Concert Review: Caleb Hawley Is A One Man Marching Band At Rough Trade

I have reviewed Caleb Hawley before, and if there is one thing consistent about this man, it is his personality. Not every guy can convince an entire group of strangers to do 21 pelvic thrusts in a row. Yet, Caleb Hawley is the kind of guy who brings a marching band on to the stage, cover Chaka Khan, wears a shirt of Nicholas Cage’s face that should be mass produced by H&M, and decides to do random lie-downs, mid-performance, to play his guitar.

Hawley is one of the best performers because he never gives the same show, but, I feel, each one is a boost to his confidence. By now, he knows he is crazy and that, if you are a fan of his, you are, probably, crazy too. The man, literally, has a love song that beautifully compares his lover to a “dive bar”. Yet, that insane comparison works, and makes you see that love makes you strangely creative just to describe how particularly it impacts you.

Blessed with a voice that feels like Randy Newman decided to go into Motown, Hawley gives a folkish note to soul. His arrangements may be big, with a literal tuba backing him, but yet he draws you in with his details of intimacy. Love is watching a This Is Us episode with your partner, and putting M&M’s in their popcorn because you know that is their favorite treat. Love is bringing an extra scarf with you because you know your partner always forgets hers. Love is surprising your partner with a bike ride to an outdoor movie screening. These are the DETAILS, and Caleb Hawley scopes through them to remind you that love is not just fun but foundational.

There is something so beautifully scary about knowing someone knows you, at times, better than yourself. Tracks like “ Problems”, “Thank You”, and “Little Miss Sunshine” shined not only for their instrumental vibrancy, but also their capacity to encapsulate true love is particular to you. Because Love is in the details, your love story was made solely to be lived by you. Thus, as people wooed and friends like, Kate Kay Es, came up to accompany him on his odes to love’s details, Caleb Hawley proved he is a guaranteed good show. For More Information On Caleb Hawley Click Here.