One man, a guitar and a loop pedal.
After years away from the Bayou State, Keller Williams has returned to Louisiana to take the stage at the Varsity Theatre tonight. The one-man band from Virginia remembers Baton Rouge fondly, having frequented Chelsea’s Cafe and the Varsity during his years on the road.
“I love it, I love it,” Williams said. “I have a good time every time I come to Baton Rouge.”
Williams hopes to bring a fresh sound back to the Baton Rouge scene with his unconventional approach to acoustic dance grooves. With his most recent projects ranging from a dub-tinged, reggae-funk side project called Kdubalicious to a folksy, Americana collaboration with the bluegrass family band The Travelin’ McCourys, Williams defies genre. Williams’ style in 10 words or less?
“Soul acoustic jazz funk reggae electronagrass,” Williams said.
Collaborations have colored Williams’ career, but most people know the multi-instrumentalist for his innovative solo work. On tour, Williams’ acoustic act incorporates his own samples recorded live on stage as he plays and then looped to create layers of instrumentation and vocals, all from one man.
Williams attributes his freewheeling style and diverse body of work to everything from New Orleans jazz to reggae music — “which is basically bluegrass music slowed down, with more weed” — to his own self-diagnosed attention deficit disorder. Recently, Williams has drawn inspiration from current DJs on the “EDM scene,” but don’t expect to see a stage full of MacBooks. Williams says his focus isn’t on any one genre but on blending them organically into his own sound.
Though he’s been playing and recording since most of today’s college students were in diapers, Williams believes he’s still on the same wavelength as the college-aged crowds that turn out for his shows.
“I think maybe there’s an element of imagination that can go into it that might trigger some of the more open-minded folks of that age,” Williams said. “I’m constantly listening to all different kinds of music … and sometimes some of these more recent songs get caught in my head, and I end up covering them in my own way. So it might even be some more familiar songs done in a different way that people might latch onto.”
Williams may especially appeal to University students with a Louisiana ear for music.
“Folks in Louisiana can recognize soul and whether music is coming from a legitimate place,” Williams said. “And I think my music definitely comes from the soul, and I think that people can see that.”
Keller Williams will play two sets at 9 p.m. at the Varsity. Doors open at 8 p.m., and tickets are available for $18 in advance or $22 at the door.
