Singer/songwriter Dar Williams’ recent show at Hotel Café was a satisfying retrospective of her entire career: both past, present, and future. The talented artist shared her experiences as a contemporary folk music performer that covered both the personal, social and political.
Williams talked about geography, gentrification, challenges of getting radio airplay, also talked about people weaving themselves together in a collaborative sense of unity in these trying and chaotic times and global warming. She revealed her honesty and wit in an engaging and chatty performance intimately talking to the audience peppering the interludes between songs with stories and anecdotes. She is confident, funny and very down-to earth. Williams has a lovely soprano voice. Williams was tastefully backed with nuanced subtlety by Ward Williams on cello and guitar and Bryn Roberts on keyboards and piano. The indie folk artist Heather Maloney, who opened for Williams, duetted with her on “As Cool as I Am” and “Iowa.” Maloney is a gifted and talented artist in her own right.
Dar Williams has been a fixture on the folk-Americana scene since the early 1990s. She is known for having toured with Joan Baez, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Patty Griffin, Ani DiFranco, Shawn Colvin and more. Having released several albums during her critically-lauded career, her latest and exceptional effort is I’ll Meet You Here, is her first LP in six years. There were number of highlights performed from that release and others that included “Give All Away,” “Magical Thinking,” Little Town” “Berkeley,” “You’re Aging Well” and more. Themes that permeate traditionally her albums include religion, adolescence, gender issues, anti-commercialism, misunderstood relationships, loss, humor and geography.
Delivering incredible songwriting craftsmanship chock full of excellent material with both substance and depth, Dar Williams really brought something powerfully moving, thought proving and managed to totally entertain her devoted fans at the Main Stage in Hotel Cafe.
Set List
Time Be My Friend
Berkeley
Spring Street
Magical Thinking
Give It All Away
Babysitter
Let The Wind Blow
Little Town
Cathedrals
Today And Every Day
I Never Knew
As Cool As I Am
Iowa
You’re Aging Well
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