Only three years old, the Sunset Strip Music Festival is quickly becoming a regular summer stop for the discerning concert fan. Originating as a tribute to the legendary Sunset Strip music scene, this year’s SSMF ends with a big finish as the Smashing Pumpkins perform outside on the Strip itself, which will be closed to traffic for the second time in the festival’s history.
Expect more than 40 bands to play this year’s festival, with many of them rocking the clubs that make up the Strip’s famous music environment, such as The Roxy Theatre, Whisky A Go-Go, Viper Room, Key Club, Cat Club and House Of Blues.
Although the Pumpkins’ performance headlines SSMF’s last night, the festival won’t exactly finish when Billy Corgan and Company exit the stage, for there will still be plenty of music going down in the clubs well into the nighttime.
As in the past two years, the festival will honor a figure described as “synonymous” with the Strip and all it stands for in the world of music. This year’s honoree is guitar slinger Slash, who will be feted at a special event planned for the House Of Blues Aug. 26.
“We are ecstatic to be able to bring this caliber of talent to the street and create what will undoubtedly become the ultimate end-of-summer music festival experience for our attendees,” SSMF managing director Karmen Beck said.
General admission, VIP and three-Day VIP tickets for the event go on sale Thursday, June 17, at 10 a.m. with Street fest tickets priced at $49.50 advance. VIP tickets, which include access to a private tented area containing a no-host bar and seating arena are priced at $100 advance, while a limited number of three-day VIP passes, which include the Slash tribute, access to clubs on all three nights as well as the VIP tent, carry a $250 price tag.
For more information, click here for the Sunset Strip Music Festival website, here for event’s MySpace page, here for its Facebook home and here and here to follow SSMF on Twitter.