Dar Williams

First time at The Delmar Hall and really enjoyed it. Very intimate setting which is great to see an artist like Dar Williams. Concert was good, Dar was very entertaining and her songwriting is absolutely beautiful. Great evening!

Thank you so much, Dar, for another wonderful evening of your storytelling.

You really have to be sitting in the center of the room for good sound when a sing/songwriter like Dar plays. I talked to several friends who sat in different places. Center front and sides were so boomy we couldn t hear the words. Those who sat in the middle of the room and right in front of the sound booth said that the sound was off at first, but was fine later.

Dar Williams is adorable and beyond talented. A must see!

Very talented, very entertaining, a great value, she could have played for hours and we would have stayed.

Went to see Dar Williams at the Friday Nov 6 performance at the Birchmere. Opening act was Dala, two young women with a lightweight, but tight act, great harmonies. Dar Williams opened with a song that was so out of sync and off key with her accompanying pianist that most any artist would have stopped the show, acknowledged a problem, and started over. Unbelievably, the show went on......Dar noted that something was wrong and she did not know what it was. Not rocket science to see that her and the pianist were horribly off key with each other on virtually every song. Audience appeared to be rabid Dar fans willing to put up with a lousy show and her endless rambling of political views. I really didn't care to know that Dar Williams didn't shave her armpits and thinks we all should have compost piles. Go Birchmere!!! Boo Dar.

I thought the show was average in presentation and in performance. No real change of pace to keep my attention. On the other hand, the early group, the Rythym Angels, was outstanding. Their performance as a warm up, far exceeded the "Star". I would not go to another of Ms Williams' shows but would be interested in a show by the Rythym Angels

Dar has three things going for her: (1) she is a songwriter of lyric depth and sensitivity who also can compose a fine hook; (2) she's a very good guitar player, with a deep physical, rhythmic relationship to her music -- it's way fun to watch her make herself dance while she plays, she just can't help it; and (3) her voice is heartbreakingly beautiful. Dar played a strong 90-minute solo acoustic set enhanced by her entertaining song intros, themselves bits of performance art. So actually, make that four things: (4) she's also very fun and funny between songs, and her stories enrich her music, bringing new layers of meaning and backstory to each composition. She was completely there in the room with the audience, fully engaged in the moment. She partly improvised the setlist, which tilted toward her last three cds but which also included several fan favorites. She invited her opening act, Chris Pureka, to join her on one song, and brought up her old friend, Portland resident and fellow performer Anne Weiss, to sing with her on two others. It was my first time seeing her live, and I flew in from Ohio specifically for the show. She was more than worth the effort. I got to meet her briefly afterward, and found her to be every bit the caring, perceptive person she appears in her music. All in all it was an outstanding evening.

just go see her...always fun, moving and music for the heart mind and soul!!!

The whole concert was entertaining, from her opening act of Steven Kellogg, to the nice intimate atmosphere at the Ark. My wife is a bigger fan then I am, I only know her through songs through my wife, but I had just as much fun. Dar just has an amazing voice live, she performed some of her classics and we enjoyed the whole thing!! We'll definetly see her again if she comes back. It was just entertaining.

First Time seeing Dar Williams. Very intimate atmosphere at the "ARK" in Ann Arbor. Sound quality was excellent. Nice banter from Dar Williams between songs. She played a lot from her most recent album plus a nice selection from her older albums. Would recommend seeing her especially at a smaller venue like the "ARK".

I had only heard one of Dar's songs, "When I Was A Boy," prior to buying tickets. Although she only sang it for an encore, she has a new confirmed fan-atic! I bought all her CDs and walked away happy. An evening well-spent.

Great, great concert. She opened with "Calling the Moon" and played everything you would want to hear over the next hour and 50 minutes. At one point, Dar was taking Twitter requests (with some off stage help) and someone in the audience requested "Spring Tweet"....bad pun, but funny at the time.

