Before Willie Watson took the stage Friday, October 24th at the Stoughton Opera House, I had the distinct privilege of sitting down for a 15-minute conversation with the Folk Singer himself.
The Stoughton Opera House was built in 1901 and has since been restored and has a significant impact on the local economy and culture of this small Southern Wisconsin town.
I opened up the discussion curious about how be began playing music 20 years ago.
“My first gig was about when I was 16 with my first band in Upstate NY. There was a ton of Old Time music around there, in Ithaca, right next door to Watkins Glen. I was exposed to it firsthand and seeing it live, with this band called the Horseflies. There was a banjo player named Ritchie Stearns, Judy Hyman, and Jeff Claus in that band. They were playing Old-Time Fiddle tunes and music, with a drummer and a synthesizer. They started in the 80’s, and I always thought they were the coolest things I’ve ever seen.”
“But before that, ya know, before I ever really heard of those guys. I was listening to acoustic music. I was into Neil Young’s acoustic stuff, and Bob Dylan. So I knew I liked acoustic guitars. I started out playing electric stuff in the very beginning. But through listening to Crazy Horse and Neil Young, it was just like my ears liked acoustic guitar. So yeah, I guess it was the instruments themselves that sort of drew me in. With early Bob Dylan stuff, you then learn about Woodie Guthrie, and his friends, and Lead Belly.”
“My Dad had a vast record collection in his basement, and he had this Lead Belly record and I found that and it had a big affect on me.”
When asked what laid the foundation for such a prominent traditional music scene in Tompkins and Schuyler county, Willie stated that “The Horseflies, and Donna the Buffalo were sort of the beginning of that scene at that time, playing in the streets, and so on. Eventually when they got older they started a festival called the Grassroots Festival. They would have all sorts of traditional music from all over the world, it was more like a world music festival.”
When asked what he missed most about 13 years recording and touring with Old Crow Medicine Show, a band that he was one of the founders of in the late 90’s, Mr. Watson stated. “I guess I’d say I miss the camaraderie that we had in the early days, the adventures we had, and the early music we played. When we just wanted to be a string band. Before everyone wanted to write prolific songs. Albums like Eutaw, making our own records. At the time, during the later albums, I was all for that, maybe a bit more picky about the material. And there is good stuff on Tennessee Pusher for sure.”
“You get caught up in trying to just be a songwriter, and try to be creative and do the next artistic thing, and try to follow in the footsteps of people like Neil Young and Bob Dylan, that were always changing, and moving on from whatever they did the last time. But I feel like maybe we fell a little short on that. Looking at it nowadays I believe that I have a bit more of a perspective. I like the early days, and the music that we made, when we just wanted to be a string band. Songs like ‘Tear It Down’ and ‘Raise A Ruckus’.”
“Nowadays it’s back to that for me. What I really enjoyed was listening to music and coming up with songs the bands were gonna sing. It came from listening to bands like Memphis Jug Band and knowing that we could do some of those songs. And I think that is what I brought to the table in those early days is kind of the guy that was finding those old songs while the other guys were trying to write their songs. So I can do that again, and that makes me real happy.”
When asked about how he put together his new album, Folk Singer Vol. 1, Wille stated, “Some of those songs I had been singing for years, and sort of dug them back out. Some of them I had been listening to for years that I never really played. Like ‘Long John Dean’, which is something I would have like to have played, that wouldn’t have really worked with Old Crow. Being solo opened up a whole new world as to what would work for me.”
“A lot of times I really don’t learn songs unless I feel they are useful in some way. Like if I have someone to sing them to. Like I could learn a lot of ballads and love songs that wouldn’t go over on my stage, but if I have a girl to learn them for then I’ll sit at home and put a few hours into learning a song. But I rarely learn songs for my own benefit to just sit at home and sing.”
