Jane’s Addiction to Headline the Sunset Strip Music Festival

Jane’s Addiction, which first played on the Sunset Strip as the opener to Gene Loves Jezebel at The Roxy nearly two decades ago, is returning to West Hollywood in September as the king of the influential live-music scene.

The L.A. rockers will headline the first day of the newly expanded Sunset Strip Music Festival and receive the Elmer Valentine Award, which salutes those who have made an impact on the iconic 1.5-mile stretch of Sunset Boulevard.

Australian electronic music duo Empire of the Sun (“Walking on a Dream”) will topline the second day of the street festival, which takes place Saturday, Sept. 20 and Sunday, Sept. 21.

The event includes three outdoor stages, interactive experiences and plenty to eat and drink, with the portion of Sunset Boulevard between Doheny Drive and San Vicente Boulevard closed to traffic.

The Whisky a Go-Go, The Roxy and The Viper Room also will host live performances; the headliners will perform outside.

Nederlander Concerts has come aboard to book and promote the seventh annual shindig, which moved from its usual August spot on the calendar while expanding to two days.

Jane’s Addiction, with original members Perry Farrell, Dave Navarro and Stephen Perkins, is celebrating the 25th anniversary of Nothing’s Shocking, and they plan on playing the album in its entirety at SSMF.

According to JanesAddiction.org, the band’s second concert ever took place at The Roxy on Oct. 24, 1985, and its eponymous debut album was recorded live at the intimate venue for L.A.’s Triple X Records in January 1987. Warner Bros. Records quickly signed Jane’s after a bidding war, so the Sunset Strip has always been a special place for the group.

“It all started for me back when my big brother used to tell me about the Strip and about the amazing scene where artists like Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison blew people’s minds by pioneering a new sound and influencing culture in a more exciting way than ever before,” Farrell said in a statement.

“So when it came time for Jane’s to record our first album, we told Warner Bros. that before we could even release a studio record we had to make a live record on the Strip, and we even recorded it at The Roxy, because we knew it had to embody that inspiration that came from the heart of that scene.”

The Elmer Valentine Award — named after the late co-founder of The Whisky, The Roxy and The Rainbow Bar & Grill — will be presented to the band on Friday, Sept. 19, during an invitation-only event at The House of Blues Sunset Strip.

Previous recipients include Lou Adler, Mario Maglieri and Valentine; Ozzy Osbourne; Slash; Motley Crue; The Doors; and Joan Jett.

Others scheduled to perform Sept. 20 include Failure, Cold War Kids, ††† (Crosses), Minus the Bear, Kaiser Chiefs, The Birds of Satan, Nightmare and the Cat, Beware of Darkness and Say Say.

Set to join Empire of the Sun the following day are Mayer Hawthorne, Iration, Big Data, Tove Lo, Big Freedia, We Came as Romans, Nostalghia, Fenech-Soler and other acts to be announced.

Tickets are available here.

Twitter: @mikebarnes4