Willie Nile Trio ~ 2014 June 14 ~ Narrows Center for the Arts ~ Fall River, MA
Personnel: Willie Nile, lead vocals, acoustic guitar, piano, harmonica; Johnny Pisano, bass, backing vocals; Jon Weber, drums.
Set List
Streets of New York [piano, harmonica] - This Is Our Time - Life on Bleecker Street - Innocent Ones - Rich and Broken - Beautiful Wreck of the World - Not Fade Away {Buddy Holly} - Sunrise in New York City [piano] - The Crossing [piano] - Across the River [piano] - American Ride - Sweet Jane - House of a Thousand Guitars - People Who Died {Jim Carroll} - One Guitar ... encore ... Ramones medley: Blitzkrieg Bop / California Sun / Sheena Is a Punk Rocker - Little Light
Scroll down past the videos for review.
Videos
"Beautiful Wreck of the World"
"House of a Thousand Guitars"
Review
Concert Going Partner and I were treated to yet another configuration of the Willie Nile Band, this time featuring a drummer we'd never seen before, the extraordinary Jon Weber, whose "day job" is drumming in the band of the Broadway show Rock of Ages. Let's just say, the guy has some serious rock 'n' roll credibility. Despite his very infrequent appearances with Willie, he laid down the beat as if he'd been playing with Willie for a long time.
There was no lead guitarist this time out, but that's no problem when Johnny Pisano's along. Johnny Pi has great skill with the bass guitar, he has thorough familiarity with both Willie's song catalog and his tendency toward impulsiveness, and he has a pedal that allows his bass to sound more like a lead guitar when necessary.
I thought this was one of the best, if not the absolute best, Willie Nile show I've seen. Willie was thrilled with the Narrows, where he had never played before, appreciating both the attention and care paid to the performer by the staff of this nonprofit venue as well as the mill town history of the building. The audience, although not filling the venue, were very enthusiastic. There was unbounded energy bouncing back and forth between performer and concert goers.
As was the case at the TCAN show last month, Willie pulled a few rarely played numbers out of the depths of his catalog, including the wonderful "Beautiful Wreck of the World," which he described as an Irish drinking song (video above!), "Rich and Broken," and a stompin' Ramones medley as part of the encore set.
More Willie
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