Something About Eve
The infinitely talented, creative, and beautiful Eve Hars died the day after her birthday, on November 2, 2023, in Hudson, New York, from cancer. Eve was my best friend from Bard College, one of the coolest, sweetest, most interesting people I’ve ever met. After the death of her brilliant, radiant older sister Adele in France in July, also from cancer, it seemed like Eve’s own battle became harder. In October, Eve decided to end treatment.
She was surprisingly stoic about death. But the idea of legacy dogged her: what would be left behind? Someone as vital, forceful, and passionate as Eve deserves to be eulogized and remembered. She deserves to have her artistic story shared.
Let’s start with this: Eve Hars was a rock star.
Signed by Drill Recordings on the strength of her original songs (discography below*), Eve and her band Eva Haze with Rich Liegey and Rob Pfeiffer put out the album State of Freak (Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube). The band also appeared on HBO’s “Reverb” after Dinosaur, Jr. [time stamp: 31:52–end]. Funnily, Eve didn’t love this performance, embarrassed she didn’t have more energy! That’s what a badass powerhouse she was. I mean just look at her chops on guitar. Eva Haze’s second album was held hostage by a contractual snafu for two decades, but Under the Tin Sky was recently released by East Iris Records/Virgin (Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube).
In fact, Eve was a quintuple threat: singer, songwriter, guitar player, director, and writer of scripts, novel, and memoir.
Her original Rock Opera — at-once expressionistic and campy, influenced by The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and The Rocky Horror Picture Show — has an amazing soundtrack (a selection of which should be released as an album). She directed and filmed the opening act with an LA cast hoping to garner interest in a full production. Eve sings all the fem parts and portrays the proprietress in the festival award-winning film [time stamp: 23:00–25:00].
But when it comes to her legacy, Eve’s biggest hurdle came from a huge success — a hilarious musical experience she collaborated on (originating all the funniest bits), directed, and produced in several cities from NYC to LA to San Francisco. This event was Point Break Live!, a parody utilizing the existing script of the movie Point Break but adding outlandish interactive stage antics. Led by Eve from a run in Manhattan to a major sensation, the PBL! cast was even featured on E! News. It was a labor of love.
Yet the courts can be crummy, and even though Eve had paid thousands of her own money to the actual screenwriter of the Point Break movie for the rights to the script and maxed out her own credit card as producer, she was sued — not by that screenwriter or anyone from the Hollywood film (they all seemed to love it!), but by an old colleague of Eve’s early theatrical partner, a co-barstool-concepter. In the press, Eve was portrayed as some kind of outsider trying to steal the very show that she had cultivated for years and made a huge hit. With no funds for a legal defense, Eve tried to represent herself in court…and got creamed by the old colleague’s pricey lawyers, a duplicitous advisor, and an aging judge. She lost not only the rights to the show and her position as director, producer, and innovative collaborator, but also (she feared) her good name. [I’ll add that when a factually challenged AP story came out about the lawsuit, I publicly encouraged its reporters to do more digging into the facts of the case. Alas, they did not. Other journalists were contacted to no avail.]
Legacy is important. Ultimately, we all want to be remembered for the best of ourselves. Eve’s creative projects are only one part, but important chapters of her story. That’s why I wanted to do a public tribute to Eve as an artist — to spotlight her creativity and fan her good vibes. She was an original, a badass, a lover of creative people, a generous collaborator, a musical powerhouse, and a great director who gifted artists with every opportunity to shine. She deserves an internet full of tributes.
As I said at the close of every conversation: Love you, Eve.
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Eve’s surviving sisters, Anne and Maria, shared a beautiful biography on Trixie’s List, Hudson, NY.
Eve authored an as-yet unpublished Hungarian historical fiction novel and an unfinished memoir/essay centered around a somewhat haunted mansion. Also see Eve’s extensive genealogical research and reporting on “The House of Hars.”
*Eve Hars Discography (to the best of my knowledge):
Eva Haze (band), UNDER THE TIN SKY, East Iris Records/Virgin (Apple Music, Spotify)
(Eve’s NY band with Rich Liegey-bass, Rob Pfeiffer-drums. Produced by Ali “Dee” Theodore and John C. Wood. Co-produced by Eve Hars. Mixed by Mr. Colson. Original album title: CHARMED. A music video was filmed for “Coffee Jerk.”)
