Make Like the French; Make Music - Page 3

As for Make Music Pasadena, the musicians scheduled for the main stages range from home grown as the Pasadena Scots to international acts. Some had never heard of the Fête de la Musique.

According to Ed Reyes of The Little Ones, a local indie pop-rock band, he had vaguely heard about the Fête. “Isn’t there a similar thing to do in the Philippines?” Manila is an official affiliate of the Fête with 150 bands expected to perform this year. “It’s amazing,” he added, explaining that “at least in the US, music isn’t really celebrated.” His band will be performing in Old Pasadena.

Carla Azar of Autolux, a local alternative rock band, said, “I thought it was really unusual to have a concert where kids don’t have to pay” and had never heard of Fête. Autolux will also be performing in Old Pasadena.

Senon Williams of Dengue Fever, a local indie band that combines Cambodian pop music with psychedelic rock, commented that although he had never heard of the Fête, he wasn’t surprised that Pasadena should be the first city to welcome this celebration on the West Coast. “Pasadena is a little open-minded haven that embraces explorations into the arts.” Growing up locally, he commented that visiting Pasadena is like “going on vacation” and Dengue Fever will be taking a stay-cation, playing in the Playhouse district stage.

The bébé (young girl) rocker group, the Plastiscines, have already performed in California (at Coachella and appeared in a New York Times photo layout), and have been involved Fête before according to guitarist Marine Neuilly responding via email, “I think we played two times to celebrate Fête de la Musique ! Last year we went in St. Cyr L'école, in the suburbs of Paris where we live, to see friends playing for it. The year before, we supported Razorlight on a huge stage outside in Paris; it was really cool…The first gig we ever played to celebrate Fête de la Musique was in the street near St Michel in Paris. We played with the Second Sex, friends of us and it was really messy! People had to jump on the cars to see the gig; everyone got crazy and we played almost in the trench! Good times.

“We are looking forward to play this year in another country and another city! It’s gonna be the first time we won’t be in Paris to celebrate it, so we guess we'll have a lot of fun there in Pasadena!"

Article Author: Purple Tigress

Former theater critic for the LA Weekly and Los Angeles Times . For the last five years, an editing slave at a dot-com but recently laid off. Currently an under-employed freelance writer and artist.

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