NASHVILLE |
THIRD ANNUAL SUNSET STRIP MUSIC FESTIVAL
A SPECTACULAR SUCCESS
DRAWS 30,000 VISITORS TO SUNSET BOULEVARD
SATURDAY STREET FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTED BY THE SMASHING PUMPKINS, SLASH, FERGIE, COMMON AND MORE
The third annual SUNSET STRIP MUSIC FESTIVAL took place Thursday through Saturday, August 26-28, 2010, and was a spectacular success drawing 30,000 people to The Sunset Strip over three days, with 13,000 attendees flocking to the Street Festival on Saturday. Performances included an array of musical icons including The Smashing Pumpkins, Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and Fergie; and Common. The night also included performances by Kid Cudi, Travie McCoy, as well as Neon Trees, Steel Panther, Semi-Precious Weapons, Saint Motel and Big B.
SSMF 2010 kicked off on Thursday at the House of Blues with a celebratory tribute to the festival’s honoree Slash. As in previous years, Slash was chosen for his contribution to the history of The Strip as well as the music industry. KLOS’ Jim Ladd hosted the event and fellow musicians and friends Nikki Sixx, Jerry Cantrell and Lemmy Kilmister were on hand to share stories, memories and congratulate Slash on this honor. The festival then continued on with live performances by artists including Filter, P.O.D., Warner Drive, Nico Vega, Unwritten Law, Golden State and Kix in The Roxy Theatre, Whisky A Go-Go, Viper Room, Key Club, Cat Club and House of Blues on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights; on Saturday, there were more than 50 bands, two outdoor stages and a full day of music in some of the hottest music venues in Southern California.
“As a 35+ year native of The Sunset Strip, it has been a long time, if ever, that I have felt the excitement and energy that this festival has brought to the community in only three years,” said Nic Adler, owner of The Roxy Theatre and co-producer of the Sunset Strip Music Festival along with SSMF CEO Todd Steadman and Festival Managing Director Karmen Beck, who spearheaded the efforts of this year’s festival. “We obviously have decades of legacy behind us that have made The Strip what it is, but I believe that our best years are ahead. There is a new ‘let's do it together’ attitude here. And as we know, when we work together, we can do just about anything. The Strip is here to stay!” continued Nic Adler.
“I am ecstatic about the success of the Sunset Strip Music Festival,” said West Hollywood Mayor John Heilman. “It is an amazing event which brings a diverse group of music lovers to the Sunset Strip to enjoy entertainment on one of the world’s most iconic streets. With the hard-work of our business community we are bringing music back to Sunset Boulevard,” continued Mayor Heilman.
For the second time in The Strip’s history, the boulevard was closed to traffic (between San Vicente Boulevard and Doheny Drive). The SSMF street fest included two full-scale stages, food trucks, beer gardens, merchandise vendors, VIP lounges and interactive experiences throughout the day on Saturday. This year’s festival also featured towering 10-foot art guitar sculptures as part of Gibson GuitarTown on The Sunset Strip. The oversized Gibson guitar sculptures were created by local and nationally-acclaimed visual artists, with each guitar sculpture celebrating a musician, personality, or influential moment unique to The Sunset Strip’s history and Gibson Guitar.
Early critical acclaim for SSMF 2010:
“…Corgan alternated fresh tunes with old favorites during the 90-minute show, which Smashing Pumpkins performed on an outdoor stage near the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Doheny Drive. (Sunset was closed to traffic Saturday between Doheny and San Vicente Boulevard.) ‘Ava Adore’ and ‘Cherub Rock’ were energetic and full of heavy-metal muscle, while ‘1979’ sounded dreamier than it has on past Pumpkins tours. ‘Hummer,’ from the group's 1993 breakthrough ‘Siamese Dream,’ emphasized the sumptuously lyrical quality of Corgan's guitar playing.”
–Mikael Wood, LOS ANGELES TIMES, 8/29/10
“On Saturday, Slash performed new songs and hits from Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver. He unfurled GNR's ‘Sweet Child O' Mine,’ firing off the closing riffs with his signature Les Paul behind his head. Fergie joined him for a surprisingly heavy encore, falling to her knees and then doing actual cartwheels during Slash's solo on Heart's ‘Barracuda.’… On the opposite end of the street, Semi Precious Weapons uncorked spiky hard rock as singer Justin Tranter strutted through the crowd in glittery high heels before demanding fans join him onstage…Travie McCoy performed songs from his first solo album, Lazarus, with live beats from Gym Class Heroes drummer Matt McGinley. The result was a mash-up of styles that Roxy co-owner Nic Adler said ‘is really where the Strip is today — with someone who came from a hip-hop background, has very catchy hooks, but knows how to rock a bunch of people.’ Common likewise introduced warm, playful grooves with his three-piece band, rapping lover-man rhymes on ‘I Want You’ and a teasing ‘Punch Drunk Love.’
