By: Kylie Richards

The Loyola School of Communication is bringing music straight to your home through a new series called Lo-Fi Fridays. This series highlights student musicians and will take place every Friday for the remainder of the semester at 12 p.m. CT. 

The first Lof-Fi Friday took place on March 12th, 2021 and featured Loyola student Mat Shiley and bandmate Gabe Lewis of Porch Music. This magnetic duo met in the first grade in Elmhurst, Illinois, and they have been lifelong friends ever since. The music that they shared truly reflects their authenticity and pure connection. 

The band kicked off the intimate performance from their living room, sitting across from one another, with one acoustic and one electric guitar in their reflecting arms. Porch Music started off by playing “Sunlight” a new song from the group. This number allowed both Shiley and Lewis to display their skillful guitar expertise and to introduce their alternative, bluesy sound. The warmth of Sunlight brought the audience a nostalgic feeling of friendship and love. 

The band then transitioned to their top song, “Canyon Road,” a single from their 2019 album titled With Love. The song currently has over 150,000 streams on spotify. The upbeat number showcased the smooth vocals of Lewis and Shiley above a sensational beat. Following “Canyon Road,” the band played another song from their 2019 album called “Miles and Miles.” This deeply emotional number gave a soulful and earthy tone to the performance and demonstrated the range of passion that this group possesses.

A cover song, “What About Me” by The Exceptional Three, contributed to the alluring show during the live stream. Both men stunned the audience with beautiful and wholesome harmonies. A powerful electric guitar solo by Lewis transported the Zoom concert to the feeling of a live venue. 

Porch Music concluded their performance with “Love.” A song that the band announced was one of the first they had ever recorded together. This lyrically-advanced tune allowed the group to finish their set with a groovy and natural sound which fully encompassed their musical identity. 

The SoC is still looking for performers for Lo-Fi Fridays for the Spring 2021 semester, so please contact the events coordinator Genevieve Buthood (gbuthod@luc.edu) for more information. This is a paid gig, and performers will receive $100 for the 30 minute show.