Los Angeles – Kenny Vasoli of Vacationer is the happiest guy I’ve ever seen on stage. When I saw him perform with his band this past Sunday night, I took notice of how he plays every song with a huge, infectious smile. He’s finding his own relief, which coincidentally happens to be the title of his superlative sophomore effort. (Last week, I was able to chat with Kenny about his band, their latest album, and what he seeks on a day-to-day basis.)
After the first two bands (Monster Rally, Brick + Mortar) on The Roxy bill performed, the crowd got tighter and everyone seemed highly anticipated for Vacationer to come out. Suddenly, curtains up, here was this young guy with long, curly hair sporting a tank top and a cap from his hometown Philadelphia Flyers. He’s living a summer vibe in the last week of October. Passionate with lasting authenticity, Kenny and his band mates Matthew Young (vibraphone/backing vocals), Ryan Zimmaro (drums), Michael Mullin (keyboards/backing vocals) and Greg Altman (guitar/backing vocals) radiated positive good spirits. The audience was enamored by their presence. While some bands talk about BS between songs, Kenny was all about “riding the chillwave.” For someone starting his 30s, he’s living completely carefree, but not necessarily careless. His demeanor couldn’t have been any less charming.
The band kicked off with “Trip” from their first record, Gone. Chill and brimming with tropical beats, Vasoli and Co. allow the listener to disappear into the music. The next several songs performed were off Relief from this past summer. “Paradise Waiting” is a warm, summertime jam. Everything from the congenial lyrics to the upbeat tropical resonance on Relief screams escapism. (Vacationer has described the genre of their music as nu-hula and world wave.) “In The Grass” is my favorite song by Vacationer and I was ecstatic to hear them perform it. It’s a beautiful track that has you dancing along every step of the way. The combination of tight drums and sharp guitar work keeps the beat going strong. Many in the crowd seemed elevated off the floor when Kenny was belting lyrics. At the time of its release, “In The Grass” qualified as the quintessential summer jam. We’re well over a month into the autumn season and it’s showing its everlasting power unlike many of the other summer pop songs from inferior mainstream acts this year.
“Be With You” was engaging in every way possible. Vasoli’s saccharine, crooning vocals beside laidback electronics bestowed a pleasant summer mood we wouldn’t mind experiencing during this season. “This Wild Life” was another audience favorite and a lot of die-hard fans were there in support for a Sunday night. “Glimpse” is summer-soaked, with easy, breezy beats to carry you off to a utopia not found in every day life. That’s how the performance could be defined. I was completely galvanized by all 17 tracks (a split between their two LPs), humming along to each song the entire time while the crowd was fixated by Kenny’s buoyant behavior.
The performance was light and lively, but also packed emotional enlightenment. It was the ideal kind of show: one that uplifts the spirit and has the audience completely forgetting the workweek starting the following day. The band played a total of three encore songs. “Go Anywhere” Is an utterly wondrous track that allows you to take a look at your own existence. Many of Vacationer’s songs have a certain way of doing that with a considerable amount of ease. They shed light where there is darkness and wash away the negativity that is percolating within. Fans and newcomers alike rejoiced in a memorable night to seek out something much greater than them. As they discovered, one can walk away realizing that looking for something that isn’t clearly defined is okay and ultimately finding it doesn’t inevitably qualify as the end of the road.
Check out Vacationer’s Facebook for possible tour dates near you.
Sean Kayden
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