Many will say it was better, far less crowded, far cooler (we are in May rather than at end of August when the temperatures are in the 90º F), and far less expensive ($5 instead of $20). According to some people, it was a little what the Sunset Junction Fair used to be when it began 30 years ago, small, familial, neighborhood friendly and almost free!
The Sunset Junction Fair jumped to a new level these past years when it started having famous bands and before you had realized it, the fair exploded into a mini Coachella, which led the organizers to give a 200% increase to the entrance fee. I could name many bands that have played at this fair: Beachwood Sparks, T.S.A.R., Rilo Kiley, Elliott Smith in 2001, Sonic Youth, Sleater-Kinney, Mudhoney, and The Warlocks in 2002, Guided By Voices, Circle Jerks, The Twilight Singers featuring Greg Dulli, Brian Jonestown Massacre, Silversun Pickups, The Dandy Warhols, Phantom Planet, Rilo Kiley, Folk Implosion, Earlimart, Alaska, The 88 in 2003, The Donnas, Ben Kweller, Ima Robot, Autolux, X, Camper Van Beethoven, Juliette and The Licks, Arthur Lee & Love in 2004, Rilo Kiley, John Cale, The Walkmen, The New York Dolls, Eagles of Death Metal, The Gossip, The Weirdos in 2005, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Eels, Redd Kross, The Elected, The Little Ones, Great Northern, The Cramps, Hank Williams III in 2006, Ben Harper, Blonde Redhead, Morris Day & The Time, Sea Wolf, She Wants Revenge, Buzzcocks, Hot Hot Heat in 2007, Jonathan Rice, Broken Social Scene, Cold War Kids, Beachwood Sparks, The Black Keys in 2008, The Delta Spirit, Islands, Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley Band, The Sonics, Built To Spill in 2009 just to name a few!
So, with this success, no wonder Silver Lake wanted to start another fair! I have attended a few Sunset Fairs where the crowd can become insane and even violent, alcohol helping. No violence here, the Jubilee was sage and safe, compared to the extravagant and weird outbursts you get used to see at the other fair. The Jubilee crowd attracted the same mix of families, Silver Lake hipsters and gay couples but the abundance of food trucks was noticeable, call me stupid but I don’t go to these sorts of things for the food, but it is just me apparently.
No I came for the music and I somewhat managed to catch some bands’ performances on Sunday, although it was not easy since there were two stages quite apart from each other, and I kept going back and forth to see as many bands as possible. All of them were local unsigned bands.
I did not care at all for Lilofee and the dramatic effects of the singer, it was simply too electronic-techno-pop for me, and the vibrations they were producing on that stage could have removed wallpaper on the walls like in a bad cartoon.
Seasons, a band from Highland Park, did not do anything to me either. They did not seem to have a specific style and, if this is not necessary a bad thing, I don’t think they had a specific or interesting idea either.
However I enjoyed Dios’ set, another band from LA, with their mellow retro sound which, at times, could remind the Beach Boys or any 50’s California music.
Division Day released their hard beats and electronic keyboard vibes to the extreme, but saturation and distortion are not necessary good things. Did they pick up their name after an Elliott Smith’s song? I had to say this, but I would need more than their name to get interested by them, I could not detect a harmony, a riff that I liked.
But I liked The Monolators, their dynamic punkish rock and the energy they produced on stage. It was fun, they reminded me a little bit of the Kinks, and this has to be a real compliment.
Walking Sleep with its male and female harmonies was pleasant too in a different way. They were like a 60’s lost band, some Belle and Sebastian on speed.
Radar Brothers was really shoegazing music, with a lot of guitars and melodies sometimes driven by the keyboard tune. The wall of guitars reminded me somewhat Built to Spill and, why not, some unknown songs of the Byrds?
I did hear a little bit of Voxhaul Broadcast and their raw energy, very rock and roll and at least as good as what you can hear on some radios, but I am not sure this has any value these days.
And I also caught a few songs from Foreign Born, which sounded quite different with some African sounds here and there. Oh not at the level of what Vampire Weekend did, but still, summer music.
I am not sure the Sunset Jubilee will catch up with the Sunset Junction Fair hype, but it was a good beginning and we’ll see next year.