Organizers of the Sunset Strip Music Festival have confirmed that The Smashing Pumpkinsf will headline the street festival on Saturday, August 28, with a live performance on the legendary Strip, which is being closed to traffic for the second time in its history. The iconic band will wrap up the third annual SSMF, set to include a special tribute event for SLASH at House of Blues on August 26; live performances in The Roxy Theatre, the Whisky A Go-Go, Viper Room, Key Club, Cat Club and House of Blues on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights; plus more than 50 bands, two outdoor stages and a full day of music in the venues on Saturday, August 28.
The Smashing Pumpkins — who have created one of the most acclaimed bodies of work in musical history and sold more than 30 million albums–are touring this summer in conjunction with their <em>Teargarden by Kaleidyscope</em> project. It’s a collection of 44 songs being released online for free one at a time as well as in installments of specially packaged four-song EPs for sale in record stores. In late May, the Pumpkins released the project’s first EP <em>Teargarden by Kaleidyscope VOL.1: Songs for a Sailor</em> (Martha’s Music/Rocket Science Ventures) to critical acclaim, with Jerry Shriver of <I.USA Today</em> hailing the music as "a delicious swirl of howling psychedelic rock and melodic ballads (5/25/10)." Look for leader Billy Corgan and his band mates–guitarist Jeff Schroeder, drummer Mike Byrne and new bassist Nicole Fiorentino–to hit the road for an array of intimate shows across the U.S. beginning July 6 in Cleveland, to be followed in August by two headline festival appearances in Tokyo and Osaka.
As in year’s past, the SSMF will honor a figure who is synonymous with The Sunset Strip for their contribution to the history of The Strip as well as the music industry. This year’s honoree: Slash. Previous recipients of this honor have been Ozzy Osbourne (2009) and Sunset Strip club owners Lou Adler, Mario Maglieri and Elmer Valentine (2008).
Last year’s street fair drew 10,000 people to The Strip, which was closed between San Vicente Boulevard and Doheny Drive and filled with two full-scale stages, fans, food vendors and a VIP beer garden. "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," says SSMF Festival Managing Director Karmen Beck. Following the Smashing Pumpkins’ show, bands will continue to play into the night in venues within the street closure, all of which will be free of charge to SSMF attendees.Learn more at .sunsetstripmusicfestival.com.
