Willy Vlautin fans?

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I just found out about him a few weeks ago. Started with reading his book on a plane, 'Motel Life'. His band, Richmond Fontaine, has 12 albums, so I haven't heard them all yet. I haven't seen the movie 'Motel Life' yet or read his other 4 books.
They are broken up, but anyone seen them, live? What makes me interested though is how prolific he is. Somewhat like Henry Rollins he's definitely not the best singer or writer but he puts a lot of shit out. That's impressive. His band is alt-country, which is not something I like, but some of his albums have some rock to them: Winnemucca, Thirteen Cities, The High Country and We Used to Think the Freeway Sounded Like a River - which are great. Not anything like a Bob Dylan great, but something else that I can't yet explain.

Either I'm mansplaining him to who everyone has heard of or possibly I'm not the only one who didn't know who the hell he is? I'm still trying to figure him out, he is intriguing so far, not sure what he's really about yet. Anyone else know?

[dookeyXXX]

Read Motel Life more than a decade ago. Loved it.
Saw him do a reading and playing acoustic at a cafe in San Francisco around the time ML was released in paperback (dug up my copy and he actually dated his autograph, so I met him on 6/27/07 ).
I, too, have not seen the film. Nor have I explored his music.
Years ago he did a reading and screening of Motel Life in Fallon, NV. Friends of mine who live in Reno went because I had given them the book years before and they had dug it. Only thing is they neglected to call me about the gig! They did meet WV, told him how I had turned them on to him, and got me an autographed copy of his novel The Free.

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Read Motel Life more than a decade ago. Loved it.
Saw him do a reading and playing acoustic at a cafe in San Francisco around the time ML was released in paperback (dug up my copy and he actually dated his autograph, so I met him on 6/27/07 ).
I, too, have not seen the film. Nor have I explored his music.
Years ago he did a reading and screening of Motel Life in Fallon, NV. Friends of mine who live in Reno went because I had given them the book years before and they had dug it. Only thing is they neglected to call me about the gig! They did meet WV, told him how I had turned them on to him, and got me an autographed copy of his novel The Free.

That's cool, and I'm surprised no one else here has heard of him. But of course you have of anyone here!

Here's a funny song by him


Champion of the average broke America man, unapologetic alcoholic, and a good storyteller of simple people down on their luck is how I'd describe him.

[Kootenai]

I dug Richmond Fontaine in the nineties. Any roadtrip on hwy 50 “the loneliest highway in America “ needs to be accompanied by their album Winnemucca. Its a mini novel about getting stuck on the highway and drinking and gambling at winners casino. Good stuff.

Saw them in a bar in Missoula early 00’s. Check out the Delines. Still Willy and most of the RF boys with female lead singer. Outstanding and her voice is about as close to smooth scotch whiskey as they come.

[dookeyXXX]

Just watched the film version of Motel Life (currently on Prime).
Made me want to revisit the novel.
Was cool to see and recognize all the locations in Reno.
It was kinda funny that the filmmakers chose to use Virginia City, Minden, Gardnerville, and Genoa to double as Elko, though...while I have not spent any significant time in Elko, every scene that took place there had me asking myself "that doesn't look anything like the Elko I have driven through, heck that looks more like Virginia City..."
At any rate, it is a well-acted and interesting take on the novel and definitely worth a watch if you have read Willy's book.

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I dug Richmond Fontaine in the nineties. Any roadtrip on hwy 50 “the loneliest highway in America “ needs to be accompanied by their album Winnemucca. Its a mini novel about getting stuck on the highway and drinking and gambling at winners casino. Good stuff.

Saw them in a bar in Missoula early 00’s. Check out the Delines. Still Willy and most of the RF boys with female lead singer. Outstanding and her voice is about as close to smooth scotch whiskey as they come.

Awesome. I drove 50 2 years ago, I wish I knew who he was then.

At any rate, it is a well-acted and interesting take on the novel and definitely worth a watch if you have read Willy's book.

Will do, i forgot about the movie and need to see it.

After many listens to RF albums, I'm not unsure about him anymore: Shit is great. Other similar alt-country bands do nothing for me.

[dookeyXXX]

Other similar alt-country bands do nothing for me.

Check out Dieselhed, specifically their 1999 album entitled Elephant Rest Home.

But back to Willy, did not realize until last year that the film Lean On Pete (which garnered many accolades, but which I still have yet to view) is based on one of his novels...

[dookeyXXX]

Check out the Delines. Still Willy and most of the RF boys with female lead singer. Outstanding and her voice is about as close to smooth scotch whiskey as they come.

https://www.thedelines.com/

[dookeyXXX]

Proverbally kicking myself as he did a tour through Reno and the surrounding area last fall, which I missed.

Oh well.

FYI:
http://willyvlautin.com/

[dookeyXXX]

https://www.unpress.nevada.edu/books...=9781943859580

[dookeyXXX]

I just ripped through Vlautin's 2014 novel The Free in under 24-hours.
5 stars.
I read my first Willy Vlautin novel in 2007 (The Motel Life). I can't remember how I got turned onto him, but it may have been via Green Apple Books in San Francisco. I lived in The City at the time and frequented that shop as often as I could. They were great about hi-liting interesting books and on more than one occasion over the years I bought a book based purely on a written staff recommendation.
I really dug The Motel Life and ended up buying a copy for my buddy (and longtime Maggot) Corky, who happened to live in Reno.
Back in 2014 Vlautin hosted a screening of the film version of The Motel Life in Fallon, NV, and Corky attended the event. He met Willy and even bought me a copy of The Free, got it autographed by Mr. Vlautin, and gave it to me shortly after.
Why it took me 13 years to read it is beyond me, but once I started it, I could not put it down.
Vlautin's economy of style and naturalistic dialogue is fantastic. He manages to create rich, three-dimensional characters with such ease and grace and utter simplicity that you end up believing they are real people.
While bittersweet at its core, the novel's overall conclusion is one of hope and joy without being the least bit maudlin or explotive.