Bryan Bielanski, the frontman of Charlotte-bred alternative rock band Angwish, is hitting the road again this year with one goal: to make people happy.
Angwish’s 11th and latest album, “Bryan’s Super Happy Fun Time!” was released Feb. 15, preceding the tour of the same name. His first album in almost four years, Bielanski said he felt like he had a lot to say.
“Music is my life, it makes me feel good,” Bielanski said. “I like to play music and try to make other people feel happy and forget their troubles for a while. That's why I came up with the title ‘Super Happy Fun Time,’ just how music can change people's lives for the better.”
Bielanski started making music in high school, inspired by the ’90s alternative rock boom ushered in by bands like Nirvana and Local H. Since Angwish’s inception, its sound has touched on everything from grunge and pop punk to ’60s retro, culminating in the acoustic-heavy “Bryan’s Super Happy Fun Time!”
“The acoustic tour kind of takes some elements from all of the past influences,” Bielanski said.
Lyrically, Bielanski’s music tackles everything from life and society to politics and relationships. The standout single off his latest album, titled “Living in My Car,” is an upbeat track about traversing the globe with a girl he really likes.
Tonight’s show, which starts at 7 p.m., will mark Bielanski’s third time playing at Hardback Cafe, the last time being in 2016 whilst touring Angwish’s 10th album “Lust For Live.” Bielanski is the featured performer for absurdist art show “Reverend Angel Dust’s Tabernacle of Hedonism,” which is held weekly at Hardback Cafe.
“I also like the open mics because, playing to a bunch of fellow musicians, you can sometimes have a more empathetic crowd than at other shows,” Bielanski said. “One of my favorite parts about touring is checking out other people's music.”
Tom Miller, local live performance artist and host of the show, is excited for Bielanski’s return to the Hardback stage.
“He’s sort of a traveling troubadour,” Miller said. “It's always a great creative collision when someone from out of town gets to be a feature on the tabernacle stage because usually we get to see something we don't see very often in Gainesville, and they definitely get to see something they’ve never seen before when they hit our stage.”
Looking forward, Bielanski will continue to tour Florida, eventually making his way to the West Coast and beyond.
“Continue to meet people and make friends, that's pretty much the goal of the tour,” Bielanski said.
Stream “Bryan’s Super Happy Fun Time!” on Spotify here.
Contact Cassandra Perez at cperez@alligator.org Follow her on Twitter @cassandraperez0.
"Bryan's Super Happy Fun Time," Angwish's 11th album, touches everything from life and society to politics and relationships.
