Music has a way of bringing people together. It can be a common interest among friends whether you prefer rhythm and blues, rock, classical, jazz or country. It is truly the “feel good” in one’s soul.
Disc jockey Christopher Lynch has a passion for introducing his style of music to the listeners of KBEACH Radio at Cal State Long Beach. Since the beginning of the 2007 spring semester, Lynch has been the host of his own show on KBEACH called “In the Garage,” which airs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesdays. The title stems from his idea that people have random treasures in their garage, and his studio is a “garage” full of musical treasures both old and new. Most of the music he airs fit into a genre of music known as garage rock, which was introduced in the 1960s by artists like The Rolling Stones, Paul Revere and the Raiders and The Sonics.
On May 3, Lynch hosted his first live performance at the Nugget Grill & Pub on campus. The performances are part of a weekly concert series that has been going on every Thursday night for a few years now. With the opportunity to host the show at the Nugget, Lynch was put on the spotlight when he opened for the first act by playing his acoustic guitar.
Along with concert directors Eizelle Gonzales and Anissa Rodriguez, Lynch searches for bands to perform every week in numerous ways. Most of the prospective performers fill out a performance request form from the KBEACH Web site or approach the directors after the weekly concert series to express their interest in getting a chance to be heard.
The turnout during Lynch’s first night of hosting was low, but it was obvious that the music was making the attendees feel good in their souls as they were seen bobbing their heads and tapping their feet to the musical sounds of the Soft Hands, The Flying Saucers and Inazuma.
Lynch has brought aspiring bands into the studio to share their music and allow listeners to get to know the artist.
“My favorite thing about working at KBEACH is being able to play all kinds of music and connect with bands that need radio play,” Lynch said.
When Lynch begins hosting a show, he likes to start with a little blues before moving on to folk music until he eventually changes the vibe to head-banging garage rock.
“I kind of mix it all up and connect everything,” Lynch said.
One would never guess that Lynch’s major had nothing to do with music. Now in his senior year at CSULB, Lynch is working toward his bachelor’s degree in literature with a minor in creative writing.
Despite his academic major, Lynch takes time to dedicate his attention to his hobby. Not only does he set up tracks for the listening ears at CSULB, but he uses that as an opportunity to network with bands that appear on his show in hopes of becoming a member of a musical group. Currently, he is known by his fellow musician friends as “Okashi,” which means “strange” in Japanese. Lynch accepted his given nickname and said, “After all, music is what feelings sound like.”
