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Sad But True

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METALLICA LAUNCHES INITIATIVE TO FIND KILLER OF 2009 CONCERTGOER

Metallica has always been beyond cool to the band’s fans, and now James Hetfield has taken some time out to record a PSA to help police try to catch the killer of a concertgoer who disappeared after attending a Metallica show three years ago. The pitch from the band’s frontman comes amid new evidence that the suspect has attacked again in Virginia.

Hetfield’s pitch is to help find the murderer of Morgan Harrington, a Virginia Tech student who disappeared October 17, 2009, while attending a Metallica concert at John Paul Jones Arena on the UVA campus in Charlottesville, Virginia. According to the FBI report, at approximately 8:30 p.m., she stepped outside the arena for an unknown reason and was unable to re-enter the facility. She was last seen hitchhiking for a ride from passing traffic.

Harrington was dressed that night in a black Pantera T-shirt, which was found a month later in front of a row of apartments along 15th Street in Charlottesville. Her remains were later discovered on January 26, 2010, in a remote field on an Albemarle County farm along Route 29 in Virginia.

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Ch-Check It Out

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Beastie Boys - Atwater Village

BEASTIE BOYS IMMORTALIZED IN ATWATER VILLAGE

This (body)movin’ tribute to the Beastie Boys is a brand-spankin’ new addition to a utility box on Brand Boulevard just over the hill from Hollywood, in Atwater Village. R.I.P. Adam “MCA” Yauch.

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In the Name of Love

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COURTNEY LOVE STILL SUFFERING FROM NIRVANA OVER FAMOUS ATTACHMENT TO ‘THAT GUY’

“This has been my glory moment, my glory years, because forever I’m going to be attached to ‘that guy,'” laments Sunset Strip refugee Courtney Love — again — discussing, in L.A. filmmaker and musician Hans Fjellestad‘s new doc Sunset Strip: The Movie, her hard-rocking glory days headlining the Whisky with Hole, a proud moment that she feels will always be overshadowed by her association with “that guy” — you know, the one who made her famous in the first place.

Sunset Strip: The Movie premiered earlier this week, on June 19, at Graumann’s in Hollywood.

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Decline of Western Civilization Part 3

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Joe Elliot
JOE ELLIOT BLAMES DEF LEPPARD WANNABES FOR THE DEMISE OF HEAVY METAL’S POPULARITY IN THE AWESOME EIGHTIES  

Def Leppard frontman Joe Elliot gives his theory on what led to the demise in popularity of heavy metal in the late ’80s/early ’90s in an interview with Vanity Fair.

“When Kurt Cobain came along and tried to kill off the ’80s, he wasn’t trying to kill off Def Leppard. He could have lived with Def Leppard. What he couldn’t deal with was the hundred of other sound-alikes. And that was the problem. And that’s why the ’80s imploded and started eating itself. There were bands that sounded like GN’R, bands that sounded like Bon Jovi, [and bands that sounded like us] — it was one of those three, copied maybe 20, 30 times. It was just a weaker version. And the novelty wore off pretty quick.”

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Sunset Strip Shot o’ the Day

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Viper Room

VIPER ROOM BECOMES A GUERILLA-ART GALLERY  

The bland black side wall of the Sunset Strip’s Viper Room just got a whole lot more interesting thanks to popular and prolific street artist Becca, whose sexy “Ride or Die” graphic, above, adorns the popular rock club near its Larrabee Street entrance. Over the past few years, Becca’s original art has been popping up more frequently around town and has become an exciting staple of L.A.’s cityscape.

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Runaways Talk Reunion

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Runaways

HELLO WORLD, THEY’RE YOUR WILD GIRLS…AND NOW, THE RUNAWAYS MAY BE COMING BACK TO ROCK YOU AGAIN

Rock fans have already witnessed once-feuding members of iconic superstar bands like Fleetwood Mac and L.A.’s Van Halen and the Eagles bury the hatchet and regroup for sold-out reunion tours.

And now comes word that another great L.A. group once torn apart by personal turmoil within the band is hinting at a reconciliation.

Lita FordHeavy metal vixen Lita Ford (right) mentions in a new Los Angeles Times interview that she has been in recent contact with her former Runaways bandmates Joan Jett and Cheri Currie and is jonsing for a rockin’ reunion with the iconic all-girl band that smashed sexiest stereotypes in music in the ’70s to become a successful hit-making machine that rivaled the best work of their macho rock and roll contemporaries.

