Sycamore Meadows, the latest release from Butch Walker, is the only album of his that I don’t own. The only one that I did not run out to the store and buy on its release date or pre-order online. I hadn’t even heard anything off of the record other than the lead single, “The Weight of Her” and I had only heard it once. After hearing him play it in its entirety last week, I have come to the conclusion that I am a complete and total fool. It seems with this record, Walker has finally come into his own.
However, I’m not here to review Sycamore Meadows. We’ve already done that. I’m here to tell you how night 3 of Walker’s Wednesday night residency at the Hotel Café went. And it was lovely. Though it was much more mellow than the previous week (Walker himself even compared the last Wednesday to the effects cocaine and the current Wednesday to the effects of heroin), it was still a treat.
The highlight of the night was Butch’s special guest—his doctor. Apparently after a recent check-up, Dr. Stephen Patt mentioned to Walker that he played a few instruments and consequently spent his night onstage accompanying the show on a multitude of stringed instruments including, but not limited to upright bass and lap steel. It seemed as though there was some difficulty getting Dr. Patt properly amplified, but once he was, his little extras made a big difference.
For his weekly cover, Walker chose the lesser known Patsy Cline classic “I’ve Got Your Picture.” After hearing a gentleman known as “The Hardest Working Man in Karaoke” perform this at a West Hollywood karaoke joint the previous week, the song was fresh in my mind. Walker’s rendition was positively heartbreaking. I will forever be touched by the way his voice and facial expressions lead one to believe that he might actually break down in tears during his ballads, and though the song was not his own, he gave it no less feeling.
The upcoming final Wednesday of Butch Walker’s residency is fast approaching, and I have no clue what to expect. Quite honestly, I don’t think he does either. I can only hope that it’s as captivating and exciting as I’ve known his shows to be in the past. As much as I love low-key, subdued Butch, I love high-energy, interactive and silly Butch more. I’d love to hear a few songs off of Left of Self-Centered, the oft forgotten first solo album, as well as a multitude of Marvelous 3 gems. Hopefully on the last night, Butch will also take time to come out and rub elbows with his fans. I’ve always admired the love and respect he’s given those to spend their time and money coming to see him play. However, the last three weeks, I haven’t once seen him emerge from his “Performers Only” green room and mingle with the crowd. But to be quite honest, if that’s the only real complaint he’s getting from me, he’s doing pretty damn well.
Butch Walker: website | myspace | Sycamore Meadows review | interview with | @ grog shop | @ hotel cafe: night 1 | @ hotel cafe: night 2
