Kick-off concert revs up audience

By Maggie Beidelman

"So please baby please, come on and catch my disease," sang Aussie musician Ben Lee to a crowd of 777 Monday night in the Leavey Center. If the disease was the enthusiasm Lee displayed onstage during his hour-long performance, then the crowd was definitely well infected.

The indie pop musician and his fellow bandmates headlined the show, which was hosted by the Welcome Weekend staff.

Opening act Tyler James, a 24-year-old from Nashville, Tenn., entertained the crowd with his acoustic guitar, keyboard and vocals. Donning suspenders and a sweatband to hold back his longish hair, James sang of dying youth and misconceptions of life, love and growing up.

His music style at times sounded emo, and as James said, "I was going to wear my tight black jeans (because this next song is emo), but I forgot."

The arrival of Ben Lee and his four bandmates roused the crowd, sleepy from the excitement of the initiation of the school year and James's relaxed beats.

Ben Lee appropriately opened with the catchy "Begin," a song, like all the others, written by Lee.

Lee, who has been writing and recording music for 14 years, admits that he only attended college for two weeks. "It just wasn't for me," he said. By that time, he had already been recording and selling his music, so he traded school for a career in the music business.

Though many whispers of "I've never heard of Ben Lee before" were circulating among the crowd, that's not to say that he didn't have his loyal fans or that he wasn't about to gain some.

An especially enthusiastic group of girls at the foot of the stage waved around an Australian flag to show their love for the Sydney native. A few songs into his show, several students clad in hippie skirts were dancing blissfully.

A rising air of excitement was obvious before the set was halfway over. This probably occurred due to Lee's persistence to dance and jump onstage while beaming out at his increasingly animated audience. "Our show is like a celebration," said Lee in a post-performance interview. "I feel free onstage. I feel like myself."

Lee spoke of his music as a search for the love, joy and meaning in the world of a man striving to live passionately. He likes to "create music as a unifying force," among women and men, young and old, he said. Lee claimed that unlike generation-specific music, both parents and their children alike can enjoy his music.

Ben Lee has recently toured with Dashboard Confessional. His music came to the United States with the help of the Beastie Boys' Mike D and Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore, when they heard a few tracks from his first band, Noise Addict.

Lee began his solo career at the age of 16 in 1995 with his first solo album. Since then, Lee has released five additional albums, including his most recent, "Awake Is The New Sleep." At the 2005 Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Music Awards, Lee won Best Male Artist, Best Independent Release and Single of the Year for "Catch My Disease."

Besides his talents as an acoustic and electric guitar player, vocalist and writer, Lee played the main role in the Australian film "The Rage in Placid Lake."

This artist may appear slight in person, but once onstage or part of a lively conversation, his smile, character and attitude is quite noteworthy. When guitarist and fellow band member Gawain Mathews first spoke with Lee on the phone, Lee excitedly spoke of his desire to "spread joy through music." Mathews agreed.

The band completed the set by 10:30 p.m., but twenty or so loyal fans lingered in hopes of the thrill of a meet and greet. Lee and his humble band did not fail to please, as they came out to converse with their fans, take photos and sign a few autographs.

Lee's zeal for the music business is obvious. He is currently working with American Eagle in a program called "aerie," in which American Eagle promotes his music alongside clothes that make girls comfortable - "not to impress boys," said Lee.

Lee claimed that "pop music is democratic." It's meant for the masses, he said, and everyone can get into some form of it.

Anyone who attended the concert would know without him saying it that he's grateful to be a part of it.

Contact Maggie Beidelman at (408) 551-1918 or mbeidelman@scu.edu.