The room was packed, and I stood leaning against the railing of the second floor, watching the twirling lights rotate over the sea of heads and shoulders to make the Troubadour look like an aquarium. The crowd stood last Thursday still in anticipation of Texas’ own Ben Kweller.
The opening act, Whitley, was a pleasant combination of Adam Brody hair and a voice as deep and powerful as that of Johnny Cash. Hailing from Australia, this folk singer and his acoustic guitar were very moving. Though his lyrics generally explored melancholy subjects like falling, fire and the end of the world, his mellow sound went over well with the audience.
While he managed to shout into the microphone between each song, an inside joke that everyone seemed to enjoy, he failed to mention his name. If it wasn’t for the Troubadour’s sign out front, no one would’ve known about Whitley. Whether it was due to his pure musical talent or the venue’s impressive sound system, even from the back of the room, it was evident the crowd could really feel his voice.
Soon the lights went out and Kweller and bandmates arrived on stage. Kweller began his set with some songs from his new EP “How Ya Lookin’ Southbound? Comein … “ with a decent reaction from the hundreds of people in front of him. Then he uttered those two magic words: Sha Sha. The crowd livened up as he played songs from his 2002 album, and even Kweller himself seemed to truly prefer singing old favorites like “Family Tree.”
Though Kweller played an even number of songs from his three albums, which range in genres from indie pop to punk rock, something still seemed off. The band managed to make almost every single song sound country. Kewller even dedicated a song to Garth Brooks.
Ironically, the only band member not wearing brown leather cowboy boots was the one adding a country influence to all the songs. This guy, in his Chuck Taylors, plucked at the guitar lying flat on his lap as if he were playing a game of Operation, and I just wanted him to touch the side and lose the game. If Kweller wants his upcoming album to consist solely of country music, that’s fine, but I wish he wouldn’t ruin the perfectly good earlier stuff.
During many of these country songs, Kweller proceeded to dance hoedown style. We get it: You’re from Texas, but it made me wonder what his hometown would think of his cut-off camouflage shirt tucked into his unflatteringly tight jeans.
Despite the presence of all things Texan, Kweller knew what he had to do to win over the crowd. The highlight of the night came when the rest of the band took a break and Kweller inched his way to the piano, the instrument he was born to play. As the audience cheered him on, he began to play “Thirteen.” Halfway through the song, Kweller picked up and played his harmonica while still playing the piano with his right hand. Watching him play the piano was like watching Michael Phelps swim: It just felt right.
With his baby-fat-filled cheeks and shaggy signature hair covering his eyes, Kweller will always be 15 to me. His voice definitely comes through as beautifully on stage as it does on his albums, making it exciting to look forward to hearing what he has planned for the future. I just hope that he can stay true to his earlier work and ditch the hoedown influence in his live music.
““ Saba Mohtasham
E-mail Mohtasham at smohtasham@media.ucla.edu.