Gabe Acevedo
On paper, Junior Gabe Acevedo is a Canfield Business Honors major with plans to double major in finance. But when he’s not in the McCombs School of Business studying, you might find him recording music in a studio or performing at live music venues across Austin. As the rhythm guitarist for West 22nd, an upstart band made up of five UT Austin students, Gabe has spent the past year pursuing his passion for both business and music.
Gabe came into college wanting to start a band after attending a small sports-oriented high school in Atlanta. In fact, one of the reasons he picked UT was Austin’s reputation as a vibrant music city with large events like South by Southwest as well as many smaller live music venues. During his freshman year, Gabe focused extensively on singing, playing his guitar, and songwriting, and he played at open mic nights to meet other people in the local live music scene. From these open mic nights, Gabe met another student from the Atlanta area, Logan Madsen, who became West 22nd’s lead singer.
During the summer after their freshman year, Gabe and Logan spent time riffing off the top of their heads, writing lyrics, and developing chord progressions. By August, Gabe and his friends had filled out the remaining positions for their band, and they created a name—West 22nd—based on the street they all lived on during their freshman year. Then, by promoting West 22nd on social media, the band started to take off and become a regular presence around the UT Austin campus. Fast forward to today, and West 22nd has recently released an original single, Sunburns, and an EP, All the Way Home. The songs are now available on major streaming platforms, such as Spotify and Apple Music, which was a major goal the members of West 22nd had originally set for themselves.
Gabe says you can find West 22nd performing anywhere there is a crowd that wants to hear live music, so the band has played at fraternity events, philanthropy shows, South by Southwest, and 4th Street. West 22nd has also traveled to College Station and Oklahoma to perform. One of Gabe’s favorite West 22nd memories is performing in front of the famous UT Tower as the opener for Remi Wolf during Forty Acres Fest. West 22nd had won the opportunity to open for Wolf after successfully performing in UT Austin’s Battle of the Bands, and Gabe enjoyed this chance to blend his passion for music with his identity as a UT Austin student by performing in front of the tower.
While Gabe has been pursuing his musical goals, he has appreciated the support of the Canfield BHP program, which allows him to explore his dual passions for business and music. Gabe said Canfield BHP is the reason he ultimately decided to commit to UT Austin, and he enjoys the tight-knit community. From the Canfield BHP advisors helping him build out his degree plan to Mr. Phil Canfield ‘89 and Mrs. Mary Beth Canfield hosting Gabe and other students for dinner at their home, the personalized attention has made Gabe feel right at home.
As for the future, Gabe has ambitious goals for the band but is also focused on finishing his degrees and graduating from UT Austin. In five years, Gabe said he would love for West 22nd to sign a record deal and go on tour across the country during the summer. In the meantime, Gabe is concentrating on making new music with his bandmates, completing his coursework, and exploring the entrepreneurial aspects of his band. In particular, Gabe likes being involved in the marketing and finances associated with West 22nd.
Even with all these goals, Gabe says West 22nd tries to live in the moment, and the band takes things one week at a time. Wherever Gabe and West 22nd go, his Canfield BHP community will be there cheering him on!