Viper Room Hollywood CA
Web: thehollywoodstarsband.com
Contact: [email protected]
The Players: Michael Rummans, guitar; Scott Phares, vocals, guitar; George Keller, guitar;
Jeff Jourard, bass; Terry Rae, drums
Material: The Hollywood Stars are a heartland rock group that are likened to groups like Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, The Traveling Wilburys and John Mellencamp. Although they opened up for heavy hitters back in the day, such as Van Halen, Ramones, Journey and the Kinks, their brand of music is mellow and deliberate. Their delivery is straightforward and the songs are well-written, as every note is meaningful and counted. There’s a grooviness to the songs that make you want to dance and kick up your feet, babeeee!
Musicianship: The musicianship was phenomenal. Big names are playing with the Hollywood Stars. The founding members, Rae and Phares, have been around since the inception. Jourard played with The Motels and Tom Petty. Keller was a session player for Tina Turner and George Cromarty. Rummans and Keller were bandmates for The Sloths.
That being said, Rae did not miss a beat all night and kept things rolling along, smoothly. The rhythms were thoughtful and the solos well placed and precise. The songs are well-crafted and curated with rich lyrics and traditional rhythms that tell stories and take you on journeys you can relive, again and again.
Performance: The performance was fun. The Hollywood Stars have been doing this for a while now but it seems like the music is even more refined and tasteful than ever before. The Viper crew had the band dialed in and they sounded great. From the first down-beat to the last crescendo, The Hollywood Stars came out to play.
Summary: Around since ’73, The Hollywood Stars have been on a rollercoaster ride. Busy with life’s matters and other projects, they managed to put out three full-length albums in 51 years. The first, a self-titled record in '77 on Arista Records, put them on the map.
Their third record was put out in 2019 entitled Sound City and had two big hits that were later recorded by other artists: “King of the Night Time World” (KISS), and “Escape” (Alice Cooper). An EP entitled Still Around, recorded in 2023, was the impetus that led to this years “Starstruck” record that was released on June 14, 2024 and brought the crowds out in full force.
