By Anthony Lopez |Staff Writer|
Cool tunes sailed throughout the Coussoulis Arena last Friday when indie band Best Coast performed at CSUSB while out on their promotional tour for their new album, The Only Place.
The garage surf rock duo from Los Angeles, consisting of Bethany Cosentino on vocals and rhythm/bass guitar and Bobb Bruno on lead guitar, created a relaxed atmosphere for concertgoers.
Before the show started, the diverse audience was noticeably excited for Best Coast’s signature surfy sound. The night, however, started off more metallic with the opening act of Chelsea Wolfe.
LA Times music critic Randall Roberts has said that Best Coast’s music “hits the target and conjures the spirit of Southern California,” which was exactly what happened at the arena Friday evening. With vibrant flashing lights and smoke machines, the stage was typical of a rock show. However, chained with Best Coast’s rhythmic tunes, the band proved that the spirit of SoCal was alive and well at CSUSB.
They kicked off the concert with their hit song, “Crazy For You” from their debut album, showcasing an addictive melody and providing an upbeat, excited atmosphere that got audience members moving. With energetic yet soothing riffs, the audience slowly started to sway with every change in chord that Bethany and Bobb played.
The band’s repetitive lyrics helped to captivate listeners and made for an escape to a picture perfect beachside time here in the desert. Bethany kept it going, singing “Why would you live anywhere else?/ We’ve got the ocean, got the babes/ Got the sun.”
The definite highlight of the night was when Best Coast played “Boyfriend” and “When I’m With You.” Hearing these songs, the crowd went wild, faces lit up and everyone near the stage let loose and danced until the band left the stage. You could tell even the people sitting in the bleachers wanted to get up and dance.
The concert was certainly a success for the band, but also for CSUSB through the help of the Director of the Coussoulis Area and the Underground Music Society (UMS) which put together the event for the community.
“Best Coast really livened up the crowd, with nice melodies to dance to the whole night,” said Nancy Aries of the UMS after the show.
Even within the massive Coussoulis Arena, Best Coast managed to connect to Coyotes and played their set with a sense of intimacy. The concert was well worth attending, if not for only the music, but for the experience. Creating an environment is key at a show and they nailed it.