Like many semi-famous artists who have passed their prime, Ben Kweller has a very dedicated niche following outside of the mainstream indie crowd. The Mod Club was relatively packed for a Sunday night, and one in every five fans proudly held his a copy of new record Changing Horses on vinyl. But before they would get to sing-along to that new album, the Watson Twins opened up the night.
Consisting of twin brunette sisters, they played stomping country jams for little over a half hour. They were sweet, but their only stand-out track was their interesting country rendition of the Cure's "Just Like Heaven," which they dedicated to Kweller.
Kweller took the stage to immediate applause and opened up with an oldie. He looked a lot more grown-up than his Sha Sha self, sporting a beard. However, his cutesy lyrics from 2002 sounded a little odd coming from a more mature mouth.
Nevertheless, Kweller still put on a wonderfully satisfying show. He took mostly from Changing Horses but threw in a few old hits from Sha Sha and On My Way, like "Family Tree," "In Other Words" and "Rules."
The gem of the night was the audience participation during "On My Way." Kweller was without his band for this number, and all that could be heard were the fans singing the words louder than Kweller himself.
The rest of the show took on a similar vein. It felt communal and familiar, and I couldn't help but smile the entire time.
Consisting of twin brunette sisters, they played stomping country jams for little over a half hour. They were sweet, but their only stand-out track was their interesting country rendition of the Cure's "Just Like Heaven," which they dedicated to Kweller.
Kweller took the stage to immediate applause and opened up with an oldie. He looked a lot more grown-up than his Sha Sha self, sporting a beard. However, his cutesy lyrics from 2002 sounded a little odd coming from a more mature mouth.
Nevertheless, Kweller still put on a wonderfully satisfying show. He took mostly from Changing Horses but threw in a few old hits from Sha Sha and On My Way, like "Family Tree," "In Other Words" and "Rules."
The gem of the night was the audience participation during "On My Way." Kweller was without his band for this number, and all that could be heard were the fans singing the words louder than Kweller himself.
The rest of the show took on a similar vein. It felt communal and familiar, and I couldn't help but smile the entire time.
