“Are you ready to f***ing rage?” Alana Haim demanded. After a deafening roar from the crowd, Este Haim answered, “If anyone can rage on a Sunday, it’s New Orleans.”
And rage they did. The girls were giving it their all, and we gave it right back.
After hours of waiting and a total snooze-fest opener in Io Echo, the Haim sisters finally made their New Orleans debut at One Eyed Jacks on Sunday night. They’d just hit number one on the charts in the U.K., and it showed — their excitement lit up the whole room. These girls are blowing up, and all of this success could not have come to a more deserving group.
Not to take away from the excellence of their debut album — because it truly is excellent — but HAIM’s show takes their music to another level. Este, Danielle and Alana Haim are explosive live. They came out strong with “Better Off” and “The Wire,” two of the best songs off “Days Are Gone,” their debut album released last week.
But the show really took off when Este introduced the song they used to jam to in the ‘burbs of L.A., Fleetwood Mac’s “Oh Well.” As a band so often compared to the legendary Fleetwood Mac, one would think they would be eager to set themselves apart, but instead they embraced the comparison. Their cover had a distinctive HAIM twist, and the audience ate it up.
Though frontwoman Danielle doesn’t have command of the stage yet, she more than made up for it in talent. She was incredibly strong on lead guitar and vocals while Alana filled out the songs with backup guitar and keyboard. But it was the eldest Haim, Este, who really stole the show, wearing every note, every beat and every rhythm right on her face. Her “bass face” is so famous it has its own Twitter (@estebassface). Este often put her bass aside to pick up drumsticks and skillfully beat the crap out of the kit beside her. Her energy raised the heart rates of everyone in the room.
In fact, all three girls had a penchant for percussion. At the end of their encore rendition of “Let Me Go,” the Haims pounded away on their drums with even more sharpness than their super-tight harmonies. Only sisters could be that synchronized.
When the lights came up, the crowd filed out, dancing and singing, reliving their favorite bits of the show. HAIM had an impressive Louisiana debut, and it won’t be the last time these ladies play a sold-out show in New Orleans.