The Warrior Grill at Stanislaus State recently held their very first live music event featuring local musician and active community member, Kayla Just. 

The event was held September 29th by the Warrior Grill patio. There were plenty of students in attendance, some of whom stopped by to enjoy good food and music, others played a round of pool, and some came solely to support and engage with the artist. 

Just has been performing in front of people for about four years with her music ranging from rock to R & B to rap, giving her audiences a wide variety of everything. For her Warrior Grill performance she played some covers of well-known songs like “Meet Me at Our Spot” by The Anxiety and “She Will Be Loved” by Maroon 5.

Erika Ocegueda (Junior, English) shared her thoughts on the event and what she was looking forward to the most.

“I was looking forward to hearing the artist cover familiar songs,” she said. “I was not disappointed. I enjoyed her version of MGMT’s Electric Feel. It was pretty fun, I’m glad I went with some friends.” 

Just plays her covers and original music throughout the 209 area, normally playing for older crowds at breweries and wineries, but Stan State was the very first university she has ever performed at. 

“I was intimidated as a musician because normally I can see the age of the crowd and know they’re older, they like the old stuff,” Just said. “You’re a young crowd. You always gauge towards your audience.”

She always plays toward her audience, she said, which is actually beneficial to her as a musician. 

“When I think about it, it makes me strong because my audience is different every week,” she said. “When I come back to my sound I’m eclectic on everything.” 

In between songs Just took the time to engage with students by asking for song recommendations, telling stories and cracking jokes with those around her, making for an uplifting the atmosphere.

Riley Pukey, (junior, English) and his friends were very active and engaged during Just’s performance by singing along and giving a song recommendation to her. 

“The artist is really great. She’s very direct with the crowd and definitely gives the feeling of a comfortable live music performance,” Pukey said. “A lot of people just get on stage, do their songs as fast as possible, and leave but she’s actually talking with the crowd, doing recommendations. I would love if they did this again.”  

Just continued with her performance by singing a few more songs and even going past her set time. She gave a passionate performance and showed community values through her stories and experiences with other musicians.

“I loved this vibe so much. I am all about community, that’s one thing about me,” she said. “I will come out and help any community that I am a part of. I will promote and help you guys [The Warrior Grill] out.”   

The Warrior Grill and ASI began working to make this live event happen prior to COVID-19. Two years later, the building’s first live performance was a success. 

With the start of the new semester, students can look forward to seeing more live events at The Warrior Grill. If you have an idea of an artist you would like to see perform there, you may leave your suggestions with ASI.

If you would like to check out Kayla Just and her music, her Instagram handle is @thekaylajust. She is always updating on when her next live performance is.