Beer in the Hand / Beer in the Face: Concert Edition

Time for another exciting round of Beer in the Hand or Beer in the face: Willis Earl Beal Concert.

Beer in the Hand: The man himself. Willis Earl Beal is cooler than you will ever be, so please don't try. It is embarrassing for everyone. I saw the dude before the show at the bar; he was wearing all black, including a black longsleeve of his own design. Oh, and a mask. Yeah, a fucking mask. At a bar. Just because.
He also crushed the concert, putting on a great performance for his hometown crowd.

Beer in the Face: Me. Way too drunk. Like...wayyyyyyy too drunk.

Beer in the Hand: Schubas. Somehow my antics didn't get me thrown out by the britches Jazzy Jeff style. I appreciate that.

Beer in the Hand: The new Willis Earl Beal record, which was purchased at the venue and gifted to me. Shit is next level.

Willis Earl Beal "Coming Through" ft. Cat Power

When I saw Willis Earl Beal in person outside of his concert, I asked him to get my friend on the guest list because the show was sold out. He obliged. I remember thinking I was speaking to a character from a movie--there was no way someone could look like that and actually be that cool in real life. Turns out one dude can.

Here is the new joint with Cat Power.

How to Get Ahead in the Blogospheric Era

There are three routes to gaining notoriety in the frenetic, fragmented Blogospheric Era:

1) Be reckless and ever-present. This is an old-school approach that has been adopted by musicians for years, in the form of getting arrested for public nudity, smashing up hotel rooms, and doing heaps of cocaine. This method worked for David Bowie, the Rolling Stones and Madonna as much as it does for the current enthusiasts Kanye West, Lady Gaga and Madonna. Take to twitter. Make outlandish public statements. Wear dresses made of meat. Create controversies where they don't exist. Be rebellious.
Be consciously provocative

2)Have a great origin story. Robert Johnson allegedly sold his sold to the devil in exchange for guitar chops. Justin Vernon went to a cabin and recorded on a 4 track during a fever-dream of influenza and heartache. Willis Earl Beal tried out for the X-factor and lived in his grandma's basement. Washed Out is from Georgia.

3) Be mysterious. In an era where 99% of  information is at your fingertips, being the 1% captivates. Wu Lyf didn't release a picture for months (1970s equivalent--3 years). No one knows the true identity of Captain Murphy. MF DOOM has pissed off many an audience by having phonies perform instead of he at many shows. The newest addition to this ever-growing list of mystery artists is called The Child of Lov. The song is called "Heal".