South Pasadena is welcoming a new venue with one of the music industry’s most prolific promoters at the helm.
Sid the Cat, whose love of music and DIY spirit has powered local shows since 2015, will finally have a more stable home with the opening of Sid the Cat Auditorium.
The Los Angeles suburb of South Pasadena boasts numerous historical buildings and charm, but lacks a solid concert spot, so the new addition will bring a new space for music in the community. Sid the Cat Auditorium will sit across the street from the South Pasadena Public Library, which is already equipped with ample parking for local and traveling music lovers. The new venue will be part of a revitalization of the former South Pasadena Elementary School, which was initially built in 1885, rebuilt in 1928 and decommissioned as a school in 1979.
Music performances will take place in the school’s original auditorium located in the east wing, which has been upgraded with a state-of-the-art sound system and can accommodate an audience of up to 500. Sid the Cat Auditorium will also be equipped with a covered arcade, patio and a full bar set up in one of the school’s original classrooms. In addition, the music venue in the elementary school will house the coffee roastery, the Boy and the Bear, District Brewing Co., and the fourth location of the Michelin-starred taqueria, Villa’s Tacos.
Sid the Cat has been the promoter behind many concerts since launching nearly a decade ago. The events have centered on indie gems, including Bright Eyes, boygenius, Phoebe Bridgers, Jackson Browne, Waxahatchee, Jim James, Khruangbin, Mac DeMarco, Kate Nash, and Ty Segall.
Most of the shows have been held in several venues, including Permanent Records Roadhouse, the Highland Park Ebell Club, the Ojai Valley Woman’s Club, Pioneertown’s Pappy & Harriet’s and even a recent free live music show at South Pasadena’s annual street fair.
Sid the Cat’s events have built a loyal following of fans who are spreading the word of the new music venue and promoting ways on social media to help raise money for the space. The company website is raising money via GoFundMe to help offset the costs of construction and offering customized bar stools with donor names, as well as yearly and lifetime memberships.