Make Music Pasadena: Our top 10 picks for Saturday’s festival (and the complete set times)

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So many bands, so little time. That’s the conundrum at Make Music Pasadena, Saturday’s orgy of free music throughout the City of Roses. The lineup is heavy with strong L.A. bands – and some good out-of-towners as well –  and we could recommend any of about 35 acts. Here are our top picks … some obvious ones and some under-the-radar choices:

@KRBronson recommends:

Youngblood Hawke (Old Pasadena Indie Rock Stage) – For a street festival headliner, you’d be hard-pressed to do better than the exuberant electro-pop of the L.A. quintet that recently released its debut full-length “Wake Up.” Get giddy.

Salt Petal (Playhouse District Electric Stage) – Some other local bands are getting more attention right now for fusing Latin music and rock, but none is doing it better than this quintet. Their recent album “Sea Monster” is a monster in any language.

Will Courtney (Old Town Pub Emerging Stage) – The itinerant singer-songwriter, who spent time in L.A. when his band Brothers and Sisters were here, makes heart-rending folk music that stops time. Hope everybody’s quiet during his set.

The Lonely Wild (Levitt Pavilion) – Armed with the mini-epics on their debut “The Sun As It Comes,” this five-piece brings its widescreen Americana rock to the perfect setting. Grab a comfy spot on the lawn and see if you can stay seated.

Eagle Rock Gospel Singers (Lineage Performing Arts Center) – Of all the amazing harmonizers populating the L.A. scene right now, this group of voices and its take on gospel, folk and bluegrass is most likely to make you think the heavens have opened.

@Seraphina_L recommends:

Robert DeLong (Playhouse District Eclectic Stage) – A local festival isn’t complete without this whiz kid. If you’re all going to paint your faces at a music festival, you might as well be doing alongside Robert DeLong fans. Or you could refuse (like this staff writer does) and just let the electrifying one-man show do his thing, because he does it really, really well.

Tanlines (Playhouse District Eclectic Stage) – Experimental indie pop duo Tanlines had fans spilling out of their tent at Coachella this year. Don’t miss out on some great tunes from the Brooklyn band.

Letting Up Despite Great Faults (Levitt Pavilion) – Mike Lee and Co. may have relocated to Austin, but we’ll always treat them like the L.A. band they originally were. There isn’t another dream-pop band on the bill who can soundtrack a summer day better.

Jessica Fichot (Alliance Francaise) – Ms. Fichot has become a staple for Make Music Pasadena. Perhaps it’s because she can sing in four different languages. Perhaps it’s because she manages to make the accordion seem like a sophisticated instrument. Whatever it is, the French chanteuse will perfectly serenade your crêpe dinner.

Halfbluud (Armory for the Arts) – Wonder what Harley Prechtel-Cortez has been up to since the demise of Just An Animal (f/k/a Red Cortez)? He’ll be playing songs he’s released under the moniker Halfbluud, which are already available on two EPs.

After the jump, set times:

STAGE SCHEDULES

Playhouse District Eclectic Stage
50 S. Madison Ave., Pasadena, CA 91101

12:00pm Freedom Fry
1:00pm Superhumanoids
2:00pm Dom La Nena
3:00pm We Are Scientists
4:00pm Salt Petal
4:45pm Robert DeLong
5:45pm Tanlines
6:45pm Las Cafeteras

Old Pasadena Indie Rock Stage
83 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91101

12:00pm Killola
12:45pm A House for Lions
1:30pm Hunter Hunted
2:30pm The Record Company
3:15pm Yacht
4:15pm The New Limb
5:00pm The Peach Kings
6:00pm Youngblood Hawke

Levitt Pavilion
Memorial Park, 85 E. Holly Street, Pasadena, CA 91101

1:00pm The Dustbowl Revival
2:00pm Simone White
(KCRW DJ Valida spinning between sets 3pm-8pm)
3:00pm Letting Up Despite Great Faults
4:00pm High Places
5:00pm Radar Brothers
6:00pm Sleeping at Last
7:00pm Haunted Summer
8:15pm Taken by Trees

Alliance Francaise
34 E. Union Street, Pasadena, CA 91101

5:00pm Edith Crash
6:00pm Jessica Fichot
7:00pm The Lonely Wild
8:00pm SoKo

Vroman’s Jazz Stage
695 E. Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91101

