Dawes Reflects On "Time Spent In Los Angeles" On 'Kimmel' After Fires Destroy Home, Studio [Watch]

Brothers Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith of Dawes were among the many people affected by the ongoing wildfires in the greater Los Angeles area. On Monday, amid the fear, anxiety, and loss brought about by the fires, they appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! for a moving performance of “Time Spent in Los Angeles”, the bittersweet ode to the City of Angels from the 2011 Dawes LP Nothing Is Wrong.

The core members of Dawes were acutely affected by the Los Angeles-area fires, which have already displaced more than 100,000 residents. While Taylor Goldsmith’s home was spared, Griffin, their parents, and former Dawes bassist Wylie Gelber—who all lived within minutes of each other in Altadena, CA—lost their homes.

As Griffin Goldsmith wrote in a social media post alongside photos of his home’s charred remains, “It’s impossible to express how much we’re feeling right now. We’ve lost everything. 8 years of memories made in our house. 20 years of gear. My wife was applying the finishing touches to the nursery for our baby boy who’s due in a few weeks. She had, throughout the years, poured her heart and soul into making the property a literal piece of paradise. Anyone who had the chance the visit can attest. We often would say to each other ‘I want to live together in this house for the rest of our lives’. We had convinced our whole family and closest friends to join us in Altadena. … All of these houses are gone. The thing we mourn the most is the loss of the community.”

He went on to thank the friends who had set up a GoFundMe for his family, the fans and community members who had donated, and everyone who has lent their support to the local community in this time of crisis. “You all have completely changed what the picture of our future in Los Angeles looks like,” he wrote. “You’ve given us a chance to embark on this chapter of our lives as parents with the confidence that we will be okay. This baby will be born into a fractured Los Angeles. But because of you all he will be met with warmth and love and comfort. I’m so buoyed by everyone’s generosity. It allows me to believe that we can build back the neighborhood so that it is stronger and more beautiful than before. There are so many people that need help and I know based on our own experience that so many are motivated to help.”

Though the house Taylor Goldsmith shares with his wife, Mandy Moore, and their children was spared, their adjacent studio was destroyed by the fire. He wrote about his experience in a first-hand account of the days after the fire published in Rolling Stone. “There are parts of Altadena where it’s just blocks and blocks of everything gone,” he said. “It looks like a nuclear bomb went off.” Read his full account here.

Dawes’ performance of “Time Spent in Los Angeles” on Kimmel was particularly powerful given the harrowing context. Performed as a stripped-back duet by Taylor (guitar, lead vocals) and Griffin (drums, percussion, harmony vocals), the bittersweet ode to the City of Angels sounded wounded yet oddly hopeful, the chorus most of all:

But you got that special kind of sadness
You got that tragic set of charms
That only comes from time spent in Los Angeles
Makes me wanna wrap you in my arms

Watch Taylor Goldsmith and Griffin Goldsmith (Dawes) perform “Time Spent in Los Angeles” amid the ongoing fires on Jimmy Kimmel Live! below. The performance supported MusiCares, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides essential support to music professionals in need. MusiCares is actively assisting those in the Los Angeles area and the greater music community who have been impacted by the ongoing wildfires. Donate to the cause here.

Find ticketing information for the Goldsmiths’ upcoming tour dates here.

Dawes – “Time Spent in Los Angeles” – Jimmy Kimmel Live! – 1/13/24