by Brad RobertsMAKE MUSIC PASADENA 2016 is celebrating it's 9th year this weekend, providing acres of free music on acres of Old Town Pasadena with over 35 stages featuring over 150 bands and performers.
In 2008 I wandered out there alone, not knowing where the hell I was going and not knowing anyone there. This was the second MAKE MUSIC PASADENA, eight years ago, when Autolux was one of the headliners. Also saw Raveonettes and AM, but I was really there to see Division Day, who were among my very favorite local bands during those early years. It was a very hot summer day and I remember sticking it out as long as I could, but I took surface buses to the Pasadena that day, as I was stupidly unaware of the Gold Line, so it took nearly two hours to get there from Hollywood.
I didn't attend again until 2011, and went with relatives from out of town that year, so we drove. By that year I had become good friends with Seasons, Tommy Santee Klaws, and The Lonely Wild, all of whom played the outdoor courtyard stage that was adjacent to The Old Towne Pub, and it was so much like a party among friends, it was probably my favorite MMP so far.
By 2012, when I attended for the third time, I had been using the Gold Line to get to Highland Park and I actually greatly enjoy the scenic route on that line. That year I stayed all day and night and took in over a dozen bands on as many stages as I could run to. The Happy Hollows, One Trick Pony, NO, Pageants, and Torches were highlights.
In 2013 Radio Free Silver Lake had the fun of co-hosting the stage at The Armory Center for the Arts presenting music from The Californian, Half Bluud, Auditorium, and Vanish Valley, and an exhibit of local rock and roll photography. Was fun to be part of the event.
In 2014, I only attended for a few hours to see Aaron Embry and yOya, and last year I wandered around to various venues to hear Scott Schultz' storytellers, Fort King, Solar Sons, Psychic Love, The Wild Reeds and Leslie Stevens. I think that's one of the best aspects of this festival, because it's free, you can choose to see a few of your favorite bands or stay all day and do a marathon and see a lot of bands you may never have heard of before.
This year I'm going to cover the the stages at The Armory Center for the Arts that are being programmed by All Scene Eye. with Act As If, Smoke Season, and Madame Headdress among many other great acts.
The week has a few other treats tucked here and there with a glut of good shows on Thursday making for a tough decision that night. Leslie Stevens has been such an exemplary performer for the number of years I have been around the music scene, that the fact she is now producing and presenting work that is of such a high calibre shouldn't be the delightful surprise it is. But I'm kocked out every time I see her play and on Tuesday Leslie Stevens Band is at Bootleg Bar with terrific support from Henry Wagons and Miranda Lee Richards.
Thursday I think I will opt for the first local show in some time from my longtime favorites The Happy Hollows when they take The Satellite stage and win us over, all over again. Their high energy and technically astonishing skills that always come with a healthy dose of love and affection for the audience, and the ebulient Sarah Negahdari always makes one feel like the band is engaged in a two-way love affair with that particular crowd. This means I have to miss the fantastic new band Bebopalula at Bootleg Bar and The Sadies at Echoplex.
On Friday night, MAKE MUSIC PASADENA eve, one could take in the honey-throated vocal beauty offered by The Wild Reeds, who are surely one of the sweetest sounding bands around these parts and who are releasing a new EP at this event. This is also at Bootleg Bar. Then on Sunday is a local all-star line up to pay Tribute To Merle Haggard at Hotel Cafe which includes Brian Whelan, The Far West, Little Lonely, Patrolled By Radar, Shane Alexander and many more.
