Music and Movement
BERKELEY, Calif - This past Friday I was sitting in a meeting when my ears began twitching to the sound pouring through the window. The music was calling from the steps of Sproul Hall. Needless to say, the allure of the live music had me sitting with one foot out the door for the rest of the meeting.
On Sep. 4, Superb Productions, chartered under the ASUC at the University of California, Berkeley hosted a mini concert on Sproul Plaza, featuring local legend, Spacemoth, and dj duo, Between Friends. The energy that this event brought to Berkeley’s campus set the tone for the upcoming semester. But, it wouldn't be Berkeley if it weren’t sprinkled with a demand for social justice.
Berkeley’s history of activism was revitalized when students used live music as a vehicle for social change. Student advocates spoke about the recent issues surrounding the administrative leave of director of the Chicanx Latinx Student Development and Latinx Student Resource Center, Lupe Gallegos-Diaz.
Synthesiers could be heard long before passing through Sather gate, playful and novel. Walking onto Sproul Plaza, a mass of people gathered behind barriers on the steps where many famous performances have taken place. The arpeggiated synth leads and drum beats were reminiscent of 80s synthwave, whose gothness had been hippieified, touched with a tone of modern psychedelic exploration.
Opener, Spacemoth, is an Oakland based spacey-psych-pop project designed by Maryam Qudus. Their new album, “Inward Eye” facilitates a trip through the mind with a keen awareness of the struggle of identity in the digital world. The levels within the songs vary from high energy hooks to drawn out synth sections which give the mind some time to wander. The question Qudus asks on her new album, “Do We Exist?”
The three-piece band commanded the attention of hundreds of passersby with the sonorous soundwaves of a Moog synthesizer and their various stacked synths. Berkeley students rushing past stopped for a glance. It seems there is always time to stop and smell the flowers—or in this case, smell the Spacemoth.
I got a chance to talk to a few students in the mix. A few people I spoke to had finished classes earlier in the day but hung around campus so they could catch the show. One student was just passing by, but had to stop for a dance break, claiming “Live music brings good energy.”
Others described the energy as “fun”, “eccentric” and “vibey.” Many had mentioned seeing shoegaze band, WISP, on the Memorial Glade on Cal day in Spring 2026, an event also hosted by Superb Productions. Evidently, live music leaves a lasting impact on the student body.
As the band left the stage, the mood changed from eclectic-dance-party to students-demanding-immediate-administrative-action. Berkely’s vein of protest and social action was struck as a student advocate took the mic. This student took the opportunity to advocate for the reinstatement of Lupe Gallegos-Diaz, Director of the Chicanx Latinx Student Development (CLSD) and Latinx Resource Center (LRC). Gallegos-Diaz has dedicated her 30 year career to educational equity and justice, serving as a symbol for the Chicanx culture on campus.
Concerned students suggest Gallegos-Diaz’s administrative leave places the CLSD and LRC in a precarious position. The students advocating for Diaz’s reinstatement took bold action to stand up for a pillar of the community. Advocates also provided pamphlets with links to petitions to reinstate Gallegos-Diaz. The student speaker claimed, “[Gallegos-Diaz] has empowered generations of Berkeley students to find their voice, claim their space and make a difference.”
Sproul Hall has always served as the iconic platform for demonstrating the need for social and political change. Music was used to accompany mass action during the Free Speech Movement when Joan Baez played on those very same steps. Back then, the music complemented the protest. Today, the protest complemented the music.
A long way from Joan Baez, Superb Leadership introduced the headliner, Between Friends. This Los Angeles based duo came in with a high energy set. They played a few songs off their new album “WOW!” bringing the energy of 2010 bangers. Their set was mixed with songs trending on TikTok which sent the crowd astir. A sea of hands in the air, jumping up and down is the way the semester is starting here at Cal.
Music is an effective social institution for strengthening bonds among people across all spheres. This event also demonstrated that live music in particular can be a vehicle for social justice.
Maybe music is the answer.
Keep your eyes on Superb Productions this semester. If this event was any indicator of what’s to come this year, then you better dust off your dancing pants.