I was trying to think of a single word to describe Will Dailey.
Turns out it can’t be done.
His music is soulful, sweet, funny, inventive, rockin’, insightful, and supremely entertaining.
I had the pleasure of seeing it all in person at his show at Club Passim in Cambridge, MA.
Accompanied by Dave Brophy on drums and vocal harmonies, the pair created a surprisingly full and varied set with a few guest appearances including Joe Barbado on accordion, and Sarah Miller on vocal harmonies.
Dailey himself shared a songs from his latest album, National Throat as well as a few crowd-pleasing classics. Equally skilled on electric and acoustic guitars, plus harmonica, and even banjo, Dailey knows how to entertain.
The set started off with a stark and soulful version of “Rescue” and picked up speed as he eased into the evening. By the time he got to “Eliza” things were rollicking.
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Favorite moments of the night include his fabulous, acoustic version of “Castle of Pretending” and the sole banjo performance on his song “Higher Education.” Love, love, love.
Effortlessly soulful, Dailey genuinely enjoys his time on stage and shares that satisfaction with the audience.
He’s got a bunch more dates coming up. If you have a chance to go, you won’t be disappointed.
Listen to the album version of “Castle of Pretending” here:
Dailey’s latest release, National Throat, debuted in the top 20 in the Billboard Heatseekers chart, is winner of a Boston Music Award for Album of the Year and Dailey himself was awarded this year’s Artist of the Year.
He's just releasead a Deluxe version of the album on March 24th that includes all the songs from National Throat and 6 bonus tracks, “Stand Where I Can See You” (Live), “Why Do I” (Live), the full studio of “Sunken Ship,” a demo of “Higher Education,” “$300 Dollar Man,” (written in a reaction to being a part of Farm Aid), and a cover of Arcade Fire’s “Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)." Find out more at www.willdailey.com
Laura B. Whitmore is a music industry marketing veteran, music journalist and editor, writing for Parade.com,Guitar World, and others. She has interviewed hundreds of musicians and hosts the She Rocks Podcast. As the founder of the Women’s International Music Network, she advocates for women in the music industry and produces the annual She Rocks Awards. She is the Senior Vice President of Marketing for Positive Grid, making the world safe for guitar exploration everywhere! A guitarist and singer/songwriter, Laura is currently co-writing an album of pop songs that empower and energize girls.
