The Sunset Junction street fair is pretty sweet (if a bit warm) and has some solid live music and a great vibe. I’m not really sure what to call the kind of rock that Something For Rockets (shown) plays (there are so many new-fangled adjectives for rock music nowadays, it’s hard to keep track), but they’re pretty good and they have some cute 16 year old groupies ;-). I also liked Weapon of Choice, who had much more of a new-wave funk thing going (think Prince and the Revolution without the looks). Ian recommended Gravy Train!!!, which was an awesomely energetic show, only enhanced by the random guy in the hula skirt dancing on the roof of a nearby building. Gravy Train!!!’s music is definitely an acquired taste and I’m kinda glad that it was an outdoor show, because I’m not too sure I would want to be stuck in a confined space with some of their fans (I’m just sayin’…), but I had a good time. The last band I watched was The Walkmen, which was by far the best known of the day. They were definitely energetic, but I did find their set to be a bit anti-climatic (maybe it was just the beer wearing off and the dehydration kicking in).
One thing that struck me was the number of teenagers braving the heat to check out these no-name bands and really getting into the shows, which gives me hope for our American Idol/Top 40 entertainment culture (of course, then I see The Bravery doing a Saturn commercial on the VMA pre-show). Anyway, it was a great day…and it reminded me that I don’t see nearly enough live music. So, if you know of any good unknown bands (I much prefer small shows) playing in LA or the Bay Area, lmk.