Surf-inspired sounds, danceable rock and a shared love for the environment brought four Southern California-based bands to charity benefit “Above the Bridge” on Oct. 15. The benefit, presented by Breakwater Productions, featured indie bands Where’s West?, Persona Non Grata, The Lucky Effect and Skylar and the Socks, with proceeds benefiting PADI AWARE’s ocean conservation efforts.
The students behind the show
Bringing those four acts together was itself a schoolUSC assignment.
USC students Whitney Enenstein, Ruby Wu, Padraic Carr and Mack Mallon organized the benefit as Breakwater Productions for MUIN 425: Live Concert Production and Promotion, a class in which students produce shows at Los Angeles venues. Enenstein, a junior, and Wu, a senior, both study music industry at the USC Thornton School of Music.
The concept began with a surf-rock show and grew into an ocean conservation benefit through the group’s shared interest in nature, hiking, diving and surfing.
“We wanted to connect the genre, bands and charity,” Enenstein said.
Planning began a little more than a month before the show. Enenstein estimated that the team contacted around two dozen20 to 25 artists through Instagram and email, working around availability and budgets to assemble the lineup.
Meet the band lineup that stuck and which of their songs to queue up first:
Where’s West?
Where’s West? draws nearly 48,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. The band brings together singer and guitarist Zan Curleigh, bassist Robbie Cullerton, keyboardist and vocalist Aidan Babuka Black and drummer West Hauser.
Curleigh calls their sound “dance-forward rock and roll,” combining inspiration from the 1960s and ’70s with disco, funk and electronic music. Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Daft Punk and Parcels are among their influences.
Cullerton sees the band’s goal for their shows is “curating an environment where people can come and just forget about what’s going on in their lives.”
The Los Angeles-based band met at Chapman University and has been together for about two years. College gigs and backyard shows grew into opportunities to play along the California coast. The band recently completed its first tour supporting West 22nd.
For listeners discovering Where’s West?, Cullerton recommended the band’s song “Something” as an upbeat introduction. Members also suggested their tracks “Stay” and “Need Your Love.”
Follow Where’s West? on Instagram and Spotify.
Persona Non Grata
With more than 400,000 Spotify streams on “PURPLE FISH,” guitarist and vocalist Finn Cragen’s project Persona Non Grata brings together a rotating cast of collaborators. At Above the Bridge, he performed with John Boell on drums and Ficus Boell on bass, guitar and vocals.
Their influences range from Dana and Alden and Brazilian musician Marcos Valle to Autolux, Queens of the Stone Age and jazz drummer Elvin Jones.
What’s their sound?
“Energy personified,” the Bowells said.
“It’s just a pure expression of that guy in particular,” John Boell said, referring to Cragen.
Cragen first saw the Boells perform at Sound Studios in Van Nuys while he was still in high school. He became a fan before eventually asking them to play with him.
To get acquainted with Persona Non Grata’s music, the group suggested its song “Mosquito,” while Cragen recommended “Hummingbird Dub.”
Follow Persona Non Grata on Instagram and Spotify.
The Lucky Effect
For The Lucky Effect, making music starts with enjoying it.
“We like writing things that are fun for us to play and fun for people to listen to, hopefully,” guitarist and vocalist Ian East said.
He plays alongside fellow guitarist and vocalist Moses Navarro, drummer Kai Miyasato and bassist and vocalist Patrick East. Their style? “Nirvana meets the Beatles,” as Patrick put it—fast, melodic rock with some weight behind it.
For Ian, the songwriting draws on love in its many forms: romantic relationships, friendships and an affection for the world around him.
“Love of the world, love of your neighbor, love of your friends,” he said.
The band recommends their song “Call It Love” for an upbeat introduction, or “Monet” for their slower side. Ian’s favorite is “Damn Special,” which Patrick described as an homage to late-1990s and early-2000s rock.
Follow The Lucky Effect on Instagram and Spotify.
Skylar and the Socks
Skylar and the Socks brings together indie rock and alt-country influences with one goal: make music that is fun to play, listen to and dance to.
Skyler Lewis began the project with a different lineup before connecting with drummer Jake Tanda through a December show at the Lodge Room. Bassist Lucia Pinotti later became another core member.
Their influences reach in different directions. Lewis cited Pavement and Beat Happening, while Pinotti looks to Vulfpeck bassist Joe Dart when developing bass lines.
“Even though it’s not specifically that genre, I like to write with him in mind,” Pinotti said. She also named Rush’s Geddy Lee as a major influence.
Tanda, a USC senior majoring in environmental studies at the Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, also minors in jazz, bringing another musical perspective to the group.
For a first listen, the band recommended its debut single, “Do You Ever?” They are also preparing to release their EP “Laid Back Rock Music” in December.
Follow Skylar and the Socks on Instagram and Spotify.
For Wu, organizing the concert offered a chance to take on the work she hopes to pursue after graduation.
“This is like exactly what I was hoping to learn when I chose this major, and I’m really glad that it’s happening,” Wu said.
The benefit was one of several shows students are producing for the class this semester. Keep an eye out for more concert announcements around campus this fall.