By Danny Coleman
originally published: 04/07/2016
"It's everything small music rooms should be. There's a patina, it's the perfect room for people or artists who are on their way up or down. I've played there several times before; I love the vibe, the town, I just the love The Saint!"
Those are the words of Wisconsin's own Willy Porter as he discussed his upcoming appearance at The Saint in Asbury Park, NJ. Porter is not going the route alone, joining him is Carmen Nickerson; a talented songstress with mid-western roots. This pair has worked together in the past with great success and seem to feed off of one another and this tour is no exception. "Some years back I was looking for a female to partner up with," explained Porter as he recounted how he and Nickerson began their musical journey. "I had been looking toward some of the bigger cities in surrounding areas and I wound up meeting her through a bass player friend of mine who said, "Yo man; why are you going to Chicago looking for someone when we've got someone much closer?" "He introduced me to Carmen and I just knew that she'd be a great fit."
Porter began the professional portion of his career in 1990 with the assistance of Paul Perrone, who along with himself and Randy Green produced his album, "The Trees Have Soul." A prolific producer of material, he has recorded nine discs since the aforementioned release, with his latest being 2015's "Human Kindness." "My last record was in 2015; almost a year ago," said Porter. "Human Kindness," is why we are currently on tour as I am continuing, with Carmen's help of course; to tour and support that release. The reason we are coming to the east coast and specifically Jersey is because Carmen and I are finishing up our record in New Jersey. We had a really nice run on the west coast where we played from Seattle to San Diego doing small clubs and theaters; a lot of great listening rooms like The Saint."
"Carmen's help," as he puts it, has become a regular way of operations for Porter. Along with her current support, Willy credits his family for his growth and interest in becoming a musician and songwriter. "Yeah, I grew up with everything.My parents were into jazz and my older siblings were into rock 'n' roll. Slade, Pink Floyd, Joan Baez and jazz were all part of my distillation process," he said with a laugh. "You are what you hear and what you hear, it can't help but shape who you are and become; especially if you become a musician. Funny thing is that I can revisit a song that I wrote 20 years ago and reconstruct it or play it as is just to see if or how it changed; many people can't say that about their jobs. I am very fortunate that my parents encouraged me and that I've been able to derive great joy for as long as I've done this."
The tour has been going "Very well" according to Willy and he says that his admiration for Carmen's talent grows daily. This is something that has aided their creative process quite well; well, except for a title. "There's no title yet," he chuckled as he seemed somewhat bewildered that they've not found one to date. "We have 11 songs; all co-writes. Carmen and I have a mutual advocacy, if someone shows up with an idea; we're both willing to pull it uphill to get it done. We have our differences of opinion just like anyone else but we're both willing to push hard to get it done; I love working with her."
The future for Porter, much like this tour, has many more doses of Carmen on the way. "Well, once we get this record done, Carmen and I have more stuff; we have enough material for two more albums. I've also got a collaboration in the works with piano player David Adler. I know that I'll be writing a lot; I'll put it all through a funnel and see what pops out!"
The Saint is the perfect small, listening room for a duo such as this. The club is known for catering to original artists and its size and dimensions allow for an intimacy that the larger venues can't match. The show takes place on April 17 at 7 p.m. with the incomparable Neil Nappe opening up the evening. Nappe's finger tapping and percussive style are nothing short of impressive. Porter says that he and Carmen will be running the gamut with selections from both artists. "Oh yeah, we're going to be doing a bunch of songs from my catalog that I've not played in a long time, the new stuff with Carmen, some of her material; we've got an array of choices and something for everyone. There's something special about The Saint, it has a great rock 'n' roll vibe, it's loose; I really just love playing there."
The Saint is located at 601 Main Street in Asbury Park and tickets are $20. Prior to their appearance, the duo will be making a stop at "Danny Coleman's Rock On Radio" where they'll be doing a live on air interview/performance session beginning at 1 p.m. EST. The program will be aired live in its entirety on www.40footholestudio.com.
That's it for this week! Please continue to support live and original music and until next week....ROCK ON!
