Butch Walker: Summertime Blues

Well, Eddie Cochran sang it right:  there ain't no cure for the summertime blues...and no Butch Walker on the road.  Making do with clips from Live from Daryl's House.  Just love this one!

Sweethearts

Bibi just can't do the Chicago date on August 1--too little Butch and already been to Chi-town.  Only a few tickets left for the London show, but Bibi is admitting that London is way too far away, even for a chance to see Butch.

Still love ya, Butch!

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!

The Butch Walker Ameliorative Effect Works!

You know all those miracle diets and cures that are too good to be true?  Well, Bibi is here to tell you, the Butch Walker Ameliorative Effect works and not just for me.  I had been talking about Butch to a fellow staffer, gave him the BWMT II.2 (I think--have to start keeping better records on that) last week.  Today, he made a special effort to let Bibi know that he LOVED the cd!

Bibi about halfway up the Pyramid of the Sun, Teotihuacan

He'd had a tough morning, lots of drama before he even made the drive to work.  Put the BWMT II.2 in the cd player in the car and by cut 7 (The Weight of Her), he felt SO MUCH BETTER!  I could have told him this would be true.  And why not?  He'd already heard

Mixtape (Butch--I will always love this song, even if you no longer sing it in your shows)
Bodegas and Blood (if this one doesn't perk you up, check your pulse.  You may be in more serious trouble than you realize)
Sweethearts (just want to squeal--this one is SO great!)
Day Drunk (raucous, rocking bar singalong here--millions of snapshots shoot through my brain....goodbyyyyyyyye)
Synthesizers ((I can stay out ALL night, like Sacajawea in a paint fight--OOOH!)
Closest Thing to You (Butch at his romantic best, best, best:  Cause I see your face when they turn out my light.  His voice--OMG!)

Very gratifying to Bibi that someone else feels the so positive effect of Butch's voice and songs.  After G told me this, I was energized for the rest of the morning.  And then, for lunch, had to share with y'all.

Highly recommend listening to Butch Walker to make your afternoon go WAY better.

Love ya, Butch!  Thanks for being there!

Butch Walker: Set List for December 30 and 31

Butch tweeted today that he was rehearsing the set list for the upcoming shows!!!!  Bon Scott scream here!  Such welcome, highly anticipated news!   Completely unsolicited, here are my suggestions:

Bodegas and Blood
Sweethearts--still think a duet with a lucky fan would be a great idea and huge crowd pleaser
Summer of '89
Synthesizers
Closest Thing
Sucker Punched
Maybe It's Just Me
Don't Move
Canyons
Hot Girls in Good Moods
Bethamphetamine
Ships in a Bottle
The Weight of Her
Ponce de Leon Ave.
Passed Your Place, Saw Your Car
She Likes Hair Bands
Say It Isn't So
Even the Losers

Not sure how long the show will be, one constraint limiting the number of songs to make the cut. However, AC/DC's set list was 18 songs, including the two encores and my more astute readers may note, the list above has 18 suggestions.  And, no, didn't include some of Butch's standards, like The Best Thing You Never Had, Joan, 3 Kids from Brooklyn, Pretty Melody.  Hope some of the new album will be heard and that would also cut down possibilities from my suggestions. We will see, but hope a good number of these make it.  Paws crossed!

The winter holidays for a university employee are such that it's tough to remember what day it is. Trying to stay current, though, since I leave for Chicago on Friday.  (another Bon Scott scream here!)  In some ways, though, there's a regularity to the daily activities.  Early in the holidays, breakfast at the House of Pies one day was enriched by T, the assistant manager, coming by to let me know he's really been enjoying the Butch Walker Mixtape II.2 that Bibi gave him a couple of weeks ago.  Makes a fan's work all worth it to hear those words.

Once Sarita got here on the 23rd, the holiday craziness faded into the background, where it belonged, and the holidays truly began for Bibi.  Bibi evinces a cynical, seen-it-all façade, 

but is actually a sentimental mess, especially with the Neartown events so recent.  Have even been unexpectedly indulgent toward families with rowdy children in restaurants!  Christmas Eve at Raul's and Christmas Day at Nana's were really enjoyable with all the kids around.  Nana's was particularly memorable--we played a few rounds of Loteria.  Bibi came out the big winner in the last round--so surprizing!

 Lots of fun and the kids were a big part of it, all the kids from age 4 to 85!  Hope your Christmas was a great one!

Butch Walker in Chicago, December 30, 2012

Make it quick as a kitten jumping on and off the dining table:  PLEASE, Butch--play Sweethearts at the show on December 30!  PLEASE!  As part of "gettin' into it" this morning, listened to the fave (Say It Isn't So, now up to 6829 views) and it went down so easy, the office seemed very light  and airy, none of that usual oppressive Monday gloom--the Butch Walker Ameliorative Effect at work.  I thought, well, why not go through the entire Episode 54 (Live From Daryl's House) and update the stats while you're at it?  Multi-tasking, right?  Always try to play the cuts in order of appearance, otherwise, it's just chaos in Bibi's otherwise oh-so-ordered world (HAH!), but somehow, got stuck on Sweethearts.  Such an underrrated gem!  So adorably likable (like Bibi) and ineffably sweet in all the positive ways.

