TEXT by louise barretto

photos by irvin rivera

JUST LIKE HEAVEN IS A GEN X AND MILLENNIAL’S DREAM MUSIC FESTIVAL. MOST OF THE ARTISTS PERFORMING CAME TO THE SCENE IN THE NAUGHTS, WHICH MEANS THE MUSIC YOU’LL HEAR ARE THE SOUNDTRACK TO YOUR HIGH SCHOOL OR COLLEGE YEARS IF YOU WERE BORN IN THE 70S OR 80S.

It’s also a no brainer festival. It’s one full day from 12pm to 11pm (cos of Pasadena’s curfew) and easy to attend. No camping, no harsh desert weather. While some parents took their children with them, kids 5 and under are free, I was surprised to see a lot of Gen Z at the festival. The attendees were all age ranges and only proves time and again that music is that vortex that can bring people together. 

There seems to be a trend with these bands — many of them stopped making albums around 2018. Possibly due to the decline of indie rock, and the ever shifting music du jour. 

The lineup is reminiscent of the 2000s Coachella lineups before it was infiltrated by mainstream pop, EDM and hip hop acts. Basically, Just Like Heaven is naught-era Coachella before it became as massive as it is today. It’s like going on a Time Machine to the past. And I kinda dig the opportunity to wax nostalgic. 

AZEALIA BANKS

Rapper Azealia Banks seems out of place in a festival with indie bands from the naughts if you didn’t know that she sampled Ladytron’s Seventeen, which led to her getting her first record deal. She also released an Interpol cover in her early days and has an uncredited feature on Scissor Sisters’ Shady Love. While not clear to the naked eye, she has an indie leaning history. 

Her early afternoon set would have been much better suited to evening cos when she raps, you’ll want to dance hard. Despite starting her set late, Azealia was one of the best performances of the day. She was rapping a apella for a bit, then with the music, with no backing track that most pop performers are likely to do. Wish her set was longer, but glad we even got the performance at all.

THE WALKMEN

If you grew up watching The O.C., and were obsessed with the indie music from the show, you’ve heard of The Walkmen. They performed Little House of Savages on the Orion Stage, which was featured on the show too. The band mostly lives in different parts of the world and what a treat that they got together for our listening pleasure. 

FUTURE ISLANDS

Frontman Samuel T. Herring commands the stage when he performs, and it’s not perfunctorily, which makes the band fun to watch. He’s always mid squat and gyrating his hips, in turn, making you want to dance. As the band performed, it was that time of day when the sun was easing up during golden hour. It’s a little respite before you get your second wind for the night shift bands.

EMPIRE OF THE SUN

The multi-platinum selling Australian duo sure know how to put a show. Not just musically but visually. They’re the perfect mix and balance of an indie band that can go wide and mainstream. Who hasn’t heard Walking on A Dream? Despite releasing their last album 7 years ago, they’re still a thrill to watch live. The music, the visuals, the performance. They made it worth our while standing out in the sun all day to see them. 

MGMT

MGMT had a dance interlude, a grasshopper mascot, masks, Beavis and Butthead looking cartoony mascot heads, a children’s choir, and trippy visuals. Not only that, the Grammy award-winning duo came out to perform Oracular Spectacular, which Rolling Stone listed as one of the 500 greatest albums of all time. Hearing Time To Pretend, Kids and Electric Feel live brought me back to those carefree days. 

YEAH YEAH YEAHS

Karen O is not just an indie rock legend in her own right, she’s also a symbolic figure for all Asians in music. When the Yeah Yeah Yeahs came onto the scene in the 2000s, there weren’t many Asian lead singers in the US. Karen O paved the way — and thanks to her it gave Michelle Zauner of Japanese Breakfast the persistence to continue her passion in music (she discusses this a bit in her memoir Crying in H Mart).

Karen O also used to date the iconic director Spike Jonze. History aside, Karen O just knows how to  capture the audience with her strong vocals and rock n roll nonchalance. She oozes cool. Period. Plus she’s a powerful performer and singer. It’s crazy how the band started opening for The Strokes and The White Stripes. Their music still slaps and I hope the younger generations will discover them and enjoy their records for years to come. Yeah Yeah Yeahs are one of those bands that have to go down in history as one of the greatests.