Guns N' Roses

The Five Most Iconic Key Club Shows in Its History

We broke some sad news last week: the Key Club will close its doors this Friday. Since opening in 1967 as Gazzarri's, it has been a staple of the Sunset Strip for decades, under various names and ownership. The venue has seen many popular styles of music come and go, but has, Zelig-like, been at the ... More >>

Hunter Beard Is a 14-Time Felon From Arkansas Trying to Make It in L.A.

Hunter Beard is a born hustler. By the time he was 13 in Little Rock, Arkansas, he was selling drugs. When he was sentenced to adult prison at 17 for robbery, he spent his time recording songs off the radio and rapping over them until a guard hooked him up with her father, a promoter. And for the la ... More >>

Betty White and Her Wild Life

Top 20 L.A. Metal Albums: 10 - 1

See also: Top 20 L.A. Metal Albums: 20 - 11 Top 20 Greatest L.A. Punk Albums The Ten Most Unreadable Metal Band Logos 10. Slayer Seasons in the Abyss (1990) Seasons in the Abyss is nothing fancy, just pure, sore-neck, eardrum-stripping metal. Full of brutal drum barrages, massive caliber guitar as ... More >>

Music Picks: Dublab Anniversary, Ladyhawke, Flying Lotus

Grandaddy - Fonda Theatre - 8/13/12

Grandaddy Henry Fonda Theatre 8-13-12 Better than...drinking $8 Pabsts at home. Up until the last week, the Grandaddy quintet had not performed on stage together in six years. How many bands have come and gone since that time? How many bands will form and break-up before Grandaddy returns to Los A ... More >>

Rock of Ages Review: Why Hair Metal Is 'Bone Stupid, Creatively Bankrupt, Morally Debased Pop Trash'

Rock of Ages, a new star-clogged pop-musical diversion, is a cinematic event. It's not every day, after all, that you get to see two great American traditions--guitar/bass/drums rock music and Tin Pan Alley musical theater--so thoroughly, mutually degraded. This mess originated as a stage productio ... More >>

Alice In Chains - Club Nokia - 5/31/12

Alice In Chains, Billy Idol, Heart and others Club Nokia 5/31/12 If the riffs are the same and the vocals sound strikingly familiar, is it still the same band? Last night at the Eighth Annual MusiCares MAP Fund Benefit Concert benefit at Club Nokia, the reformed Alice In Chains put that question to ... More >>

Music Picks: Bettye LaVette, Johnny Thunders, Johnny Hallyday

Also, Kate McGarry, Enter Shikari, Hype Williams and others

Steel Panther: Hair Metal Cover Band Goes Legit

See also: Top 20 Hair Metal Albums Of All Time: The Complete List Story by Clay Marshall Steel Panther guitarist Russ Parrish sports leopard-print Spandex and a tiger-striped ax when the group plays in concert. If all goes well, he'll climb atop the drum riser and stomp on the kick-drum pedal, ac ... More >>

Top 10 Best Live Music Venues in L.A.: #5-1

For all the best of L.A. music, download our free Best Of Mobile app. See also: Top Ten Best Live Music Venues in L.A.: #10 - #6 5. Music Box See also: R.I.P. the Music Box? Legendary Hollywood Venue Shuttered [UPDATE: Short-term?] News of the Music Box's overnight shuttering this month was met wi ... More >>

Velvet Revolver - John O'Brien Tribute - House of Blues - 1/12/12

Velvet Revolver, Maroon 5, Sheryl Crow, Stephen Stills, The Nightwatchman House of Blues Los Angeles 1/12/11 Better Than...Scott Weiland's Christmas album. Last night, Scott Weiland, Slash, Duff McKagan and company put their differences aside to play a one-off set to honor the memory of composer a ... More >>

Gil Cates dies at 77

Craig SchwartzA Noise Within cuts open a new path in Pasadena​GIL CATES DIES: The Geffen Playhouse's artistic director, and Academy Awards producer, was found in a UCLA parking lot Monday night, having died of natural causes. More on this story to come. A Noise Within opened it's new Pasadena digs ... More >>

L.A. Punk Rock History Class Is Now in Session

Cypress Hill - Troubadour - 8-6-11

Lainna Fader​Cypress Hill Troubadour 8-6-11 Better than . . . smoking at home. "This is our first time rockin' the Troubadour," said B-Real of Cypress Hill, speaking from the fabled club on the twentieth anniversary of the legendary rap group's multi-platinum self-titled debut. "It took us 2 ... More >>

In Honor of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" Jacket Selling for Almost Two Million: The Most Insane Music Memorabilia Someone Out There Would Buy

Peter BrookerThe Jacket​Somehow a person with a shitload of money decided to plunk down $1.8 million (think Dr. Evil voice) for Michael Jackson's iconic "Thriller" jacket this past weekend, which marked the two year anniversary of his death. We won't speak on the fact that the proud new owner, ... More >>

Top 10 Hottest Music Videos Featuring Supermodels (In Honor of Evan Voytas Somehow Getting Kate Moss for His Latest)

Top 10 Music Videos Featuring Models (Featuring Evan Voytas' Kate Moss Cameo)

L.A. Zoo Elephants Serenaded By 'Animal Enthusiast' Slash, Introduced To New $42 Million Digs

TheLosAngelesZoo via YouTubeBilly's stoked on his new waterfall​Update: As of this morning, the elephant exhibit is open to the public! So, whether you've got your candy corn or your picket sign in tow, play hooky today and go spend some quality time with Billy, Jewel and Tina. Originally post ... More >>

