The Civil Wars (photo by Tec Petaja)

If you listen closely, there are multiple varying tones to applause: polite, obligatory, appreciative, supportive, congratulatory and many more. The sound of applause generates momentum and creates a feeling. Among the most special experiences is when audience applause sets the tone and spirit of a show, in contrast to coming after the events and moments of a show.

When John Paul White and Joy Williams (The Civil Wars) took the stage at The Wiltern, the applause led the show. It lasted a while. It was the sound of great triumph; the sound of victory. I don’t think I’ve experienced that specific tone of applause, in person, prior to this show. I imagine it’s heard during a parade when the hometown athlete brings home an Olympic gold medal. It may be similar to the sound of applause during the celebration of a victorious political campaign.

The applause of the crowd was amplified – we were applauding The Civil Wars, but we were also applauding ourselves. The Civil Wars are “our” band. There weren’t any radio stations, TV talk shows, publicity stunts, or million dollar marketing spends telling us we should listen to The Civil Wars. We discovered them and we told our friends. We purchase their music and sell out their live shows because we support true talent. The Civil Wars sold 100,000 records in 4 months, without a major label. The fans get credit for helping The Civil Wars succeed because there were only 3 factors in this “formula”: The Civil Wars, their music, and the fans.  We did it.  We “voted” for talent.  And we won.

In Los Angeles, we’ve purchased tickets to The Civil Wars’ sold out shows at The Hotel Cafe (capacity: 165), Largo (capacity: 280), The El Rey (capacity: 700) and now The Wiltern (capacity: 2,300).  We’ll follow them to The Greek (capacity: 5,900) and The Hollywood Bowl (capacity: 18,000). We’ll set up the “Who The Fuck Are The Civil Wars?!” website when they win their first Grammy. We’re proud of The Civil Wars.  This is the music we’re choosing.  These are the people we want to succeed.  That is the sound of the applause that preceded The Civil Wars’ show at The Wiltern.

After the applause, the celebration, the fuck yeahs and the thank yous, the show began and, in contrast to the sound of uproarious applause, the crowd was silent.  The music and voices of John Paul White and Joy Williams then carried us from one victory to the next, song after song, we celebrated The Civil Wars.

[Updated December 2, 2011]
The Civil Wars have been nominated for 2 Grammys this year: “Best Country Duo/Group Performance” and “Best Folk Album”. Here’s their interview with The Grammys upon learning the news:

Butch Walker & The Black Widows

. . . and alcohol.  What more can you ask for in a live show?

I dare you to not have fun at a Butch Walker show. It’s not possible. Even if your date is despicable, daft, or flirting with someone across the bar, Butch Walker will have a song to help you celebrate it.

Butch Walker and The Black Widows have been playing songs from their upcoming album, at an underground location, in what has become a Monday night residency of sorts.  Even if you know where the venue is, when you arrive, the first thing you see is a sign that says: Shhhhh.

Cheers

As the Black Widows take their positions on stage, Butch Walker reminds everyone why they’re here: “Let’s have some fun, alright? We’re going to play the album straight through.  That’s all we’ve got for you. . . unless we get drunk later and it’s someone’s birthday and we sing a bunch of cover songs or something.” They did get drunk, it was someone’s birthday, they played the album straight through, and a good time was had by all.

Butch Walker

It’s a rock & roll show: shots of whiskey are delivered from the bar, round upon round; there are rafters for the band to swing from. . . and they make good use of them; there are beautiful women on and off stage; guitars fall – or get knocked over – by beautiful women who are just trying to be helpful (so no one really gets upset about it); there are other beautiful women perfectly positioned to let the band know that equipment is falling; and not a drink goes untouched.

Ladies: you know what Butch Walker & The Black Widows, whiskey and beautiful women, bring to a venue? A bunch of cool men.  Live music and a hell of a lot more fun than a speed-dating event.

Butch Walker & The Black Widows

If you eavesdrop on band members after the show (they really tell the truth if they don’t know you’re listening), you’ll hear every single one of them say, “It’s a lot of fun!”  The show feels like a great house party just before the cops arrive as a result of numerous noise complaints, but with an amazing band as opposed to “that neighbor kid and his friends”.  The band is having fun on stage and it transfers to the audience. If you see Butch Walker & The Black Widows play, you will have a good time. Guaranteed.

