Sonic Bloom Flowers From Historical Roots

Student concert on Swig Lawn draws student crowds for relaxed rocking out

As the sun dipped below Swig’s iconic roof last Friday, students swayed together on the lawn, enjoying live music and free food. Meandering post-class wanderers ambled in and out of the event–some drawn in by the herd of their peers and the medley of sounds, others just there to claim their cheeseburger fresh off the grills.

Sonic Bloom, a concert and barbecue hosted by radio station KSCU and the Activities Programming Board on the Swig Lawn, featured four student bands. Pluie, veterans of the Santa Clara scene, played alongside new performers Farmer Nick and the Crater Haterz, MJ Salanga and Valley of Eden. 

The music that boomed from the speakers set on either side of a temporary wooden stage took on a DIY quality as dusk settled. A cozy and intimate undertone pervaded the event as audience members snuggled into blankets with their friends. 

Other students danced in the crowd, soaking in the music along with their friends, while a handful boldly moshed to Pluie. The band played their original song “Mom,” which they announced had reached 1,000 streams on Spotify that day. 

Gonzalo Chun, lead singer and songwriter in Pluie shared that while the venue didn’t inspire the unruly crowds they’re used to, it was a unique experience to play on campus. 

“I remember looking at Swig,” Chun recalled, “and thinking, ‘I'm playing in front of fucking Swig right now.’”

Chun noted that while the location was tamer, more students were likely to stop by an on-campus event, building up their fanbase close to home. 

The collaboration of KSCU and the Activities Programming Board as well as the considerable crowd the event drew are indicative of a greater trend at Santa Clara–the rise of KSCU as a Chartered Student Organization that has managed to become both cool and relevant (rumor has it The Santa Clara is next). 

The station had a historical record of putting on concerts, but hasn't hosted one for the past 30 years. Jackson Giraudi, KSCU traffic director, shared that Spring Bloom ended that long hiatus.

“Believe it or not, back in the 90s, we had a concert in the California Mission Room of Benson with the Talking Heads and The Smashing Pumpkins,” elaborated Giraudi. “Understandably, the student body destroyed Benson. Since then, this has been the first show on campus. KSCU hasn’t been allowed to play for 30 years. So it's actually quite significant. It was really cool to be reconnected to history.”

Corrections

An earlier version of this article misspelled Jackson Giraudi’s name as Giarudi. Additionally, the Talking Heads never performed at Santa Clara.