Category Archives: COOL STUFF

COOL STUFF, ROCKIN’ EVENTS

SPIRIT OF OZZY

Ozzy Osbourne & his 13 solo albums are being honored at Universal Studios Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights via epic new haunted house.

If you’ve spent any time reading Sunset N’ Clark, then you already know there’s no artist we admire more than Ozzy Osbourne. To us, he isn’t just the Godfather of Heavy Metal—he’s one of the most influential and revered entertainers ever.

And now, Universal Studios Hollywood will be honoring Ozzy at its popular Halloween Horror Nights this fall. The annual event will include major new attractions focused on Ozzy and his music, which has dominated rock radio for decades, so seeing his legacy celebrated in such an epic way in SoCal is incredibly exciting.

“We are honored to collaborate with the Osbourne family to create a unique haunted house that celebrates the legacy of Ozzy Osbourne,” says Mike Aiello, senior director of entertainment creative development at Universal Orlando, which is also hosting a Halloween Horror Nights haunted house dedicated to Ozzy.

“It was important for us to create an authentic experience that brings Ozzy’s creativity and personality to life in an eerily immersive new way,” continues Aiello. “Fans will discover so many meaningful details as they navigate memorable dark and twisted moments inspired by his iconic musical career.”

If you’ve been lucky enough to attend past years’ Halloween Horror Nights at Universal StudiosHollywood, then you know that the annual showcase is one of the greatest fall events in all of SoCal.

‘Ozzy never stopped pushing boundaries, and he loved anything that gave fans a new way to experience his music and the worlds he created.’

— Sharon Osbourne

Every autumn, Universal transforms itself into an unforgettable spectacle of movie-quality scares, jaw-dropping production design, and immersive storytelling. It’s terrifying, ridiculously fun, and one of those experiences that reminds you why L.A. is the entertainment capital of the world.

What makes it even cooler is that Halloween Horror Nights has never been afraid to embrace rock and heavy metal. Over the years, the event has incorporated legendary artists like Rob Zombie and Black Sabbath, and now Universal is once again giving heavy metal music the spotlight by honoring the one and only Ozzy.

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COOL STUFF, ROCKIN' NEWS

‘GOD’ IS GREAT!

Ratt legend Stephen Pearcy previews The Dogg Mob with scorching new track ‘God Speed 45’ that sounds ripped straight from the glory days of the Sunset Strip.

Iconic Sunset Strip rock and roll refugee Stephen Pearcy of Ratt recently gave fans another reason to crank up the volume, sharing an Instagram update on his long-awaited sixth solo album, The Dogg Mob, which is slated for a fall 2026 release.

Along with the announcement, the Long Beach, California-born singer-songwriter unveiled a preview of one of the album’s standout tracks, “God Speed 45.”

From the first note, “God Speed 45” hits like a runaway crazy train. The fast-and-furious rocker is loaded with scorching guitar riffs, thunderous drumming, Pearcy’s unmistakable Sunset Strip growl, and the kind of arena-ready choruses that made Ratt one of the defining bands of the 1980s Heavy Metal Era.

“God Speed 45” is the kind of unapologetic hard rock assault that feels as though it was pulled straight from the vault of metal’s 1980s golden era—a time when Dokken ruled the airwaves, Van Halen dominated the charts, and Ratt (pictured below) owned stages like the Whisky a Go-Go.

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COOL STUFF, MUSIC REVIEW

TRUE CONFESSIONS

Madonna’s Confessions II is the long-awaited sequel that reminds us why the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer still holds the crown as the Queen of Pop—even if she occasionally stumbles on the way to the throne.

Review by Mac Davis Fleetwood

If you’ve been near West Hollywood recently, you have undoubtedly noticed Madonna. She seems ubiquitous, from surprise appearances at The Abbey and Melrose pop-ups to exclusive billboards dominating Sunset and Santa Monica Boulevards. The hype machine is in full force to promote Confessions II, the album fans have been waiting seven years for since 2019’s divisive Madame X.

