Too busy to make it out to a show? No worries, KCSS and Chartwells are bringing the shows to campus. Feb. 12 kicked off a new music series inside the Warrior Grill, and Midweek Music will continue to bring a sampling of favorite local bands every other Wednesday at 1 p.m. until the final show on May 14.
Last semester, Darris Bishel (senior, Business Administration) of KCSS started pondering the idea of how to create more avenues for local musicians to share their music with the campus. This semester, he made it happen.
KCSS hosts two large shows – Rocksgiving and The Band Stand – every year, but with new talent mushrooming in the valley faster than the laundry piles on my floor, more music series are becoming necessary to support so many players in the local scene.
If many of these bands have familiar names, that’s because KCSS featured quite a few of them at last year’s Rocksgiving. Or it might be because KCSS has been working so hard to ensure that local talent has a place to interact with the community.
“We wanted to do more and offer local musicians more opportunities to share their music,” Bishel said. “At the same time, we were trying to come up with ways to get more connected with different organizations on campus.”
The line-up includes a few new names as well. The Stage Coach Drifters and singer-songwriter Maricela Rivera are both fresh talent for the KCSS roster. Rivera’s voice drips like warm caramel on lullabies. Unfortunately for those who missed it, she headlined the show on Feb. 12. We can only hope that she comes back for a repeat performance in the fall.
The Stage Coach Drifters feature the sultry-voiced Tony Trevino, a former MAMA (Modesto Area Music Awards) winner, and bring a more lively sound. They are one of the leading rockabilly bands here in town (I wonder if the Warrior Grill will clear out a space to dance?) and are scheduled to play March 14.
Chartwells will have happy hour food and beer specials to accompany the acts; seating might be limited, however, as the series has already gathered a fairly large turnout.
Midweek Music will have bands featuring acoustic versions of their songs, because, well – music soothes the savage student. For more detailed show information, visit KCSS’s Facebook page.