The Comeback Tour, hosted by KANM Student Radio, Album of the Week and TAMUSIC Club returned to Texas A&M’s campus on Friday, Sept. 19. Each organization provided a live performance and activities to inspire and engage the crowd.
This was the first time the collaborative semiannual event was hosted in Aggie Park — it was originally held at The 101 in Bryan. The event aims to foster growth for awareness of the larger Aggie music community of local artists.
Telecommunications senior Caspar Ibarra created the event while serving as the Live Events Coordinator for KANM. According to Ibarra, the event is a chance to highlight local student bands in a way that is accessible to new members.
“I had always had the idea of finding a way to connect us with the other music orgs on campus,” Ibarra said. “I just really wanted to have an event where it was free so our new members could come and not have any barriers that would keep them from coming and engaging with the people in our org and in our community in general.”
Creating a welcoming and comfortable environment is a high priority for Ibarra. This event is one of many intentional efforts by KANM to build a space for college students looking for a community to share their love of music.
“So when I was coming up with this idea for The Comeback Tour, I really thought back to my freshman year, and what kind of events would have made me more involved as a member more early on and how to do that in a way that was easily accessible,” Ibarra said.
The hum of electric guitars and the clash of drums echoed throughout Aggie Park while the lull of conversations from attendees filled the air. As the sun set, the event began with a live performance from Nico Rey Music with a setlist featuring songs from his new album. TAMUSIC Club Vice President and economics graduate student Nicholas Ruiz Barnes returned to play The Comeback Tour for the second time.
“I do feel like when I’m on stage and I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing,” Barnes said. “It is really fulfilling to be able to play your songs in front of other people and sort of see them respond live.”
Barnes says the local music scene in College Station is unique and that a lot of people are unaware of it. For him, the love of music makes these collaborations and interactions between other music organizations on campus so special.
“There’s nothing I really like as much as music, especially just creating albums and making art,” Barnes said. “I just find it really fulfilling as a goal in and of itself.”
In addition to a merchandise table for KANM apparel and one showcasing TAMUSIC Club, there were activity tables geared towards building community and adding a creative touch to the night. The music club table invited students to write down the artists they currently listen to and advertise local rising musicians. A craft table also allowed people to draw on and decorate their own CD with sharpies for free.
Neuroscience senior Rachael Haastrup attended the event along with other members of the TAMUSIC Club. The club focuses on sharing the love of music — especially providing spaces and events for live music and local musicians to play.
“It’s a lot of very like-minded people, everyone here loves music,” Haastrup said. “It’s so broad, the music, everyone has their own niches and all those niches come together to just enjoy it.”
