Ben Kweller
w/ Oh Mercy
» Ben Kweller Forms The Noise Company & Announces New Album - December 7, 2011
» Chill City - Alexandra Gardens, VIC - April 10, 2009
» Ben Kweller - Hi-Fi, The, VIC - November 1, 2007
» Ben Kweller - Trucks, Prostitutes and Ghost Whisperer - October 1, 2010
» Ben Kweller - In His Own Write - October 29, 2006
» Ben Kweller - Hi-Fi, The, QLD - October 5, 2010
» Ben Kweller - Republic Bar and Cafe, Tas - April 20, 2009
» Grouplove - January 4, 2012
» The Dum Dum Girls - January 3, 2012
Ben Kweller, you set my soul on fire. April 16 marked the welcome return of musical mastermind and keeper of the key to the hearts of many, Ben Kweller.
As the Corner Hotel began to fill with eager fans, Oh Mercy took to the stage with an already impressive crowd waiting. Rock blended with a little 60s blues, they were in fine form and seemed to grab the attention of the crowd, a difficult feat for any support act. These guys tour like crazy all over Aus so I suggest you take the chance and check them out.
Not long after, Ben Kweller and his band bounded on stage to a very grateful crowd. Looking every bit excited and happy to be there, he put on a kick ass show. I couldn’t have hoped for a better set list, a varied list of tracks spanning from his 2000 release Sha Sha to his most recent Changing Horses.
I have to add that the Corner Hotel was ideal for this gig. While it holds a fair few people, it’s still an intimate venue and perfect for Ben’s performance. While he’s energetic, his music has an underlying simplicity that requires your attention and in a larger venue his performance would have been lost amongst the space. A king of the stage, we were entranced by his presence and charmed by his words.
Obviously, the favourites were played: On My Way, Run, I Don’t Know Why, The Rules and a slower Sundress (I would have preferred to hear the original, it’s too beautiful to play around with) were all delivered with enthusiasm like he was playing them for the first time.
He pounded the keys in In Other Words leaving us swooning and giddy only to return for the inevitable encore. He performed an incredible country rendition of Ice Ice Baby (a song he hasn’t played in a few years until his Melbourne show!) and Fight, ending the night with Penny On A Train Track, complete with broken guitar string and a stalling jam session.
It’s been a while since I’ve been to a gig where the artist is so sincere that you honestly believe they enjoy their craft and performing for the people before them, anyone who misses out on this kind of experience is losing out. Ben Kweller, you are a man among men.
(photo by Sharni Coyne)
