While he has contributed musically to previous Coen brothers projects, Buster Scruggs was Watson’s on-screen debut. Watson plays a sweet singing gunslinger known as “The Kid” in The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, and performs the film’s theme, “When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings” with costar Tim Blake Nelson. for about 4 minutes,” he joked, foppishly putting on his hat. “I’m not a real cowboy, but I play one on TV. Despite a generous peppering of gray hairs, there’s a smirking, boyish charm to Watson’s shtick, and his performance was equal parts self-aggrandizement and self-deprecation. Tuesday night, Watson shared his interpretations of “Keep it Clean,” “Samson and Delilah,” and “John Henry” in addition to some playful banter with the crowd. Produced by David Rawlings, Watson’s solo records mark a return to traditional folk music for the artist and reimagine well-known standards and nearly forgotten gems for a modern audience. Since parting ways with Old Crow Medicine Show, Watson has turned out two solo albums, Folksinger Vol. On this tour, the two are bridging a generational gap between folk fans on opposite ends of the spectrum – the witty and sardonic Parr bringing out old school Deadheads and Marin County hippies while Watson’s fans – many familiar with his days as a member of Old Crow Medicine Show – represent yet another folk revival. Hot on the heels of his role in the new Coen brothers film, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, the folk singer has been touring at a breakneck pace, downing soup, and vitamin C packets, and denying the existence of a cold.īy the time he reached San Francisco, Watson had already played six nights straight, working his way from Montana through the Pacific Northwest with co-headliner Charlie Parr. Tonight’s show offers the chance to see one of the bright lights on the music scene today.Willie Watson brought his dry sense of humor and an arsenal of folk classics to the Great American Music Hall Tuesday night in a multi-instrumental, one man show. Since going solo, Willie played last year’s Another Day, Another Time concert organized by T-Bone Burnett to celebrate the music of the movie Inside Llewyn Davis and raise money for the National Recording Preservation Foundation. The band had a string of successful albums and released the huge hit “Wagon Wheel,” which sold in the millions-and Willie’s driving rhythm guitar and plaintive tenor vocals played a major role in the band’s success. Willie started to get serious about music back in Watkins Glen, New York, moved to Ithaca for awhile, went busking across Canada with Old Crow Medicine Show, and moved into a cabin on Beech Mountain, in North Carolina, where the band met Doc Watson and other local musicians who proved to be generous in sharing their repertoire of old time songs and arrangements. Willie is the only one of his generation who can make me forget these songs were ever sung before.” There’s an emotional edge to what he does because of who he is as a human being. “He’s had some tragedy in his life, which has informed his art. “There’s a lot of weight in the way Willie performs,” says David Rawlings, musical partner of Gillian Welch and producer of Willie’s new album. He plays songs by the likes of Leadbelly and Charley Jordan, interpreting them by his own lights. 1, and is touring on his own-one man, one guitar, and a passel of folk and blues standards, rare gems, and inspired originals. Willie Watson, formerly with Old Crow Medicine Show, has a new album, Folk Singer Vol.
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