Review: Arroyo Seco Weekend
On the weekend of June 24-25, 2017 the inaugural Arroyo Seco Weekend showed off the diversity and vibrancy of Los Angeles through its people, food, and music.
Photo and Review by Gina Kuhlmann
June 24 and 25, 2017
As the sun rose on the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on June 24, families flooded into the nearby Brookside Golf Course for the first ever Arroyo Seco Weekend music festival. The weather and lineup were hot, including headliners Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Mumford and Sons. Hosted by Goldenvoice–the creators of Coachella, Stagecoach and FYF–Arroyo Seco was targeted to be the family-friendly festival. Acts ranged from classic jazz icons to iconic rock legends. Kids under the age of 10 entered free and festival-goers were welcome to bring their own blankets and lawn chairs to host makeshift picnics. The festival had its great successes, like a diverse lineup of music, food and art, but also had the growing pains expected of a first year festival.
Day One boasted a lineup of Preservation Hall Jazz Band, the Meters, Dawes and Alabama Shakes, all leading up to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. As guests arrived, they made their way past the endless food stands filled by well-known LA eateries and to find a spot near the main stage. As attendees made their way across the bridges above the Arroyo Seco river, they passed the merch booth, promotional tents with free gifts and beer and wine stalls showcasing LA’s finest. With Jade Jackson and Baskery opening the weekend, blankets and chairs slowly began to cover the green lawn. As every open space was filled blanket to blanket, progressing further back as the day went on, late comers filed toward the hilly middle ground away from the stage. With a lack of shade in the viewing area, early arrivals abandoned their perfect seats and escaped the sunshine under tents located between the two larger stages. On the third stage, Jeff Goldblum and the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra performed in a covered space, entertaining those lucky enough to be in the shade for a bit. Alabama Shakes gained the complete attendance as the Meters closed their set in stage two, many seeking a decent, but far spot to watch Tom Petty close the night. Those who had been lounging in their seats throughout the earlier acts stood to honor the 40-year-old band. The night closed under the psychedelic lights of the rock icon as he played from his entire collection.
Day Two brought in a much different crowd. While families and older attendants came for the jazz bands and folk-rock legends of day one, a younger crowd more familiar with festivals arrived early on Sunday. This crowds familiarity with jumping between stages did not stop people from claiming their spots near the stage upon arrival. With more movement, people worked to navigate around picnic set ups between stages and acts. The heat continued to beat down and the acts took notice. Magic Giant, The Mowgli’s and Rachel Platten energized the crowd in the early afternoon, jumping in the heat along with the crowd. Andy Grammar and Fitz and the Tantrums continued the upbeat songs with familiar hits. However, the crowd soon divided between the stages as Andrew Bird and Weezer began their sets a half an hour between each other. After The Shins finished on stage two, Mumford and Sons took the main stage and closed the weekend with an excited and emotional set. With more comparable acts on the two bigger stages, Day Two’s crowd tried to migrate across the golf course, forming streams of people down the sides of the crowd. However, with blankets populating most of the green lawn, movement was as difficult as navigating the 405 in rush hour and irritating to those who camped out for a spot.
The acts that performed during the weekend were extraordinary. Tom Petty took the audience on a time-traveling journey through his band’s four decades and Weezer played hit after hit. Jeff Goldblum brought Hollywood to Pasadena by chatting with the audience between songs and Preservation Hall Jazz Band played straight out of New Orleans. The day started on an early high note with Magic Giant, Jade Jackson with and John Mayall and ended strong with The Shins and Alabama Shakes.
However, some of the logistics could have been strengthened. Practiced festival-goers are used to jumping easily between stages to see as many acts on the lineup as possible, competing with families parked in one spot all day. Early acts had to be sacrificed in order to save a decent viewpoint for the closing show. Also, food and drinks were expensive and lines took hours, resulting in viewers watching the later shows while in line for their dinner. Water refill stations were available, but not always easily accessible. For such a hot weekend, there could have been more stations closer to congested areas. A free parking pass was available with each ticket purchase, but leaving the venue at night was confusing and chaotic.
Overall, the festival had a good atmosphere and was worth it in the end. With good views, incredible performances and activities scattered throughout the venue, it was hard to recognize the hiccups of the weekend. The festival was truly fitting for its location, as it was quintessentially an LA festival. It served gourmet food and craft drinks, promoted catered picnic baskets, showcased large scale and smaller art installations, and had the iconic LA heat to make locals feel at home. More importantly, the music was at the center of the event, featuring an eclectic lineup suitable for all ages, unique from other festivals. There’s room for improvement for the coming years, but guests left ready to see what next year’s event would bring for the unapologetically LA!
