I See Hawks In L.A. at Mr. T’s Bowl, 1-8-20 Concert Review

I See Hawks In L.A. performing "Hills On Fire"

I am always happy when I get a chance to see I See Hawks In L.A.; somehow the world seems like a better place when they’re playing, a place that makes more sense, a place populated by good people. Last night I See Hawks In L.A. put on an absolutely wonderful set at Mr. T’s Bowl. And, yes, before you say anything, I am fully aware that the venue is now called Highland Park Bowl, but it will always be Mr. T’s Bowl to me, even though it looks completely different than it did the last time I was there, more than a decade ago, when Arlo was the sound guy (best sound guy in L.A.). First of all, when did Highland Park become such a popular place? I got to the venue a bit early and expected to find an empty parking lot in the back, like the good ol’ days. But it was full. I had to park at the next lot, which was nearly full as well. The meters in that lot run until 9 p.m., and someone had kindly paid for my spot right up to that time. (Thank you, stranger.) Then I discovered that you can no longer enter the venue through the back door. I could hear the sound of people bowling through that locked door, something I’d never experienced there (during concerts, the bowling lanes had been hidden behind a thick curtain). After a bit of exploring, I learned that you now enter through a door on Figueroa, and that the stage is just to the right, in a room I don’t believe I’d ever been in before. And that sound of people bowling? Well, that was people bowling. Because the concerts are held in a different room, the two activities can proceed simultaneously. And so they did. The problem with that, of course, is that the sound leaked in from the bowling lanes, noticeable particularly during those moments between songs.

I got turned onto a lot of good bands at Mr. T’s Bowl over the years, and I’m glad to find that tradition continues. Great Willow delivered an excellent opening set last night. The Los Angeles-based trio includes a cello, an instrument I am always happy to hear. Apparently the group is working on a new album, and the set focused on that material. But it was all new to me anyway. I was particularly impressed by their harmonies. And the final song of their set featured a great lead on cello that drew applause from the crowd.  By the way, apart from the external noise leaking into the room, the sound was quite good.

I See Hawks In L.A. was scheduled to go on at 9:30, and actually started a few minutes early, at 9:26 p.m. Rob Waller greeted the crowd: “Hey, everybody, we’re The Hawks. Nice to see you.” And they got right into the music, opening their set with “Carbon-Dated Love,” a song from Hallowed Ground, the band’s 2008 release. And I was immediately feeling great. And I wasn’t the only one. Bass player Paul Marshall seemed really happy right from the start of the show. It was great to see him back. This was the first time I’d seen him play with the band since his eye surgery. They followed “Carbon-Dated Love” with “Planet Earth,” from 2018’s Live And Never Learn. In introducing it, Rob mentioned how he’d just come back from Berlin and was “still pretty jet-lagged, folks.” Well, you’d never know it from his playing or singing. This song featured some wonderful harmonies. I’ve said this before, but Rob Waller’s is one of the absolute best voices in music these days, and last night it showed no signs of wear from his travels.

The set included several songs from the band’s latest release, a joint effort by I See Hawks In L.A. and The Good Intentions titled Hawks With Good Intentions. The first of these songs was “Things Like This,” and while introducing it, the band joked about Rob’s pronunciation of “Nevada.” And the crowd got into it as well. Then, during the song when Rob sang the line “He sure won't make Nevada,” he smiled, a certain twinkle in his eye as he ignored the way others pronounced the state name. After that song, he introduced Paul Lacques on electric guitar. Someone in the audience asked, “Did you cut your hair off, Paul?” Paul responded, “Yeah, all of it.” Indeed, I almost didn’t recognize him at first without his long hair. Rob then joked about his own hair: “I got a haircut in Berlin. I told them to give me the Galdalf. I just need a staff and a robe.” They then played “If You Remind Me,” a song from 2013’s Mystery Drug. This is such a sweet country tune, and those backing vocals remind me of early 1960s pop music. They have that delightful sort of vibe, you know?

“Live And Never Learn” is one that seems particularly apt these days, don’t you think? Paul Lacques delivered some really nice stuff on electric guitar. That was followed by “White Cross,” a song that was included on both Live And Never Learn and Hawks With Good Intentions. “One of the kinds of speed was white crosses,” Rob told the crowd before the song. This one also featured some excellent stuff from Paul Lacques on guitar. Then Paul Marshall took lead vocal duties on “Blue Heaven,” another song from Hawks With Good Intentions. On the album, it is Peter Davies (of The Good Intentions) who sings lead, and the song’s lyrics actually mention The Hawks: “We had guitars and we flew with the Hawks, and hey/It was blue, blue heaven.” It was wonderful hearing Paul Marshall sing this one. He did a fantastic job on this folk song. After that, Rob told the anecdote of the time he had a gun pulled on him at Mr. T’s Bowl and was aided by Arlo, the sound guy I mentioned earlier. “Arlo saved my life that night, talked some sense into a very drunk man,” Rob said. “Wherever Arlo is. Thanks, Arlo.”

They delivered a good, rockin’ rendition of “Ballad For The Trees,” Victoria Jacobs keeping time on the floor tom. “Here's a song just for everyone/Writing down their dreams/Or a ballad for the trees.” Victoria then stepped out from behind her kit to sing lead on “Hills On Fire,” another song from Hawks With Good Intentions, and one that is really pretty and moving. The band then totally shifted gears with a cover of “Take Me Lake Charles,” a fun song by Shinyribs. Paul Marshall sang lead on this one. What a treat to get to hear him do two songs in one set. This was such an enjoyable tune that it ended up being a highlight of the set for me. They concluded the set with another song from Hawks With Good Intentions, the gorgeous and touching “Flying Now.” If you need evidence that Rob Waller has one of the best voices in music, listen to this song when you get a chance. “I just might grow old/My face carries the lines/Of the winds that have whipped me/Now they push from behind/And I'm flying now.” For the encore, they chose another beautiful song, “The River Knows,” from Mystery Drug. The show ended at 10:32 p.m.

Set List

1. Carbon-Dated Love
2. Planet Earth
3. Things Like This
4. If You Remind Me
5. Live And Never Learn
6. White Cross
7. Blue Heaven
8. Ballad For The Trees
9. Hills On Fire
10. Take Me Lake Charles
11. Flying Now

Encore

1. The River Knows

Here are a few photos:

"Carbon-Dated Love"

"Carbon-Dated Love"

"Planet Earth"

"Things Like This"

"Blue Heaven"

"The River Knows"

Mr. T’s Bowl is located at 5621 N. Figueroa St. in the Highland Park section of Los Angeles.