Been looking forward to this show since I heard about it initially a few months ago, glad I was able to get tix. Props to @tyloudon for making the trek from the Wine Country in mad pre-Bay to Breakers traffic, amazing we were able to hit BART and get to the venue just 45 second before Ward began. Having a car is overrated. Woot.

I have written enough about Ward’s prowess on this blog (see almost every The Weekly Harold so far) but realizing just how much he is doing while singing is truly awe-inspiring. He jumps from low growl to angelic falsetto on a whim, while finger-picking moving bass lines under simultaneous ascending and descending melody lines. I played guitar for a solid six hours in the San Francisco sun earlier that day, and it has become clear to me that even a heavy practice day FOR ME is not enough as I later watched his 4 song mid-set solo acoustic set. From my personal faves “Chinese Translation” and “Paul’s Song” to my future favorites off of Hold Time, the songs were authentic to the originals but had a slightly higher voltage live, something I remembered from catching part of his set at The Outside Lands Festival in Golden Gate Park last August. 

Another highlight was watching Ward blend old instrumental tracks from The Transfiguration of Vincent, Transistor Radio and The End of Amnesia into the middle bridge sections of his new Hold Time ditties.

So onto The Fox Theatre, one of Oakland’s newest opened venues. Good God this place is amazing-looking on the inside and out, but especially the amazing latticed ceiling and teal blue faux-veranda windows overlooking the stage. Twin buddha-esque statues like you would see on a hookah (but at 2000x times that size) flank the stage on either side with glowing red eyes and the stage’s multicolored lights shining haphazardly off their gold skin. 

Another nice thing about this place? Anyone who has been to San Francisco’s The Fillmore or The Warfield (or even parts of Berkeley’s Greek Theatre) knows that you cannot stand in aisles or certain designated areas, even if you are just waiting for your friends to get back from the bar while the show is going on. The Fox was free standing everywhere, giving patrons (or me at least) a sense of belonging and a chill factor unlike most other General Admission venues. 

The sound was a bit bass heavy, and for Ward’s Cash-like voice it did get a bit muddy at times. Here’s hoping they get the acoustics just right as time goes on. Check out some of the shots below for the interior detail I was mentioning above. 

I will without a doubt be back to this venue, check out their upcoming schedules of acts here.