Review | The Head And The Heart and Father John Misty Bring Impressive Vocal Chops to the Santa Barbara Bowl

It was an evening filled with hearts on sleeves and tongues firmly in cheek. The Sunday night double headliner bill of The Head And The Heart and Father John Misty at the Bowl showcased two completely different shades of impressive vocal chops that could not have been more at odds in terms of style. 

Building on the momentum from their 2022 album Every Shade Of Blue — a pandemic-influenced, soul-searching, gem of a record — along with a strong showing of fans from more than a decade of touring, The Head And The Heart gave a super tight, solid performance. They are clearly back in the groove of live shows, playing a confident set of hits old and new, with each of the singing band members — vocalist/guitarist Jonathan Russell, violinist/vocalist/guitarist Charity Rose Thielen, and guitarist/vocalist Matt Gervais — harmonizing beautifully, but also having their own time to shine in the spotlight. 

I liked them last year at the Bowl and this time around, knowing the music much better,  I kind of loved them. I’m particularly partial to The Head And The Heart’s harmonies in “Tiebreaker,” as well as Thielen’s haunting vocal gymnastics in “Honeybee,” not to mention the now iconic “Rivers and Roads,” (circa 2010) with the beautiful lines, “Nothin’ is as it has been / And I miss your face like hell / And I guess it’s just as well / But I miss your face like hell.”