Sun Room Socializes at the Social in Orlando
Edited by Anna Mengani
It's April 26th, a warm Wednesday night, as I sit at a table in the back of the Social; a small music venue in the heart of downtown Orlando. I sit in the dim lighting as I watch a crowd of about 15 teenagers and young adults fill in the small space between the stage and the bar, chattering amongst themselves as they wait for the visiting California band, Sun Room.
After spending the night hanging out with the slightly sunburnt group of musicians, at a local surf shop, I was interested in seeing their performance and how their tight-knit friendship showed on stage. The band; consisting of lead singer and guitarist Luke Asgian, Ashton Minnich on lead guitar, Max Pinamonti on bass, and Gibson Anderson on drums, comes out to their seats, ready to start an acoustic session and a Q&A with the excited fans. As they go through their three songs, one being an unreleased one, the band goes into their Q&A answering questions about their time in the sunshine state, and their fun surf trip on our east coast oceans the day before. Max jokes about how they’ve yet to see an alligator and answers a couple of other questions about whether they’d return to school. They thank their VIP crowd before going back behind the curtain to prepare for the show.
As the main line fills in, every inch of the Social is packed with excited fans ready for the surf rock show of a lifetime. I meet two lovely photographers, and spend the majority of my time talking to their tour manager, Jesse, who is somehow more sweet and laid back than the band, despite having such a busy schedule and life. The lights dim as the Athen, GA natives, Hotel Fiction, take on the stage ready to woo over the crowd with their indie songs, and incredible piano skills. The band consists of Jade and Jess, "just two gals". I’d been lucky enough to see them a few times before when they opened for flipturn and beach fossils on previous tours, and they always put on a great show and get the crowd amped up for any following act, regardless of genre. They have such a great dynamic and truly speak to each other through music and a strong friendship.
Following Hotel Fiction, Sun Room walks out onto the small stage, ready to bring a sunshine filled set to the amped up Orlando crowd. As they progress through their set, the crowd gets more and more hyped as everyone jumps and sings along with the energetic and excited boys. It’s hard to keep my eyes off bassists, Max Pinamonti, and drummer Gibson Anderson; not only do I love a strong and passionate rhythm section, but they’re truly so energetic and passionate that your eyes are just naturally drawn to the movement. Lead guitarist Ashton Minnich, kills his lead riffs while seemingly never speaking a word– except to comment on a joke Luke made about the band’s uncles and cousins, dedicating random songs to the different family members. My personal favorite of the night was 'Just Yesterday,' the slick and sweet riff in the beginning of the chorus just filled my chest with warmth, as if the sun was in the building with us. It’s easy to say that Sun Room put on an incredible show, and shows just how important a good stage presence and sweet vibe is. You can catch them at Shaky Knees late night shows, and a few others on their socials below! Trust me, you won’t want to miss it.
Sun Rooms' Social Media
Hotel Fiction's Social Media
