HoneyHoney rock Philadelphia, preparing for world domination with Jake Bugg

HoneyHoney @ World Cafe Live, Philadelphia  - September 15th, 2013

In an odd juxtaposition of musical realities, one of my favorite bands, HoneyHoney, was opening for a band I had never heard of until a few days ago.  I had been following HoneyHoney for the last two years, since the release of their major debut Billy Jack; getting singles from KCRW Today's Top Tune and American Songwriter.  The one-time Newport Folk Festival band is primed for a bigger emergence with the continuing folk revival capturing America's airwaves.  However in this instance, they are opening for an artist already #1 in the U.K. stations and making waves here as well.

HoneyHoney is on tour with 19 year old U.K. sensation Jake Bugg, bringing their sounds to Philadelphia's World Cafe Live.  Before I knew the line-up, I was initially shocked to find out they were opening and equally surprised that they were opening for someone I had never heard of.  However, when I realized this was a sold out show and this Jake Bugg fella was apparently a big deal, I quickly got over my reservations.  Of my music friends, only one knew of HoneyHoney, but my record store peeps were excited for Jake Bugg.  Even if I had some folk-tinted blinders on and had been amiss hearing about Jake Bugg, it was going to be o.k., because soon everyone would know HoneyHoney.

Hey, it worked for Shovels & Rope, those southern darlings were shared with thousands after touring with the likes of Lucero and Dawes.  If they could go from opening a show at MilkBoy Philly last August to headlining Union Transfer this September, then I am giddy with excitement thinking about where I will see HoneyHoney next when they return to Philly.

Things started off very well for HoneyHoney, as the World Cafe Live crew worked their magic.  Lights were dimmed and all attention was on the three piece LA outfit.   HoneyHoney rewarded the crowd for their attentiveness by playing a best-of sampling of their tunes.  Long time HoneyHoney song, 'Back To You' was first.  Whether the crowd was caught by Suzanne Santo's stunning looks or the fact that she was wielding a banjo, the shock was eased by the boot stomping tune.  They suggested "dropping to a darker sexier lighting", for 'Ohio'; but lighting made no difference on the enjoyment of Suzanne's vocals and banjo for the tune from their most recent offering, Billy Jack.

Ben Lewis - mandolin

Next, Ben Jaffe joked that while the next song 'Yours to Bear' was from their upcoming release, it was just another new song to this un-familiar crowd.  To those learning the HoneyHoney formula, it has the passion of Shovels & Rope but a bit more on the ballad side.  Not to pigeon-hole themselves as one dimensional, the band switched up their instrumentation with Ben Lewis and Suzanne swapping banjo for mandolin.

Further mixing was done on the fourth song, a "Rad-e-o-head" cover '15 Step' with Ben Jaffe taking vocal duties.   For those keeping score at home, it wasn't a mandolin heavy folk cover, like Punch Brothers cover of 'Kid A', but you can't accuse HoneyHoney of being like too many others.

Their closest facsimile would be the often cited Shovels & Rope, but despite similarities of the endearingly sweet male portion of the original two-piece handling drum and guitar duties, the smokey vocals of the female lead, and their folk-a-billy style; you have to swap the tenderness for sexiness and add a third musician, before you get closer to capturing what HoneyHoney is really like.

However you want to describe it, the crowd loved it whether it was new, old, cover, or rare.  Older, was the route they would take next, playing 'Sugarcane' from 2010's First Rodeo.  The "tender ballad" was the perfectly soft segue before some show stoppers.  The last two, 'Thin Line' from Billy Jack and 'Come On Home' from First Rodeo were stadium ready versions, getting their sound ready for sold out shows across the US and UK.

'Thin Line' showed off their lyrical chops "I want whiskey when I'm sick - and a man when I'm well - but it's nice to have them both sometimes - when I'm raising hell", as well as their musical range, as Ben Lewis shocked the crowd raging on the electric guitar for the first time in the set.  'Come On Home' was another rowdy shit-kicker; sort of everything I wished Civil Wars was, when I first heard 'Barton Hollow'.

Despite only getting seven songs, they left me a happy man knowing I would be welcoming back HoneyHoney to Philadelphia for a well-deserved headlining show sometime soon.

(**Disclaimer: I was out with my pregnant wife last night, fitting in a live music date while we can, so wasn't able to have the reciprocal experience being exposed to Jake Bugg, the way I hope all the Jake Bugg fans were of HoneyHoney.  I didn't get to stay past the HoneyHoney set.)

Set List - HoneyHoney
World Cafe Live downstairs -  Philadelphia, PA September 15th, 2013

    Track                                           RELEASE
1. 'Back To You'                          non-album track/Daytrotter 
2. 'Ohio'                                      Billy Jack
3. 'Yours to Bear'                       ** new unreleased
4. '15 Step'                                 Radiohead In Rainbows
5. 'Sugarcane'                             First Rodeo       
6.   'Thin Line'                            Billy Jack
7.  'Come On Home'                   First Rodeo

Thanks to World Cafe Live for their hospitality not just to me, but to all the fans at the sold out show last night!