Indie rock collective Peach Tree Rascals brings charm and warmth to Glenn Miller Ballroom

Venturing to a frigid CU Boulder campus, Peach Tree Rascals managed to bring a flash of warmth and positivity to the college’s Glenn Miller Ballroom to close the semester.

Originally slated to come to campus for the annual Come Home Concert, the performance of Peach Tree Rascals has instead been moved to Friday, December 9, the day before the start of final exam week. Perhaps due to the combination of the timing of the concert and the general ignorance of the burgeoning indie pop group, Glenn Miller Ballroom drew a modest and relatively tame crowd. However, that didn’t stop Peach Tree Rascals from giving a rousing performance and putting their hearts on their sleeves, something that feels consistent with their brand.

Hailing from San Jose, California, Peach Tree Rascals is made up of Dominic Pizano, Issac Pech, Tarrek Abdel-Khaliq, Joseph Barros, and Jorge Olazaba. Known for their fresh and charming tunes on young love, it’s no wonder they enjoyed massive success on platforms like TikTok throughout the pandemic. However, what elevates them above the myriad of other artists who focus on this infectious and sunny indie pop strain is their positive stage presence.

From the second they took the stage, the group, which includes five high school buddies, gave off an undeniable sense of chemistry. Between their opening riffs of tracks like “OOZ” and “I’m sorry,” the band were grinning at each other as if they couldn’t contain their excitement about performing in front of a live audience again – later, Abdel-Khaliq noted that this was their first time coming to Colorado. Between groovy guitar riffs and basslines, the song brought a unique blend of R&B, funk and indie rock, prompting the subdued crowd to gently sway to the tunes.

During the midsection, the group jumped into more downtrodden songs, underscored by a memorable performance of “More”. The lights went out almost completely to focus on Pizano, who took center stage and rapped, “Sometimes I’m depressed / Sometimes I think they can’t tell / Sometimes I neglect my health.” In such moments, the band showed their talent for heartfelt tunes.

Despite the captivating nature of their performance, both dancing and slow hits, the members of Peach Tree Rascals never gave up on an air of relaxation. As the band members took turns performing solo verses in various songs, the others casually sat on the edge of the stage, joking with each other and with the concert photographers, or making a warm gesture of their appreciation. to the small number of students who stood in front of the crowd and seemed to be singing all the lyrics alongside the group. At one point, Pizano even donned a Santa hat he threw at her and wore it for the rest of the night, even throughout their most serious songs.

After a 45 minute set and leaving the stage, the band were beaming with pride as they returned for an encore, as if this last song was what they had been waiting for the whole set. They jumped into an upbeat rendition of “Mariposa,” by far their best-known song due to its hit on TikTok. And by the new found energy of the crowd, it was easily their beloved. “I’m never gonna let you go / I’ve got my heart racing Nascar / The shine never fades,” they hugged the band members, rising above the drumbeat and managing to do so. applaud almost all members of the audience in unison.

After the show, Abdel-Khaliq spent nearly half an hour in the ballroom lobby, chatting with the students and taking time to take photos. He remarked that the band were preparing for their first upcoming tour, their first real chance to reach massive audiences through live performances.

Between the renewal of live concerts nationwide and the group’s ever-growing catalog of infallible hits, the groundwork is being laid for Peach Tree Rascals to be the next big indie pop sensation.

Contact Ben Berman, CU Independent Associate Arts Editor at [email protected].