POP MUSIC REVIEW : Down-Home, Far-Out Sunset Junction Street Fair

In a city not exactly known for tight-knit neighborhoods, Silver Lake stands out for its semblance of community. So it was no surprise that the 10th annual Sunset Junction Street Fair held there this weekend had the feel of an old-fashioned, small-town festival: two-bit carnival rides, corn on the cob, local merchants and artisans hawking their wares, and local musicians entertaining the leisurely strollers.

This is Silver Lake, though, so the event had its own distinct, new-fashioned character. Instead of a cake walk there were sign-ups for the AIDS Walk; among the wares on display were crystals and handcuffs; and among the musicians were the earthy-rock likes of Dave Alvin and John Doe.

But even the lesser-known musical acts served to reflect more than adequately the culturally diverse community. At one point on a hot Saturday afternoon one of two music stages hosted a Janis Joplin imitator (whose thrift-store fashions mirrored the recycled clothing being offered at several stores within spitting distance), while at the other end of the four-block fair Arco Iris played what could be described as Latin-tinged crystal music.

Later “Janis” was succeeded by the Mustangs, a spirited all-female country-rock group, while Arco Iris was followed by the Blue Shadows, a rocking blues group that has gained a following as the house band at Hollywood’s King King club. All that was missing was the livestock competition.