Meet the Lollapalooza artist: benches

By Arman Saxena     8/26/25 9:56pm

“This is insane. Just being here is a giant dream come true,” lead guitarist Evan Ojeda of indie rock band benches said before their Lollapalooza set on Aug. 3. 

On a sunny afternoon at Chicago’s Grant Park, the San Diego-based group took the BMI stage with confidence, running through a setlist that included crowd favorites “LA Friends” and “Crash” alongside newer singles like “Naive.” 

“We’ve been talking about this for months now,” bassist Charlie Baird said. “You never think you’ll be playing a major festival until you’re actually standing here. My dad used to tell me about going to the first Lollapalooza in [Los Angeles] … so being here now feels surreal.” 

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benches formed nearly a decade ago when lead singer Anson Kelley and guitarist Andy Tistoj were still in middle school. Since then, the band has evolved from nervous teenagers in the San Diego scene into a confident live act with more than 300,000 monthly Spotify listeners. Their music blends the raw energy of garage rock with the melodic flair of Britpop, often drawing comparisons to Arctic Monkeys, The Strokes and Interpol. 

Songs like “Violent” and “Queen of Hearts” showcase their garage-rock roots, while recent tracks lean toward indie pop textures with lyrics that reflect on relationships and the challenges of growing up. 

“It’s changed drastically,” Ojeda said. “I used to not move at all on stage. Now, after touring so much, we’ve gained confidence. People who saw us back in 2022 tell us they can see the difference. We’re more stylistically sure of ourselves, and the show reflects that.” 

Touring has shaped not only their stage presence but also their creative approach. The band has supported acts like Inhaler and I DONT KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME, and Ojeda said those experiences offered lessons on and off stage. 

“You get to study how other bands play shows,” he said. “We learned a lot about being more comfortable and open on stage just by watching others night after night.” 

Still, the group hopes to give audiences more than polished technique. For benches, live shows are about leaving fans with something memorable. 

“I want people to walk away thinking, ‘I need to see them again,’” Baird said. “If they don’t know our music, I want them to go home and immediately listen. If we can inspire someone the way we were inspired, that means the world.” 

That inspiration is already happening. Ojeda recalled a fan who told him she started playing drums because of him. Others have traveled from overseas to catch multiple shows. 

“Stuff like that really hits you,” Ojeda said. “We’re still a small band, so seeing people care that much — it inspires us to keep going.” 

During their Lollapalooza set, the band matched the words with action. 

With driving guitars and hooks rooted in indie pop and Bloc Party-esque post-punk revival, Benches kept the crowd moving through “Kill the Lights” and closer “Monodrama.” 

“I grew up going to shows in San Diego and watching bands that made me feel like I could do this too,” Baird said. “If someone walks away from our set with that same feeling, then we’ve done our job.”

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