Saturday opened with an overcast morning that blossomed into balmy summer weather for downtown Pasadena — with an expected turnout of over 50,000 the conditions were perfect for this year's Make Music Festival. Parking was ample and spread out: structures capped event parking at $20, and streetsmart locals snagged meters on Raymond Ave. and others. Food and drink were plenty with specialty trucks lining major streets. Every café, restaurant, and pub had all hands on deck to offer a cornucopia of tastes from lobster rolls to microbrews and milk tea. Six main stages were raised mere blocks away from each other and nearly two dozen venues dotted around them, delivering folk and punk and alt rock and blues. With pop-up shops on every other curbside, and even good vibes from security and the boys in blue, any SoCal music fan would have wondered: why aren't more cities getting in on Make Music?

But if you were holed up last weekend, don't worry — The Deli got down and dirty in the press pit to bring you photos of some great acts throughout the day. Beach balls and sunburn aside, Old Pasadena lined up some of the best performances of Make Music's history, and we are grateful to have covered it.

Check out more photos from the show here. - Ryan Mo

 Kera and The Lesbians

DARK FURS

Kishi Bashi

How To Dress Well

Crystales

Sir Sly

Draag

Photo Credit: Michelle McCausland, Ryan Mo

 Over here at the Deli's imaginary offices, we're big fans of eerie electro-pop trio Sir Sly. So much so that we named them as the next "Artist to Watch" back in late January. The band will be touring across North America this spring, which will end with two stops at the Troubadour and Constellation Room in late May. Better mark your calendars now, so you don't miss it! 

Shrouded in mystery until very recently, the LA trio known as Sir Sly, are dishing out full bodied electro-pop that hinges on the darker side. The video for the single, “Gold” is a true reflection of the music - slick, sexy and beautiful, but haunting. It packs all the epic punch of what could be the closing credits of a new Bond film. With a vocal quality and production style reminiscent of Foster the People, it’s no wonder rumors were flying that the unknown trio was a side project of the group. The tunes on The Ghost 7” - out February 11 - combine the swagger of hip-hop with catchy pop melodies; a combination proving this band is one to watch. Having already secured a Wednesday Residency at the Echo in February, their local status will soon be history. - Jacqueline Caruso