Echoes of Grief: A funeral at Private Park

By Ashlee Harcar

Local Music Journalist

Last Friday, San Marcos came together to mourn the passing of teenage years as Private Park glimmered in the sounds of shoegaze. KTSW’s music director Lillian Jones, transformed the grassy terrain into a space for tattoo enthusiasts, vintage connoisseurs and local music enjoyers to spread love and sorrow throughout the evening. The stage became a sanctuary as mourners, charmed in black attire, became enchanted by the sounds of Cement Diver, Minor Issue and Witches Exist. 

Cement Diver

As the crowd formed and the dim lights flickered, Cement Diver struck the stage with an aura of delicate vulnerability. This “traumagaze” band plunged into the unresolved feelings of attendees with the waves of three guitars and the echoes of melancholy lyricism. Cement Diver displayed utter perfectionism as the show’s opening act, jumpstarting the evening of musical exploration and birthday celebration ahead. Bopping heads turned into tangling hair as they warmed up the stage with such an enchanting sound. Following the performance, I dove into their most recent EP with another local band, Fawn. Cement Diver both publishes and performs beautifully, as they laid the foundation for a night of soul-stirring resonance.

Minor Issue

Mesmerized by the unique musical and aesthetic style of Minor Issue, San Marcos mourners reconstructed Private Park’s dirt grounds in a mosh pit. This beautiful four-piece band struck the stage with their cohesive sound and varying frequencies, drifting concertgoers away from their surrounding activities and into the chaos that lingered by the stage. The magnetic sound of Minor Issue released anger, the second stage of grief, into the air with passion and strength. As the band showcased songs from their newest EP, Conversation at the Bottom,  people drew closer to the speakers and amps that adorned the set. 

Witches Exist

One of my favorite local bands, Witches Exist, captured the essence of the venue with ethereal vocals and lyricism of longing. Kickstarting the performance with one of their newest songs titled “Leaf” and an older melody titled “Garden,” complimenting the outdoor landscape and its [the outdoors] inhabitants for the evening. As attendees swayed, jumped and slow danced, the sound felt like a long-lost friend returning to an embrace. Their music transported listeners to a level of introspection and reverie, weaving tapestries of sound that captivated the audience. 

Lady Luck

Though Lady Luck did not get a chance to showcase their sound that night due to technical difficulties, the band ended off the night with a warm “Happy Birthday” song for Jones. If you anticipated their performance, do not worry. Lady Luck will perform at Sunny’s Backyard in Austin on March 16  and at San Marcos’ Alchemy Records on March 30. Meanwhile, stream their newest song “Hazel” on Spotify to prepare for their next set. 

“Death to My Teenage Years” turned a typical chilly Friday evening into an atmosphere of loving, longing, mourning and celebrating. Friday became a night of feelings for those missing their adolescence, from the highs and lows of youth to the ups and downs of adulthood. An evening of diverse sounds intertwining with contrasting emotions gave honor to the loss experienced and celebration for what the future may hold.