My wife and I had a fantastic time at The Bluebird seeing John and Dar perform Tuesday night. It was magical. We can't wait to see them come through Bloomington again. =)

Dar Williams was just as excellent live as she is on her recordings. She is also hilarious and really keeps her show moving along - we had such a great time and will definitely go back to see her again!

Dar Williams was great as usual. The zoo is such a great venue. My only complaint was that she didn't start until after 9:15 and could only play until 10:30 due to zoo curfew. She sounds better live than on her albums. Will see her again!!

Dar is so funny and talented. She is joy to listen to and moves me with her music. I own all of her cd's and never miss a show. The MN Zoo is a beautiful venue- I've always been lucky to have good weather. The bench seating is a bit uncomfortable but it hasn't held me back. My only complaint about the show this time around was that it was too short! I can't get enough.

fantastic concert!!!!!!!!!!!!! so soulful and so much heart. Dar has a wonderful voice. The Zoo was beautiful but the seats were a bit hard on the tush. bring a pillow with you if you go to a concert there

Stephen Kellogg and Haley Bonar started the night off and Dar Williams closed it down. Each set was great and the Zoo offers a unique setting.

Great set by Dar Williams. Great songs, very personable performer. Haley Bonar not so much, but okay. Stephen Kellogg, very entertaining. But it was Dar's show, and she was worth the ticket price. Great evening under the Minnesota stars.

Dar was awesome, but she was barely on the stage for an hour. That was disappointing. The middle opening act played too long. Venue is beautiful at the Zoo, but uncomfortable.

The MN Zoo Amphitheater is a fabulous venue. It was a lovely evening, couldn't be better. This is the 6th time my husband and I have seen Dar, but she didn't play Spring Street or Iowa...which was a real disappointment.

I heart Dar. And Haley. Yes. Dar was funny but talked a little too much. The worst was that she didn't sing "Iowa" but I forgive her!

Dar Williams is not only an amazing songwriter, but she is an outstanding performer. Her lyrics and music are both haunting and beautiful. The Minnesota Zoo Amphitheater was the MOST AMAZING venue to watch her perform. The setting is so intimate... I think every person there felt like they were in the front row. I'll be looking for more concerts at the Zoo... and I can't wait 'til Dar comes back to the Twin Cities.

We really enjoyed much of our Friday night at the Zoo. The weather was perfect and the performances were mostly excellent. My wife and I really enjoyed opener Stephen Kellogg. He had an excellent stage presence with a good rapport with his audience - which is not always easy to do with a just-getting-settled-in audience. We wish we could have seen more of him. Haley Bonar was a major disappointment. Where as Kellogg, and later Williams, tied in well with the crowd, Bonar seemed almost frightened by the audience. She mentioned she had recently left the Twin Cities for Oregon, and someone bellowed out "Why'd you leave?" Haley was dumbstruck and mumbled something about not understanding English. Her band seemed more than adequate, and I think her backup singer/friend may have actually had a better voice. We also saw Bonar last year at the zoo as an opening act, but couldn't really hear her for the thoughtless rapping going on around us. As it turns out we didn't miss much. Dar Williams put on a wonderful show, if not a bit short in her 75 mintes or so. I think she would have sang longer had the "hard 10:30 curfew" not been in place. Which is ridiculous on a weekend night. Of course she could have certainly helped matters by starting more expeditiously. Her songs were very heartfelt and inspiring, and her diatribe with the audience was very welcoming and cozy, if not a bit eccentric. She won us over with her kind words about the Twin Cities. Her voice evoked thoughts of Joni Mitchell with perhaps a bit harder edge. The audience was there to listen which made her performance all the better - something that is not always the case in this venue. We definitely will look to see her perform again. Perhaps at the zoo again next year? If so please skip Bonar as an opener.