“It had been decades,” says Ford in the interview about meeting up with Jett late last year. “It was weird. When I saw her, it was like seeing Joan. Same old. She looked great. We always got along.”

Ford is cited as the main holdout that previously squashed any plans for a Runaways reunion that occasionally surfaced in years past. Now it seems that the fate of a reunion rests in Jett’s hands.

“Now’s a perfect time,” Lita tells the Times. “I’m all for it. I just need Joan’s OK.”

Sandy_WestAlthough a Runaways reunion would be stellar, it, unfortunately, won’t be truly complete. Founding member and the band’s kick-ass drummer Sandy West (right) died of lung cancer in 2006. And no mention has been made as to who would be taking on bass duties in a reformed Runaways, original bassist Jackie Fox or her replacement Vicki Tischler-Blue. The band’s last bass player Laurie McAlister passed away in 2011 due to complications from asthma.

Ford, Jett and Currie, however, are now the holy trinity of the Runaways and their prospective reunion has the potential to make this the biggest and best comeback since David Lee Roth and Eddie Van Halen shook hands again last year and traded in trash talk for an arena tour.

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Pretty in Pink

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Pink Floyd Van

ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL PART 4

Gotta give props to the clever prog-rock fan that jazzed up this jalopy by transforming it into a mobile salute to Pink Floyd and the legendary Brit band’s iconic 11th album. We spotted the cool cruiser in West Hollywood.

MUSIC FESTIVALS, ROCKIN' NEWS

Marilyn Manson Bringing ‘Dope Show’ to SSMF

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MARILYN MANSON, OFFSPRING TO HEADLINE SUNSET STRIP MUSIC FEST!

If you’ve attended the past Sunset Strip Music Festivals you know how awesome it was seeing Motley Crue, Ozzy, Slash and Smashing Pumpkins rock the Sunset Strip. But now comes news of something even more stellar: Marilyn Manson has been announced as this year’s headliner! Plus, Orange Country rockers The Offspring are also on the bill, along with a tribute to iconic L.A. band The Doors!

Bad ReligionAnd just when you think the lineup couldn’t get any better…badass L.A. rockers Bad Religion (right) are also scheduled to bring the band’s timeless classics to the Strip! This is quickly shaping up to be SSMF’s most incredible lineup yet.

See all you headbangers at the fest! Stay tuned to SunsetandClark.com for more details as they unfold!

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Twisted Sidewalk

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Twisted SisterDEE SNIDER LEAVES HIS MARK ON DOHENY. SORTA

We spotted the graphic above spray painted on the pavement on Doheny. Maybe it was because we recently checked out the Grammy Museum‘s heavy metal exhibit and had Twisted Sister on the brain, but the image made us think of the band’s logo.

Coincidence? Perhaps. After all, stranger things have happened…like Dee Snider popping up in a carpet cleaning commercial reviving his “twisted” side!

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Sunset Strip Shot o’ the Day

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Yoda on Sunset

INTERGALACTIC GROOVES

Here’s famous green dude Yoda sporting some cool Isaac Hayes-like shades and Dr. Dre Beats headphones while hanging out on the Sunset Strip. We spotted the slick street art on the pavement on Music Row, near the Guitar Center and Sam Ash.

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Sun Sets on Tower Video

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Tower Video - 2012

SUNSET STRIP LANDMARK & EARLY GN’R HAUNT BECOMES RUBBLE

Axl Rose - SlashIconic Sunset Strip landmark Tower Video, the timeless neon-lit hub of hipster activity that was the main spot to head to for concert tickets and music videos, has become a pile of rocks. Earlier this month crews began to deconstruct the famous spot that once employed a pre-rock star Axl Rose as its night manager and Guns N’ Roses bandmate Slash as a counter clerk.

In the fall of 2006, as Internet music piracy and iTunes began to claim their stake on the Net, Towers’ chain of music and video stores filed for bankruptcy after 46 years as the go-to place for discovering exciting new bands and picking up tickets to L.A.’s hottest shows.

Tower Sunset Video Parking LotTower Video was located at 8844 Sunset at Larrabee, across the street from the defunct Tower Records. The split-level video store also served as a concert ticket venue, classical music annex and sold rock novelties. The store’s small back parking lot, where the photo on the left, of Tower Video rubble, was snapped, is the infamous location where Rose once challenged Motley Crue frontman Vince Neil to a fight over some trash talk. The incident sparked the singers’ well-publicized, longstanding feud.

