Catharsis & clove cigarettes at Cruel World 2023

Goldenvoice delivered another dose of poetic depth and darkwave to the apathetically inclined, in the form of the second annual Cruel World Festival in Pasadena, California. From near and far, New Wave-lovers, old-school punks, and all-out goths got together to celebrate the best synthy hits the 80s had to offer. Walking into the Rose Bowl, […]

The latest 2023 festival lineup drop feels Just Like Heaven

2023 just keeps getting better for indie music fans! Just Like Heaven Festival returns to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA on May 13th, 2023 for its highly anticipated third year, hosting some of the biggest names of the new millennium indie scene. Top billings feature Yeah Yeah Yeahs, MGMT, Empire of the Sun, M83, […]

Spellbound over Cruel World 2023 lineup

Woe to those that can’t attend the return of Cruel World! What some thought to have been a one-off from Goldenvoice just announced its sophomore lineup — and one that would make the inaugural year cry. If you missed it, the sad and ambivalent, the modern, yet indifferent descended upon the expansive grounds of the […]

Experiencing the down-to-earth Just Like Heaven 2022

It’s as if our prayers were answered this year at Just Like Heaven in Pasadena, California this year! With an insane lineup for any 20/30-something with an alternative taste, it was like a fun reunion you can bring the whole family to! From perfect weather to divine food and music to complement it all, you […]

This Ain’t No Picnic coming to Pasadena in August 2022

In the fine words of Sheryl Crow, “this ain’t no disco” and “it ain’t no country club, either”. That’s right, because alternative rock is harder and here to stay. In this same vein, the fine festival producers over at Goldenvoice introduced This Ain’t No Picnic to high acclaim, set to grace the Pasadena Rose Bowl […]

Cruel World 2022

Oh, what a wonderful Cruel World it was! Presented by Goldenvoice, this nostalgic New Wave fest graced Pasadena’s Rose Bowl on Saturday, May 14th (with the same lineup repeating the next day). Arriving midday, Christian Death was already rocking the side stage, while Sextile was crushing the main Outsiders Stage. Despite the heat, people were […]

Goodbye, Cruel World 2022

As a next generation New Wave kid, when Goldenvoice announced a brand new festival for late Spring of 2020, my little black heart was overjoyed. Morrissey, Bauhaus, Echo & The Bunnymen — need I say more?! Cruel World was going to envelop my entire Spotify and Pandora streaming life, all into one day. And, then, […]

Goldenvoice announces Just Like Heaven 2022

Leave it to Goldenvoice to bring back exactly what we want for live music post-quarantine. Now that the mask mandate has been lifted, venues are back to full capacity and vaccines are everywhere, it’s time to get back to festivals. After a slew of announcements, Goldenvoice — more hard at work than ever — decides […]

Goldenvoice’s Cruel World Fest to span two days May 2022

Announced mid-February of 2020, Goldenvoice’s Cruel World was supposed to capture the hearts of retro rockers everywhere in May. Well, the world had other plans (as we all are aware). The inaugural event — hyped beyond belief, with headliner Morrissey alongside Bauhaus, Blondie, Devo among others — offers a title even only more applicable now […]

Pasadena Daydream 2019 official Top Shelf after movie

Top Shelf Music journalists Kristy Rose and Jenni Lynne take on the first ever Pasadena Daydream Festival at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, presented by The Cure and Goldenvoice. Despite the extreme heat of Labor Day Weekend, New Wave and punk rockers flocked by the hundreds… Despite the extreme heat of Labor Day Weekend, […]

Experiencing Pasadena Daydream 2019

The sizzling, southern California sun shone down brightly on August 31st for the most highly-anticipated festival of the summer season. To celebrate the 40th Anniversary of The Cure’s Hyde Park show in London, The Pasadena Daydream Festival was born. With the lineup handpicked by The Cure’s Robert Smith himself, the day was sure to please. […]

The Cure curates Pasadena Daydream Festival

It’s been 40 years since Robert Smith and The Cure entertained fans at Hyde Park in London. In honor of that show, The Cure has created another summer’s end festival of epic proportions. Robert Smith says of his new Pasadena Daydream Festival, “Hyde Park was a fabulous experience, the whole day was really magical and […]

Arroyo Seco Weekend 2018: Day Two vlog

Top Shelf Reggae journalist Kristy Rose returns to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California for Day Two of Arroyo Seco Weekend 2018, capturing the entire day in top vlog fashion. Following sensational Day One performances, such as Jack White, Neil Young and The Pretenders, Day Two attendees were ready to rage, starting with a Prince […]