Adi Ranganathan plays the drums during Solace’s set. **(Braden Auerbach for The Santa Clara)**

Bandcamp, the biannual music showcase hosted by The Stereo Underground, took place on Nov. 7, 2025, featuring performances from four student bands.

Held at the Basecamp house, just a five-minute walk from the Santa Clara University library, the show kicked off at 7 p.m. and quickly drew a shoulder-to-shoulder crowd.

The house itself provided a beautiful venue, with a large wooden porch serving as the stage and trees looming overhead, creating a leaf-covered patio complemented by the rustic charm of string lights. Intimate and welcoming, the atmosphere amplified the energy of the live music.

Hammered, a newly formed band making their debut, went on first, opening with a touch of southern twang. Their rendition of Glen Campbell’s “Southern Nights” eased the crowd into participation, with everyone gradually leaning into the music.

Left: Hailey McCulloch sings for Hammered. Right: Julia Bixby shreds the guitar during Hammered’s set. (Braden Auerbach for The Santa Clara)

That said, their show-stopping moment came halfway through their set with the cult classic “Stacy’s Mom” by Fountains of Wayne. Its pop-rock rhythm and driving guitar lines encouraged the crowd to sing along, with Julia Bixby ’28 and Harry Alburn ’28 taking full advantage of the guitar hooks, carving out their own spotlight amidst the noise.

Perhaps the star of Hammered’s set was bassist Pablo Jonsson ’28, whose friends rambunctiously cheered him on from the crowd, helping the band move from the tentative act of proving their worth on a crowded stage to fully leaning into their talents and abilities.

It’s not easy to be an opener, and it’s certainly not easy to be a new band. But Hammered, with the overall youngest lineup, successfully played their way to the Bandcamp stage.

Next to the stage was Astrakinetic—who recently took the stage at Art Boutiki for a Halloween performance—returning with the same psychedelic funk energy that drew audiences in the first time.

Ohana Miura belts during Astrakinetic’s set. (Braden Auerbach for The Santa Clara)

Returning with originals like “Be a Legend” and “Minute to Midnight,” Astrakinetic vocalists Ohana and Harumy Miura ’26 once again proved themselves to be capable lyricists and performers. They played off each other’s energy, leaning into the groove and tackling the difficult task of convincing the audience to move along even if they didn’t know the words or the melody.

Slightly different from their Art Boutiki performance, they incorporated skillfully chosen covers that blended retro soul and pop with groove-oriented instrumentation, keeping the crowd engaged and moving.

Guitarist Grant Swanson ’26 kicked off a cover of Bruno Mars’ “24K Magic” with the unconventional use of a talk box—a tube that uses the musician’s mouth shape to modulate the sound. And people love sounds they don’t quite understand.

Several crowd members speculated about the talk box, and that type of interaction and attentiveness to the stage was encouraging—Astrakinetic had people’s attention.

Astrakinetic truly shined with their performance of CeeLo Green’s “Fuck You,” stirring the crowd into a moment that reverberated from the front of the audience all the way to the back.

Bassist Luke Carlson ’27 took charge, grabbing the mic to encourage people to sing along, alternating between slapping the bass line and shouting with the crowd. Fans proudly raised their middle fingers in unison, venting frustration at failed relationships, friendships, situations and just about anything else Gen Z could be mad about.

Carlson, performing in three of the bands, was repeatedly responsible for spearheading crowd participation—a role he notably describes as his personal commitment to maintaining energy— especially in Dental Insurance.

“Dental Insurance’s whole thing is energy,” said Carlson when asked what to expect from their performance. And he certainly wasn’t wrong.

The band kicked off their Bandcamp set by launching Fireball shooters, inciting mayhem as they tore into an original song titled “Drunk n’ Dirty.”

By this point in the evening, the crowd found the movement they had been craving. Fans began crowd surfing, pushing inward to form their own small pit and surging forward with the music.

The Bandcamp crowd raises their hands in the air. **(Braden Auerbach for The Santa Clara)**

Unfortunately, it was around this time that microphone and speaker feedback started occurring more frequently—a common complication when musicians move around instead of staying stationary on stage. Thankfully, Dental Insurance ensured that the crowd remembered their performance over the technical issues.

Both Tommy Lewis ’26 and Will Fergusson ’24 were far from shy, ripping and shredding their vocal cords raw as they screamed into the microphones, cutting through the crowd with sheer force. They commanded the stage during their original “For Now” and a cover of Harvey Danger’s “Flagpole Sitta,” overpowering any sound that tried to compete.

