Category Archives: ROCKIN’ EVENTS

ROCKIN’ EVENTS

OUT IN L.A.

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Ultimate Jam Night celebrates L.A.’s greatest music exports at the Whisky, March 18.

There are few things in life as badass, life-affirming, and—let’s be real—completely free as Ultimate Jam Night at the Whisky A Go-Go. This monthly rock ‘n’ roll blowout is a full-throttle celebration of music, bringing together L.A.’s best musicians (plus a few legends) for a night of epic covers, surprises, and pure Sunset Strip energy.

On March 18, the jam gets even wilder with a tribute to “Bands of L.A.,” meaning anything from the Beach Boys and the Bangles to Mötley Crüe, Metallica, and Slayer is fair game. The setlist is top secret until showtime, but expect a rollercoaster of rock anthems delivered by world-class talent.

KICK OUT THE JAMS: Hal Sparks & guitarist Miles Schon at a recent “Ultimate Jam” event.

For over five years, Ultimate Jam Night has been the city’s premier live-music spectacle, blending rock trivia, giveaways, and jaw-dropping performances. Past guests have included rock royalty like Don Dokken, Black Sabbath’s Bill Ward, Eagles of Death Metal’s Jesse Hughes, and Metallica’s Robert Trujillo—so don’t be surprised if a few icons crash the stage.

Actor, comedian, and all-around rock aficionado Hal Sparks returns as host, dropping music history anecdotes between songs and maybe even jumping onstage himself—no surprise for the multitalented frontman of Nerd Halen.

ERUPTION: Nerd Halen frontman and “Jam Night” host Hal Sparks covering the classics.

And because one insane set isn’t enough, the night kicks off with Mr. Crowley’s Ozzy Experience, delivering face-melting covers of the Prince of F***ing Darkness himself. Plus, free tarot card readings before the show? That’s some rock ‘n’ roll mysticism right there.

HELLRAISER: Mr. Cowley paying tribute to Ozzy Osbourne at a past “Ultimate Jam” show.

This is pure L.A.—a legendary venue, top-tier musicians, a party-ready crowd, and an unforgettable show. And did we mention it’s free?

Details:
📍 Whisky A Go-Go (8901 Sunset Blvd.). Doors open at 6 p.m.
⏳ Free tarot readings at 8 p.m.
🎸 Mr. Crowley’s Ozzy Experience at 9 p.m.
🔥 Ultimate Jam Night at 10 p.m.

Sunset & Clark says: Don’t miss this show!

ROCKIN’ EVENTS

SUNSET SALUTES ROCK HISTORY

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Faster Pussycat, Michael Monroe to help welcome in spring at Rainbow’s 53rd annual ‘Parking Lot’ party.

On April 13, the Sunset Strip will reverberate with an intensity unmatched by any other night when the iconic Rainbow Bar and Grill kicks off its 53rd Annual Party in the Parking Lot. A mainstay of Southern California’s rock ‘n’ roll culture, this legendary event is a haven for diehard metal enthusiasts who crave their music blistering and their beers ice-cold.

The party will once again feature an all-star roster of Sunset Strip stalwarts, with the notorious Faster Pussycat leading the charge. Hanoi Rocks frontman Michael Monroe will also take the stage after kicking off his first tour in nine years on April 2. The glam-rock icon shares the bill at the 53rd Annual Party in the Parking Lot with powerhouse support acts such as enduring Hollywood hard rockers Odin, legendary Southern rock band Black Oak Arkansas, which is on a special West Coast mini-tour, and red-hot L.A. rockers Blaze Francisco.

The excitement begins early, as throngs of metalheads, clad in vintage band tees and studded leather, begin to gather before the first note is struck. Expect a line stretching down the Sunset Strip, from the Rainbow all the way to the Whisky A Go-Go, long before the event officially kicks off at 1 p.m. But trust us, it’s worth the wait. Inside the event, which spills into the Rainbow and Roxy’s back parking lots, you’ll be transported back to 1985, when big hair and denim ruled the day. Amid the haze of ever-present smoke, expect to see rockers rocking their tightest Poison t-shirts, looking as if they’d just walked off the set of The Decline of Western Civilization, and others whose leather-clad looks scream Shout at the Devil-era Motley Crue.

