Ben Lee
with Dashboard Confessional
Friday, July 7
Jack Singer Concert Hall
(Epcor Centre)
Summer ditties with contagious lyrics and toe-tapping melodies make the long, sultry afternoons bearable. Ben Lee’s "Catch My Disease" became part of my internal soundtrack from the first time I heard it.
From his latest album, Awake is the New Asleep, a collection of upbeat and optimistic musings on life, love and the pursuit of enlightenment, it’s sure to be blasting from car stereos and iPods well into the fall.
Chatting on the phone from a Hollywood hotel, he articulates his mission as a musician and a man. At the ripe old age of 27, he’s been making records for 13 years, rising to fame with Noise Addict. Despite his relative youth, he has a seasoned and spiritual approach to work and life in general that has saved him from falling into the seedier side of the rock and roll scene.
"I refuse to be corrupted," he insists. "I’m not looking for escapism. I’m looking to create art that’s holistic."
Recording podcasts from game reserves in South Africa and hotel rooms in Melbourne, then using them to help promote bands and solo artists he would like to see succeed, is just part of the deal for the export from Down Under.
"These are people who are passionate about music," he says.
Having heavyweights such as the Beastie Boys and Sonic Youth in his corner certainly helped Lee get his foot in the door and he’s happy to return the favour now that he’s enjoying some success. He’s clearly comfortable with his karma bum status.
"I’ve been lucky to have mentors and support at key moments in my life," he says of his big-name fans, adding that boosting bands such as the Anti-Q’s from Niagara Falls and fellow Aussie Jen Cloher is a natural progression. "It’s not a responsibility, it’s an opportunity."
He chats eagerly about the human experience and says it’s hardly all rainbows and puppy dogs in his world.
"For me, the darkness, sadness and grief are things we all need to go through. It’s part of our life experience. All of these things are worthwhile if you learn from them. I become less cynical everyday."
Midway through his tour of the U.S., he shows no signs of the irritation that can creep in after weeks and months of being on the road.
"I don’t think of a tour as time out from my life. If you don’t live anywhere, you don’t get homesick," he says of this current nomadic status.
Growing up listening to Fleetwood Mac and Roxy Music – bands his mother adored – influenced him to create accessible music with a message. For Lee, the right song in the morning can alter the course of his day, and on a grander scale, his perspective on the world.
"My life has been changed by songs I heard on the radio," he says.
He plans on creating music for as long as possible, striving to bring his inclusive message to everyone who will listen.
"I’m not ready to sit on the porch in my rocking chair just yet. Although being fed peeled grapes wouldn’t be so bad," he says with a quick laugh.
Philosophical musings aside, Lee is really just out to relish his existence and share some laughs with good friends.
"Life is fun and it’s playful. I’m just here to dance." |
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