(Haley Reinhart…performing in Portland, Oregon. Photos can be clicked to enlarge.)
Haley Reinhart owns the stage. She’s a theatrical type of performer who dresses in costumes rather than the cool fashions of the day. She writes or co-writes most of her songs, which are a mix of pop, rock, soul, and jazz. We experienced all of those styles when we saw Haley in Portland on April 23rd, 2019.
When we bought the tickets, we didn’t know it was a standing only show. We got there early, standing in line for an hour, and then standing more than two hours for the show. But, at least we were right by the stage. That also gave us a chance to talk with a young man who had been the producer/engineer on one of Haley’s new songs, and with a guy who regularly video’s shows for Haley. Both expressed belief in her singing talent, and expect the 28-year-old to break through to larger audiences at some point…versus the 500 capacity of the Hawthorne Theatre where this event was held.
Haley Reinhart was introduced to the nation through American Idol in 2011, when the TV show was still extremely popular. Even though she finished third to a couple of likable country singers, Haley was obviously the best vocalist on the show. Her three octave range and ability to tackle any style of music was reminiscent of Kelly Clarkson’s Idol run.
Musicians took note. American Idol had requested the use of songs by Led Zeppelin for performers on the show, but had been turned down. When Robert Plant and Jimmy Page saw Haley Reinhart perform, they called American Idol and said she could perform one of their songs. In the above photo she’s singing Zeppelin’s “What Is, And What Should Never Be”. Likewise, Lady Gaga was a fan and gave permission for Haley to sing one of her brand new songs at the time, “You And I”.
Three of Haley Reinhart’s videos are the most viewed in the show’s history, and for years after her time on Idol, her studio recordings from the show held 8 of the top 10 most-purchased American Idol tracks on iTunes.
So, has she gone on to conquer the music world? No…but there have been some impressive successes.
Haley performed with Jazz groups in high school, college, and before-and-after American Idol. Her videos with the group Postmodern Jukebox have topped the Jazz charts and have garnered hundreds-of-millions of views.
Haley Rinehart’s first album Listen Up made it to #17 on Billboard’s Top 200 chart, and included her singles “Free” & “Oh My!”, as well as popular cuts “Wasted Time” and “Hit The Ground Running”.
Her most successful single is “Can’t Help Falling In Love” (the old Elvis hit). Her recording has over 250-million streams, and has been certified as “Gold” by the Recording Industry Association of America.
Haley Reinhart has toured the U.S. coast to coast, and has toured in Asia. She also toured Europe with Postmodern Jukebox.
Her two most recent albums are What’s That Sound?, featuring many 1960’s hits, plus some original songs, and Lo-Fi Soul, which is her newest album of all-original songs.
The album has received excellent reviews, and has a 5-star rating on iTunes. It features a mix of pop and soul, with elements of rock and jazz. Haley sang most of the album’s songs during the Portland concert.
She certainly showed us her full vocal range and power.
Here, the two guitarists had just finished a major battle of dueling rock guitars, and dropped to their knees as if they were exhausted. The uptempo songs and dramatic vocals gave way at times to ballads and intricate jazz vocals.
The enthusiastic fans at the concert certainly think Haley Reinhart’s career is on the way up.