What happens when a bunch of bluegrass-playing friends in successful bands decide to pick up electric guitars and live out their rock and roll influences? The answer is the High Hawks, which features an all-star cast of musicians from Leftover Salmon, Railroad Earth, Hard Working Americans, and Horseshoes & Hand Grenades. Originally formed during the pandemic as a fun side project, this band has been gradually taking the time between their main gigs to play short runs of shows. You could call it a supergroup, but truly the vibe is more akin to a house party where everyone is seeking to get outside their comfort zone. With the release of their sophomore album Mother Nature’s Show, the High Hawks kicked off a brief West Coast tour in Portland, Oregon on Tuesday, May 7th at Polaris Hall.
Following a ripping opening set from local favorite Brad Parsons, the High Hawks hit the stage and launched straight into “Lumpy, Beanpole & Dirt,” which saw Tim Carbone wasting no time in taking the spotlight with a fiery fiddle solo. Blending their jam band roots with bar band glory, Vince Herman, Adam Greuel, and Tim Carbone seemed ecstatic to be donning electric guitars. Songs like the chugging rock and roll road song “Radio Loud,” boogie-woogie rambler “Same Old Stories,” and left of the dial 90s-esque “Temperature is Rising” saw them showcasing guitar chops, even throwing down dueling solos on the latter. The band drew from their two albums throughout the night, with songs like “Heroes & Highways” taking on a Creedence Clearwater Revival tone as it led into the first extended jam session of the set, and “Shine Your Blues” switching into a New Orleans parade sound with influences of the Allman Brothers and Grateful Dead sprinkled in as a nod to their jam band foundation. “Fox River Blues” saw them switching gears for a moodier, more psychedelic country-rock number before “Blue Earth,” a reggae-tinged tune that Tim Carbone told the audience he wrote while driving and listening to UB40 that exploded into an unexpected three-guitar jam. With the crowd digging the vibes, the band sprawled out as they neared the end of their set, with the warm grooving of “Trying To Get By,” a dub take on the outlaw country classic “I Get Off On You” featuring Brad Parsons, and the lively rocker “Do Si Do.”
This being the first night of their tour, there were a handful of kinks that the band was clearly working out onstage, but part of the fun was seeing these talented friends find their groove. There were broken strings, malfunctioning keyboards, plenty of PBR flowing, and other fun shenanigans as the players eased into their roles as High Hawks. One could see the chemistry and tightness evolving throughout their nearly two-hour performance, and it was exciting to see the magic unfold onstage. While all of these musicians stay plenty busy with their main gigs, the High Hawks is a fun project for them to work out their rock and roll impulses that is sure to be a festival hit.
All photos by Greg Homolka.
