Keller Williams releases his first-ever all-covers collection, amusingly titled Thief, on May 25, 2010. Recorded with the Keels—husband and wife duo Larry and Jenny Keel—Thief includes songs originally written and recorded by as wildly diverse an assemblage as anyone's ever likely to dream up. Keller is on tour this summer - at solo shows, with The Keels, and even for a run of gigs as vocalist/guitarist in The Rhythm Devils, the project by Grateful Dead drummer Bill Kreutzmann and his partner percussionist Mickey Hart. Keller's complete list of currently confirmed tour dates is included below.
Thief offers up Keller-versions of songs by an [almost] unthinkable collection of artists: from Amy Winehouse ("Rehab") to the Grateful Dead ("Mountains of the Moon"), the Butthole Surfers ("Pepper") to Kris Kristofferson ("Don't Cuss That Fiddle," which opens the album, and "The Year 2003 Minus 25," which closes the album). The set is filled out with tunes by Ryan Adams, the Presidents of the United States of America, the Raconteurs, Patterson Hood, Danny Barnes, Cracker, the Yonder Mountain String Band and Marcy Playground. All over the place, indeed, but that's the way Williams likes it. And in his hands it all makes sense—like everything he's ever touched, whether from his own pen or someone else's, it all becomes Keller Williams' music. Fans are encouraged to stay tuned to http://www.kellerwilliams.net for a big Thief pre-sale and contest announcement coming soon.
Keller's thirst for music of all kinds has also led him to the world of radio. For the past seven years he has hosted Keller's Cellar, a weekly syndicated program available on over 40 terrestrial stations and online at http://www.kellerwilliams.net. Williams describes the show as "a self-indulgent, hour-long narrated mix tape of stuff I'm into. It's rule-less except for what the FCC says we can't do. I don't play contemporary country music. I don't play contemporary Christian music—however, there is possibly some old gospel. I don't play opera. Everything else is fair game. World music from all around—African music from all the countries, jazz, funk, reggae, techno, chill, lounge, lounge singers, rub-a-dub, dancehall. I pretty much stay away from smooth jazz. It's definitely a fun outlet for me."
Long considered one of the most unique and prolific performers in all of rock, the Fredericksburg, Virginia native is known for flying by the seat of his pants on stage, utilizing an unorthodox approach that centers around an Echoplex Digital Pro looping unit, which allows Keller to alternate between several instruments on stage.
Keller Williams' Current Tour Dates:
Friday, April 16 Biltmore Cabaret Vancouver BC
Sunday, April 18 World Ski Festival Whistler BC
Thursday, April 22 WorkPlay Theatre Birmingham AL
Friday, April 23 Floyd's Tallahassee FL
Saturday, April 24 Freebird Live Jacksonville FL
Friday, April 30 Handle Bar Greenville SC
Thursday, May 13 Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden Richmond VA
Sunday, May 16 The Hangout Music Festival Gulf Shores AL
Saturday, May 22 SmileFest - Deerfields Amphitheater Pinnacle NC
Friday, May 28 Bella Madre Music Festival Geneva MN
Saturday, May 29 Summercamp Chillicothe IL
Sunday, May 30 Delfest Cumberland MD Keller Williams and Friends
featuring Jeff Austin and Keith Moseley
Thursday, June 17 Telluride Bluegrass Festival Telluride CO
Saturday, June 19 Clearwater Festival - Croton Point Park Westchester NY
Friday, July 2 Nateva Music & Arts Festival - Oxford Fairgrounds Oxford ME
Sunday, July 11 All Good Music Festival Masontown WV
Saturday, July 17 YMSB String Summit North Plains OR RHYTHM DEVILS
Sunday, July 18 Britt Festival Jacksonville OR RHYTHM DEVILS
Saturday, July 24 The Spud Drive In Driggs ID RHYTHM DEVILS
Sunday, July 25 Red Butte Garden Salt Lake City UT RHYTHM DEVILS
Saturday, July 31 Gathering of the Vibes Bridgeport CT RHYTHM DEVILS
Saturday, August 14 Mile High Music and Arts Festival Denver CO
Saturday, August 21 Hoxeyville Festival Cadillac MI