Monks of the Blue strike a chord with the community and are ready to rock Night Market 831.

Monks of the Blue – Adam Renteria, Jason Thompson, Nick Kitchens and Zach McDaniel – recently earned the wild card slot at the West End Celebration in Sand City in August, voted in by the community to perform on the main stage.

Being selected as the wild card was impressive considering that just five years ago, two of the members had never picked up a musical instrument.

During the pandemic, Kitchens was furloughed from work and unsure what to do next. On his uncle’s suggestion, he picked up a guitar for the first time. After moving back to Monterey County, he rekindled old friendships. He had known Thompson since kindergarten and Renteria since high school.

Their first original song, “The Way You Got Me,” began with a chord progression Renteria had written. That evening, he and Kitchens turned it into a full song with lyrics. They used it as a demo to recruit Thompson on bass and McDaniel on drums.

Thompson had never played bass but picks things up quickly. Kitchens says it’s been gratifying to watch Thompson grow. The whole band has evolved since its beginning.

At first, Monks of the Blue leaned heavily on straight-up blues, but their sound expanded with influences from rock and alternative icons like Nirvana and Alice in Chains.

As their musical skills grew, so did their bond. “We’ve become like a brotherhood because of how chill and comfortable we are,” Kitchens explains. “We can disagree without being disagreeable, and we always find a solution. You can’t ask for anything better.”

Their most memorable gig came at Daisy’s Saloon in San Juan Bautista, where they opened with “Dust Bowl.” With a sliding guitar intro and near-spoken lyrics, it wasn’t the kind of song they thought would pack a dance floor. But to their surprise, the entire room came alive. “That never happened before,” Kitchens recalls. “We didn’t know people could like it that much.”

Now, the band is preparing for the Night Market 831. Along with West End, it was one of two major goals they set for the year. For Monks of the Blue, the Night Market isn’t just another show, it’s a chance to bring their blues-based rock to a younger audience and celebrate how far they’ve come.

MONKS OF THE BLUE play 5pm, Friday, Sept. 5. Night Market 831, 525 Ortiz Ave., Sand City, Free. nightmarket831.com.