The event is a veritable who’s who of both local rockers and rock legends, alongside the ever-present faces you’ve seen at Ultimate Jam Night Hollywood or packed into the Whisky’s raucous crowds. It’s a celebration not only of music but of community, a gathering of like-minded souls united by a love for the loud, the fast, and the unapologetically rebellious.

The atmosphere at Rainbow’s Party in the Parking Lot is always electric — yet remarkably welcoming. It’s a chance to revel in the camaraderie of the metal community, to relive the glory days of ’80s rock, even if just for a single afternoon. No need for a hot tub time machine to experience it; all you need is the right attitude and a thirst for chaos.

Admission to the event is free, but guests must prepay for two drinks upon entry. Trust us, the party’s about to get LOUD!

LIVE SHOWS, MUSIC FESTIVALS, ROCKIN' NEWS, ROCKIN’ EVENTS

HEAVY METAL ‘PARKING LOT’

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Rainbow’s ’Party in the Parking Lot’ reveals full lineup for April 14 concert headlined by Sebastian Bach.

Sunset and Clark broke the news about the Rainbow Bar and Grill‘s much-anticipated free spring show featuring Sebastian Bach, and now, the iconic Sunset Strip venue unveils the full lineup for its 52nd annual “Party in the Parking Lot” on April 14. 

The all-day rock festival happens in the Rainbow’s back parking lot, behind the Roxy, and boasts a stellar roster, including Sunset Strip legends and international heavy metal icons Faster Pussycat along with Powerman 5000, Shark Island, Donnie Vie, Melody Mortal, Villa Nova, and Black Star Sinners. 

INSIDER TIP: This semi-annual live music event, which takes place at the Rainbow each April and September, has started to get super-packed very early these last couple of years. The previous two events saw long lines forming long before the gates opened. So, get there early, get in, get stamped, and enjoy the in and out privileges.

Rainbow is located at 9050 Sunset Boulevard in the heart of WeHo. Gate opens at 1 p.m. The event is free, but guests are required to prepay for two drinks (around $20). Plus, early arrivals usually get an exclusive event shirt!

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LIVE SHOWS, ROCKIN’ EVENTS

MUSIC MASTERPIECES

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Traveling Music Museum Is Heading to DTLA for One-Night-Only with Rock Legends from Heart, R.E.M., ZZ Top, and More Set to Perform at FREE Event!

Los Angeles rock aficionados, brace yourselves for an extraordinary convergence of musical history, rebellion, and positive vibes at the Shrine Auditorium on January 11! Prepare to be swept away by the Jim Irsay Collection, an exclusive traveling exhibition hosted by Jim Irsay, a rock ‘n’ roll enthusiast and owner of the Indianapolis Colts.

The best part? Entry is FREE! However, you’re welcome to consider making a contribution to Kicking the Stigma, Irsay’s campaign for mental health awareness.

This unparalleled collection unveils the instruments and personal items of music titans like The Beatles, Prince, Bob Dylan, and Jimi Hendrix. Immerse yourself in the world of signed photos, handwritten lyrics, and other priceless music memorabilia.

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LIVE SHOWS, ROCKIN’ EVENTS

BACH TO ROCK RAINBOW

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Skid Row Legend Sebastian Bach Tapped to Headline a Night of Heavy Metal Hits at April’s ‘Parking Lot’ Party.

Get ready to rock as the iconic Sebastian Bach takes center stage at the Rainbow Bar & Grill‘s epic “Party in the Parking Lot” event on April 14! Located on the legendary Sunset Strip, this annual extravaganza promises a night of pure heavy metal magic.

The Rainbow’s semiannual multi-band concerts, hosted in both spring and fall, showcase renowned heavy metal acts and artists. Past lineups have boasted luminaries such as original Guns N’ Roses drummer, Steven Adler, Geoff Tate from Queensryche, the legendary Stephen Pearcy from Ratt, and various other rock icons.

Armed with an arsenal of fist-pumping hard rock anthems, Sebastian Bach is sure to rock the Sunset Strip like never before. Former choir boy Bach’s musical journey eventually led him to front the legendary metal band Skid Row as well as embark on a diverse career starring in Broadway musicals like Jekyll and Hyde and the touring company of Jesus Christ Superstar.

However, it is the hard-rockin’, ass-kickin’ musical assault of Skid Row that put Bach on the music map. Skid Row’s self-titled 1989 debut album is a defining gem in late-Eighties hard rock history, just before the grunge wave reshaped the musical landscape.

