LIVE REVIEW: The Juliana Hatfield Three in Cambridge, MA (11.03.24)
On a bitterly cold Sunday night, two bands fronted by local music icons Juliana Hatfield and Hilken Mancini performed at the Sinclair. Both women have been writing music and performing for decades. They both have impressive longevity in their music careers and have been especially influential in the Boston music scene. In this patriarchal society, it’s still a struggle for women in music, especially indie rock. We still don’t see enough female artists and female-fronted bands. These women showcased their songwriting talent and guitar prowess to an enthusiastic crowd.
Juliana Hatfield has long been an inspiration for many. Hilken Mancini recalled seeing Hatfield’s first band, Blake Babies, at TT the Bear’s, being impressed to see Hatfield playing guitar, and returning the second night to see her playing bass. When I interviewed Juliana Hatfield in 2004, she had this to say: “Art is supposed to transcend gender and all those physical details. I like to think music is about emotions we all feel, not anything particularly female. The issues are genderless.” While that might be the case, representation matters. Seeing strong women play music live on stage matters.
The Juliana Hatfield Three performed their 1993 album Become What You Are in its entirety, as well as several other songs. The trio sounded tight and energetic as they cruised through the songs on the album. At one point, someone yelled out a song request, and Juliana Hatfield said, “We’re playing an album, dude.”
Before they went on, my friend and I talked to a guy in the audience who said that it was the only CD he had in his car back in the day, so it played repeatedly, and he knew all the songs. Nostalgia is comforting to many, and people find much-needed solace and community in live music. These shows are needed more than ever now.
“Spin the Bottle” shone in all its jangly goodness. The song “Spin the Bottle” was featured on the soundtrack for Reality Bites, starring Ethan Hawke and Winona Ryder. (I really need to watch it again.) Hatfield said the song reminded her of the 90s. The band just finished a tour opening for Soul Asylum. Hatfield said they are “really nice people.” Bass player Dean Fisher quipped that opening for Soul Asylum wasn’t enough of a reminder of the 90s. Hatfield noted that it’s been 31 years since the album came out. “I’m so proud of the album we made,” she shared.
“If anyone wonders what my personal life is like, it’s just me playing dumb riffs,” Hatfield said. She later added that she couldn’t play guitar very well. Was she being humble or showing insecurity? I find it completely relatable as I feel like that about my writing the majority of the time. Hatfield is known for the unusual riffs on her albums.
Highlights included the sad, gorgeous “For the Birds” and a stellar “My Sister” with that infectious bass line by Fisher. “Little Pieces” is a beautiful, melancholy song about depression. They played many other songs including the moody cool and relatable hit song “Everybody Loves Me But You” with the perfect line— “Beauty and brains are all I’ve got/ I’ve got a cold cold bed and a broken heart.” I also love the song “Fleur de Lys” because Hatfield sings in French, and it has a cool overall vibe with another solid bass line. Hatfield performed solo for the final encore song with a stripped down version of the Olivia Newton John song “Dancin’ ‘Round and ‘Round.” In 2018, Hatfield released Juliana Hatfield Sings Olivia Newton John. Hatfield said: “It’s nice to play for you on the last night of the tour. Maybe the last night of anything.”
The Hilken Mancini Band opened with a blistering set of songs from their newly released album. It’s one of my favorite releases this year—relatable songs fueled by honesty and middle-aged wisdom with churning indie rock melodies. The band is tight, strong and highly energetic. A brilliant opening set.
