It was a Friday night, just like any other and The Bunker SLO was packed body to body, the temperature of the gallery about 20 degrees higher than the chilly night beyond the door.
The dimly lit space pulsed with panic chords as The Let Downs banged out their headlining set.
Vocalist and guitarist Alejandro “Pancho” Reyes was positioned back to the crowd, almost as if he was alone with drummer Cameron Porter in their practice room.
The Let Downs gravitate towards a hardcore emo sound but hesitate to label themselves as they pull from several influences and try to remain true to themselves.
True local legends, the duo packs out venues and garages across the county almost every weekend despite having only 199 monthly listeners on Spotify and just under 3,000 plays on their most listened-to song “Sun Chasing.”
These shows are uniquely intimate. The ‘do-it-yourself’ venues they frequent are often the size of a two-car garage, with a jammed-in audience moshing as Reyes screams into the microphone, hanging onto the dissonance of screeching guitar riffs.
Porter, right beside Reyes, bangs the drums seemingly with a vengeance generated by his whole body, leaning into every hit.
While this is not always true, the two seem comfortable and fluid while performing, and their songs feel free-spirited almost to the extent of being free-form.
“I’ve learned how to deal with stage fright, even though I still kind of struggle with it,” Reyes said. “That’s why I’ll try facing Cameron and the crowd.”
Playing like this, Porter feels like an anchoring force for Reyes to remain in time and in the zone.
The Let Downs was Reyes’s first band and the catalyst for his close friendship with Porter.
“I watched Panch play his first show and he’s grown a lot,” said Porter. “Even if he doesn’t notice, it comes with experience of just playing on the stage and playing with others.”
The Nipomo locals were acquaintances throughout their high school years, Porter playing with bands in and outside of school since he was about 15.
“He [Reyes] doesn’t know what chords we’re playing, but I’m no stickler,” Porter explained as the two made eye contact, laughing. “He’s starting to learn though. He just learned what ¾ is.”
The duo has played together for three years and their writing process remains the same. Reyes will develop a guitar line and general concept for a song and bring it to Porter for drums, writing lyrics as it takes shape.
“I also help with the arrangement [of songs]…that’s where my experience comes in handy. I also did Jazz band in high school and college,” Porter said.
This method has served them well. The band is sitting on an album’s worth of content, far more than what their five released songs would suggest.
To the duo, making music comes down to just having fun. The two explain that they often try to take a step back, especially while playing live to savor the moment and take in just how lucky they are.
Twenty minutes north of San Luis Obispo lies Atascadero’s heavily graffitied Dark Nectar coffee shop, whose tiny storefront has become a haven for sludgy, heavy music. They have hosted The Let Downs an estimated four times, the owners Tyler Jones and partner John Nielson recalling nights after shows spent playing pool with the band.
“The thing about this area is we have almost a wildly disproportionate amount of good bands for how low the population is,” said Jones. Being one of the only venues of its kind in the area they have done their best to provide a space where people can gather and see alternative music.
PIN IT
PIN ITThe two love seeing fans go crazy, showing up in force for the band every time they play Dark Nectar. Jones is the designated doorman but has no trouble hearing the booming sets played inside.
“They’re [The Let Downs] getting better and better every time.” You can see The Let Downs play live today at the Libertine.