Bibi loves this one! 

Wouldn't it be the coolest if Butch played this song at the show AND made it one of those fan participation things that he's done in the past where a deleriously lucky fan gets to sing with him?  Total "fan"tasy, right?    Seen a couple of those videos and the poor girls were so Butch-struck that they could barely stand, so maybe Butch doesn't do that anymore.  But, still, what a concept!  What a song!  Hold me to your chest 'cause I can feel your heart jumping!  Tell me about it!

Love you, Butch! 

Butch Walker Converts and Halloween Costumes

Talked to a prospective Butch Walker convert today and amazing how it energized me. He asked me to name my favorite song. Had to go with She Likes Hair Bands on the spur of the moment. But, then emailed him the link to LFDH, episode 54, along with the mp3s of Here Comes the… , and Synthesizers. Really didn’t like being limited like that. How to introduce someone to Butch's range with one or three songs?  It’s like being asked to name your favorite AC/DC song. Impossible. Plus, made me realize that I hadn’t had an infusion of Butch Walker music in a few days. Recently have been immersing myself in Hall & Oates in preparation for the office costume extravaganza on October 26. Actually, already a bit disappointed in this upcoming extravaganza. The name has been changed from the ever-hip and au courant Fall Festivus to the boring although more predictable Fall Festival. What that hell is that?

Anyway, to sustain my belief in the transcendence of my costume, thought that listening solely to Hall and Oates would guide me to a more meaningful John Oates characterization. Along with the costume, not smiling so much, looking a bit annoyed and put upon, and singing only back up sections of the song.


This is hard because one of the key tenets of singers-along, we sing the lead, right? My thought on this is that chances of triumphing over the other lame costumes are vastly enhanced if I’m in character as much as possible, so I plan to sing only the background stuff while I'm strumming the PaperJamz guitar. Selection of the appropriate song has shifted, as well. Wanted a song that didn’t have a long lead-in (to better capture the attention-span-impaired audience) and had some substance in terms of the back-up part of the song. First, it was going to be Rich Girl: it has a short intro AND Butch likes it well enough to have included it in some performances, but am kinda sorta leaning toward Kiss on My List—possibly more recognizable to the general public—and it might make the point about John Hall being in the background of the partnership more emphatically. He doesn’t get to sing until late in the song. Or maybe, Private Eyes or I Can’t Go For That. Since every time I hear Say It Isn’t So, I tend to sing the Butch version (ha, ha, the butch version of Say It Isn’t So), don’t intend to go for that, as some might say.

While I was selecting the two songs I sent to D today (still protecting the names of the innocent and/or unaware), found some YouTube videos I hadn’t seen—Butch singing Sweethearts in Napa and at some other live performances last October—and it occurred to me again: Butch is chameleon-like in his fashion choices and personal looks. Huge fan worry:  I might not recognize him in the off-chance (in a billion light years) that I'll ever be in the same geographical location with him. Currently, he’s going through a plaid shirt, slicked back hair phase. The tight jeans and work boots thing are a constant. Brougt to mind the Seinfeld episode about the woman who looked scarily different, depending on the lighting, situations.  Of course, Butch always looks good, so whatever; just the inane concern about being able to recognize him.

Blogs--another way to encourage people to blather on and on about…nothing…but the smidgens of thoughts in their little squirrel brains.
So, for at least awhile today, listened to The Butch Walker Mixtape II.2, which  includes Freak of the Week—what a cool song! Did I ever hear that song, back in the day?  What radio station would it have been on?  Hmmm....late 90's release...the 90's were a tough time for me.....nothing comes to mind on this, so guess I never heard it.  The intro grabs you right away—reminds me 8 Miles High and some other song from the past--the repeated riff throughout, a lot of reassurance and identification for the listener hearing it. With Butch, there’s that AND the memorable, repeatable lyrics: He thinks it’s all about culture and art/…Can you make me a promise?/…Tell me I sold out…tell me I sold out…(a mantra to hold on to)…tell me I sold out, go ahead.

Freak of the Week video
Butch doesn't really like this video, but what a great face--the camera loves him!

ain't no geeks that look cooler than him, then or now

Butch Walker Decision Time, Friday, October 12

For all the big talk--fb words are so very cheap--have to decide whether the Chicago/New Year's Eve trip is at least half baked.  On the continuum between fool and their money  and only slightly overboard fan,

+_____________________+_____________________+
Fool and                                          OSO Fan                                       Infuriatingly
their $                                                                                                 Rational

                                        


Bibi has to make a decision---(tiny little growl here)

 reality, rudely shouting in my dainty, adorable kitten ears says, don't do it.  Reality sincerely bites it.  On the other hand, think about this

along with She Likes Hair Bands, Bodegas and Blood, Sucker Punched (a New Year's Eve song if I ever heard one), Ponce de Leon Ave.,  Race Cars and Goth Rock...there's always a chance of Sweethearts....

By tomorrow at 11:59 am, reality could be different.