Ben Kweller

SHORT BIO

Indie icon Ben Kweller has captured the hearts of fans and critics for nearly two decades. His schizophrenic approach to music-making and refusal to be pigeonholed has given him a career that rolls on regardless of fads and trends. From releasing the legendary Sha Sha, hailed by critics as one of the greatest debut alt-rock albums of all time, to touring with everyone from The Strokes, to Bright Eyes to Ed Sheeran,, Kweller has cemented himself as a cultural mainstay. His latest release Circuit Boredom was released by Texas-based entertainment co-op The Noise Company to critical acclaim and millions of streams. In February 2023, Kweller tragically lost one of his two sons in a freak car accident. Dorian Kweller was a budding artist who recorded and released music under his middle name, ZEV. He was only 16 when he passed. ZEV was scheduled to open for his father in the summer of '23, which would've been the artist's first tour. In a true test of will and perseverance, Ben Kweller has made the decision to continue with his touring plans. "Lizzy (Kweller's wife) and I are going through unimaginable darkness right now. There was so much on the horizon for our sweet Dorian. He lived and breathed music and I have to continue to make and create in his honor. Dorian touched so many people in his short life and I'm going to do what I can to keep his light shining bright." Kweller will be joined by "Texas piano man" Robert Ellis, Chris Mintz-Plasse (bass), and Ryan Dean (drums). Ellis will perform a solo set as main support and a ZEV video tribute will kick off each show.

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FULL BIO

Indie icon, Ben Kweller, has captured the hearts of fans and critics for the past two decades. He has a gift for creating music that is all at once familiar and also uniquely "BK." Skipping between electric guitar, acoustic, and piano, he combines on-the-nose and often sentimental storytelling with an ever present punk rock underbelly. Together it's an off-kilter take on the American rock tradition that has given him a career that rolls on regardless of fads and trends.

In late 1999, the then frazzled 18-year-old arrived in NYC and was taken under the wings of rock n roll royalty. Evan Dando (Lemonheads), Jeff Tweedy (Wilco), Juliana Hatfield, and Gordon Gano (Violent Femmes) were among the old garde who saw something special in Kweller's exuberance and knack for melody. The newly formed ATO Records identified with the artist and signed him to the label's first exclusive world-wide deal. As the "BK buzz" grew around the city, a national spotlight shone down on the local scene as a whole. Kweller hit the road with his mates The Strokes, Moldy Peaches, and other fellow up-starts of the day. In the fall of 2002, MTV first aired the slacker anthem "Wasted & Ready" and Kweller went from Anti-folk darling to Alt-rock hero overnight.

Kweller's genre-jumping catalog spans six albums, four EP's, and multiple singles — all of which represent different facets of the artist. His debut album, Sha Sha, is still regarded as one of the great Alt-rock debuts of the early 2000s. To celebrate its 20-year anniversary, Kweller's label, The Noise Company, has released a triple-vinyl Deluxe edition that features 22 B-sides, live recordings and other rarities.

In the months leading up to the pandemic, Kweller opened for Ed Sheeran in stadiums across Europe and was summoned to the UK to perform at the pop star's wedding. Sheeran requested the happy-teared "Thirteen" (one of Kweller's finest) to be played during his first dance with his new wife Cherry Seaborn. In the fall of 2020, Kweller was featured on the cover Performer magazine and celebrated for his ingenuity during the pandemic. His album, Circuit Boredom, was released on January 1st, 2021, and has become one of Kweller's most successful to date, with hits such as "Heart Attack Kid," Just For Kids," and "American Cigarettes." The opening track, "Starz'' is a lighters-in-the-air anthem that enjoyed significant airplay across the US and reigned as the #1 song on Austin's KGSR for 6 weeks straight.

In February 2023, Kweller tragically lost one of his two sons in a freak car accident. Dorian Kweller was a budding artist who recorded and released music under his middle name, ZEV. He was only 16 when he passed. ZEV was scheduled to open for his father in the summer of '23, which would've been the artist's first tour. In a true test of will and perseverance, Ben Kweller has made the decision to continue with his touring plans.

"Lizzy (Kweller's wife) and I are going through unimaginable darkness right now. There was so much on the horizon for our sweet Dorian. He lived and breathed music and I have to continue to make and create in his honor. Dorian touched so many people in his short life and I'm going to do what I can to keep his light shining bright." Kweller will be joined by "Texas piano man" Robert Ellis, Chris Mintz-Plasse (bass), and Ryan Dean (drums). Ellis will perform a solo set as main support and a ZEV video tribute will kick off each show.

July 7, 2023 Denver, CO @ Globe • July 10, 2023 Oklahoma City, OK @ Beer City • July 11, 2023 San Antonio, TX @ Paper Tiger • July 13, 2023 Houston, TX @ White Oak • July 14, 2023 Dallas, TX @ Echo • July 15, 2023 Austin, TX @ Scoot Inn

Donate to the Zev Foundation which benefits young musicians and skateboarders

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