It Was Way Better Than Alright

It's not often Capital Ale House brings in a major act, but I would definitely consider the Dar Williams show last night to be such a show.

Judging by the long line at the door by 630, it was obvious that plenty of Dar fans wanted a shot at the best possible seats.

Holmes and I had arrived even earlier, not realizing that the doors didn't open until 7, but we made do at the bar until they started taking tickets.

Unfortunately, most people were on the will-call list, which required names being checked off and it took forever.

The guy at the door practically kissed us when he saw we had actual tickets and let us right in; he also acknowledged that they were unprepared for the hordes of people.

Last time I saw Dar, it was at the Landmark, so I can't figure how they didn't anticipate an onslaught at a much smaller venue.

Two musicians accompanied Dar and the crowd was treated to a range of older and newer material.

As my friend Andrew had forewarned me, the audience was indeed full of LGBT people, no doubt attributable to her frequent musings on gender roles and self-discovery.

Holmes was impressed with her guitar playing and commented on her ethereal voice; this is notable mainly because he had never heard of her when I first suggested he join me for the show.

As a singer-songwriter who's been around for almost 20 years now, there's still a lot to enjoy about a Dar Williams' performance.

Hats off to Capital Ale House for providing such an intimate setting in which to enjoy that kind of talent.