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Pop & Hiss

There are worse things than being gridlocked on the Hollywood Freeway: Meet Imperial Stars

By Randall Roberts
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This is the band that stopped traffic this morning on the Hollywood Freeway. At least it’ll be remembered for something. The three-piece is called Imperial Stars, and judging by their desperate actions, they are neither imperial nor stars. Yes, posting on this is giving the band exactly what it hoped it would get from such a stunt: publicity. But it should be noted: There are very few things more unfortunate than being gridlocked during rush hour on the 101, and one of them is embedded above.

The vulgar, angry comments coming in on YouTube suggest that the stunt may have backfired. After scouring them looking for at least one that doesn’t contain extreme profanity, here’s one that passes muster: ‘At first i thought this was an SNL parady or the filming of a fake documentary but these idiots actually want to be a ‘real band’ ... This is really hands down the worst song I have heard in YEARS.’

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-- Randall Roberts

Pop & Hiss
Randall Roberts

Former staff writer Randall Roberts covered Los Angeles music culture for the Los Angeles Times. He had served various roles since arriving at The Times in 2010, including music editor and pop music critic. As a staff writer, he explored the layered history of L.A. music, from Rosecrans and Sunset to Ventura Boulevard and beyond. His 2020 project on the early Southern California phonograph industry helped identify the first-ever commercial recording made in Los Angeles.

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