The first time I saw Dar Williams live was at Wolf Trap on June 12,
1998, a triple-header with David Wilcox and Richard Thompson. Most recently, I
caught her in July of 2011, on the Marina Stage at XPNFest. However, the show that made the biggest impression on me was October 26, 2003, at the Lincoln
Theatre in Washington, where she appeared as part of a singer-songwriter tour
with Mary Chapin Carpenter, Shawn Colvin, and Patty Griffin. The four of them
were side by side, each with a guitar, taking turns on their songs, with the
others adding harmonies, and plenty of chatting in between.
Her performance of “Mercy Of The Fallen” really pulled me in, and I
purchased this album shortly thereafter. There’s not really a weak song in the
bunch, with a great mix of ballads and more uptempo tunes. I didn’t enjoy the
material in her next two studio albums nearly as much, but can highly recommend
both 2001’s Out There Live and the
the 2010 two-disk compilation Many Great
Companions.
Favorite tracks:
Your Fire Your Soul
The One Who Knows
Closer To Me
Whispering Pines
The Beauty Of The Rain