The Nashville Feed

Christopher Williams (MySpace) is one of my favorite Nashville musicians. Unfortunately, he does not play out very often around town. I think, in three years, this is the fourth time I have seen him play.

I forgot what a great show Christopher puts on. After seeing him in a couple of coffee house environments, I have to say that I enjoyed him much more in a venue like The Rutledge. He had room to open up, and because of that, he played and excellent show.

He jumped right into the show with a haunting a capella version of "Gotta Serve Somebody." I am a die hard Dylan fan, but this was probably one of the best versions of that song I have ever heard. After opening it up with just his voice, he came in on his drum, and he played with such skill that it sounded like he had at least two other percussionists playing with him.

In between songs, he plays more songs. Rather than just talking, he keeps the music going. He talks over his guitar, or he makes up a little song on the spot to tell you that he's glad to be playing for you that night.

When he's not channeling Shawn Mullins and telling stories in between songs, he's just playing good music - and he keeps it flowing. He switches quickly and effortlessly between guitars and his drum, and he plays all of the instruments well. At one point he busted out a drum solo that rivaled some Rusted Root action. And - you guessed it - I am a die hard Rusted Root fan.

By the end of his set, Christopher Williams had owned the stage. It's not just because he sang a song completely a Capella and mic free. No, that would have been just a "wow." But when he was playing his last song, he broke a string early on. He kept singing, knelt down into his guitar case and found a new string, changed his string, tuned the guitar while he played the harmonica. He never missed a beat or a note. The crowd started going crazy as he showcased his deftness, but he was just doing his thing, acting like it was all part of the show.

It worked, because the applause, whistles, and yells when he finally finished were louder than the typical applause for the singer-songwriter show in Nashville.

Oh, and Christopher - Just so you know, that one time, early on in the night, that only one person screamed, and you said, "Thanks, Mom" - that was actually me.

P.S. Katie Herzig (MySpace) and Matthew Perryman Jones (MySpace) were playing that night as well, but I had to leave early. I did get to see a bit of Katie and her band (including Ruby Amanfu and Clarie Indie, a couple of personal favorites). Katie's voice is dreamy and contemplative, and I love listening to her songs. They could be the soundtrack to a world made entirely out of candy. OK, that's enough. I'm trying to squeeze a mini-review in here, but she deserves more than that. As for Matthew Perryman Jones, I can never seem to get to one of his shows, but I hear it's worth it.

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Technorati Tags: live music, Nashville, christopher williams, songwriters, the rutledge

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