The New Jersey based four-piece band, The Happy Fits, recently put on a delightful pop-rock show at the 9:30 Club. The band consists of founding members Calvin Langman (cello, vocals) and Luke Davis (drums, vocals) — and recent 2024 additions Nico Rosenbach (guitar, vocals) and Raina Mullen (guitar, vocals). The quartet are a powerhouse of buoyant energy with dancey tunes and catchy melodies to keep you grooving long after the show ends.
Pom Pom Squad, fronted by Mia Berrin, accompanied The Happy Fits on this leg of their tour. I saw them headline at The Atlantis back in April, so I was excited to see them again. At 9:30 Club on Dec. 3, Berrin strutted onto the stage in a powder blue corset dress with knee-high strappy black boots and began “Downhill,” the lead single off of the 2024 album Mirror Starts Moving Without Me. The crowd was immediately into it, bouncing along with her as she shredded guitar.
The track “Street Fighter” is another highlight, opening with a recording of Berrin’s mom stating “If they ain’t paying your bills, pay them bitches no mind.” This song leans into the “cheerleader” aesthetic with Berrin busting out the pom poms to do a chant mid-song.
Watch the official lyric video for “Street Fighter” by Pom Pom Squad on YouTube:
The Pom Pom Squad song “Red With Love” leans into a punk sound — emulating the Mannequin Pussy songs “Drunk II” and “Patience.” Berrin revealed in August that the band had returned to being fully independent. I highly recommend checking them out. For grungier, punkish vibes try the album Death of a Cheerleader (2021) and for a more pop-rock sound, try Mirror Starts Moving Without Me.
The Happy Fits catapulted onto the 9:30 Club stage with palpable energy. The crowd was immediately mirroring the same energy, creating a larger-than-life atmosphere. They opened with “Cruel Power” and “Everything You Do” from their 2025 album Lovesick. Their third song, “She Wants Me (To Be Loved)” is infectiously catchy, and I still have it stuck in my head as I type this. Calvin Langman shreds the cello like you’ve never seen before. It adds such a memorable element to the band, and especially enhances the live show. Langman introduced the next song as an OG, and proceeded to play “Dirty Imbecile,” from their 2016 EP, Awfully Apeelin’. The cello truly makes the song unique, and it’s understandable why it’s one of their most popular releases.
Afterward, Langman introduced the other three band members. I really admire how The Happy Fits are such a joyful unit. Everyone sings lead and backup during various songs, and everyone’s energy matches each other at all times — you can tell they love playing together. Langman asked the crowd “DC did you have a good Thanksgiving?” He started naming dishes the band had been eating on the bus: cold mashed potatoes, cold gravy, cold apple pie…“I think that’s it…am I forgetting something?” to which drummer Luke Davis responds, “COLD TURKEY!” referencing the song from their album Under The Shade of Green (2022).
Watch the official music video for “Cold Turkey” by The Happy Fits on YouTube:
Langman asked the audience if anyone came to the show with someone they loved, which was answered with a lot of cheers, “Love is alive and real in DC. Well this is your chance to make out for the entire song. You’re only gonna get one, alright? Just kidding. You can do whatever you want,” Langman jokes. He muses about being lovesick for a girl back home before playing the song “I Could Stare at You for Hours.” Langman swapped his cello for an acoustic guitar, the disco ball dropped, and the crowd swayed angelicly back and forth to the song — it was dreamy. Some phone lights went up, but it seemed like most of the crowd was in a lovesick trance.
Next, the band inquired about what couple in the crowd had been together the longest. Shouts included “14 years,” “22 years,” “30 years,” and finally the winner of “40 years.” The band applauded them, then Langman went on to say, “This next song is about how when you’re in a relationship for a really long time, sometimes every day can start to feel the same, and a lull can start developing in a relationship. Kind of like how a lull is developing in the set right now…You just want to be shaken a bit DC!” With the acoustic guitar still in hand, Langman launched into “Shake Me,” a single from Lovesick.
Nico Rosenbach took a moment to shout out her dad’s friend who helped get her into playing guitar at a young age. They covered Fleetwood Mac’s iconic “Go Your Own Way,” and wow, what a great cover. Everyone’s voices in harmony made for an ethereal sounding cover.
The Happy Fits followed up with “Hold Me Down,” which is my favorite song of theirs — it’s also the first song I ever heard from them. It was in all my playlists in my freshman year of college where I was feeling unstoppable — the newfound freedom of being off on your own and experiencing life. This was 2019, and in 2020, my college living experience was cut short, and I hardly ever found myself in the mood to listen to my “happy” songs. I rediscovered this track a few months ago, and I can confirm it’s still a banger. Hearing it live was incredible, and now I have a new memory to associate the song with.
“So Alright, Cool, Whatever” from the album Concentrate (2018) is another favorite. It wasn’t played quite heavily in rotation as “Hold Me Down,” but it was definitely a close second. It heavily reminds me of Young The Giant, specifically their 2010 self-titled album. The song totally imitates “Cough Syrup” and “Apartment” with the smooth vocals and minor chords.
In their last song before the encore, the band instructed that there would be a moment during the next song “Mary” where everyone needs to freeze for 20 seconds. They said it would be obvious when it happens. Langman had his solo moment playing a brooding cello solo to start off “Mary.” The crowd burst in claps that got progressively faster as he shredded the cello. Something about this song made me think of the Pirates of the Caribbean score — I felt like I should be dueling with enemies on the seas. Sure enough, in one of the last choruses, Langman thrust his bow in the air, and the entire crowd went deadly still and silent. It was uncanny to say the least, but very cool.
Watch The Happy Fits perform “Mary” live at Diamond City Studio on YouTube:
The Happy Fits came back out for an encore and played “Do You See Me?” which feels reminiscent of The Beatles. There’s a distinct 60s rock sound and plenty of bits to sing along — very “Hey Jude.” It peaks with a bombastic jam and fades out peacefully. The energy ramped back up for “Heart of a Dancer,” which had Davis and Langman duel drumming as the tempo increased. The entire room was bouncing to the music, seemingly imitating the strobe lights. Rosenbach had her big solo towards the end of the song; she jumped down in between the stage and the barricade, and proceeded to absolutely tear up her guitar. The guitar riffs and patterns reminded me of early 2000s rock — particularly The Strokes.
They finished off the set with another OG track, “Too Late.” The crowd stayed completely captivated. I’m genuinely so happy I attended this show, because I really felt like bailing the day of. I had surgery at the beginning of November, so this was my first live show in a whopping 31 days. I left the show feeling reinvigorated and connected with live music. So, many thanks to The Happy Fits and Pom Pom Squad for pulling me out of my concert deficit. Oftentimes, the best shows are the ones where you enter the space not feeling your best, but you leave it feeling rejuvenated.
Here are some photos of The Happy Fits headlining 9:30 Club on Dec. 3, 2025. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Carolin Harvey.
Here are some photos of Pom Pom Squad opening The Happy Fits at 9:30 Club on Dec. 3, 2025. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Carolin Harvey.
