Guitarist/songwriter Willy Porter returns to Hallowell

Willy Porter will perform at Slates in Hallowell Monday night. For more information, call 622-9575 or visit www.slatesrestau rant.com. Porter has traveled to support his latest release on Weasel Records "How To Rob A Bank." He has toured with the likes of artists Jeff Beck and Tori Amos, and has a catalogue of critically acclaimed albums that demonstrate his skills as a guitar player and a singer-songwriter. In a telephone interview on April 1, the artist called to chat about the new album and his trip back to Maine.

Q: Where are you calling from this afternoon?

PORTER: I'm in Milwaukee -- that's where I'm living -- I'm off the road now for a little while. I'm getting ready to go back out again. I'm going out next week to produce a record for Natalia Zukerman, so I'm going down to Kentucky to work with her -- which will be fun -- and then I'll come back and get on the road again around the middle of the month to start that tour that is coming out your way.

Q: Have you performed at Slate's before?

PORTER: I have! It's been many years, but I was there -- I believe -- twice.

Q: You haven't been there since the fire, though, have you?

PORTER: No, it burned?! It has a great vibe to it before...

Q: From what I've heard, the vibe's still there.

PORTER: ... well, it's so hard to recover that, you know? I'm happy to hear that. Excellent! I'm looking forward to seeing that for myself!

Q: To prepare for this interview, the folks over at Weasel Records sent the live album -- "High Wire Live" -- and "How To Rob A Bank" which I see came out in 2009. I guess asking if you're working on something new isn't a logical question -- you're probably putting all your effort into the promoting of "... Bank," right?

PORTER: Well, you know, that came out in June of last year, so I'm writing for a new record, but I don't have all the songs together yet. It takes me a little longer than that. But, you know, in the meantime, I'm trying to keep a roof over the house, you know, and all the other things that come along with being a middle-aged guitar player.

Q: Back to the touring and the gig at Slates on April 26 -- will this be a solo show for you?

PORTER: I'll be with a percussionist ... yeah, a friend of mine -- Mona Tavakoli. She's on the latest record and her band is called Raining Jane. She's on loan from them for part of this tour, I guess. She's finishing a tour of -- I want to say Saudi Arabia or somewhere -- with Jason Mraz, and then she flies back and joins me in New York and we do a week or two together. She's fantastic -- a great singer and is just a really energetic musician, so it'll be the two of us at Slates, which should be fun.

Yeah, Mona's a great drummer, but she'll be playing percussion, cajon and singing, and you know, probably banging on chairs -- who knows what Mona will do.

Q: I love percussionists who think outside the box -- or play it.

PORTER: Yeah, me, too ... absolutely! She's certainly one of those.

Q: Will folks get to hear some new material? Will they be treated to some of the new songs you're working on for your next album?

PORTER: Yes, they will. There are a few songs that are in the set as well as some covers and things that I've sort of added in. I'm doing some Peter Gabriel stuff and some other things, and there will be a fair amount of improvisation, as well. I'm doing some looping and some other stuff, not a lot, but there are some different elements in the show since the last time I was there, certainly.

Q: Well, it's interesting that you're getting into looping. I recently interviewed Keller Williams who is, I guess, the poster boy for that performance style.

PORTER: Um-hmm, he sure is great. Yeah, I think he does things a little different. I use the looper to sort of empower stupidity, that's how I characterize it, I'll leave it at that. Keller is using it in a highly intellectual way, while I'm going in a different direction with it.

Q: Is there anything you'd like to have passed on to the readers of this "What's Happening" article about your show coming up in Hallowell?

PORTER: Well, I just want to say that the last time I played at Slates, I did one of the stupidest things I've ever done in my entire life. Upon review, I realize how stupid it was.

I stayed in a little hotel on the top of a hill and I had this big, green Ford Econoline van. I pulled into the parking lot and the car got stuck on a sheet of ice. I got out and looked at it and I went: "Wow, there's no sand around here, so I can't really get unstuck," so this is how stupid I was -- and to this day, I'm really grateful that the car never did gain traction. I was in such a hurry to get out of there the next day to get home that I put the car in reverse and let it spin on its wheels and then I ran around to the front to try and push it while it was in reverse -- and, you know, it never did gain any traction, which is really a good thing, because it probably would've backed right into the hotel where I was staying. I wouldn't have been able to pay for that damage, so I would've had to live there, and then the people in that town would've been stuck with me living in their town. I don't think they would want that.

So, Lucky, I don't know what the moral of the story is, but I'm very fortunate that I didn't get traction; and when I waited until noon -- I went for a walk and when I got back, the sun was high enough that it melted part of the ice. I got traction and I was able to leave. I guess one should take it slow in Hallowell, Maine. It's a lot easier.

Original article at: http://www.kjonline.com/reallife/happening/guitarist_songwriter-willy-porter-returns-to-hallowell_2010-04-21.html

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