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Ben Harper Provides An Evening Of Musical Mastery
Vancouver
August 28, 2000
Ben Harper is not only an amazing slide guitarist and incredible vocalist, but he also knows the meaning of the word humility; a rare quality in a rock musician, yet one that Harper seems to embrace.
The L.A. based singer-guitarist treated the sold out Plaza of Nations crowd to a two hour set of non-stop musical magic. From the opening chords of his latest single "Burn to Shine" to the last screaming sounds of Hendrix's "Manic Depression," Harper was in the mood to groove.
 The usually sedate Vancouver audience was wildly appreciative of Mr. Harper who responded with an extended version of the politically charged "Excuse Me Mister." Sitting in a chair perched upon a riser, Ben brought his Weissenborn and Dobro guitars to life, baffling fans with his dexterous finger picking abilities. By the time he finished "Burn one Down," a one foot joint was circulating the venue. Harper took one look at the monster reefer and said "Man, if I take a hit off that, you're going to have to roll me outta here." (Add more boisterous cheering).
 From there the band launched into the fuzzed-out "Ground on Down," a classic barn burner. Harper's band, The Innocent Criminals - featuring bassist Juan Nelson, drummer Dean Butterworth and percussionist David Leach - were excellent, and they brought steady rhythm to some vibrant tunes. Nelson was especially impressive and displayed some amazing licks on the inspirational "The Will to Live." Harper brought the tempo down a bit with the conga fueled "Steal my Kisses" and actually got up and danced around the stage for a while.
Harper's first encore was an all acoustic set featuring "Another Lonely Day" and "Not Fire Not Ice." The crowd was stunningly silent either by the sheer beauty of the songs or the steady flow of herb being passed around. Harper's voice resonated perfectly and his soothing acoustic picking was almost enough to lull me to sleep.
 There's no rest for the wicked though, and for the final encore Harper launched into a killer new song called "Touch From Your Lust." The song had never been heard before and the crowd reacted like it was an instant classic. With a little radio play, it could be the tune Harper breaks out on. Giving homage to his roots, Harper performed a soul-drenched version of Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing" and then kicked into an explosive "Fight For Your Mind." Not to be out done by his own music, Harper capped off the evening with a scorching cover of Jimi Hendrix's "Manic Depression," a personal favorite. For those who have ever wondered what Hendrix sounded like in concert, Harper provides an answer.
Ben Harper is a man of musical integrity and it comes through in his live performances. He wears his heart on his sleeve and puts more energy into each song than most bands put into an entire tour. It was clear from the sold out crowd that Vancouver loves Ben Harper and with more songs to choose from than time available, it's only a matter of time before the magic returns.
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