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Thank You.

by Dan Watson of The Daily Iowan

Music hubs are spread throughout the heartland: Chicago has the blues, Detroit created Motown, and even Omaha has gained recognition as the new haven of underground musicians in the first decade of the millennium. But Milwaukee is more known for its beer than its music scene. While it's not quite the ideal place to gain music stardom, native Willy Porter has found a niche in the Brew City.

"One of the great myths of the music industry is thinking you have to be in a major music city," he said. "But if you are in a band and just like playing gigs, those places can work against you. In smaller cities, you can make a living, tour, and be unique."

Porter will perform Jan. 25 at the Mill, 120 E. Burlington St., singing various tracks from his six albums. He is best known for his John Mayer-esque sentimental single "Angry Words" on his 1995 album, Dog-Eared Dream, and his technically appealing acoustic-guitar playing.

In 2006, he started his own indie record label, Weasel Records, and released his first CD in three years, titled Available Light. His seventh CD, How to Rob a Bank is nearly complete, and he expects to release it in April.

As Weasel Records continues to grow, Porter would like to scale back on the amount of touring he does and focus more on the recording aspects of his job. He recently signed acoustic folksinger Natalia Zukerman, making her the first artist other than himself on Weasel Records.

"In this economy, it would be a stretch to sign more acts under Weasel," he said. "But making other musicians' albums is like taking care of their babies. I want to help them and not treat them as I was by the industry."

Porter created Weasel Records with the belief that it's better for musicians to own their music.

"What I was getting out of a label setting didn't merit what I had to give away," he said. "Now, [record companies] want to own every possible benefit that artists have to make a living."

Because he pays the bills by recording his own music, he has the chance to experiment with new sounds. When he the started the label, he hired a band from the Milwaukee area to back up his acoustic guitar, adding musical depth and complexity to his sound. He now shares producing tasks with his keyboardist, David Adler.

Porter is making this two-month-long Midwest tour accompanied only by an audio technician - his band usually doesn't tour with him.

And after nearly 20 years of being on the road, he said, he doesn't live the stereotypical lifestyle of a touring musician.

"The idea that musicians are up late and sleep late doesn't apply to me," Porter said. "I'm up by 6:30 a.m. and have a guitar in my hand by 9 a.m."

Even with all of that practice, his shows don't follow any strict guidelines. He entwines satirical humor, improvisation, live looping (recording his voice or a specific sound and replaying it throughout the show), and "power comedy riffs" on his guitar.

"I'm enjoying being a small business owner," he said. "Because I write the checks, everything falls on me, but you know, that's a good thing."

Original article: http://media.www.dailyiowan.com/media/storage/paper599/news/2009/01/22/80Hoursmp3s/Willy.Porter.Singing.His.Own.Way.On.His.Own.Label-3593423.shtml

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