Geographer, an indie-rock band from San Francisco, manifested a magical set at Union Transfer May 22. The dense, synthetic sounds captured the crowd, sending beautiful melodies through the venue as Geographer played songs off their new album “Ghost Modern.”

I’ve never seen Union Transfer before the way I saw it May 22. With maybe 20 people in the audience, it was uncanny as Idlehands opened the show. I hate to say it, but after every Idlehands song, the audience stood with, literally, idle hands. It wasn’t that the opening band was bad, rather, the audience had never heard of them. Idlehands provided an entertaining set; it’s a shame that the crowd wasn’t feeling it.

After Idlehands came Empires. Empires, an indie-rock band based out of Chicago played a lackluster set to an even more lackluster audience. The band’s loud noises all blended into one and the audience was chatting around in the back of the venue as opposed to enjoying the set. To give an idea of the creativity that Empires lacks, their two most popular songs are “Hello Lover” and “Please Don’t Tell My Lover.”

Empires concluded their dismal set, and seemingly everyone in the tiny crowd rushed the stage to get the best spot they could at the standing-room-only venue. The set change did not take long, and the headlining act Geographer soon took the stage.

Opening with my favorite song, Geographer played a very passionate rendition of “I’m Ready.” As the man behind Geographer, Michael Deni introduced his band mates to the audience: Duncan Nielsen on bass, Cody Rhodes on percussion and Joyce Lee on cello. As strange as it was, the audience got a huge kick out of Lee’s name, continuing to chant it at several points during the show.

Geographer’s set seemed to drag on, mostly due to the band’s mellow brand of electronica music. I wasn’t expecting much from this show, yet each song seemed to slither into the succeeding one, creating a sincerely scenic but somber atmosphere. I had a feeling that the set would be melancholy, but Deni kept it interesting by looping his sounds throughout each song. Most of the sounds Deni created — whether it was on the keyboard, tambourine or his vocals — ended up getting looped in some way or another and it demonstrated the versatility and talent of Deni as an artist.

Halfway through the show, Deni asked his audience to take a picture with him, which I feel like has become a staple in concerts nowadays. Deni asked his audience to go crazy, “Even if it’s just in [their] head.” Deni proceeded to jump into his audience, getting everyone rowdy.

The band continued on, playing “Too Much,” one of my favorite songs off their new album “Ghost Modern.” The steady song swooned Deni’s crowd as one of the most memorable moments of the night, with “Kites” being the most energetic and playful.

Chanting for an encore (and for Joyce Lee), the crowd welcomed back Geographer as they played several more songs, including an acoustic version of their ambient song “Verona.” Foregoing the song, Deni asked his crowd to be quiet, close their eyes and pretend they were in the shower singing along with the pitter-patter percussion.

The show was not as energetic, passionate or erratic as I had hoped, but I left the venue feeling very much in love with the band. Despite the slow songs sustaining the atmosphere, I can honestly say Geographer played a lovely show I won’t soon forget. Lee’s cello plucked at my heartstrings, Rhodes percussion pounded my eardrums and Deni’s enchanting vocals left me totally enamored.

The post Geographer brings mellow electronica to Union Transfer appeared first on The Triangle.

I spent every car ride during the summer of 2013 listening to “Vessel” by Twenty One Pilots. A beautifully crafted album, “Vessel” is truly one of the best alternative albums I have heard in the past five years. Needless to say, the announcement of “Blurryface” was one that filled me with excitement … until I heard the first single, “Fairly Local.” This boring, alternative-rap, electro pop song killed the hype-train. I talked to my music-loving friends, and it seemed that none of us had any interest in this follow-up album.

“Blurryface” was deemed a horrible album before it even had a chance. But after the second single was released, I had no clue what to expect. “Tear In My Heart” was a hard song to avoid for a while. I found myself listening to it over and over, praying that “Blurryface” would live to be as beautifully crafted as this song.

