This is the official blog of The OC Gazette, Orange County's "Everything local" Magazine. Within the following pages you'll find insights into the nooks and crannies of all the things our local culture has to offer. Enjoy, friends.
It's here! The November issue, like the classy little minx it is, proves that fashionably early is the new fashionably late. This month, you'll read all about beating the "winter white" via Unique Tan (whose Mission Viejo salon is the largest tanning salon in California).
You can find all these articles, recipes, event listings, DIYs, and more on The OC Gazette website!
If you're one of those print-loving, hard-copy holding sort of folks (you're not alone!), you can find out how to get your paws on a copy of the magazine by clicking here.
From all of us to you, we wish you an early, very happy November! Let's ring in fall with the November issue, the premiere of Conan on TBS on 11/8, and some hot apple cider! *Cue warm fuzzy feelings.*
This Sunday, May 2nd, Heritage Hill Historical Park will welcome back the anticipated annual event, Rancho Days Fiesta.
To celebrate the richness of Orange County's past there will be live entertainment, food, and activities for the whole family. Enjoy performances by Native American dancers, Ballet Folklorico, mariachi music, roving sea shanty singers, and even dancing horses! Learn the crafts of rope making, flint-knapping and basket-weaving through interactive demonstrations. Browse the displayed wares of local artisans and crafters and listen as local storytellers bring Orange County’s past to life. Refreshments and lunch will be available for a low price.
Admission is $3.00 per child (3-12 years) and $4.00 per adult, parking is FREE, and events run from 11 am to 3 pm.
Heritage Hill Historical Park is located at 25151 Serrano Road, Lake Forest, 92630
[Intveld at friend Manuel's legendary Suit Shop in Nashville. Manuel, who has dressed Intveld, is the guy responsible for The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper costumes. Photo by JP Photography]
James Intveld is a So Cal wayfaring stranger. The epitome of a free-spirited man’s man of the world, he’s of the same mold as James Dean, John Wayne and Johnny Cash. He’s rough, yet honest. A sinner who revels in repentant croons sang over good ol’ boot-stompin,’ heathen rock ‘n’ roll. He’s wandered from dingy LA bars to sharing club presence with cryin'-in-your-beer-masters like Dwight Yoakam during the 1980s’ “cow punk” movement (just like the image it evokes, cow punk is a collision of country honkytonk and punk rock that sprang off from the Psychobilly movement).
During that time Intveld fronted The Rockin' Shadows who played all over Los Angeles and Orange County with bands like X and Social Distortion. At a show at the now-defunct Palomino Club, director John Mark Robinson approached Intveld about using his song "My Heart is Achin' For You" in the 1984 film Roadhouse 66, starring a young William Dafoe that you would hardly recognize without all his now-signature divet face wrinkles. Intveld scored a cameo in the film and that started a lifelong stake for him in acting. He went on to study method acting for 8 years and worked with his late friend River Phoenix, and the acclaimed Sean Penn.
A virtuoso musician inclined to play practically any instrument needed for roots rock, he played bass for Dwight Yoakam in the 80s and was the encore lead guitarist of The Blasters (a band that was said to be “the essence of small streets of post-war neighborhoods, car culture and the sun-bleached concrete of Downey, California").
Intveld moved on to solo work in ’96 with his self-titled album. He’s shared the musical stage with Bruce “The Boss” Springsteen, Johnny "The man in black" Cash, Brian Setzer, Merle Haggard, Pete Townsend, and Steve Earle. He was brought on as an impromptu voice coach for Nicholas Cage on David Lynch’s Wild at Heart at the recommendation of James Burton, Elvis Presley’s own guitar player. Intveld worked with John Waters (the eccentric director dubbed “The Pope Of Trash”) and Johnny Depp in the movie Cry Baby. Despite Depp’s musical inclination, Intveld sang as the voice of Johnny in the cult classic film that made parents across America squirmy about what their kids were really doing when out of sight (see the end of this post for a video).
[Johnny Depp and James Intveld]
A few B-movies and even Z-horror films later, Intveld was the voice of June Carter’s first husband in the Acadmeny Award-winning film Walk The Line. T Bone Burnett brought him on to sing the song “Times A Waistin” with Reese Witherspoon. Unfortunately, Intveld was never given credit for the recording.
Intveld is still the most talented mystery at the peak of the rockabilly, country honkytonk scene and underground film stage. Case in Point: in ’04 he filmed The Curse of El Charro, a horror flick where he plays the Arch Angel Michael (because there's nothing more heavenly than Intveld’s glam studded honkytonk jackets and greased back hair).
“I don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t do this,” Intveld says. “I’m in miserable bliss. It’s miserable working in the [music and film] business sometimes but I’m happy to be doing it. I don’t want to do anything else.”
See James Intveld live in all his glory on May 22nd at the great and mighty Doheny Blues Festival. Or, if you're a rockabilly musician yourself, battle for the chance to open for Intveld (plus win a $1000 purse) at the West Coast Rockabilly Showdown which takes place starting May 1st and wraps up on June 20th.
Below is a taste of James's broad repertoire. Enjoy, Cowboys and Indians.
-Jen
On my YouTube: This...
CRY BABY
“WAKE UP LITTLE SUSIE” COVER
“ALL THE WAY FROM MEMPHIS”
WEST TO EDEN, a short James Dean film based off the series "Letters from the underground" from the Silverlake Film Festival. This was a series of letters from famous people before they were famous. here's a clip.
