March 17, 2006

A Man and His Guitar

The other night I got to experience Ben Lee live for the second time. It was a fabulous show and absolutely not my last. Something about the guy melts my heart like a Dreamsicle on a hot summer day.

As a talented youth, Ben recorded his first album at 15. Here are some of the lyrics to the first song he ever wrote - “My Guitar”:

And when I’m sick of hearing noise
I sit right down with one ’my favorite toys


Well my guitar is love
And my guitar’s all I need

And my guitar’s so special
Cause it plays the songs - not me

It’s my guitar

Give him a break, he was a kid when he wrote that. But, fortunately for him, his cheesy, uncomplicated lyrics are part of the old Ben Lee charm (and fortunately for him, I'm a sucker for it).

A man and his guitar (and sometimes a chick named Lara who does background vocals and plays 10 different instruments). Although I think we all know men require at least a few more essentials for survival, this charmer needs little else to fill a room with life. In fact, Ben is his best raw. Alone on stage, he and his guitar are charming, honest and engaging. His satisfaction with life is contagious. Whether sharing enthusiasm for the new trousers he’s wearing, celebrating his ongoing tour, or encouraging the crowd to sing his cheesiest lyrics back to him, Ben Lee is happy just to be Ben Lee. And wouldn’t you be, too, if you had such a cool name?

After the show, I eventually worked my way through the crowd to get this picture. I told him I would post the photo on my blog, thinking maybe he would ask for the web address. He didn’t. But who knows, if I put enough links on here, perhaps he could be reading it... right.... now!

(I heart you, Ben!)

7 comments:

Marc said...

1. Ben Lee is weird looking
2. Ben Lee is a cheese ball
3. Ben Lee is, however, a great concert
4. (You WHAT Melbo?!)

melbo said...

Don't be jealous, Marc. I love you Googleplat x Infinity. There is no way he could EVER top that.

So be nice to Ben! He'll never visit my blog if you say stuff like that!!

Marc said...

You're right... I already scared off Todd from Lizzie's site... don't want to make that mistake again.

verniciousknids said...

"Ductile" is my favourite song from his first album.

Celebrity posts are cool :p

Sue Ellen Mischke said...

I have no celebrity pics. I'm so jealous. I have just decided that am going to try to get one with the guy from Built to Spill when I go in April. I hope I don't have to do anything obscene because there's nothing cute about BTS. I do love a band with an ugly front man/guitar player though.

melbo said...

Tara, I don't think I know any Built to Spill stuff. I need to fix that. You're right about the ugly front men. Their songs have more emotion - probably from being trampled on by hot girls their whole lives.

And I don't know if you'd like him, Misty. I assume you're into the bad boy type-Ben's kind of a softie.

melbo said...

I guess I don't really have any grounds for my assumption. You're just all woman, girl - you need a man who can keep up. But he's hard for you to find. Am I right, am I right?