After recording Changing Horses, his fourth album, Ben Kweller is out of the studio and once again on the road. He will make a stop in Houston, performing at 8 p.m. tonight at the House of Blues.
Kweller has been to Houston before, having been a frequent act with his old band Radish at venues such as Fitzgerald’s and Numbers. This time around, he expects to see a lot of his old fans show up to his House of Blues set, in addition to some new fans of Changing Horses.
‘All my fans have been really cool and seem to be liking the new material ‘hellip; It’s different, but I’ve had songs sort of similar to this on other records before,’ Kweller said.
Receiving attention for its ‘twang’ and old-time feel, ‘Horses is stylistically more 1970s California country-rock than 1990s Nashville contemporary country,’ Country Weekly Magazine said.
‘I wasn’t really going for any kind of ‘dated sound.’ I agree that it is probably a lot more ’70s than ’90s because I grew up listening to classic rock,’ Kweller said. ‘I think what a lot of people like about my music is that I don’t just stick to the same sound every album, and I always just write whatever I feel.’
A jack of all trades when it comes to music, Kweller can play the drums, piano, guitar and bass guitar, as well as sing.
Kweller speaks admiringly of his fans and loves when his music can help them through life’s struggles.
‘Anytime my music has helped people get through tough times, that makes me feel the best, I think,’ he said. ‘My favorite thing that they do is when they sing along with me ‘hellip; when they’re in the audience and they sing my songs back to me, it’s the best feeling in the world.’
The opening act for Kweller’s show will be Jones Street Station. Impressed by their bluegrass feel and five-part harmonies, he encourages everyone to arrive early to hear them perform.
Thursday will be Kweller’s last show in Houston for this album. You won’t get to hear a live performance in Houston for a while, he said.
‘If you want to get your B.K. fix, come on down to the show,’ Kweller said.
