Meeting with legendary Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, Ben Kweller was asked, “So you play rock n’ roll, right?” “Ya, rock n’ roll,” he replied. After only a short five minutes had passed, Wilson once again asked, “so you play rock n’ roll, right?” Oh, if Brian Wilson only knew how rock n’ roll Ben Kweller truly is. Ben Kweller does much more than just please your eyes and ears; he makes you feel flat out special to be a fan and within his presence.

Ben Kweller, along with his fellow band mates Mike Stroud, Fred Eltringham, and Josh Lattanzi, rocked the Engine Room this past Saturday night in Houston, Texas. His quick set consisted of songs primarily off his 2002 ATO released Sha Sha; yet live, he sounded clearer, more passionate, and a bit more rockin’ in comparison to the album. His playing of "Sha Sha", "In Other Words", "Falling", "Dienu (Lizzy)", and "Wasted and Ready" intoxicated the audience, and his encore of "BK Baby" and "No Reason" lasted for a solid 15 minutes, and brought the crowd to a heightened state of excitement.

This indie-punkpop musician, originally from Greenville, Texas, began his career as an original member of Radish, and after almost six years together, and finding success in a top 40 hit in the U.K., the band parted ways in late 1999. Kweller then moved to Brooklyn, New York, and was soon signed to ATO records. In regards to his time with his new home label, Kweller find it’s “not like some business guy working behind the scenes, it (the music) happens naturally.” Not only is his music created in a natural means, but it also at times takes on a spiritual meaning for Kweller. “A lot of times they (songs) tell the future for me. It’s a lot of subconscious stuff.” There is also added a motley of meanings to each song. “I’m a Gemini, and I have all these different moods…it’s all so different for me.”

I met up with Kweller after the Engine Room show, and he shared his warm, infectious words with me and three other sets of eager eyes and ears: