SUMMER SIZZLES : POP MUSIC : A Guide to what’s Hot in Orange County

The heat is on in more ways than one for local arts and entertainment this summer. The new Anaheim Arena will open, but before the Mighty Ducks inaugurate professional hockey in the county, such country and pop stars as Wyonna Judd, Alan Jackson and Barry Manilow will try out the area’s newest concert facility. Shakespeare abounds, indoors and out; Mikhail Baryshnikov dances in Costa Mesa; those classic hot rods and twisted underground comics from the ‘50s and ‘60s will be the subject of a major exhibition at the Laguna Art Museum, and fireworks and violins will mix once again under the stars at Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre.

The Complete Schedule

What’s happing this summer in Orange County, plus our critics pick the most noteworthy events.

It won’t be business as usual on the Orange County pop-concert scene this summer: The market is shifting with the opening of the Anaheim Arena and the coming imposition of strict sound limitations for the Pacific Amphitheatre in Costa Mesa.

We’ll see if the arena can compete for top acts with the outdoor Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre during O.C.’s long good-weather season. And we may get an inkling as to whether the Glen Helen Blockbuster Pavilion in San Bernardino County’s Glen Helen Regional Park will siphon some attractions that otherwise would have played in O.C.

Although concerts remain to be announced, the summer season is shaping up as something well below par in terms of big-venue attractions. If Murphy Brown can warm to Barry Manilow, maybe we can too--we’ll see when the sentimental crooner inaugurates the Anaheim Arena on June 19 (Manilow was also the Pacific Amphitheatre’s first-night headliner when it opened in 1983). In the “Black & Wy” tour, with Clint Black and Wynonna Judd, the Arena has landed a bad pun but a very promising double bill of first-rank country stars.

The Pacific’s new noise restrictions won’t affect the 15 or so shows that had already been booked before its longtime operator, the Nederlander Organization, agreed to sell out to the Orange County Fair. That means Van Halen fans will get as big an earful as they can handle when the always-boisterous hard rock band arrives for two nights in August. It’s the fair’s idea to keep the decibels down--meaning a likely end to rock at the Pacific after this season.

KROQ’s “Weenie Roast and Sing-a-long” at Irvine Meadows on June 12 brings together an assortment of appetizing college-alternative-type rock bands playing to benefit the Heal the Bay environmental organization.

As always, many of the most memorable shows figure to take place in smaller venues. The Coach House is well-stocked for the summer, with Frank Black; Daniel Lanois; ex-Replacements bassist Tommy Stinson and his new band, Bash & Pop; Emmylou Harris, and the always-enjoyable Roches among the highlights. “In Their Own Words,” a unique series in which good songwriters talk about their craft, then demonstrate it, will return to the Coach House on June 3.

A star (* ) denotes a show of special interest.

Anaheim Arena, 2695 E. Katella Ave., Anaheim. (714) 740-2000. June 19: Barry Manilow, $19, $24, $37.

June 22: Disney’s Symphonic Fantasy, $15, $20, $25, $35, $50.

* July 31: Clint Black/Wynonna Judd. Tickets: TBA.

Irvine Meadows: 8800 Irvine Center Drive, Irvine. (714) 740-2000.

June 4-5: Jimmy Buffett, $22.25 (lawn only).

* June 12: KROQ’s “First Annual Weenie Roast and Sing-a-long,” with Terence Trent D’Arby, Dramarama, Lemonheads, Stone Temple Pilots, Suede, The The, X, Betty Serveert, Gin Blossoms, Posies, Rocket From the Crypt. $27.25. 2 p.m. show, benefit for Heal the Bay.

June 20: Gipsy Kings, $27-$37.

June 25: Bon Jovi, Extreme $17.50-$25.

July 7: Poison, Damn Yankees, Firehouse, $23.25-$28.25.

July 10: Def Leppard, Ugly Kid Joe, $17.50-$22.50.

July 31: Steve Miller Band, Paul Rodgers, $21.75, $28.25, $33.25.

* Sept. 11: Blues Festival ‘93, with B.B. King, Eric Johnson, Buddy Guy, Koko Taylor, Lonnie Brooks, Junior Wells. $17.25, $25.25, $27.25,

Pacific Amphitheatre: 100 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa (714) 740-2000.

June 12: Reggae Sunsplash, $15.40, $22.55, $24.75.

Aug. 18: Kenny Loggins, $25.30, $27.50.

Aug. 21: Al Jarreau, David Sanborn, $22, $27.50, $33.

* Aug. 27-28: Van Halen, Vince Neil, $25.30 (lawn only).

Celebrity Theatre: 201 E. Broadway, Anaheim. (714) 999-9536.

May 29: Gene Loves Jezebel, $19.50.

June 3: Dream Theatre, Galactic Cowboys, $19.50.

June 6: Five O’Clock Funnies, $20.50.

* June 17: Gordon Lightfoot, $28.

June 26: Willie Nelson and Friends, $30.50, $35.50.

July 30: Russell Simmons’ Def Comedy Jam, $28.

Coach House: 33157 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano (714) 496-8930.

May 27-28: Little Feat, $29.50.

May 29: Robert Fripp String Quartet, $18.50.

* May 30: Hal Ketchum, $22.50.

* June 3: “In Their Own Words” with Johnny Clegg, David Baerwald, Lisa Germano and Freedy Johnston, $18.50.

