Streetlight Cadence is returning to the Palace Theater to jam for Hilo as part of their tour through Hawaii.
Streetlight Cadence is a three-piece folk band that originally formed in Honolulu 14 years ago. After going through many chapters, the band currently is made up of three members — Jonathon Franklin on violin, Ben Chai on banjo and Clara Stegall on guitar.
Chai and Franklin were some of the founding members of the band, which formed when they attended the University of Hawaii at Manoa in 2009.
While the band started as a busking side job to help pay for groceries, people around Oahu began calling the band to play gigs after seeing them jam together on the streets.
The band continues to pay homage to their busking days while playing in intimate settings.
“We started as just friends in college playing covers and original music on the sidewalks of Honolulu,” Chai said. “When school ended, we realized we wanted to try to make this a professional thing and decided to move to L.A.”
Streetlight Cadence played at the Disney theme park in California, wrote more music and played as many gigs as they could. Membership changed over the years, and Stegall was a friend who joined the band during COVID-19.
“For me, and I think for Jon, too, we always wanted this to be something we could have for the rest of our lives,” Chai said. “There have been so many chapters of the band that we have loved. We’ve been able to discover new things about the band and ourselves while also expanding creatively.”
The trio toured Hawaii last October after not being able to travel during much of the COVID-19 pandemic. Stegall lives on Oahu, while Chai and Franklin still live on the mainland. The two visit Hawaii frequently since that is where they made their initial musical connections.
“We spent six years on Oahu, and when we moved to L.A. initially, it almost didn’t feel like we left because we were being flown back to perform weddings and events,” Franklin said. “It didn’t feel like I was gone or separated from the island. The pandemic made me feel like it wasn’t my home anymore, and it was depressing time for me personally.”
While Streetlight Cadence has had the opportunity to perform around the country and world, Hawaii has remained their home base.
“Performing in Hawaii has given me a whole other perspective on how beautiful life can be,” Franklin said. “The community that fed and watered us, and gave us the opportunity to be who we are, also gave use the opportunity to play folk music around the world. It’s an honor and privilege to be back.”
Streetlight Cadence makes sure their shows are uplifting and encouraging, even though many of their songs are rooted in tragedy and loss.
“The folk sound is something so different, especially playing in Hawaii. We really have our own sound that isn’t likely replicated,” Chai said. “I think when you combine the violin, banjo and guitar, something magical really happens. We’re just so happy to be back on tour.”
Streetlight Cadence started the Hawaii portion of the tour Wednesday in Waimea at Uila Records. They will be playing at the Palace Theater at 7 p.m. on Friday.
Tickets are still available at hilopalace.org.
The band — which also is working on a television show — is excited to showcase their sound and invites people to help support them on their journey.
“If anyone wants to partner with us as sponsors or through endorsements, there are a million ways to support us. Every little bit goes a long way,” Chai said. “This runs on joy, but covering costs is still a huge part. We appreciate anyone that has the willingness to support this hodge-podge of chaos.”
More information and ways to support the three-piece folk band can be found at streetlightcadence.com.
Email Kelsey Walling at kwalling@hawaiitribune-herald.com
