Preview: Alex Vaughn / September 26 / Jackie O's
By Sarah Weingarten, Contributor
Jackie O’s / September 26, 2014
This weekend in Athens isn’t one of the city’s most famous weekends, but
parents’ weekend is usually a good time nonetheless. Cincinnati native Alex Vaughn will be playing at Jackie O’s on Friday, September 26th to put on a show for bobcats and their parents alike.
Vaughn has quite a beachy, mellow vibe for someone who grew up in southern Ohio. His music has a lot of throwback vibes comparable to Jack Johnson or Jason Mraz. There has to be other people who want the mellow rock genre to start back up again.
To display his level of laid-back chill vibes, Vaughn has a video of himself playing his song “Pearly Whites” while on the beach. Just the waves, a boy, a guitar, no shirt, backwards hat; it doesn’t get more legally chill than that--except when he’s strumming the guitar while wearing a fedora.
Alex Vaughn is a multi-talented man. Yes, he writes his own songs and is pretty decent at guitar, but he’s also cultivated a huge following on Vine. His Vine popularity is due to the fact he owns the cutest and most verbal husky dog the Internet has ever seen on a six second loop.
His latest album Ascending the Falls was recorded at AEC Studios in Athens. Returning back to play the album for a live audience must feel so fulfilling and surreal.
Because no girl can know that they’re beautiful without a man telling them so, Vaughn wrote a whole song named “Beautiful” that is dedicated to this small act of kindness. It’s one of his most popular songs so he will probably play it so just be prepared.
Also be prepared for lots of “La, La, La’s” and “Do, Do, Do’s,” the ever generic mellow lyric fill-in. To be fair, though, Vaughn is a one-man band. He uses a hi-tech looping system that allows him to create different layered sounds. This helps him create a larger sound and doesn’t just make him another guy with a guitar playing an acoustic set.
The turnout should be solid because it’s parents weekend. Specialty brewed beers and a Jason Mraz sound alike is a win-win for any student with a visiting parent.This show won’t be a rager, but it also won’t be boring. But don’t plan on lots of dancing. More like sitting, swaying and making your parents buy you lots of beer.
Doors open at 9 p.m. and cover is $4.
