Eternal Fair

It’s quite possible if you’ve spent any time in the Seattle music scene, I’m pretty positive you’ve heard the name Andrew Vait. Or, if you haven’t heard of him, you’d probably recognize his hair if you saw it. The guy’s got it pretty made, he’s an incredibly talented singer and guitar player, and the guy’s got better hair than most of the girls I know. Vait, if you read this, what conditioner do you use?
But if you were at the Barboza last Friday night, I sort of doubt you were distracted by his locks. His band Eternal Fair closed an early show at the Barboza, and did it with such flair I almost forgot I had a prior engagement with Father John Misty upstairs at Neumos. Vait was once a solo performer, but in just under two years Eternal Fair has sprung up and has been hustling local venues left and right around Seattle, and are gearing up to spread some love even across the United States (I hear ALASKA is in the works?).

What I like most about this band live is that they’re able to come off as catchy, upbeat, and easy to listen to without sounding cheap. Chris Jones on bass rocks around the stage, but is more subtle than Vait, giving a great stage balance. And drummer Daniel Nash is a magic man with the cymbals on songs like ‘Boxes in the Attic.’ Speaking of that song, hearing it live really made it resonate. It’s funky and soulful, but light enough to get lost in. Playing ‘Billy Keep Your Head Up,’ it’s obvious why this is the song they recorded as a live video. It’s one of their best songs, and showcases each member’s strengths and talent. This song is without a doubt one of my favorites from the trio- it’s a rich, complex song that’s able to sound vintage while still feeling fresh. The boys played their current EP, but also debuted some new material. One of their songs, which I unfortunately didn’t get the name of, got be unbelievably excited for what they’ll do next- it’s a sexier, more bass heavy song that I’ll be looking out for at their next show in the Emerald City. We live in a city that’s pretty spoiled by local bands, and Eternal Fair’s one to keep your ear up for.

Opening the night were two other local bands, The West and Pocket Panda. Starting off for the early crowd was The West. After about 2 minutes of their set I was sold, and didn’t want them to get off the stage. They play the most incredible dance-rock I’ve heard around the city as of late. And not only that, but they pull it off live! They had the crowd dancing- albeit it was a rather small crowd that early in the night, which was truly a shame since they played such a fantastic, energizing set. I could go on and on about how in love with the lyrics and the keys, but a round of keyboard applause needs to be made to their drummer. Dan Miles, where have you been my whole life? The guy’s an animal behind the kit- he beat the shit out of his skins in a perfect controlled chaos. I can’t wait to see them live again, and if you’re reading this, you should take a listen to their EP Don’t Make a Sound now.
The second opener was a band called Pocket Panda. Call me crazy, but with a name like that I’d completely expected something like The West: dance-y, electric, and interesting. That wasn’t quite what I got. After waiting a very long time for their set to begin as they set up their multitude of instruments, the room’s mood had changed and people got ansty. Pocket Panda as it turns out wasn’t an eletro-rock show, but rather a Seattle-ized version of Mumford and Sons. And while I love Mumford and Sons, nothing about Pocket Panda’s set really blew me away. Don’t get me wrong- they’re good at what they do and they were able to wind up the crowd after that too-long-lull. But I just felt something was missing, and I didn’t feel like I was experiencing something new. Mumford and Sons are special, and I understand a band loving that sound, but they haven’t seemed to make it their own yet. But, with talent and ambition, there’s always potential, and this band was undoubtedly talented. - Culture Mob

Comprised of Andrew Vait (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Chris Jones (bass, vocals) and Daniel Nash (drums, vocals), Seattle-based act Eternal Fair create neo-psychedelic rock of the pop persuasion – that warms my soul and gets my hips a-shaking.

Last Friday, before heading to Neumos for the Father John Misty show, I found myself in the at Barboza experiencing both.

One of the newer bands on my radar, Eternal Fair proved to be an incredibly dynamic act live – moving from punchy rock tracks to mellow ballads with ease. Whether it be the steady clap of “Boxes in the Attic” or the thumping bass line of “Billy Keep Your Head Up,” – the three-piece makes catchy tracks you can’t help but sing along to (for days on end).

Playing a handful of new tracks, in addition to selections from their debut EP, Eternal Fair Vol. 1., the band’s tunes are fuller and more dance-worthy in the live setting than you might expect – a perfect combination of hip swaying and head-bobbing for a Friday night on the town. But Vait’s sultry vocals add just the right amount of rock and roll edge to their funky soul sensibilities.

Built around the pulsing heartbeat of Nash’s percussion, Vait’s vocals reached a high point (on a literal level) during a newer track called “Michael John,” affectionately inspired by their sound engineer of the same name.

