Hey, Butch Walker: Waiting on summer tour information, please

Like it or not, the truth is just like Tom Petty says:  the waiting is the hardest part. 

This was true even when AC/DC was on their monster tour and Bibi got to see them six times.

 Now that they're on hiatus and I've discovered Butch Walker--AND that unbelievable week of March 11, 2013, is past--the waiting is on, and on, and on....Oh, well, fans have to take the good with the bad, just part of the life. 

Some of the good in the last couple of weeks has been hearing others--that I introduced to Butch's music--talk about Butch.  For example:  D from the office now has Butch on one of his playlists in his computer at work.  Not only did D buy The Spade from ITunes, he includes it in his daily listening. N, gave her one of the first Butch Walker Mixtapes, said she watched a really bad Gerard Butler movie (besides the Guy Ritchie movie and The 300, there are good ones?) that had a BW song at the end!  (It's Synthesizers.)  I was so impressed!  She did listen to the mixtape cd and she recognized Synthesizers.  I felt so fulfilled:  one of the basic tenets of the fan rules and by-laws was well-accomplished--spreading the word.

Butch seems to be in Georgia right now, enjoying family life.  Great idea:  charging up for the highly anticipated summer tour.  The new album by Fall Out Boy, produced by Butch Walker, was released today and Butch tweeted to say it had a Top 10 single and was the Number 1 Album.  So cool for him and F O B.   More good to accept, right?

But that waiting thing....ugh! 

Hope we get news soon on the tour dates, locations.  Decided against buying tickets for the early June Fall Out Boy stop in Houston.  What if it conflicted with traveling to or attending one of the dates for Butch?  Of course, no question what Bibi would do, but can't throw $$ around like no big deal, even with that HUGE tax refund on its way.  lol

I know.  You're saying to yourself:  Bibi--been patiently listening to you go on and on.  Where are some Butch pics?  OK, you're right.  Here's one of Bibi's faves that Butch tweeted the other day: 

Just like Bibi thought, especially when she got to see him so close up in Dallas and Austin:  great handsI  Well, er, um, in this picture, really, really great right hand.  Bibi is such a fan.

And here are couple from Vice Bar in Austin: 

He's fabulous in color--even more so in person--and oh, so cool in black n white, n'est-ce pas?

Love ya, Butch!

Butch Walker Coming to Texas--Based on Which Data Sets?

Woohoo!  Got the tickets for the Dallas show, made the hotel arrangements for Dallas and Austin.  Well, it's not precisely in Austin (Round Rock), but at least it's not in San Marcos (!)

and it's reasonably priced with an excellent rating from Trip Advisor.  Plus, already have a restaurant recommendation for Round Rock--known for its pie!  Was a bit touch n go getting it all settled, but now feeling a sense of accomplishment.  Hey, Bibi, it'll be spring break, lighten up with all the planning and thinking ahead!   

Bibi is fascinated by the whole decison process that brings BW to Texas, especially Dallas.  There has to be more to it than geography, airline routes, and seemingly interminable airport to hotel distances, right? 

As the readers know, Bibi's MBA background kicks in every now and then and excel tables sprout up, along with questions:  what data was gathered to come up with this itinerary?  It could be that Butch has other things he wants to do in these cities around these dates--heard there are some good art museums in Dallas, not sure what there is in Little Rock, maybe it has a hot, undiscovered music scene?  Is Chuck there?  (Read Butch's very-readable Drinking with Strangers for the backstory on that.)   These and other opportunities drove the decisions to construct this route?  Just wondering.  Could Bibi have access to the SWOT analysis on this?

Right. 

Burning question:  why favor Dallas instead of Houston?  Doesn't matter, really, in terms of Bibi making the trek--SO HAPPY Butch is coming to Texas outside of SXSW--I'd go to El Paso, Nacogdoches, hell, even Eagle Pass, Pasadena or Baytown if any of those had been his city of choice.  Kind of funny:  been talking about Butch to my economist/finance prof friend, also one of the statistics profs, and my supervisor, a management Ph.D.  All of them expressed curiosity about how Butch's management group decided on Dallas:  industry data showed a higher level of Butch cd, mp3 sales there?  Disposable income substitutes  trended higher there for Butch tickets?  Facebook and Twitter hits were tallied and gave the Butch edge to Dallas?  Views of Live From Daryl's House, episode 54 and YouTube BW videos tracked higher in northern Texas vs southern Texas?  How DID they use best business practices and all kinds of regression analysis to know this?  Or, some secret, trademarked  algorithm using information from some/all/other of the factors mentioned?  Something like: 

 

Little jokes.  Will check with my marketing prof to see how entertainment world data is generated and made available.

