PROJECTS
Definition: ADM (Acoustic Dance Music), solo acoustic guitar and voice with every other song walking the line of electronica. If you need a title to file under try electro-hippie acoustic downtempo.
“What kind of definition is that? It’s the kind of definition that will take you actually going to a show to decide for yourself and put it to your own words. This element of my life is what I refer to as my day job. Which is essentially me finding new ways to entertain myself on stage in front of an audience. Using technology and a technique, described by Dr. Didg, as live phrase sampling or looping, I am able to entertain myself for two sets. Nothing is prerecorded and all sounds and beats are created live by layering loops on top of one another and then singing or soloing over top if all if it.
See what I mean? Only being there can explain it. The thousands of hours on YouTube cannot describe the feeling and vibe of one of my solo shows…..at least the feeling that I get. Drawing from almost 2 dozen releases as well as a ridiculous amount of covers, hours are spent on set lists that often get abandoned for requests from the audience. So much fun, it should be illegal and in some counties it is.” –Kw
Definition: Appalachian Psychedelic Bluegrass
“Award winning flat picker Larry Keel and his rock solid, in the pocket bass playing wife, Jenny Keel, make up two thirds of this super fun trio I started in 2004. With three albums recorded together the handful of gigs we play a year turn into acoustic picking parties. We vowed from the beginning that we wouldn’t do it often so that when we did, it would be special and it is.” –Kw
Definition: KellerGrass is the marriage of psychedelic + traditional bluegrass between Keller and The Hillbenders as they take an abundance of liberties with Keller’s original songs.
Definition: A special music series Keller brings back from time to time. First starting in 2016 with Leo Kottke, then a run in 2018 with Martin Sexton and most recently in 2022 and 2023 with Steve Poltz. Expect an evening of songs and stories with a set from each artist and a collaboration at the end. All in a seated, listening room environment…so Shut the Folk up and Listen!
Definition: Bluegrass versions of Grateful Dead, Tom Petty and Keller Williams classics with harmonious singalongs and a hint of psychedelia.
Definition: Live soulful R&B flavored ass shaking funk played by show stealing up front singers (as opposed to background singers) in front of the creme de la creme of the Richmond, Virginia R&B Gospel scene.
“Everyone needs a little funk in their life, why should I be excluded? I stumbled upon 4 out of the 5 musicians that make up this band in a small bar in Virginia on a Tuesday night. With a connection to drummer, Toby Fairchild, I was summoned with lite force to sit in and it clicked and we began rehearsing for a run of shows in between Christmas and New Years Eve in 2012. Those shows were not only super fun, but also recorded and released as a record called “ Funk” bass, drums guitar, keys and two extremely entertaining, show stealing, female singers. It’s not your typical white boy funk one may expect from this typical white boy.” –Kw
Definition: “Loose interpretations of Grateful Dead songs done in a bluegrass style. Take my fascination with Grateful Dead songs and mix it together with my love of psychedelic improvisational bluegrass music and out burps this project.
WARNING: If you like your Grateful Dead songs performed in their original way, or if you prefer traditional bluegrass, this is not the project for you. If you like singing along to Dead songs in that song’s normal tempo but dancing double time to the music, this is definitely your jam. A lot of people seem to dig it and I dig them for that.” -Kw
Definition: The spiritual side of Grateful Dead/Jerry Garcia songs performed in the style of black gospel music meant to be performed on a festival stage on Sunday mornings.
“I pitched the idea of this project as a Sunday morning set to the Lockn’ festival in 2013 and they went with it, so I rallied my Richmond “More than a Little” crew, added two more female singers and convinced John Kadlecic, from Further, to join us on guitar and Grateful Gospel was immaculately conceived. It’s the gospel of Jerry. Awe man. WARNING: this is not a Christian act.” –Kw
The Keller Williams KWahtro featuring Gibb Droll, Danton Boller and Rodney Holmes.
The KWahtro is my evolution of Acoustic Dance Music. Using my songs as a template for creations involving improvisational bursts of new disco, reggae, drum and bass and jazz swing afro trap, all with two acoustic guitars, double bass and drums. This project is an attempt to bring my vision to life and as always, to entertain myself on stage, while hopefully entertaining you.
This particular version of KWahtro features my old friend and levitational guitar player, Gibb Droll, whom you may remember from my 2008 release “Live” as well as collaborations with Brandi Carlisle and Bruce Hornsby. Also the precisely groovy Danton Boller on acoustic upright bass. I first felt his vibe with the Jazz Mandolin Project a decade or so ago and it always stuck with me. Later he went on to record and tour with Roy Hargrove, who in my book, is a living legend on trumpet. Last but not least, the rhythmic genius Rodney Holmes, who traveled the world with Carlos Santana, will be holding it all together on drums as we attempt to float on acoustic goodness. -Kw
Hobby Weird comes from one of the weird hobbies of Keller Williams. This one is simply creating groovy, psychedelic, down tempo dance music from a cell phone app. Hobby Weird can be found getting chased away from random parking lots, at free pop up shows that usually start at midnight on a Tuesdays, the occasional legit silent disco and random backstages around the country.