Named “Blurryface” after a figure that “represents all the things … everyone around is insecure about,” the album was officially released May 17. It touches upon the same topics as “Vessel” while developing the thoughts a little bit further. Blurryface, being Tyler Joseph’s (the front man of Twenty One Pilots) alter ego, is mentioned several times in the album, including during the single “Stressed Out” and the final, powerful song “Goner.” His presence seems to take over Joseph’s mind and change him into someone he’s not, demonstrated in the “Stressed Out” lyric, “My name is Blurryface and I care what you think.”

Despite disliking all of the singles being released (excluding “Tear In My Heart”), I genuinely found the album to be a surprise. The continuity in the album, created by telling a story of Blurryface and Joseph’s “attempts to make [his] voices stop,” paints a dark picture about the troubles of being human. Joseph seems to break the fourth-wall in nearly every song, reminding listeners that his problems aren’t just lyrics and artwork, they’re real world problems we all feel. The best example of this comes in the song “Not Today,” when Joseph shares that the upbeat song is “a contradiction because of how happy it sounds,” because it represents “who [he] feels [he is] right now.”

The peak of the album doesn’t come until the end. The song “Goner” has an explosion of emotion at the end, leaving the story of “Blurryface” feeling quite unfinished. Though the finale implies that Joseph will continue to go on fighting his inner demons, I really dislike the note the album ends on. It almost makes the album feel as if it drags on just to be unpleasantly reminded that sometimes we never escape our problems. Don’t get me wrong though, “Goner” is an unbelievably powerful song, touching on Joseph’s alter ego, Blurryface, not being who he truly is.

As a whole, the album is great. “The Judge,” “Not Today” and “Tear In My Heart” are by far my favorite songs on the album, with “We Don’t Believe What’s On TV” and “HeavyDirtySoul” coming in close behind. These songs all sound like pieces of work that could be shining stars on their own and make me wonder why they weren’t released as singles instead of the lesser “Fairly Local” or “Lane Boy.”

While the album grows on me every time I hear it, it ultimately falls short of being what could have been a successor to “Vessel.” There are shining hits but also dreary moments I’ll be sure to skip over. The dark and powerful lyrics remind us that life can suck and that battling our inner demons can be scary. There are really no happy moments on this album. Despite the dark picture it paints, I’ll definitely listen to Twenty One Pilots’ newest piece of work again and again, but it won’t be the 2015 summer album it could have been. Overall, I’d give this album a seven out of 10.

The post Twenty One Pilots goes to deep, dark place with ‘Blurryface’ appeared first on The Triangle.

It’s not often that I’ll go to a concert and the first song will be Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons.” It’s also not often one of my favorite bands comes to Philadelphia. My excitement level for the show was off the charts; it didn’t matter what song was being played. I heard every song that Smallpools played at Union Transfer April 28, but the way the California band strung together a list of original songs and covers was a sight to see.

I’ve seen Smallpools once before, and they began their previous show with a “Four Seasons” recording as well. It threw me for a loop the first time, and the second time caught me off guard as well. The room was dark as Vivaldi’s notes swam through the room. Beau Kuther (Smallpools’ drummer) banged two notes on his bass drum and a bright light flashed twice to his beat. The crowd roared. Kuther banged out another pair of notes and the beaming light flashed again at the crowd. This time, the light scattered around a man standing front and center posing angelically with his arms to the side. The crowd exploded into applause. Continuing several times, the lights shined on, and that man is Sean Scanlon, Smallpools’ lead singer. Scanlon faced the crowd with his arms outstretched and pretended to conduct the soundtrack orchestra playing “Four Seasons.” As lights flash again, Scanlon threw his baton in the air and the opening riff to “Over & Over” began.

“Over & Over” and “Street Fight” are two of my favorite songs by Smallpools. These two songs led off the concert, and I was instantly hooked. If you were to watch my Snapchat story that night, not only would you have seen Smallpools’ stunning use of lights (in the first two songs, no less) but also my off-key voice screaming, “Caught in a street fight, you need a lifeline, go on and use me, I’ll be your Bruce Lee.” Smallpools is a band with a very bouncy feel to their music; these opening songs got me jumping around before the show ever really started.

