Brenna Swanston
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Local band Próxima Parada will rock SLO Brewing Co. on Oct. 25 with a set of original music touched by R&B/soul, blues, folk and jazz.
Próxima Parada, made up of four Cal Poly graduates, released its first EP, “Makes You Wanna,” this past April. Since then, the band has been building its repertoire, practicing and performing from Santa Barbara to the Bay Area. Friday will mark the group’s second headliner at SLO Brew since its EP dropped.
Próxima Parada vocalist and lead guitarist Bryson Bailey said the band has premiered a ton of new music in its recent live performances, which yielded a positive audience response.
“The response that we get is what gives us the motivation to keep playing,” he said.
The band will use Friday’s performance as an opportunity to challenge themselves onstage, Bailey said. As the headliner, Próxima Parada will have to hone both its musical skills and stage presence.
“We’re always focused on the music,” Bailey said, “But we’re challenging ourselves to create a better show and performance.”
Those attending the SLO Brew show can expect to hear things that make them feel, Próxima Parada rhythm guitarist and vocalist Nick Larson said.
“We’re gonna be doing stuff that’s gonna make you dance, sure, absolutely,” he said. “But it’s also stuff that’s about the lyrics. Hard-hitting. It’s a roller coaster ride, for sure. It’s an emotional roller coaster.”
Photo by Spencer Sarson/ Mustang News
Since graduating from Cal Poly, Próxima Parada’s members have made music their first priority, Larson said.
“We all have day jobs,” he said, “But the idea is to eventually lose them and pursue music full-time, hopefully by next summer. We’re gonna be recording an album next year. The idea is just to get as much experience as we can, record an album around early spring, and then after that, take that album and go on tour in the summer.”
In college, Larson thought his passion for music was just a distraction.
“It was the dream you didn’t want to let take over your life,” he said.
Now, with a kinesiology degree in hand, he sees things differently. Bailey agrees.
“You don’t get very many opportunities to follow something you’re this passionate about,” Bailey said.
The main drive behind the band’s pursuit of music is their audiences’ support, Bailey said. He compares the feeling of a successful stage performance to that of a good conversation, in which two people completely relate to each other.
“If you can get that to happen with a couple hundred people while you’re playing a song, and you can see that, and you’re resonating off of each other, that’s like an amplified feeling to the max,” Bailey said.
SLO Brew events and promotions supervisor Jessica Puchli said she expects a good crowd at Friday’s show.
“When they were in here last time, it sold really well,” she said.
Local soul band The Monroe, as well as Pat Bang and Daniel Coxon from The Riot Professor will open for Próxima Parada.
Larson looks forward to the opening bands, he said.
“They’re passionate as hell,” he said. “If you see them play, they get so into it.”
The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door.