Willy Porter Returns to Grand Forks in Guitar Series

photo by Rodney Burseil

Willy Porter will be returning to the Empire Arts Center on Friday, October 3, for a special appearance in Kevin Muiderman’s Master’s of Guitar Series.  Considered by fans as a guitar genius, Porter has also made his mark as a seasoned songwriter. His new album, “Available Light,” shows off both of these skills. The new work trips easily through rockers, pop songs, tender ballads, and bluesy numbers. 

“I’ve been playing guitar for 30 years or so,” Porter admitted in a recent interview from his home in Wisconsin where he and a friend were building a retaining wall. It was a break from touring both solo and with his band.

Over those years, Porter honed skills that translated into blazing rock riffs, intricate finger stylings, elaborate Kotkesque walls of sound, and sensitive rhythmic support.  But all of this ability doesn’t tread on a good lyric. Ian Anderson, frontman for Jethro Tull, explained it this way: “Willy Porter’s music demonstrates admirably that the technical excellence of his guitar-playing will never overwhelm the essence of the song itself.” Porter’s concerts, especially those in the past decade, have shown his growing ability to showcase a well-written song.

“I really didn’t start writing songs until I was in college,” Porter said. “I’ve been at that for 17 years as a serious endeavor.” For many years, Porter would get up every morning and play guitar for four hours, writing as ideas came.  Today as a parent and homeowner, he can only write in fits and snatches when he is home. “I try to squeeze in as much as I can then,” he admitted. “When I get on the road, I can write every day.” That’s when most of the new songwriting is done.

Porter is open to new ideas. “Songs come from everywhere. Sometimes, you get the music groove first. Sometimes, you have a lyric you write, and it sort of dictates a rhythmic form. I try to remain as open minded as I can about it because I never know where or when it’s going to happen. You just have to try and be aware of the good stuff and make sure you catch it when it happens …With kids, it’s hard enough,” he said.

“Available Light” contains several songs that show Porter’s ability to get inside somebody’s experience and write from that perspective. That’s a gift a lot of songwriters don’t have.  Many songwriters get into the cerebral, relying on the intellectual, technical poetry part of songwriting and never explore the heart of it. That’s what makes a song long lasting. Porter is able to do that particularly well in one song called, “One More September.” It is a story of 9/11, but with a very unique rendering.

Willy Porter is sure to pull a lot of favorites out of his bag of songs and share a number of these new ones. His concert is one not to miss.