Adams Avenue Jumps Lustily Into Street Fair

At the rate that street fairs are proliferating in the area, San Diego soon might be as famous for its alfresco festivals as for the weather that makes them possible.

These weekend boulevard bashes--such as those held in Solana Beach, Ocean Beach, Hillcrest, La Jolla and Chula Vista--traditionally feature food, family-oriented diversions and performances by local musicians. The growing popularity of some of the block parties, however, is triggering an expansion of scope, a broadening of appeal, and an upgrading of talent.

Chula Vista’s recent community blowout, for example, co-headlined vocalist Maria Muldaur and an admittedly ersatz Buffalo Springfield (it featured only one original member). But the talent lineup for Adams Avenue’s sidewalk soiree Sept. 19 and 20 immediately moves it to the head of the class.

Because first-time corporate sponsor Miller Genuine Draft is underwriting a ton of radio advertising, the event’s official name is “Miller presents the 11th Annual Adams Avenue Street Fair and Miller Free Fall Music Festival.” And through the efforts of Falk and Morrow Talent of Solana Beach and the Adams Avenue Business Assn., the fest has booked national music acts for the first time in its history.

Joining some familiar names from the local music scene will be Gospel group the Five Blind Boys of Alabama, guitarist Phil Upchurch and his five-piece blues-jazz band, R&B; vocalist Ann Peebles and her 10-piece band, and youth-appeal rock acts Fungo Mungo, No Doubt, Tramps and fIREHOSE. Former Rolling Stones guitarist Mick Taylor closes the first day’s program; reggae band Third World does the honors on the 20th.

Other performers slated to appear include Ed Reed, Hollis Gentry, the Cardiff Reefers, Zydeco Party, Earl Thomas, Blonde Bruce, Big Sandy and the Fly-Rite Boys, the Blazers and the Paladins, who will do an hour of their own material and then bring guest vocalist-mouth harpist Charlie Musselwhite on for another 30 minutes of blues.

The Adams Avenue Street Fair began a decade ago as a one-day event held on a single block of the thoroughfare. This year’s two-day affair will take place on a seven-block stretch between 33rd and 35th streets, and includes a mid-size carnival (from Sept. 16 through 20), the local Fern Street Circus, two beer gardens, five outdoor dining areas and more than 300 food and merchandise vendors. The music will be juggled between two stages. And, despite the high-profile talent, admission to the fair remains free.

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The national flavor of the lineup is expected to have a significant impact. The fair’s single-day attendance record was set last year, when a crowd of 35,000 milled, snacked and listened to music by mostly local performers. By contrast, the festival’s organizers, the Adams Avenue Business Assn., expects anywhere from 100,000 to 120,000 people over the two days of the upcoming fair. Earlier this week, Kevin Morrow of Falk and Morrow Talent explained that the jump to national acts was a fairly simple one.

“We’d never been involved with the event before, and I simply asked (the organizers) if they wanted to go national with the music lineup,” Morrow explained. “I saw it as a chance to take the cream of San Diego’s music crop--Earl Thomas, the Paladins, Blonde Bruce, Hollis Gentry, Cardiff Reefers--put them together with some international acts and offer them to the community for free.”

Especially given the increased size and scope of the fair, it might seem to fall awfully close on the heels of the San Diego Street Scene, which takes place the preceding weekend in the Gaslamp Quarter. But, because of the community orientation of the Adams Avenue fest, the free admission and the fact that several of the acts couldn’t have performed at the Street Scene anyway, due to tour-routing conflicts, Morrow doesn’t see it as competition for the bigger event downtown.

“I’m hoping people will attend both,” he said. “I know I’m going to.”

A limited number of booth spaces were available. For that or any other information about the Adams Avenue Street Fair, call 282-7329 and ask for Scott Kessler.

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The receipts are counted, and it looks as though the San Diego Music Awards will be donating about $8,200 to the city schools for use in their elementary music programs. Kevin Hellman, executive director of the music awards, had set a goal of $10,000, but he’s not disappointed in the take.

“Considering that we spent three times what we did last year for production; that we had no major sponsorship investment; and that we had to issue more (complimentary tickets) to media and nominated artists this year because of the additional awards categories, I think we did all right,” Hellman said Monday. “I didn’t take anything for myself, not even commissions from the ads I sold. Even my mom bought her own ticket.”

Hellman, an independent talent buyer, added that, although every dime of the proceeds would go to the schools, he couldn’t be sure of their application in the wake of the state budget maneuvering. The plan, as originally hatched by Hellman and Kay Wagner, the San Diego Unified School District’s instructional team leader for the visual and performing arts, was to spend the SDMA largess on band instruments for the neediest elementary music programs.

“If, as rumored, they decide to freeze San Diego’s school budget at last year’s levels, then the need won’t be as critical,” Hellman said. “But, either way, we’ll be giving them the money. I just want to be sure it will go where it’s most needed.”

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GRACE NOTES: Neil Young’s Sept. 23 concert at the Embarcadero Marina might be scaled down--he’s performing an all-acoustic show. But, in other ways, it’s getting bigger. Blues artist John Hammond Jr. was scheduled to open for Young, and now another act, the group that calls itself James, has been added. In the spirit of the thing, James, minus one of its seven members (trumpeter Andy Diagram has other commitments), will perform acoustically. . . .

The pros and cons of the small venue: Jethro Tull’s Oct. 17 show at the Spreckels Theatre (1,400 capacity) is sold out, and there are no plans to add a second show.

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BOOKINGS: (Tickets for the following concerts will be sold at all TicketMaster outlets unless otherwise specified.) Deborah Liv (that’s pronounced “leev” for the sake of future awards presenters) Johnson, a double nominee in the recent San Diego Music Awards (Best Solo or Duo, Best Folk or Acoustic), will perform a solo concert Saturday at Better Worlde Galeria in Mission Hills. A suggested donation of $5 buys a chance to hear one of the city’s best talents in the venue’s intimate setting. . . .

An unusual country band, the Mavericks, play the Mission Valley nightclub, In Cahoots, on Sept. 14. Hailing from that hotbed of country-Western--Miami, Fla.--the Mavericks blend tradition-influenced country licks with lyrics that speak to the sociopolitical concerns of that city’s large Hispanic population. Tickets are only $2, and can be purchased in advance at the club (291-1184). Dinner packages are available. . . .

Scottish comedian Billy Connolly will perform at UCSD’s Mandeville Auditorium Sept. 26 (on sale Friday, 10 a.m.). . . .

Del Amitri and the Gin Blossoms play Sound FX Oct. 13 (on sale Sept. 11).

CRITIC’S CHOICE

Deadhead Jams

Renewed concern in Deadheadland about the chronic health problems of Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia has again focused attention on both the band’s legacy and its future.

Don’t be surprised if that translates to slightly larger than normal crowds at what seem to be weekly jams at area clubs featuring Dead-derived local bands.

One of the better such groups, North County’s Travel Agents, performs tonight at Winston’s in Ocean Beach. Admission to the 9:30 p.m. “gathering of the tribe” is a way-below-Dead $3.