We just noticed that our copy of this CD from the acoustically-driven Wil is a later reissue put out by EMI, rather than the original 2002 version. For shame! But it goes to show how Wil took his first CD and rode it to... well, at least sold out shows in Vancouver. [center][img width=572px]//7ca49eb9f67ba1319ef136f9d52cd8b8.cdn.bubble.io/f1771818733279x706574656441623900/richtext_content.jpeg[/img][/center] [center][/center] [h2]Wil finding way to the top[/h2] [h3]Calgary musician West Coast sensation[/h3] REID ANDERSON CALGARY HERALD To steal a line from Joni Mitchell, you don't know what you've got till it's gone -and folks, he's nearly gone. Calgarians who haven't seen a performance by the artist known simply as Wil might consider taking one in before the city loses him. His career ambitions are about to spirit him westward to Vancouver, where he regularly sells out concerts all over town. "I'll have to move to Vancouver within eight months to a year," he said in a recent inter- view, his hands wrapped tightly around a steaming mochaccino. "It just makes more sense to be on the West Coast. It'll be a lot easier picking up and going to Seattle to do a show." There is still time to catch one of his frenzied performances, most notably at The Whisky April 29, when he will open for bluesman Colin James. This is no small feat for a guy who began performing less than 10 years ago. Always going by his first name, Wil started playing in Eau Claire's Barley Mill in 1993, and has been pounding out tunes all over town ever since, playing up to four shows a week. But for the past seven years Wil has been playing in B.C., where he has been met with enthusiasm. Tonight he will be opening for The Spirit of the West at The Commodore in Vancouver, part of a two-week stint of shows throughout B.C. "In Vancouver, they're seeing nine years of nurtured material and we're selling out shows." He has come a long way since his debut, and his fans are quick to assert that he'll enjoy ready success on the coast. "He's unbelievable," said Sean Bishop, a Calgary student who says he has heard Wil perform on countless occasions. "Whenever I've seen him per- forming in a pub, everyone is just hanging on every note. He's got such a magnetic personality that comes through on the stage, it just hypnotizes everyone." Wil says simply, "I think it's been a solid 10 years" playing in Calgary. His good looks and approachable demeanour haven't hurt his chances, but it is his uncanny ability to nail tunes by the likes of Stevie Ray Vaughn, Radiohead, David Gray and the Tragically Hip, to name a few, that set him apart from other pub players in Calgary. He is a vigorous performer, and bars and pubs long ago dubbed him as "the guy who breaks guitar strings." He still loves the business of playing packed bars to familiar faces in Calgary, but he concedes that, for a man with ambition, small venues are just a stepping stone to greater accomplishments. "It's really comfortable to know that you can just play al- most anywhere and pay your rent covering other people's music. But that's a really tough place to get stuck," he said. His desire to progress came with the 1997 release of Both Hands, a 10-track album of original material blending blues, country, rock and soul. He has had considerable success with the disc, his first release. While travelling, he brings copies with him to "suitcase sell" along the way. Those familiar with his live performances, how- ever, were surprised to hear songs played with a full ensemble. Wil has generally played his shows alone, and only recently added a drummer to some of his performances. "They were expecting to hear what they hear at a live show, but it had to be radio-friendly, which meant it had to be more care- fully mastered. Just me on the guitar wouldn't have sold." His next album, which he plans to record in the spring, will be truer to his on-stage shows. "It'll revert back to a real basic structure: drums, electric guitar, acoustic guitar and a bass. It'll be very simple."
