Just Like Heaven featured performances from a slew of indie rock and electro-pop bands that rose to prominence in the early to mid-aughts, taking over the lush grounds at Brookside Golf Club at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California on Saturday, May 13.
The bill was stacked from beginning to end, starting with The Faint and The Hives early in the day and ending with MGMT, who performed their 2007 debut album Oracular Spectacular front to back, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs, who closed out the night with their usual gusto and aplomb.
All photos by Jenna Houchin
Early in the afternoon, Metronomy frontman Joseph Mount, squinting in the bright California sun, thanked the golfers for lending out their space, commenting: “I always thought golfers were stuffy and uptight, but I was wrong.” Metronomy’s upbeat, bouncy electro-pop tunes including “The Look” from their 2011 album, The English Riviera (arguably their best), set the tone for the rest of the day. Rather than the forlorn goth of Cruel World, which also takes place at Brookside, it was a celebration of a decadent dance-rock era long before the pandemic took hold when finding the next gig to attend was often the top priority.
Liverpool band Ladytron, now approaching their 25th anniversary, delivered a cool and calculated set on the main Orion Stage, harkening back to their pristine shows of the early 2000s. One of the few exceptions to the buoyant bands on the bill, Ladytron was dubbed by Pitchfork “a dystopian band for dystopian times,” and it’s fitting. Frontwoman Helen Marnie coolly delivered tunes old and new, including the apropos “City of Angels” and ending with their popular 2005 single “Destroy Everything You Touch.”
Meanwhile, across the field on the Stardust stage, Fever Ray delivered a challenging and haunting set replete with calculated and choreographed dance moves and theatrical costumes. A vehicle for Swedish artist Karin Dreijer of electronic duo The Knife to push the boundaries of their boundless creativity; they mesmerized the captivated crowd.
In a highly anticipated moment, New York indie rockers The Bravery lit things up back over on the main stage. After being away for most of the 2010s, the band announced their return in 2021. Sporting a shaggy, highlighted hairdo, frontman Sam Endicott brought his familiar rock-star swagger to the proceedings, and teased the audience with the promise of new material. “Wanna hear some new music?” he asked the crowd midway through their set, who roared back in response. “Well that’s too bad because we’re not gonna play any. But we’re working on a new album that will be out the end of this year or next year.” Instead of new songs they played a Descendents cover, as well as crowd-pleasing hits “Believe” and “Public Service Announcement” with the memorable sing-along lyrics “Stop, drop and roll, you’re on fire.”
Not to be outdone by anyone, pop artist Peaches delivered a provocative and political set while mostly topless and wearing an unzipped pink bodysuit or red-and-white-tasseled chaps over Spanx and other outrageous outfits. The fearless artist was joined by back-up dancers simulating sex acts and doing gymnastics on stage while she belted out “Dick in the Air” and “Flip This.” Performing in front of a massive crowd on the Stardust stage, she also sported several leotards with timely messages written on them including “Trans Rights Now” and “Drag Saves Lives,” clearly in response to state laws that are sweeping the country limiting drag performances and stripping rights from transgender individuals. Ending with her 2000 hit “F*** the Pain Away,” it’s clear that when Peaches teaches, we still have a lot to learn.
The Walkmen, much like fellow New York indie rockers The Bravery, also took an extended hiatus in the 2010s while band members including frontman Hamilton Leithauser and multi-instrumentalist Walter Martin pursued solo careers. Now back together for a run of shows in 2023, they played familiar tunes including “Donde Esta La Playa” and “We’ve Been Had” in a laid-back, confident manner with their guitars brightly ringing out across the field. Clearly the band’s time away from the spotlight has reinvigorated their spirit.
As the sun started to set and a cool breeze kicked up, Hot Chip performed on the Stardust stage. Long lines at the food stalls resulted in missing some of their set, but it appeared that they didn’t perform many of their best-known songs, and when they did, they reimagined popular tunes such as “Ready for the Floor” in ways that didn’t entirely connect. As groundbreaking as they were in their heyday in the mid-2000s, the British electropop band seemed to lose something in translation at Just Like Heaven, with the crowd engaged in their own conversations, distracted instead of dancing.
Immediately following Empire of the Sun’s gorgeous sundown set, MGMT took the stage for one of the most anticipated moments of the festival. The electro-pop duo had the world at their feet after releasing their debut album, Oracular Spectacular, in 2007, with the huge hits “Electric Feel,” “Kids” and “Time to Pretend. “Time to Pretend” seemed to perfectly define the tongue-in-cheek decadence of the pre-housing-collapse era with the lyrics, “Let’s make some music, make some money, find some models for wives.” But something strange happened during the band’s rapid ascent and Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden seemingly sabotaged themselves, following up Oracular Spectacular with a “decidedly weird” sophomore album that was a huge departure from their popular debut, and they delivered a lackluster Coachella performance where they refused to play their mega-hit “Kids.” This led to them fading from the spotlight and what could have been a career-defining moment just fizzled.
Several years have passed since then and MGMT have seemingly made peace with it all, delivering a fun and clever performance that not only covered all the bases but was also a slightly ironic send-up of themselves, with giant paper-mache sculptures of Goldwasser and VanWyngarden recreating a scene in their college dorm room where they mused about how popular their band might become. The set also featured a children’s choir, impressive Tron-esque graphic displays and the duo skating around on stage playing hockey, which was random but entertaining nonetheless.
After MGMT’s performance, Just Like Heaven headliners the Yeah Yeah Yeahs took the stage. After seeing them perform live at least half-a-dozen times, it’s safe to say that the Yeah Yeah Yeahs never disappoint. Frontwoman Karen O brought her trademark energy, fire and spirit to the proceedings. She makes it all look so easy when in fact it’s really not. Lead guitarist Nick Zinner sizzled while drummer Brian Chase smiled from ear-to-ear, visibly enjoying himself. They were joined by talented multi-instrumentalist Imaad Wasif, a welcome addition. Beginning their set with “Spitting Off the Edge of the World,” the anthemic first track off of their most recent album Cool It Down, they also played some deep cuts including the early track “Art Star,” replete with blood-curdling death metal screams. Karen O dedicated their gorgeous song “Maps” to “all the amazing ladies on the bill” before she asked the entire crowd to sing happy birthday to her “old man.” All in all it was a supernova ending to a stellar day.
Future Islands
M83
Azealia Banks
All photos by Jenna Houchin
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