Double Take: Butch Walker and Marc Scibilia
Writers would be nothing without great editors and I’m not the greatest writer, but I thankfully have Adrienne to edit pretty much everything you read on the site. She came along with me to see Butch Walker, Marc Scibilia, and Tim Williams last night and, while standing at the show, it seemed like a cool idea to do a “double take.” First, you will see my thoughts on the show and then you can see what Adrienne has to say (which is written ten thousand times better than me)! Also keep an eye out for an interview with Marc to come a bit later this week.
As a child of the mid 90s, I missed out on getting to see a lot of music history and have to rely mostly on old albums and concert footage to try and understand where a lot of the music I listen to draws from. Watching his documentary Out of Focus about a month ago when I was flying back out to school, I was taken aback at how much knowledge, experience, and pure talent Butch Walker has. I knew of his name, but hadn’t really looked into his career until watching the film. Shortly after, tour dates were announced and I made it a priority to see the show. Then, after I found out about the tour, Marc Scibilia was added as an opening act. Having known about Marc for a few years since I first heard “How Bad We Need Each Other,” I was excited I’d finally get the chance to see him live.
The evening began with a set by Tim Williams, who I had seen in March of this year when he opened for Tristan Prettyman. A solid 30 minute set from the Philly local kept the crowd entertained. A Don Henley cover fit perfectly with a slightly older crowd and before I had a chance to check the time, the set was already over.
Marc was up next, accompanied by friend and tour manager Eric playing a mix of acoustic guitar and bass. Playing a solid 30 minute set, fans were able to see just how talented Marc truly is. Fans were engaged the whole way through, and many made sure to chat with Marc following the show. Having just released an EP recently and an album due out early next year, Marc combined some older songs with new songs including my personal favorite, “The Shape I’m In.”
At 9.30, I was gifted with the opportunity to see what Butch Walker was all about. With a dark stage, flashes turned off and a single light atop a piano, Butch took to the stage to play two songs with nothing but pure emotion. The stage lit up and he moved to electric guitar to play “Don’t Move.” Fans were instantly invested in the show and through the hour and thirty minutes that were about to follow, phones were used so discretely that you almost didn’t notice they were there. After messing with chords of “Freak of the Week,” he decided he didn’t really want to sing that one. However, longtime fans who knew all the words made it known that they would sing for him, and in the end, he brought up a girl from the front who surprisingly nailed the song. Through the show, he had fun with the crowd and never once promoted his merch in the back or his documentary that came out earlier this year. He was there to play his music and enjoy it and fans were there to listen to his music and create lasting memories.
The set flowed so perfectly I couldn’t think of a more perfect mix of songs. From guitar solos and sing-a-longs to moments of memory, Butch is an artist that every other artist should study. He knows how to leave a room of hundreds all feeling content, yet leave them wanting more. Though every part of the show was fantastic, the guitar solos during “3 Kids in Brooklyn” were some of the most impressive I’ve ever witnessed in person. Balloons and confetti filled the venue as the last notes were sung, leaving it looking like an 80s prom had just ended.
~ Adrienne’s Take ~
I don’t know what exactly this says about my academic career, but I think the biggest thing I’ve taken away from my college experience so far is that the answer to the question, “do you want to go to this concert” is always yes. This especially holds true for unfamiliar artist. It doesn’t matter if you don’t know a single word to any song the artist has written, if you have the chance to see a show, you go. Case in point was Butch Walker’s Tuesday night performance at TLA with support from Tim Williams and Marc Scibilia.
I pride myself on having an eclectic taste in music, but it’s easy for anyone to paint themselves into a box with their musical taste. Stepping out of that mindset though was great because it kind of reminded me of what is so special about music to begin with. Each act being more of a stripped down singer/songwriter type of artist, there was no fanfare or overtly stylized production value to the night. It was just a bunch of guys on stage playing music for the sake of playing music in a way that felt more like a neighborhood block party than a concert. The night’s first act, Tim Williams, opened and loosened everyone up with a solid acoustic set that flirted in between country and bluesy folk which, for someone like me who doesn’t usually listen to that type of music often, was refreshing to see.
Marc Scibilia came next and the already high expectations I had for him after hearing nothing but great things from Arin were definitely met. It felt like watching a more bluesy modern rock version of Bob Dylan to me. Lyrically, Scibilia writes with a similar honest narrative style that Dylan is known for, but delivered with more of a croon. Combining that with more of a groove instrumental feel, Scibilia definitely had me and the rest of the crowd moving around. Don’t even get me started on how much I loved his original songs, “Sideways” and “The Shape I’m In” because I could not stop dancing to either of those. I love a good rhythm which I say every time I go to a show or hear a record because no one will probably ever understand how much I love a sly bass line and a pounding beat. It’s almost unhealthy. What made it even sweeter was that I wasn’t even expecting such a cool type of jam from him, but when both songs kicked in and I felt the foot stomping through the floor, my body couldn’t NOT move and I knew I was in the best kind of trouble. Honestly, I probably could have spent hours just watching Scibilia, but his opening set came and went, of course, because Butch Walker was the main event of the night and, my god, did he prove why.
From the second Walker started the show with a couple of solo piano ballads, I was blown away by just the sheer power in his delivery. The emotion in every note he belted out and every key he struck was just unreal. By the end of the first song, people in the audience were already in tears and that continued later on in the show when he shared heartfelt memories of his father who unfortunately passed away recently. You could tell just how deep music runs in him during those moments and seeing that is so rare these days. Walker is a seasoned pro; there’s no way around it. That much is obvious from just hearing about his robust career as both an artist and as a producer for contemporary pop and alternative heavyweights from Fall Out Boy and Panic! At the Disco to P!nk and Taylor Swift, but seeing Walker live is where you really feel what it means to be a pro. That stage is 100% his when he’s playing and the emotional power he has just carries you away when you watch him.
Everyone was feeding off of his charisma and energy from the crowd to his band. I think the greatest part of watching his set was actually watching everyone else interact with him and the music. The band couldn’t stop smiling throughout every song, and the crowd sang along so diligently and with so much excitement that even Walker had to stop on multiple occasions to just listen to them. Walker even brought up an audience member to sing an entire song onstage with him acting as guitarist and backup vocals. I’ve never seen that happen before, but seeing Walker completely jamming on guitar right next to her was like watching the dreams of fan girls everywhere come true (maybe there’s hope for the beliebers after all… Probably not). The entire set was just one big party and Walker dubbed it an homage to his father, appropriately sealed up with a great dance party moment with Walker in the center of the crowd and a movie scene finale of exploding confetti canons and balloon drop. It was cheesy in the absolute best way possible and everyone loved every second of it.
Everyone even halfway interested in music needs to see a show like this once in their lives because, in a world where bands and pop artists become larger than life, we lose out on true camaraderie and unifying effect that music was made to create within us. This night definitely gets filed under nights to remember and if Scibilia and Walker are coming to a venue near you on this tour, go. Remember, the answer to concerts is always yes.
Photos of both are below as well as a link to Butch’s documentary. Stay tuned for an interview with Marc Scibilia!