“I’m always listening to that old music. There are times when I try to sit through and dig, and find new material. You can spend days doing that and not find anything, not listening for the right things, but if you stop trying to find those songs, they find you, like a lot of things. I was all caught up into trying to write those new songs, trying to be a singer/songwriter and I don’t like a lot of stuff that people write these days. I’m real picky about music.”
“I kinda don’t like anything. I shouldn’t say I don’t like anything. I think every genre of music has got something going for it. There is something in every genre that I do like. I think that Eminem is amazing. I like Taylor Swift’s new song ‘Shake, Shake, Shake’, or whatever it’s called. Beyoncé’s, ‘Partition’ I think is amazing. But for the most part there is a lot of crap out there. I would take ‘Partition’ out of many of the new ‘Americana’ genre songs any day.”
Willie has noticed a huge resurgence in the last half decade of “Americana” music yet hasn’t really taken notice. Old time music is not retro, not a hipster trend to him, and has always been around and will stay around indefinitely. In the mean time, Willie will be playing those songs and digging deeper into his archives to record and perform for the indefinite future.
After my conversation with Willie and opening act Mikaela Davis, I was more than impressed with the set to follow. With nothing but an acoustic guitar, 5-string banjo, microphone, and a rug that really tied the room together, Willie was prepared to perform over 20 of his all time favorites in his ever expanding catalog of traditional and folk music. His guitar and claw hammer banjo, in perfect tune with his haunting, strong, soulful, and present vocals, rang effortlessly throughout the old Stoughton Opera House. The loyal, mostly local Stoughton crowd was grateful to have another folk legend in their house.
Standout tunes for me included the anticipated “Mexican Cowboy”, “Mother Earth”, “Keep It Clean”, “Stewball”, and “Rock Salt and Nails”, all off Folk Singer Vol. 1. The song that without a doubt hit me the hardest was “James Alley Blues”, where Willie Watson quotes the late blues legend Rabbit Brown who originally recorded the song about 87 years ago in New Orleans, LA.
The song goes as follows: “I’d have a much better time if you girls weren’t so hard to please. Cause I was born in the country, she thinks I’m easy to rule. She wanna hitch me to a wagon, she wanna drive me like a mule.” “You know I bought the groceries and I paid the rent. Try to make me wash up clothes but I’ve got good common sense.”
Clearly the almost century old lyrics were sung with an empathetic heart, from the past of Willie Watson’s experiences, heartbreak, and relationships. With plenty of time for the locals to get home to revel in the title of the set closer, “Midnight Special”, Willie Watson ended the set with his most well known song off the new album that he claims he never knew Creedence Clearwater Revival covered. After talking with Mr. Watson and realizing that he is from another time, I without a doubt believed him.
Willie Watson opens for Shovels and Ropes in Tulsa on 10/29 and in Houston on Halloween. He then headlines to Austin and Dallas, onto to Cali and Oregon, where he again opens for Shovels and Ropes, over to Raleigh, North Carolina for a show, then ends the tour in Boulder and Denver, Colorado. Be sure to catch him when you can and to pick up a copy of Folk Singer Vol. 1
Opening act Mikaela Davis from Rochester, NY set the evening off with her ambient sound that has been described as “Harp and vocals with and eclectic instrument mix whipped into a melancholy low-fi sound; an intricate balance of fluttering vocal folds and fingers on strings that blend effortlessly.” Mikaela Davis put on an impressive and talented 45 set that set the mood and stage for the rest of the night. Her new EP “Fortune Teller” can be purchased through her website or on itunes.
Regards,
Randal Pink
Links:
Stoughton Opera House- http://stoughtonoperahouse.ticketforce.com/
Willie Watson- http://www.williewatson.com/
Mikaela Davis- http://mikaeladavis.com/
Regards,
Randal Pink
Links:
Stoughton Opera House- http://stoughtonoperahouse.ticketforce.com/
Willie Watson- http://www.williewatson.com/
Mikaela Davis- http://mikaeladavis.com/