Brenna Swanston
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Gavin DeGraw, Matt Nathanson and Mary Lambert will grace the Avila Beach Resort stage on June 22 as part of the Summer Krush concert event.
Collective Effort Events co-owner Tyrone Galgano said the company pulled together the three artists in hopes of creating a fun but emotional performance. Though Galgano has not seen any of the performers live before, he said he looks forward to the experience.
“All three artists have a wide variety of emotionally charged tracks that will create a sense of connection to those attending,” Galgano said. “I’ve always liked artists that had the ability to make their audience feel the emotion behind their music, and this will definitely be one of those performances.”
Lambert is best known for her featured track on “Same Love” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. Galgano said Lambert’s chorus track was inspired by her experience growing up as a lesbian in a primarily Christian environment.
DeGraw’s array of hit songs includes “Chariot,” “I Don’t Want to Be,” “In Love With a Girl,” “Not Over You” and “Soldier.” Nathanson is best known for his platinum song “Come On Get Higher.”
DeGraw and Nathanson tend to draw from blue-eyed soul, folk, pop and rock influences in their music, Galgano said. Lambert’s music gets a little edgier, featuring rhythm and blues and incorporating spoken-word poetry.
Mechanical engineering sophomore Julia Hall hopes to attend Summer Krush. She considers herself a fan of both Lambert and Nathanson.
“Matt Nathanson is contemporary easy listening,” Hall said. “It’s the kind of stuff nobody minds playing in the background — a blend of a bunch of palatable genres.”
Hall described Lambert’s style as “simple,” comparing it to British pop singer Kate Nash, who paid a visit to SLO Brewing Co.’s stage this past April.
“It’s like if Kate Nash were really sweet and soft and played piano,” Hall said.
All in all, Hall expects the artists to complement each other well throughout the concert.
“Basically, if you speed up Matt Nathanson’s songs, you get Gavin DeGraw’s stuff,” she said. “It will all kind of mush together.”
Galgano expects approximately 3,000 people to attend the event, including both local and out-of-town fans from all age groups.
“The Avila Beach venue has a large draw for those wanting to spend a day under the sun near the beach, listening to great music with family and friends,” he said.
While the concert is all standing room, those attending have the option of purchasing VIP Beach Club Balcony tickets.
The balcony, located on the second floor of the resort, hosts a bar, beach views and “VIP bathrooms,” Galgano said. Balcony tickets also include fast pass entry, allowing guests to skip the line.
Gates for the concert open at 1 p.m. and the event is slated to last until 5 p.m. General admission tickets are $30.
Tickets are available online and in-store at threadHUB and Boo Boo Records in San Luis Obispo, the Clark Center box office in Arroyo Grande and The DJ Shop in Santa Maria.