"How high can we go?" sang Pat Bilodeau, drummer and one of three lead singers in The Warhawks, on December 4th at the Foundry in Philadelphia. If this show is any indication, then the sky's the limit for The Warhawks.
Gloucester City, NJ's finest, The Warhawks, are now one of those "overnight sensations," but their origin story begins over a decade earlier. Bilodeau shares songwriting and lead vocal duties with his brother, John Bilodeau (guitar, vocals), and their cousin, Matt "Mo" Orlando (guitar, vocals), with childhood friend Tom Lipski (bass, vocals) rounding out the quartet. This shared history is part of what makes the Warhawks special, though it doesn't hurt that they write compelling rock music with honest lyrics delivered in perfect harmony.
Their earnest sing/shout-alongs evoke many of their influences from Arctic Monkeys to The Hold Steady.
Throughout 2024, the Warhawks released their latest album, The Wellness Check, in three groups of three songs via Philadelphia's Blue Collar Records. This is their first collaboration with producer Aaron Sprinkle: two of their songs have hit #1 on iTunes and they've received attention both locally and internationally.
The band gave the hometown audience all they could have wanted from a live show. Their high-energy set included songs written by each family member. Playing his Jazzmaster through a well-loved VOX amp, John took the band through "Secondhand Promised Land" and "Parade," while Mo led the crowd through "Domino." In a true rock 'n roll moment, Mo's Les Paul shattered as he played it.
What you see is what you get with The Warhawks...
The Warhawks promise to fill in what's missing in modern rock music as they'll continue to prove when they release their Sprinkle-produced follow-up in 2025.