Ben Harper & Relentless7 "Fly One Time"

I spent the last couple weeks at my parents house in Chula Vista, taking over the daycare while they ventured off to Vegas. During my short stint, since my parents lack a proper stereo, I spent a lot of time listening to MusicChoice on Cox digital cable. I tend to listen to channel 918, which is the triple A station (adult album alternative). Much like KPRi, it plays a huge variety of music that is at times great (the new Son Volt & Wilco) and other times easy enough to tune out. I kept hearing this song and every time I'd go check the TV to see who it was and was surprised it was Ben Harper & Relentless7. I don't know why I was surprised...I've never had anything against Ben Harper, but I don't own any of his catalogue either...
That said, I love this song, and the video came out today, so I thought I'd share it. Makes me kinda bummed I missed the Belly Up performance because while the band is touring, they're pretty much only appearing at festivals like Lolla and whatnot.

Earth Day Ben Harper Concert

To celebrate April 22, Earth Day, Nat Geo Music channel is hosting a live broadcast concert featuring Grammy award-winning artist Ben Harper with Relentless7 along with Bibi Tanga, in Rome's famed Piazza del Popolo. The concert will air live on Wednesday, beginning at 8 p.m. in Italy (2 p.m. US ET), and will be featured Simultaneously on Nat Geo Music channel in the United States and www.natgeotv.com/earthday internationally. All of the concert's carbon emissions will be offset by planting 1,000 trees this fall in Rome's Riserva della Valle dell'Aniene park.

Relentless 7 at The Belly Up 12.3.08

I've still got a Yeasayer recap kicking around half-written, but while that percolates I can take a swing at Ben Harper's current side project. Relentless 7 is the kinda-secrety collaboration with Ben Harper, O:A guitarist Jason Mozersky, Oval Office-er Jesse Ingalls and sometimes-Misbegotten member Jordan Richardson. All of whom played on 2006's Both Sides of the Gun album. The kickoff for their 7 (get it?) stop December mini-tour was right here in Solana Beach. Ben Harper doesn't play venues this size very often so this was a hot ticket.



Aussie singer/songwriter Grace Woodroofe opened up the evening. She seemed a bit intimidated by the crowd (I believe she's all of 19 years old), but nailed a really nice set of soulful, acoustic blues that was a deceptively effective set up for R7. Trivia sidenote: Woodroofe was the first artist signed to Masses Music Co.- a joint venture between Ben Harper and the late Heath Ledger. Ledger directed Ben Harper's "Morning Yearning" and "Reason to Mourn" videos and Woodroofe's video for her cover of David Bowie's "Quicksand" which appears to be impossible to locate on the internet.



But then it was time for the buzzing crowd to receive Relentless 7. From the first few notes, it was clear that- despite the definite chops of all the players- this would be a Ben Harper show. When the full compliment of Innocent Criminals are involved, there's less focus on Ben himself. This was very much a showcase for Ben himself, swinging through two hours of his catalog, covers (I heard some Led Zeppelin. And Prince? Really? I think I heard Prince...) and a few cuts that nobody seemed to recognize. I don't claim to be a Ben Harper expert or anything, but I'm familiar enough. So I admit to being caught off guard when the random guy next to me leaned over while the audience was singing along and asked "how do people know the words?" Erm...

Nevertheless, everyone from the hardcore fans to the casual "My friend gave me a ticket, I don't even know where I am right now" attendees really got into things. There are certain performers/bands that seem to transcend a number of genres and provide all sorts of people something to latch onto and enjoy. R7 hit that balance nicely.


The vibe was decidedly different from usual BHIC shows- at least the couple I've seen. Not quite as jammy and bluesy as usual, a lot heavier on the shredding and wailing side of things. Which was kinda counter-intuitive for such an intimate setting (check the pics, somehow that night the Belly Up felt like somebody's basement) but it really amplified the face-melting impact of everything. And when they slid into a thoroughly unexpected and soulful cover of Under Pressure during the encore- well hell. That brought the whole show full circle on the Bowie tip and cemented this as a "stupid smile on the way out" show.

And heck yes I bought a shirt. And I'll be stealing the vinyl from a friend at some point.

(Thanks Chris for the photos and smooth talking security)