Last summer, the high school rock band Loose Change brought an all-time high number of attendees at their Tunes by the Tridge performance with nearly 3,000 people showing up to watch the classic rock band play. This year, with a new singer and an entirely new set of music, they plan to do it again.

“I’m just excited for the opportunity to play with all of my friends,” DHS senior and guitarist Tristayn Owen said. “I’ve been with this group for three years, but overall making music and playing in front of people is what I love to do.”

While the group certainly pleased the crowd last year, they must play an entirely new setlist as a prerequisite to perform at the Tridge a second time. Additionally, the band welcomes a new singer for this summer’s run: Meridian High School senior Maddy Day. Other members include college freshmen Nick Shahin on bass, Jimmy Bergmooser on guitar, and Elliott Miller on drums. In order to properly solidify two hours of new music, the band has been diligently practicing in Shahin’s basement whenever they can in preparation for their big shows.

“All of us in the band always want to sound the best, which means the day of the show we usually show up 1.5-2 hours early to do lots of sound checks and make sure everything is running smoothly,” Owen said. “Then sometimes before the show, we come into a huddle and one of us gives a pep talk about how we’re going to kill it.”

Loose Change kicks off the summer with their first gig at the Tridge on June 11 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Other gigs the band will be playing at this summer include Tapped, Midland’s new craft beer festival; Parkapalooza at Sanford Lake Park, and an appearance at Clare’s Summer Concert Series. Keep an eye on future performances by visiting the band’s Facebook page.

By Jasmine Purtell