[photo credit: Eventbrite]
The open-air space in the heart of Old Pasadena — modeled after a European town square, according to the Old Pasadena Management District — has hosted a run of free concerts called “Sunset Sessions” on select Fridays since June, pairing live music with a bar program from Javier’s, the upscale Mexican restaurant that opened at the center in late 2025. On August 14, the series features Pocket Change, a trio whose sound pulls from funk, jazz, hip-hop, and neo-soul, according to the band.
Pocket Change describes itself as a trio that “delivers a unique sonic journey that transcends the current conception of genre,” drawing from funk, jazz, dance, electronica, Latin, and Afro beat. The band members are Hunter Bragg on drums, John Hooper on keyboards, and Hunter Hartmann on bass and guitar.
August 14 is the fifth of six dates in the Sunset Sessions series, which launched June 12 and has featured a different act each session. Stefan Poole opened the series, followed by Carly O’Neill, Healing Gems, and Morgan St. Jean. The finale, on August 28, features Caught A Ghost, an indie electro soul band from Los Angeles.
Javier’s, which hosts the bar program for the series, is the eighth location for the restaurant chain and its third in Los Angeles County, according to WhatNow LA. The Pasadena location moved into the former Il Fornaio space at 24 West Union Street within the One Colorado center. The venue has hosted similar summer courtyard concert series in prior years, including events in 2021 and 2023, according to Pasadena Now.
Sunset Sessions | Live Music & Libations featuring Pocket Change takes place at the One Colorado Courtyard, 41 Hugus Alley, Pasadena, CA 91103, on Friday, August 14, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Admission is free and the event is open to all ages. RSVPs are requested through Eventbrite at eventbrite.com/e/sunset-sessions-live-music-libations-tickets-1989049589867. The bar program is open to guests 21 and older. Parking is available at the One Colorado Parking Structure at 30 East Union Street, and Old Pasadena’s Park & Walk garages offer the first two hours for $1, according to the Old Pasadena Management District. The Metro A Line serves Memorial Park and Del Mar stations, both within two blocks of the venue, according to the district. For more information, call 626-564-1066 or visit onecolorado.com/events.
Two weeks from now, the Courtyard goes quiet for another year. The music, for now, is still playing.
