Flashing lights, kicking cowboy boots and rowdy crowd chants — KRTU Fest, hosted by Trinity University’s radio station, KRTU, gave local San Antonio indie bands a stage to perform a medley of songs from country to Latin to indie rock. On Saturday, April 13, four bands played on the new stage at Stable Hall, located in the Pearl.
Sam Miller, junior communication major, and Gabby Nieraeth, first-year marketing and communication double-major, both interns for KRTU, helped organize the festival alongside Monica Reina, KRTU station manager. Each have a passion for indie music and amplifying small bands through Miller and Nieraeth’s Monday night KRTU podcast, “Yap Attack,” and they play new indie songs on the KRTU Indie Overnight radio station.
“Just being in San Antonio, there’s a bunch of different types of music and if we want to reach multiple different communities, hosting an indie music festival is the way to do it. We wanted to bring diverse genres of bands together,” Miller said.
KRTU Fest was previously hosted on Prassel Lawn, but to the interns, the location change brought a new energized vibe to the festival and greater accessibility to the public. Nieraeth expressed how having an intimate venue in a central metropolitan area in San Antonio helped connect Trinity and the local community.
“We are small, but we do have a major impact on the community. Being able to provide a free concert to anyone who wants to come out and enjoy it is a pretty major thing to do,” Nieraeth said. “We have a solid base for the jazz community, but getting more attention for the indie side of KRTU is definitely a goal this weekend.”
Miller and Nieraeth curated a diverse lineup for KRTU Fest, featuring returning favorites like Dylan Lee, Trinity’s own country singer, and Retro Cowgirl, a vintage-inspired indie garage band. Joining them were INOHA, an emerging San Antonio indie rock band, and Volcán, a Latin-inspired rock band.
Lee, sophomore marketing and communication double-major, recently released her EP, “Bittersweet,” and shared her new songs at the music festival. She expressed her gratitude for the chance to open for the show again this year.
“I am so excited because we are all such different bands. I love shows that showcase those differences at the same show,” Lee said. “I think that is the beauty of KRTU Fest.”
Lucky Steele, lead singer of Retro Cowgirl, expressed excitement for the opportunity to perform at Stable Hall. After a successful performance last year, Retro Cowgirl came back again, this time with new, passionate music.
“I feel so lucky to even be on that stage. It’s a crazy experience to go from really small gigs at a pub to being at Stable Hall,” Steele said. “I also like when listeners feel like they’re part of the band in a way. We are all having fun together. And I like to include them in different chants and make sure that they know we are only where we are because of them and every single person who comes to our show is really important to us.”
INOHA, a new indie rock band composed of four best friends, including Trinity student Ricky Juarez, junior communication and music double-major, recently gained attention on social media. Their viral video of lead singer Keanu Bicol performing “Seventh Heaven” in a Walmart shopping cart gained 2.7 million views, sling-shotting them into the media spotlight.
“Have you ever seen a band when they first start out, and you think, ‘Hey, they’re pretty cool, I could see them go far,’ and then you see them headline their own shows? That’s kind of where we want to be,” Gavin Gonzalez, INOHA lead guitarist, said.
INOHA says they take pride in their music’s ability to be interpreted uniquely by listeners, creating a sense of inclusivity as anyone can relate to their songs. As each band member is inspired by their differing musical past, together they create songs that instill feelings of nostalgia and rock.
“It leaves the space for the listener to put their own experience and find their own meaning with the song,” Juarez said. “It’s just general enough and specific enough for you to find your own meaning.”
Each artist brought a unique energy to the venue’s atmosphere, exciting the audience with their energetic stage presence, new music and desire to connect with the crowd.
In the wise words of Retro Cowgirl’s lead guitarist, Luis Fiallos, “put on your dancing shoes” because KRTU Fest brought electric feels to the audience, radiating rhythm and music off the walls of Stable Hall.