Danny Michel, Solo, Sunlight Music Fest 2010

Danny Michel took the honour of headlining the fledgling Sunlight Music Festival in Guelph with grace and ease. Playing a very loose, solo set Danny oozed charm while entertaining the crowd gathered on the benches and grass encircling the Riverside Park bandshell. As mentioned he was unaccompanied on this occasion and worked primarily with his electric red guitar, swapped out briefly for a beat up black telecaster and augmented at times by his harmonica. It is the song writing that sets Danny apart moreso than his catchy, seemingly-simple music so this arrangement was just fine.

In keeping with this feeling his looping was understated and unobtrusive, as he laid down a few base samples for the first song while mirroring a child who was dancing and prancing near the stage. However for the catchysweet opening track from new album Sunset Sea Danny jovially noted that there were about 15 instruments on the album and that he’d do his best to replicate at least two, before playing Maybe You Can Find It In Your Heart. He described this album as being very happy and that feeling could certainly be heard on This Feeling – written on a bus riding in the Caribbean. Wish Willy played the part too. Older tracks were also put in the mix, with his environmentally-conscious Feather, Fur and Fin and a reinterpreted version of White Lightning that worked really well, especially with the mutli-layered ending (one of the few times the sampling was emphasized).

Throughout the show Danny was easy-going, playing with his cadence and with the kids in the audience. On I Will Love You For Miles he had a false start, momentarily forgetting the line and looking around to no one in particular, but laughed it off and began again with renewed confidence. A few songs also had false stops since the step of the sample pedal didn’t take effect but none of this detracted from the show, in fact it made it that much more personal. Adding to that was Danny laying bare his favourite song he’s ever written, Who’s Going to Miss You?, for good reason.

Leaving on a playful note the closer was Tennessee Tobacco, an upbeat ditty that had people tapping and bobbing along. So much so that they turned this kinetic energy to encore-worthy applause and received If God’s On Your Side, Who’s On Mine? in return. Danny Michel played a relaxed, easy-going set to a parkful of pleasant, fortunate people.