Concert Review: Haley and Black Widows at the Dakota Jazz Club

Black Widows at the Dakota Jazz Club, November 20, 2024. 

Haley, with Corinne at the Dakota Jazz Club, November 20, 2024.

My wife and I with Black Widows, what a fun evening!

Last week I saw Haley and Black Widows play at the Dakota Jazz Club in Minneapolis. It was an awesome show, full of good, vibrant energy. Mayda also sat in with Black Widows on a couple of songs, and she rocks, she played blistering guitar solos that fit well with Black Widows’ sound.  

Black Widows played an instrumental set, showing off the prowess of Corinne Caouette on guitar, Pamela Laizure on bass, and Madalyn Rowell on drums. While I missed hearing Corinne and Pamela’s vocals, it was still a very fun set, showing off Black Widows’ fun mix of surf and punk. I don’t know all of the songs that they played, but they did “Dance with the Devil,” one of my favorites of their instrumental songs. Corinne showed off her mastery of guitar sounds and tones, shifting easily from surf rock reverb to punk rock distortion, ably assisted by her guitar pedals.  

Haley joined Black Widows for their last song, a version of Lesley Gore’s “You Don’t Own Me.” It was lovely, and I would love to hear Black Widows do a full vocal version of this early feminist anthem.  

Haley has a beautiful voice, and she played a largely solo set, accompanying herself on piano and electric guitar. Haley’s voice has a wonderfully clear tone, with a hint of country shadings to it. Haley was joined by Corinne for a couple of songs at the end of her set, and they sounded great together. I’ve known of Haley’s music for a long time, but I think this was the first time I’ve ever seen her live. From what Haley said, it sounds like this will be her last live show for a while, as she is putting more of her time and focus on a career in education. I’m very glad that I was able to see Haley live, better late than never! And it’s always a treat to see a concert in the intimate setting of the Dakota, with its fantastic acoustics.  

Haley started her set by reading a short story she had written. It was a fun and engaging way to start her set, and it really drew me in. She said she’s working on a book of her writings, which I would eagerly anticipate. One of my favorite songs that Haley sang was “Good Things,” a Sleater-Kinney song that is a lovely fit for Haley’s voice. “Good Things” was featured on Haley’s most recent album, 2023’s Hunca Munca.   

Haley’s encore was an improvised song, which I’ll call “Fuck Your Tesla,” after a line that was repeated several times during the song. It was an awesome song, full of the harsh energy and indignation that many of us are feeling right now. The song felt very cathartic, and the audience responded strongly to it. I’ll be fascinated to see what Haley’s next steps are going to be in the future. It was an excellent show, and I’m looking forward to seeing Black Widows again soon.  

At the merch table, my wife and I got our copy of Hunca Munca signed, and I got my Black Widows CD’s signed as well. And we discovered that Pamela worked at my wife’s birthday party two nights before! It’s always a delight to chat with such nice people.