I've Been Gotten By Ben Lee

I had the wonderful pleasure of catching Ben Lee and his band perfome live at a little venue in downtown Orlando this past Wednesday night. He has always been one of the artists on my list to check out, I just never got around to it until a few weeks ago. A good girlfriend of mine brought the show up and of couse I said I'd go. So I purchased his newest album, Awake Is The New Sleep, and got to listening. It has become one of my most favorite albums of the year. His message of happiness and love is just so perfect. "It's so quiet, it's so quiet, it's so quietAnd you're dreaming, and you're dreaming, and you're dreamingI turn to you and say - awake is the new sleep, awake is the new sleepSo wake up. And do it, whatever it is.Just do it, whatever it is." - Awake Is The New Sleep"Tell me do you lose your way each dayAre there people you don't recognize, do they lie?Tell me does it make you feel too real?Tell me the truth, and I'll tell you the truthIf you gamble everything for loveYou gonna be alright, alright" - Gamble Everything For Love"I'm walking down BroadwayEach foot step is a new love letterI'm trying to make eye contactWith each and every stranger that I passThinking about the cityIt's living proof people need to be togetherI'm thinking about how I just want to open upAnd give and give and giveAnd it's ok for you to careCause I can feel you in the airAnd while you wonder "How's this gonna end?"I only want it to begin" - Begin"You're the secret in the back of my skull There's no logic So please believe me That love's confusing, But it never gets dull" - Ache For You"I've got songs to give I've got songs to proveSongs I use when I wanna' seduce, and I wanna' seduce you Why won't you let me?I wanna get youSo get gotten" - Get GottenThose are some of my favorite lyrics from the album. But of course, the complete songs are amazing too.As for the show, there were two opening acts, so even though the doors opened at 7pm, Ben didn't hit the stage until 10pm. He played for almost an hour and a half with no break. He has an amazingly radiant smile that just permeated the whole room. He and his band sounded just as clear as if I was listening to them at home. My friend Brandy and I agreed that there were no "bad" songs. But that smile, it was so contagious!! I just couldn't help but smile right back. And look at that suit! When he came running out, and everyone was cheering and clapping, that suit just set the mood. I remember having some stickers of Elvis Presley when I was a kid where he was wearing the exact same suit. Nice throwback Ben! He was also rocking a pair of white velcro snakers. This was the first show of the American tour and I'm sure he was as excited to wear it as we were to see it. This post is getting rather long, so I will end it with saying that if he is coming to your city, you MUST check this show out. It was only $15 here and apparently cheaper in other parts of the country. Well worth the money. I would skip the opening act though. Rooney left me with a sour taste in my mouth. Good musicians but the content of their music was rather dull. A lot of repeating the same phrase over and over. I remember asking my friend, "Are they trying to be Oasis or an 80's hair band?" (talking about the sound, not the look). But Ben Lee made up for that ten times over.