It’s that time of year again: the University of Colorado will hold its annual Homecoming Concert, welcoming artists from all over the country to the CU Boulder campus. This year, students have the privilege of submersing themselves in the alternative hip-hop, reggae and pop amalgamation that is Radical Something.
This band began to take shape when Alex Lagemann (who goes by Loggy) and Michael Costanzo (Big Red) met playing football for UC Berkeley. When they met Josh Hallbauer (Josh Cocktail) in a New York recording studio in 2011, Radical Something was born.
By June of that same year, Radical Something began to attract positive attention when it released its song “Be Easy,” exposing the world to its laid-back sound and undeniable Californian vibe. In late 2011, Radical Something released its first full-length album We Are Nothing, putting the band at number nine on the iTunes Alternative Chart.
The band cites many different musicians as inspirations for their artistry. Lagemann credits bands such as Linkin Park and Blink-182 for amplifying his intense passion for music. Eminem and Atmosphere play an equally important part in Lagemann’s musical inspirations, in addition to the infectious sounds of reggae.
Josh Hallbauer cites acoustic artists like Amos Lee as the driving force behind his inspiration. Michael Costanzo similarly gets his inspiration from music genres ranging from hip-hop to reggae and electronic music, in addition to the reggae punk band Sublime. The fusion of multiple sounds and genres of music results in a unique musical experience, instilling a feeling of relaxation and positivity in every performance.
Radical Something put its uplifting lyrics into action by releasing a music video for the band’s single “Pure“. The video aimed to capture the central idea of the song that being true to oneself is the most important thing in order to achieve happiness.
The music video also directly supported The Trevor Project, a nonprofit organization that focuses on suicide prevention among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning and queer youth.
Radical Something chased its passion and found success along the way. After releasing four full-length albums and one EP, the genre-combining trio continues to forge on with its message of spreading love, happiness and self-expression through melodies. To experience Radical Something’s show, purchase tickets to CU’s 2015 Homecoming Concert, kick back and prepare for visions of palm trees and sandy beaches.
The concert is Wednesday, Oct. 14 in the Glenn Miller Ballroom in the University Memorial Center (UMC). Tickets are $3 for students (with a valid student ID) and $5 for the general public. The tickets can be found here. Doors open at 8 p.m. and the concert begins at 8:30 p.m.
Contact CU Independent News Staff Writer Noelle Coultrip at Noelle.Coultrip@colorado.edu.
