By: David Schultz

No one will ever fault Glen Phillips for lack of bravery. Demonstrating admirable courage, the former frontman for Toad The Wet Sprocket enlisted guitarist extraordinaire Willy Porter to open for him on a few dates of his club tour in support of his new album, Mr. Lemons. Porter (onstage at left with Jethro Tull's Martin Barre) and Phillips have wanted to play together for years, having met twelve years ago while both were playing on the Cranberries' tour. With both releasing new albums and their schedules concurring, the time finally seemed right and this past Friday night, the two came to New York City's Canal Room.

Phillips wasted no time stating the obvious. "How good is Willy Porter?" he asked rhetorically after his first song. "I could be that good too," Phillips continued. "If I practiced eight hours a day for the next ten years." Phillips wasn't attempting to ride Porter's coattails; rather, Phillips gracefully acknowledged that Porter had just floored the crowd with his opening set, a mix of skillful, animated acoustic guitar and witty, entertaining lyrics. Only a bold musician would ask Porter to precede him, he's a difficult act to follow.

With a voice that hovers between a raspier Dave Matthews and a smoother, Americanized Mark Knopfler, Porter instantly connected with the Canal Room crowd and the eminently likeable guitarist never betrayed the bond. Not your stereotypical singer-songwriter, Porter's spellbinding mastery of the guitar comes across as a much cooler, accessible version of the stuffy Windham Hill guitar wizards. Other than an acoustic guitar, Porter needed nothing more; although he did make occasional use of a looping machine. Without relying on the gimmick to the same extent as Keller Williams, Porter used the looper to insert simple harmonies into the music and provide a backing track to a humorous riff on his recent fascination with NASCAR.

Not only a gifted guitarist, Porter has the timing and improvisational talent of a stand-up comedian. On "Dirty Movie," Porter sings of the curious state of mind that results in frisky couples emulating Paris Hilton and creating their own memento of love. After turning it into a sing-along, Porter takes the song beyond it's recorded limits, nailing the discussion resulting from tape's inadvertent Internet release with expert comedic timing. Borrowing a page from the Flying Karamazov Brothers, who would challenge the audience to bring strange objects for them to juggle, Porter has the audience suggest topics for him to work into a song. This night, Porter successfully incorporated George Bush, chocolate syrup, Cheetos and uncommitted love into a coherent, liberal-slanted tune that had the audience roaring with laughter.

A talent as entertaining as Porter couldn't be contained to the opening slot and to the delight of the Manhattan crowd, Phillips invited Porter to join him for his encore. In returning to the stage, Porter changed from his collared shirt that he wore to look dressed-up for the New York crowd into the more traditional and comfortable black T-shirt and wool cap, looking like a huskier, clean-shaven version of The Edge. For the encore, the duo played a soft version of Van Morrison's "Crazy Love," Porter's exquisite "Paper Airplane" and a too-short rendition of Toad The Wet Sprocket's "Walk On The Ocean."

Despite having the chops to support a rock-star demeanor, Porter is extremely friendly and remarkably approachable, taking time after the show to chat briefly with Earvolution about his affiliation with Martin Barre and Jethro Tull. Porter made inroads on the classic rock circuit, connecting with Martin Barre and Andrew Giddings (Tull's lead guitarist and keyboardist) when he opened for the classic rockers in 2002. At a San Diego show threatened by inclement weather, Porter impressed the band with his desire to battle the rain and put on a great show, kicking off a friendship that lasted beyond the tour. In 2004, Porter played a series of shows with Barre, including a show in Kent, Ohio where Porter joined Barre, Giddings, Jonathan Noyce and Doane Perry, creating an Ian Anderson-less Tull for an evening. The connection with Tull still bears fruit: Porter has made the previously unreleased "Valentine," a collaboration with Giddings, available for download on his website. More new music will be released this summer with Porter's upcoming album being the first release on Weasel Records, his new label.

New York crowds can be notoriously chatty, finding their fascination with what they have to say more important than listening to a musician playing on stage; it takes an extremely talented performer to surmount the venality of your typical Manhattan audience. It's a true testament to Porter that he held the crowd's rapt attention from the moment he hit his first chord, holding them riveted throughout the set. Taking the stage with simply an acoustic guitar leaves little room to hide, it's a large part of the reason why thousands of singers travel bars nationwide wrapping themselves in the security blanket of Jimmy Buffett covers and "Brown Eyed Girl." With his exquisite, tranquil guitar work, Willy Porter could easily astonish an audience without singing one note. His ability to engage the audience with his personality and intellect raises Porter from the level of guitar wonk into the realm of masterful performer.

Labels: Willy Porter