Our sixth installment of our month-long love letter to Orange County entitled Why We Love OC features Torii Hunter and Mike Napoli. That's right, your ANAHEIM Angels (we're still in denial that they're the LA Angels. They'll always be Orange County's team in our hearts!) Let me give you the run down on these two Angels veterans.
[Torii Hunter showing why he won the 2009 Silver Slugger Award.]
Torii Hunter: Center fielder and powerhouse slugger. Last season won his 9th consecutive gold glove award on top of a silver slugger award, named # 44 on the Sports News list of the 50 greatest current players in baseball in 2009, and was selected to represent the Angels in the All-Star game (his third career appearance). When Torii hits the field with his balls-out playing style, things happen. And on top of all of this, he's got a heart of gold. Torii is always giving back to our local community in Southern California through his program the "Torii Hunter Project Education Initiative," and other charities promoting education and the funding of sports programs. Just in 2008, he helped fund a baseball field for kids in Placentia. It's no wonder why he won the Branch Rickey Award last year, an award given to MLB players who show excellence in charity work.
[Mike Napoli hard at work behind the plate.]
Now for Mike Napoli: Catcher and powerhouse slugger. Started out right here in SoCal with the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes before moving up eventually to the majors and joining the Angels. With much hard work, Napoli soon became the starting catcher. Napoli batted better than .270 for the second season in a row and is so strong on offense, he sometimes fills in as DH for Vladi.
With the Angels re-working their roster for the upcoming season, Torii and Mike are going to be among the remaining veterans the new young talent will be looking to as leaders to help the team to grow and rebuild - hopefully all the way to another World Series title! Without further ado, here is why these two love this great county of ours:
“I love Orange County because…we have the best fans in the league”
– Mike Napoli, Angels catcher
“I love Orange County because….I can always work on my tan”
- Torii Hunter, Angels center fielder (and always the comedian)
Baseball season will be upon us soon - but until April, check up on the Angels website for all the latest on the roster and signings. For the illustrious history on the Angels and their local beginnings, checkout our article here! Did you know Gene Autry, the singing cowboy, was the one who bought the franchise and renamed them the Angels? When I say illustrious, I mean illustrious!
- Amy
Stay tuned for more love letters from your favorite local celebs, professionals, athletes and more right here at the OC Gazette Blog!
Our fourth installment of our month-long love letter to Orange County entitled Why We Love OC features Chris Jepsen. The name sounds familiar you say? That's because Chris is one of the most active OC historians around! Chris is Assistant Archivist at the Orange County Archives, Vice-President of the Orange County Historical Society, and serves on the City of Huntington Beach’s Historic Resources Board. His blog, O.C. History Roundup, can be found at http://ochistorical.blogspot.com. It's definitely RSS feed worthy! And now, ladies and gentleman, Chris Jepsen's love letter to Orange County:
[ Chris Jepsen hard at work. ]
"Orange County and I have been together for all but the first eight months of my life. It's like any long term relationship: I see both the good and the bad, but we stay together out of love. Never mind that she's 83 years my senior. What do I love about Orange County?
I love our clean ocean breezes, rocky coves, rugged mountains, wildlife, and everything that reminds me of the beauty that drew people here in the first place.
But I also love our built environment: The Mission in Capistrano, the storefronts of Downtown Orange, Craftsman bungalows, Post-War housing tracts, Googie coffee shops, and freeways that put L.A. to shame. Any walk through downtown Santa Ana is a lesson in architectural history, with Western Falsefronts, Victorian "gingerbread," Art Deco, Modernism, and everything in between on display.
But most of all, I love Orange County because of its people: A colorful cast of characters who – regardless of their political affiliations – tend to believe in the creed of individualism. (Some newer areas of O.C. notwithstanding.) The same independent spirit that led us to break away from Los Angeles in 1889 continues today. How can you help but love a County that's still the bane of groupthinkers and “Kool Aid drinkers" everywhere?"
Weird lyrics. They're completely at variance. It never rains. But it pours. No one would understand but us fine folks here in Orange and LA Counties. Over the past few days we've been ripped from our normal routine amidst lavish sunshine, and pulled into a torrential deluge that's making us all second guess our compliance to Manifest Destiny.
Turns out, Orange County has had it's share of freakish floods and raucous rainstorms in the past. One of my favorite blogs to check in on is Chris Jepsen's O.C. History Roundup. Written by a Board Member of the Orange County Historical Society, the blog is like the COSTCO of Orange County history, an endless wealth of local knowledge and anecdotes. Yesterday he posted a blog on past flooding in Orange County. Here's just one of the photos he posted from the Orange County Archives. Jepsen writes "The photo below shows the Pacific Electric Railway bridge over the mouth of the Santa Ana River during the 1927 flood... Indeed, we're seeing the River cut a path directly to the ocean (as it does today), rather than turning southeast to empty into Newport Bay the way it once did."
See his whole blog here! And subscribe to it. His blog, I mean. It's interesting. I heartily endorse.
Stay warm and wear your coats,
Jen
On my iPod: "Sometimes" by James
(Listen to it below! It's the perfect song for this weather.)
The OC Gazette is a free local Orange County, CA magazine that reaches 100,000 homes. We're dedicated to music, art, entertainment, community, people - in short, everything local. Visit our website at www.theocgazette.com, and look for The OC Gazette magazine on newstands or in your mailbox. This blog is dedicated to all the things concerning Orange County, and features things that we couldn't fit in the magazine, be they notes, thoughts, reader feedback, or local happenings. So check back often for updates!
Note: these are opinions, not facts. Enjoy, friends.
