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Artist of the WeeK — Hall: Play that funky music, white boy

By Brooke Marshall
Entertainment Editor
February 03, 2006


Beau Hall’s message is a simple one: “This is me! I don’t suck! I promise I don’t!”

A joke? Yes. An understatement? A resounding yes.

Hall, an Atlanta native, has made a name for himself with that same self-deprecating style. He’s a joker, but he’s also sincere; he knows he’s a skilled musician, but he rags on himself nonetheless. This comes as no surprise, since this attitude is a staple of the type of music Hall expertly performs — as he put it — “blues-rock that’s very funky.”

Indeed, through his renowned live shows and new album, UNH!, Hall has mastered the trifecta of funk, blues and rock. He performs tonight at Jake’s Toadhouse in Decatur.

Hall admits that despite learning three instruments as a child, he wasn’t an instant virtuoso.

“[Music] was never anything I excelled at,” he said. “So it’s almost like musicianship probably comes second to my passion for just digging on good music.”

Despite being a slow learner, Hall still had a passion for music.

“I probably started knowing I wanted to be a musician of some sort when I was probably 10,” he said. “It just took me eight years to start getting serious with it.”

Hall draws much of his style from the simplicity of the blues. But even a casual listen to his music reveals layers that extend beyond this sound — namely dance beats.

“I wanted to do funky dance music because I love to dance,” he said. “I’ve got to dance. And so with that combined with the Rolling Stones, I sort of felt this three-pronged passion for blues, rhythm and blues, and funk.”

This translates well into Hall’s live shows. Energetic yet laid-back, funky and groovy, Hall truly comes alive onstage in an intimate venue.

Hall said live performances give him a huge rush — but only if the crowd gets into it.

“I will play for free for the rest of my life if people get up and dance,” he said.

Hall’s performances are confident and self-assured — after all, he has had nearly two decades to hone his craft. And yet, Hall has managed to hold on to the awe of a musician just starting out.

“The first time that somebody was walking out of a bar at 2 in the morning singing one of my songs, I remember that moment because it was just like, ‘Holy crap. This is it. This has happened,” he said. “When you hear somebody remember your song, it qualifies what you’re trying to do.”

And with the recent release of UNH!, available on dynasonic.com, a larger audience has a chance to discover Hall’s music. He is optimistic about its sound, yet realistic about its chances for success.

“Everybody that hears it loves it,” he said. “I’m not even shooting for top 40. When and if that happens, that’ll rock my world.”

Originally, Hall planned to play all the instruments on the album. But when he discovered his drumming skills were somewhat lacking, he asked John McKnight — a man whom he described as “bar none, the greatest musician in this city” — to fill in.

Hall said McKnight’s contribution and the studio’s support and ambition were instrumental in the creation of UNH!.

Highlights of the album include his tip of the hat to Prince, “Super Hot Lady Cop.” Hall said that though some people may be offended by the song’s seemingly lecherous lyrics, he’s being tongue-in-cheek.

“There’s this guy thinking he’s God’s gift to women using all these hot pervo slang terms for how slick he is with a chick, and in the end she turns out to be freakier than him — it scares him,” he said.

But, UNH! is far more than just a few funny funk tunes. On tracks like “Sometimes I Cry,” which is about Hall’s high school girlfriend who died, he explores the darker, more painful side of his life. The song is deliberate, almost ponderous at times, with a simple melody that effectively highlights lyrics like, “As hard as it was to say goodbye / I always wonder what would have happened if you hadn’t died / Sometimes, I cry / Wishing you were still by my side.”

It’s a message conveyed in a deceptively simple way. Hall doesn’t add frills, and instead lets his sadness speak for itself.

Despite the personal nature of some of his work, Hall said he might try writing for other artists.

“I’ve had other people do my songs, and you sometimes are crazed because they’re not doing it the way you want,” he said. “But it’s kind of interesting hearing somebody else’s take on it.”

Regardless of whether Hall achieves commercial success, he said, he still enjoys playing music, and that will keep him young — as well as keep audiences entertained. After all, he said, he doesn’t suck.

Cool.


So...write something for me. Make it sound like Wham!

Gotta love press

great Hall

Wow

Great!