Bibi has been so engrossed in these business geek considerations, the Downton Abbey routine for Sundays (homemade cherry/pineapple pie to go with the traditional tea--lovely DA viewing.  Thanks, Janet Neighbor!) and some time watching the Superbowl adverts, not much time for thinking about the set list requests.  OK, spent a few random minutes thinking on that; keep coming back to the BWM series.  BWM V.2 is really, really good:

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

For Texas, would leave out Mixtape, Ships in a Bottle and one of my all-time Butch faves, Don't Move and ROCK it way more by adding Summer of '89, Day Drunk, Bullet Belt, Bodegas and Blood--just love this song, maybe Dublin Crow and of course, Sucker Punch.  (that would make it almost all of The Spade, but it really is so good.)  Plus, She Likes Hair Bands--cannot leave this one out.  This would still leave room for three of the new songs, right?  Hmmm...too long?  Leave out Ponce de Leon Ave.?  It's a great BW showcase in versatility, with that oh so cool Todd Rundgren vibe. Would like new listeners to discover it, but, OK.  Please add Here Comes the...please.  Have been listening to I Liked It Better When You Had No Heart and really like it.   A couple of those cuts added to the set list would go over very well:  Days/Months/Years, Don't You Think Someone Should Take You Home.  Jeez, it's tough discerning the BEST of Butch Walker's songs to really show off his phenomenal talents.
Butch will come up with a GREAT set list; he's a seasoned professional, knows what works in a live setting, what he's comfortable with, how to reach the audience, etc., etc.  Brings to mind the consistent AC/DC fan concerns about the set list.  I could never believe some fans' complaints about the selection.  Some would even say that leaving out You Shook Me All Night Long would be no loss!!!  Weirdos, really, they are everywhere!  In the end, AC/DC made almost no changes in a tour that lasted almost two years.  I saw them six times during the tour and LOVED EVERY SHOW.  So, we will see what Butch does.

Love you, Butch!  Can't wait to see you in Dallas and Austin!

Butch Walker and Revenue Generation, one at a time

Woo hoo!  Was talking to one of the people at the office, D (mentioned him before), who asked me about seeing Butch on December 30.  Giving him a quick rundown on how UNBELIEVABLY FANTASTIC Butch was, trying to express Butch's allure, singing, songwriting, guitar talent, and especially his ability to enthrall the crowd.  If you've seen Butch live, you know what I'm saying.  Anyway, he asked me my favorite album--what a decision!--and I went with The Spade.  It rocks, it rocks, it rocks AND it has Sweethearts and The Closest Thing to You I'm Gonna Find.  While we were on the phone, heard some music from his side and then, D said:  OK, bought the album from ITunes.  SO COOL!  D subscribes to the concept that artists who are really good--Bibi had effectively talked Butch up--deserve to make money from their art.  Bibi feels like a revenue-generating fan (R-GF).  It's a good feeling!

[Whoa, just saw a teaser for a new NBC show and A Man Like That is the music playing over the action!  Hope this means something good for Butch.]

Bibi is still processing the fab, fab time in Chicago.

Well, okay, mostly reviewing the show at the Double Door, especially now that such great pictures and videos have been posted by some of the other fans.  Check out Synthesizers here:

Synthesizers/Eileen

Butch knows how to get the crowd jumping, singing, and, of course, an all out performance from him.

Butch rules!

Butch Walker and Catching Up for the Holidays

Just heard from an old friend across campus; she asked Bibi what she had been doing lately.  In the recent past, anyone who asked Bibi about her life, they got a version of this:

In August I discovered a singer/songwriter/musician, Butch Walker and now blog about him, talk about him on fb, going to see his show in Chicago on December 30--in the same neighborhood as the largest concentration of Frank Lloyd Wright houses in the US and the birthplace, boyhood home of Ernest Hemingway. If it hadn't been for Butch Walker, Bibi would never have gotten a chance to do this!!! 

Here’s a recent picture of Butch, although, really, he’s not just a pretty face:

Fabulous, beautiful voice, talented musician, successful record producer (Weezer, Fall Out Boy, Avril Lavigne, Pink (his close friend), Gin Wigmore—Butch co-wrote A Man Like That with her, now the video for Heineken/the new Bond movie, Taylor Swift). I know, I know:  recognize these names, but have never listened to their music and realize I probably won't get to them.  (In a previous post, I alluded to Bibi's very full daily schedule.)

