Ahead of their upcoming album, The Bird and The Bee played a rare show at Los Angeles' El Rey Theater. The duo made up of Inara George and Greg Kurstin mostly played songs from their third full-lenght album, "Interpreting the Masters Volume 1: A Tribute to Daryl Hall and John Oates" which drops on March 23rd. Described as a love letter to the famed "rock and soul" duo Hall & Oates, it was fitting that another duo would take on these songs, putting their own special touches on these timeless classics.
Bird and the Bee's Inara George / photo by picksyticks
Playing to a sold out theater, the very pregnant George began the night with Rich Girl and if you thought she was going to take it easy because of her pregnancy, you thought wrong. Usually playing the bass, she gave it up for the night and, instead, danced and gleamed to every beat and melody.
Kurstin was recently nominated for Producer of the Year at this year's Grammys for his work with Lilly Allen and Bird and the Bee. And his talents and efforts clearly showed in this latest album. With his jazzy, warm arrangments complimented by George's silky, angelic voice, The Bird and the Bee has taken on the task of exposing a new generation to the music of Hall & Oates. Judging from the show last Friday, one can say they've accomplished that. Their love for this music is genuine.
Inara George of bird and the bee / photo by picksysticks
Later on in the night, walking onstage to the surprise of the sold out theater was non-other than John Oates himself, who performed "Maneater" alongside George and Kursten. The Bird and the Bee did play some of their own songs such as Love Letter to Japan, Again & Again and Polite Dance Song. But the night belonged to Hall & Oates and was dedicated to T-Bone Wolk, the Hall & Oates bassist for nearly 30 years, who died earlier this month after an apparent heart attack.
bird and the bee perform with John Oates / photo by picksysticks
bird and the bee perform with John Oates / photo by picksysticks
