Haim returns to the Fonda Theatre — this time with paparazzi in tow
When Haim played the Fonda Theatre in October 2013, I don’t recall seeing paparazzi stationed outside.
But they were there Tuesday night for Haim’s return to the venue, a clear sign of how much things have changed for this Los Angeles-based sister trio since its debut album came out three years ago.
Back then, Danielle, Este and Alana Haim — long-haired Valley girls who’d grown up playing in a family band with their parents — were known to insiders for their crafty spin on 1970s and ’80s rock and R&B. “Days Are Gone,” the group’s sparkling first full-length, earned rave reviews and led to spots at tastemaking Southern California festivals such as Coachella and the FYF Fest.
Yet Haim remained a connoisseur’s favorite, beloved by record nerds obsessed with the sound of Waddy Wachtel’s guitar in Stevie Nicks’ “Edge of Seventeen.”
Then Taylor Swift happened.
Near the end of 2014, the pop superstar took a shine to Haim, inviting the sisters to parties and posing with them on Instagram. The following year, she took the band on the road as one of the opening acts for her massive 1989 tour, which stopped for five nights at Staples Center.
Now, thanks to Swift’s valuable endorsement, Haim is followed by mainstream pop fans — as well as guys with cameras hoping to grab a few shots of the group’s celebrity admirers.
That newly elevated profile is almost certainly one reason Haim has taken its time with the follow-up to “Days Are Gone,” which Danielle said Tuesday was almost finished. With so many people waiting, it’s a record the sisters have to get right if they intend to keep breathing rarefied air.
But judging from their sold-out performance at the Fonda — part of a Red Bull-sponsored concert series called 30 Days in L.A. — they needn’t worry: The two new songs Haim played felt slick and catchy enough for Top 40 radio without sacrificing the quirky charm that attracted their original fan base.
The first, “Give Me Just a Little of Your Love,” had a kind of spacious doo-wop vibe, with the women’s high vocals over Este’s heavy bass line. The other, “Nothing’s Wrong,” was busier and summoned thoughts of Don Henley and Bryan Adams — savvy reference points at a moment when the ’80s revival Haim helped launch is still going strong.
A faithful cover of Prince’s “I Would Die 4 U” was another suggestion that the band is still looking to nostalgia for inspiration.
Yet in the old material that made up the rest of their hour-long set, the sisters showed how far they’ve come as players since the last time they were on this stage.
“Forever,” “Don’t Save Me,” “If I Could Change Your Mind” — each was muscular but crisp, with precise grooves and intricate harmonies. “Honey & I” had a tricky rhythm that kept threatening to fall apart but never did. “My Song 5” mixed live and programmed elements while staying raw: a testament to the thousands of hours of experience the sisters have accumulated.
Throughout the show, the women’s visible excitement told you they were psyched about adapting to a fresh environment; they want their new songs to connect with their new audience.
But they’re also eager to let Swift’s fans into their world, which is why Tuesday’s gig ended with a lengthy drum battle between the sisters.
Was it a display of musicianly prowess? A bit of goofy family bonding?
For Haim, those two are still the same.
Twitter: @mikaelwood
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