Make Music Pasadena Hits the City Streets With Free Music Festival Featuring Atlas Genius, The Mowgli’s and Over 150 Artists

Matt Matasci

Pasadena isn’t typically known as a hub for a free music festival but the annual Make Music Pasadena breaks the rules. Over 150 bands perform across the city’s downtown area from the main stage in Old Pasadena to smaller platforms along Colorado Blvd. While some of the artists toward the top of the billing may be mostly unknown, several artists to perform at Make Music Pasadena have blown up in the indie world like Grimes, Cults, Surfer Blood, Tennis, Yuna, Robert DeLong and How to Dress Well. This year’s top billing goes to James Supercave, Atlas Genius, Bear Hands, The Mowgli’s, Nahko and Medicine For The People, Phantoms and Small Black.

While James Supercave may sound like a solo artist, it is, in fact, a Los Angeles-based psych-pop band with three main members. Joaquin Pastor, Patrick Logothetti and Andrés Villalobos just dropped their debut full-length studio album titled “Better Strange” in February of ‘16. Atlas Genius may be best known for their breakthrough single “Trojans” but the band has moved on from that sound with their second release, “Inanimate Objects,” which came out in ‘15. Southern California’s positive-rock band The Mowgli’s just announced their third album set for a fall ‘16 release.

While the biggest names of the festival are focused on rock and pop music, there are plenty of other styles of music represented as well. Of the six “main” stages at Make Music Pasadena, one is completely dedicated to jazz. World music collective Nahko and Medicine For The People have shared the stage with big-time artists like Michael Franti and are positioned in one of the prime later slots. In addition to these main stages, there are smaller supporting venues (also free) offering a diverse range of musical genres. While the majority of these venues are located near the Fair Oaks and Colorado axis of the main stage, others can be found several miles to the east. Luckily for those who want to visit some of the more out-of-the-way locations all Pasadena Transit buses are free of charge.  

Take advantage of the chance to catch prominent local and global musicians perform for free in downtown Pasadena at Make Music Pasadena on July 11.