What Happened this Past Weekend? Brick Fest, Vromans and Sierra Madre Music

Brick Fest 2024 (Photo – Kayleigh Scott)

Here’s what we covered this past weekend.

By Kayleigh Scott

Brick Fest

The Pasadena Convention was swarming with Lego lovers of all ages this Saturday. These tiny plastic bricks have the ability to create physical masterpieces but clearly have created a massive community of people who love to build. Brick Fest is a convention just for Legos that has been running since 2009, hosting interactive ways for attendees to explore their favorite tiny toy.

Large Sculptural pieces were on display showing the ways that Lego can be much more than a toy. Mermaids and other mythical creatures come to life. Individual builders displayed their own creations, whether that be an extensive minifigure collection or hand-crafted towns of their own imagination. The display pieces included an educational Civil War recreation, Harry Potter’s Hogwarts, and even a 3 foot motorized Swiss army knife. Interactive exhibits were available for crafters of all ages. The largest of them was a Brick by numbers, where each guest could contribute a single plate of bricks to the cause to create one giant image.

The Summer Concert Series, July 13, 2024 (Photo – Kayleigh Scott)

Vromans x Pasadena Conservatory of music

Sounds of passionate precision filled the Vromans corridor on July 13^th. The Summer Concert Series was being hosted by the staple Pasadena bookstore. Pasadena Conservatory of music was on bill this time, with wonderful contemporary jazz performances from Danny Janklow on sax, Dan Stein on bass, Anthony Fung on drums, and Dennis Hamm on keys. PCM is a community music school for people in preschool to adults, with 40 years of teaching under their belt. This is their third year partnering with Vromans to bring fantastic music to the Pasadena community. Janklow and the band performed songs like Philifornia and other pieces written and arranged by Janklow himself, with amazing solos from each member. They also included four students of the program, performing the jazz classic “There will never be another you.” The Vromans Summer concert Series will continue for the remainder of the summer with another group from PCM joining them in two weeks.

Sierra Madre Summer Concerts in the Park (Photo – Daniel Peters)

The Tokens Brought Groove to Sierra Madre at Memorial Park

By Daniel Peters

From classic harmonies to the icon rifts of decades past, The Tokens brought the feel and groove of classic rock to Memorial Park in Sierra Madre this past Sunday.

Spearheaded by original Tokens member Phil Margo’s son, Noah (who toured with the original Tokens for over 25 years), the group of five guided people through Tokens history.  They played their hit songs along with songs produced by the band through their record company B. T. Puppy Records.

By far their most recognizable song, featured in the hit baseball classic The Sandlot, “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” was the main attraction to all those who attended Sunday night, and it had all singing along.

This was not the only iconic song the group of five played for the enthusiastic crowd. They incorporated songs ranging from the soothing melodies of Bob Marley to the 80’s classics of Bon Jovi, which ensured the crowd’s attention and created an engaging environment.

Overall, the upbeat music and environment brought by The Tokens were well received by Sierra Madre residents, and paved the way for the concerts being featured in the coming weeks.

Kayleigh Scott loves anything artistic and being oriented in the community. Daniel Peters is a local resident of Sierra Madre and enjoys spending time on that area’s abundance of hiking trails.