 |
| Higher Ground 11.2.17 |
Watching Willie Watson do his solo show for the second time at Higher Ground in South Burlington last night, I was impressed by the change in his performance in two short years.
The last time he came through town he was greener to his new life as a solo performer with Folk Singer Vol. 1 — following a breakup with Old Crow Medicine Show.
Since then he's added stage presence.
He's added schtick. He tells stories, so capably Arlo Guthrie kept coming to mind. Ketch Secor, his former bandmate, and Dave Rawlings — his producer, friend, and fellow bandmate currently — kept popping into my head, too.*
His singing is better, not that it had much room to grow. I hailed him as one of the all-time folk music greats the instant he went solo, right up there with Pete Seeger and the rest.
His opening song ("Leaving Blues"?) from Folksinger Vol. 2** was a revelation. Who can render a folk song any better than that?
*and my friend from college (sorry, Larry).
**the first volume did indeed come out with "Folk singer" as two words and the second volume is titled "Folksinger" one word.
Folk singer Willie Watson performs on guitar, banjo, and harmonica and “can be murderous, bawdy or lustful, sometimes in the course of a single song, with a sly sense of humor that cuts to the quick.”
He was an original member of Old Crow Medicine Show, recording and touring with the group for over a decade before going solo in 2011.
Watson released his debut solo album, “Folk Singer, Vol. 1”, produced by David Rawlings, in early in 2014 and associate producer Gillian Welch on their Acony Records.
The Steel Wheels, making its third MerleFest appearance, will host the “Midnight Jam”—"the place to be for great late night music at the festival” according to artist relations manager, Steve Johnson.
They join dozens of other fine musical acts in the MerleFest 2015 lineup on 13 stages. MerleFest runs April 23-26 with an Early Bird discount available through April 22.
