Sunset Junction

Silverlake is the antithesis of West Hollywood... sort of... maybe...

In DC terms, it's pretty much an amalgamation of Capitol Hill and Adams Morgan, only less ethnic, with heavy leather & bear influences. Before I got here I was told I totally fit into the WeHo scene, since being here people have said that I am not quite WeHo enough and have more of a Silverlake edge. I'm a tad confused by all this labeling, so for the moment I go along with whatever they say. It's quite possibly an Abbey vs. Faultine thing, so until I've been to the latter, my verdict is still out.











Back to this weekend and Sunset Junction, the annual Silverlake street festival. It's your typical booze, food and local vendors lining the streets with throngs of people in various states of undress and/or drunkenness. Three music stages with bands I'd never heard of (though apparently some were big names), and a selection of fairground rides dating back to, and actually made in, the 70s.

We went earlyish Saturday afternoon, meeting up with fellow ex-DC soul, Mikey (we'd both lived there for 12 years, only met once - which I don't remember - and knew NO ONE in common), and a couple of his friends, Chad and Philip (hysterical, knew bunches of people in DC, after a few beers he seemed vaguely familiar, maybe I too had met him cracked out at Nation?).

We wondered the streets, slurping frozen margaritas dosed with extra shots that the chick behind the counter handed us in syringes (for a bigger tip). We checked out Rough Trade (with it's leather strap-ons, mesh shirts and forceps). We ate chicken-on-a-stick and hot dogs. Pointed out hot boys with their shirts off (I really must get a digital camera). Had a tipple at some straight bar (which the gays slowly took over as the afternoon progressed). Rode some rides (Philip hated me for a moment or two, I forgave him, it did feel like we gonna die). One of the carnies was probably the dirtiest man alive, the other a terrorist who banned Chad and Philip from The Hustler because they were bopping in places they shouldn't bop. We all jigged to some DJ, ate at some Mexican place, and then called it a night (yes, bloody work again at 8am Sunday morning).

It was probably the best time I've ever had at one of these festival things... must have been the company!