Soul Kitchen

So Keller last night was incredible. I’ve been seeing the guy since my freshman year in college and he honestly gets better every time it seems like. He is truly an example of the evolution of music and musicianship through a single individual. It’s such a treat to get to grow up with him. Each venue and each scene in each city brings a new substance for him to work with, a new flavor of energy, and he does. I love taking people for their first show because all the descriptions I try to give leading up to the show fall by the wayside once they see him in person. He’s indescribable, utterly unique, a telepathic lightening rod for sure. As a bonus “Bay Fest” was going on in Mobile, which is a music festival, and before we went in to the show we heard Al Green playing across the street on an outdoor stage. You could walk right up to the fence and see and him just great. This was an unexpected treat for Becky especially; she’s a big fan. We heard a few songs and then I was getting anxious to go ahead and head into the Keller show when Becky says, “All I want is a little Love and Happiness…” and sure enough, before she could say anything else, Al Green busts out into his classic “Love and Happiness.” That was even more fodder for the flame that Keller was about to burn.
It was a late night show so of course people were extra excited. He didn’t come on until about midnight and played till just after two. His hair is good and long, had a nice five o’clock shadow, and he sure did look like he was having a damn good time. I think that’s what makes me enjoy him so much is because he really seems to love what he’s doing. He gets off hard on it, and when he’s getting off I’m getting off too.
This set reminded me of the Bonnaroo set he did on my birthday a few years back, mostly cause of the “Till the morning comes” opener and Yoni, and Thunder now that I think about it. He’s so much tighter these days. He needs less to do more. Incredible. The “Deer Creek” was the best Deer Creek I;ve ever heard. At the end when he normally loops his own voices when he harmonizes the outcry, the energy was so much and everyone was singing along he just let the crowd carry the whole thing. So much energy, the whole place, and as chaotic as it is on some levels, everyone is totally focused on the same thing on another. So much potential here I feel. How do you tap this sort of energy? What wondrous things can be done when we all find a way to weld together?

Downtown Mobile is a wild place, I didn’t really realize that. It feels like 6th street, or Bourbon street, a cultural melting pot for sure. We all had a great time, we’ll have to return. Next trip- Dauphin Island.

*

Keller Williams Late Night
Soul Kitchen
Mobile, Al 10/08/06

Intro instrumental > Till the Morning Comes, Apparition, Freshies, “Luckiest Man Alive”, Fuel for the Road, Lost, Hypnotize > Jack a Row> Hypnotize, New Song, One Hit wonder, Pets > Tribe > Keep it Simple, Above the Thunder, Alligator Alley > Yoni, Deer Creek > One More Saturday Night “Sunday Morning”
E: What I Got
…and somewhere in there he played “Still Wishin’ to Course” I remembered today. I think a few others as well but this is what I can decode from my handwriting.