The Naked and Famous w/ Zander Hawley
Columbia City Theater, Seattle, WA
03.13.18

I arrived at Columbia City Theatre just 15 minutes before The Naked and Famous show was set to start. Yet everyone was waiting in the venue’s restaurant, the doors to the theater still closed. What was wrong? Apparently, the band was having some technical issues and running a late sound check to remedy the situation. Despite the long wait, I’m sure glad they did what was needed to ensure the best performance possible.

Doors were finally opened just before 9 PM and everyone was relieved to get things started. The opening performer was Zander Hawley, an honest, acoustic songwriter who sang with his heart on his sleeve. He has split his time between L.A. and Nashville, residing now in the former. His music sounded beautiful within the walls of CCT.

Hawley released a new single titled “When You See My Heart,” which he said, “is about a woman who came and went and came and went and then went again. Pretty impressive.” In between his songs about heartache and breakup, he joked with the audience members about singing the word Satan inside The Old Church Concert Hall in Portland the night before and how he may not be allowed inside that venue again.

To end his set, Hawley brought out a friend, Luna Shadows, to join him in singing the song “Until We Both Get Bored,” which is from his debut album When I Get Blue. After thanking the audience for taking the time to listen to him and not throwing tomatoes, he mentioned The Naked and Famous had created something really special for us to hear. And that they did.

All frustration or weariness from the long wait was immediately pushed aside when The Naked and Famous took the stage just after 9:30. Following a mighty round of applause as the band descended the stairs and onto the stage, they went right into their first song, “A Still Heart,” and suddenly everyone became quiet.

Gazing up at the band, the sold-out crowd seemed entranced hearing this rare, intimate performance from their favorite electronic indie band. The band recently released A Still Heart, which is a collection of hits and favorite tracks from previous albums but they are ‘stripped down’ to bare acoustics and, at times, swooning electronics.

Along with the release of this album, the group recently said goodbye to two of their members, Jesse Wood and Aaron Short. There’s no bad blood and everyone is still good friends, but the change has made fans a little uneasy wondering if the group would now just be an acoustic duo with Alisa Xayalith and Thom Powers leading the way. Quite the opposite is true, as Xayalith stated that they are already working on album number four. Powers reassured everyone, saying, “Don’t worry we are gonna get back to rockin’ the f#*k out,” which earned a thunderous applause and loud cheering.

After opening with “A Still Heart” and “Punching In A Dream,” Thom and Alisa apologized for the long delay and thanked the fans for being patient while they made sure everything sounded the best it possibly could. No one seemed to mind as they played through their new take on old favorites like “Girls Like You,” “All Of This,” and “Rolling Waves.” Encouraged to sing along to their hit “Higher,” everyone was happy to oblige.

Everyone was over 21 since there was an age limit on the show and the audience was a good mix of ages. The Naked and Famous have been around for over a decade now and have some passionate fans, many of which were wearing lanyards and holding tote bags with the album artwork from A Still Heart screen-printed on it and waiting for the VIP meet and greet after the show.

During the set, TNAF played their cover of Massive Attack’s “Teardrop,” as well as an encore cover of Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance with Somebody,” which was dedicated to the former drummer, Wood, who loved hearing Xayalith sing this song whenever they did karaoke. The humor of Powers and Xayalith kept the audience cheerful even during emotionally charged songs like “I Kill Giants,” a song Xayalith wrote about losing a parent.

Powers noted how it was very nerve-racking to be doing this type of tour, as acoustic shows are generally more raw and vulnerable, but he was also excited to be able to reimagine these songs. He stated that during recording, he felt like they were writing them for the first time. Xayalith went on to agree with him and mentioned that they are now comfortable performing them acoustically and happy to explore the songs in this new way. She even mentioned that she thinks the song “I Kill Giants” should have been originally recorded like it was on this album, not like its original release.

I’ll admit that I wasn’t personally too excited when I first heard the news about TNAF doing an acoustic album. What I love so much about their sound are the infectious electronic pop elements that make you want to dance. But I was immediately proven wrong after first listening to the new version of “Higher.” The acoustics and way in which the song was pulled back to its bare bones were breathtaking. I was relieved to find them keeping a certain element of electronics and keys in these renditions to still satisfy my want for their original sound.

After an hour of beautiful music, the night was sadly over. Being stripped-down allowed the songs to have new life and really showcase the strong vocals of both Powers and Xayalith, which were elevated by the acoustics in the Columbia City Theater. It was the perfect venue for these songs and truly a special night of hearing some of your favorite songs in a new light.

Review and photos by Cole Whitworth

The Naked and Famous

Zander Hawley