a sieve, a steal trap, and keller williams

Keller Williams played a show at the Whitaker Center in H-burg tonight, and I thought I might write about all the things that happened. If there's one thing I know about myself, it's that my brain funnels through a good number of important things like a sieve, and works like a steal trap on things I should probably forget.

Here are some observations and questions pertaining to the show:

1) Why are bass players so awkward? Unless you're playing the upright and wearing suspenders, you're probably looking very awkward.

2) Replace the s-t-e-r in hipster with p-i-e (mmmm...pie), and that was a good majority of the audience. It was the type of show where there are half-hour jam sessions and very few lyrics.

So, room full of hemp + live music. Why was I surprised to hear the fire alarm during the fourth song?

I don't know.

3) I had no expectations for this show. Only to have a good time with Brett, and I can honestly say that I undeniably did. So while the fire department was doing a quick check of the venue, we thought it would be an opportune time to grab some a few tall ones at the G-man down the street. Excellent idea. Good conversation = a good time to be had.

4) I can appreciate a jam band, but I can't say it's my music of choice. It takes musicianship; I'll give you that. And if I can relate it to anything, it's like playing with a bunch of amazing athletes on the ultimate field. Everyone has a set of skills they're really good at. Put them on a field, tell them to make something good happen -- and it happens, and it's spectacular to someone who knows and enjoys the game. But to other onlooking spectators, they might still be wondering when the dogs and doobie were going to show.

I was that unknowing spectator. But the pot I spotted in puffs of smoke wafting from the 4th row, Mezzanine section. At times I wanted and expected to hear a face-melting guitar solo, but I was mostly disappointed to hear two of them concurrently, in a big ol' jumble of notes my mind had no idea how to process.

5) I enjoyed watching Keller play in his bare feet. Some days I wake up in the early morning, and then there are nights I have trouble sustaining a full REM cycle. On occasion, during these few minutes or hours of slumbering ineptitude, I'll grab my guitar and play in my sleep attire, ie t-shirt and underwear. I'm not sure what it is about playing in the semi-nude, but it makes me happy. And the few chords and strum patterns I know end up sounding a little sweeter.

I guess what I really want to say is, there was connectivity in the look of complete joy on his face -- Keller Williams, baring his shoeless soul, having fun, and singing so carefree. It was refreshing and something I needed to see.

6) There were periods of nice, solid, rocking out and hints of good ol' Southern blues. The rendition of 'Girl From Ipanema' was also very enjoyable. And people were up and dancing like it was 1999. Keller even broke out an impromptu 'Burning Down The House' riff, during the period of fire alarm.

Overall, pretty entertaining.

But I know, now more than ever, I enjoy music that is fairly minimalistic and mostly structured. If there's anything that I've started to really appreciate, it's lyrics -- the things a person has to say about how life is great, or how much it sucks, or how it can be completely Fergalicious....

And while I enjoyed the experience and the people, you will not hear any of the previously mentioned, lyrical topics (not in any truly, cohesive sense), at a Keller Williams concert.