A local high school band is quickly making a name for themselves after an amazing live performance that brought energy and passion to the stage. Seniors Jaxon Garcia, Aidan Markham, Sterling Burnett, and Maxim Gutierrez started their musical journey during their sophomore year of high school. While in the beginning they struggled with inconsistencies due to busy academic schedules, they fully committed to each other in late February 2026. 

Choosing a name for the band was a little challenging at first but after a lot of brainstorming, “DayDrift” stood out. It perfectly fit the vibe that the group members were trying to achieve. When it came to choosing a setlist for their most recent show, the process was smooth and there were no disagreements among each other. They focused on songs not only they liked, but the crowd would as well. 

Their setlist consisted of twelve covers, which are known to be fan favorites. Starting off with “Looking Out for You” by Joy Again, “Someday” by The Strokes, “Blondie” by Current Joys, “Babydoll” by Dominic Fike, “Hyseria” by Muse, “My Hero” by Foo Fighters, “Freaks” by SurfCurse, “The Adults Are Talking” by The Strokes, “Island In The Sun” by Weezer, “Amber” by 311, “Jailhouse” by Sublime, “Friday I’m in Love” by The Cure, and last but not least, “Mr. Brightside” by The Killers. 

For the group, preparation was key. They held around ten rehearsals but as the performance inched closer, they rehearsed a lot more just to make sure they were all on the same page. The more they rehearsed, the more their confidence increased and that made the vibes at the actual concert very fun and energetic. The concert was held on April 10th, in a neighborhood near Teton Trails, and seeing the audience enjoy their music and receiving compliments afterward made all of the hard work worthwhile. 

Senior and bass guitarist, Maxim Gutierrez stated, “I was personally most proud of “Hysteria” by Muse. It was a very difficult song and I feel like I played it to the best of my ability.”

While some would agree that they’re most proud of that song as well, other band members think otherwise. 

Senior Sterling Burnett stated, “I’d say the song I was most proud of was “Friday I’m in Love” by The Cure, just because since day one of rehearsing I was locked into learning that song and it came out pretty well. Also, I just like The Cure. 

While there weren’t any nerves in terms of the actual performance, there’s always that thought in the back of a performer’s mind that is typically along the lines of, “What if I mess up?” The answer to that is to just keep going, if someone is to make a big deal of a mistake, then everyone will notice but normally, the audience won’t even know performers messed up to begin with if the energy levels are still high. 

Gutierrez stated, “The only nerves that I had, had to do with the sound system and quality. I was in charge of all of it and I wanted everything to sound good for everybody.”

With graduation around the corner, each band member’s plans are different. While everyone wants to stay together, they have no idea what the future holds for them. Looking ahead, the group all have different ideas for who they’d love to open for one day. 

Burnett stated, “It would be my dream to open for Sublime, any 90s punk, or even classic rock band as well.”

While each group member would like to open for different bands/artists, each member picked a band covered in Daydrift’s setlist. 

Gutierrez stated, “I think opening for The Strokes would be pretty insane.”

While they don’t have any performances coming up soon, they will continue to rehearse and grind non-stop.