Click Click: Ben Harper & Relentless7 @ 9:30 Club

Harper's career began with the Innocent Criminals, with whom he recorded multiple records in the late '90s and early oughts. It continued with a collaboration with The Blind Boys of Alabama in 2004, when he joined the historic group and earned a Grammy win with the album There Will Be A Light. Now he's joined by 3 musicians known as Relentless7, the group with which he shared the 9:30 Club stage last night.

With their debut album yet in stores -- White Lies for Dark Times comes out today -- some might think it a bit presumptuous that a show on a Monday night would be sold out (especially with the circus in town). With a track record as long as Ben Harper's, however, it's easy to see why.

Fans of the California native may have shown up thinking they'd hear "Burn One Down," "Steal My Kisses" or "Diamonds on the Inside," or they may have purchased a ticket simply because they know that the man consistently produces quality tunes. While the former may have left disappointed -- to be honest, I wouldn't know, as I had to jet a bit early -- those in attendance were treated to a bona fide rock show; a Weissenborn-fueled, sometimes-jamtastic-but-not-in-a-hippie-way set that would make any aspiring musician swell with pride. After all, if someone as talented as Harper can still play the 9:30 Club and not force us out to Nissan or Merriweather, maybe the fact that he continues to fly relatively under the radar is a good thing.