1:00pm Maracas
2:00pm Kira Hooks
3:00pm Felicia Andolong
4:00pm Afrotango
5:00pm The Grey Beret
6:00pm The Lorenzo Grassi Trio
7:00pm Gabriela Teran

Pasadena Museum of California Art (PMCA)
490 E. Union Street, Pasadena, CA 91101

12:30pm Young Empress
1:30pm John Isaac Watters
2:30pm Wet Illustrated
3:30pm Special Guests
4:30pm Los Angeles Free Music Society

Armory for the Arts
145 N. Raymond Ave., Pasadena, CA 91101

1:00pm Fort King
2:00pm Auditorium
3:00pm Vanish Valley
4:00pm The Californian
5:00pm Halfbluud

Paseo Latin Indie Rock and Americana Singer Songwriter
280 E. Colorado Blvd. Pasadena, CA 91101

4:00pm Black Feet Braves
4:30pm Wild Reeds
5:00pm Gabe Kubanda
6:00pm Irene Diaz
7:00pm Torreblanca

Old Town Pub Emerging Indie Stage
66 N. Fair Oaks Ave. Pasadena, CA 91101

1:00pm The Happy Casualties
1:45pm Kid Cadaver
2:30pm Amanda Jo Williams
3:15pm Fort King
4:00pm Will Courtney
4:45pm Ruthanne Friedman
5:30pm The Hectors
6:15pm White Dove
7:00pm Dreamings
7:45pm Modern Time Machines
8:30pm The Rebel Light
9:15pm Downtown Union
10:00pm Tenlons Bronco
10:45pm Hobart W. Fink
11:30pm Squarefish

Lineage Performing Arts Center
89 S. Fair Oaks. Pasadena, CA 91101

6:00pm Ukulele Orchestra of The Western Hemisphere
7:00pm Maggie McClure
8:00pm Eagle Rock Gospel Singers

CCM Stage Blues and Jazz Stage
42 S. Catalina Street Pasadena, CA 91101

2:00pm The CCM Ensemble
3:00pm The Sherry Pruitt Blues Project
4:00pm Los Fabulocos
5:00pm Cadillac Zack Blues Party w/ special guest
6:00pm Philosophy of Soul: Featuring the Avila Brothers

Salon de la Cruz
989 E. Green Street, Pasadena, CA 91101

8:30pm Music Expressions by Gerado & Khalfani

Risque Lingerie
1045 Green Street, Pasadena, CA 91101

3:00pm-7 DJ Chuck

Century Books
1039 Green Street, Pasadena, CA 91101

7:30pm Krys Mach and Donn Conningham

High Low Vintage
1031 E. Green Street, Pasadena, CA 91101

8:30pm Super Ultra Mega Tones
9:30pm Seeing Thingz

Stars & Streetlamps Stage: Conscious Hip Hop @ Club Menage
54 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91101

12:00pm Dice the Nicest
12:30pm Satilite Rok
1:00pm Dukes
1:30pm D’zy 5k1
2:00pm Steve Liriks
2:30pm Vel TheWonder
3:00pm Dysfunktional
3:30pm Illsamar
4:00pm Delta 9 MCs
4:40pm W.C. Avengers
5:20pm 31 Republic
6:00pm Cloud Makers
6:40pm 2Mex

S&S Stage Presented by 92 FAMILY Conscious Hip Hop @ The Terrace
443 E. Colorado Blvd. Pasadena, CA 91101

12:30pm The Closers
1:00pm Salute
1:30pm NY77
2:00pm Honest Thieves
2:30pm EV DUB
3:00pm AV
3:30pm The New Danger
4:00pm Buffalo Blackfoot
4:40pm Blk Ink
5:20pm Inner City Soul
6:00pm Nightlight Shadows
6:40pm Twin Towers

After Party @ Club Menage 2nd Floor Dance Music DJs
54 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91101

9:00pm DJ CoChino
10:00pm DJ Poomba

One Love Pasadena
991 Green Street, Pasadena, CA 91101

3:00pm DJ Pearl Mirror
6:00pm The Panache Orchestra
8:15pm Mr. Morey Wolfson

Beyond Hair
999 E. Green Street, Pasadena, CA 91101

6:00pm Deep Fried Bubblegum
8:00pm Jade + Nico Tsang
8:45pm HEAT

Pop Champagne & Dessert Bar
33 E. Union Street, Pasadena, CA 91101

8:00pm Kyle Shevlin
9:00pm David & Olivia
10:00pm Shane Henry

Crème de la Crepe presented by Crown City Studios
36 W. Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91101