Cool Logic
Golden Vine
Walking Into a Wall
Psychic Friend
Coffee Jerk
Remembrance
Charmed
Music Box Dancer (original title: Music Box Dancer Breakdown Theme)
It Was Over
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ROCK OPERA: A Short Film by Eve Hars Soundtrack
Features a selection of songs from the original score below with singers Eric Miranda, Jamie Hook, David Joerg, J Alexander Nixon, Kris Hydell, LeVance Tarver, Matt Schwartz, and Eve on all fem vocal parts and instruments, except on Rock Ain’t Dead, which also features Mike Drazen-drums, Eric Miller-bass.
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Eve Hars, ROCK OPERA
(Written, performed, and recorded by Eve Hars)
Acts I & II:
Pretty Face
We Got a Job To Do
Warning
He Works For Me
Chase Theme
25 Kennsington Way
Come On In
Pretty Face Reprise
Hey Stella
Baudelaire
S’cuse Me, Pardn’ Me
Lies and Flattery
Waltz Out of Time
We’re Going to a Party
I Don’t Go To Parties
Synth Interlude
Woozy (Don’t Go Theme)
Sulk and Rage
Acts III & IV:
Welcome Back
Lanie’s in Love
Hello Zach
Bimbo Bubblegum
Rock Ain’t Dead
Don’t I Know You
Big Audition
One Star
Sorry Babe/Jennie’s Breakdown
Peace & Love
Knock Knock
You Don’t Want to Know
Rescue Mission
She’s Leaving the House
Scene Changing Music
Jennie Put Your Clothes On
Take It Off
Mess You Up
Act V:
Find Him
Job To Do (Reprise)
Interrogation
Warm Welcome to the Wandering Ones
Don’t You Get It
Run With Me, Stay With Me
Trip
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Eve recording as Spinster, DEMO
Cousin Raymond
Chinatown Bus
Boy on a Cellphone
Lady Mischief
20/20 Hindsight
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Eva Haze (band), STATE OF FREAK, Drill Recordings
(Eve’s NY band with Rich Liegey-bass, Rob Pfeiffer-drums. Produced by John C. Wood. Recorded at Fort Apache and Northwood Recording. Mixed at Metropolis Studios. Engineers: John C. Wood, Carl Plaster, and Jack McMahon. Mastered by Michael Fossenkemper.)
State of Freak
Femme Fatale
2,061 Sheep
Cross to Bear
Gitche Gumme
Limbo
Circle Swing
Rodeo Gertrude
Too Numb to Feel
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Eva Haze, DEMO
(Earlier project with Mike Gatzios on drums. Recorded at Sidewalk Studios, Allston, MA. Rep’d by Patti Jones.)
You in Blue
Nineteen Hours Crying
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The Dolores Haze, DEMO
(Eve’s Minneapolis band with Nick-drums, Fred-bass. Produced by John Kimbrough. Rep’d by Nick Hook.)
Country Song Cliché
Doing Ophelias
State of Freak
Too Numb to Feel
Walking Into a Wall
Just Grey
The Perfect Tenant
(I Wanna Be Your) Femme Fatale
Curse of Contentment
Baby, Baby
Mystic Mabel
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The Dolores Haze, 7”, Camp Q Records
(Eve’s Boston band with Steve Davis-bass, Andy Bernstein-drums)
Cool Logic, Cold Comfort
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The Dolores Haze, DEMO
(Eve’s Boston band with Steve Davis-bass, Andy Bernstein-drums)
Cool Logic, Cold Comfort
State Of Freak
Doing Ophelias
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Eve Hars, DEMO
(Produced by Eve Hars)
Walking Into a Wall
Toy Soldier
Mystic Mabel
Of Little Faith
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Eve Hars, DEMO
(Produced by Eve Hars)
Not Going to Fall Again
East of Fantasy
Baby, Baby
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Eve Hars, unreleased
Acacia
What It Is
You Don’t Know
Serious Nonsense
Reverie
Eve’s music was also featured on an indie compilation album produced by Shonen Knife and friends in Japan.
Additions to this discography are welcome.
