Seraphina Lotkhamnga on May 23rd, 2011

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[Recap from Day 1 of the weekend’s Silverlake Jubilee:]

If the vendors set up between Sunset Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard weren’t a sign, Silver Lake Jubilee’s return rang loud and clear when local bands started playing their tunes under the bridge. The annual two-day music and arts festival, a benefit for the Los Angeles Arts and Athletics Alliance, once again offered a friendly invitation to a good deal of fun for only $5. Although Myra Avenue was less of a food truck haven compared to the Jubilee’s inaugural year, there was still plenty to peruse through whether you were on your way to see a band, silence that growl in your stomach or pick up some new threads as you listened to some comedy.

||| Photos by Carl Pocket

Even with one half of the Buzz Bands staff DJing in between sets over at the Sunset stage, we managed to roundup our highlights from day one for you after the jump:

Who played too early in the day – Psychic Friend (Sunset stage): People who came to see Will Schwartz [pictured at top] at 2 p.m. were either Imperial Teen fans (and probably still are) or eager to see him perform his brighter and stickier pop songs with Hole’s drummer Patty Schemel. Either way, Schwartz’s strong falsetto won a new batch of fans for Psychic Friend on Saturday. Although the tunes perfectly complemented the sunny weather during the day, their set deserved a few more ears at a later time slot.

Funniest (and cutest) comedy-music act – Kate Micucci (Pen Center USA Community stage): Swooping in where the “Flight of the Conchords” left off, female comedy-folk duo Garfunkel and Oates recently released “All Over Your Face,” the album which gave birth to the hilarious tongue-and-cheek tune “This Party Just Took a Turn for the Douche.” Silverlake Jubilee unfortunately only booked one half of the group, but Micucci did bring her guitar and held down her own comedy-based tunes, which seemed to give everyone a chuckle as they listened or just happened to be walking by.

Funniest public reading – Christian Lander, “Stuff White People Like” (Pen Center USA Community stage): Leave it to a white dude with red fro to start a blog in which he can constantly make fun of his own race. The satirical yet undeniably true posts he and Myles Valentin (who is actually Filipino) have contributed to the Internet for laughs since 2008 have been now been turned into not one but two books. Lander took the opportunity to read passages about Trader Joe’s, scarves worn during the summer, shoes by Tom and more.

Who gave the best preview – Lady Danville (Sunset stage):  Lady Danville have surpassed their humble beginnings from their UCLA a cappella group, Awaken (the group of which singer-songwriter Sara Barielles was also a member). Writing their own sugary pop and harmony-laden songs, the trio pulled in a great crowd mouthing all the words to their songs. If you were one of those people, please take note of this shameless plug when I remind you that they also play the Hammer Museum on July 28 as part of the Also I Like to Rock series.

Who had the most surprising set – Black Flamingo (Santa Monica stage): Although Black Flamingo has been known to tout the “tropical-goth” label, their set was even more shadowy than expected with unconventional choruses and strong, female harmonies at the forefront of their songs. However, jumping back and forth between ’60s-influenced pop melodies and a current, raucous edge, the six-piece band seemed a lot dreamier than ominous in the end.

Who used the stage the best – Jail Weddings (Santa Monica stage): Garage rock and doo-wop is an in-your-face genre as it is, but when you have someone like Gabe Hart fronting the band, there are really no boundaries when it comes to a live performance. Splashing the audience with beer and water isn’t anything new when it comes to Jail Weddings. Let’s just say they were one of the only two bands during the entire festival who jumped off the stage to get close and personal with the crowd. Personal bubbles may have been popped but swaying bodies and open ears were entertained.