[Editor’s Note] Social Cinema is a rock band with members that hail from Wichita, Kansas, and Lincoln, Nebraska: Griffin Bush (vocalist/guitarist), Logan Bush (drummer), Austin Engler (bassist), Mari Crisler (keyboardist/guitarist), and Reed Tiwald (guitarist). The band was formed in 2021 from former members of the Wichita band Kill Vargas (the Bush brothers and Engler) and the Lincoln, Nebraska band Death Cow (Crisler and Tiwald). On October 2nd, the band released its latest album, Don’t Get Lost, via Midtopia. Check out two of the band’s songs here.

According to a press release, “they have the creative drive and unbridled energy of a Midwest rock band striving to be heard. The band also exudes sibling energy: that impossible-to-manufacture collaborative and competitive dynamic comes compliments of brothers Logan and Griffin Bush. While this is their first full-length, the band has been putting in work on the road, and were included in NIVA’s 2025 ‘Live List’ alongside names like Mannequin Pussy, Jessica Pratt, Wishy, The Beaches, and Doechii.”

We were excited when Social Cinema penned an exclusive essay for SWT about one of their most memorable concerts: a house concert in the mountains of Colorado.

One of our most unique shows we’ve played as Social Cinema was on an early tour back in 2023. We played a house show in a small mountain town in Colorado. This town was seriously small. Like 6 or 7 houses and a post office. After a winding drive up a dirt road on the side of the mountain, we eventually came to a stop and pulled over because the road became too steep and narrow for our van.

We exited the van to a bunch of confused neighbors asking us what we were doing there. A few minutes later, the promoter of the show came out to give us the rundown of the night. We were super excited, and the show was going to be great. We asked around for which of these houses we were supposed to be loading into, and we were pointed up to a house way higher up on the mountain, around half a mile hike up. There were pink flags planted in the ground every 20 feet up or so, which the bands/fans were told to follow on the way up to find the house, and so we started making the hike up and down the mountain with an amp or a drum or a stack of guitars each trip. We like hiking, so it wasn’t much of a bother to us.

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By the time showtime hit, this quiet mountain town of 5 to 6 houses was packed front to back with around 50 extra cars and around 200 extra punk rock kids walking around. You can imagine the confusion of some of the people living there.

When we arrived and loaded in, there were already a ton of people there. We were told to stay off the outside deck so the weight of all the people wouldn’t collapse the deck down the side of the mountain. The show got started, and already the floor of the kitchen was leaning and caving a bit. I remember some housemates being afraid of the landlord living next door as well, not realizing the show would draw as many kids as it did. There was word that a couple of neighbors had called the police as well, so bands were trying to speed through the sets. Mid-show, an older guy from the neighborhood was walking around the mosh pit trying to find out which kid blocked his driveway with their car, but ended up sticking around and enjoying the show. Right after that, the guitar amp of the band playing before us burst into smoke and filled the room.

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When it was time for us to play, everything was covered in sweat, and the walls began to drip. One of the hottest shows we’ve played. We played a great show to a great reaction. Sold a lot of merch and made a lot of new friends. With all the chaos, everyone getting through the set front to back felt like a win. Then began the journey back down the mountain in the pitch black dark of night. A guitar or a piece of gear in one hand, and a phone light in the other. Definitely some slips and falls down the muddy path, but we made it down the mountain and on to the next show.

It wasn’t nearly the biggest show we’ve played, it wasn’t nearly the most “important” on paper, but shows like this are the kind of shows that keep us going and remind us why we started rock bands in the first place.

You can catch the band at the following tour dates:

OCTOBER 05 – Grand Junction, CO @ Copeka Coffee 07 – Portland, OR @ Holocene 08 – Seattle, WA @ Substation 09 – Boise, ID @ Neurolux 10 – Provo, UT @ Velour 12 – Denver, CO @ Lost Lake Lounge 13 – Fort Collins, CO @ The Coast 14 – Wichita, KS @ Wave 15 – Lincoln, NE @ Duffy’s Tavern 16 – Kansas City, MO @ Encore 18 – Des Moines, IA @ xBk 20 – Milwaukee, WI @ Cactus Club 21 – Davenport, IA @ Raccoon Motel 22 – Springfield, MO @ The Regency Live 23 – Chicago, IL @ Subterranean 25 – Nashville, TN @ The Basement 27 – Denton, TX @ Rubber Gloves 28 – Austin, TX @ The Mohawk Indoors

NOVEMBER 11 – Omaha, NE @ Slowdown w/ The Frights, Remo Drive

Social Cinema

Contributor

Social Cinema is a rock band with members that hail from Wichita, Kansas, and Lincoln, Nebraska: Griffin Bush (vocalist/guitarist), Logan Bush (drummer), Austin Engler (bassist), Mari Crisler (keyboardist/guitarist), and Reed Tiwald (guitarist). The band was formed in 2021 from former members of the Wichita band Kill Vargas (the Bush brothers and Engler) and the Lincoln, Nebraska band Death Cow (Crisler and Tiwald).