Wipe the sleep from your eyes, grab a cup and join Levi Kreis this morning to discuss future plans for his music, including a new album. As someone who went to two of the stops for the recent SideXSide Tour with Eric Himan, I can tell you I am a big fan, and really look forward to some new music. As Levi prepares to leave Million Dollar Quartet, where he won the Tony Award for his incredible performance as Jerry Lee Lewis, he is thinking of what is on the horizon for the talented singer/songwriter and actor. And he is invited you to take this journey with him.
So, if you are interested in supporting this talented independent musician, stop by his kickstarter page here. For a donation of $10, you can get an advanced copy of the new album, 2 weeks prior to release. For $25, you can get that advanced copy, as well as an autographed copy mailed to you. There are a variety of perks, and you can check them out here. Need more convincing? Try watching the video for Not Afraid, a song from the recent album, Where I Belong.
Now, go to Kickstarter, and let Levi know you are on his team.
Levi Kreis is an out performer based out of Los Angeles. He is not only a great singer and musician, but he also has performed in the theater, most recently playing Jerry Lee Lewis in a production of The Million Dollar Quartet. This past May he released a new CD, Where I Belong. Well, I am the idiot, because I didn't know it until I was doing this post. Sorry Levi [yeah, like he is reading this]! So I went directly to iTunes and bought it, cause I loves me some Levi Kreis.
Now that I have listened, gotta say it might be his best yet, which is saying something, since I love The Gospel According To Levi. That CD had a pop/rock/soul thing in abundance, and had some fun going on. Where I Belong has less rock, with more of a Southern soul and gospel feel, and maybe a touch of country-fried rock and a nod to R&B. The song This Girl has a feel of an American Jamiroquai, and I mean that in a good way. It, along with several other songs, are uptempo blues numbers, reminding me of old time Memphis recordings. Ain't Nobody is another song that shows what I am talking about.
I love iTunes because of the immediate gratification factor, and allowing me my impulse purchases, but the downside is that until I read Levi's website, I hadn't realized Travis Howard, a previousStr8 Men Need Love Too post, produced not only this album, but also the last. Damn, that boy is more talented than I thought. No wonder I like those, combining my appreciation of two musical obsessions.
Producer Travis Howard (left) and singer/songwriter Levi Kreis (right)
In some ways, I have to imagine The Gospel According To Levi must have been a cathartic experience, freeing him of the baggage of growing up gay in a fundamental religious upbringing, going so far at one point to attend Exodus, a religious group out to convert and 'save' homosexuals. Apparently, that didn't work so well. That said, whatever took to bring Levi to this place, he has put out a fantastic new album. Here is another song from it, Not Afraid.
Some of Levi's other great music is available on YouTube. There is We're Okay, and a song that was in a few movies and TV shows, Hardly A Hero. There is also a clip of him performing The Reckoning on a radio show. His music can be purchased from iTunes, Amazon.com, CD Baby, and apparently, at Best Buy. For more about Levi, go to his website here.