He’s all over the web, in a very good way; an excellent showcase for him is Live From Daryl’s House, episode 54. He sings a few songs from his latest album (The Spade) with Daryl Hall (yes, from Hall and Oates). AND, he sings Say It Isn't So with Daryl--a version that is SO beautiful, SO Butch, and yet, such a great collaboration with Daryl.  Well.  This is where I first saw Butch and fell completely in love, totally enthralled, besotted, beguiled.  Also, if you want to see his videos, try the YouTube video for Mixtape, Here Comes the…, Summer of ’89, Synthesizers (two versions—one on the David Letterman show (excellent) and the YouTube video with Matthew McConaughey (Butch is the bartender).  I've put together a few mixtape cds of Butch's stuff from four of his albums:  The Rise and Fall of Butch Walker and the Let's-Go-Out-Tonites, Letters, Sycamore Meadows, and The Spade, so let me know if you want one.  Each album has a different feel and sound to it: amazing!  He rocks, he croons, and all in between, he can do it all, believe me! 

I usually end with some personalized questions--how's it going for you at work,  how are the kids, how about those___ (fill in the name of the person's football/baseball/soccer team preference, as appropriate).
Since they know me, it doesn't throw them off, really, but I guess they do wonder how Bibi does it all.  lol

This usually fires Bibi up about Butch, how great his music is, etc.  And it worked again this time.  Think I'll take a few moments and watch Say It Isn't So. 

Thanks, Butch!  See you in two weeks!

Butch Walker's Upcoming Shows in Chicago

Every Christmas season, Bibi swears she will NOT succumb to those sentimental Christmas movies one more time and yep, here she is just crying while most of Bedford Falls fills up George  Bailey's house, adding their donations to the basket of money, start singing carols, miraculously his hero brother shows up and everyone toasts to the richest man in town.  Get it?--George is engulfed by so many friends, who love him--the richest man in town and everyone realizes how lucky they are to be alive, including the viewers who watch this every year.  Gets Bibi every time.  (tiny litle sniff here)

So, hmmm....where has Bibi been?  During the Thanksgivng break, LOTS of big blog about action to be taken on behalf of Butch, spreading the word about his shows in Chicago . . . and then?  Loss of nerve, loss of focus, just plain loss of words?  No, actually Bibi was a bit under the weather after a regrettable encounter with leftovers.  But, during her few coherent, waking moments, she spent a lot of time thinking about the Butch review requests to the NYTimes, the NYorker and Rolling Stone.  In fact, the NYTimes version is just about done.  It's concise, makes cogent points that any subscriber to the Times would make, it's affable, reasonable with a dash of fan fervor mixed in; looking good.

Guess we can credit The Butch Walker Ameriorative Effect for the recovery Bibi made over the week, although it would have worked faster if Bibi had been able to even make the effort to listen to music.  After what remained of the work week was finished, had to run the errands, get a few Christmas decorations to fit in with this year's color scheme, so cranked up The Spade.  MAN...WHAT A RECORD!!! 


Opens with a great, crunchy guitar riff, the drums jump in and PUNCH IT Chewy!, we're into Bodegas and Blood for real.  Damn, it's good...no, IT'S GREAT!!!  Just the beginning, too.  The whole album is an unbelievable, pounding powerhouse of songs.  One after the other:  Every Single Body Else, Summer of ‘89, Sweethearts, Day Drunk, Synthesizers, Dublin Crow, Closest Thing To You I’m Gonna Find, Bullet Belt, Suckerpunch--all terrific, knockout examples of what Butch does so well--write, collaborate, sing, play guitars and banjolin in a fucking fantastic way that draws you kicking and screaming (in a rocking live-show way) into a totally energizing, full out immersion listening experience.  I've tried to pick a fave cut.  Got it down to Bodegas, Summer of '89, Sweethearts, Synthesizers, Closest Thing, Suckerpunch--you see the problem.  How can so many be THE favorite?  I listen to this cd a lot and it continues to please.  No fast forward, no skipping songs, just straight through every time I get in the car.  Don't play it at work--the f and s words, you know.  Truly, truly a great album, world!

