The Black Rebel Motorcycle Club has been around for a while - hailing from San Francisco, they play twangy country Americana with a surprisingly authentic edge. They've recently pressed restart with a new vision, a new line up and a new CD. Called Beat the Devil's Tattoo, they take an aural road trip through American, picking up pieces of Memphis blues, NYC punk, and Texan swagger all along.  Beat The Devil’s Tattoo has a raw sexual energy, and presents a new style that encompasses all the new members. The firebrand fuzz bass from their first two albums B.R.M.C. and Take Them On, On Your Own emerges on “Shadows Keeper,” and “Aya,” Howl’s acoustic driven, edgy Americana is ever-present on “Long Way Down” and the title track, “Beat the Devil’s Tattoo.”

They've got a three-night stand at the Echoplex coming up March. 11 - 14. The Whigs will open Thurs., March 11, and Fri., March 12; Thousand Dozen Gloves will open Sun., March 14.

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Did you dream of having an adoring crowd of millions scream and cheer as you rocked out onstage, backed by towers of amps? Do you go to karaoke and secretly hate on all those who are taking it lightly, while you go up there and really channel Axel Rose, down to that sideways dance he does? But did your life have other plans for you, so that  you were never able to make your dreams a reality?

Enter Rock N' Roll Fantasy Camp, the answer to your prayers. For one week, you can shirk your responsibilities and live like a rock star! Stay in a hotel (trashing it is optional), spend your days jamming, recording, writing songs, and honing your craft. The best thing is you have real rockers as your camp counselors. These are people who've been in the business, traveled the long road of the rocker, and want to show others the way. At the end of the week, you get to perform live with your new band at a real rock venue in Los Angeles.

The Rock N' Roll Fantasy Camp is nothing short of spectacular - aging CEOs, high school kids, housewives, and even handicapped kids  share the stage under one goal: to ROCK!!! For one shining moment, they are living their dreams - they are rock stars playing to millions. The last session, featuring Bret Michaels and Kip Winger just ended at the Key Club, but the next one is scheduled for the last week of April, featuring Steven Tyler and Duff McKagan, with the final show at the Whiskey. Check out more info at www.rockcamp.com.

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Ahh, Megadeth, you're that band that the weird loner kids listened to at lunch, you're the band that our parents warned us about, you're the band that was so absolutely delicious to discover on our own. They've been rocking ever since frontman Dave Mustaine got kicked out of Alcoholica for being alcoholic, got pissed off and vowed to create a bigger, better monster than Metallica, and then, as if by magic or a decree from above, the world was blessed with Megadeth? Remember that? Get ready for your trip back to 1989 on March 31 at the Hollywood Palladium, for their Rust in Peace 20th anniversary tour. It’s been 20 long, long years since the seminal Rust in Peace was released and you locked yourself in your room to play air guitar and pretended that you were Dave Mustaine for days on end. 20 years since metal ruled the earth. 20 years since there was no Britney Spears, no American Idol, and still room for ratty-haired smelly guys who did nothing but play guitar (awesomely!!) all day long to win world domination. Megadeth's been going the whole time, they never cut their hair, and they rock harder than anyone on the planet. Check them out March 31 at the Hollywood Palladium, and relive your old school metal days before you let your back patch jean vest fade into obscurity in some box in your garage. And there’s no better way to do it than headbanging to Megadeth!

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If you're looking for something totally different, and from left field, you already know to look to the UCLA Live program. But on February 20th, they're bringing something extra-special, something so far from the typical live music of Los Angeles, that it could very well blow your mind and expand your horizons at the same time. It's hard to imagine more humble, un-rock star-ish beginnings than the story of Tinariwen, a group that formed in a refugee camp in Libya. The members of Tinariwen are from the nomadic Saharan group the Tuaregs, and at their start, they began by creating propaganda songs for the Tuareg rebel movement in Mali. Their unique sound combines traditional Tuareg poetry and music with influences as wide-ranging as Algerian pop rai, and Western blues and rock music. They will perform as part of the UCLA Live program with special guests. Guaranteed you won't find a more interesting backstory, or more interesting music than Tinariwen.

Tinariwen, UCLA Royce Hall, 405 Hilgard Ave, Westwood, CA, February 20, 8pm

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Cheap Trick has been around since the 1980s, and they've rocked through the 80s, 90s, and today....just like any mediocre radio station. They rocked last year with Poison and Def Leppard on an arena tour, and now they're back to rock your socks at the House of Blues in Hollywood on Sunset Blvd. Don't be shy about going - everyone loved Cheap Trick, and everyone wanted them - just like they wanted! So brush up on your power ballads and arena anthems, reinvest in Aqua Net, and start some fist-pumping action!

Cheap Trick, Sunset House of Blues, 8430 W Sunset Blvd, Hollywood, CA; February 25, 7:30pm

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