Eargazms.......: Sean Rowe at Laurie's Planet of Sound, Chicago

Sean Rowe's The Salesman and the Shark finished at #6 on my list of favorite albums of 2012. His blend of heart wrenching ballads sung in his unique bass-y vocal style, was just what I needed to listen to during a year that seemed heavy on electronic-music, garage-revival bands, and "too-cool-for-school" hipster rock. Sean Rowe fits in with the group of timeless and classic singer-songwriters, with a sound not far off from the early works of Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen, and other giants.

Both of his albums are excellent and worth owning, although I definitely prefer The Salesman and the Shark. Each go perfect with a tall glass of scotch, and a sexy blonde by your side who's ready to break your heart at any second. The Salesman and the Shark is full of slower, almost crooner-like tunes but also features a few rave-ups that wouldn't be too far off from Tom Waits Rain Dogs phase.

Sean Rowe came to town the other day to play a show at Lincoln Hall with a couple other songwriters. But beforehand, he stopped by Laurie's Planet of Sound in Chicago to perform a short acoustic set. I was thrilled to hear about this, especially since this great record store is only a short 10 minute walk from my apartment! When I showed up, I was expecting a packed audience, but was amazed to find out that I was the only one there!! One more person showed up, and Sean delivered a beautiful 5 song acoustic set, which included a taste of new music he's currently working on, a killer cover of Willie Dixon's classic - "Spoonful", and two more from his amazing last album.

Anyway, I filmed the whole set (which you can view below). Make sure to check out the first video for a very zen-like moment! During the performance of "Signs" (one of my favorites), Sean sings one of his pivotal lines:

I heard a train go by and I thought of you

Just as he sings this line, you can hear the subway train go overhead of the store. Really beautiful stuff!

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