‘`Pick up that guitar and play! Just play! Play that rock ‘`n’ roll for me’`, sings Kweller on set opener, ‘`Penny on the Train Track’. Taking some of his own advice for the next hour and a half. Kweller bounces around the stage with such enthusiasm and energy you can’t help but feel the exhilaration sweeping across the crowd. To top it off, the man is armed with a set of 100% bullet-proof pop songs. He dances all over his back catalogue, from the Weezer-esque, ‘`Wasted and Ready’, to the alt country of ‘`Family Tree’ and the piano driven, ‘`Falling’, all from his debut album ‘`Sha Sha’. He can rock hard when he wants to as well with ‘`I Need You Back’, ‘`My Apartment’ and ‘`The Rules’ from his acclaimed follow up album, ‘`On My Way’. Perhaps the most amazing thing about the show tonight is the songs from Kwellers latest and self titled album. ‘`Magic’, ‘`Run’, ‘`This is War’ and ‘`Sundress’ seem to have the crowd in fits of hysteria, like they were classic old Beatles songs or something, speaking of which Kweller does an improv’ version of ‘`Let It Be’ later in the set. It’s really great to see and hear a man who knows how to write great pop songs, there’s no gimmicks or quirkiness, just damn good songs and a damn good band, who all happen to look like they could’ve walked off the set of Napoleon Dynamite. The Bass player sports massive shades, a dodgy bandana and tiny denim jacket, plus he’s about 8 ft tall, geek-sheik! Kweller continues to astound with some solo songs, ‘`Thirteen’ and ‘`On My Way’ sound like someone way beyond his years should’ve written them, more evidence that BK is a phenomenon to cherish. Just remember ‘`don’t bother him when he’s watching Planet of the Apes on TV’. Ok BK.
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