A Dreamy Evening With Vansire

^{Article by Sarah Harrison, photos by Finley Harrison}

On the evening of Wednesday, March 26th, the air of Thalia Hall buzzed with excitement in anticipation of Vansire’s stage entrance. Hailing from Rochester, Minnesota, Vansire is characterized by frontman Josh Augustin’s dreamy vocals and Sam Winemiller’s multi-instrumental skills, most notably on the synthesizer. Friends since high school, the two’s vocals and instrumentals perfectly complement each other to create Vansire’s idyllic melodies.

^Vansire

Before Vansire took the stage, opener Jordann, a Montréal-based artist, captured the attention and hearts of the audience with his music and commentary, noting that he and his band members have been long-time best friends. Jordann’s performance garnered enthusiastic cheers from the crowd as he walked the audience through a thorough experience of his discography, playing his upbeat, dreamy songs, while also thoughtfully exposing the audience to a few of his more melancholy tunes. As Jordann sang through his opening set in both English and French, the crowd became well-acquainted with the Montréal native, who earnestly expressed his thankfulness to the concertgoers with frequent “mercis." After an energetic final song, Jordann bid the audience farewell and exited the stage followed by cheers.

^JORDANN

As the lights dimmed in Thalia Hall, Vansire was warmly welcomed into the spotlight, sporting comfortable attire and attitudes. The band instantly generated a warm rapport with the crowd, expressing their gratitude to the audience for “packing the house on a Wednesday.” Vansire opened their set with “The Latter Teens,” the first track of their 2020 album titled, After Fillmore County. “The Latter Teens” is chock-full of the characteristics that create Vansire’s unique sound. Incorporating synth, guitar, and ambience, this song details a road trip along U.S. Route 20 while describing a love story between the track’s subjects. As the set progressed, Vansire entranced the audience with their groovy melodies as the crowd began to resemble rhythmic ocean waves, moving and bobbing to the music. Vansire continued through their set, with Augustin noting that Thalia Hall was “the most beautiful venue [we've] ever played,” which was an observation that greatly pleased the fans.

Vansire’s setlist thoughtfully included their newest single, “Part of the Dream,” an upbeat tune describing one’s affinity for their partner, which was recently released on March 19th. They also incorporated multiple fan-favorites, such as “Halcyon Age” from Vansire’s ever-popular 2018 album, Angel Youth, and “Metamodernity,” the band’s groovy and synth-heavy 2019 single that serves as a light-hearted commentary on the postmodern world. Pausing between his final few songs, Augustin sincerely shared his gratitude for the crowd, expressing the enormous importance of the joy that music provides while reflecting on the current culture of the United States. Vansire closed their set with a cover of “The Weight” by The Band, inspiring concertgoers to rise to their feet and dance to the music while providing a perfect and light-hearted farewell to the audience, with Jordann rejoining the band on stage. Vansire’s performance was met with cheers of approval and a standing ovation from the audience as the band exited the stage.

^Vansire