If any two acts have proven to be consistently reliable in the realm of Texas music over the last decade, it’s Hayes Carll and the Band of Heathens. Both acts – Carll as a serious Texas troubadour and the Heathens as purveyors of groovy alt-country – deliver the goods with each album and live performance. The Heathens also know how to play their instruments at a high level, making them an ideal backing band for an artist like Carll. Lucky for fans of both acts, they’ve combined forces to make a new album titled Hayes & The Heathens that is currently being supported by a handful of tour dates. On Thursday, September 19th, this gang of Texans made their way through Portland, Oregon for a show at the Wonder Ballroom.
Billed as ‘An Evening With,’ the show featured no openers and a single set that stretched past the two-hour mark and kicked off with the Heathens tune “LA County Blues.” Right from the start, the band’s dynamic brought to mind the era of Bob Dylan being backed by The Band as the band members traded vocals and songs while often providing superb rock and roll backing to Carll’s singer-songwriter impulses. The band leaned heavily on their new album throughout the night while giving ample time to playing songs from their own respective catalogs, often reworking them into something new. “Any Other Way” was given a heavier outlaw country treatment complete with boogie woogie piano, while “Gris Gris Satchel” was a slinky and soulful work of blues rock, and “Drunken Poet’s Dream” saw the band showcasing their rich three-part harmonies.
Flanked by Ed Jurdi and Gordy Quist with their formidable guitar skills, Carll was in good company. The three donned acoustic guitars on the proper 60s-style ode to weed “Green Grass of California,” while “Jackson Station” saw the band switching gears with New Orleans-soaked piano and Jurdi laying down impressive harmonica chops. The Carll tune “You Get It All,” with its clever wordplay and romantic warmth, was a highlight before the band played the poppy, Tom Petty-esque “Adeline” for the first time ever, complete with dueling slide guitar solos from Jordi and Quist. Another highlight came from the tune “Medicine Man” with its deep organ jamming and 60s psych-blues sound, only to follow it up a few songs later with a particularly poignant cover of Gillian Welch’s folk classic “Look At Miss Ohio” delivered with plenty of soul and a blissed out guitar solo. Following a particularly beautiful solo acoustic performance of his tune “Beaumont,” Carll and the band would hit a lighter note with a loose and rowdy take on the Waylon and Willie favorite “I Can Get Off On You.”
Throughout the night, the band was able to balance moments of songwriter prowess with freewheeling rock and roll and thunderous country. It was clear that these talented musicians found inspiration both in Dylan and The Band’s collaboration as well as the camaraderie in the outlaw movement of the 70s. While each act is well worth seeing on their own, Hayes and the Heathens brought new dimension to these Texas artists while still holding on to the essence of what makes both of them so excellent. In Portland, their performance was a fun and lively celebration of friendship that offered something fresh for fans of both acts.
