Photo of William Elliott Whitmore by Chris Casella
w/ Sug Daniels | 8:00pm | 3509 Lemp Ave. | All ages | $18
Folks, William Elliott Whitmore is bringing his unique brand of roots folk back to Off Broadway on April 25th. It is a time to rejoice, as I’m sure he’s going to play some choice songs from his decades-spanning catalog and some fresh tunes from his excellent new record Silently, the Mind Breaks. Raised on a small farm in Iowa, Whitmore’s music clearly demonstrates a respect for the traditional elements of folk music, but he also shows he has no problem getting a little weird and wild with it in a way not unlike Tom Waits or Amigo the Devil. While Silently, the Mind Breaks may not have the rough edge of some of his previous work, it maintains Whitmore’s cleverness in creating sorrowful, introspective lyrics about anxieties and worries new and old. There’s a certain talent one needs to craft a song like “A Bunker Built for Two,” a track with a familiar structure that is cleverly subverted with its lyrics that play with our fixation on the end of the world, replacing the individualistic homestead of the American Dream with a nuclear bunker. Whereas songs like “Break Even” and “Darkness Comes” might be a bit more straightforward, they’re worthy of a quiet morning meditation with a spiked cup of coffee. Not too bad for a fellow with a striking voice, a guitar or banjo, and a bass drum.
William Elliott Whitmore occupies a unique space in contemporary Americana music, come on down to Off Broadway and see if for yourself. There’ll be plenty of ice cold Stag. | Bryan J. Sutter
Click here to buy tickets. For more information on William Elliott Whitmore, visit williamelliottwhitmore.com.
William Elliott Whitmore on tour:
04.19.24 — Fargo, ND — Fargo Brewing Co
04.20.24 — St Paul, MN — Turf Club
04.23.24 — Madison, WI — High Noon Saloon
04.25.24 — St. Louis, MO — Off Broadway
04.26.24 — Kansas City, MO — RecordBar
04.27.24 — Omaha, NE — Reverb Lounge
05.04.24 — Maquoketa, IA — Codfish Hollow Barnstormers
07.13.24 — Monticello, MN — Nordic Bluegrass & Folk Festival
