{"id":78,"date":"2019-05-05T14:33:20","date_gmt":"2019-05-05T21:33:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/?p=999948868"},"modified":"2021-03-08T08:11:18","modified_gmt":"2021-03-08T16:11:18","slug":"just-like-heaven-fest-high-school-reunion-elder-millennials","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/hi-lo\/music\/just-like-heaven-fest-high-school-reunion-elder-millennials","title":{"rendered":"Just Like Heaven fest: a high-school reunion for elder millennials"},"content":{"rendered":"

Walking onto the Queen Mary Events Park grounds for the indie alternative rock festival, Just Like Heaven, I felt like an imposter. I didn\u2019t know any of the artists on the lineup, save for MGMT, Phoenix, the Yeah Yeah Yeah\u2019s and She Wants Revenge, and I had spent the better part of my morning listening to a Spotify playlist that featured songs from every act on the lineup that an uber-fan had made and shared on Twitter (thank you).<\/p>\n

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A tunnel leading to the Angels stage at Just Like Heaven fest, Queen Mary Events Park, Long Beach,\u00a0 May 4, 2019. Photo by Sarahi Apaez.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As I floundered my way around the waterfront grounds, disappointed that I had narrowly missed the throaty, warbly tenor of She Wants Revenge\u2019s Justin Warfield singing \u201cTear You Apart,\u201d not feeling hungry enough for some lobster mac-n-cheese and internally debating whether or not it was too early to go and grab my first beer, I ran into a friend.<\/p>\n

\u201cJeanay, is that you?\u201d said a boy in a salmon pink T-shirt with long black hair tied in a ponytail that reached nearly all the way down his back.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s Cheantay,\u201d I corrected, but felt mildly flabbergasted that this stranger knew my twin sister\u2019s name. I pushed my sunglasses down my nose to get a proper look.<\/p>\n

\u201cJimmy, is that you?\u201d I gasped, \u201cI haven\u2019t seen you since high school!\u201d<\/p>\n

After a hug and quick introductions, I followed him and his fellow concert-buddy Alex Antoshko as we joined the current of bodies heading toward the second stage (aka the Strange as Angels stage) to catch synthy chillwave artist, Washed Out. We meandered through a connecting black tunnel painted with pastel blue, yellow and pink space-themed illustrations, trying half-heartedly, as we jaunted past, not to photobomb the handful of people intent on snapping that perfect Instagram picture.<\/p>\n

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Saturday’s Just Like Heaven fest at the Queen Mary Events Park. Photo by Sarahi Apaez.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThe thing I love about festivals like these is that I run into people I never expected to meet,\u201d my long-lost friend, Jimmy Torres, admitted to me as we staked our place in the audience.<\/p>\n

Although an admitted concert\/festival junkie, I wondered what specifically had brought my high-school comrade, an OC native but recent LA transplant, to a line-up entirely dedicated to the indie tones of the early aughts.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt feels like my senior year of high-school in a festival,\u201d the 25-year-old said.<\/p>\n

During the set of Sweden\u2019s indie-pop trio Miike Snow, I stood in line to grab my second drink and struck up conversation with twentysomething Stephen Hong (thanks for my beer) who echoed the same sentiments, saying he drove up from San Diego to relive a playlist reminiscent of his middle- and high-school years.<\/p>\n

A metalhead at heart, the majority of my concert experiences of late have been at modest-sized venues, holed up inside dark rooms with blinding stage lights, set to the tone of droning blast-beats and hoarse screams, head-banging while I keep my peripherals on the swirling mosh-pit where I would inevitably get knocked around.<\/p>\n

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Andrea Calderon getting her photo taken in the spinning chair photo booth at Just Like Heaven fest. Photo by Sarahi Apaez.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

So, at a festival with nearly 15,000 people in attendance, playing music I never really felt a strong affinity toward, I felt surprisingly at home. I wasn\u2019t sure if it was the narrow age range (most people looked to be between 23 and 35), or all the smiling\u2014but I felt like I could go up and talk to anyone.<\/p>\n

As a chorus of excited whoops erupted mid-way through the set of indie-rock quartet Grizzy Bear, I tapped the shoulder of swaying Vanessa Fiddler to ask what song had just started to warrant all the excitement. As she informed me that the song was \u201cTwo Weeks\u201d their most iconic tune, she went on to tell me why she loved festivals like this one so much.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople are actually here for the music,\u201d said the 35-year-old with red flecks of glitter on her eyelids. \u201cAnd everyone is so nice. People aren\u2019t pushing each other around and actually apologize if they bump into you.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Tyler Hall twirling around festival goers at Just Like Heaven. Photo by Sarahi Apaez.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Crowd-watching was a captivating exercise as I tried to count, but lost track of all the fruit themed button-ups (pineapple was by far the favorite, banana close second). There were the baby-carrier-clad parents, rocking their toddlers to MGMT\u2019s bouncy rhythms. Glittery girls in fringy two-pieces with tiny-framed colored sunglasses\u2014many of whom looked as though they were trying to repeat their past Coachella weekends\u2014shared combustible substances with shirtless guys sporting fanny-packs.<\/p>\n