I have several HD videos of the show and a lot of Butch Walker fans asking me to post them.  Initially, I considered that these are new songs, that the album is still being recorded, that perhaps something should remain a surprise.  What fun is it if everyone knows all the songs before they’re even released?? Then I remembered the first Butch Walker show I ever attended.  It was many years ago (not too many though because none of us is “old”).  It was an album release show at The Hotel Cafe.  Brand new songs.  In fact, it may have even been a week or two before the album was released, as a “warm-up show” to kick off a tour.  Regardless, it was a sold out show. People had driven in from Atlanta and Arizona and flown in from New York. It felt like a pilgrimage to hear these “new” Butch Walker songs, but the most striking thing happened when Butch Walker played: everyone already knew the words and they all sang along.  That show introduced me not only to Butch Walker, but to his fans, who are among the most dedicated, loyal, and passionate fans any artist could hope for.  Rock Is A Girl’s Best Friend didn’t exist at that time, or surely I would have written about that show.  That said, Butch Walker’s amazing fans have been a significant part of my experience of every show, so I wrote a bit about that here.

Anyway, here are a few videos for people who love Butch Walker – they deserve it:

This has become one of my favorite moments every week:

Butch Walker and Pink at Hotel Cafe

Sometimes when Butch Walker announces a show in LA I think to myself, “I’ve seen Butch SO many times and I do love him very much, but . . . do I really need to see him again?”  To which, my more intelligent, forget-that-you-haven’t-slept-since-New-Year’s, self answers, “Fuck yes, you need to see him again!!!” Then, upon taking my own good advice, and going to see Walker perform “again,” I think to myself, “Damn, I really wish he’d play here more often!”  As a result, I see Butch Walker every time he performs in LA.  Or, as the case may be, if I’m traveling and notice Walker is touring through the city I’m in, I’ll see him there as well.  I have yet to travel to another city exclusively to see Butch Walker perform, but most of his fans have. . .  repeatedly.

Let me take a minute to set the scene for you because if you haven’t experienced a Butch Walker show and his amazing, dedicated fans, then you should know about this.  And for those of you who were there, or have been there before – well, you can attest.  The Hotel Cafe is a relatively small room (although, twice as large as it used to be) and Butch Walker sells the place out within minutes of putting tickets up for sale.  In order to accommodate as many of Walker’s fans as possible, The Hotel Cafe clears the room of the people who were there to see some of the earlier artists, and then  re-opens the room only to people who purchased the special event Butch Walker ticket.  Typically, at Hotel Cafe, you can pay a cover to see one artist and stay all night.

At 10:00 pm, Hotel Cafe staff “cleared the room,” which meant they moved everybody out of the performance room and into the back bar area.  Walker’s set wasn’t scheduled to start until 10:30 pm.  During that half hour break people could grab a drink and sit at the spacious booths in the lounge-y area, they could step outside and have a cigarette, grab a bite to eat, make some phone calls. . . they have half an hour to do whatever they like.  Ignoring all of the alternative, more relaxed options, Walker’s fans crammed themselves within the small space boxed between the performance room, back bar, and women’s restroom.  With the exception of the restrooms themselves, this is the tightest area of the venue.

It was nearly impossible to make my way through the crowd, to do one of the “more relaxed,” less healthy options. As I squeezed between and around people, apologizing for swimming upstream, I smiled and reminded everybody, “You have half an hour – you can do anything!”  And one by one, people smiled at me, shrugged their shoulders and said, “yeah, I know.” So they stood, happy as can be, cramped among each other, peering through the glass doors as Walker sound-checked.  When the doors finally did open, they poured into the room and took their positions as close to the stage as possible.  In a sold-out, packed room, 99% of the people positioned themselves within the first 30% of the room, to be as close to Walker as they could get.  You could have moved a 10-piece dining room set in the back of the room because nobody was standing “all the way back there.”

These are the kind of fans every Artist dreams of.  For Walker, this is nothing new.  These fans have been with Walker for many years, they’ve traveled around the country to see him, skipped finals, missed weddings, they were his “friends” on MySpace; now they’re his “fans” on Facebook and his “followers” on Twitter.  Given the option between smoking, drinking, eating, and Butch Walker – they’ll choose Butch Walker every time.  One might infer that Butch Walker is good for your health.

Once the show begins it’s easy to see why Walker has such dedicated fans.  In addition to his expressive performances and songs everybody knows the words to, Walker is extremely engaging, authentic, and quite simply, silly.  After playing a few songs from his newly released album, I Liked It Better When You Had No Heart, Walker asked the crowd, “Did anybody get the record today?”  A majority of the audience cheered in affirmation.  “I mean, did anybody get it legally?” As people responded with laughter, Walker clarified, “I mean, it’s okay. . . however you get it. . . I just want to make sure you know the words.”  In reality, Walker’s fans did purchase his latest album legally, propelling I Liked It Better When You Had No Heart to #1 on the iTunes Top Albums chart on the afternoon of release.  It’s currently still  holding at #14.

