Liner Notes

Since launching this site a few years ago, we've seen over 25 shows at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano.  Not surprisingly, it is one of our favorite venues.  The setting is intimate, and if you buy tickets early enough, you can sit right up next to the stage inches from your favorite band. We had a blast sitting front row for Dokken last year.  When we heard they were coming back we rushed to the box office to make sure we were just as close this time around.  For those not familiar with the Coach House, you don't [...]

Very few bands can say they changed music in the way the Stray Cats have. Bursting onto the scene in the early 80's, the Stray Cats fused blues, country, and rockabilly with a punk rock edge to create a sound that was uniquely their own. That genre bridging sound resulted in a string of successful albums and a passionate fan base. Over the years, the Stray Cats have toured around the world - occasionally taking brief hiatuses to pursue solo projects. That all changed in 2008, when the band announced that their Pacific Amphitheatre show in July of that [...]

Peter Frampton The undisputed champion of the talk-box opened up for The Steve Miller Band on Sunday and RockInTheOC was there. After rolling out on stage, the band broke into Something's Happening.  The crowd perked up and stragglers were quickly making their way to their seats.  There were more empty seats than I would have expected but this was the last day of the OC Fair and parking was a challenge.  A constant stream of Orange County's finest rock fans continued to filter in throughout the first few songs and the rockin' vibe intensified. A lot of opening bands [...]

867-5309! Jeopardy! Working for the Weekend! Jessie's Girl!  Four of the biggest 80's hits and the show is right here in our backyard at the O.C. Fair?  We're in. First on stage was Tommy Tutone.  He opened with Sylvia, a newer track that most folks in the audience were unfamiliar with.  He then went way back to 1980 with Angel Say No - a song only the most hard core Tutone fans would recognize.  Next up was a cover of Operator (That's Not the Way It Feels) - which Tommy described as what it would sound like if "The Clash played [...]

Yesterday we returned to one of our favorite local venues, the Coach House over in San Juan Capistrano, this time for an evening of old school rock and roll with Dokken.  After having just seen George Lynch a few weeks back, we were definitely ready to hear an extended set list of Dokken's hits. We arrived at 7pm, and took our seats a few rows back stage right - another excellent spot to enjoy the show.  As a reminder, in order to get the best seats you need to make dinner reservations, and the earlier you make the reservations, [...]

I grew up a child of the 80's as part of the MTV generation. Much of my teenage years were spent watching music videos, hanging out with friends, and generally trying to avoid responsibility. With a little help from the Retro Futura tour, I was able to relive some of that magic last night. I should start by saying I'm a big fan of Retro Futura, having attended the 2017 edition headlined by Howard Jones.  When this year's lineup was announced with Belinda Carlisle, I immediately scooped up tickets.  Now all that was needed was to patiently wait until late [...]