Outside Lands: Inhaler charms with good ol’ rock and roll
Inhaler performs during Outside Lands Music Festival in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco on Aug. 13, 2023. STAFF.
SAN FRANCISCO — Dublin quartet Inhaler brought a throwback rock sound to Outside Lands’ Twin Peaks stage Sunday afternoon. Vocalist-guitarist Elijah Hewson and company delivered a vintage sound with modern styling that included a melodic, driving energy often absent from today’s rock music.
The band was at its best playing no-nonsense blues-influenced dirty rock, much like the Rolling Stones.
Inhaler performs during Outside Lands Music Festival in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco on Aug. 13, 2023.
Hewson had a natural charisma, evidenced by the audience’s screams when he and the band casually sauntered onto the stage.
“Thank you for being very nice to us,” Hewson said midway through the performance, keeping up a conversational feel throughout.
He’s a supremely talented vocalist, but when the band joined in on pitch-perfect harmonies, it lifted Inhaler to new heights. Guitarist Josh Jenkinson delivered bluesy fuzz-tone riffs while drummer Ryan McMahon and bassist Robert Keating held down a driving, rhythmic low end. Jenkinson’s solos were melodic and tasteful, a stellar complement to the band’s material.
It’s not really a surprise Hewson has the chops; he’s the son of U2 frontman Bono. The rock star presence was clearly passed down to the next generation. He largely had his own sound, but there were occasional phrasings when it was impossible not to hear the similarities. Despite the inevitable comparisons to his famous dad, Hewson and the band had their own tremendous musical chemistry and a tight sound.
Inhaler performs during Outside Lands Music Festival in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco on Aug. 13, 2023.
The band rolled through its set with “Valentine” and “Just to Keep You Satisfied,” from their latest album, Cuts & Bruises. The latter featured a snippet of Garbage’s “Stupid Girl.”
Hewson shared his appreciation for the large crowd showing up and being energetic. He didn’t talk much, but managed to infuse a cheeky, deadpan sense of humor that added to an already endearing personality.
“This is a slow song, so if you’d like to take a wee or get a drink, this is the time,” he said before launching into the mid-tempo “If You’re Gonna Break My Heart,” which just happens to be one of RIFF’s favorite songs from the new album.
The band closed out its set with “It Won’t Always Be Like This” and “Cheer Up Baby.”