Band bio

Carbon City Lights is an indie alt-rock band based in San Luis Obispo, California. Lead singer, Michael Venia, fronts Carbon City Lights with a distinct vocal style defined by powerful vocals and a soaring falsetto that earned him a spot as a contestant on Season 21 of NBC’s show, The Voice. His writing leans into honesty & vulnerability, drawing on themes of life, loss, & love, shaped in part by stories from his Middle Eastern upbringing. On stage, the band delivers dynamic live performances that move between high energy alt rock jams with rocking cello & intimate ballads. In 2024, they earned New Times Music Awards for best live performance & best alt rock song for their single, Sky Blue. They have performed alongside nationally recognized artists including Brett Dennen & Birdtalker.

Venia’s musical path began in Saudi Arabia with an accordion & quickly morphed into playing other instruments & recording on a 4-track mixer. His middle school alt-rock band performed locally & was featured in a piece by CNN correspondent Christiane Amanpour on western music in the Middle East. His personal story weaves together love & loss. Early childhood memories include being in the midst of attacks during the Gulf War. He lost both his parents in early adulthood & tragically lost his son through stillbirth. He finds music & performance to be a powerful force for coping & healing. More details of a happy new beginning here.