Former Sunset Strip veteran musician Loren Molinare recently appeared on Final Resonance TV’s Van Halen Stories Podcast to discuss his front-row seat to the rise of Van Halen as the guitarist/vocalist for Detroit Rockers The Dogs.
During the mid to late 1970s, The Dogs opened for Van Halen often, including a gig at The Pasadena Civic Auditorium, just after Van Halen signed to Warner Bros Records. Another memorable show The Dogs were part of was at The Starwood where they were followed by Quiet Riot and Van Halen. A young David Lee Roth thought so much of The Dogs, that he called on then-Van Halen manager Marshall Berle to help Molinaire and his bandmates secure some bookings at the legendary West Hollywood venue The Whisky A Go Go. The Dogs would end up being the opener for AC/DC’s first-ever appearance at The Whisky.
Along with stories of The Whisky A Go Go, Molinare also shares plenty more of The Starwood Club, and The Pasadena Backyard Party Scene. Check out his interview with the Van Halen News Desk’s Jeff Goebel above!