The Strokes, LCD Soundsystem, Tv Girl and more bring Pasadena a day that feels Just Like Heaven

Aug 27

Photography by Natalia Pfeiffer Words by José Aviles Baquero

The 6th Just Like Heaven Festival took over the Rose Bowl in Pasadena this past weekend, boasting 60,000 sunscreen-soaked attendees prevailing through the sweltering 95-degree heat to see artists like The Strokes, LCD Soundsystem, TV Girl and more in a day-long dance party. With doors opening at noon, it was 11 a.m. and already 93 degrees, the lines stretching out to the parking lot barriers. Unfazed and band-decorated fans simply applied sunscreen, sipped provided water, and eagerly waited to get their day of heaven with their favorite bands. Lines buzzed with groups discussing their must-see’s for the day ahead, a palpable excitement coursing through the crowd. Noon hits, and the day begins with the rush of festivalgoers walking through the corridor beside the historic Rose Bowl, greeted with the distant, thumping grooves from Them Jeans on the Stardust stage, leading the mass of ecstatic music fans to the entrance of the fairgrounds.

For a single-day festival, Just like heaven’s patrons came prepared for anything, Over on the Orion Stage, Girl Tones delivered their high-energy and heavy riffs to kick off the day, on a dedicated mission to make people move. Crowds flocked to the stage following suit and rocked out through the blazing song Cherry Picker.

Shortly after, the soft grooves from This is Lorelei put the audience into a sun-soaked trance, guiding us through an environment of chill slacker vibes, while never refraining from chatting with the crowd and leading the wave of calm. They played hits like Dancing in the Club from their previous record Box for Buddy Box for Staralong with the new single Billy Came Back from the upcoming album The Singer in My Band, set to drop September 10th.

As This Is Lorelei closed out with An Extra Beat for You and Me, back on the Stardust stage, Pixel Grip’s electronic soundscape was taking over in full leather glamour. Even through the sweltering heat, one thing was clear: the people wanted to dance. In nearby bar lines, groups of friends couldn't help but dance and hype each other up over the undeniable grooves. With Rita Lukea showing off her incredible range over Pixel Grips’ signature dark wave and industrial-tinted tunes, it was impossible not to move during their performance.

Following Pixel Grip was the charismatic cloud rap and bedroom pop experience of Coco & Clair Clair, bringing the audience into their humorous and chilled-out wavelength. They played classics like Crushcrushcrush, Cherub, and Popstar, along with their new singles Coldplay and One One. Even if you had never heard of Coco & Clair Clair, their energy was undeniable, with Coco’s fun and matter-of-fact delivery and Clair’s light and precise vocals bouncing off each other in perfect bubbly harmony.

Up next was the underground legend George Clanton, who is commonly noted as one of the early pioneers of Vaporwave in the early 2010s under various aliases, curating a dedicated fanbase and launching his solo project under his name in 2015. The crowd was ecstatic prior to his arrival, people all around were talking with the person beside them about their knowledge of George, with excitement steaming off the crowd. Even as the heat kept rising, fans stood their ground, dedicated to a good time. Needless to say, George did not disappoint. He arrived on stage and grabbed the mic like he was angry with it, demanding the attention of the growing crowd, and started possibly the most energetic set of the festival. Regardless of the array of vibes that come with each respective track he performed, he brought it his all through each song, making every one of them feel like a dance party that the crowd had been thirsting for. Running across the stage and yelling was the least of it; George brought his own water balloons and made sure the crowd got the unexpected cooldown they needed, throwing them as far as he could and spraying everyone else with water bottles, all while performing his crowd-favorite hits.

