Before this musical moment passes, Release Radar OSU wants it on film

The lights were on at Velvet Fudge on March 27. So were the cameras.

Release Radar OSU, a student-run organization dedicated to Stillwater's local music scene, turned its nine-band showcase that night into something more lasting: the foundation of a short documentary about the community it has spent years helping to build. The collaboration — between Release Radar and the OSU Filmmakers Association — was born from a connection between roommates and grew into a deliberate effort to preserve a music scene its organizers say runs on belonging as much as it does on sound.

This is one of two stories covering the March 27 Release Radar showcase. Read the full band-by-band concert recap here.

The idea came together quickly. Ryan Low, president of the OSU Filmmakers Association, happens to share an apartment with Release Radar executive team member Justin Thomas — who also plays bass in Slice of Life, one of the bands on the bill that night — and the two organizations found common cause. Low said the fit made sense from the start: he had been involved with Release Radar before launching the Filmmakers Association, and the two organizations share a common cause.

"I think that Release Radar's passion coincides with the passion of my club: giving local artists the recognition they deserve," Low said. He noted that Stillwater can be a difficult place for filmmakers and musicians alike to find spaces to show their work, which made the collaboration feel not just natural but necessary. "When they brought this opportunity to the table, I thought it was fantastic."

Lucas Cardenas, who runs Release Radar, said the proposal clicked immediately. "Of course this was very intriguing to us, as it opened the door to really solidify a specific moment in time," Cardenas said. "I hope that the film shows a small snapshot in time, a time where we are all young and free, enjoying ourselves with the ones we love while doing something we love."

That spirit of preservation shaped the lineup. Release Radar typically cycles in new acts for each show, but for this one, Cardenas leaned into familiarity, prioritizing bands that have been part of the local scene the longest. "This show specifically we did focus on having quintessential Stillwater bands," he said. "That way the ones that have existed in the scene for the longest get a chance to star in the upcoming film."

The bill also included newer acts — Letting Everything Go and From Which They Thrive — both of which Cardenas said he discovered early. "They are so very talented and the audience was absolutely blown away," he said. "We are all so young in the grand scheme of things, and playing a Release Radar show is the first step to achieving the success of playing gigs in the city and possibly even touring."

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Despite the presence of a film crew, Cardenas said the night felt organic. "The camera crew changed absolutely nothing about how the show ran," he said. "It was great that them, the bands, and the crowd were all able to coexist with each other. Everyone is mutually benefiting each other."

Low said embedding a crew into a live music environment came naturally. "I personally love the local scene so the energy was great," he said. The production approach mixed professional cameras with mobile phone footage to capture the raw energy of the room.

"The way we went about filming the bands was a combination of different cameras," Low said. "Some cameras were more professional than others, and we also integrated some footage from mobile phones."

Behind the scenes, the weeks before any show are anything but relaxed. For Cardenas, the stress peaks not at showtime but the moment a flyer hits social media.

"The second the advertisements go up starts a vigorous marketing timeline where every day of marketing and research is key to a show's success," he said. "Letting your audience know a show is happening on a specific date is just a seed you plant in their mind. It is our responsibility as an organization to carefully water that seed throughout the following weeks and make the audience genuinely excited to come out and support."

That excitement doesn't happen without support from the broader Stillwater ecosystem. Cardenas said Release Radar maintains close relationships with local businesses and venues — including i&i Skateshop, Velvet Fudge, and The Mosspit — that help spread the word. Still, reaching a typical college student on a Friday night requires a direct pitch. "We have to make sure we do a good job of saying, hey, you may have other things to do, but check out a local show and get a glimpse of a new type of environment you may end up loving," he said.

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For those who show up, Cardenas hopes the experience sticks. "I want the audience to take their trips home giggling and talking in awe of the great acts they saw that night for days to come," he said.

His deeper hope is for the documentary itself — that when viewers watch it years from now, they feel something beyond nostalgia. "I want them to remember how beautiful of a time we live in now," Cardenas said. "There are a million things to be upset about, but I am of the belief that one of the main reasons we are here living is to love, and there is so much of that love flowing through the Stillwater music scene. I want the audience to feel the love they feel now years down the line when they're watching this, and remember how lovely it is/was to belong."

Low frames the project in similar terms, though from the filmmaker's vantage point the stakes feel even broader. He describes the documentary as "a love letter for the local scene," one he hopes will earn recognition for every band and crew member involved. What gives the project urgency, he said, is how rarely this kind of work gets done.

"I think this moment is worth preserving because of the impact I want this to have on local media-based art," Low said. "I may be mistaken, but I'm not aware of any current student-made production that captures the local scene (at least at OSU or Stillwater)."

For Low, the film isn't just capturing a night of music. It's filling a gap in the university's creative record. The documentary is currently in editing, with a release expected between late April and early May.

That sense of belonging extends to the work behind the curtain. Cardenas said some of his most valued moments with the Release Radar team come after the crowd goes home — breaking down the stage, sharing laughs, unwinding together. "The hard work the team puts in is not for any attention or validation from the audience," he said. "We do this for one reason and one reason only: because we LOVE it."

Looking ahead, Cardenas said he wants Release Radar to evolve beyond concerts. With other local organizations now regularly booking shows, he plans to focus more on community-building events where people can connect without the music as the main draw. "Release Radar is how I found my sense of belonging at school," he said. "It is my No. 1 goal to provide that sense of belonging to anybody I can, by any means necessary."