Started early last semester by Eric Yoder, 19, and Brendon Porter, 18, the two USFSP students and guitarists gather the club every Thursday afternoon to play and talk music.
Porter is a freshman biology major, and Yoder is a sophomore geography major. The two met in their American National Government class and bonded over music. The two St. Pete natives said they realized there was no club for musicians on campus.
“There has always been this art vibe [at USFSP],” said Porter. “[The Musicians Club] is destined for growth.”
“[We are] trying to cultivate a musical vibe [in St. Pete],” Yoder added.
Within a month of meeting each other, they started the Musicians Club and began bringing in new friends. What started as the two of them playing open mic nights at the Tavern grew into a regular group.
“I think [Eric] and I played at the Tavern for a couple of weeks and occasionally with some performers here and there,” said Porter. “By November, we had a core group of us playing wherever necessary.”
Guitarists make up the majority of the members. But Porter said they also have an array of bassists, drummers, violinists, pianists, singers, wind instrumentalists (including a French horn player) and “a series of assorted oddball musical talents….”
They play a wide variety of music genres, from jazz to rock to ska.
Besides playing together, they also perform for clubs around campus. They also plan on starting a guitar workshop with five members of the club as the instructors to teach students how to play.
The upcoming “flagship” event for the club will be Art After Dark this month, they said. They will perform on the second day of the event, March 21, at 5 p.m., according to the Art After Dark Facebook page. The club also hopes to have three local ska, reggae and indie rock bands coming to end the night with a big jam session.
“…We’re hoping that we can get permission to bring Glass House Point, the Badda Skat Band, and UNRB to close out the night,” said Porter.
The club meets Thursdays at 5 p.m. in the Palm Room in the USC. Follow them on Facebook, USFSP Musicians Club, and on Instagram, @usfspmusiciansclub.
