William Tyler

On his latest release, Impossible Truth, William Tyler showed that it is entirely possible to captivate listeners with nothing more than skillfully instrumental guitar compositions. The Nashville musician proved able to translate this apparent gift into live performance. With nothing more than a few pedals and an acoustic guitar, Tyler showcased his incredible talents for the relatively small crowd that made the early trip downtown. Lengthy track "Country of Illusion" from Impossible Truth was explained as a dedication to the 1980 Christopher Walken film Heaven's Gate. The performance was so beautifully understated that it almost served as vindication for the film's horrible commercial and critical fallout. Later in the set Tyler began to experience some technical difficulties, but managed to carry on clumsily, though somehow seamlessly through his "dance" song "A Portrait of Sarah." As a guitarist I was tempted to give him a 10 out of sheer admiration, but objectively, I just barely thought better of it.