Ever have one of those experiences when you don’t know whether you are going to laugh or cry because of something you are experiencing is so intensely beautiful? It’s like all five of your senses are on overdrive and you have no desire to downshift. That is how I describe my first time seeing Willy Porter in concert. Just him and a guitar for 2 and a half hours of pure musical ecstasy.
Willy is one of the most amazing acoustic guitar players you will ever run across. Willy is a true artist, yet his music is very accessible, groove oriented and soulful. If you ever get the chance to see him play live, all I can say is, GO! He will blow you away. I have seen him probably 5 or 6 times live and I would say that by far he shines the brightest when he is all alone with his guitar. His band is cool, but sometimes his guitar virtuosity gets lost in the band.
He has released five CD’s to date and I think my favorite is "Falling Forward". His live disc where he plays solo is also a must have.
One of the greatest things about Willy is that you really get the sense that he is one of the nicest guys you would ever meet. Every time I have seen him play he has expressed a genuine respect for his audience and for the fact that we would come and hear him play his songs. He drops the occasional “F-bomb” so you might not want to bring the kids, but don’t let that hold you back from seeing his show.
One of the most impressive things that he does in his show is that he usually randomly asks the audience for three different totally random topics and then he writes a song about those things on the spot. For example, "A Big Wheel", "Acne", and "Green Beans". Usually it's about the funniest thing you have ever heard.
Here is his website for more info.
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