Healing Force of the Universe

Healing Force of the Universe is a record store and event space at 1200 E. Walnut Street in Pasadena, opened in late 2023 by musician Austin Manuel and his partner Trevor Baade (owner of Jacknife Records & Tapes in Atwater Village). The name comes from Albert Ayler's 1969 jazz album, and the ethos of the space follows directly from that reference: music as community, healing, and discovery. The front section of the store doubles as a stage and listening room, with a couch, cushions, and chairs arranged around performers who play directly to an audience measured in dozens rather than hundreds. The programming is non-genre-specific and runs almost daily, drawing from the full range of contemporary and experimental music with an emphasis on jazz, folk, indie, avant-garde, and community-rooted performances. Artists who have performed include Jeff Parker, Kenny Wollesen, Reggie Watts, Mike Watt, and many others across a spectrum of styles. The store offers a membership program with tiered ticket discounts, and most shows are ticketed through DICE in the $15-$25 range. The store is open Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 6pm, with event doors typically opening at 8pm; the space is also available for rental during the week for workshops, classes, rehearsals, and community gatherings. The in-store model creates an intimacy that is genuinely different from a club: performers are in the room with the audience in a way that makes every show feel like a private session. Healing Force has quickly established itself as one of the most culturally ambitious small venues in the San Gabriel Valley, with a reach that extends into the Los Angeles music community broadly.