Tag Archives: ra ra riot

[recap] Make Music Pasadena 2011

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 AgainFree download courtesy of Adult Swim).

All in all, I had a great day and i’m already looking forward to next year.

Saint Motel
Saint Motel
Saint Motel
Pasadena PD ruining The Morning Bender's set
The Morning Benders
NewVillager
NewVillager
NewVillager
Best Coast
Best Coast
Best Coast Crowd
Best Coast (would've been such a good shot, had it not been for the douche fist-pumping with the water bottle)
People Watching
Creepy Guy in Gold Unitard and Russian Hat

♫ Saint Motel – Puzzle Pieces ♫

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).

Mid-Week Mixtape: Make Music Pasadena 2011

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.

For more info, be sure to visit MakeMusicPasadena.org.

♫ Carla Morrison – Yo Sigo Aqui ♫
2pm at the Luckman “World Music” Stage

♫ Saint Motel – Butch ♫
2pm at the Indie Rock Stage

♫ The Morning Benders – Excuses ♫
3pm at the Indie Rock Stage

♫ NewVillager – Rich Doors ♫
4:15pm at the Indie Rock Stage

♫ Best Coast – When I’m With You ♫
5pm at the Indie Rock Stage

♫ Ra Ra Riot – Can You Tell ♫
6:15pm at the Indie Rock Stage

♫ Jenny O – Well Okay, Honey ♫
8pm at the Emerging Artists Stage

♫ Seasons – Lights, Lost ♫
8:30pm at the Majestical Roof Stage

♫ Kisses – Bermuda ♫
9pm at the Emerging Artists Stage

♫ Zola Jesus – Night ♫
10pm at the Emerging Artists Stage

♫ Robotanists – Exiled State of Mind (Jay-Z Rework) ♫
11pm at the Majestical Roof Stage

[on the road] The Luyas

Canadian indie rock outfit, The Luyas, are hitting the road this month for a North American and European tour.  They’ll kick things off in Montreal on February 24 and finish things up in London on May 19.  Along the way, they’ll be joined by Ra Ra Riot, Liam Finn, the Dodos, and GIVERS (check dates below to see who plays when).

The Luyas are touring in support of their latest release, Too Beautiful to Work, available now courtesy of Dead Oceans.

The Luyas – Too Beautiful to Work
The Luyas – Motion City Soundtrack (Radiohead Cover)

02/24 Montreal, Quebec – La Sala Rossa
02/26 Quebec City, Quebec – Le Cercle
03/04 Charlottesville, VA – Jefferson Theatre (w/ Ra Ra Riot)
03/06 Jacksonville, FL – Jack Rabbits (w/ Ra Ra Riot)
03/07 Ft. Lauderdale, FL – Culture Room (w/ Ra Ra Riot)
03/08 Orlando, FL – The Social (w/ Ra Ra Riot)
03/09 Tampa, FL – Crowbar (w/ Ra Ra Riot)
03/11 New Orleans, LA – One Eyed Jacks (w/ Ra Ra Riot & the Givers)
03/12 Baton Rouge, LA – Spanish Moon (w/ Ra Ra Riot)
03/14-20 Austin, TX – SXSW
03/23 Los Angeles, CA – The Autry National Center (w/ Liam Finn)
03/24 San Francisco, CA – The Independent (w/ Liam Finn)
03/28 Portland, OR – Doug Fir Lounge (w/ Liam Finn)
03/29 Seattle, WA – Crocodile Cafe (w/ Liam Finn)
03/30 Vancouver, British Columbia- Venue (w/ Liam Finn)
04/01 Calgary, Alberta – Palomino
04/02 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan – 302
04/04 Minneapolis, MN – Cedar Cultural Center
04/05 Chicago, IL – The Hideout (w/ Liam Finn)
04/06 Cleveland, OH – The Spot (w/ Liam Finn)
04/07 Toronto, Ontario – Lee’s Palace (w/ Liam Finn)
04/08 Montreal, Quebec – Il Motore (w/ Liam Finn)
04/09 Brooklyn, NY – The Bell House (w/ Liam Finn)
04/11 Cambridge, MA – T.T. The Bear’s (w/ Liam Finn)
04/13 Washington DC – Red Palace (w/ Liam Finn)
04/14 Philadelphia, PA – World Cafe (w/ Liam Finn)
04/23 Groningen, Netherlands – Vera
04/24 Utrecht, Netherlands – Ekko
04/26 Paris, France – Mains d’Oevre
04/27 Bordeaux, France – Heretic
04/28 Naples, France – Pannonica
04/30 Cherbourg, France – La Terra Trema
05/02 Grenoble, France – Le Ciel (w/ the Dodos)
05/06 Aarau, Switzerland – Kiff
05/07 Munchen, Germany – 59 to 1 (w/ the Dodos)
05/08 Offenbach, Germany – Hafen 2 (w/ the Dodos)
05/09 Berlin, Germany – Magnet (w/ the Dodos)
05/10 Hamburg, Germany – Prinzenbar (w/ the Dodos)
05/11 Cologne, Germany – Blue Shell (w/ the Dodos)
05/12 Nijmegen, Germany – Doornroosje (w/ the Dodos)
05/13 Amsterdam, Netherlands – Melkweg (w/ the Dodos)
05/14 Brussels, Belgium – Botanique (w/ the Dodos)
05/15 Middleburg, Netherlands – De Spot
05/16 Blois, France – Chato’do, Vendome (w/ the Dodos)
05/17 Strassbourg, France – La Laiterie (w/ the Dodos)
05/18 Paris, France – Point Ephemere (w/ the Dodos)
05/19 London, England – Scala (w/ the Dodos)