Wolf Trap Filene Center
Vienna, Virginia
Friday, May 30, 2003
The webmaster of the River Of Souls web site just returned home from Dan's opening show at the Wolf Trap Filene Center in Vienna, VA, and has the following review for you:
"Let me start out by saying, "wow." This was quite a show! Wolf Trap has the best sound check that I have ever heard in any outdoor venue. It seats about as many people as the Chastain Amphitheater in Atlanta, Georgia (up to 10,000 with a full lawn), and there is not a bad seat in the house. The sound was incredible, and was just as crisp and clear from the lawn as it was from the orchestra seats. And no matter how loud the band played, the sound was never overbearing or uncomfortable -- it was just right. We were also blessed with the first night in the Washington, D.C. area without rain in over a month, which I'm sure the lawn patrons were thanking God for! It's almost as if that upper-level low-pressure system sensed Dan's approach, and moved on out of there! It was simply a marvelous evening! As the sun went down, a slight chill in the air set in, as I noticed some of the women in front of me putting on their jackets.
The opening act was actually good for a change! In fact, if I had only gone to see Sissy Spacek's daughter Schuyler Fisk perform, I would say that I had gotten my money's worth! The unexpected bonus for this performance was hearing Mom singing high harmony to her daughter's wonderful melodies. Ms. Fisk is an extraordinary singer-songwriter. Her unique style of upbeat country-folk-rock pulls you right in and gets your feet tapping in short order. She was also very personable, interacting with the audience in a relaxed, light-hearted manner. Oh yeah, one more thing... she is even more gorgeous than her lovely mom! The trio was complete with a great finger-picker whose name I do not remember. Although Schuyler plays a fine acoustic guitar, this gentleman had the nimblest fingers on the stage. All in all, a very good opening act, which I thoroughly enjoyed!
As soon as Dan's roadies had finished setting up the stage with the guitars, bass, and the old wooden chair, we knew that we would soon be getting our annual "Dan fix!" Dan came out, got a standing ovation before he even started playing, smiled "hello" at the audience, and, without saying a word, grabbed a guitar, sat down in the old wooden chair, and began playing. Surprisingly, Dan did not perform that many songs from the new album. He began the show with an acoustic set, opening with "Nexus" from The Innocent Age, without a synthesizer backing him up. I have to admit that I was expecting a lavishly-produced opening with Dan on piano playing "Half Moon Bay," performed "Aurora Nova"-style with the band kicking in for "When You're Not Near Me," but for the first half of the show, it was just Dan (no complaints there), making that familiar trip back and forth from the old wooden chair to the piano bench. This was the first time that I had ever heard "Nexus" performed without the string section, which gave me a chance to appreciate the song from an entirely different angle. It was quite a treat! And, as always, Dan improvised his way through the evening, shining a different light on the familiar, making for a thoroughly enjoyable performance. Although Dan's fingers took awhile to get fully nimble (a grim reminder of that boating accident that almost ended Dan's guitar playing days forever, had it not been for his determination to play again), those magic digits were working their charms on us in no time, as we all fell under Dan's spell. This webmaster's eyes were wet for much of the show. Ever since I lost my father, the tears always come when Dan plays "Leader Of The Band," but just being there seeing him play live (and that opportunity only comes around once a year) somehow keeps the eyes moist for most of the show. That, for those of you who are unfamiliar with Dan's music, is the power that is contained within his lyrics and melodies. Dan brings us closer to the Mystery while we are caught in his spell. That's why, when the show is over, some of us can't seem to tear ourselves away from the venue, even if we know it has a curfew. And as a performer, that is the greatest kind of encore call that you can take! For the complete set list, please see the Tour Dates page.
Dan and Robert McEntee both had some smokin' lead guitar solos. The last song, &The Power Of Gold," was much longer than usual, with Dan and Robert taking turns on the lead in an extended jam session. I think this is also the song where Michael Hanna got the spotlight for his ghostly keyboard solo that surprised so many people unfamiliar with his work. His solo was simply, hauntingly beautiful. (Which matches his visage: with his long, snow-white hair, fair complexion, and thin physique, he resembles some ethereal, floating spirit, as he dances with his keyboards.) A few of the uninitiated gasped in horror at his ghostly deviation from the flight path. One woman behind me said, "weird!" Perhaps one day these folks will learn to widen their musical palette and allow something new to enter.
A few humorous moments: As Dan was tuning one of his guitars, he said, "you use whatever works..." And, after tuning it and plucking a few strings, followed that comment up with, "and this doesn't..." At one point during the concert, a male fan yelled out loudly (twice, in fact), "I LOVE YOU, DAN!" (Yes, alcohol is served at Wolf Trap!) Dan played this off very well, with a simple double-take and a wide-eyed look of astonishment! I was hoping that the fan was just making fun of the girls, and not really in love with Dan! (Like he doesn't have anything else to worry about with obsessive female fans!) Another guy yelled out something loud but undecipherable, and Dan did another double-take, but this time he enhanced it by stopping in his tracks over on stage right behind Robert, looking all around for these voices he kept hearing!
After Dan and the band left the stage, they returned just to take a bow, for alas, Wolf Trap has a strict 11 PM curfew. Guitarist Robert McEntee threw his pick out into the audience as he walked off the stage the final time. Imagine being the lucky fan who caught that! Imagine also that you were a guitarist! That would be a truly awesome thing to have happen to you!"Greg Hatfield
Http://riverofsouls.com
