Hanging in Plaza Midwood

A Renelvis jumpsuit display at Lise 22 and Benji Hughes at Snug Harbor.

Benji Hughes Snug Harbor 7/4/2009

The "hirsute" one as I have seem him described.

Benji Hughes has a phenomenal record called "A Love Extreme". It has been out about a year now but still seems relevant after hundreds of spins. It showcases his great songwriting talent, his use of sampling and his unique vocal talent. Benji is a product of the Charlotte music scene with some time in LA (he wrote one of the songs used on the parody of the Johnny Cash movie, can't remember the name). Anyway, Benji and his crack band appeared at Snug Harbor on July 4 early a.m. From the outset, Benji was not satisfied with the volume and bass of his voice in the stage monitor and somewhat demonstratively (understatement) complained to his band to turn it down and the sound man to turn him up. Interestingly, he had made the same complaint when I saw him a few weeks ago at Petra's with his piano man, Jon Phillips. Despite Benji's complaints, the fact is that it sounded excellent from the audience. The band ripped through many of the great songs on "A Love Extreme" adding their raw energy to a record that is kind of a studio masterpiece. Peter Gray is a fine guitarist and adds some incredible solos. Jon Phillips is a really talented keyboardist who adds a number of cool variances to the music. David Kim is steady and strong on drums and shows why he is often seen in a number of the finest bands on the Charlotte music scene. I don't know the bass player, but he is good and completes the package. I have some vids posted on my youtube and at the bottom of this page and you need to check them out (www.youtube.com/nosyfieldstone) and get Benji's record on itunes.

Plaza Midwood Thursday Scene

The cool sign at the Penguin.
Rainy Night outside the Penguin.

What's great about living close to Charlotte is that we can jump in the car and within 30 minutes be enjoying some of the "city" lifestyle. Whether it be to one of the many authentic ethnic restaurants or to hear some live music, there is usually something decent happening in this quasi-southern burg. On this very rainy night, our daughter P and I made a run down to the Plaza-Midwood section of Charlotte. This section is known for its arty vibe, cool clubs and funky stores as well as an historic residential district that is popular with the open minded crowd. The famed Penguin pictured above has been featured on the Food Network for its nasty hot dogs and hamburgers and all the greasy stuff that goes along with it. I used to be all over this kind of food but am no longer. I'm now on the heavy low cholesterol, low sugar gig. But on this particular night, we needed to kill some time before we went to see Benji Hughes at a place called Petra's. So I had a footlong and vegetarian P ate some cheese fries. Then we went to Petra's, an ostensibly gay bar, to see that pop genius, Benji Hughes. See the vid below. Benji has a super record called "A Love Extreme" and you need to switch right over to your itunes and make the purchase. It is a record that you will listen to over and over again. Anyway, it was a fun night and a chill groove in a hep section of town. Peace out.

Benji Hughes in Soho

A shop in Soho where Benji Hughes was heard.

Benji Hughes of Charlotte has a fine record out called "A Love Extreme". It received four stars from Rolling Stone and Benji has toured Europe with Jenny Lewis. And yet, in Charlotte, we can catch Benji at a club like Snug Harbor. While strolling through Soho on our New York trip, we popped into a trendy casual wear boutique. Imagine our excitement when we heard Benji Hughs on the piped in music, singing one of his many great songs, "So Well." Congratulations, Benji, and to those who haven't checked out his record, you need to. I have some of his vids up on my youtube, www.youtube.com/nosyfieldstone.