By snoadmin
Many Cal State Long Beach students use the Nugget Grill and Pub as a place to relax, grab a bite to eat between classes or occasionally catch a big game. The on-campus pub also hosts live music, and it will soon open its doors for a new genre – jazz.
The idea to have live jazz played by an ensemble was presented in last week’s Associated Students Inc. meeting. CSULB jazz students will take the stage at the Nugget this spring “as a result of demand from the 49er Shops to have live events in the Nugget,” according to ASI President John Haberstroh.
“Jeff Jarvis, director of jazz studies, and I were talking, and Don Penrod, who’s the CEO of 49er Shops, wanted to make a collective effort to bring music into the Nugget,” ASI Vice President Jonathon Bolin said. “Jazz is a cool, hip college thing.”
Junior kinesiology major Dan Matulis said jazz music might entice him to visit the Nugget more often.
“I enjoy live music, though I don’t necessarily go to the Nugget a lot,” Matulis said. “But I think [live jazz] would make me more inclined to go.”
Jarvis said he hopes that his students performing at the Nugget will be something for other students to enjoy for the expressed purpose of listening, as opposed to the ensemble being background music for the night’s big football game.
“It’s about making sure that we could find times in the Nugget designated for us,” he said. “It doesn’t have to be something like a concert. It can be something where people are doing what they do but knowing that the music is the main focal point.”
Sophomore electrical engineering major Piyush Jain said it would be nice to hear different genres of music at the Nugget.
“I think it will be interesting because you really don’t hear a lot of music around CSULB, so it will nice to hear something different,” Jain said.
The jazz ensemble only has one or two concerts performed by the jazz combo class during the semester. Jarvis said the class is definitely interested in performing more.
“I’ve talked to my graduated students [about playing in the Nugget], and they were very excited about it,” Jarvis said. “And if the students aren’t excited about it themselves, I’ll get them excited about it, because I think it would be great for them.”
As of now, there is no date set for when live jazz will be brought to the Nugget.
“We are very early in the planning process, so we need some time to work out the details,” Penrod said.
