Leveling Up the Night: Video Game Jazz Quartet Shines at Three Lives' First Live Music Event

Lvl. 100’s electrifying performance adds a new dimension to the arcade bar scene.

Words By Mattea Vecera / Graphic by Lily Greco

Lvl. 100, a video game jazz quartet, performed at Three Lives on October 6th, marking the arcade bar and restaurant’s first live music event. 

Located in downtown Syracuse, Three Lives is known for specialty cocktails served in potion-style glassware, one-of-a-kind themed shots, and classic retro arcade machines. To enhance the customer experience, they curate a monthly lineup of unique events, including everything from Mario Kart relay races to pumpkin carving and cocktails.

“We do a lot of stuff,” said Alex Silver, Three Lives’ event coordinator and front-of-house manager. “We kind of just throw spaghetti at the wall and see what sticks.”

Despite opening in August 2020, Three Lives had never hosted a live band before, making Lvl. 100 the perfect fit for the inaugural event.

The CNY band, consisting of guitarist Jim Elenteny, bassist Daniel Pugh, drummer Keenan Arthur, and trumpeter Liam Hines, combines video game, multimedia, and jazz music, along with a selection of original compositions. During their performance at Three Lives, they took the audience on a musical journey, covering everything from the Hey Arnold! theme to a reggae-jazz interpretation of The Legend of Zelda’s theme song. 

“I felt like the vibe of that place fit our music really well,” Pugh said. “I just felt kind of loose there and more creative.”

The intimate dining room was filled to capacity before the 8 p.m. performance, with all tables and the bar occupied. Lvl. 100 squeezed into a corner, setting up their instruments and sound equipment.

Before the event, Three Lives had advertised Lvl. 100 as a trio. According to Pugh, trumpet player Hines joined the band less than a month before. Silver, the manager, was pleasantly surprised to see the extra member and a full drum kit arrive.

“We have like a 900 square-foot dining room, plus the arcade games, so it's not a lot to work with,” Silver laughed. “I just compressed everything to as small as I could without it being a fire hazard. I can't believe they brought a whole drum kit, that was the funniest thing to me. And [Dan] brought a fucking trumpet player! Yeah, that was super cool.”

After the band started, the lively atmosphere and conversations continued. For many patrons, the music enhanced their Three Lives experience, whether they were taking advantage of the Xbox controller rental on the TVs or enjoying the food and drinks, but applause still broke out after every song. 

For locals Aaron Lewis and George Rosvold, Three Lives proved to be the perfect bar during their visit to Syracuse for RetroGameCon, the largest gaming event in New York state. 

“This is the first time to a game bar-restaurant, and I very much enjoy the concept,” Rosvold said. “The music’s a little obscure – some of the songs I know, most of them I do not know.”

“I like the unique atmosphere of the music and the games,” Lewis added. “It’s quirky but a lot of fun here.”

Fortunately for video game and jazz enthusiasts who missed the event, Lvl. 100 is planning more gigs and may return to Three Lives soon.

“We definitely need more places to play, and I'm trying to get more [gigs],” Pugh said. “We're waiting to confirm a couple of [Three Lives] dates.”

Silver hopes it'll happen, and with the reception of the customer base and supporters of Three Lives, he doesn't see any reason why it shouldn't.

“I want it to be a regular thing, and I think we can get there,” Silver said. “I really thank them. I think they're really skilled musicians and I really appreciate them taking their time to give our customers exactly what they wanted.”