Actor and musician Drake Bell came to Strummer’s on Friday and rocked the joint. He’s on tour with a new album, “Non-Stop Flight,” scheduled for release later this year.

He showcased courage by speaking out about the unspeakable behavior towards children at Nickelodeon on the documentary series “Quiet on Set” streaming on Max. He expressed his story and truth with his voice, and now he’s doing it with his music.

“This new album is cool. It’s a concept album. All the artwork and the narrative of the record resembles the golden age of commercial flight, classic Pan AM style. It’s like you’re going on a musical journey through the skies. I’ve been writing about my life, my past, future, and where I’m at now. It’s basically a diary,” Bell told GV Wire.

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Bell Takes Fans on a Musical Journey During Intimate Performance

He took his fans on a musical journey during his show. He didn’t need a band. It was just him with a classic Gretsch black guitar and a keyboard. That’s all he needed to entertain the intimate crowd. He didn’t rely on a playlist. Instead, Bell’s just-wing-it attitude and personable demeanor delighted a millennial audience that grew up with him on their screens.

His music is old-school rockabilly, with a pop touch. “We Love You, Drake!” his fans shouted between songs throughout the night.

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Bell played “Makes Me Happy,” “Fuego Lento,” and “Hollywood Girl,” to name a few. He saw The Stray Cats the night before which, he said,  got him all riled up for the Fresno show. He even invited the crowd to sing along to a couple of Stray Cats tunes. Brian Setzer clearly has inspired his look, music, and stage persona.

An entertaining segment of his performance was when he played a snippet of the Elton John classic, “Benny and The Jets.” He belted into the “Drake & Josh” theme song, which is the series that made him famous with “Found a Way.” The crowd sang the song back to him.

He jammed into his recent single from the new album, “I Kind of Relate.” From the lyrics and music video it’s pretty much an autobiographical take on his life, and what he’s been through, and it doesn’t hold back. Its deep, emotional context is why it has accumulated 3.2 million views on YouTube.

Fans Appreciate and Connect with Bell’s Music

His fans really appreciate his music — perhaps even more so after his confession of his past trauma.

“A lot of people are going back through my catalogue and are going like ‘now I get what he’s saying in this song,’ or ‘this song hits different now.’ Since they know more about my story, they’re able to connect more to my songs which is amazing. I’m having a deeper connection with my fans, and it’s been really cool,” said Bell.

“It’s so great having people come to me and share their stories and how my story and lyrics have impacted them. Helping them through tough times. It’s really rewarding and special.”

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