8:00pm David & Olivia
9:00pm Seeking Sui
10:00pm The Ventriloquists

Vertical Wine Bistro
70 N. Raymond Ave, Pasadena, CA 91101

7:30pm The Likes of Us

Mercantile Alley presented by Burbank Music Academy
18 S. Fair Oaks (Mercantile Alley), Pasadena, CA 91101

12:00pm Black Mambas
1:00pm BMA Big Band
2:30pm Private Strangers
3:00pm Chasing Ari
3:30pm Untied
4:15pm Night Nurse Noria
4:45pm Serenegades
5:30pm Magnitude
6:15pm NINE
7:00pm Shadow Play

Frazier Alley presented by Mother Turf Records
87 Frazier Alley, Pasadena, CA 91101

11:00am Lucid Fly
11:45am Major Minus
12:30pm Fine Minds
1:15pm The Ambient Light
2:00pm The Motel Life
2:45pm Splice the Mainbrace
3:30pm Escher
3:50pm Sea Monkey See
4:25pm Sketch Orchestra
5:10pm 100 Onces
6:00pm Marshburn
6:45pm Anesthetic Frank
7:30pm Stellar Sons and Daughters

Slater’s 50/50
61 E. Union Street, Pasadena, CA 91101

8:00pm Celeigh Chapman

Boston Court
70 N. Mentor Ave, Pasadena, CA 91101

4:00pm Rafki/Alexis Soto Jr.
6:00pm Bill Cunliffe Trio
8:00pm Andrea Baker Quartet

Little Junebugs Children Stage
27 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena, CA 91101

12:45pm Christian Lemmon

Redwhite + Bluezz
37 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena, CA 91101

6:30pm Quentin Dennard

First United Methodist Church of Pasadena
500 E. Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91101

12:00pm Mark Goldstein and Friends, jazz piano
1:00pm Iris Roberts Sharp, musical theatre & more
2:00pm Please Don’t Shoot!, a Pasadena pop/folk band with Jane Davidson

Listen2yourmother Stage
Legge Alley, Pasadena, CA 91101

3:00pm Melvin Doo
4:00pm Champagne Leader
5:00pm Early Bizrd and the Bees

Rock N Roll Industries Stage at the 35er
12 E. Colorado Blvd. Pasadena, CA 91101

1:00pm A Hot Mess
2:15pm Freedom
3:30pm Rust N Roll
4:45pm Black Raven (with founding members of Armored Saint)
6:00pm Radio Suicide
7:15pm 100 Hundred Proof

Twin Palms
101 W. Green Street, Pasadena, CA 91101

5:00pm Raspin
7:00pm The Well Pennies
8:00pm Tracorum
9:00pm Salt Petal

Relay for Life at Pasadena High School
2925 E. Sierra Madre, Pasadena, CA 91101

10:00am The Subs
11:00am H2
12:00pm Ric Taylor
1:00pm Sam ”˜n’ Ash
2:00pm Sabrina and Craig
3:00pm The Jam Daddies
4:00pm SaberSong
5:00pm Severin Browne
6:00pm Marina V
7:00pm Dale LaDuke
8:00pm Kyle Jackson

Pasadena Arts Buses
Route 10

12:00pm Kyle Shevlin
1:00pm Ashley Aparicio

Madeline Garden
1030 E. Green Street, Pasadena, CA 91101

4:00pm Jade + Nico Tsang
5:00pm Deep Fried Bubblegum

Fuller Stage
499 E. Union St., Pasadena, CA 91101

4:30pm Jason Chu
5:10pm Gal Musette
5:50pm John Isaac Watters
6:30pm FVE
7:10pm Sandbox
7:50pm Trapdoor Social

Grand Fondo Giro D’Italia Pasadena City Hall Stage
100 N. Garfield Ave, Pasadena, CA 91101

1:00pm Moses Sumney
2:00pm Tracorum
4:00pm The Ventriloquists

Zona Rosa Caffe
15 S. El Molino, Pasadena, CA 91101

7:30pm Live music TBA