Daniel Robert Epstein: Ben Kweller

Y'know, I tried to interview him a long time ago when he came through town. I had it all set up with his people way before-hand, watched the show, (which was fantastic, btw) talked to his manager, waited around. Got a signed poster. "Keith Rox! Ben" Didn't even get to meet him! The kicker is that while I was sitting there with his manager inside the club after the show, waiting to meet up with him, apparently a bunch of kids who were just hanging around his bus got to hang out with him. Heh.

Just as well, though, I was really nervous about doing a face-to-face interview.

I just saw this guy in concert a few weeks ago and he was amazing. A real rockstar and very, very talented. People say he's lame but they're totally wrong. He's really got the writing chops and he's so much fun to watch as well. This interview made my morning

last time I saw him was at Stubb's in Austin. He was unfuckingbelievably drunk (which is hilarious, since he looks like he's about 12 years old) and went on like a 10 minute diatribe about all the barbecue he ate before he went on stage.

And still managed to rock.

I saw him a few weeks ago in Philly, very cool, very good stage presence, funny audience banter. He broke into a completely improvised cover of Aerosmith's 'dream on' after a shout out from the audience.

I saw him on his other date in Philly a few weeks ago, and he did a cover of two Metallica songs (the name of one of which escapes me, but it was Master of Puppets, and he was saying how none of the kids probabaly even knew it!) He was pretty funny, too.
He really grew on me, and I love his new CD SOOO much!

Now the only Ben left for me to see is Folds

If you have a few of the past rolling stones, there's a picture of him with death cab's Ben Gobbard (whatever) sitting in a bathroom stall with TWO toilets in it. It was at Calvin College. I was at that show and he blew ME outta the water. He claimed that the picture would be ''in some magazine'' and one of the audience members screamed "rolling stone!"

Ben thought it was a request for the Stones. So he flew into a crescent fresh version of ''satisfaction'' that was awesome.

Ben Kweller is my number one Ben..

Sha-Sha makes me smile, so I think I'm going to have to put that on when I get home from work. "Sex reminds her of eating spaghetti"..."Wasted and Ready" is a great song. That album is just full of great songs. Ben rocks.

This kid rocks. I'm glad hes doin well for himself
He really is a great songwriter

i saw this kid open up for My Morning Jacket in cleveland
and was not impressed
his most memorable song was
"Im drunk and ready to go"
and that was only memorable because of what a stupid line that is
straight out of a high school quaterbacks journal or something

i think hes lame
the same stuff as john mayer or howie day or dave matthews
hell hes on dave matthews record label

Drunk = wasted. Ready to go = Ready.
And Ben Kweller a jock? Because only jocks get drunk and have sex.

I remember looking Ben up through Google after seeing him on Austin City Limits, but I forgot all about him until I read this interview (must have been drinking). I have forgotten what his music sounds like, but it must have been good if I looked for more info about him.

yeah thats what i said only jocks get drunk and have sex - im gonna roll my eyes now

I'm listening to him right now...
and have been ever since I got the NEW s/t album.
I fucking love it!

natural talent, great music. i saw the video for 'wasted & ready' on austin music network a couple years ago, i had to check the rest of his stuff out. a good find

I'd been a huge fan of Ben since my friend introduced him to me in 2003, and On My Way helped me get through my best friend's moving away. I never got to see him in concert until last October, and I told him about how much that album helped me out and he shook my hand and said "thank you." He's such a heartthrob.