Reviewing KUCR's FM Nights Event at Back to the Grind
On Friday, April 17th, UCR’s student radio station, KUCR, hosted a show at Back to the Grind, a beloved coffee shop in Downtown Riverside. This event was so magical, and really spoke to the power and beauty of getting personally involved with local musicians and radio.
Since it was a short event with only two bands performing, I wanted to actually focus on each band’s set, as well as give some love to Back to the Grind and KUCR for creating a warm environment that brought people of all ages and backgrounds together to appreciate.
Back to the Grind
Located on University Avenue in the heart of Downtown Riverside, Back to the Grind is a lovely coffee shop that offers a large variety of drinks, craft beers, sweet treats, and delicious food items (which even offers a ton of Vegan options!). I got to enjoy some of the cafe’s menu before the show began and everything was so delightful that I’m eager to return soon in the future. (I highly recommend the Vegan grilled cheese, I don’t know if I’ve ever scarfed down a sandwich so rapidly before).
The event itself was held in the store’s basement, which could be entered by going down a set of stairs and past a curtain that led into . The room was lit up with soft multi-colored LEDs, which created a cozy atmosphere that I immediately felt comfortable in. This basement area was also furnished with many tables and chairs available for people to sit (which was refreshing to see, considering most of the local shows I’ve been to that offer little to no seating for its attendees). As soon as you entered into the space, the mood was set for a fun and heart-warming event. This was the perfect venue to host the show at, as it fostered an intimate space for the audience to be up-close and personal with the performers.
The Cecilias
The Cecilias are an indie-rock band that has influences of folk music present within their discography. Once I discovered that The Cecilias focus on using acoustic production, I was really excited to see them live, as folk and acoustic music as a whole are actually my favorite styles to listen to. Most of the folk bands that I am a fan of are located throughout the United States, so it was really cool for me to see this style represented by artists within the Inland Empire.
The intimate space in Back to the Grind’s basement allowed The Cecilias to shine with a purely acoustic set. I was instantly pulled in by the band’s rhythmic lull and carefully plucked out melodies. The soft guitars and bass allowed for all of the lyrics to stand out, which shared stories about nature and the band’s love for the Earth. It was impressive hearing how each band member contributed to the band’s overall blend, while also standing out on their own. I felt completely absorbed into The Cecilias’ music the entire set, which testifies to their musical skill considering that they had a more laid-back, acoustic set-up.
Overall, the Cecilias’ set was absolutely gorgeous and struck such a strong chord in my soul that I felt brought to tears, for no reason other than being moved by how beautiful their music sounded. I seriously hope to see them live again soon in the near future!
Porkboii
As a new (and huge) fan of Porkboii, my main motivation to go to this show was actually to see them perform. While their music speaks for itself in being so enjoyable, their live performances really speak to their immense talent and genuine passion. Porkboii owns whatever space they perform in due to their captivating stage presence that you can’t help but give your full attention to.
Porkboii’s lead singer, Sarai, does an incredible job of connecting the band’s music to her own beliefs and real-life events going on. She delivers them in ways that speak directly to each person listening, and her great passion and emotional vulnerability causes her words to genuinely resonate and stick with you long after the show. This was seen in light-hearted moments, where she praised local radio and the people who personally cultivate playlists for others to enjoy in the age of AI algorithms, or when she encouraged the audience to get to know the people around them, because strangers can be best friends waiting to happen.
Arguably, the most impactful speech of the night was made during the band’s introduction before their last song (If you read my article "Local Music Gives me Hope in Fascist America," I also discuss Sarai’s introduction to “Criminals”). During her final speech before performing the band’s hit “Criminals,” Sarai condemned the notion that certain people are inherently “criminals” and bad people who are undeserving of societal acceptance and financial stability, simply because they are immigrants or homeless or transgender. While I’ve previously heard this song be introduced through a lens of encouraging positivity and hope, it was refreshingly shocking to see it through a perspective of rage and disgust. I’m constantly so scared, disappointed, and angry seeing people be terrorized by ICE and the cruelty of the American government. Being in a space where someone is using their voice to protest this national violence helped me feel a lot less hopeless and recognize how strongly my community also feels about what’s been going on. Feeling the artist’s own pain and outrage towards the state of the world creates a space for the audience to openly express their own emotions about everything that’s been going on in the world, making the song a million times more powerful and real. I was genuinely crying by the end of Sarai’s speech, and it felt so cathartic and freeing to embrace how heartbroken and defiant I am alongside other people who feel just as strongly as I do.
Final Thoughts
Even though I know what my local music scene has to offer, I’m still amazed and really impressed by what was brought to the table at this event. Not only did each band show off how much talent and skill they hold, KUCR exemplified their prowess in curating entertainment that their community would enjoy and actively engage with.
Thank you to KUCR and Back to the Grind for hosting this event and being such welcoming hosts that spotlighted some hidden gems of community organization that exist within Riverside. Thank you to The Cecilias and Porkboii for putting your hearts, voices, and souls into your music and getting a large audience to care both about live music, listening to the radio, and social/political causes that they believe in. I’ll definitely be keeping my eye on other events that KUCR will be organizing, as well as tuning into their station to enjoy more of the music that real people are passionate to share.
Check out KUCR, Back to the Grind, The Cecilias, and Porkboii at the link below, which include their websites and social media.
KUCR's Website:
https://kucr.org/
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