HAIM Energizes Santa Barbara Crowd

HAIM (photo: Facebook)

By Emily Horrigan

Watching the three powerhouse HAIM sisters rock the Santa Barbara Bowl Saturday night with their signature indie pop was an experience to make all women (especially sisters) feel energized. Having the opportunity to experience this show with my own sister made the night particularly fun.

Danielle shredding it on the guitar, Este slapping the bass and Alana pounding the drum was a show of girl power I will not soon forget. The Los Angeles-based trio came to Santa Barbara with the professionalism and tightness of seasoned rockstars and the fun-loving enthusiasm and authenticity of sisters just doing what they love most. The ladies didn’t hold back and neither did the audience. Their infectious energy resulted in a crowd that was not only excited to sing along but also could not help but get up and dance.

The band jumped right into the crowd favorites like “Want You Back” and “Little of Your Love.” Other highlights included the 80’s-inspired “Forever” and a cool, sultry cover of Shania Twain’s “ Don’t Impress Me Much.” Their encore was infused with magic, especially their performance of “Night So Long” in which they came out into the center of the audience and let their gorgeous harmonies and raw emotion shine.

Before you could guess what song they were playing next, they ran back onto the stage to finish with a few more upbeat numbers from their latest album, Something To Tell You, including the pulsing “Right Now.” The ladies ended the night just as they began, with an uncontainable excitement. As they faded into the night banging out the last drops of energy in a little drum trio, they left the
audience begging for more.