After the first two songs, Scanlon addressed the crowd. Mocking that he isn’t in Philadelphia to play music, Scanlon proclaimed, “I’m here because I’m running for president. Philadelphia, do I have your vote?” While I’m no politician, Smallpools was two songs in and already had my vote.

Several songs with fast tempos later, the band covered “A Real Hero” by College. Kuther began one of the longest drum solos I’ve ever seen. I think Kuther is talented, but I don’t think the drum solo was necessary, especially after an unwanted lull in the show. The cover was great, yet it wasn’t appropriate for the lively atmosphere. The crowd wanted to party and if you’ve ever heard “Real Hero,” then you know that there is little to do when that song is on.

One of the coolest parts of the show came during “American Love.” The bridge started and instead of the typical ensemble, Scanlon and Mike Kamerman, the band’s guitarist, played the melody on a xylophone with freaking glow-sticks. I think this is when I decided Smallpools would get my presidential vote come 2016.

The band told two stories and performed “Mason Jar,” beginning the peak of the show. This beautiful, relatable song got the crowd dancing more than before. And then it stopped.

The audience applauded and Scanlon took center stage. “I have a favor to ask of you all,” he said. “Everybody put away your phones, put away your cameras and just we will live in this moment right here.” I put my phone away and so did everyone else. “Even if the Devil himself possesses my body, I want that to be a moment that only we share.” A few giggles and fog filled the venue, red lights highlighted the stage and Scanlon began speaking with a horrifying undertone modifying his voice. Pretending to be the devil, Scanlon made jokes about marijuana, claiming the only thing bad about it is that it makes you want to eat chips and binge watch Netflix. Joking aside, Scanlon shouted, “Leave your phones in your pocket; for the next four minutes, this moment is just ours!”

I genuinely think that the audience would have listened to this request, if Scanlon didn’t jump into the crowd during the song “Lovetap!” to dance and sing with his fans. Nearly everyone at that point had their phone out to record a video, but I promise you, I was living in that moment and I won’t ever forget it. When the song ended, Scanlon and Kamerman made sarcastic banter about how the audience did great abandoning technology for all of five minutes — not.

Scanlon talked about hard decisions and crossroads being the inspiration for “9 to 5,” and fancy Los Angeles parties not being all they’re made out to be being the muse for “Admission To Your Party.” The best story was saved for last (until the encore).

“When we first started out as a band, we used to Google ‘Smallpools’ on the Internet,” Scanlon said. He explained that their song “Killer Whales” would make people mad, because “It’s messed up to keep killer whales in small pools.” As the song began giant inflatable pool-toy whales appeared and the crowd passed them around like beach balls.

The concert ended, the crowd cheered and out came the typical encore. Smallpools played “(Submarine)” the final song from “Lovetap!” and then Scanlon shared what will be his last story: the motivation behind the song “Karaoke.” Before Smallpools, Kamerman and Scanlon would go to the same bar every weekend and sing karaoke to the same song: “You Get What You Give” by New Radicals. The band played a quick 10 second cover of the song before playing their own song, “Karaoke.” This song transitioned into a short cover of “Drops of Jupiter” by Train — which I honestly believe is one of the most beautiful songs ever written. Smallpools did it justice.

Anyone who knows Smallpools knows that they can’t play a show without their famous song “Dreaming.” The band rocked out to one last explosive burst of energy before exiting the stage and thanking Philadelphia. Union Transfer was in love.

The show kicked a–. Smallpools put on an entertaining show filled with happy sounds, dance-y tunes and creative lights. There aren’t many bands I’d do my best to see multiple times, but you can bet your bottom dollar this won’t be the last time I see Smallpools and their inflatable whales.

The post Smallpools wins Union Transfer crowd over appeared first on The Triangle.

Jimmy Tatro is the creator of the popular YouTube channel “LifeAccordingToJimmy,” which has approximately 2.2 million subscribers. Tatro writes, produces and directs each of his sketches and has recently starred in the film “22 Jump Street.” Tatro talked with The Triangle to promote his upcoming stand-up comedy tour.

