Surrounded by red photography lights and large amps, lead singer Ruben Franco, bassist Anali Mosquera, drummer Anthony Aguilar and guitarist James Gonzalez delivered a stand-out backyard show for a handful of early fans on Sunday, Oct. 15.
Concave originally began as a solo musical project for Franco. It wasn’t until the rest of the band members met through mutual friends and Instagram that the group began to play music together.
Since their official start in July 2023, the band has performed with various musicians from the Los Angeles music scene, such as The Vlasics, Bliss Hour and Cursed Suns. In true indie-fashion, the group has mainly played backyard or house shows.
“We just put ourselves out there fully and then we just met a bunch of people,” Franco said.
The band agrees that the best part about playing backyard shows is the tight-knit community that help each other book gigs and advance their careers. Many musicians befriend other performers, adding to the camaraderie amongst local L.A. bands.
What sets Concave apart from other indie groups is their complex, interesting take on the music-making process.
“We just try to stay super open-minded because we [members of Concave] all have different tastes in music,” Aguilar said.
A wide range of heavy metal, smooth jazz, indie, Spanish rock and punk elements contribute to a manifestation of uniquely rhythmic, emotional songs that audiences can relate to.
“If you’re there, you’ll hear it, you’ll get it,” Aguilar said.
Each member also takes after numerous artists to construct an entertaining stage presence.
“The musicians that surround me give me inspiration,” Mosquera said.
While the guitarist might reflect the style of teachers and bandmates, Franco and Aguilar find that their stage presence is greatly influenced by idols Omar Apollo, The Police, Santana and Freddie Mercury.
The desire to express musical interests and artists motivates the evolving band to continue finding joy in performing exciting sets.
“No matter what energy, no matter what kind of crowd, we always just go to give it our all,” Aguilar said.
“That’s what we do.”
To stay updated on upcoming shows and music releases, Concave encouraged readers to follow @concave_band on Instagram and stream their music on all major platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music.
“Tell your grandma, your mom, your dad, your sister, your brothers, your dad and your cats,” Franco said jokingly.