Press photo of Aaron West & The Roaring 20s.
Aaron West & The Roaring Twenties
w/ Allison Weiss, Can't Swim, Cold Collective
Oakland Metro Operahouse
Oakland, CA
June 16, 2016
Acoustic shows are fun if they are done in the proper fashion. More importantly though, they can be incredibly impactful if they're done in the right setting and with the right delivery. Dan Campbell is the vocalist of The Wonder Years, and he began Aaron West & The Roaring Twenties as a side project. On the project's Facebook page, it's dubbed as "a character study conducted through music". After watching his performance, it's clear to understand what he means.
You see, Campbell performs in character as a man named Aaron West. He's constructed an entire backstory and life for West. He doesn't come out dressed up any different than he usually is; a t-shirt and shorts is the look here, armed only with an acoustic guitar (and sometimes, a massive beard). To the untrained ear, however, an unknowing passerby could think that Campbell actually was Aaron West, making all of the stories of driving through the night and sleeping in the car, leaving home and feeling stranded and lonely from a marriage are real. This is the genius of his project: it gives Campbell a chance to explore other characters that he is far from as a human being, while being able to perform a completely set of songs that you wouldn't hear on a Wonder Years record.
Aaron West's set was comprised of songs from the project's only two releases thus far: the full-length We Don't Have Each Other, and the 2016 EP Bittersweet. The tone is dramatically different from a pop-punk show that most would expect. There's a different kind of electricity in the air throughout the event: you're not going to be in a mosh pit, but you'll walk away feeling like you were a part of something very special, like you were truly given a glimpse into this fascinating character's life.
An Aaron West show is one that should be experienced in person. Make this happen should you ever get the opportunity.
Aaron West & The Roaring Twenties
www.facebook.com/aaronwestandtheroaringtwenties
@ThisIsAaronWest
This has been another Shameless Promotion.