I fell in love with you, and out of love with you, and back in love with you (all in the same day)
When I was in Nashville last month, I stumbled upon Brendan Benson and Cory Chisel playing an afternoon set to a packed crowd at Grimey’s record store (surely one of the coolest music meccas on the planet). There was free beer (Magic Hat?) being handed out for the price of free, and it was as if I had slipped over to heaven for an hour there amidst the music.
Brendan Benson is noted these days for his role in The Raconteurs, and I had only ever seen him in that lineup, never solo. But his solo music tends towards the irresistibly solid power pop, never silly, always completely delicious and substantial. I took some videos for y’all that I’m just getting around to uploading on this sunny Saturday:
A Whole Lot Better – Brendan Benson
(rad opening track off his latest album, My Old, Familiar Friend)
And an older one that I’ve loved heartily…
And finally – covering Tom Petty’s “American Girl”! Brad Pemberton (of Ryan Adams’ Cardinals, Patty Griffin‘s band, and the Alternate Routes, among many others) rocking the drumkit, too.
I didn’t go to Benson’s show that night at the Exit/In, but ended up across the street. Standing on a rainy sidewalk outside the venue, I could see in past the packed crowd to watch him play “What I’m Looking For,” before we ran off into the night. It was a fine capper to a wonderful weekend.