Last week, San Diego based band Hargo performed their first show in New York to a packed crowd at The Studio at Webster Hall. With frontman Hargobind Hari Singh Khalsa’s captivating vocals, distinct guitar distortion and memorable percussion, Hargo impressed.
The band’s nearly hour set blended heavy hitting songs with the more poignant. While tracks like the eerie “Soul Survivor” brought to mind John Lennon with powerful vocals, others like the emotional “Gardens of Alize” recalled Green Day’s “Wake Me Up When September Ends.”
“We’re Hargo and we’re from San Diego, just down the street,” Khalsa joked. “This next one is a dance number if you people want to dance. I know people in New York like to have fun.”
With hand-clapped rhythms, the upbeat “Just the Sky” did just that. Meanwhile, “Empty Cups” continued to impress with soaring guitar parts and a slick drum beat. A song about his hatred for pharmaceutical agencies, the track slowed down midway through before the band picked things right back up with intensity.
The remainder of the set included songs from the band’s debut album, Out of Mankind. Mixing folk music with wavering harmonica alongside heavier rock and jazz features, Hargo proved their versatility.