Photo by C Taylor Crothers
The ever-prolific Keller Williams recently announced a massive winter tour in support of his exciting new release with his latest musical muse, a 6-piece funk band dubbed ‘More Than A Little’. The “What The FUNK Tour” takes Keller and this cast of hard-hitting funk players through major markets throughout the Midwest and West in early 2014. The full list of dates is included below. Funk – the blazing and soulful new album by Keller Williams with More Than A Little – drops on November 12th.
The remainder of the 2013 season finds Keller performing solo and in a variety of creative collaborations. Among them, a pair of rare “Keller & His Compadres” shows on December 20-21 in Keystone, Colorado featuring solo looping sets plus pairings with Michael Travis and Michael Kang (The String Cheese Incident) on the 20th and Drew Emmitt and Vince Herman (Leftover Salmon) on the 21st. The “Compadres” tradition started in December 2012 to celebrate the end of the Mayan calendar, but Keller and his enthusiastic community of fans had such a fun weekend that Keller couldn’t resist returning to the Rocky Mountains with his compadres. Tickets and details available at www.kellerwilliams.net.
Keller will curate and perform at The Rex Foundation’s Annual Benefit – this year dubbed “Nightfall of Diamonds”- at The Fillmore in San Francisco, CA on December 7th. For this intimate evening of music Keller will play solo and with Tim & Nicki Bluhm, and will also perform a set with his trio Grateful Grass – featuring long time musical friends Jeff Austin (Yonder Mountain String Band) and Keith Moseley (The String Cheese Incident). All proceeds from this night celebrating the legacy of the Grateful Dead will go to The Rex Foundation.
On December 26, Keller Williams returns to his hometown of Fredericksburg, VA for his highly anticipated holiday tradition – the 13th annual SPCA Holiday Benefit concert. This year, the festivity moves to downtown Fredericksburg’s intimate Old Silk Mill. Keller will perform an always-favorite solo looping set before being joined for second set – with Keller on bass – by Steve Kimock on guitar and Kimock’s son John Morgan on drums. 100% of the profits from the annual holiday concert will go to support the local branch of the SPCA.
To wrap up the year, Keller has announced plans for his always-raging New Year’s Eve bash. The 2013 NYE Run kicks off Friday, December 27th at Mr. Smalls Theater in Millvale, PA, then hits Beachland Ballroom in Cleveland, OH on December 29th, and culminates at Rams Head Live! in Baltimore, MD on the 31st. The New Year’s Eve show will see 3 sets of music from favorite Keller collaborations Keller & The Keels, Keller Williams Solo, and Keller Williams with More Than A Little. Tickets and NYE Hotel Travel packages are currently on sale at www.kellerwilliams.net.
Funk was recorded live at a pair of Virginia gigs (from the Norva in Norfolk and the National in Richmond), and during a show at Charlotte, North Carolina’s Neighborhood Theatre. More Than a Little features Keller Williams on vocals and guitar, EJ Shaw on bass, Gerard Johnson playing keyboards and Toby Fairchild on drums, with backup vocals from Tonya Lazenby Jackson and Sugah Davis. The album consists of four new Williams originals and several interpretations of songs that further the vision of this artist who makes everything he touches his own. The album, writes Keller in Funk’s liner notes, “is more than a little soulful, more than a little funky and it’s making me more than a little happy.” Guaranteed, it’ll make you more than a little happy too.
Fans still have time to enter the Funk pre-sale contest. Those who pre-order the album by November 11th through Keller’s online merch store will automatically be entered twice into the “Tear the Roof off the Funker” Contest – a chance to win an all expense paid trip for two to see Keller Williams with More Than A Little in New Orleans during the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Those who purchase Funk after its release, but before January 1, 2014, will earn one entry to the contest. For the official contest rules and other pertinent info, click here.
