 |
I See Hawks In L.A. playing "White Cross"
|
There were several indications that last night's Hawks show at the Harmony Room was going to be something special. First off, it was held at a cool, rather unusual venue, one that was started in 2020 (yes, a venue that actually opened during the pandemic rather than closed - imagine that). I hadn't been there before, but I'd heard some good things about it prior to last night's show. It was a decent-sized hall, part of a church, located upstairs, and had an inviting, laid-back vibe. A friendly staff, and - this is particularly unusual - the place actually encouraged folks to bring their own snacks and drinks if they wished. Otherwise, there were concessions, including wine and beer (Rob Waller would comment on that during the show). I got there early and went right in to grab a seat up front, then went outside to hang out in the courtyard while the band finished its soundcheck. It was not long before other Hawks fans started showing up. We're an early bunch. Another indication that it was going to be a special night was the scheduled opening set by Victoria Jacobs. She has been writing and recording new material, some of which she performed solo at a house concert back in September, and we were eager to hear more of it.
 |
"Without You"
|
At 8:11 p.m., while the house lights and music were still on, Victoria Jacobs took the stage. While her set in September had been a solo affair, this time she was billed as Victoria In The Jimsonweed and was joined by Aaron Bakker on electric guitar. The stage, by the way, had some green glittery strips as part of its backdrop. There were also strings of vinyl records hanging next to the speakers on both sides of the stage. And, partially because it was attached to a church, the place reminded me of some of the folk venues I used to frequent back east in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and that is part of what gave it a welcoming air for me. The house lights soon dimmed and the music was shut off, and Victoria was introduced. She and Aaron opened the set with "Without You," a song in which she sings, "
Trying to live my life without you/It's not easy to do." For those who don't know, Victoria was married to Paul Lacques, who died in January of 2024. Her new songs are paths through grief and memory, songs of love, of loss, of moving forward without letting go of the past. These are excellent and tender songs. Interestingly, Aaron Bakker's electric guitar gave that opening number more energy, a sort of rock and roll energy. "Without You" was followed by "Santa Fe," a beautiful song. "
Just two lonely souls howling at the moon." Paul Lacques is still a tremendous presence at Hawks shows, and obviously also during Victoria's set, and probably everyone in the room had known him. After that song, Victoria introduced Aaron Bakker, and said he was on the first recording she did after Paul's death.
 |
"Shed Those Tears"
|
Her set also included "Sympathy," "Shed Those Tears," "Star-Filled Night" and "Misery." In "Shed Those Tears," just before the end she repeats, "
It's okay, it's okay," before concluding the line, "
to cry," which is the last line of the song. And that's something about these songs, the way they are so life-affirming and surprisingly positive. "Star-Filled Night" had a particularly cheerful sound. And in "Misery," she sang, "
Misery loves company/Go love someone else." There was a strong energy to that song, and Aaron delivered some great stuff on electric guitar. Then in "Winding Stream," she sang, "
You gotta trust love will find a way." And in "Forever Shine," she sang, "
Grateful for all our moments together/Grateful for all the love we knew." This is music to pull us all through our personal and collective troubles and put things into perspective. For the final song of her set, Aaron left the stage, and Victoria performed it solo. A beautiful conclusion to a wonderful set of music. Her set ended at 9:07 p.m.
 |
"Live And Never Learn" |
|
Less than fifteen minutes later, she was behind the drum kit, and I See Hawks In L.A. kicked off the set with "Live And Never Learn," a perfect choice in these strange times. And for a Friday, with its lines, "
I try so hard to do what's right/That won't get me through Friday night." Dan Wistrom was kind of in the dark in his spot stage right, but delivered some really nice work on pedal steel from there in the shadows. Rob Waller then remarked about Victoria's ability to just switch to drums after such a great set, and mentioned the venue. "
Dan says this is the closest he's ever played to his house," Rob told the crowd. And that was part of it too. It was a neighborhood thing, another reason folks felt so at home at this venue. They then followed "Live And Never Learn" with "White Cross," which also follows it on the band's 2018 album. Dan switched to electric guitar, delivering a very cool lead. After that lead, Rob Waller introduced Dan as "
The pride of Glendale, California."
