Ben Kweller played an incredible set at The Waiting Room Lounge. See more photos>>>
The lights went out. Ben Kweller came out. He sat at the piano. And he played Thirteen.
A bold move to start the show with a slow-build love song, but the packed house at The Waiting Room Lounge in Omaha was immediately enraptured.
Kweller built a perfect setlist, stepping from old and familiar favorites such as Falling and Sundress as well as new songs Don’t Cave and Park Harvey Fire Drill from Cover the Mirrors, Kweller’s beautiful and wrenching tribute to his son, Dorian who passed away tragically in a car accident.
Kweller deftly moved between the crowd favorites and singalongs with a full (and fantastic!) rock band as well as the raw and personal moments performed solo (on guitar or piano). It was incredible, and the audience was right there with him the whole time.
Kweller’s long been a personal favorite. I’ve seen him maybe a dozen times and interviewed him several more. Thirteen is my wife and I’s wedding song, and after we called out Sawdust Man when he took requests, he actually played it. (And I freaked out a little.)
This show was Kweller at his best, and personal feelings aside, it’s easily the best show I’ve seen this year. It’d be hard to beat everyone in The Waiting Room going completely silent during Trapped or shouting every dang word to Penny On the Train Tracks.
Simply incredible show.
See all the photos from the show below.
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Joe Champion of Uh Oh at The Waiting Room Lounge
Special shout-out to Uh Oh, the Omaha band who couldn’t figure out a name before attending a Kweller show several years ago. Frontman Joe Champion told the story thusly: “‘Do you have any band names in your back pocket?’ Without missing a beat, he said, ‘Uh Oh. Fuckin U-H, O-H.’”
Check them when you can. I absolutely adore the song Gold At the End, and I can’t wait to hear the new record they’re cooking up.
