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Shabang reigns supreme despite rainy weather JASON HUNG | MUSTANG NE WS RESILIENCE
| Despite Saturday’s downpour, Shabang persisted with attendees huddled together under canopies in jackets and makeshift ponchos to shield themselves from the storm. Michelle Zaludek @michellenistic
2.13 inches of rain fell near Cal Poly’s campus this weekend
Two canopies perched at the top of the West Cuesta Ridge Trail were all that stood between Shabang and the onslaught of wind and rain on Saturday. The crowd — some in windbreakers and others bundled in makeshift trash bag ponchos — did its best to keep the air festive for the charity music event. A beach ball bounced in the main canopy, giving off vibes that were more tropical than tropical storm, while drinks peeked out from the safety of ponchos to keep the illusion steady. While a few seemed sullen because of the rain, the energy was mostly enthusiastic — with the crowd seeming happy to have the opportunity to come together at the top of the ridge. “It was still really, really fun,” Shabang co-creator Greg Golf said. “There were just really good vibes, with everybody meeting new people and being willing to help out and have an awesome time.” But band members at the beginning of the event were less enthusiastic. They had to push all their equipment up the grade — about a 20-minute trek — while trying to protect it from water damage. Rain could destroy the instruments, and the sharp rushes of wind weren’t ideal for carrying sound. “It’s just like — it could ruin your equipment to play in this weather,” electrical engineering sophomore and Shoot the Mariner drummer Dan Potts said. “Like, hundreds if not thousands of dollars.” A few gave the impression that at that point, they’d rather not perform. “It’s a shitshow,” said mechanical engineering sophomore Nickie Gurney, guitarist and vocalist for Honestly, Nothing. “Like, my amp is in two garbage bags right now … and I’m already cold and wet — it’s a mess, I don’t know,” Gurney said. But approximately 30 minutes into the event, a guitar growled to life under the main canopy, and Shoot the Mariner started to play. The crowd packed in tighter, swarming the stage space and cheering for a show
they thought might not happen. Most of the band was barely protected from the onslaught of rain under the canopy, with Potts looking like he was getting the worst of it, stuck behind his drum set at the very back of the canopy. But they kept at it, looking confident on the stage despite the wet bursts of wind that kept slamming against the crowd. And as music started to echo down the hill, more people hiked up the grade in droves. It was impressive for Golf to see how an event that was once just a quick gathering of approximately 40 friends, a generator and a live band, two years ago could grow. After all, it had only started from a short conversation between co-creators Golf and Carson Stone while they were volunteering at a homeless shelter, where they wanted to have one last ‘“shabang” with each other. The addition of co-creator Alexander Schwend to the team shortly thereafter helped Shabang draw larger crowds, growing to approximately 100 people by the second and up to approximately 500 by the fourth. And even with the weather this year, Shabang managed to draw more than 300 people, according to Golf. After the second Shabang, the creators decided to utilize the event’s growing popularity for good. All of the profits this year are set to be given to a
charity voted on by the attendees a charity about land conservia a Facebook poll. The Land vation. So I wish we had been Conservancy of San Luis Obispo more proactive about keeping County looked to be the big win- the area clean and communiner by Sunday morning, with more cating the importance of that to than 120 votes. everybody there.” “I think one of the big things about Shabang is that it looks over some of the best parts of California. People who came here wanted to keep that land pristine, and keep up the aesthetic beauty so it retains “THERE WERE JUST REALLY it’s natural qualities,” Golf GOOD VIBES, WITH EVERYBODY said regarding The Land MEETING NEW PEOPLE AND Conservancy’s win. BEING WILLING TO HELP OUT AND Shabang’s online donaHAVE AN AWESOME TIME.” tion page raised about $580 by Sunday — about 58 percent SHABANG CO-CREATOR of its $1,000 goal. But Golf said GREG GOLF that despite the fact that final totals haven’t been tallied yet, he’s confident that Shabang brought in enough money to be able However, Golf explained that to donate a large profit to The he was proud of how much more Land Conservancy. coordinated the event has beGolf also admitted that this come over time, explaining how event highlighted a few things that happy he was with the Shabang they needed to improve, citing or- staff ’s ability to provide safe and ganization as the most important. accessible transportation, as well The trashcans were a big problem, as give mostly local performers he explained. Despite the fact that the chance to play in front of a they had 10 around the site, they large crowd. And, more imporweren’t being watched carefully tantly, help a local charity while enough, and the Shabang staff had having fun. to head back to the ridge to pick “I also just want to thank everyup trash the next morning. body who came, though,” Golf “We didn’t want to damage the added. “Everybody worked hard land,” Golf said. “Even though together so that we could all come we picked (the trash) all up, it together and put all of our effort was just like, we’re donating to toward a good cause.”
JASON HUNG | MUSTANG NE WS RISK Y
| The rain posed a major challenge for band members who worried about damaging equipment during the event.
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