[photo credit: Levitt VIBE Pasadena Music Series]
The City’s event listing shows the series running every Saturday from July 11 through Sept. 12, with Troop and Jon B. on the closing date. Admission is free, and no ticket or registration is required, according to the series website. Gates open at 6 p.m. and the show starts about 6:30 p.m.
The troop’s roots are local. The group formed when five Pasadena teenagers — Rodney Benford, John Harreld, Allen McNeil, Steve Russell and Reggie Warren — won $1,000 on the televised talent show “Puttin’ on the Hits,” lip-syncing New Edition’s “Cool It Now,” according to the series website. They took a name meaning “Total Respect of Other People” and had a Top 5 R&B hit in 1988 with “Mamacita.” The 1989 album “Attitude” went gold behind the No. 1 R&B singles “Spread My Wings” and “All I Do Is Think of You.” Warren died in 2021.
Jon B., a singer, songwriter and producer, released the platinum albums “Bonafide” and “Cool Relax” and drew a Grammy nomination for best pop collaboration with vocals for “Someone to Love,” the series website says. Angie Fisher opens the evening on The Vibe Set, the local-artist showcase sponsored by Rose Bowl Stadium.
The nonprofit Pasadena Recreation and Parks Foundation presents the series with the City’s Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department and the Old Pasadena Management District. The season runs on a Levitt Family Foundation matching grant of up to $40,000 a year through 2028, awarded Nov. 18, 2025.
Organizers have tied the season to recovery from the Eaton Fire, which destroyed more than 9,000 structures across Altadena and parts of Pasadena in January 2025. Koko Panossian, the department’s director, said in a city news release that the partners set out to provide “free entertainment that is accessible to everyone.” Treasure Sheppard, the foundation’s president and chief executive officer, has said she wants the season to stand as “proof” of what free programming does to a public space.
Lawn chairs, blankets, coolers and outside food are allowed. Alcohol, glass containers, pets, pop-up tents and umbrellas are not. Accessibility accommodations can be requested at (626) 744-7311.
Saturday, Sept. 12, 6 to 10 p.m. Memorial Park Bandshell, 85 E. Holly St., Pasadena. For more call (626) 744-7500 or visit levittvibepasadena.org. Tickets: Free; no ticket or registration required.
