The Head and The Heart Have Nothing But Love For Idaho
The Head And The Heart performing at Outlaw Field in Boise, Idaho. Photo by April Massey
Charity Rose Thielen performing with The Head And The Heart at Outlaw Field in Boise, Idaho. Photo by April Massey
“No joke, this is the best audience of the tour, maybe ever.” All six members of The Head And The Heart are glowing, sending visible waves of love and admiration across the green lawn of Outlaw Field as Jonathan Russell heaps praise onto the soldout crowd. Following the release of their fifth studio album, Every Shade Of Blue, the alt-folk sextet has comfortably hit their stride — no longer searching for their place in the vast landscape of commercial music. In the past five years, The Head And The Heart have dealt with the departure of founding member Josiah Johnson causing a near breakup and prompting the group to seek therapy together, which we discussed with bandmember Charity Rose Thielen during our interview this past April. The result of those experiences is an album that feels like a nostalgic exploration of uncharted territories. The Head And The Heart are not afraid to embrace who they are while evolving and looking to the future. The band walked on stage at The Idaho Botanical Gardens on August 9th with an air of fun and excitement.
Jonathan Russell performing with The Head And The Heart at Outlaw Field in Boise, Idaho. Photo by April Massey
An energy that was embraced and lovingly returned by the audience. The group has always had a special place in the Gem State’s heart. Many of the Treasure Valley’s smaller venues were frequent tour stops for The Head And The Heart in the early days of their career. Opening their set with the title track to their latest album, the combination of Charity Rose Thielen’s lyrical violin and Jonathan Russell’s airy vocals creates a calm of anticipation. The song’s soft build practically begs you to lean in for a closer listen. For any other audience, this song might act as a primer or mood setter, but this audience is already there. They have been locked in since the venue gates opened. The result is one of those exceedingly rare performances from a big-name act where nothing is rehearsed but the music. At no point does it feel like bassist Chris Zasche held his instrument the same way for Austin, Texas, two nights ago or that Salt Lake City also knows the inside joke about Jonathan Russell’s new haircut. This performance is strictly for the here and now—never to be recreated. The band anchored the middle of their set with their breakout single “Honey Bee,” released in 2019 on their album Living Mirage. The song still sounds as sweet and sincere as ever, with the opening lyrics, “Honeybee, could you imagine where our lives would lead?” even more poignant. The Head And The Heart are a part of a small group of contemporary bands that harken back to the sincere earnestness of ‘80s powerhouses like U2 and The Police. This sincerity is evident as the group closes out their performance with their latest hit single, “Virginia.” A song that perfectly encapsulates the band’s evolution. Seemingly untouched by the corporate music machine, The Head And The Heart never appears to be anything but grateful. Ending their show with a group bow and Jonathan Russell jumping off stage to hand the night’s set list to a young fan. This concert will most certainly be remembered as one of, if not the best of the summer.
The crowd at Outlaw Field in Boise, Idaho during The Head And The Heart performance. Photo by April Massey
