Ben Kweller Adds Dates, Slim's In June

We mentioned last month that we were really digging on Ben Kweller's new record, Changing Horses. As such, we were psyched to discover that Kweller has added a second leg to his US tour that will find him on the West coast in June. Among others, Kweller will be making a stop here in San Francisco at Slim's.

Having caught Kweller's show at the Fillmore a couple of years back, we can assure you that he delivers in a live setting. Granted, it's in the presence of many young women who are more than a little into Mr. Kweller. That doesn't change the fact that Kweller delivers a killer, super energetic set. We're even more curious given the country bent of his new record. Will it be a country band? Will Kweller play older material with new arrangements? All those questions and more can be answered on June 17th. Tickets are on-sale now.

mp3: Ben Kweller - On Her Own

Ben Kweller Summer 2009 Dates
Jun 13 Avalon Salt Lake City, Utah
Jun 16 Doug Fir Lounge Portland, Oregon
Jun 17 Slims San Francisco, California
Jun 19 El Rey Theatre Los Angeles, California
Jun 22 Club Congress Tucson, Arizona
Jun 25 House Of Blues Houston, Texas
Jun 26 Granada Theater Dallas, Texas
Jun 27 Emos Austin, Texas

Ben Kweller's Gone a Little Bit Country: New Record, Web Series, Tour Starts Tonight

Let's start by saying this: we're suckers for Ben Kweller. The man has a gift for melody, lyrics that seem genuinely personal, and a production team that knows how to make a solid rock and roll record. All that being said, we weren't too surprised to find ourselves digging his new record. What we were surprised to find is that Kweller has decided to throw down the country music gauntlet.

Changing Horses has all of the Kweller trademarks - his vocals and lyrics are front and center, and all of the songs are driven by his acoustic guitar. Yet he's acquired a host of instruments in his band that firmly push him into country territory. Pedal steel or slide guitar lines many of the tracks, and many of the choruses are full on group singalongs.

Granted, many of Kweller's tunes already had a folk feel that lends itself easily to a country sound. The thing that seems to have changed here is that Kweller seems to have embraced his country side completely. No longer is it the sound of a singer-songwriter trying to rock - it's the sound of a country singer singing country rock music. To be frank, the transition is so smooth that we wouldn't be surprised if this record takes on something of a landmark entry into Kweller's catalog. He has managed to find a niche into which his songwriting soundly fits, and the result is his best record in years.

On top of the new record, Kweller has committed himself to a spring tour, as well as a weekly web series entitled "One Minute Pop Song". The tour runs over February and March, and is staying east of the Mississippi for the most part - you can check out the dates below. The web series is actually in it's second season, and apparently gives "behind the scenes looks" into Kweller's personal life. Indeed.

While we can't say we're that stoked to see where Kweller "first kissed his wife" (on the cheek, right? right????), we can say that the new record is top notch. Kweller passed through a country filter is tasty, catchy, and authentic all in one fell swoop. What's more, it's a nice addition to his already rock-solid catalog of songs - check it out.

Ben Kweller Spring Tour 2009
February
16 - Omaha, NE - Slowdown
17 - Minneapolis, MN - Varsity Theatre
18 - Milwaukee, WI - Turner Hall
21 - Cleveland, OH - Case Western Reserve U
22 - Toronto, ONT - The Mod Club Theatre
24 - Somerville, MA - Somerville Theatre
25 - New York, NY - Town Hall
26 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
27 - Philadelphia, PA - TLA
28 - Pittsburgh, PA - Diesel
March
01 - Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle
03 - Lousiville, KY - Headliners Music Hall
04 - Nashville, TN - Mercy Lounge
05 - Athens, GA - 40 Watt Club
06 - Birmingham, AL - Workplay Theater

mp3: Ben Kweller - Old Hat