As self-professed die-hard fans (who also happen to be metalheads), we felt it was our duty to dissect this release. Madonna, after all, is a rocker at heart. This is an artist who has collaborated with everyone from Ozzy Osbourne to Prince and Lenny Kravitz. It is probably why the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted her in her first year of eligibility (2008)—a feat few achieve.

A Turbulent Entry and a Classic Recovery

Madonna

Confessions II opens with a spoken-word interlude. Clocking in a bit too long, it feels slightly forced—an ode to obvious LGTBQ+ community standbys and drag queens that doesn’t quite provide the “wow” factor of genius openers like “Like a Prayer” or “Erotica.

The real opening, however, is “I Feel So Free.” As the title suggests, this track is the album’s most explicit “confession.” It’s an ode to the dance floor, exploring how getting “into the groove” among like-minded music lovers provides a sense of liberation. Musically, the song is chaotic; it makes you want to sway, but it isn’t groundbreaking.

While nice, this mid-tempo dance number doesn’t quite reach the high-caliber caliber of energy or engrossing hooks found on Madge’s earlier work. It strives for a Donna Summer “I Feel Love” vibe but falls short of being truly hypnotic. It is a good start, albeit one that concludes with more echoed spoken-word.

‘Soul’ Music

The moment you finish the second track, “Good for the Soul,” however, you will fall in love with Madonna all over again. She totally hits the nail on the head here. The grove is intricate, esoteric, and absolutely hypnotic. It’s a stunning blend that pulls from the best of Confessions on a Dance Floor and Ray of Light. The drum rhythms and vocal delivery are masterful, creating a dancing pulse that marks this as a definitive standout. It’s a Massive Attack of awesomeness, making you pause and replay it several times before moving forward.

“One Step Away” follows, a track where the Queen of Pop slamdunks the debate that the dance floor is superficial. Deliciously incorporating brave and extraordinary vocal inflections, this mid-tempo dance groove is wonderfully original. It works equally well for getting butts on the dance floor as it does as a smooth background soundtrack for chilling. (Or for “Netflix and chilling.”)

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COOL STUFF, ROCKIN’ EVENTS

MONSTER MASH

Meet Bob Dob: The heavy metal mastermind bringing music-loving monsters to Los Feliz.

SoCal artist and rocker returns to La Luz de Jesus Gallery with “Origins,” a wickedly fun solo exhibition that’s equal parts rock ‘n’ roll, pop surrealism, and beautifully twisted creativity.

Isn’t it the best feeling when you stumble across a band or an artist so outrageously talented that you immediately start texting friends, saying, “You have to see this”?

That’s exactly what happened here at Sunset and Clark when we first discovered the wildly imaginative paintings of Southern California artist Bob Dob, and we’re still hooked with his ever-evolving body of work.

The out-and-proud metalhead, artist, and longtime punk musician is returning to one of our favorite L.A. hot spots—La Luz de Jesus Gallery inside WACKO in Los Feliz—with a new solo exhibition titled Origins.

The show opens July 3 with a free reception from 7 to 11 p.m., where fans can meet the artist, mingle with fellow local art lovers, and get an up-close look at his latest collection.

Dob’s paintings are a creative collision of heavy metal attitude, punk-rock energy, pop surrealism, and dark humor. His colorful cast of demons, monsters, and misfits feel like they wandered out of a late-night party at the Rainbow Bar and Grill, proudly sporting Misfits and Slayer T-shirts and mischievous grins. They’re creepy, funny, strangely fascinating, and undeniably rockin’.

It makes perfect sense that Dob’s work is so deeply rooted in rock culture. Born Bob Dobbie, he’s spent more than a decade playing in the Southern California punk band Lunacy.

Growing up in Hermosa Beach and immersed in the L.A. music scene, music became every bit as influential to his artistic vision as paint and canvas.

