Just Like Heaven Festival - Los Angeles, California

Just Like Heaven festival took place last Saturday on a cloudy but pleasantly warm day just outside of Los Angeles. After a 3 year hiatus (for obvious reasons), the festival returned in 2022 to serve wistful mid-30s indie music fans of years past. I’m included in this demographic, so I couldn’t have been more excited for all the artists playing.

There was no time to wait with this lineup, so we got to the festival early. We started the day with an energetic performance by Geographer, who got the crowd going with a cover of New Order’s “Age of Consent.” A few saxophone solos later, Geographer played one of his biggest hits, “Kites,” and got the grass dwellers in the back on their feet.

Geographer

Following Geographer, we explored the festival’s many food and drink options, landing on a refreshing smoothie from one of the many food trucks on site. Perfect for spit takes during Peaches’ rowdy and hilarious performance. Peaches came on stage with a walker, poking fun at her age; but that didn’t mean the artist toned down her act. Some creative costumes, a quick walk onto
the crowd, and Peaches trademark experimental, confrontational style all made for one of the more memorable sets of the day

Peaches

Peaches was followed by Wolf Parade performing the entirety of their beloved first album, “Apologies to the Queen Mary.” Some of the many standout moments included “I’ll Believe in Anything” and a version of “Dinner Bells” that featured an extended jam session highlighting the soaring talent of Spencer Krug and Dan Boeckner. I’ve been a massive fan of this band and this particular album for years now, so this set – while not as flashy as others – was an emotional highlight.

Wolf Parade

The Hives then graced the festival with an electric performance featuring the group’s trademark matching suits, this time with a lightning bolt twist. Pelle, the group’s front man, took a few trips into the crowd while assuring us all that they were our new favorite band. And he wasn’t wrong! The sound for their set was incredible; guitars pierced the ears of attendees both close to the stage and relaxing in the back.

The Hives

Franz Ferdinand followed The Hives and got the crowd engaged right off the bat with fan favorites “No You Girls” and “Do You Want To.” Alex Kapranos, the band’s frontman, still had his trademark swagger on the stage, slinking around from song to song like he owned the stage. Franz Ferdinand had not performed in the US for several years, and the crowd welcomed them back with raucous cheers.

Franz Ferdinand

Next, we switched stages to check out Santigold. She began her set with herself and two dancers clad in all white a la Julie Dash’s Daughters of the Dust. She got the crowd going with a cover of Major Lazer’s “Hold the Line” to start the show and then capitalized on that energy with her smash “L.E.S Artistes”.

Santigold

Next it was back to the other stage to see Bloc Party in their first US performance since the beginning of the pandemic. Following a brief panic moment as water fell from above near much of their equipment, Bloc Party interspersed their hits with some lesser-known tracks, rewarding both the casual and the hardcore fan. After a cloudy day, the sun peaked out during one of their more beautiful, well-known tracks “This Modern Love”. This created a moment of bliss that everyone in the crowd quietly noticed.

Bloc Party

Then, a quick vibe change as we headed over to Chromeo, who kept the crowd dancing with their dynamic, lively performance. The sun was starting to set, the clouds had burned off, and the golden hour was upon us.

Chromeo

Then it was time for another food break: Island noodles and rice bowls, a staple of any festival experience and a nice re-fuel before M.I.A.

Speaking of M.I.A. – one word: wow. Night time had arrived and so had the best light show of the day. Maya took the stage to thundering bass accompanying her smash “Bad Girls”. It was her first performance in 4 years and she made it count. Playing tracks throughout her entire discovery, M.I.A. sang, rapped, and danced with ferocity and intention. The whole set was an experience, but it really came to a climax when she performed “Paper Planes”. This was the song of my high school experience (and I’m sure many others in attendance), so seeing it live, in this setting, was almost surreal.

M.I.A.

Finally, it was time for the evening’s headliner: Interpol. They began the set with “Untitled”, silhouetted in stark deep blue lighting. A few new songs off of their upcoming new album were sprinkled into a fan favorite-heavy setlist. Highlights included “Obstacle 1” “The New” and the transcendent “PDA”.

The outro of the latter was a perfect way to end the day. Shimmering guitars swept away the crowd into the darkness of the night and bottled up the memories of a fantastic day in Pasadena.