It’s the most wonderful time of the year. SSMF, where you can stroll in and out of Sunset Strip clubs and check out a wide variety of music on two outdoor stages. In the past it’s been the Smashing Pumpkins, Slash, Bush, Public Enemy, and tons of LA bands. This year it’s Marilyn Manson, The Offspring, Steve Aoki, and well, I don’t know who else, but you can bet there will be more than enough LA bands represented.
I’ll see you there. I recommend sunblock, staying hydrated, and and time-outs in the Rainbow’s upstairs bar as well as On the Rox. Rock and roll doesn’t sunburn.
“Well Hell yes I would like to go take photos of the Sunset Strip Music Festival.” I don’t reply to many emails quickly but that one got bumped up into the ol’ Gmail priority inbox. Last year was so fun that I made sure I was in attendance this year. I even went so far as to watch a couple YouTube videos so I could figure out how to shoot with an SLR. I’m getting better at the outdoor shots. The indoor shots, well those all got sent to the trash. (Next year?)
We kicked off our 2011 Sunset Strip Music Festival by parking at the Pacific Design Center where Starline Tours was shuttling people to the strip. We entered by the Whisky and made our way up to our favorite spot, The Rainbow where we knew we could get our pre-game on. We holed ourselves up in a dark corner of the the upstairs room until our blood alcohol level allowed us to emerge from the darkness to face a day full of Sunset Strip rock and roll.
She Wants Revenge
We tried to move around to catch a little of everything, but we were able to take in a sets from She Wants Revenge, Love and a .38, The Limousines, Matt and Kim, Bush, Public Enemy, and Mötley Crüe. This year’s Sunset Strip Music Festival seemed to fly by a lot faster than last year’s but we still managed to have a great time. I did miss the Cat Club as I’m sure a lot of people did, but I did get to spend some time at OnTheRox which I love (cool ambiance, friendly bartender Mel). I wish my indoor photo skillz were a little better because I would love to shine more of a light on bands like Love and a .38 and The Limousines, but as of this past weekend I was still a few YouTube tutorials away from making that happen.
Bush
The crowd gathers for Matt and Kim
I have to say that for me, and apparently everyone around me, Matt and Kim stole the show. If your band is playing a festival and Matt and Kim is on the bill, it is in your best interest to not go on right after them. I’ve heard bands saying they put 110% percent into their performances, but I was never able to visualize what 110% looked like until I saw Matt and Kim. They are proof that crowds really do feed off the energy of the performers.
Matt and Kim
Mötley Crüe did what they always do and that’s spread the gospel of the Sunset Strip to everyone within earshot. Only this time, they were right on the Sunset Strip, right where it all began. We had a pretty good spot to watch their set, but since it was the big finale of the SSMF, EVERYONE seemed to rush the stage at the same time so we found ourselves swimming against the current just to get to a place where we wouldn’t be hit in the head with a boot. Getting old is rough kids.
West Hollywood has declared today, August 18, 2011 to be Mötley Crüe Day. The city is honoring the Crüe for all their contributions to the history of the Sunset Strip. Maybe you’re heading out to the Sunset Strip to see them this Saturday when they bring their full stage show to Sunset Blvd. along with loads of other bands. Last year was amazing and I’m sure this year will be awesome as well.
I’ve been listening to the Crüe for years now, so if you’re not familiar with the band but will be attending the SSMF this weekend, here’s a personally curated list of must-listen-to Mötley Crüe songs (I would add more of my old favorites, but these are the songs you’re most likely to hear.)
Beginning today, the Sunset Strip Music Festival is launching Fan Appreciation Day and offering loyal SSMF fans the chance to buy general admission tickets for the Saturday, August 20 street festival at a discounted price of $45, with no additional fees. The special SSMF fan pre-sale will expire soon and once sold-out will no longer be available. Tickets can be purchased here: http://tktwb.tw/SSMFpre or through SSMF.com.
Beginning today, the Sunset Strip Music Festival is launching Fan Appreciation Day and offering loyal SSMF fans the chance to buy general admission tickets for the Saturday, August 20 street festival at a discounted price of $45, with no additional fees. The special SSMF fan pre-sale will expire soon and once sold-out will no longer be available. Tickets can be purchased here: http://tktwb.tw/SSMFpre or through SSMF.com.