The Triangle: So, when did you start LifeAccordingToJimmy?

Jimmy Tatro: I started in February 2011— well actually November 2011. I started the Jimmy Tatro channel in February. I actually had to switch to LifeAccordingToJimmy for AdSense reasons. … I got my AdSense account shut down when I first starting doing videos on the Jimmy Tatro channel because I figured out you can make money by clicking on your own ads, so I would click my own ads on all of my friends computers. Then I got an email from Google one day saying my AdSense account has been shut down so I had to switch over to LifeAccordingToJimmy and in November started profiting from AdSense.

TT: That’s hilarious.

JT: Yeah, It was pretty bad when it happened, I was pretty upset. I thought it was the end of my YouTube career. Luckily, I signed with a manager and she got me tuckered back into YouTube, back to getting ads.

TT: Did you lose any of your fan base because of that?

JT: Not really, at that point I only had about 45,000 I think. Once I switched over to LifeAccordingToJimmy that was when I started doing it for real and putting out videos every single Monday. Before, there wasn’t really a schedule or anything like that. Once I switched over that was my marketing ploy, that’s what I sold people on and what incentivized people to subscribe to the new channel. I was able to get all of my old subscribers to the new channel pretty quickly. Once I started releasing videos every Monday the fan base kept growing and growing.

TT: Why did you want to start the whole YouTube thing?

JT: It’s something I always wanted to do. I’ve always loved entertaining and making people laugh. I’ve always loved creating and writing. Entertaining is something I always wanted to get in to eventually, and once I found out that people were starting on YouTube… Andy Samberg was a great example, he started with “The Lonely Island” videos and got onto [Saturday Night Live] and started doing movies. That set an example that I wanted to follow. I didn’t realize that if I started a successful YouTube channel I could a) make good money doing that and b) it would be a good platform or stepping stone to eventually getting where I wanted to go.

TT: Is that why you started on YouTube? As a stepping-stone?

JT: Yeah, I didn’t think I would really get to the point that I’m at with my YouTube channel right now where I have 2.3 million subscribers, and I’m still putting out new videos every Monday. I kind of thought at this point I would have just been satisfied with just moving onto doing stand-up comedy or writing movies. I’m working on all the things I want to do right now, but now that I’m at this point, I see value in keeping my YouTube channel going. It’s a valuable asset to have. I do love making and writing videos.

TT: So what was your favorite video to make?

JT: I did a “22 Jump Street” promo video. It was called “The Rise of the Rooster.” Sony actually funded that for me, produced it and gave me a legitimate budget, and I was really able to direct the whole thing. It was my first experience directing a production, and I had a ton of fun with that. That gave me the first taste of doing what I really love doing, which is directing.

But my favorite video to make … we used to have too much fun in college doing all the videos where we partied. We would provide all the alcohol for all the extras and that’s how we got them to stay. We would do a little video shoot and then it would turn into an actual party after we wrapped. Those were always a blast to film. Parties, drunk or sober … those were always a blast to film back in college.

TT: You seem like a party animal; you’re basically the poster child for what it means to be “frat,” how does that feel?

JT: Maybe in the videos, but that’s not really who I am in real life. I do have a wild side when I’m with my friends and we’re having a great time, but a lot of what you see in the videos is modified based on the environment that I’m in. If you meet my crew of friends, you’ll realize they’re a lot crazier than I am.

TT: Let’s talk about your show, “Memoirs of a College Dropout.” How did you come up with the idea?

JT: I wanted to do a stand-up tour since I dropped out of college. What I used to do was … well, colleges would have me come speak to their film departments or just get me at their school. They essentially just wanted to hear my story and how I got started and how I’m doing the things that I wanted to be doing right now. I would tell them my stories and it kind of turned into what was almost a 45-minute to an hour-long stand-up set. After one of the shows, my manager was like, “Jimmy this is basically stand-up comedy, you should start doing this.” And I was like, “Yeah, that’s pretty much exactly what I want to do.” I didn’t really ease in, my first show was like an hour-long set in front of like 400 people, and I just dove in. Like I said, it was something I’ve wanted to do, and once I found that first way to go about it, it just made a lot more sense to me. I think this is really the first tour or stand-up set for me to use because I have all of these stories that I want to talk about that are still in my mind. I’m going to say this is probably the last year that I can do “Memoirs of a College Dropout” tour.

