Tonight’s theme is “Comfort Food.” Now here’s a little story about how I approach programming The Linda. Specifically programming The Linda after we were closed for a year and a half due to the global pandemic lockdown. One of the many ingredients that I thought we needed to get some momentum with live audiences and comfortable, confident attendees was to make sure there were familiar names and faces on what we presented. I wanted to make sure that while there would always be new and unfamiliar voices, that those artists that had made The Linda a regular home for both you and their pre-pandemic lives were front and center. So, who is our mac and cheese, who is our spaghetti and meatballs, why do all my similes include references to pasta? Tonight, the comfort food episode of Live At the Linda features concerts from the past year with Willie Nile, Tinsley Ellis and a liner notes conversation with Stephane Wrembel. Wrembel will be returning to The Linda for a second time this year on December 3rd. Its all the familiar faces and voices tonight, Live At The Linda starts right now.
The New York Times called Buffalo, NY born Willie Nile "one of the most gifted singer-songwriters to emerge from the New York scene in years." Uncut Magazine called him “A one-man Clash.” His album Streets Of New York was hailed as “a platter for the ages” by Uncut. Rolling Stone listed The Innocent Ones as one of the “Top Ten Best Under-The-Radar Albums of 2011” and BBC Radio called it “THE rock ‘n’ roll album of the year.” His single from that album, “One Guitar,” was the “Top Pick of the Week” in USA Today.
Willie has toured across the U.S. with The Who and has sung with Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band. As the induction program from the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame says: “His live performances are legendary.” His 2020 album New York At Night got rave reviews, with Downbeat calling it a “sonic love letter to Gotham.”
His new studio album The Day The Earth Stood Still features a duet with Steve Earle on the song “Blood On Your Hands.” While many of us have struggled to salvage a sense of purpose from a year’s worth of isolation, Willie tapped into his own lockdown experience as a source of inspiration for the set of haunting new songs that comprise his emotion-charged new album. Although the singer-songwriter borrowed its title from the beloved 1951 science fiction movie classic, the album was inspired by the sight of Nile’s beloved hometown temporarily turned into a desolate ghost town.
“A man who embodies the true spirit of rock n’ roll.” - London Times
This concert is from February 2022, here is Willie Nile live at The Linda.
World renowned Southern blues-rock guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Tinsley Ellis—like every other musician—was caught off guard when the pandemic shutdown hit in March 2020. Ellis was forced to cancel the tour promoting his just-released album, Ice Cream In Hell, only six weeks into the 60-date run. This would be the first time in 40 years he’d be off the road, and as he drove the 2400 miles home from Reno to Atlanta, he was already formulating his future plans. Ellis resolved to dedicate his pandemic-forced downtime to creating new songs and growing as a songwriter. To get back to his musical roots, he began composing on amps and guitars that he hadn’t used for decades. He explored obscure studio and live recordings from some of his greatest musical heroes, such as the Allman Brothers, Freddie King, Michael Bloomfield, B.B. King and beyond, and was inspired by his favorite artists all over again. Eighteen months later, Ellis had written an astonishing 200 new songs. Let’s hear some of them, from August 2022 Here is Tinsley Ellis live at The Linda.
Every now and then we like to sit down with upcoming artists in a segment we call “Liner Notes.” We learn about five songs that have great importance or influence over them. Tonight we sit down with Stephane Wrembel, who will be back at The Linda on December 3rd, for tickets and information visit TheLinda.org.
Stephane Wrembel is quite simply one of the finest guitar players in the world. The breadth and range of his playing and compositions are unmatched. This prolific musician from France has been releasing a steady stream of music since 2002 and has truly made his mark as one of the most original guitar voices in contemporary music. David Fricke at Rolling Stone Magazine called him “a revelation.”
His live performance is unparalleled. Wrembel has headlined Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, The Town Hall in NYC and The Lyon Opera House in France, toured with master violinist Mark O’Connor and shared stages with everyone from Sam Bush, Stochelo Rosenberg, Esperanza Spalding, and Al Di Meola.
Born in Paris and raised in Fontainebleau, the home of Impressionism and Django Reinhardt, Wrembel first studied classical piano, beginning at the age of four. But in his mid-teens, he discovered that he had an affinity for guitar. A Pink Floyd fan, he “spent hours learning David Gilmour’s style,” he said. “So I had a classical background, a passion for rock music, and then I found out about Django. I fell in love with the very strong impressionist feel in his music.”
Thanks for sticking with us this week. Join us next week for The musical medicine of Shantyman Séan McCann 2022, Ray Wylie Hubbard 2012, and Ryan Bingham & The Dead Horses 2010. For more information about The Linda or any upcoming events follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, or visit thelinda.org.
