Keller Williams Gives the KOTO Doo-Dah More Doo-Dah and Lots of Doot-Doot-Dah

Keller Williams: This Year’s KOTO Doo-Dah Headliner

Doot, doot, doot, da doot doot doot. Waaaa, waaaa, ba, boom, ba, doo. Weah, weah, woo. According to my hunny, Steve Togni, and general manager of Telluride’s handsome Mountain Lodge, that’s kind of how Keller Williams sounded during his early years. He would know since they were roommates in college. It was back then that Steve remembered that Keller started to use his vocals as an instrument outside the realm of standard singing. “Sometimes it would sound like percussion, sometimes it would sound like horns,” Steve has told me several times in recent years. This unique hubbub and other noises eventually transformed into Keller’s signature sound and style: that of a one-man jam band that creates music on a variety of platforms.

Steve and I—along with a good part of Telluride and the outlying region—are excited about Keller coming to play in T-ride next Saturday, July 9th. Steve, of course, knows his friend’s music well and even had the opportunity to pick with K-Dub on occasion way back when. He told me of one lazy afternoon where in spite of Keller’s most focused attempts to teach Steve Dylan’s “Stuck Inside of Mobile with Memphis Blues Again”—a relatively easy song—Steve never got it right. For me, seeing him in concert will be a first. Keller’s the main draw at this year’s fifteenth annual KOTO Doo-Dah, the summer concert put on by my beloved radio station here in Telluride that has showcased other illustrious artists over the years including Jackson Browne, Lyle Lovett and Bob Dylan.

Always a fun time, the Doo-Dah draws folks from near and far to revel in great music in one of the most spectacular settings on earth: Telluride Town Park. Best of all, the show often features a bunch of bands, providing lots of time to get your doo-dah down in this verdant valley surrounded by soaring peaks. Funkdafari, a local band, kicks off the show at 4p.m. Then Five Way Street hits the stage to sing their oh-so summer-appropriate renditions of Crosby, Stills and Nash tunes.

The crowd should be properly warmed up by the time Keller hits the stage. His first set will be Keller & The Keels where you can bet we’ll be hopping and swaying to some of the best bluegrass music around. (Here Larry and Jenny Keel team up with Keller, a Virginia-born musician, to play a collection of both original and cover songs.) By now enough suds from New Belgium Brewing will surely have been consumed to fully groove to Keller’s second set, his solo act distinguished by electronica and lots of rhythmic funk.

Doot, doot, doot, da doot doot doot. Waaaa, waaaa, ba, boom, ba, doo. Weah, weah, woo. I’m feeling all Doo-dah already.

Rose Hill Drive, a hard rock band, closes the show which is appropriate since I’m sure the park will be going off by then. I’ll definitely check them out but hopefully I’ll be back stage schmoozing with Keller by then.

Hope to see you there!

Go to KOTO.org fast to find out about tickets. Visit Telluride can help you with lodging arrangements.