November 2009

Weeks and even months before any band hits the stage, a lengthy and often tedious process of negotiation has already taken place behind the scenes. The skill and “pull” of a club’s talent booker can make or break their business. Booking is a challenging mix of balancing budget, networking, having a good ear and a fair amount of luck. The Roxy Theatre’s Megan Jacobs is one of those talent bookers making magic happen behind the scenes.

Jacobs has booked talent at The Roxy Theatre for the past four years. Starting as the assistant talent buyer, she and the team at The Roxy have made the legendary venue a current, thriving club on The Sunset Strip.

New York-based glam rockers Semi Precious Weapons have steadily made a name for themselves in the club scenes on both the East Coast and the West Coast, building their fan base one show at a time with their electric live performances. Jewelry designer turned outrageous frontman Justin Tranter captivates audiences with his provocative stage presence and titillating theatrics. Get to know one of the most exciting and glamorous performers on the scene today.

How did the band form?
We have all been friends for a long time. We met in music school in Boston, and then moved to NYC. NYC was a lot more boring than we thought it was gonna be, so we decided to start a filthy fucking party band to make the city what we wanted it to be.

The Sunset Strip Music Festival (SSMF) has secured its dates for 2010: Thursday, August 12, Friday, August 13 and Saturday, August 14.
 
The third annual festival will kick off August 12 with a tribute to a Sunset Strip icon. In 2008, SSMF honored Lou Adler, Mario Maglieri and Elmer Valentine – all whom helped create the vibrant music scene on The Sunset Strip – and in 2009 SSMF honored rock icon Ozzy Osbourne.
 
Like this year’s event, which took place Sept. 10-12, SSMF 2010 will include a street festival on Saturday between San Vicente Blvd. and Doheny Drive. The street festival includes performances on outdoor stages as well as live music in the clubs within the closure, street vendors and interactive entertainment experiences.