Bay Area Musicians You Need to Check Out
Photo Credit: Photo provided Mount Saint Elias
Amanda Cutrer
Music is one of the most important aspects of human culture; it brings us together and really makes us feel. Music is all around us, but sometimes discovering new artists can be a challenge. Within the Bay Area, there are a myriad of talented musicians waiting to be discovered. With the cancellation of most of their gigs due to COVID-19, supporting the work of local musicians in other ways can be a wonderful way to help people within the community. Here are some Bay Area musicians that everyone should get to know.
Lot 49
Lot 49 is a reggae inspired indie pop/R&B band based in the Bay Area. It is composed of Ryan Viera, the singer/songwriter and guitarist, Matt Vazquez, the bass player, and Jai Dhar, the drummer, all of whom were born and raised in the Bay.
“I feel like our music can best be described as relatable, raw, and real, without being depressing or overly emotional. People have always described our style as chill, and I think the reggae element brings that beach vibe into the picture that we all grew up loving,” said lead singer Ryan Viera.
Born out of a love for West-coast reggae, Lot 49’s sound is defined by mid-tempo beats, catchy melodies, and lush chiming guitars.
Their 12 song album, Deja Vu, was written, recorded, and produced in Viera’s studio apartment and released in March of 2020. The pandemic didn’t give the band the chance to play these songs live, but they have been writing more music and preparing a performance set for when the time comes.
Photo Credit: Photograph provided by Lot49
The Quilters
Having grown up in a family of seven homeschooled kids, band members Ray Porter and Jerome Porter spent most of their childhood playing music and surfing as opposed to doing traditional work.
“Our dad grew weed and worked in restaurants to support the fam, while our mom stayed home and homeschooled the kids,” said Porter.
This led them to meeting multi-instrumentalist Iam Bhisitkul while surfing, and meeting drummer and vocalist Dorian Cunningham in the San Francisco Boys Chorus.
The four of them started creating and releasing alternative music and playing shows around the Bay Area.
COVID-19 has prevented them from going to play small clubs and venues, but they have started live-streaming concerts from home. You can sign up to get invited to their monthly shows through their Instagram bio.
First in Flight:
First in Flight is a dance rock band heavily influenced by 80s music. However, First in Flight utilizes plenty of styles.
“Two of the members are jazzheads and the other two are metalheads, so naturally we incorporate plenty of other influences. Imagine if Metallica and Panic! at the Disco got into a bar fight. That’s what we sound like,” said lead singer Pat McClosky.
The band is composed of McClosky, Max Huss on the drums, David Topete on bass, and Richard Mier on guitar.
Live shows have been hugely important for them, and the band consistently toured 3-4 times per year before the pandemic. Now, they are focusing on making new music and developing a presence on social media.
If you’re looking to get into the music, “Chopsticks and Champagne [is a song that really represents us],” said McClosky. “It’s got rock guitar, slap bass, a catchy chorus, a rap, 80s synths, and a great groove. It’s us through and through.”
Alvin Mata:
Alvin Mata is a multi-instrumentalist who plays piano, guitar, ukulele and drums, but having played the instrument for 22 years, saxophone is his main focus.
Mata is part of Mr. Mego, a reggae inspired band he founded with a friend. He also posts covers on YouTube and enjoys playing gigs around the Bay Area.
The pandemic has affected his performances, but he can still focus on his main goal of creating his own music.
“My main project lately has been my original music. I am currently in the process of recording an album of all original songs,” said Mata. “COVID affected myself and all of my musician friends equally- no gigs, cancelled lessons, etc. However, a lot of people including myself started building and recording from our home studios.”
Analog Dog:
Analog Dog, a five-piece rock/pop/psychedelic jazz fusion band based in San Francisco, explores a wide range of instrumental tones, and utilizes the diverse musical background of each member to create new and interesting music.
Composed of Austin Wasielewski, Rob Nicol, Steven Jenny, Jason Blasingame, and Eric Foster, all of whom play too many instruments to list, the band is able to create unique sounding pieces.
“We had only been together for about eight months before the pandemic struck, but despite that, we have been able to utilize the tools of the internet to continue to grow our audience and get our music into people’s ears,” said band vocalist, guitarist, and pianist Austin Wasielewski.
“We were lucky to play a fair amount of shows around SF & the Bay Area before the shut-downs at notable venues such as Amnesia, Stork Club, Hotel Utah & other local favorite spots,” stated Wasielewski.
The band now holds live streams and is working on new music. Check out their debut music video for “Product Pivot” filmed in the streets of San Francisco: Product Pivot Music Video
Mount Saint Elias:
Singer/songwriter Joey Choe believes that his home state, Kentucky, is where the band Mount Saint Elias, finds much of its inspiration.
“We describe [our music] as indie folk/indie rock. It's rooted in the folk music I played growing up in Kentucky like John Prine and Josh Ritter, but influenced heavily by my love of indie and experimental rock like Wilco and Radiohead,” said Choe. His bandmates Luna Fuentes and Josiah Johnson met in Oakland, California, and decided to make music fusing Bay Area inspired tones and indie influence.
They played a lot of shows before COVID-19. “Post COVID, we've adapted by buying a battery powered PA and moving our practices outside to Lake Merritt,” said Choe. “We also went on a COVID-safe porch-tour called ‘Porchella,’ where we played on our friends' porches to audiences in their yards around the state.”
The band is planning to release their debut album in 2021. Until then, you can listen to their latest single “Juicy Love.” The song is dedicated to vocalist and former bandmate, Tatyana Schmid, who was tragically killed in a bicycle accident in the Oakland hills.
Photo Credit: Photo provided by Ian Santillano
Ian Santillano:
Multi-instrumentalist Ian Santiallano was born and raised in Hayward, California. He first found a love for music by teaching himself how to play the guitar, but this passion grew as he took lessons and studied jazz and music theory while majoring in computer engineering at Santa Clara University.
Santillano’s music takes inspiration from funk, soul, and jazz, using melodic rhythms and guitar solos as staples in his songs. Writing, producing, and playing all of his music himself, Santillano has been able to pour himself into his work.
He is also a member of ‘The Housewarmers,’ a band composed of himself and his talented best friends. “The band has been a little out of sorts with the extreme lack of performances,” said Santillano. “But we tried our best to connect by doing a ‘Twitch World Tour’ in 2020. I set out to connect to an audience virtually and it came through very nicely.”
Santillano’s bandmates include Pablo Lopez on bass, Jenny Hughes on keyboard, LASI on bass, and Terry Lewis II on sax; all five are still making music and performing whenever they get the chance.