As Walker played song after song off his new album, fans sang along.  Between songs, there was a constant dialog between Walker and the audience. At one point, somebody shouted “Say ‘happy birthday’!”  “It’s not my birthday,” Walker pondered bewildered.  After giving it a moment to process, Walker continued, “Oh, it’s your birthday!! Not my birthday. . . What is this? Chuck E. Cheese’s?” Then, as only Butch Walker would do, he worked a “happy birthday” shout-out into the next song.  He later reflected, “The whole time I was playing that song I was thinking about what a dick I was about the whole birthday thing, so I had to acknowledge the birthday – Happy birthday.”

Walker prefaced his performance of “She Likes Hair Bands” with a little insight, “This song is about hair. I used to be in a hairband and it’s haunted me forever. . . thanks to Google.  Y’know, you think you’re gonna be cool; you think you’re gonna be alright; you think you’re gonna escape that old high school reunion photo. . . and then, there’s Google. . .  and Classmates.com”  Walker, accompanied by his band The Black Widows, belted out these words with a very catchy tune:

So Baby, lay down
Nobody is around
Watching as our bodies
Slowly sinking to the ground
Throw away your phone
and your inhibitions too
There’s a hundred dirty things
That I want to say to you

Upon finishing the song, and to bring things back full-circle,The Black Widows suggested that they record the video for “She Likes Hair Bands” at Chuck E. Cheese’s, with the Chuck E. Cheese Band.  “Better yet,” Walker suggested, “because my mind immediately goes to demented places, the video should be of US playing the song to kids at Chuck E. Cheese’s and freaking them out.”  (Now read the lyrics above again).  Everybody laughed as Walker continued his set.

Pink joins Butch Walker

One of many highlights of the show was when P!nk joined Walker to sing “Here Comes The. . .” off of Walker’s previous album Sycamore Meadows.  Now, P!nk may write very catchy pop songs, but the woman ROCKS.  I’ve never actually been to one of P!nk’s concerts, but I have seen her jump on stage with Walker a few times.  And every time I see her, I like her even more than the last.  Like Walker, Alecia Moore (aka P!nk) is genuinely, 100%, who she is.  And she is fuckin’ awesome. When they finished the song and Moore walked off stage, Walker began, “That was. . . ” and then looking at his long-time friend, Moore, said with a chuckle, “YOU!”  The audience laughed.  “It just feels so weird to say, ‘Ladies and Gentlemen – PINK!’” Walker added. [Scroll down to see video of Walker's duet with P!nk]

It’s important to clarify that although Butch Walker fans may not jeopardize their place in line while waiting to get into the venue in order to get a drink, once they’re inside, it’s a different story altogether – everybody is drinking.  One of the reasons people clamor to get into Walker’s shows is because the shows feel like a party at your best friend’s house, when the parents are out of town, and the liquor cabinet is freshly stocked.  I don’t think I’ve ever been to a Butch Walker show without hearing a glass break (and as we’ve already established, I’ve been to many).

A few songs and several broken glasses later, on a gracious note, Walker said, “Sorry it took us so long to make this record.  Well, actually it didn’t take us that long to make the record – it just took us a long time to get it to you.  It only took 5 days to make the record. . . that was a year ago.” He then thanked everybody for buying the album (these really are the fans every Artist dreams of).  “It’s great to see it do so well.”

There’s one moment during all Butch Walker shows that, without fail, the dialog, laughter, and sometimes even the sing-alongs come to a halt; and that moment is when Walker sings “Joan.”  There’s deep reverence, respect, and complete silence every time Walker sings this song.  That’s the impact of Walker and his music – he will take you from the happiest, catchiest, highest of all highs, all the way to the other end of the spectrum, and you won’t want to miss a thing.

Walker finished the set with a favorite from his Marvelous 3 days, “Cigarette Lighter Love Song.”  As he sat at the piano, trying to get started, Walker announced, “I didn’t plan to play this long. I thought I’d be peaking at the 4th drink and then I could leave the stage. . . and now I’m up here. . . and the white keys look like black keys, and the black keys look like white keys, and you’re like, ‘I know you’re not gonna get this right.’”  That’s OK though, because in contrast to the audience’s revered silence during “Joan,” there’s one moment during every Butch Walker show that, without fail, everybody in the room finds themselves singing along at the top of their lungs, and that moment is when Walker sings “Cigarette Lighter Love Song.”

What is Adventures In Rock? On one hand, it’s what happens pretty much every night of my life. But more than that, it’s an idea my friend and talented musician, Jamie Drake (JD), and I (CW) came up with while hanging out last week.