If this limited opportunity is missed, music lovers can still take advantage of no fee tickets when they officially go on sale Wednesday, April 6 through TicketWeb. General admission August 20 street festival tickets will be available for $55 (advance, online sales), and $70 at the door the day of the event. A limited number of VIP street festival tickets, which include access to a VIP rooftop lounge and priority access to the venues, will be available for $120 in advance. A very limited number of three-day VIP Passes (which include access to all the venues on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, plus the Aug. 18 tribute to MÖTLEY CRÜE and VIP access to the Aug. 20 street festival) will be available for $250.
The three-day SSMF 2011 kicks off August 18 with a tribute event honoring Sunset Strip icons MÖTLEY CRÜE with the “Elmer Valentine Award,” for their contributions to the history of the world-famous Strip. In 2010, SSMF honored legendary guitarist Slash. Other previous honorees have included rock icon Ozzy Osbourne (2009) and Lou Adler, Mario Maglieri and Elmer Valentine (2008)–all of whom helped create the vibrant music scene on The Sunset Strip. SSMF continues Friday and Saturday with dozens of musical artists of different genres performing at venues including The Roxy Theatre, Key Club, Viper Room, Whisky A Go-Go, Cat Club and House of Blues Sunset Strip.
SSMF 2011 will conclude with the all-day street festival on Saturday, August 20 between San Vicente Boulevard and Doheny Drive. The street festival includes performances by more than 70 artists on outdoor stages and in the venues, a beer garden, a VIP rooftop lounge for VIP ticketholders, vendors and interactive experiences throughout the day and into the night.
Lineup information for the festival will be announced in the coming weeks. Follow SSMF on Twitter (@SSMF) and Facebook to stay up to date on all news.
I was not planning on attending the Sunset Strip Music Festival this year because I have recently turned old and the only way I would pay $50-$65 for a ticket would be to see the Smashing Pumpkins again. But, I’ve seen them so many times in the past and I saw that amazing show at the Viper Room.. how could a big festival show compare? Well the good people at the Smashing Pumpkins’ PR agency kindly offered me a pair of tickets so I could attend and write about the show and I kindly and enthusiastically accepted.
I arrived at the SSMF around 4pm with my ladyfriend / LA Snark photographer for a day. We showed up in just enough time to hit up some drinks at the Rainbow Bar and Grill’s upstairs bar. If you know anything about me you know that I looove the Rainbow in a pretty-unironic way. Upstairs, they were playing some classic hair metal and that sunken sometime-stage-that-day-dance-floor was shaking to the rhythm of a few drunk girls grinding to Whitesnake or something. I don’t really remember, I was in drink mode and these bartenders, while friendly, were not able to keep up. So off we went to the SSMF beer garden. We paid $6 for some plastic cups of Bud Light and another $6 for a lukewarm veggie burger. Then we met up with a couple friends and they were both wearing hats.
We were not there for the cuisine or to taste barley and hops from across the globe, we were there to see Slash, Fergie (I was pretty sure she was making an appearance,) the Smashing Pumpkins, and also to discover some new local talent. Before long it was Slash time.
We all know very well that Slash is amazing. I should mention it again because it was his name on the program: Slash is amazing. Slash used to be amazing, Slash is still amazing, Slash will continue to be amazing. That said, Myles Kennedy is also amazing. That dude can sing. It’s amazing what an actual singer can do when there is no LSD (Lead Singer’s Disease) erasing his will to rock. Myles Kennedy hit notes that Axl probably took 20 takes to hit back in 1987. Myles Kennedy: Wikipedia that guy, he is something else. Looking all Ethan Hawke and singing like recording-studio-Axl meets Chris Cornell. You can probably tell how shocked I am to go to a rock show and hear a guy hit notes. It’s rare. Right? Yeah.
