In an ongoing series previewing 2010 Mission Creek performing artists, we turn to Brian Johannessen for a personal take on Headlights. I graduated from high school in 2006, while the vast majority of my high school friends graduated in 2005. Being from the western Chicago suburbs, many of my friends and classmates funneled into either the University of Illinois, or the University of Iowa. Thanksgiving break of my senior year in high school was filled with my older friends’ stories from college. One thing that seemed to be a constant in the stories of my University of Illinois friends involved going to see a local band named Headlights. These stories were mostly of drunken debauchery at these shows, involving much inappropriate dancing and futile attempts at hitting on Headlights’ keyboardist and vocalist Erin Fein. They were tales of happy-fun-times, and Headlights had provided a perfect soundtrack.

So now I sit here, a senior in college four years later and, although I have attended the University of Iowa, rather than Illinois, I have grown to understand these stories. Over my time spent in this college town, I have had the privilege of watching the Champaign/Urbana indie pop group progress in both sound and popularity. The soft synth and steady drumbeat has been relatively constant bed music for many nights similar to those that my friends shared with me back in high school.

It may be fair to say that Headlights is the quintessential college-town band. They provide light, danceable beats complete with gentle vocal tracks that kind of make you want to meet your future wife (or husband), more specifically, Erin Fein. The sound is universal; it is not abrasive and has a great pop sensibility about it, but it is also unique in its sound. It is easy to fall into the indie-pop stereotype, but Headlights manages to stay on the outskirts of this genre. And as far as live performance goes, they remain humble, but still bring it. This is definitely going to be a show to check out for Headlights alone. Don’t forget your dancing shoes.

Headlights will be playing at the Mill on Thursday, April 1st as a part of the Mission Creek Festival. Also playing: David Bazan, Caroline Smith and the Goodnight Sleeps, and The Poison Control Center. Tickets for this show are $8 in advance and $10 day of show. Advance tickets available at IowaTix

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Download: Headlights – I Don’t Mind

Headlights will be playing at the Mill on Thursday, April 1st as a part of the Mission Creek Festival. Also playing: David Bazan, Caroline Smith and the Goodnight Sleeps, and The Poison Control Center. Tickets for this show are $8 in advance and $10 day of show. Advance tickets available at IowaTix

Check out the growing archive of Mission Creek Festival previews