Warning: Its weird
I’m absolutely elated to introduce my new trio featuring Rodney Holmes on drums and Rob Wasserman on upright bass. Rob is a Grammy award winning composer and producer as well as a zenned out keeper of the pocket who has played with a jaw dropping amount of famous people. I first saw him in the late 80’s as a duo with Bob Weir. Rodney, also a Grammy award winning composer and producer, is a complete and total badass on the drum kit and has played with folks like Maceo Parker and Santana. I became an instant fan in the early 2000’s for his work on the “Live From Denver” albums with the Steve Kimock band. The thought of this project has me absolutely giddy with excitement and ideas. One is to focus on acoustic dance music while using my new as well as older material as a template for this vision. Another is to simply be a student of these two masters and allow them to take this music into lands unknown. Im excited. Can you tell? -Kw
Usually, I play places without seats. My looping show comes in handy at those establishments. Occasionally, Im allowed to play really nice places with actual places to sit. Its these types of places that I feel acoustic music is truly what the rooms were intended for. With that in mind, I’m proud to announce that Danton Boller on the big acoustic double bass will join me as a duo in those almost perfect rooms. Just because these shows are loopless, it doesn’t mean it won’t be super funky. Funk is in the mind, the soul and also in the right hand of Danton Boller. I’m excited to explore the ideas of acoustic dance music with only the big bass,a couple of acoustic guitars and a whole lotta songs to choose from. Danton is in my band KWahtro and has done a bunch of Grateful Grass gigs so……these shows could get real freaky. And if you want to….you can sit. Which is not always an option. Feel free to vibe off my stoke. -Kw
Definition: Petty Grass is Bluegrass versions of Tom Petty hits. Sing-alongs that some people didn’t even know they knew. Tom Petty songs are like that and Petty Grass celebrates this.
There is nothing like a room full of people singing along to the same song. In 2015, I put together a set of Tom Petty songs to be done bluegrass at a benefit for my local S.P.C.A. I had so much fun putting the project together, it brought a wave of joy over me singing these songs. With his untimely passing, these songs have been pushed to the forefront of my mind and is seems like as good a time as any to celebrate, publicly, the hits of Tom Petty. Luckily, The HillBenders share my passion for this music and it just so happens that they are kick ass pickers who have amazing attention to detail, you can see for yourself as they cover the entire rock opera of The Who’s Tommy. These Petty songs lend themselves quite easily to bluegrass and by the end of the night, the audience will more than likely be singing in harmony. –Kw
Definition: Cross pollination of tongue in cheek bluegrass and serious musicianship both covered and original, backed by some of the most respected musicians in the bluegrass world
“Ronnie McCoury on mandolin, Rob McCoury on banjo, Alan Bartrum on bass and Jason Carter on fiddle complete the backing band for living legend Del McCoury. Occasionally they will veer off, plug in and invite guitar players to do shows with them. Somehow I was invited. Those shows were so fun that we made a record called “Pick” along with a bunch of shows to support it. Whenever I’m allowed to play with this group, which is never as often as I like, it’s impossible to hide my joy. So I don’t. It’s painfully obvious how happy this band makes me.” -Kw
Definition: The reliving of childhood fantasies of performing fusion rock with a hand picked band of my heroes.
“Williams, Moseley, Droll and Sipe. Keith Moseley from the String Cheese Incident on bass, Jeff Sipe, the planets best drummer, who has played with everyone from Trey Anastasio to Warren Haynes and of course Gibb Droll, whom when he is not playing with Marc Broussard, Bruce Hornsby or Brandi Carlile, is a producer in Nashville. We play loud hard rocking music that is fused with elements of jazz, blues, reggae and disco.
We were together from Spring 2007 – Fall 2008. During that time we enjoyed several bus tours that took us all over the country. We released a 3 disc set (double live show with bonus DVD) called LIVE that documents this epic period of my life. Every so often, the members busy schedules collide and magic is recreated.” –Kw
Definition: Family friendly album that spawned a dozen matinee kid shows that came a went like a rainbow
“Ever since I heard “Not for Kids Only” from David Grisman and Jerry Garcia, I knew a kids record was in my future. Way far into my future. I had almost half of the record made up long before I had kids. Once my daughter was old enough to sing along, I started spinning these demos in the car, of the kids songs I had made up. Next thing you know, she was singing along. This motivated studio sessions and the “ KIDS” record was made, we even made a video. Sirius/XM’s channel 78 – “Kids Place Live” show spun 3 or 4 tunes from that record. One tune in particular, “Mama Tooted” was played so many times that it suffered a “mommie veto”, meaning mommies could call in and ask to remove that song from the playlist for a week. This made me proud. This motivated matinee kid shows. We would simply book a night show for a Saturday night and load in at 9 am, doing two shows a day. The matinees were complete with a massive drum circle right when the doors opened, full video, a balloon drop, confetti cannons, bubble machines and exit parades. I wouldn’t have changed a thing. However, like any great party…it has to end. I have currently retired that show but I am proud the record will live on. Celebrate your youth.” –Kw