Pay to Play On the Sunset Strip: Commenters Explore Desolation Boulevard

the sweet on the street in front of sunset's old filthy mcnasty's​ Last issue's To Pay Or Not To Pay To Play The Sunset Strip article (by Diamond Bodine-Fischer) provoked a pile-on in the comments section, much of it reinforcing the frustrations of musicians like Loana dP Valencia and Josh Ne ... More >>

Amazing LA Bus Rants: "What Ever Happened to Chet Thompson?" (With ridiculous video)

​Ranter: Shaved-headed white dude, in his mid-forties, wearing black hoodie and beret Location: West Sunset bus stop and then the 2 bus Time: Eleven p.m., Saturday, October 16 Topics Covered: Whether buses can be proven to exist; the possibility that this is a duplicate earth; time travel; Sl ... More >>

What's Your Favorite Slash Moment? Sunset Strip Music Fest Bands Semi Precious Weapons, Delta Rose, Thick as Theives & Others Share Stories (and One Sex Fantasy) About the Rock N' Roll Icon

Lina LecaroMyles Kennedy, Fergie and Slash perform SSMF 2010​L.A. Weekly's Nightranger Lina Lecaro put it best in her Sunset Strip Music Festival live review: "Whether you're 20, 40 or 60 years old, grew up in Los Angeles or hopped right off the bus a la Axl Rose in 'Welcome to the Jungle,' if ... More >>

Over the Weekend: Flashing Back with Slash, Smashing Pumpkins, Headbangers and Felines at the Sunset Strip Music Festival

Lina Lecaro Fergie gets skankalicious performing with Slash at SSMF​ [See also Timothy Norris' slideshow "Sunset Strip Music Festival 2010"] 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 ... More >>

Stars, Cars and Guitars: Gibson GuitarTown Debuts on the Sunset Strip

Lina Lecaro Cherie Currie and son Jake Hays with The Runaways guitar by artist Sonia Lopez-Chavez. ​A drive down the Sunset Strip always promises a few things: flashy billboards, rockin' (usually studded) get-ups, beckoning marquees and maddeningly slow-moving cars. Now there's something fun ... More >>

Sweat, Sleaze and Stars: Jane's Addiction Brings Hits, Circus to Hollywood's Roxy

Check out more pictures from the show in Timothy Norris' slideshow, Jane's Addicition @ The Roxy. Jane's Addiction needs to either quit it with last-minute gigs or take up residency in my back yard. For what seemed like the fifth time in less than two years, Perry Farrell and company announced anot ... More >>

Jane's Addiction to Play Intimate 'Fans-Only' Show at the Roxy in Hollywood on Friday

Jane's Addiction, then​Late last week, Dave Navarro let slip via the Jane's Addiction website that the band will be playing an intimate show "for the fans" at an undisclosed Hollywood venue. Well, that venue's been disclosed. On Twitter about an hour ago, Navarro announced, "I'll be giving aw ... More >>

Interview: Slash Talks LAYN Rocks Benefit Concert, Reveals Surprise Guest Steven Adler

Erin BroadleySlash... not on a jet to Vegas​There's an old photograph in Slash's autobiography of him and actor Charlie Sheen on a private jet, where they're probably headed to Las Vegas. Sheen wears the guitar legend's signature black top hat and mugs for the camera, while Slash, Heineken in ... More >>

Justice Tour: Tom Morello with Wayne Kramer, Slash, Lemmy Kilmister, Jerry Cantrell & more at Henry Fonda, March 28

View more photos in the Justice Tour slideshow. Timothy NorrisTom Morello backstage at the Henry Fonda for the Justice TourDo-gooders are easy to pick on, especially rock 'n' roll martyrs like Tom Morello who are damned if they don't and even more damned if they do. But rock's most incendiary axem ... More >>

Theater Reviews: The Mystery of Irma Vep, Macbeth, Falling Upward

Also, Wings of Night Sky, Wings of Morning Light, Makin' Hay and more

The Korean Taco Justice League: Kogi Rolls Into L.A.

From Rosemead side streets to Venice dive bars, hungry Angelenos have a new way to roll

Black President Before Obama’s Time

Also, Pretty Ugly Club, RuPaul’s Drag Race, and more

Record Reviews: The Knux, Robin Thicke, Gang Gang Dance

Over the Weekend: "Thriller" Zombie Dance-off, Backstage with Flogging Molly, SuicideGirls Halloween Party Go-Go Dancers

There's a bit of advice I want to share with you readers this fine Monday morning: never drink red wine and whiskey in the same night. Never, ever. Not even if it's free. You see, over the weekend I hightailed it out of L.A. and up to San Louis Obispo for a friend's wedding where I made the aforemen ... More >>

Jim Freek

Boy meets girl bands

Makin' It Work

Style Wars, Divine Design and Kitchen 24

Rock Picks

For the week of Jan 18 – 25

Rock Picks

For the week of Jan 12 – 18

Oops! Year-Ended Again!

I Love L.A.

Viva los Dodgers theme songs!

Gnarls Barkley, the Beauty of Being Blunt, and the Poppy Lips Battle the Apocalypse

Rawk Your Body!

L.A. club DJs mix indie rock and hip-hop; world does not explode

ART OF ENGAGEMENT

And other picks for Wednesday, February 1

Almost, Almost Famous

Myth Spell

Velvet Goldmine

Edited by Kateri Butler

Welcome to the Jungle

Bianca Halstead

1965–2001

The Glitter of Our Discontent

Pleasure Pits on Parade

A romp through L.A.'s rock, blues and country clubs

The Music Man

Andy Prieboy scores