Frank Turner

For those of you that know me personally, you know about my obsession with Frank Turner. I'm sure most of you are probably sick of how many times I've posted status' or videos about him. I wanted to take some time and explain myself about how this came about and why to this day my wife and I have not missed a show when he comes around.

For those who don't know, he is a Folk/Punk singer/songwriter from Winchester, England. I first found out about him by one day growing bored with my current selection of music on my Ipod. This happens from time to time when I just don't feel like hearing the same old Bad Religion albums or I just long for something new in my life. What I do is go to my favorite record label websites (Epitaph, Victory, Bridge9, etc.) and peruse their new artists section. Usually they will give you a snippet of the songs so it is pretty quick and easy to realize if I dig it or hate it. So I'm going down the list of hardcore bands, screamo bands and such when in this guy Frank Turners bio it says that he is Folk/Punk. Really? I had to check this out. So I pop on the first little clip of a song called Photosynthesis and was instantly hooked.



Everything he said I felt. And the music, it wasn't the same old heavy guitar, loud drums stuff I grew up to. I immediately realized although I still love that stuff, I had grown enough to enjoy Folk! Who knew? I went to Itunes and downloaded every piece of music this man had released. It all floored me. Every song, every word that he sang was what I had in my heart. I had found my "new" music.

Frank live is such a release for me. The first time we saw him was at Brooklyn Bowl in well, Brooklyn. The place is right next to Brooklyn Brewery and has nothing but that on tap, plus it's a bowling alley, which is right next to the stage. But it works, believe me I didn't understand it at first either... But anyway, we get there two hours in advance because for some reason that's what it said to do on the tickets. As MaryJayne and I are sipping our frosty Brooklyn Lagers MaryJayne hears someone ask for a PBR, as she goes to see who the hipster is she starts tapping me saying "there he is! It's him!". What would you know it was none other than Frank Turner himself, just another patron at the bar. We approach him for a few pics which he gladly obliges. As I am taking a pic with him he starts telling me that when he walked into this place he immediately liked it because they were playing all his favorite songs. He explained that he then realized it was a CD he had made for clubs to play before the show. We both had a chuckle and then off he went.

You see we have a special advantage to being a fan in America. If you watch that video above, he draws HUGE in England. In America, not so much. But this is slowly changing. We went to see him in Brooklyn to a decent crowd. It didn't sell out until the night of the show if at all. That was last year. He is playing this month in the city and it sold out in a few weeks. So he added a second show, and that one sold out! So needless to say his popularity is growing here, at least in NY. I would like to think MaryJayne and I had a hand in that. And I'm pretty sure we did because more and more of our friends burn CDs from us and join us at his shows now. I'm starting to think I will not have my shot of Jameson with him pretty soon, as I do everytime he comes around.

So if you like the little taste I've given you in this post or are looking for something new, jump on board. I promise you that you won't be disappointed.