And the bands played on...

I just got home after a day full of work and fun. After dealing with work, errands, sample sale, and more work in the first half of the day, I spent a good chunk of the afternoon catching a number of free shows in Pasadena. Too bad time was limited and I missed some that I really wanted to see, but it was pretty fun nonetheless. The first band my friends and I went to see was Dengue Fever. It was really fun. When we first got there, the crowd was a bit thin...


...but the streets filled up really quickly soon after I took this picture. Good thing we got there early, because we had the best standing room in the house (or rather, just outside of the Pasadena Playhouse):

As evidenced by the lead singer's expression, it was quite hot. And she said so. When someone from the audience shouted, "No, you're hot!", she reiterated that it was the weather. And they've got the water bottles on stage to prove it.

So I relocated to the side. Muuuuch better. I was in the shade, and the view was still great.

The funny part was how me and my friend both noticed the singer's shoes. Check them out!

It was a really good show for an hour, and after that it was time to hop over to the next one. After much walking in the blazing sun (which followed much standing in the blazing sun), we got to see the Raveonettes, with a stand-in singer for the pregnant Sharin. The music was thumpin', but the heat had already drained me by then. The place was filled with young scenesters/hipsters. I think I would have enjoyed the music more if I was up closer, but that would have put me in the sun again.

Since we were all beaten by the sun, my group headed to a bar for a bit before heading off to see Meiko. I've been looking forward to this, and it was well worth the wait. I really enjoyed the set, and it helped that it cooled down by that point.

It seems like all the female performers I saw wore dresses. Good call, because unlike the audience members, they can't really duck and hide in the shade when they feel like it. It also looks more glamorous, especially the long dress (I love the print). I, on the other hand, went with shorts and a loose top that I bought at the aforementioned sample sale. It was just perfect for the occasion--loose enough to keep me from overheating, and it just seems like something one would wear to a concert.

[my own Granny Smith Rocks earrings, Ella Moss top, an old pair of Fossil shorts, Payless wedges]

There should be more of these shows during the summer at both Pasadena and MacArthur Park (near Downtown LA). With high gas prices these days, it's a pain to pay for parking and gas on top of concert tickets. But with these free concerts, you won't have to--both locations can be reached with the Metro Red Line and Gold Line, respectively. Now, that's a real bargain.