Last night we attended another memorable concert at the Homeport Historic B&B. The musical guest was Nova Scotia native, Dan McKinnon.

Dan McKinnon is blessed with a rich baritone voice. He can hold his audience in the palm of his hand with his thoughtful, reflective lyrics and the stories behind them.
His songs draw on the full range of human experience. They’re often based on nuggets gleaned from the bigger stories of our Atlantic Canadian history, focussing on poignant details that are often overlooked.

Despite his assertion that he’s only written one happy song, Dan’s set list included a good balance of moods. He interspersed the moving ballads that had us searching in our pockets for tissues, with a few lighthearted songs that revealed his sardonic wit.

Dan has an easy, relaxed manner with his audience and has their full attention even while he’s tuning or changing instruments. He has been heavily influenced by Stan Rogers. In fact, Dan’s voice and guitar style are reminiscent of
the Canadian folk music icon. He invited the audience to request some of their favourite Stan Rogers songs and ended the concert with a rousing rendition of “The Mary Ellen Carter.” When the audience clamoured for an encore, he sent us gently on our way with the great Gordon Lightfoot classic “Song for a Winter’s Night,” striking the perfect note on which to end.

If you missed Dan McKinnon last night, he will be playing tonight at the Landsdowne Concert Series in Fredericton. There might be a few tickets left. To inquire, contact Paul and Liz McDonnell at:

pmm56@me.com