Ben Lee at the Clubhouse 12.11.2007

By Steve Shugg, FromTheCrowd.com Contributor

There are certain shows where the lineup of artists simply gets put together because of either record label politics, or favors to friends bands. These said shows always seem to go the same way; first band plays, leaves; next band, gets off stage; finally the main act and shows over. As good as these shows might be, its always more fun to see the artists interact with each other. At the recent Ben Lee and Cary Brothers show at the Clubhouse, the listeners were in for an experience. All three artists, Kate Voegele, Cary Brothers and Ben Lee jumped on stage with the other acts, got the crowd involved, and just seemed to be having a great time on stage.

The show started with Kate Voegele, an up and coming artists who recently was signed to Myspace records. She did not hesitate to give everything she had, and it showed; she put on a great show, and with her voice and songwriting ability, she’ll be around for a while.

Next up was Cary Brothers. Here’s an artist that has put in the time to become a talented musician, and celebrates that with his songwriting and crowd interaction. Playing crowd favorites like “Blue Eyes” and “Honestly”, Brothers has the stage presence that seems to be missing from so many live acts these days.

Closing out the night was of course Ben Lee, an Australian musician who puts on one hell of a show. Mixing in witty jokes with some amazing tunes is a great way to feel welcome in this country. Playing songs off his latest album “Ripe”, he sounded great. He also played a tune off of his cover album, where he covered the entire Against Me! album, “New Wave”.

The night would not be complete, however, with a sing a long, and these three did not disappoint. Before they finished, Lee brought everyone back on stage to not sing one of their songs, but instead covered Rush’s “Surrender”. It turned out to be a great song that everyone that was old enough to know the lyrics, sang along to. Overall a great night at the clubhouse, and makes one look forward to the up coming Hotel Café Tour, where some of these artists will be back for another great show.

Cary Brothers at the Rhythm Room 08.21.2007

By Steve Shugg, FromTheCrowd.com Contributor

For going to shows over and over again at the bigger venues where the artists simply play their songs and get off stage, it’s refreshing to see an artist that takes the time to get to know his fans and put on a show that he cares about. This was the case when it came to seeing Cary Brothers at the Rhythm Room. It was a show that makes me look forward to going to those more intimate shows, and when there is an artist like Cary Brothers that is going to perform, the show has potential to be that much greater.

From beginning to end, the show was amazing. Not only did Brothers and his band put on an amazing show, but the opening acts provided the support that makes one think this collaboration of artists was a little more thought out than simply calling up your friends asking if they wanted to go on tour with you. First up was William Fitzsimmons, who after seeing him live for the first time, went out, bought the album, and cannot get over the sound that Fitzsimmons produces.

Second up were The Stars of Track and Field, and for a trio that don’t even have a bassist, going from a solo acoustic artist to this three piece rock group, I couldn’t wait for Cary to take the stage; I think everyone else in the room was probably thinking the same thing. Well we were all in luck, because within a matter of time, Cary and his band were taking the stage ready to go.

Cary Brothers is one of those artists that just get the crowd into his show. I’m sure it helps that everyone there knew all the words to his songs, and that the mixture of the crowd that night was simply there to have fun and enjoy his music. Singing out some of his more popular songs, like “Ride”, “Blue Eyes”, and his new single “Who You Are”, the feeling inside was electric, and when the show had reached its climax, everyone was a little bummed, because we all just wanted to listen to more music and share the experience. However that’s one of the great things about an artist like Cary Brothers, because just because the music has finished, does not mean that the experience is. A little while after his set, Cary always takes the time to come outside and talk to his fans and get to know that people that his music effects so much. As a fan, that really means a lot to me to know that just because the artist may be growing in popularity and getting national exposure, they still take the time to listen to their fan’s stories.

The cool thing about Brothers fans is, they always seem to go to numerous shows in a row, letting the artist get to see those certain fans over and over again, and establish those relationships with their fans. It’s also cool to hang out after the show, and to see Cary Brothers, a national artist who has been seen on movie soundtracks and TV shows, walk right up to you after their show, and go “Hey Steve, glad you made it out today, what did you think of the show?” It’s moments like this that make me appreciate music, and happy to be a fan of artists like this.