GILROY — From death metal to pop-punk to funk rock to acoustic
music and booming divas, Gilroy High School students have a little
bit of everything. That’s apparent from the three days of talents
shows taking place at the Gilroy High School Theater this
month.
GILROY — From death metal to pop-punk to funk rock to acoustic music and booming divas, Gilroy High School students have a little bit of everything. That’s apparent from the three days of talents shows taking place at the Gilroy High School Theater this month.
But this school year also has been the beginning of other music being played at the GHS theater. Earlier this year, a rap group took to the stage to raise money for the high school theater, and now three rock groups will hit the stage tonight for the same cause.
“There’s a lot that needs to be done,” said David Sandhu, the guitarist and lead vocalist for the band Aydl the Poet, a rock band that also includes junior Calvin Harris on bass and sophomore Jeremy Borgia on drums. “This is raising money for sound, lights, whatever they need.”
The concert which is a break from last weekend’s talent show and more to come this weekend, features pop-punk band Five Minutes to Freedom, Aydl the Poet and Sonic Mirth and is at 7 p.m. today at the GHS theater. Tickets for the show are $5.
Sandhu said the bands have been pushing to get the word out about the show, putting up flyers and trying to spread the word around the campus and around Gilroy.
“We’d like to fill up the theater,” he said. “The battle of the bands brought in 200 people, so we’re hoping for that. We put posters up at school and lot’s of word of mouth. We want to get them downtown.”
Sandhu said there aren’t many opportunities for young bands to get exposure, and this is a great opportunity.
“I talked to Mr. Meeker about doing a show my sophomore year, but he said no,” Sandhu said. “This past year they had a rap concert, so that was our ticket.
“This is the second rock show and the second rap show, and hopefully there will be much more.”
The show will lead off with the band Sonic Mirth, which consists of Isaiah Archuleta, a sophomore who plays guitar, freshman drummer Sean Byrne, freshman bassist Mike Franka and freshman vocalist Greg Smith. Sonic Myrth is an aggressive punk band that just started playing together late last year.
Aydl the Poet will come on second.
“We’re sort of going for the soft, grunge sound,” Sandhu said. “The song people know is called ‘Sushi.’ It’s sort of a fun rock song.”
Finishing the show will be Five Minutes to Freedom, which is fresh off playing a set at the Gaslighter last Saturday night. Five Minutes to Freedom consists of guitarist Kevin Pfeffer, drummer P.J. Jammal, guitarist Tomas Carrillo, and Bassist Daniel. The group is a pop-punk band that has been playing together for two years, generating a good-sized following.
“We’re doing half-hour sets,” Sandhu said.
