Toro y Moi Brings Feel-Good Funk & Indie Cool to Just Like Heaven
If there was one set at Just Like Heaven Festival on May 10th that felt like the perfect bridge between chill indie nostalgia and full-on dancefloor vibes, it was Toro y Moi. Chaz Bear — the multi-talented mastermind behind the project — delivered one of the afternoon’s most effortlessly fun and subtly electrifying performances, reminding everyone why he’s long been one of indie’s most genre-blurring, underrated treasures.
From the opening notes, it was clear this was going to be a highlight. The Pasadena sun was shining, the crowd was ready, and Toro y Moi kicked things off with a groove-heavy jam that immediately got bodies moving. Throughout the set, Chaz and his tight, endlessly cool band breezed through a wide-ranging selection of tracks from his impressively eclectic discography.
Fans were treated to beloved hits like “Ordinary Pleasure,” “Freelance,” and “So Many Details,” all delivered with a slightly funkier, live-band twist that gave the songs new life in the outdoor festival setting. The crowd, already warmed up by earlier sets, fully surrendered to the irresistible grooves, turning the grassy expanse at Brookside at the Rose Bowl into a sun-soaked dance party.
What made this set sing was its variety — Toro y Moi effortlessly weaved between sleek synth-pop, laid-back chillwave nostalgia, nu-disco bops, and psychedelic funk. It was a reminder of just how expansive Chaz’s catalog has become over the years, and how naturally his sound translates to the big, communal energy of a festival crowd.
The band’s chemistry was undeniable, the sound was crisp, and the whole performance felt like the ideal festival moment — lighthearted, nostalgic, and driven by a steady pulse of feel-good energy. Fans old and new danced, sang along, and soaked in every shimmering note.
Toro y Moi might not have had the day’s flashiest set, but it was undoubtedly one of the most fun. A high-energy, career-spanning performance that hit all the right notes and left the crowd grinning and grooving. Just Like Heaven lived up to its name in those 40 minutes — and Chaz Bear was the one guiding us there.
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