more than a concert
by gatley on 9/18/25Mercury Lounge - New YorkRating: 5 out of 5best ROI on a concert ever. cheap and fun and fantastic. mix between music and stand up and performance art.

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Saturn - Birmingham
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Terminal West
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Folksinger Willi Carlisle holds tight the conviction that love is bigger than hate, and no-one is
expendable. Carlisle’s music has always been a dance between absurdity, spectacle, and
philosophy. On his fourth studio album, Winged Victory, Carlisle returns with his signature blend
of traditionally-rooted folk music and kaleidoscope of oddball characters to confer with his core
tenets in more overt and provocative ways.
Carlisle delivers Victory as the next chapter in his long-running direct address to the hope that by
understanding our collective suffering we might be free of it. He’s intent on creating art and a
well-rounded life in a broken world. The idea began with 2022’s Peculiar, Missouri when
Carlisle proclaimed “your heart’s a big tent, everybody gets in.” After gathering together all the
world’s weirdos and misfits under the big tent, with 2024’s Critterland, Carlisle let them loose
into the world. Now, on Winged Victory, they speak for themselves, unencumbered by social
expectations.
Victory, Carlisle’s first self-produced album, will be released June 27 via Signature Sounds. It
both indulges a few of his wildest dreams (including a version of Richard Thompson’s
“Beeswing,” among several traditional folk song covers), and feels like the inevitable sequel to
Critterland’s charismatic menagerie of chaos. Though occasionally raunchy, and routinely
provocative, Victory is not afraid to make a spectacle for the sake of a point. Victory should be
understood as a reflection. It revels in the beauty of tiny, monetarily-worthless moments and
things, offering with them a consideration of our innate humanity.
best ROI on a concert ever. cheap and fun and fantastic. mix between music and stand up and performance art.
This was my first time to hear Willi Carlisle and I LOVE THIS GUY!! He’s a story teller, a poet with his lyrics, genuine, honest and creates works of art! My favorite song was the next one ….but a true stand out was: Tulsa’s Last Magician. THANK YOU Willi!!
Absolutely loved Tommy Prine. Would love to see him in his own show. Local Hinies were great too. Not a Willie Carlisle fan. Love the Bijou and WDVX.
Interesting, and very good, mix of music for the radio show. The host and 'house band' were surprisingly good. It was our second time seeing Tommy Prine. He was great. The Local Honeys had a very interesting and pleasant sound. They played somewhat electronic versions of some old classics. We knew nothing about Willi Carlisle. HIGHLY entertaining. Great mix of music and story telling. I loved the radio shows format. A very laid back, pleasant evening.
3rd time seeing Willi. I'm not even a folk music fan, but he has a charisma that is amazing. Songs are thought provoking and he has an amazing voice. Some bands have lasers, lights, and effects. I get more from a single guy on stage with no pomp and circumstance then must fill bands with all the bells and whistles.