As the streets of San Francisco buzz with activities around every corner, cooped in an alleyway on 358 Brannan St. conceals an indoor batting cage called The Natural. The athletic facility has alternatively been used as a music venue, giving local bands the opportunity to showcase their creative abilities.
Bands including opener, Kiori, followed by That Dog Won’t Hunt and headliner Pinnacle Of performed on May 16.
San Jose band Pinnacle Of captivated the audience through its raunchy, up-tempo play.
Leading the helm was Michael Lopez, 22, lead vocalist and guitarist, taking center stage through his theatrics and death growls until technical difficulties ended the show early.
“I like the intimacy of the smaller crowd,” Lopez said. “In the larger crowds, people feel too awkward to express themselves.”
This was Pinnacle Of’s first performance in San Francisco after multiple shows in Monterey and Salinas.
“It’s cool that I can add myself to the list that said they played in the city,” De Anza College student Elias Garcia, 23, communications major and Pinnacle Of drummer, said.
Garcia started drumming as a hobby in 2023, following a stint of playing saxophone, and found himself dedicated to the craft since.
“Drums are the heartbeat of music and the band. I love being in this position,” Garcia said. “With the band I’m in now, we instantly clicked.”
Bassist of That Dog Won’t Hunt and West Valley College student Junior Schwartz, 24, department of justice major, also emphasized the importance of meshing with his band members to create great music.
“The power of friendship is the greatest, most beautiful asset of any great band,” Schwartz said.
The group of mutual friends started their band after they bonded over a shared distaste for the late Charlie Kirk, who debated college students from a conservative political stance.
“We were trying to throw a protest because he was talking to our campus and we wanted a band to be loud to distract them,” said Parsa Falah, 23, San Jose State University digital media major and guitarist of That Dog Won’t Hunt.
He then revealed more memorable moments the band shared together, including when they discovered a possum living inside their kick drum in his new home, previously littered with heroin by the past owner.
“We named it Opioid,” Falah said. “He was a great pet.”
De Anza student Nicholas Labosky, 23, drummer of That Dog Won’t Hunt, started playing the drums when he was nine.
“I just hit a lot of things around the house,” Labosky said. “My parents were like, ‘perhaps you should do this,’ and I said, ‘perhaps I shall.’”
UC-Santa Cruz student Nick Ferguson, guitarist and vocalist of That Dog Won’t Hunt, was also inspired by his family to pursue music.
“I started because my sister did it, she was much older so she was a parental figure,” Ferguson said. “She was cool and was into metal, I was like, ‘Hell yeah, I’m going to do whatever she does.’”
Being a part of the band offers a unique connection for the members.
“My siblings were 18 years older than me. I never had anybody my age so it’s like I have brothers now,” Lily Blanchard, 24, meteorology major and lead vocalist for That Dog Won’t Hunt said.
That Dog Won’t Hunt is working on an album to release at year’s end, while Pinnacle Of plans on getting in the studio to release music and book more gigs.
