After the appetizers that were Thursday night’s tribute to Slash and Friday night’s venue showcases, I was more than pumped to dig into the Sunset Strip Music Festival main course on Saturday, and I must say, the day-long street fest left me fully satisfied. On any given night, you can find an array of genres represented on the Strip, so it seems more than fitting that each performance brought something new to the stage. I hope in the coming years the festival continues to book an equally eclectic line-up as the diversity of artists was truly representative of what the Strip has to offer.
While most of my time during the Sunset Strip Music Festival was spent running from stage to stage to catch at least a few songs from as many performers as I could, two acts drew me in so completely, I had no choice but to stay for their entire sets. Who might these captivating acts be, you ask? I’ll give you a hint. Both are LA locals and neither was playing on one of the main stages. I guess that was two hints, actually. Read on to find out which band blew me away during Friday night’s slew of venue performances, but you’ll have to wait until tomorrow to find out which artist put on a performance so electric on Saturday in one of the Strips’ legendary venues, I couldn’t be persuaded to head back outside.
For more than three decades, the Roxy Theatre has maintained its status as one of the ultimate venues in music. Ever since Neil Young performed there the very first week the venue was open, the legendary acts that have graced the Roxy’s stage have remained the best of the best: Bob Marley, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie, Nirvana, Brian Wilson, Tori Amos, Foo Fighters, Motley Crue, Guns N’ Roses, Van Morrison, Bad Religion, Red Hot Chili Peppers…the list goes on and on. The person currently responsible for maintaining the A-plus level of artists the venue brings in is Megan Jacobs, the Roxy’s talent buyer, and LA Music Blog recently got a change to talk with Megan about how she got involved with the Roxy, what the venue has planned for Sunset Strip Music Festival, and that giant six-string currently residing on the roof of the legendary building.
If you’ve been down Sunset Boulevard in the past two weeks, you’ve likely noticed a new addition to the Strip: 26 ten-foot tall fiberglass Les Paul guitar sculptures. As part of the GuitarTown public art project, over two dozen local and nationally acclaimed visual artists created pieces celebrating musicians, personalities, and influential moments unique to The Sunset Strip’s history and Gibson Guitar. The project will be on display for the next six months, after which the guitars will be sold at a Gala Auction with all proceeds benefitting nonprofit organizations and charities.
Local artist R. Nelson Parrish was one of the creative minds selected to create a piece for GuitarTown, and the result of his work is currently residing above The Roxy. LA Music Blog recently talked to him about how he got involved with the project, what inspired his guitar, and the “pretty damn cool” compliment that made his day.
Black Label Society has always been a band that I’ve known and respected, but never really listened to. While the sum of its parts are hugely impressive–Zakk Wylde, Nick Cantanese, John DeServio, and new drummer, Will Hunt–the group has always seemed to be more of a boys’ club, with beards and leather vests appearing as an essential fan aesthetic.
After announcing a charity show to benefit St. Jude Children’s Hospital, an organization that Zakk and his wife are heavily involved with, I decided to make my BLS debut at the Roxy in West Hollywood last Tuesday. The show was originally billed to feature Cycle of Pain, the band led by BLS bassist John DeServio, but due to unforeseen circumstances, the New Jersey natives were forced to cancel their appearance.
Something To Burn w/ Cobra Cocktail
August 5th, 2010
8:00 PM
$10
9009 Sunset Blvd. West Hollywood, CA, 90069
Outliar, Seasaw, The Victor Ship, The Harm, 36 Alterations
Friday, July 30th, 2010
8:00 PM
$10
9009 Sunset Blvd. West Hollywood, CA, 90069
