Last night Ed and I were lucky enough to attend a special performance of Butch Walker and the Black Widows at Criminal Records. Criminal has been a cornerstone of Atlanta’s Little 5 Points for 20 years, but these days the independent record store is facing tough times because of the current economy. Local artists and musicians have rushed to join the Save Criminal Records campaign, with Atlanta boy Butch Walker among them.
Tickets for last night’s in-store acoustic set were available to anyone who came to Criminal and spent twenty bucks. Fran Capitanelli sang a few songs from his new album before Butch and company graced the stage. I’ve wanted to see Butch in person for a long time, but his shows sell out ridiculously fast. This was a fun, intimate way to finally see him in all his charismatic glory, but now I want to see the full show more than ever.
After the set, fans could donate five dollars to Criminal in exchange for jumping in a photo booth with Butch. How could I resist? The second photo is the result of me saying, “Tell me something scandalous!” The third was Butch’s idea of a date night photo. He was really nice and seemed to be having a great time mugging for the camera.
If jumping in a photo booth with an amazingly talented musician is what it takes to save Criminal Records, then I’m ready to do my part!
