ARCH CITY LIGHTS
BY GABRIELLE CABANES
Arch City Lights, a band created in 2014 and currently residing in Columbus, focuses on creating amazing evenings for clients and guests attending private events such as weddings. The group is known for playing today’s top 40 hits mixed in with R&B songs in order to ensure a successful night for the celebration of the newlyweds.
The band has already performed at over 150 private events and continues to play for weddings around Columbus, according to the Arch City Lights Website.
Emily Syring, the leader of the band, said she created the band after working with another band called “The Tubs” prior to 2014. Syring said the band had asked her to play with them, and after moving to Los Angeles, she decided she wanted to create a band with a similar vibe. Syring did just that and named the band Arch City Lights after the arches that can be found in downtown Columbus in the Short North area.
Syring said the main goal of the evening was to create a memorable time for the clients and guests and to work with the other vendors to help the night run as smoothly as possible. Syring said another big part of the job was keeping people entertained for as much of the night as she could.
“I think another big goal of ours is to make sure the dance floor is full and that people stay out there all night long,” she said.
Syring said guests choose certain songs from a master set list in order to create the vibe that they want. She said that people are also allowed to request two or three songs not on the set list, which they typically reserve for special parts of the evening such as the first dance or the father-daughter and mother-son dances.
She said what she enjoyed most about her job was that she did not need to win over the crowd because they were already there to have a good time and enjoy their evening. She also said, however, that one of the bigger challenges was handling certain bumps in the road that are bound to happen at all events. Being able to handle the stress and work with other vendors can sometimes be frustrating, but over the years she has learned to navigate problems that may arise.
Syring said one of the best memories she has had with the band was on New Year's Eve when she let the bride and groom get on stage and sing to their family and friends.
“We’re with people on one of the most special days of their lives,” she said. “Just the energy was just really fun to see. They’re never going to forget that moment when they’re on the stage and their whole family is in the crowd cheering them on. Obviously we helped create that and it’s just cool because I know they’re going to remember that moment for the rest of their lives.”