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LIVE SHOWS, ROCKIN’ EVENTS

ROCK AND ROLL ALL NITE

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Legendary guitarist Ace Frehley’s debut headlining show at Whisky A Go-Go brings out the KISS Army’s rock soldiers to the Sunset Strip.

Legendary KISS guitarist Ace Frehley headline The Whisky A Go-Go for the first time ever on February 27 and he did not leave without tearing the roof off of the joint. The 71-year-old rock icon looked great and was in High spirits as he continually tossed guitar picks to the fans and shared stories about his life in music.

“The Spaceman” may have been unmasked but he definitely brought back the same raw energy and ferocious hard-rockin’ energy that helped make KISS one of the biggest bands in the world. Frehley started the show at around 9:45 p.m. and immediately had the crowd fist-pumping when he opened the show with “Rip it Out,” the killer opening track to his 1978 KISS-related solo album. The second the opening chords of “Rip It Out” started to echo throughout the room, the suddenly ubiquitous devil’s horns salutes let you know the crowd of diehard rock soldiers from the KISS Army were pleased.

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ROCKIN’ EVENTS

ROCKET MAN

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Rock and Roll Hall of Fame legend Ace Frehley is bringing his KISS and solo hits to the Whisky, Feb. 27.

Get set to rock and roll all night when iconic former KISS guitarist Ace Frehley gets back in the West Hollywood groove with a headlining gig at the Whisky A Go-Go on February 27.

As we said back in 2017 when he headlined the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills, the founding KISS member is really in his element when he’s commanding the stage as a frontman. He puts on an exciting two-hour set of non-stop rockers that include his own classic KISS, Frehley’s Comet, and solo hits.

During his set, Frehley covers many KISS classics, like “Rocket Ride,” “Cold Gin” and “Shock Me” as well as solo hits like “Rock Soldiers” and his cover of “New York Groove” from his 1978 KISS solo album.

Frehley’s equally famous smokin’ Gibson guitar will also make a guest appearance along with a few guest artists to be announced soon.

The Whisky A Go-Go is located 8901 Sunset Boulevard at Clark Street. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets are $65.

LIVE SHOWS, ROCKIN’ EVENTS

SUCKING IN THE ’70s

Whisky A Go-Go and Hal Sparks set to host a night of classic rock from one of the greatest eras for music.

If you weren’t fortunate enough to have lived through at least part of the ’70s, you’re in luck because the Whisky A Go-Go is going to take rock fans back in time to the good old days when Zeppelin ruled and nobody even knew what twerking was yet. 

Tuesday Night Music Club: Chuck Wright (l.) & Hal Sparks

On January 17, actor, rocker, and Nerd Halen frontman Hal Sparks is once again hosting Ultimate Jam Night Hollywood, which is themed “That ’70s Jam.” The set will include two hours of stellar rock covers of Me Decade masterpieces delivered by world-class working musicians that you probably have seen before performing in some of your favorite classic and modern rock bands, from Quiet Riot to Duran Duran.

Beasts of Burden: Rolling Stones circa 1970s

Plus, Sparks is a very entertaining and funny emcee that makes the segway between numbers go very smoothly, so the entire evening just feels like one big party.

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ROCKIN’ EVENTS

HEY, I KNOW THAT DUDE!

On Monday nights in L.A., about the only sure shot you got is Fast Times at the Whisky A Go-Go.

The Whisky A Go-Go‘s Monday night house band, Fast Times, is a totally awesome and completely tubular ’80s tribute band that never fails to knock your neon lime green socks off and get your checkerboard Vans moshing.

Bored on a random Monday night, we cruised over to Sunset and Clark to catch yet another set by Fast Times, which has been the Whisky’s Monday night house band for the past two years. And they always give one of the coolest, most faithful sets of ’80s covers that are spot-on and have an awesome added edge that comes from the high-energy live show that includes plenty of audience participation.

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ROCKIN’ EVENTS

AND THE BEAT GOES ON

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The Go-Go’s frontwoman Belinda Carlisle is bringing 50 years of timeless rock n’ roll hits to Beverly Hills in October.

If you were one of the lucky ones who caught The Go-Go’s 2018 show at the Hollywood Bowl, which took place beneath a twinkling starlit SoCal sky just before the pandemic reared it’s ugly head, then you know just how awesome it is to catch a legendary Hollywood-launched band play an equally iconic venue.

