What happens when five musicians audition for a TV show and actually become the band they were cast to play? For The Runarounds, that’s not a hypothetical. Five years after their first audition, the once-fictional group now tours the country as a real band. On Saturday, January 24th, they brought their story full circle with an electric set at the UC Theatre in Berkeley. The Runarounds proved they’re just as charismatic, free-spirited, and talented in person as they are on screen. Originally cast as musicians in the Outer Banks universe before launching their own Amazon Prime series, The Runarounds (which premiered in September 2025), the five-piece band has formed a genuine bond and is now embarking on a musical adventure.
Inside the UC Theatre, the energy was vibrant. Fans buzzed with excitement, eager to see the characters they’d fallen for on screen step into the spotlight. Earlier that evening, the line to get in had wrapped down University Avenue, a sold-out show and a huge turnout for the nonprofit Berkeley venue. The crowd was packed with college students, high schoolers, parents, and families.
What made The Runarounds’ performance stand out was how each member naturally got their moment to shine. Zende Murdock tore through the drums, powering the entire set, while Axel Ellis brought smooth, groovy vocals and a magnetic stage presence (no surprise given his work with his other project, Ax and the Hatchetman). Jesse Golliher, who also releases music as Geskle, cut through the band’s guitar-heavy sound with crisp, commanding vocals, especially during “15 Rootbeers.” Jeremy Yun and William Lipton, who both sing and play guitar in the band, kept the energy high, radiating joy and infectious enthusiasm onstage. Both are from the Bay Area, which made the night especially meaningful since they had performed one of the band’s first shows as a group here.
They also performed two covers, “Are You Gonna Be My Girl?” (Jet) and “Valerie” (The Zutons/Amy Winehouse), getting everyone moving and connecting multiple generations in the audience. Watching the band play together, it was clear how much heart they put into every lyric, note, and strum.
That same sense of intention carried through the entire lineup. Before The Runarounds took the stage, Charleston-based band Easy Honey opened the night with groovy indie rock that was immediately familiar to me. They sounded like a mix of my favorite bands that I’m continuously gatekeeping in my “dope lil bands” playlist on Spotify. It was their first time playing in Berkeley, and while the crowd was still warming up, they got the audience chanting to the chorus of their song “Gotta Get Back”. They ended their set with the guitarist taking a literal shot of honey straight from the bottle, which definitely caught everyone off guard but somehow felt perfectly fitting.
The UC Theatre itself was the perfect setting for a show like this, you could really feel the care behind every staff member’s work. With its intimate floor pit, high ceilings, and even original posters handed out to fans for free after the show, everything ran smoothly. There was a thoughtful touch behind every detail. It was my first time seeing a show at the UC Theatre, and I’m already checking their concert calendar to come back.
As someone who loves music for the way it comes alive in a concert venue, it felt surreal to see a band onstage whose coming-of-age story I’d first watched on TV. If the question at the start of the night was what happens when five musicians audition for a TV show, the answer was clear by the encore: you walk away feeling connected to a band you want to keep following, both on screen and onstage.
Review and photos by Izzy Hory
