By Lily Perez |Staff Writer|
The coffee shop, Back to the Grind located in downtown Riverside welcomed Indie artists to their basement stage on Jan. 11.
This coffee shop draws in many because of its atmosphere, amazing coffee and support of the arts.
Great Ghosts, Sheep’s Head, Suzie’s Dead, Ancient Crux, and The Big Nothing all infused the audience with their eclectic sounds.
Electric beats, soothing acoustic folk ballads to the overpowering sound of drums and bass for all those mosh pit enthusiasts.
Each band had something unique to offer the audience .
“I don’t know any of the bands but I have been here once before and needed something to do tonight, so I knew this would be a cool place to check out and the bands are cool, so I’m having fun,” said Sarah Burdett.
Back to the Grind is definitely a cool place to check out because you’re bound to stumble upon something great and discover amazing local artists.
The night took off with Great Ghosts, whose performance set the mood for the night.
Their combination of bass, drums and guitar got the crowd moving and dancing along to their feel good upbeat songs.
Their witty banter between songs was at times as entertaining to hear and see as their musical performance.
These five likeable quirky characters were a thrill to watch and made audience members effortlessly connect to their rhythm and soul.
Sheep’s Head soon after took the stage and slayed the audience with their overpowering sound of bass and drums.
Their set was definitely different from the opening act but none the less a pleasure to watch.
This twosome played with great intensity leaving every drop of sweat they had on stage.
Hector Sicairos, who goes by his stage name Suzie’s Dead drew everyone in with his intimate and revealing acoustic folk set.
Sicairos, who stepped away from the microphone for his entire set, penetrated audience members with his powerful voice and his guitar, Suzy.
His heartfelt lyrics of love and survival connected with audience members, despite often appearing nervous and even forgetting his lyrics.
Suzie’s Dead open and honest set made audience members want to root for him to the very end.
Ancient Crux picked up right where Great Ghost left off and lifted everyone’s spirits with their upbeat melodies causing audience members to sway in their seats and for some to dance on the floor.
The night came to a close with The Big Nothing, whose electric set left audience members in a happy mood and ended the night with the same upbeat note that it began.
Each of these artists gave a unique performance and although their instruments, at times, upstaged their vocals, they each performed with great energy and enticed audiences ear buds with catchy beats.
“It’s a cool spot to check out,” said Burdett.
This underrated coffee shop serves as a great way to spend a night out with friends while enjoying great live entertainment.
Leave a Reply