Fans will get that opportunity again this fall, when The Go-Go’s frontwoman Belinda Carlisle headlines another local landmark, the gorgeous, intimate-sized Saban Theater in the heart of Beverly Hills.

The hit-making singer-songwriter is sure to give Beverly Hills a night to remember with a set spanning more than 30 years of solo smashes, from 1986’s Belinda to 2007’s Voila. Of course, fans can also expect to hear over 40 years of timeless hits from The Go-Go’s, which formed in L.A. in 1978, after Carlisle and her friends devised the idea while sitting on a curb outside a house party in Venice.

“I Get Weak,” “Circle in the Sand,” “Mad About You,” “Leave a Light On,”and her number one single “Heaven Is a Place on Earth” still hold up today as some of the best pop gems in music history, composed of instantly memorable choruses and dance-inducing melodies wrapped around smartly written lyrics about love, loss, and learning to navigate both with a smile on your face and a beat in your step.

To rock fans who grew up in the awesome Eighties, The Go-Go’s were the soundtrack to the Me Decade, and kids certainly got the beat from the moment 1982’s hits-packed Beauty and the Beat hit the bins.

The band’s debut album shot to No. 1, making the California band the first all-woman group off singer-songwriters to top the charts with their own original material.

Beauty and the Beat’s singles “We Got the Beat” and “Our Lips Are Sealed” were instant global smashes that made the band MTV darlings and landed them on the cover of Rolling Stone and launching a 50-year-strong career that shows no signs of slowing down.

Carlisle’s Beverly Hills show at the Saban on Oct. 27 starts at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $50-$130. The Saban Theatre is at 8440 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills.

ROCKIN’ EVENTS

MONSTER BASH

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Slipknot drummer Jay Weinberg’s ‘A Hollow Realm’ Art Exhibit Opens in Silverlake for one night only, July 7.

Slipknot drummer Jay Weinberg is hosting his first solo art exhibit on July 7 in Silverlake. The multi talented musician will showcase his paintings in a one-time, in person show titled “A Hollow Realm.”

The rare showcase is described as “a fully-immersive virtual gallery experience created in collaboration with Optic Nerve.”

Fans are invited to attend the free event, which will take place from 6 p.m. through midnight at Rampart Studios Gallery, located at 2520 Sunset Boulevard in the heart of the Sunset Junction area of Silverlake.

To RSVP, head over to the “A Hollow Realm” website. See you fellow maggots at the show!

ROCKIN’ EVENTS

RAINBOW IN THE DARK

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Sunset Strip rock landmarks Rainbow and Whisky set to pay tribute to metal legend Ronnie James Dio, July 7 and July 19.

The immortal Ronnie James Dio would have hit the big 8-0 on July 10, and to celebrate, the Rainbow Bar and Grill is celebrating with a rockin’ party dedicated to the late, great singer-songwriter, who once famously fronted a band named after this very restaurant.

On July 7, the Rainbow is hosting “Dio at the Rainbow in the Dark,” a record release celebration in honor of Rhino Records’ 40th anniversary remixed and remastered edition of Dio’s spectacular 1983 solo debut, Holy Diver. The classic rock masterpiece is being released on three formats: digital, vinyl, and as a two- and four-disc CD set.

Ubiquitous Sunset Strip headbanger and radio personality Eddie Trunk is emceeing the event, which is happening from 7-9 p.m. in the upstairs bar, where the evening is sure to be dominated by the glorious sounds of Dio’s timeless classics rockin’ the roof off of the Rainbow.

The Rainbow Bar and Grill is located at 9015 Sunset Boulevard. The “Dio at the Rainbow in the Dark” event is free.

One week after the Rainbow’s Dio celebration, the Whisky A Go-Go is hosting a night honoring the heavy metal legend on July 19, with the club’s biweekly Ultimate Jam Night Hollywood event set to crank out career-defining classics spanning Ronnie James Dio’s career, from Holy Diver to 2004’s Masters of the Moon as well as scorchers like “Man On the Silver Mountain,” “Gambler, Gambler,” and “Rock ‘n Roll Children” from his time in Black Sabbath, Rainbow, Elf, and Heaven and Hell.

The Whisky is located at 8901 Sunset Boulevard at Clark Street in West Hollywood. Ultimate Jam Night Hollywood’s Dio tribute will kick off at 10 p.m. and is free to those 21 and over, and $10 for those under.