Fans of Vacationer, the Nu-Hula band out of Philadelphia, can check out its unique music stylings tonight (Tuesday, Sept. 30) when Kenny Vasoli, Matthew Young and Grant Wheeler headline a gig at DC’s Rock & Roll Hotel. I caught up with Vasoli this morning to talk about the show.
Q: Where did the name vacationer come from?
Vasoli: Once we locked in to our sound and had a few songs finished, we started exploring names. We had recently written “Gone and Trip” and I wanted a namethat tied in with the escapism theme. I started with the word Leisure and took to the thesaurus. Vacationer felt perfect, I was relieved no one else claimed it.
Q: What can fans coming to the show in DC expect?
Vasoli: We absolutely love playing DC. Shows at the Rock and Roll Hotel seem to be especially rowdy for us. It’s close to home and a usual stop for us. Tonight should be a wild time.
Q: “Relief” is getting such great critical reviews, how do you feel the band has grown with making this album?
Vasoli: We feel more like a band and less like a project now. Much of the record was informed by all the shows we played supporting “Gone.” We could see were the energy lacked in parts of our sets. We wanted to make a more rounded and dimensional record. I’m really happy with where the sound is headed. 
Q: What is your favorite thing about being on tour?
Vasoli: I love having laughs with my band. We are all friends that hang out even when we are home. Being out and getting to adventures with them is a hilarious good time.
Q: What message do you want to get out to your fans?
Vasoli: I want everyone to feel at ease and joyous whenever possible. I hope our music can work as a channel for that purpose.
Watch Vacationer’s “The Wild Life” video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrkF8rWFvQU
