Sun Room: The Final Breaths of a Carefree College Lifestyle

Last Thursday (April 11, 2024), I had the privilege to catch a performance by the band SUN ROOM as they made a pit stop in Northern California, playing two shows in Sacramento and Berkeley. This weekend, the band is on their way south for a month-long tour in Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina. I’ve been listening to the band since they initially burst onto the scene with their 2020 viral TikTok hit “Sol Del Sur” which quickly became the soundtrack to a quarantined summer and carried through my freshman year here at Berkeley. It’s been four years since I left my hometown and began the journey of young adulthood (and SUN ROOM’s first EP). The chance to hear the songs that had musically defined that time of my life felt like fate, so a friend and I made our way down to Cornerstone, one of my favorite venues in Berkeley. Despite its proximity to campus, as it sits on the corner of Shattuck and Durant, shows at the venue always make me feel like I’ve stumbled into a hidden gem.

Despite only playing together for the past four years, SUN ROOM bandmates Luke Asgian (lead vocals & guitar), Ashton Minnich (guitar), Max Pinamonti (bass) and Gibby Anderson (drums), are professionals when it comes to playing on tour. The band had their first headlining tour in 2022, taking on an extensive North American tour that took them across twenty-one states (with two quick stops in Canada) over a three month spread; and just months prior, had traveled across the world as a support act for both Louis Tomlinson and Irish band Inhaler. Since then, the band has had three major US tours, one ambitious tour through the outback in Australia and multiple festival appearances. Despite their extensive experience on stage, their youth was apparent as they stepped onto the stage in different variations of formality: Pinamonti and Asgian both in suits with button-down shirts, Minnich in a jacket and t-shirt, and Anderson forgoing the jacket altogether. As they took the stage, hazy yellow lights eased the audience into what would be a groovy, but laid-back set that felt a little like the band was just going through the motions. While it could be chalked up to a sleepy crowd, I found the uncertainty of their set to be more indicative of a uncertainty of the future; uncertainty I could relate to, watching my college experience come to a close.

Before going to the concert, I decided to re-listen to their catalog, starting with their first EP that initially drew me to the band, through their most recent, a garage rock-heavy At Least I Tried (2023). The band describes their playing style as “loud and fast,” but I found the band had a controlled groove that generally had the audience transfixed as they transitioned between songs from the four EPs they’ve released over the last four years. Their first album, Sol Del Sur (2020), is raw and youthful, fully embracing the summer surf mentality as they experiment with fun riffs and rocking out with the audience. These songs felt like classics, but there was a level of apathy in the band when they played them, like they no longer enjoyed performing the songs. In fact, I’ve noticed this occurs most often with songs that tend to go viral on social media, a phenomenon I’ve deemed the “TikTok effect.” Their second album, Somewhere Tropical (2021), mellows out and it’s this era that the band saw success in the soundtrack world, as the band saw songs “Crashed My Bike” and “Something That You’re Missing” featured on the hit show Outer Banks (2020). In these songs, the band seemed to find rest and the audience found their groove in the strength of the rhythm section. Their third EP, Out of Their Minds (2023), illustrates their best understanding of timing and feels like it could have been produced in the 1960s rock scene, as the cover album suggests. Listening to these, I was sure that the crowd would be jumping and moshing, but no pit ever formed and few feet left the ground. Regardless, listening to the songs will still put me in a college backyard, bouncing around with my friends and not a care in the world. Their most recent EP, At Least I Tried (2023) was the most disappointing of their catalog to witness live. While the first three albums have a distinct sound that you can place, At Least I Tried felt lost, and there seemed to be little recognition in the audience when the band played songs off the EP. To me, the EP feels a lot like I do right now, looking at a post-grad life: confused, apathetic, and lacking direction.

The set overall was fun and funky, transitioning smoothly from rock songs that made you want to jump, to jazzy pieces that had the crowd boogieing. Sadly though, and likely caused by a drowsy crowd full of students slammed with midterms, the vibes in the venue were low and the lack of energy seemed to affect the band as the set went on. Overall, I enjoyed the show and the experience of getting to hear some of my favorite songs live. Ironically, just as the band seemed to speak to me four years ago, I find myself in a similar position now. For the band to push through what felt to me like a plateau, they’ll need to reevaluate their position in the greater music community. They can no longer put out singles and EPs that mimic indie and rock bands that the industry is already chalk full of. To see continued success, SUN ROOM needs to put out a proper album and find a niche for themselves to move forward. Much like all of us facing a more challenging and hostile professional world, they need to leave behind the laid-back world of surf rock and get serious about where they want to go.