Blackhawk Takes Flight With A Rocking Sound, This Country Act Gains Fans In A Hurry

If any major country music band today can keep one foot in the past and one in the future without tripping, it’s BlackHawk.

In Henry Paul’s mandolin and lead vocals, Dave Robbins’ keyboards and Van Stephenson’s guitar, mainstream country marries progressive rock.

The result is an edgy sound and meaningful lyrics that sell records - lots of them - in a country music scene plagued by pop artists.

“We are finding ourselves as people as well as musicians,” Paul said. “We are focused. We feel incredibly fortunate to be successful in country music. So now you sit back and look at your situation and go, ‘Are you having a good time?’ The answer is yes. ‘Is there something you would like to say to the people while you’re up here?’ Yes, there is.”

Spokane fans can find out just what BlackHawk wants to tell them when the band plays at Eastern Washington University’s Pavilion on Saturday. The concert is sponsored by the Associated Students of EWU and KNFR-FM.

Since its first album, “BlackHawk,” debuted almost four years ago, the band has cranked out hit after hit. From that first recording alone came “Goodbye Says it All,” “Every Once in A While,” “I Sure Can Smell the Rain” and “That’s Just About Right.”

“Strong Enough,” their second album, debuted at No. 4 on Billboard’s country album chart, the highest spot achieved by a country group since Alabama in 1983. The album’s first single, “I’m Not Strong Enough to Say No,” hit No. 1, followed by “Like There Ain’t No Yesterday” at No. 3.

BlackHawk’s latest release, “Love & Gravity,” reached stores this July. It includes the bluesy “Hole in My Heart,” the poignant “She Dances With Her Shadow” plus the rocking title track.

What lends particular interest to this album is BlackHawk invited songwriters like Jim Peterik, who wrote for .38 Special and Survivor, to collaborate on the lyrics.

Attention to words has always been at the heart of BlackHawk’s success. Paul, Robbins and Stephenson met while working as songwriters in Nashville.

“We didn’t start off by going and finding a song to see if we could sing together,” Paul said. “We started by writing a song together.”

Together, the trio has taken the art form into a commercial arena yet held on to a visceral honesty. They are true to Nashville, but choose to stay outside city limits.

“Now it’s not so much ‘Can we make the grade?’ We have,” Stephenson said. “Now it’s ‘Can we make a difference?’ And we want to.”

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: CONCERT BlackHawk will perform at 8 p.m. Saturday at EWU’s Pavilion. Tickets are $16, available at G&B Select-a-Seat (800) 325-SEAT.