Advance Notice. Sunset Strip Music Festival.

The Sunset Strip is a place that'll forever have its role in rock 'n' roll history, and although it no longer stands at the forefront of the popular music scene, that doesn't mean it's stopped trying (staying true to its rock spirit!).

On August 28th, the famed street holds the 3rd annual Sunset Strip Music Festival, closing down Sunset Blvd. from San Vicente to Doheny to host a full-on raucous affair featuring live performances, booths, food and drink. And since this is the Sunset Strip, there are some big names to be had--watch out for performances from the Smashing Pumpkins, Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and Fergie, Kid Cudi, Travie McCoy and Common, plus 50 or so more bands.

Tickets are available now for $49.50, and it's definitely better to get them beforehand instead of paying $65 at the door. Purchase VIP 3-day tickets for $250 each, and you'll get into the street fest plus the festivities on Aug. 26 and 27, when Slash is honored with a tribute event and even more bands will be performing amongst the Sunset Strip venues. Rock on!

-- Chau Tu

Advance Notice. Slash at Amoeba for Record Store Day.

Living in Los Angeles, it can be easy to take all our wonderful entertainment options for granted, from being able to see that limited-release film at the Arclight or Landmark, to having anything we could have ever wished for just sitting in an aisle at Amoeba. For that latter privilege, at least we have Record Store Day to celebrate.

Saturday, April 17 marks the third annual Record Store Day, which celebrates the culture surrounding independent music shops all over the U.S. and the U.K. with special limited-edition releases and fun events like free shows and meet-and-greets. And L.A. is, as always, spoiled, so there are more than enough options for you to honor your local record shop accordingly.

We'll keep you updated on those options as the day gets nearer (stay tuned!), but right now, we've got a special heads-up on a cool event: in honor of Record Store Day, the one and only Slash will be signing his new self-titled CD at Amoeba. However, the only way to get a pass is to be one of the first 300 people tomorrow to purchase the album at Amoeba when it's officially released. Once you purchase the album (limit 2 CDs per person), you'll get a laminate to bring back on the 17th, when you can come and meet the infamous guitarist and get any one item signed.

Amoeba opens at 10:30am tomorrow--set that alarm, and see you on Record Store Day!

Amoeba Music is located at 6400 Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood.

-- Chau Tu

Photo credit: Slashonline.com