Monday, June 6
Steady Holiday, Alina Bea, Elle Belle, Bedouine @ The Satellite
Franky Flowers, The Chavez Ravine, Flames of Durga, King Shelter @ The Echo
Sisters @ Echoplex
"School Night!" w/ Jamie N Commons, Frankie Capyac, Sophie and The Bom Boms, Kerrigan @ Bardot
Marie Danielle, Dylan Luster @ Silver Lake Lounge
Missy Higgins, Billy Raffoul @ Teragram Ballroom
Dream Vacation, Act As If, The Knitts, Higuera @ The Hi Hat
Midnight Faces, Tetragrammaton, Crystales, Topia @ Bootleg Bar
Parlor Social Monday Night Residency w/ special guests The Endangered, Slow Talker @ Hotel Café
"Monday Monday" w/ TBA @ Hotel Café Second Stage
TRAIN performs Led Zeppelin II, Alex Dezen @ The Troubadour
Illegal Mescal Music Series w/ Atomic Ape, Duk & Grimney Chimney @ Harvard & Stone
The Temper Trap, Walking Shapes @ The Fonda Theatre
DECISION:
Briefly, here are the week's notes: Apart from the free Monday residencies, there are shows with Dream Vacation and Act As If at The Hi Hat in Highland Park, and in Hollywood the llegal Mescal Music Series at Harvard & Stone features Atomic Ape.
Tuesday, June 7
Corinne Bailey Rae @ Amoeba Music
Zachary Kibbee, Young Flood, Leggy Peggy @ The Satellite
Elizabeth Cook @ Hotel Café - Rachael Sage Record Release Show, Brynn Stanley, Michael Sherry, Jessica Morgan @ Hotel Café Second Stage
Groves Residency, Paper Pilots, TeamMate @ The Hi Hat
Chelsea Wolfe, A Dead Forest Index @ Teragram Ballroom
Bishop Briggs, Blacktop Queen @ The Troubadour
Dark Folk residency, Nic Naussuet @ Vampire Lounge & Tasting RoomLeslie Stevens Band, Henry Wagons, Miranda Lee Richards @ Bootleg Bar
The Supersonic Dust, Shane Grey, Abraham Lincoln, KassiucK @ Silver Lake Lounge
Caravan Palace, Gentlemen Callers of L.A. @ The Fonda Theatre
Gold Star, Golden Daze @ Harvard & Stone
DECISION:
If one decides not to attend Leslie Stevens Band, with Henry Wagons and Miranda Lee Richards, at Bootleg Bar, you could take in Gold Star and Golden Daze for a gold-tinted line up at Harvard & Stone.
Wednesday, June 8
Shadow the Wind, Decorations, Robbery Inc. @ The Satellite
Adult Books Record Release Party, Numb.er, Future Shoxxx @ The Echo
Mild High Club, Vinyl Williams, Brainstory @ Resident
The Mowgli's, Pom Poms, The Greeting Committee @ The Troubadour
Chelsea Wolfe, A Dead Forest Index @ Teragram Ballroom
August Eve, Alyeska, The Controversy, Rosechild @ Los Globos
Veronica Bianqui Single Release Show, Children, Michael Rey & The Woebegones, Empty Palace @ The Hi Hat
Joe Sumner, MAJOR. @ Hotel Café
The Brevet, Steve Everett, Sleep State, JD Eicher @ Hotel Café Second Stage
Hearty Har, Cave Clove, Theives @ Harvard & Stone
Arbor Labor Union, Gun Outfit, Rexx @ Bootleg Bar
The Polar Quest EP Release Show, Test, Diamonds @ El Cid
Kinshire Way, Kye Alfred Hillig, Tacodile, Kate DiCicco @ Silver Lake Lounge
DECISION:
I haven't heard about many recent shows at Los Globos that interested me, but this week Sound Majesty brings in tonight's show with a nice billing of August Eve, Alyeska, The Controversy and Rosechild.
Thursday, June 9
Kaleo @ Amoeba Music
The Happy Hollows, Alyeska, Veers @ The Satellite
Liss, Monogem, Cellars @ The Echo
The Sadies, Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet @ Echoplex
Sisters, Happier, Henry Hall @ Hotel Café
Sweet Talk Radio, Johnny Ashby, Paulina Cameron & The Cave @ Hotel Café Second Stage
Corinne Bailey Rae @ The Lyric Theatre
Lost Beach, Tadhana, Todd O'Keefe @ El Cid
Islands, Honus Honus of Man Man, Mister Heavenly @ Teragram Ballroom
MxPx @ The Troubadour
Laser Background, Triptides, Hollow Sidewalks, The Lentils @ The Hi Hat
Eli Paperboy Reed, Bebopalula, Music Man Miles of Funky Sole @ Bootleg Bar
Rabid Young, The Night Thief, The Ambivalent, MoondreamzzZ @ Silver Lake Lounge
DECISION:
The Happy Hollows come back to the stage at The Satellite tonight for their first local show in some time and I expect to see you all there. In spite of the fact The Sadies have a date at Echoplex and Eli Paperboy Reed is bringing the hot new band Bebopalula to Bootleg Bar, with Music Man Miles of Funky Sole in addition.
