The sounds of epic drums, smooth guitars and impeccable vocals were heard throughout Reid as students made their way around the center on April 10. The source of the music was the bands Love Brunch and The Apricots, who performed on campus with the coordination of KWCW.
Max Browning, the general manager for KWCW, explained that The Apricots’ performance was organized after they reached out to Whitman. Two of the members from the band are Whitman alumni and worked alongside KWCW to set up the event, and the evening was part of KWCW’s broader initiative to revive the live music scene on campus.
“We’ve been really lucky this past semester with our budget and being able to have the money to bring on bands, and in the future we definitely want to continue doing that,” Browning said.
Traveling to Walla Walla from Portland, The Apricots’ songs blend soulful vocals and a calm yet mesmerizing backing instrumental. For Molly Everd, ’18, who plays piano for the band, returning to Whitman, where the band was created, made the April 10 performance extra special.
“It’s a very full circle moment you know, we didn’t know how it was gonna turn out when we formed a little band our senior year of college,” Evered said.
Chloe Serkissian, ’18, the band’s guitarist, also felt reflective returning to Whitman.
“It feels very nostalgic in a kind of intense way, like we haven’t been here in many years and it feels like we never left,” Serkissian said.
After Love Brunch, the band’s opener got the crowd pumped up. The Apricots played songs from their discography like “Want Me Too” and “I Don’t Think You Need Me Anymore,” which allowed the people who attended to get a glimpse of their music.
Nina Johanson, a junior who attended the show, expressed her support for KWCW’s initiatives to support small, local bands.
“I love Reid basement in general and when Reid basement does these kinds of things, especially with local bands,” Johanson said. “I just think the energy was so nice.”
The show also featured a merch table set-up featuring t-shirts, keychains and lighters for anyone to buy and help support them. For Serkissian, this showed how KWCW’s concerts help local bands get more of a following, giving them a platform to perform.
“I will say that one thing that is pretty amazing is the resources that Whitman has to bring bands here, that can be really sustaining for a band and can help bands who are struggling put some food in their mouths,” Serkissian said.
By bringing bands from local areas and supporting student bands, Whitman helps keep local talent alive, giving them venues to perform in as they grow in popularity and develop as artists.
“I’ve been there for Love Brunch since the beginning, their first ever gig was here at a house party, and because Whitman has given them so many performance opportunities, they were able to have their first album release party,” said Johanson. “I’m so proud to see how far they’ve come in just a year.”
Moving forward, KWCW hopes to have more of these events to showcase a wide variety of music and engage the community with different sounds, introducing them to new genres.
“I would love if [for] these bands, especially the smaller ones that we’re bringing in, if the Whitman or any community would come and support their music,” Browning said, showing KWCW’s commitment towards showcasing local talent and also their hopes for greater campus and community engagement for these events.
“I feel like there are so many awesome bands in Portland, Seattle and other places, it’s hard to get people to show up to events sometimes, but I think it’s so important to have music and a break,” Evered said.
Just like the concert’s closing on a high note, there are always ways to support small artists. So next time there’s a band performing, show up! There’ll be killer tracks and a great way for the community to bond over music.