After checking off several San Luis Obispo music scene boxes, local band Couch Dog is set to strike through one more on Sept. 18. The four-piece group will headline the SLO Brew Rock stage on Thursday for the first time, initiating the start of their California and Texas tour. From winning Free the Youth and Shabang’s Battle of the Bands to performing with Dayglow at the Cal Poly Recreation Center and earning a feature at the ‘24 SLO Film Festival, the name “Couch Dog” colors the city. As the band reflects on their six-year run and relocation to Los Angeles, they gathered a list of pointers for performers and listeners.
Put yourself out there
Every band is born from courage. Lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Max Ferrer met bassist Tasha Lee through a mutual friend, when she firmly promised to play bass with Ferrer if he were ever to form a band. After playing their first show in 2020, Ferrer and Lee added guitarist Pablo Acosta and drummer Josh Cheruvelil to the mix. In 2024, drummer Liam Reece took over for Cheruvelil during Couch Dog’s relocation, a change that initially shook the band but made its foundation even stronger.
The Dogs agreed that the band wouldn’t be where it is if they had not taken chances on themselves and each other. When meeting people in your local scene, allow yourself to take a risk and move into the open. Whether you are hoping to start a band or meet a new concert buddy, the Dogs remind us to step beyond our comfort zones and be kind.
“It’s not that other people have the key to moving forward, you have that within yourself. But if you expand the network, then you progress together,” Acosta said.
Show up for your community
Like an echo, the effort you put in is what you receive back. The music, crowd, band and mutual energy all form the equation to a good night — it’s a collective force. Couch Dog is known for their wild exchanges with the audience.
Ferrer recalled a number of stunts the band pulled off: making sandwiches on stage for the crowd, throwing out rock candy while dressed as Breaking Bad characters, bringing boxing gloves into the pit, the list goes on.
“Everyone loves to feel like they’re a part of something and any way that you can offer any sort of interactivity, or letting people be a part of the performance in any way makes things a bit more memorable,” Ferrer said.
Acosta is a big advocate for supporting events that highlight local art, saying that community is at the center of creativity.
“If you go to a craft sale and you see a piece of art you like, chat with [the artist] and just build community that way,” he said. “Show up for other people and naturally that energy will gravitate back.”
The Dogs believe that unity is what keeps the scene running, so don’t just be present but make your support heard.
Do it till the wheels fall off
To start any project, you have to find people completely on board, making the serious conversations all the less intimidating. Lee recommends sitting with your band, or project members, and collecting everyone’s intentions.
Is this a college activity or are you trying to make a lifelong dream come true? The Dogs say to keep pursuing it until the wheels fall off.
“The thing about doing something until the wheels fall off is that it tends to get kind of crazy when the wheels keep staying on,” Ferrer added.
Acosta said that if you are working with likeminded people, it is manageable to assess when something is not working and make it smooth again.
“You have to hop out of the car while the wheels are getting a little shaky, and you have to reassess it. You have to fix what needs to [be fixed]. You gotta put the bolts where they’re missing, and then you gotta keep driving it until something like that happens again,” he said.
Even more so, if you love what you’re doing — keep at it. The Dogs were once students too, walking the fine line of passion and obligation.
Lee explained that as the band grew, her priorities shifted.
“There was one part of my life that was very fun and I wanted to put all my creative energy into it and there was another part of my life that was unfortunately pretty miserable,” Lee said. I didn’t like school … so that kind of made me realize how into the band I was and how much I loved doing music.”
Find balance by honoring your wins
School and music, bandmate and friend, performer and person — no matter the role, balance is key. The Dogs have found that quality time and honoring your victories make balance more possible.
“I tell them let’s have some dedicated time together where we’re just going to the beach, like playing a video game and just chilling and having a picnic,” Lee said. “I think it’s been really good to take a step away from the ‘grindset’ and spend time together as friends outside of being bandmates.”
On top of valuing friendship, Ferrer creates balance by knowing when to celebrate. He compares a good show to finishing a school project, jumping up and down on our Zoom call to express the joy the band feels when they’ve played a successful set.
The Dogs nodded at their sold out summer show at The Echo in Los Angeles, noting it as one of the shows where celebration was necessary.
“Holding hands, jumping in a circle, ‘Ring Around the Rosie,’ monumentally joyous type shit,” Lee said.
Acosta added that connection allows room for success, and that their bond is the reason the show keeps running.
“I think friendship is the glue that keeps it together and then the wins, the individual songs, the individual shows, the big advancements and the small stepping stones celebrated together is just what makes it so exciting.”
Bonus musician tips and tricks
- Always run your cable behind your strap before plugging it into a guitar.
- Practice in the dark.
- Wear ear plugs.
- Communicate.
To see Couch Dog live at SLO Brew Rock with The Let Downs and Avalynn, purchase tickets here.
