Live Music Returning to San Luis Obispo was a story written and produced by Adrian Rosas and Avalon Cassard. The story focused primarily on the attendee, band, and owner perspective on the return of live shows.
“When it came to researching this story, we wanted to have a unique perspective to provide the reader with something more than just ‘local venue reopens’. Things like what it was like to be at a show as well as why someone would want to go to a show,” says Adrian Rosas who handled the written feature story.
When the group was putting the story together the main focus was to ensure that readers knew why they should be going to a show. The main interview source was Matt Maldanado, a Los Angeles-based marketing worker, who often frequents the SLO area for local concerts before the pandemic hit and restrictions were put into place.
“For us, it has always been about being able to see shows at some of the amazing venues San Luis Obispo has to offer,” said Maldanado, a Los Angeles-based public relations professional and frequent visitor to SLO. “The bands that frequently come through Los Angeles also pass through here, and so me and my wife will usually come up to SLO to get that same musical experience in a place that is much further from the hustle and bustle of home.”
The story also features a video component that highlights the unique perspectives of local band Brass Bash as well as the perspective of the owner of the bar/venue ownership. The video allows the reader to understand the planning process as well as how important the return of live music is for both the bands and venue organizers.