Ben Kweller / Sam Roberts Band
By Kimberly Rosenbauer
Monday. Nov 06, 11:52 AM
live at Metro (Chicago, IL) Oct. 7th, 2006.

Few shows can start better than walking up to the venue entrance and seeing the headliner right there, hanging out in front of his tour bus. As expected, girls were gathered in huddle / line formation with cameras ready and waiting to get their turn. Though Ben Kweller said to his fans that he really needed to get inside, he still took pictures with every girl waiting (and of course, I had to jump in and tell him I was reviewing the show. He said he’d look it up online… Ben, are you reading this???).

Sam Roberts and his Band opened for the ladykiller with the big and strong “The Gate” (also the opener on Roberts’ latest album). Already, you could tell that his music has definitely matured since his last record: less obvious hooks and more musically affirmative. From full band numbers like “The Resistance” to poignant storyteller solo performances like “An American Draft Dodger in Thunder Bay,” Roberts put on an impressive set. He played only one song from his last severely underrated album, Brother Down, but I still felt good about the direction his music seems to be going in and the very positive response he got from the crowd.

Ben came out next, opening with “Penny on the Train Track” as the crowd sang every word, although the album came out only a few weeks ago. His new songs all have that same ‘60s whimsical characteristic, yet none sounded formulaic or boring. His band did a great job at making sure of this, even in little ways like the inclusion of a tambourine or a xylophone.

After a few songs, Ben wished his mom, Dee, a happy birthday and the whole place sang her the Birthday song. Awww. Even though I would still love his music no matter how nice or mean he was, you definitely get a few extra points in my book for the nice factor.

Besides the fantastic melodies his music provides, Kweller is a great entertainer. He knows just how much to chat with the crowd, and in songs like “Hospital Bed,” he uses dramatic pauses (on piano) to really draw the listener in and feel the anticipation of the subsequent chords. Some of these piano solo songs were the most amazing of the night. As intensely moving as they were, they also quickly remind you how very talented this young man is.

“Rules” from Kweller's last album revved things up a bit after the more serious piano set. Awesome bass helped the crowd find a beat to nod their heads to, as the two guitarists onstage kept the energy level going. The show ended with “I Need You Back,” to which Kweller inserted “Chicago!” to a deafening audience roar. Ben was dancing a twisting all over the stage as if he hasn’t been performing all his life and hasn’t put on 5,000 shows. He truly loves what he does, and so do we.
www.benkweller.com
www.samrobertsband.com

Kimberly Rosenbauer

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