I See Hawks In L.A. Headlines A Beautiful Night Of Music In South Pasadena

I See Hawks In L.A. playing "Live And Never Learn"

I love learning about different quirky, little music venues in the Los Angeles area. There are quite a few of them, which is part of what makes this the best music scene in the country. I find that a good deal of the magic happens at these sorts of places. Last night I went to a spot called Dinosaur Farm Speakeasy in South Pasadena. It's the back area of an independent toy store, and it has a somewhat unusual setup. The audience is split into two sections, one group basically level with the band (give or take a few inches) off to the stage-left side, and one group a few feet lower off the stage-right side. Last night's show was part of the venue's "Wine & Song" music series. And, yes, for those wondering, there was wine. It was a serve-yourself kind of thing, which suited me just fine. It added to the wonderful vibe and loose atmosphere of the place. This is the kind of spot where you get to know the folks around you, the kind of place that draws a friendly crowd.

David Plenn

Last night three artists performed. First up was David Plenn, who hosted the night (and runs the toy store). He was on guitar, and was joined by a bass player and by his son Taylor on saxophone. Before he started, he mentioned that the lineup of the Hawks and Claire Holly was basically his dream lineup. He did two songs to kick off the night - "Love's Funny That Way" (which featured a nice lead on guitar followed by a good lead on sax) and "Lover's Lullaby." "What I need now is a tall glass of something," he sang at the beginning of "Lover's Lullaby." Oh yes. His short set ended at 7:13 p.m., and three minutes later Claire Holley was ready to go. She performed a solo acoustic set, opening with a pretty song titled "Beauty School," and following it with "Brother." She also performed a William Butler Yeats poem set to music, and concluded with a gorgeous song called "Curious Child."

Claire Holley

"Live And Never Learn"

The evening moved along quickly, and three minutes after Claire Holley was done, the Hawks were on stage. "Before the Hawks, we were the Dinosaurs," Paul Marshall joked, playing on the name of the venue. "And we will be again," Rob Waller added. They then went right into the music, opening with "Live And Never Learn." The moment they started it, the world brightened. You know? And everyone could feel it, everyone sensed it. It was obvious because of the delighted cheer from the audience that met the song as it started. The song featured a really nice lead by Dan Wistrom on electric guitar (he didn't have his pedal steel for this show). Afterward, Rob joked about the trains in the store. I didn't get a chance to check out the store, but will make it a point to look around the next time I'm there. The band followed "Live And Never Learn" with "On Our Way," both of those songs being title tracks to Hawks albums. "Growing old and you're waiting for wisdom." Yup. Isn't it interesting how different lines stand out to us on different nights?

"Skipping Stones"

Paul introduced Victoria Jacobs and asked the audience for applause for her "little bitty cymbal," which of course was then given. The band went into "Slash From Guns N' Roses," Dan going all hard rock on that guitar, drawing enthusiastic cheers from the crowd. Paul delivered some cool work on bass, which also received applause. That song is always fun, and last night it was particularly enjoyable. After it, Rob mentioned how someone played that song for Slash, and Slash said it was the best song he'd ever heard about himself. Victoria then sang lead on "Skipping Stones," a totally delightful number with a rhythm that draws smiles all around. I also love the song because I love skipping stones on the water. Seriously, I can spend hours doing it, provided I can find enough flat rocks. It was something my brother and I would do in Gloucester when we were growing up, and now as adults whenever we find ourselves there we still do it. Anyway, it's an excellent song, and it wrapped up the first set.

David Plenn

There was a break, and then something interesting happened. A second round of the show began. I've seen many singer-songwriters perform in the round, and usually they all remain on stage throughout the performance, but I can't recall seeing a full band playing in the round. David Plenn's son did not join him on this second round. "Taylor left, it's a school night," David joked. He played a really sweet number titled "Things We Leave Behind," a song that begins with these lines: "My father played trombone/But I can let that slide." A dad joke in two ways, right? Other lines that stood out are these: "Did I make you feel loved/Did I teach you to be kind/I hope that tops the list of things I'll leave behind." In fact, Claire Holley mentioned those lines when she took the stage. But before that, David Plenn played "What Used To Be," delivering a very cool blues guitar lead. For the first two songs of Claire's second set, she was joined by both David Plenn and Dan Wistrom on electric guitar. The first of those songs was a fun, catchy number about whale-watching, one that had the audience singing along. "I paid my money, now I'm waiting for the whales to come." The second was "Wedding Day," which she said "is not autobiographical." Her set also included a beautiful number called "Bluebird." "The love I once knew is gone." She ended her set with "Float," from Powdercoat, her duo with Kristin Mooney.

Claire Holley

"Truth Is You Lied"

Things were moving even more quickly this round, and one minute after Claire finished playing, the Hawks were ready to go. "Hey, Paul Marshall," Rob said. "Hey, Rob Waller," Paul responded. "Want to sing one?" Rob asked. Paul chose "Truth Is You Lied," mentioning Jill Sobule's performance of it in his introduction. The band delivered an absolutely beautiful rendition, everything sounding perfect. That was followed by "Ohio," a song that is always fun. Part of the fun comes Victoria's backing vocals. Her "Sweet home" makes me smile every time. It was clear the band was having a good time with this song, and so was the audience. Dan's guitar lead received applause. And how can you not love a line like "I was hooked on my vanity project, but now I'm clean"?

"Ohio"

This band's work often features gorgeous harmonies, and last night "Jug Of Misery" especially stood out in that regard. This was perhaps the best rendition of this song I've heard the band do yet. Toward the end, Rob began to belt out the song's main line while Dan delivered some really good work on guitar. They wrapped up the set with "White Cross," which also featured some great harmonies. "Good times didn't suit me/I had to taste the pain." Dan got a chance to stretch out a bit on this one. The show ended at 9:32 p.m. The audience wanted an encore, but David said he had to think of his neighbors. The crowd was a bit reluctant to leave, but the Hawks have another show coming up soon, February 22nd at Tuning Fork in Studio City.

I See Hawks In L.A. Set List

Set I|

1. Live And Never Learn
2. On Our Way
3. Slash From Guns N' Roses
4. Skipping Stones

Set II

1. Truth Is You Lied
2. Ohio
3. Jug Of Misery
4. White Cross

(Soundcheck included bits of "On Our Way" and "Skipping Stones.")

Here are a few more photos from the night: 

before the show

"Live And Never Learn"

"Live And Never Learn"

"Live And Never Learn"

"Live And Never Learn"

"On Our Way"

"Slash From Guns N' Roses"

"Truth Is You Lied"

"Ohio"

Dinosaur Farm is located at 1510 Mission St. in South Pasadena, California. By the way, there is a parking lot in the back, which I was not aware of when I arrived. I had no trouble finding a spot on the street right in front (spots are free after 6 p.m.). Tickets were $23 if you ordered them ahead of time, $25 at the door.