OUT TO SEE: MAKE MUSIC PASADENA
I had a conversation with a friend at Make Music Pasadena. We concluded that the Indie Rock Stage needs to get shifted to the park and the Emerging Artist Stage needs to get shifted to Colorado Blvd. That’s our recommendation, because it was one packed day of great bands.
Saint Motel
I saw Saint Motel about two years back. I think they are a much improved band. They started the day for me by bringing a little Silver Lake to Pasadena.
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Morning Benders
The day hit a snag here. The band played one song and then a police officer went up on stage. The police wanted to clear out the sidewalk for fire code reasons. No one, especially those near the stage, wanted to clear the sidewalk area. Finally, the area was cleared by a handful of officers and the band went back to giving one of the better performances of the day.
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NewVillager
It sounded like the ladies were totally into the lead singer.
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Best Coast
Could the crowd squeeze in any tighter? This was obviously the band everyone came to see. Best Coast also got delayed as the crowd needed to get cleared out from a fire zone section. Almost as soon as they started, a bra came flying on stage. The lead singer, Bethany, picked it up, “This is my first ever bra.” By the midpoint of the set, folks were crowd surfing, and a push towards the stage and to the sides started. At this point, Bethany stopped the set for a brief moment, “Don’t push. There are some real cuties at the front getting smashed. Don’t push.” And you know what, the crowd listened. There was still crowd surfing after her comment, but the push towards the stage stopped. As their set came to a close, a member from Make Music Pasadena ran over to the drummer. Something was whispered. I suspect it was, “That was your last song.” Bethany addressed the audience, “How long have we played? F*!ck that s!*t. We’re playing two more songs.” Considering this was the band folks were there to see, I think she made the right call. Noticed: Best Coast had their set list on paper plates, which they proceeded to toss out to fans after their set.
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Comment heard from the crowd: “This is way better than last year!“
My thoughts on that comment: Last year had Matt & Kim and Warpaint. Saying it is better is a matter of personal opinion, but saying it is way better seems biased . . .
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Ra Ra Riot
Okay, the lead singer admitted that he threw out his shoulder in the morning reading the newspaper. Now one might ask: who reads an actually newspaper anymore? Well, I say, this is a person I like, because I still read the newspaper. As for the violinist, the comment heard from my section of the crowd, “She’s so cute.” Due to all the delays driven by the fire code requirements, the Indie Rock Stage was behind schedule. A DJ was scheduled to play at 7:30 p.m. and so the Make Music Pasadena staff started setting up the DJ table during the middle of the set. I think the violinist found this distracting.
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Jenny O
It was a shift to the Emerging Artist Stage here. Jenny O was a nice change of pace. “Can I get more acoustic, sound guy . . . ?” That was a funny comment as the sound guy had apparently disappeared for a moment.
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Kisses
They came to throw a party. Leis were brought and eventually tossed into the audience. Folks were asked to stand up – the stage area had seats lined up – and not only did folks stand, but they also rushed towards the stage. And as their set ended, a call was made for folks to jump on stage for a group dance. To end it all the lead singer did a stage dive.
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Zola Jesus
I couldn’t help but think of IO Echo and Nico Vega while watching Zola Jesus. She was dressed in white and I couldn’t figure out if she represented a floating ghost or a siren angel as she moved around the stage. She kept on heading into the audience during her set and security followed her each step of the way. I think she was trying her best to escape the security. The set ended with one massive scream. Zola Jesus, a nice way for the evening to end.
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Metro: It was cool seeing the Gold Line packed. This was definitely a means of transportation to Pasadena.
I’ll make one negative comment here: I won’t name names, but one band was over-the-top disrespectful to Make Music Pasadena. Just my honest opinion.
