Janie Boschma

When folk musician Willy Porter reminisces about his college years, he recalls one specific event – getting fired from his job as a bartender. He said he remembered it as his boss coming up to him one night and telling him to leave because he was watching the bands more than he was serving drinks.

Tomorrow, Porter will return to his former place of employment and instead of pouring drinks, he’ll take the stage at Stones Throw, 304 Eau Claire St, for the second time in his career.

Porter, a 1988 graduate from UW-Eau Claire, left the university with a degree in psychology. But he said the things he learned on the Cabin Committee and the United Activities Council helped him the most in his professional musical career.

“Both served as kind of a music business school,” he said, noting he learned necessary information on how to book artists, promote artists and develop contracts with artists. “It changed my life and allowed me to go into professional music.”

Paula Stuettgen, activities coordinator for the university, said she remembers Porter from when he was in charge of UAC.

“He was always happy-go-lucky, always involved,” she said. “He was a social animal.”

As for the city of Eau Claire, Porter called it “classy small-town Wisconsin.”

“The town has a charm and welcome side to it,” he said. “Madison used to have it, but it grew too fast and lost its originality. Eau Claire still has this removed feeling. It’s really hip.”

Another aspect he said he enjoys about the city is how it embraces the university, but at the same time holds it at arm’s length.

Porter said he began playing the guitar when he was 13, noting a big influence on his life was his musical father, who he said was a “great pianist.” He said a more recent impact on him has been his kids, ages four and seven.

“They’re just so much cooler than I am,” he said.

Porter’s first show at Stones Throw was in August and he said the biggest challenge playing there is the fact it isn’t his typical venue.

“It’s a rock and roll, jam band kind of room,” he said, adding that he typically plays theaters. He said you have to work harder as a solo musician to keep the chattiness of the bar from overpowering the music.

Senior Billy Baker, who estimated he has seen Porter about 10 times, agreed. He said his typical shows generally consist of older audiences and he said it will be interesting to see tomorrow’s show with all of the college students there.

Baker said he was at Porter’s first show at Stones Throw and that his performance is much different than some other musicians who come through the venue.

Porter’s newest release, “Available Light,” is the first complete album recorded on his own record label and in his own studio, adding that it brought about some new challenges.

“(The album) didn’t have the outside criticism like the previous ones did,” he said in reference to his three other albums recorded under a different label. “But it was a really fun democratic record making process. It has an openness that I’m happy with.”

Though he has six CDs and is planning to release a series of EPs in the near future, Porter said he would much rather tour than work in the studio.

“I hate making records,” he said. “It’s too microscopic. It feels like a science test. To me it is so much better to cut the band live and keep all of the mistakes in there.”

Porter noted that while making a studio album, the temptation is to create “soulless music” by editing the work so it is at its best.

Baker and Stuettgen both agree that Porter’s music goes beyond that of a typical musician.

“His skill at the guitar is rare among musicians today; he’s creative with his tuning and creates elaborate songs,” Baker said. “I don’t think he has the greatest voice in the world, but he tells good, deep stories through his songs and his personality really comes through.”