Dar was wonderful. She has a beautiful voice with thoughtful songs. Her stories, which describe the inspiration for the songs, add an enjoyable dimension to her performance. You can laugh along with her and she really engages the crowd. Due to time restraints she was unable to tell some of her stories. I wish we could have heard Iowa and The Babysitters Here...next time. Haley Bonar was disappointing. She has a good voice but the lyrics were lacking. She also does not have much of a stage presence, she seems angry and I was bored. Stephen Kellogg is very entertaining even without his band. He performed a great one man show. The organizers should have given him more time to play. He definitely deserved more attention than Haley Bonar.

The evening at the Zoo would have been better if Dar had performed longer and the opening acts hadn't performed at all. It was a pleasant relief when Dar took the stage. Beautiful vocals and backup from her band.

Her songs are great as well as her stage presence. I wish the vocals were louder -- she was overshadowed by the instruments.

If you hate strong, independent, intelligent women, don't see this show. Dar is a national treasure, educated at the best schools in the country, who could have easily bent to the strong commercial forces of the music industry, who represents the spirit of freedom and self-expression. What a delight. She is a breath of fresh air who will blow your socks off if you have any sense of understanding the storytelling of an extremely talented singer-songwriter. I will never miss another show if she comes back, and will probably travel to see her if she is withing 200 miles. How many artists can you say that about?

I love her stories and interactions with the crowd! Beautiful voice!

I am not very familiar with Dar Williams' music, but I went with a friend who is fan. I enjoyed her lyrics; Ms. Williams is clearly a talented lyricist with a clear, strong voice. She's also a happy, self-effacing liberal which endears her to me! I haven't been to the Duck Room in a LONG time, and found it to be an enjoyable venue. However, on this particular evening in August, the room was HOT! Ms. Williams even commented that the room seemed to have "about 16 micro-climates", and I was standing in the hot and humid section, for certain.

Loved Stephen Kellogg opener as well...Dar was fantastic. Duck Room needed to be air conditioned, however.

Dar is not only a brilliant singer-songwriter, but has a great sense of humor and rapport with the audience as well. Both her albums and her performances are not to be missed!

great performance, nice atmosphere and affordable,

Dar is an exceptional musician, lyricist and story teller. I have seen her several times, but what made this concert so special is I went with my 23 year old son who also loves her music.

Wonderful interaction with the audience and story telling combined with songs we treasure

Excellent song mix. Not a big fan of the Duck Room because of distracting sounds, like water running through pipes in the ceiling,

Dar Williams was amazing! However, she was not given enough stage time!! I was quite disappointed with how very short the show was! She only played for about an hour! But in the hour she did perform, she was WONDERFUL!! I love her!!

Dar was in very fine voice and form. Witty and generous and wise as ever in her on-stage talk, and her voice was lush and lilting. Very fine accompanying musicians - keyboardist and electric guitarist. The material from this latest album really blooms live. Dar is just one of my absolute favorites. Had never seen Jill Sobule, the opening act, perform, and I really liked her. The venue - Somerville Theater - is great: good acoustics, friendly atmosphere, nice size, decent selection of beers on tap. We sat in the balcony, and I had to either lean forward or to the side to see the performers.

Had a good time. Enjoyable banter. Wonderful songs. I teared up more than once.

Not to be missed. If you have a chance to see Dar Williams perform, you need to go, no question about it.

GREAT...awesome show. She really gives back story on her songs in funny, engaging show.

Dar paired her amazing music with the wonderful stories behind some of the songs she played. This was as much like a lovely talk with an old friend as it was a concert.

Had a blast, as always! Dar was a smidge chatty but it was right after her birthday (we sang her happy birthday) and her new release. I'd already purchased the album but missed hearing more of her older stuff. The Aladdin is always fun, good vibe. Last saw Dar there in 2010. Only downside- really drunk, loud, and obnoxious women in one of the back rows.

Words can not do justice how much I love going to see Dar concerts. Love her!

There are moments during Dar's performances when the beauty of the song and the way she performs it take you away into clouds of, well, beauty. Dar is so earnest, so authentic, and so, so insightful in her writing and her voice is incredibly strong and beautiful. What a talent.

