In an energizing performance, sundiver ca took the stage this past Thursday night at the Starline Social Club in Oakland. Two indie rock openers, Analog Dog and Mind’s Eye, each built up the audience and held a great stage presence independently with thirty minute setlists. An eclectic crowd of local music lovers and dedicated fans mingled in the audience and filled the venue, which was compact but effective for creating the immersive, atmospheric sound that was shared among all of the bands. With a spirit for bridging music and listeners, sundiver ca made a concerted effort to interact with the audience and invite them into the world of their music, turning the show into a celebration of local music and connecting listeners to the art they love. 

Analog Dog, the first group to perform, immediately got the energy of the room moving. The San Francisco-based band performed singles including “Disco Dani, Pt. 1”, “Product Pivot”, and “Heart Into It (So What)”; as each song trailed to its conclusion, it was seamlessly blended with the introduction of the next to create pulsing and perpetual energy. The diverse musical backgrounds and multi-instrumental talent of the band members really shines with spiritual, psychedelic, and funk influences seeping through the traditional rock beats and head-rocking energy. One of my favorite things about band concerts are the solo breaks that make every live performance unique, and the saxophone solos unique to Analog Dog made their music memorable and established jazz as a part of their experimental sound, not just a feature element.

The second opener to perform was Mind’s Eye, an alt-rock band edged with sarcastic humor. In addition to their popular single “Wasted Affairs”, they played several songs from their album Favorite Love Machine (2020) including “Bite The Bullet” and “I Just Don’t Want This To End”, a dynamic and heartfelt declaration which showed off both impressive vocal range and tempo control. Lead singer Vince Lopez physically and figuratively brought the crowd closer to the stage as he serenaded and riffed off audience members, working as both a musician and performer to set the tone of the room and put the audience at ease.  

To a whooping audience, sundiver ca dove into their set, opening with “I Know I Won’t” from their album Superstar Baby (2019). Making use of the venue’s small size, their reverberating rock sound filled the space and caught the audience in its groove to foster an intimate show. “Oh Honey” was followed by their single “wet dreams” and crowd-pleaser “Soundtrack for Your Backseat” which blew up on TikTok. They closed with “Baby You’re My Jam” on audience recommendation and a snippet of their newest single “R&Baby”. I found the most engaging aspect of their performance to be the signature buildups within many of their songs which seemed to change the size of the room and bend the energy of the crowd to meet them. Christopher Lopez, their lead singer, captivated the crowd by singing parts of songs close to the mic with only a guitar to accent before soaring into a gritty shout for choruses. Electric guitar solos were generously interspersed and grounded with a rich bass. The members of sundiver come from diverse Spanish-speaking backgrounds, and several of their songs contain Spanish lyrics, so this bridging of their culture with indie rock is a special touch point with their fans. 

 

Both sundiver and Mind’s Eye stuck around after the show to talk with fans and take pictures, and this simple effort really showed their commitment to building personal connections with those who support their work. Personally, I could tell that they are musicians who love their craft and creating good energy. sundiver’s Oakland show was the second of their Superstar Baby Tour around California, Arizona, and Nevada. Their music shows off the dynamism of California musicians reflective of diverse cultural and popular music culture influences. By contrasting rock elements such as buildups and grating guitar with a gentler indie sound, their music is able to touch on contemplative, observant, and wistful love while also conveying a passionate outpour of emotions reflective of the conviction behind their lyrics. sundiver ca establishes a unique place between indie and rock music, and as a new fan, I would highly encourage those who have the opportunity to take advantage of the group’s accessibility—attend a show, and share great music.

Article and Photos by Anna Linn

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