The new supergroup is selling out clubs on their first tour
R.E.M.’s Mike Mills, The Black Crowes’ Steve Gorman, and Opry member/Hootie and the Blowfish frontman Darius Rucker took the stage on Thursday at the 9:30 Club in DC as the new supergroup Howl Owl Howl.
The group shared originals, covers, and songs from their respective superstar catalogues. Rucker took most of the lead vocal duties throughout the night. Turns out, his soulful twang is a perfect fit on the Otis Redding hit “Hard to Handle.” He also did very well by R.E.M. by throwing in his version of the band’s nasal behind “I Believe.”
If the music sounded like any of the three other projects this trio is most known for, it was Mike Mills’ signature bouncy bass that tipped the scales towards echoes of R.E.M., especially on the Howl original “Everybody Wants Her.” It had the jumpy DNA of R.E.M.’s heyday.
Darius’ unavoidable vibrato that is the through line of both his country success and Hootie’s longevity came forward in another original, “Pilot,” which sounds like something Howl could play to much success on the Opry. It was slow, melodic, and beautifully authentic.
It was obvious throughout the set that Rucker was in awe to have Mills standing to his right. He referenced R.E.M. as his “most important band” at least a handful of times. However, fans shouldn’t expect an R.E.M. reunion. After the show, I overheard Mills tell a fan, “Nope. Zero,” when questioned about his signature group reuniting. However, Mills shared the reverence saying of Rucker, “This guy has no clue how cool it is to be in a band with him.”
The first Hootie song of the night, “Time,” received a huge reaction from the club. Everyone sang along as if they, themselves, were the Blowfish.
Mills and Rucker traded vocals on the ominous, fiddle-driven “Dog of Life,” with Adriana Mercado on a powerhouse string beat.
After a few more originals, the supergroup closed with the R.E.M. rarity “(Don’t Go Back to) Rockville,” much to the crowd’s delight. And yes, Mills told the crowd, it’s about the very same Maryland suburb of D.C.
Howl returned for a few big hits, including “Losing My Religion” and the only Black Crowes number of the night, “She Talks to Angels.”
While this tour cropped up apparently out of nowhere, there’s a long view for this supergroup. I believe Rucker said that he wrote one song, “Window to my Soul,” six years ago, and immediately played it for Mills in the studio. They have one single out, “My Cologne,” with more seemingly to come, given the amount of originals in the set. Their sound is a fantastic blend of what makes each artist a legend, and I’m sure these owls will be howling together for a long time to come.
