Hovvdy @ Lincoln Hall, Chicago
HOVVDY (stylized with double v’s but pronounced like the cowboy greeting) graced the stage at Lincoln Hall in Chicago on December 12, 2023. They were accompanied with temperatures outside that rattled their Texan upbringing. The duo, composed of Charlie Martin and Will Taylor, each took the stage with an acoustic guitar in hand. With no band to back them, the set they delivered to the sold-out crowd couldn’t have been more stripped back.
Martin and Taylor felt like a country version of Simon and Garfunkel - soft and mellow without anything harsh or jarring. They’re easy on the ears with the trustiness of a corduroy jacket. Duos are really underrated in my opinion; as Martin and Taylor traded off singing, their voices perfectly inverted the other’s - one was low and raspy and the other held a higher register and extra twang.
They perfectly harmonized with one another, each song a folksy lullaby. Much of their lyrical subject matter referenced Texas and hometown landscapes. The two mentioned they hadn’t played many of the songs live before and other comments suggested towards them not having much experience with touring. This wasn’t noticeable in their performance though - they looked incredibly at ease and comfortable on stage.
Their recorded discography is heavy in production and even contains some electronic elements, however, I preferred the folk-approach to their music that was so pronounced in their live set. Hearing their music in this new light striked me so much that I would love to see a live album from them. A few unreleased songs were played, one standout was called “Portrait”, a track that really highlighted the richness of both of their voices.
There was a lot of playfulness between Martin and Taylor. The songs were melancholy, yet they still joked with each other while tuning their guitars in-between songs. I especially loved how they played their acoustic guitars at each other, face to face, throughout their set - usually rockstars only do such a thing during a face-melting electric guitar solo.
HOVVDY ended up playing an encore after the end of their set, they said they were having such a great time and that they didn’t want to leave just yet. They discussed amongst the two of them to decide what they would play and then executed it on the spot.
At times, I genuinely forgot that there wasn't any other musical accompaniment - just two guys and their guitars. As mentioned, it was very stripped back, but they really didn’t need anything else. HOVVDY has a huge future ahead of them, and I can’t wait to see how they grow as performers and artists. I felt incredibly inspired by their songs and how they blend into the alternative-country revival going on right now.
HOVVDY is opening up for Cold War Kids on select dates of their upcoming tour January and February, 2024. So, if they’re coming to a town near you, there’s a fresh opportunity to see a duo on their way to being the next big thing.