You know those moments when you’re with your friends, laughing, having the time of your lives, and the question arises: “how can we keep doing this forever?” As we sat around a table at The Hotel Cafe, with some of our favorite friends late one night last week, Jamie and I decided that, at minimum, we’ll relive it the next day by writing about it. In addition to my live music reviews, we’ll post an Adventure In Rock once a week. . . for now. But if you like the series, we certainly have enough material to do it more often. At times we’ll include video, audio and interviews; we’ll always include pictures. And while we may set out to share one story, as the night evolves, so may our original concept. Chances are, that will happen more often than not.

The musicians we’re spending time with are not only talented Artists, at various phases of their careers, but are also really stand-up (depending how much they’ve had to drink), great people. They’re some of the most loyal, funny, dedicated friends we have. Some of us have been hanging out for close to 10 years. Some of us – Jamie and I, for example – have only known each other for a few months, but it feels like years. Over time, and through various Adventures In Rock, you will get to know some musicians and venues the way we do – after a show, instead of a show, during a show, at the 24-hour diner after the bars close, on the couch the morning after. Sometimes you’ll get insight into what was really going through a musician’s head when he or she wrote that song, designed that cover, ordered that “last drink.”  Other times, you’ll learn that the sad, serious, always lonely singer-songwriter is actually one of the funniest people you’ll ever meet (while also sad, serious, and always lonely) or that the outlandish, wild, crazy drummer is actually quite shy.

So as Jamie and I started dreaming up adventures. . .

JD: we just began throwing out ideas about how we could share this community of music with other people out there who might be interested in reading about how “exciting” our lives were – or rather – how we are all just about the same. We love Frisbee. We love music. We love good beer (Colette prefers good tequila) and real people. We also just wanted to somehow make all of our artist friends feel super rad. You know, we musicians make about 2 bucks when it comes down to it. We have this undying desire and message we have to share with the world, and sometimes the world just doesn’t give a damn.

CW: Also, musicians carry a wealth of information. Touring allows them to explore various cities around the world, often at odd hours. If you ever find yourself in an unfamiliar town, Tweet a musician – chances are they can tell you the best bar, favorite bartender, taco stand, 24-hour diner, and perhaps some stuff you’d rather not know.

JD: So while we were sitting amongst some of the coolest people on the block at this round table of sorts, I had some good news to share: “Soooo… You wanna see the album cover for my first record?”

CW: “Yeah! Break it out!”

JD: (Turning to Cary Brothers, who was sitting next to me at the table) “Speaking of album covers, I saw yours via Twitter the other day. I totally dig it.”

CW: “Let’s see it, Cary!”

Cary Brothers Under Control

JD: Cary took out his iPhone and pulled up a very cool black and white photo of him facing west with a fresh hair cut and of course, wearing that darn leather jacket he’s always got on.

CW: Meanwhile, around the other side of the table, some of our other friends (who will remain nameless for now) were conjuring up ideas for “useful” Apps. The definition of “useful” takes on a new life after a few drinks. Of course, we were entirely focused on Cary’s new album cover so we hardly noticed those other people. Although, since we’re adept mult-taskers, we may share this with you in the future.

JD: The font on Cary’s album cover was in the most possible badass font: comic sans. Totally kidding. In hearing him chat to someone about it a few weeks before viewing the photo, he had said that this was finally the album cover he had always wanted. Apparently, when he was visiting friends or something, one of his buddies just started taking some photos and they ended up being really great. These are the kinds of cool things I really dig about being an artist. Not having plans all the time and just seeing where the wind blows.

CW: I’ve known Cary for. . . I’ve lost track of how long, but many, many years. For me, it’s been extremely fun, inspirational, and gratifying, watching from the sidelines as my friend created all aspects of his latest album, “Under Control,” exactly how he wanted to. The album cover was the remaining piece I had yet to see. As Cary showed us the final artwork, I smiled, “that’s you!” That may not seem like a profound observation, but every time somebody is able to express themselves authentically, without interference from people with different agendas, it’s to be celebrated.  Just as the songs do, Cary’s album cover is an uncompromised expression of who he is, at this stage of his life. There’s a sense of confidence and stability, now that Cary has it all “Under Control.” Or, as he often puts it, is “all’s growned up now.” Don’t worry – he still smiles, drinks whiskey, and has a lot of fun.

After we had ample time to absorb Cary’s album cover, Jamie whipped out her phone and scrolled through photos until she found her album cover.

Jamie Drake When I Was Yours

JD: Taking my Blackberry Storm out of my old raggy purse that I got at an Urban Outfitters 4 years ago (and should probably replace), I pulled up my album cover. I was a little nervous to be honest. Having this be my first “legit” album (well, that’s yet to be determined), there was the fear of laughter at how green I am as an artist. I mean, I was sitting next to Cary Brothers, come on now.

