Wednesday, April 8, 1998
Versatile musician brings focus back to pure talent
MUSIC: Ben Harper’s simple classic style needs no fancy talk,
flashy tricks
By Michelle Zubiate
Daily Bruin Contributor
Opposite from Los Angeles’ predominate punk scene lies that core
group of classic rock lovers. Laid-back and passive, they
concentrate more on the music and the message rather than the less
important image music most often creates. Simply in search of a
great, pure sound, concertgoers found satisfaction in the form of
Ben Harper Saturday night at the Palladium in Hollywood. Both Ben
Harper and opening act Hepcat refrained from flashy tricks and
showy banter to grab hold of their crowd. What it all came down to
was genuine talent.
From the minute Ben Harper appeared on stage, the audience
received an endearing sense of his humility as he politely thanked
them amidst profuse cheers and screams. Clad in ordinary slacks, a
clean shirt and tennis shoes, Harper sat in his chair center stage
and tuned the strings of his hollow neck lap slide guitar, noted
for its clear ringing tone. From there he delved into a dazzling
set, intensely focused, containing a variety of musical styles.
The not-so-commercial Harper pulled off one of the best
performances to hit the Palladium in awhile. He sang and played
through every instrumental with an equal amount of driving passion.
The result was a show that stunned Hepcat fans and loyal Harper
followers alike.
Harper’s music centers around modern blues rock, but does in
fact touch on numerous genres and styles. Every song, however, was
carefully mastered, from sultry reggae tunes to classic rock and
soft acoustic picks.
The sound came together as a completely fine-tuned product of
immense talent by both Harper and each member of his band. A
highlight of the night included a percussion battle between the
traditional drum set mastered by Dan Butterworth and the different
calypso-congo drums of David Leech. As the challenge and the music
became more and more intense and the glowing lights shifted
frantically between drummers, a rush of adrenaline-filled
excitement climaxed before the wildly screaming crowd. Bassist Juan
Nelson also gave a solo that left people amazed at sounds they
never heard a bass produce before.
Even the strobe lighting and dazzling color effect accentuated
without becoming obtrusive. It set the mood of every song and added
to the atmosphere of the almost sold-out venue.
The young audience also added to the ambiance with their own
trademark rebellious nature as hints of marijuana smoke floated
throughout the pit. Frustrated security guards sniffed out
perpetrators from the perimeter of the crowd but without much
luck.
Harper’s honest persona added greatly to his appeal as a
musician. Most often there was little to no attempt at pointless
small talk between songs except to greet the audience, give a shout
out to the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant and express his thoughts on the
romance behind living out of a suitcase.
The audience jumped with delight and recognition at the first
notes of every song. Those favorites included blues-rock pick
"Ground On Down" and his most recent hit "Faded."
The core set ended with a clapping sing-along of "I’ll Rise"
that enthralled the house immensely. But even after the first
encore of two acoustic soft numbers, including "Waiting On An
Angel," the audience refused to leave or stop cheering.
For the second encore, the band opted for the old school
classics. A sultry cover of Marvin Gaye’s "Sexual Healing" and a
hard rockin’ cover of Hendrix’s classic "Voodoo Child" provided
such a perfect ending to a great performance that Harper did not
even need to leave his chair to produce.
Also sharing the night’s lineup, ska band Hepcat provided
danceable tunes for the audience through reggae undertones and
brassy melodies. Unfortunately for them, their performance came off
dry in comparison to Ben Harper.
MICHAEL ROSS WACHT/Daily Bruin
Ben Harper dazzled the audience at the Palladium with an
incredible performance Saturday. The concert also featured ska band
Hepcat.
MICHAEL ROSS WACHT/Daily Bruin
Bassist Juan Nelson’s solo amazed the audience.