Harper inspires people to deal with life's struggles

by Chas J. Hartman
Assistant Entertainment Editor

Get ready for an extra special musical act at the Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium tonight. California's own folk/alternative-rock act Ben Harper is set to hit the stage with his band the Innocent Criminals.

Harper's music is a hodgepodge of styles, but hints of classic rock and remnants of alternative rock shine most brightly. Gently creeping into his songs are blues-influenced guitar riffs and the occasional ode to reggae music. He complements his eclectic music with lyrics reminiscent of Bob Dylan and Paul Simon.

This 31-year-old guitarist/singer first picked up the guitar at age 6 and began performing at age 12. With his acoustic guitar and lyrics bordering on social commentary, Harper formed a loyal following in the '90s. When his major label debut hit the streets in 1994, Harper's music couldn't be classified as one specific style of music.

By the time of his second album Fight For Your Mind (1995), Harper's lyrics delved further into Dylan territory. His songs covered everything from the fight for civil rights to freedom of expression. However; one track called "By My Side" witnessed a lyrical departure for Harper, as it displayed some rare emotional introspection.

Harper's next two albums, The Will To Live (1997) and Burn To Shine (1999), served up more grit and heavy guitar than any of his previous efforts. Essentially, The Will To Live began Harper's classic rock period, which is when the comparisons to Led Zeppelin started coming more frequently. But all his work culminated with ••Burn To Shine••, which established him as the predominant male folk/alternative-rock artist in the United States.

Following a highly successful tour for Burn To Shine, Harper set his sights on releasing a live album to commemorate that tour. He spent the end of 2000 and last month holed up in a studio mixing what became a double live album, simply titled Live. In addition to performances with the Innocent Criminals, the album features Harper's solo performances.

With Live due to arrive in stores March 27, Harper and the Innocent Criminals began a short U.S. trek on Feb. 1. Special guest Jack Johnson is the opening act for Harper on this tour.

Much like Harper, Johnson incorporates many different styles into his music. Johnson's just-released debut album Brushfire Fairytales mixes his folk roots with elements of hip-hop and dub music. Drummer Adam Topol is heavily influenced by Latin music, which he melds with Johnson's music to create an interesting blend of sounds.

"Our music contains beats that people can dance to," Johnson said. "We perform positive music, and our songs contain positive words. In the end, we inspire people to have a good day.

"Ben Harper always has a positive effect on the crowd, because people can relate to his music. Everybody deals with life and its struggles and he's no different. I always say he's one of the most inspiring people I know."

Tickets for tonight's show are sold out, but there will be additional tickets for sale at the door, according to a University Program Council news release. Tickets are $20 for OU students and $25 for non-students. For more information about the additional tickets, call the box office at 593-1780.

The Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals concert is at 8 p.m. tonight at the Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium. The concert is sponsored by UPC.