CW: I wish I had a picture of Jamie with her Blackberry Storm and Cary with his iPhone. It looked like a simultaneous showdown of technology and art. I love it when those intersections happen. Anyway, Jamie passed her phone around so we could check out her album cover.

JD: “So here’s my album cover…”

CW: After considering it for a bit, I turned to Jamie and said, “I know that a lot of thought and work goes into this, so I say this with the utmost respect and sensitivity, but essentially, you and Cary have the same album cover.”

Now, as you can see from the pictures, the covers themselves look nothing alike and each one illicits a completely different mood. I went on to explain that just as Cary’s album cover boldly expresses where he is in life now, Jamie’s does as well. Theoretically, that’s what the album cover would do – express the artist and the music – so I also know this isn’t a revolutionary observation. But when you actually know the Artist, you have additional insight into how accurately this reflection is portrayed. Speaking of reflections, I later learned that the photo on Jamie’s album cover is literally a reflection. . .

JD: “Oh yeah, that’s interesting.. I see what you’re saying about them being ‘the same.’ My friend who took the photo, Daley Hake, just had this idea of shooting my reflection in a puddle and then adding texture by layering a photo of skyline in the water… kinda looks like I’m in space…”

CW: “Wait, that changes everything. I thought you were looking up toward the sky, but in reality, you’re looking down in the water?”  It was one those mind f*ck moments where my eyes had seen one thing, my mind processed it a certain way, and then Jamie flipped it upside down.  “I love how that shifted my perspective. That’s the kind of stuff I think we should let others in on.”

We asked Cary to share his thoughts, but he was unavailable to comment. Actually, we didn’t really ask him what he thought. Instead, we stood up and along with Austin Hartley-Leonard, The Brother Sal, Marko and Matt Ramsey, we headed to Piano Bar where more Adventures In Rock ensued.

Follow us on Twitter for day to day tidbits: @rockisagirlsbff @jamiethedrake

PS – this is the first one, so it’s rated G. There’s only one place to go from here. . . to see Butch Walker at The Hotel Cafe.

Priscilla Ahn

Priscilla Ahn was tonight’s “Special Guest” at The Hotel Cafe.   Ahn reflected, “I like ‘Special Guest’. . .   I’ve been ‘and more.’  Like when the flier says, ‘so and so’ and ‘so and so’ and ‘so and so,’ ‘and more,’ and I’m the only other one, so I must be ‘and more.’   Yeah. . . ‘Special Guest’ is nice!”

The reason for Ahn’s guest appearance was so she could try out new material before heading into the studio to record.  It’s a good idea, really – to see how it feels to play a song live before you record it.

Ahn began the set by warning, “I’m playing all new songs tonight, so you can’t scream out, ‘Play Dream, gd dammit!’”  She then paused for a moment, as if to confirm something, “I’m pretty sure I’m gonna mess up every one of these songs.”  After taking a minute to tune (and breathe), Ahn struck the first chord and sang her first note.  “”Ok, I messed that up. . .”

If that’s the case, then I hope Ahn messes up more often.   Note after note, song after song, Ahn delivered a captivating performance.  To say Ahn sings songs would be to oversimplify things – Ahn sings stories.   Every story she sang tonight described universal aspects of life, love, loss, belonging, and uncertainty.  The subject matter of Ahn’s music is universal, but it’s not cliche.  In fact, Ahn’s music goes straight to the core truth and vulnerability that you tend to keep safely tucked away.

"Tonight's the night to try new things"

From a tune about being a lost cause to a song about an awkward elf, Ahn weaves you through a web of emotions and reminds you that you’re not alone.  At least one other person has felt this way before and everything turned out okay.  Or, maybe it didn’t, but we’re still here, so let’s just embrace it. . . “This is something I must live with,” Ahn sings.

Among my favorite new Ahn tales was a song about taking a different route to the coffee shop one day and meeting a cute guy.  Break out of your routine, take a different approach, you will be rewarded.  There should be far more children’s books that expound this wisdom.  Try something new, do things differently, LIVE.

Ahn also introduced what she called her “one romantic song,” with a working title of “Torch.” You know this story – the one about that one love – THE one love.  There may have been many loves before and many loves since, but that one person is the only one who really knows you; the only one you really opened up to.  You experienced something more profound and intimate with that person because you allowed yourself to.  A lot has happened; life continues to happen, but no matter what, you will always share something with that person that can’t be described.  But — if it could be described, it would be this song.

I don’t know if you could hear a pin drop when Ahn performed tonight, but you could hear a bottle cap drop, and that seemed far more appropriate.

