Some things just go together: Lennon and McCartney, Cheech and Chong, Willie and weed and now Hayes and The Heathens. On Sunday September 15th, fans of both musical heavyweights experienced sonic kismet when the two acts joined forces for one amazing night of Salt Lake City concert at The Commonwealth Room.
Hayes Carll and The Band of Heathens (BoH), who trace their musical roots to Austin, draw legions of loyal fans who love their poetic style of Texas country rock. So why not headline together, draw from both fan pools, share the spotlight, and enjoy economy of scale? That’s the fine formula they followed when they formed Hayes and The Heathens.
Salt Lake City fans delighted in two-great acts for the price of one as the supergroup started off with a BoH classic “LA County Blues” before delivering a Carll favorite “Times Like These,” setting the back-and-forth pace for the night. They followed with their recently released collaborative tune “Any Other Way,” Carll’s “I Got a Gig,” and offered us a taste of their soon to be released album with “Nobody Dies From Weed,” a light-hearted tune that captures the playful nature of both their songwriting styles.
The 23-song set included some of my favorites from both camps. Adding in Carll’s vocals on “Jackson Station” complimented Ed Jurdi and Gordy Quist’s harmonic sound. BoH’s backup on Carll’s captivating hits like “KMAG YOYO,” “Beaumont,” and “Drunken Poet’s Dream” started the venue jumping. A BoH show wouldn’t be complete without an extended jam on their stellar version of “Miss Ohio.” They also thrilled us with a rockabilly hoedown, “Stomp and Holler.” For the set’s finale, we all joined in as members of The Commonwealth Choir for the BoH singalong “Hurricane.”
The Band of Heathens are no strangers to collaborating with other artists. During the pandemic they managed to record an album of cover tunes with friends who were also in lock down. The end result is Remote Transmission Vol. 1, a must-have album for fans of Americana (their rendition of Lucinda Williams “Joy” with Margo Price is epic.)
Sunday evening’s magical performance ended with a rambunctious three-song encore starting with a cover of Dylan’s “The Man in Me” that the BoH recorded with Carll on the 2020/2021 Remote Transmission project. They played homage to the men who put Austin on the musical map with a spirited rendition of Waylon & Willie’s “I Can Get Off On You.” Hayes and The Heathens sent us off into the night with a roots rockin’ gem “Bad Liver and a Broken Heart.”
These two powerhouse performers have amassed a voluminous catalog of great songs and enjoy a reputation for playing majestic live shows. On Sunday, September 15, 2024 at The Commonwealth Room Salt Lake City music fans got to witness both.
Who: Hayes & The Heathens
What: Hayes Carll and The Band of Heathens together
Where: The Commonwealth Room
When: Sunday, September 15, 2024
Info: https://thestateroompresents.com/the-commonwealth-room
