Streetlight Cadence is heading back to Maui next Thursday, bringing its high-energy alt-folk sound to da Playground in Wailuku as part of a short run supporting Oxygen, the trio’s first full-length release in four years. The group - violinist and lead singer Jon Andrew Franklin, guitarist Clara Stegall and banjoist Ben Chai - first earned its following busking on Waikiki sidewalks before racking up local awards. The band is slated to hit the stage at 7 p.m., with guest drummer Evan Arashiro and double bassist Evan Campfield filling out the lineup.
Oxygen, Ken Caillat and Mauna Kea
According to the group’s official bio, Oxygen was produced with Grammy winner Ken Caillat and marks Streetlight Cadence’s return after several years away from the studio, per Streetlight Cadence. Blue Note Hawaii notes that the album’s title track grew out of a twilight trip up Mauna Kea, where thin air and altitude hiccups helped shape the song’s theme.
From Waikiki sidewalks to growing buzz
The band’s street-performing roots still define its live show, an approach praised for its “positive outlook” and distinctive arrangements by Americana Highways. When the trio released its 2022 album Midnight, it promoted the record with a 12-hour busking marathon in Honolulu, a stunt reported by Maui Now, and the group has been steadily growing its online audience ever since.
Show details, tickets and who’s onstage
da Playground Maui lists the Wailuku performance for 7 p.m. next Thursday, with tickets starting at $12 on the venue’s event page. The Maui News reports other published prices and notes that the band will perform as a quartet, with Evan Arashiro on drums and Evan Campfield on double bass, and also points out that a viral TikTok clip of the group has pulled in millions of views.
Solo work and the sound to expect
Guitarist Clara Stegall released a solo album, Surrender, this year, with tracks such as “Monkeypod Tree” and “Little Star” listed on streaming services and digital retailers, according to Amazon Music. Drummer Evan Arashiro is credited on earlier recordings like Midnight, so fans can expect the live set to stretch beyond the band’s lean street-corner arrangements, per the album credits on Bandcamp.
“We’re not famous. We’re not a giant band. But I consider it a gift every single day,” one member said, as reported by The Maui News. For Maui audiences, next Thursday’s da Playground show is a chance to catch Streetlight Cadence previewing Oxygen and bringing a dose of Waikiki-born energy back to the Valley Isle.