FYI:  Bibi is not an iPod person.  It's not just the ears; don't really get that whole shut out the ambient noise thing.  Tried, but really, don't I need to hear what's going on in my surroundings at all times?  Sure, I'm in boring places as much as the next cat, but Bibi has found that a very good rule to live by is:  alert is better than not.  Crossing the street, waiting at a ___'s appointment, driving long distances, seems like being able to hear is better than not.  Also, have never been able to crank up the volume on an iPod like I can in the car.  Note to anyone thinking about buying a Miata:  the speakers are very good and if you have to drive places, there is NOTHING so satisfying as the pleasure of the top down with the music blasting while you're speeding down the highway.  Yep, your hair is a fucking mess, but you can always put on a ski cap and maybe a vest, and just try kinda hard to make it not look like ya tried at all.

OK, soldiering on with the review requests--want to send them out this week.  Will let you know!

And just because, here's a pic of Butch during the filming of the video for Summer of '89 with character actor Seymour Cassel. 

Adorable!

The Beatles, AC/DC, and Butch Walker

Honestly, is there ANYTHING more joyous, more energizing, more totally FAB than the sound of the Beatles singing She Loves You in the morning?  Bibi jumps up and dances around every time she hears it--can't help it!
The Beatles, rocking it! 


Unless it's the great, growling, take no prisoners Highway to Hell (just love to wake up to HTH)

AC/DC with the incomparable Bon Scott  


Or, my favorite for the past few months, the totally beguiling, Say It Isn't So by Butch Walker and Daryl Hall.  Just so completely in love with this Butch version.

 Butch n Daryl harmonize so well

I know my faithful readers know all this, but just saying. 

Of course, there's I Saw Her Standing There, Paul being his so eager, irrespressible self:  well, my heart went boom, when I crossed that room, and I held her hand in mine...and before too long, I fell in love with her....it was awhile before I realized what he was really talking about--years, maybe.  It was a different time.

Paul is the cutest one! Still say so! 
For the longest, for me, the Beatles were everything the greatest singing group in the world could be, period.  No subtext, no guile, no underlying other entendre.  Didn't know what that was back then.  We were so blissfully unaware of what life was going to bring our way eventually.  Me and my other geek friends were the best fans any band could want.  For us, all-consuming, unceasing, unwavering fan-love forever.

It was the beginning of my life as a fan.  Looking back on it, Bibi realizes her parents were kinda cool.  Think about it:  blue collar Mexican-American family in a small, predominantly white Texas town (black families lived across the train tracks from the rest of town) and my parents allowed me to put a huge "Ringo for President" sign in the living room window.  The directions to our house included:  you'll know you're at the right house if you can see the Beatles posters in our daughter's room from the street.

Time passed. When I become a huge AC/DC fan in 2008, everyone's surprized at my intensity.  Why?  Being-a-fan guidelines didn't change.  Is there another fan-model?  Saw AC/DC in concert as often as I could, bought all their cds, read and learned as much about them as possible, and in these cyber-info days, that's a lot, invested in the odd AC/DC treasure here and there, very similar to my Beatles' devotion.

Now, here we are and Bibi has discovered Butch Walker--the coolest, most talented singer and songwriter currently recording and my task is clear:  convince everyone that BUTCH fucking WALKER is THE man to be listening to.  Was at the storage place today, getting Christmas decorations out and found George Harrison's Best Of cd.  Thought, well, I was listening to The Spade, Butch's latest, total kick-ass cd, but could take a short, reluctant hiatus on that.  What Is Life came on and POW!!! it hit me:  George perfectly covers how fans function for their idols. 

What I feel, I can't say/But my love is there for you anytime of day

But if it's not love that you need/Then I'll try my best to make everything succeed

Tell me, what is my life without your love/Tell me, who am I without you, by my side

(Bibi will remind everyone: she doesn't mean any of this as weirdo, no-life, stalker stuff, okay?)   Anyway, the neat thing is that fans can listen to this song and completely accept that our idol thinks the same way about us, too. (They do, right?)  Artists need an audience (You can buy every copy of your record with your money/But you'd be your only fan) and fans need artists to follow.  So the whole fan-object thing works out really well for both sides of the equation. 
Humanities majors--we see correspondences everywhere.  The one Bibi sees with Butch Walker is that Butch deserves all the fan devotion possible, just like the Beatles and AC/DC.  So, rock on, Butch!  The fans need new stuff from you soon!  Please!

Waiting as patiently as a diehard fan can for the new record and in the meantime--check you out in Chicago!  Come on everyone, Bibi says you should go, too.