Hey you know who else will blow you away live? Fergie. Fergie, yes Black Eyed Peas, Fergilicious, FERGIE. Damn that lady is on fire. Slash set the bar high, Myles exceeded expectations by myles ( <– check that out), and Fergie lit the entire west side of the Sunset Strip Music Festival on fire. She sang Beautiful Dangerous, her contribution to Slash’s first solo album, then Heart’s Barracuda, and then closed with Paradise City. This woman is crazed. Have you ever seen Ann Wilson do cartwheels in leather pants? No you have not (wait, have you?) Fergie belted out all those Ann Wilson vocals AND did cartwheels in leather pants. Imma Be looking that up on YouTube:
After Slash’s set we headed to The Roxy where we caught Wicker. When I saw their street team waving around signs for Wicker I felt like they’d be some kinda Pier 1 Imports-themed band, but NO these guys were all early NIN meets Chemlab, meets other bands from the 90′s that had haircuts that made me think they had violent opinions about politics. These guys were great, very entertaining. The white picket fence around the keyboards made me feel at home while at the same time, very far away from home.
After Wicker we headed back onto the strip and bought a pretzel.
After watching Kid Cudi open up with the intro of Pink Floyd’s “In the Flesh” I decided that was as good as that was going to get so I headed back to the West stage to see my Smashing Pumpkins. I’m pretty sure at this point they’re mine. Billy Corgan and Co. are a smart people: They know some drunk people holding themselves up on the Sunset Strip by leaning against a tree or police officer have no idea the band went through a huge lineup change and are currently releasing new music. The Pumpkins carefully constructed a set that included lots of old favorites like Today, Hummer, Tonight Tonight, Bullet With Butterfly Wings, 1979, and Zero while also throwing in some newer songs like Song For A Son to keep themselves and the real hardcore fans happy. It was a perfect set, the highlight being when Billy took the time to list his influences that had frequented the Sunset Strip in the past, including a shout out to “Guns n’ Fuckin’ Roses.” Awesome.
After the Pumpkins we headed back to the Roxy and caught Audible Mainframe, a super-amazing band that you should pack up and go see right now. Go knock on their door, they seem like the kinda guys that will play a show anytime, anywhere. Tell them LAist sent you (just in case they’re not the kinda guys that will play a show anytime, anywhere.) I soon learned that even before my ears had a chance to decide they loved Audible Mainframe’s music, my brain was already convinced because somehow I had been slipped the knowledge that these fellas packed up and left Boston for Los Angeles, JUST LIKE ME. These guys are my brothers. We are best friends. They don’t know it yet, but I do. Audible Mainframe: you don’t come up with a smart name like that in Los Angeles, you import smart names like that.
My best friends: Audible Mainframe
After the Roxy we headed upstairs to On the Rox, which was great because I. Love. Puns.
Next stop, The Cat Club, a place that has messaged my old band’s MySpace page numerous times asking us to play even though all of the members are currently living 3,000 miles east of here. This place was the hot, sweaty, rock-powered mess that you’re supposed to experience on the Sunset Strip. We caught the end of San Diego band Dirty Sweet’s set, which was great . I think they even had a second set to play later in the night somewhere inland. These guys are troopers.
Dirty Sweet @ The Cat Club
Highlight of the night: Adler’s Appetite at the Whiskey A Go Go. Holy balls, considering the fact that Axl is years past being able to sing a line without gasping for breath, original GnR drummer Steven Adler’s Appetite For Destruction cover band is the closest you’re going to get to hearing those songs the way they were meant to be played. Steven was psyched, the crowd was psyched, and I was psyched because I hung out til past midnight to hear what I was sure was going to be a sad cover band but what turned out to be an awesomefest.
I wish the Sunset Strip Music Festival was every weekend. I loved being able to wander in and out of clubs discovering new music all night. That is the way it is supposed to be, stumbling around on a weekend night and happening upon some band that just hits you the right way. That’s the way people used to be exposed to new bands. It was nice to remember a time when you didn’t need a production crew and a viral video to make some new fans. If there are ever any other “one price gets you into all these clubs” events on the Sunset Strip, TELL ME. I will be there.
Also, I thought the pretzel was pretty good but the girlfriend thought it was just ok.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. SSMF, where you can stroll in and out of Sunset Strip clubs and check out a wide variety of music on two outdoor stages. In the past it’s been the Smashing Pumpkins, Slash, Bush, Public Enemy, and tons of LA bands. This year it’s Marilyn Manson, The Offspring, Steve Aoki, and well, I don’t know who else, but you can bet there will be more than enough LA bands represented.
