“I never, never, never saw so many people in my whole life.”
This is what Jenny Lewis said after singing “I Never” about halfway through Rilo Kiley’s set Saturday night, and yeah, it makes sense. The last time the L.A. natives played their hometown was the summer of 2008, for what turned out to be their then-final show. The band split shortly after due to the romantic and creative tensions between Lewis and lead guitarist Blake Sennett. And with Lewis since moving onto a successful solo career, it felt likely to remain their final show.
So this reunion was a surprise to everyone, including Lewis, who at one point told the audience: “It’s amazing to be here with you all, but mostly…” She then gestured to her bandmates and said: “It’s amazing to be here with you all.”
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They picked the right time, though. Their music remains hugely influential on both modern indie (Phoebe Bridgers) and pop (Olivia Roderigo) music, while fans from their original run are now in their 30s and 40s and ready to revisit the songs that provided a caustically witty soundtrack to the flirtations, relationships, and heartbreaks of their 20s.
To put it simply, Rilo Kiley was the clear draw of this year’s Just Like Heaven, the annual Pasadena music festival dedicated to the indie rock and electropop of the 2000s/early 2010s. Or, in terms of mood and aesthetics, making the Rose Bowl’s Brookside Park feel like the 2005 Coney Island Siren Music Festival. As someone in his mid-40s who loves indie rock (and was at those old Siren Festivals), every detail of the fest felt catered to me, from the food to the merch to a dance floor where the very same DJ I danced to every weekend in my 20s was spinning.
Bands started playing at noon, but the nearly 100-degree heat kept the daytime crowds thinner than years past. Which was a shame, because the temperature didn’t stop most artists from giving it all on stage. London’s Block Party played their first US show in years, with lead singer Kele Okereke showing (across hits like “Helicopter” and “This Modern Love”) that his voice can still go from sharp post-punk speak-singing to soaring theatricality on a dime.
Perfume Genius, a newer artist by this festival’s standards, swayed and sashayed with emotional vocals and and core-defying moves even during sun’s hottest hour. The also recently reunited TV On The Radio delivered a tight, propulsive set and (surprisingly) the only political messages of the day, with an intro of “Fuck these fascists comma fuck these fascists comma fuck these fascists comma fuck these fascists ” for “Trouble” and guitarist Kyp Malone’s “Somebody I Love is Palestinian” T-shirt.
However, by 8:40pm, the sun was down and the crowds seemed to have doubled in size for Rilo Kiley. More than that, from the first notes of “The Execution of All Things,” the audience was re-energized and ready to dance. The band returned this energy in kind, as across the next hour, you’d never guess this group hadn’t played regularly together for years. From a brightly shimmering “Wires and Waves” to a darkly grooving “The Moneymaker,” they played songs from all their albums, even going back to their early cult hit “Frug,” complete with Lewis doing the song’s signature dance moves and the audience joining her bandmates for their backing vocals.
Numbers like this and the indie rock torch-song “I Never” were dramatically thrilling reminders of why Jenny Lewis was and still is the queen of her scene (hence her actual tiara). Her every gesture and expression made the audience go wild. She elicited cheers with a mere eyebrow raise on “Paint’s Peeling,” made hearts swoon with a kiss and middle finger during “Does He Love You?”’s explosive outro, and got the crowd singing for “With Arms Outstretched” to only then immediately silence them for the start of “A Better Son/Daughter.” Maybe it’s her past as an actor, but Lewis knows exactly what choice to make in each moment to work an audience.
This wasn’t a Jenny Lewis solo show, though, as her bandmates shined just as brightly. Sennet effortlessly commanded the crowd on each guitar solo and his lead vocal number “Dreamworld.” The lively interplay between him, bassist Pierre de Reeder, and drummer Jason Boesel was infectious, too. From the easy flow to the genuine smiles, all four members seemed to be having what you want most from a favorite band on their reunion tour: fun.
By the time they closed with their “our relationship is fucked, isn’t it?” anthem “Portions For Foxes,” Rilo Kiley’s set had been so electric and fulfilling that, honestly, it’s hard to figure out why they weren’t the headliners. Nothing was going to top them, especially not on their turf.
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