Indie rock group The Happy Fits lit up First Avenue’s Main Room with an upbeat, joy-filled performance. Nearing a million monthly Spotify listeners and touring behind their phenomenal new album Lovesick, the quartet is quickly becoming one of the most exciting rising acts in the scene.
Despite playing the day after Thanksgiving, the band pulled in a packed, lively crowd. The energy was refreshing and passionate—like the audience had been guarding The Happy Fits as their best-kept secret and were finally ready to share.
I first discovered the band through a friend, and I caught them live years ago when they supported The Maine. Since then, they’ve added more members and elevated their live show even further. Honestly, they feel like a group of former high-school band nerds who somehow grew up to become the cool kids. And I mean that with genuine affection; every member performed with confidence and joy.
Frontman Calvin Langman dominated the stage, leading vocals while absolutely shredding on the cello. Newer members Nico Rose and Raina Mullen showed easy chemistry with fans, and drummer Luke Davis kept everything locked in with effortless rhythm. Together, the group blended strong vocals, tight musicianship, and a contagious stage presence.
I hope this doesn’t sound reductive, but the show was just incredibly fun. As someone still fairly new to the fanbase, I loved hearing their influences and finding similarities to some of my favorite acts. If local station Go 96.3 were still around, I’m convinced they’d be spinning The Happy Fits nonstop—they channel the best of mid-2010s alternative rock with a dash of Panic! At The Disco’s Pretty. Odd. era whimsy.
This show carried some extra meaning for me: it was my final concert of my 20s and marked my tenth year as a concert photographer. Ending the decade in First Avenue’s iconic Main Room with a band that feels like a mash-up of all my favorite sounds just felt right.
And I can’t forget this part: I went with a friend who brought his Nintendo 3DS. He allowed me to take it into the photo pit with me. The results were some very pixilated, but also pretty aesthetic shots. I don’t recommend doing a real photoshoot on the same device you play Pokémon on, but it was a funny experiment.
Overall, The Happy Fits delivered an excellent show to close out 2025 for me. It felt like a full-circle moment—wrapping up my 20s, celebrating a decade of concert photography, and ending the year on a high note. Here’s to another year of live music and another ten years of being in the photo pit.
