Events

[ROCK] It’s that time again! Buffalo-born Willie Nile comes “home for the holidays” each year and usually plays a show or two while in town. This year is no exception: Nile is at Town Ballroom on Saturday, December 16, and while it’s advertised as his annual holiday show, he’ll surely highlight his new collection of Dylan covers, Positively Bob, as well as last year’s World War Willie. It’s been a prolific period for 69-year-old Nile, who’s spent his 50’s and 60’s having a much deserved career renaissance after years of contractual issues that kept him from a rumored breakthrough dating all the way back to the 1970’s. A consummate storyteller and urban poet, Nile comes from the Springsteen school of hard knocks, but he also pulls some of his musical energy from the scrappy downtown punk scene and the new wave that grew out of it. His versatility shines brighter than ever: 2014’s was all piano-based, while World War Willie comes on strong via the power chords and cinematic glory of “Forever Wild,” the sneering “Bad Boy” and George Thorogood-inspired “Citibank Nile.”