A review on a blog just published...........
Richard Hawley
December 12 @ Café Du Nord
A few short weeks before Christmas, despite the seemingly endless barrage of odds and ends to take care of and a not uncommon case of winter fatigue, I forced myself out of the house to see Richard Hawley perform at Café Du Nord in all his crooning British glory. Hawley claimed to be ill, jovially telling us he had just puked right before ascending the stage from “bad food,” but he was very talkative and clearly excited to be back in San Francisco, his first show in the Bay in 12 years. He performed material almost exclusively from his new album, Lady’s Bridge, projecting his ‘50s-ish sound and smooth, adult contemporary voice with a lot of flair, tapping into both rockabilly roots and white British soul. Hawley was accompanied by a backup band, whose bass player at times employed a huge, standup instrument, which melded effortlessly with Hawley’s classy onstage demeanor. The audience, comprised mostly of grey-haired gentlemen and cute bespectacled girls, together must have made Hawley feel special, so adoring they were throughout, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Hawley didn’t make it back to San Francisco much earlier than a decade from now. All in all, one of those shows that just kinda soothes your soul and calms your nerves, so necessary in the midst of all that thankfully bygone holiday madness. - Angela Zimmerman