BY MANDY RODGERS

All in the same week, Butch Walker is celebrating a record release, a birthday and performing in his home town of Atlanta. Much of his new album, Sycamore Meadows, revolves around the past couple of years of his life and the theme of "coming home" to Atlanta. After a standout show earlier this year, Walker had a lot to live up to coming into this tour.

In July, he cancelled much of his previously scheduled concerts but still traveled to Atlanta to play what was billed as a "completely solo" gig. That concert, however, turned from acoustic tryouts of his latest material, to fast favorites with his (surprise!) backing band to a (double surprise!) Marvelous 3 reunion. When Walker and his old band hit the stage, a faithful audience full of unwavering fans ignited and then completely combusted.

Opening for Walker at the previous show and this one was New York rocker Jesse Malin, who from a distance or glancing at a CD cover looks a lot like the headliner. Malin played several of his songs to get the crowd started, including "Black-Haired Girl," "Don't Mess with Cupid" and his cover of the Replacements' "Bastards of Young." For the latter he involved the crowd by getting in the middle of the floor, asking everyone to sit around him and sing. Unfortunately, it took some members of the stubborn audience too much time to follow instructions, but Malin's dedication to his lyrics and music are evident and he meshes well with Walker's music and fanbase.

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After a brief set change, it's time for Walker to hit the stage, and he does so in a subdued, quiet manner, playing an acoustic set of songs from the still-unreleased record (it would officially hit stores the next day, Nov. 11). The crowd is quieter than usual, but a couple of fans somehow know the lyrics by heart. Walker notices and chalks that up to the new "internet age of music" but doesn't seem to mind. Beginning a concert in Atlanta with songs like "ATL" and "Going Back/Going Home" has a more unique feel than if played in another city. The crowd knows what Walker means and identifies with the city, but even those not from Atlanta can sense the hurt and desperation in Walker's latest lyrics.

Losing his Malibu home, studio and master recordings in the wildfires last year seems to have given the artist a new perspective of life and music as Walker delves into his rock roots and familiar territory. Other tracks from Sycamore Meadows continue the humble theme, like in the sullen romance-gone-wrong song, "Passed Your Place, Saw Your Car, Thought of You." 

Delicately weaving classics in with new material is never easy for an artist, and Walker commends Atlanta's being "good sports" for intently listening to previously unheard tracks. Walker faves and concert staples like "Joan" and "Mixtape" (which he quips sounds like the Brady Bunch theme) intermingle easily among the newer, at times solemn, tracks. Then Walker's backing band comes out for the uber-catchy single "The Weight of Her," followed by "Don't Move," "Here Comes the..." and "Ships in a Bottle." (Worth noting: the "Ships" music video follows Walker examining what's left of his possessions after the fires as the lyrics "Just wanna walk away from the ashes/And take the fact that I've been burned" unfold, giving sharp insight into his struggles in 2007.)

Rounding out the set, Walker performs "Maybe It's Just Me," "Taste of Red" and "#1 Summer Jam" (infused with a snippet of "Silly Love Songs"), all the while indulging his signature pick-throwing/drumkit-standing antics. "Best Thing You Never Had" is mostly sung by the fans - without missing a beat or note. Likewise with the encore, "When Canyons Ruled the City," which no longer requires preliminary instructions as the girls immediately sing their "la's" and the guys step up to their part without hesitation. Almost like a well-rehearsed ending, the voices continue to get softer with Walker leading the chorale, until finally nothing is heard.

An eruption of applause ends the night as Walker, seemingly, steps into a new chapter of his life. This concert wasn't meant to be loud, crazy or surprising like the stellar one earlier in the year. It was, instead, a chance for Walker to tell his story anew to Atlanta, and a reassurance that, after returning from personal tragedy, he and his music are still adored by the home town fans.

[Photo Credit: Lucia Holm]