Bringing the Band Back to Santa Clara
Alum takes his new band Meyruto his old school
Alicia McNamara
The Santa Clara
May 16, 2019
(Facebook) Meyru, an East Coast-based indie rock group fronted by alum Nic Grunewald,gave the Santa Clara community a cool and catchy live concert to kick off May.
Looking for a fresh take on classic rock?
Meyru is an up-and-coming indie rock band from New York City. And to make it that much better, it just so happens that the group’s lead singer is a Santa Clara alum.
Nic Grunewald graduated Santa Clara in 2017, and he now sings lead vocals and plays guitar for Meyru.
Currently, the band is preparing to tour the rest of the country. The band’s grungy vocals and guitar chords are reminiscent of Beck and the Arctic Monkeys. To no surprise, the group’s catchy rock melodies and foot-tapping bass lines have garnered much attention on the East Coast within the past year.
While Meyru has played at several music venues like New York’s Rockwood Music Hall and recently San Francisco’s Brick and Mortar, the band gave a casual yet entertaining performance at Buffalo on Lafayette Street on May 2.
On Friday night, Santa Clara students and alumni of all ages gathered around Grunewald, who announced that he was “so happy to be back at his old stomping grounds to play with and for his friends.”
Meyru’s onstage comradery and chemistry could be felt through every guitar riff and especially the group’s “un-choreographed” choreography.
Simply put, Meyru created a fun environment where music lovers could enjoy lively indie rock after the midterm pressures of Week Five. Each band member had an endearing stage presence that charmed the crowd with each song. Grunewald sang with leading confidence and charisma, and his bandmates played their instruments with authenticity and zeal.
On a makeshift wooden stage, they performed several covers of beloved rock anthems, including the Beatles’ “Oh! Darling” and the Strokes’ “Last Nite.” The group added a new-wave, garage sound to these timeless, vocal-heavy tracks.
In fact, Grunewald mentioned that the Strokes and Interpol have had a huge influence on their music, which can be seen in their soon-to-be released album “Good to See You.”
With infectious enthusiasm and contagious energy, the group debuted their first single “Running Day Dreams” among other songs from their new album “Good to See You.” Senior Joe Salazar said, “I think it’s awesome that they played songs that they are going to put on their next album.”
Under colorful string lights and over the cheers and chatters from the crowd, the band played on as Santa Clara students in the front row danced and sang along.
In between songs, Grunewald would poke fun at the “baby broncos” in the crowd, recalling his time at the university. It really is inspiring seeing an SCU alum doing what they love and sharing their passion with the community back at Santa Clara.
Not to mention, it was heartening to see so many Broncos at the concert welcoming and supporting Meyru.
Grunewald and his bandmates are great examples of determination and creativity, and the importance of pursuing your passion.Interestingly, Meyru has been working with Dan Millice, a known sound engineer for hiphop artists such as A$AP Rocky and 50 Cent, who has helped tailor their sound to go beyond the indie rock realm.
“It was great to see Nic enjoying himself on stage, especially when he was joined by his little sister Kelly for ‘Valerie’ by Amy Winehouse,” senior Bo Kendall said. “It was really amazing to see so many SCU alums come out to see him at Buffalo and at the San Francisco show.”
Meyru’s single “Running Day Dreams” can be streamed on Spotify, and the group is playing two shows this summer in New York.
For those who will be on the East Coast and looking for energetic live music shows, check out Meyru at the Bowery Ballroom in August.
Contact Alicia McNamara atamcnamara@scu.edu or call (408)554-4852.