EAU CLAIRE — The Willy Porter Band will perform Friday, March 9, at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. The doors will open at 8 p.m. for the concert in the Council Fire Room of Davies Center.
          Dan Bergen and Michael Jerling will appear as special guests.
          “He’s opened for Tori Amos, The Cranberries, Rickie Lee Jones and, most recently, Sting,” Acoustic Guitar magazine wrote of Porter in a June 2000 feature story. “He’s got the triple threat: great singing (sweet and strong), kick-drum, bass-groove guitar playing (the influences of Leo Kottke and Michael Hedges are apparent), and quality songwriting. On top of all that, Willy Porter is a relaxed and fearless entertainer who’ll entertain you as well as move you.”
          Porter’s 1999 CD “Falling Forward” (Six Degrees Records) was his third recording and his first since the surprisingly successful “Dog Eared Dream.” That 1994 indie record was picked up in 1995 by a major label (Private Music), spawned an unexpected alternative radio hit (the song “Angry Words”), and led the UW-Eau Claire graduate to a series of tours opening for major acts.
          “I learned so much about performing,” recalls Porter, a Milwaukee native. “And I learned about the business, too. Opening for big-name bands is fun, but it’s easy to lose your place and get lulled into a false sense of success.”
          After a couple of years spent extracting himself legally from what he termed “the Major Label Letdown,” the guitarist, singer and songwriter teamed up with the San Francisco-based Six Degrees Records. “They allowed me to make the album that I heard in my head with the people I wanted to work with,” Porter said. Up to four years in the making, the songs on “Falling Forward” reflect Porter’s appetite for different musical styles.
          “The songs, particularly the musical component, are a work in progress — even after the recording,” Porter said. “They’re constantly evolving and changing through the improvisation and spontaneity of the live shows.”
          Tickets are $9 ($5 with a UW-Eau Claire student ID card) at the University Service Center, (715) 836-3727, and will be sold at the door.
          Patrons also may charge tickets to MasterCard or Visa when they order by phone. Call (715) 836-3727 — or, outside the immediate Eau Claire area, call toll-free (800) 949-UWEC. A $3 handling fee will be added to all telephone charge orders.
          The show is open to all ages. Proof of age is required in the bar area. The concert is sponsored by the University Activities Commission of the UW-Eau Claire Student Senate.
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JS/BW

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Updated: Feb. 25, 2001