Photo courtesy of The California Honeydrops Team
Before traveling away for spring break, I had the pleasure of attending The California Honeydrops — a soul and blues band who got their start near my hometown, busking at BART stations around the Bay Area. Since then, they have grown to perform at a multitude of places around the world, with their newest tour beginning at The Bellwether in LA.
As I walked into the venue before the music started, I could sense the crowd’s laidback, easygoing vibe. There were a variety of families, older and younger couples, groups of friends, teenagers, and yet they all shared the same intent: to have a lighthearted, fun night backed by the warm soul sounds of The California Honeydrops.
The band hit the stage, naturally opening by singing the words, “keep on, keep that same old feeling” as the audience happily clapped along. While watching them live, I reflected on their growth. Starting with just three members, they have now expanded to a group of eight, most of which are multi-instrumentalists. As they moved from song to song, I appreciated how they switched places, each playing a couple of the instruments that took part in their layered and full sound: two saxophones, a trombone, a clarinet, a tuba, a trumpet, the keys, two drummers, an electric guitar, a bass, and a couple of vocalists.
What truly sticks out to me about The California Honeydrops is their love of improv and audience interaction. One of their identifying factors is their lack of a set list, relying on their fans to tell them what they want to hear, especially during their second set (yes, they play two sets).
After a couple of songs, lead singer Lech Wierzynski introduced the band and asked the crowd who had seen them before. About half of the audience had, and about a fifth had seen them over five times! Wierzynski also mentioned how, over the years, the band has found themselves playing many different types of shows, even weddings, a testament to their range, talent, quality performance, and personable energy.
The crowd followed along in a couple of fun call and responses before a couple of people suggested “When I Was Wrong,” one of the band’s biggest hits, with currently over 24M streams on Spotify. With a sense of theatricality, The California Honeydrops played their popular tune with ear-catching vocal harmonies and some amazing horn solos — one of my personal highlights of the night.
While they had two sets, I am convinced the band could have played the whole night. It is safe to say that if you are looking for a good night full of beautiful music, you can’t go wrong with The California Honeydrops!
Listen to The California Honeydrops here!
