WoodSCtock


Sheltered from the brutal late afternoon sun by a canopy of leafy trees, E.F. Hutton Park and Founders Park provided a very un-USC-like setting for the second annual KSCR Fest on Sunday. In fact, the event felt more like an off-campus music festival as curious music lovers and ardent band supporters flocked to the grassy Annenberg Amphitheater and lounged on picnic blankets, smoked cigarettes and indulged in a talented set list of bands.

Opening the festivities at 4 p.m. was the four-man student band, The Smiles. The energetic quartet admitted to a surprisingly large early crowd that it was abandoning its planned acoustic set for a more lively performance.

A group of admiring fans gleefully danced along as The Smiles proceeded to treat the audience to an infectious set of sunny pop-rock tunes. Its closing song “Coca-Cola,” a toe-tapping tribute to the sugary soft drink, drew enthusiastic applause that rivaled any received by the following acts.

Though the music festival is only in its second year, staff members of the student-run radio station, KSCR, could not have been more pleased with the improvements made over last year’s show and the event’s increasing popularity.

Sponsored raffles for music, movie posters and books were held throughout the night. Thirsty fans gravitated toward the tent sponsored by Vitaminwater to wash down free chilled refreshments while D.J.s from both KSCR and Dublab contributed to the event’s palpable energy in between performances.

“We have definitely improved our promotion campaign for the event, especially online and on the airwaves,” said Zachary Wolf, KSCR general manager and a senior majoring in English and minoring in music industry. “The students at KSCR put this all together. They’re the ones that run the show. We’re really pleased to see a lot more people here this year at the beginning of the show to see the acoustic sets. That’s really a testament to all the hard work that the students have put into this show’s promotion and preparation. We love introducing people to new music, and its great that students can come see these performances for free.”

KSCR D.J. Alex Yen, a sophomore majoring in art history, seconded Wolf’s thoughts on the benefits of the locally themed music festival.

“It’s a really good show since we can showcase a lot of awesome local bands,” Yen said. “The Smiles are an excellent example of a band that can benefit greatly from the KSCR Fest. Our venue allows for a lot more people to be introduced to their music and come watch them perform than if they just played at Ground Zero.”

For the majority of the bands, it was a welcome sight to be playing in front of a hometown crowd. After learning of Rumspringa’s cancellation earlier in the week, Chasing Kings jumped at the chance to play at KSCR Fest after returning from last week’s South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas.

“This is our first show back where we can smell the Pacific Ocean, and it’s a beautiful day,” proclaimed Chasing Kings’ lead singer Matt Schwartz after the group played its first song.

The alternative rock band’s passionate performance impressed concertgoers. Many newly converted fans swarmed the band’s table to purchase its EP after listening to the set of stomping beats, rattling keys and crunchy guitar riffs.

As the night progressed, the diversity of musical talent present at the KSCR Fest was met with varying degrees of enthusiasm. The British pop-rock-influenced Princeton was decidedly distant to its audience and its performance was met with an equally reserved response from the crowd.

Once the sun set, attendees moved toward the stage like flies to a porch light. The grunge-infused psychedelic surf rock of the aptly named the Growlers piqued the crowd’s attention, and  though there was not a fog machine in sight, the mass of fans sat in a smokey haze.

The combination of reggae-influenced bongo drums and guitars with lead singer Brooks Nielsen’s rough-as-sandpaper vocals resulted in a much-deserved encore performance. The Oh Sees and The Entrance Band were also huge hits. Trance-inducing guitar solos and atmospheric wails gave The Entrance Band a Zeppelin-esque quality to their performance.

With the event’s increasing popularity in just its second year, the KSCR Fest could benefit from a move to the more accommodating McCarthy Quad. However, its free admission and wide variety of music make it a welcome campus concert addition for those students waiting for Springfest in April.