Five Great Live Music Concert Venues in Pasadena

Pasadena California has only 140,000 residents but it enjoys the variety and quality of music of a much larger city. What follows gives a taste of what Pasadena offers the music lover but it is by no means complete.

PASADENA CIVIC AUDITORIUM
300 E. Green St.
626 449 7360

The Pasadena Civic Auditorium recently underwent a 1.4 million dollar renovation and restoration that makes the Civic as beautiful as the day it opened in 1931 with modern additions to make it more accessible to those with disabilities. Pasadena Civic Auditorium is home to the Pasadena Symphony, a fully professional orchestra with several recordings to its credit. Tickets range from around $15 to $70 and season tickets are available. Parking is $7. Although the auditorium is lovely, it has some acoustical problems and some seats have poor line of sight. Try to get tickets in the orchestra or loge sections.

BOSTON COURT
70 North Mentor
626 683 6883

Boston Court is one of the newest venues on the Pasadena cultural scene. It houses a theater that often offers world premier plays but it also has an intimate separate room for music. Offerings are high quality and range from jazz to world music to classical. Tickets run from $25 to $30. Parking is free and is immediately adjacent to Boston Court.

PASEO COLORADO
340 E. Colorado Blvd.
626 398 3344 (Jazz Hotline)

Paseo Colorado is a large, outdoor shopping mall that hosts a variety of jazz groups in the balmy evenings of summertime Pasadena. The Pasadena Jazz Institute organizes the concerts, which feature some of the top jazz musicians in the Los Angeles area. The concerts are on Friday evenings and run from 6:30 to 9:30 in the evening. Parking is underneath the Paseo Colorado and you can get a discount by having any merchant validate your ticket. The concerts themselves are free.

VROMAN'S
695 East Colorado Blvd.
626 398 3344 (Jazz Hotline)

The Pasadena Jazz Institute offers another free concert series in the outdoor patio of Vroman's Bookstore. The David Culwell trio performs every Sunday evening from 5 to 8 and always has guest artists. Parking is free in the Vroman's parking lot and the concerts are also free.

BECKMAN AUDITORIUM
COLEMAN CHAMBER MUSIC
California Institute of Technology
1200 California Blvd.
626 395 6811

The Coleman Chamber Music series is in its 101st season and is the oldest continuing chamber music series in the nation. The musical offerings are world class and the acoustics of Beckman Auditorium are good in all seats.
Prices range from $18 to $32 a concert and season tickets may be purchased. One half hour before starting time standby tickets are always available for $10. Parking is free and plentiful.

PASADENA PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
585 E. Colorado Blvd.
626 793 2191

It is the good fortune of Pasadena residents that the Pasadena Presbyterian Church considers the presentation of fine music to be part of its ministry. Every Wednesday at noon the church has a short concert. Performers range from organists to tuba players to chamber music to singers and much, much more. This is a chance to hear young and upcoming artists for free. After the concert there is a $6 sandwich lunch (or you may bring your own) where you can chat with the performers. Parking is available behind the church but the lot is often full. Paid parking is available across the street.