CELEBRATION ON THE SUNSET STRIP
Riki Rachtman hosts Rainbow press party for Cathouse Live event
HOLLYWOOD — Riki Rachtman and friends celebrated in grand style Wednesday, July 15 with a massive press party at the Rainbow Bar & Grill to formally announce the Cathouse Live concert, scheduled for Aug. 15 at Irvine Meadows.
Among the top acts are Tom Keifer, Sebastian Bach, Extreme, Dokken, Stephen Pearcy, Faster Pussycat, Enuff Z’Nuff, Tuff and many others, including an unknwon band called Swamp Hammer that earned the right to open on the main stage after winning a Battle of the Bands at the Whisky one night earlier.
“I’ve been wanting to do something like this for a long time,” said Rachtman, who first co-founded The Cathouse with Taime Downe in 1986. “I partnered up with Live Nation, and we’ve put together what I think is a really cool rock show. I kept the prices down, and the main aspect is for the fans to have fun.”
The main stage will rotate to fit in as many top acts as possible, and there is also a second stage for bands that otherwise would never get to play Irvine Meadows in a million years.
“Some bands have sold millions of records and some have sold like 10,000 records,” Rachtman said. “I’m just really excited. It feels good to be back home, and for a lot of people, this show is going to be like a homecoming. I just want to make the show really cool and for people to have a good time.”
Tickets start at $15, and Rachtman said he is hoping for a crowd of 10,000 or more.
“I’m very excited. There are so many cools bands, and it’s such a cool venue,” Tuff singer Stevie Rachelle said. “The Cathouse was such a huge part of the killer Sunset Strip days in the ’80s.”
Gilby Clarke, who has played with Guns N’ Roses and Ratt, is organizing an all-star jam to put an exclamation point on the proceedings.
“I don’t want to tell you who’s playing in the jam because it’s a surprise — but we plan for it to be good,” Clarke said. “They’ll be some people from earlier in the day, but I’m bringing in two really famous guitarists. Let’s just say we’re going to have two really awesome guitar players.”
Rachtman, who says he is excited to see billboards for the show at the Rainbow, said he takes pride in anything branded by the Cathouse.
“If it’s a bad show, everyone will probably blame Riki Rachtman,” he said. “But if it’s a good show, hopefully everyone will be stoked.”
Gerry Gittelson can be reached at gspot@metalsludge.tv
