Streetlight Cadence began their career in 2010 busking the busy streets of Waikiki in order to earn money for groceries. Soon the alt-folk pop band, who are all classically trained, became a fixture of Waikiki and Honolulu’s Chinatown. The group stood out due to their endless energy, positive attitude, unique instrumentation, and distinctive arrangements. Unfortunately, like most bands from Hawaii, Streetlight Cadence were forced to relocate to the mainland in order to expand their audience.
After spending the better part of four years on the mainland, the band returned to Honolulu, Hawaii for a homecoming concert to promote their latest release Momentary. The band, Jonathan Franklin (violin), Brian Webb (cello), Jesse Shiroma, (accordion) and Ben Chai (drums/guitar) looked very comfortable on the larger stage playing at The Republik.
Right from the start the band expressed their gratitude to their fans for coming out on a Thursday night. The band’s set list was dominated by tracks off of their new release, a mixture of lively anthems, ballads, and uncommonly arranged hoedowns. Highlights included “Frances Ferdinand”, “Streetlights and Sirens”, and “Vinyl Records” which all highlighted their folk roots. The band concluded their set with a raucous version of the Charlie Daniels Band’s classic “The Devil Went Down To Georgia”.
I don’t know if I have ever seen a band so happy to be performing. The interaction between the band members, and their nonstop energy rubs off on the audience. If you are a fan of Mumford and Sons or The Lumineers you should check out this band. The storytelling songwriting style allows Streetlight Cadence to be enjoyed by audiences of all ages. They will be touring throughout the remainder of the year.
More information on the band can be found at www.streetlightcadence.com.
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