Butch Walker

Listen to the new Butch Walker album “I Liked It Better When You Had No Heart” in the Soundcloud player below.  Vinyl will be available at Indie Record Stores (http://www.thinkindie.com/state.html) and Digital will be available at ONLY Think Indie (http://digital.thinkindie.com) on 2/9.  CD/Digital is available 2/23 for everyone else.

Record release show 2/23 at The Hotel Cafe.

Terra Naomi

Don’t ever let me miss a Terra Naomi show again!  A lot of people were excited about the last-minute Jack’s Mannequin show at The Viper Room last night.  I was equally excited about Terra Naomi’s opening set.

I’ve been following Naomi’s career and watching her perform since 2006, but I’ve missed a few shows recently and I won’t do that again.  During last night’s performance at The Viper Room, Naomi performed some of my old favorites including “Say It’s Possible” and “Vicodin Song,” along with several new songs which have already become favorites.

Terra Naomi

“You For Me” and “Nobody Knows You Anymore” are songs about love, loneliness, and being okay with it all.  Naomi’s voice is beautiful as ever, but what I love most about Naomi and her music is that she’s real.  Yes, she’ll sing about pills, strippers, and infidelity; and she’ll sing about them with a smile (likely because they’re in the past).

I often see (and choose not to write about) some pretty, off-the-shelf, perfect-package bands – the ones record labels love.  They look the part, they have catchy tunes, they sing about things they’ve seen on the news but haven’t experienced, and their lyrics are accessible enough that they don’t require any thought or reflection on the part of the listener.

Terra Naomi: okay with it all

Terra Naomi is the complete opposite of this and therefore represents everything I love.  She’s honest and real, never compromising her integrity or music for the sake of a cute pop song.  Her songs are fantastic, but you’ll likely not hear them on The Hills, so be sure to see Terra Naomi when you have the opportunity.

If you missed last night’s show at The Viper Room, you can catch Terra at Hotel Cafe tonight at 8:00 pm.

Sara B: The Coolest Chick Ever

If you’ve never seen Sara Bareilles perform, then you’re missing out on more than just music.  You’re missing great comedy, authenticity, diversity balanced with consistency, and the coolest chick ever.  This is why I’m choosing to write about a show that took place last year – because it was that good.

I was backing up some of my video files earlier today and revisited the footage I shot of Bareilles’s secret show at Room 5 in December.  Her “Gravity” intro still makes me laugh, while her performance of the song continues to give me chills.  I was happy Bareilles’s Grammy-nominated and “fuck off record label” tune, “Love Song,” made it to the set list even though I’d heard it countless times before.   Her freshly penned song about the show Jersey Shore, written with a holiday twist, had everybody in the audience doubled over in laughter.

Bareilles’s guest appearance at Room 5′s weekly songwriters-in-the-round gathering was spontaneous, playful, and fun.  You almost forgot you were there to see music. . . and then Bareilles would sing.  When she sings, you’re quickly reminded why you’re there.  When the show is over you’ll start thinking about when you can see Bareilles next.

Why is Bareilles the coolest chick ever? She can write, she can sing, she will make you laugh, she’s genuine, she’s unique, she’s got attitude and style. . . But what makes Bareilles cool is that she’s all that AND one of the most loyal and kind people in the world.  She’s had a lot of success, has nearly 2 million followers on Twitter, and she stills shows up for her friends.  She continues to play shows at Hotel Cafe to raise money for charity, even though she can sell out The Wiltern.  She supports her friends, drops in on their shows, and plays for free.  Rather than cancel a previously scheduled performance in Los Angeles when she was given the opportunity to appear on a TV show in New York last year, she flew across the country immediately following the TV taping and played two shows back to back the same night.  You can support Sara Bareilles for her music; you can support her because she makes you laugh; or you can support her simply because she’s a good person who deserves all the success in the world.

Bareilles seeks the definition of “tie one on” and then teaches everybody the meaning of “Gravity”:

In honor of MTV’s Jersey Shore:

Last “Love Song” of the decade:

Butch Walker by request

One of the reasons I love Butch Walker is because he’s honest.  (Either Walker is really honest or he’s a really good liar.)  Another reason I love Butch Walker is because he’s cool.  And not just cool, but sexy cool.  Walker reminds you that it’s sexy cool to be honest.

And that’s what makes a Butch Walker show what it is.  Sure, the music is good; his passion and expressive stage presence is entertaining and refreshing; his sense of humor makes you forget about anything his songs may have made you remember. . .  But what makes a Butch Walker show a Butch Walker show is that it’s one place (especially in LA) where it’s okay to be vulnerable; it’s cool to be unguarded and real.  As they sing along to every song, at a volume that nears screaming (albeit melodic), the crowd acknowledges that they’ve felt that way too.   And while they may not have been brave enough to express it before, Butch Walker shows are a safe place for people to exclaim, “Yeah, I’m a little fucked up,” and then to celebrate that we all are.

