At The Whisky A Go Go November 26th

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All Photos By Charlie Steffens/Pictures At Eleven

For nearly 10 years, Ultimate Jam Night remains one of the hottest musical events that Los Angeles has to offer for the wild hearted who like to catch live music on weeknights. Held at the world famous Whisky a Go Go - usually every other Tuesday night - Ultimate Jam Night spotlights 50 or more musicians who perform cover songs from a wide range of music. Undiscovered, up-and-comers join the rockstars onstage as well. The performances are raw, real, and unrehearsed. It is an all-out party that runs about four hours.

A couple of weeks ago, the Whisky was packed and there was a killer lineup that featured musicians from the hard rock/heavy metal world: Kenny Aronoff (John Fogerty, John Mellencamp), Gilby Clarke (Guns N Roses, Kings of Chaos), Dug Pinnick (Kings X), Sean McNabb (Lynch Mob, Resurrection Kings, Dokken), Phil Demmel (Kerry King, ex-Machine Head), Chuck Wright (Quiet Riot, Alice Cooper, Montrose), Debby Holiday, Paulie Z (Bohemian Queen), Ira Black (BulletBoys, Dio Disciples), Derek Day (Classless Act), Rachel Lorin, GayC/DC, along with other extremely talented musicians.

THE GORMANDIZERS, a new four-piece CBGB band, opened the night with a great set of cover songs from punk rock’s golden era, followed by Ultimate Jam Night emcee, Hal Sparks (VH1's Talk Soup, Nerd Halen). Sparks is one hell of a singer, and belted FOO FIGHTERS' "My Hero", flanked by an ensemble of players that absolutely rocked.

UJN typically has a theme, such as a tribute to musicians, or honoring a particular genre of music or timeline. This night's honoree was Adam Mandel, who has been a behind-the-scenes contributor to Ultimate Jam Night as a partner, producer, and production runner with creator Chuck Wright since its inception in 2015. During an interlude, Mandel, who had been recently diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer, gave a moving speech that emphasized the importance and strength of community. It was evident that Mandel's presence elevated the energy among the community in that room. Watch the video BELOW!

There were memorable performances throughout the night. One of which was when a supergroup featuring Paulie Z on vocals, Rafael Moreira on guitar, Sean McNabb on bass, and Yoyoka, a 15-year old female drummer from Japan, hit the Whisky crowd with DEEP PURPLE's "Burn".

Singer Rachel Lorin, guitarists Ira Black and Phil Demmel, bassist Gabriel Connor, and drummer Jeremy Colson blew minds with an incendiary performance of IRON MAIDEN's "The Trooper".

Another jaw-dropper: THE WHO classic "Won't Get Fooled Again" done by Gilby Clarke (lead vocal and guitar), Chuck Wright (bass), Kenny Aronoff (drums), and Mike Mangan (keyboards).

The Jam Fam is alive and well!

ultimatejamnight.com.

Check out some more photos from the show!
All Photos By Charlie Steffens/Pictures At Eleven