As the sun rose on the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on June 24, families flooded into the nearby Brookside Golf Course for the first ever Arroyo Seco Weekend music festival. The weather and lineup were hot, including headliners Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Mumford and Sons. Hosted by Goldenvoice–the creators of Coachella, Stagecoach and FYF–Arroyo Seco was targeted to be the family-friendly festival. Acts ranged from classic jazz icons to iconic rock legends. Kids under the age of 10 entered free and festival-goers were welcome to bring their own blankets and lawn chairs to host makeshift picnics. The festival had its great successes, like a diverse lineup of music, food and art, but also had the growing pains expected of a first year festival.
Day One boasted a lineup of Preservation Hall Jazz Band, the Meters, Dawes and Alabama Shakes, all leading up to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. As guests arrived, they made their way past the endless food stands filled by well-known LA eateries and to find a spot near the main stage. As attendees made their way across the bridges above the Arroyo Seco river, they passed the merch booth, promotional tents with free gifts and beer and wine stalls showcasing LA’s finest. With Jade Jackson and Baskery opening the weekend, blankets and chairs slowly began to cover the green lawn. As every open space was filled blanket to blanket, progressing further back as the day went on, late comers filed toward the hilly middle ground away from the stage. With a lack of shade in the viewing area, early arrivals abandoned their perfect seats and escaped the sunshine under tents located between the two larger stages. On the third stage, Jeff Goldblum and the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra performed in a covered space, entertaining those lucky enough to be in the shade for a bit. Alabama Shakes gained the complete attendance as the Meters closed their set in stage two, many seeking a decent, but far spot to watch Tom Petty close the night. Those who had been lounging in their seats throughout the earlier acts stood to honor the 40-year-old band. The night closed under the psychedelic lights of the rock icon as he played from his entire collection.
Day Two brought in a much different crowd. While families and older attendants came for the jazz bands and folk-rock legends of day one, a younger crowd more familiar with festivals arrived early on Sunday. This crowds familiarity with jumping between stages did not stop people from claiming their spots near the stage upon arrival. With more movement, people worked to navigate around picnic set ups between stages and acts. The heat continued to beat down and the acts took notice. Magic Giant, The Mowgli’s and Rachel Platten energized the crowd in the early afternoon, jumping in the heat along with the crowd. Andy Grammar and Fitz and the Tantrums continued the upbeat songs with familiar hits. However, the crowd soon divided between the stages as Andrew Bird and Weezer began their sets a half an hour between each other. After The Shins finished on stage two, Mumford and Sons took the main stage and closed the weekend with an excited and emotional set. With more comparable acts on the two bigger stages, Day Two’s crowd tried to migrate across the golf course, forming streams of people down the sides of the crowd. However, with blankets populating most of the green lawn, movement was as difficult as navigating the 405 in rush hour and irritating to those who camped out for a spot.
The acts that performed during the weekend were extraordinary. Tom Petty took the audience on a time-traveling journey through his band’s four decades and Weezer played hit after hit. Jeff Goldblum brought Hollywood to Pasadena by chatting with the audience between songs and Preservation Hall Jazz Band played straight out of New Orleans. The day started on an early high note with Magic Giant, Jade Jackson with and John Mayall and ended strong with The Shins and Alabama Shakes.
However, some of the logistics could have been strengthened. Practiced festival-goers are used to jumping easily between stages to see as many acts on the lineup as possible, competing with families parked in one spot all day. Early acts had to be sacrificed in order to save a decent viewpoint for the closing show. Also, food and drinks were expensive and lines took hours, resulting in viewers watching the later shows while in line for their dinner. Water refill stations were available, but not always easily accessible. For such a hot weekend, there could have been more stations closer to congested areas. A free parking pass was available with each ticket purchase, but leaving the venue at night was confusing and chaotic.
Overall, the festival had a good atmosphere and was worth it in the end. With good views, incredible performances and activities scattered throughout the venue, it was hard to recognize the hiccups of the weekend. The festival was truly fitting for its location, as it was quintessentially an LA festival. It served gourmet food and craft drinks, promoted catered picnic baskets, showcased large scale and smaller art installations, and had the iconic LA heat to make locals feel at home. More importantly, the music was at the center of the event, featuring an eclectic lineup suitable for all ages, unique from other festivals. There’s room for improvement for the coming years, but guests left ready to see what next year’s event would bring for the unapologetically LA!