Amalfi's Restaurant146 Lawrenceville-Pennington Rd. Lawrenceville
(609) 912-1599
Fri. 8:30 p.m. The Rich Scanella group
Sat. 8:30 p.m. No Way Out
Amarones Windsor Inn29 Church St. Windsor
(609) 448-7144
Thurs. 6:30 p.m. Ottmar
Fri. 8 p.m. Kindred Spirit
Sat. 8 p.m. Shore Soundz
Blend Bar & Bistro911 Highway 33, Hamilton
(609) 245-8887
Tues. 8 p.m. Triviajam
Backstage at Championship Bar 931 Chambers St. Trenton
Fri. 6 p.m. Post Season, Chasing Morgan, Golden Age, Dead Robins, Kings Without Crowns, Bathing Suits. All ages, $10/$12
Sat. 7:30 p.m. Joe Grizzly, Drea, Gunna, Randy Savage, Johnny Boy, Mobbspittas, Yayoville, Amos, Shy TV, So Dope, Jakthagod, Unkrowned Kings, Gillateen, Sir Wann, Sparkzz, Young OG, Ices, Grand Cru, Ash Ft. Bonus artist Dolla Bill #Yay / Halftime: "Tyrant Fly vs Rossi Hosted by Bizzy Baby. Music and Sound by DJ TDogg. Ages 18+, $10
Sun. 4 p.m. Bad Luck 13 Riot Extravaganza, Dysphoria, Wolves Attack, Eaten Alive, Consumed With Hatred, Urban Resist, Crooked Society. All ages, $10
Tues. 5 p.m. Hatchet, Black Fast, Green Death, Malphast, Fiakra, (TBA). All ages, $10/$12
Candlelight Lounge 24 Passaic St. Trenton
(609) 695-9612
Sat. 3 p.m. Vince Ector Quartet. $10 (cover charge)
Chickie's & Pete's183 US Highway 130 North Bordentown
(609) 298-9182
Tues. 8 p.m. Acoustic Music Night feat. The Dawgs
Wed. 9 p.m. Quizzo Trivia
City Market74 N. Main St., Lambertville
(609) 397-2929
Sat. 7 p.m. "Second Saturday" Open Mic. (Signups at 6:30 p.m.)
Dempster's Pub437 Pine Street Mount Holly
(609) 261-0500
Thurs. 8:30 p.m. DJ DNIAL
Fri. 9 p.m. DJ Chris
Dog & Bull Brew House810 Bristol Pike (Rte. 13) Croydon, PA.
(215) 788-2855
Thurs. 8 p.m. Dane Rosenfeld
Fri. (4 p.m.) "Happy Hour Jam" feat. Visoon (9 p.m.) the Conshohocken Curve
Sat. (11 a.m.) "Saturday Brunch Jam" feat. Michael Leggerie (9 p.m.) Lenny G & the Soulsenders
Sun. (11 a.m.) "Sunday Brunch" feat. Dick Gratton (3 p.m.) Tommy Griggz
Wed. 8 p.m. Dick Gratton
Fran's Pub116 S. Main St. New Hope, PA.
(215)862-5539
Mon. 8 p.m. Open Blues Jam
All shows 21+
Glory Days Tavern1200 Hornberger Ave. Roebling
(609) 499-0896
Fri. 8:30 p.m. Karaoke
Sat. 8 p.m. John & Maggs
Havana New Hope105 S. Main Street. New Hope, Pa.
(215) 862-9897
Fri. 8 p.m. Billy Walton Band / Matt O'Ree Band. Doors at 6 p.m., $15
Sat. 8 p.m. Ace Frehley. Doors at 7 p.m., ages 21+, $55
Sun. 3 p.m. Ladies 2000
Wed. 8 p.m. Stickmen. Doors at 6 p.m., $35
Tues. 9 p.m. Karaoke
Hopewell Valley Vineyards46 Yard Avenue Pennington
(609) 737-4465
Thurs. 6 p.m. Hopewell Valley Vineyards Jazz Ensemble
Fri. 6 p.m. I90 Project
Sat. 6 p.m. Acoustic Road
Sun. (2 p.m.)"Jazzy Sundays" feat. Al Oliver (6 p.m.) Micah McLaurin (piano recital). $19
Iron Plow Vineyards26750 Mount Pleasant Rd., Columbus
(732) 306-9111
Sat. 2 p.m. Ed Wilson
Sun. 1 p.m. John & Maggs
Ivy Tavern 3108 S. Broad Street, Hamilton
(609) 888-1435
Thurs. 9 p.m. Karaoke
Fri. 10 p.m. Tangled
Sat. 10 p.m. Gyrl Band
All shows 21+
John & Peter's 96 S. Main Street New Hope, Pa.
