The Willie Nile Band ~ 2011 April 30 ~ The Iron Horse Music Hall, Northampton, MA
Band personnel: Willie Nile (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, electric piano); Johnny Pisano (backing vocals, bass guitar); Frankie Lee (drums); Peter Hoffman (lead guitar)
Set List
Scroll down past the videos for review; photo gallery to the right.
Videos
"Love is a Train"
Review
Willie Nile brought the full band to the Iron Horse, Johnny Pisano on bass, Frankie Lee on drums, and Peter Hoffman on guitar. The Iron Horse is everybody's favorite western Mass. venue, with its all-about-the-music attitude, decent, inexpensive pub food, and endless stream of great entertainment.
When Willie has the full band, especially when he has Peter Hoffman who played on his first two albums, you'll hear a few of his older songs and maybe a few covers from the big book of rock 'n' roll.
Willie, with his magnificent halo of hair, puts on a positively breathtaking show. His energy is such that the stage can't contain him; he made a foray onto a table in the center in front of the stage, inviting cell phone pictures from the startled patrons sitting at that table. A great set list included "Hard Times in the U.K."; Willie has been performing in England lately and re-wrote his old anthem of the 99% to suit the country where he's been. It doesn't scan quite as well, but brings home the universality of the human condition. I enjoyed his story of meeting Buddy Holly's widow, who gave him a kiss on the cheek and said she loves his music; and "Thank you baby Jesus, she's shorter than me!" declared Mr. Nile. Willie has many stories, often about his own family, often about the great big human family. But I'd say the musical highlight was "Love is a Train," a piano power ballad that is all Willie Nile.
More Willie
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