You should see the shows he does with the Nixon mask. (Photos by Scott Harrison | Retna)

Slipknot and Stone Sour’s Corey Taylor rocks it out tonight with his Junk Beer Kidnap Band tonight for Friday Night Live at the Hard Rock Hotel. Should you find yourself in need of tickets, you can grab them from SpyOn. If, however, you need to get your fix of seeing dudes in masks tonight, you may have to watch Halloween 3 before you go out. Click for more words and pictures »

By Jason Scavone

It was a banner weekend for misspelled band names. (Photos by Erik Kaibk | Retna)

The Hard Rock Hotel brought in Slightly Stoopid for Friday Night Live this weekend, and then Puddle of Mudd on Friday Night Live Not On Friday. It was like having two Fridays, except on one of them you didn’t have to work all day.

By Jason Scavone

They’re with Stoopid.

There’s a double dose of Friday Night Live this weekend at the Hard Rock Hotel with soft and gentle Slightly Stoopid on Friday and crunchy and loud Puddle of Mudd on Saturday. It’s like a Pixies song spread out over two days.

Stoopid started in the mid-’90s with Miles Doughty and Kyle McDonald as a two man operation when they were discovered in Long Beach by Sublime frontman Bradley Nowell. Since then, the group has expanded all the way to a seven-piece of surf-sun-and-weed jams with a rabid, follow-around-the-festival-circuit fanbase that the only the Dead descendants seem to get.

We talked to drummer Ryan Moran at the start of the tour about live bands vs. album bands, the Sublime With Rome tour and whether pot-rock is critic-proof. Click for more words and pictures »

By Jason Scavone

Well hello there, the ’70s. Always nice to see you again.

The Original Wailers head up tonight’s installment of Friday Night Live at the Hard Rock Hotel. Well, sans Bob Marley anyway. He’s probably not going to make it. To make up for his absence, college freshmen from around the country are going to bring the same Marley poster they all have to the show. To get your reggae fix, head over to SpyOn for tickets. Click for more words and pictures »

By Jason Scavone

Rar! Ticket rage!

Hawaiian pride runs deep. Tonight’s Pepper show for Friday Night Live at the Hard Rock Hotel is a heavy draw, so if you want a spot, you’re going to need to get there early for doors at 7 p.m. The event is expected to be over capacity. Which means one of the louder dirty, hot sex singalongs you’ve heard in your life. Well, maybe not. We don’t know what kinds of weird parties you people go to in your downtime.

By Jason Scavone

The Gin Blossoms are going to mug the shit out of you.

Quick! What’s the difference between the Gin Blossoms and the Goo Goo Dolls? Yeah, we don’t know, either. Was this like one of those Dante’s Peak/Volcano things? The crucial differences were, the Gin Blossoms did “Hey Jealousy,” not “Iris,” and they’re playing tonight at the Hard Rock Hotel’s Friday Night Live. Free tickets are here, afterparty is at Wasted Space. Suck it, Goo Goo Dolls. Click for more words and pictures »

By Jason Scavone

Things you don’t normally see in the same band: Cute girl, banjo.

Growing up, one of only three decent radio stations we had broadcast out of Manchester, VT. It was the alternative station, as opposed to the one metal station and the one classic rock station. Now, Phish, being from Burlington, set the tone for this particular station to be “Alt-rock, but also with hippie jam bands.” This isn’t exactly a format you’ll find in a Clear Channel lineup.

It was maddening when you’d be nearly passing out from not hearing a new Pearl Jam song or an old Smiths tune (we envy high school kids who have always had The Pirate Bay so, so much) but you’d have to hear the 9,854th spin of “Cavern” — or Rusted Roots’ “Send Me on my Way” — instead.

Clearly, having every song ever at your disposal on the internet hasn’t done anything to resolve our issues, because we’re kind of breaking out in hives just thinking about it. But that doesn’t mean you don’t want to go see Rusted. That’s our long, complicated way of saying, here, have some free tickets to tonight’s Friday Night Live show at the Hard Rock Hotel.

By Jason Scavone

How high is the water, mama?

You can get your fix of old school at the Hard Rock Hotel tonight for Friday Night Live with De La Soul. As always, it’s preceded by the SpyOnVegas.com Open Bar for 6 to 9 p.m. To score your free tickets, hit up SpyOn and print out your entry. Just try not to get involved in a lawsuit with The Turtles afterward. Click for more words and pictures »

By Jason Scavone

We should not be this terrified of reggae singers. (Photos by Erik Kabik | Retna)

Reggae pioneers Toots & the Maytals took over Friday Night Live at the Hard Rock Hotel this past weekend, though Toots doesn’t look so much like a friendly stoner reggae singer as some kind of biker from a Mad Max movie. Look out! Toots wants your gasoline!

This week’s FNL is De La Soul, so you might want to grab your tickets quick. Last year’s De La show went fast. Because 3 Feet High and Rising, that’s why. They even made Hall & Oates cool! Sort of.

By Jason Scavone

Significantly less misleading to actually have a Toots in your band. We’re looking at you, Hootie and the Blowfish.

Reggae pioneers Toots and the Maytals head up Friday Night Live tonight at the Hard Rock Hotel. How can you possibly not love any guy named “Toots?” Admittedly, the only other one we can name is Toots Shore, but it really needs to come back in style. That’s it, from now on, George Clooney is Toots Clooney. Not so smooth with the ladies when you’re walking around life as Toots, are you now? Anyway, go get yourself a ticket. Click for more words and pictures »

By Jason Scavone