Troy Dillinger
by Jenny Hathaway

    Troy Dillinger has perfected the art of smoking a cigarette out of one side of his mouth and singing out the other. Other than this remarkable feat of physical excellence and showmanship, there was nothing flashy about his performance last Friday night, August 24, at John's Alley.

    One might say that he was a perfect fit for the venue: slightly gritty, yet clean, and free of frivolous trappings, just like the beer-only bar. Dillinger's attitude and presence were professional, yet amicable and intimate, and his thick Texas accent definitely helped reinforce those qualities.

    Things might have been different had he thrown a few instruments around. Apparently he's had his share of rowdy experiences. At a live taping of a show on a music network in his hometown of Austin, TX, Dillinger reportedly threw his guitar at an antagonistic cameraman. He may look friendly, but he's not one to mess with.

    Dillinger's music is a blend of country, folk, blues and classic rock n' roll, that often resembles artists like the Black Crowes, Tom Petty and Willie Nelson. Though sometimes his songs sound so much like other artists that it was often impossible to tell at first whether he was playing covers or originals. The lyrics he did write seemed heartfelt, were mostly down-to-earth, and often disarmingly humorous, like this example from "Three Chord Song":
'everybody's got a silly daytime job...figured I should play guitar or find a bank to rob.'

    But there's definitely no shortage of singer/songwriters who are attempting to fill the role of everyday-joe-with-a-guitar, and Dillinger is not exactly at the forefront of that crowd. Not that he is not trying really, really hard. His appeals to the audience of, "I was in L.A. last week...it's nice to be back among real people," were at least cliché, if not tactless pandering. Ironically, a minute or so later he did a little verbal advertising for some small roles he was playing in Hollywood productions, then immediately downplayed it with a bit of self-effacing humor.

    He wasn't making it up either. According to his press kit, Troy Dillinger can be seen in over a half-dozen major motion pictures starting spring 2001. Apparently he couldn't decide whether he wanted to be a star or just a down home Texas boy. Still, he sincerely seemed to love the music he performed and looked almost blissfully comfortable onstage, and even a couple of contradictory moments could not eclipse that.

    More information about Troy Dillinger can be found at www.troydillinger.com.