TT: Is that just because the stories are going to get old?

JT: It’s because I feel like I still have a pretty accurate view of what college is even though I dropped out two years ago. You know, all these stories are still fresh on my mind and I need to get them off my chest while I can.

TT: Do you have any stand-up artist you look up to or find inspiration from?

JT: I grew up watching. … I don’t watch as much stand-up as I should. … I don’t watch as much anything as I should. I grew up watching “Seinfeld” and “Saturday Night Live.” … I didn’t have cable so those were the only two shows I watched consistently. A lot of my influence came from those two shows. I’ve seen every episode of “Seinfeld” and watched “SNL” every week. Recently, I’ve checked out some old Dane Cook and Kevin Hart. It just kind of helped to watch them do it.

TT: What about acting?

JT: I always wanted to act. Actually, not always. I started wanting to act once I saw Jim Carrey in “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” I wanted to play a character like the Grinch. It was the first time I wanted to act. My mom tells me I’ve always had a problem with listening. She doesn’t think I should be an actor and she says, “Jimmy you shouldn’t be an actor because you don’t like listening, you should be a director.” So I’m always like, “Alright mom, if you say so.”

TT: Do you prefer acting or stand-up more?

JT: It’s hard to say, two completely different things. I like stand-up a lot. I like stand-up more than acting. I like writing more than stand-up.

TT: So you’d say writing is your favorite?

JT: Yeah, I love writing. It’s hard to say that even, because you have to write your stand-up. Stand-up is more nerve wracking to just get up on stage. Stand-up is definitely more fulfilling; it gets your adrenaline pumping a lot more than filming a sketch. It’s hard to say which I like more because I have a blast doing both.

TT: Lastly, what do you see yourself doing in five-10 years with your career?

JT: I would like to have my version of what Adam Sandler has going for him. Writing and starring in his own movies and producing his own movies. I would love to do an independent film version of that where I can kind of have a couple million dollars for a movie and write in it then star in it. I’d also like to have a show.

Jimmy Tatro will be performing at The Trocadero Theatre April 3.

The post Jimmy Tatro talks with Triangle before Trocadero comedy show appeared first on The Triangle.

Handsome Ghost, a self-proclaimed “indie-prom” band, leaves the scene thanking the roaring crowd and welcoming the next opener. After a quick set change, the longhaired, tree-house-dwelling, emerging synth-pop artist BORNS takes the stage. The Feb. 26 show at Union Transfer was a special one, as it was the first show before a long tour. Sure, majority of the audience came to the show to see MisterWives play songs from their recently released LP titled “Our Own House,” but it wouldn’t take long for the crowd to be captivated by Borns’ creative and cozy crooning.

Borns, a Michigan native who spent a few years writing music in a tree house, stands before the crowd. Opening the first show of the tour for a band like MisterWives is no easy task. Having only a four-song EP to his name, it was difficult to gauge whether Borns would whet the crowd’s musical appetite. A female vocalist and pianist, a drummer, a guitarist and a bassist spaced themselves around Borns on the stage. Borns was holding a guitar of his own and the crowd was clearly eager to see what would happen.

With a fiery opening sequence, Borns opened his set with “Seeing Stars,” a stunning song that instantly silenced the wild audience. The song opened with its synth-filled riff that repeats through the chorus as Borns sings, “Your love is such a dream come true. I know, I know, I know I need you.” Immediately after the first chorus, the energy throughout the crowd was palpable as concert-goers began bouncing up and down in time with the music. Borns glamorous voice paired well with his dazzling instrumentals, obviously impressing the fans who may not have ever heard of him before.

