Korn's Family Values Tour comes to Irvine

Irvine shows by Toby Keith and Korn with Evanescence go on sale this weekend.
By NIYAZ PIRANI
The Orange County Register
Who would have thought Korn would still be rocking hard years after the nu-metal meltdown?
I surely didn't, but if the band's recent local showings (mainly last year at Long Beach Arena and this year at Weenie Roast) are any indication, Korn plans on sticking around for a long time.
The Bakersfield group is down to only three original members (drummer David Silveria is on hiatus), but that hasn't stopped it a bit. In fact, they've reached a new height by touting an expanded eight-member monster outfit featuring Slipknot's Joey Jordison bashing on the drum kit.
The band's untitled (as in it has no name) eighth record will hit shelves on July 31 and Korn is bringing the Family Values Tour back for another spin to celebrate. Along for the ride are Evanescence, Orange County's own Atreyu, Flyleaf, Hellyeah (featuring Pantera/Damageplan kitman Vinnie Paul) and Trivium.
Tickets, going on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday for the bill's Sept. 2 stop at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Irvine, are a modest $9.99 for a spot on the lawn to $59.50 for the really good seats.
Also at Verizon: Country megastar Toby Keith will bring his Big Dog Daddy Tour (advertised as "the Ultimate Summer Party") to the venue on Aug. 31. Miranda Lambert and Flynnville Train will open the show. Tickets are $30.27-$69.75.
Heaven and Hell– featuring Ronnie James Dio, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Vinny Appice – will hit the venue with Alice Cooper and Queensryche. Grab a neck brace to prevent any headbanger-related injuries for the Oct. 6 show. Tickets are $29.50-$65. All Verizon shows go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday.
Justin Timberlake, has added a fifth (and final) performance to his stint at Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sept. 19. Good Charlotte is still in the opening slot. Tickets are $56-$151 and go on sale at 10 a.m. Monday.
Interpol, whose excellent third-record "Our Love to Admire" has been thumping in my car speakers, will play the Forum in Inglewood on Oct. 23. Tickets are $32.50-$35 and go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday.
Catch George Carlin, who is marking his 50th year in show business and is still quite possibly the most vulgar comedian around, at the Gibson Amphitheatre at Universal CityWalk on Oct. 5. Tickets are $39.75-$69.75 and go on sale at 1 p.m. Sunday.
Also at the Gibson: Latin-Grammy Award winner Alejandro Fernández, Sept. 7 and 8, $60-$130, on sale at 1 p.m. today.
Note:Invasion del Reggaeton IV La Nueva Generacion, scheduled for Aug. 9 at the venue, has been canceled. Refunds are available at the point of purchase.
At the Greek Theatre in L.A.: Damien Rice, Sept. 20, $30-$50; Air, Sept. 21, $35-$45; both on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday.
Tegan and Sara will play the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles on Oct. 29 with Northern State. Tickets, $25, go on sale at 10 a.m. today.
The Used, fresh off a slew of Warped Tour dates, will play the Grove of Anaheim on Oct. 8. Tickets, $27.50, go on sale at 1 p.m. Saturday.
Also at the Grove: Megadeth's United Abominations Tour of Duty, Sept. 12, $34, on sale at noon Saturday; the Cult, Aug. 3, $41, on sale at noon today; DL Hughley, Nov. 8, $38.50; on sale at noon Saturday.
One of emo-rock's most glam outfit's, the Academy Is …, will perform tunes from its recently released "Santi" at the Wiltern in Los Angeles on Sept. 20. Armor for Sleep will warm up the crowd along with the Rocket Summerand Sherwood. Tickets are $22.50 and go on sale at 10 a.m. today.
Also at the Wiltern: the National, Sept. 28, $20; the Pogues, Oct. 31 and Nov. 1, $39.50-$55; both shows go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday.
Chuck D and Flava Flav will bring the noise to the House of Blues Sunset Strip in Hollywood when Public Enemy stops by the venue on Aug. 16. If you aren't catching the legendary rap group at Rock the Bells in Devore, here's another shot. Tickets, $25, are on sale now.
The Roots, another group on the Rock the Bells bill, will play the Sunset House on Sept. 15 with Big Daddy Kane and MC Lyte in tow. Tickets are $35-$45 and go on sale at 10 a.m. today.
Also at the venue: Nikka Costa, July 24, $20, on sale now; Sham69, the Dickies, D.I., Aug. 30, $18-$20; Keyshia Cole, Sept. 2, $40; Soulive, Sept. 6, $20; Brandi Carlile, Sept. 11 and 12, $18; Hepcat, Sept. 22, $20.50; the Tragically Hip, Oct. 11, $35; all on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday.
Common, gearing up to release the highly-anticipated "Finding Forever" on July 31, will perform at the House of Blues Anaheim on Sept. 8. Tickets, $35, go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday.
Also at the Mouse House: the Roots, Sept. 14, $40; the Pogues, Oct. 28, $62.50-$67.50; both on sale at 10 a.m. today. Also: Keyshia Cole, Sept. 6, $37.50; the Go-Go's, Oct. 1 and 2, $62.50; Martin Sexton, Oct. 13, $20; all on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday.
Ben Kweller will do his thing at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano on Sept. 8. Tickets are $15. Dada will play the venue Nov. 10. Tickets are $20. Both shows go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday.
The Pricks will play the Galaxy Theatre in Santa Ana on Aug. 23. Tickets are $12 and go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday.

WE SOLD OUR SOULS FOR ROCK N' ROLL

Last year at Sundance, the documentary "My Generation" explored the debacles known as Woodstock '94 and '99. I think I'd much rather hang with the crowds in the subject of this documentary -- the traveling heavy metal festival known as Ozzfest. The mostly-annual roadshow has long been a home for Ozzy Osbourne and many of the bands he inspired. Penelope Spheeris, (known for directing the documentaries "The Decline of Western Civilization" parts 1 to 3 and "Wayne's World") decided to follow the tour during the recent edition featuring a reunion of Ozzy with his old band, Black Sabbath. If this means nothing to you, stop reading right now and go watch one of your suck-ass French films. For the rest of the faithful, this film is a fun look at multiple generations and permutations of metal music, as the tour also includes the likes of Godsmack, Primus, Slayer, System of a Down, Slipknot, Rob Zombie, and several other of the Ozster's acolytes.
If one figure here looms above the others, it would be Ozzy's wife and manager, Sharon Osbourne. Everyone involved in this 12+ hour music event so fueled by testosterone is answerable to what would appear to be a typical middle-aged mother of two. Ozzy states that he could care less about all the horny girls desperate to meet him. He apparently gets lonely if Sharon is away for more than a few hours. The domestic spell backstage gets even weirder once you find out that Rob Zombie and his girlfriend have become sort of the de facto babysitters for the two Osbourne kids.
The most enlightening aspect of the film is the ability to examine bands that represent most of the different eras and styles that heavy metal had taken on in the last 30 years. The big lesson is that heavy metal, like its loopy godfather, isn't going anywhere. The music is really just a healthy way for the fans to get out their aggression and anger. It's easy for religious types and the tabloid press to blame the bands every time some teenager goes postal, but they probably just needed more comfort than the music could provide. After the complete meltdown of the last bogus Woodstock, it's good to not that this gigantic festival hit 30 cities around the country without any apparent major problems. In the end, it's still only rock and roll and it looks like the kids just might be alright.