Billy Wylder’s unique genre-bending style enchanted the audience at The Loading Dock, with their mellow tones bringing everyone together in a warm and welcoming atmosphere for the second-to-last stop on their Moonshine Tour.
The Loading Dock’s eclectic atmosphere highlighted the individuality and creative music of Billy Wylder. A mixture of folk, synth, and global influences achieved a one-of-a-kind sound, fitting right into a one-of-a-kind venue. The use of imagery and sounds brings the nature-inspired songs to life, almost as if you were there when the song was created.
From the moment Billy Wylder started onstage, the audience became a community rather than a bunch of people occupying the same space. Starting the night with their 2021 single “Sahara”, Avi Salloway wrote this song while traveling the world with The Great Bombino, a prominent guitarist from Niger. Salloway, on lead vocals and guitar, creates a kind and inviting space for the audience with his soothing voice. The bass and guitar, staple instruments of rock, layered with the energy and depth that Rob Flax is able to achieve on violin really brought listeners in the moment.
VIDEO FROM BILLY WYLDER
The band’s unique style of music also bleeds into their performance. One fan got to join in the performance during “Ancient Eyes” by wearing an gorilla puppet costume, surprising all of the other audience members when they emerged from backstage. They walked through the crowd, hunched over looking at individuals. Occasionally pausing to bang their chest when on the dance floor, before making their way onstage, still hunched over and embodying the gorilla. This got others even more engaged with the music. More of the audience began to join in dancing by the end of the song. The energy continued to ramp up as the night progressed.
The band paused their set to pay homage to poet and environmental activist Wendell Berry, who passed away in August of this year, by reading his poem “The Peace of Wild Things” before playing their song “Great Blue Heron.” “Great Blue Heron” was written when Salloway was seeking refuge in the Green Mountains while living in Boston. Salloway spoke about how he was hanging by the white river when “All of a sudden this majestic great blue heron showed up, spreading her wings, flying over us into the sunset, and I began to pick out what became the melody of this song. Mirroring the rhythm of the wings.”
VIDEO FROM BEEHIVE PRODUCTIONS
Salloway signing off with, “Peace and love, thank you, guys,” sums up the feeling of the night. Everyone left with that positive note in their hearts, feeling the same as they did when they were watching the performance.
The Moonshine Tour concluded September 6th inManchester, Vermont. If you are hoping to see Billy Wylder perform, they have two upcoming concerts: Friday, September 18th at Waterfront Park in Burlington, Vermont, and Friday, November 20th at Woodstock Town Hall Theater in Woodstock, Vermont.
BILLY WYLDER SETLIST FOR THE LOADING DOCK 9.5.26
- Sahara
- Moonshine
- Flower to the Sun
- Ancient Eyes
- Great Blue Heron
- Wings Inside My Mind
- Meet Me In The City
- Thread of Love
- Toxic (Brittney Spears Cover)
- Human Away
- Whatcha Looking For
- Not Fade Away
- All You Fascists (Bound to Lose)
- Vineyard
Encore: Maggie’s Farm
BILLY WYLDER
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THE LOADING DOCK
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