Artist Information
Biography
From her first gig several years ago on a city sidewalk in downtown Portland
to more recent appearances at The House of Blues and at The Palms Casino
in Las Vegas, at The Liquid Lounge at The Experience Music Project in Seattle, and at
The Aladdin Theater and at The Kennedy School in Portland, Beth Willis's unique mix of blues, folk and acoustic rock keeps showing that
she truly is for all of you---head, heart, gut and funny bone.
Here are the Beth Willis musical ingredients----
Combine a wonderfully rich, expressive voice with tremendously affecting lyrics that'll
make you laugh and cry and think and feel within a wide-ranging musical framework that
runs the gamut from folk to rock to blues to country...and beyond.
Beth Willis will make you laugh knowingly with the rollicking "Drinking With The Boys" as
she works "masturbation" and "cogitation" into the lyrics framework.
Beth Willis will touch your heart with the wry, sad "Nothing"
("..We were soulmates...
Then you must have lost your soul...")
and with the poignant pain of "Distance"
("I know that I'm restless...
And I think that I'm free...
But I'm so numb and broken..
And I'm so tired of me.")
And, Beth Willis takes stark self-deprecation to new and often humorous levels with "Masquerading Again"
("I keep reinventing life as I know it...
Keep ripping apart with no chance to sew it...").
Music from Beth's new release were recently played on Portland Oregon radio station KINK-FM, one of the areas most popular music stations.
Whatever mood you reach...Beth Willis reaches out to it and to you.
Brilliant.
Deep.
Hysterical.
Cerebral.
Seriously, seriously talented.
Beth Willis is, indeed, for all of you---
head, heart, gut and funny bone.
Beth Willis is Portland's musical treasure.
Let her get to you now...and often.
Listen up.
Instrumentation
Beth Willis - Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Deborah Katz - Violin, Vocals
Robert Richter - Lead Guitar, Bass
Richard Roskopf - Drums, Percussion
Discography
"Did I Mention I Never Lie" 2008
Official Website
Video
Setlist
Typical set can include any number of originals, and a list of covers that covers 8 hours and a multitude of genres. Ideal set would be all original - mixture of acoustic blues with hints of folk and rock - and fill the better part of 3 hours.
Examples -
Originals:
Distance
Nothing
Illumination
Drinking With the Boys
805
On the Ground
Covers:
Fever - Peggy Lee
Santa Monica - Everclear
At Last - Etta James
Summer of 69 - Brian Adams
What I Got - Sublime
Moondance - Van Morrison
When Doves Cry - Prince
And lots more.
