Concert Review: The Harmaleighs Are Broad City Folk

As Broad City ended, The Harmaleighs mourned because young women lost a a pair of sisters from their weekly, tv routine. Abbi and Ilana showed that being crazy is cool, being yourself is a charming statement, and having a friend that does both with you is a miracle. At Rough Trade, Haley & Kaylee were each other’s Abbi & Ilana.

“YAAAASSSSS!” is what I wanted to say as the two laughed about their misadventures or, as the broads would call them, “shenanigans.” Playing off some new songs like, “Talk,” “Dim The Light,” and “Don’t Panic,” The Harmaleighs sang to the very real, daily struggles to not think you are “the worst.” While some can think they are amazing while locking up children in cages, the rest of us get anxious over the “mean thing” we said to someone 7 years ago. This fact made me laugh as Haley described her social anxiety, and the random, combustive guilt we feel for things like, past, schoolyard transgressions or whether we “smiled right” at a barista. It is not easy to be kind in this world because, to The Harmaleighs, it comes with the burden of overthinking. 

The line between self-conscious and considerate can feel blurry, but The Harmaleighs balance each other as they figure it out. Hayley and Kaylee truly are the perfect match when it comes to a folk duo. Hayley can belt a note while Kaylee feathers it for landing; both harmonizing with the other to make their verses on anxiety feel ranged. Yet, they are so funny and friendly, you wonder how they could ever doubt themselves, which is the point. In this world, good people struggle to feel confident while jerks struggle to be humble. What makes a person bold is a question throughout human history, and, for these broads, it is an important one for their lives. After all, it would be nice to care without worry. 

The Harmaleighs gave an amazing set, and made their crowd feel like their Broad City. I’m 99% sure that every young woman said, “I felt that!” to their tales of self-deprecation and loneliness. Yet, the stories were important to highlighting their songs as journey on self-forgiveness and self-love. They became the folk-duo for every woman that knew what it was to feel less, and for that their music became more. For More Information on The Harmaleighs Click Here.