Watkins Family Hour Kick off First Tour

Watkins Family Hour Photo/Roman Cho

David Pass saw the Watkins Family Hour perform and highly recommends you do too.

—

Watkins Family Hour kicked off their first tour last night at the Largo at the Coronet Theater in Los Angeles. The tour is in support of their first album which is self-titled, as so many great debut albums have been in the past. The band features siblings, Sara and Sean Watkins, along with some other extremely talented musicians – Fiona Apple (one of my all-time favorites), Benmont Tench (keyboardist from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers), Don Heffington (great drummer who has recorded with a who’s who of musicians), Greg Leisz (Grammy winning guitar/mandolin player) and Sebastian Steinberg (bass player from Soul Coughing). Sara and Sean Watkins were two-thirds of the acclaimed band, Nickel Creek (platinum records and a couple of Grammys). The sibling’s bluegrass roots have evolved over the years to include country, folk, indie and new-grass.

The Largo was a fitting venue to celebrate the upcoming release of their album and tour as they’ve been hosting shows there for the last decade. The Largo at the Coronet is an intimate theater and perfect for what the Watkins have put together. The show has been a mix of great original and cover songs done by great musicians with a huge variety of special guests making appearances. Last night was no different. The actor and musician John C. Reilly was host to the evening and added both comedy and depth to the show. In addition to his hosting duties, he told a funny story about making explosives in his childhood years and then counterbalanced that with singing an old folk song about the suicide of a young mother who also kills her child.

The old guard made up of Benmont on piano, Sebastian on bass, and Don on drums looked like grey haired wise sages quietly playing great music backing up a younger generation of musicians who took center stage. The talent on stage was overflowing. Sara’s voice and violin shined on her own songs as well as others. Sean accompanied everybody on guitar, supplied harmonies, and sang a song of his own from an upcoming solo project. He still wasn’t sure if he had the right lyrics.

The guests included a bluegrass trio that Sara invited to join in the fun after she met them at a local farmer’s market. Gaby Moreno was a crowd favorite as she came from New York via Guatemala and sang songs in both Spanish and English. Gaby’s voice has a nostalgia and sincerity that has a throwback feel. In fact, the whole evening has the feel of an old timey musical variety radio show. John Reilly enhanced this feel with one liners and even a short interview with Gaby. Tom Brosseau joined John Reilly for a song and then sang one with the band. Tom, is from North Dakota and looks and sounds farm fresh. The only down note of the evening was that Fiona Apple and Greg Leisz weren’t part of the night’s lineup.

On tour you can expect the same great vibe Angelenos have been selfishly enjoying all to themselves. Don’t be surprised if your favorite local musicians end up on stage in your town, it’s going to happen. Watch out for their upcoming record and don’t miss the Watkins Family Hour at a venue near you:

July 23 /// Newport, RI /// Jane Pickens Theater

July 24 /// Newport, RI /// Newport Folk Festival

July 28, 29 & 30 /// New York, NY /// City Winery

August 1 & 2 /// Nashville, TN /// City Winery

August 4, 5 & 6 /// Chicago, IL /// Old Town School of Folk

August 8 /// New York, NY /// Lincoln Center Out of Doors

August 14 & 15 /// Berkeley, CA /// Freight & Salvage

August 16 /// Redding, CA /// Cascade Theatre

August 19 /// Jacksonville, OR /// Britt Pavilion

August 21 /// Portland, OR /// Aladdin Theater

August 22 & 23 /// Seattle, WA /// Tractor Tavern

August 28 /// Boulder, CO /// Boulder Theater