Staff Editor on November 22nd, 2021

0

Complete with confetti cannons at the climax of their set, Trousdale celebrated the release of their “What Happiness Is” EP with a joyous, packed-to-the-gills show at the Echo. The crowd was a mix of the young and old, evidence of the appeal of the trio’s music across the generations. They were not only entertained by folk harmonies that would make any vocal teacher cry tears of joy, but by games, banter and jokes that encouraged crowd participation.

As the band came on stage, Lauren Jones carried a manila folder, out of which came a three-page set list — a list that was as finely tuned as their music. The trio immediately swept the audience away with their song “Happy Anymore,” which tells the tale of a finished relationship: “I heard you playing with the band in Malibu / You called me out of nowhere and told me I should come through / (That I should come through) / And I would, but I don’t really want to …” The crowd erupted as the final lyrics faded away with “You don’t make me happy anymore,” and the band touched their hearts as the cheers only grew louder. Out in the audience, someone yelled out, “I want to cry so soon.”

The band was particularly proud of their song “This Is It.” The video made its premiere on CMT, and Trousdale wisecracked, “Suddenly, we’re a country band.” When it came to “Better Off,” the crowd spontaneously brought out their phone lights to sway with the music.

More than songs off their new EP and the one that preceded it, “Look Around,” there was much fun to be had on Saturday night. Trousdale played a guessing game with the crowd, pulling pieces of paper from a quote jar. They asked the crowd to guess which band member had made certain statements. For the quote, “I’m going to bring a young adult fantasy book on the plane,” the crowd went with Lauren Jones, but the correct answer was Quinn D’Andrea. “Let me just tell you how I’m feeling and you can disagree from there,” was attributed to Jones. “We’re the best at over-thinking” was Georgia Greene quote.

As the set turned to the second page of the setlist, the band pulled out one of their first songs, “Do Re Mi.” The song has yet to be released, so the only way to catch this song is via a live set. For the band, buttons of all sizes were worn. D’Andrea wore a button that said, “Free Hugs.” Greene’s highlighted “Gay feminists say: Out Now.” Jones gave some props to the Hard Rock Cafe. A final game was played with a T-shirt award for someone who could “finish that lyric.” There were three chances to win, but the contestant pulled out of the audience went three for three.

As the band transitioned on over to the third and final page of the setlist, a chant went out for Jones to give her boyfriend, who was standing next to the stage, a kiss. She complied with the request. The night started out with songs about broken relationships and ended with the song “Love.”

Opening up the night was Mario Jose. His set was a mix of cover songs such as Coldplay’s “Fix You,” as well as his own songs such as “Heart of Gold.” When someone in the crowd screamed out “Oh My God” to his pitch perfect vocals, he had to stop in the middle of his song and just take in the praise for a moment before continuing on. He closed out the set with a crowd sing-along to Vanessa Carlton’s “A Thousand Miles.”

Trousdale’s setlist: Bad Blood, Happy Anymore, “Always, Joni,” Point Your Finger, This Is It, Sometimes, Better off, Smart Iowa, Heartache Tonight, Do Re Mi, What Could I Say, Any Day Now, Try, Wouldn’t Come Back, Love. Encore: Out Of My Mind

Photos and recap by Notes From Vivace