Bargain Summer Music in Pasadena

Summer in Pasadena is bargain time for the music lover. You can hear music and lots of it for little or nothing in summertime Pasadena. Most of the venues are outdoors and the night air is warm and caressing. Bring your own food and drink-no alcohol-listen to the music, gaze up at the five stars visible through the haze and city lights, and feel your cares drop away.

PASADENA SUMMERFEST
Rose Bowl Stadium
101 Rose Bowl Dr.
Pasadena, Ca 91103
626 797 0421

The summerfest has many activities but our music lover will be interested in the Playboy Jazz Festival held in the Rose Bowl. It is held over the Memorial Day weekend and you can hear top-notch jazz in a variety of styles for three days starting at noon and going into the night. Admission is free but there is a seven to ten dollar charge for parking. Pile all your friends in the car and head out for the Rose Bowl.

VROMAN'S BOOKSTORE
695 E. Colorado
Pasadena Ca 91101
626 449 5320

If you feel like something more intimate after listening to jazz in the Rose Bowl, check out the Dave Culwell trio playing on the outdoor patio at Vroman's. Dave plays upright base and he and his excellent trio usually have a guest or two. They play every Sunday evening from five to eight. This is straight-ahead jazz. The music is free and so is the parking in Vroman's parking lot.

PASADENA MEMORIAL PARK
123 E Holly
Pasadena Ca

Every summer the city of Pasadena puts on what has to be one of the best music bargains in the known universe. Pasadena Memorial Park is Pasadena's oldest park and it has been lovingly restored, including the bandshell. And playing in this bandshell are fifty worldclass musicians playing for fifty nights. The music includes Celtic music, jazz of all kinds, classical music, klezmer, world music, and music that can't quite be classified. Performances are at 6:30 on Wednesday, which is children's night, and at 8:00 on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. All of this is free. You may have to park in one of the nearby parking garages but they will be on their low evening prices.

HOLLY STREE BAR AND GRILL
175 E. Holly St.
Pasadena Ca 91103
626 440 1421

The Holly Street Bar and Grill has long been one of Pasadena's favorite restaurants and deservedly so. But its jazz evenings seem to be one of the city's best-kept secrets. Some of the hottest players in L.A. play here when they are not recording or touring. There is live music from Wednesday through Sunday with an occasional Tuesday thrown in. They have no cover charge; no drink minimum and no pressure to even order a drink. The owners do this because they love jazz. The bar is small and the music is often loud so don't come here for intimate conversation. Parking is on the street but it is easy to find.