Last Night: Passion Pit, Mayer Hawthorne, & Bear Hands at the Warfield

Eric Lawson

​Passion Pit, Mayer Hawthorne, Bear Hands
Thursday, April 15, 2010
The Warfield

Better Than: Having a solo dance party in your room while blasting Passion Pit.

Musically, it doesn't make a lot of sense to put Bear Hands, Mayer Hawthorne, and Passion Pit on the same bill. But judging from the crowd's reaction to their live shows last night, their performances blend together quite well.

Brooklyn openers Bear Hands--featuring a dreadlocked lead singer and some chiller dudes jamming on guitars--definitely had the solid live performance down pat. Reminiscent of MGMT mixed with Empire of the Sun, these boys successfully brought the audience to a peak of excitement with their single "What a Drag."

Eric Lawson

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Second up was Mayer Hawthorne, with his band The County in tow. They're no strangers to the Bay Area. The last time Hawthorne played here late last year, though, he was plagued with strep throat: last night his voice proved strong once again. Not only did he open with a true crowd pleaser that got everyone moving, "Love is Alright," but he and his bandmates were fully prepared to entertain, style-wise. The County wore matching blue cardigans and red bowties, while Hawthorne wore a bright red suit and his signature glasses. The group energetically covered "Mr. Blue Sky" by Electric Light Orchestra, and then as Biz Markie's "You Got What I Need" began to play, Hawthorne encouraged everyone to join in, only to lead them into "Just Ain't Gonna Work Out" as one of his last songs.

Eric Lawson

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