An intimate set with Próxima Parada
On the night of Jan. 16, the stage of Libertine Brewing Company was carefully arranged with house plants, guitars and armchairs as a warm lamp light cascaded the scene. It was like a portal into Próxima Parada’s living room.
By 8:10 p.m., the venue was full of people politely waiting (in a self-organized line) to purchase drinks at the bar. The cultivated crowd of couples, college students and community members were gathered to watch the San Luis Obispo-based band.
Back in December, the band announced the special set featuring band duo Josh Collins and Nick Larson on Instagram. The post conveyed an intimate tone for the night, focused on “stripping the songs” to their acoustic roots.
Próxima Parada was originally formed in 2012 by Cal Poly alumni Larson and Kevin Middlekauff, who met in the Sierra Madre dorms during their freshman year. Collins, born and raised in San Luis Obispo, joined the mix in 2015 to help record the band’s third-studio record “Big Seven,” and has been with them ever since.
The indie-soul band is often recognized for their viral song “Musta Been a Ghost” which gained traction on TikTok starting in December of 2022. Over three years later, the track has accumulated over 64 million streams on Spotify.
“It’s so special to play at home,” said Larson to the crowd.
The show marked Collins and Larson’s first time performing at the Libertine as well as playing a duo concert. The setlist consisted of original, long-adored songs, such as “Better Now” and “So Many Ways to Get Downtown” alongside brand new tracks.
The pair dedicated their first two songs of the night to a fan who made the trip out from Oklahoma to come to the show.
“We’re playing some songs we’ve literally never played live,” said Larson. “You guys will be the first to hear it.”
During the set, Larson announced that Próxima Parada will be returning to the studio next month to record a new studio album. In the past, the band has utilized Indiegogo, a crowd-funding campaign site to raise funds to produce their albums through the power of community connection.
Larson also hinted at an exciting full-band show in San Luis Obispo in the spring.
“Mark your calendars for May 21,” he said.
