I See Hawks In L.A. at Tuning Fork, 7-19-26 Concert Review

"Live And Never Learn"

I See Hawks In L.A. returned to Tuning Fork in Studio City last night, delivering two magnificent sets of music, just the sort of thing to help one regain his or her faith in humanity. It was that kind of evening, the room having a wonderfully relaxed and friendly vibe. And in fact, the band started a few minutes earlier than scheduled. Why not? Things were loose, and everyone was ready. They opened the first set with "Live And Never Learn," which had a sweet vibe, Dan Wistrom delivering some nice work on pedal steel. Rob Waller was seated for this show, so the only band member standing was Paul Marshall (and he'd joke about that partway through the first set). There was a sound issue with Rob's guitar, but that was soon sorted out. And, really, everything was right with the world the moment these guys started playing. "Thanks for being here for the soundcheck, everybody," Rob joked after that first song. "We were pretty eager to get started, so we jumped right in."

"White Cross"

"Me And Paul"

"White Cross" followed, with Dan switching to electric guitar and delivering a really good and interesting lead, so good that Rob urged him to extend it, which he did. How about that for only the second song of the night? It was clear even then that this was a special night, the band having tapped into a rare vein of joy that must have been running along just below the venue. That song also featured a great groove, helping everyone's mood. "Well, I saw that Willie Nelson is out there on the road again," Rob said while introducing "Me And Paul," a song that Willie Nelson wrote. I'm glad I got a chance to see Willie in concert a couple summers ago. He's getting up there in age, but still puts on a damn good show. At Rob's encouragement, Paul Marshall told his Willie Nelson story. The song is a sweet country number, Dan back on pedal steel, and after it, Rob mentioned, "That song always reminds me of Paul Lacques, of course." He then added, "And Paul Marshall," and told an anecdote about dropping Paul Marshall off at Ed King's house in Nashville. That was followed by "Beautiful Narcotic Place I Reside," a song from the band's first album, which was released twenty-five years ago. To celebrate the anniversary, the band has a special show scheduled for September 19th at McCabe's, where they'll be playing the entire album (by the way, Rick Shea & Tony Gilkyson are opening that night). Last night they delivered a really good rendition of "Beautiful Narcotic Place I Reside," featuring great harmonies and an excellent bass line.

"Salvation"

Next up was a cover of Clarence Carter's "I Stayed Away Too Long," though first Paul sang a little of "Slip Away" to help refresh people's memory of that artist. Because, while not everyone might remember "I Stayed Away Too Long," there isn't anyone who hasn't heard "Slip Away." Dan's guitar lead during "I Stayed Away Too Long" received some deserved applause from the appreciative audience. Paul Marshall then sang lead on "Salvation." Nearly a year had passed since I last saw them do this song, and I was happy to find it back in the set list, for it's an excellent song. It was before that song that Paul joked about how in twenty-five years of playing in I See Hawks In L.A., this was the first time he was the tallest guy on stage. He delivered a particularly good vocal performance. I loved the gentle way he sang, "It's there for you." That was followed by "Ohio," which was a whole lot of fun. The song features a delicious rhythm, and Dan really delivered on electric guitar. I love the line "Because I was poisoned by the California dream," which was delivered with so much joy. And Victoria Jacobs attacked that tiny splash cymbal at the end, which just added to the great cheer of the song.

"Ohio"

"I Fell In Love With The Grateful Dead"

If you've been to Tuning Fork, you've likely noticed the Grateful Dead posters on the wall and the Dead stickers behind the bar. Surely that is part of the reason I feel at home there. And while the band was setting up last night, some Grateful Dead songs were playing on the sound system, something everyone in the room at that time appreciated. So it felt natural that "I Fell In Love With The Grateful Dead" would end up on the show's set list. The song featured some great stuff on bass and some excellent drumming, and it got me fondly replaying my own memories of falling in love with the Grateful Dead. The band kept things moving then with "Skipping Stones," featuring Victoria on lead vocals. This song has become a favorite of mine, and it is always fun, certainly in part because of its rhythm. And this is another that brings fond memories to the surface. Rob then mentioned the band's upcoming tour. Before that special concert at McCabe's, the band has shows up in northern California, Oregon and Washington. I highly recommend that folks in those areas make it a point to catch this band. Thinking about this tour led Rob to suggest ending the first set with "Hippie On The Road," and the song had a delicious energy. "Ride this thing out," oh yes! The first set ended at 7:55 p.m.

