If you go to the University of Hawaii at Manoa, there’s no doubt you’ve heard Streetlight Cadence perform on campus. The band has been around for four and a half years, but its members’ musical careers are just taking off. Currently, they’re touring several cities across California, Oregon, Nevada, Washington and, hopefully, Canada.
Streetlight Cadence is a group of sweet, upbeat and talented guys: Jonathon Franklin is the lead singer and violinist, Chaz Umamoto plays the guitar, Jesse Shiroma is the quirky accordion player, and Brian Webb plays the cello. Together, these young men create an upbeat, pop folk sound.
As a band, they enjoy surfing, skateboarding, and eating—especially if it’s Pokè or free food they get from playing gigs. Jon, the avid surfer, says the sport and his optimistic view of life are big influences on his song writing. Jesse is an enthusiastic history buff and is fascinated by German culture. He says a lot of his music and lyrical inspiration come from placing himself in the shoes of the people in a certain time period. Chaz enjoys spending time with his longtime girlfriend, and Brian takes pleasure in break dancing, hip-hop, yoga, and is the president of an improv comedy club.
The band got its start playing under the streetlights of Waikiki, on Kalakaua Avenue. “Cadence” is a musical term meaning, “come together.”
“It’s like a period at the end of a phrase,” Brian says. “It’s that point of resolution that gives you the feeling of wellness and rest; the feeling that the phrase ended the way it was supposed to.” This musical brilliance combined with the Waikiki street lights manifested into Streetlight Cadence.
The band has been receiving much attention in Hawaii. It won the Bacardi Oakheart Iron Battle of the Bands challenge in November 2013, was asked to perform at the Hawaii Public Radio Concert, and was featured on Radio Korea and Hawaii News Now.
You can check out Streetlight Cadence on YouTube, Facebook, Amazon, iTunes and Spotify, as well as at the many venues in which it performs: 39 Hotel, Hard Rock Café, the Perry & Price show, Crash, and of course, where it all started, under the streetlights of Waikiki.