“I love to create worlds where the dark side of human nature is present,” Dob writes on his website. “Life isn’t always good times… that’s why my characters have an adolescent quality to them.”

A graduate of Otis College of Art and Design, Dob has built a career putting his wonderfully warped spin on everything from pop culture icons and video game characters to Disney favorites, beach culture, and Americana.

Origins also marks a homecoming of sorts. Dob first exhibited at La Luz de Jesus Gallery in 2004, and now returns with a fresh collection of music-inspired works that feel perfectly at home inside the legendary gallery that’s helped define L.A.’s underground art scene for decades.

The exhibition runs through August 2 at La Luz de Jesus Gallery, located inside WACKO at 4633 Hollywood Blvd. Admission to the July 3 opening reception is free, and all artwork will be available for purchase.

Over the years, Dob’s work has found its way into the collections of entertainment heavyweights including Conan O’Brien and Nick Cassavetes.If your idea of great art includes a healthy dose of heavy metal, punk rock, monsters, and beautifully unhinged imagination, make room on your calendar. Bob Dob’s Origins looks like one helluva visual rollercoaster ride.

Check out more of Dob’s work or RSVP:

COOL STUFF, LIVE SHOWS

SLAUGHTER ‘HOUSE’

Rock and roll over laughing with this retro ‘Full House‘ clip from the MTV glory days of Slaughter, which headlines the Whisky in August.

While wandering down one of those glorious YouTube rabbit holes where productivity goes to die, we stumbled across this forgotten gem: an early-’90s episode of Full House built around none other than hard-rock heroes Slaughter.

Now, if you’re under 40, there’s a decent chance you’re asking, “Slaughter? Wasn’t that a horror movie?” But in 1990, Slaughter wasn’t just a band. They were everywhere. Mark Slaughter and company exploded onto the charts with their debut album, Stick It to Ya, which sold over 2 million copies and was one of the biggest rock records of the year.

“Up All Night” was the kind of song that made you want to drive too fast with the windows down. “Fly to the Angels” was mandatory listening for every teenager experiencing heartbreak for the first time. And “Spend My Life” was one of those arena-ready sing-alongs that could turn 15,000 people into one giant karaoke machine.

Their videos lived in heavy rotation on MTV—back when MTV’s radical programming strategy involved occasionally showing music videos.

Watching this clip today is like opening a time capsule from an era when big hair ruled, guitar solos were featured in every pop song, and every TV show somehow found a way to shoehorn a rock band into the plot.

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COOL STUFF

SOUNDS OF SUMMER

In 1978, the God of Thunder and the Queen of Disco ignited one of music’s earliest and most electrifying genre crossovers.

Long before mashups were cool, KISS‘ Gene Simmons teamed with Donna Summer on his 1978 self-titled solo album, with the Queen of Disco laying down backing vocals on “Burning Up with Fever” & “Tunnel of Love.”

The duo may have performed distinctly different styles of music, but they shared the same legendary label, Casablanca Records, and had mutual respect for one another as artists.

“For quite a few years, Donna was the queen of disco–nobody touched her,” Simmons told Rolling Stone in a 2015 interview. “And unlike other disco artists of the era, Donna had credibility. She even had a duet with Barbra Streisand, which also, of course, became a huge smash [“Enough Is Enough (No More Tears)”].

“KISS was the first act on the new Casablanca Records label,” he added. “And then they signed Donna Summer, and the walls came a-tumblin’ down.

“We also happened to live in the same building in New York City at one point,” he continued. “I had the penthouse floor, and Donna lived on the first floor. …the Donna I remember was …gracious and charming. RIP Donna Summer.”

COOL STUFF, STREET ART

LEGENDS LIVE HERE

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Forget the Walk of Fame—West Hollywood’s alley walls are where legends like MJ and Ali are immortalized in raw, street-level glory.

