Butch Walker: Guest on LFDH and Rock Star at The Double Door in Chicago

As my vast, devoted following knows, Bibi LOVES Episode 54 of Live From Daryl's House, her introduction to the great, the wonderful, the truly under-recognized, Butch Walker.  After Daryl gives a short, intriguing lead-in for Butch, we meet Butch, who introduces himself, giving us an idea what he's about. 

I remember thinking:  hmmm, this guy seems nice enough, a bit self-effacing, pretty low-key, laid back.  Wonder how he'll do up against  Daryl's band?  He proceeded to rock it with Bodegas and Blood first on the set list--on mandolin, no less--having a ball, singing back and forth with Daryl and the guys, confidence and performance full out.  Aaaahhh, the beginning for me with Butch. 

And then he did Sweethearts!  Oh, dear! 

Butch singing Bibi's favorite: Sweethearts

Maybe I knew then that a new world had opened for Bibi or maybe I didn't realize it until a few hours later when I was still watching YouTube videos of Butch, taking in as much as possible about this fantastic performer.

Thing is, now, having seen Butch live, I'm amazed at the different sides of Butch--the sweet, almost diffident singer on LFDH--and the rock star on glorious display at the Double Door on December 30. 

Butch Walker: You're SUCH a pretty melody!

I suppose many performers have multi-faceted personalities that they reveal at different times.  Let's take Angus Young as an example.  Apparently, he's quite shy in regular life, unassuming, sitting around drinking cups of tea and smoking Benson & Hedges cigarettes.  Onstage, though, OMG--total fucking wild man on guitar!  Running all over the stage, killing it for two solid hours, driving the audience insane with those riffs, so familiar and such an intense rush of unbelievable energy, excitement, intensity.  Sigh. 

Focus, Bibi...Butch Walker, Butch Walker, you were writing about Butch Walker.  Right.  For Butch, these differences manifest themselves so dramatically, really cool that these two disparate views of him both appeal to Bibi.  You HAVE to see Butch live, really!  His records are fantastic and if you haven't watched episode 54 of Live from Daryl's House, what have you been doing?  GREAT showcase for Butch and then, take any opportunity you can, get out of the house, get yourself downtown and shake it all out at a Butch Walker show.  INTENSE!

Love you, Butch!

Butch Walker: Such a Pretty Melody

Bibi's readers know how much she LOVES, LOVES, LOVES Say It Isn't So from episode 54 of Live From Daryl's House--had to listen to it this morning to resolve some Monday family blues.  It worked, too! 

Since December 30, though, have been experiencing a huge crush on Pretty Melody.  "Oh baby we don't have to be like the rest of them....there's not a single part of me that would ever let you go.....ooooooh, oooooooh....." 

Got I Liked It Better When You Had No Heart the other day, so discovering that part of Butch's work.  Very, very interesting to Bibi.  It's Butch, but a different shade of Butch from the other albums.  Not sure how much I liked it at first, but you know how it is with Butch:  just listen, pay attention, let the words and melody flow over you.

One of my fan-tasies runs like this:  what if, I got to meet Butch and had the opportunity to get his autograph on Drinking With Strangers?   ha, ha, ha on the readers--they were thinking:  okay, a fantasy involving Butch, HOT!  Well, maybe, er, sure, just LOOK at these pictures

Butch Walker channeling hot male model

Butch Walker, spokesperson of the year for whatever--I will buy it!



Lost in thought about ... who cares?


but not for sharing on the world wide web. Please.  On this blog, the R rating is due to use of foul language, okay?  Anyway, in Bibi's fantasies, as it's playing out, I'm wearing whatever I'm wearing at the moment, so for this one at this moment, asking for the autograph in my office clothes.  Including the Ralph Lauren pumps.  Kinda funny.  Under what circumstances would Bibi be standing around Butch in her office-appropriate attire?  He'd actually be on this campus?  Happened right after work?  OMG! But anyway, in the book signing fantasy, the really big question is, what would I ask him to write?  My best ideas are lyrics from his songs, but there are so many great ones, tough.  And, admit it, a lot of the lyrics from Pretty Melody would raise eyebrows (and scorch 'em off) when you showed off the autograph.  Dilemna.

Off to a book reading and signing now.  Not Butch (sigh).  Michael Chabon, though, almost as good, right?

We will see.

Love ya, Butch!

Butch Walker Mixtape V.2

Although Bibi still has a few copies of the BWM II and/or II.2 and IV.3, the BWDDC (Butch Walker at the  Double Door in Chicago) cd is now available.  Late this week, introduced Butch's music to a new possibility, M.  She seemed open to listening and let her know there were Butch Walker cds, BTW II.2 and IV.3, versions with or without the f and the s words.  If Bibi were in a more reflective mood, she'd riff off George Carlin, Lenny Bruce, John Lennon, etc., about the power of some words....Luckily for the faithful It's been such a good week, I won't make them suffer through such a jejeune, and ultimately pointless exercise.  (but what about making the readers suffer through the use of words like jejeune?)  However, the conversation with M did guide Bibi to the realization that from a marketing standpoint, a new "meet Butch Walker" in a cd kind of way was needed.  Here it is:

Butch Walker Mixtape V.2

Maybe It's Just Me  
Mixtape                   
Don't Move         
Race Cars and Goth Rock
Bethamphetamine (Pretty Pretty)
The Weight of Her
Here Comes the…
Ponce de Leon Ave.
Ships in a Bottle
Passed Your Place, Saw Your Car
Sweethearts
Synthesizers
The Closest Thing to You
Pretty Melody

Some of the thought process behind the setlist:  so impressed with the Chicago Double Door show, I now love Pretty Melody--always liked the video--so had to include it with these other faves.  

I got some words you need to hear

I'm coming around to ATL, Closer to the Truth and Further From the Sky, and The 3 Kids in Brooklyn but not there yet, so didn't include them.  This version doesn't rock as much as Bibi would prefer, but as a sampler, really like it.  Plus, that s and f word thing--this selection doesn't have that element.  Have started giving it out; waiting to hear feedback.

Love you, Butch!

Butch Walker in Chicago, December 30, 2012, Setlist Update

Happy New Year to all of you!  Had a relatively quiet NYE--what could compare to December 30's Butch Walker show, right? 

Butch in one of his favorite places

Here's a bit of an update for the setlist.  Should have included the three new songs in the list; can't remember exactly where in the show they came in, but they didn't detract from the overall buzz.  And, no, did not take Butch's cue to go to the bathroom during either of the new songs.  He's SO funny! 

Glad he did ATL first and of course, wish he had done Sweethearts.

ATL

Passed Your Place, Saw Your Car

Going Back Going Home

Closer to the Truth

Pretty Melody

Dublin Crow

The Closest Thing

The Weight of Her

She Likes Hairbands

Race Cars and Goth Rock

Synthesizers (YES--he played mandolin!!!) And he included Eileen in the lyrics!

Summer of '89

3 Kids in Brooklyn

Butch talked a lot about guitar playing, played some ZZ Top riffs and a song I can't name, yet

Sucker Punched

Hope to get back online later today; hard to say.