An Evening with Dan Levenson

An Evening with Dan Levenson – An intimate evening of musical conversation – Dan’s one man show with Clawhammer Banjo, Appalachian Fiddle, songs and stories of life and the road.
Dan Levenson has been a musician most all of his life so far. He was born to and raised in a musical family where his father called square dances and his mother sang and played piano and guitar. Dan’s parents even met at a square dance themselves. This evening you hear his story told of and through music. More than one story actually, and about more than one person. It is the stories of folk music, of growing up, of travel and life on the road. It is Dan’s story but is also at once your story. It is history and entertainment; education and art; friends and family; school, work, life and play.
With the banjo and fiddle, stories and songs Dan tells of growing up with the music of the United States. Of learning what it means to have music a part of life and meet the people throughout this nation and others who share that music. Many who attend may have similar stories. Your parents or grandparents may have played this music. Indeed many of you DO play music though few have gotten as carried away as Dan has over the years. Players and listeners will love it just the same and are the most important component of the music that built this nation.
Why? It’s because, music – folk music – is people’s music and the music of community. Music itself defines our culture. Music itself is a community that is worldwide and shares a language that can be understood all around the world.
In a many settings the show becomes an evening of musical conversation. House concerts and smaller theaters allow for music, talk and even direct interchange with the audience! What better way to spend an evening than at a concert with your loved one and your friends.
The programs, or sets, as we like to refer to them, are not fixed because music is a living art. It changes with each playing and what Dan chooses to play on a given evening changes as well. It is as though the sets have been created new each time just for you. A song with banjo, a fiddle tune, a story and perhaps even a bit of dance. A friend from in town or one traveling through, perhaps a student, a tune or chat with one of you? A dance lesson or sing along with all of you joining in. How many instruments does he have up there anyway? We won’t really know until the evening is over.
Tonight’s show will be in two sets. The first about 50 minutes to an hour and the second, well it is usually less than the first set but we’ll see. We do hope you can stay till the end.
We usually have a short break for visiting and, yes, shopping as Dan has many recordings that you can listen to again and again and books in case you might like to learn to play some for yourself.
SO, we know you will enjoy this evening and find yourself caught up in the web of culture, life, art and community we call music. Come along and join in the fun. Remember your family, the friends and musicians of your lifetime. Meet some new ones. Listen or play, it takes all of us to create the magic of tonight.