PHOTOS BY TODD PLANTS

As his debut album, Smoke continues its assault on the blogosphere, Cleveland-bred synth-pop shredder White Willams kicked off his latest U.S. tour to a packed house at the Middle East Saturday night (Jan. 12). Despite feeling a touch under the weather, the clean-cut Williams (a.k.a. Joe Williams) dexterously chatted with the vociferous crowd, members of which demanded "more funk," while Williams flawlessly arranged a sick mix of beats and synths on an unobtrusive Mac.

From Williams' sleek, languid vocals, and T-Rex-inspired smacking riffs on "Headlines" to the creepy electronic ticks and chirps on "The Shadow," Williams and crew's explosive energy was off the hook. And he hardly needed a lightshow to compliment the reverberating, club-tastic batch of tunes, for countless excited fans were photographing the performance; at times it seemed as if a strobe light was used to enhance the band's animated, guitar-laced pop, an effect that peaked during "Going Down." For a performer nursing a pretty serious cold, White Williams more than pulled through for a glorious night out, and many thrilled concertgoers raised their glasses in appreciation.  

We asked: White Williams is the stage name for Joe Williams. If you were to perform under a different name, what would it be and why?

Name: Helen Wood
Age: 23
Hometown: Galena, MD
Occupation: Temporary staff
"Hellion because I like how it incorporates my name and is also an actual literary name."

Name: Adam Arrigo
Age: 24
Hometown: Philadelphia, PA
Occupation: Harmonics -- I'm a composer and sound designer
"Long Le-Khac because people always thought it was a stage name but was really my friend's name."

Name: Lesley Ofricher
Age: 26
Hometown: Pennsylvania
Occupation: Unemployed
"Liver Lover because it's a word I came up with today."

Name: Nicholas Campolo
Age: 23
Hometown: Hampton, NH
Occupation: Guitarist/musician
"Probably Molasses with Glasses because I'm slow like molasses and I have glasses."

Name: Jon Whitney
Age: 35
Hometown: Boston, MA
Occupation: Web/interactive programmer
"Guido the Killer Pimp because I named my record label 'Killer Pimp'."

Name: Molly Lorenzo
Age: 20
Hometown: Verona, NJ
Occupation: Student
"Penny Lane. I just saw Almost Famous for the first time."

Williams bringing the 'New Violence' to the Middle East / Photo by Todd Plants

Williams smokin' on the keys / Photo by Todd Plants

Happy feet / Photo by Todd Plants