On a bright, Friday afternoon, 70 students across Cal State Monterey Bay (CSUMB) gathered at Divarty Quad, listening and dancing to three distinct rock bands at Otter Media’s first event of the academic year: a showcase.
Tomming Jerry opened the event, perfectly setting the stage with their upbeat surfer punk jams. Heads bobbed, and a group of listeners kicked a hacky sack to the beat, enjoying the tunes that matched the sunny, beachy vibes on campus.
Amayah Norwood, a visual arts major, was one of many smiling faces grooving right along to Tomming Jerry’s reverb and riffs. For her, it was an enjoyable evening filled with music and community.
“It’s a vibe. People all seem to be really enjoying the music, everyone here seems to have a genuine appreciation for music,” shared Norwood. “Otter Media, both artistically and collaboratively, brings us together. We need more events like this on this campus.”
The Mystic Souls took to the stage next, full of energy ready to engage with the crowd. The band’s camaraderie was palpable. Their set included a range of tunes from indie pop to a soul rock sort of energy. The band shared the spotlight amongst each band member, allowing each one to show off their musical talents.
Nathan Sadly, a music technology major and drummer for The Mystic Souls, said “It was fun. I mean, we are in such sync, it’s pretty crazy playing with those guys. It’s like hanging out with the best group of friends, on stage is just fun. That’s what you hope to end up doing for a living.”
When asked what his favorite part of performing is, Sadly said he enjoys connecting to the audience. “I want people to get something out of it if they listen, and I get a lot out of it when someone tells me they connected with this line, or this part of your song made me feel this way. It makes me think, ‘Good, that’s how I feel, I’m so glad you got it.’”
Tortured Habits headlined the event, bringing a self-deprecating and hardcore rock sound that contrasted the more relaxed music from the earlier bands. As the band grew louder and the sun began to set, some attendees at the front danced and moshed in perfect sync with the music.
Jillian Hintz, Otter Media’s live events manager and ethnic and gender studies major, said the showcase had a great student turnout and was the perfect start to the beginning of what she hopes will be a solid run of live events and concerts Otter Media has to offer.
“It was pretty chill vibes,” Hintz said. “We got to pick it up at the end and overall, [it was] an introduction of what we do.”