Ann Arbor area, Michigan
One man, one guitar, too many opinions
Walter Turnercrest is a sixty-one-year-old solo acoustic act living just outside Ann Arbor — drums in high school, guitar for the last five years, and very strong feelings about Ohio State. He plays coffee shops, winery patios, and anywhere they'll let him finish "Fire and Rain" without rushing him.
Recorded on Walter's back porch in August — phone propped on a tomato bucket, cicadas in the background, no edits. Five years into guitar and he finally trusts this one. He'll tell you which James Taylor album it came from and which Ohio State quarterback was playing the day he learned it.
Walter Turnercrest is sixty-one, retired from a career in municipal procurement, and living in a split-level near Ann Arbor where the neighbors tolerate his practicing if he stops by six. He played drums in high school — garage bands, battle of the bands, one regrettable talent show — then didn't touch an instrument for forty years.
About five years ago he bought a used Yamaha acoustic at a pawn shop in Ypsilanti and taught himself from YouTube and a Mel Bay book he won't let anyone see. He still thinks like a drummer: he taps his foot, he counts, and he apologizes when he misses a chord change.
He loves Ohio State with a sincerity that makes Thanksgiving awkward. He will not set foot on the University of Michigan campus. He has driven to Columbus for football twice and calls it a pilgrimage. Ann Arbor knows him from Tuesday open mics, winery gigs in the county, and the coffee shop where they save him the corner stool.
Classic rock and old-school country, filtered through a guy who learned guitar late and still plays like he's keeping time on a hi-hat. James Taylor, John Denver, a little Cash, a little Fogelberg, and originals about lawn care, casseroles, and why he won't buy maize-and-blue anything.
Walter doesn't do loud. He does steady. Five years in, he's finally comfortable on stage without a drum kit in front of him — though he still says his left foot "knows what to do" and his hands are catching up.
Set length runs forty-five minutes to an hour — longer if someone requests "Rocky Mountain High" or asks about the Ohio State game. He will answer both.
Walter plays wineries, coffee shops, senior centers, backyard parties, and anywhere with a chair, a mic, and an audience that won't heckle during the bridge of "Leader of the Band." Michigan preferred; he'll consider Ohio venues, especially if the Buckeyes aren't playing.
He brings his own guitar and tuner. Needs one vocal mic, a monitor if the room is bigger than a living room, and a five-minute soundcheck he will use in full. Do not mention Michigan football. Do mention Ohio State at your own risk — he'll play longer.
For booking, email booking@walter-turnercrest.justmynook.com. Tell him the venue, the expected crowd, and whether you're serving coffee or Chardonnay. He'll write back within a week — usually sooner if it's a winery.
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