Dental Insurance was a multifaceted band, with the latter portion of their set taking on a beachside vibe that evoked nostalgia for the summer’s end—yet focused on lyrics about togetherness and shared moments. Their sound leaned toward indie folk with a rich, layered backing.

The highlight of their performance, however, was their rendition of Neon Trees’ “Everybody Talks,” which sparked a high-energy, crowd-wide sing-along, leaving the performers sweating and the audience jumping. An apt finale for a band defined by chaos.

Tommy Lewis gets ready to belt for Dental Insurance. **(Braden Auerbach for The Santa Clara)**

At last, Solace took the stage—introduced as “motherfucking Solace” by a pair of enthusiastic crowd members who had made their way up front and taken over the microphones on stage.

Kicking off with an altered rendition of “Yosemite,” the band’s immense roster showcased each member’s talents. They transformed Travis Scott’s rap into something classic and driving, with Hayes Averill ’27—drummer from two previous bands—belting out the verses while Orion Cook ’26 shone on violin, weaving melodic lines that added depth and texture to the performance.

But Solace didn’t spend all of their energy on the beginning, slowing things down with “Candy” by Mk.gee which called on the gentle timbre of Adi Ranganathan’s ’26 vocals, contrasting the ferocity with which he previously played the drums.

Aidan O’Hare ’24, saxophonist extraordinaire, made sure he was heard after performing an original compilation of instrumentals he had crafted himself, earning the crowd’s respect as they surged forward to watch him bend the confines of classical jazz into something far groovier—a massive pedalboard at his feet, larger than any of the guitarists’.

The groove was far from lost—it was fully owned.

Nate Kwak took the lead on a rendition of Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition,” which seamlessly broke in the middle to incorporate Hendrix’s “Voodoo Child.” The performance drew on soul, blues and psychedelic influences, giving guitarists and bassist alike free rein to embellish and explore the fretboard to their hearts’ content.

Colin Friedel ’26, filling in as guitarist for Bandcamp, remained humble in his prowess—but the crowd made their admiration clear, erupting in not three, but four different chants of his name during Solace’s set.

Colin Friedel laughs at the crowd chanting his name. **(Braden Auerbach for The Santa Clara)**

Solace, much like its predecessors, embraced sing-along moments throughout their set. Performing Paramore’s “Ain’t It Fun” and ABBA’s “Dancing Queen,” Fran Pezza ’26 took the lead on vocals, bringing fun and relatability to the stage. Audiences responded eagerly, and Pezza’s seamless integration of her style into the songs’ integrity was well received.

Pezza also led on Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” but it was the joint solos of Adi Ranganathan and Kai Imaya that truly captivated the crowd. Imaya’s masterful command of the keys was beyond impressive, not only carrying the original tune but taking bold creative liberties while holding his own against the other players.

Adi Ranganathan adjusts his microphone prior to his drum solo. **(Braden Auerbach for The Santa Clara)**

Drummer Adi Ranganathan also delivered a remarkable solo, with the band parting entirely to let him dominate the stage. Moving with precision and energy, he created a line that stood against all else, solidifying his role as the band’s anchor.

Solace closed their set with a performance of “My Honest Face” by Inhaler, driving the audience to move, sing and dance with vigor. Urgent drums and a pulsing bassline carried the indie-rock energy—equal parts nostalgic and fresh.

A testament to the talent of Santa Clara University students and their friends, Bandcamp both began and ended as an epic success—a culmination of the hard work, passion and dedication that go into live music and those who believe in creating it.

People were moved—and that’s the point of it all.

The Logistics

Lots of bands, lots of members. Here’s the lineup:

Hammered featured Harry Alburn and Julia Bixby on guitar, Lucas Monge ’27 on drums, Jonsson on bass, and Hailey McCulloch ’28 on vocals.

Astrakinetic featured Grant Swanson on guitar, Luke Carlson on bass, Harumy and Ohana Miura on vocals, Orion Rosedale ’27 on keyboard, and Hayes Averill on drums.

Dental Insurance featured Carlson and Averill returning on their respective instruments, joined by Will Fergusson on vocals and guitar, Geno Meschi ’26 on guitar and Tommy Lewis on vocals.

Solace—with the biggest lineup of the night—featured Carlson once again, Adi Ranganathan on drums and vocals, Aidan O’Hare on saxophone, Colin Friedel and Nate Kwak on guitar with Kwak also on vocals, and Kai Imaya on keys. Their set also included guest appearances from Orion Cook on violin, Averill as a guest vocalist, Lewis as a guest guitarist and Fran Pezza ’26 as another guest vocalist.