As the Garage Lights took the stage for the second time at Funk ‘n Waffles, the band’s lead singer Avaana Harvey let her acting background shine through. Her animated energy on stage elevated the band’s live performance to new levels.

“I don’t consider myself a singer, but I love performing,” Harvey said. “I think that’s what makes me stand out — I feel the music.”

Last November, a then-new band called the Garage Lights performed at Funk ‘n Waffles, supporting two other local bands. This past Friday, loyal fans migrated to the front of the crowd in anticipation for the return of the band, this time to see the Garage Lights headline the concert.

Like Harvey, a sophomore majoring in acting, the band’s five members are all SU students. But only one, bassist Bryce Meuschke, a junior sound recording technology major, is studying music.

As an acting major, Harvey regularly performs in shows at Syracuse Stage. Webster is a writer and executive producer in training for Live! From Studio B on the Orange Television Network. Perez works at the Barnes Center, Meuschke plays tuba in SU’s Marching Band and drummer Oji Anderson is in SU’s Student Association.

“Playing drums, I never thought I’d do that in school, especially since I’m an architecture major,” Anderson said. “(It’s) just something I picked up for fun.”

Despite hailing from different academic backgrounds, the members of the Garage Lights bond over a shared love for music, unfettered by a desire for commercial success.

“It does sound corny, but we all are just doing it simply because we love it. None of us are pursuing this as a career path or anything like that,” sophomore and guitarist Ben Webster said. “We all share a love of performing and making music.”

When Webster was in high school, he’d play music with his friends in his garage until late into the night, turning the garage lights on when it got too dark. Now a sophomore studying television, radio, and film, Webster spread his love for music past his garage and formed the Garage Lights.

Going into college, Webster wanted to form a band, but had a difficult time doing so as a freshman with few connections. However, when he met guitarist Celso Perez, a sophomore business analytics major, the two began making music together, bonding over a shared love for the Strokes, Webster said.

Perez took to the stage Friday night with “I love my mom” written on his guitar, inspired by Smashing Pumpkins’ guitarist Billy Corgan.. Meghan Hendricks| Photo Editor

The Garage Lights combines a variety of 90s punk rock influences to create a classic “garage band” sound, with some elements of contemporary indie rock groups like The Strokes or Arctic Monkey. Their show last Friday was only the band’s second ever show together.

Nicolas Misita, a local promoter, knew of Webster and helped the band land these first shows.

“(Webster) told me he wanted to start an indie rock band kind of in the vein of bands like the Strokes, and Syracuse hasn’t had a scene like that in a minute,” Misita said.

The band has released three demo tracks — “Fishnets,” “Jamie” and “Bitter” — so fans have something to listen to after watching their shows, Webster said. They’re hoping to have an album completed by the end of this semester.

After tracking music in Webster’s Booth Hall dorm room, he and Perez send the tracks to Harvey, who writes the lyrics. Harvey said she draws lyrical inspiration from contemporary, alternative indie artists like Remi Woolf, Indigo De Souza or, her favorite, Wet Leg.

“I really enjoy getting in the studio, even though they’re late and long nights. It’s fun to watch the song come together with all the professional equipment I don’t have in my dorm room,” Webster said.

While in college, timing has proved the young band’s greatest adversary. Between classes and extracurriculars, the only time they could find to rehearse for the Funk ‘n Waffles show was at 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday that week.

Members of Garage Lights always try to make the most of their limited practice time. Meghan Hendricks | Photo Editor

The band’s passion continued in their most recent show at Funk ‘n Waffles, as excited fans made their way into the restaurant in anticipation for the Garage Lights’ set. Macy Aiken, Anderson’s roommate, stood front and center as the show began.

The Funk ‘n Waffles set included a mix of original songs and covers, including Metric’s “Black Sheep,” famously featured in “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.” Halfway through the set, Harvey turned the mic to Webster to sing Radiohead’s “No Surprises.”

For a song without drums, Anderson meandered to the edge of the stage and climbed onto Aiken’s shoulders. The drummer hovered above the crowd while her bandmates continued to play.

“Seeing my roommate do something she’s so passionate about, with a lot of my friends — best friends in the world — it’s just so amazing,” Aiken said. “There’s something so special about coming together and making a collective sound with a bunch of people you love.”

scalessa@syr.edu | @sarahalessan

Published on February 12, 2023 at 11:00 pm

Contact Sarah: scalessa@syr.edu | @sarahalessan