Aka " I dragged my Husband with me and he actually enjoyed it!" ;) It took a little time for the concert to start (maybe waiting for the single file concession to empty out?) But the Aladdin is a quaint old theater and gives a truly cozy feel to the concert were you almost have a personable experience with the performer, as opposed to the other nosebleed capacity concerts I've been to where you can't even see the artist. (Unless there's a forty foot TV screen on stage). The instruments only included a guitar (Dar) and a keyboard (Robert?) and another fellow that would switch off guitars. A REAL performance (applause, applause). My husband really liked listening to Alex (couldn't quite catch the last name). And felt sorry for Dar's poor leg as it danced itself crazy to the music. I loved, loved, loved that I got to go to this concert. Kicking myself I didn't go see her in Cali in 2009. And will make every and all attempts to see future concerts. Wish I could've seen her performances with Joan Osbourne.

Dar is amazing, especially at a small venue like the Ark. It's like you're hanging out in your living room.

Dar Williams did a nice set, but my friends and I were EXTREMELY IMPRESSED by the opening act called Sweater Set. They could have easily been the headliner.

Dar Williams was wonderful; old songs and new; great narratives and a wondeful presence. I love her thought-provoking lyrics ... appreciated her accessibility after the show.

This was my third time seeing Dar Williams at the Birchmere and each time has always been a beautiful evening. From her small stories to the mix of songs that she chooses, she makes the audience feel like family.

Ellis was an absolutely blow-out performance complete with audience participation and a comedy bit in his banter that had a common comedy thread throughout, creating a kind of "inside joke" with the audience. Dar's tangential and sometimes obscure banter was endearing and gave great insight into songs you already love. Beautifully sung.

Joan was fanastic! As was her accompaniast, Keith. The acoustic approach to her work was awesome, and really highlighted her rich, wonderful voice. Don't wait so long to return to the Twin Cities for a future concert!

Dar Williams is always great entertainment and she did not disappoint, either in her songs or in her hilarious stream-of-consciousness interaction with the audience. I did not know anything about Joan Osborne, but have always enjoyed the artists Dar chooses to tour with. She completely blew the room away with an unbelievable selection of smokey, bluesy numbers, including an unforgettable rendition of Prince's "Little Red Corvette". She said this was a fairly new departure for her, as she is known more for pop, with the hit "What if God was One of Us". I hope to see her do a recording soon in this style, and I would love to see her headlining at the Dakota Jazz Club any time!

I understand the acoustical approach to the show, but wasn't expecting it. I don't recall seeing anything in the show description about it. Joan has an amazing voice, but thought her part was pretty low-key, too low-energy. Dar picked up the pace and enjoyed her portion of the show more.

Joan Osborne is absolutley amazing. She's seems to have improved with age!

Dar and Joan were awesome individually and together. We've seen them both with full bands, but having just them and the keyboardist really highlighted their wonderful voices. Dar sang lots of songs from The Beauty of the Rain, which we think is her best CD.

Dar in this intimate setting was glorious. It felt like she came to my home to sing for a few friends and my wife n I. When her 12 year old friend and she did a song together late in the 2nd set it blew us away! Great stuff, A Klein

She is wonderful. Great voice, terrific songs with amazing lyrics, warm personality with engaging views of the world.

We've seen Dar perform many times. This performance was intimate in a small wonderful venue. The songs were a mix of old and new. She performed with only one other musician, a Canadian piano player/singer. It still had the same energy as shows we've seen with a full band. It's really fun hearing the stories behind the lyrics. If you get a chance to see Dar perform you should jump on it!

A beautiful moment in the world of music. One that not only inspires, but allows the artist to bring the artistry to a personal level. The Avalon stage provides the perfect setting for sharing the gifts that singer-songwriters give to the audience. I was graced with the experience of being in that moment.

I went with my husband and two friends. We all had a blast. Sara Watkins opened, and she was great. Dar was wonderful and puts on a great show. Worth every penny. The venue was also pretty awesome - Cheerwine soda on tap!?