Walking into the dark nightclub of the Lowbrow Palace, I felt like this was not going to be a very busy night. Was I mistaken as I turned around before the opening act started and saw half the club full with more pouring in. Julianna Hatfield Three and Soul Asylum sure did bring out a great sized crowd on a Tuesday night in El Paso for the Slowly but Shirley Tour. 

Julianna Hatfield Three 

Julianna Hatfield Three is a three-piece band bred from Boston in 1993. Julianna Harfield, after years of performing with Blake Babies, Some Girls, and Lemonheads, formed her own band with Dean Fisher on bass and Todd Philip on drums. In December 2024, she is releasing her next album, How to Walk Away.

She previously released three solo albums, Pussycat (2017), Weird (2019) and Blood (2021), as well as three albums of cover songs, Juliana Hatfield Sings Olivia Newton-John (2018), Juliana Hatfield Sings The Police (2019) and Julianna Hatfield Sings ELO (2023).

Hatfield’s style is a cross between punk and folk with a heavy rock undertone. She opened her performance with “Supermodel” and “My Sister.” She performed with precision and solid guitar riffs that took you into the feeling of the smoky little clubs of the 90’s. This tour is a 30-year journey of her Become What You Are album. Hatfield is really working hard to keep climbing to the top.

JULIANA HATFIELD THREE | WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM

Soul Asylum 

In 1981, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the rock band Loud Fast Rules emerged from the frozen lakes, later changing their name to Soul Asylum. After 43 years, Dave Pirner, lead singer and guitarist, is the only remaining original member of the band.

Their style has been described as alternative, grunge rock with a mix of country rock and punk rock. By 1993, they had won a Grammy award for Best Rock Song. The song went on to be a hit around the world, “Runaway Train.” Before that, they were still considered an unknown band, but around the same time, things started changing for the group when they performed at the first inauguration of United States President Bill Clinton. Later that year, the band performed “Sexual Healing” for the AIDS benefit album No Alternative, produced by the Red Hot Organization.  From there, they performed for many other benefit shows, and got exposure through teaming up with festival organizers and movie producer Kevin Smith to have their songs featured in Clerks, Clerks II, and Chasing Amy. 

When they first hit the stage, the energy in the room was high. The crowd sang along with every song; the 1990’s were in the air, with band members jumping on stage and the crowd jumping up and down and swaying to the beats.

Opening the night with “Somebody to Shove” and “Misery,” the song that everyone was waiting for popped up about three quarters down the list, “Runaway Train.” The audience exploded with cheers and they sang along not missing a note. It was like time had stood still and it was 1993 all over again. The feeling in the club was nostalgic and the rhythm and beat of the music took over. Bouncing off the walls, you could see the 30 somethings to 50-year-olds were young again. It was truly breathtaking. I have captured a lot of bands in my time, but this moment was life changing. 

This Slowly but Shirley Tour was about the Soul Asylum‘s recently released album, Slowly but Shirley. Out now on their webpage and where all great albums are sold, it is worth checking them out. While looking at their next few tour dates, I noticed they are performing in my hometown Homer, NY. If you’re around Central New York, go see them at a historic building in downtown. If you cannot make it, then check out these links to hear more of their music, and to buy their albums. 

SOUL ASYLUM | WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE | FACEBOOK | APPLE MUSIC