The music never stops: Adam Gonzalez

The Dog P0und has become a home for many musicians at the University of Connecticut. As the main location for basement shows in Storrs, the venue has become a hub for UConn students to share their music with their peers and showcase their musical evolution through repeat performances.  

Among those who have played the most at the venue is Adam Gonzalez. Gonzalez is a singer-songwriter who sings and plays guitar in the group Lootbug, a four-piece alternative rock band that has been a staple act at The Dog P0und this semester, with Gonzalez taking front and center.  

Gonzalez first started taking guitar lessons when he was young, but wasn’t interested in it at first. It wasn’t until two years ago that he picked up the six-string again as he started to write songs with his friend Henry Barrios. Gonzalez also plays piano, which he started doing when he was 16, and makes electronic music under the name Ragako, where he released the drum and bass/breakcore-influenced album “Machines Can’t Sleep” in July 2023.  

During these songwriting sessions, Barrios pitched the idea of starting a band with Gonzalez as they kept writing. This idea marked the beginning of the group that would become Lootbug, with the duo spending the next two years developing their songwriting. Gonzalez explained that his songwriting process with Barrios, and eventually the full band, has always been very collaborative.  

“The way we do it is that we write an entire song on our own, whether it’s me or Henry or anyone from the band, and then present it to each other,” said Gonzalez. “And then from there, we make our own edits and give our input.” 

Writing songs together was far from a smooth process at first. Gonzalez said that both he and Barrios were learning as they went along, trying out many ideas in the process and ending up with mixed results.  

“A lot of the songs we wrote were not at all usable,” he said. “So, it took a year for us to reach the songwriting ability to write the songs that we play now.” 

After developing their songwriting chops with a set of songs they felt confident to bring to the public, Gonzalez and the band made their live debut this past summer. Their first shows were small and intimate, taking place in backyards and basements for friends and family. The first big show for the group came in early September at The Dog P0und, which was also the first full band show the venue hosted. Gonzalez recalled the nerves he had before going on stage, but went on to enjoy the night.  

“I remember the first show at The Dog P0und, I was so anxious and I felt like I was going to faint,” said Gonzalez. “My hands were feeling tingly and numb. But the show was great.” 

Since shaking off these nerves, Gonzalez and the band have been continuously growing by playing at prominent venues in the Connecticut music scene such as 10selden in Woodbridge, Conn. and Knowhere in Tolland, Conn. The group also performed in September at WHUS Radio’s Sounds of Summer concert in the heart of campus at the Student Union.  

Gonzalez explained the feeling of looking out into the crowd from the stage, specifically when it comes to playing original songs that he may have doubts about how they will be received.  

“It’s always crazy playing and then you look up and you realize people are moshing to your music because you practice these songs and you think ‘Man, I wonder how other people will think about this song,’” said Gonzalez. 

But no place has meant more to Gonzalez than The Dog P0und, a venue that he and the band have played at three times this semester. Gonzalez expressed how glad he is to have seen the community at the venue grow as the semester has progressed.  

“It’s great seeing how things change and how people get used to the place,” said Gonzalez. “I love seeing the same faces and friends that they bring along. Whether they know it or not, people are trying to grow it by just showing up.”