Photos and review by NOTES FROM VIVACE
LOS ANGELES – Henry Hall approaches his music with a touch of humor. That humor is right there in his recent album title: “Stop Doing Funny Stuff.”
There’s a backstory to that album title that’s an inside family joke. When he was nine years old he was playing basketball with his brother and a friend. His brother wanted to play a serious game of basketball, but the other two had no such desire. The two kept mooning his brother throughout the game. His brother kept saying, “Stop doing funny stuff.”
Zebulon hosted the album release party that had the audience laughing and cheering. The set started off with the lead song off the album “Feeling of Knowing.” His two backing singers were holding red hats that they quickly flung to the floor. Did those red hats have a connection to the song? Maybe not, but it did bring a levity to the night, “We had props in the first song if you didn’t notice.”
There was laughter throughout the set, but many of the songs are filled with painful memories or one way love relationships. The song “Like a Knife” has the following lyrics, “Henry it’ll be okay. This is the world. Today is just another day. Yeah, but not for her.” He described his song “Tiny Door” as follows, “I write songs that are about love, but in a f*cking weird way . . . it’s about love, but saying I love you, but it’s okay if you don’t, I’m here for you if you need me kind of way.“
He does have a close relationship with his brother that obviously involves basketball, but also watching football. Other than talking about football, the song “Brother” has a breezy Hawaiian influence that had Hall concluding at the end, “That song is ripe for the ‘my mom and dad’ demographic. When I put that one out, I was like, ‘that is guaranteed two listens.’”
His set ended with a song title that is as amusing as the album title, “Wikipedia-ing Poison Snakes.” When he announced it was going to be his last song, it was met with loud cheers and laughter. “Gimme something new to obsess about.” The music video has him glued to multiple computer and phone screens, distracting him from what is important in life. A relatable song as most of us have an Internet vice that distracts us from getting things done in life.
Opener Scout LaRue Willis came up on stage wearing angel wings. When the crowd cheered her arrival, she gave them a look and said, “You can do better than that.”
After singing her opener “Take Me” she gave the audience another look that indicated that cheers were required.
“Feel something good, damn it,” she said. “All you can get closer.”
The crowd from front to back took two giant steps forward. She had the crowd following her every desire.
Her music explores themes such as spirituality in the song “Mysterious Ways” (And oh, I pray. Almost everyday. And I ask for help. More than I can say.) and the desire to find a life partner in “Blue Moon” (Oh Blue Moon, please help me understand. Why it’s so hard to find, my lover man.)
Henry Hall setlist: Feeling of Knowing, Comfort Zone, Still, There, Luce, Like a Knife, Tiny Door, Not In My House, Brother, Alive Annoyed, Suddenly A Kiss, Wikipedia-ing Poison Snakes.
Scout LaRue Willis setlist: Take Me, Silver Dagger, Mysterious Ways, Might Be Intimidated, Canyon, The God’s Whisper, Already Have Enough Friends, Blue Moon, Little Wolf, Over and Over
Check out ‘Stop Doing Funny Stuff’ here:
