The Bellwether is several hundred miles from the BART rail stations in California’s East Bay where Lech Wierzynski and Ben Malament used to busk. But inside downtown Los Angeles’ newest venue, fans gathered around the stage, clamoring for whatever shred of attention they could garner from The California Honeydrops as the Oakland-based outfit embarked on a double set of retro soul.
To be sure, there was plenty of love to go around. Between the two foundational members of the band—along with Yanos “Johnny Bones” Lustig on saxophone, Lorenzo Loera on keyboard and guitar, Beaumont Beaullieu on bass, Scott Messersmith on percussion, Oliver Tuttle on sousaphone, and Miles Lyons on trombone—the Honeydrops had more than a few bodies to blast out good vibes from the stage.
Lech alone provided at least as much love (if not more) on his own than most bands known to humanity. Whether he was strumming his guitar, trumpeting to the hilt, singing from the depths of his soul, or simply banging on a tambourine, the Polish-born, Chicago-bred multi-instrumentalist touched everyone in the room, be it with his joyful eyes or his infectious energy. Lech even went so far as to dedicate an encore of “When It Was Wrong” to a fan named Amanda, who was celebrating her birthday at the show.
For other members of the band, there was ample opportunity to connect across functions, as well. At times, Lorenzo ceded his keys to Johnny Bones while taking up his guitar. While Ben spent most of the show on his drum kit, he also took a good chunk of time to wander around the stage as he strummed on his washboard. And though some barely budged from their primary instruments, Beaumont, Scott, Oliver, and Miles all had their chances to jam out in the spotlight.
Related: Sweet As Honey: Ben Malament Talks The California Honeydrops’ New Album, More [Interview]
Through all the arrangements, the room never stopped bumping with the smooth sounds of The California Honeydrops’ distinct blend of jazz, old-school R&B, and New Orleans funk and soul with West Coast cool. There were plenty of long-time staples among their setlist, including “Don’t Let the Green Grass Fool You”, “Brokedown”, “Pumpkin Pie”, “Here Comes Love”, and “Like You Mean”.
Even those superlative selections left ample room for some other fun, expected and otherwise. The California Honeydrops worked in some highlights from their 2023 release, Soft Spot. None was more prominent than a rendition of “Honey and Butter” that Lech set up with a story about writing the song during the COVID lockdown for his grandmother’s 100th birthday.
The band also brought out California bluesman Javier Matos to lend his vocals and harmonica to tracks from their 2021 collaborative EP, Point Reyes Session, including “Pebble in My Shoe”, “Death Tax Rag”, and “Gangster Blues”. Those choices only bolstered the tapestry of old-timey tones and tunes. So, too, did other popular Honeydrops rags like “Call It Home”, “Tulsa Time”, “In My Baby’s Arms”, and “I Wanna Go Home”.
All throughout, The California Honeydrops took attendees at The Bellwether on a trip through musical time and space, from the Delta in the 1800s up to the present-day Bay Area and numerous points in between.
The band will do the same for themselves and their flock as they continue their spring and summer tour. After a sold-out run at The Fillmore in San Francisco to close out the winter, they’ll return to the road in April with stops in Arizona, Colorado, Utah Idaho, Montana, Washington, and Oregon before finishing out the month back in California. Come June, they’ll trek up to Alaska and down to Idaho ahead of a slew of festival dates over the summer, culminating in a double bill at Red Rocks Amphitheatre alongside Greensky Bluegrass. For tickets and a full list of tour dates visit the band’s website.
Check out a gallery of images from The California Honeydrops at The Bellwether courtesy of photographer Josh Martin.
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