Organizers of the SUNSET STRIP MUSIC FESTIVAL have confirmed that THE SMASHING PUMPKINS 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.

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. 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.
General admission, VIP and 3‐Day VIP tickets for the event will go on sale Thursday, June 17 through Ticketmaster at 10 AM PST. Street fest tickets will be $49.50 in advance ($65 day of at
box office) and VIP street fest tickets, which include access to a private tented area with full nohost bar and seating area, are available for $100 in advance. A limited number of three‐day
“VIP” passes (which include entrance to Slash’s tribute on August 26, the clubs all three nights + access to VIP tent at street fest) will be $250. There will also be individual ticket sales for The
Sunset Strip clubs on Thursday and Friday nights. The SSMF is donating a portion of all tickets sold to the Los Angeles Youth Network (LAYN), a charity personally selected by honoree Slash.
LAYN’s mission is to end homelessness, one kid at a time, by providing shelter, food and counseling for the abused, neglected and abandoned.

As interest in the Los Angeles rock scene began to die out, Shane Gelinas and Jason Byrnes – in separate bands at the time – both faced the all too common band breakup. Over time, they became interested in a wider variety of musical styles, which led to experimenting with their songwriting. Finally In April of 2008, Shane and Jason came together to create what you now know as The Divine. All of the music is written, played, and programmed by the guys themselves. Shane contributes his voice, lending elements of Pop and R&B to the music, as well as his guitar playing. Jason however, raps and plays drums, which brings the raw hip-hop vibe to the table...

Vanaprasta formed in December of 2008, and the Los Angeles/Silver Lake experimental rock quintet has already generated a swift buzz through their blood-stirring live act and critically acclaimed debut Forming the Shapes EP. The band recently earned an LA Times Top Pick, and examiner.com designated their forthcoming LP Healthy Geometry as one of the most anticipated albums of 2010.

Vanaprasta - Collin Desha, Steven Wilkin, Taylor Brown, Cameron Dmytryk, and Ben Smiley - traveled to Portland to record the bulk of their album over the summer and fall of 2009. The band is releasing Forming the Shapes EP as a precursor to these sessions on March 2nd. The 3 song EP showcases "their dramatic blend of churning rhythms, bright riffage and glowing imagery" (Kevin Bronson, buzzbands.la).

Vanaprasta's live shows and recorded tracks feature aggressive guitar interaction, abrupt shifts in tempo and time signature, tandem drumming, and soaring vocals. The band is influenced by various sounds, such as the bluesy monstrous riffs of Dark Side of the Moon to the slurred guitar of The Moon & Antarctica. Their sound also draws influence from the driving rhythms of Silent Alarm, the funk of bloodsugarsexmagik, and the raw three part guitarmonies from The Bends.