by Nick Escalada

Environmentalism isn’t quite the first word in independent rock, but a group of Cal Poly Humboldt STEM undergrads seem to disagree. Meet Sporegasm, a band of natural sciences students who have shaken up the Humboldt scene for years by infusing a passion for the outdoors into unique blends of music.

Ecological restoration seniors Brandt Porteous and Jack McCann and senior forestry major Mark Ortiz have all known one another since 2022, as roommates and former bandmates. McCann was president of the Mycology Club back then, and an idea to form a mushroom-themed band sprouted from their shared nature-oriented vocations.

“There’s a mycologist, his name is William Padilla Brown and he’s known for breaking ground on cultivating the Cordyceps mushroom,” said McCann, the band’s guitarist and vocalist. “He talked about a ‘sporegasm,’ you know, just kind of like in a fun context. And that word stuck with me — I just thought it would be a good band name.”

The band played their first gig in December of 2022 for a fundraiser by the Department of Environmental Science & Management at the Redwood Curtain Brewing Company, which invited them back after a successful debut. Since then, the musicians have experimented heavily with compositions and fine-tuned them to adopt an identity they call, “mushroom rock.”

“Well, I would say [it’s] just bluesy rock,” said Ortiz, a bassist. “There’s a lot of jam involved, I think, in certain sections of our shows, but mostly bluesy rock, maybe psychedelic rock.”

“I think it’s just kind of a whimsical vibe,” McCann added. “Learning about mushrooms, you can start to get a little bit out of the mainstream, and start to see things from a different perspective.”

The artists shared their gratitude for the platform they’ve gained on campus and in the broader community from their few years in action, and how they’ve prioritized using it to shed light on issues they care about. In the spring of 2024, they appeared at midnight on the protest-occupied quad to lift the spirits of demonstrators.

“[We wanted to] inspire people and make people stand up and keep going throughout the night. Bring up the morale, get rid of the paranoia,” said Porteous, keyboardist and vocalist. “It’s like everyone just has this threat over their head of people coming from wherever to beat on them, and everyone was there just because they love people. So, it was cool. It felt special.”

Porteous is particularly invested in the way nature is integrated into Humboldt’s campus. The keyboardist is an advocate for the university to better embrace the temperate rainforest biome that surrounds its concrete halls.

“I know on Humboldt’s campus there is an attempt to integrate it, but I think we could do it 10 times better,” Porteous said. “ I think, in the world in general, if we integrated native plants and native ecosystems into the infrastructure that we use on a day-to-day basis, that we would preserve and protect and restore a future that is much more livable for us and for all the other creatures on the planet.”

The band has been on an indefinite hiatus since the middle of this year, with their drummer Kai Derego Frankel working in Paraguay for the Peace Corps. The members have recently begun exploring their group identity, hoping to emphasize a, ‘who is Sporegasm?’ message in their next public appearance.

“It’s not like we don’t keep in touch. These are some of my closest friends,” Ortiz said. “We always hang out. We’ve gotten naked together, platonically. We’re just really close buds, and if there’s an opportunity, I’m sure we’ll all be interested.”

Nick is the news editor at The Lumberjack, and studies wildlife and journalism with the goal of spreading his love of nature through media. A famous recluse, he is rarely seen at social functions, but you might dig him up in a SAC lounge beanbag chair. Chat with him at ne53@humboldt.edu!