“I gave away my Metallica tickets to see these guys!” a blonde woman confided to me in the ladies room last Wednesday night at the Viper Room. I looked at her incredulously. A young man in tiny short shorts, a leather belt, bow tie, and nothing else, held the answer to my unasked question. When Joe Hurley takes the stage, everyone notices. Like a sprightly mix of Hugh Laurie and Iggy Pop, Mr. Hurley is mesmerizing to behold. Not even the half naked women who bounced on stage could eclipse his performance; they might as well have been wooden posts for all the fanboy attention they didn’t get. ...

This guy is so sad. He paid $20 for parking and now can't afford to hit any music venues. | Photo by ClownBog via Flickr The Sunset Strip in West Hollywood is notoriously known for its high parking prices. As the Sunset Strip Music Festival approaches, we decided to see to test Sunset Strip business owner's claims of the myth of high priced parking. On a short drive down the famous boulevard, especially on......

It was a homecoming of sorts for Alison Sudol, AKA A Fine Frenzy, as she returned to the place where she played one of her first shows, the Roxy on Sunset. The ever-adorable Sudol charmed the packed house with her piano driven melodies and effervescent voice.......

Photo via the These New Puritans' MySpce Page Artist: These New Puritans Album:Beat Pyramid Label:Domino Records Release Date: 03/18/2008 (Tomorrow) These New Puritans are an energetic four-piece from Southend UK - they played SXSW last night and they're playing tonight at the Roxy in advance of tomorrow's release of their full-length recording, Beat Pyramid. I'm not sure what you think of the somewhat creepy video for "Elvis" above, but it's a great song from......

B-52's @ The Roxy Neko Case @ Disney Hall Lyrics Born @ El Rey Puffy Amiyumi @ Key Club Mutaytor @ Safari Sam's The Dickies, Orange, Civet @ Knitting Factory Six Organs of Admittance @ Amoeba Tiger Army, Street Dogs, Imperative Reaction @ The Wiltern Army Navy, Mellodrone @ The Echo Eliza Gilkyson @ McCabe's......

The shiny happy and beehived B-52's have been playing a handful of intimate shows around the country that started with a Halloween show with The Rapture at NYC's Roseland Ballroom. Tonight, for example they will be up at the Chumash Casino in Santa Ynez (wonder if they'll do a Jackson 5 cover?), tomorrow they're at the Roxy, and Saturday they wind up the mini-tour at the Depot in Salt Lake City. Clearly we are......

Despite all the competition that's around it and new clubs that are constantly popping up, the Roxy has continued to be a major player in the LA rock club scene. It was just a year ago yesterday that the Red Hot Chili Peppers played a rockin show at the classic venue - and not only was LAist there, but we gave out a dozen free tickets to lucky wieners. Keeping the hope alive, the......

Last Friday night at the Roxy, Paper Magazine treated attendees to a raucous tournament-to-the (almost) death, of guitarist vs. guitarist. We might all be playing Guitar Hero III but these guys were doing it for real. At least 8 guitarists competed head-to-head over several rounds - each guitarist had 90 seconds to shred their guts out with an optional rhythm section. A three judge panel would decide or resort to a 30 second face off......

In a show of good will that we don't even think the firefighters got, the world famous Roxy on the Sunset Strip will be opening its doors to the WGA writers throughout the strike, LAist has just learned. In support of the writer’s strike, The Roxy Theatre in West Hollywood is opening its legendary doors to all members of the Writers Guild of America. Simply presenting a membership card will allow all guild members......

You’ve heard their tracks on the Blade movies, Zoolander, and Romeo Must Die. You know their work from the theme song to Bones. You’ve gamed to their music on Dance Dance Revolution and Gran Turismo 4. You’ve even listened to their radio show on Indie 103.1 (on Community Service on Friday nights 10 pm-midnight). But most notably, if you’re any kind of electronica fan, you’ve ardently followed their music for a decade since the......

Last week The Donnas held their record release party at the Viper Room to celebrate their new collection of rock, Bitchin', the first release on their own label, Purple Feather. Opening the mostly all-female Viper Room lineup was Girl in a Coma, followed by our new loves, The Randies. But the night belonged to The Donnas who were all charged up and ready to rock - perhaps more than the audience - and demanded......

Last night Patti Smith put the rock in the Roxy. Then she tore it back out, spit on it, stomped on it a bunch of times, punched it in the face and put it back. Patti was in her element last night, backed up by a band comprised of family and long-time friends. Supported by one of her earliest collaborators, guitarist and legendary rock journalist Lenny Kaye, Patti Smith had heart and soul to spare.......

Last year The Wreckers had to go through the misery of going on the Don Imus show. What could be worse than following an intro like that? Oh right, having to talk with Imus for a half hour. The Wreckers are the delightfully talented duo of Michelle Branch and Jessica Harp. Their debut cd Stand Still, Look Pretty went gold in the US and was #1 on the country chart in the UK. Their......

The Nightwatchman @ The Hotel Cafe Rocky Votolato, Drag the River, Street to Nowhere @ The Troubadour The Broken West, Mezzanine Owls, Silverface Champs @ Spaceland I See Hawks in LA, The Larks, Vicki Hill, Pete Fahey @ El Cid The Pity Party, Castledoor @ Silverlake Lounge Kind Hearts & Coronets @ Amoeba Anders & Woods, Mark Fosson @ The Echo The Switch, Coco B's, Hearts of Palm UK @ The Scene Uncatagorical Joan......

We have had many requests throughout the day from Red Hot Chili Pepper fan clubs to post more pics of the show last night. And since the first rule of reporting is to show people what went on somewhere that they weren't, here you go International friends: more after the jump......

For over twenty years the funky white boys from Fairfax High have been delivering the goods with their band the Red Hot Chili Peppers and last night at the Roxy for a super secret show to launch Microsoft's Zune media player, it's almost as if they were playing to each other. In fact, before one tune they improvised at all the bands that they had seen over the years at the Roxy. Typically the......

There was a time when Guns had Appetite out but no one was buying it and no one was playing it. It was a good year until they were getting love from MTV. During that year they hustled all the clubs on the Strip and even the Music Machine on the Wessssside. Here they are covering the Stones, a band who they'd end up opening for a few years later at the LA Coliseum.......