Danu by Lilly Harvey

            I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I walked into the Shalin Liu Performing Arts Center in Rockport, Massachusetts.  All I knew about the band that we would be seeing is that they were performing folk music, a genre of music that I don’t know too much about.  However, from the moment Danu stepped on stage the entire audience was captivated by this group’s flawless combination of ancient Irish tunes and songs from their new repertoire.   

From the first note that the group played on stage to the very last one, Danu filled the room with energy.  Without even realizing it, after the first song, I begin tapping my foot on the ground.  I noticed as the performance went on that the floor began to vibrate with the tapping of the audience member’s feet against the floor. The energy of the band and the music made it impossible not to move in some way.  The group got reactions out of the audience in other ways as well.  In between songs, the band members always got at least a chuckle out of everyone in the audience as they described the next song. They urged the audience to sing along and cheer for different members of the band as they performed a solo, so that the performance wasn’t just about listening for the audience, but participating as well. 

The band member’s descriptions and stories behind the song really made you think as you listened.  Even when it was just an instrumental song, or they were singing in Irish I could always feel a story behind the piece. Sometimes for a moment during the performance, I would close my eyes and the song told a story.  Even if they weren’t singing words in English the emotion that the lead singer put into the music allowed you to create your own.   

 I was also particularly impressed by the band’s ability to smoothly combine traditional Irish songs with the songs from their new album.  The traditional Irish songs and those written by Danu complimented each other perfectly, without overshadowing one another.     

By the end of the performance, the group had the audience on their feet cheering for more.  For this group, it wasn’t about the audience simply listening as they played folk music, but becoming fully engaged in the performance so that the audience is as much a part of the music as they are.  I think that this is the part of the performance that made it the most memorable for me, and I’m guessing for other members of the audience as well.  Overall, I would highly recommend this band for a fun night of energetic folk music.