“Seeing Stars” faded out and “10,000 Emerald Pools” faded in. Though “10,000 Emerald Pools” is a bit less explosive than “Seeing Stars,” the crowd fell in love with Borns as he sang softly: “Time is standing still, you’re the treasure, dive down deeper, still all I need is you.” Upon the song’s conclusion, the crowd’s cheers were deafening. Borns then let the crowd know his next song was brand new, causing another cheer to erupt from the crowd.

Borns played three alluring new songs (not forgetting to squeeze in “Past Lives,” one of his previously released songs) to knockout his new fans. The Union Transfer audience was certainly in love. Through the new songs, the one that stood out the most was “American Money.” This song proved Borns’ musical versatility, as the synth-pop artist played a song that sounded to be the beginning of a new era in rock and roll. Should Borns ever release this song, there is no doubt that it will become a hit.

Anyone who had heard Borns’ music before could guess what he would end his night on, “Electric Love.” Borns announced his last song and the six-note guitar riff pierced the audience’s excitement. The thrilling “Electric Love” summarized Borns unique and explosive style, as he closed his set and welcomes MisterWives.

What was most surprising about MisterWives was their on-stage energy. Kicking off the show with, “Our Own House,” the band had clearly been waiting for their first show of the tour. Mandy Lee, the band’s stunning front-woman, has an incredible on-stage presence. Personally, her voice reminds me a lot of Hayley Williams of Paramore. During just the first song, Lee was having the time of her life with her enthusiastic fans. The venue nearly erupted when the chorus started. Not a single person in the crowd was silent; everyone was screaming: “We built our own house, own house with our hands over our hearts.” Since it was the band’s first show of the tour, Lee was very emotional, even asking an audience member to pinch her.

The show continued with “No Need for Dreaming,” a song that slightly slowed down the tempo of the concert. The song opened almost like a ballad, and exploded in the chorus when Lee cheered: “I will follow you ‘til there’s no beat left within me.” The slow pace continued with “Box Around the Sun,” a song that gets stuck in a listener’s head with its way too catchy chorus: “Carry me on and on and on, on and on and on, on and on and on, on and on and on and on and on and on and on.” Repetition is the key to catchy music, and MisterWives really nailed it with this one.

After playing “Oceans” and “Coffins,” the most memorable part of the show came along. Starting with Lee’s striking voice singing the brass part to “Twisted Tongue,” while her brass players pantomimed her. The piece was a musical game of Simon Says, with Lee showing off her absurd vocal range. The audience was still frozen in awe as the song actually began. The band was visibly full of energy nearly half way through the show. The song had a lot of audience participation, as Lee sang the lyrics: “You just managed to mask what’s now clear as glass, and that’s just you are an a–hole” with the crowd shouting along!

“Best I Can Do,” another brass filled song, made its way into the set list. This song kicks off with a five-note explosion from the saxophone and trumpet. “Best I Can Do” was absolutely a fan favorite, as everyone danced along to the brass instruments. The entire five-piece band was jamming out; it was an impressive sight to be seen.

With all of the energy stuffing Union Transfer, MisterWives had to tone it down a notch. “Vagabond” and “Hurricane,” two popular songs, not as jam-packed with energy, let the crowd settle down a bit before the band’s climatic finish.

Once the two songs concluded, “Not Your Way,” a song distinctly written by a feminist, got the crowd excited. While the actual music is catchy, I find the lyrics almost cringe-worthy, with lines like: “Lower and lower our standards go as your money grows,” and “This is my own life, own life, not growing up to be a trophy wife.” Personally, I’m a big fan of the musical side of this song, but I found the lyrics unsettling.

Fortunately, MisterWives saved their set by playing their best known song, “Reflections.” “Reflections” is a superb song that peaked at 84 on Billboards top 200, an incredible feat for an abstruse band like MisterWives. The song’s distinct sound and powerful vocals overwhelmed the crowd. With everyone doing their best to sing along. This song was the peak of the show.

MisterWives, for some odd reason, chose to end the show with a slow song, “Queens.” After just playing a passionate song, “Queens” didn’t seem like a logical closing song. The band thanked their crowd, as Lee could be seen tearing up from the overwhelming response her audience gave her.

