Acoustic Jewels In South Pasadena Features A Rare Solo Set By Rob Waller

Rob Waller

The Hawks are back to performing as the Hawks. But that doesn’t mean lead singer Rob Waller is not doing any more solo shows. In fact, last night he played a truly solo show, apparently only the second time he’s done so (which seems crazy to me). Mike Berman hosts a monthly music series at Jeweled Universe in South Pasadena, located on the strip where Eclectic Music Festival has been held. It’s a cool spot, a store selling jewelry and clothing, with artwork on the walls. And there is a stage there. The series, which is titled Acoustic Jewels Showcase, features talented singers and songwriters. Last night’s show was a treat, not only because of a rare solo performance by Rob Waller, but because Arielle Silver, whom I’d seen open for Ellis Paul, was also on the bill. And to top it off, Steve Key joined Mike Berman for a set, the two trading songs, along with some anecdotes. So, yes, it was a special night.

"Beautiful Narcotic Place I Reside"

At 7:35 p.m., Mike Berman introduced Rob Waller, who opened his set with “Libre Road,” a song I don’t think I’ve heard him perform in quite a long time (if ever, now that I really think about it). It was included on the I See Hawks In L.A. album Grapevine. He told the story of going down to Mexico, a sort of spur-of-the-moment trip, and deciding to take the Libre Road rather than the toll road (I would have made the same decision), and being somewhat surprised at finding no one else traveling the road that night. Well, before long, he learned why. Some people had set up a fiery roadblock, and, with machine guns, forced Rob to the side of the road. But there was nothing worth stealing in the car, and so they continued on their way. “We were terrified for like forty-five minutes, then went and had a good time,” Rob said. What a story! Rob then mentioned that Anthony Lacques, an original member of the Hawks, was in the audience (you might also know Anthony Lacques from his Stoney Spring albums). Rob followed “Libre Road” with “Turn That Airplane Around,” a song from the first Hawks album. He delivered a moving rendition, with a sweet, gentle vibe. On that album, that song is followed by “Beautiful Narcotic Place I Reside,” and last night he decided to follow it with that song as well. He vocalized Paul Lacques’ solo in the song, a wonderful moment. He then chose another song from Grapevine, “Hitchhiker,” afterward mentioning that it was originally called “Good Luck Hitchhiking.” For me, the big highlight of the set was “The Mystery Of Life,” another song from the band’s first album. This was the song where he really demonstrated the power and beauty of his voice. It was so damn good. While everything up to that point had come from those early albums, he wrapped up his set with a relatively new song, “Jug Of Misery.” This one has not yet been included on a Hawks album, but will likely be on the next release. (You can hear a version of the song at the end of my interview with Rob Waller.)

Arielle Silver

After a short break to give people a chance to look around the store and use the bathroom, Mike introduced Arielle Silver. She kicked off her set with “What Really Matters,” a song that was released as a single and then included on her A Thousand Tiny Torches album. A strong opening number. “Smokescreens and daydreams don’t help when you’re running.”  That album was released in 2020, the year the pandemic started and concert tours were put on hold. That year, Arielle Silver began “Tomes & Tunes,” a video series in which she spoke with other artists (remotely, of course) about books they were reading and then swapped songs. Interestingly, as she mentioned after “What Really Matters,” she had each of the other three musicians who performed last night on that series. Mike Berman, Steve Key and Rob Waller all joined her on episodes of “Tomes & Tunes.” (And Hawks fans will want to know that the other members of I See Hawks In L.A. also appeared on episodes.) Arielle focused on music from her latest album, 2023’s Watershed, following “What Really Matters” with “Asteroids And Chaos,” then “Ghost Ships,” “Worth Waiting For” and “Clipped Wings.” Mike Berman had mentioned in his introduction that “Asteroids And Chaos” was his current favorite song from the album. The line that stands out for me is “Hold each other through the panic.” It feels like the key to getting through a lot of the craziness of the world. My favorite song the first time I saw her perform was “Ghost Ships,” and that one might still be my favorite. It is a beautiful song, and it features some pretty work on guitar. Last night, one line eluded her, but that only worked to bring the audience in closer. And after the song, she mentioned that one of her favorite moments at a concert was seeing Ani Difranco completely forget the lyrics to one of her songs. “Worth Waiting For” is an unabashed love song. On “Clipped Wings,” she played harmonica, apparently for the first time in concert, for she mentioned getting the holder earlier in the week. “The darkest night taught me to see.” She wrapped up her set with “Headlights,” a song from A Thousand Tiny Torches.

Steve Key

Mike Berman and Steve Key closed out the night with a set that found the two of them trading songs. In the introduction, Mike mentioned how Steve had songs on some of those great Fast Folk compilations. Those discs introduced me to several incredible artists. Steve mentioned that Jack Hardy was something of a mentor to him. He then began the set with “Somebody Still Cares,” a song that was included on one of the Fast Folk discs in 1985. It was actually the first track, as Steve indicated last night, saying “Side one, track one.” What a wonderful way to begin the set. Mike Berman then played “Hills Of California,” a song from his Where I’m From album, released last year. In his introduction, he mentioned that the song was partly inspired by the Hawks, but mainly from a recurring dream of mountains. “Some say we really don’t belong here/Some say the ending time already has begun.” This song has that wonderful southern California sound and vibe.  Steve key then talked about putting out a record in 1988 and not being able to sell it because at that time people wanted cassettes and CDs. That led to him playing one of his most popular songs, “Record Time (33, 45, 78),” a song I can’t help but love, in part because of the line “I hesitate at the door to the future.” Oh yes, in some ways I refuse to go through that door. He delivered a delightful rendition last night. “I wonder if I’m stuck in the past/Or if it all repeats, just like a CD.” Mike Berman followed that with a relatively new song, one that is going to be included on his next album, which is to be released early next year. It’s titled “Blanket Of Light (Oh Mercy),” and is an excellent song. “He found mercy, but mercy would never stay/She comes in the night like a blanket of light/But she always leaves the same way.” Steve next played a song that he co-wrote (sorry, folks, I’m not sure the title of it, but maybe it’s called “People Who Move Like I Do”). Mike too played a song that he co-wrote, “No Luck At All,” a powerful and striking song. Steve wrapped up the song with “Golden,” first reading the poem from his phone. It was a beautiful conclusion to a wonderful evening of music.

Mike Berman

Jeweled Universe is located at 1017 Mission St., in South Pasadena, California.Visit the venue’s website for a list of upcoming concerts and other entertainment.