It’s a shame they didn’t start the Sunset Strip Music Festival years ago, because there are few things that go together as well as great music, legendary rock venues, and the famous stretch of road known as the Sunset Strip.
This year’s honoree was Slash. He rocked the outdoor stage with his current touring vocalist Myles Kennedy, and had Fergie along for vocals on the Heart classic “Barracuda.” His iconic stage presence and ridiculous guitar licks were center stage at this years festival. His performance was so crowded that even the photographer pit was full. I was able to shoot a couple pictures from the crowd, but even the area I was standing in was eventually cleared for VIP’s and other artists.
The advertised headliner was Smashing Pumpkins. Billy Corgan’s recently assembled band of musicians that go by the Pumpkins as a result of Billy’s iconic voice and songs played all the hits including “Bullet With Butterfly Wings” and my personal favorite “Ava Adore.” There was no pit access for any photographers for the Pumpkins set so we did the best we could from the audience.
Although most people probably turned out for Slash and the Pumpkins, the real surprises of the festival were Semi Precious Weapons, Neon Trees, and hair band jokesters Steel Panther.
Steel Panther opened up the outdoor west stage mid afternoon. Having played every Monday night at the Key Club for the last few years, they are absolutely a Sunset Strip staple. I had never seen them before, and with my love of ’80s hair rock, I was right at home. Playing into the ’80s hair band theme, they were awesome to photograph at times even stopping to pose while on stage.
The first show I caught on the east outdoor stage was Neon Trees, and they were infectious. The new wave synth-pop beats that hood ornament Tyler Glenn dropped all over the Sunset Strip had everyone jumping up and down. At one point he came out onto the monitors to bridge the gap between the stage and the fans and almost fell into the photographers pit. Their short set left everyone in the audience wanting more.
New York City rockers Semi Precious Weapons were my highlight of the festival. So few rockers put 150% into performances these days, and they cranked up the heat and the showmanship to inappropriate levels. From lead singer Justin Trent’s autographed spandex tights, to lead guitarist Steve Pyne literally swinging from the stage lights during the encore, this short set was action packed. During their finale Justin summoned everyone to hop the barrier and join the band onstage. It was bedlam.
The Sunset Strip simply oozes rock and roll. The rich history and amazing bands that were born on that small stretch of real estate are amazing, and this festival is a small way to appreciate the huge contributions of its venues and artists. Count me in for next year!
