The shows presented by the Institute of Musical Traditions generally
lean in more of a folk direction, but the mix of “blues, R&B, honky-tonk
country, doo-wop, gospel and rockabilly” that the Nighthawks embody certainly
has plenty of tradition to it as well. Most of my previous experience with the
band has been at outdoor summer shows (Rockville Town Square, BlackRock in
Germantown, etc.), so it was a nice change of pace to see them in an acoustic
setting (and a fully-electric show would have probably overwhelmed the church’s
fellowship hall setting).
In addition to the stellar musicianship from all four members of the
band, I was particularly struck by the gritty, blue-eyed soul vocals of drummer
Mark Stutsko; his rendition of “When I Go Away” from the band’s 2017 studio
album All You Gotta Do was the highlight
of the evening for me. They did a few other numbers from that CD as well, in
addition to four (by my count) from their earlier acoustic album Back Porch Party. Each set lasted close
to an hour. Things were a little more free-flowing after intermission, as the
band covered Chuck Berry’s “Sweet Little Sixteen” and Mark Wenner unleashed his
inner Elvis on “Got A Lot Of Livin’ To Do”. They ended that set with a rousing
version of “Red Hot Mama” and encored with T-Bone Walker’s “I Know Your Wig Is
Gone”.
The Nighthawks have been a major part of the DC music scene for over 40
years now. Although they never quite managed to break through nationally, their
live performances are still top-notch – be sure to catch them somewhere if you
can.
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