Eagle And Talon Played Hemlock Tavern: Pics And Review

Last Thursday we caught up with Los Angeles duo Eagle and Talon for a show at the Hemlock Tavern. Since we first discovered the pair last month they've apparently acquired a bassist, and as such the trio made a full appearance on Thursday night.

We'll start by saying that the band was remarkably solid, especially for having a newly acquired member. The vocals were dead on, and the band's instrumental rapport seemed natural and relaxed. Overall, many of the songs seemed to turn out perfectly. In particular, we were really digging that "Hot Caught" made it's way into the show.

In fact, many songs seemed almost too perfect. Much of the charm of the band's recordings is their irreverent instrumentation and defiance of melodic conventions. By contrast, the live arrangements seemed meticulously organized and simpler than their recorded counterparts. Frankly, the band could benefit a lot from letting loose in a live setting like they do in the studio.

Perhaps the most original moment of the show came when lead singer Kim invited someone who "didn't know it" on stage to sing the last song with the band. The volunteer that materialized insisted that he was "a rapper", and thus proceeded to rap through the whole tune. The band held up remarkably well in the face of the unexpected, and even managed to give the rapper a whole verse of his own. If nothing else, it gave us some assurance that the band hasn't lost their adventurous streak, but that maybe it just took something of a night off.

More pics at the HAD Archive