KCPR’s 2025 Fall Concert Guide
Amid the chaos as new students arrive on campus each fall, San Luis Obispo has great opportunities to break away from studying or simply adjusting back into your routine. With multiple venues along the coast, there are many opportunities to explore a genre or a potential new favorite band. Here are our recs from KCPR.
Couch Dog at SLO Brew Rock
Looking to dance, sing and cry on the first day of fall quarter? Cal Poly alumni, Couch Dog, are returning to their original stomping grounds on Sept. 18 to perform at SLO Brew Rock, with support from San Luis Obispo county locals The Let Downs and Avalynn.
To kick off the summer, the Dogs released their newest project, Unraveler, in late June. The five-track EP offers a new electronic hyper-rock sound for the band. Once a DIY staple in the San Luis Obispo music scene, Couch Dog performances are always an undeniable, rowdy good time.
Tickets for this event are 18+ and are available for $20.79
Couch Dog song recommendations: “Casadastra,” “Dial Tone,” “Punch Drunk” and “Isabelle.”
The Head And The Heart at Vina Robles Amphitheater
Indie-Folk band The Head and The Heart is performing at the Vina Robles Amphitheater on Sept. 26, with support from John Vincent III and Tyler Ballgame.
Earlier this year, The Head and The Heart released their sixth studio album, Aperture, a classic Americana folk-indie album. An ideal concert to lay back and chill amid the busyness of the school year, this is an all-ages event.
Tickets are still available starting at $55.
The Head and Heart song recommendations: “Another Story,” “After The Setting Sun,” and “Dreamer.”
Beach Fossils at SLO Brew Rock
Kicking off the fall season, New York-based alternative dream pop band, Beach Fossils, is performing at SLO Brew Rock on Oct. 2, with supporting acts Laundry and Girlpuppy for a night of alternative indie classics.
After a brief hiatus, Beach Fossils is returning to embark on a West and East Coast tour. Their most recent release, a single titled “Inside Out,” is a rich-dark dreamy arrangement of classic DIY indie. Over their 15-year career, the band has explored different realms of indie sub-genres, from jangly melancholy lyrics to gritty arrangements, enduring the DIY staple.
Tickets for this event are 18+ and are available starting at $36.46.
Beach Fossil song recommendations: “Down the Line,” “Tangerine” and “What A Pleasure.”
Brooks Neilson at Fremont Theater
Brooks Neilson, frontman of the Southern California-based band The Growlers, is returning to the Fremont Theater on Oct. 4 for another fall tour.
Although the Growlers haven’t released music since 2020, Neilson has gone on as a solo artist, releasing four records since 2022. The tour will likely have a mix of Neilson’s solo music and The Growlers’ hits. Fans can expect to hear a new shuffle set of the acclaimed Beach Goth genre, known for drawing inspiration from psychedelic to surf-rock sounds, as it continues to maintain the underground California sound.
As an all-ages event, tickets are available at the Fremont Theater website starting at $60.74.
Brooks Neilson song recommendations: “Tropical Cowboy,” “Black Memories” and “One Match Left”
Mannequin Pussy at Fremont Theater
With a weekend full of Fremont Theatre shows, Mannequin Pussy demands to be heard. Set to perform on Oct. 5, the band will receive support from Ecca Vandal, as the final stop on their North America tour.
The group’s most recent project, I Got Heaven, aspires to bend and push norms through their music. The Philadelphia-based 4-piece band successfully captures a rough, gnarly-slashing electric sound. The album tethers between a punk to alternative-rock sound, encouraging an immediate urgency against the status quo.
Tickets are available on the Fremont Theater website starting at $39.11
Mannequin Pussy song recommendations: “I Got Heaven.” “Control” and “Fear/+/Desire.”
Starcrawler at Club Car Bar
The rising alternative Los Angeles-based band, Starcrawler, is performing at Club Car Bar on Oct. 25. This 5-piece band is currently on tour with Garbage and occasionally stops in cities for headlining shows. Strawcrawler has opened for other major headliners such as My Chemical Romance, Foo Fighters and Beck.
Infusing a variety of genres in their music, they dive into the loud classic, grunge-glam electric ruckus. Starcrawler does not shy away from theatrics in their live performances, lead front woman Arrow De Wilde is known for her unpredictable stage presence, whether it’s fake blood to hospital gowns to spirited antics. Starcrawler is a band you’ll regret not seeing.
Tickets for this event are all ages and still available at $22.35 at Club Car Bar.
Starcrawler song recommendations: “Roadkill,” “Thursday” and “Learn to Say Goodbye.”
WILLIS at SLO Brew Rock
TikTok breakout artist WILLIS is performing at SLO Brew Rock on Nov. 6, with support from Winyah.
You might not realize you are familiar with WILLIS, but we bet “I Think I Like When It Rains” rings a bell. The viral anthem used on TikTok still periodically appears on some users’ ‘For You’ pages. The viral audio helped the Nashville-based band gain popularity. The band’s sound is a mix between classic psychedelic-indie with R&B sound, creating a unique and pleasurable listening experience.
Tickets for this all-ages event are available for $32.36 at SLO Brew.
Willis song recommendations: “Fight The Vegans,” “Ballad Of The Basements” and “Waiting.”
The Frights at Fremont Theater
The final concert to have on your radar is The Frights, who are performing at Fremont Theater on Dec. 5, with supporting artists Lily and Buddha Trixie.
The Frights also gained attention from social media over the years, with the chorus of “Tongues” imprinted in the minds of listeners. The San Diego-based band formed in 2012 and has had many of their songs reach over a million streams. The combination of upbeat tempos and catchy lyrics creates the perfect atmosphere to let loose.
Tickets are available all ages for $33.96 at the Fremont Theater.
The Frights song recommendations: “Tongues,” “You Are Going To Hate This” and “Let The Kids Dance.”
