Kevin Bronson on June 18th, 2012

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Eleven months ago, Grouplove and Milo Greene played an exhilarating night at the Hammer Museum, the most successful of 2011’s Also I Like to Rock Series. On Saturday on the main stage at Make Music Pasadena, the two L.A. indie-rock bands reprised that performance, Milo Greene’s jammy, harmony-laden folk leading into a headlining set from Grouplove that showed the quintet at its most exuberant and explosive. The roar from thousands gathered on Colorado Boulevard was of Rose Bowl (that’s the football game, y’know, another thing Pasadena is known for) proportions when Grouplove played its now-No. 1 single “Tongue Tied.” Milo Greene (that’s Robbie Arnett, pictured) fared almost as well, inspiring sing-alongs to “1957” and “Don’t You Give Up on Me,” off their debut album (coming July 17).

Grouplove’s reception was the loudest on a day of warm embraces as about 40 venues throughout the City of Roses hosted free, live performances. Buzz Bands LA staffers @KRBronson and @Seraphina_L made the rounds – we wish there more of us – and here are some highlights:

‣ Dam-Funk filled the grassy expanse outside the Levitt Pavilion with some serious funk, encouraging the crowd to both boogie and stay in school. Even when a fist fight broke out in front of the stage, the Pasadena-born artist stayed positive and changed his rap lyrics “Good people in the crowd, don’t be like that.” (–S.L.)

‣ Y La Bamba’s set of Latin-flavored folk music deserved more intimacy than the Playhouse District Eclectic Stage afforded – mounted in a parking lot, the crowd watched from behind a barrier on the other side of media about 25 feet away. “We seem so far away,” frontwoman Luzelena Mendoza said. “We’ll just have to give you a big audience hug in our minds.” Songs from the Portland band’s recent album “Court the Storm” were great, and they added the memorable new tune “Clarij.” (– K.B.)

‣ You want multi-culti? It wasn’t enough the the Eclectic Stage offered consecutive sets featuring music in French (Soko), Spanish (Y La Bamba) and Khmer (Dengue Fever). Jessica Fichot’s set at the Alliance Francaise de Pasadena Stage took you all over the world in one set. Toting an accordion and counting off songs with “Un, deux, trois, quatre,” the French chanteuse strung together songs sung also in Chinese, Spanish, Arabic and French. (–S.L.)

‣ Grimes’ set at the Eclectic Stage was far from enticing. Coming off as a sedated Crystal Castles, Claire Boucher’s knob-twisting and button-pushing was far from what anyone could call a scintillating live show. The only entertainment during her set came thanks to a guy who made it up on to the stage to dance (prompting cheers from the audience) only to be pulled off by security. He did manage to give his number to her though. (–S.L.)

‣ Soko’s endearing set at the Eclectic Stage early on in the day set the perfect feel-good tone for the festival despite her warning us she was going to “play some more depressing songs.” Her amusing stage banter highlighted all her French quirks, but Soko was most delighted when she saw someone wearing an alien mask before she went into her song “I Thought I Was An Alien” (which was derived from dancing in an alien mask with the Flaming Lips.) (–S.L.)

‣ If they gave some sort of festival award for coming in cold and totally winning a room, Yellow Red Sparks would be hoisting a trophy. The O.C.-bred acoustic folk quartet – a late add to MMP’s lineup – was pretty as a painting inside the Armory Center for the Arts (which, indeed, is a large gallery space). Joshua Hanson’s winsome songs and boyish vocals made fans all around. Imagine, people starting to clap to songs without having to be asked or prodded by the band? It was like that. (– K.B.)

‣ It got rowdy later in the evening around the Majestical Roof Courtyard Stage … which, by the way, wasn’t even a stage. It was just a space cordoned off in a courtyard shared by a couple of bars and a gallery. With the street festival over, kids descended on the space ready to party, first dancing, pogoing and crowd-surfing to So Many Wizards’ set, and then doing the same for Shadow Shadow Shade. (– K.B.)

‣ Torches, who have just put out their debut full-length “Heads Full of Rust” packed a tiny Old Town Pub to its gills. They’ve come a long way from their sound when they were called Torches in Trees; it was a proud moment for the band and its fans. (–S.L.)

‣ There were plenty of other stellar sets from SoCal bands we know and love – we caught parts of Honeyhoney, NO and Pageants, for instance – but there was a note of sadness at Black Flamingo’s otherwise winning set in the courtyard. It was singer/keyboardist Mareesa Stertz’s final show with the band. She’s awfully good at making films and plans to direct her talents there. (– K.B.)

Photos: Grimes and Soko by Scott Dudelson; Dam-Funk and So Many Wizards by Carl Pocket; Milo Greene, Y La Bamba, Torches, Yellow Red Sparks and Black Flamingo by Bronson.