One of my favorite things about the Los Angeles music scene is its residencies. Every month, a few magical venues host Monday (or in some cases, Tuesday) night residencies, in which one lucky (and well-deserving) local act is graced with the privilege of headlining once a week for a whole month (!!). During March, Harriet was that fortunate band at The Echo.

Monday night marked the residency’s finale, and the quartet ended its month-long stay on a high note. Though recently releasing their debut EP, Tell The Right Story, in 2012, the Americana rockers did not play any songs off the five-track album, and instead decided to use the residency as a chance to test out brand new songs. The guys started their set with a few up-tempo, electronic-centric tunes that possessed buoyancy the EP lacked (the fact that Harriet was performing with two drummers also helped).  It was interesting to hear a different side from the group, and the audience responded with loud cheers and clapping hands.

 “For those of you who don’t know, this song is about strippers; special strippers. It’s a love song,” Vocalist/guitarist/keyboardist Alex Casnoff announced before delving into “We Were In Burbank,” a peculiar ballad where he croons, “You are priceless,” to his salacious muse.

Even the mid-tempo, guitar heavy tracks similar to those on the EP felt more vivacious due to the rambunctious energy exuded by the band members. Backed by a hodgepodge of neon letters spelling out “Harriet”, Casnoff hypnotized the crowd with his emotive facial expressions and hand gestures as he aggressively strummed his guitar or pounded at the keys. He thrashed his head up and down as he jabbed his keyboard, looking as if he were in another world completely. In fact, each member seemed to have transcended reality and played his instrument in his own zone.

The most straightforward song of the night was a spot-on cover of Paul Simon’s “Graceland.” The tune fit the band’s sound so well that I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the younger, less musically versed fans may have thought it was a Harriet original.

As a celebration of their four-week-long stay at The Echo, the guys invite some friends on stage for their last two songs. During “Memento Mori,” two saxophonists and a trumpeter join the band to produce a lush, frenzied song with an explosive, instrumental finale, but they decide to end the night on a calmer note and ask the audience to sing along to “You Won’t Bring Me Down,” inviting more guests onstage until there were 11 people occupying the small space. Though it was a slower song, the writing and execution was impeccable, as it was for every selection of the night’s set list. If these new songs are any indication of what to expect from Harriet’s new material, we’re in for a real treat.

Photos Taken By Katrina Nattress

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