(from The Gary Wilson Experience by Lorraine L. Whittlesey in Peekreview)
Latest polls and cancelled TV shows tell us teenage girls can be mean and ‘nasty as they wanna be.’ None of this is news to composer Gary Wilson, whose body of work chronicles moments, sometimes years, of adolescent angst with songs such as You Were Too Good to Be True, Chromium Bitch, and the title cut from his self-released 1977 album You Think You Really Know Me. The original ensemble, "Gary Wilson and the Blind Dates," performed at CBGB and other venues but, for assorted reasons, eventually disbanded. Fans of his highly eclectic works, who witnessed those early gigs, never forgot the performances and never stopped listening to the music.
Fast forward twenty years or so…
On May 16, 2002, Gary Wilson played two shows at Joe’s Pub in downtown Manhattan. Advance publicity from many prominent N.Y. publications, combined with an uber-buzz generated by the label, practically guaranteed an SRO audience of fan(atic)s and hipsters of all ages. Scalpers unloaded their wares in record time, and those lucky enough to have scored tickets in advance were offered three or four times their face value by others not so blessed. The two shows delivered all any audience could possibly wish for; the musicians were right on, the atmosphere was electric, and, mostly, Gary Wilson enchanted. Visual pluses: the presence, and occasional unwitting participation, of two naked female mannequins and a performance artist who scattered handfuls of flour over the head of Mr.Wilson in a ritual-like manner.
The viability of Gary Wilson’s material has not diminished with time. The principle themes of his songs (insecurity, and loneliness,) are universally understood and experienced. The honesty of his lyrics and the complexity of his music stand out; scream out, and demand intelligent listening.
That is The Gary Wilson Experience.
Latest polls and cancelled TV shows tell us teenage girls can be mean and ‘nasty as they wanna be.’ None of this is news to composer Gary Wilson, whose body of work chronicles moments, sometimes years, of adolescent angst with songs such as You Were Too Good to Be True, Chromium Bitch, and the title cut from his self-released 1977 album You Think You Really Know Me. The original ensemble, "Gary Wilson and the Blind Dates," performed at CBGB and other venues but, for assorted reasons, eventually disbanded. Fans of his highly eclectic works, who witnessed those early gigs, never forgot the performances and never stopped listening to the music.
Fast forward twenty years or so…
On May 16, 2002, Gary Wilson played two shows at Joe’s Pub in downtown Manhattan. Advance publicity from many prominent N.Y. publications, combined with an uber-buzz generated by the label, practically guaranteed an SRO audience of fan(atic)s and hipsters of all ages. Scalpers unloaded their wares in record time, and those lucky enough to have scored tickets in advance were offered three or four times their face value by others not so blessed. The two shows delivered all any audience could possibly wish for; the musicians were right on, the atmosphere was electric, and, mostly, Gary Wilson enchanted. Visual pluses: the presence, and occasional unwitting participation, of two naked female mannequins and a performance artist who scattered handfuls of flour over the head of Mr.Wilson in a ritual-like manner.
The viability of Gary Wilson’s material has not diminished with time. The principle themes of his songs (insecurity, and loneliness,) are universally understood and experienced. The honesty of his lyrics and the complexity of his music stand out; scream out, and demand intelligent listening. That is The Gary Wilson Experience.
