Two local bands win big at awards

Huntington Beach was well represented among the winners in the annual Orange County Music Awards this week, but the story belonged to local bands Venus Infers, who picked up three Orange County Music Awards, and the Fallen Stars, who scored one there and then also later won Best Live Electric Band and Best Live Acoustic Band in the SoCal Music Live competition.

“It’s an incredibly rewarding feeling to get recognized for doing what you love,” Fallen Stars singer/guitarist Bobby Byrnes said. “We are so grateful and honored.”

He added the pressure is on the band to put on a good show every night now that they’ve won awards for their live performances.

Huntington Beach’s TSOL won the Best Punk award at Saturday’s Orange County Music Awards and the Fallen Stars scored top prize for Best Country/Americana.

Venus Infers won for Best Alternative, Best Indie and the Album of the Year with “The Truth About Venus Infers.”

Saturday’s awards ceremony was at the Grove of Anaheim.

— Paul Anderson