ASUU leaders hope this year’s Redfest concert will give students an opportunity to discover new artists in their community.
“The Local Show” will be on Friday, Sept. 18 on the Union Lawn, and will feature Static Waves, Larusso, House of Lewis and more. Students can look forward to hearing groups from along the Wasatch Front, representing several genres.
Static Waves is an indie rock band from Provo. Members include Jesse Williams for lead vocals, Austin Cross on guitar, Cade Tueller on bass and vocals, Justin Woods on the synth and Cory Beighley on drums.
Self-described as “the quintessential DIY band,” Larusso is a pop-punk band from Salt Lake City. The group consists of Tyler Grundstrom, Nick Sasich, Justin Trombetti and Aaron Condrat (a former U student). Drawing inspiration from bands like Blink-182 and Yellowcard, Larusso has played with The Almost, Transit, Go Radio and Cartel. The group was also selected to play on the Ernie Ball Stage at Warped Tour.
You may have seen House of Lewis performing with Flying Lotus and Run the Jewels at the Twilight Concert Series. The group was awarded the opportunity after winning Salt Lake City Weekly’s “Best Rappers of 2015” award. The band is a hip-hop collective comprised of emcees Apt, Atheist, Chance Lewis, Donnie Bonelli and Rhyme Time Television, as well as DJ ChuOnWax and DJ Skratchmo. The group has released eight projects.
Showcasing local musicians diverges from previous years when Redfest boasted big-name headliners, such as B.o.B. and Brand New. ASUU did not respond to requests for comments about their reasons for choosing the local bands or their method for selecting those bands.
Some students, however, are looking forward to this new direction.
“I think it’s an interesting step to take,” said Kody Coats, a junior in political science and sociology. “I haven’t heard of any of the bands, but I think that’s part of the beauty of it all. I could end up finding my new favorite artist.”
Austin Bundy, a sophomore in parks, recreation and tourism, has heard of Static Waves and is glad ASUU decided to give the spotlight to local artists because it gives bands an opportunity to “get some good exposure.”
Students can pick up two free tickets at the ASUU office (room 234 in the Union).
@idothejohnwayne