2013 Fall Tour
Friday, November 1 Metropolitan Morgantown VA
Saturday, November 2 V-Club Huntington WV
Sunday, November 3 Mountain Stage at the Culture Center Theatre Charleston WV Keller Williams with The Travelin’ McCourys
Thursday, November 7 Constellation Room Santa Ana CA
Friday, November 8 El Rey Theatre Los Angeles CA
Saturday, November 9 Belly Up Tavern Solana Beach CA
Thursday, November 14 The Handlebar Greenville SC
Friday, November 15 Georgia Theatre Athens GA Keller Williams with More Than A Little
Saturday, November 16 Orange Peel Asheville NC
Wednesday, November 20 Chateau Rive Spokane WA
Thursday, November 21 Great Northern Whitefish MT
Friday, November 22 Top Hat Lounge Missoula MT
Saturday, November 23 Filling Station Bozeman MT
Thursday, December 5 Arcata Theatre Arcata CA
Friday, December 6 The Catalyst Santa Cruz CA with The Mother Hips
Saturday, December 7 Fillmore Rex Benefit San Francisco CA Grateful Grass with Michael Kang, Keller with Nikki & Tim Bluhm
Wednesday, December 11 – Sunday, December 15 Strings & Sol – Now Sapphire Resort Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo Keller Williams with The Travelin’ McCourys
Friday, December 20 – Saturday, December 21 Warren Station Center for the Arts Keystone CO “Keller Williams & His Compadres” Featuring Michael Travis and Michael Kang and Drew Emmitt and Vince Herman
New Year’s Run
Thursday, December 26 13th Annual SPCA Benefit @ Old Silk Mill Fredricksburg, VA Keller & The
Kimocks
Friday, December 27 Mr. Smalls Theatre Millvale PA Keller Williams with More Than A Little
Saturday, December 28 Beachland Ballroom & Tavern Cleveland OH Keller Williams with More Than A Little
Tuesday, December 31 Ram’s Head Live Baltimore MD Keller & The Keels, Keller Williams Solo, Keller Williams with More Than A Little
Saturday, January 4 – Monday, January 6 Jam Cruise 12 Miami FL Keller Williams & The Kimocks
Thursday, January 9 Pickel Barrel Killington, VT
Friday, January 10 Tupelo Music Hall Londonberry, VT Keller Williams with More Than A Little
Saturday January 11 Stage One Fairfield, CT
Sunday, January 12 BB Kings New York, NY Keller Williams with The Travelin’ McCourys
What the FUNK 2014 Tour
Thursday, January 16 Madison Theater Covington KY Keller Williams with More Than A Little
Friday, January 17 Park West Chicago IL Keller Williams with More Than A Little
Saturday, January 18 Majestic Theatre Madison, WI Keller Williams with More Than A Little
Sunday, January 19 The Cabooze Minneapolis MN Keller Williams with More Than A Little
Tuesday, January 21 The Englert Theatre Iowa City IA Keller Williams with More Than A Little
Wednesday, January 22 DG’S Tap House Ames IA Keller Williams with More Than a Little
Thursday, January 23 Canopy Club Urbana IL Keller Williams with More Than A Little
Friday, January 24 The Vogue Indianapolis IN Keller Williams with More Than a Little
Saturday, January 25 Newport Music Hall Columbus OH Keller Williams with More Than A Little
Sunday, January 26 FED Live Harrisburg, PA Keller Williams with More Than A Little
Wednesday, February 5 Animas City Theatre Durango, CO
Thursday, February 6 Vilar Center for the Arts Beaver Creek, CO
Friday, February 7 Park City Live Park City UT
Saturday, February 8 Pink Garter Theater Jackson Hole WY
Thursday, February 20 Belly Up Aspen Aspen CO Keller Williams with More Than A Little
Friday, February 21 The Fillmore Denver, CO Keller Williams with More Than A Little, JJ Grey and Mofro, and Nicki Bluhm & the Gramblers
Saturday, February 22 The Gryphon Theatre Laramie CO Keller Williams with More Than A Little
Sunday February 23 Bourbon Theatre Lincoln, NE Keller Williams with More Than A Little with John Wayne & The Pain
Monday, February 24 The District Sioux Falls SD Keller Williams with More Than A Little
With John Wayne & The Pain
Tuesday, February 25 Abode Wichita KS Keller Williams with More Than A Little
Wednesday, February 26 The Bottleneck Lawrence KS Keller Williams with More Than A Little
Thursday, February 27 Cain’s Ballroom Tulsa OK Keller Williams with More Than A Little
Friday, February 28 Granada Theater Dallas TX Keller Williams with More Than A Little
Saturday, March 1 Antone’s Austin TX Keller Williams with More Than A Little
Sunday, March 2 Sam’s Burger Joint San Antonio TX Keller Williams with More Than A Little
Tuesday, March 4 Fitzgerald’s Houston TX Keller Williams With More Than A Little
Wednesday, March 5 Duling Hall Jackson MS Keller Williams with More Than A Little
Thursday, March 6 George’s Majestic Lounge Fayetteville AR Keller Williams with More Than A Little
Friday, March 7 The Pageant St. Louis MO Keller Williams with More Than A Little
Saturday, March 8 Revolution Music Room Little Rock AR Keller Williams with More Than A Little
Thursday, March 20 The Haunt Ithaca, NY
Friday, March 21 State Theatre State College, PA
Saturday, March 22 Chunk Opera Jim Thorpe, PA
