Most people think of a paint party as an afternoon spent with buddies drinking beer and repainting the house.
That's sort of the idea behind Saturday's Crystal Dreams 7 paint party at Cohen Stadium.
You do hook up with your buddies, there will be alcoholic beverages, and there will be plenty of paint, including what's being billed as a "huge paint bomb."
Based on the popular Dayglow paint parties that started in Florida five years ago, the idea is to mix thumping club dance music — American DJ Armand Van Helden headlines — and various performers on three stages with state-of-the-art sound and lights, stilt-walkers, go-go dancers, fire dancers, paint blast cannons and more.
The neon paint is washable, which is one reason why promoters Famous Angels of Tempe, AZ, are encouraging folks to wear white.
Also providing the beats will be several other DJs, including DJ Micro, Dave Aude, Astrodudes, Pimp Tiger, Diego P, Borderline Skitzo and more.
It's an all-ages show running from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. at the baseball stadium.
Tickets are 20 bux, on sale at All That Music & Video, the Headstand and diablos.com.
In other concert news:
• Mexico's sweetheart — enduring singer and actress Angelica Maria — and esteemed Mexican composer Armando Manzanero team up for a concert at 8 p.m. Aug. 20 at the Chavez Theatre.
Maria, 56, is the former childhood actress who launched a successful singing career in the 1960s ("Eddy Eddy") and later was a frequent ranchera duet partner of Juarez's Juan Gabriel before becoming a fixture on Mexican TV telenovelas.
Manzanero, 66, is probably best known for writing "Somos Novios," which later became a huge international hit for Elvis Presley and others in its English-language incarnation, "It's Impossible."
Tickets are $30, $40, $50, $65 and $75, plus service charges, on sale now at the Plaza Theatre box office, Ticketmaster outlets, ticketmaster.com and 800.745.3000.
• Lola Productions, best known for bringing exotic world music and entertainment to town, again teams up with UTEP's Special Events Office, this time to bring a tribute band to one of Sweden's biggest exports, Abba.
Abba The Concert, considered one of the top Abba tribute bands, will perform at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 14-15 at UTEP's Magoffin Auditorium.
The group, which includes former members of Abba's band, will perform scads of the group's hits, including "Waterloo," "Mamma Mia" and "S.O.S."
Tickets are $35 and $40, plus service charges, on sale at 10 a.m. June 24 at the University Ticket Center, Ticketmaster outlets, ticketmaster.com and 800.745.3000.
• Speaking of UTEP's Special Events office, director Jorge Vazquez said the June 14 Rush concert nearly sold out, with just shy of 7,000 in attendance.
The Aug. 16 Michael Buble show is not sold out, he added, but about 90 percent of the tickets have been snatched up since they went on sale June 17. There are tickets in all price tiers, he said, with some releases expected closer to the show.
He's predicting a sellout and said the show, produced by Memphis' Beaver Productions, could draw 8,000.
• There are two tribute acts on the Showtime El Paso 2011-2012. Jim Curry stars in "Take Me Home: Music of John Denver," coming to the Chavez on Nov. 6, and Surfin' Safari brings its recreation of the '60s-era Beach Boys to the theater at April 22.
They're part of a five-show series that opens with the Shangri-La Chinese Acrobats on Sept. 25.
Also scheduled are the Chris Burton Jacome Flamenco Ensemble, featuring the guitarist, musicians and dancers, on Oct. 16, and young pop and big band singer Aion Clarke on Feb. 19.
One new twist: All concerts will be at 2:30 p.m. on Sundays at the Chavez, instead of evenings on various nights.
They're offering early bird specials on season subscriptions through June 30. The series packages include a ticket to each show.
The family package (for up to two adults and up to 10 students ages 6-25) is $150, $190 beginning July 1.
The adult subscriptions are $60, $80 after June 30.
There's also a student and youth pass for $30.
Parking passes, which include parking for all five shows, are $20, or $5 less than what it costs to park in the convention center ramp for all five shows.
For more info, go to showtimeelpaso.com or call 544.2022.
• Maestro Phillip Gabriel Garcia and his El Paso Youth Symphony Orchestra will kick off a trip to Hollywood with a concert at 7 p.m. June 26 at Western Playland.
It will feature a rock band, made up mostly of EPYSO members, backed by the orchestra. The group will play rockers such as "Heartbreaker," "Stairway to Heaven," "Sweet Child O' Mine" and "Don't Stop Believing."
It's the kickoff event of what they're calling the "The Technicolor Timemachine Tour," which Garcia said will include performances at Universal Studios (on the Blues Brothers stage) on July 1 and Knott's Berry Farm on July 2.
