MUSIC: Poly bands put together an entertaining fundraiser.
By Shelby Clemons and Stephen Park, Staff Writers
On Saturday night, in the basement of the downtown coffee shop Back to the Grind, Poly students, alumni and parents gathered for a night of music and fundraising. Poly band drum major Grahme A. Meneses (11) organized the show as a fundraiser for the band. “I got the idea last year when I helped club green. I booked all the bands, the venue, and I ran the whole show,” he said.
All proceeds go to the Poly band, which requires $80,000 a year to run for a full season. “I figured this would be fun and wouldn’t take much effort from the band,” Meneses said.
Among the line-up were current Poly students as well as alumni, many of which are or were members of band. Leading the way was the pop-punk group To One in Paradise, entertaining the crowd with lyrics like “Friends don’t let friends vote for Mitt Romney.” Though they were unlike the other bands in terms of genre, they set the stage for a pleasurable, impressive show.
Following their lead was Three Piece Suit, composed completely of current Poly students, including Meneses as the lead singer. The ska band got the crowd on their feet and dancing to songs like Sublime’s “Badfish.” The band’s saxophonist Nathan LaPré (12) said, “The turnout was excellent! Though very musky and sweaty, the venue was quite engaging! When it came our time to perform, we went onstage and poured our hearts into it.”
Up next was the indie-rock band Spiral Sons, a favorite among frequent attendees of these basement shows. They urged the crowd to make the $7 worth it and the crowd happily responded by dancing, singing along and generally keeping the show going.
Last was the star of the show, The b Sharps, another ska band. With an electrified crowd and some killer music, like covers of “Free Bird” and “Wipeout,” they ended the night on a high note, with the crowd even begging for an encore.
It was a night to remember and raised over $700 for band. “A cursory glance around the room during our performance revealed to me a room full of smiles. But then again, who can help but smile while listening to ska?” LaPre said of the show’s success. Be sure to listen for the upcoming acoustic show in February and another show at the end of the year.
Photos by Shelby Clemons/Poly Spotlight