LA Zoo's Roaring Nights Summer Music Series to Kick Off with Flashback Friday to the 90s

The Los Angeles Zoo's Roaring Nights summer music series for ages 18 and up kicks off with an evening that promises to be as "tight" as it is "all that and a bag of chips" on Friday, June 24, 2016, 7 to 11 pm. For one night only, the L.A. Zoo brings back the 1990s with hits from the likes of the Back Street Boys, Goo Goo Dolls, Smash Mouth, Weezer, Blink-182 and Alanis Morissette performed live by cover band Saved By The 90's, plus the best grunge, pop, and house tunes spun artfully by multi-genre-loving DJ Johnny Hawkes, and "dopest" beats served up at the Hip Hop Lounge. Guests are strongly encouraged to dress in fashions of the era, with the best outfits being rewarded at a costume contest. To complete the flashback experience, guests can pose for photos in front of a "Jurassic jeep" inspired by Jurassic Park, one of the biggest movies of the decade, before coming face-to-face with the life-size, lifelike prehistoric creatures of Dinosaurs: Unextinct at the L.A. Zoo.

Roaring Nights also includes L.A.'s favorite food trucks, full-service bars, a Game Zone with tabletop games, a life-size version of Jenga and 90s video games including Street Fighter, Super Mario Brothers and Sonic the Hedgehog, as well as a "Paint Party" for guests to paint their favorite animal (or boy band or Friends character) on a small canvas to take home as a souvenir. The fun continues with pop-up zookeeper talks, animal encounters and visits to animal habitats.

Three additional Roaring Nights events throughout the summer feature all-different lineups: On Friday, July 29, it's country music; Friday, August 26 is indie rock night; and Friday, September 16 celebrates the 80s with tributes to David Bowie and Prince.

Among the high-profile food trucks at Roaring Nights in June are Baby's Badass Burgers, Coolhaus, Lobsta Truck, Mandoline Grill, Rice Balls of Fire, Peaches Smokehouse, Paradise Ice Cream, Woody's Grill, Meat the Greek, the Chairman Truck, the Bakery Truck, the Lobos Truck and the Grilled Cheese Truck.

Johnny Hawkes, who brings individuality and inspiration to the dance music scene, has been featured in some of Hollywood's most elite nightclubs and is known for his ability to appeal to diverse crowds, skillfully mixing an assortment of genres. An "in-demand" DJ at exclusive events, clubs and fashion shows in Los Angeles, Hawaii, Canada, Thailand, and New Zealand, he has had residencies at the Playboy Mansion, MyHouse, MyStudio, Crimson/Opera and has played at Sundance Film Festival parties, movie premieres and wrap parties.

The landmark Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens, drawing 1.75 million visitors each year, is home to a diverse collection of 1,100 animals representing 250 different species, many of which are rare or endangered. Its lush grounds on 113 acres feature the LAIR (Living Amphibians, Invertebrates, and Reptiles); Elephants of Asia; Campo Gorilla Reserve; Rainforest of the Americas, an extraordinary collection of endangered and exotic mammals, reptiles, fish and amphibians living in spaces that exemplify their natural habitat in the rainforest biosphere; Tom Mankiewicz Conservation Carousel; Chimpanzees of Mahale Mountains, home to one of the largest troops of chimpanzees in the United States; Red Ape Rain Forest, where visitors can walk among orangutans; the Winnick Family Children's Zoo; one of the largest flocks of flamingos in any zoo in the world; a botanical collection comprising over 800 different plant species with approximately 7,000 individual plants; and much more. Accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), whose members meet rigorous professional standards for animal welfare, the Zoo has achieved renown as an international leader in the preservation of endangered species and a conservation center for the care and study of wildlife. The private, non-profit Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association (GLAZA), which has supported the Zoo in partnership with the City of Los Angeles for more than five decades and provides funding for and operates seven essential Zoo departments, has 60,000 member households representing more than 240,000 adults and children. As evidence of the Zoo's popularity, GLAZA attracts one of the largest membership bases of any cultural organization in Los Angeles.

Programing subject to change.

The Los Angeles Zoo is located at 5333 Zoo Drive in Los Angeles' Griffith Park at the junction of the Ventura (134) and Golden State (5) freeways.

Roaring Nights tickets are $25 for adults 18 and older and $22 for GLAZA members. For tickets, visit www.lazoo.org/roaringnights. For additional information, call (323) 644-6001.

Photo Credit: Jamie Pham

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