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A couple strikes a pose at the photo booth near the entrance of Just Like Heaven. Photo by Sarahi Apaez.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As the sun set on the day, I found my high-school flashback and his friend and we wedged ourselves in the massive crowd that was awaiting its moment of post-punk revival with the appearance the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Karen O, clad in a baby-blue draped fringe robe with a winged crown to complete the look, came sauntering out, and dove right into the band’s set with all-time favorite songs \u201cBlack Tongue\u201d and \u201cCold Light.\u201d As she flailed around, spraying water in the air, emitting bursts of shrieks, I wished that she would scream at her sound guy, because the feedback drowned out her vocals with quivering distortion. We left after four songs, figuring that the sound wouldn\u2019t be getting any clearer before the set was over.<\/p>\n

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Fans waving their hands back and forth as requested by the band Phoenix at Just Like Heaven. Photo by Sarahi Apaez.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s the beauty of festivals like this,\u201d Alex Antoshko said to me as we hurried toward the other stage to catch the tail-end of Neon Indian\u2019s wavy set. \u201cYou can just leave.\u201d<\/p>\n

Beach House, set to a starry-backdrop that would filter up-close visuals of vocalist and keyboardist Victoria Legrand’s fingers or Alex Scally\u2019s hands, dancing along on their respective instruments, played a mellow, moody set. People swayed, held each other and sang along with familiar lyrics, eyes closed in rapture.<\/p>\n

Eager to find my energy that had been lulled by the dreamy tones of Beach House, I rallied for the last set of the evening,\u00a0 spinning around, hands waving in the air, allowing myself to groove out with whatever ounce of momentum I had left.<\/p>\n

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Hugo Aguilar, STRFKR sound engineer and his wife Patty Aguilar watch their son as he shows off his dance moves during MGMT at Just Like Heaven Fest, Queen Mary Events Park, Long Beach, CA. May 4, 2019. Photo by Sarahi Apaez.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Phoenix headlining at Just Like Heaven. Photo by Sarahi Apaez.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Thomas Mars, lead singer of the French alternative rock band Phoenix at Just Like Heaven. Photo by Sarahi Apaez.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Alan Palomo composer of the electronic music band Neon Indian interacting with the audience at Just Like Heaven Fest, Queen Mary Events Park. Photo by Sarahi Apaez.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Lead vocalist of MGMT, Andrew VanWyngarden at Just Like Heaven. Photo by Sarahi Apaez.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Natasha Manson and Miriam Diaz in the telephone photo booth at Just Like Heaven on Saturday. Photo by Sarahi Apaez.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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A vendor advertising through a megaphone “Come and get it folks, the cheapest thing here,” a $3 bottle of water. Photo by Sarahi Apaez.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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The Downtown Long Beach backdrop at the Just Like Heaven fest at Queen Mary Events Park Saturday. Photo by Sarahi Apaez.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We meandered through a connecting black tunnel painted with pastel blue, yellow and pink space-themed illustrations, trying not to photobomb the handful of people intent on snapping that perfect Instagram picture.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":262,"featured_media":65610,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","inline_featured_image":false,"newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_popups_has_disabled_popups":"","_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"_":"","_author_alias":"","cap-aim":"","cap-description":"","cap-display_name":"","cap-first_name":"","cap-jabber":"","cap-last_name":"","cap-linked_account":"","cap-newspack_employer":"","cap-newspack_job_title":"","cap-newspack_phone_number":"","cap-newspack_role":"","cap-user_email":"","cap-user_login":"","cap-website":"","cap-yahooim":"","newspack_article_summary":"","newspack_email_html":"","newspack_email_type":"","newspack_featured_image_position":"","newspack_hide_page_title":"","newspack_hide_updated_date":false,"newspack_post_subtitle":"","newspack_show_share_buttons":"","newspack_sponsor_byline_prefix":"","newspack_sponsor_disclaimer_override":"","newspack_sponsor_flag_override":"","newspack_sponsor_only_direct":"","newspack_sponsor_url":"","newspack_article_summary_title":"Overview:","newspack_show_updated_date":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[3,75],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"coauthors":[8767],"class_list":["post-78","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-music","tag-instagram","tag-festivals","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/262"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=78"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/65610"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=78"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=78"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=78"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_spnsrs_tax?post=78"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=78"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}