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THE HAPPY FITS SETLIST
Do Your Worst Encore: WINDSER SETLIST Friends I Barely Know THE HAPPY FITS TOUR DATES
OCT 17 Castle Theatre Bloomington, IL WINDSER TOUR DATES
OCT 17 Castle Theatre Bloomington, IL Read More
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The woes of a “school night” and dancing together under the shade of green-
Downtown Lawrence found itself enraptured on a Sunday night by New Jersey indie-rock band, The Happy Fits, playing at the Granada Theater in support of their third studio full-length, Under the Shade of Green, released last August (on AWAL Recordings).
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One of the openers was one of our recent favorites, Windser, who returned to town after impressing us last year opening for Cannons. The Santa Cruz, CA indie-rock singer/songwriter is aka Jordan Topf along with his musical friends and has gone to bigger things since we last saw him- releasing the track “Belong,” the theme song of the new limited series podcast, Academy, as well as the acoustic EP Panoramic Sessions, and a performance in August in Chicago at Lollapalooza.
Like last year, Topf shouted out his cousin who was in the audience (must be a student) and already verbally committed to coming back next year, after completing work on his upcoming album (also giving props to local Mediterranean restaurant, Aladdin Cafe, where they dined beforehand).
In addition to playing newest single, “TV”, Topf and band finished strong with the crowd singing along to recent single from June, “Get Lost”, which Topf has described as “about the desire for freedom and happiness in times of anxiety and depression.”
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Amidst some low-lit ,retro-style LED lights, Pittstown NJ band The Happy Fits (started in 2016 as high school students and led by lead vocalist / cellist Calvin Langman) took to the stage, in support of their newest album, just released in late August.
Unfortunately, core members Ross Monteith and Luke Davis are not present on this tour, due to mental health and other unannounced issues, but Langman has bravely decided to carry on.
Langman asked the mostly college-age crowd who had to go to school the next day, and then sang a song about not wanting to go to school, and his also admitted his general nervousness on stage before sharing “Two of Many”, a song dedicated to the introverts.
Bounding up from his cello, Langman said he and the band had come for one reason- to get people moving, which they did, as the set progressed. A request to cheer for Thanksgiving fell a bit flat (who’s thinking a month away right now?!) but it all ended up being a musical transition into the potential loneliness the holiday can be, on 2022’s “Cold Turkey.”
Even merch guy “Walter” joined in on the festivities, jumping on stage to dance around as Langman added his name into one their songs. Knowing this was a college town, Langman even professed that he went back to school during the pandemic to become an accountant, and the one thing he did learn was that even "accountants like to do drugs," which got a laugh from the crowd.
After ending the main set with 2018’s “Grow Back” and Langman repeating, “Let it into the dark!”, the band did just that- disappearing upstairs before the encore applause brought them back for three more songs.
Starting off with 2020’s “Hold Me Down”, Langman asked the “school night” crowd for one last burst of energy for their last two songs, musically directing everyone with the lyrics that start the new song, “Too Late”, “Move your hips along with the music… Bend your knees along with the summer, keep your beat but don't kill the drummer.”
For a school night, it may have been late, but was not “Too Late” to take in The Happy Fits and Windser, to get the week started on a positive upswing.
(Coverage and photos by BRANDON CLASEN - Click on any image to enlarge and see in full)
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| john c ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ X / Twitter.com |
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