When Nic Adler looks out over the 15,000 people crowding his favorite patch of Los Angeles turf during the annual Sunset Strip Music Festival, he sees not a rock and roll bacchanal, but a neighborhood gathering celebrating the area's legendary status as the launching pad for generations of rock bands.
"It works on our street … we're not one of the bigger festivals, but everyone has a chance to get into the clubs on the Strip and that's what this festival is all about," said Adler, a VP of the Sunset Strip Business Association and one of the producers of the festival. "It's an open house on the Sunset Strip. Lots of people have been to the Roxy or the Whiskey [A Go-Go], but not on the same night. Or they've been to the Rainbow, but not all the different restaurants."
The sixth edition of the Sunset Strip Music Festival, the West Hollywood, Calif., event that celebrates the music and icons who've made the Sunset Strip a world-renowned home of rock and roll, will take place Aug. 1-3. Los Angeles icons Linkin Park will headline the outdoor portion this year, topping a bill that includes AWOLNation, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Logic, Asher Roth, Wale, Finch, Street Drum Corps and rap legends Slick Rick and Doug E. Fresh. Among the acts playing inside the venues on the Strip: Warren G, Orgy, Battle Tapes, Sad Robot and Smile Empty Soul.
The SSMF runs on Thursday and Friday nights and culminates on Saturday with a street festival that lasts from 3–11 p.m. and includes a full traffic shutdown between Doheny Drive and San Vicente Boulevard. The street portion of the gathering, the fifth in the event's history, will feature three outdoor stages, beer gardens, an artist autograph tent, outdoor VIP rooftop lounge, silent disco, food trucks and interactive experiences.
Among the new wrinkles this year is the addition of the Viper Room into the closure area, meaning the rock club will be an official participant for the first time after hosting the press lounge and unofficial showcases in the past. The Viper Room will also feature the festival's third outdoor stage with a 750-person capacity.
"This is really a partnership with the city of West Hollywood and it's the best couple of days of the year for [Sunset Strip] during what is usually a tough time in August when there are festivals going on and the Strip is a bit void of bands," said Adler. The Festival undoubtedly gives the Strip a late summer boost and while Adler said it is unclear how much of a direct economic impact it has on the area, the show's backers have asked for a study this year to calculate that figure.
General admission tickets are $79 (available through official ticketing provider, Eventbrite) and $145 for the VIP option, which includes access to the rooftop VIP area with views of the West stage, VIP areas in the beer garden and venues, access to VIP lounge On The Rox, a separate entrance and additional perks. (A limited number of three-day VIP passes are also available for $250, with access to all three nights of music in the venues pending capacity, the Saturday street festival and an exclusive tribute event celebrating Joan Jett on Aug. 1.)
A significant portion of this year's ticket sales will go to the nonprofit disaster relief organization Music For Relief. Adler would not talk about overall budget figures or talent costs, but said compared to such major events as Coachella, they spent "one to three percent" of what the majors do, likening it to a "community event disguised as a big time festival."
Rock icon Joan Jett has been a major part of the history of the Sunset Strip through her work with early group The Runaways as well as with the Blackhearts and her solo hits. She will be celebrated at an exclusive VIP event on Aug. 1 at the House of Blues, where she'll receive the "Elmer Valentine Award," and then perform a full set with the Blackhearts.
Festival Executive Director Todd Steadman said that while the 15,000-attendance figure keeps the event manageable and not overcrowded, plans are in place to expand it in the near future. "We will be looking at elements like a film and conference component," he said, likening the expansion to the scope of the South By Southwest Music Festival.
"We've gotten so much notoriety for closing down the boulevard and it's important for us to have the support of the businesses, the residents and the city to make it happen," said Steadman. That means not only getting the venues, sheriff's department, fire and public safety forces on their side, but also making sure the surrounding residential neighbors are not negatively impacted by the shutdown.
The festival has hired Steve Portigiani for that job, tasking him with developing a plan that allows residents who live near the Strip to have access before, during and after the festival. "There is a large cost involved with closing down the Strip, which is a major artery in the middle of Los Angeles," Steadman said. "But the community loves the event and the businesses, residents and city love it, too. There are a lot of people who move near the Strip for a reason, they want access to world-class entertainment."
Adler said 75 percent of attendees are from the Los Angeles and Orange County area. He also noted that the mostly volunteer-driven event has occasionally eked out a small profit, but that that money is plowed right back into the next year. "We look at the money we lose as an investment," he said, adding that he expects the fest to be around for 20-30 more years. "We don't have a Live Nation or AEG behind us, so when we make money it goes straight back into the Sunset Strip marketing initiative."
Part of this year's marketing plan includes a deal with Clear Channel that will offer 12 flyways from markets across the country including Boston, Chicago, Miami and Dallas that will bring contest winners to the show with VIP passes to meet Linkin Park, win a Gibson guitar and stay at a hotel on the Strip. Adler said that the SSMF has also used its status as a city-sponsored event to get discounted rates on digital billboards through CBS and Clear Channel around Los Angeles. Combined with local newspaper buys and a partnership with local station KTLA, Adler projected the marketing spend at $50,000-$75,000.
Among the 2013 official sponsors are Jack Daniel's, Bud Light, Monster Energy, Eventbrite, Gibson Guitars and Clear Channel Outdoor.
Contacted for this story: Nic Adler and Todd Steadman, (310) 659-7368