The Porter Method

Butch Walker is back with a 2 disc live album just released today on Valentine’s Day. The album, “Leavin’ the Game On Luckie St.”, was recorded live at The Tabernacle in Atlanta, GA on April 20, 2007. The concert was recorded for a DVD that will be released in March and, this is the album version of the performance.

I was at that show and this album really captures the energy and excitement that was present that night. As always Butch demonstrates during this show what separates mere musicians from real performers. He is able to grab the audience and have them at his mercy and in his complete control throughout the entire show.

The sound on the album is awesome. The Tabernacle itself had pretty poor sound quality up in the balcony where we were sitting, but the mix that was recorded sounds great. Butch is an incredible live performer and always intermixes his song performances with various musical improvisations and crowd interactions. There are some nice instances of “Story time with Butch” in which he talks about some of the songs and their inspirations and background. These are always fun moments in his shows. And of course there are some great crowd sing-a-long moments which is a staple in almost all of his live shows.

This album also marks the beginning of him changing up how he releases his albums. Before he has always worked through a major label, but this release represents him commiting to switch to independent releases. This album is only available for download as mp3’s. Currently you can get it here through Amazon.com for the bargain price of $6.99. That is almost 2 hours of entertainment for only $7. Give it a listen, and pick it up. You will not be disappointed.

This will be a busy year for Butch. He has just released this live album today. Next, he will be releasing a live DVD, followed by a new band project called 1969, and then ending up with a Butch Walker album of new material entitled “Sycamore Meadows” before the end of the year.

Update: For a limited time, you can also download this record for free from Butch’s new provocatively titled site. It is via a strange little flash widget from Musicane.com so YMMV (I could not get it to work with Firefox).

Oh, and one of the best descriptions I’ve seen of a Butch Walker live show is written up here at RockNWorld.com

Recently Casey and I (along with Brian, Vicki, Kasey, and Kenny) headed over to New Orleans to see Better Than Ezra play at the House of Blues. I’ll write up the concert another time, but what I wanted to write about was the opening band that night. The opener was a band out of Houma, Louisiana called Sons of William. They are a 3 piece consisting of Joe Stark on guitar and lead vocals, his brother Dave Stark on drums, and Jen Janet on bass. Their name stems from the two Stark brothers’ father Bill. He was responsibile for their early musical education so the name Sons of William seemed a fitting tribute to him.

Normally opening bands are very hit or miss at shows, but these guys put on a great performance. Their songs have a great rock feel with some infectiously catchy melodies and beats. Joe Stark demonstrated that in addition to singing well, he is a very talented guitar player. Not overly flashy but able to deliver just what a song needs.

Prior to forming Sons of William, Joe released albums and toured as a solo artist and had been offered gigs playing guitar with very talented musicians such as Marc Broussard, Will Hoge, Rock Star INXS and even one of my favorites Butch Walker.

After their set I was able to chat with Joe at the upstairs bar for a bit while he ordered (and paid for, no freebies from HOB for the performers it seems) drinks for himself and the rest of the band. He was a super nice guy and very excited about all the shows they have been playing recently and the things they have scheduled in the future. He mentioned that they will be starting a residency soon at the Hard Rock Casino in Biloxi, MS in the Hard Rock Cafe. A residency is a string of gigs at the casino that are free to the public. I guess it is kind of like being the house band but getting to play your own original stuff.

This past week I ordered and received their album What Hides Inside,

and it did not disappoint. If you like a nice variety of rock and roll then you should really check it out. If I had to sub-genre it I would say Southern Rock, but it is definitely more Will Hoge than Lynyrd Skynyrd. There are rocking guitar driven tracks, some piano driven tracks that are very soulful, 2 and 3 part harmonies, and really great backing vocals from bass player Jen Janet. All in all a great album from this talented group. I will definitely be ordering their EP and self-titled first album to get some more tunes from these guys.

I look forward to catching them in Biloxi at the Hard Rock and here in Mobile next time they pass through. Give them a listen at their myspace page or pick up the album, and let me know what you think.

Updated to add youtube videos:

Performing Independence Day at Monsoon’s in Mobile, AL

Performing Breaking My Back

Performing Easy To Love (youtube won’t allow this one to be embedded)

Some of my friends complain that my blog tends to stay too technical and doesn’t really talk much about my personal life. So here is something for them.

For those of you that don’t know me, I am hooked on the music of a musician named Butch Walker. Some of you may remember him from a little band called the Marvelous 3 that had a hit song “Freak of the Week” Windows Media Real Player back in the mid 90’s. I highly recommend checking him and his music out if you get the chance. He has one of the best live shows I’ve ever seen. Since the breakup of the Marvelous 3, he has done two solo albums (Here and Here) and has become a very sought after producer (producing the likes of Avril Lavigne, SR-71, American Hi-Fi, and The Donnas).

Got an e-mail yesterday from ButchWalker.com mentioning that he had just put out an album of cover songs on iTunes. The album is titled Cover Me Badd - Link here for you iTunes folks (a play on words, of course, with the cheesy 90’s band Color Me Badd

The EP contains 6 songs:
Since U Been Gone (Live) - 2:15 - Kelly Clarkson
A Good Year for the Roses - 4:04 - George Jones
Alison (Live) - 3:47 - Elvis Costello
Live and Let Die - 3:14 - The Beatles Wings
Queen Medley (Live) - 8:37 - Queen (of course)
Always Something There to Remind Me (Live) - 4:13 -Naked Eyes

The live tracks (especially the Queen Medley) do a great job showing how Butch is in concert. He likes to joke and have a good time with the audience and most of all get them involved in the show. “Always Something There to Remind Me” was the closing song that Marvelous 3 used to perform and it is an awesome cover. I got a chance to see the Marvelous 3 perform at Atlanta’s Music Midtown (2001 to be exact) right before they broke up for good and when they played this song it was absolutely unbelievable.

Butch may be coming to your town. Here is his current Tour Listing

He will be in Atlanta on November 18 but I don’t think I’m going to be able to make the drive this time. Saw him about a month or two ago up there and it was awesome. Have to see if I can make it up there for it somehow….

Also here is a Pollstar.com article on Butch - Butch Walker Has Been Here Before

Happy listening.