"This is a very special night," Hawthorne said from the Bowery Ballroom stage. "Tonight I have a brand new album that comes out worldwide in two hours. It is definitely a celebration in this mother f*****."

And he wasn't lying. As the smell of pot engulfed the room, his fans danced and bobbed their heads throughout the entirety of his set. Many sang along to the soon-to-be-released tracks and at times he conducted the room in a sing-along, outstretching his arms while teaching them the lyrics to his new material. They seemed to be receptive to the new sounds, despite what Hawthorne may think otherwise.

"This album is very different from my previous two records," he recently told Radio.com. "Some people are not going to like that. Some of my fans that have been following, sorry guys."

He added, "I could never go back and do another A Strange Arrangement [his debut album]. It would be impossible at this point."

A huge fan of Steely Dan, Hawthorne wanted Where Does This Door Go to reference the '70s smooth jazz-rock duo — only, you know, with a bit more sex. To achieve this, he acted in a way some might find counter-intuitive: he added hip-hop beats, 808s and drum machines.