A sea of caps and gowns across the country blur the line between those destined for major label success and those confined to forever practice in mom’s garage.
Between three boys from Alameda and one from Dublin, Big Green carries four completely unique college experiences between them. Since the band’s formation in their teenage years, members have since taken on their own approaches to higher education, some in the form of degrees at San Francisco State University. The band has gracefully navigated the gauntlet of adolescence together, from drinking in Chochenyo Park all the way to releasing their new EP “In Memory of My Dumb Friends.”
The moody, untamed melodies found on the group’s EP reflect their earnest start at the Alameda High School talent show in 2022. Despite overcoming their humble beginnings, members found themselves musically fragmented following their graduation that same year.
While bassist Nelson Pai pursued his degree in literature at the University of California, San Diego, Wagner and Chance took on assistance from Sean Godfrey on rhythm guitar and bass as a substitute. But as Big Green performed as a three piece, with occasional help from Pai on school breaks, it wasn’t quite the same as when they were together.
The band sobered up as Pai prepared to come back from college. The bassist’s move back to the Bay Area earlier this year triggered a second wind for the group. Going from three guys in a basement to playing live gigs on their home turf opened their eyes to countless possibilities.
Despite Pai’s re-joining playing a major role in the band’s increased professionalism, Pai attributed Godfrey’s addition as what took the band from being three friends to a driven group of musicians.
“I think adding Sean into our dynamic really helped us a lot from an outsider’s perspective,” Pai said. “Because it wasn’t just three guys from high school. I think that added a sense of urgency.”
For Colin Wagner, lead guitarist and vocalist, the transition from high school to college wasn’t as seamless as Pai’s. Following his graduation from Alameda High, Wagner was left floating in the transitional period of early adulthood. Through a friend of Godfrey’s, he was able to define his next steps in Chabot College’s music technology and production program.
“It changed the trajectory of my life for my career and pathway because I never really thought of music as an option,” Wagner said. “Part of me didn’t really believe in myself to do it.”
As Chabot’s audio engineering program became the talk of the group, Chance came to follow in Wagner’s footsteps. Despite their current pursuit of certification in music production, Chance had no prior background in the field.
“I go to Chabot because of Colin, and therefore because of Big Green. My college experience now is based around Big Green, as well as opening my eyes to music itself,” Chance said. “Before this, I didn’t play any instruments at all. Now I think of everything in a very musical sense.”
Wagner and Chance’s shared enthusiasm for the world of music through Big Green has directly influenced their career paths. What started as a basement-dwelling extracurricular has blossomed into relationships set to last their entire lives.
While Chance and Wagner continue weaving through their degrees, Godfrey looks forward to earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology from San Francisco State University this spring. As the second member of Big Green to graduate, he anticipates what post-grad life will look like for the band.
“I’m looking forward to being able to prioritize music and make that something that fills the time that school is taking up right now,” Godfrey said. “There’s always gonna be scheduling conflicts, and I feel like right now is the hardest that scheduling’s ever been. It hasn’t stopped us from playing shows and doing what we can to make time to play, even though it’s difficult.”
As SFSU graduates look forward to walking the stage at Oracle Park this Thursday, they carry close the memories of their time as an undergraduate with them. While navigating life after graduation can be daunting, members of Big Green see room to apply what they’ve learned in hindsight.
The release of “In Memory of My Dumb Friends” has only made the group hungry for additional recording, ever eager to continue defining their style.
“The fact that we’re all moving in very different areas of our life right now is a benefit because I think it allows us to have a renewed focus on working on this album,” Pai said. “We have access to resources and knowledge that we didn’t have when we were 17 and dicking around in a garage.”
Big Green continues to shout into the void of “what-ifs” currently at the front of many graduates’ minds. As the responsibilities continue to stack higher and higher, they remain focused on live performance as a venue for expression. On Monday, June 15, the Alameda band is set to perform at Neck of the Woods with a slew of other local artists.
“As life starts to get more cluttered, you start to think about what things are really important to you,” Pai said. “Big Green is still really important to me.”