There’s a hint of country swagger to their sound – a refreshing element that sets them apart from harder rock acts coming out of Seattle at the moment. Paired with blues-y sensibilities, Eternal Fair’s arrangements are potent and hard to forget.

And while I can’t decide what I love more – Andrew Vait’s vocals or his killer rock star locks – it’s a battle I’m more than prepared to struggle with for a long, long time to come. - Another Rainy Saturday

I’ve always had a mental block when it’s come to listening to summer songs during the winter months, finding tunes meant for open windows and sticky heat to feel as foreign as reading right to left when I’m all bundled up from head to toe. There has been no winter this year (aside from one real snow storm), and so I’ve found myself comfortably listening to (and enjoying) more and more summer jams during the months with long names, songs such as ‘Boxes in the Attic’ by Eternal Fair. Full of handclaps, a bouncy, contagious beat and a chorus that’s meant to be screamed as you cruise through the streets with the stereo blaring and the windows down, ‘Boxes in the Attic’ is tailor made for summer playlisting, and for the next few months it’ll be part of my mild winter soundtrack.

Eternal Fair has made Eternal Fair Vol. 1, their debut EP, available for free, so you can add this song (and the 3 others) to your personal soundtrack- they’ll make summer not seem so far away. Enjoy. - Songs For The Day

It's no secret I love Eternal Fair (lots and lots). They're one of Seattle's best kept secrets which is good for those who like to hoard local indie talent, but bad for an up-and-coming band. After months of wishing, hoping and waiting for an Eternal Fair album, the clouds parted on my inbox and lead singer Andrew Vait dropped musical gold last month with, "Are you interested in an advanced digital copy of our EP?"

Um...YES. A thousand times, YES.

The Vait-Rusinow-Nash trifecta comes in hot on their eponymous EP, Eternal Fair, Volume 1, released for public consumption this past Monday. It's a mix bag of kaleidoscopic hustle filling a rock & roll shaped void in Seattle's music scene. Best of all, you can download the whole shebang for FREE (seriously guys...FREE!) here and read up on my two favorite tracks below.

Boxes in the Attic - Warning: Best listened to on full blast with the sun blazing and windows down. This ear snack reeks of summer, the Duck Tales theme song and is guaranteed to make you stomp and shake it. Best of all there's something deliciously nostalgic about it - instantly taking me back to a summer spent on the rivers in Texas with coolers of Lone Star, spigot bags of margaritas and a floatilla of drunken friends.

Billy Keep Your Head Up - I'm shamelessly in LOVE with this song. I first heard it last year when the EF boys opened for Allen Stone at the Crocodile and they kill it live every single time. It's a swagger-filled fable wrapped up in fuzzy guitar solos that showcase Vait's talent on the strings.

As if free music isn't enough, you can see these guys live this Friday, February 25th @ the High Dive. Show starts @ 9:30 pm and is $8 in advance or $10 at the door ($1.27 service fee if you buy pre-sale). Get your tickets here and get 'em quick people. This show is sure to prove that Eternal Fair is here to stay. - northwest is best

Eternal Fair isn't louder than every other band out there, or more delicately arranged, or dance-fueled. They don't hit a lot of the buzz-elements that might lump them together with some of the hot-topic bands of the day, but on Eternal Fair, Vol. 1 they do remind us that good songwriting can take many different forms.

Lead singer/songwriter Andrew Vait is especially good at style-morphing, jumping from nineties-era scat a la Spin Doctors (or their 00s counterparts Kings of Leon) on "Billy Keep Your Head Up", to Beach Boys-owing swoonery on "Brightest Star" with equal confidence. The recording and mixing is another high point. Guided by Jonas G. and Josh Sherman of Mezzanine Floor Studios, each instrument emerges on track with just the right amount of echo (quite a bit) and personality (also a good amount), and spreads the focus evenly enough to make the songs easy-listening as hell.

From the EP's four-song pool, "Billy Keep Your Head Up"--with its rolling synth-y bass line and off-beat hi-hat--has the most staying power, and begs repeat listens. The guitar line on "White Dream" is a little cheesy, but the tempo kind of calls for it, and plus, Vait's pretty falsetto more or less saves the song anyway. The aforementioned harmonies on "Brightest Star" finely accent the moments when Vait's voice is left solitary (or at least less layered) during the verses, and is another highlight. It's not all gold though, as "Boxes In The Attic" makes for a rather wonky opening to the disk. It's central guitar/clap line gives the song a silly feel that doesn't quite mesh with the rest of the release, but once you get past it, you're sitting pretty.

Eternal Fair, Vol. 1 has enough of past-rock's charm to evoke a warm feeling of nostalgia, and enough inventive musicianship and thoughtful studio-work to hold its own. Overall a solid offering, and a promising look at what's to come. Check it out on their Bandcamp page or stream it below. - Seattle Weekly's Reverb