This is our Time: A Night at Mexicali Live with Willie Nile
Willie Nile For a musician who draws so much inspiration from the hard-edged New York punk scene, Willie Nile is a gentle soul. You can hear it all over his lyrics--"One Guitar"--a pacifist anthem about the power of music, for example. Or in "The Innocent Ones," a song that bursts with empathy for the vulnerable and powerless. But Willie's music brings an edge of punk intensity to balance out his big-hearted idealism. That's true on his new album, American Ride , and even more true live, when Willie and his band--bassist Johnny Pisano, guitarist Matt Hogan, and drummer Alex Alexander--never fail to play their hearts out. Matt Hogan Andre and I have seen Willie and his band live before, but never as headliners, and we've always been left wanting more. This year on my birthday that wish came true. We traveled to Mexicali Live in Teaneck, New Jersey: for dinner and tales of concert-going misadventures with some warm and ...