Willie Nile is many a thing. He is a rock n’ roll troubadour. He is Bob Dylan, graduated from stage presence charm school taught by headmasters Jagger and Daltry. He is three chords and the truth. He is the static energy of folk rock songwriting turned bottled lightning by the dynamic of punk rock energy. The sum of all these properties and more, it is no surprise that Nile ignited the Iron Horse music hall on a brisk Saturday evening in downtown Northampton.
As usual, Nile was warmly welcomed with an eager, jam-packed crowd awaiting his very presence at the intimate Noho music club. Nile may not be a worldwide music superstar or a platinum-selling recording artist, but when he plays, anyone in the room would tell you he is the only voice in the entire world. This past Saturday night was no exception.
Nile did not disappoint. A man who seems almost too energetic for the lines of wisdom on his face, Nile never fails to put on a magnificent live show. His borderline reckless antics, which included dancing on tabletops while playing guitar and playing the piano with his feet, would not only make some of his folk and bluegrass heroes wince, but also never ceased to amaze the already enamored crowd.
But there is a musical method to his charismatic madness. Nile’s playful and even wacky onstage behavior is perfectly juxtaposed against his thirty years of gritty, hard-hitting songwriting. Nile’s songs pull no punches and mince no words. This isn’t “Strawberry Fields Forever,” this is “Helter Skelter.” Nile’s music is uncomplicated in the best way possible, both stylistically and lyrically. He has a message and a melody, and he lays it out for everyone to hear.
Nile’s songwriting ranges from reflections on the ideals and pitfalls of music, money and fame to working-class love songs that express a vulnerable yet frank sense of longing and healed wounds of the heart. Some songs, such as the rousing yet dirge-like “Old Men Sleeping on the Bowery,” are haunting, swaying numbers that build to foot-stomping, teeth-gnashing climaxes. Others, such as “That’s Enough” are more cheerful, almost playful ditties that dance through the ears and minds of listeners for days to come.
Despite their distinct moods and subjects, however, every song Nile plays shares a raw sense of reality and honesty, whether it’s pretty or not. Nile’s undeniable conviction partially stems from the constant conversation he engages the crowd with in between songs, attempting as best he can to put into words the meanings and inspirations for the songs for which he bares his very soul on stage.
As he takes a seat behind the piano, he briefly introduces, “They’ll Build a Statue of You,” a relaxed honky-tonk style piano tune which is jaunty in character but reflective in lyrical context. The song itself muses on the implications of living life in the name of immortality through fame. While banging away at the jangly piano intro, Nile rhetorically asks the audience in his humorous yet existential fashion, “Do I want a big statue of myself with a bunch of pigeon sh*t all over it?”
Nile’s raw yet intense sound is derived from his relatively sparse but infinitely capable accompaniment. Frankie Lee (Nile’s longtime friend and songwriting partner) and Ray Mason (who also opened the show for Nile) comprise a rockabilly-meets-blues-rock rhythm section on three-piece drum kit and electric bass guitar, respectively. On lead electric guitar, Peter Hoffman played with classic rock virtuosity, adding color and texture to every song with tasteful lead lines and licks and stellar, standing-ovation solos. While Nile was busy cutting a rug on the tables in the front row, Hoffman blazed through a terrifically Keith Richards-eqsue solo during the culmination of “She’s So Cold” (which Nile properly dedicated, “for the Rolling Stones”). Hoffman played on Nile’s first two studio albums in the early 1980’s, and Nile joyfully and repeatedly mentioned that this allowed for him to play parts of his back catalogue – such as “It’s All Over” – that haven’t been dusted off for a live outing in decades.
In addition to singing, Nile bounced between his trusty acoustic guitar and grand piano, depending on the song. Nile’s vocal stylings are Dylan-meets-Springsteen. While he mercilessly wails at the steel strings of his guitar or slams at the ivory keys of the piano, his voice is shrill, strained and at many times, unadorned. But it is also piercing, resonant and always convincing. In true rock n’ roll fashion, the imperfections of Nile’s voice somehow make it perfect for the music he plays. Whenever Nile parts his lips, whether he’s speaking to the audience or singing for them, he immediately has the entire crowd in his hands.
The earnest and genuine connection Nile makes to every single one of the fans in the audience, combined with raucous and rambunctious rock n’ roll makes for music that is nothing short of explosive. Nile’s compositions and live show display all the attributes a rock n’ roll songwriter should have. He has tinges of folk, blues and bluegrass, but deviates from the subtler natures of these genres. He bears the hard-edged energy of punk and rock, but steers it perfectly down the narrow street of conviction. He can grab every heart in the room with one of his dark, moving ballads, while leaving the angst and clichés at the door. He can lift an entire audience to their feet with a rousing anthem without relying on the formulaic and cheesier elements of modern songwriting.
Nile brought the evening to a close in true folk-punk fashion with a foot-stomping rendition of the Ramones’ classic “I Wanna Be Sedated,” crying out, “This is for Joey Ramone” before flying headlong into the first verse. In a way, that one closing number was all one needs to understand Nile as a musician. He is classic rock meets punk rock, with a bluesy, blazing guitar line flowing over a bumping, thumping rhythm section in the background. And just like every time he visits Northampton, he leaves the entire crowd screaming for more.
Nile will release a new studio album titled, “The Innocent Ones” in July of this year.
Dave Coffey can be reached at [email protected]
