Kevin Bronson on September 3rd, 2011

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A festival and other festivities:

‣ Hard to believe there’s a better bargain than this year’s FYF Fest (especially if you bought your tickets at the screamin’-cheap presale rate). If the involvement this year of über-promoter Goldenvoice eliminates or even alleviates the embarrassing logistical problems of the past two years, FYF 2011 could be a landmark day. It’s highlighted by Guided by Voices, Explosions in the Sky, Descendents, Broken Social Scene, Death From Above 1979 and Cold War Kids, any one of which might be worth a $35 ticket ($40 now, for you walk-ups). Also: Olivia Tremor Control, the Dead Milkmen, Girls, No Age, Off!, Fool’s Gold, Avi Buffalo, Cass McCombs and about 25 more, plus a comedy tent. It starts at noon at Los Angeles State Historic Park downtown, and unlike the past two sweltering years, the forecast high is only 82 degrees. Enjoy. [Set times re-posted after the jump.]
‣ Best of the FYF Fest after-party events in the sure-to-be-packed Soft Pack show at Bordello, where Bass Drum of Death and Youth Lagoon also play.
‣ Looking for a great free show? Look to Casey’s downtown, where Psychic Friend (the indie-pop project of Imperial Teen/Hey Willpower’s Will Schwartz) kicks off a September residency.
‣ And there’s a great local lineup at Lot 1 Cafe featuring Death to Anders, Dirt Bird (the project of Shadow Shadow Shade’s Claire McKeown, along with Athena LeGrand)), Judson McKinney and Omar Velasco.

Also:

Game, Shiny Toys Guns, Mickey Avalon, Street Drum Corps, Cisco Adler & the Pigeons, Wicker and more at Day 1 of the Playground Festival at Hidden Valley in Irvine
Noah and the MegaFauna at the Hotel Cafe
Sick of Sarah at the Roxy
Mulholland, D’Amato and After at the Viper Room
Jenni Rivera at Staples Center
Fim and Michael Rey and the Woebegones at the Satellite
Strelka and MyTMO at the Troubadour
PJ Winter at the Mint

Photo from FYF 2010 by Debi Del Grande