If we had dreamed it up ourselves, there’s no way we could’ve had a better time this past weekend at Just Like Heaven Festival in Pasadena, California. Featuring a handful of our favorite bands from the mid-2000’s such as Interpol, Modest Mouse, The Shins, and so many more, we encountered infinite smiles at our new favorite event. Thankfully we were there to recount the entirety of the day, so please check out our in-depth review, and some photos, below.

The sun was out, the music was bumping, drinks were flowing, and the food was divine. Just Like Heaven Festival proved to be an absolute success while focusing in on nostalgic elements and bringing a touch of the modern to Pasadena on May 21st, 2022. It’s an event we’ve been looking forward to for quite some time considering it’s lineup is exactly what we listened to in middle and early high school. Had it happened back in those days, there’s no way we would’ve appreciated it as much, but being a late 20’s group of music reviewers, well it came out to be one of our favorite events of the year.

Getting into the festival was a breeze and parking was easy as ever. It’s something you don’t typically think about beforehand, but it matters! Safety was obviously a top concern as well because they had plenty of security to make sure everything was safe and sound. Once we were fully onto the Brookside fields, the inner child in us took over and you became immediately immersed with a sea of people who obviously enjoy your same interests. The first band of the day that we got to see was The Cribs who lit our energy up with a riveting performance. It honestly just kept getting better after that. We’re going to have individual set reviews as well posted on our page, so keep a look out!

As the day went on though, we seriously couldn’t have asked for better weather. It was nice enough to have pants on and just a light jacket, but not hot enough to be uncomfortable. The festival gods looked over us and said these individuals are going to have the time of their lives today and gave an ideal situation. Making our way all over the festival grounds had us trying some amazing food and drinks, but undoubtedly our favorite meal of the day was an East African restaurant serving up curry chicken in the VIP area. Let that be the reason to go VIP next year, we promise it’s going to be worth it!

We spent the first half of the day perusing the festival which had us in and out of Record Safari looking for some sweet vinyl, over at the Space Craft for tasty brews, and even a slightly hidden dance floor where a DJ was giving it his all. If for whatever reason you felt the urge to get away but still feel involved, that was the move! Towards the latter half of Just Like Heaven, we were planted at the Orion Stage for Franz Ferdinand, The Shins, Bloc Party, and the headliners of the night, Interpol. What a wild day to say the least.

With all that being said though, Just Like Heaven Festival delivered in unexplainable ways that brought us back to our youth, we made connections with like-minded people, and ultimately had one of the best weekend days of our lives. For now, we can’t wait for 2023!

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Just Like Heaven 2022: A Full Festival Recap