Ryan ChartrandGraduation marks a time of transition for many Cal Poly students, including members of local band Still Time, who will shelve their chosen careers at least temporarily as they follow their dreams of becoming full-time musicians.
Members of the popular local band are unofficially done with their education this year. Bassist Paul Smith-Stewart completed his associate’s degree in jazz studies at Cuesta College last semester, and drummer John Vucinich will graduate this weekend with a degree in mechanical engineering. Nick Bilich and Chris Arntzen graduated last year with English and electrical engineering degrees, respectively.
Now, the band can finally focus solely on its music.
“This is where it really gets sweet because I’m no longer worried about, ‘Oh, can I do a show this week in between my midterms?'” Vucinich said. “I’m now able to go from doing maybe a show or two a week to doing five shows a week and maybe even more.”
“It’s finally sinking in that this is going to be our job, how we’re going to pay our rent and buy our food,” added Dan Curcio, the band’s vocalist and a guitarist. “We’ve been working on putting together a summer tour up and down the West Coast, and we’ve even gotten ourselves a luxury van with a trailer.”
The band will continue to base itself out of San Luis Obispo, largely due to its essentially equidistant location between the music Meccas of San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Band members can now gear up for their first extended tour, as they’ve only been able to tour on winter and spring breaks previously due to their school schedule. However, with college behind them, members of Still Time are looking forward to what lies on the open road ahead.
“It’s been real intense being an engineer and a drummer in a band, especially this quarter with senior projects,” Vucinich said. “But it’ll be a lot different doing month-long tours, as we’ve only slept in our luxury van a handful of times. We’re accepting ramen donations, to be sure.”
The band’s West Coast tour will make stops at various points between Seattle and San Diego.
“We’ll be hitting up people’s hometowns when they’re back home over the summer, so be sure to bring the crew and come check us out,” Curcio said.
The band members’ degrees will not be completely shelved, however, as Arntzen has put his electrical engineering skills to good use by building a PA system, the band’s merchandise display and an LED display of the Still Time logo for the band. And it’s good to know that, should they ever find themselves in a bind, the members will very likely be able to engineer their way out of it.
Looking back on their experiences at Cal Poly and in San Luis Obispo, the members of Still Time assessed where they stand related to students in similar situations.
“I think that we’re a testament that you don’t have to go out and get a job right away after graduating,” Arntzen said. “You can travel and pursue other things, like missionary work, the Peace Corps or whatever. Now’s the time to do it.”
Vucinich agreed, saying that he, too, is looking forward to focusing solely on the band’s music.
“You should take advantage of where you’re at in your life,” he said. “I feel really fortunate to have this opportunity, and to have no other ties than to be working on music.”
Still Time will play the first Concerts in the Plaza show at Mission Plaza Friday at 5 p.m. The free show is open to visitors of all ages. Then, the band will begin its summer tour.
For more information on the band or its tour, visit stilltimemusic.com.