MeWithoutYou’s Aaron Weiss

One of my favorite bands, MeWithoutYou, has been gaining ground in the indie music scene for the last couple of years. I can vividly remember seeing them at the Whisky in Hollywood about 3-4 years ago before the release of Catch for us the Foxes. It was one of the best performances I have ever seen, and that is a compliment directed principally towards their enigmatic vocalist Aaron Weiss (here are some live videos of the band playing an acoustic set in a record shop). He is my favorite contemporary lyricist, and quite a good guy, to boot. You can read an enlightening interview with him here concerning matters spiritual, physical, environmental, and musical. Here’s a quick excerpt:

Everyone has a story. Some have seen him walking around the festival grounds, picking half-eaten sandwiches out of the garbage and finishing them. Others talk about how he and his friends live in a commune in Philadelphia, sharing their possessions and profits from the band to live a life similar to those in the early church. Most who’ve met him say you haven’t felt a real hug until you’ve experienced his bone-cracking embrace. Everyone swears there’s something different about him, something beyond guitar riffs and record sales.