Cal State Long Beach’s Underground Music Society hosted another acoustic show at the Royal Cup Cafe Saturday night, being their first off-campus show since officially becoming a club in 2013.
Guests packed into the Listening Room, a venue in the back of the coffee shop used as a space for artists to put their talents on display.
Although this was one of the first off-campus events hosted by UMS, attendance was not an issue as music-lovers filled practically every seat.
Local artists Justin Mitchell, Sasha Pyslarash, Jeffrey Allen, Miguel Esquiviel, Mike Sanjuan and King Satan each performed an acoustic set, showcasing genres ranging from folk rock to 60s rock n’ roll and hip hop.
Each of the artists played at least one cover, such as Allen’s performance of Cat Stevens songs and Esquiviel’s cover of one of his favorite hip-hop songs: Hey Ya! by OutKast.
UMS club member Amanda Dominguez-Chio said she enjoyed the song choices made by the performers.
“It was by far my favorite acoustic show hosted by UMS because all of the performers at one point played covers,” she said.
“My favorite part of the show would be when the musicians covered ‘Falling Slowly’ and ‘Wild World.’”
UMS Secretary Will Torres hosted the event by introducing each of the performers and speaking in between sets. Torres expressed that UMS has existed for three semesters and that they have just become official as an on-campus club. On their Facebook page, UMS articulates their mission.
“To positively influence [CSULB] culture by bringing low-cost, all-ages live music events to the campus … uniting student musicians, artists and music lovers; and by promoting local concerts and shows.”
Club members emphasized that the group is not meant solely for musicians, but as a group dedicated to tapping into the rich music scene on campus and in the community.
The society is still trying to gain popularity and bring CSULB’s music lovers together for more low-cost shows.
Torres explained that they will be hosting more shows like the acoustic event, as well as amplified shows, in the future.
UMS president Daniel Speer said there will be another show at the Royal Cup Cafe next month, as well as one on campus at the Nugget Grill and Pub on Feb. 20.