Dawes Bring Sentimental ‘House Parties’ To ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’

Dawes served as the musical guest on Tuesday’s episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live. The L.A.-based band made the quick trip to Hollywood’s El Capitan Theater for a performance of “House Parties.”

”House Parties” was the lead single from Dawes’ recently released album, Oh Brother. The nine-track follow-up to 2022’s Misadventures of Doomscroller was co-produced by siblings Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith alongside longtime collaborator Mike Viola. Taylor and Griffin initially recorded each track live by themselves after two of their bandmates amicably departed Dawes in 2023. The brothers eventually incorporated additional instrumentation and brought in touring guitarist Trevor Menear to contribute to the sessions.

“A nostalgic song,” explained Taylor Goldsmith about “House Parties,” which he initially debuted live during acoustic segments of Dawes’ concerts. ”A song about how true cultural experiences aren’t in the tourist traps but within human connections among specific communities. It’s a goofy lyric but the sentiment is not. We can all relate to feeling truly alive at a dive bar or a stranger’s home, getting access into a universe we didn’t even know existed…Whether across the planet or just one town over.”

”House Parties” was the first Oh Brother song written, recorded and released. Taylor Goldsmith shared additional background on its genesis on Dawes’ Substack:

House Parties was the first song I wrote for Oh Brother. In fact, I remember playing it for Griffin at the studio during the Misadventure sessions. I was confident it would be a good tune for the band, but it felt obvious that it wasn’t appropriate for the record we were cutting at that particular moment. So I sat on it and played it live for a few years first.

It gets a lot of laughs, and I’m grateful for that, but to me, the humor is rooted in a slightly more serious observation. Here it goes. I can’t count the amount of cities I’ve visited, found myself in the middle of the most touristy zones, with the same shops that are in any big city, with all the landmarks that I wish I cared a little more about, with all the fellow travelers looking for some kind of local flare, while all the true ambassadors of the city’s culture are on the other side of town, far from these mechanisms of consumerism and tourism that have drawn us in, without us knowing even knowing how. We all want our experiences to be singular and authentic, but unless you spend a long time in a place, know some people who live in the area, or are particularly adept at this kind of thing, it’s hard to get even a fleeting glimpse of the true heart of a city.

Being a touring musician is a cheat code in this respect. I have so many fond memories of finishing shows and having friends or fans or promoters drag us along to a house party, a diner, a beloved dive bar, or an even later show somewhere nearby. Getting insights along the way into communities, budding music scenes, slang, the backs of strangers’ cars, what beers are popular where, even nuanced histories of families and friendships. Looking back on these experiences, that kind of access frankly feels sacred. It’s not lost on me how intimate and special nights like that can be. I do it less now that I’m a little older and have to be more mindful of preserving my voice on tour. Maybe it’s because of the fact that these times are mostly behind me that I wrote the song in the first place. Maybe it’s just a big fat thank you. And maybe it’s a gentle reminder to always take advantage of any opportunity to sink our collective teeth into the true identity of any new place we find ourselves. Those moments are rare gifts.

House Parties is also the first track we recorded for Oh Brother. The workflow of every album is different and it always takes a few songs to see how that presents itself. The first songs you cut are always a bit of a crapshoot. So we started with this one because we felt confident enough in the tune to revisit if we needed to. But it turns out we didn’t need to! Mike fired up his tape machine, I showed him the bass part I had in mind for the choruses, Trevor had written a perfect slide guitar hook, and Griff had a million amazing ideas for percussion layering. It came together fast and easy. We didn’t even get into protools. The whole thing stayed on tape.

”House Parties” was shelved live by Dawes between acoustic performances in April 2023 and its full-band debut on March 7, 2024. The rollicking tune has since been a staple of the group’s performances. Taylor Goldsmith went full frontman on Kimmel backed by Griffin on drums, Trevor Menear on electric guitar, Mike Viola on bass, keyboardist Frank LoCrasto and Sean Watkins on acoustic guitar.

Watch Dawes perform “House Parties” on Jimmy Kimmel Live below:

Dawes returns to the road on November 7 in Knoxville, Tennessee. The group’s final tour of 2025 continues until December 15. A spring tour spans April 9 – 27, 2025 ahead of the band’s appearance at Goose’s Viva El Gonzo in Mexico.

Find all currently confirmed Dawes tour dates by scrolling below.