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Remember when Phil Spector said that Alhambra was a boring "hick town"? Well, Spector is certifiably crazy, so what does he know?
With the arrival of a new music festival, the city may be changing its image as a sleepy, suburban town (at least for one night). MainFest, which will take place on Alhambra's downtown Main Street, is slated for September 10 and will feature a dance-centric lineup of bands including Capital Cities, Miami Horror, and !!! (pronounced chk, chk, chk).
The lineup is nothing to sneeze at. Thanks to a slew of ubiquitous car ads, chances are that you've already heard some tracks by Capital Cities. Also, Miami Horror has graced both Coachella and Grand Theft Auto—the two major touchstones of our era— and !!! have long been revered in dance-punk circles.
I grew up in Alhambra, and I know firsthand that it's not uncommon for the city to host a summer concert with mainstays like The Beach Boys (sans Brian Wilson) or Pat Benatar (who I saw in Alhambra and had a fantastic time fist-pumping to "Love Is a Battlefield"). Miami Horror and !!!, however, bring a completely different vibe.
The festival is a joint production between Spaceland and Queen Vee, an event planning company helmed by Alhambra business owner Joanna Vargas. Festival posters say that there will also be a beer garden and food trucks.
Regarding those food trucks: you also have the option of hopping over to Chengdu Taste, Szechuan Impression, or 101 Noodle Express for dinner. All we ask is that you leave our fences alone.
Tickets are currently on sale at Ticketfly. They range from $25 to $60 The festival will run from 2 p.m. to midnight.
