FAYE WEBSTER / MAYA HAWKE 8.20.2022

Aug 31

Photos and Words By Danielle Ciampaglia

Maya Hawke took the stage at Union Transfer on August 20th ready to play her music. And Florida Georgia Line's. But mostly, her’s. Hawke has this very unique ability to make you think you're watching a brand new version, a new vision even, of her music. She was so plugged in, so dedicated to being there, that you could almost forget the whole crowd around you. Her setlist was a mix of her two recent singles and her older music. "Thérèse" was stunning to hear live. The guitar tone was ethereal, and Hawke's raspy voice was delicate and tender. She ended her set with a cover of Florida Georgia Line’s “Dirt.” It felt like watching an episode of “Friday Night Lights” in the way that it felt nostalgic and just, really good.

Before Faye Webster even got on stage, her glowy-eyed, gigantic blowup head came on first. Webster and her band are routinely solid, no matter the size of the show. She balances the set with old and new music. Her most magnetizing moment is during “Jonny,” when she performed the titular track and the reprise. Seven minutes of a perfect song. Webster’s control on the crowd was gripping, which is hard to do during two minutes of spoken word. Webster’s audience interactions were the most wholesome. She took selfies on peoples phones and she spoke back to the audience. She even took someone's DS to take a selfie (see gallery for proof).

Hawke and Webster were a duo I didn’t expect to see but one I thoroughly enjoyed. Both are masters of their crafts, but constantly evolving and growing with every new project. This is a show that made me hopeful for what comes next from both of them.

MAYA HAWKE