Summer Rock 'n Roll in Southern California

L.A. CONCERT GUIDE

Rock 'n Roll

HOLLYWOOD, California - American life, particularly in Los Angeles, is a kaleidoscope of possibilities. Sitting in the heart of the Empire, like ancient Romans wondering what else to dominate, it's our duty to speak out against American abuses all over the world declaring, "Not in our name!"

But never mind. There's rock 'n roll. Los Angeles is awash in concerts this summer. It starts Friday at Against the Stream (Melrose) for mindful music and meditation. Here's an amazing sampling that dredges up the past and dumps it in SoCal this summer:

• Led Zeppelin (Jason Bonham)
  
• The Grateful Dead (Furthur at the Greek)
• Jethro Tull, Deep Purple, Yes, Styx, Frampton, Steely Dan, Roxy Music (Bryan Ferry), Iggy and the Stooges, Peter Gabriel...

And there are modern-rock festivals galore:

• L.A. Rising
• Mayhem Festival
• Sublime/311 Unity
• Warped Tour, Hard Summer Festival, Ink-n-Iron, Hootenany, Reggae 'Pon the Mountain, Rock the Bells (hip hop), Sunset Strip Music Fest, Summer Soulstice, Wango Tango, Powerhouse 2011 (Power 106 hip hop festival)...
  

These are not the most interesting shows, just the kick start. Music of all stripes is here as if this were the heart of American music, Nashville (not). There's no telling where it ends. See for yourself with the Los Angeles Weekly 6th Annual Summer Concert Guide 2011.



But Los Angeles isn't all music festivals and meditation sessions:

(UPROXX) A couple of weeks ago a New Orleans bounce artist named Mr. Ghetto took the Internet by storm with an ode to the ample-bottomed sistas of Walmart. This video is like a ridiculously funny white suburban response. It's a Fogs and Smog rap about a trip to Whole Foods in West LA (by David Whitman), which is funnier than the post-Lebron meltdown Hitler video.