Ben's BLOG

Hey, all

Many thanks to all who came out to the Hard Rock on Wednesday night to support us in the Battle of the Bands. We took home the runner up prize, and were narrowly defeated by the band Nova Blue. I must extend my gratitudes to Can of Jam for putting on the event. We were proud to be a part of it, and may be returning to the Hard Rock Cafe to play a full set later this summer.

There are no live shows scheduled at present, but keep checking back as there will be some great events and shows going on this summer. In July, I'll be playing along with LA's amazing Singer/Songwriter, Mr. Tony Lucca, over at the Hotel Cafe in Hollywood. And, there is potential for a Seattle show shortly after that.

In addition to upcoming show information, keep checking the site for New Web Exclusive songs coming in June, and for new features on Ben's Blog.

Many thanks,
Ben

Wow!

That's about all I have to say today, and if you were at the Mint in Los Angeles last night, I think you know what I mean.

Cheers,
Ben

The last edition of Album InSite is about the closing track on Nowhere On My Own, "Rest My Head."

"Rest My Head" was a song that I started writing back in 1999. I was working at a summer camp and playing guitar in my spare time. As is mostly the case with my songs, I would mess around until I found something (a riff, a chord progression, etc.) that I liked. From there, I was pretty dumbfounded about what I should write about. During that time at camp, I wrote a lot of songs, and I wanted to make "Rest My Head" into something special. I remember playing the beginning riff for my friend Dave Mann, and he told me that he saw it as being something really simple, almost down home in its attitude.

Now, I'm a huge Lyle Lovett fan. I think that the man is a creative genius, and strikes an excellent balance between country, blues and folk. I was listening to a lot of Lyle when I thought about what I'd write for the lyric for "Rest My Head," most specifically a great little tune called "Penguins." I find it pertinent to say that, while Lyle's records are sweet pieces of work, his live show is just unbelieveable, and it was there that I first heard "Penguins." The song's an off-kilter ode to the simple things. Here's a little sample of the lyric:

Penguins
Lyric by Lyle Lovett

I don't go for fancy cars
For diamond rings
Or movie stars
I go for penguins
Oh Lord I go for penguins

Throw your money out the door
We'll just sit around
And watch it snow
I go for penguins
Oh Lord I go for penguins

Penguins are so sensitive
To my needs

As a writer, up until the point I wrote "Rest My Head," I made a conscious effort to find interesting subjects to write about. I felt like I was sick of love songs about "poor old me." It's not that I didn't appreciate love songs: just that I wanted to write about something else, something fancier.

But, "Rest My Head" wasn't about the loss of a loved one, or the nature of insanity, or about political activism...it was a simple song, and it didn't need to be anything else. I wrote the lyric in one sitting, put in a little nod to Lyle ("kick back and let it snow"), and I was done with it.

You know, playing "Rest My Head" is about the most fun I have on stage every time I do a show. And, it did one great thing for me: it made me realize that I could write about anything.

Hey, guys

Don't worry...the last installment of Album InSite is on its way, and should be up very soon. But, before I post it, I wanted to say a little something about two upcoming performances you should check out.

The first is a really excellent evening that has just come together. On Tuesday, the 20th of May, I will be performing alongside an amazing group of singers and songwriters, including Bird, Tony Lucca and Joe Firstman at the Mint (Corner of Pico and Crescent Heights). The evening promises to be excellent, and will be capped off with an old fashioned Hootenanny. I can't tell you how awesome of a bill this is. You don't want to miss it.

Second, the Ben Schor Band will be playing the following evening, May 21st, as a part of the Hard Rock Cafe Hollywood Battle of the Bands. The show is up at Universal Citywalk, and the band will be competing with other Los Angeles bands for a grand prize that includes cash and radio promotion.

All of your support is key to making this event a success for us. We are slated to play at 8pm sharp, but if you are running late, you can still come out and vote for us until 11pm. The show costs $5 with a discount flyer, and is open to all ages. You can find more information and the flyer on the News/Events page.

I'm really looking forward to these events, and I'm excited to be a part of each of them. I hope to see you all on Tuesday and Wednesday!

Cheers,
Ben