Steamers Jazz Club and Cafe

Ever want to go out and listen to some live jazz in Orange County?

Well, the Steamers Jazz Club and Cafe is the spot to go. Located in downtown Fullerton, Steamers is one of my favorite places to go in OC. During the day, they operate as a regular coffee shop & cafe. But at night, that's when things start to happen.

Every night starting at 8PM, there is a jazz performance at this club. The awesome thing is that they don't charge a cover on most nights. You basically get to enjoy live jazz performances for the price of coffee cheaper than Starbucks! While you're there, don't forget that they also have great deals on their food too.

It's good practice to try and get there a little early since you want to get a good seat up at the front. You might also want to order some food prior to the show starting since that way, things aren't too crowded, and will be easier to order. The cafe itself is pretty big, but the stage really isn't, so you'll end up being tightly squeezed in with others to check out their daily jazz performances.

The experience at Steamers is excellent. You get that jazz club feel that you may find in New York or LA. The cool thing is that you're right here in OC.

Places like the Steamers is a rare gem in Orange County, and it should be OC's cultural treasure. Be sure to check it out next time you're feeling like you want to listen to some live jazz music.

Steamers Jazz Club and Cafe

138 W Commonwealth Ave

Fullerton, CA 92832

714-871-8800

http://www.steamerscafe.com/

Sun-Thu 7am-Midnight;

Fri-Sat 7am-12:30am

Jazz:　Sun-Thu 8pm-Midnight;

Fri-Sat 8:30pm-12:30am

Orange County Performing Arts Center Segerstorm Concert Hall - Things to Do in Orange County 62

So its been a while. I've been a bit busy taking care of things, so I neglected this blog for a while... Sorry for any of my readers who were actually waiting for my blog post.

The other day, I got to go visit OC Performing Arts Center. There are numerous concert halls there, and we got to visit the Renee and Henry Segerstorm Concert Hall. It was my first time there. The concert hall is relatively new; opened its doors in 2006.

We got a good deal on tickets off of Travelzoo to go watch the Tchaikovsky Spectacular concert.

I have to say, the concert hall was absolutely beautiful. The architectural details were very nice, and I'm sure acoustically, it is good as well. We got one of those seats behind the orchestra since I always wondered what it felt like to sit behind the orchestra. To my surprise, it was one of the best experiences I had at a classical concert.

Since you sit right behind the orchestra, you sort of have a front row seat to them. You get to sit above them, so you can check out everything they are doing, up to the music they are playing off of. Another cool thing is that you get to see the conductor up close and personal, and get to see how he moves with the orchestra. A three hour performance, and the conductor was sweating at the end. I'm sure it's a lot of work physically to conduct. Good cardio. No wonder the conductor is fit.

Now, I'm no classical snob so I enjoyed every moment of it. It was a very fun night.

Lastly, though I didn't take any pictures, the cafe inside the concert hall looked very trendy. Cafe Rouge is the name of it. You can have dinner and drinks before or after the concert. A great way to enjoy a sophisticated night in Orange County.

Hope you get to visit soon!

Star Vu Drive-In - Things to Do in Orange County 37

Movies in your Car! Enjoy the Drive-In Theater at the OC Fair & Event Center!

At the OC Fair & Event Center, you can snuggle in your car and watch a move at a Drive-In theater. The seats (or parking spaces) are first-come-first-serve basis, so if you want a good seat in the front, be sure to get to the Drive-In early. You’ll need to wait in line in your car by the gate until the people there let you in. Once you get the ok to go in, you’ll move forward to the ticket sales area then to the parking space. Just follow orders, and you should be good to go. For those of you who drive around in a big trucks or SUV, depending on the number of audience, you may need to park in the back so the others can see.

Once you are in the Drive-In, you can park forward or backward. Whichever way you prefer is okay with the Drive-In. If you have a car with a hatch back or a pickup truck, you may want to consider parking backward to watch the move from the back of the car. That’s exactly what we did, and we relaxed in the back part of the car, made ourselves a little bed, and enjoyed the movie. Others who had a truck had a mattress in the back to watch it from there. Whatever you decide to do, watching a movie from your car has a special feeling, and it’s really fun!

You’ll need to use your FM Radio in the car for the movie. They use a radio frequency to broadcast the movie here. I was worried about the battery because you need to shut off your engine, but everything was fine when the movie ended. If you’re worried about your batteries of your car, you may want to bring a portable radio so that you can listen to the movie there.

They say you aren’t allowed to bring any food or drinks into the Drive-In, but they rarely check for it. We brought our own snacks and drinks that we got from Walgreens before the movie. I love watching movies with my Raisinets! Of course you can buy hot dogs, popcorn, and drinks at the Drive-In, if you aren’t a cheapskate like me. :)

This is a once in a lifetime kind of experience, and you need to go check it out with your family, friends, or loved ones. It sure is a lot of fun!

*Update: It looks like Star Vu is closed for a few months. Come back and check out the website in a few weeks to see its status!

Star Vu Drive-In
http://www.star-vu.com/

88 Fair Drive
Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Adult: $8.50
Children: $5
Children 5 and Under: Free

Open: Wednesday – Sunday Nights

Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre - Things to Do in Orange County 13

A OC Picnic Concert under the Stars at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater!

In Orange County, the premier venue for music is the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater located in Irvine. At the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, you can enjoy all types of concerts ranging from Gwen Stefani, The Who, to classical music from the Pacific Symphony.

During the summer, one of their fun events is the Picnic Concert under the Stars. Richard Kaufman or Carl St. Clair will conduct through an evening of great classical or pop music for you. The seats at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater are designed so that you can get an actual seat, but better yet, for this concert you can setup and enjoy a picnic while you listen to live music on the lawn seats.

The Verizon Wireless Amphitheater permits you to bring in your own wine and food to the picnic concert, so that means a lot of fun! Bring along your friends, family, or loved ones for a nice little evening in OC. I personally recommend you setting up 2 hours before the concert if you have a reserved seat or half hour to an hour before if you are going to sit in the lawn area to enjoy the picnic while listening to music.

The picnic concert does get a bit cold at night, so I always bring a blanket with me. You may also want to bring another blanket for you to sit on since the grass does get a bit cold. Be sure to bring a bottle of wine and some good food, and you’re in for a very memorable night.


Of course, the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater has other great concerts all year long, so be sure to visit their website for more information. It is truly Orange County’s premier outdoor music venue!


Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
8808 Irvine Center Drive
Irvine CA 92618
http://www.livenation.com/venue/getVenue/venueId/262/