"Turn That Airplane Around"

Approximately twenty minutes later the band was back on stage. They opened the second set with another song from the first album, "Turn That Airplane Around," one I was excited to hear again. It had been maybe three years since I'd seen them perform it. And they delivered a wonderful rendition, with Dan on pedal steel. That was followed by "California Country," a song that always hits the right spot, a song that is always a crowd-pleaser, beloved by those of us who have come to call California home. This song makes us feel we've made the right choice, you know? Actually, getting to see this band fairly often makes me know I've made the right choice. Then they gave us a fairly new song, "Global Pandemic," which Rob introduced as one of Paul Marshall's favorites. A lot of songs came out of the recent pandemic, but this one is certainly the most fun. The "Psycho Killer" reference makes me smile, but the whole song is a delight, and last night's rendition was excellent. They switched gears then for "Jug Of Misery," a beautiful song that featured a moving vocal performance from Rob Waller.

"California Country"

"St. James Infirmary"

Paul Marshall sang lead on a cool rendition of "St. James Infirmary," adding Robert Rex Waller to the lyrics and delivering a lead on bass that had the audience applauding. On a night full of stellar performances, this song still managed to stand out. It was followed by one of my favorite songs, "If You Lead I Will Follow," the last track from the New Kind Of Lonely album, and one that was written by Rob Waller and Paul Marshall. It is another of the band's songs that I hadn't seen performed in a while, in probably two years. I hope it finds its way into sets more often, because it is a beautiful song. And last night it featured a great vocal performance, plus a pretty lead on pedal steel. Before "Poour Me," the band mentioned how the last time they were at that venue, the place ran out of beer. Rob joked that it was all due to Dan, but then Dan mentioned how he had only one beer and was incredulous when, upon ordering another, he was told they'd run out. Well, they didn't run out last night. "Poour Me" has certain lines that make me laugh every time, including "The 80s was his peak" and "Wednesday I ate a bad burrito."

"Poour Me"

"My Parka Saved Me"

Then it was story time with Victoria Jacobs, who led the band in a delightful rendition of "My Parka Saved Me," a song that had me smiling from the moment it started. There is much to love about this song, but perhaps my favorite element is the idea of backing vocalists taking over the story while the lead singer tries to reel them in. "All right, Rob, that's not true," Victoria playfully scolded. The band wrapped up the second set with "Good And Foolish Times." Is there a better set closer? I'm not sure there is. Before they started the song, bartender Josh handed Dan a fresh beer, a kind of adorable response to the earlier story of the place running out of beer. You have to love that. That the bartender was paying attention, and that he added to the joy of the set. "Good And Foolish Times" featured a great bass line. There is something so cheerful about that bass part. It was a good rendition, though it lacked that extended ending that the band does sometimes. And maybe that was why the crowd demanded more. Or maybe it was just because the night was so fucking good that no one was ready for it to end. The band decided to do one more song, a short one, and invited Gloria Delgado and Sophia Delgado of The Firkins to join them on vocals for it. That song, which The Firkins are known to cover from time to time, was "Stop Driving Like An Asshole," a song that gets in my head nearly every time I'm on the road here in Los Angeles. And having that song to sing helps me in those moments, a way to turn anger to humor. The band delivered a particularly good version last night, with The Firkins on backing vocals. A fun way to conclude what was an absolutely superb show. It ended at 9:11 p.m.

Dan gets his beer

"Stop Driving Like An Asshole"

Set List

Set I

1. Live And Never Learn
2. White Cross
3. Me And Paul
4. Beautiful Narcotic Place I Reside
5. I Stayed Away Too Long
6. Salvation
7. Ohio
8. I Fell In Love With The Grateful Dead
9. Skipping Stones
10. Hippie On The Road

Set II

1. Turn That Airplane Around
2. California Country
3. Global Pandemic
4. Jug Of Misery
5. St. James Infirmary
6. If You Lead I Will Follow
7. Poour Me
8. My Parka Saved Me
9. Good And Foolish Times

Encore

1. Stop Driving Like An Asshole

Tuning Fork is located at 12051 Ventura Place in Studio City, California.