Kelly Trom
ktrom@mustangdaily.net
The sun is out, you are sitting on a chaise lounge next to the Cal Poly Recreation Center leisure pool, catching some rays. Only one thing could make this picture better: some live music from a local DJ. At least that’s what ASI events musical entertainment assistant and business administration junior Gage McGinnis thinks.
“I wanted to do something different and experiment with the different areas on campus that we could play music instead of just the University Union (UU),” McGinnis said.
The planning began winter quarter to bring a different venue into the mix for spring.
“There are always a lot of kids out in the sun by the pool spring quarter, so I thought it would be a great location,” McGinnis said.
The first concert on the lineup will be Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m., featuring The Plastix. The DJ group is made up of three core members, all Cal Poly students. One of those members is landscape architecture senior Travis Moelter.
“I started (DJing) about three years ago,” Moelter said. “Last year was when I really started getting into it and buying a lot more expensive equipment.”
While Moelter likes the setup of the UU concerts, he also likes the idea of playing next to the pool in the sun in a more laid-back atmosphere.
“I am really excited about it,” Moelter said. “Being out during the day, having a bunch of my friends come to hang out by the pool and enjoying a nice relaxing day will be fun.”
While Moelter is graduating this quarter, he still hopes The Plastix will continue to play after he moves on.
The second scheduled concert is next Saturday. The Butter Slaps will be DJing from 2 to 4 p.m. Both concerts are free to Cal Poly students. Students will still need to use the hand scanner to enter the Recreation Center.
As of right now, these are the only two concerts at the pool deck scheduled for this quarter, but the series has room to develop and evolve.
“It is something that I would love to see grow,” McGinnis said. “We are trying it out with DJs first because it is relatively inexpensive without the whole set up of a band. However, I would love to see a band out there someday.”
Though all students are welcome, some think more freshmen will attend because of the convenience for those living on campus.
“It is a cool concept for freshmen who don’t leave campus very often,” mechanical engineer senior Alex Graebe said.
Providing live music for those relaxing by the pool on the weekend is certainly a draw for some students.
“If you are chilling at the pool, it’s nice to have live music instead of just a generic radio station,” graphic communication senior Rachel Wallace said.
Live bands perform in the UU every week — often to a sizable gathering of students — but some pass by without pausing.
“The UU concerts are nice background music, but it is not something I specifically plan on going to,” Wallace said. “It is not the same experience that you would get out of a big-name show that other colleges put on.”
Mini concerts with local artists are the standard ASI fare, but later this month a popular artist will visit Cal Poly. The Recreation Center will host New Rock 107.3’s “No Big Deal” concert, headlined by AWOLNATION on May 16 at 7 p.m. While this event is not free to Cal Poly students, tickets are discounted to $25 for them.