Show Review ~ Keller Williams at The Vogue 3.17.11

The wall of sound produced you’re confronted with at a Keller Williams show is remarkable for many reasons, but the most amazing thing of all is that it is produced by one man all at once. And don’t mistake what Keller does for the endless sea of Lap top wielding “Free-mixers” and such cropping up daily, he’s a one man band with a plan! His versatility is legendary; he has fronted bands like The String Cheese Incident, played with full bands and in collaborations from “The Sexy Bitches” to his recent project with Larry and Jenny Keel, called, appropriately “Keller and the Keels”. His tone and songwriting reflect a man happily at peace with his lot in life, and his sometimes zany songs reflect a loving innocence and a smiling knowing all at once. His most recent release, an all age’s package called simply “Kids” proved a point I’ve been making for years; Keller is all ages appropriate. But, to my ears, Keller is never better than when he stands alone.

With the streets of Indianapolis’s Broad Ripple district packed with revelers enjoying the Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations, Keller’s appearance at the Vogue Theater was perfectly timed to push the party over the top. With no opener, just two long sets of Keller to come, the fans who packed the floor were ready for their entertainment to begin. Keller enters as he most always does…Strumming along before he’s even hit the stage. Entering stage left, he ambled to the front of the stage, grinning his schoolboy smile at the eager faces beaming back at him. He stood in front of his array of instruments, A Bass guitar and a second Guitar on a stand, Behind that a pair of drum and rhythm machines. Still further back sat A large digital mixing array, with controls and MIDI linked sounds to make his guitars sound like 100 piece horn sections and steel drums, among a myriad of other sounds. One thing you don’t have to worry about at a Keller show is the music getting repetitive from his solitary stage presence, he can easily do the work of a ten piece band all by himself, which, in this economy, has to be admired. All these electronic aids mean nothing without the skill to use them, and his years of practice have served him well in that regard.

However, it all boils down to one essential truth: The man plays a mean Guitar. Loose and open in his scales and runs, or devastating precise when he is making a note stretched point, Keller stands at the forefront of the stage after exiting the wings alone musically, but at one with his personal love of music, talent and the vibe of the crowd. Stopping short and calling to the crowd, onlookers quickly picked up their cue and shouted in joy at each break and crooked leer given to them by Williams. Taking a full tour of the stage front, Keller then ensconced himself in his nest f instruments and small percussive toys, and the show proper began. Approaching the mounted Bass Guitar, he thumped out a thick groove and with a tap of a foot pedal, got it looping to infinity. He then danced over to the Guitar stand and repeated the same action, this time establishing a splashy strumming rhythmic piece to thicken the sound, before bringing his drum pad into play. All this took happened in little more than a minute, and he had the equivalent of a three piece backing band working behind him. Not every song receives the full Loop treatment for backing, and there are some instances where building the Loop itself is the song, sort of a live experiment, mixing in dozens of sounds, from circuit bending toys, to tiny drums and cymbals to household objects pressed into musical service. With a palpable joy, he dutifully builds his structures, tweaking the knobs of his Mixer adding layers of effects until he’s satisfied and turns himself loose on us all.

One of the benefits of doing it all yourself is the ability to change direction on a dime, and be able to switch the setlist up to match the mood of the room. I got a glimpse of the set list prior to the show, but, as the crowd was in a dancing mood, he called an audible and inserted a fun looping “Groove is in the Heart” by nineties one hit wonder Deee Lite! As the sense of recognition went thru the crowd, the energy in the room bumped up a notch. Appealing to the more mellow folks in the audience, his fable story song, “Doobie in my Pocket” about the perils of forgetfulness in our modern world struck a chord amongst the attendees, and was met with howls of delight as was a chorus filtered epic version of the Butthole Surfers tune “Pepper”. Though he strives to give each song its own sound, the unifying thread was as always his signature theme of irreverence. There is a time and a place for all things, and a Keller show is a time to blow off steam and let go of the hassles of life. Adding to that energy the shamrock bead wearing, green bedecked crowd, enjoying Irish beers and whiskeys, and you have the perfect ingredients for a love stew!

The second set started out the same as the first, but speedily grew funkier. The Bass line for the Grateful Dead classic “Fire on the Mountain” was repeatedly teased, and eventually the only angry Keller song I’ve ever heard, “Gatecrashers Suck” was unveiled. The song rails against the kids who flattened a fence at The Dead’s Deer Creek concert in 1995, and the subsequent cancellation of the second night’s performance. Keller, like me, was in attendance that night, and was planning on seeing the second show as well. Unfortunately, Dead Founder and spiritual center soon fell ill and passed away, ending an era. A staple at any show in Indiana, Williams pointedly asks the crowd during the song if any of them were among the offenders, then seemingly tries to memorize the face of any foolish enough to answer in the affirmative. I worry that he is making a list, and that one day he is going to do something rash! The Grateful Dead Vibe continued, as he pulled out his version of “Scarlet Begonias” half way through mixing in lyrics from his ode to the traveling performers everywhere, “Freakshow.” On top of that, the Bass line call outs to “Fire on the Mountain” were finally brought to fruition, as all three songs were being played, simultaneously, with Keller somehow not losing his place, not that any of us would know if he did. The true glory of creation is no one can tell you you’re doing it wrong!

Interestingly, there was an entire tune mixed on an Imac laptop, with Keller dancing while he stroked the keyboard. It seemed almost a statement about the “Push Play” and dance kids, but I just can’t be sure. After a glorious percussive Loop involving every instrument on the stage, Williams walked off the stage for a moment of refreshment before the encore. Asking the crowd what they wanted to hear, was, as always a sure way to get the people going, and many of his classics were called for. But his biggest hit, “Freaker by the Speaker” was the most requested by a large margin, and after a few comical false starts, the fan favorite hit everyone in their right place, and the jubilation built to a natural crescendo. After giving one of the most sincere thank you’s I have heard in a long time, Keller left the stage as he had entered it, smiling, leaving behind a packed house sharing his happiness. That’s all you can ask of a performer, and that’s exactly what Keller gave us!
Words and pictures by Rex Thomson

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