

[one of Danny's designs for Forever 21]

See what I mean? Stunning. And I keep seeing his stuff popping up places, beautifying new items and space. For example, I recently realized that this popular sidebar icon for the blog-reader site Bloglovin' is one of Danny's illustrations,

Danny also has a YouTube channel with a bunch of cool videos of his artistic process, like these two,





Visit Danny Robert's website, blog, or YouTube channel.
Read our article on Danny Roberts on The OC Gazette website.

Happy September everyone- and happy Friday! TGIF!

-Blythe

on my blip: Simon & Garfunkel's "Keep the Customer Satisfied"

Beer and Firefighters For a Good Cause

OC BREW HA HA Festival Fundraiser to Feature 100+ Craft Beers, 50+ Breweries

9/11 fundraiser to support Orange County Fallen Firefighters Relief Fund

Irvine, Calif., September 2010 – The Orange County community will be given the opportunity to honor fallen firefighters during a unique 9/11 celebration, the OC Brew Ha Ha festival fundraiser from noon to 3 p.m. at Hidden Valley Park in Irvine. On Saturday, September 11, attendees will have the opportunity to sample more than 100 custom craft beers from some of the most prestigious breweries in Southern California, as well as enjoy food, entertainment and beer seminars. In addition, off-duty firefighters will be pouring and serving up brews to the public throughout the event.

This 9/11 event will serve as a way to observe and show appreciation for local firefighters as a portion of the proceeds from ticket sales are donated to the Fallen Firefighters Relief Fund, a non-profit organization that aids families of Orange County firefighters lost in the line of duty.

All tickets, restricted to those 21 years and older, include a commemorative glass and 10 four-oz. samplings, free water/soft drinks, and free parking. Additional samplings may be purchased – three for $5. Regular admission is $35 per adult and special VIP packages are available starting at $45 for early admission (11 a.m. entry), two extra tastes, and preferred parking. Other packages include a $60 pass with an exclusive food and beer gathering with brewers and firefighters after the event (3 p.m. – 4 p.m.); and a $10 Designated Driver ticket for those who will not be sampling brews. For more details or to purchase tickets, visit ocbrewhaha.com  or call (949) 363-1774.

“As a retired Lieutenant Commander from the U.S. Coast Guard Reserves, I have a special interest in helping those associated with service to the community and to our country, so I wanted to produce a 9/11 event that celebrated the contributions of the many brave men and women who wear uniforms to serve and protect,” commented Carrie James, event producer for the OC Brew Ha Ha fundraiser. “Our goal is to raise funds while having a great time enjoying quality beers at what we hope will become an annual craft beer festival in Orange County.”

In addition, guests will be able to gain knowledge from Beer Appreciation Presentations, some led by fully certified Cicerones. In the beer industry, this is the equivalent of a wine Sommelier, and the OC Brew Ha Ha will have four of the most respected authorities on beer in the nation: Ed Heethuis (Celebrator Beer News), discussing Sensory Analysis of Beer; Stef Ferrari (The Bruery), on the topic of Barrel Aging: Past, Present & Future; Jonathan Porter (Tustin Brewing), on The Journey from Homebrew to Going Pro and Dr. Bill Sysak (Stone Brewing), revealing the Secrets of Exceptional Food & Beer Pairing.
The OC Brew Ha Ha will be held at Hidden Valley Park (8800 Irvine Center Drive
Irvine, CA 92618), one of the premier private-event facilities in Southern California. It is centrally located in Irvine, between the Verizon Amphitheater and Wild Rivers, where the 5 and 405 come together. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit ocbrewhaha.com

For more information, contact: Mona Shah, Moxxe PR at +1 818 749 1931 or mona@moxxepr.com

On our Pandora: Weezer's "Say It Ain't So"