By Mac Davis Fleetwood

In West Hollywood, legacy is not confined to curated museum walls like at LACMA or the Getty. Instead, it spills out in the quiet shadows of WeHo’s forgotten blocks, just past shuttered nightclubs, empty warehouses, and graffiti-scarred alleys. Here in the Creative City, a unique and captivating kind of idolization festers—louder, rawer, and more honest than anything you’ll find embossed on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Take a turn down an alley just south of Santa Monica Boulevard and off Sycamore, and suddenly you’re face to face with a pair of familiar eyes that stop you in your tracks. Piercing, soulful, surreal. It’s the immortal King of Pop, Michael Jackson, or at least the memory of him, rendered in rich colors, framed by waves of soft pastel lines that ripple across his face like soundwaves from a song you can almost hear. His expression is both ethereal and human, as if watching over the sacred Hollywood streets he once danced across in music videos. MJ isn’t just remembered here. He’s revered in a saintly glow.

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COOL STUFF, ROCKIN' NEWS

‘THUNDER’ STRUCK

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Buckcherry’s hard-hitting first single from SoCal band’s upcoming album sets the stage for a high-voltage summer.

If Buckcherry’s scorching new single, “Roar Like Thunder,” is any indication, this summer is about to be a full-blown rock ‘n’ roll inferno. The band dropped the track online earlier this week, along with the announcement that their 11th studio album—also titled Roar Like Thunder—will hit on June 13. And if this lead single sets the tone, expect a high-voltage assault of pure, unfiltered Buckcherry.

True to form, “Roar Like Thunder” is a riff-fueled adrenaline rush. Guitarists Stevie D. and Billy Rowe lock into a relentless groove, trading razor-edged licks, while the rhythm section—Francis Ruiz’s thunderous drumming and Kelly LeMieux’s deep, swaggering bass lines—keeps the engine roaring at full throttle. At the helm, singer-songwriter Josh Todd delivers a ferocious vocal performance that practically spits fire.

The band also unleashed a no-frills, high-energy music video directed by Tom Flynn. Shot on a rooftop with a gorgeous panoramic view of Downtown L.A., the clip captures Buckcherry doing what they do best—bringing the heat, no gimmicks necessary.

Fans won’t have to wait long to experience the madness live. Buckcherry kicks off their Roar Like Thunder tour on April 11 in Redding, California, joining forces with glam-metal Sunset Strip stalwarts Steel Panther.

COOL STUFF

5 REASONS L.A. ROCKS

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Palm trees, Venice Beach and Axl Rose popping up in the middle of a Billy Joel concert…what’s not to love about L.A.?

Of course, there are a million reasons why Los Angeles rocks, but here are five that literally rock!

1. A GN’R legend and pop-rock superstar randomly pop up at Billy Joel’s 2017 Dodger Stadium show.

Dodger Stadium is the only place where you’re ever gonna experience Axl Rose rocking your face off during a surprise appearance at a Billy Joel concert.

Imagine our surprise when we were sitting at the Piano Man’s killer show at Dodger Stadium in May 2017, when one of our other favorite artists, Pink, randomly pops up to perform two numbers: Joel’s classic “New York State of Mind” and her recent hit “Try.” And then the show got even better.

A few songs after Pink appeared, Sunset Strip refugee Axl Rose also showed up and shook the stadium hard with AC/DC‘s “Highway to Hell” and later, Joel’s “Big Shot.” That unique and unexpected performance made us immediately appreciate the consistent unpredictability of Los Angeles.

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COOL STUFF

HOLLYWOOD ROCKS

Step aside, Batman! The Who, Pink Floyd, Elvis, and other music icons have rocked their way into W/B’s legendary Hollywood history.

Living in SoCal, it’s easy to get jaded when it comes to being starstruck. After all, when you randomly spot Smokey Robinson at the supermarket and Steven Tyler at Coffee Bean—which I have—you tend to get used to seeing superstars as much as you get used to smog and palm trees.

