Humble Beginnings
The sound of Harrison Arakawa on keys as you walk up the steps to Lot 22.
UC Santa Barbara’s Lot 22, a seemingly ordinary parking structure on campus, doubles as a practice area for many student bands and serves as the name for a nine-person rock band that formed in September of 2021. The nine members consist of Luc Pardehpoosh, Harrison Arakawa, Noah Baum, Adrian Cunningham, Nina Lim, Ben Krohn-Hansen, Henry Jurney, Philippe Rerolle, and Ema Nastic. Pardehpoosh, lead guitarist, kickstarted Lot 22’s founding with a post in an Instagram group for UCSB transfers.
“I play guitar and I’m starting a band with a friend this year in SB,” Pardehpoosh wrote. “We need a drummer and a bass player, so hit me up if you want to join!”
Pardehpoosh received tons of responses, leading to the addition of not only a drummer and bass player, but also a trombonist, rhythm guitarist, keyboardist, trumpeter, and saxophonist. The group started practicing in the summer and quickly realized they’d need to find a place to practice that would be in a central location where they could be as loud as they need, away from housemates trying to study. UCSB’s Lot 22 had often been a hotspot for musicians and the band decided to stake their own place in the four-story structure, fit with easy power access, free parking to transport all their equipment, and natural reverb that can be heard whether on campus or in Isla Vista.
Cars pass by as Pardehpoosh and Arakawa practice for an upcoming show.
This is where Lot 22 found their name, as well as their singer. Drawn in by the sounds of trumpet, drums, and guitar, Nastic found herself at the top level of Lot 22, listening to a band she could see herself joining.
“I used to be in a band in my hometown, San Diego, and missed it so much since moving to IV” said Nastic. “I noticed Lot 22 didn’t have a singer and I loved their sound, so I figured I might as well see if they would be interested in taking on another band member.”
The others liked her singing and Ema was let into the band, completing Lot 22. The band practices in the parking lot weekly, preparing for shows held in the backyards of various IV homes. Thanks to, “that one fateful post,” as Pardehpoosh put it, IV residents can enjoy Lot 22’s unique rock sound, whether late at night at a show or from the echoes of an unassuming parking lot.
Photos courtesy of Lot 22. Performing in an IV backyard.