If you haven’t heard of The Higgs yet, that’s all about to change. The cosmic quartet infuses the vibes of Southern California into their Southern Rock, blues, reggae, alternative, and jam-rock influenced sound, taking fans on a psychedelic journey at each and every show.
The Higgs have seen exponential growth over the past year. Members John Lovero (vocals/guitar), Garrett Morris (drums), David Barsky (bass/vocals), and Jesse Jennings (keyboards/vocals) have toured across the country, getting music aficionados hooked on their great vibes and even better music. The itinerary included beloved venues like Terrapin Crossroads in San Rafael, CA, The 8×10 in Baltimore, MD, and Buffalo Iron Works in Buffalo, NY, among many others.
A calendar full of cross-country tours led the budding four-piece to an extraordinary year-end apex. On December 27th and 28th, they played two Dead & Company after-parties at the Miracle Theater in Inglewood, California. Night one contained some very special surprises for fans of The Higgs and jam music alike. After concert-goers made their way from Dead & Co’s show at The Forum and into the LA theater, a monstrous 140-minute marathon set ensued.
This wasn’t just any marathon set, however. On that night, The Higgs paid tribute to many of the jam bands that have inspired their sound. With no originals the entire night, the show would play host to covers of Phish, Grateful Dead, String Cheese Incident, and many more.
They kicked off the night with a cover of Twiddle‘s “Lost In The Cold” before giving The Disco Biscuits‘ “Portal To An Empty Head” the justice it deserved. After thanking the crowd and a take on String Cheese Incident’s “Restless Wind”, Jennings’ synth and Lovero’s guitar blasted the room into Umphrey’s McGee‘s “In The Kitchen”.
A cover of Widespread Panic‘s “Chilly Water” seamlessly segued into “Horizon”, the Pigeons Playing Ping Pong track that is all about celebrating the people you love. Celebrate they did, as they then moved towards STS9‘s synth-laden “Ramone & Emiglio” before closing with Spafford‘s “Leave The Light On”, which contained teases of “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”.
The Higgs weren’t done just yet, however. Following a short encore break, they made their way back to the stage for a three-song encore. First came the Grateful Dead’s “I Know You Rider”, which transitioned to Circles Around The Sun‘s “Saturday’s Children”. Finally, they closed out the momentous occasion with a segue to Phish’s tongue-in-cheek “Chalkdust Reprise”, a perfectly self-aware exclamation point on a memorable night of homages.
In a statement to Live For Live Music, The Higgs expressed gratitude to their fans for the reception they received: “Because of our audience, and the help from the venue, this show really was a miracle. Without them, none of this would have been possible. We can’t thank them enough.”
Filmed/edited by Troy Morentin and mixed by Kyle Boone, this full, pro-shot video is sure to satiate anyone who missed out. Be the first to watch The Higgs’ Miracle Theater jam band homage performance below.
The Higgs – Miracle Theater – 12/27/19 – Full Show [Pro-Shot]
[Video: The Higgs]
The Higgs are not slowing down any time soon. In addition to releasing a couple of live singles soon, they have several tour dates scheduled with Twiddle and the Buffalo-based indie-rock quartet Aqueous in March. Scroll down for a full list of tour dates and a detailed setlist from the Miracle Theater show. Head to their official website for tickets and more information.
[Miracle Theater Poster Art: Jamie Lee Meyer]