What exactly is a Phrog? A “Phrog” is a talented musician by the name of Irelynn Holst, Sean Lowry or Logan Garner. These three friends make up the band The Phrogs, who performed their first concert at the Center for Music Therapy and Wellness, on Drury University’s campus on February 26th.

Concertgoers were immersed in frog decor including frog plushies, a large frog hanging tapestry, and other frog paraphernalia upon entrance into the concert hall. As the three friends took the stage, it was clear that their audience was full of supportive fans and friends who were not afraid to vocally cheer, sing along and show their support.

The Phrogs performed covers of many classic feel-good songs throughout the hour-long event, including a singalong “American Pie”, and a mashup of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” and “Brown Eyed Girl.”

Holst, the charismatic lead vocalist and ukulelist, took point on most of the songs, while Lowry, lead guitarist, supported and occasionally soloed his way through the tunes. In addition, the group performed what they called “Sean songs,” in which Lowry sang lead as well as shredded on guitar. These songs included “It Never Rains in Southern California” by Albert Hammond, and “Here Comes the Sun” by The Beatles.

Garner, the group’s drummer, kept the group’s energy high with his snare, bass and expressive face. He smiled through the entire performance and added a witty comment here and there in between numbers. His dynamic drumming included tasteful, impromptu fills and eloquent rhythms.

In an interview, the Phrogs were asked about the origins of their quirky and peculiar band name, to which Garner responded, “Urban Dictionary said [a “phrog”] was like a frog, but cooler.” Lowry adds that a phrog may also refer to “a regular frog that sits like a human.”

The group reveals that, after an Instagram poll, the winning contender for their name was The Phrogs, over the Muskrats. Plus, they said, “it just felt right.”

The band came to be after Lowry and Garner, who were already friends and in jazz band together, decided to orchestrate an impromptu jam session during some downtime on Drury Family Day. Garner recalls: “between the sound that [Lowry and I] could create, we just needed more. And so I know Irelynn, we’re both [studying] music therapy. And so I asked her, and…boom, there you go.”

The group performs with charisma, and it is no facade to their true demeanor. They speak highly of each other, with the group complimenting Garner for “keeping them on track” with his rhythms and admiring Lowry for learning challenging solos for the sake of this show.

For now, the Phrogs are a cover band, But, they said that if their busy student schedules were to allow, they “wouldn’t be opposed” to “messing around” with songwriting and putting out some originals.

The Phrogs do plan on eventually performing another concert at Drury, and encourage you to follow them on Instagram at @the_phrogs to be on the lookout for future performances and posts.

Article by Gisele Ortega