Published: August 22, 2008 01:50 pm         

Webb Wilder to perform free concert Aug. 23

Webb Wilder, an unlikely-looking roots rock legend in a slouch hat and glasses but no beard, claims he was “born to be wilder.” His credo is “Work hard. Rock hard. Sleep hard. Eat hard. Grow big. Wear glasses if you need ‘em.” This is obviously a man with a quirky sense of humor to go along with his booming baritone delivery, blazing guitar licks, and a punching rhythm section. You can experience all sides of the man and his band, the Beatnecks, on Saturday, Aug. 23, when he comes to town as the first in a series of four free outdoor concerts sponsored by the Crossville Arts Council and Downtown Crossville, Inc. The Beatnecks have been described by Entertainment Weekly as “Nashville’s best country-on-peyote band.”

Referred to by the San Francisco Chronicle as “a kind of Tom Petty for the trailer set,” Webb Wilder, “The Last of The Full Grown Men,” is large enough for the big screen, hip enough to star in cult classic B movies, and tough enough to maintain a devoted worldwide fan base through a relentless never ending tour schedule. Hailing from Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Webb Wilder and his boyhood friend Bobby “Crow” Field were just two among millions of America’s idle youth conquered by the sounds, songs and threads of the British Invasion and by the freedom, emotion, and urgency of Soul Music. While attending college in Mississippi, they combined their affection for great bands like the Faces, the Band, the Rolling Stones, Mott The Hoople, NRBQ, The Who, and Badfinger, with a growing interest in early blues, country and R&B. Moving to Nashville after a stint in Austin, TX, they put the Beatnecks together in 1985. Wilder has without interruption continued to play the various styles of “uneasy listening” that got them noticed in the first place. Their six highly praised albums conjure up a sound that defies comparison to other contemporary rock ‘n’ roll bands. In concert, Wilder spikes the punch between songs with potent doses of rustic wit and character, transcendent meditations, incantations, and codes by which to live.

An actor with six films to his credit, Webb Wilder has been called a “multi-media threat” who proves that “being off center can be very much on center.” Wilder describes himself as “the last of the boarding house people; an outsider who feels as though he’s on the wrong side of the tracks no matter where he’s at; and a guy who knows every thrift shop and plate lunch joint in town.” As for his band, Webb says, “We play both kinds of music, rock and roll.”

The fun will begin at 3 p.m. with a huge Classic Car Cruise-In on Main Street. About 6 p.m., Webb Wilder will take the stage opposite the courthouse for a knock-your-socks-off performance you won’t want to miss. Bring your lawn chairs and your dancing shoes for a great evening of food and fun for all family members. If you’re in the mood for a sweet treat, mosey on down to Fifth Street for the Crossville Arts Council’s Sweet Shoppe, just past the mural on your left.

Webb Wilder’s performance is funded in part by support from the Tennessee Arts Commission, the Tennessee State Legislature, the National Endowment for the Arts, and Downtown Crossville, Inc.