The final chords of Crunchy Frog’s set were filled with nostalgia and uncertainty.
When the six band members of Crunchy Frog stepped off the stage at the California Academy of Sciences on Saturday night, they ended their last scheduled performance in the band’s six-year history. As seniors graduate for college in June, the future of the band is uncertain.
Sophomore Lianne Pearce, who plays the electric violin, said that Crunchy Frog’s Saturday night performance was the band’s fourth time playing at the Academy of Science’s annual Halloween party. Pearce estimated that over 100 people were in attendance.
Crunchy Frog is composed of Redwood students Pearce, senior Alex Ehrenberg, and freshman Andy Ehrenberg, as well as RJ Pearce, Schuyler Whiting, and Melissa Hart, who attend other schools.
“We’re kind of hoping another opportunity will come up [this year],” Lianne Pearce said, as Crunchy Frog has no future performances scheduled. Hart, a college student, flew back home for the Saturday performance, but two more seniors (RJ Pearce and Alex Ehrenberg) will graduate in June and plan to attend college in the fall.
“We have no idea what could happen,” senior Alex Ehrenberg said. “But if someone wants us to perform, we could do it. We’ve played for so long together that we don’t need to prepare that much for any one given performance. We know exactly each other’s styles.”
Lianne Pearce said that Crunchy Frog does not write its own music, but plays covers and mash-ups, which the band arranges.
“Everything is our own kind of version,” Ehrenberg said.
On Saturday, Crunchy Frog’s set included “Any Way You Want It” by Journey, “In My Life” by The Beatles, and “Cashmere” by Led Zeppelin.
Crunchy Frog began in 2006 at Neil Cummins.
“We started for a talent show,” Pearce said. “We thought it would be fun to perform one song. Afterwards we thought, ‘Oh, that was kind of fun. We should try playing more.’ ”
Ehrenberg said that the band’s name, based off of a Monty Python skit, came shortly after the talent show, when the band members decided to continue playing.
Crunchy Frog has played at multiple festivals, concerts, and farmers’ markets, and was once featured on ABC-TV. Ehrenberg said that his most memorable moments include playing on the main stage at the Marin County Fair, meeting musician Huey Lewis, and recording in Journey’s studio.
Pearce said that the thing she most enjoys about performing is the audiences.
“I really enjoy performing because a bunch of crazy people come and watch,” she said. “It’s fun to see them go crazy.”
Pearce said that since the band’s inception, they have gotten a different drummer and added two vocalists. However, Ehrenberg said that the band works perfectly together, so putting together last-minute performances next year would not be too difficult.
