Courtesy photo

Lil' Ed and the Blues Imperials

Lil' Ed Williams looks almost like an otherworldly character -- short in stature, with a fez atop his head and clothes to match.

Then he plays his guitar.

Williams, his wild outfits, ripping slide guitar and his Blues Imperials -- together for 20 years and tight as a drum -- will be at 202 Market on Friday night.

In an interview last week, Williams said he has learned to read his audiences quickly and to give them what they want.

What the crowd at 202 should want is a party, with the acrobatic Williams front and center.

"I just like to act crazy -- I like to act a fool," said a laughing Williams, who got some face time on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," teaching the host about the blues, with predictably comic results. "I like to do my little toe walks and backbends. I get into the music and the music moves me. I can't stand still."

Williams, 53, was mentored by his uncle, famous Chicago blues man J.B. Hutto. Hutto taught his charge all the Elmore James rhythms before he ever taught him about slide.

Go to this story at roanoke.com to hear a podcast with Williams, who talks about his apprenticeship with Hutto, the Chicago blues scene of today, and whether any young guns in the Second City are developing their own voices. Hear cuts from his album "Rattleshake," and samples from his upcoming Alligator Records CD, "Full Tilt."

-- Tad Dickens