(215) 862-5981
Thurs. 9 p.m. Bill & Fred's Excellent Adventure
Fri. 9 p.m. Dibbs Preston & the Detonators
Sat. 3 p.m. The Real Fugitives
Sun. 9 p.m. Hot4Robot, The Seconds, Red Vox
Mon. 9 p.m. Open Mic. Night
Tues. 9 p.m. Brad Stauble
Wed. 9:30 p.m. The Invitational
All shows 21+
JoJo's Tavern2677 Nottingham Way Hamilton
(609) 586-2678
Sat. 10 p.m. Kindred Spirit
Wed. 10 p.m. Karaoke
Laurita Winery85 Archertown Road, New Egypt
(609) 752-0200
Sat. 1 p.m. Lefty
Sun. 1 p.m. The Half Brothers
McStews Irish Sports Pub5316 New Falls Rd Levittown, PA
(215) 949-9570
Thurs. 10:30 p.m."Beer Pong" w/ DJ Codie
Fri. 10 p.m. Great Scott
Sat. 9 p.m. "Saturday Night Dance Party" w/ DJ RV and DJ OXX
Tues. 7 p.m. Quizzo hosted by Mike
Millhill Basement300 S. Broad Street Trenton
(609) 989-1600
Tues. 10 p.m. "Local Artist" Hip Hop, Experimental EDM and Bass Music Showcase
O'Connor's American Bar & Grille1383 Monmouth Road, Easthampton Mt. Holly
(609) 261-1555
Fri. 9:30 p.m. Rick Winow & Danny Coleman
Sat. 9:30 p.m. David J Duo
Olde Liberty Tavern2114 Liberty Street, Trenton
(609) 396-2262
Sat. 9 p.m. Open Mic. Night
Palermo's Of Hamilton310 Klockner Rd. Hamilton
(609) 838-7979
Thurs. 9 p.m. Karaoke
All shows 21+
Pete's Steak House523 Whitehorse Ave. Hamilton
(609) 585-8008
Fri. 9:30 p.m. Jimmy & Jimmy
Sat. 9:30 p.m. DEB n the SONS of RoCk
Randy Now's Man Cave134 Farnsworth Avenue Bordentown
(609) 424-3766
Check Web Site for Upcoming Events
RHO Waterfront50 Riverview Plaza Trenton
(609) 393-7300
Thurs. 10 p.m. "College Night" w/ DJ Bob E. Luv. Doors at 9 p.m. Ages 21+
Fri. (4:30 p.m.) Happy Hour Buffet. $10 (8:30 p.m.) In The Cut
Sat. 9 p.m. "Splash Lifestyle" Dance Party
Tara's Tavern 1 Cookstown-New Egypt Road, Wrightstown
(609) 286-2300
Thurs. 9 p.m. "Sal" of Psycho Misfits
Sat. 10 p.m. El Ka Bong
Tavern On The Lake101 Main St. Hightstown
(609) 426-9345
Fri. 9 p.m. Pretty Baby
Sat. 9 p.m. Anything Goes
Wed. 8 p.m. Karaoke Night
The Cool Cricket216 4th Street, Fieldsboro
(609) 291-9110
Sat. 9:30 p.m. Blind lemmon Pie
The HOB Tavern146 Second Street
(609) 291-7020
Sat. 9 p.m. Karaoke
Tues. 9 p.m. Open Mic. Night
The Ivy Inn248 Nassau St. Princeton
(609) 921-8555
Thurs. 10 p.m. Karaoke w/ DJ Ron
Fri. 10 p.m. DJ Rockin' Ron
Sat. 10 p.m. River Dogs
Tues. 8 p.m. Quizzo w/ Bob E Luv
Wed. 10 p.m. "Wednesday Wheel Night Spin To Win Karaoke" w/ DJ Rockn Ron
The Record Collector 358 Farnsworth Avenue, Bordentown
(609) 324-0880
Fri. 8 p.m. Edward Rogers w/ The Biba Band "Glass Marbles LP Release Show" / Steve Butler. All ages, doors at 7:30 p.m., $12 (advance)
Sat. 8 p.m. Mulebone. All ages, doors at 7:30 p.m., $15 (advance)
The Roost 181 Rte. 539 Cream Ridge
(609) 208-0050
Thurs. 7 p.m. Vinny Smith
Fri. 9 p.m. Mr. Lucky
Sat. 9 p.m. Twitch
The Sticky Wicket 2465 South Broad St. Hamilton
(609) 439-0007
Fri. 9 p.m. Polish Nannies
Sat. 9 p.m. DiRty ReD Unplugged
The Sun National Bank Center 81 Hamilton Ave. Trenton
(609) 656-3200
Check website for upcoming events
Tir Na Nog 1324 Hamilton Ave. Trenton
(609) 392-2554
Fri. 9 p.m. Bob Hurst & Paul Wiese
Sat. 9 p.m. Diarmuis MacSuibhne
Tues. 9 p.m. Open Mic. w/ Taylor Reed
All shows 21+
Trenton Buzz702 Pine St. Trenton
(609) 392-6000
Fri. 8 p.m. Live Band & Open Mic.
Trenton Social449 South Broad Street Trenton
(609) 989-7777
Fri. 4 p.m. First Friday
Mon. 9 p.m. Monday Night Karaoke w/ Benny P
Tues. 7 p.m. Open Mic. Night
Triumph Brewing Company (New Hope, Pa. Location)
400 Union Square New Hope, Pa.
(215) 862-8300
Thurs. 8 p.m. Trivia
Fri. 10 p.m. Brummy Brothers. ($5 cover charge)
Sat. 10 p.m. Hello Strangers. ($5 cover charge)
Sun. 7 p.m. Open Jam Night (Sign ups 6:30 p.m. at hostess stand)
All shows 21+
Wildflowers Inn2572 Pennington Rd. Pennington
Sat. 9 p.m. Acoustic Rock
All shows 21+
