Band of the Week: Wood Street Band

By Dylan Holland
Assistant Music Director

It was around 7 p.m. and I had just gotten out of class to head to the Wood Street garage to meet the Wood Street Band for the first time. Once I’d arrived at the top level of the garage, I was looking over San Marcos; in the distance the lights from the street and stadium were illuminating the surrounding trees, and revealed the curvature of the highway. To the left, Alkek library stood tall, construction being done on its far side. Suddenly, an older, slightly worn, red truck approached through the parking lot.

The guitarist and occasional vocalist of Wood Street Band, rolled down his driver’s side window and said hello in a playful voice before asking if he could set up the band’s gear in the back of his truck. As they unloaded, the members of Wood Street Band introduced themselves.

Wood Street Band is a San Marcos-based alt-folk band that consists of singer/violinist Leela Rao, percussionist Laura Asto, guitarist/pianist/singer Geoff Sloan and trumpeter Meghan Horsely, who unfortunately could not make it to the Band of the Week shoot.

After brief introductions, we let the band set up their instruments in the back of the red truck. Asto brought out a cajon, a percussion instrument that you hit with your hands to create drum-like sounds, and Sloan set up his semi-hollow guitar and plugged in his amp. However, there was no power and the band resorted to using an acoustic guitar. After listening to the band perform we talked to the band about how they came together (and, if you haven’t guessed yet, it had everything to do with the Wood Street garage) and how their jamming process typically starts–with a variety of instruments ranging from trumpet to piano and everything in between.

It was interesting to hear how each member of the band plays multiple instruments and brings original ideas to each jam session. Afterwards, I got to talk Rao about her interests in Game of Thrones, and her memories of when Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez were the best couple of the Disney Channel era.

Soon after the sun went down, the band was dancing like no tomorrow to Chance the Rapper and The Black Eyed Peas, and making shadow puppets on the wall behind them. After a short dance battle, Sloan began packing the gear back in their truck and the band said their final goodbyes.

Wood Street Band plays shows regularly around San Marcos, so be on the lookout for new music from this energetic alt-folk four piece.

Featured image by Victoria Vasquez.