Butch Walker jogs his memory with his song book

Last night’s show at The Hotel Cafe was the last show of Butch Walker’s 4-week residency at the venue.   During the 3 prior shows Walker played one of his albums start to finish.  Last night’s event was a fan request show.  Every song on the set list (except two new songs) was requested by fans via Twitter.   This proved to be more challenging for Walker as it forced him to re-learn some songs he hadn’t played in years, songs he’d forgotten he’d written.  In some cases, he played songs he claimed to never have played live before.  “There’s gonna be a lot of fucking up tonight,” Butch Walker remarked early on during his set.

Fans knew the words better than Walker as he played songs he swore he’d never play live again.  “I hate playing this song.  It’s really hard to sing – it has too many words,” Walker explained before launching into “Suburbia.”  “I swore I’d never play this song live again, but you requested it . . . “  Walker’s commitment to his fans was reaffirmed numerous times during his 2-hour set.

Butch Walker plays, the audience sings

Between songs Walker lent insight into the lyrics and where he was (figuratively speaking) when he wrote each song.  He openly explained that some of the songs were hard for him to sing now.  “A lot of these (songs) -  I’m having trouble connecting with them now because I don’t know where I was then.”  Reflecting back, prior to playing some of his earlier material, Walker remembered that he used to scream a lot more when he was younger. At 40-years old he admits to being much happier now.  “I had more things to be angry about back then.  Well, I’ll try to scream tonight. I’ll give it a shot. . .” Walker said before launching into some of his more angst-ridden songs.

Walker played “I’m A Believer” for some fans who flew all the way from Atlanta to see the show.  Walker’s parents also flew in for the show to which Walker remarked, “I never thought I’d be drinking whiskey from a bottle, in front of my parents.  Well, I’m alls growned up now. . .”

Halfway through “Beautiful,” which Walker had trouble singing seriously, he added some lyrics, “I’d go get your fucking money back.”  When he finished singing “Beautiful,” Walker explained his inability to play the song without laughing, “I feel like this song is a hair product commercial.”

Just like watching it on YouTube

After every song about heartbreak and pain, Walker had a way of making the crowd laugh hysterically.  “I decided tonight I’m just gonna talk to you like I’m on YouTube. Like you’re watching it. . . y’know?  Because when I get home this whole show will be up on YouTube and I’ll watch it and think, ‘Oh, don’t wear that!’”

In response to some holiday song requests, Walker pondered, “There aren’t any Thanksgiving songs. We should make up a Thanksgiving song.”  Then, while strumming an upbeat tune, Walker sang, “White men are assholes.  White men are assholes.  We took this land, took this land, took this land, took this land. White men are assholes. . .  I’m happy to be here.”

Walker introduced “Vampires In Love,” a song he wrote in 1997, 12 years ahead of its time.  “Cuz it would be stupid to do something like that now,” Walker said, referring to the current popularity of vampire stories such as the Twighlight series and True Blood.  “It just reaffirms my belief that I should never play this song again.”  Walker let the audience take over the vocals as he playfully mocked the song with dramatic facial expressions.  After he finished playing “Vampires In Love,” Walker commented, “That song is like Fisher Price My First Song. . . the lyrics are so stupid.”

Reviewing his song cheat sheets

He played fan-favorite song after fan-favorite song, deviating from the fan request format only twice to play new songs.  Walker wrote one of the songs for his young son, reminding him to live a complete, full, passionate, fun-filled life, and not to make some of the mistakes Walker had.

Walker took us on a journey from one side of love to another, singing “Let Me Go”:
Please just let me go
And I won’t be your shadow anymore

Followed by “Last Flight Out”:
Is this all there really is?
Life after you
Is it all there really is?
What else can I do?
I’m just gonna taste your kiss
No matter who I’m with

“This is my get out jail free song. I’m not gonna sing it – you are,” Walker said as he began playing another fan anthem. If that’s the case, all the songs Walker played last night could be considered “get out of jail free songs” – the audience sang every one.

There's no need to scream anymore

As Walker played the older songs he seemed to get younger. I could picture him, 20 years ago, 20 years old, sitting in his bedroom. . . Just as cool then as he is now. I thought about all the musicians who’ve collaborated with Walker, those fortunate enough to have his producer credit on their album. “It would be a lot of fun to work with Butch,” I thought.  He takes what he does seriously, but he also knows how to have fun.  Butch Walker has changed since he wrote many of the songs he played last night. He’s more relaxed and knows first and foremost how to have a good time. Perhaps that’s why he doesn’t scream much any more.

