So the other night I had the privledge of seeing Ben Kweller live.
Needless to say, he was amazing.I can't really say the same about his opening act though. Tim Fite opened for BK and he was one of those opening acts that literally make you wonder if you feel like standing up and waiting for the main course of the show anymore. Although, it must be said that Tim Fite is very entertaining with all his little gimmicks and quirks he puts in his show, such as projecting an eye chart on a screen and making sure everyone's eyesight was ok. His music is an odd blend of hip hop beats and folk influences. Some people seemed to love it, but it just wasn't the stuff for me.
Finally, Ben came out and he rocked. I really enjoyed Ben Kweller live, because when he plays his music live, the songs are a little more rocking and upbeat. (And who doesn't love the feeling of dancing like a crazy person in a packed out venue in the heat of a Nashville Summer?) One thing that really hit me about BK at this show was his songwriting abilities. Before now, I had mostly listened to his latest self-titled album, and not too much of his older stuff. Even when I do listen to him, its usually for pure enjoyment in the car while I drive all over town. Such listening doesn't really make me listen to the lyrics too closely. But his lyrics really are amazing.
When he played "Thirteen," it gave me chills...
And "Sundress" is still my favorite...
He played us a new song...he says his new album will be country. This put me off for a minute, but the song he played sounded very Johnny Cash-esque, so I think it will definitely be an album to check out when it is released.
If you don't listen to Ben already, here are some of my favorite tracks to get you started:
Run
On My Way
Thirteen
Sundress
