CONTACT US

Contact Form

    News Details

    Lupe Fiasco, Kings of Chaos rock Grand Prix of Long Beach during evening concerts
    • April 19, 2026

    While the first two days of the Grand Prix of Long Beach are all about motorsports and building hype leading into the final day’s titular IndyCar Series race — the nights belong to music-lovers.

    Rapper and singer Lupe Fiasco got the party started on Friday night, April 17, with a show that had a West Coast hip-hop vibe.

    Hundreds of excited fans converged on the Terrance Theater Plaza to watch Lupe Fiasco cap off the first day of Grand Prix festivities. DJ Smokey helped get the crowd ready, playing West Coast crowd favorites, including Tupac Shakur’s “California Love” and Kendrick Lamar’s “m.A.A.d city” — hyping up the audience for Fiasco’s main event.

    Fiasco took the stage just as the sun was setting behind it, and fans immediately joined in on the show, singing along to hits such as “Kick Push” and “Samurai.”

    The energy of the crowd, though, was even more palpable when Fiasco teased arguably his most popular song — “Superstar.” Released in 2007 and featuring singer-songwriter Matthew Santos, “Superstar” went Platinum three times and eventually became the artist’s standout hit.

    Once the first pulses of the song rumbled through the Grand Prix crowd, the energy shifted as fans eager to hear it began shouting along and dancing.

    Lupe Fiasco’s performance was just the beginning.

    The following night, on Saturday, Kings of Chaos returned to the Grand Prix of Long Beach to rock the crowd following another day of exciting racing.

    The all-star band of rock stars, founded by Guns N’ Roses drummer Matt Sorum, also headlined in 2017 and 2023 — but with different lineups.

    The Kings of Chaos lineup on Saturday featured guest singers Ed Kowalczyk of Live, Nick Hexum of 311 and singer Aloe Blacc, as well as guitarist Orianthi, Megadeth bassist James LoMenzo and Extreme guitarist Nuno Bettencourt.

    “I think these cars are louder than rock ’n’ roll,” Sorum said at the beginning of the show. “You think you can be louder than cars?”

    The crowd responded with deafening cheers.

    Orianthi then opened the show with a guitar-driven “Star-Spangled Banner” before leading on songs like Michael Jackson’s “Black or White.” Jackson chose Orianthi to be his lead guitarist for his “This Is It” concerts when he suddenly died in 2009.

    Kowazyk, Hexum and Blacc, meanwhile, kept the energy going, performing hits by Tom Petty, The Rolling Stones, The Doors and more during the more than one-hour concert.

    The last time Kings of Chaos headlined the Grand Prix of Long Beach’s Saturday night concert, in 2023, the lineup included Rome Ramirez of Long Beach’s Sublime; Corey Taylor of Slipknot; Living Colours’ Corey Glover and Vernon Reid; and Lzzy Hale, the lead vocalist-guitarist of rock band Halestorm.

    Since Kings of Chaos was founded in 2012, the all-star band has had a rotating collection of famous rockers, including Guns N’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan, and guitarists Gilby Clarke and Slash; Joe Elliott of Def Leppard; Gene Simmons of Kiss; Skid Row’s Sebastian Bach; Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top; Robin Zander of Cheap Trick; Steven Tyler of Aerosmith; and Lou Gramm of Foreigner, among others.

    Among those in the crowd on Saturday night was longtime Grand Prix visitor Jason Abelar. The first time the Corona resident went to the Grand Prix was in 1988, when he was about 11 years old. He went with his brother.

    Abelar said at the Kings of Chaos concert that When he attended his first Grand Prix of Long Beach, Abelar said at the Saturday night concert, he fell in love with the cars, the racing and the “loud engines.”

    Abelar said he liked the performance by Kings of Chaos. As for the Grand Prix itself, he said he has enjoyed seeing the three-day event — which last year celebrated its 50th anniversary and which draws close to 200,000 people annually — grow over the years.

    “When I first came in 1988, they didn’t have any bands then,” Abelar said. “It was all about just the camaraderie with your friends and just having fun.”

     Orange County Register 

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    News