Butch Walker leaves the screaming (and sometimes the singing) to the fans.

People sometimes ask me why I “bother” with Twitter.  They don’t understand its application in everyday life and think of Twitter as another unnecessary distraction.  So here are a few reasons I love Twitter:  Nine Inch Nails last show ever, Thom Yorke “secret” show at The Echoplex, Imogen Heap TweetUp, David Gray last-minute show at Hotel Cafe, and Brett Dennen intimate performance at Library Alehouse.

As with all the amazing music experiences noted above, I found out about Brett Dennen’s performance at Library Alehouse via Twitter.   Dennen announced this show with a Tweet, at 1:43pm today.  I re-read the Tweet a few times because Library Alehouse is not a music venue (not that all shows must take place in a proper venue, but. . .).  Library Alehouse is one of my favorite pubs slash restaurants in Santa Monica.  They have an amazing selection of beer on tap, including a few that are hard to find elsewhere  (I only know this because I’ve been there with some guys who know this).  They also have a great year-round outdoor seating area in the back (I know this because that’s where I like to sit).

Brett Dennen at Library Alehouse

So when Brett Dennen Tweeted that he was going to be performing at Library Alehouse for a Carson Daly taping, I thought perhaps he had one too many glasses of really good beer. Yet the Tweet was very specific and Library Alehouse was on the way home (as “on the way” as anything is in LA), so I decided to stop by.  Good thing I did because Dennen was entirely sober and indeed performing at Library Alehouse tonight.

I first became aware of Brett Dennen several years ago (2004-ish), at The Hotel Cafe.  Marko, who co-owns and books the venue, told me I had to come down and “check out this guy Brett Dennen.”  I remember it was a late show. . .  No, actually. . . Whoever had played before Dennen started late (or ran over time) which pushed Dennen’s set back.  It was approximately 11:43pm on a weeknight, after a very long day, and with an early morning ahead of me.  If anybody else told me I needed to be out that night, I would have ignored them.  But when Marko tells me I need to see someone, I show up.

Consistently, 0n any given night, The Hotel Cafe has a solid line-up.  It’s the kind of place you can go, even if you don’t recognize the names of the artists playing, and be guaranteed to hear some good music.  In fact, I often go there “on the way home” because I’m certain to hear something I like.  Marko doesn’t call me every time an amazing musician is playing at Hotel Cafe (if he did, he’d be calling me four times a day).  So when he does say, “you’ve gotta come check this out,” I don’t question it; I just show up.

In the case of Brett Dennen, that meant I was one of approximately 8 people in the room when he performed what are now some of his most requested songs.  He was, without a doubt, phenomenal which left me thanking Marko profusely and questioning where everyone else was.  It also reminded me of a time when I was one of only 5 people seeing Jack Johnson perform at The Mint several years prior to that.  In both instances I wondered how long it would take for people to catch on.  And in both instances the answer was:  not very long at all.

Brett Dennen at Rothbury 2009

The next time I saw Dennen perform at Hotel Cafe the room was packed.  The time after that it was sold out.  After playing a few sold-out shows at Hotel Cafe, Dennen graduated to larger venues, but he’d often come back to Hotel Cafe and play special shows.  The last time I saw Dennen perform at Hotel Cafe, not only was it sold-out, but people hovered outside the window on Hollywood Boulevard, with their ears pressed against the glass, straining to hear as much of the show as possible. Most recently I watched (or rather, danced) as Dennen performed to thousands of fans at Rothbury Festival.

So that’s Brett Dennen – nobody knew about him, then everybody knew about him, and now those who know him on Twitter are the ones who knew to show up for his Carson Daly taping this afternoon.  And just like old times, we were among the few (40 people) who got to experience this show.

Dennen began by playing a brand new song, “Dancing At The Funeral.”  It’s not as morbid as the title may lead you to believe.  “Dancing At The Funeral” is a song about celebrating life, an important message to share.  Next, at the request of the audience, he  played “Desert Sunrise,” a song off his debut album.  Dennen spoke about his fond memories of the Bay Area and how he weaved a break-up storyline into the song prior to playing “San Francisco.”  “It’s really a love song,” Dennen said.  “I love that city.”

Next, he told a story about recording “Heaven” with Natalie Merchant.  Like several artists, Dennen likened the song to a child.  But unlike other artists, Dennen’s “child” had a different upbringing.  Hopefully they leave that story in the show so you can hear it for yourself (I’d only f*ck it up if I tried to repeat it).  Dennen finished the set with “It Could Make You Cry,” another ironically happy tune.

And with that, the show slash taping ended, and some really good beer was the substitute for an encore.

I didn’t find out when the show is going to air, so your best bet is to follow Carson Daly on Twitter.