Ben Kweller Trio

Dear HiFi Bar, please, for fuck's sake, get some air con; I looked like a wet Gremlin after this show. Yours Sincerely, Everyone.

That particular violation out of the way, the Kweller Klan assembled themselves neatly on the ballroom floor, waiting patiently (very patiently- doors were at 8! Why?!) for their cult icon to appear. Sydney's Wons Phreely provided some Kweller-esque indie/folk to ease the wait: interestingly, also providing an in-depth and interesting biology lecture (The Rules of Nature). I didn't listen to biology in high school, but I was more intrigued this time around, possibly due to the catchy chorus and smooth guitar work by Mr. Phreely.

Finally, after sweltering ourselves into a slow death, the trio emerged. Well, when I say emerged, bassist Chris Morrissey and drummer Mark Stepro emerged- frontman Ben Kweller leapt into sight, prompting even louder screams of appreciation.

To be honest, from the music I had heard of the trio, I was expecting a folk/pop, mainly acoustic, slow-moving show tonight, the kind of show you sway to and maybe shed a small tear at a favourite song that reminds you of an ex. Alas, my expectations were dashed to the rocks like so many former Prime Ministers- how dare I expect nothing less than a rock and roll gig tonight? A delicious breed of Ryan Adams-ish alt-country, indie and salacious blues awaited.

The boys opened with The Rules from 2004's On My Way album and my veins opened up immediately: gimme more, my brain said. Ben Kweller is not unlike a drug himself: addictive, soothing and hard to get out of your head. Personal favourite I Gotta Move was performed seamlessly, and I fell further and further in love with Kweller and his schoolboy brightness. He wears a big, contagious smile that is preciously charming, especially when coupled with his genuine affection for Melbourne (not only did the band tour here only earlier this year, but Kweller proposed to his wife here! Score! Take that, Sydney!). Every woman in the place wanted to take him home for hugs.

The band played a mixed bag of hits from all their offbeat-but brilliant- albums, from the 2002 debut Sha Sha(Make It Up, Family Tree), On My Way (Need You Back, On My Way) and the latest self-titled effort (the sublime Sundress, Run, Thirteen). Even though I was milling about in a pool of my own sweat (I am nothing if not elegant), I couldn't help but become entangled in the show's vibe. I had originally gone as an observer: I left a fully-fledged doting fan.

What struck me, and impressed me, most was the band's ability to switch between rock and roll raucousness to tenderhearted balladry so seamlessly. One minute, I saw the crowd jumping about, screaming along with the lyrics by heart, swooning heavily to Ben's blues licks (who knew he was such a great axeman?), reveling in the bubbling excitement of it all. The next, especially whenever Ben was seated at the keyboard, there was a slight but powerful hush amongst the audience, who beamed beatifically-and scarily intently-on the mop-haired poet who can read their thoughts.

Time did indeed fly (I was even lucky enough to have coincidentally had the company of Stella Young, from Channel 31's No Limits! The people you meet!) and the band said their thank-yous and left us...or did they? Come on, nobody falls for the end-of-show fake out anymore. We know you're coming back. One day, a band will capitalize on this fawning expectation and really stay backstage. But not today! Kweller and Ko. flew back into vision and treated us to the wildly loveable single Penny on the Train Track. And as quickly as they had returned, they left us for good. Well, almost all of us.

I have a short story to tell, if I may? I haven't been in the professional reviewing game long, so when I was given a media pass at the door tonight, I had a small freak out ("What do I do with it? Can I get backstage? Should I have got a laminate, is everyone else gonna have one?!") but I grew a pair and asked the guard if my pass would allow me backstage. And, lo and behold, Lisa was behind the velvet curtain. Well, it was more like a heavy wooden door. Anyway, the symbolism was there. I made quick friends with some brash but friendly sound guys and made my way up to where I was told the band were hanging out. I probably looked quite calm, so my acting skills are worth more than I had once thought, because I was petrified I would embarrass myself as I so bloody often do (I do, oh, I always do). But, once again, expectations were kicked to the curb, son, because Ben Kweller and band are the nicest young lads you could meet. After a short spell of fawning over Ben's young son (cute, cute, so cute), chatting about the Arias (Kweller digs Sneaky Sound System! Another surprise! They just keep coming! I might've had a coronary!)and enjoying a quick smoko rock star style (it's exactly what the backstage stereotype predicts...awesome), I said my goodbyes and excitedly wandered through the city, texting anyone who would care about my silly, cordial experience. It was pissing down rain and it was hard to find a cab, and my cabbie ended up being an asshole, but all that malarkey couldn't clean the great big smile off my face.

PS. Bassist Chris and I determined that I should put an in-joke in this review, on the chance the band ever actually read it (there is one in there actually, haha, you don't know what it is!), but I thought I might seem wanky and pretentious so...Hi Chris, Ben and Mark! Melbourne loves Ben Kweller Trio!

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