The Travis Garland Experience

All photos by jrayphotography

 On September 24th, I was blessed by the new-wave vocals and visuals from #119's unofficial R&B prince, Travis Garland. This was my third time watching Travis perform and serve nothing but effortless vocal runs and authentic emotion, but this performance was especially different in the best way possible. The first time I saw Travis was way back in the day at the House of Blues Orlando when he was in a boy band called NLT and I was in the 7th grade. Not only was that my first concert, but it was also one of the best days of my pre-teen existence (nbd). After a long break, I witnessed him perform again during my freshman year of college at Cafe 939 in The Red Room. At the time, Travis was headlining the tour and performed with a full band that created an effortless soundscape fueled by the heart and soul of R&B. He performed the entirety of his first full-length album and I swooned in the crowd for an unforgettable hour and a half set.

This time around, Travis opened for the headliner, Johnny Craig, and his set was nothing short of a vision. Performing tracks from his latest project - UPPERS + DOWNERS - and a few of my favorites from his self-titled album, Travis crafted this performance as a two-man show featuring his insanely talented guitarist. The show was intimate, inspired, and one of the best that I have witnessed in a while. The light sequences throughout complemented the tracks and the overall tone of his latest EP, personifying the highs and the lows in life and love. There was even a point in the show where homie sat in front of me and sang a ballad straight to my face.......... I was not fully functioning.

Outside of him being one of the most talented vocalists I know, Travis is also the most personable performer I've met. We didn't stick around for the headliner and instead went to go cop a poster and then head out, but Travis was spotted at the merchandise table. We talked about missing his show on our campus and I even let it slip that he was my first concert (which he couldn't believe). Not saying I fangirled or anything, but I may or may not have been smiling like a clown the whole Uber ride home.

photographic proof

Moral of the story is: if you have the chance to see this dude live, just do it *Shia Labeouf voice*. Raw talent is something of a dying breed, but Travis is killing the game as an unsigned artist with a powerful voice and an even stronger vibe. We here at #119 will continue to share his work, so stay up and stay tuned.