At one point, I could count 5 different instruments playing at once… but there was only one guy on the stage. A one man band, for lack of a better term. But this isn’t the comical version, with the bass drum slung over his shoulder, a harmonica within mouth’s reach, and spoons strapped to his knees. Instead, this is Keller Williams, the Fredericksburg, VA artist – a one man JAM band.

Using a series of delay effects and other looping technology, Williams is able to record a section of his jam and let it repeat as long as he needs. He may start with a drum machine, laying down his rhythm, then head over to the bass, and finally, solo over himself on guitar.

Thursday night, Keller Williams entertained a crowd that filled the field of the Ranch Arena at Rothbury. It started simply, just Keller and his acoustic guitar – his instrument of choice, and one that allows him to show off his skill. Keller started the song off on the side of the stage, tempting the crowd, who headed into full-on dance mode as the songwriter finally made his way onto the stage. He may use lots of technology to enhance his music, but in the end, it’s just that – enhancement.

His set spanned his career, with many songs getting Rothbury-themed lyric changes. A smooth segue from “Apparition” > “Doobie In My Pocket” came early in the show, with the latter’s lyrical content receiving a warm welcome from the crowd. Keller also wowed the crowd with a quick Phish cover – applause erupted as the audience realized that the hip-hop beat that had been laid down would turn into “Birds of a Feather” from the recently reunited Jam Band Icons. About two-thirds of the way in, String Cheese Incident bassist, and WMD’S member (one of Keller’s numerous side projects, who also played at Rothbury last year), joined in on bass. The two went with a little bluegrass for their duo, and the crowd roared with approval. The guests continued to arrive, with Jeff Hand joining on drums, and Kyle Hollingsworth on keys – both String Cheese Incident members). The quartet headed into older tunes “Kidney In a Cooler”, “Breathe” and “Fuel For the Road” to close the show.

I could easily say this was my highlight of the festival… but at the time, it was the only set of music I had seen. So, not really a lie, but not entirely accurate, either.

Hope you enjoy this little clip from “Birds of a Feather” – my full recording of the show will be linked here eventually, so keep checking back:
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