Kevin Bronson on August 21st, 2012

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By Dani Miskell

The Sunset Strip Music Festival fell short of the standard set the previous two years, and by the end of Saturday’s street festival it was apparent that the festivities offered a lot more for party animals than it did music fans. Sure, you had the Strip’s iconic venues and delicious food trucks to satiate the appetite in upper-80-degree weather, but the overall energy of the festival was dismal and assorted chaos (including sets that started woefully late) took a lot of edge off the day.

• ||| Photo galleries by Carl Pocket (more after the jump)
  

That said, there were some highlights:

Robby Krieger and Ray Manzarek from the Doors guest with Marilyn Manson

Very little could have brought headliner Marilyn Manson’s erratic set back from the dead, but an appearance from the original keyboardist and guitarist from the Doors (this year’s SSMF honorees) tried valiantly. Manson had already done a cover of the Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams” that caught the audience’s attention – then, out of nowhere, he started to sing “People Are Strange” as the crowd realized he was doing the song with Krieger and Manzarek. It was hauntingly beautiful how much he sounded like Jim Morrison, but the last two songs Manson sang, “Love Me Two Times” and “Five to One,” were no longer about him, but about Krieger’s face-melting guitar solos that transported the crowd back to the 1970s.

Steve Aoki, the frosting on the cake

Of all the headliners at the outdoor stages, Aoki’s set was by far the most exciting and energetic. He opened and closed with guest performances, opening with Lil Jon and their collaborative song “Turbulence” and ending with Will.i.am and their song “I’m In The House.” In between, there was a constant flow of hype and energy – and cake. Aoki kept the levels up with not only dropping the bass, but with a stellar light show. He also celebrated his one-millionth “like” on Facebook with a 400-pound cake, which he proceeded to leap into, spattering the crowd with sweets. There were blow-up mattresses, devotees wearing their sunglasses at night and all the other trappings of a rave. Oh, and Aoki’s parents, almost anonymous in the crowd, videotaping their kid.

De La Soul, with old school in session

Old-school hip-hop never sounded so good on the streets as De La Soul did in their sunset set. The crowd responded to every bass and drum beat the Long Island trio issued. The beckoned the crowd to wave their hands back and forth like it was 1989 and called out to the security guards to dance with them like a “fellow brotha from the ’hood.” When their No. 1 hit, “Me, Myself, and I” came on, much of the crowd sang along. Not surprisingly for a hip-hop act, De La Soul had more crowd interaction than most of of the rock and metal groups that performed.

Dead Sara, rising stars

By far the hottest female performer at the SSMF in all aspects, singer Emily Armstrong took everyone’s breath away with her aggressive stage presence and Alanis Morissette-meets-Kurt Cobain-meets-Janis Joplin vocal stylings. Between Armstrong’s singing and Siouxsie Medley’s guitar skills, Dead Sara proved themselves not only festival- but main stage-worthy. Their single “Weatherman” is a flawless representation of what this band has to offer: nonstop jagged guitar strokes with reverb to follow, topped with Armstrong’s gritty tonality that fluctuated between deep vibrato and airy falsettos. While head banging the entire set and jumping off speakers into the crowd, Dead Sara kept the crowd rolling on that high and low intensity. And the earlybird fans responded accordingly.

Far East Movement, with special guest … Warren G?

Strange times. The L.A.-bred hip-hop/electro quartet did a late set at the Whisky (their plane was delayed, so it was moved from the main stage), following the heavy metal band Hotel Diablo. They took the stage with turntables, keytars, and midi drum pads in their urban attire and closed out the festival with a fun set that included a cover of Beastie Boys’ “So What’cha Want?!” They as they started to shout out to the west side and the L.A. rap scene, onto the stage walks Warren G. Rapping his classic hit “Regulate,” Warren G got the crowd to wave their hands in the air and wave them like they (just don’t) care, ending the festival with an interesting twist.

The Offspring to Wallpaper, party bands old and new

It was fun nostalgia trip seeing the Offspring take the stage again, blasting through a set during which its 1998 album “Americana” was well-repped. Hearing Dexter Holland sing “Why Don’t You Get A Job” felt just like being in high school again. But then at the Roxy, you had the indie band Wallpaper, in some ways embracing the same wiseguy aesthetic that the Offspring cultivated in the 1990s. Between their sarcastic and hilarious lyrics to the band stepping out on stage and introducing themselves as Velvet Revolver, Ricky Reed and crew brought one of the most exhilarating performances to the festival. This college frat band stimulated the crowd and pushed the limits on more than one occasion, running belligerently around on stage, having the drummer act as hype man and pumping up the crowd for an instant EP buy. Amusing, to say the least; Wallpaper’s party at the Roxy was unlike any set before, during, or after.