Mayer Hawthorne & The County - University of Washington, HUB, North Den (Seattle, WA; Dec. 10, 2009)

1967.

That was my answer to a question posed to me by my roommate two months ago. The question? What year did I think this song he was playing me was from. Had I (and everyone else) somehow missed this gem of a Motown sure-hit for over 40 years? The song in question was “Just Ain’t Gonna Work Out,” Mayer Hawthorne’s first single off his surprising debut, A Strange Arrangement. It has surely been a common mistake among those hearing this or any other track off of the album. But it’s a mistake that is certainly forgivable. The songs may come from an unlikely source (a 20-something white guy from Ann Arbor, MI), but Hawthorne’s songwriting ability and musical influences have helped him earn some acclaim early in his newfound career as a singer-songwriter (Hawthorne has long been a DJ). When he originally brought his record to his current label, Stones Throw, the head of the label didn’t believe that he was listening to new songs. Upon learning that this was in fact a new artist, he signed Hawthorne on the spot to a record deal.

The gamble has paid off. The band is at the tail-end of a lengthy tour that has built up a fan base and earned some positive press from Rolling Stone and NPR. And melophobe, come to that. A new year’s eve gig opening for John Mayer will only help catalyze Hawthorne’s impending arrival on the popular music scene (whether he likes it or not). This was his second visit to Seattle, after playing at Bumbershoot in September.

A mostly collegian crowd filled the venue (and by venue I mean an awkward cafeteria-esque room with low ceilings and mediocre sound), replete with bros sheepishly attempting to hide their PBR tall boys from the non-existent security. At least the young gentleman with the flask had the right idea—now there’s a man ready to face the real world. Inebriated or not, the crowd welcomed Hawthorne to the stage as the band opened up with the soulful “Maybe So, Maybe No,” one of those instantly stuck-your-head-all-day songs after the first or second time you listen to it.

While the live performance is missing the horn section found on the record, Hawthorne’s able band, also known as The County, more than made up for it. Samples from the album, and The County’s on-point, if not underused, musical chops helped recreate some of the production qualities of A Strange Arrangement that has made it such a critical (and now more increasingly) popular success. Joe Abrams (bass), Topher Mohr (guitar), Quincy McCrary (keyboards), and Quentin Joseph (drums) adeptly cruised through the set, and unfortunately did not have many opportunities to stretch their legs and hit some extended jams, but did provide a couple of the night’s musical highlights with some funky, energetic moments that had the crowd locked in, even without Hawthorne’s crooning. A more mature venue and audience, with a less strict curfew, could allow the band to show more of their pure musicianship.

A well executed and funkier cover of ELO’s “Mr. Blue Sky” was a welcome aside and was impossible not to dance to. “Your Easy Lovin’ Ain’t Pleasin’ Nothin’” is another upbeat shaker with enough Motown-inspired hooks that it would have fit nicely on the 60’s airwaves between Marvin Gaye and the Temptations, both of which are prime influences on Hawthorne’s songwriting. After “Make Her Mine,” which features Hawthorne’s somehow not-cheesy falsetto, and a sing-along version of Biz Markie’s “Just A Friend” played over the PA, the band started up the aforementioned “Just Ain’t Gonna Work Out,” only to stop one minute in to play the song in various different musical genres, including metal, country, and reggae. While a fun and creative moment, it was fairly transparent that it was a pre-planned almost-gimmick. A reggae version was nice, and after performing the song night after night, the band is probably more than happy to mix it up, but I wouldn’t have minded hearing a more conventional live version of the song that got me hooked on the artist in the first place.

We will be hearing much more from Mayer Hawthorne in the near future, especially as we see his record appear on some year-end best-of lists (including our own), and he starts to seep his way into the consciousness of the general music public. The indie music scene has already seen era-specific renaissances from the 70s and 80s. Mayer Hawthorne may be on the cusp of the next musical rebirth, and it helps that the source material is from one of the golden ages in pop music. No, I don’t remember 1967. But I will remember 2009, when just for a minute, a bespectacled, skinny white guy from Michigan brought me there.

DOWNLOAD: Mayer Hawthorne - Your Easy Lovin' Ain't Pleasin' Nothin' (MP3) or Follow us for more Mayer Hawthorne MP3s (Twitter)

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