Richmond - Picture a clear night with temperatures in the mid to high teens.  Now picture a lone, bearded man trudging over a mile through downtown Richmond, quietly muttering to himself.  That would be me on my way to see the DJ Williams Projekt at the National.  Don't worry - I have an excuse to be talking to myself.  Actually, I don't, but holding a voice recorder up to your mouth sure makes it look like it.  Other than the cold, and a few strange looks, the hike went well, and I arrived in plenty of time to sit around and be bored while waiting for the opening band.  On the plus side, it was plenty warm inside.

After meeting up with my photographer and dealing with some confusion with security over where we were allowed to shoot photos, we settled in on the balcony.  As the opening band stepped out, I noticed that from my vantage point I could easily see most of the dancefloor and all of the stage.  I was positioned perfectly to both judge the music for myself and judge the crowd's reaction.  The opener was Beast Wellington, a local band who can be found every Wednesday night at Bogart's.  I would highly recommend checking these guys out, but we mustn't be sidetracked.  This night was the release party for Eleven, the DJ Williams Projekt's latest album.  No matter how good the opener and their funky stylings were, this article will be about the main event.

Once the festive atmosphere had been appropriately set, it was time for the big kahuna, the man himself, DJ Williams to take the stage along with the rest of his Projekt.  There is no understating the cohesion of this group in understanding why they are so good.  Each member brings very distinct elements that blend together into the amalgam that is the DJ Williams Projekt.  It's not just musicianship either.  They bring an energy to the stage that feeds and feeds off the energy of the audience.  The National is one of the bigger venues that they have played, but that didn't phase them at all.  They constantly kept the audience involved in the music and made it clear that this was not just another concert.  This was a party.

I'm a sucker for a good horn section, and this one, though small, was phenomenal.  Gordon Jones on saxophone and Mark Ingraham on trumpet were somehow able to give DJ the effect of having a full brass band backing him.  Not only did they add a horn sound reminiscent of early Tower of Power, but Gordon was the real key to the Projekt's intense stage presence.  Jumping around from his mic to the edge of the stage, he was the member that really solidified the bands connection with the audience.  Of course, no band of such complex musical stylings can survive long without an excellent rhythm section, and the Projekt is no exception.  Dusty Simmons on drums and Todd Herrington on bass truly kept the band afloat, with help from time to time from the horn section.

It goes without saying that the true star of the show was DJ Williams.  He is a true genius on guitar, seamlessly transitioning between and blending many diverse styles of playing, from jazz to rock and blues to soul and funk.  It was clear from his playing that he has been influenced by a multitude of different artists.  He told me that one of the formative moments in his understanding of music came when he first heard James Brown, and there are definitely strong bonds between his sound and that of the Godfather of Soul.  But it was clear to me on hearing his music that he truly lives by the message that he conveyed to me in our interview: "If you can't see outside of your little box of whatever you think is hip, then you need to check your ears."  It would seem that nothing is outside of this man's "box," a truly admirable trait, not to mention a rare one.

Keep the name DJ Williams in your head.  You will be hearing it again, I'm sure of that, if only for the quality of the music he is creating.  But what is truly amazing about this man is his outlook on life.  It was clear to me from our interview, he is that oh-so-rare breed of musician who truly understands what he is doing.  He is acutely aware of the effects of every element of his environment on the music that he makes.  So I say to you - crank those speakers up to eleven and listen to the eleven tracks of his latest album Eleven, and it couldn't hurt to go see him at Cafe Diem where he plays every Tuesday or at any of his other gigs around town.

By Editing Department, Regional Editor and Author: Robin Marschak

Robin Marschak was born and raised in Richmond, but has only recently moved back after two years in California.  He loves all types of music from Jimmy Rodgers to Daft Punk to Tower of Power and all things in between.  He is currently a student at VCU and living in Oregon Hill.  Some of his favorite artists include Old Crow Medicine Show, Mark Campbell, and Steve Earl.  Other than listening to music and writing, Robin's hobbies include eating, sleeping, and an occasional guilt induced fit of exercise.  You can follow his adventures in local music on Twitter @robinmarschak, or hear some of the non-local music that he enjoys at either last.fm/user/beerdo231 or blip.fm/beerdo.

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