Aztec Music Group kicked off the spring semester with their first-ever “AMG After Dark” event. This was a shift from their previous house shows in which they highlighted local San Diego State musicians.
Far from the streets of Mary Lane and Dorothy Drive, this is the first big show AMG has put on in the Student Union.
The two headliners for the event were Stingray and Avery Cochrane.
The sentiment from both musicians seemed as if it was a bit of an underwhelming turnout, compared to the audiences that they often see at house shows.
Despite this, it is clear that these performers have a passion to play no matter the sized crowd.
“I’m just happy to be singing tonight, it doesn’t matter how many people are here, or if there are people just passing by,” Cochrane said. “If I can just sing, that is totally chill.”
Once the performance started, bystanders could not pass up the opportunity to see these performers.
Performing first was Stingray, a five-member band that has rock and punk influences.
With Morgan Donus as lead singer, the band produces such a unique sound with most of their covers being from male singers, ranging from songs by Maroon 5, Foo Fighters, The Killers, Young The Giant and a few more.
Throughout the performance, Donus would move around all over the stage, dancing and singing with the guitarists, creating such a dynamic vibe on the stage.
Each member of the band brought their own flair — namely the other female member of the band, Avery Nelson, who played electric guitar while jumping in to harmonize with Donus. Other members included Aidan Domine, Jonathan Fish and Andrew Leo, who had a fill in this performance.
After Stingray’s set, Cochrane was next to perform. During her talented performance, it was clear her love of music transcends audiences.
She set the tone by gliding onto the stage in her flowy white dress and loose brown hair, bringing the microphone to her lips and starting her set.
“I counted and there are 12 of you here, but I’m going to play for 12 people the same way I play for 12,000 people,” Cochrane said.
Kicking it off with her first original song of the night, Dream Boy, it was clear she was holding her word on performing. Right away passersby were stopping, pulling out their phones to record and were blown away by the talent they were stumbling upon.
Cochrane was quick to pull in more than 12 audience members throughout her performance. Her entire setlist consisted of all the original songs she wrote.
The band accompanying her consists of AMG members, who were all just having a blast playing together. Notably, AMG’s president, Jaime Martinez, plays guitar for the band along with four other members.
Cochrane said she was the one who often composes and writes her music and then collaborates with the band to be able to perform live.
One of the most noteworthy moments of the eight-song setlist was her unplugged performance of her song, “The Executioner.”
Those on the guitar were Cochrane and JP Huole, with Nelson on the cello bass. The acoustic sound and harmonies produced by the singers left goosebumps on everyone.
As her set came to a close, she ended with an unreleased song that erupted in a bang, literally – the drums and all other instruments joined in on one last note to end the night.
The band also announced their performance at Soda Bar coming up on Feb. 28.
After the performance, Martinez let attendees know that the next AMG After Dark will be on March 8, and they are still searching for headliners.
“I want the smaller guys to get noticed. I want people to come in with no experience and find something in the industry they want to do because we focus on the frontend and the backend, the goal is (for) anyone interested in the industry (to) find something to do,” Martinez said.
If you are looking for a community that is all about music, AMG might just be the club for you. To learn more about them, follow their Instagram.