On Oct. 23, 2025, guests poured into The Barn’s dining hall to watch Kleo, an indie surf rock band, play their second gig at the University of California, Riverside (UCR). Alongside alternative rock band Citrus Park, the group graced the stage with energetic rock music for the audience to dance and sing along to. Playing into the event’s Halloween theme, many of the concert-goers boldly showed up donning spooky and entertaining costumes.
The opening act Citrus Park took to the stage at 7 p.m., immediately setting the tone and energy for the night. With an unapologetically loud audio feedback, raw vocals, and a lively tempo, the band harnessed the unfiltered spirit of punk and alternative bands such as The Fastbacks, X and My Chemical Romance.
Concert-goers moshed and pogoed to the raw and vigorous songs in Citrus Park’s setlist. Keeping in line with the Halloween spirit, the band played “Bones,” a hard-hitting distorted song that evokes a sense of living in a zombie apocalypse. Some of the songs that Citrus Park played also leaned into a slow and melancholic shoegaze sound, showcasing how they are capable of diving into other genres as well.
Alongside some of their original songs, Citrus Park additionally played covers of songs by bands such as the B-52’s, The Offspring and more. At one point during the show, the band decided to play a cover of Rage Against the Machine’s “Killing In The Name,” but not before dedicating the song to those currently facing social injustice. The band ended their gig leading the crowd into a quick and safe wall of death mosh.
Before Kleo came out to perform, guests were treated to an early music video premiere of the band’s newest single, “Save Your Time.” The music video’s aesthetics gave off a John Carpenter horror film vibe, further underscoring the 80’s synth sound that the song is trying to go for. Many of the people who’ve worked on the music video also happened to be present at the concert as well. The music video’s screening was met by applause and approval by the audience.
After a few minutes had passed, Kleo came up on stage to perform with each band member wearing a Halloween costume. With an indie, yearning sound reminiscent of The Drums and Beach Fossils, the band was quick to woo the crowd. Some of those who’ve been to the first Kleo concert were quick to dance and sing along. With a large amount of people swaying on the dance floor, it’s hard not to believe that some of the concertgoers were most likely put on to the band. Kleo played songs from their discography such as “Something” and “Home,” proudly showing off their melodic chops.
The band’s crowd work was nothing short of phenomenal. Kleo, as well as Citrus Park, invited the audience to sing along to some of their songs, and even interacted with them in between song breaks. In the middle of Kleo’s performance, the band members announced that they’ve been scouting audience members for a costume contest. With elaborate and outstanding costumes ranging from Superman to a six foot tall inflatable Squidward, the winner of the costume contest was none other than a guest sporting a lion pajama, which was still a pretty awesome sight to see.
The band also covered “Worm in the Sun” by ALEXSUCKS, a song that definitely fits the jangly surf rock aesthetic the band has going on. Kleo additionally played an original song called “Past Yesterday,” which has a more slow and romantic tempo than any other of their songs.
After a quick break and an encore, the band ended the night with a cover of Ben Kweller’s “This Is War,” a familiar track for those who’ve watched “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules.” As with a lot of the songs that came before, the crowd took the opportunity to mosh and dance. After the show concluded, the band members of Kleo warmly met some of the crowd members.
The event goes to show that Kleo has amassed a cult following from the students at UCR. With a combination of food, live music and costumes, the event served as a chaotically enjoyable prelude to Halloween. Given the event’s enthusiastic reception by the audience, it wouldn’t be completely out of the question for The Barn to host “Kleoween III” next year.
