Upcoming shows

Party with SAC as they preview album

Be at “One” with the Strawberry Alarm Clock on Feb. 28 as they gear up for the long-awaited release of their new album at L.A.’s Whisky a Go Go.

The album preview party honors the mid-2026 bow of “Where’s One?” It’s the follow-up to 2012’s acclaimed comeback album “Wake Up Where You Are.”

Buy tickets now for the Saturday night show and album release party.

The concert features the full band as well as visuals by Robert Jacobs’ Midnight Sun and Andrew Platt with his Stranger Liquids Light Show.

The performance marks the L.A. band’s 11th appearance in over a dozen years at the historic Sunset Strip rock venue, headquarters for the psychedelic scene of the 1960s and still going strong.

SAC bassist George Bunnell says the band “feeds off” the enthusiasm of the new generations of psych fans at the Whisky: “They weren’t around for the summer of love, but they really want to feel that experience.”

The Strawberry Alarm Clock are Bunnell, keyboardist Mark Weitz, drummer Randy Seol, guitarist Howie Anderson, drummer and percussionist Gene Gunnels, and multi-instrumentalist Bartek. (Bartek produced many of the tracks on the new disc.)

The band will perform original songs from the new album, as well as many of their classic tracks, including the famed “Incense and Peppermints.” “Where’s One?” wraps with two covers of Beatles songs, including recent concert favorite the instrumental “Day Tripper.” The new album drops via the Southland’s Big Stir Records.

Read about the album’s lead-off single “Monsters” and give it a listen.

Fans can help support SAC’s new album via a GoFundMe page.

Chill out with SAC at the Whisky on Dec. 16

Concerts, News/blog, Upcoming shows

How about a buzz for the holidays: The Strawberry Alarm Clock returns to Hollywood’s Whisky a Go Go for a mid-December show.

It will be the L.A. band’s eighth appearance in just over a dozen years at the historic Sunset Strip rock venue, headquarters for the psychedelic scene of the 1960s and still going strong.

General admission tickets for the Friday, Dec. 16, show go for $25 and can be purchased now on the Whisky’s web site.

The Strawberry Alarm Clock — still going strong after more than a half century — are bassist George Bunnell, keyboardist Mark Weitz, drummer Randy Seol, guitarist Howie Anderson, percussionist Gene Gunnels and multi-instrumentalist Steve Bartek.

Bartek is back after sitting out the last Whisky gig because he was working the Coachella festival with Danny Elfman’s “From Boingo to Batman to Big Mess and Beyond!” show.

The band will be featuring its 1960s classics such as “Tomorrow” and “Incense and Peppermints.” Other fan favorites often heard in the live set include “The World’s on Fire,” “Sit With the Guru,” “Rainy Day Mushroom Pillow” and “Birds in My Tree.” Along with more recent material such as “World Citizen” and “Mr. Farmer.”

The Strawberry Alarm Clock’s most recent album is “Wake Up Where You Are.”

> Buy tickets for the Friday, Dec. 16, show at the Whisky.

Handle with ‘Care’: SAC sets benefit show

News/blog, Upcoming shows

Get back to the “Wonder” years with the Strawberry Alarm Clock, performing at an April benefit concert in downtown L.A.

The Care Concert features SAC doing a “vintage” set of its classic psychedelic sounds, along with a “One-Hit Wonders” show by the local collective the Tribe. The “Wonders” set will include some of the original artists behind those one-off hits. They are expected to include Billy Vera, Walter Egan and Elliot Lurie.

The show is Saturday, April 23, at the Palace Theatre on South Broadway.

The event from the Get Together Foundation also includes a silent and live auction, and VIP packages. All ticket proceeds go toward GTF’s newest program, a music enrichment program for underprivileged youth.

So does the Strawberry Alarm Clock qualify as a one-hit wonder? Rock Cellar asked bassist and singer George Bunnell:

“We fully understand the tag ‘one-hit wonder’ as it applies to our band. Sometimes we’ve just let it go by, but given a fighting chance we may beg to differ. … When your first single (‘Incense and Peppermints’) goes to No. 1, it’s a hard act to follow,” Bunnell said.

Although album-oriented (like many late ’60s bands), SAC released almost a dozen singles after “I&P,” including “Tomorrow,” which cracked the top 25 on Billboard.

The Strawberry Alarm Clock are Bunnell, keyboardist Mark Weitz, drummer Randy Seol, guitarist Howie Anderson and percussionist Gene Gunnels. (Multi-instrumentalist Steve Bartek will be working the Coachella festival with Danny Elfman’s “From Boingo to Batman to Big Mess and Beyond!” show.)

The light shows for the the Care Concert come via Robert Jacobs’ Midnight Sun, Richard Young’s Wizzard Lightshow and Andrew Platt‘s Stranger Liquids.

> Buy tickets for the Care Concert

SAC psyched for Nov. gig at Whisky

News/blog, Upcoming shows

Updated: The Strawberry Alarm Clock heads back to the Whisky a Go Go for a headlining gig on Saturday, Nov. 13, 2021.

The date was rescheduled from July and then from February due to the pandemic.

It will be the L.A. band’s seventh appearance in a dozen years at the historic Sunset Strip rock venue, headquarters for the psychedelic scene of the 1960s and still going strong.