* June 4: Janis Ian, $17.50.

* June 5: Stan Ridgway, $19.50.

* June 7: Cyndi Lauper, $28.50.

June 9-10: Robin Trower, $19.50.

June 11: Bill Hicks (comic), $12.50.

June 12: Richard Elliot, $17.50.

* June 15: Bash & Pop, $18.50.

June 16: Ace Frehley, $18.50

June 17: Acoustic Alchemy, $18.50.

June 19-20: Michael McDonald, $32.50.

* June 21: Daniel Lanois, $16.50.

June 22: Romantics, $17.50.

June 25, 27: Rick Wakeman, $21.50.

June 26: Steve Morse Band, $19.50.

July 1: “The Dream Team,” with Larry Carlton, Stanley Clarke, Billy Cobham, Najee, $25.

* July 3: Dick Dale and the Del-Tones, $12.50.

July 8: The Stranglers, $16.50.

* July 10: The Roches, $18.50.

* July 11: Frank Black, Reverend Horton Heat, $22.50.

July 20: Burning Spear, $19.50.

July 23: Dave Koz, $18.50.

July 29: Jimmy Cliff, $25

Aug. 3-4: Michael Franks, $27.50.

* Aug. 21: Emmylou Harris, $29.50.

Aug. 26: Grover Washington Jr. $28.50.

Bogart’s, 6288 E. Pacific Coast Highway, Long Beach. (310) 594-8975.

June 3: Excel, $8.

June 4: Silverfish, $8.50.

June 5: Overwhelming Colorfast, Flop, $8.50.

* June 11: Dave and Phil Alvin, $12.50.

* June 14: Bash & Pop, $10.

June 16: Cop Shoot Cop, $8.50.

June 19: Big Drill Car, $10.

* June 22-25: Jonathan Richman, $10.

Crazy Horse Steak House, 1580 Brookhollow Drive, Santa Ana. (714) 549-1512.

June 7: Billy Vera, $23.50.

* June 21: Ricky Skaggs, $30.

June 22: Hoyt Axton, $26.50.

June 28: Kingston Trio, $24.50.

July 6: Jason Chase, $14.50.

July 12-13: Gary Morris, $27.50

* July 19: Desert Rose Band, $27.50.

Aug 2: Jerry Reed. Tickets: TBA.

Aug. 16: Charlie Daniels, $29.50.

Aug. 30: Juice Newton, $26.50.

Heritage Brewing Company, 24921 Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana Point. (714) 240-2060.

* June 11: Peter Case Band, $5.

June 12: James Harman Band, $5.

Orange County Performing Arts Center, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. (714) 556-2121.

June 4-5: Neil Sedaka with Pacific Symphony Orchestra, $22-$76.

June 19: Art Garfunkel, $20-$38.

Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, 12700 Center Court Drive, Cerritos. (800) 300-4345.

Aug. 25, 27-28: Whitney Houston, $50, $65, $70, $75.

Crawford Hall, UC Irvine, Bridge Road at Mesa Road, Irvine. (714) 740-2000.

June 5: Sundays, $18.

Ball Junior High School, Anaheim, 1500 Ball Road, Anaheim. (714) 638-1466; (310) 835-4554.

* June 12: Utah Phillips. Tickets: TBA.

Irvine Barclay Theatre, 4242 Campus Drive, Irvine. (714) 854-4646.

* July 10: Preservation Hall Jazz Band. Tickets: TBA.

Shade Tree Stringed Instruments, 28062 Forbes Road, Laguna Niguel. (714) 364-5270.

June 11: Sugar Beat (bluegrass), $14.

June 28: Ken Perelman (folk banjo), $10.

July 10: Laurence Juber (acoustic guitar), $12.

Huntington Beach High School stadium, 1905 Main St., Huntington Beach. (714) 960-0560, (714) 740-2000.

June 13: Surf City’s Battle of the Bands, with Jan & Dean, Dick Dale, the Chantays, the Kingsmen, the Tornadoes. $10.

Orange County Fair, 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa. (714) 751-FAIR.

(all shows free with $5 fair admission).

July 9: Ronnie Milsap

July 10: Yesterday, a tribute to the Beatles

* July 11: Texas Tornados

July 12: Gallagher

July 13: Hiroshima

July 14: Four Tops

July 15: Air Supply

July 16: Blood, Sweat & Tears with David Clayton-Thomas

July 17: Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons

July 18: Wayne Cotter, Cathy Ladman, Tom Parks (comedy)

July 19: Christopher Cross

July 20: Oldies Revue, with Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels, Pat Upton, Cub Koda, Dennis Yost.

July 21: Eddie Rabbitt

* July 22: Merle Haggard

July 23: Marshall Tucker Band

July 24: Restless Heart

July 25: Hi-Five

Rainbow Lagoon, Shoreline Drive at Ocean Avenue, Long Beach. (310) 427-3713.

June 5-6: 7th Annual Southern California Cajun & Zydeco Festival, with C.J. Chenier & the Red Hot Louisiana Band, John Delafose & the Eunice Playboys, Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys, Sheryl Cormier & Cajun Sounds, the Iguanas, Joe Simien & the Country Boys and the Brand-New Old-Time Cajun Band. $14.50 (advance), $17.50 (at the door); children 10 to 16, $5, free for kids under 10.