On Sept. 19, psychedelic rock band “Inner Wave” abruptly walked off the SLO Brew Rock stage with no forewarning after just 30 minutes of performance.
The crowd, jarred by the band’s sudden exit, was unsure how to react. Murmurs of confusion turned into a disorganized chant for an encore.
Slowly, the chants grew cohesive, calling for more of the atmospheric synths that glisten over Inner Wave’s music. From the back of the venue, lead singer Pablo Sotelo methodically walked back on stage; his band following closely behind.
“One more song? One more song?” Sotelo said into the microphone as the crowd began to scream. “How about 10 more songs? 15 more songs!”
Before Inner Wave’s performance, San Luis Obispo’s own “Big Sierra” graced the stage. Lead singer and guitarist Kristopher Elizondo laid down a vocal performance that energized the half-filled concert hall while bassist Michael Morris kept the band steady with his melodic basslines.
“We performed once here [at SLO Brew] before during the New Times Music Awards. So this was a really fun night for us,” Elizondo said after the performance.
With a calm, trance-like DJ set, Dak Diggler hit the floor after Big Sierra. Known as “DJ Dakota,” his record collection ranged from old ‘70s soul music to modern psychedelic pop with artists “Homeshake” and “Mile High Club.”
Inner Wave then followed, where Sotelo’s falsetto vocals took control of the room. The set began with slower songs layered by dark purple lighting. As the band picked up the energy, the lighting shifted to bright shades of red and yellow.
San Luis Obispo marked Inner Wave’s fourth show of their nine-date tour, “The Sun Transmission 10th Anniversary Tour.” Although most of the set came from their 2014 album, “Sun Transmission,” the band did not shy away from playing their most popular tunes, including the catchy guitar riffs from “American Spirits” and the drippy bass grooves from “Take 3.”
But the excitement doesn’t end quite yet, as Inner Wave’s tour continues throughout the upcoming month and concludes in Pioneertown, CA on Oct. 20.
