For musicians, it can be tough scoring early success, since you’re constantly measuring yourself against it. Ben Kweller hit it big as a teenager, first with his Dallas band Radish and then with his 2001 solo debut Sha Sha. Everyone from the Lemonheads to Wilco to (old family friend) Nils Lofgren took a liking to Kweller’s brand of alt-rock. Over the years, though, Kweller has evolved into a compelling songwriter comfortable with folk, piano pop, and even country (as on 2009’s honky-tonk curveball Changing Horses).
2012’s self-released Go Fly A Kite was a nice mix of all these styles, recorded (mostly) live to highlight Kweller’s excellent showmanship. Kweller will bring his high-energy pedigree to the Backyard at Bee Cave on July 4 for the (512) Festival. For today’s song of the day, we’re returning to Kweller’s 2012 Studio 1A performance of “Full Circle,” which, as the title suggests, sums up Kweller’s stellar career with a country-pop flourish.