What’s a show nowadays without an encore? After the band bowed and celebrated on stage with each other, the crowd’s cries for encore filled the room with anticipation. What happened next was an utter shock. Obviously, MisterWives came out for an encore, but Lee played the drums while the band started to play “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars. The cover was spectacular, but it ended all too soon as Lee shouted, “How about we play one of our own songs?” just after the first chorus.

“Imagination Infatuation” is probably my favorite song on the album “Our Own House.” Hearing it live during the encore was a huge relief — the band couldn’t neglect to play one of their catchiest songs, right? The encore was in all honestly the best part of the show; hearing the band’s best song paired with a cover of a contemporary pop hit was truly awesome. The band played through the crowd’s last burst of excitement as they sing their final lyrics of the night: “Lovin’s is easy to keep when you’re the reason that I fall asleep: to dream of you.” The last notes rang out and cheers continued for several minutes, through the lobby until security escorted everyone out.

All in all, the show was one of the best I have been to in a while. Borns unique style paired well as an opener for a pop-based band like MisterWives. While Borns has little to no stage presence, MisterWives could not have had more. The two bands put on a perfect show for lovers of the indie/alternative genre. After the show, one thing was for certain, and it’s that MisterWives music was playing in everyone’s head “On and on and on, on and on and on, on and on and on…”

The post Misterwives opens tour with strong Union Transfer show appeared first on The Triangle.

With nearly 10 million plays on Spotify, Garrett Borns (better known by his stylized stage name, BØRNS), gears up to open a sold out show February 26th. BØRNS, now living in Los Angeles, California, will be opening for MisterWives, an indie pop group, at Union Transfer. “I’m stoked,” he says in regards to playing with MisterWives. “They’re rad and really great musicians too.” Though MisterWives will be the main attraction, there is no doubt that Garrett Borns will be stealing the show.

You would think that with millions of plays on Spotify, BØRNS would be preparing for his headlining tour. However, with only a small 4-song catalog having been released, BØRNS is comfortable with opening until his debut album is released in the future.  “The album is very much in the works,” he says. “Candy”, the psychedelic pop filled EP, features the artist’s soft, angelic voice. The EP is hard to describe; the colorful sounds and fiery melodies don’t exactly sound like any popular musician.  BØRNS, when asked to compare his style to something similar, had no discernable answer. “I don’t know… which is nice. Everyone kind of has their own idea of how to understand music, and knowing that means comparing it to something else. I guess I haven’t heard a ton of comparisons.”

“Candy” opens with “Electric Love,” BØRNS’ most renowned song. This psychedelic love-ballad grabs the listener with a funky guitar riff. Though much of the song is about an “electric bottled up emotion that you get from a lover,” BØRNS says he wants the meaning of song to be “left up to the listener.” The song peaks in the chorus when BØRNS exclaims: Baby you’re like lightning in a bottle: I can’t let you go now that I’ve got it. This lyric is the key charm to the song, as its repetition easily gets stuck in a listener’s head. Pop diva Taylor Swift even called the song an “instant classic” on Instagram.

Recently, BØRNS stripped down his electric song and recorded an acoustic version with Zella Day, a psychedelic female sensation. This otherwise explosive song feels a lot more intimate than the original, as the music video features BØRNS and Day singing to each other in a car. BØRNS says that this intimate moment isn’t the only one he hopes to share, as “there will be more intimate moments on the album. In the live show, there’s a possibility for intimate crooning.” With a voice like Garrett’s, it shouldn’t be hard to croon a crowd.

This Thursday at Union Transfer at 8pm the stage is set for Garrett Borns to wow an audience with his playful music style. Already winning the heart of Taylor Swift, along with millions of Spotify listeners, BØRNS hopes to win the crowd with new music, along with his already released instant classics. So why is BØRNS a must-see this Thursday? BØRNS says that “If you’re feeling the vibes, come to the show; if you’re in the mood for some groovy jams.”

The post BØRNS opening for MisterWives at Union Transfer Feb. 26 appeared first on The Triangle.