William Beckett took the stage Saturday night with just a guitar and a computer. There he stood a man and a gaggle of fans and it wasn't just a concert it truly was a "night with William Beckett'. The banter between the 27 year old musician and his fans was the most interactive I had seen in a long time. A mixed crowd of prom queens and bleacher dwellers untied in admiration for the former leader of The Academy Is…
The crowd contained more parents than your average PTA meeting. I am not sure if it was because they're fans or because they had to drive to the remote location. They were pleased as the clean cut boy told stories of his wandering adventures in New Jersey (where his tour manager nearly filed a missing person report and he was accused by the police that he spent some time with an…escort) to randomly shouting out names to illicit response "Ryan Gossling!" Adorable in his deliver of pop tune one liners "hey this is crazy" and playing right in to the teen fans hands in doing so. The one girl behind me was having a one on one conversation with him, but I don't think he knew, but she answered and laughed as if the two were all alone in the club. And that's the glory of Mr Beckett, he can make you feel as if you're the only one in the room, but he is smart enough to know he has a full house.
His setlist was absolutely incredible. Opening up with a Damien Rice tune, playing a few unreleased songs, and even an acoustic rendition of "Seed", it was certainly eclectic. The live version of "Girl You Should Have Been A Drummer" was so great and his energy was untoppable. His silly jokes and banter between tunes made him all the more personable, striking a chord with all in the crowd. Offering up impromptu tips on how to sing along ' at the end, pause for two beats', making his show the epitome of 'active listening'. Giving shout outs to his 'good friend Conor Oberst', while discussing how silly the word 'milk thistle' was. Asking if the crowd used Spotify 'but still buy mine'. Apparently this Connecticut crowd wasn't big on the streaming music service, as most claimed to own Becketts latest EP. Well done Nutmeg State, you're helping to pay the bills.
A striking contrast to the man we interviewed. We will have the up for you tomorrow. A smart and driven guy who seems just a bit uncomfortable one on one becomes every girls BFF when the spotlight comes on.