By: David Schultz

A curious thing seems to happen to concert-goers as they age: when you put them in a quiet, intimate setting with a friendly, affable performer, they want to be part of the show. This seems to be an issue that venerable guitar wizard Willy Porter, whose audience skews towards older fans appreciative of his intricate finger work and wizened lyrics, has some experience in handling. Making the most of the available light in New York City, Porter and his band played an early evening set last week at Joe's Pub, a cozy sit-down venue filled with fans very familiar with the Midwestern troubadour.

After beginning his set with selections from his latest album, Available Light, including "Sleepy Little," "Loose Gravel" and the title track, Porter became besieged by an audience calling out requests and awkwardly applauding him for his performance at last summer's Mountain Jam. It seemed every time there was a pause between songs, people felt the need to fill it: not with cheers, but with banter nowhere near as witty or helpful as they believed. Given the persistence of some of the fans, it was hard to tell whether they were honestly trying to relate to Porter or just wanted public attention by showing off that they may be a "better" Willy Porter fan than others. Although a bit puzzled by the "viva al qaeda" remark in response to his comment on the recent elections, the good-natured Porter handled the interruptions with aplomb, responding infinitely better than Michael Richards, but you could sense the disruptions wearing on him. A testament to Porter, his mental agility and guitar dexterity triumphed.

Clad in his trademark black wool cap and T-shirt, Porter fronted his band made up of Dave Adler (keyboards), Dave Schoepke (drums) and Steve Kleiber (bass). As past shows have proven, Porter doesn't necessarily need a band to be a captivating performer but he shares the stage quite comfortably with the fellow Wisconsinites that backed him on his latest album. Playing a lot of electric guitar throughout the set, Porter did a little country-style picking during "Rita" and after a funky piano intro from Adler, led a nice little jam at the end of "Moonbeam." In contrast to his emotional reading of his 9/11 elegy "One More September," Porter punctuated the show with many humorous anecdotes, including a couple pertaining to that aforementioned Mountain Jam.

Porter possesses the quick wit and mind of an improvisational comic; much like Wayne Brady he can create a song out of nearly anything. Always ready for an impromptu up-to-date political song, Porter borrowed the tune from Jimmy Buffett's "Pencil Thin Mustache" and crafted one out of thin air. To the amazement of the audience, Porter worked in nearly all of the comments shouted at him throughout his set, delightfully getting the last word in response to an audience that wanted to share the spotlight Porter rightfully earned. As they didn't really start until halfway through the show, the audience antics served as nothing more than a minor distraction. One saving grace, nobody demanded "Free Bird" . . . scratch that, someone did think that would be funny.

Labels: Willy Porter