Orange County punk rock band Social Distortion will be the first to grace the main stage at the brand-new House of Blues concert venue, officially opening at the Anaheim GardenWalk with a two-evening kick-off event scheduled for Feb. 28 and March 1.

The old location, dubbed the Mouse House as it was nestled inside Downtown Disney, officially closed at the end of May and plans were later revealed for a new, state-of-the-art facility that would take over where the UltraLuxe Cinemas were once located inside the GardenWalk.

The new digs cover 44,000 square feet and include a 2,200-capacity main music hall for bigger touring acts and events, a 400-capacity room called The Parish for smaller performances, singer-songwriter evenings, release parties and corporate meetings, a 175-capacity Foundation Room/VIP club and a much larger restaurant, kitchen and bar than it previously had.

On Tuesday, House of Blues Entertainment also shared the first batch of shows for its new location, all of which will go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday at HouseofBlues.com/Anaheim.

It’s an eclectic line-up that mixes numerous genres, including indie and alternative rock, pop, country, electronic, hip hop, reggae, punk and blues music.

Click the photo above for a slideshow featuring the complete list of dates and artists included in the opening lineup.





There’s also a nod to homegrown talent, with Social D – a staple at the former location – leading the charge, and acts such as Irvine-based rock band Thrice (March 7), Costa Mesa indie darlings the Growlers (March 14), a revamped version of local ska-rock favorite Save Ferris (March 26) and Long Beach-based Mexican singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Julieta Venegas (March 16) slated to perform.

Also on the list: big names in rock music such as Korn (March 5-6), 311 (March 18), Death Cab for Cutie (March 19), the Kills (March 20) and the Pixies (April 23).

The venue also snagged some special performances, including what’s billed as the last show by pop rock band Yellowcard (March 25), a Jacksonville, Fla.-based group that released its self-titled 10th studio album this year and chose to wrap up its 20-year career in one of its favorite and most successful markets.

Hip-hop legends the Wu-Tang Clan will drop in on St. Patrick’s Day (March 17). The hip-hop, R&B and soul genres are well-represented in the venue lineup, with rapper, actor and producer Common (March 23), rising star Anderson .Paak & the Free Nationals (March 2) and New Zealand R&B artist Sammy Johnson (April 28) on the roster.

There’s also a slew of Latin acts, including rock and hip-hop group Café Tacvba (March 9-10), noted Norteño and Conjunto singer and songwriter Ramón Ayala (April 14-15), and San Francisco-based Latin rock band Santana (Sept. 11), which recently reunited with a classic lineup of players.

The House of Blues also hopes to continue with the success it had with country music at the Downtown Disney location. It has secured some stellar country music talent, with performances by Chase Rice (March 3); Jason Isbell, formerly of the Drive-By Truckers (March 15); and Frankie Ballard (April 5).

George Thorogood & the Destroyers (March 8) will bring their boogie blues to the venue, while the Damned (April 8) will celebrate 40 years of punk rock. Pop artist Daya (March 11) will play an early show, while Canadian electronic duo Adventure Club (March 11) will take over for a late-night run the same day.

Rocker Billy Idol (March 13) will undoubtedly unleash his arsenal of hits such as “Rebel Yell” and “White Wedding,” and British rock band Catfish and the Bottlemen (May 24) will bring new music from its sophomore album, “The Ride.”

“This really is an epic grand opening lineup that is unparalleled in the live music scene,” Ben Weeden, chief operating officer of House of Blues Entertainment, said in a statement today.

“We’ve spent months curating performers and we are honored to have many artists that played the old HOB Anaheim as well as welcoming in new artists. I think we will make Orange County proud and stay tuned for some big upcoming announcements.”

Contact the writer: 714-796-3570 or kfadroski@ocregister.com