Willy Porter to perform at the Flying Goose

By JEFF EPSTEIN
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Willy Porter is an Americana guitarist with an intricate finger-picking style. He is scheduled to perform two nights, November 7 – 8, at the Flying Goose Pub, New London.

Two nights are scheduled in order to accommodate the expected audience of about 100 or so each show. With back-to-back nights, Porter says, “both nights generally sell very well.”

Porter has been performing for more than 20 years and has released 11 studio albums. His last two albums were 2015’s “Human Kindness” and 2016’s “Bonfire to Ash,” co-written with Carmen Nickerson. Porter will perform solo at the New London shows.

“I’ll be playing a lot of different things,” he said.

Porter is not touring behind an album, however, as “I took some time off” this year, he said. He did some traveling through parts of the Middle East, and some of his experiences may be reflected in future songs. “I’ve been doing a whole lot of different things this year.”

So the Flying Goose shows will definitely have some new material to try out, although the songs will not necessarily be in finished form. “They are gestating, and still coming together,” he explained. “It’s important to get some feedback.”

Another way Porter anticipates a loose, fun show is that without a band he won’t necessarily be tied to a fixed set list. “Being solo, I have some liberty to stretch … it is a highly interactive show.”

Porter says he enjoys playing for live audiences. “I treat them like I’ve known them my whole life,” he says.

Whether a patron is an old fan or first-timer, he or she will be able to buy Porter’s music at the merchandise table after the show.