At 26 years old and 6'5", with thick crimson hair tangled in a bandanna, bare feet, freckled skin and a cabbage patch face, Brett Dennen renders a kind of honesty often lost among the "fake faces" of today's youth. Compared to legends like Bob Dylan and Paul Simon, his music is familiar and his lyrics are real. He is a man of truth, a testament to a frustrated generation seeking a social "revolution."

My first encounter with BD was last October at the San Francisco Fillmore as one of three opening acts for ALO's Abnormal Formal. I was instantly hooked after the audience's sing-a-long to the catchy chorus from "She's Mine," now a staple part of BD's live shows. The Abnormal Formal inevitably made it to my all-time-top-5-concerts-of-2006 list, mostly due to the special guest appearance by surfer hunk Jack Johnson. Together, BD, Johnson, ALO, Honey Cut and Blue Turtle Seduction covered Bob Dylan's "I Shall Be Released" and Journey's "Lights" during the triple encore - a legendary finale.

Intrigued by the carrot-top singer-songwriter, I had a listen to BD's 2004 eponymous debut and fell in love with the acoustic ballad, "Desert Sunrise": _Music drips from your lips like sweet sips of a summer's kiss / Summer raindrops are precious, tongues twist_. His poetry is a refreshing counter to the mainstream, reflecting a passion for peace, love and humanity

In November 2006, "Rhapsody":http://www.rhapsody.com sealed an exclusive for his sophomore release _So Much More_. It quickly brought the home-schooled star critical acclaim, particularly from mega-star John Mayer:"I’m really into this kid Brett Dennen, who I heard at the Hotel Cafe in Hollywood. He may get lumped in with the Jack Johnson feel-good/barefoot thing, but he’s so much different than that. He’s timeless. He’s probably twenty-five, but he seems like he’s twenty-five in 1972. He paints these gorgeous pictures, musically, where you think, ‘I want to hear his voice, I want to hear that guitar, and I want to hear those melodies.'" -John Mayer in an October 2006 edition of _Rolling Stone_.

BD's simple melodies can easily be compared to those of Jack Johnson: a blend of reggae influenced Marley, Fela Kuti's afro beats and the acoustic-folk side of Van Morrison. Yet BD's lyrics venture beyond Johnson's layman appeal through the complexity of his lyrics: _Working your fingers bare to the bone / Breaking your back, make you sell your soul / Like a lung is filled with coal, suffocating slow / The wind blows wild and I may move / But politicians lie and I am not fooled / You don't need no reason or a 3 piece suit to argue the truth_ ("Ain't No Reason")

The inspiration for this blog stemmed from his return to the Fillmore last night as the headliner for a sold-out Thursday night showcase and his two performances this past weekend at the High Sierra Music Festival in Quincy, CA (thanks for the photos, SuperDee). BD has an unparalleled stage presence with his slight shoulder dips and goofy scats. His cover of the Dead's "Touch of Grey" had the entire audience worshiping his every move, as if he had resurrected Jerry Garcia. Very few artists have been able to invoke such emotional brilliance.

Brett Dennen embodies a universal appeal, transcending genders, politics and religion. A timeless muse, each of his songs carries a message of unembellished hope: _If you have a broken heart or a battered soul / Find something to hold on to or to let go / To help you through the hard nights like a flask filled with hope / Darlin' do not fear what you don't really know_