Slacker Picnic

A mere three hours after the Jayhawks’ ignominious defeat to UCLA on Saturday, brand-new(ish) Lawrence band Fourth of July took the stage at the Record Bar. Lead singer, rhythm guitarist and main songwriter Brendan Hangauer was disappointed by the Hawks’ loss and voiced his dismay at the beginning of the set, throwing in a few choice words. For an indie-rock troub, he’s quite a fan of hometown hoops. He’d recently cut his long, shaggy locks down to a buzz, making him look like a self-flagellating ascetic, given the context.

Brendan Hangauer, resplendent in the hair he no longer has. (Photo: Jeffrey Isom)

But none of that despair cut through the Fourth’s delightful set. The band consists of Hangauer up front; his brother Patrick on bass; his other brother, Kelly on keyboards, trumpet and tamborine; Steve Swyers on lead guitar; Brian Costello on drums; and Adrienne Verhoeven, solo artist, band member to Orenda Fink and ex-Anniversary member, on backup vox and tamborine. This shiny, unhappy, vagabond crew wasn’t bristling with energy, but it didn’t need to be, because the songs did most of the work. All the players had to do was hit the right notes.