This coming June, Downtown Pasadena will once again play host to one of my favorite music festivals — Make Music Pasadena.
Like previous years, the event is FREE and will feature quite the impressive, and eclectic, lineup. This year’s event is set for Saturday, June 16th, from 11am to 11pm. The complete lineup has yet to be announced, but so far includes: Grimes, Dengue Fever, SoKo, Milo Greene, Electric Guest, Ozma, So Many Wizards, and Cults!!!
If you’re in the area and you’re a music fan (and enjoy some good people watching), you really have no excuse not to go. I’ve gone that last two years and it just keeps getting better (check out my recap of last year). Stay tuned for more Make Music news as it gets closer.
Make Music Pasadena was last week (i know, i know…i totally lagged on posting this) and it was super fun!
First and foremost, it was FREE. You can’t really complain about free music. On top of that, the lineup was quite impressive (I would’ve paid to see a lot of the acts that played), it wasn’t nearly as hot as it could’ve been, and the people watching was epic.
My only real complaint was the how they handled the main stage setup and crowd control. The Morning Benders set was basically ruined because it took Pasadena PD, and the laziest event security I’ve ever seen, way too long to clear a sidewalk. If this event continues to grow, the organizers are going to have to brainstorm quite a bit between now and then on how to allow for more peeps.
As far as the actual music goes, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Unfortunately, I was unable to stay ’til the end, so I missed out on Ra Ra Riot, Zola Jesus, Kisses, and Robotanists, but the acts I did catch didn’t disappoint.
Saint Motel was my personal favorite of the day. Butch was just as good live (maybe even better) than the recorded version, and their new track, Puzzle Pieces, was fantastic (but i’m a sucker for anything with piano or keyboards). Coming into it, I was most looking forward to NewVillager. I wouldn’t say I was disappointed, but after a strong start, they started to fizzle out by the end of their set. Either way though, I’m still super excited for their debut album (out Aug 16 via I Am Sound Music).
Best Coast definitely drew the largest crowd of the day (at least what I saw). This was my first time seeing them live and they definitely lived up to the hype. They kicked off their set with one of my favorite tracks (Crazy For You) and even played some new stuff (Gone Again – Free downloadcourtesy of Adult Swim).
All in all, I had a great day and i’m already looking forward to next year.
Saint MotelSaint MotelSaint MotelPasadena PD ruining The Morning Bender's setThe Morning BendersNewVillagerNewVillagerNewVillagerBest CoastBest CoastBest Coast CrowdBest Coast (would've been such a good shot, had it not been for the douche fist-pumping with the water bottle)People WatchingCreepy Guy in Gold Unitard and Russian Hat
p.s. if you want some more free music in Pasadena, be sure to check out Seattle’s Motopony for KCRW’s Summer Nights at One Colorado this Saturday (6/25).
Make Music Pasadena is this Saturday (6/18), and in honor of this fantastic (AND FREE!) event, this week’s mix features all the artists i’m most excited about.
For those of you not familiar with the event, Make Music Pasadena is a FREE musical celebration throughout Pasadena. This Saturday, sidewalks, parks, courtyards, alleys, building lobbies and other unconventional performance spaces will become spontaneous musical stages and social gathering places. This year’s line up includes Best Coast, Ra Ra Riot, Morning Benders, Carla Morrison, Hello Seahorse!, Saint Motel, and much, much more.
