Back2Bass in San Luis Obispo: College event pushes progressive sound past house sets

A Cal Poly alumnus returned to San Luis Obispo on Sept. 12 for Back2Bass Comeback, an evening that put DJs alongside student dance troupes. Bryan Lai organized the show. It ran as a staged event rather than the house parties where the Back2Bass concept started.

Lai put the bill together with performers from beyond the usual circuit. Cal Poly's United Movement dance troupe worked with several DJs. Two local acts, Aaron Caparac and Jeff Caceres, performed under the name AC/JC. Organizers said the show was built to give producers working with layered, progressive sounds an audience they would not reach through the house sets common around town.

Progressive electronic music unfolds slowly and builds texture over time, unlike house with its immediate hooks. Lai said the event's goal included making room for those slower-building sets, letting producers develop a narrative across a set rather than play to what promoters typically book. He plans to return to San Luis Obispo with the concept again.

United Movement's president, Elise Donaho, said bringing choreography and stagecraft to local shows makes concerts more accessible and communal. She said it also gives student groups a chance to present their work outside campus-only settings. The club contributed choreography and drew a student audience to the show.

For Caparac and Caceres, the slot moved them from hobby to professional pursuit. They described the night as a step toward careers in performance and production. Lai said he wants the event to become a recurring fixture mixing progressive EDM with student talent and local artists.