The trip also includes a visit to Disneyland and a masterclass and recording session at Disney studios, he said.
The kids will have fun, too, including a visit to the beach and Magic Mountain, Garcia said.
"Very cool," he said.
• New Jersey rockers Titus Andronicus return to the Sun City for a June 26 show at Black Market.
The band, still touring last year's "The Monitor" album, will be joined by Kontra Golpe Noise Manifesto, Disguise and Disgust and DJ Chakra Khan.
It's an 18-and-older show. It starts at 9, doors at 8. Tickets are $7 in advance, $10 day of show, on sale at All That Music & Video, the Headstand and the club.
• Industrial rockers My Life With Thrill Kill Kult bring their "Siniuster Whisperz" tour to Club 101 at 7 p.m. June 28.
They'll be joined by electronic duo Twitch the Ripper and experimental electronica group BMM.
Tickets are $15, on sale at All That Music & Video, the Headstand, the club and ticketbully.com.
• Steve Aoki, one of a handful of rising DJs who plays here regularly, will headline a "Red, White and Aoki" Independence Day Weekend party at 7 p.m. July 3 at The Garden.
He'll probably go on around midnight, but it will start with a free cookout and free Grey Goose, one of the event sponsors.
Cost is $29, on sale at Ticketbully.
That's the same night, by the way, that Richie Hawtin is at Club 101.
• Sick Substance was the leading vote getter in the competition for slots on the first Independence Stage at the KLAQ Downtown Street Fest on July 1-2. Local bands made submissions via the station's website, and fans voted for them.
The top 10 finishers, all of whom will perform either July 1 or 2, are Dark Aria, Daniel Rising, Texas Roadkill, Aftermath, Destroy to Recreate, Miranda Burning, A Beautiful Morning, Ocean Lies Ahead and Something Wicked.
• One more electronic music event to report: the "Hard Summer" tour, featuring Digitalism, Jackbeats, Caspa and Destructo, comes to Club 101 at 9 p.m. Aug. 8.
Tickets are $21, on sale Ticketbully.
• Country singer and pianist Ronnie Milsap has added a second show at the Spencer Theatre near Ruidoso. With his 8 p.m. Aug. 6 show there almost sold out, a 2 p.m. matinee was added.
Tickets are $76 and $79, on sale at the box office, spencertheater.com and 888.818.7872.
The Spencer's summer season continues with Pat Boone at 8 p.m. July 2 ($76, $79) and includes stops by Delbert McClinton at 8 p.m. Aug. 13 ($66, $69) and the return of Asleep at the Wheel's stage play about Bob Wills, "A Ride with Bob," at 8 p.m. Aug. 25-27 and 2 p.m. Aug. 27 ($56, $59).
• Speaking of country veterans, Sawyer Brown will play the Inn of the Mountain Gods at 8 p.m. Sept. 2, part of the Mescalero casino's Labor Day Weekend festivities.
Tickets are cheap, $25 across the board, on sale now at Ticketmaster.
• Texas country riser Josh Abbott returns to Whiskey Dicks at 10 p.m. July 23.
Those tickets are $12, $22 for fans 18- to 20-years-old, on sale at Ticketbully.
• O'Brother, the Atlanta indie band that lists influences such as Radiohead, Sigur Ros and Mogwai, opens a string of touring dates at 8 p.m. July 12 at Low Brow Palace.
Tickets are a cheap 8 bucks at Ticketbully.
The Low Brow's also hosting San Diego indie-pop singer-pianist Maren Parusel and her band on July 7.
• Dallas — by way of Alaska — thrash metal band Turbid North will play Club 101 on July 6. The band, compared to early Metallica, is touring in support of its latest album, "Oregeny," a concept record about a hunter stranded in their frigid home state.
• Acrassicauda, the Iraqi metal band that played here Memorial Day Weekend, returns to the House of Rock Live at 8:30 p.m. July 29.
The club also hosts the Henchmen and the Limit Club on Aug. 18.
• Now for some news that's really out of this world. El Paso Comic Con organizer Julian Lawler confirmed that a third "Star Wars" veteran will appear at this year's comics and sci-fi expo.
Billy Dee Williams, Lando Calrissian himself, will take part in EPCON 2011, which will be Sept. 10-11 at the convention center.
Peter Mayhew, who played Chewbacca, and Dickey Beer (Boba Fett) also will appear.
Lawler also said that two actors from TV's "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" have signed on — Catherine Sutherland (the second Pink Ranger) and Nakia Burisse (who played a later version of the Yellow Ranger).
Passes are $15 for one day, $25 for two, on sale at Ticketmaster.
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