Sunday I sun screened, loaded up my ‘concert purse,’ stocked up on carbs and headed to the Sunset Junction.  As I walked through the gates, I stumbled right into a mini techno fest with DJs spinning and girls dancing on the Electro Stage.  After bouncing from stage to stage, I settled in at the Bates Stage for Girl in a Coma.  I’d never seen them play before but was intrigued by a mixture of things I have heard about the trio and the fact that they are named after a Smith’s song.  It was a bit angry chick rock at times but I liked it overall.  The singer has powerful vocals and it was refreshing to see female guitar players rock out on stage.  They played Static Mind, which was a catchy tune and then chose Femme Fatale for the encore.  The crowd was filled with stylish-haired hipsters, many proudly equipped with Girl in a Coma merch.  After the set, a festival attendee turned to her friend and said, “Wow!  That was tight.”

Following the show, we hit the V.I.P. area for a beer and ran into Fitz and Noelle Scaggs from Fitz and the Tantrums who were getting ready to take the stage.  “I grew up around here.  I lived like three blocks away.  I love this festival and for me, it’s a dream come true,” said Fitz when I asked if he was excited about playing the festival.  Beer number two of the day turned into a conversation with comedian Adam Shenkman who popped up in a Hawaiian shirt and blue and white striped shorts with hair that made a statement.  Adam explained that he was performing later and had “to get all fucked up now” and then gave us a flyer and scrambled off.

We checked out Lee Scratch Perry and then booked it over to the Bates Stage for Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros.  As we walked up, I could hear “Ah – it’s the magical mystery kind” in the distance.  Set to come on stage at 8:00pm, the band was apparently a whopping 45 minutes late but the size of the crowd said the wait was more than worth it.  The stage was packed and I’m pretty sure everyone at Sunset Junction ended his or her weekend in front of the ensemble.  We had a mission, and that was making it through thousands of people to the front in name of nabbing some quality photos.  I’m thoroughly surprised we made it out alive, but somehow we passed by and seriously pissed off person after person until we finally were able to slip up against the barricade, all in the name of China Shop.  It was such a carefree show, with giant beach balls bouncing around the crowd, well until the buzz kill security guards had to decide that game was over.   Lead singer Alex was bare-chested with a red scarf, a green multi-colored belt and his hair thrown up in a messy do and dancing around barefoot.  I counted at least 14 people on stage that had something to do with playing an instrument or contributing to the happy-go-lucky lyrics of the band.  It was an entire menagerie with tambourines, violins, harmonicas, an accordion, pianos, keyboards, bass, guitars, drums, and anything else that you could have imagined instrument wise.  There were also a ton of friends, fans, and what appeared to be someone’s parents on the side of the stage all contributing to the scenery of the show.  Songs like “Carries On” and a cover of “River Won’t Flow” held the audience attention.  My personal favorite part of the show was when singer Alex Ebert stopped after a song for story time. “I got some new jokes.  What did the lobster say to the fisherman?  You’re so not deep hahahaha.”  It wasn’t particularly funny but I give him an “A” for effort!  I retreated out of the press area and back into the crowd for the end of the show and noticed a girl go by with crutches mentally labeling her a mixture of hardcore fan and clinically insane.

Words by Nicole Pajer.  Photos by Sidney Bensimon