Song, solar and social activism at Campo

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Published May 31st, 2017

Song, solar and social activism at Campo

By Cathy Dausman

Drummer Ben Ebert of Trapdoor Social. Photos Cathy Dausman

Lafayette native Ben Ebert still talks and sometimes jams with friends and old band mates from Acalanes High School, but now calls Los Angeles home. Ebert is a professional musician - a drummer for the five-member band Trapdoor Social.

Recently the band brought its music and its message to Campolindo High School. It was almost 90 degrees when Trapdoor presented their lunchtime concert on the Campolindo quad. They liked it - "they" meaning both the 80 to 100 students who sat listening to the set, and the band itself.

The band uses its six-panel solar generating trailer to power their electric guitars, amps, mics and speakers. After the concert, Ebert and band mates Merritt Graves, Skylar Funk, Louie Gonzalez and Patrick Griffen obligingly posed for photos before the aptly named Skylar Funk gave an AP environmental science class a peek into the workings of Trapdoor's 1.64 kilowatt capacity solar trailer.

In this and other ways the band promotes its social activism. They also produce a clean-energy concert and fundraise for charities. Last year they produced Sunstock Solar Festival, a charity benefit arts and music fest; it returns this year June 18.

Trapdoor Social has appeared locally at Saint Mary's College and UC Berkeley, but the Campolindo show was only their second high school venue. Performing at his crosstown rival "was just a coincidence," Ebert said. "Our agent happened to come across the school without knowing I was from Lamorinda," he said. One Campolindo fan even suggested the group perform at their school's 2018 Senior Ball.

As for his alma mater, Ebert says he would definitely love to play at Acalanes in front of his past teachers. "I have a lot of fond memories at that high school," he said.

Trapdoor Social



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