However, a recent tour of Warner Bros. studios had us feeling excited about the magic of Hollywood once again. And that reinvigorated awe had everything to do with the rock and roll history that lies within the eclectic tour that covers every iconic entertainment offering from Rebel Without a Cause and East of Eden to Friends and the DC universe’s current crop of superhero hits like Batman and Wonder Woman.

Along with all of the movie history, the studio’s backlot has a rich music history, too, including as the location of the iconic cover photo of Pink Floyd‘s 1975 album, Wish You Were Here.

Equally cool was spotting one of the rockin’ motor scooters from The Who’s 1979 classic film Quadraphonia.

The Lambretta and Vespa Italian motor scooters make a memorable appearance in the British drama as the ride of choice for Sting and his Mods as well as their rivals the Rockers.

Many classic Hollywood musicals and music-oriented movies have also been filmed on the lot, from The Music Man and A Star Is Born (two of them, the 1976 and 2018 versions) to Elvis and Selena.

The other king, the King of Pop also has an unforgettable attachment to W/B’s history. Michael Jackson and The Jacksons filmed one of their famous Eighties-era Pepsi commercials on the Warner Bros. backlot. This one was filmed on the backlot’s all-American “Hennessy Street” and co-starred a very young Alfonso Ribeiro.

Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s guitar picks and guitar strap are on display alongside costumes and rock paraphernalia from 2018’s A Star Is Born.

Some of the other rockin’ relics that we came across include the original piano from the 1943 classic film Casablanca. The piano is the one Humphrey Bogart was referring to when he famously said, “Play it again, Sam.”

The studio’s rock and roll holy grail may be the old jukebox used in the 1957 Elvis Presley film Loving You, which featured The King using this jukebox to supply the music as he sang “Loving You” in the technicolor movie musical.

Phoebe Buffay’s (Lisa Kudrow) acoustic Gibson guitar has a place amongst pop culture and entertainment history, too, and is behind glass as part of the W/B tour. It’s virtually impossible to walk past the six-string without “Smelly Cat” popping into your cabeza.

Another, ahem, thrilling moment was seeing legendary record producer Quincy Jones represented for his work with Steven Spielberg on the two-time Oscar nominated soundtrack to the 1975 film The Color Purple.

Warner Bros. Studios’ Props Department houses enough cool music instruments to rival any branch of Guitar Center.

Random acoustic and electric guitars, violins, cellos, bajos, congas, and dozens of other instruments line the walls of the airplane hanger-sized prop room.

The instruments have been used and reused in countless W/B movies and TV shows.

Let’s see, Pink Floyd…Elvis Presley…The Who…Michael Jackson…James Dean…when a studio’s history includes this much badass talent, we can almost forgive the W/B for The Gilmore Girls.

COOL STUFF

SOUND EDUCATION

For Those About to Rook book

Rockin’ new book For Those About to Rock teaches kids music history with some edgy fun.

If you respect and appreciate good music and great artists, then you may be feeling a bit indifferent about the trending videos on YouTube that feature millennials and Gen Zers sharing their reaction to first hearing classic songs by legendary artists like the Bee Gees and Motley Crue. Now, watching strangers react to music sounds about as interesting as playing Zeppelin records backwards hoping to hear Satan. However, the most surreal part of the whole “reaction video” trend is that some young people simply aren’t ashamed of their lack of basic music history.

Granted, being able to name the four original members of KISS without needing to check Wikipedia won’t land you a professorship at the local university. But by the time anyone reaches their teen years, you’d hope they’d have some semblance of how and why Bruce Springsteen and The Beatles are just as important to American and world history as George Washington and Albert Einstein.

For Those About to Rook book

Considering how difficult it is just to get a basic quality education nowadays, we’re not holding our breath. Fortunately, a rockin’ new book has found a great solution. Author/rocker Kate Seldman‘s For Those About to Rock: A Kid’s Guide to 50 Legendary Musical Acts is a long overdue, gorgeously illustrated “textbook” that highlights a rich musical education delivered in a fun and engaging presentation that would appeal to any young mind that loves learning.

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