LIVE! | 2013 Sunset Strip Music Festival

by Anabel Dflux
– Photojournalist —

August 1-3, 2013 on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, CA. —

The Dreaming

Hollywood rock stars The Dreaming took over the Whisky a Go Go on August 3rd during one of the city’s most infamous festivals: Sunset Strip Music Festival.

With a packed venue, perfect weather, and plenty of drinks to go around, the day was set up brilliantly for the performance. As the band casually set the stage up, the audience mingled and pushed up to the front of the stage, waiting for a killer performance- and a killer performance they did get!

Special guest Nita Strauss and bassist Brent Ashley jumped right in when the music began, with Rich Jazmin enticing the crowd on his side of the stage. Singer Christopher Hall, formerly of Stabbing Westward, bellowed out some beautiful notes, the mix of melody and edge in his vocals really sets this band apart from all the rest. Johnny Haro appeared to be having the absolute time of his life on the drums, with a big ol’ grin on his face throughout the entire set. The energy was indescribable, when a band truly throws all of their passion unto that stage, one can feel it in every bone in their body. Standing still was impossible throughout the act. It seemed The Dreaming was quite testing with their lighting, putting on an almost hypnotizing display of color, mixed in with a bit of fog effects. The set list bounced back and forth between old Stabbing Westward songs and original material from The Dreaming, all of which flowed quite well with each other.

With another concert coming up a mere week after SSMF at Bar Sinister’s Anniversary Show, it’ll be interesting to see what the band will do next.

Members:
Christopher Hall- Vocals
Johnny Haro- Drums
Brent Ashley-Bass
Rich Jazmin- Guitar
Nita Strauss filled in for Carlton Bost on guitar.

Orgy

Death pop stars Orgy absolutely took the Whisky a Go Go hostage at the 2013 Sunset Strip Music Festival in Hollywood, California, on August 3rd. Formed in 1994, Orgy’s return in 2010 excited thousands of dedicated fans all over the world. Since then, the band have been touring giants, playing a multitude of epic shows in intimate venues and rocking every place they land in. SSMF was no exception to this rule- as the Whisky a Go Go got packed with fans as 8:00pm rolled around.

With audience members dancing, singing, and of course, screaming along with the songs, the band members all fed off of that energy. Jay Gordon give a very enthusiastic performance, often amusing fans with his humor and alcohol demands in between songs. Guitarist Carlton Bost rocked out in classic metal fashion, and enjoyed taking advantage of the Whisky’s go-go dancing platforms off of the stage. Ashburn Miller and Nic Speck made their respectful instruments proud, showing off their wicked talents. Newest member Bobby Amaro took over the drums!
Members:

Jay Gordon – vocals (1994–2005, 2010–present)
Carlton Bost – guitar, (2011–present)
Ashburn Miller – guitar, g-synth, keyboard (2011–present)
Nic Speck – bass (2011–present)
Bobby Amaro- drums (2013-present)

The Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

The Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, being no strangers to music festivals, played the Sunset Strip Music Festival this year on August 3rd. Their suave and cool vibe was wonderful fun, and their unique sound moved the crowd like no other.

Members:
Peter Hayes – vocals, guitar, bass, synthesizer
Robert Levon Been – vocals, bass, guitar, piano
Leah Shapiro – drums, percussion