MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif. - Live music is part of the vibe at the Lighthouse Café in Hermosa Beach. But, one Friday, a different type of rock band took the stage.

A four-musician rock band covered the necessary sounds with Cori Wilson on bass and lead vocals, Gio Conversano and Sean Michael Howe on guitars, and Ethan Makauskas on the drums.

Together they are the teen rock band known as Chroma Haze.

“It’s really fun to play on stage. When we first started off it was really nerve-wrecking but after a while it sort of just became a natural thing,” Ethan Makauskas said.

Makauskas learned how to play the drum 10 years ago and has been playing ever since. His mother, Kimberly Koffler helps the band find and book gigs. But she said their age made it difficult to find venues to play.

That’s why she was inspired to create a new venue in the South Bay with the City of Manhattan Beach exclusively for teen musicians. It's called the Stomping Grounds. In order to secure a spot at the venue, more than a dozen teen bands, including Chroma Haze, had to audition in front of the event’s judges first.

“I’d say that we’re prepared in playing wise, but we don’t know what songs we’re playing yet. So we’re going to have to figure that out, but I think we are ready,” Makauskas said.

Koffler wanted to create a venue to help other teen bands play in front of a larger audience. That’s why she worked with the City of Manhattan Beach to create the first teen music festival in the South Bay. The festival will take place at the Manhattan Beach Art Center on July 20. 

“It’s a great opportunity for them to see what they are capable of doing and have the opportunity to do that. I know, you know, in my generation, we didn’t have a lot of the opportunities that the kids do now, which I think is great. They love doing it and I love supporting them and making it happen,” Koffler said.

Makauskas credits his mother with keeping his band on stage at different venues. He said if she can’t find places for Chroma Haze to play, she’ll create an event to keep the band’s momentum going.

“She’s helped put together so many events that I can’t really count how many and I really admire that about her and I’m really thankful that she started [the Stomping Grounds],” Makauskas said.

As Makauskas continue to play on stage and audition in hopes of finding a spot at this year’s music festival, Chroma Haze continues to write their own songs and pour their talent into their music. Because this band wants to be much more than the inspiration for a festival, they want to have their chance to play on the main stage.