Fall Flashback: Jake HaldenVang is “POWERFUL” at Pineville Fall Festival
It was a beautiful fall afternoon as I headed out to the scenic Pineville Lake Park for the 23rd annual Pineville Fall Festival. The annual event is always a great time with tons of delicious foods, local arts and crafts, and of course live music.
On this particular day, it was the live music that grabbed my attention as one of my very favorite local acts was set to perform, Jake HaldenVang. You may be familiar with Jake from his tenure on The Voice Season 17 where he turned heads and amazed music lovers across the country with his powerful rendition of The Revivalists’ “Wish I Knew You.” Jake has been a staple of the Carolinas music scene for many years and it is truly amazing to know that we have such world-class talent right here in our own backyard.
The week before, Jake celebrated the worldwide release of his latest single, “POWERFUL,” an exquisitely done cover of the Major Lazer song inspired by his performance on The Voice. As always, Jake puts his unique spin on things as the listener is captivated by his passionate performance and all the emotional ups and downs the song brings out.
For his performance at the festival, Jake surrounded himself with a group of talented local musicians to bring a complete band experience to the Pineville crowd. From the very first note, Jake captured the attention of passersby as they stopped to check out exactly who was playing on the Shay Stage that afternoon and I’m sure he made more than a few new lifelong fans including one sweet little girl who was happily swaying to the music with a giant smile on her face. Jake’s vocals are one of a kind as they soared over the open-air venue as he rocked the park. It’s easy to become wrapped up in his voice but let’s not forget that Jake is also an amazing guitarist and a hell of an arranger. Due to the nature of a festival setting, Jake’s set was over all too quickly leaving us wanting more.
Live music is back in a big way and it’s more important than ever before that we show up to support our wonderful, local musicians every chance we get. Charlotte has a host of absolutely incredible talent and I know it’s easy to get excited about all the big-name acts that come to town but let’s not forget about one of our own superstars whose artistic ability is “POWERFUL” in every way.
You can catch Jake and his band HaldenVang on January 14th at Amos’ Southend as they are appearing as a special guest for the Neil Jackson Band album release show. Stay tuned to Halden Vang’s social media for upcoming performances as well.
