Ooh boy, here we go! Ben Kweller! Having been absolutely titillated by the guy's last performance in Vancouver, I was really looking forward to this one. And just like 30 seconds in, I knew it was deserved of its anticipated arrival. Kweller bounces onto the stage in the dark with his two band mates (Drummer Mark Stepro's kit includes two big shiny kick drums, one with a B and one with a K) and starts a pretty lengthy opening set that crossed classic rock, hippy-dippy folk, and sexy blues - with a twist of theatrics to make it all extra-interesting. Maybe the vicious energy level was partially amplified by the small stage space - Kweller and co. were pushed up to the front area, with Gomez's gear already set up behind them. Kweller himself looked like a French cowboy sailor with his cowboy boots, stripey shirt and black blazer, and snappy little cap. He's honestly one of the motherfucking cutest dudes to ever grace a stage - instantly engaging and charming and oh-so-stylish. I'm reminded of Harold And Maude era Bud Cort here.











This is one of those gigs I wish everyone could have been at. If Kweller doesn't already have a live DVD kicking about somewhere, he really needs one. I wish I had this show on film myself. It's just so much fun. I swear at some point Kweller's head was steaming with the effort he was putting out. Actually, I think he was just disturbing the effect-smoke that was in a path of light directly above his head, but it looked like he was steaming. This is one of the most satisfyingly-energetic shows I've seen in a long time. The goofy little kicks and hand signals, the joshing and jiving between Kweller and bassist Chris Morrrissey, the crazy piano antics. The piano was cool - the song would carry on as normal, and then suddenly, during uppity choruses or outros, Kweller would stand, bounce up and down off his piano stool, stomp madly, do impressive double pleeeeoooo - pleeeeoooo swipes across the keys... and speaking of Morrissey (ahhh Morrissey. Emo before emo existed.... I'm getting off track)... between songs when Kweller was talking about Vancouver treating him well and going for food at the tres-funky Subeez restaurant or something, Morrissey was fiddling with his bass. Kweller stopped and looked at him and said, "Is that Super Mario Brothers?" Morrissey grinned devilishly and did his best bass rendition of various realms of the Super Mario world as Kweller spat them out to him. Group X, anyone? Watch that, it's fuckin' hilarious.









Some song highlights include the wooooosmokin' hot guitars in "Ann Disaster" and the ridiculously adorable soft lyrics in "On My Way." Okay, part of it was disturbing, but in a cool Johnny-Cash sort of way. The hard man with the soft heart. But in that part where he goes, "I'm in love with someone who's as pretty as a flower / Her life give me power so I'm buyin' her a ring / She makes hats with her hands. She is such an artist / I'm her biggest fan and I'm teaching her to sing..." the entire audience just melted. You could see it and hear it. Girls furrowed their brows and put their hands to their hearts, boys took notes and envied the power to make the girls wilt so. And everyone sighed.









"How do you like my Marshall stack?" Kweller asked, pointing out that very stack of amps behind him. "I dusted off the Marshall stack for Vancouver. I don't play Marshalls anymore, I play Fenders. But tonight? Marshalls." He pealed into "Sundress," in a version that sounds quite different from the original recorded version. The one he played here reminded me a lot of the Matthew Good Band's classic "Suburbia." They also threw in a fun version of Roger Miller's souhtern-steeped tune "Chugalug."









So popular was Kweller with the throng of happy twitterpated indie kids at the stagefront, that he even came out for an encore. Darn my memory and scrawly note-taking, but I think the song that was played in the encore was "Wasted And Ready," a raucous, fun, singalong drinking song type thing (obviously!). What joy! They could have kept going all night and I would have been happy as a lark.









So that was all good and well. There was a slight audience swap over as Kweller fans departed and Gomez fans took their place. In perhaps a tribute to the recent Police/vancouver connection, the Commodore's house DJ spun some Police, which got the audience all riled up and singing along. The set change was extensive. Gomez has so many bloody instruments! 6000 pedals and connectors had to be arranged. The rack of guitars and... whatever else was there, mandolins, I don't know, near the back of the stage was astounding. Right in front of me was a ladder of keyboards.









Gomez comes on just as overjoyed-looking as ever. As I mentioned way-back-when in the Sasquatch review of these guys, they literally seemd to glitter with happiness. Nothing's changed! Even under really-nice club spotlights instead of early-summer sunshine, they glittered just as much. They smile constantly and have an easy bop about them. Not the arm-swinging, charades-style antics that Kweller has, but just a never-ending sense of movement. Arms raised in the air, a simple head sway. Like if you find yourself walking down the street in your hometown and there's a busker standing on the side of the road and he looks kind of sleazy and you're doing your best to sort of ignore him because you have places to go and you need your change for the bus anyhow, but he's playing some song and before you realize it, you're actually walking to the beat of whatever he's playing and there's nothing you can do about it - the more you try to walk off beat to look like you're not paying attention, the more you feel like just dancing instead. This is the same power... haha what a weird analogy. But it seems like the guys on stage are under their own power in the exact same manner. "Hey... hey guys! We're playing music! Isn't that fantastic!? OMG I have to tap my toes to this or I'm going to explode."









Anyhow, the Gomez of today is very different from the Gomez I remember from long ago. The Gomez of my record-store-employee days. The Gomez of turn of the millenium. The Gomez of not-sold-out (as far as I can recall) 350 person venues. They were different. Casual, predating 'hipster-indie.' Maybe they charted the genre. Maybe nerdy glasses and thrift store shirts are all their fault. No wait, that's Weezer. But yeah, different. Something seemed more... out-there or refreshing before. The characteristic vocals remained of course, but aside, the sound and feeling was different. I only recognized a few songs from their earlier repertoire in the mix. Maybe a lot just changes in seven years. Regardless, the crowd was ecstatic. Clapalongs and singalongs. Everyone sings - the people on and off the stage. It's crazy how popular these kids are. Gomez fans (Mez-heads? Is that accurate?) are a little bit nuts. Not as nuts as Decemberists fans, but nearly. I think a lot of them are the same people, and Gomez is just the runner-up in the ultimate indie band race. The sort of second place that sprint runners have, where the difference is like .0001 of a second.









So far so good, right? I'm grooving, I'm into it. But I have to say it... Gomez, I love you. You're bright and wonderful and so so happy. But tonight, you were outshined. Ben Kweller and co. swept that stage with you in their never-ending interesting-ness. Not that this makes Gomez bad by any means at all!! Of course not, it's Gomez! They are infectiously joyous and can do no wrong. Just BK did a little less wrong. I would really think this was a different band from the one I am familiar with though, if not for the distinct vocal. Part way through, I take out my earplugs for some reason and realize the sound is oh-so-much better without. My ears will break, but this is much more enjoyable.







As I wandered around checking out various vantage points and scoring beers and whatnot, I noticed that, true to his word, Kweller was indeed perched for pretty much the entire duration of Gomez's set, at the merch booth, having animated conversations with everyone in sight and handing out copious hugs, signing mens' chests (???) and posing for pictures. What a gent.





Both of these artists are worth tons of your time. And Ben Kweller, please put out a live DVD. Make it a good one. Maybe one where anyone who purchases one gets a live in-person performance from you too so they can really get the gist of it. Sweet!

Elsewhere

By Andy Scheffler
Photos : Andy Scheffler
Published : February, 2007.