 |
"My Parka Saved Me"
|
One of the many treats of the set was "To The Snow," a song from the band's first album, and one they don't play very often. I can't recall the last time I saw them do it. It's been years. It was great to hear it again. "
That song's about twenty-five years old," Rob said afterward. Dan then switched back to pedal steel for "Might've Been Me," a fun song from the band's 2021 album
On Our Way. There was a good amount of joy on the stage, and after that song Rob talked a bit about what he loves about the venue. That was followed by another song from the first album, "A Dog Can Break Your Heart Too," one that highlights the band's excellent harmonies. Some folks were really tickled by this one, laughing a lot during the song's first section. Rob then playfully asked Victoria if she had any good Chicago stories, leading into "My Parka Saved Me." This one also had folks laughing out loud, especially on "
It was my brother's parka," when the backing vocals make that adjustment following Victoria's clarification. It's a song I love, and part of its great appeal is the way the lead vocals and backing vocals interact, and when the backing vocals go rogue, "
And we drank for free all through high school/All the booze I could ever drink."
 |
"Poour Me"
|
Another treat was "Jug Of Misery," a song that Rob performed at a solo show last September and which has not yet been included on any official release. (If you want to hear it, Rob performed it at the end of an
episode of my podcast.) The band delivered a really nice rendition last night. After it, Rob commented, "
That's the thing about misery - it goes on a little longer than you want it to." That was followed by a particularly good and fun version of "Ohio." "
I was poisoned by the California dream." It was then that Rob commented on the venue serving alcohol, saying he'd sung in a lot of churches and he'd sung in a lot of bars, and that this place was kind of both. Paul Marshall then sang lead on "Salvation," and the first time in the song that he sang the word "
salvation," he gave a look up at his surroundings. This is a song that was great from the time the band introduced it in concert, but it has really come into its own lately, with the last couple of times they've played it being the best. It's reached a different level. That was followed by "Poour Me," which featured some excellent stuff on pedal steel.
 |
"Raised By Hippies"
|
If you drive in Los Angeles (and probably anywhere these days), honking and swearing at other drivers is part of the experience. Lately, I've been trying to refrain from honking, challenging myself to see if I can get anywhere without becoming infuriated. Twice I've been able to do it. Last night was not one of those times, though on the way to the show, I blasted my horn at only one guy. He was getting off at an exit, and at the last second cut back in front of me, forcing me to slam on my brakes (no one in Los Angeles has any idea what a solid white line means). The point is there are a lot of assholes out there, and every time I'm on the road, a certain I See Hawks In L.A. song gets in my head. That's "Stop Driving Like An Asshole." I wasn't sure if the show being at a church would keep them from playing that one, but I was hoping to hear it. And, yes, they did it, and it was delightful, as always. They followed that with another fun number, "Raised By Hippies," and then "California Country." The line "
The traffic jam started down in Glendale" received a cheer from someone in the audience, which made Rob smile. They wrapped up the set with "Hippie On The Road." What a great bass line. This was a fun, high-energy rendition, and at the end, the audience was eager for more. But there was no encore last night. The show ended at 10:29 p.m.
I See Hawks In L.A. Set List- Live And Never Learn
- White Cross
- To The Snow
- Might've Been Me
- A Dog Can Break Your Heart Too
- My Parka Saved Me
- Jug Of Misery
- Ohio
- Salvation
- Poour Me
- Stop Driving Like An Asshole
- Raised By Hippies
- California Country
- Hippie On The Road
 |
"Without You"
|
 |
"Live And Never Learn" |
|
 |
"My Parka Saved Me"
|
Harmony Room is located upstairs at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church, 2109 Chickasaw Ave., in Eagle Rock, California. The next scheduled Hawks show is on August 23rd at McCabe's in Santa Monica. See you there!
No comments:
Post a Comment