By the end of Clantons’ set, the crowd was amped but exhausted, the heat finally catching up to many people. What followed was the much needed, chilled-out energy of Twin Peaks. Hailing from Chicago, the group played a set of lovely afternoon tunes, the audience swaying to the soft guitars as the peak of the heat began to decline. Over on the Orion Stage, Dayglow took over the crowd, soothing ears with similarly lighthearted indie pop tracks. The crowd began to look refreshed and ready for the night ahead, as thousands of more festivalgoers entered the grounds and ran toward the stages, bringing a newfound energy to the day for Just Like Heaven. After Dayglow’s set came to an end, it was finally cooling down, and it became clear that people had found a new wave for the night of relentless dancing to come.

TV Girl took the Orion stage, and the energy could not have been better. As the sun was finally giving the crowd a break, their unmistakably unique sound completely took over the beautiful atmosphere. They started with the hit Pantyhose, and from this point on, there was not a quiet moment throughout their set. Audience members were crying, cheering, and screaming along to every song, dancing through the golden glow of the setting sun. The dancing never stopped as TV Girl reintroduced Jordana, who had been subtly singing alongside them on stage, to sing tracks they had collaborated on like Sweet to Dream and Better in The Dark, with control of the crowd never letting up. Front man Brad Petersen took a break to chat with the crowd and get them excited for the final acts to take the Orion stage: LCD Soundsystem and The Strokes. Brad asked the crowd what they thought about The Strokes’ use of autotune on the recent album Reality Awaits, to which he answered himself, saying “To be honest, I think they can do whatever the fuck they want”, which was met with a round of applause. To continue the level of excitement, they brought frequent collaborator George Clanton back to the stage to perform Summer 2000 Baby together, where Clanton did not back down from bringing the same high energy from his set earlier in the day. TV Girl closed out with their massive hit Lovers Rock, and as soon as the band left the stage, audience members quickly clamored to get food and water to prepare for the gargantuan sets to come.

The audience was simmering with talk about LCD Soundsystem. As the sun had already set, the neon glow from festival lights kept the crowd illuminated. Everywhere you passed, there were groups sitting in the grass discussing LCD’s most recent tour, what song they’re most excited for, and what deeper cuts they wish they would perform. Without a doubt, people could not wait, and as soon as it hit 7:40, the lights dimmed down, and LCD Soundsystem absolutely brought the house down. Opening with the pulsing Tonite, not a soul in sight was still; the people got the dance party they deserved, as the sounds from the equipment-cloaked stage and James Murphy’s stunning vocals commanded the audience into joining this disco-soaked experience with them. Throughout the set, he performed into an old-school microphone, putting his all into every line, sending the spirit of their music coursing through the veins of even the newest fan in the field. As the song finished, James made a joke apologizing for the short setlist because of how long their songs are, hoping that the crowd has a fun night, but to be honest, as overheard from a festival goer, “every song of theirs feels like a grand finale”. With each track there is a soaring and almost euphoric plea for understanding, fully basking the audience in the atmosphere they’ve created. They continued with the driving synths of Tribulations, turning the crowd into a sea of moving bodies and communal joy which would remain for the rest of their time on stage. Finishing the set with heavy hitters like the classic Dance Yrself Clean and the exhilarating All My Friends to finish it off on an elated high note.

Following a truly mesmerizing performance from LCD Soundsystem, The Strokes closed out Just Like Heaven, with the mass of Strokes-shirt-wearing fans absolutely losing their minds over the presence of the legendary New York rock band. Brad from TV Girl had mentioned in his set that The Strokes were his “favorite band of all time,” and that seemed to ring true for many festivalgoers during their set. They performed songs from all across their discography, kicking it off with the wildly creative Lonely in the Future from their most recent record, and diving straight into Hard to Explain from their classic 2001 album Is This It. The audience was clearly overjoyed to experience their music firsthand, with many grabbing their friends beside them in their arms and screaming the lyrics to songs like The Adults are Talking together. As the day of diverse music came to an end, the crowd gathered their remaining energy to enjoy this massive event set of the day together. Even through the blistering heat and dust that lingered throughout the day, one thing remained true: the people needed to dance, and Just Like Heaven delivered.