Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Following the Lead Set By

Following the lead set by Jared Leto, Keanu Reeves, and Russell Crowe, Adam Brody of Fox TV's OC launched his career as a touring rocker last week at the Jumping Turtle. His four-man band Big Japan kicked off a two-week tour May 22 before about 150 at the San Marcos venue. Brody, who plays drums, said nothing onstage. His tour manager, John Gaczewski, said he would have nothing to say to the press. I noted that there would have been a lot more in attendance if Brody had done radio interviews that day. But Gaczewski said the tour was intentionally low key to work out any bugs before the band heads out for a larger tour later this year after they record their first CD this summer. Promoter Sulo King said it "was in the contract" that no mention be made of Brody's name in advertising.

Yasmine Mazon, 16, of San Diego was driven there by her mom. "I think I heard about it on sdpunk.com. ...They sound a little like Death Cab for Cutie."

Sponsored
Sponsored

Brody posed for photos with any fans who asked. He set up and broke down his own drums.

Also in Big Japan was actor Bret Harrison, who stars on Fox TV's comedy The Loop and has also appeared on Grounded for Life, That '70s Show, and The O.C.

The Jumping Turtle show was Big Japan's first outside of L.A. In attendance were Brody's parents, who live in San Diego.

Two L.A. bands, Landon Pigg (signed to RCA) and Big City Rock, are also on the two-week tour. First band up at the Jumping Turtle was North County's Inberst, an all-original, four-member, classic-rock--sounding band aged 16--18. "We're used to the whole celebrity connection," said Inberst keyboard player Kevin Wiles. "We played with the Honey Brothers, which has Adrian Grenier [star of HBO's Entourage]. We played with them at Brick by Brick and the Knitting Factory in L.A. We also played with White Star, whose lead singer dated Mischa Barton. She got killed off in The O.C."

Wiles said all the actor/rockers he's played with so far have been accessible. "I feel bad for the guy," Wiles said of Brody. "He has to deal with the fact that he's Adam Brody from The O.C. 24/7. He's just a normal guy who wants to put on a good set. But he also has to make sure he takes all those pictures because he can't afford to come off as a celebrity jerk."

Wiles said Big Japan was a quality band, but he knows Brody's celebrity juice gives Big Japan a big advantage. "If they draw, they get to headline. That's what it's all about. If Adam Brody wasn't on drums, they wouldn't be headlining. They'd be opening. You just have to adjust to that." I note that if Big Japan really takes off, it could be a historic gig for Inberst. "It could be a big night for Big Japan too. Maybe one day they'll say they shared a stage with Inberst."

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

University Heights Fall Festival, Haunted Ghost Town

Events October 19-October 23, 2024
Next Article

A cool year in a warming Pacific

Pelagic species have comfort zones

Following the lead set by Jared Leto, Keanu Reeves, and Russell Crowe, Adam Brody of Fox TV's OC launched his career as a touring rocker last week at the Jumping Turtle. His four-man band Big Japan kicked off a two-week tour May 22 before about 150 at the San Marcos venue. Brody, who plays drums, said nothing onstage. His tour manager, John Gaczewski, said he would have nothing to say to the press. I noted that there would have been a lot more in attendance if Brody had done radio interviews that day. But Gaczewski said the tour was intentionally low key to work out any bugs before the band heads out for a larger tour later this year after they record their first CD this summer. Promoter Sulo King said it "was in the contract" that no mention be made of Brody's name in advertising.

Yasmine Mazon, 16, of San Diego was driven there by her mom. "I think I heard about it on sdpunk.com. ...They sound a little like Death Cab for Cutie."

Sponsored
Sponsored

Brody posed for photos with any fans who asked. He set up and broke down his own drums.

Also in Big Japan was actor Bret Harrison, who stars on Fox TV's comedy The Loop and has also appeared on Grounded for Life, That '70s Show, and The O.C.

The Jumping Turtle show was Big Japan's first outside of L.A. In attendance were Brody's parents, who live in San Diego.

Two L.A. bands, Landon Pigg (signed to RCA) and Big City Rock, are also on the two-week tour. First band up at the Jumping Turtle was North County's Inberst, an all-original, four-member, classic-rock--sounding band aged 16--18. "We're used to the whole celebrity connection," said Inberst keyboard player Kevin Wiles. "We played with the Honey Brothers, which has Adrian Grenier [star of HBO's Entourage]. We played with them at Brick by Brick and the Knitting Factory in L.A. We also played with White Star, whose lead singer dated Mischa Barton. She got killed off in The O.C."

Wiles said all the actor/rockers he's played with so far have been accessible. "I feel bad for the guy," Wiles said of Brody. "He has to deal with the fact that he's Adam Brody from The O.C. 24/7. He's just a normal guy who wants to put on a good set. But he also has to make sure he takes all those pictures because he can't afford to come off as a celebrity jerk."

Wiles said Big Japan was a quality band, but he knows Brody's celebrity juice gives Big Japan a big advantage. "If they draw, they get to headline. That's what it's all about. If Adam Brody wasn't on drums, they wouldn't be headlining. They'd be opening. You just have to adjust to that." I note that if Big Japan really takes off, it could be a historic gig for Inberst. "It could be a big night for Big Japan too. Maybe one day they'll say they shared a stage with Inberst."

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Codename Stasis found its format at SDSU

Local zine tells a magical local story
Next Article

Vista imagines car-free downtown

Following Encinitas and Pacific Beach
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader