Words & Photos by Marco Denzer
Happy Abandon, the incredibly talented trio from Chapel Hill, NC, delivered an absolutely riveting set Friday night at Lantern Hall in Brooklyn. Band members Peter Vance (guitar, lead vocals), Jake Waits (drums, vocals), and Justin Ellis (bass, vocals) displayed outstanding creativity, compositional skills and musical ability with a flawless performance of the songs included in their first production, Facepaint (Schoolkids Records).
The band gracefully replaced the whimsical string sections, acoustic guitars and piano orchestrations of the record with much grittier, slightly grungier, arrangements that easily conveyed the raw passion and romance of their lyrics and music in a live setting without losing its captivating essence.
Happy Abandon stands on a rock solid foundation of their own making, one that is rooted in life experiences and lessons learned along the way. Its honest and straightforward style coupled with serious musical chops, including some badass three-part vocal harmonies and occasional melody whistling from Peter, immediately commands the listener’s attention and holds it. Their repertoire has a signature sound that is well-developed and mature – it defines the band and distinguishes them from the crowd.
It’s clear these guys are onto something good… and we all stand to benefit from it.
www.happyabandonmusic.com
TheWaster.com | Brooklyn
12.19.17
