Will Gattis at Village Park - 8/27

After two previous attempts in the past year, Will Gattis finally pulled off a free summer concert in the park last night. There was a great turn out, and as I said yesterday, the weather was beautiful.

Photo courtesy of Cam Jones

Will played an hour long set with a mix of new songs and old songs from his 2005 album, Dullard. On some songs, Jeff Beam of Specter played drums and Nick Langley played bass guitar. The drums and bass proved to be a great addition to songs like "Sean" and Dullard's single, "Christopher".

For the rest of the show, Will played solo on his electronic piano. Sometimes it's hard for a young musician to keep a strong and persistent stage presence, but Will did a very good job of it. He's very personable and playful with the audience. He often told little anecdotes about his songs, and the stories were well-received in the audience.

Photo courtesy of Cam Jones

Will debuted a few new songs at this concert including "Krista", "The Roma", and "Flower Girl". "Roma" was definitely my favorite out of the three. "The Roma" is a catchy, rock-oriented anthem about the struggle of Romas in the Czech Republic. Will learned about the struggle of the Roma on a trip he took in Europe this Summer. "Flower Girl" was another favorite of mine; it is a 3/4 waltz with some very dreamy elements in the piano and vocals.

Cam Jones of The Mark Gennarro Band joined Will with his cowbell for the quirky "Rugby Man" and the mischievous "Pimp". During "Pimp" Cam's drumstick progressively deteriorated as little wood chips in every direction as he slammed on the cowbell. After the show, Cam vowed to never use that drumstick ever again.

Photo courtesy of Cam Jones and Colin Ellis

Will played some other songs that aren't on Dullard like "Metropolis" and "Lily". Those are probably my two favorite songs of Will's right there. "Metropolis" is a sort-of depressing song about Superman killing himself, and Will uses some verses from the Bible in the interludes as a nice symbolic touch. The lyrics and music of the song are really well-written, and I hope Will gets around to recording it sometime soon. "Lily" is also very well-written; what I think to be one of his more mature songs.

Will and his band finished off the set with his most popular song "Christopher". Without a doubt, the song rocked as much as it did the first time I saw it performed.

Overall, Will's performance was very strong, and Jeff, Nick, and Cam added a lot to the show as well. My only complaint was that the PA system was very buzzy when the music got louder. Otherwise, the sound was great! I wish the best for Will, because his music is fresh and great. I encourage everyone to check out his music on his Myspace. If you think "Christopher" sounds a little too familiar to you, then check out "Pimp", "Guitar", and "Lavender".

Will Gattis will be playing at the C&J Hall in Lewiston on September 7th, the Dogfish Bar and Grille in Portland on September 15th, and at the Bleachers: Maine Songwriters Final Showdown on September 30th. Be sure to check out one these shows! You won't regret it!