Surfer Girl Brings Beach Vibes to Belly Up Aspen

Carter Reeves doesn’t just play music; he builds a vibe. The frontman of the Los Angeles-based project Surfer Girl is promising to “bring the beach to the mountains” when his band hits the stage at 7:30 p.m. on April 24 at the Belly Up Aspen. It’s a specific promise, one that requires a bit of logistical translation for locals who know the difference between a festival stage and an intimate club.

Reeves, who leads the charge on vocals and rhythm guitar, is treating this as more than a stop on a tour. He views it as a culmination of years of “putting one foot in front of the other.” The band is currently promoting their fourth studio album, Midnight, which drops in August. But before that, they’re rolling out singles like “Lose Touch,” arriving April 10, and the eerie, feel-good “Chestnut Hill.”

Let’s look at the lineup. Alongside Reeves, the group includes Jack Pavlina on lead guitar, Samantha Callahan on bass, and Bobby Krak on drums. They’re bringing two openers: DOUBLECAMP and Dylan Cotrone. Reeves describes them as “unique from one another” but fitting into the same general bucket. That’s bureaucratic speak for “they’ll keep the energy up so you don’t fall asleep before the headliners arrive.”

The venue choice matters. Reeves already considers the San Diego location an “ideal venue,” citing off-the-charts hospitality. He calls the Aspen location “iconic.” For the locals, this means a familiar setting. The Belly Up isn’t a new build; it’s an established fixture on Main Street. You know the acoustics. You know the capacity. You know the drink prices.

For context, this isn’t a massive arena tour. It’s a club circuit. The Aspen club holds a few hundred people. It’s not a stadium. It’s not a festival. It’s a place where you can see the sweat on the guitarist’s brow. Reeves says, “If you want to dance, we will bring the beach to the mountains.” That’s the pitch.

The tour started in Fort Lauderdale on April 10. It moves through Texas and Arizona, then up to Colorado. After Aspen, it heads to Northern California before wrapping in Southern California. It’s a long haul. The band is on the road, pushing momentum.

The inspiration for the band’s name comes from a bond between Reeves and his wife, Laurel, a Los Angeles native. They connected over music, specifically the Beach Boys’ song and album Surfer Girl. Reeves admits he wasn’t actually a surfer growing up in New England, where winter lasts 80% of the year. He was drawn to the California aesthetic — the cool, the surf culture, the music. It’s a romanticized view of a coastal life, projected onto a reggae-pop sound.

The cost? A ticket gets you in. The real cost is the time. You’re leaving your home in Aspen or Basalt, driving to Main Street, paying for parking, buying a beer that costs more than it does in San Diego because of the mountain markup. You’re trading a night of sleep for a few hours of reggae pop.

Reeves notes that the new single “Lose Touch” is designed to make people want to dance. It’s a party. It’s a break from the winter that’s still lingering in the valleys. The band is working hard, building momentum. They’re not here to lecture you on housing policy or infrastructure. They’re here to play.

The bottom line is simple. You pay for the ticket, you pay for the drinks, you get to watch a band that’s been together long enough to know how to run a tight ship. Reeves believes this year is the culmination of hard work. For the locals, it’s just another night out. The beach doesn’t actually move to the mountains. But the music might feel close enough.