Friday, June 10
Astronautalis, Cesche, Factor Chandelier @ The Satellite
PUP, Rozwell Kid, Charly Bliss @ The Echo - MxPx @ The Troubadour
Ely Rise Presents: Creepshow 16, Ghost Lit Kingdom, Leigh West, Shelley Segal @ Hotel Café
David Fickas presents: I Made You A Mixtape, Ashaley @ Hotel Café Second Stage
Stuck On Planet Earth, Howler, Trickster Guru, State To State, Dani Bell & The Tarantist @ The Lexington
The Matches - Decomposer - The 10 Year Anniversary Tour, Black Map, Maadwest @ Teragram Ballroom
OYLS, Hirsh, Lucky + Love @ El Cid
Corinne Bailey Rae @ The Lyric Theatre
The Dollyrots, Go Betty Go, The Singles, Plexikill @ The Hi Hat
The Wild Reeds EP Release, Laura Jean Anderson, TUFT @ Bootleg Bar
Ironaut, Monolith, Blackwulf, Black Prism @ Silver Lake Lounge
Kaleo, The Wind + The Wave @ El Rey
Roy Book Binder, T Sisters @ McCabe's
DECISION:
The Wild Reeds are presenting an EP Release Show at Bootleg Bar tonight, with Laura Jean Anderson and TUFT along for the ride.
Saturday, June 11
MAKE MUSIC PASADENA @ Old Town Pasadena
Qui, Tweak Bird, Egrets on Ergot @ The Echo
MxPx @ The Troubadour
Sound Art SUMMER BLAST OFF Concert! w/ The Ear Breakers, Unlimited, Picasso and the Treble Trojans, Awoke @ The Hi Hat (12 NOON)
The Matches - Decomposer - The 10 Year Anniversary Tour, Sharpshock @ Teragram Ballroom
Freddie & Francine Record Release Show, Jordie Lane, Justin Farren @ Hotel Café
Sabrina Claudio, Lovers & Poets, Sam Hale & Joe Tuffaha of Silver Lions, Colleen D'Agostino, Hollywood Fringe Festival presents: Duality @ Hotel Café Second Stage
Mirah & Jherek Bischoff @ Bootleg Bar
The Charlie Hunter Trio featuring Scott Amendola & Kirk Knuffke @ McCabe'sDECISION:
MAKE MUSIC PASADENA 2016 takes over Old Town Pasadena today for the ninth year in a row. I'll be hanging out and covering the All Scene Eye stages at The Armory Center for the Arts and look forward to sets from Act As If, Smoke Season, Minibear, The Uke Lady Janes and Madame Headdress among the other treasures being presented there.
Sunday, June 12
Grand Ole Echo w/ Snake Arm @ The Echo
Part Time Punks w/ Stargazer Lillies, Pale Dian, Brass Box @ The Echo
Ediblehead Album Pre-Launch Party @ The Hi Hat
Ray Little, Puscie Jones, GROZ @ Bootleg Bar
Tribute to Merle Haggard w/ AJ Hobbs, Austin Hanks, Brian Whelan, Calico, CLaire Honey, The Coals, Chris Laterzo, Dan Janisch, David Serby, The Far West, Grant Langston, Greg Felden, Groovy Rednecks, Little Lonely, Patrolled By Radar, Rob Waller, Shane Alexander, Ted Russell Kamp & more @ Hotel Café
Dan Bern @ McCabe's
DECISION:
I will probably be wiped out from yestarday's festival but I am attracted to the Tribute To Merle Haggard taking place at Hotel Cafe this evening. Huge line up includes Brian Whelan, The Far West, Patrolled By Radar, Shane Alexander, Ted Russell Kamp & more.