Photos & Review: Vacationer
Featuring: Vacationer & Brick + Mortar
The Marquis Theatre, Denver, CO. 10/21/14
Photos by: Shannon Shumaker
Review by: Dom Vigil
It’s not very often that only two bands manage to sell out a show, but that’s nearly what happened on Tuesday night when Vacationer and Brick + Mortar came through Denver. While it wasn’t The Marquis’ usual crowd of punk and hardcore kids sporting their favorite band tee and crowdsurfing to sing along with the band, the venue was still packed with fans ready to have a good time and listen to some great music, and spirits were high.
Having listened to Brick + Mortar a few times, I was definitely excited to see what they’d bring to the table, but I was in no way prepared for their stellar live performance. Right off the bat, the two men commanded the crowd and fans were instantly singing along. To say that I was blown away by Brick + Mortar’s performance would be an understatement. Not only did they sound spot-on live, they also had a massive stage presence, considering the fact that they’re just two men, one of which was behind a drum set throughout most of their performance. Drummer John Tacon did jump out of his set a few times throughout the set though, which was definitely awesome to see, and vocalist Brandon Asraf absolutely commanded the crowd.
With Brick + Mortar as a stellar opener for the two-band show, I was interested to see how Vacationer would follow up, but I had high hopes and thankfully, I was not disappointed. Despite a small technical difficulty at the beginning of their set, Vacationer’s fans were patient and supportive, even yelling out a few “I love you, Kenny!”’s as the band prepared to perform. And once they finally began to play, everyone in the crowd instantly forgot about the few extra minutes they had to wait. The first thing that stood out about Vacationer’s live performance was how incredibly spot-on Kenny Vasoli’s vocals were. Song after song, he delivered, never missing a beat or hitting a wrong note.
While much of Vacationer’s music is more mellow and laid back, that didn’t stop the crowd from getting into the show and enjoying themselves, singing along and dancing when it was commanded by Vasoli. When the band began to play their single “The Wild Life” fans went crazy – or well, as crazy as one can go at a Vacationer show. Easily the best part about the band’s performance was the infectious happiness that each member seemed to radiate on stage. It’s easy to tell when someone loves what they’re doing, and boy do Vacationer love their jobs. There wasn’t a dull moment during the set and not once was Vasoli caught without a smile on his face and in turn, every fan left the venue that night in high spirits.