Dawes, The Head and the Heart bring magic to the Greek Theatre

The Head and the Heart performing at the Greek
Theatre in Los Angeles on Aug. 20, 2022.

Who: The Head and the Heart, Dawes

Where: The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, CA

When: Saturday, August 20, 2022

Review and photography by Robert Kinsler

Dawes performing early in their set at the Greek Theatre on Saturday, Aug. 20, 2022. From left, guitarist Trevor Menear, keyboardist Lee Pardini, singer-guitarist Taylor
Goldsmith, drummer Griffin Goldsmith and bassist Lee Pardini.

Few concert-going experiences beat enjoying a warm summer night at the Greek Theatre. Such was the case on Saturday night when Seattle's The Head and the Heart and Los Angeles' own Dawes shared the bill at the legendary venue.

From left, singer-guitarist Taylor Goldsmith, drummer-backing vocalist
Griffin Goldsmith and bassist Wylie Gelber.

Both ensembles delivered powerful and memorable sets at the event, with Dawes opting to take the bold step of performing the band's recently-issued Misadventures Of Doomscroller from start to finish with little time to perform any material from the group's other seven albums. 

From left, brothers Taylor Goldsmith and Griffin Goldsmith.

I, for one, felt absolutely no disappointment. The group's new album is an artistic triumph and it provided the perfect track listing to showcase the power of Dawes in a live setting. The album's rich sonicsphere blending the best of Laurel Canyon folk rock and stylish Steely Dan jazz rock was a bona fide thrill in the hands of the group (singer-songwriter/guitarist Taylor Goldsmith, drummer-backing vocalist Griffin Goldsmith, bassist Wylie Gelber, keyboardist Lee Pardini and touring auxiliary guitarist Trevor Menear). 

Keyboardist Lee Pardini at the Greek Theatre on Aug. 20.

Opening with the ambitious 10-minute "Someone Else's Cafe/Doomscroller Tries To Relax," the quintet brought nuance and sublime musicianship to the multi-tiered work. The first section was relatively quiet, before the song exploded into a jazzy instrumental jam featuring all the players; there was then a harmonies-filled section that gave way to an affecting guitar solo offered by Taylor Goldsmith.

From left, brothers Griffin Goldsmith and Taylor Goldsmith.

Other early highlights included the shimmering "Comes in Waves" and buoyant "Everything is Permanent" (the latter featuring some stunning instrumental back-and-forth amongst the players throughout).

From left, Taylor Goldsmith, Griffin Goldsmith and
Wylie Gelber at the Greek Theatre.

On "Ghost in the Machine," a propulsive rhythm fueled by the work of Griffin Goldsmith and Wylie Gelber was cast early; later in the cut Menear showcased his fiery lead guitar work before Pardini came in with a masterful solo to end the jazz-tinged rock original. The disc-ending rock opus "Sound That No One Made (Doomscroller Sunrise)" capped the flawless presentation of one of 2022's strongest and most original new albums.

Members of the Head and the Heart joining Dawes
for "All Your Favorite Bands" at the Greek.

Dawes ended their 55-minute set with a rousing take on their 2015 favorite "All Your Favorite Bands," with several members of the Head and the Heart coming on stage to add vocal harmonies to the track. 

The Head and the Heart at the Greek Theatre.

Headlining the night was the Head and the Heart, with the six-member troupe performing a winning 100-minute set featuring material spanning from the group's self-titled 2011 release through their ambitious 16-track album Every Shade Of Blue (released in April 2022 via Warner Records).

The Head and the Heart performing on Aug. 20, 2022.

This marked this writer's first time ever seeing the Head and the Heart in concert and I was impressed by the songwriting, musicianship and vocals of the group. Songs such as the luxurious "Every Shade of Blue," the acoustic Americana-flavored "Another Story" (from the 2013 album Let's Be Still), the soulful "Same Hurt," the more experimental "Paradigm," driving "Shake" and soaring "Virginia (Wind in the Night)."

The Head and the Heart ended the night with a poignant take on "Rivers and Roads," with many in the audience singing along.