11 May 2024

The High Hawks + Jason Beard & The Whiskey Family | Hopmonk Tavern | Novato | 5.10.24

ARTICLE CONTRIBUTED BY GABRIEL DAVID BARKIN | PUBLISHED ON MAY 8, 2024

The High Hawks, a “supergroup” featuring members of Leftover Salmon, Railroad Earth, Hard Working Americans, and other notable jam bands, came to Novato’s Hopmonk Tavern Friday night for an evening of fun, swampy rock and roll.

The High Hawks

The High Hawks are Vince Herman, frontman and festival ringleader from Leftover Salmon; Tim Carbone, ace fiddler and multi-instrumentalist from Railroad Earth; Adam Greuel, ringleader and guitarist from Horseshoes & Hand Grenades; Chad Staehly, keyboardist from Hard Working Americans; Brian Adams, bassist for DeadPhish Orchestra; and Will Trask, drummer from Great American Taxi.

Vince Herman

Brian Adams

Now touring in support of their second album, Mother Nature’s Show, the High Hawks give bluegrassy dignitaries Herman and Carbone a chance to rock. Both played electric guitars from time to time – I’m not sure I’d ever seen Vince on electric, and I’m sure this was a first for me regarding Tim.

Tim Carbone

The ensemble was born out of a love of music. “We have a real common musical bond, and we just wanted to find a reason to hang out as birds of a feather and play tunes with each other,” Herman says. Staehly agrees: “Everyone is doing it for the love of it. No one is seeking fame, no one is seeking a big paycheck. We’re doing it because it brings us so much joy.”

Chris Staehly and Adam Greuel

The High Hawks

Herman and Greuel shared most of the vocal leads, but Carbone and Staehly each sang a few of their own originals. Greuel in particular has a commanding rock voice with a mighty range, from bullfrog baritone to tenor.

Vince Herman

Adam Greuel and Vince Herman

I met two fans from Wisconsin in the front row. Bonnie, from Wisconsin, said she discovered the High Hawks after a period of personal adversity. She’d never heard of leftover Salmon, Railroad Earth, or any of the other bands for which these performers have become well-known. “We’re doing the whole tour,” she told me, and she said the musicians have been very friendly. The band even has her homemade tie-dyes draping the front of Staehly’s keyboards and behind the merch table.

Adam Greuel

Will Trask

Check out their new record on Spotify – or better yet, order a copy from their website at https://www.thehighhawks.com. “Top Shelf, Rock Bottom” and “Backwater Voodoo” are among my faves.

Keff Miller and Tim Carbone

The High Hawks

Jason Beard, founding member of Poor Man’s Whiskey, opened the show accompanied by The Whisky Family. The latter is a rotating cast of Beard’s friends, this time including Hattie Craven (and I’ll update when I get the full list of the other players – any help?).