The many layers of Keller Williams

By John Benson

Similar to how an artist creates a multitrack song in the studio, singer and multi-instrumentalist Keller Williams has made a career out of layering one instrument over another to create a tune. However, the difference for this music veteran is he does this not in a production studio but on stage, creating loop after loop in front of his cultlike fans.

“Yeah, there’s a lot of confusion for the first timers,” said Williams, calling from his Fredericksburg, Va., recording studio. “There’s always the dude with his mouth open and his head cocked to the side wondering what’s going on. But then there’s the hippie next to him telling him exactly what’s happening.

“It started a long time ago. I was like a solo act playing in the corner of the restaurants that nobody is really there to see. I just wanted to create more. And not being able to afford humans, I started doing this looping thing and had different avenues for myself to go down musically. And next thing you know, I could actually afford humans, but this solo thing, this looping thing, was working.”

Hmm, did you consider hiring monkeys?

“Yes, I did. [pause] No, I did not,” deadpanned Williams.

Granted, adding primates to your payroll may seem a bit strange, but then again we are talking about Williams, whose latest effort, “Odd,” includes a CD cover with the artist riding a multi-headed beast through a lightning storm with crazy flaming balls of fire.

Oh yeah, through careful illustration, he’s been given the body of Fabio.

“I was going for odd and letting my imagination take me somewhere,” Williams laughed.

Actually, that mind-set perfectly describes his new 12-track project, which varies from the off-the-wall “Day at the Office” to piano-based, lounge music-esque “Warning” and afrobeat tribute “Song for Fela.” Williams said he’s excited about touring the album, which includes a Sunday show at the Kent Stage.

When Williams thinks about returning to Northeast Ohio, he relishes the notion that the Kent Stage is truly a listening room. That is, most concertgoers who attend a show there are interested in hearing the music, not making conversation.

“I think my crowd in general is made up of folks who come to the show to listen to the music,” Williams said. “I’ve played actual places that have signs on the tables that say, ‘No talking while musicians are on stage.’ There are a handful of these rooms left and, even with the signs, there are still full-on conversations.”

See, that’s when you need monkeys to do your dirty work.

“I do in a way, metaphorically, have monkeys that take care of me,” Williams laughed. “But they’re actually humans that we call monkeys.”

We’re guessing those monkeys are of the roadie variety? More so, they must love that name.

“Yeah, they’re a bizarre bunch,” Williams said, “You have to be weird to do what they do, for sure.”