R.I.P. Tower Video.

Check out what remains of the landmark location as it becomes rock and roll rubble.

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Kings for a Day

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GO KINGS! STANLEY CUP FEVER ROCKS L.A. LIVE

Downtown Los Angeles gets into the spirit of the Stanley Cup playoffs with this rockin’ sand sculpture in the courtyard of L.A. Live, across from Staples center, where the L.A. Kings take on the New Jersey Devils tonight, June 11.

Get pumped for another potential Kings victory by cranking up L.A. band The Briggs‘ punk-rockin’ tribute to the city’s hometown hockey heroes with “This is L.A.”

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Linkin Park’s Game Plan

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L.A. ROCKERS TO HELP LAUNCH X GAMES MUSIC AT NOKIA JUNE 29

Just when you think the X Games can’t get much more awesome, it does with the announcement that Linkin Park will rock Downtown L.A,’s Nokia Theatre on June 29 as part of X Games Los Angeles.

Performing an intimate show as part of a promo initiative the hype the X Games newest venture, X Games MUSIC, Linkin Park are sure to rock songs from its hotly anticipated new album Living Things, due June 26.

But there is some good news and bad news: The bad: It’s a private show, so no matter how good your shady connections are, you can’t buy tickets.

The good news: You can try scoring free tickets to the gig via giveways on the X Games Facebook page and the extreme sports organization’s Twitter.

If you caught the band’s Nokia show last September, you know the roof of that joint should be prepared to be blown off its hinges again.


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Linkin Park Brings Live From Berlin to Cinemas June 25

Linkin Park & Incubus Team Up for Co-Headlining Tour

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Big Screen Blast

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LINKIN PARK BRINGS LIVE FROM BERLIN TO CINEMAS JUNE 25

Multi-platinum, Grammy-winning band Linkin Park will be — virtually — rocking nearly 500 select movie theaters across the country on June 25 at 7:30 P.M. with Linkin Park Live From Berlin. Captured June 5 at the band’s concert at Admiralspalast in Germany, the one-night-only cinema event invites fans to meet up and rock out to LP.

Chester Bennington and the band will perform their roster of rockin’ classics as well as new songs from LP’s new album Living Things, which drops June 26. Linkin Park has recorded a special welcome message that will screen before the start of the concert film, which includes an exclusive look at the Agoura Hills band’s new tour.

See the L.A. dates below. Click here for the full list.

LOS ANGELES: LINKIN PARK LIVE FROM BERLIN

AMC Century City 15 – AEG L.A. Live (Downtown) – Rave Motion Pictures 18 Culver City – Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza 15 – Century 8 North Hollywood – AMC Burbank 16 – AMC Citywalk Stadium 19

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Livin’ It Up

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L.A.’S WARNER DRIVE IS ON CRUISE CONTROL TO ROCK STARDOM

Sunset and Clark is stoked to see that one of our favorite local bands, Warner Drive, is starting to get the rockin’ recognition they deserve.

The Hollywood band has rocked the Sunset Strip from one end to the other, supporting its debut, Fully Loaded, and 2011’s K-Go with headlining gigs at every hot spot from Viper Room to Key Club, along with last year’s Sunset Strip Music Festival. And frontman Jonny Law (right) and the group have tirelessly toured the country with popular artists like CKY, Hinder and Jet.

Law and bandmates Elvis James on bass, smokin’-hot shredder Candice Levinson, guitarist Ryan Harris and drummer Jonny U and their DIY drive have amassed a loyal L.A. fanbase with awesome Warner Drive originals like “Stand Up,” “All By Myself,” “Livin’ it Up,” and “Radio Love Song.”

The band’s SRO shows have become rockin’ sing-alongs, and as their fanbase continues to grow, their concerts are becoming loud audience participation events. The energy and sonic assault of WD’s club shows, including its recent stop at the Roxy earlier this month, are destined to soon push the band from the Strip into the global spotlight.

Warner Drive is giving locals another shot at catching their live show with a headlining gig at the Sunset Strip’s Viper Room on July 13, with the equally rockin’, Soundgarden-like Lady Sinatra opening the show. (We hope WD invite the stripper from their June 1 Roxy gig back to the stage!) The Viper Room show is among the final local concerts before WD embarks on its first European tour in August.

Check out WD’s rockin’ salute to the Sunset strip in the “Scarecrow” video.

Unraveling L.A.’s Epic Hard Rock History — Past, Present, and Future.