“One-Man-Band Slide Guitar Party” Bob Log III is set to bring his inimitable guitar and performance stylings to venues across America starting in late April. Supported by the gritty Americana songwriter Willem Maker (who was kind enough to speak to us about the tour), the show promises to be, as Bob would call it, a dose of “musical mayhem and a downright party.”  Both artists are touring in support of recent releases — Bob Log III’s My Sh*t is Perfect (Birdman Records) and Willem Maker’s New Moon Hand (Big Legal Mess Records/Fat Possum Records) are both set for release this summer.

If you don’t know Bob Log III, check out what Tom Waits has to say: “And then there’s this guy named Bob Log — you ever heard of him? He’s this little kid — nobody even knows how old he is — wears a motorcycle helmet and he has a microphone inside of it, and he puts the glass over the front so you can’t see his face and plays slide guitar. It’s just the loudest, strangest stuff you’ve ever heard. You don’t understand one word he’s saying. I like people who glue macaroni onto a piece of cardboard and paint it gold. That’s what I aspire to, basically.”

In short, if it sounds like it might be up your alley, it probably is.

Willem Maker is a singer/songwriter whose Southern heritage merges in his music with the rougher edges of more contemporary rock sounds.  When I spoke to him about the upcoming tour while he prepares at home in Turkey Hill Mountain, Alabama, Willem was excited about his first national tour and playing his new music on the road with Bob Log.  Check out Willem’s MySpace page for a taste of his style.

Stephen Cedars: Your music certainly employs a number of influences.  What tradition do you see yourself playing in –- Americana, rock, traditionalist…?

Willem Maker: Everything is so hot and quick with American music.  There was a time where I wasn’t listening to anything past the ’40s -– Harry Smith anthology, got big into Charley Patton and Skip James, but always looking for roots.  I’m also really into West African music. There was a time where one of the guys had recently passed away. They said it was like a library burning down. So I guess, for me, not only as musician but as a music-lover, that’s what I look for — something that goes back really far, but I don’t think you have to emulate other things. At a certain point, growing up in the rural south, my first introduction was going to a borderline primitive Baptist church and hearing the choir, and that was the only thing that really interested me — hearing the music.  At a certain point, diving back and listening to old music, something clicked where I could kind of exist in both worlds. I think what drew me to that time is it feels like it’s coming straight from the source; it’s before the business got into it and all those other recordings. They were just coming straight off the porch, so to speak, and there’s a level of honesty there that I long for.  But at the same time, it is 2009 [laughs] and there are vibes that need to be acknowledged…completely.

SC: How do you think your music works with Bob Log III, who some people may be coming out to see as much for the novelty of his act as for the music?

WM: I have no idea; I like diversity and the feels of the differences and similarities as well.  I don’t really know; I would like to think that it’ll go well.  I enjoy bills like that, where it’s a mix of something different.

SC: What can we expect from you on your tour, as far as song selections, band size, etc.?

WM: For one, it’ll just be me.  Potentially, there’s a guy on drums on a couple of songs near the end, but it’ll mostly be a mix — some songs off the new record, a mix of acoustic and electric…it’ll all be solo, but some songs need electricity, I guess. The last record I did was by myself, and I had a great time making this record [New Moon Hand] with all the people that are involved with it. I’m just excited about the opportunity to go around the country playing these new songs.

SC: Do you find that your music plays better in certain places?

WM: I took a break for a while and have never really toured out West. Living-wise, I’ve only been as far as Arizona, so the tour is a complete unknown, but I think sometimes it goes over better in places where you wouldn’t expect it, like jazz music in England. You never know –- that’s the one thing that’s most interesting to me at the moment, in the little bit that I’ve done recently — it’s a different world every night, and energy in the crowd…

CATCH BOB AND WILLEM THIS SUMMER - US SPRING TOUR:

Tuesday 4/28 – Spaceland – Los Angeles, California
Wednesday 4/29 – Bar Pink – San Diego, California
Thursday 4/30 – Juke Joint – Anaheim, California
Friday 5/1 – Crepe Place – Santa Cruz, California
Saturday 5/2 – Bottom of the Hill – San Francisco, California
Sunday 5/3 – Sam Bonds – Eugene, Oregon
Monday 5/4 – Crocodile Cafe – Seattle, Washington
Tuesday 5/5 – Doug Fir Lounge – Portland, Oregon
Wednesday 5/6 – Neurolux – Boise, Idaho
Thursday 5/7 – Urban Lounge – Salt Lake City, Utah
Friday 5/8 – Bluebird Theater – Denver, Colorado
Saturday 5/9 – Waiting Room – Omaha, Nebraska
Sunday 5/10 – 7th Street Entry – Minneapolis, Minnesota
Monday 5/11 – Crunchy Frog – Green Bay, Wisconsin
Tuesday 5/12 – Empty Bottle – Chicago, Illinois
Wednesday 5/13 – The Brass Rail – Fort Wayne, Indiana
Thursday 5/14 – Summit Club – Columbus – Ohio
Friday 5/15 – Beachland Tavern – Cleveland, Ohio
Friday 5/15 – Fernwood Resort – Big Sur, California
Saturday 5/16 – 31st Street Pub – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Sunday 5/17 – Mercury Lounge – New York, New York
Monday 5/18 – Union Hall – Brooklyn, New York
Tuesday 5/19 – Talking Head Club – Baltimore, Maryland
Wednesday 5/20 – Soapbox – Wilmington, North Carolina
Thursday 5/21 – Snug Harbor – Charlotte, North Carolina
Friday 5/22 – E.A.R.L – Atlanta, Georgia
Saturday 5/23 – Will’s Pub – Orlando, Florida
Sunday 5/24 – Pastimes Pub – Sarasota, Florida
Monday 5/25 – Engine Room – Tallahassee, Florida
Tuesday 5/26 – Dragon’s Den – New Orleans, Louisiana
Wednesday 5/27 – Meridian Red Room – Houston, Texas
Thursday 5/28 – Red  7 – Austin, Texas
Friday 5/29 – Club Dada – Dallas, Texas
Saturday 5/30 – 66 Bowl – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Sunday 5/31 – Launch Pad – Albuquerque, New Mexico (Bob Log III only)