If there is one thing for sure about Keller Williams, it is unpredictability.
I have been listening to Williams since he was a one-man band with nothing but an acoustic guitar and a single loop pedal. His unique, rhythmic approach to guitar incorporates more literal ways of using the instrument to make sounds. These include slapping the body and finger-tapping the strings, techniques that most guitarists shy away from due to their difficulty and complexity.
But Keller Williams is simply not the same as most guitarists. He has the ability to play every genre of music I have ever heard in a single night and even some tunes that would have a hard time being classified in any known realm of music. His mastery of the guitar and other stringed instruments goes far beyond the kind of musicianship I have seen from entire bands.
Additionally, he has the ability to play numerous instruments at a time using his loop system. Williams will put together entire band arrangements onstage in just minutes by looping different parts and layers with the multiple acoustic and electronic instruments around him.
However, on Sunday night in Lincoln I left the show feeling a bit disappointed after seeing one of my longtime jam band idols.
First, the sound quality delivered by the Bourbon Theatre was some of the worst I have ever experienced at any show in Nebraska. It was clear from the opener that they rig that venue up for nothing but bass-heavy dub step; the vocals were totally lost under the bass’s undertones, as were many of Williamsβ guitar tones.
I thought it might just have been where I was standing, but after moving around the venue left to right and front to back, I deemed it simply unfit for my demanding ears.
The crowd also made it difficult to hear what was going on at times. At every show, there is going to be a mix of what I like to call “good and bad” listeners. There are going to be areas of talkers and there are going to be areas that are full of people actually listening and getting down harder than everyone else in the venue. As far as the typical makeup of a crowd goes, this show was no different β however, I do think the fact that there are more bars than exits in that place probably contributed a bit to the population of talkers.
Besides my issues with the crowd and the venue itself, Williams just was not on. He played only a couple of his older acoustic-heavy songs at the start of the show and the rest seemed more aimless than I ever remember him being.
His solos felt empty, and I wondered at times if he had difficulty hearing his own playing. During the opener, he came out to play a song with the band, John Wayne and the Pain, and initially his guitar wasn’t making any sound at all, so it was clear there were some issues from the start.
To be honest, Williams looked rather tired and worn out. Whether or not this had anything to do with his previous shows in Colorado before Lincoln, I am not sure – but being on the road can definitely show through during a performance.
The crowd got noticeably excited for his cover of a Daft Punk song which I thought turned out to be more of a novelty pursuit than anything else.
Without any set break or intermission, Williams began slowly adding band members onstage from his group More Than a Little and the music gravitated towards a downright funky dance party.
Williams left briefly and returned onstage in an all-grey, vintage suit to fully fit the part of leader of his psychedelic funk group.
It was clear from the quality of the funk arrangements that Williams had most likely spent most of his time prior to the current tour practicing with the five-piece band. While their hard work and practice did shine forth in the second portion of the show, I think it caused his earlier solo work to suffer in a live setting.
If the entire show had been with the band, I think I would have had a much greater appreciation for the performance as a whole. In the end, I felt that Williams has unfortunately spread himself too thin this tour, resulting in a solo set of underwhelming, disjointed music to start the show followed by a rather rewarding, energetic and calculated approach to funk.
Keller Williams, who played at the Bourbon Theatre in Lincoln, is a master of stringed instruments, especially the guitar.
Williams can play multiple instruments at one time using his loop system.
Williams also shared the stage with his band More Than a Little during a part of his performance. Kelly suggested that the show would have been better if Williams played with his band throughout the entirety of the show.