SAC bassist George Bunnell says his “favorite thing about playing the Whisky these past few years has been the enthusiasm from the new generations of psych fans. We basically feed off of that.”

“They weren’t around for the summer of love, but they really want to feel that experience. I think people generally are happy to exist in their own time, but that’s not to say they can’t dream a little.

“We’re happy to be their guides!”

The Strawberry Alarm Clock are Bunnell, keyboardist Mark Weitz, drummer Randy Seol, guitarist Howie Anderson, percussionist Gene Gunnels and multi-instrumentalist Steve Bartek.

SAC’s most recent album is “Wake Up Where You Are.” That CD will be available at the show, as well as fresh band merch such as psychedelic logo T-shirts and coffee mugs.

Visual effects for the SAC gig come from Robert Jacobs’ Midnight Sun Light show.

Photo illustration by Robert Jacobs

SAC back to Bogies for November concert

News/blog, Upcoming shows

Time to boogie at Bogies as the Strawberry Alarm Clock returns to the Westlake Village venue Nov. 21.

It’ll be the fourth appearance for the veteran psychedelic rockers at the west Valley club.

> Buy tickets for the Strawberry Alarm Clock at Bogies.

SAC recently played a midsummer gig at the Whisky a Go Go on the Sunset Strip, another favored venue for the band.

The band will be featuring its 1960s classics such as “Tomorrow” and “Incense and Peppermints.” The current lineup remains Mark Weitz, Randy Seol, George Bunnell, Steve Bartek, Howie Anderson and Gene Gunnels (pictured, top).

Recent set opener “Persian Skies” has been getting a fresh take from SAC via a collaboration with poet Stephen Kalinich, who also has worked with Brian Wilson, Paul McCartney and Brian May. Kalinich recites his poem “Galactic Symphony” over the SAC instrumental, to dramatic effect.

Also listen for the band’s (mostly) instrumental take on the Beatles’ “Day Tripper.” “The only vocals in it are the ‘ahhs’ over the signature guitar solo,” bassist Bunnell says. “The body of the song is in the time signatures of 11/8 and 12/8.”

Fan favorites often heard in the live set include “The World’s on Fire,” “Sit With the Guru,” “Tomorrow,” “Rainy Day Mushroom Pillow,” “Birds in My Tree” and the super-hit “Incense and Peppermints.” Along with more recent material such as “World Citizen” and “Mr. Farmer.”

The Strawberry Alarm Clock show at Bogies is set for Thursday, Nov. 21, at 7 p.m.

The Strawberry Alarm Clock’s most recent album is “Wake Up Where You Are.” That CD will be available at the show, as well as fresh band merch such as psychedelic logo T-shirts and coffee mugs. SAC gear also is available here on the band’s web site.

Update: Here is the set list from the Strawberry Alarm Clock’s Nov. 21, 2019, performance at Bogies:

SATPURUSH (Stephen Kalinich spoken word)
SIT WITH THE GURU (intro drummers)
TOMORROW
BAREFOOT IN BALTIMORE
SITTING ON A STAR
FUGUE
BLACK BUTTER PAST
STRAWBERRIES MEAN LOVE
PAXTON’S BACK STREET CARNIVAL
MONSTERS
BLOW YOUR MIND
RAINY DAY MUSHROOM PILLOW
BIRDS IN MY TREE
LIVE WATER
PRETTY SONG FROM PSYCH-OUT (dedicated to Ed and Lee)
INCENSE & PEPPERMINTS
I’M NOT THE ONE
WORLD CITIZEN
WAKE UP
WORLD’S ON FIRE

Photo of Gene Gunnels by Laura Calcaterra

Strawberry Alarm Clock stirs up Whisky

News/blog, Upcoming shows

The Strawberry Alarm Clock is winding up for a return to the Whisky a Go Go on July 13.

It will be L.A. band’s sixth appearance in a dozen years at the historic Sunset Strip rock venue, ground zero for the underground scene of the 1960s.

The veteran psychedelic rockers will headline, of course. Support comes from Molly Hanmer & the Midnight Tokers, Full Moon Light, Good Whales, The Poppy Seeds, Laurie Larson and the Swansons.

The most recent SAC set at the Whisky was epic, with fans treated to two dozen songs. Listen for classics such as “The World’s on Fire,” “Sit With the Guru,” “Tomorrow,” “Rainy Day Mushroom Pillow,” “Birds in My Tree” and the super-hit “Incense and Peppermints.” Along with new material such as “World Citizen.”

The Strawberry Alarm Clock’s most recent album is “Wake Up Where You Are.” That CD will be available at the show, as well as fresh band merch such as psychedelic logo T-shirts and coffee mugs.

Visual effects for the SAC gig come from Robert Jacobs’ Midnight Sun Light show.

> Buy tickets for the Strawberry Alarm Clock’s show on Saturday, July 13, at the Whisky a Go Go. (All ages show; doors at 6 p.m.)

Upcoming shows

Party with SAC as they preview album

Chill out with SAC at the Whisky on Dec. 16

Handle with ‘Care’: SAC sets benefit show

SAC psyched for Nov. gig at Whisky

SAC back to Bogies for November concert

Strawberry Alarm Clock stirs up Whisky

About the band

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