Summer Arts Crawl Brings Out South Pasadena Night Life

Quarterly festival showcases South Pasadena businesses and community

PHOTO: Cyndi Bemel | Annika Buxman of De Milo Design Studio & Letterpress demonstrating using a Chandler & Price press built in 1895 | SouthPasadenan.com

The South Pasadena Summer Arts Crawl attempted something truly magical this weekend: cultivate a night life in the sleepy City of Trees. Dozens of South Pasadena businesses stayed open later than usual to host galleries, meet-and-greets and offer free refreshments. There were multiple stages for live music in front of The Munch Company, Arroyo Outdoor and The South Pasadena Music Center & Conservatory, among others. Attendance was noticeably lacking throughout the night but between beer tastings and short set times, there were pockets of activity throughout the night.

PHOTO: Julian Prime | Staff Journalist | SouthPasadenan.com | Maya Crain shows off her prize from The Maya Salon’s free giveaway

One of these isolated areas was the Scout’s Honor show outside of Bungalow 1026. Hidden down a back alley, young adults made up the bulk of the crowd with the occasional confused Gen Xer popping in. The music had soul; it was an intimate experience with the audience with no amplifier needed for the drums. Brothers Andres and Jon Paul Arciniega play drums and guitar, respectively (Jon Paul sings as well). Bandmate Tim Franco played the bass hidden behind a large palm leaf.

“Playing at the Arts Crawl was especially great compared to our other shows because we got to perform in our hometown in front of people we love and people we know,” drummer Andres Arciniega said. “We got to see familiar faces and nothing’s better than having your hometown cheer you on.”

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PHOTO: Julian Prime | Staff Journalist | SouthPasadenan.com | Shenping Wang’s art hung in the Library Community Room

The show was small, less than an hour long and played for friends of the band more than anyone else, but it was a turning point in the band’s progression as a unit.

“This was our first show coming back together as a band,” Arciniega said. “The crowd’s reaction and the overall vibe of it was great. It looks like we’ll be playing a lot more shows in the future.”

PHOTO: Julian Prime | Staff Journalist | SouthPasadenan.com | Judy Ying plays the Guzheng for a packed audience in the Library Community Room

Another noteworthy exhibition was the Chinese-themed showcase in the Library Community Room. Artist Shenping Wang’s paintings and sculptures were enveloped by Judy Ying’s Guzheng performance in front of a packed crowd.

PHOTO: Julian Prime | Staff Journalist | SouthPasadenan.com | Jon Paul and Andres Arciniega of Scout’s Honor perform at Bungalow 1026