Megan Friend

Lou Reed in 2010 at Gibson Ampitheatre; Credit: Timothy Norris

Lou Reed Remembered By Other Rock Legends

Megan Friend
Lou Reed died this past weekend; best known as the founder of The Velvet Underground, he transformed the rock landscape through, among other things, his lyrical deviance. For this he was beloved by other fearless rockers and observers, and we spoke with some particularly influential ones about Reed's legacy. Slash......
Photo Credit: Joe Lopez; Credit: Joe Lopez

Ray Manzarek Remembered By Colleagues and Fans

Megan Friend
Ray Manzarek, co-founder and keyboardist for The Doors, died last week in Germany after a battle with cancer. He was 74. See also: Henry Rollins Remembers Ray Manzarek Manzarek's melodies were the musical backbone for many of the Doors' most classic tunes, and he was well-regarded as a producer as......
Jeff Hanneman; Credit: flickr/edvill

Jeff Hanneman Remembered By Titans of Metal

Megan Friend
Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman passed last week. He died of liver failure, at the Hemet Valley Memorial Hospital. He was 49. Although the rhythmic heart and soul of one of the heaviest bands in modern music, Hanneman was known as a soft-spoken, easygoing dude. See also: Our Jeff Hanneman obituary......
Writer/director Dan Clark on left with puppeteer Sean Johnson on right

A Tour of L.A. Puppet Fest

Megan Friend
The art of puppetry has morphed over the years: from marionettes, to Muppets, to the dancing of shadows on far-away walls to Simon Morley's renowned stage show Puppetry of the Penis. But at the core, puppetry is the art of playing with and manipulating objects as extensions of oneself. Many......
Where Pam's garden used to be; Credit: Megan Friend

A Photo Tour of Jim Morrison's (Restored) House On Love Street

Megan Friend
Built in 1922, Jim Morrison's house sits nestled in the Laurel Canyon hills. It's located on Rothdell Trail, and is more commonly known as his house on Love Street. Across the way from the Canyon Country Store and just moments from the Sunset Strip, it's full of Doors history. After......
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Key Club: The Five Most Iconic Shows in Its History

Megan Friend
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,......
Burlesque Bingo at Key Club. See our full slideshow; Credit: Aimee Candelaria

Key Club to Close This Month

Megan Friend
Update: The Key Club has released a statement about its shuttering, which is at the bottom of this post. The Key Club, a Sunset Strip favorite for decades, is scheduled to close later this month. Though the club's ownership could not be reached for comment, its last show is slated......
The Kings of Lion at the Hollywood "Fucking" Bowl; Credit: Timothy Norris

Live Review: Kings of Leon at the Hollywood Bowl

Megan Friend
Last night, a gigantic family affair took place at the legendary Hollywood Bowl when three brothers and a cousin from Nashville invited 17,000 Angelenos over for a rock celebration. Southern siblings Caleb Followill on lead vocals, Jared Followill on bass, Nathan Followill on drums, plus cousin Matthew Followill on lead......
Credit: Megan Friend

Over the Weekend: Beth Hart at the Echoplex

Megan Friend
Last night all eyes, ears, and most importantly hearts were on none other than native Los Angelena singer/songwriter Beth Hart. A loud, loyal, and animated Echoplex audience of 400 whistled, shuffled, and screamed their approval as the melodiously immoral seamstress of rhythm and soul made a triumphant return to her......