San Antonio rock outfit Street Lamp looks to bring its energetic sound to a bigger stage

San Antonio rock quartet Street Lamp have unfurled a sound that, while firmly anchored in punk and funk, evokes elements of Tool, Jane’s Addiction, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Fugazi, but with Amy Winehouse on vocals.

Street Lamp’s members, all in their 20s, have the chops and stage presence of older, more seasoned musicians. They’re a tightly coiled outfit with an energetic stage show capable of turning casual observers into converted fans.

After a couple of years of solid gigging, the group has gained a small-but-devoted local fanbase. However, the members’ ambitions go beyond that. They’d like to tour nationwide, which they see as vital reaching a wide audience, and they have already gigged as far away as Alabama.

Street Lamp, which recently dropped the excellent Guillotine EP, will hit The Mix on Sunday, June 22. The new release showcases the band’s musical prowess and is a great jumping off point for newbies considering whether to check out the live show.

The Current tagged along to three Street Lamp gigs last month as the band marked Guillotine’s release. While varied in turnout, all of those performances showed an act eager to put in the work required to win over fans outside of the Alamo City.

“All our songs are loose, to be jammed with,” guitarist Nick Garza said. “The gigs aren’t the same. Ever.”

While all of Street Lamp’s members are clearly part of a collaborative effort, Garza and vocalist Sabrina Cioffi comprise the core of the group. They have been the constants since it started.

Garza’s energetic and funky guitar defines the sound, while Cioffi’s commanding and soulful voice is the icing on top. Meanwhile, drummer Drew Tovar and bassist Mario “Wario” Quintanilla provide a rock-solid foundation.

A testament to the band’s tightness, Guillotine gleams with polish, the concise and catchy tunes shimmering with energy and snap. Stone Creek Sound producer and studio owner Mack Damon enthusiastically agreed to helm the session and work with the young band after being turned on via social media.

At any of the hard-working band’s frequent shows, one’s likely to see a lot of fist bumps from fans, and Garza is frequently out front, mingling, showing his appreciation for their enthusiasm.

In contrast, Cioffi is unassuming offstage, largely keeping to herself or talking with a small group of friends. She’s not a physically imposing presence, but once she hits the stage, she comes alive with energy and poise.

Cioffi acknowledged that she’s a different person from her onstage persona.

“I’m not sure why that happens,” she said. “The confidence takes over and lets me do my thing. It looks better to have someone secure as your frontwoman or -man or -person.”

Despite her guarded offstage nature, Cioffi has no shortage of confidence and musical chops.

“I love what I do, and I know I’m good at it,” said Cioffi, who has a degree in music theory and vocal performance from Northwest Vista College. That includes experience performing classical music and a stint in jazz band.

“People talk to me and say I’m actually kind of mellow,” she said. “It’s good for people to make things up in their heads.”

And what kind of things do they make up?

Cioffi smiled and shrugged. “’She probably downs a bottle of whiskey and smashes it on her head.’”

Sweating at Shotgun House

During Street Lamp’s Sunday, May 4, performance at the West Side’s Shotgun House Coffee Roasters, the venue dripped with life and sweat.

Despite having “Beer” written on a dry erase board near the counter, the coffee house had run out of said libation. The smell of weed permeated the air as vapes mixed with the aroma of coffee.

The smells drifted into a small, packed room down the hall from the coffee bar where the band played an explosive set celebrating Guillotine’s arrival on cassette.

Things kicked off with “Armageddon” from the new release, its intro bass line slithering through the room. Once the song kicked into full gear, Quintanilla spent most of his time slapping and popping like the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Flea, an obvious influence.

Cioffi, clad in a T-shirt featuring her band’s name emblazoned in an indecipherable death metal font, belted out lyrics with typical confidence. She never missed a note despite it surely being difficult to hear herself in a DIY venue.

The singer loosened up as the set progressed, at one point sitting on a stack of speakers, serenading the crowd from the lofty perch. Other times she swirled, her bangs just long enough to obscure her face, hair in constant motion.

People watched from the courtyard through the windows. Many shot photos and video, speaking to the band’s social media presence.

By the time Street Lamp got around to “Switchblade,” the most jagged tune from the EP, it was clear why it’s among Garza favorites to play live. While the song offers less chance to get loose than some of the others, its tempo and rhythmic switch-ups highlight the band’s tightness.

Near the end of the set, moshing swept the tiny room — a real audience commitment considering the blazing heat in the tiny performance area. Finally, the band unleashed its song “F U,” which tends to get the biggest reaction of the night.

Maybe it’s the infectious chorus: “They jumpin’ / They screamin’ / There ain’t no better feelin’.”

If Street Lamp had a slogan, that might be it.

‘A little rough’

A mere six days later, Street Lamp hit the stage at The Mix for a gig that had less of a friends-and-family vibe.

Even so, audience members greeted the band enthusiastically, and the band members reciprocated with a full-energy show, not caring whether they’re in front of 150 people or 15.

The show wasn’t without its snags.

Garza dealt with a problematic guitar cable, and Tovar shattered a drumstick. Someone in the crowd tossed one to him, and he continued on as if nothing had happened.

Like pros beyond their years, the members of Street Lamp rocked on without missing a beat. They navigated tricky tempo and rhythm shifts, and they delivered punchy choruses and tight instrumental breaks.

After the show, Quintanilla attributed the band’s solid performance to the Mix’s PA, which is better than those at DIY venues. Maybe they also had something to prove, since they weren’t playing to a crowd of already-converted Street Lamp fans.

“The Mix is kinda grimy,” Garza said. “That’s where we sorta fit in. We can be classy, but we choose to be a little rough.”

Delivering the goods

As Street Lamp prepared to go on for a Thursday, March 15, gig in the small room at the Paper Tiger, it was clear the band wouldn’t have much of an audience that night. Only a dozen or so people showed up.

“It’s a Thursday show, very chill,” Garza said, making light of the situation.

But, once again, the group delivered its set as if they played to a club packed with A&R folks.

Street Lamp hit the stage with “F U,” a surprising choice. Maybe they didn’t need to save it for later since the show was almost a personal hang. Maybe they wanted to open strong.

Cioffi delivered another focused performance, apparently unfazed that audience members jammed cameras and phones in her face as they snapped photos. One photographer even jumped onstage while the band tore it up.

Street Lamp wants to go nationwide and its members see serious touring as instrumental in that.

Here’s a dose of reality: the near-empty Paper Tiger gig is appetizer for what lies in wait for Street Lamp as it works to make the difficult transition from local act to one that tours regionally or even nationally.

Road work is full of challenges, including playing empty rooms and winning over indifferent crowds.

After Garza and Cioffi left the stage, they talked about how many bands had been discovered after being seen by the right person at a nearly empty club. You never know.

Street Lamp has seemingly internalized this reality of the music business. All four of the band’s members play like their lives depend on it, no matter how many people are watching. It’s a good sign that, should things break the right way, they could be one of those rare San Antonio acts that builds a far wider following.

“We have a lot of imagination and creativity,” Quintanilla said. “When that comes together, it gets crazy. We’re getting more people, brick by brick.”

Free, 9 p.m. Sunday, June 22, The Mix, 2423 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 900-2772, themixsa.com.

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This article appears in Jun 12-25, 2025.