by Avery Adams

9 Aug, 2019

The duo consisting of college kids Josh Augustin and Sam Winemiller can easily be noted by the soft fabricated synth-heavy beats created in their very own bedrooms.

If you’re wondering just how ‘bedroom pop’ they are, Sophie Meiers, Floor Cry, and Mellow Fellow are just a couple of artists featured in songs by Vansire.

But the duo livened it up quite literally at Schubas Tavern on Friday night with the incorporation of a drummer, a pianist, and two additional guitars apart from Josh and Sam’s respective guitar and bass combo (with the occasional synth, of course).

By the third song of the night, their newest release “Metamodernity,” Vansire had the venue bouncing around, captivated by their indie pop essence.

However, the four frontmen seemed all too caught up in the indie scene as they strutted matching leather ankle boots with miscellaneous Warby Parker glasses and flannel shirts. The drummer was a breath of fresh air with her tongue flailing about and her genuine excitement worn on her face in comparison to the guys’ mellow composure.

Besides for a few quirks, such as when one of the guitarists used his iPhone to slide up his fretboard during “Brown Study,” there wasn’t much to really look at on stage.

All in all, Vansire isn’t a band you really need to stare at — closing your eyes and listening would be sufficient — and the crowd sang most lines clearer than they did.

In fact, I felt there was a real lack of personality exhibited on the stage until they brought out their twang during a high-strung bluesy interlude of smashing instruments and dancing around between a few slower songs.

Maybe it was just the fact that they were a couple of nice boys from Minnesota, maybe it was the dreamy genre they put themselves in, but their interaction with the audience felt aloof throughout the performance.

However, suspending that qualm, they did deliver what you would expect from this bedroom pop group — chill, danceable melodies that created a blanket over the packed tavern.

They ended the show with “Nice to See You” — with no encore — leaving their defining soft, soothing melodies floating through the hall.