OUT TO SEE: A YEAR IN PHOTOS (LOCAL MUSIC EDITION PART 3: JULY – SEPTEMBER)
JULY
Row 1: Nico Vega, Sweethead, The Shakers
Row 2: Pu$$y Cow, Pu$$y Cow, Dead Country
Row 3: Rob Z Program/Z/Schnee and the Bleeding Livers, Stab City, Walking Sleep
Row 4: Spider Problem, Spider Problem, Kissing Cousins
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AUGUST
Row 1: Eastern Conference Champions, Pollyn, Thee Hundred Days
Row 2: Tomorrow’s Tulips, The Dollyrots, The Dollyrots
Row 3: Captain Danger, Lucy Schwartz, Lucy Schwartz (Mona Tavakoli and Lucy’s Father as support band)
Row 4: Vanaprasta, Gliss, Red Cortez
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SEPTEMBER
Row 1: Pity Party
Row 2: Best Coast, The Mo Odds, The Slow Death
Row 3: Don Juan y Los Blancos, Local Natives, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists
Row 4: Amanda Jones and the Sugartits 3, Eastern Conference Champions (ECC), ECC
Row 5: Warpaint, Mad Planet, Mad Planet
NOTES FROM VIVACE’S PLAYLIST PART I (OCTOBER)
Note from Editor: Intraffik.com apologizes for not posting Notes from Vivace’s playlist at the end of October when he initially submitted it. Is it 2011 yet?
Growlers – “Someone Junior”
Cults - “Go Outside”
Vetiver: “Everyday”
Best Coast - “When I’m With You” (more…)
OUT TO SEE: FYF FEST
Local Natives
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THE GROWLERS and CULTS
from left to right : Growlers (pictured left and center) and Cults (pictured right)
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VETIVER and WARPAINT
from left to right: Vetiver (pictured top left top) and Warpaint
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BEST COAST
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TITUS ANDRONICUS and WAVVES
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(more…)
DELTRON 3030 RECOMMENDED: FYF FEST
1:00 The Oak Stage: Magic Kids
Del says: I missed them when they toured Spaceland and the Bootleg so I’ll be rectifying those errors on Saturday. I really wish I saw them at those tiny venues because I’m going to guess that this band is going to have the biggest daytime gathering of all the bands in the lineup. They’re the local darlings out of all of these local darlings, David Byrne has given them his seal of approval, and they’re only going to get bigger.
DELTRON 3030 RECOMMENDED: BEST COAST AND TAMARYN…WHO’S THE MAZZY STARR OF THE WEST COAST?
A friend of mine recently described Best Coast’s new album, “Crazy for You” as sounding like “Mazzy Star if Hope Sandoval was from Southern California.” I love the analogy, as any chance my teenage love for Hope can be rekindled I jump at it….but I’d save it for another Californa duo, Tamaryn’s “The Waaves”. Thanks to our difference of opinion I’ve just set you up to compare and contrast dueling Cali duos for the rest of their recorded careers.
Best Coast – “Crazy For You”
It is easy to fall for Best Coast’s Bethany Cosentino. For those of you not familiar with Bethany, she was the glowing vocalist on the “All Summer” track put out by Converse.(I love that song). She seems like the perfect girl, outside of her love for her cat…and cats as a whole in general. Seriously check out her blog, the album cover, her lyrics where she wishes her cat could talk…it’s a bit much. OK, beyond her future as a lonely cat lady she seems pretty cool. She’s goofy, has an obsessive love for all things Seinfeld, and writes some hooky pop gems. Inspired by their sunny home state of California (Hence the moniker “Best Coast”) all of the songs on “Crazy For You” are washed in a surfer glow vibes with tinges of old school 50’s girl groups singing about her boyfriend, summertime, the beach…and weed. Like I said it’s a love letter to California. They love their weed here. Weed and Avocados. I’ll never understand it. I can’t figure out avocados but I can figure out Best Coast. They married simple hooks and melodies with simpler lyrics. Sometimes you just want to relax when you listen to music. Bethany’s voice takes each minimalist track and raises them to greater heights of carefree bliss.
Highlights: “Crazy For You,” “Boyfriend,” “When I’m With You,” “Our Deal,” “Happy”
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Tamaryn – “The Wavves”
Sexy slow burning shoegaze set to the hushed vocals from the real heir to the Hope Sandoval throne. Reverb, Fuzz, and ethereal vocals are only part of the equation as you listen to their lead single, Sandstone…There’s a lot going on in each song. They would seem to be the anti-Best Coast. Not that there’s anything wrong with that
Highlights: “Sandstone,” “Cascades,” “Choir of Winter”