Ben Kweller
Biltmore Cabaret, Vancouver, BC
July 18, 2025
Seated at the keyboard and alone on stage, the spotlight was on Ben Kweller as he opened the set with “Thirteen” from his 2006 self-titled album. The song is about his relationship with his wife Liz. The couple got married on September 13, and Liz’s birthday is on October 13. Singing “It was in the back of a taxi, when you told me you loved me, and that I wasn’t alone.” to end the song as each member made their way up on stage. “Oh, Vancouver, it’s so good to see you again” sang Ben as he introduced his band, “yeah, we got Chris Mintz-Ploss on the bass guitar, Ryan Dean on the drum set, and Parker Twomey on the keys and the guitar” before going into “Falling” from 2002’s power-pop ‘Sha Sha’.
There was a lot of live music in the city this week. Along with Kweller performing at the Biltmore Cabaret, it was also the opening night of the weekend-long 48th Annual Vancouver Folk Music Festival at Jericho Beach Park. Earlier in the week, The Weeknd performed at BC Place Stadium with 54,000+ in attendance on each night of July 15 and July 16.
“Been waiting for this” said Ben. “It was scary crossing the border. It’s hard these days. I mean, we’ve been stressed about trying to make this gig for like a week and a half. Oh my god, will they even let us in? We’re so happy to be here. They let us in.” he explained.
“Thank you for accepting us. We are in no way a reflection of our country in the current state that it is in. I hope you understand.
But tonight’s going to be fun because we’re going to sing a bunch of songs. We’ve got a good list here. So I hope your vocal cords are ready.” Ben finished. It sure was a fun night. The set continued with “Full Circle” off of 2012’s ‘Go Fly a Kite’.
Ben Kweller released his seventh studio album, ‘Cover the Mirrors’, last May. “I hope you, if you’ve heard it, maybe you like it. If you haven’t heard it yet, check it out, please.” Ben said. “And if you’ve been following me, you heard about the tragedy of us losing our son Dorian. I’ve been in a tailspin for two and a half years. And he was such an incredible artist. He recorded under the name Zev, Z-E-V, so please check out his music. And this is a song that he was writing and never got to finish. So, I tried my best to finish it and we put it on the album. So, this is by me and Dorian. This is called Trapped.”
The song was the first off the new album to be performed on this night. It was followed by “Save Yourself” which was going out to Dorian’s younger brother Judah who was working the merchandise table. “Save Yourself” is his favourite from the album.
The heartbreak of any parent losing a child goes beyond what words can express. It’s difficult to talk about the pain. Despite the profound heartache and sadness that have filled the years since the passing of of his son Dorian, Ben Kweller’s open-eyed honesty about grief and loss has been an inspiration to everyone that knows him. Strangers become kindreds in mere seconds– a look, a glance, a knowing of the heart connects us to Ben Kweller, even if we’ve never met him before.
“It’s hard to even talk about it but this song I wrote because I was thinking a lot about Dorian’s friends and just the connection they had with him and it’s like not even admitting that he’s gone forever and just that he’s a friend.” explained Ben. “In my mind, I was like, okay, he just moved away to like California or something and we’re gonna see each other again one day. So that’s this song of Dorian. I hope that’s true.”
Oh, Dorian Please let us know
Oh, Dorian My best friend
I’ll just call your name
Life just ain’t the same
I can’t wait to hang with you again
‘Cover The Mirrors’ is deeply personal, reflecting on the loss of Ben Kweller’s Dorian, and the journey of healing and moving forward. The title is inspired by the Jewish funeral practice of covering mirrors during the period of shiva, the week of mourning after a death, to help mourners focus on grieving and avoid distractions. The album was released on what would have been Dorian’s 19th birthday.
Setlist
Thirteen (Ben Kweller – 2006)
Falling (Sha Sha – 2002)
Full Circle (Go Fly a Kite – 2012)
Family Tree (Sha Sha – 2002)
Make It Up (Freak Out, It’s Ben Kweller – 2000)
No Reason (Sha Sha – 2002)
Trapped (Cover The Mirrors – 2025)
Save Yourself (Cover The Mirrors – 2025)
On My Way (On My Way – 2004)
Park Harvey Fire Drill (Cover The Mirrors – 2025)
Oh Dorian (Cover The Mirrors – 2025)
Killer Bee (Cover The Mirrors – 2025)
Commerce, TX (Sha Sha – 2002)
Optimystic (Cover The Mirrors – 2025)
Depression (Cover The Mirrors – 2025) / Just Like Heaven (The Cure cover)
Sundress (Ben Kweller – 2006)
ENCORE
Dollar Store (Cover The Mirrors – 2025)
Wasted & Ready (Sha Sha – 2002)
Singer-songwriter Ryman Wooten who’s stage name is simply RYMAN, the namesake of the Ryman Auditorium, the Mother Church of Country Music, opened for Ben Kweller. Growing up in Hendersonville, Tennessee, about 18 miles northeast of downtown Nashville, this was 21-year old Ryman’s first time in Canada and first time on tour.
Setlist
Lose
Undo
Lightning
Lucy
Luck of the Draw
Green