–Steve Appleford, ROLLINGSTONE.COM, 8/31/10
"…Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan, who eloquently tied the festival’s eclectic lineup to the genre-spanning fellowship of influential artists throughout the decades who have made their presence felt within the venues of this historic Hollywood district. ‘The Doors … the Strawberry Alarm Clock, the Beach Boys, Buffalo Springfield, the Go-Go’s, the Bangles, Guns N’ Roses, X, Jane’s Addiction — one of the best bands ever — all started here. What an amazing legacy, and what an amazing place to be a part of,’ Corgan gushed before dedicating ‘Cherub Rock’ to the wildly cheering masses…legendary Guns N’ Roses axeman Slash–who received an honorary award at House of Blues Sunset Strip during the festival’s kickoff bash Thursday night–explored his own extensive legacy on the main stage earlier in the evening. With hard-rock singer Myles Kennedy at the helm, Slash tore through cuts from his latest self-titled release, such as ‘Starlight’ and ‘By the Sword,’ slipping in a powerful arrangement of ‘Sweet Child o’ Mine’ before wrapping up the first part of his set with the Velvet Revolver hit ‘Slither.’”
–Dave Hall, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 8/29/10
“Whether you're 20, 40 or 60 years old, grew up in Los Angeles or hopped right off the bus ala Axl Rose in ‘Welcome to the Jungle,’ if you're a music fan, the Sunset Strip's legacy and continuing eminence as a rock n' roll nucleus is and has been an undeniable draw…The 3rd annual Sunset Strip Music Fest, which took over the Strip this past weekend (with street closures and stages on Saturday), served to punctuate the ‘Strip is back’ message while honoring its past…With events like SSMF keeping The Strip vital and fresh, here's hoping the current clubs on the street never get a RIP tee.”
–Lina Lecaro, LA WEEKLY, 8/30/10
“In the next election, Slash should run for mayor of Los Angeles. If the astounding turnout at Saturday's Sunset Strip Music Festival is any indication, he might even win…Slash may be emblematic of the Sunset Strip's raw rock 'n' roll spirit, but Billy Corgan perfectly represents its penchant for all things epic. A Smashing Pumpkins show is always an unforgettable juggernaut, and this one certainly was…This SSMF pairing Slash and The Smashing Pumpkins will go down as part of that revered history."
–Rick Florino, ARTISTDIRECT.COM, 8/30/10
“…a user-friendly and really fun experience that provides a very satisfying bang for your concert dollar. Start marking your 2011 calendars now.”
–Scott Sterling, SHOCKHOUND.COM, 8/30/10
“For the third year in a row, the Sunset Strip Music Festival has celebrated the vibrant local music scene with an oversized nod to the city's decadent glory days…”
–Jose Martinez, BLURT-ONLINE.COM, 8/31/10
“With the longstanding renovations to the legendary Sunset Strip now complete, the Renaissance has officially begun, and there was no better way to celebrate…The festival itself has now become an important part of not only The Sunset Strip’s musical rebirth, but also for our city itself. It brought together thousands of unique and spirited souls, from those that were getting their first taste of the musical power that is found on The Strip to all those that regularly call this magical place home. As Slash’s epic guitar solos echoed out towards the night, there was no greater proof that rock and roll is once again alive and well on The Sunset Strip.”
–Ryan Simoneau, SINNINGINLA.COM, 8/31/10
SSMF 2010’s proud supporting sponsors include Virgin America, V Australia, Jack Daniel’s, Bud Light, Southern California MINI Dealers, Ticketmaster, Vitaminwater, Gibson Guitar, Honest Tea, 98.7fm, Andaz West Hollywood, Brand X, Monte Carlo Music, Whole Foods West Hollywood, City of West Hollywood, West Hollywood Marketing & Visitors Bureau’s WEHO Key and Signature Creative. Street fest production provided by Swing House Hollywood.
www.sunsetstripmusicfestival.com
www.myspace.com/sunsetstripmusicfestival
www.facebook.com/sunsetstripmusicfestival
Twitter: @SunsetStripFest /@TheSunsetStrip
ABOUT THE SUNSET STRIP MUSIC FESTIVAL:
The Sunset Strip Music Festival was created in 2008 to promote, preserve and perpetuate the legendary Sunset Strip music experience. The Sunset Strip Business Association is the managing member of the limited liability company, which owns the Sunset Strip Music Festival.
For more information on the SUNSET STRIP MUSIC FESTIVAL, contact:
MSO 818-380-0400
Alexandra Greenberg x223, agreenberg@msopr.com
Todd Brodginski x239, toddb@msopr.com
Angela Villanueva x232, avillanueva@msopr.com
Mitch Schneider, mschneider@msopr.com
###
http://
