Brendan Benson
(with SSM)

This is the third time I’ve seen Brendan Benson live – and to be frank, it’s the first time I’ve actually paid attention to him. When I first saw Mr. Benson, it was at Blanche’s 12/03 record release show at the Magic Stick; I didn’t pay attention then because I was trying to figure out what was going on in front of me. The second time was that same month at the Magic Stick’s annual Detroit Sounds & Spirits show, where he was singing Christmas songs with a woman who had a very pretty voice. I spent their entire song trying to figure out who she was. So honestly, on Friday night, I was not expecting to pay that much attention to Mr. Benson…especially with Detroit’s latest supergroup, SSM, opening for him.

And man, did SSM certainly bring it that night. The band consists of refugees from other Motor City favorites: Marty Morris of the Cyril Lords, ex-Sights drummer Dave Shettler, and John Szymanski from my personal favorite Detroit live group, the Hentchmen. And strangely, much like Voltron, none of the sounds usually associated with this trio overpower the other – instead, they gladly become a synthesis of all their better-known projects, with a dash of unforeseen flavor in the form of the mighty drum machine. Not to mention they put on a juggernaut of a set. Add in the fact that SSM also perform with their own laser light show (if you can count a bunch of very disorienting strobe lights as a laser light show, anyway), and there was not much hope for Brendan Benson retaining his position as the main event of the night.

But I was proven wrong: this was the Brendan Benson show I’ve been waiting for. Admittedly, Benson is not a man of large and great gestures. There were no explosives, leaping into the air, hanging on poles, or even much movement in general on his end of the stage. And the show didn’t begin grandly – he and his current band just sauntered onto the Blind Pig’s stage and began playing. There wasn’t even much energy in the first moments of the set, as Benson ran through a version of his older hit “Good to Me” which sounded bland even after a false start. But somewhere in the middle of “Folk Singer” from Lapalco, everything was different. An enthusiasm and an energy crept through Benson and spread to the crowd. People scattered throughout the audience began dancing, his band started moving tentatively to the music, and suddenly it was spring time. Within the essence of fantastic power pop is the ability to take the listener outside of their environment and transport them to an eternal spring. It only happens with especially good records, or when a group is just on, but when it does happen it becomes an unforgettable event.

And spring began to bloom and flourish that night, especially with songs off Benson’s latest, The Alternative to Love. Trees budded during “Spit It Out,” grass became green again in the middle of title track “Alternative to Love”, and sweet, secretive spring lilacs bloomed for the gorgeous “Cold Hands, Warm Heart”. Even Benson seemed to feel something special about the show; its lackluster beginning was soon forgotten as everyone present seemed to just grow happier and happier. In fact, though I’ve been to the Blind Pig and seen many fantastic shows, this was the happiest crowd I’ve ever experienced within its smoke-filled walls.

I know this has been said a thousand times in the Detroit area, but Brendan Benson doesn’t get the attention he deserves. He is often reviled by the young for sounding either “too accessible” or “too retro,” and most of the old seem too content with their Badfinger records to add more players to their lineup. But this is a mistake: with his catchy songwriting and unforgettable melodies, Benson deserves as much fame – and adulation – as he can get.

Reviewed by Megan Giddings